Happy New Year! Here are some illuminations that came to me skating last weekend (ahh, California is great in Winter!).
Advance Your Skiing Skills
My other favorite sport is alpine skiing. Every year, Dan and I average about 30-35 days on the slopes, skiing until the last resort closes.
Our first ski trips both last year and this year were so astoundingly rewarding for me that I actually had to stifle my constant joyous exclamations run after run, as I effortlessly conquered moguls, skied through chopped, ungroomed snow, and sliced expertly down the steeps that Dan insists we hike to. I couldn't believe the improvement in my technique!
My slalom-skate drills on a local back parking lot have really paid off. I repeatedly go up and down its gentle slope, skating my 6-turn run with a perfect ready position, and concentrating on independently carving each turn with my heel directly under my hip. I finish by turning back uphill on my most awkward side.
When ski season arrives and I finally get to ski again, I've gotten so used to being upright in the ready position, that in demanding conditions such as bumps or steeps where I tend to bend forward at the waist, now I automatically upright myself, which pays off in much better control and mobility. Try my off-season drill next Summer -- it works!
Skating Back Words
Do you have back problems? In May of 1991 when I bought my first in-lines, I was still suffering from chronic lower back pain, even though I had just "graduated" from several months of treatment for a herniated disk in my lumbar spine.After I'd been skating for a couple of months, I realized I wasn't waking up with back pain any more! In fact, my lower back felt quite strong and stable. I couldn't resist resuming barbell squats in the gym, and am presently doing reps with 100 pounds more than my body weight.
I am certain my great recovery is because of my frequent aerobic in-line lap sessions. This skating workout produces high reps with low weight, strengthening the muscles of my lower body, and especially those surrounding my bad disk.
Now the only time my back acts up is when I get too enthusiastic about learning something new. It took me a week to recover from the two hours I spent learning the power slide. On skis, my cornice jumping last year and new-found mogul expertise this year each gave me week-long back aches. All things in moderation.
When my back does hurt these days, I've learned that ice packs, stretching and easy in-line laps will have me back to normal within a week. Of course, I can't make any promises that such a regimen will help others with chronic back pain, but it's been wonderful for mine.
Prolonging Wheel Life
As you make use of Dan's helpful articles about hill skating, you will notice that your wheels will start getting ground off on the inside edges. It is very important that you rotate them when this starts happening, to prolong their useful life. Remove all of the wheels and then reinstall them, flipped over so that the short side of the coned edge faces toward the inside. Also, swap positions of the wheels with the most wear with less worn wheels. At $3-5 each, this is valuable advice!