RoadSkater.Net - Comments for "training"

Justified Gushing

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Well if you know Skatey-Mark and Roadskater, you know we don't just love everything. I can spot a crooked lampshade from a mile away, thanks to my genetics. But this is where we agree that if you want to get some FUN skate WORK done, the roadshow workshop is a great place...and Greensboro always has a big enough but manageable size group away from the drudgeries of your home. But the key is Eddy is a world class teacher who happens to be a world class skater, and yes, he can spot where to tweak and can give you as much or as little as you want to work on.

There are a few things I try to do every year and the Greensboro Eddy Matzger Roadshow inline skating speed workshop is one I always want to do when Eddy can get us on the schedule. We'll get on it quickly this time and try to lock in a date as soon as Eddy can do it. I hope it can be the week after tax day next year, ha. But whenever it needs to be, it is worth hosting, talking about, trying to help people attend, and attending.

definitely notebook

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Haven't used an iPad, but it doesn't interest me at all. Same goes for an iPod Touch or Kindle. My company gave me an MSI netbook to use for testing, and I don't like it one bit. It's too small to be useful. Typing is a pain. Navigating with the stupid touchpad thing is awful (I *hate* those things). Screen is too small. I think the netbooks will be a shortlived phase and that tablets like the iPad will take over that space. I doubt that typing on an iPad is any more problematic than it is on a netbook. Hell - i can just about type as fast on my LG Env phone as I can on the netbook.

I'm not a fan of desktop pcs anymore, either. Laptops/Notebooks have plenty of computing power for anyone and have the benefit of being portable. I like my notebook quite a lot (granted, it cost more than $600). But I'm sure there are plenty of options in the $600 range that would work.

another awesome weekend

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

This was perhaps the best weather for any workshop I've ever attended. Absolutely perfect. Literally, not a cloud in the sky. Perfect temperature. If only we could get this lucky every year!

This was either my 6th or 7th Eddy workshop, since my first one in 2002. I have to say that after skipping last year, I wish I had made more of an effort to attend one of the other roadshows or make the pilgrimage up to Skate Farm. (There wasn't a roadshow in Greensboro last year.) Last year, I struggled with a couple parts of my technique that took Eddy about 2 seconds to diagnose and start making suggestions on how to fix them. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to iron out some of the wrinkles over the summer and be ready for some of the events in the fall.

Even if I hadn't learned anything (which is impossible unless you're not trying at all), the weekend is such a fun time that it's worth going. I look forward to my skating vacation every year, and the sore muscles afterward are a pleasant reminder of everything that happened.

It was great having such a small group, as we all got a lot of individual attention. Still, having the larger groups in years past was fun too. I've never met an unfriendly person at a workshop. In fact - it was after taking my first workshop in 2002 that my skating obsession started.

I know people probably get tired of me gushing about how great the workshop is... It's just that I think everyone should be able to experience it first-hand and make the same improvements that I've made over the years. You don't have to be a competitive skater to appreciate the workshop - you just have to love skating and want to do it better.

We're so lucky that Eddy continues to come to Greensboro, and especially fortunate that he's already committed to coming back next year. I know I'll sign up as soon as the date is announced...

Enjoying the Comments...More After April 15

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

As a Certified Independent Professional Procrastinator I thought I'd read Getting Things Done by David Allen part of the day instead of doing things on my Next Actions list. Then I decided some posts might take less that two minutes each, so I'd do them. Of course, they probably don't take less than two minutes each, and I feel this one breaking rules already.

Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean, I'm really enjoying the comments and I hope you'll keep sharing them. It's really wonderful to hear that this workshop and Eddy have made as much difference to most as I have so often and obnoxiously claimed they would.

A great teacher is hard to find and despite all the talk about how important they are, teachers often work everlong for everless. Hopefully we can keep the Greensboro workshop/roadshow profitable enough for Eddy, financially and soulwise, to make it worth the time and travel. He indicated at dinner at Lucky 32 that we'll always have a Greensboro workshop, so we need to a) schedule it when we see him at A2A or soon after, and b) spread the word all year, and c) make sure he knows there's a core group who support the parking lot workshop format as the best way to work on these drills together...which most of us may not do so much outside that safety zone.

OK, computer. Got to go. See you after National Procrastination Day and the 1040 or 4868.

Anybody seen an iPad in person? I'm interested in your take. Seems like printing is problematic, and typing may be an adventure. Would you rather have an iPad; a kindle and a netbook; an iPod Touch and netbook; a $600 notebook PC; $600; some other combination? Feel free to launch a new thread if you want to get serious on this one.

Greensboro SkateFarm Roadshow

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

I have been wanting to do an Eddy Matzger skating clinic for a long time, and finally had my chance this past weekend. It turned out to be all that I expected and more. On top of everything else, the weather could not have been any more perfect.

