Dream Chaser On Wheels

Spring Fashion 2010 For Skaters

It's that time of year again for Dream Chaser's pick on practical training apparel for skater girls. As much I would like to gush, the selection this year just isn't all that exciting to me.

My long-standing favourite collection is adidas by Stella McCartney. However, their spring/summer 2010 line up just don't do it for me. The performance tennis dress is a very classic tank dress with an intricate print on the front. What is more interesting is that they've added a cycling line this season with jerseys and padded shorts. The ruching detail on the shoulder is really pretty. The three backpockets are thoughtfully designed as well. The two on each side have elastic opening while the one in the middle has zipper closure. If I'm not as much of a dress-devotee, I would totally get this jersey. I hope to see this line florish in upcoming seasons because cycling apparel are often very practical for skaters too.

Canadian brand Lululemon is another favourite of mine. They are better known for their yoga apparel but their running collection has been steadily growing in the last couple of years. I like their running skirts with built-in shorts in particular. Unfortunately, nothing really catch my eye either from their spring 2010 collection. Hopefully there'll be something more interesting as summer rolls around.

The surprising item for me this season comes from Nike. Compression shorts are my wardrobe standard because I do love to run around in mini skirts and dresses, training or not. For years, choices for this very practical item have been limited to the oh-so-boring black or white. "Choices" mean difference in length for the in-seam. Yawn. Well, not anymore! Last weekend I picked up a couple pairs of Nike Pro - Core Graphic Compression Women's Shorts. They come in cute colours such as turquoise+purple, black+grey, yellow+orange. Do I hear fabulous? Good looks is obviously important but better yet, these shorts are so comfortable with flat seams and moisture-wicking fabric that we've come to expect from training apparel.

Speaking of practical, the temperature in Toronto is still a bit chilly and I often find myself layering on the arm warmers and knee warmers. Most cycling apparel brands have them in their collection but my personal favourite definitely goes to Sugoi. The fleece-lined fabric is cosy and the elastic grips never slip. I don't know about you but my limbs tend to get colder than the core. That means when I layer for training, I want thicker material for arms and legs but not my body. I always keep a pair of SubZero arm warmers and MidZero knee warmers in my skate bag just in case.

I do hope that summer will bring more exciting choices for the fashion-conscious skaters. Until then, train hard and look good! 

On Track And Within Expectation

Upon reviewing my performance at Texas Road Rash, it is fair to say that I skated exactly the way my training predicted I would. The condition for both elimination race on Saturday and marathon on Sunday was perfect, warm sunny weather with a good dose of wind thrown in (welcome to outdoor racing). This means I had no weak excuse such as blaming the weather, heh.

Unlike last year, we had a decent size field for the elimination race in pro women with a total of seven skaters at the line. Looking at my competitors, I knew pretty quickly that I was not in this race to remain in the final round. I set a goal to not be eliminated in the first round. We had two free laps before elimination began at the end of every lap. That meant I had a four lap race ahead of me to accomplish my goal. My start was not sharp and I was at the very end of the pack behind Texas Flyer's BH. She showed signs of getting gapped too. After we completed the first free lap, I made my move. I accelerated on the outside and tried to get in front of BH. When I found that I had more speed to move up further, I continued my acceleration until I was at the front of the pack. It was not intentional but turned out to be a great move. I realized that chances of all six girls passing me before the first round of elimination was much lower. I pulled hard in the straights and glided the corners causing the pack to jam up. My "strategy" worked and BH was the first skater eliminated. Unfortunately, I did not have much left in the tank in lap 4. Even though I put up a good fight to sprint at the line for the second round of elimination, it was not to be. I left the track with a huge smile on my face because I achieved exactly what I wanted to do in the manner that coach SZ would approve. I proved that I had what it takes physcially and mentally to get away from the protection of the pack for an attack. This is a huge step in my development as a skater. 6th out of 7 is not stellar by any means but it was a race that I am proud of.

  Start of pro/pro masters women elimination.

After the race on Saturday, I skated part of the marathon course for my pre-race warm up. There are plenty of road snakes made of material which turned slippery instead of grabby in the unrelenting Texas heat. I felt good, perhaps a bit too good. It reminded me of how I felt pre-race last year only leading up to a huge struggle on race day. I consciously dialed down the intensity despite how much the legs wanted to push hard.

