Weekend 24 Hour Time-Trial

Saturday was a FULL REST DAY. I really needed it. Went to bed early and got a full night's sleep.

Sunday was my dry-run for the Montreal 24 Hour next weekend. I realize my weakness these days is solo-skating. I really have no metrics, so I decided to borrow Jen's Garmin (since mine is broken) so that I could collect some data for me to work with.

Our "Rabid Lap Dogs" team of ten is divided into sub-teams of 3 or 4. Which means we will be skating for two hour periods with four hours off (which gives plenty of time to rest, eat, socialize and sleep). It will mean that I am skating at least 4 times within those two hour periods for a distance that is around the ballpark of a half marathon.

The length of the loop is 4.7km and looking at the overall average speed of my teammates last year, it looks like I will have to be able to solo skate at an average speed of 30km/hr for that duration when I'm "on" to hold up my end! My Ottawa Inline team-mates have been training together for this, and I actually kind of wish that I was able to join in with them for some practices and their training regimen leading up.

I simulated the conditions as best I could out in Hamilton Beach... on the one hand there are no right-hand turns that will undoubtably slow me down because my right hand crossovers are not that strong, but the flip side is the Montreal Indy track won't have dogs, cyclists, small children and pedestrians to dodge (although I have no idea what it will be like skating in the dark).

Since the path is 8km, I could do four laps (2 there and backs) and simulate four 4.7km intervals and give myself enough rest time in between to bring my heart rate and breathing back to normal before I start the next one (and keep moving so I don't start seizing up). I warmed up for a few km with Carolyn and then did my first time trial which would take me to just before the end of the trail where the turnaround loop was.

I checked my Garmin and seemed to be able to maintain 30km/hour for most of it and picked up my speed above that for the final half km. My first 4.7 interval turned out to be my best for the day at 9.07 minutes. I noted that I was skating with the wind at my back, which was a big benefit for me in this scenario. My average speed was 31.1km.

The second interval was against the wind, which proved a more exhausting effort. Given the fact that I'm mostly pack skating, I'm not very strong into the wind at these speeds. Unfortunately, I did not start my timer until halfway through this interval, so I don't have very useful data. I kept and eye on my watch and tried my best to keep a pace of 30km/hr into the wind and powered through the uphills as coach Eric G suggested earlier in the season in order to keep the average speed consistent. I wasn't able to kick up that much more speed in the final half km sprint this time.

The third interval was 9.43 minutes with the wind and I averaged 29km/hr for that duration. This time I kept in mind Morgan's suggestion that you start off nice and easy and build up so that you still have some sprint left for the end. I'm sure that benefited me in the end, although at this point muscle fatigue was kicking in much quicker.

Fourth interval, I tried something different by starting it before I hit the turnaround so that I could simulate some of the cornering that I would have to do since I will have to slow down on the turns. My slowest of the day at 10.10 minutes and an average speed of 28km/hr, with only a part of this interval into the wind. I felt really wiped by the end of this one, as if I were hitting "the wall". My endurance is way down and it is something I really have to work on in the next few weeks/month.

I took it nice and easy after this although it felt like the rain storm was rolling in. For the last 2km of the day, I decided to give myself one more final sprint interval to see if I could hold it together for the finish back at the start. Today, Luckily

Today also gave me an opportunity to see what "works" better in playing around with all the variables when I skate. It was really interesting for me to get a bit more clinical in my skating. I find there is a balance for me... long low skating has it's benefits in that it requires less cardio for me, but muscular fatigue sets in quicker. A faster cadence that has me not as low and bent over taxes my cardio more, but less muscle fatigue. There needs to be a balance, but I can see how I will need to really start building that muscle endurance again for long and low. Again, my technique goes out the window once I'm tired, but it's interesting to note that even though it doesn't seem that way, I actually maintain speed better when my form is better. Food for thought when I'm really tired and trying to hold it together in my sprints.

SKINSUITS
Coincidentally, both Carolyn and I wore our new skinsuits (that we picked up in Ottawa) for the first time. On the way there, we laughed at the fact that we felt like such "poseurs" in skinsuits. I think I was particularly self conscious of my combination of skinsuit with my Rollerblade rec-boots. I mean I understand all the benefits of wearing a skin-suit... being more aerodynamic, the longer legging and material being better protection than regular streetwear and preventing you from tripping up on a loose pant leg, and I believe there is also a benefit to constricting your muscles in the suit as well (I just can't remember why).

I guess there is the added pressure of wearing the skinsuit... on the one hand it makes me feel like I really need to skate fast in order to justify wearing it, but as Carolyn and I both observed... we both felt like we were faster just by wearing the skinsuit!

MAINTENANCE!
In the car-ride to Hamilton and while we were waiting for Carolyn to get ready, Kevin helped me put on my Red Matter wheels that I use for racing as well as the new ILQ9 bearings that I had received at the Eddy Metzger clinic a couple of weeks back. His first comment was the fact that there was so much dirt on my wheels, frame and bearings! He showed my how my wheels weren't really moving compared to his, which could spin with the slightest touch. He explained to me that it might not seem like much when we are just holding our skates and spinning the wheels, but it all adds up exponentially when we are skating at higher speeds and putting more demand on our endurance capabilities. You basically want the least amount of resistance on your wheels as possible, particularly when you just want to rest in the pack. I am doing way more work as a result of the dirt in my wheels and bearings, compared to someone with wheels and bearings that spin much more easily.

After Hamilton (and our Dim Sum Lunch in Missauga), Carolyn needed to clean her bearings (she was caught out in the rain for her final lap), so we went back to her place and Kevin went through some basic maintenance with us. He pulled out his toothbrush and showed me all the dirt that had collected on my bearings and wheels that all add up to extra "drag". So I will need to add an old toothbrush to me repetoire of essential tools. Kevin also had a fantastic tool that he uses to pull bearings out of wheels quite easily. I will have to try and find one of those. I really should be more conscious of maintaining my equipment, particularly once my racing skates arrive!

Carolyn also noted the coning of her wheels. I'm already pretty aware of how quickly my wheels tend to cone when i am street skating, I really should try and rotate them more often.


WHAT I ATE ON SATURDAY
Bowl of Lucky Charms, Vector and Nature's path Rebound Cereal in Soy Milk. Booster Juice with Warrior Boost. Curry Beef Egg Bun. Veggie Curry Chicken. white rice. Veggie Orange Beef. Hot and Sour Soup.

WHAT I ATE ON SUNDAY
Flax Bagel with Salmon Cream Cheese. Gatorade. Dim Sum... Rice Crepe with Shrimp. Har Gow. Sui Miu. Beef Balls. Onion pancake. BBQ Pork Bun. Egg Custard Bun. Deep Fried Calimari. Beef Rice Noodle. Singapore Style Noodle. Congi. Chinese Tea. Dumpling. LIck's Homeburger on Whole Wheat with all the fixin's. Chocolate Moose Tracks Ice Cream.