I was concerned that because it was so early in the season I would not have the strength or endurance to keep up. To an extent that was true, but things are structured so that you can go at your own pace. There is absolutely no pressure to keep skating all the time. You get tired, you can take a break, and learn by eyesmosis ( a Skatey Blake-ism).

The other thing that I learned was that it is probably a good idea to wear all the protective gear, including elbow and knee pads. This is because, as Eddy so aptly puts it, if you aren't falling, you aren't trying hard enough. I definitely felt that I was holding back to avoid falls that might have compromised my ability to get back to work on Monday! By playing it safe, I felt I missed out a bit. The good news is that you learn so many drills and moves that you can practice to your heart's content once you get back home.

As has been stated by so many before me, the heart of the roadshow is of course Eddy himself. He has such mastery of his skates that just watching what he can do is probably worth the price of admission alone! At times, I had to tell myself that he has been doing this daily for over 20 years, and I shouldn't expect to be able to ever do everything he does. I know I will never be a competitive racer, and may never master the double push, but an important thing for us old people is to continue to learn new things. Why not on skates? Balance becomes ever more important as we get older. At any rate, Eddy has an incredible number of exercises to learn and do, and his ability to teach them is unsurpassed. He is indefatigable, patient, entertaining. ( Anyone remember the Ed Sullivan show? I felt like Topo Gigio for the number of times I said "hey, Eddy").

The weekend was overall a really fun time, not only because Eddy makes it fun, but the folks who turned out made it a fun time as well. Thanks to Blake for hosting, and for arranging great meals at some of the local spots. The venue for the social skate on Friday, and the site for the clinic, were great choices. It was good to meet up with those who become friends over time, eg from attending events like A2A, T2T, NYC. It was also nice to meet some new skateys who will no doubt be turning up at some of these events in the future.

What did I come away with? I asked Eddy what I could do about my tendency to pronate, and after going over issues of alignment and proper setdown, the problem disappeared immediately! The mechanics of stroking were broken down to the basics, then put back together. I remember long ago hearing about how if you have the proper balance you can skate with your laces undone. I could not have conceived of the very idea back then. After some balance drills, Eddy had us do just that- skate without lacing up. Voila- it didn't seem to make a difference!

I look forward to practicing the drills on my own, and perhaps trying the advanced drills requiring conter-traction with Patrick. ( It is great if someone you know comes along as well).

My hope is that I will be able to make it back next year, and will have been able to incorporate even a little of what we aere taught into my routine.

Thanks to Eddy, Blake, Elizabeth, Skatey Mark,Patrick, Jonathon,Marianne, and Craig for a great weekend!

SkateFarm Roadshow!!

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

So after attending this weekend long workshop - and recovering for a day to let my aching muscles rest, I am actually looking forward to finding a parking lot and working on many of the drills Eddy taught us.

What a great way to spend a weekend, meet new people, re-connect with 'old' friends, burn many calories, and get a whole lot better at skating. And oh yes, it helped me overcome (at least for a large part) my fear of falling while skating. I can't remember how many times I fell - but because I was always trying to skate low (hence the soreness in unspeakable muscle groups), and Thank God for knee pads!! - falling was no big deal. Of course - it's also quite possible that I didn't try hard enough, didn't skate fast enough to really get hurt. OK - fine. I still had an amazing weekend, and can honestly say that I have regained a good bit of confidence on skates. Not that I am ready to do Tour to Tanglewood on skates any time soon mind you; but doing this workshop made that seem less of an out of reach thing than I would have ever thought possible after doing it once, a long, long time ago....

If any of you have been wondering whether to do this workshop or not - wonder no longer! Sign up for the next available one. Go for it! And if you have done this workshop before, do it again! Like Jonathan said, Eddy spends time with individual skaters, so there is always a lot for you to learn.

Marianne

alginate fibers

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

All of these products are also great for pressure ulcers or bed sores. The fibers, which can also be obtained in a rope, where designed for larger, deeper wounds (read 1-2 inch deep crater, possibly down to visible bone). I don't think they would work very well for our surface wounds.

Jonathan S

Eddy Matzger rocks!

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Alright, so I came to this thinking, "I'll learn a few drills, get a little better on classic technique, end of story"

I think we had accomplished my expectations in the first 4 hours! I now have about 25 drills I can rotate thru to practice different parts of my stroke. I am not only better at my classic technique, but I know exactly which areas to focus on. This is were Eddy excels! He can take a quick look at you doing something and immediatly pick out what part is failing. It's not just a bunch of "do it like this", but rather "that's good, but try to push harder here, relax there, cut this tighter". Every drill is made very personal to the individual skater. This translates into being able to jump by leaps and bounds ahead in skating ability. One of my biggest weakness' was I weaved all over the road when I skated. You would have thought I was an artistic skater watching me! Eddy showed me how to set my skate down closed so I would track a straight line and then open it up to push. I know have drawn a straight chalk line down the road in front of my house just so I can continue to practice this.

