Tools and Resources to Build a Speed Skater
An overview of resources and products that I use and recommend to build a speed skater. Most of these resources and free or low cost. These resources are to supplement on ice training, which obviously is a critical part to skating faster. But a large amount of a skater’s success is defined by their ability to commit to dryland training and putting in hours of practice off the ice. These resources will help with that.
How to Skate a 10K and also Half a 10K by Niels van der Poel
After winning gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the 5k and 10k races, Niels van der Poel published his training manifesto. The link to the pdf version can be found here: https://www.howtoskate.se/
I consider this mandatory reading for all speed skaters, both long & short track, as well as parents who have children in the sport. Van der Poel’s writing is witty, well organized, and provides a meaningful look into an elite athlete’s life. Van der Poel also shares his training plan with us and enlightens the reader with the simplicity of it all while also shocking us with the shear volume of training hours he put in.
What I would like for skaters and parents to take from this is the understanding of difficult the sport is, the amount of commitment it takes, but also the beauty that the journey can provide and that great success can be found be doing the simple things very well.
Trainer Road
TrainerRoad is an amazing piece of software which makes creating and following training programs incredibly easy. Their homepage can be found here: https://www.trainerroad.com/
To use this technology, at a minimum you need a bike with a power meter. To maximize the use of this technology, a smart trainer (I use a Wahoo Kickr) is highly recommended. TrainerRoad itself is $189 a year and is worth every penny. To see how I use this technology in my training, you can view my Season Plan webpage and also in my blog posts. If you invest into a nice bike and a smart trainer, the upfront cost for the equipment can be much more expensive depending on what type of bike and smart trainer you purchase, but there are some different options out there.
The vast majority of my training is done on a bike (and so was Niels van der Poel’s) so if you’re going to invest into a training activity, this is where I would put all my money.
Smart Trainer
A solid biking program is the best way to get quality training in. A smart trainer is the best way to ensure you have high quality training, especially paired with a program like TrainerRoad. A great place to learn about these can be found here: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/11/smart-cycle-trainer-recommendations-guide-winter.html/
I rarely ride my bike outside, unlike van der Poel who only rode outside. Depending on your climate & location and your preferences, a smart trainer may not be necessary. I love the smart trainer and I love working out inside because this guarantees that I am doing the TrainerRoad work out exactly as prescribed. Biking indoors also removes any excuses I have around the weather which means I complete a higher percentage of my training plan. Your love or hate or a smart trainer may vary from mine, and that’s ok, but I live or die by mine.
Power Meter
If you choose not to use a smart trainer that has a built in power meter, you will need to buy a power meter for your bike. A power meter allows you to accurately monitor your bike workouts by measuring your effort in Watts. There are many different types and price of power meters for your bike, find the best deal for your budget that will work with your bike.
If your interested in some reading material and how a power meter can help you in your pursuit of athletic success, check out: https://www.amazon.com/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-Hunter/dp/1934030554
Food Scale
You can find these on amazon, get yourself an affordable one. If you’re committed to training, then you are committed to nutrition. To properly take care of your body you need to know what you’re putting into it. A food scale will help you better understand how nutrition effects your body.
Inline Skating
If you live in an area where you are able to inline skate, this can be an invested with a high ROI. Our goal is not to be fast inline skaters, our goal is to be fast (ice) speed skaters. You can find yourself a pair of boots and wheels that fit your budget, used is ok. The goal is to find something comfortable enough that you’ll actually use it.
Inline skating is a great way to simulate ice skating and costs a whole lot less than buying ice time at your local rink. Find a park or trail to skate it is free.
Gym / Various Exercise Equipment
You can get a long way without ever needing to attend a gym or buying more exercise equipment than what is listed above. Dryland training can be free, all you need is your body and a small amount of space. Plyometrics also don’t take buying any equipment. Besides paying for your speed skating clubs membership & your bike equipment, you really don’t need anything else.
With that being said, the most important part of a training plan is ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK. If weight lifting and playing with various equipment gets you excited and helps you complete your goals, then do it! If you really want to buy something, buy yourself a weightlifting bar and some weights so you can do squats in the garage.
