I'm Skating an Inline Marathon!I am officially skating an inline marathon! I'm signed up for the Northshore Inline Marathon in Duluth, MN on September 14, 2019. Click here for actual proof of enrollment! Lessons from Failed Half-Marathons Past (aka My Half-Baked, Half-Marathon "Training Plan")Last August, I was sign up to skate a half marathon. To call what I had a “training plan” is way overstating my level of planning and commitment. Here’s about how it went:
Lessons Learned: Make For-Reals Training PlanSo when did the wheels come off this whole thing? I can point back to the very beginning where I told myself “I could TOTALLY do a half marathon without any training” and promptly did pretty close to NO actual training. My non-existent training plan, and lack of good old fashioned “I’ll white knuckle my way through it” willpower contributed to my failure. Also--I seemed to think that announcing my intention to do the half marathon was enough to get me to actually, well, do it. Inline Marathon 2019: High Level PlanI call "do-over." This past fall, I signed up for the Northshore Inline Marathon. Even before I enrolled, I started planning for my success. Here’s my basic plan. Phase I: Fitness (October - January)Goals: Build a base level of fitness.
Phase II: Cardio (February - April)Goals: Increase my endurance.
Phase III: Skating Distance (May - August)Goals: Skate longer distances outside on uneven terrain.
I'll elaborate on specific tasks and milestones in my inline marathon training plan in future blog articles. What Do You Think?When training for an event, what kind of strategy have you used to be successful? Include your thoughts in the comments. Learn More
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Which is Better?I recently had a friend ask me what I liked more: inline skates or roller skates. Inline skates (which many refer to as Rollerblades, even though that is one inline skate company) tend to have 3-4 thinner wheels right down the middle of the skate. Conversely, quad skates have 4, wide wheels, and bring images of the “brownie” skates people may remember renting at the roller rink. For me, it’s a more complex question based on the type of skating I’m doing. All My SkatesI currently own three, yes, three, pairs of skates, each of which I love for what they bring to the table:
Factors to ConsiderMy decision on which skates to use when depends on the following key factors:
Roller Derby Skates: Roller Derby and Indoor Surfaces I bought my roller derby skates specifically for that purpose. Quad skates are required, and, like most people recommend for derby, they have a shorter boot, fit well, and have harder wheels. Since we’re indoors on a polished concrete floor, the harder wheels make it easier to move fast, switch directions, and stop in a number of different ways. I bought Sure-Grip Rebel Avengers and later swapped out my wheels for Sure-Grip Zombie Wheels. When at a roller rink, my roller derby skates are the hands-down choice. When indoors on a flat, consistent surface, I practice derby related skills, like plow stops, t-stops, crossovers, and transitions. In roller derby, we do a lot of “edge work,” which means using the insides and outsides of your wheels to start, stop, or turn. At the rink, these same skills enable me to dodge unpredictable children and stop at a moment’s notice. Outside Roller Skates: Uneven Surfaces My outside roller skates are basically my starter roller derby skates (Reidell Dart Ombre) with softer, outdoor wheels (Moxi Outdoor Roller Skate Wheels). They enable me to practice derby skills outside while also giving me a little extra cushion for skating on harder, sometimes less well maintained, surfaces. Whether it’s a skate park or a tennis court, these give me the feel of my derby skates with more cushion to make a rougher, yet fairly consistent surface, manageable. I have also used these skates when I am skating at an outside event where starting and stopping happens a lot. At an event like Minneapolis Open Streets, where they encourage people to walk, bike or skate, made my outdoor roller skates the right choice. Since this involved starting and stopping frequently, and then skating a short distance to the next location, these were the winners. I also wore these around my office on Halloween since there were multiple terrain changes, and I wasn't trying to go fast. When it comes to trail skating, I have used my outdoor roller skates in the past. Now that I’ve acquired my inline skates for this purpose, I may occasionally use my outdoor roller skates for cross training purposes, but not for most of my distance skating. Inline Skates: Distance and Speed While training to do an inline half marathon, I discovered that skating on my outdoor quad skates for a mile or more was less than ideal. Skating on 3-4 narrower wheels, rather than four, fat softer wheels, enables me to go more quickly with far less resistance from the surface. For skating further, and faster, inline skates are the way to go. Mine are K2 Alexis Pro Inline Skates. Since trail skating and skating longer distances involves going in one direction, going a long way, navigating a few terrain changes, inline skates are a better choice. At this point, I am used to moving on roller skates, so I’m currently not as agile on inline skates. As I continue to train more, and occasionally skate on inline skates at the roller rink, I’m sure my agility will continue to improve. What Do You Think?Are you a fan of inline skates, roller skates, or both? Share your insights in the comments. Learn More
Let's talk about skating outside! BYOG: Bring Your Own Gear (and Wear It!)For these roller skating options, there’s no equipment rental. Instead, you need to have your own skates, and your own safety gear (knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, helmet, mouth guard) as well. In some cases, safety gear is required, but in all cases safety gear is just plain a good idea. Wear Safety Gear OutsidePersonally, I fall down a fair amount because I’m trying a new skill, doing something involving contact or dodging small children—and that’s inside on a floor designed for roller skating. Outside, it’s a whole different experience. Now you have things like heat, cold, rain, wind, puddles, uneven terrain, rocks and potentially traffic. When skating indoors, even just at a roller rink, I always wear some kind of knee pads. Always. Outside, I recommend wearing closer to full gear. You may feel like a dork for a bit, but injuries suck, and sitting on the side of a trail bleeding is not cool at all. Regardless of heat, I also suggest wearing leggings of some sort. Falling on even a thin layer of material is much more pleasant than having your bare skin scrape across pavement (as my daughter learned the hard way). Skating Outside=Different WheelsThat’s right. Indoor skating and outdoor skating require different wheels. Who knew? Well, now you do. In short, roller skating wheels vary in how hard they are and for outdoor skating, you need softer wheels to absorb the shock of uneven terrain. Wheels are labeled with a durometer (or hardness) number. The higher the number, the harder the wheels. Wheels considered outside wheels typically have a durometer of 78a. Hybrid wheels (appropriate for both inside and outside) are typically 84a. 88a and above (the scale goes to 101a) are for skating indoors. Given that super quick description, get thee some outdoor wheels. As a frame of reference, I picked up wheels that are a 78a, for myself. I also have dedicated outdoor skates, which were my starter roller derby skates. I I know myself well enough to know that I was not going to take the time to change my wheels each time I wanted to switch from skating outside to inside. For my daughter, who currently has 1 pair of roller skates until I figure out if her feet are done growing, I got a set of hybrid, or indoor/outdoor, wheels with a durometer of 84a. Again, I’m not changing her wheels every time we skate, and the extra grippiness of having softer wheels indoors for her is not the worst thing as she learns new skills. Where to Skate Outdoors Now that we’ve had the safety gear and outdoor wheels talks, here are ideas on where to actually get to the outdoor skating:
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AuthorBrenda Peterson is a collaborative learning consultant and learning & development manager who is driven to help individuals and organizations succeed. Categories
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