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

This week's tip:

Map Your Strategy

By Debbie Rice
Sept. 21, 2007

Skaters often approach an inline marathon with no plan of action, no strategy, and — guess what? — no chance.

Don't make the same mistake. Before you head to the starting line, prepare yourself mentally and physically by following these steps:

1. Know your level of conditioning

If you've trained properly for your event, you'll be confident, relaxed and ready to roll when it's time to race.

If you haven't, change your strategy. Instead of pushing the pace, conserve your energy whenever possible. Avoid the lead and stay in the draft. Be wary of hard pulls that could knock you out of the race.

2. Know your competition

Find out who's racing in your category and check on how they've done in previous races. That will give you an idea of which skaters to worry about and which skaters to chase on breakaways.

3. Stay calm, don't panic

Skaters sometimes work desperately to keep up with breakaways, only to get dropped by the next counter attack due to exhaustion.

Experienced racers know better. They pick and choose their battles. When they can't immediately jump on a break, they stay behind with the pack and try to organize it to catch up.

4. Stay watchful and alert

Never get too comfortable in a pack. Remain aware of your surroundings and always be ready for breakaways, crashes, water on the road ... whatever!

5. Conserve energy

Learn how to rest on the racecourse. When your pack slows down, hit the refresh button. Concentrate on your breathing and relax. That way you'll be ready for the next attack and still have something left for the sprint.

6. Position yourself for the final sprint.

At the end of a marathon, it's all about location. Don't position yourself behind a slow sprinter. You might get stuck. Instead, get behind an experienced skater with a strong sprint — and stay with them. More than likely, they will lead you to the finish line ahead of the rest.

...

Debbie Rice is a veteran racer and member of the Bont North America racing team. She won this year's Texas Road Rash and finished second in the inaugural San Francisco Inline Marathon. A Houston native, she trained on the same team as Chad Hedrick and Cheryl Ezzell and won 15 indoor national championships. In addition to her day job, she is a Bont sales representative and team manager for Bont North America. She lives in Denham Springs, LA.

• Debbie's MySpace page
 

Related reading:

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