Getting all clogged up on a downhill
 

Where I rollerski, there’s this long downhill after this same uphill (not too steep; on good days, I manage to V-2 up most of it). After coming down, I often find it difficult to go up the next hill (again, not terribly steep) even though I’ve tackled a pretty difficult climb just minutes before.. The breathing is off and the legs are wooden. Trying to accelerate in V-2 on the flat before the climb (which actually feels OK, probably because I'm not flexing the muscles too much at that point) doesn't seem to help. It almost makes me wish I didn't have this forced rest on the downhill. Takes a few minutes and a few hundred feet up the hill to get back to normal. I suspect it’s acid accumulating in the muscles, though I don’t feel the characteristic burn when climbing before that downhill – I guess these climbs are not long enough for that. Could it be that my static posture on downhill (for fear of falling) causes the acid to accumulate? How then to use downhills for recovery without getting all clogged up?

Thanks!

Getting all clogged up on a downhill
 

How much time does it take to go up and down the hill? How much time
do you take between getting back to the beginning and starting up the
second time? Going up the first time, what is your heart rate relative
to LT or AT? Any back or leg or other physical problems?

Gene

On Tue, 8 Oct 2013 05:32:13 -0700 (PDT)
wrote:

Where I rollerski, there’s this long downhill after this same uphill
(not too steep; on good days, I manage to V-2 up most of it). After
coming down, I often find it difficult to go up the next hill (again,
not terribly steep) even though I’ve tackled a pretty difficult climb
just minutes before. The breathing is off and the legs are wooden.
Trying to accelerate in V-2 on the flat before the climb (which
actually feels OK, probably because I'm not flexing the muscles too
much at that point) doesn't seem to help. It almost makes me wish I
didn't have this forced rest on the downhill. Takes a few minutes
and a few hundred feet up the hill to get back to normal. I suspect
it’s acid accumulating in the muscles, though I don’t feel the
characteristic burn when climbing before that downhill – I guess
these climbs are not long enough for that. Could it be that my static
posture on downhill (for fear of falling) causes the acid to
accumulate? How then to use downhills for recovery without getting
all clogged up?

Thanks!

Getting all clogged up on a downhill
 

Threashold questions are a little technical. I don't have a heart monitor, so don't really know. But what's interesting is that when I take a fairly short descent after a difficult climb, I don't feel nearly as sluggish when I start the next climb (the road is essentially a few rolling hills). It is only after this long downhill that I feel all rusted up. No breaks in between, just keep going. No physical problems, at least not that I'm aware of.