Years ago there were very few races in excess of 10 km.  Today, marathon skating has reached new levels of popularity.  With a handful of reputable annual events and new long distance races popping up each year, more and more people are getting excited about skating in marathon inline events.  While the standard marathon distance is 26 miles (42 km), there are also some ultramarathon races of 100km or even longer. 

While there are some good web-based and print resources that provide basic training information for novice marathon skaters, there isn’t much information for advanced skaters.  So what about those who have completed a number of marathon events and are now looking to not just complete the distance, but skate it fast and finish with a certain placement.  How does marathon preparation differ from training for 10 km events?  What sort of interval training should be employed to best prepare for a marathon?  After all, 26 miles (42 km) is a long way! 

Whenever we discuss training there are several key variables which play a role in determining the effectiveness of training.  They are volume, intensity, rest, and recovery.  It is these factors which, when combined, produce the resulting training effect and performance adaptation. 

One of the most erroneous training concepts surrounding marathon skating concerns volume  i.e.  the mileage that has to be skated in preparation for such an event.  The simple truth is that most skaters log way too many miles, and don’t focus enough on anaerobic conditioning and recovery ability.  Most inliners look to marathon running for training guidance, but this is dangerous for several reasons.  For starters, in running it is very important to maintain a steady pace throughout the event.  Inline racing, by contrast usually involves a highly variable pace as skaters try to breakaway, drop other skaters, etc.  This is especially true in advanced packs.   Secondly, part of the reason runners need to log so many miles to prepare for a marathon is the impact factor.  Running imposes high stress levels on the leg muscles, and these muscles must be specifically conditioned by running upwards of 20-23 miles a day in the final stage of training.  And lastly, even though the distance for skaters is the same, its takes skaters half the time to complete.  For example, an advanced skater might skate a marathon in 1:30-1:40, while a runner of similar caliber might finish in 3:00 – 3:20.    

In preparation for their marathon, runners may do a long run of 2:30 – 2:45.  The comparison for skaters is a workout of approximately 1:20.  So why do many skaters think they need to go out skate for 3 hours to prepare for a marathon?  I have always been baffled by the needless over-emphasis skaters put on logging miles. Don’t get me wrong… base preparation and logging miles is a very important stage of pre-season training.  But once a skater is reasonably fit and can comfortable skate the distance, the emphasis needs to shift to speed, and this is where many skaters go astray. 

Wanna Race Fast?  Then Train Fast! 

One of the most profound misconceptions in training is the notion that skating lots of miles will improve one’s speed.  Sorry to disappoint you mega-mileage freaks, but skating a ton of miles is not going to make you faster.  Mileage will burn calories, improve your cardiovascular performance, and elevate your relative muscular endurance.  However, these are NOT the things that allow you to go fast over a distance of 26 miles!  The only way to race fast is to train fast, and this is where interval and Fartlek training comes into play. 

Most every skater has at least a basic understanding of what interval training is all about, but few truly understand why they train this way.  And more importantly, few skaters who routinely take part in 10km events know how to modify their training to prepare for a marathon race. 

First, lets consider a few basic rules of thumb! 

1)     Assuming you are fit and can complete a 26 mile skate relatively easily, you do NOT need to increase your weekly mileage more than about 15%.

2)     Maintain one weekly long skate that is approximately 80-110% of the race distance  e.g. 20-28 miles.

3)     Employ two hard interval workouts per seven day cycle.  These interval sessions are the primary mechanism that will make you fast!

4)     Incorporate at least one mid-distance Fartlek workout of roughly half the marathon distance.

5)     Two rest days per week

6)     This leaves one day per week, and this skate is more or less an easy/moderate recovery workout. 

The above represents a fairly basic weekly structure, but is a simple, easy to follow microcycle that can be maintained as your training routine for the majority of the your marathon preparation.  The only major chance would be the 7-10 days preceding your race, at which time you would peak and taper (reduce volume and maintain intensity). 

Marathon Interval Training 

For advanced skaters, the dynamics of marathon skating are quite similar to those in a conventional 10km event.  The only real difference is that there is typically more steady pace skating in between surges in effort.  In a short race the pace is rarely the same for more than about 1 minute.  In a marathon, for example, the pace may remain relatively constant for 4-5 minutes before there is a breakaway, reshuffling of the group, or change in speed.  This difference is responsible for the change in focus for interval training.   