When I stood at the start line on Sunday morning, the only sure thing in my mind was a determination to end the race with a smile on my face. I want to skate a race to be proud of, whatever that means. I did not start well. My top end speed simply wasn't enough to stay with the lead pack long enough for packs to form. I rolled to recover and was picked up by the seven skaters pack of Texas Flyers. I knew that the Flyers would be there to do their coorperative team skate and they have some strong skaters in the pack to ensure a solid finishing time.The drawback is that I risk a field sprint with BH. Memories of Houston beckoned. I shared the workload and did some strong pulls to earn my place in the pack. The same could not be said for other skaters of the pack who did not skate as coorperatively. At one point, when the lead pack of the half marathon passed us, the pack broke apart momentarily. Non-Flyers, including myself, hopped to the other pack hoping for a faster ride. I skated with them for a bit but the vibe just wasn't right. I rolled and returned to the pack with the Flyers. Just as I suspected, it did not take long before we all met again. However, some had wasted precious energy in that little episode and not all of them were able to hang on to us for long. As far as the women's race went, by lap 5, I knew that there were four girls ahead of me, at least three behind me, and one in my pack. Not a bad place for me to be but I had to play my cards right to beat BH.

During the last lap of the race, an opportunity landed on my lap like a gift wrapped with a bow. Our pack just passed DS from Adam's Inline heading into a right hand turn. I was in four place of the pack with two of the stronger skaters from the Flyers (RM and TR) pulling the pack and another skater ahead of me. As soon as we rounded the corner, acceleration kicked in and the pace picked up significantly. I went with the flow sensing that the five Flyers behind me (including BH and another two strong skaters) were getting dropped. I faintly heard yelling and screaming but I just went with it. I got gapped from the three guys ahead of me and DS eventually cruised ahead of me as well. I was on my own and it would not be easy to hold off the pack on my heels. The long downhill stretch was up next and I thought for sure I would be outnumbered and get caught. I kept pushing like there was no tomorrow. There was still a gap between us. The long flats into the headwind was brutal and my eyes only saw DS ahead of me like a rabbit. I wanted to bridge up to him so badly but it just wasn't happening. All those solo repeats that I've been working on in the last month finally kicked in. It felt exactly like my typical Sunday morning training, me and the headwind. I did not let up even for a single stride. When I spoke with CM from Texas Flyers after the race, he said that they were undecided about chasing me thinking perhaps I would eventually slow down and be caught. I had zero intention to give up my slim lead knowing the amount of energy I already exerted would put me at a huge disadvantage in any field sprints. Once DS and I made the last right turn toward the finish line, I picked up my pace once again. I really really really wanted to take him at the line and it did not seem like an impossible task. Alas, I gave it my all but was just 5 meters short.

My finishing time for the race was 1:33:34.335, just over 3 minutes back from the three pro women ahead of me. I came 4th in the pro women category and 5th overall including the pro masters (official results available by distance or division). I felt strong during the race but did not feel challenge by the speed of my pack. It is still very early in the season and my interval program had barely started. It's no wonder I did not have the top end speed I need to get in a pack that pushes me to work hard and where my competitors currently belong. Compare with last year's race which I worked really hard to stay in my pack, I cut my finishing time short by about a minute. Although weather condition certainly play a part, I think I have increased my cruising speed in the last 12 months. These are positive signs that I am on track for my training program. Although I felt a little bummed out that I was not in the pack with the other pro women, I believe I raced a good race based on my condition at this point of the season. If there is one thing I take away from this weekend, my motivation for training is coming back. I now have a firmer grasp of why I train the way I do and how my upcoming training will build up.

Pre-Race Neurotics

I realize that I haven't been racing in a while and my race instinct is getting rusty. Last month at Squiggy didn't really count. I heard the news on the much shorter race format long before I had time to get nervous about the race itself. Besides, my entire focus was on my team training camp. I had a great time in Tampa but it was not the confidence builder that I hoped for. The way the events unfold, Texas Road Rash is once again my season opener. I don't feel ready to race in more ways than one.

Physically, I did my share of work. The transition from off-season to race season training in the last month was not the easiest. I saw glimpses of promising signs while training with my teammates in Tampa. Since returning home, I've been struggling a bit. Coach SZ designed a rigorous (since when is it not rigorous anyway heh) program with strong focus on solo skating. One training objective for me in 2010 is to develop the ability to generate and sustain speed on my own. Much easier said than done especially with the unforgiving combination of cold and windy condition we enjoyed in Toronto the last four weeks. I've been on skates for the majority of my workouts though plyos and indoor bike have not stop either. Body functions differently in cold temperature and strong wind provides endless supply of resistance training. It's grueling especially without the protection of a pack. All complaining aside, I am starting to see the difference it makes. Twice a week practice with the Toronto Inline Skating Club gives me a good idea of how I measure up to other skaters. I have been skating well beyond my expectation at club practices, finishing strong in every drill.

