Ever Wonder what to pack for practice and what goes into those massive bags you see coach carry around? Check out the first video for our Short Track Speedskating 101 on our Youtube channel.

Note Mary may have mentioned “cut proof” which is a common term for “cut resistant” however no material is entirely cut proof and may in particular situations be cut through.

Packing My Short Track Speedskating Bag

• Safety Equipment
  • Cut Resistant Skins (Under and Outer Club Skin)
  • Neck Guard
  • Helmet
  • Safety Glasses
  • Cut Resistant Gloves
  • Extra Face Covering
  • Skate Guards (Soakers and Hard)
  • Towel
  • Items Coach Mary forgot to pull out of the secret pockets and describe in the video
    • Thin Mouth Guard (brand: SISU Aero)
    • Ankle Protection (Extra Cut Resistant ankle sleeves to ensure no skin is showing)
• Warm Clothing
  • 2 pairs of socks (1 to wear after skating)
  • Gloves to wear under cut resistant gloves
  • Layers– t-shirts, sweatshirt, jacket
• Other Items
  • Water Bottle
  • EZ Fits
  • Extra Laces
  • Extra Hair Ties
  • Wrenches and Bur Stones
  • Lace Tightener (Paint Can Opener)

Dryland: X-Men and Guardians practiced several dryland drills at practice. If you or your athlete is looking to become better this season, please practice these at home to strengthen legs and learn muscle memory. We will continue to add to your dryland library as the season continues.
Here are videos as a reminder. — Complete workout 1-3 times a week with lower sec intervals
Workout: 3 sets of 10-30 sec of each exercise (as you get stronger, build it  up to 1-3 min of each exercise). Between each set, do cardio, whether it’s running, spin bike, jumping jacks, etc. 

• Skater Sit — think “hug your knees”
• Skater Squat – make sure heal is not lifting off ground
• Weight Transfer: — Remember “toe, knee, nose”  alignment
• “Extra: In and Outs

The ideal position for skating and dryland is 3 points of contact into the ground (ice), 2  in pad of foot (near toes) and 1 in heel. 

Muscle Recognition Exercise: Start in Skater Sit and move your weight
— 1 point – Heels
— 2 points– Toes  
— 3 points– Center of foot 

For each ask the following– What do you feel like? Where are your hips and butt and Chest? Is there any tension/ pressure, pain in your body? Try and shift your weight, tense and relax your shoulders, what feels right, while also in the skating position?

SpeedSkating 101 videos — Youtube Madison Coaches will be adding videos to our channel on equipment maintenance, training logs, dryland technique, and more. Keep an eye out for an additional email to debut the first video. Take a look each week and then bring your questions to dryland to ask a coach. 

Log Books Coach Mary provided log books to several skaters last season and this season. If you have not received one and would, let Coach Mary know so she can order more as necessary. These books are a great way to track your personal progress over time and get you into the mindset of a speedskater.

What do I add to my Log Book?
Goal Setting: Write down your goals so you can create a game plan towards achieving them. This will include technique, speed, and strength, maybe even mental conditions and health. 
Workouts— Practice and at Home Training– Dryland, Cross Training (other sports you play for instance), On-ice workouts and lap counts
Lap Times— Monthly In-practice competitions will record your lap times, showing your improved speed.
PBs (Personal Bests)– Fastest time thus far, highest number of laps, etc.
Self-Reflection–A few to get you started. One word to describe how you feel at practice (generally shows if you are tired, motivated, excited, marvelous, sore, stiff, etc)
Thorn, Rose, Bud — Thorn= Something that went poorly; — Rose= Something that went well,– Bud= something you are looking forward to in the near future (tomorrow, next week)