Even so, success in marathon skating requires the same keen abilities as 10km racing.  Of utmost important are: 1) Endurance 2) Acceleration, and 3) Recovery Ability.  Event though the distance is longer, to succeed in a marathon skaters still need to be able to sprint hard when necessary, recovery from such an effort, and be capable of maintaining a relatively high rate of speed for approximately an hour and a half. 

Interval training for a marathon typically involves slightly lower intensity levels and longer repeat times than 10km training.  However, skaters should still perform short, intense intervals in order to survive the occasional hard surge in race pace.  Some examples of  marathon interval sessions are as follows: 

Workout #1 

• Warm Up – 5 minutes constant pace, 5 minutes progressive up to race pace in the final minute
• 4 x 5 minutes @ 80-85% effort with 3 minutes active recovery between (i.e.  very slow skating)
• 8 minutes set rest
• 2 x 10 minute Fartlek (variable speed interval) with 2-3  minutes rest.
• 3 minutes set rest
• 5 x 100m accelerations with 90 seconds rest
• 10 minute cooldown

Workout #2 

• Warm Up – 5 minutes constant pace, 5 minutes progressive up to race pace in the final minute
• 2 minutes ‘on’ @ 90% effort, followed immediately by 1 minute ‘off’ at 60% effort.
• Repeat 6-8 times (6 ‘ons’ and 6 ‘offs’)
• 5 minutes set rest
• 3 minutes ‘on’ @ 80-85% effort, followed immediately by 1 minute ‘off’ at 60% effort.
• Repeat 4-6 times
• Cooldown 10 minutes.

Principles of Training 

The above sample workouts provide only a brief snapshot into marathon training preparation.  Seasonal planning and periodization (doing the right thing at the right time of year) are important tools in getting ready to race a marathon.  Skaters also need to ensure that the is a gradual and progressive increase in training load over the weeks and month leading up to a race, followed by a systematic reduction in training load in the final preparation period (1-2 weeks) before for the big event.   

Skaters to the Line… BANG! 

My experience is that few skaters seem to recognize the importance of the start.  The start in a marathon event is just as important as the start in a 10km race.  While the distance may be 4 times longer, it is equally important to get off the line quickly and get into a hard-working paceline as soon as possible. 

Lets consider a practical example where two skaters of equal ability step the start line.  Skater A starts close to the front, and aggressively gets off skating when the gun goes off.  Skaters B is a few rows back, and is more cautious getting going.  Within the first mile two large pacelines have formed, separated by a mere 10 seconds.  However, the first pack, containing Skater A is going 2% faster and contains more talented and aggressive skaters.  They will slowly extend their gap over the group containing skater B, and in the end may finish a full 5 minutes ahead.  Because of the benefit of drafting, Skater A did not have to exert any more energy than skater B.  All this individual did was ensure that they got into a paceline that was faster.  This is a very real anecdote that I have heard many times.   

So how do you know if you’re in the right paceline or not?  Well, for starters, if you find yourself willing and able to skate at the front and lead your paceline often, then the group is too slow for you.  Ideally, you want to skate in a paceline that contains faster skaters than yourself, and this means that leading the group will be something to fear.  Mismatched pacelines form because of the start.  If you’ve skated a handful of marathons before then you know that quite often a paceline will contain both workhorses ( those who always push the pace at the front) and wheel suckers who struggle at the back.  This should NOT really happen, but it’s often inevitable.  All I can say is that if you’re a regular workhorse in your pack, you’re not optimizing your time or placement.  Skate harder at the start and get yourself into a group that is much faster than you are.   

Resting Techniques 

My final recommendation for advanced skaters who are looking to optimize their performance is this… learn to benefit from resting techniques during the race.   What does this mean?  In simple and practical terms, it means take a few strides as possible between the start and finish.  Learnt o rest and glide at opportune moments.  Be efficient!  Many skaters continue to stride when they could easily put their hands on their knees, rest, and glide for a few seconds.  Think of it as banking strength and power.  Each time you save a few strides you bank the energy you would have expended had you taken those strides.  It may sounds silly, but this is a very real effect, and once the finish is in sight and the mad dash for the line begins, you will be glad to have this small but significant reserve of speed.