Stream - you scare me…if I was out ridin’ my bike, pedaling like pistons, and you snuck up behind me on them skates, I’d shit on myself! On the lighter side, I hope your game plan is paying off, it certainly sounds like you are ahead of schedule. It will be a nice boost to your confidence and keep you focusing on what’s ahead. Keep it up!
Thanks guys, things seem to be coming along just great. I’ll be measuring out a second route for my skating. The first one and the safest has to many variables, hills, traffic lights and stop and turns. This makes it very difficult to get a proper time on my distance. Which is extremely important this year. I need to know how much more I will push myself.
My new route will be the road around the University. No traffic lights and only a slight grade variance. I plan on making early Sunday morning my speed and timing day. This is really going to make me push my limits.
I’m not happy with the end results from the Oak Leg Blast. I’m sure the weight I was using was not heavy enough. I got some form on the legs but zero size. I have decided to switch to the leg press machine so I can increase the weight and not worry about stressing my back. Which is unexceptable during skating season.
I plan on doing the same Oak leg Blast routine at 135#. I will make a change however. Once I complete it up to eight minutes I will reverse it and add weight every time increment back down to two minutes. If this doesn’t work I will go to the basics leg builder in the fall. I need that size and power and that’s all their is to it. Working harder to get even stronger because I’m a selfish ego maniac.
[quote]daddyzombie wrote:
Yo Momma wrote:
Hey, Streamline, that’s a cool tattoo. I don’t see too many of the “Old School” eagles like yours anymore. It’s beautiful.
I’ve been meaning to ask you if that was on your back Streamline. That’s nice! Just had my artist finish the art work for a back piece we’ll start in July.
[/quote]
Yes that is my back DZ. Got that one a quarter century ago this year. Always planned on getting more, just never got around to it. I look forward to seeing the art you get on yourself. Stay strong and confident Bro.
For your type of competition, do you need more endurance or more burst type of strength?
Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, the light weight, lotsa reps approach might not really be what you need to improve. Things that might help:
-
Jump Squats: With a light weight, squat down into the hole, pause slightly, and then try to jump as high as you can. These help you to work on explosive power.
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1 1/4 squats: Squat down like normal, then only come up a quarter of the way, then go back down, and then return to the full standing position. This gives you extra work with your knees in a bent aspect and if you’re skating low with knees bent, these could help. You’d have to modify the rep/set range depending on if you wanted endurance or explosiveness.
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Static holds: If your skating requires you to maintain a knees bent position for long periods of time, just squatting down to a certain level and then holding that for as long as you can could help.
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Bulgarian Split Squats: You probably already do these. Place one foot on a bench behind you and the other foot out in front of you a comfortable distance. Then squat down as far as you can go and then stand back up. It’s like a lunge but better.
[quote]The Pencil Neck wrote:
For your type of competition, do you need more endurance or more burst type of strength?
Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, the light weight, lotsa reps approach might not really be what you need to improve. Things that might help:
-
Jump Squats: With a light weight, squat down into the hole, pause slightly, and then try to jump as high as you can. These help you to work on explosive power.
-
1 1/4 squats: Squat down like normal, then only come up a quarter of the way, then go back down, and then return to the full standing position. This gives you extra work with your knees in a bent aspect and if you’re skating low with knees bent, these could help. You’d have to modify the rep/set range depending on if you wanted endurance or explosiveness.
-
Static holds: If your skating requires you to maintain a knees bent position for long periods of time, just squatting down to a certain level and then holding that for as long as you can could help.
-
Bulgarian Split Squats: You probably already do these. Place one foot on a bench behind you and the other foot out in front of you a comfortable distance. Then squat down as far as you can go and then stand back up. It’s like a lunge but better.[/quote]
Thanks Pencilneck, I’ll try these on Friday with my next leg workout. Explosive power is not high on the list but it’s on the list. 2,3,&4 are exercises that I will enjoy doing and I see how they can work for me without even trying them. Endurance is such a major part of my routines. I need to get to the power base that will generate the speed I need and then maintain that level for as long as possible. Bring on the hurt, I’ll let you know how it goes, thanks again PN.
Ordered my speed skates today. Should have them by the first week of June. Possible sooner but I’m not holding my breath.