Here are the bonus things I learned, above and beyond my expectations. I now can do a front T stop, which not only works great, but also looks wicked cool. I can now do a double push, not a great one, but I think it was a huge step since I came to the clinic not double pushing at all. Before I could crossover, but I wasn't really putting any power to the ground. Now I understand how to get some speed out of the corner.

The other bonus was just spending time with Eddy. Not only is this man a god on skates, (he skates better than I can walk), but he is very caring, laid back, personable, and invested in helping everyone be the best skater they can. It was both an honor and a pleasure to learn from him.

So to anyone out there who would like to go, but has any reservations, I say if you only do one skate event a year, this one is the best. I don't think you could go and not become a better skater by leaps and bounds. This roadshow was my first, and I will now be there every year after, no matter what it takes.

Jonathan S

Hydrophile

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Thanks Jonathan!

All this time I thought 'Duoderm' was just another manufacturer's term to try to outdo the other product, Tegaderm. So then I might go back and get those large sheets of calcium alginate for $20. Falling without pads is expensive. They also sold the calcium alginate fibers in a clump that presumably gels upon contact with fluid. It looked like mini roof insulation.

I appreciate any info you may have because frankly it's overwhelming in the first aid aisle - which by the way seems to always be the absolute furthest aisle from the front door - when faced with several types of gauze, hydrocolloid, alginate, various drainage capacities, number of dressings in a box, various pricing....gah....I feel a spreadsheet coming on.

dressings

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

I'm no expert eebee, but you sparked my curiosity, so here is what I can figure out.

Both the duoderm we used and any kind of alginate dressing are great for a draining wound. They both maintain a moist environment, which helps our road rash wounds heal quickly with little scaring.

The main difference in function seems to be that duoderm is recommended for light to moderate drainage and the alginate dressings are for moderate to heavy drainage. The alginate dressing material is hydrophilic (read water loving) so it natural attracts drainage to it.

I'm afraid I'm still enough of a rookie that I could not give a recommendation which would work better for you in this area. Both keep the wound moist, which is our main goal. You may want to add some neosporin to the mix just to cover your bases.

Jonathan S

Here's how the workshop went!

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

You're right Tim, it was absolutely beautiful! Sorry you had to miss it this time. It was great to see Don and Patrick come all the way from Boston for a whole weekend of nothing but skate focus. It was of course tons of fun, and I was sufficiently relaxed to be able to actually absorb some more concepts. Unfortunately I was so relaxed on Sunday I wiped out pretty badly. But a calm chat with Marianne on a grassy bank, plus outstanding professional medical skills from Jonathan (and medical supplies!), and a hilarious roadrash story from Skatey-Mark made me feel so much better. I think I laughed for a whole three miles straight on the way home down I-85 at Mark's previous workshop/roadrash story.

I just spent a good half hour in CVS staring at the different boxes of wound dressings. I finally asked the pharmacist if she could explain the new calcium alginate dressing to me. The box grabbed my attention because it promised to be suitable for wounds with heavy drainage. These little compede hydrocolloid patches aren't holding much (hmmm, we sell hydrocolloid material in 5 liter cans where I work...). She admitted to not being familiar with the calcium alginate dressing (any idea Jonathan?), but explained that keeping the roadrash moist is the primary way to reduce scarring, and with smaller, non-leaky abrasions on non-covered body parts the same can be achieved through Bacitracin or Neosporin. At this point I was relieved to know I didn't have to shell out $50 on absorbent gauze pads. My needs are twofold: to be able to bend and straighten my knees and elbow, and reduce scarring as much as possible. However, it gets old really fast when you're continually mopping up ooze, and it doesn't look good in a professional setting either!

Funny post-workshop, post-roadrash story. At work today we needed to call in the phone technician. He called in the morning saying he didn't think he could make it due to an 'injury' but that he would make the effort if it was urgent. Well I was sat there secretly thinking 'Hey I came to work with all these stupid oozing wounds and my jeans sticking to my knees!', and I actually told the poor guy it was pretty urgent and that he should come in! About an hour later the phone technician comes hobbling up to the front door on crutches!! I felt pretty bad. Later we swapped horror stories: his - softball, mine - skating. He acted somewhat ashamed but I congratulated him on getting out there and trying it.

For me, I can't learn something new on skates unless I fall. A lot. I also learned for the twentieth time that it's prudent to wear knee and elbow pads when trying new maneuvers on skates.

And once again I have quite the to-do drill list for my upcoming evening skates (which is going to look weird to anybody watching). Somehow it's so much easier to make a complete fool out of yourself at the workshop/roadshow, and difficult to skate like a monkey at the local park in the suburbs!

But for goodness' sake!! When I was first learning how to balance vertically on skates, I was falling and stumbling all the time and didn't care who saw me! These days it's so tempting to just lace up and let it rip, especially if there are people walking their dogs or jogging - I want to look 100% competent and in control in front of those people, to advertise skating as a kick-butt fun form of exercise. So then I skate the same way each time, not trying anything new, and not applying things I learned at the workshop.

