 |
||
 |
|
|
This week's tip:
Don't Let the Winter Slow You Down
How to stay in shape when you can't skate
By Patrick Creveling
Low walking in the snow.
Photo: Patrick Creveling
The cold is a great excuse to be lazy, but don't give in to temptation. Winter is the perfect time to polish your form and build core strength.
Skaters tend to take it easy in the winter. Then when spring rolls around, they wonder why they are getting crushed by the same skaters they used to beat in the fall.
The reason is simple: The other skaters didn't quit training in the winter.
So how do you train when it's freezing outside? In a word: dryland.
Put yourself on a regular diet of wall sits, low walks, stationary dry-skating and slideboard. (Oh, baby! We love the slideboard!)
While doing these exercises, visualize yourself reaching your goals.
Maybe my brother and I are nuts, but for us there is nothing more satisfying than going outside and doing low walks during a snowstorm.
There is something special about training while the competiion is essentially asleep.
It builds your confidence and can propel you to new personal bests in the spring.
So don't let winter get you down. Embrace it. Go low-walking in the snow. Do some dryland in front of a fire.
Don't waste the winter wishing it was warm. Visualize warmth and make the most of it.
Trust me. You'll be glad you did.
...
Patrick Creveling was born into a family of skaters in Pennsylvania. In 2001, he won the U.S. indoor national championships in 2001. In 2003, he was a member of the U.S. team at the World Championships. His brother Chris and sister Chelsea are also former World Team members. Patrick continues to skate and also teaches occasional Camp Creveling skate clinics.
|
|