Been having a hard time getting to the gym lately. My workout routine was side swiped by bad weather. Which through me into a tail spin. It happens to me every spring, so you would think I’d have learned by now that the weather will do as it pleases.
Will be back at the gym tonight for a leg workout. Kind of refocused myself so I should be good to go. Trying to keep it together until the sun decides to shine down on me.
I’m stoked. I’ve got my FedEx tracking no.# from the Bont skate store in Austria. This morning I see my skates are in Richmond B.C… They are wanting to be cleared by the FedEx broker, what ever that is. Days, only days to go and the god of sport will shine down on me.
I just might have to phone in sick. I have a terrible discomforting feeling in my stomach. It may take days to go away. Staying strong, living good and staying out of trouble, now I get my reward. Stoked I tell yah, STOKED!!
Sounds like Christmas in April. Just a thought. Make a small stencil and everytime you catch a cyclist chalk one up on you boots. Enjoy your new skates.
You have any saliva left??? The drool can take it’s toll on that saliva in storage, ya know.
Do the skates need a period of break-in? What is the life-span of the wheels for a guy that will be pushing these to their limits, both speed and distance? Happy for you as this brings you one step closer to those goals you’ve set for yourself.
Zoom Zoom!! They’re here. My new Bont, Jet 100mm inline speed skates arrived yesterday morning. The rain was delayed until after I had given them a try, just. The 100mm is the wheel size and they are an 85A which is the hardest wheel made that I know of. The wheel bearings are Swiss made ABEC7 speed bearing. The skates are hand made and have a heat molding technology. They can be slightly reformed by heating them with a hair blow dryer. These fit me great so I shouldn’t have to do anything to them.
Then are noticeable faster. Still they will take a little getting used to. That lack of ankle support has me taking it easy over certain terrain. The weather is still not promising and is not looking to good for the next week. I am however now highly motivated and will use every bit of dry weather I can. It is going to be a very fun filled spring and summer. This is why we stay strong and healthy, so we can play hard all day long. I’m so stoked and my daughter thinks I’ve lost it!
[quote]streamline wrote:
Zoom Zoom!! They’re here. My new Bont, Jet 100mm inline speed skates arrived yesterday morning. The rain was delayed until after I had given them a try, just. The 100mm is the wheel size and they are an 85A which is the hardest wheel made that I know of. The wheel bearings are Swiss made ABEC7 speed bearing. The skates are hand made and have a heat molding technology. They can be slightly reformed by heating them with a hair blow dryer. These fit me great so I shouldn’t have to do anything to them.
Then are noticeable faster. Still they will take a little getting used to. That lack of ankle support has me taking it easy over certain terrain. The weather is still not promising and is not looking to good for the next week. I am however now highly motivated and will use every bit of dry weather I can. It is going to be a very fun filled spring and summer. This is why we stay strong and healthy, so we can play hard all day long. I’m so stoked and my daughter thinks I’ve lost it! [/quote]
Way Cool!
These skates are really fast. Won’t get a rough time with them on my circuit until Friday or Saturday. Went out after work to get a better feel for them. Had a nasty head wind so I didn’t catch to many road bikes but I blew the gears off the mountain bikes.
Legs took a bit to loosen up after doing legs yesterday. Plus the skates still feel a little strange. I should have the feel for them within a week or two. Then we’ll start doing a Sunday time trial around circle drive at the University. No drafting bikes or cars, start muscle against the clock.
The time trials will give me the stats I need for winter training. Plus some times to give out for some hopeful sponsors to get a race venue for next year hopefully. Thats the part of all this that I am not going to enjoy at all. Now I really want to get stronger and faster. My new toy has me very motivated, life is sweet (when the roads are dry).
Trying a different leg routine, this is the second workout. The next one should be right on the money.
Leg press, sliding seat
3 X 50 X 180#
Seated calf raises
1 X 20 X 90#
1 X 20 X 100#
1 X 16 X 110#
Straight leg dead lifts
1 X 8 X 135#
1 X 8 X 185#
1 X 8 X 225#
1 X 5 X 225#
Standing calf raises
1 X 8 X 240#
1 X 8 X 270#
1 X 8 X 300#
1 X 8 X 315#
Monday we’ll do leg presses at 200# that should have the legs screaming. The 180 was good but not the effect I was looking for. Speed blading tomorrow, sun is supposed to shine YEAH!! I need to work harder. I think it’s time to find a good lifting partner. Someone stronger than me, that’ll piss me off big time. Got someone in mind we’ll see what he thinks about it. Need to get stronger bottom line.
