Cross-Training at the Rollerdome

by Joe Sem
November 13, 2005

This past winter I trained for the Birkebeiner in a way that many skiers might find appalling: 75% of my preparation time was spent inline skating in the Metrodome. I say appalling because I know what it is like to be a ski-purist ­ to hesitate doing anything that would seem to contradict one’s ski training. But providence had it that I would spend my winter inline skating instead of skiing, as I was fighting a lung infection at the time and didn’t want to ski, but my job at the Rollerblade® Rollerdome required inline skating. Therefore, I had little choice but to get used to the idea.

At first my purist mentality had me convinced that my ski season was over, because I assumed inline skating would ruin my technique and that inline skating is too recreational to be considered effective training. After a month of inline skating 8-10 hours a week, I began to feel healthy enough to ski again. But before my first on snow workout, I was concerned that during my time at the Rollerdome I had become some sort of a “hybrid softie” ­ that the ease of my inline skating workouts coupled with the different technique would have turned me into a strange sort of skier. I was surprised to find out just the opposite.

With minimal snow training and lots of inline skating under my belt last winter, I was concerned about my stamina and ability to skate a long race like the Birkie. However, I figured out about 15 -20k into the race that I was going to be more than alright after all. Going up those hills, I became convinced that inline skating is a very effective way to cross train, and carries over a lot into skiing. Marylin Franzen, a co-founder of the St. Paul Inline Marathon, finished 2nd in her age division this winter (classic, 50-54) even after knee surgery this past year. So it seems as if I wasn’t the only person who benefited from inline skating. Now I will try to explain some of the possible reasons for the productive relationship between inline skating and skiing.

First I must try to debunk the myth that inline skating will alter or mess up your technique: Yes, there is a transition period from inline skating into skiing on snow, but to be a consistent ski purist you would have to admit that there also is a transition period from roller skiing to skiing on snow. After about 5 minutes on snow, I found that I could no longer accuse inline skating of messing up my ski technique.

I realized that inline skating technique and ski technique are different enough that anybody who has developed solid ski technique will be able to differentiate between the two. They are two separate techniques, and if one remembers not to mix them together, there should be no problems. Although they are two different techniques, I learned they can work together for a common good in skiing.

The biggest benefit from inline skating is that it develops the same leg muscles you use to go up hills while skiing. The first thing I noticed when I was classic skiing is that my legs lasted a lot longer going up hills. When you inline skate, it is basically like herring-boning on flat ground at a low intensity level (my average inline skate workout was 1-2 hours at an easy pace and 100-120 HR).

One year ago, having to herring-bone up a hill during even a short race would have spiked my heart rate and caused me a lot of fatigue. This year at the Birkie, I was very glad to have a stronger herring-bone (and general uphill stride) to rely on while ascending many of those steep hills. The same goes for skate technique. Having strong leg muscles definitely comes in handy, and inline skating develops muscles that can be hard to reach during summer ski training.

Ideal summer training for skiing would be to rollerski on trails similar to the Birkie course, with a good number of hills. In reality, a lot of roller skiing is done around lakes or in parks with some decent hills, but not on trails similar to what a person faces on the Birkie. Most people develop their uphill leg muscles by hill bounding, which is a very effective way to train. But going uphill all the time is taxing on the body, and it is hard to do that kind of workout more than once or twice a week. With inline skating, it is possible to build up those muscles while exercising at an intensity considered active recovery.

One final point to remember is that inline skating is different than roller skiing without poles. Inline skating requires you to sort of “step forward” as compared to pushing to the side when you ski. Think about when you V1 uphill on your skate skis ­ you are bringing your leg more forward than when you skate on flats. This is basically the motion that is simulated when you inline skate. So you can imagine how doing that for 1-2 hours at an easy to moderate pace could potentially pay off in skiing. The hills at the Birkie are meant to separate the contenders from the pretenders, so next year why not be a contender?

Rollerdome is open over 70 dates this year, stop on by and you are likely to recognize a few folks from the xc ski community turning laps at the dome. Go to www.roller-dome.com for a the calendar.


Editor's Note: Joe Sem finished 7th overall and 2nd in the 18-24 age division for Classic in the 2005 Birkie.