Mentally, I'm not exactly my bubbly self recently. I miss the social aspect of training with other skaters. I feel a bit like an outsider now simply because I haven't been attending as many group skates as I used to. Solo training works great with my schedule in the sense that I can complete my workout very efficiently. However, the flip side of that efficiency is that I adopted the attitude of "get in, get out, get the job done". I know that in the long run, this attitude will zap all the joy out of skating so it is not sustainable. Tangible results and improvements are rewarding but part of the joy of skating is the freedom to move at speed. I need to find a better balance. On the up side, I am tougher than I used to be. Solo skating is a mental game of pushing my body to perform while feeling uncomfortable. By doing that often enough, I gain a level of confidence not previously seen. I am learning to outlast my competitors.

A month into the outdoor season, I have seen both positives and negatives. I am human and on days when I can hardly manage to crawl at 25km/h, doubts inevitably set in. Thankfully, I've also enjoyed some good training days and they gave me hope that I am on the right path. I don't feel ready for Texas Road Rash but that's okay. My main objective this weekend is to enjoy the process of racing and see how my body performs. This Sunday at 10am, I want to have a smile on my face for a job well done.

Is That A Monkey I See On Your Back?

I love the expression "monkey on my back" primarily because the imagery amuses me to no end. Come to think of it though, I do have one to call my own and it is track skating. The majority of our club practices are conducted on a track. In winter, it's indoor 100m NIRA style. For the last couple of summers, it was an outdoor 200m flat track. We are currently hosting practices on a 400m flat track in 2010. Bottom line is, to make the most out of practice, cornering is key. That's exactly where I falter.

Although I consistently make small improvement on my crossover technique, it's just not good enough. Combined with my fear of corners, I have yet to successfully skate in the pack that I otherwise would on road. It is frustrating but I have adopted an attitude adjustment. I measure the quality of my workout at club practices by effort rather than by speed.

The longer straightaway of a 400m track seems to play to my strength. At the same time, the very wide corners highlight the lack of power of my crossovers. Gain some, lose some. We had our first outdoor practice of the 2010 season on Tuesday. That was the first time I skated on this track since last summer. Ooooo boy. All the cornering improvements I thought I made in the winter were nowhere to be seen. My left leg kept popping up when I crossovered (why wouldn't it stay low?!). Instead of pushing to the side, my underpush kept going back. Wrong direction! I thought for sure I would do a face plant. It was a pretty discouraging practice.

Last night, things improved slightly. Despite a beautifully warm morning, the temperature dropped drastically by the time practice began. All I wanted to do was to stay home and sip hot cocoa. All of us toughed it out of course. Once I warmed up, I was actually skating well. Crossover push direction was decent and I finally sat comfortably when I took a different line in the corners. There were plenty of steady pace skating punctuated by faster laps. For once, I actually felt strong on the track instead of just dying to get the whole thing over with. Coach SZ's training program has me doing plenty of solo skating recently and I am starting to reap the benefit. I don't mind pulling the pack nor skating on my own anymore. The mental aspect is important because I do not let myself slack off even, heck, make that "especially", when skating solo.

Tampa Team Training Camp

The advantage of a delayed write up is that my memory gets fuzzy and leaves out much of the mundane details I otherwise would include. Ha! What a sorry excuse.

My team, Asphalt Beach, had our first team training camp in Tampa after the Squiggy racing weekend. By all accounts, it was a huge success. It kicked off my outdoor season with some much needed mileage. I verified my current fitness after a winter of tough training. I learned to skate with my teammates, finding out each other's skating style. Plus what could be better to build commeraderie than to "suffer" together for a few days?

LW put together our program with a mix of off-skates, plyos, rolling drills, paceline work, strategic exercises, intervals, and hill training thrown in for good measure. These are all various drills I do on regular basis between my own training and TISC practices. It was a good refresher for sure. What interested me was that I got to see myself doing those drills from plenty of photos and videos taken during the training camp. Shall we begin?

All photos and videos are courtesy of ldskater.

Monday morning off-skate. Holding a 90s squat in this photo. LW called me out for putting elbows on thighs so I stopped doing that soon after this photo was taken.  

Plenty more photos and video after the jump.