Table of Contents Inline Stretching Technique Braking Hills Workouts Efficiency Hardheadedness

IV. Braking: Keeping Your Speed in Check



      t-stop           front t-stop            slalom           slowplow

A) The basic heel stop

1. remain upright but bend at the knees while keeping your skates close together
2. stagger your stance by rolling your braking skate forward, naturally lifting your toe and engaging the heel brake
3. keep your hands in front of your hips, relaxed and ready
4. apply more braking pressure by shifting more weight onto the braking skate
5. you must apply your brake directly in front of your center of mass, not out to the side, otherwise it will spin you around

B) t-stop -- coast on the front skate and drag the rear skate behind you

C) front t-stop -- coast in a deep crouch on one skate while lightly setting the other skate down in a sliding position

D) slalom -- snake your way to a stop!

1. scissor your feet like a skier - staggering your stance by pushing one skate straight out in front of the other
2. pivot your hips (not your shoulders) in the direction of the unweighted front skate to initiate your turn
3. carve a turn on your weighted back skate
4. keep your upper body facing forward by counter steering when slaloming -- i.e. while turning your skates and hips to the left twist your torso to the right

E) slowplow! -- with legs spread more than shoulder width apart, kick both heels out while keeping your wheels as upright as possible

F) "open the chute" -- stand up, spread your arms wide, cup your hands, and hollow your chest

Table of Contents Inline Stretching Technique Braking Hills Workouts Efficiency Hardheadedness

V. Hills: Take Them on with Confidence!

A) Gear down to go up!

1. increase your stroke frequency and back off on the amount of power
you apply to each push, like a cyclist would
2. stand up slightly to accommodate for your increased tempo
3. do everything you would do on a straightaway only better! That means
carving with your heels, setting your skates down pointing straight ahead,
and swinging your arms as if pulling on a rope
4. when you reach the top, don't stop! maximize momentum by carrying
your speed over the crest

B) Get down without fishtailing!

1. spread your legs a bit more than shoulder's width apart-- this gives
you a solid platform plus it's more aerodynamic than with legs together
2. lean back on your heels and keep your weight evenly distributed on
both skates to increase stability and prevent speed wobbles
3. crouch down, bend at the waist, round the back, and let those
shoulders droop for the best angle of attack to the wind

Table of Contents Inline Stretching Technique Braking Hills Workouts Efficiency Hardheadedness

VI. Workouts: Balance Your Regimen

My mother always told me that variety is the spice of life. How right she
was! By varying the type and intensity of my training during the week - and
getting plenty of rest in between workouts - I have learned how to maximize
my potential for rapid improvement.

Don't get caught thinking that "if a little training is good, then more is
better." I fell into that rut years ago by skating hard every day of the
week. Soon I wasn't motivated to skate anymore and my performance went down
the drain.

Now I vary my training during the week. This gives my muscles a chance to
recover in between bouts of exercise. I change my workouts according to
three zones: long slow distance, anaerobic threshold training, and high
intensity work.

I try to strike a balance between a mix of long skates, race pace chasing,
explosive sprinting, and interval workouts. It's the only way to get fitter
and faster while staying rabid with skating desire.

Table of Contents Inline Stretching Technique Braking Hills Workouts Efficiency Hardheadedness

VII. Improving Efficiency = More Burn for Your Buck

Just once was all it took to realize that skating burned major calories
compared to other sports. I'm warning you: since the late 80's I've had to
eat mountains of food chasing the California Women's cycling team through
the Berkeley hills, so keep your hands away from my mouth while I'm eating!

Seriously, though, I got dropped countless times in those early days. The
lesson I finally learned was that improving my technique was the only way I
was going to get faster without burning out.

The constant in my lifelong quest to improve is that I'm still burning
calories at a furious rate. The difference is that as my technique starts to
come around, mile for mile, I can enjoy myself way more than ever before.

Once you get more efficient you'll have to go either a lot faster or a lot
farther to burn the same number of calories. Your body will become a lean
furnace on skates that burns not just sugar but proteins and fat too. So go ahead and
feed the fire by getting in-line!

Table of Contents Inline Stretching Technique Braking Hills Workouts Efficiency Hardheadedness

VIII. Wear a Hardhat: Don't be a Numbskull!

Taking safety precautions is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Skin grows back
and bones can heal, but your head doesn't have a second chance. I wore a
helmet for 8 years before I actually used it. When I did, my head slammed so
hard the helmet cracked in two. The only thing I could think as I lay on the
pavement was how I'd have been a vegetable without it.

I also learned a lot from gymnastics and old movies of bandits jumping off
moving trains. By rolling to a stop and dissipating the impact more evenly
over my whole body, I can escape high speed falls with barely a scrape.

Obviously, I try to avoid falling altogether, but I do prepare myself for unforseen
eventualities by wearing protective gear. I skate safely by always keeping
my weight back on my heels. That way I'm stable at speed and obstacles don't
send me sprawling.