I am hereby reminding myself not to do that this year.

Looking forward to the reports

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

I was thinking of you folks this weekend, as I sat in my late-schoolyear-weekend daze. I wouldn't have been any good for anyone out there, but it looked like it was an absolutely beautiful weekend for those who participated. I hope all went smoothly and that it was fun and rewarding for all.

A note about fitness fatness and the roadshow workshop

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Just in case anyone is out there wondering if they're good enough or fit enough for the workshop, here's what I think...

You don't need to be a racer or want to be a racer. You just should want to learn more about skating at get better at it by working on it for a weekend.

You don't need to be a great skater, but you probably need to be at the point where you are able to stay up on skates mostly except when learning new things and pushing the envelope, so to speak.

You don't need to be skinny. You don't even need to be as skinny as you used to be. I'm neither right now! But I'll be there giving what I can to learning and relearning to get my year off to a better start than without the workshop. Of course I'd be better off if I didn't take winters off, perhaps, but that's the way it is so I'll be there doing what I can.

You come to the workshop to participate as much as you are able and to work at your level. Eddy will work with everyone at their level and he's very good at observing skills and adjusting his teaching based on who is there.

If it were not so great we would not host this event as many years as possible. It is a great weekend for your skating and your life.

If your family wants to come to town, we have lots of golf, tennis, shopping, etc., and springtime is in bloom in Greensboro.

More on the Eddy Matzger Roadshow Greensboro Apr 9-11

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Here's a revision of a note I sent to a potential attendee at our Greensboro workshop which is ON even with currently low reservations.

This is your BEST EVER opportunity at some quality time working with Eddy. We've had low signups for this year's workshop here (not sure why other than economics and family and event conflicts on the date). I'm not sure where we are now but it looks like maybe only 4 or 5 others. Even with double that, you'd have lots of time to work with Eddy in the small group and also some time alone with him taking video (you get a DVD afterward of all of us skating for the "test" and highlights of the drills, included in the registration, delivered to your mailbox).

Day one is usually a review of classic skating technique similar to ice, but very useful stuff for much of the time on skates for many of us. It's important because it contains all the fundamental concepts for either classic or double push skating. Eddy shows lots of on and off skates drills and exercises, and just by being around him you'll see what could happen to your skating if you stay in your skates a lot and are not afraid to work at it on and off skates, letting it be part of or even in some cases most of your life.

He intros some yoga poses that are skate helpful, some jumping and balancing drills (there's one especially useful one done off skates that helps in understanding how a double push works and feels), and lots of things to practice on your skates the rest of your life.

At some point during the weekend depending on various skill levels, Eddy introduces or reviews the whole idea of double push skating, which many skaters have put to such good use in winning races. He takes the key elements learned the first day and applies them to the double push method, where you get twice as many pushes per cycle. instead of glide-push / glide-push as you can do efficiently on ice, it becomes push-push / push-push or perhaps push-glide-push / push-glide-push for the asphalt, which has way more resistance than ice of course.

OK it's hard to say in a quick summary so that's why being around Eddy for sixteen hours talking and watching and doing skating will change your mind and your skating life. Even if you're not a racer and don't want to be, you'll have some new tools in your box for just when you need them most... to catch up, keep up when someone's trying to gap, or to gap someone who keeps kicking your frame skating two-wide in the road.

Regardless, you'll get the concept if you don't have it, and if you do know it already, Eddy will see it and help you improve. He is great at SEEING where you are instead of where you think you are, showing you on the video, then finding the NEXT ACTION to work on to improve your skating and the fun and power within. He'll find out how you plan and hope to enjoy skating, and help you do that, instead of trying to talk you into something he's done.

Aside from the irrelevant to your skating fact that Eddy has won lots of races or is well known as a roadskater, the real value is he knows skating AND is a GREAT and WILLING TEACHER who works full time for those who paid to do a workshop, and will keep you working on it the whole weekend in bursts of presentation-effort-review-microrest-repeat, with time to reflect and watch video saturday evening.

Friday we'll do a social skate around 5 or 6 pm if weather is fine, most likely on a rail trail we've used many times. It's very nice countryside skating. just getting to know each other on skates with no racing planned.

Saturday is usually 3-4 hours then lunch with Eddy, then 3-4 hours then dinner on our own then Saturday night video probably at Craig's house.

Sunday is usually 3-4 hours then lunch together while Eddy writes up notes and advice then 3-4 hours with review and "awards" finishing at least 6 or so, then maybe dinner together with Eddy if he can stay long enough.

If you fly in by early afternoon it'll be fine, and fly out as late as you can/like. Dinner with Eddy if we do it is a nice relaxing review of the skating but also just getting to know him more not as teacher so much but as new skate friend. Even if Eddy has to go, some of us will likely want to go eat and talk it all over and get to know each other off skates.

The best place to stay is near the airport at the intersection of NC-68 and I-40. there's a Hampton Inn, Motel 6, Sleep Inn, and various others in various levels of cost and appeal at that intersection. This gives you best access to the less congested roads leading to our locations. I'll verify locations in an email early the week before the workshop.

