I am not going to wax eloquent on the benefits of rest (which I did yesterday). Anyone who is an athlete knows one needs rest every now and again. I am not the best--I have to force myself to do it, because exercise is my stress relief and I am a "do-er;" sitting on my butt drives me bonkers. However, I had to cross train today, because we had wet, cold, and windy. Since some of the wet included a few snowflakes, I am not going to gripe too much. At the same time, all I could think was: OK. Now what?
I am a big-time biker--my main sport. But at this time of year, I don't always have the outside option; I am not a big "let's bike in the rain" person--not even for cyclocross, which I like to do occasionally. I like to stay healthy and wet + cold + windy + not being able to get warm & dry immediately after a workout = me potentially getting sick. Enter my frienemy, The Bike Trainer.
Ugh. 30-50 minutes is about all I am good for. If, like me, you hate to workout indoors, Make it count. Whatever you do, don't do "junk miles"--be they running, biking, or anything else. BUT, if you want more specific training, might I introduce you to....THE SLIDEBOARD?
Yes, friends, the slideboard. This is a cool little thing I learned about from my speed skating buddy, Mel. She took me to the indoor workout area at the John Rose Oval one day, and introduced me to this lovely little torture device. This picture shows the basic idea:
The board is a smooth surface with "bumpers" on each end. You can buy (or make) them in various lengths. You can train either in old socks, specially-made booties, or surgical scrub booties. As the picture shows, you slide back and forth against the bumpers, and it is a leg-and-core-only workout (vs. the Ski Erg--but that's a story for another day).
All I have to say is it is NOT as easy as it looks. It is meant predominantly for inline & speed skaters, as well as hockey players. If you turn your feet at the wrong angle, you lose your balance. If you don't push off hard enough, you just...stop. Here is a good video of how one can progress. As you see, he starts with a shorter slide (about 6 ft.), then moves to longer (about 8 ft.)The guy leaves both his feet on the board, but when you get really good, you can glide on one foot--not a technique for beginners. I tried. I looked like a penguin attempting flight.
Your heart rate goes up amazingly quickly, and it takes a while to build up to any sort of time on it. I have to take a LOT of breaks. Mel and I did some plyos, weights, and other conditioning in between. So, you can make it like circuit training, if you have adjustable weights at home, like PowerBlocks (but you can get "off" brands cheaper, though with fewer weight options).
You might be saying "but this is for skaters--I am a skier!" Yes, this is true. But remember what you were told when you were (or are) learning how to skate ski? Glide on one foot for as long as you can. Glide on the flat part of your foot. Keep your balance. "Hop" from one foot to the other (especially on uphills). Yes, kiddies, you can practice all this fun on a slide board, all the while getting a little core workout and your heart rate up.
They start at about $100 and can run to over $600. You can also find plans online to make your own for under $100--which is what I did. It is not quite finished. I have to drill the holes in the board & put the pegs in my 2x4 bumpers, then cushion them. But after the wet and nasty crap of today, I am very motivated to finish this iron maiden of cross training. Give it a try if you ever get the chance. I guarantee you will be sore as hell afterwards and be cussing it (and perhaps me) a blue streak. Then again, that is what the off season is for, right?
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