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This week's tip:
Training Partners
Why you need a training partner and how to find one
By Alex Fedak
Let’s face it: training can be a grind. It’s hard, repetitive work. But there’s an easy way to make it more fun: share it with a training partner.
A good training partner is more than someone to talk to. He or she is also someone to push you and expand your knowledge.
Training partners typically benefit from each others strengths. My former gym training partner could lift much more weight than I could. That inspired me to work harder. My contribution was consistency. I wouldn’t allow either of us to miss a workout.
Inevitably, you will always train harder, smarter and with more dedication when you have a training partner.
It’s easy to find a weight training partner. Just go to the gym and make it a point to meet people who have fitness goals similar to yours. Weight lifters always need training partners to act as spotters when they are doing heavy reps.
It can be harder to find a skater to train with. There just aren’t that many of us out there.
But a good place to look is at where skaters train in your area. In Oklahoma City, skaters often train in the city’s main park. Sure enough, that’s where I met Rob Bell several years ago.
You can also find skate training partners online. There are lots of skaters on Facebook and the Skater Network.
If you can’t find a skater to train with, join a cycling club. Once you get settled in, find a member who is interested in cross-training on skates. You will be surprised at how many cyclists will take the bait, especially if you offer to help get them rolling.
In this way, you won’t only gain a training partner, but make a new convert to our sport.
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Alex Fedak is one of America’s top pro skaters. In recent years, he has notched top five finishes in Saint Paul, Ottawa, Houston, San Diego and Round Rock. He is also a Category 3 road cyclist and an accountant for Oklahoma City. “I have been skating since I was very young, starting on quads and then transitioned to inlines in the early 90’s,” he says. “My first inline race was in 2003 at a local Oklahoma City event. Then I branched out to Texas. Since then, I have averaged five to seven inline races a year.” A member of Simmons Racing, he trains with hometown buddy and teammate Rob Bell.