You will probably need a rental car unless we can make arrangements for your rides, but rentals are inexpensive in Greensboro usually. The area is spread out and we have not found a suitable location very near the hotels that is not also crowded. details to come but that's the idea. I'll check for new asphalt nearer to the hotels but for now we plan to use our prior locations.

Hope you can come. You will get a lot from the weekend if you can make it. Mostly you'll get a weekend about nothing but skating and new friends.

Let me know if the only thing keeping you from being able to come is transport or floor space. I can TRY to get some help with it if you need it. Hotels and cars in Greensboro are inexpensive relative to other cities, but if we can help get you in we'll try. My responsibility is to eddy first, but i can call on friends perhaps for support. join us!

Reminder to Skate to the Next Level with Eddy in Greensboro

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Here's a copy of a note posted to InlineNC yahoogroups.com group and other places, in case it's of interest or use, and as a reminder the workshop is soon!

Hi again! We're finally getting out to skate some. How about you?

Here's a chance to come skating with many times over Athens to Atlanta winner, great teacher and roadskating enthusiast, Eddy Matzger, and the rest of us here in North Carolina. Consider how great it'd be to come to Greensboro, North Carolina for some springtime skating on April 9-11 during a full weekend of skateyfocus! Join us Eddy Matzger Roadshow Inline Skating Workshop and we'll have 16 to 20 hours of immersion with very few distractions from the fun work of getting back into it, getting to the next level, or learning what it would take to get there!

Most of Eddy's workshops are now at the skatefarm (see skatefarm.com) and that's some awesome hillage for all, but we coaxed him to come down for another Greensboro workshop this year for those who love that format and love our location.

Why am I still hosting these workshops? Well, Eddy's the best skate teacher I know, and if nothing else, it gets me back into inspiration to prepare for the year, ending with the 2-day 90-miles Tour to Tanglewood and the (up to) 102-mile CarolinaCentury. com skate or bike for MS.

Please come join us in the Piedmont of NC for a weekend of happy skate work with people of all levels of skill, to see, hear, and do not much but the sport we love so passionately. Fly in to GSO airport and stay near the airport. Let us know if you need some help with transport, but there are inexpensive rentals available most weekends in GSO. (RDU and CLT are OK, but you will likely spend some time in rush hour traffic if you come in during the Friday afternoon. Usually flying in to GSO costs about the same when all is said and done, and our airport is big enough but still small enough to be convenient.)

Now there are plenty of excuses not to do this, but there are some incredible ways this could make your life sweeter, right? Get in the car, get on the plane, and come on down!

Here's more about the Roadshow and Skatefarm...
http://skatecentral .com/page32. html

It's $300 for the weekend of skate lessons and drills, plus Eddy makes a movie of everyone, including some individual video assessment, and you get a DVD in the mail later as a memento and valuable reminder of what you learned...and some things you may have missed or misremembered!

If you have a Roadshow in your area, then by all means please support that one! If you can't make that date, then consider us as an option. We usually have a nice group but not a huge crowd, so you get some more individual attention from the Edmeister.

Here's the remaining schedule for 2010...
http://skatecentral .com/page84. html

Here's where to register...
http://skatecentral .com/page20. html

Please contact me or the address at skatefarm.com for more info and details on our weekend.

Seriously. Eddy can help people on all levels of skating skill, and he works hard to give great value to all who attend the Roadshow. Join us!

Impossible to overstate how great this workshop is

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Blake and I could talk for hours about how great Eddy's workshops are, but the only way to really know is to experience one for yourself. There is a ton of information packed into the weekend - so much that it's a bit like drinking from the firehose... But Eddy is a great instructor and he explains all the concepts in a way that you can understand. You'll learn a lot, and have an absolute blast doing it.

Blake's absolutely right that you don't need to be a speedskater to attend. ANYONE can benefit from this workshop, and I'm living proof. I had never been exposed to, or even considered speedskating prior to taking Eddy's workshop for the first time. (After that, I was hooked - and that's another story entirely.) I need to make a before & after video comparing my skating at the 2002 workshop (my first one) and the 2003 workshop.

At this point, I've taken Eddy's workshop probably 6 or 7 times. (Every time he's come to Greensboro, plus one time in Athens.) I know the drills. I could practice them on my own. But I keep going back because it's such a fun weekend. You also can't beat the personal attention you'll get, and I always learn something new.

Try it. You'll like it!

- SM -

Eddy Matzger Roadshow Prices and Rebate Offer

In reply to Eddy Matzger Roadshow 2010 Greensboro, NC Inline Skating Rollerblading Speedskating Workshop:

Yo me skateys. See how Skatey-Mark got my text above and posted it before I did? Great going S-M! Thanks for posting the event immediately.

I had a query offline about whether the cost was $300 or $260, so I double-checked with Eddy and yes it's $260 for the Greensboro NC Roadshow inline skating workshop.

