Post by triplef on Jan 15, 2019 7:41:05 GMT
The quest for 250 miles
Last year I barely made the 200 miles in Spaarndam. I plan to attend the event in 2019 as well if I can make it somehow. Since then and especially during the Ultraskate I have learned a lot and improved my longboarding skills. So the logical conclusion is to attack the 250 miles.
In order to achieve this goal I have figured out some weaknesses I want to improve on and I have some unanswered questions. So I hope to help some folks who are where I was a year ago and would like to gain some knowledge from the ones that are better and more experienced than I am.
I have categorized my questions and experiences into equipment, training and the day of the event.
Part 1 Equipment:
Last year I competed with a modded Bennett as a front truck. In December I got myself a Poppy. The difference is huge. Not so much in pumping actually, though I have not adjusted my setup for the new truck, but mostly because the Poppy feels much more stable in the center which makes pushing a lot easier. Also the precision parts reduce friction which makes the wheels roll longer.
I'm not sure whether I'm going to build a new deck for myself. I push a self-made double drop platform (for more information on how to make brackets DIY check the longboardz forum if you speak German, I've written an entry there). The Change from Bennett to Poppy has shortened my wheelbase by a few centimeters. This could be a chance for using a longer platform since I had a bit of trouble with back foot placement when skogging.
I'm using Otang kegels and I'm not sure whether to switch to Caguamas. Is the difference noticeable?
Advice for new ones: get yourself some fresh bearings before the race and drive 50-100 kilometers before to break them in. Zealous are a good choice on a budget.
The Poppy is a bit higher than the Bennett used to be. I have to get myself some dt risers to maintain a low platform.
I also have to play a bit with the bushing combination. The back is easy. 90a double barrel works nice for me. The bushing I'm not100% happy with is the rs front bushing. The stock bushing is an 80a barrel. That one was a bit hard for my preference so I switched to 75a barrel which is better but not perfect. Would the experienced riders recommend an 80a cone or something more restrictive in 75a like a chubby?
The big thing I'm struggling with is choice of footwear. I like barefoot running shoes but I had serious knee problems after a few hours. A bit of cushioning seems to be preferable. I like the concept of no toe to heel drop.
Can anyone recommend any insoles or shoes? Insoles would be preferred since I'm on a budget.
The last thing I need to improve on is lighting. I head a headlamp which was way to weak for riding on an unilluminated track. Advice is appreciated
That's it with equipment for now.
Part 2 training
I aim to improve my speed. The better riders all were a whole lot faster than I was and formed a group giving themselves slipstream. There were two things holding me back from being able to ride with them: first my knee problems (if anyone has some advice on preparing the knees for this level of abuse feel free to share) and second my V(O2)Max.
This is a measurement for the level of work one can do at the aerobic maximum. I simply couldn't put up with the endurance the top riders had. Which is fair I guess
But it means that I'm gonna need to improve on that. In the last months I read a bit on that topic. The best way to improve ones endurance is surprisingly not long low intensity training but interval training like Tabata. So I'm gonna focus on this. Few long training sessions but more intense interval ones.
The other factor I need to imply is my skogging game. I still have some difficulties changing some stances. So I need to train that until it becomes muscle memory. In the last hours of an Ultraskate one is so f***ed up focusing on changing stance becomes hard and also more dangerous. Some people tend to step on their wheels when pushing back foot for example. If anyone has good advice for stance changing training please share.
Part 3: the day of the event.
The biggest change I have to implement is to sleep before the event. I took a bus from Munich to Amsterdam (I can't sleep in busses) which was three hours late. Because of this I missed the last train to my rbnb. So I had nowhere to sleep. I assembled my Longboard and rode to Spaarndam because I had nowhere else to go. Riding for 15 km with a really heavy bag probably didn't help for my knee problems either... I arrived at the track at 2am with no camping gear whatsoever. The grass was damp and it was cold. So I got no sleep that night. Going into an Ultraskate with no sleep in the last 24 hours is a BAD idea trust me. It worked out fine until around 1am. Then all hell broke loose I got microsleep while riding my board and started hallucinating. When a few leaves on a branch turned into two colorful plush unicorn heads I decided that it was time to sleep. I borrowed the tent of someone I had ridden with and slept for 90 minutes. Due to some breaks before trying to get awake again I lost about 3 hours because of sleep deprivation. Sleep guys, I'm serious.
Another way to save time is to refrain from eating anything solid during the race. The top riders live of isotonic sports drinks and eat next to nothing. When they hear nature calling they simply ride on the side of the track pull out and relief themselves riding 20 kilometers an hour. Not visiting the bathroom saves a lot of time.
I personally prefer non alcoholic wheat beer. It's isotonic as well but I can stand it longer than sports drinks. This year I will probably use both.
The last thing I've learned is to use caffeine earlier. I've waited to long. Use it before you need it.
These are a few things I learned on my first Ultraskate and that I want to improve on. I hope it helps some of you.
Bonus:
Some advice I knew before bit that may help nonetheless
Use Vaseline on your butt and nipples. They are going to rub sore withing 24 hours if not lubed
Stay well hydrated and fed. Look up calorie and salt intake per hour and calculate how much you need.
It's better to start too slow than too fast.
Have something warm for the night
Ride with other people to stay motivated
Use sunscreen
Have spare parts
Make a goal and try to stick to it.
