It seems like everyone who is on the local speed team has been doing it their whole lives. Everyone my age (14) has been racing for years. I'm hooked and I really want to take the sport more seriously, but I'm afraid I'm too old to start out as a beginner. How old is too old to be a beginner?
Inline racing is rather strange. In most sports there is a narrow age range which defines ones prime years. For example, competitive cyclists (tour riders) seem to peak between 28-32. With inline skating, the podium is often shared by teens and those in their late 20s or early 30s. Just look at the likes of Derek Parra, Tony and Dante Muse, and Eddy Matzger. These guys are in their 30s and still capable of battling it out with the young guns. On the other end of the spectrum, Chad Hedrick, Cheryl Matula (Ezzell) and Theresa Cliff were winning World Championship medals at 15 and 16 years of age.
While the young skaters usually have faster feet, more seasoned athletes in their mid- to late- 20s tend to possess greater endurance, strength, and tactical ability. This is somewhat of a normal trend in endurance sport, but one of the unique aspects of inline racing is the range of years that skaters can continue to race at a high level. So no worries, mate! Even though your teenage pals might have more years under their belt, after a few years this fact wont offer them the same degree of benefit it does right now. I didnt start inline racing until I was 22 years old, and at 31 I dont think Ive peaked yet. So train hard, eat right, get plenty of rest, and never give up!
I am thinking of upgrading from 4- to 5-wheels to improve my time in marathons. I've recorded some fast times in Duluth and my friends tell me that I will improve greatly once I go to 5-wheels. What type of improvement, on average, would you expect someone to have: 5%, 10%? I just don't see how 5-wheels could make that much of a difference. My times do not change much from race to race, so I think I have maxed out my best time on 4-wheels for the amount of time I have to train.
Its impossible to say just how must faster or more efficient 5-wheels are versus 4. Suffice to say, however, the difference is significant. A 5-wheel skate offers a greater wheelbase (13" center to center vs. 9.5-10"). This increased wheelbase promotes proper speedskating technique and enhances balance and stability. The additional wheel increases surface contact by 20%, improving traction and angular leverage. But the biggest benefit of a 5-wheel skate when compared to a 4-wheel skate is that the greater wheelbase surface contact area allows pushing force to be distributed over a wider area. It's like paddling a canoe with a paddle thats 10" wide versus one which is 12" wide. The wider paddle provides more leverage. More leverage gives you more power per stroke, in turn resulting in greater work output and speed. Once rolling, a 5-wheel skate will also glide longer and smoother because of the increased stability, especially at higher speeds.
Back to your question of how much you will improve on a 5-wheel skate. The first thing I should point out is that the degree of benefit is relative to how you measure. In terms of overall efficiency, a 5-wheel skate allows for a greater speed (for the same amount of effort) as well as a higher power output at a given intensity of effort. This enhancement may be on the order of 10%, although this value is likely to vary significantly from skater to skater. It is important to keep in mind that the benefit in terms of actual race time may be much greater.
Ultimately, there is a significant difference in speed between 4- and 5-wheel skates, but the actual benefit of 5-wheels is not as simple as determining a percentage improvement in efficiency. You may be able to perform quite well on 4-wheels, but thinking back to your racing experiences there has got to be a moment when you were wishing for that little extra oomph. Well, once you learn proper technique, 5-wheel skates give you that and more. I think youll be pleasantly surprised just how superior they are.
When I'm doing the double push, my left leg doesn't make the same push as my right. The movement is different. What can I do?
First, the asymmetry you are experiencing is quite normal, whether you are skating double push or classic technique. I'd suggest that upwards of 70% of all skaters exhibit some visual difference between the left and right sides of the body. Some of the most asymmetrical skaters are the top pros out there winning races. The first thing you should do is determine what type of difference youre talking about. There are 2 types of asymmetry.
These asymmetrical movements are usually very easy to see. For example, a skater may recover one skate higher off the ground than the other, or the toe of one skate may point outwards slightly once it is lifted off the ground. The distinguishing characteristic of stylistic asymmetrical movements is that they do not interfere with the overall efficiency of the stride. These discrepancies may not look nice, but thats about the worst you can say about them.
Technical asymmetries are those which have a direct (usually negative) impact on the performance and efficiency of the skater. For example, a skater may display a nice sideways push with one leg, but push back excessively with the other.
While all asymmetries can and should be repaired, those of a functional nature require more immediate attention. Despite this fact, some skaters struggle for months or even years in an effort to rectify even the more minor, visually-discrete asymmetries.
When it comes to seeking technical solutions for double-push skating, both the problem and the remedy are usually more complex. Compounding the problem is the fact that few people have knowledge and/or experience in teaching and trouble shooting this technique. Thus, it is recommended that skaters trying to correct or modify their technique use a video camera to record their performance. Video analysis is extremely valuable for its ability to isolate and understand small but significant misalignments in body posture and execution of technical components.
It is impossible for me to answer your question as provided. First, try to classify your asymmetry and gauge the level of impact the problem has on your ability to skate efficiently. If it appears to be strictly aesthetic, you might want to leave it alone for now. If, on the other hand, it's affecting more than how your technique looks, record yourself skating from a few different angles. Review the footage, and then re-record yourself trying different things. Without an experienced coach to guide you, your best action is to experiment with different things, one at a time, until you are able to correct the problem.
QUESTION
ANSWER
Some of your friends may have been skating a whole lot longer, but you are definitely not too old to train hard and develop right at the same level as your more experienced friends. Its true that some of the top skaters in the world are not much older than you, but this shouldnt discourage you one bit.
QUESTION
ANSWER
Inline racing is a pack sport where skaters save energy by drafting in a group. In long races such as a marathon distance , the field typically splits up into smaller groups. The actual difference in speed between these groups can be significant, but the actual energy required to stay in the faster group may be the same as that required to stay in the slower group (thanks to drafting). The 10% difference in efficiency mentioned above may just have been enough to make the break into the faster pack. In the end, the faster group might finish 5 minutes up on the slower group.
QUESTION
ANSWER
Stylistic/aesthetic
Technical/functional
© 2001 Barry Publow, Canada
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