Also, families of 3 or more and clubs/teams with 5 or more get a 10% REFUND at the roadshow (if 5 or more actually attend and pay from the same club/team, and I imagine that's aside from any host types).

In any case, if you enter ROADSKATER.NET as your team (and have been or are going to be skating with us this year) we should have enough to get you the 10% rebate.

Mention any other teams you are on too of course (ones you're on, actually, not ones you hope to be, like the USA Olympic team, the Radio Shack Tour de France team or such lot).

That's the scoop so now go to skatefarm.com and make us unliars by upgesigning for the greatest roadshow on skates.

By the way, you don't have to be a speedskater to get tons out of the workshops. Lots of rec inline skaters of various levels regularly enjoy and benefit from the weekend (many would consider me a rec skater who wears speedskates). Eddy will find your level and help you get to the next one and beyond.

It truly is fun for all ages as long as you love skating and want to be part of a great weekend of focusing on that. You can take breaks if you need to, but most people really stay engaged in the drills and ask for more demonstrations by Eddy when they're tired! It's inspiring just to see how Eddy and some of the participants have really mastered the art and skill of inline skating.

The three local events I always hope to put time into are Eddy's roadshow inline skating workshop, the Tour to Tanglewood MS Ride and Carolina Century ride and roll for MS. Eddy is so busy he can't always get us on the schedule, so this is a great chance to catch a great springtime workshop to start the season. Join us!

Skateylove, Roadskater

SportTracks Questions

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

Hi allez100...

Thanks for the post. I've downloaded SportTracks a time or two and played with it but have never put much real effort into it, I admit. The one time I really tried it I thought maybe it had changed some of the setup info in my Forerunner 305, but maybe that was wrong, as perhaps I made some mistake.

I was interested in the mapping and elevations, also in the NASA DEM elevation corrections, but I never got anywhere with it and quickly gave up. So, if you know without much effort...

1. Do I have to do anything special to get the maps going? Is there a special plugin or should it be automatic.

2. Can you remember the name of the plugin for elevation corrections?

3. Can you recommend any other plugins?

4. I think SportTracks has a feature that can tell you your moving average even if you had the Forerunner 305 in the mode that does not AutoPause. Does that sound right?

5. Anything else you like about SportTracks? Are you using the free version or paid upgrade?

Thanks!
roadskater

Garmin Forerunner 305 and SportTracks

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

Hey All,

I am a long time user of various GPS units, HR monitors, cyclecomputers, etc. Just want everyone who has a Forerunner 305 (which is working fab for me!!!!) to go to the Sport Tracks free download site and use their tracking, mapping, elevations, - everything - software.

http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/

It is so much easier to use than the Garmin Connect - and more accurate too! If you really care about elevation accuracy, there is even a plugin that corrects the Garmin elevation data. It is not a barometric based unit like the Edge series, so elevation is done by triangulation from the satellites so will not be as accurate as the Edge units. For my long road rides I really wanted to know total elevation gained - and through Sports Tracks, I have it.

Any inline speed skaters in my area?

Cheers,
Daniel in Potomac MD

What's that sound?!

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

Wait...what's that noise? Sounds like a can opening and a load of worms spilling out...:-D

Katzebruder...I hereby invite you to flog my dead horse with me! I remember you correcting my explanation of 'carbo loading' in Athens the day before A2A, and I'm thinking you've probably read up on the aforementioned can o' worms. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about calorie burning per activity based on what you may have read along the way. I don't care really about the accuracy, just the theories behind the calculations.

The 305 it is! Right after I

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

The 305 it is! Right after I pay the mortgage...

And I can confirm, sight unseen, an added calorie counter will be garbage. You need something like a Bodybugg to even get close, and even then caloric burn is dependent on when you last ate, and what, stuff like that.

love my 305

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

I have a garmin 305, and I won't say much as there is no way I could cover in the detail that has been stated above but I will say this. My only gripe is when my hands are behind my back it sometimes loses my HR. Everything else is awesome. I love the autolap feature, the average HR and the fact you can customize the screen. You can also have three different activites set up. So if you run, bike and skate, then you just change your activity and you are ready. I believe it will auto change, but I haven't tried that yet. But for me that mostly skates but sometimes runs, its nice for it to play double duty easily. I would highly recommend the 305 to anyone.

THAT's a DEAL

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

What a great price.....unreal, since a year ago they were 200+.

I'm a fan of the "auto-pause" feature, mainly because if I take advantage of a few rest stops (or have to wait on SkateyMark to get his free icecream......just kiddin', he's gracious and waits for me) then that stopped time isn't built into the "work-out" time and mislead me on true exertion time. Mine is set to go on auto-pause if speed gets under .2 mph, and the time display will show 'work-out time' and 'pause time' separately.

eBay Purchases Help Roadskater.net IF

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

Hi to all and thanks for the eBay link. I wanted to remind everyone that...

if you click the eBay ads on Roadskater.net (RSN2.com or RSN1.net classic photos), then do your shopping, it costs you the same, but part of what eBay would keep from the purchase goes to support Roadskater.net's costs (internet access, host hardware, more).

