Oregon Cycling Magazine

by Linda Jellison

In the Northwest, many cyclists ride all year, regardless of the weather. Oregon has a large and diverse cycling community, ranging from the serious competitive racer to the recreational rider. Many cyclists cross train in the off-season with various activities to supplement their fitness levels and performance for bike racing.

During the hiatus from racing, competitive cyclists maintain their aerobic fitness by running, swimming, or other aerobically challenging activities. Speedskating is a sport that not only complements training on the bike, but challenges the cyclist in many ways as well.

Speedskating has been around for centuries, originating as a means of transportation for the Vikings to cross frozen lakes and rivers.

Over time the development of the skate has enabled people to enjoy skating for recreation and racing, and the abundance of frozen canals in Europe contributed to the development of skating as a national pastime for the Dutch and other Europeans. Now a popular Olympic sport, it provides a great aerobic endurance workout and builds core and leg strength as well. Bruce Guthrie, President and coach of the Whatcom Speedskating club in Bellingham, Washington, notes that “cyclists will benefit from increased leg strength, balance and race tactics… cycling and speed skating use the same major muscle groups. Indeed, almost all speed skaters are cyclists in the off season.”

Joseph Boquiren, a competitive Portland speedskater and River City/Team Oregon cyclist, explains how speedskating benefits his cycling in terms of endurance, core and leg strength, and body position. Joseph, who already had a strong background in speedskating when he branched off into bike racing several years ago, says that speedskating lets the cyclist combine weight training and aerobic activity. “Accelerating during turns requires tremendous amounts of leg and core strength,” he says. “The low tuck position required to deliver maximum power to the ice requires higher than average flexibility and strength in the joints, especially the pelvis, ankle and knee, all of which deliver dividends while on the bicycle.” As for endurance training, Boquiren explains that a speedskater “needs to deliver maximum power to the ice for as long as possible in order to do well in races. The payoff for cycling means more ability to pull at the front of the pack, longer jams on the hills, and faster splits in time trials.”

I asked Nick Thometz, three-time Olympic long track speedskater and coach of the 1994 Olympic speedskating team, about his experience coaching speedskaters, specifically regarding cross training on the bike. It turns out he used cycling more than running because cycling uses the same basic muscle groups and because it is a low-impact activity. “We did all types of conditioning on the bike: sub-aerobic, aerobic, anaerobic threshold and anaerobic,” he said. “Most skaters also use stationary bicycles for warming-up and warming-down for on-ice workouts. Spinning/warming-down on stationary bicycles following ice training and racing is critical to flush out the lactic acid which aids in a quicker recovery time.” Thometz believes that this kind of cross training has its benefits beyond the speedskating track. ”Many great speedskaters have been World and/or Olympic Champions on the bike: Connie Carpenter Phinney, Connie Paraskevin Young, Sheila Young Ochowicz, Beth Heiden and Eric Heiden,” he observes.

I asked a few skater/cyclists how they would compare their racing strategy between skating on the short track and bike racing. According to Joseph Boquiren, “racing strategy in short track seems to be very similar to omnium events in bike racing. The Eric Kautzky Memorial Track Race at Alpenrose and the High Desert Omnium in Bend come to mind. Omniums reward points to high finishers, people who show up for all the events, and folks who buy tons of the promoter’s schwag! Short track heats use a similar points system to rank skater placements. In both sports it pays to perform consistently well and show up for all the events. It is amazing how many contenders drop out on subsequent race days or in heats later on in the day.” Joseph also notes that his mental preparation is very similar between short track speedskating and bike racing. “I try to race with clear objectives in mind. I visualize how I would conduct myself during a race beforehand and rehearse how I would handle myself if certain conditions arise. Of course there are always a number of unforeseen circumstances that may arise and one just has to adapt and roll with it”, he says.

Alaska resident, speedskater and former pro cyclist Mike Schuler skates during the winter on a frozen lake. His manual Zamboni maintenance paid off last winter as he set up a short track and skated for thousands of meters while the ice lasted. He also skates on inlines as weather permits, as well as on ice indoors with the Mountain View Speedskating Club in Vancouver when he visits the Portland area. He began skating a few years ago, and got his first pair of Bont speedskates in December 2005. He says the “fear factor” of slamming into the boards in an indoor rink is virtually nonexistent when skating on his outdoor track, though the tradeoff is a lot of work involved in maintaining the outdoor ice, not to mention waiting for the lake to freeze.

Mike compares short track racing to a criterium, noting among the obvious differences that there are many more participants in a criterium compared to at most six skaters in a short track heat. The distances in short track racing on a 111-meter track, are usually 333, 500, and 777 meters in local competitions, 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 meters in World Cup Competitions, with a mens 5000 meter relay. Olympic distances include 500, 1000, 1500 and a 5000 meter relay for men, (3000 meter relay for women).

Howard Unkeles, a long-time inline racer who has skated with the Mountain View Speedskating Club since 2003, finds close similarities in body position while on the bike and on skates. He emphasizes that strengthening and using the core abdominal muscles help skaters and cyclists alike to maintain correct body position while avoiding back pain and injury. “I always practice curving my lower back up and in, which curls my upper back downward so that my elbows are bent and my arms and shoulders are relaxed, “ he says.

“All the support comes from the center—the abdominal wall—both in biking and in skating. Being able to practice that on the bike really helps me skate.” He also cites constant leg movement, cardio and endurance as the primary advantages of both sports, which benefit an athlete’s fitness level in either sport, but notes that “only if you have a sufficient level of technique on the skates will the reverse work. That is, you have to be able to maintain your position and technique in a sprint or over long distances on the skates in order to get your heart rate and breathing elevated enough to think that you are getting a good enough workout to carry over to the bike.”

Howard also points out the challenges involved in convincing cyclists to try cross training on ice during the off-season. He cites the main reasons preventing cyclists from seriously pursuing skating: money, time, and technical challenges. Mastering the techniques such as performing crossovers, skating on edges, weight transfer, and balance, which are necessary to become adept at racing, takes patience, good coaching, and a lot of ice time. Then there is the cost of equipment. Though much cheaper than investing in a decent road bike, skating boots, blades, and frames with wheels for inline skating is the required initial investment, ranging from $200-$300 for a used set (if you’re lucky enough to find them in your size) all the way up to $1000 for custom-fitted boots. Then skaters pay ice fees payable to the rink or local speedskating club, which provides speedskaters with exclusive ice time and coaching. Skating during public sessions on speedskates is not generally ideal. The limited availability of coached ice practice time, compared with the open roads and the opportunity to ride any time a cyclist desires, makes the bike far more accessible and therefore more appealing to most cyclists. However, the technical challenge of speedskating and the rewards for persistence do pay off. As Joseph Boquiren puts it, “Stick-to-itiveness pays off in the end because racing year round gets one fitter faster than the traditional method of taking the winter off.”

How does a cyclist get started in speedskating? Many people begin with inline skates or rollerblades, and then want to try racing on ice. One advantage of inline skating is the ability to skate outdoors in good weather, ideally on smooth pavement. For ice speedskating, you’ll need short track boots, blades, and skaters wear tights, long-sleeved jerseys or fleece for warmth, gloves, knee pads, and helmets. Once you experience the sensation of flying around the track on ice, you’ll be hooked.

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