There is an argument for the 150 day season. Where I live in Norway, we have ice up to 4 months a year, from early November to early March. That means that our skaters only just get on the ice (at home) by the time of the junior World cups. We either have to travel, or hope the inline track stays dry through October, to be at our best (we don't really have good access to ST-ice here) in November. But this is part of what makes coaching as much an artform as a science ;)
@@speedskatingdeconstructed5435 that is definitely true for developed skaters. I would argue that it is less so for younger juniors. Anyway, we make it work. You have to work with what you have.
Jeff, what is your opinion about polarised training for ice skaters/ during ice-skating? This would mean skating most of time of the week on a very slow speed to enlarge (basic) endurance and to do only once a week an interval training on a very high intensity. Because according the vision of polarised training you can do only once a week a very high intensity session. And polarised training intends to avoid the trainings at treshold speed. Or should you completely skip this low speed ice training and do it on a bike? But this would mean you can only skate once a week on the ice.
Moundstra - It's a real dance out there on the ice vs. other sports like running or cycling and this is where the "finesse" of a program comes into play. The skating position has a baseline of lactate that other sports do not and also the muscle memory needs to be exceptionally attune to high speed. Therefore to do slow skating in my mind, is basically a mistake and needs to be minimized. For example, use slow skating only to EXAGGERATE movements, to sit deeper, get more amplitude in the push and push longer (make it down the straight in 4 strokes, for example) or other "drill type" work. Long slow laps, to me, are contraindicated to success. My athletes, in a non-racing block, would do 3 very high intensity ice workouts per week, sometimes 4, with a lot of easy stuff off the ice, plus a maintenance of all the other stuff - functional strength, cardio, agility, local muscle endurance, plyos, etc. The ice is SACRED ground, to me. Thank you and I hope this helps you!
@@speedskatingdeconstructed5435 Jeff, thank you, it clarifies. I also do marathon skating (50 or 75 laps), average lap speed 35 sec (in a group, inner ring), fastest laps 30 sec. For best preparation, makes it sense to skate once a week, in a group, 1 hour with an average lap speed of 39 sec/lap (so 85-90 laps)? Or better do intervals at higher speeds instead? And solo maybe?
There is an argument for the 150 day season. Where I live in Norway, we have ice up to 4 months a year, from early November to early March. That means that our skaters only just get on the ice (at home) by the time of the junior World cups. We either have to travel, or hope the inline track stays dry through October, to be at our best (we don't really have good access to ST-ice here) in November.
But this is part of what makes coaching as much an artform as a science ;)
having less ice can actually be an advantage
@@speedskatingdeconstructed5435 that is definitely true for developed skaters. I would argue that it is less so for younger juniors.
Anyway, we make it work. You have to work with what you have.
Jeff, what is your opinion about polarised training for ice skaters/ during ice-skating? This would mean skating most of time of the week on a very slow speed to enlarge (basic) endurance and to do only once a week an interval training on a very high intensity. Because according the vision of polarised training you can do only once a week a very high intensity session. And polarised training intends to avoid the trainings at treshold speed. Or should you completely skip this low speed ice training and do it on a bike? But this would mean you can only skate once a week on the ice.
Moundstra - It's a real dance out there on the ice vs. other sports like running or cycling and this is where the "finesse" of a program comes into play. The skating position has a baseline of lactate that other sports do not and also the muscle memory needs to be exceptionally attune to high speed. Therefore to do slow skating in my mind, is basically a mistake and needs to be minimized. For example, use slow skating only to EXAGGERATE movements, to sit deeper, get more amplitude in the push and push longer (make it down the straight in 4 strokes, for example) or other "drill type" work. Long slow laps, to me, are contraindicated to success. My athletes, in a non-racing block, would do 3 very high intensity ice workouts per week, sometimes 4, with a lot of easy stuff off the ice, plus a maintenance of all the other stuff - functional strength, cardio, agility, local muscle endurance, plyos, etc. The ice is SACRED ground, to me. Thank you and I hope this helps you!
@@speedskatingdeconstructed5435 Jeff, thank you, it clarifies. I also do marathon skating (50 or 75 laps), average lap speed 35 sec (in a group, inner ring), fastest laps 30 sec. For best preparation, makes it sense to skate once a week, in a group, 1 hour with an average lap speed of 39 sec/lap (so 85-90 laps)? Or better do intervals at higher speeds instead? And solo maybe?
@@moundstra1 Thank you, so happy to assist!
Rip mr. Kleiber.😢