Due to North Carolina law, the Amazon link does not currently assist Roadskater.net, but I have left it there in hopes the law changes soon. This law is NC's attempt to grab taxes on purchases in what many consider interstate commerce. My belief is that this is unconstitutional, but I assume it will have to be decided in the Supreme Court of the United States of America, ultimately. Meanwhile, I have no problem with Amazon regarding this. They simply canceled all North Carolina associates accounts in response to the NC power and money grab. Seems reasonable, as they don't really need Roadskater.net, but they were willing to give pennies here and there when someone came through here to go there. And I mean pennies! But everything helps pay for the huge amounts of data hosted in 31,041 photos (currently).

Forerunner 305 deal on eBay $115.99 today only

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

I don't know if this is a good deal or not, but it showed up in my inbox a few moments ago...

http://deals.ebay.com/5000005546

Here's a direct link to the item:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Garmin-Forerunner-305-Personal-Trainer-GPS-100046700...

- SM -

Forerunner 305 is Still the Best Overall GPS HRM AFAIK

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

CatBrother, most excellent question. Easy answer is Forerunner 305. The various hub or magnet and glue systems are prone to error and increasing error. Skate wheels are much smaller than bicycle wheels, so the circumference is much smaller and much more prone to inaccuracy. Even if you got things right, when your wheels wore significantly, making the circumference smaller, the data would be off. But even if all of this was trivial, the Forerunner 305 has so much to offer it is not even close.

Skatey-Mark and myself are Polar fans from years gone by, but they had a few down years as far as I was concerned, and some of their attitude or design decisions annoyed me (battery changes requiring shipping to Finland in the old days). Then they were left at the dock as far as GPS and we can't understand why. Now they seem to have caught up, but Polar has always been expensive for what you get, and they price things so that the features you really want may mean a $100 difference or more in price.

I'm also a Garmin fan from way back. Even when reviewing handheld GPS units before they even had 12-channel receivers, Garmin had the best software and button interfaces. The 405 looks nice, but really, after a few minutes you'll likely forget the size of the thing except to be glad you can read it under stress, and can modify the displays to show 4 pieces of data on one screen and still see it.

There's way to much to cover, but it does repeat workouts based on speed, heartrate or distance as I recall. I think you mentioned this as a feature you'd like. It also has the compete with yourself little dude that you can race...you can race yourself from the day before or some other stored workout.

One feature I like (and I set it as a default item for running or biking mode so I can switch to it easily) is that it will tell you Sunrise and Sunset times for the very spot where you are (not some nearby town). This is handy when going out for a long Silver Comet Trail skate or lots more.

There are 37 data types you can display on 3 screens of up to 4 data items each. You can have the data screens "rotate" or come up by button press. I leave mine rotating so I know quickly if I accidentally press the stop button. (This is one complaint but I've gotten around it; the other is losing HR data sometimes when holding your hands behind your back.)

The crucial data item for me is Average Heart Rate since you started the workout. This is similar to an anaerobic threshold measure in that it is a number you can learn to watch and if you find yourself above it on a long skate, you may want to back off a bit so you're not in a heap later. Also you can train this number upward over the summer, meaning train to where you can do a higher AHR without requiring stops that bring that number back down. Average Lap Heart Rate is good if you started out with your strap not working for some reason and your data is suspect. You can hit a lap and use that.

Lap data is especially useful if you use the auto lap features. One way is to set it to do a lap every time you come by a particular place. No more counting laps, and you'll average lap speed, hr, time, distance, etc. Another way to do is autolap. For example, one year at A2A I had the 305 do a lap every mile automatically. Thus I had the lap data, including avg and max speed, for each of the 87 or so miles.

We believe, several of us, that the elevation and calorie data are bogus. It'd be nice to have that, but the GPS data is so accurate and the HR data so good that I'm OK without the elevation and calorie data being better. The calorie data can be used as a RELATIVE measure from day to day or even to event, I guess. The elevation data can be corrected using gpsvisualizer.com and other sources that take your Lat and Long position and look up the correct elevation from the Digital Elevation Model data at NASA or other sources.

There's no funny business with data storage like Polar used to do to make you buy upward in the model line. It stores up to 1000 laps, and each workout is separate. You can have several workouts a day. Uploading data is easy on a PC at least, via the USB charging cradle. You'll have your workout log without writing anything, and can add notes if you like, or use alternate software (SportTracks for example), or websites that add weather data, etc.

Some people (not me) use the autopause feature to ignore the time at rest stops or stop lights. This can make you feel better about your speed!

You can set up profiles for one data screen for running, biking and other (but you can't make other say SKATING or make the little ski person a skate person).

You can set high/low alarms for heart rate and speed.

