I've been trail skating a couple times this last week just to get in free time on the wheels and it is less than fun. Four miles on the trails feels like more work than 2 hours in the rink. Add in rocks, the threat of falling on asphalt, bicyclists, and people who feel that their dog is an exception to the leash law and you have a fairly stressful workout environment. On the bright side, it is outdoors and a change of scenery from the endless left turn of the rink. I think it will prove to be a valuable endurance building tool and will ultimately make me a better skater, but until then it feels like work. Demon suggested narrower wheels to make it a bit faster and less tedious, but I am tempted to leave the wide ones on for now simply for the resistance and increased workout. Also new wheels costs new money.
On the indoor front...
Went to open skate on Wednesday with a friend and was able to pound out 2.5 hours of skate time with minimal breaks, after having gone outdoors for 45 minutes only 2 hours before that. Afterwards I looked like I had been swimming with my t-shirt on and my crash pads cause some rather strange sweat lines on the shorts, but it was a good workout. Crossovers are becoming silent and natural, and when I find myself with plenty of open lane ahead of me, acceleration and control at speed are significantly improved. If the Wednesday skate trend continues, which it likely will since Wednesdays 3-5:30 are fairly open at Oaks Park, I'll start working on backwards skating and other activities that I just can't do on the trails outside of practice.
Tomorrow, practice. Hopefully some blocking, falls, the ever-popular squats, and maybe some toe-stop sprint-starts. That would be fun...
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