SKATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Inline secrets from the world's top skaters and coaches

This week's tip:

The Need for Speed!

By Renee Hildebrand
Aug. 10, 2007

Lots of skaters skate lots of miles at low or medium intensity. That's great for aerobic conditioning and improving the body's ability to absorb and transport oxygen. But you need to do more if you want to get ready for racing.

Even if you skate only marathons, there will be times (breakaways and field sprints) when you'll want to hit the gas — and that's where anaerobic conditioning comes in. It is the kind of conditioning that builds strong muscles and unleashes the quick burst of energy needed to cut loose.

Interval Training

The best way to improve your anaerobic conditioning is with high-intensity interval training, in which sprints are alternated with periods of rest.

Start your interval training four months before your target event. Then gradually increase the duration and intensity of your sprints as the season progresses.

To make sure you are making progress, use a stopwatch or heart-rate monitor ... or join a racing team with a coach whose job it will be to keep pushing you through your comfort zone.

Your interval training should reach a peak two weeks before your target event. At that point, the intensity of your workouts should match what you expect to experience on race day.

Finally, it's time to taper, which means reducing the intensity of your workouts. This will give your body time to fully recover before your event.

Both Ways

A smart training regimen includes both low-intensity (aerobic) and high-intensity (anaerobic) workouts. Incorporate both into your training program, and you'll have the endurance to go the distance and the speed to finish strong.

...

Renee Hildebrand is one of the world's top inline speed coaches. Among the skaters she has trained are all-round world champion Joey Mantia and U.S. national champion Brittany Bowe. Currently, she is the coach of the Belgium World Team. A protege of the legendary Virgil Dooley, Hildebrand was the coach of Team Florida from 1988 to 2006. She is also a licensed physical therapist.

Related reading:

• Skate Tip of the Week Archive
• Beginners Guide to Outdoor Racing
• Beginners Guide to Inline Skating