So next fall I am going to be going to PSU and I plan on trying racing with their club team. I want to specialize in hilly distance rides (40-80+ miles) (kinda don’t wanna do crits).
I am a smaller guy and I weigh 114lbs and I am 5’3” and I (as expected) am strongest at hills as I pass fairly strong riders fairly easily.
In group rides I ride with the 2’s (second fastest group) and we average 20mph over 25-30 miles and it’s pretty manageable. I can go out solo for 90% effort and average 20mph.
On the rides I notice that I have to work harder on downhills and especially flats and I put in less effort on climbs (no matter grade).
Any thoughts on training plans to get me faster on the flats/downhill aka power output.
Also a side question I kinda wanna mix in gym workouts if that’s possible…?
Certain plans don’t necessarily make you faster on flats, uphills or downhills. Plans focus on energy systems based on your race events/goals, depending if it’s a sustained effort, punchy climbs/power or a combination of both. Being faster on flats is about raising the “w” part of the w/kg formula. More “kg” will make you faster on decents (gravity), but unless that weight comes with more power than you’ll lose any benifit on decents when you’re headed back uphill.
So your goal should be to focus on raising your FTP and ensuring you’re fueling your efforts to do so. I’d recommended not even looking at a scale for months and put all you energy and focus into increasing your FTP. Gym work is good for making you a stronger, more fit and less injury prone athlete, but won’t inherently make you a faster cyclist.
Good video below that talks about the opposite issue, getting faster going uphill, but the concepts are the same.
Sounds like you are a young rider, just going into college? Keep training. You’ll likely increase bulk over time, and get better all round.
Read Chris Froomes biography, The Climb. He had similar concerns when he was a young rider having skinny legs compared to some older riding colleagues. Helps give perspective.
