Cross-Training, strength training, & misc questions...

[The Major]

Don't know if I could keep at 175 for 30 minutes, it was all I could do to keep it between 175 & 185 for 1 mile this past Sunday... Guess I'll have to incorporate your interval workout schedule into my skating

The point is to work at the highest intensity level that you can for the duration of your exercise. If you can only maintain 150 bpm for 30 minutes and feel like you can't go any further then that's the best you can do. If you want to train longer you'd need to reduce the intensity.

[skate2Bfit]

Don't know if I could keep at 175 for 30 minutes, it was all I could do to keep it between 175 & 185 for 1 mile this past Sunday.

You just work your way up to it. Each time you skate, take your heart rate up and hold it there just a little longer than you did the previous time, 30-60 seconds, whatever you can manage. If you keep that up, you'll be able to hold it for 30 minutes in no time. Once you get to where you're pushing your heart rate to 96-98% for brief periods, you'd be amazed at how 92% doesn't seem so hard anymore. I'm 250lbs at 5'10 and I can do it, I know you can too!