We don't rise to the level of our hopes we fall to the level of our training.
Last year I barely made the 200 miles in Spaarndam. I plan to attend the event in 2019 as well if I can make it somehow. Since then and especially during the Ultraskate I have learned a lot and improved my longboarding skills. So the logical conclusion is to attack the 250 miles.
In order to achieve this goal I have figured out some weaknesses I want to improve on and I have some unanswered questions. So I hope to help some folks who are where I was a year ago and would like to gain some knowledge from the ones that are better and more experienced than I am.
I have categorized my questions and experiences into equipment, training and the day of the event.
Part 1 Equipment:
Last year I competed with a modded Bennett as a front truck. In December I got myself a Poppy. The difference is huge. Not so much in pumping actually, though I have not adjusted my setup for the new truck, but mostly because the Poppy feels much more stable in the center which makes pushing a lot easier. Also the precision parts reduce friction which makes the wheels roll longer.
I'm not sure whether I'm going to build a new deck for myself. I push a self-made double drop platform (for more information on how to make brackets DIY check the longboardz forum if you speak German, I've written an entry there). The Change from Bennett to Poppy has shortened my wheelbase by a few centimeters. This could be a chance for using a longer platform since I had a bit of trouble with back foot placement when skogging.
I'm using Otang kegels and I'm not sure whether to switch to Caguamas. Is the difference noticeable?
Advice for new ones: get yourself some fresh bearings before the race and drive 50-100 kilometers before to break them in. Zealous are a good choice on a budget.
The Poppy is a bit higher than the Bennett used to be. I have to get myself some dt risers to maintain a low platform.
I also have to play a bit with the bushing combination. The back is easy. 90a double barrel works nice for me. The bushing I'm not100% happy with is the rs front bushing. The stock bushing is an 80a barrel. That one was a bit hard for my preference so I switched to 75a barrel which is better but not perfect. Would the experienced riders recommend an 80a cone or something more restrictive in 75a like a chubby?
The big thing I'm struggling with is choice of footwear. I like barefoot running shoes but I had serious knee problems after a few hours. A bit of cushioning seems to be preferable. I like the concept of no toe to heel drop.
Can anyone recommend any insoles or shoes? Insoles would be preferred since I'm on a budget.
The last thing I need to improve on is lighting. I head a headlamp which was way to weak for riding on an unilluminated track. Advice is appreciated
That's it with equipment for now.
Part 2 training
I aim to improve my speed. The better riders all were a whole lot faster than I was and formed a group giving themselves slipstream. There were two things holding me back from being able to ride with them: first my knee problems (if anyone has some advice on preparing the knees for this level of abuse feel free to share) and second my V(O2)Max.
This is a measurement for the level of work one can do at the aerobic maximum. I simply couldn't put up with the endurance the top riders had. Which is fair I guess
But it means that I'm gonna need to improve on that. In the last months I read a bit on that topic. The best way to improve ones endurance is surprisingly not long low intensity training but interval training like Tabata. So I'm gonna focus on this. Few long training sessions but more intense interval ones.
The other factor I need to imply is my skogging game. I still have some difficulties changing some stances. So I need to train that until it becomes muscle memory. In the last hours of an Ultraskate one is so f***ed up focusing on changing stance becomes hard and also more dangerous. Some people tend to step on their wheels when pushing back foot for example. If anyone has good advice for stance changing training please share.
Part 3: the day of the event.
The biggest change I have to implement is to sleep before the event. I took a bus from Munich to Amsterdam (I can't sleep in busses) which was three hours late. Because of this I missed the last train to my rbnb. So I had nowhere to sleep. I assembled my Longboard and rode to Spaarndam because I had nowhere else to go. Riding for 15 km with a really heavy bag probably didn't help for my knee problems either... I arrived at the track at 2am with no camping gear whatsoever. The grass was damp and it was cold. So I got no sleep that night. Going into an Ultraskate with no sleep in the last 24 hours is a BAD idea trust me. It worked out fine until around 1am. Then all hell broke loose I got microsleep while riding my board and started hallucinating. When a few leaves on a branch turned into two colorful plush unicorn heads I decided that it was time to sleep. I borrowed the tent of someone I had ridden with and slept for 90 minutes. Due to some breaks before trying to get awake again I lost about 3 hours because of sleep deprivation. Sleep guys, I'm serious.
Another way to save time is to refrain from eating anything solid during the race. The top riders live of isotonic sports drinks and eat next to nothing. When they hear nature calling they simply ride on the side of the track pull out and relief themselves riding 20 kilometers an hour. Not visiting the bathroom saves a lot of time.
I personally prefer non alcoholic wheat beer. It's isotonic as well but I can stand it longer than sports drinks. This year I will probably use both.
The last thing I've learned is to use caffeine earlier. I've waited to long. Use it before you need it.
These are a few things I learned on my first Ultraskate and that I want to improve on. I hope it helps some of you.
Bonus:
Some advice I knew before bit that may help nonetheless
Use Vaseline on your butt and nipples. They are going to rub sore withing 24 hours if not lubed
Stay well hydrated and fed. Look up calorie and salt intake per hour and calculate how much you need.
It's better to start too slow than too fast.
Have something warm for the night
Ride with other people to stay motivated
Use sunscreen
Have spare parts
Make a goal and try to stick to it.
We don't rise to the level of our hopes we fall to the level of our training.