You can set time/distance alerts including a (repeat or not) timer alarm.

Here's a short quotation from their online info:

"Advanced workouts: Set up workouts with specific durations and targets (speed or heart rate)
"Quick workouts: Allows you to input training goals based on time, distance and pace
"Virtual Partner™: Displays a graphic “virtual partner” that will run with the set goal, so you can see at a glance if you are keeping up or falling behind. Works with courses and workout features
"Interval training: Allows you to set up exercise and rest intervals and number of reps

And last, a biggie, it uses the SiRFstarIII™ high-sensitivity GPS receiver and it really is WAY better reception than several handheld receivers I own from previous generations, compared in full summer tree cover at Country Park.

I recently told someone that getting skates is great, but the Forerunner 305 has been more important to my getting out to skate and enjoying it than most pairs of skates I've bought, if not all (but one I guess or I wouldn't be skating at all, ha). With prices below $200, it really is an excellent tool that's very flexible, easy to use without modifying, but easy to modify as well.

What would I like?
* color, and I would not want a smaller screen even if the case had to be as big
* slightly longer life, though I usually get 10 hours if I leave it on the cradle always and until I need it
* free vector maps of the contiguous 48 at least, or a way to get maps for specific regions downloadable free from the web

What else? It's cool to know the time to a nanosecond, always. Set the camera to the same time and you can use software to insert your location into the data in your photos (geolocation, geotagging) and you can make useless thumbnail maps of your photos. This is especially cool, however, for vacation photos, where you might really care where those photos were taken, where you went, all that. And the trackback feature might come in handy now and then, yes.

I hope these responses have let people know that the Forerunner 305 is a venerable GPS HRM workout partner. I think I've had mine two years now, and I'm tempted to buy another (but won't until I need it, unless they say they're not making them any more). There are frustrations now and then (I may write a separate article on one of those, solved by turning the heart strap reception off and back on in the wrist unit's memory, all this after the battery outage at Carolina Century), but I have had very few bad times attributable to my Forerunner 305...which I couldn't say for some of my Polar devices, particularly one of the newer heart straps with the pod and snap on strap (an early version I admit, but that's no excuse).

So I think we agree...go get it! I got mine at Costco online for similar reasons to MikeB's above. Also if a good price shows up at REI, consider getting one there. TomW had a problem with his Forerunner and they just said no worries here's a new one. That's service!

BTW I'd avoid the Timex. It was really a test product in my opinion and enough to convince Garmin to get into the market and do it right. I love Timex 50-lap and 100-lap and other sport watches, especially for that annoying 1-minute countdown repeater, but the strap in those was something funky, worked (sort of) by FM or some such.

Oh yeah there's a 310XT or something like that. It's much more expensive, addresses the calorie issue, perhaps is a bit more submersion worthy, but not in consideration for me because it's bang for buck ratio is insufficient at this point.

FOR MORE on the Forerunner 305, including pdfs of the manual so you can see features, resetting a Forerunner, etc.:
http://roadskater.net/search/node/%22Forerunner+305%22

Also on the Polar RS800:
http://roadskater.net/search/node/%22Polar+RS800%22

The 305/405 will show constant stats

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

The 305/405 will show constant stats, changing as your workout changes. The data is in realtime. Click a button and you can get averages + max figures. It's fun to check your max speed as you approach a good downhill, and see if you can best it.

305 and 405

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

I use Forerunner 305 and really love it. I also have Edge 305 on my bike, which is, essentially, the same device in a different body.

I have, however, heard that 405 is not as good as 305. I cannot confirm that since i do not own 405, but please do your research before you decide which one to buy.

And I agree with skatey-mark that hub-based sensors are not the best.

go with GPS

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

The hub-based sensors are junk... Definitely go with GPS. Many people are using the Garmin 305. If I were to get one today, I'd probably go with the 405. (The 305 just seems way to bulky for my taste.)

I'm currently using a Polar RS800, which has an optional GPS sensor. I do like it, and especially like that the GPS sensor is separate. (So I can place it on my helmet and not worry about obstructing the reception if I put my hands behind my back.)

However, the Polar is a HRM first and a GPS second. The Garmin is a GPS first and an HRM second. What I mean by this is that the Garmin software has many more bells and whistles related to the GPS functionality. The Polar software has languished for years without any significant new features.

Timex also had an HRM-GPS systems a while back, and you might be able to find one cheap on eBay. But, you can probably find the Garmin 305 pretty cheap these days anyway, so I'd go with that if price is an issue.

- SM -

The skate speedometer that I

In reply to Inline Speedometer Recommendations? Replies by Actual Users Discuss and Review Forerunner 305 HRM GPS:

The skate speedometer that I saw online (brand unknown) had a receiver that went in your skate hub, so you knew at all times what your speed is - does the 305 do this?
I'm thinking of doing intervals at a certain speed, checking my device to see if I'm keeping at that speed, then going again when my HR has gone down. If the 305 does all this, I"m down.