Finally a dry day. Although the weather still sucks, it was good enough. With all the variables, hills, blind corners, traffic lights and the unknown we managed an average 25 kph.
I can live with that for now. I’ve only been out a couple of times so I’m still getting my skating legs back. I will need to increase that distance by 15 km. Considering the terrain I’m reasonably satisfied for now.
Next Sunday (weather permitting) I will start my weekly time trial at the university. I have to get myself up to at least 35 kph by fall. The goal is 40 kph to set the record. Needless to say there will be a lot of pain and discomfort over the next year.
I will start on my proper eating plan the first of June and continue until the fall of 2009. No more sugar or white starches. Well I’ve been there and done that so I know the routine.
I know I can hit 30 kph by June. Getting to 35 kph is going to take some very serious discipline. So that leave 40 kph, which is going to require a certain amount of pain. Training with one thing in mind, to be the very best. Failure is not an option. It’s time to work harder, get stronger, be faster and put the critics to sleep. God I love this shit!!
Got goosebumps reading your last several posts…my step-son was impressed with the skate pic…he has done some aggressive skating over the years. I can’t truly appreciate the speeds you are talking about as kph mean nothing to me when i’m used to mph. You seem to know what you need to do…
your preparation for this is/was meticulous…now the light is visible at the end of the tunnel & you will be ready willing and able to crack all the barriers…AWESOME!!!
Qt and anyone else,
Poor man’s conversion method
Kph x 6 and drop the last number
So for Streamlines speeds:
30kph x 6 = 180 or 18mph
35kph x 6 = 210 or 21mph
40kph x 6 = 240 or 24 mph
To put this in perspective, the fastest speed ever run on foot is 37.267KPH over only 100 meters.
To sum this all up, you are bookin’ guy. You will get your 40.
Thank guys, things have been delayed a bit by weather . That one element in life we can not control, damn it! oh well we’re happening now and that’s what matters. I am focused, every thing is coming together, got the speed skates, the stop watch, the odometer for the bike (distance check), awesome support group (you guys) and the will to suffer. Life is great.
Did legs today.
3 X 50 X 200# leg press machine, moving seat FRM
Seated calf raises
5 X 18 X 90#-10# increases
Back extensions
4 X 10 with 45#
Will do 220# on Thursday. I’m doing these as a speed drill as fast as I can. Which is about one per second. Tomorrow is a skate day, weather permitting, plan on concentrating on form since my legs should be pretty shot. Looking forward to Sunday, I think it will be my favorite day this summer.
I need to start planning my menu. Complex carbs are now my super hero and protein is their side kick. Athletes don’t plan to fail they fail to plan their diet! I promise myself that I will work as hard as I can, I will eat clean and over come all obstacles in my path. Pain will not stop me from achieving my destiny.
Well here’s to having your cake and eating it.
Had a great skate yesterday. Practiced form, four second per stride. I was just flying, those cyclist are going to start hating me.
Kept hearing a noise from my skate. I stopped and check to make sure my wheels were on tight. Everything was good to go, or so I thought. At the end of my skate I noticed my wheel frame (holds the wheel and attaches to the skate) was on a strange angle. I then remembered I had skated over something while blasting up a hill.
My heart sunk as I remembered the three screws that hold the frame to the skate. Yes I lost one and they did not come with a spare. I hopped into the van and drove to the hill in question. No luck after half an hour of looking. Is all I could thing of was the promise I made to over come all obstacles in my path.
I got home and started taking old skates apart looking and praying for a similar screw. With luck on my side I found one the right thickness but a little long. Off to the screw junk jar for some washers. Back in business we are. LESSON LEARNED!! Staying strong, and smart so I can keep on training!
Can you contact the company for spares? I know the skates came from overseas but it might be worth it. Also it sounds like a pre-skate equipment check is in order every time.
[quote]soldog wrote:
Can you contact the company for spares? I know the skates came from overseas but it might be worth it. Also it sounds like a pre-skate equipment check is in order every time.[/quote]
Ditto on both. I’m ordering some other items next month, so spare parts will be included. Equipment check is now etched in the brain.