What is the most memorable place you’ve skated?
Probably the 111K race in St. Gallen, Switzerland, because the scenery was so beautiful and the crowds were so supportive — you felt almost like you were in the Tour de France! They closed the streets so we had them all to ourselves. Also, it was my second race. Steve [Dawson] felt a little guilty talking me into doing something so ambitious early on. After I skated the first half-hour, I saw him waiting at one of the stations for me. He skated the rest of the race with me.
How do you get motivated for a race?
Sometimes I get very nervous before a race, especially if I haven’t raced for a while. The thing that calms me is looking at the road. I reconnect with what it is that I’m doing, which is skating, and it’s fun and not scary at all. When I do that, I’m not nervous at all.
What is your pre-race meal plan?
In the beginning, I used to do traditional carb-loading meals the night before. Now I don’t eat much the night before; I just don’t sleep well if I have a lot of food in my stomach. So I wake up really early and eat about two hours before I race. I travel with a smoothie maker and make yogurt and green tea smoothies. I’ll also have oatmeal with fruit. It’s not the typical approach; most of my teammates do the old-school carb loading, but sleep is more important than food for me.
On the popularity of skating in the U.S.:
Skating is increasing rapidly in Europe and Asia, but it’s a dying sport in the U.S. I think this might be because when skating first got popular here, people didn’t know how to stop and so they crashed and then turned to other sports.
Tips for new athletes?
Take advantage of free skating lessons at Rock Creek Park. You want to learn proper form and technique from the beginning so you don’t have these self-taught nightmares. Having to relearn something that your body knows on such a fundamental level is hard, so it’s better to just learn it right the first time. It also provides a good road into the skating scene. If you already know how to brake, do the Washington Area Roadskaters Friday night skate. It’s the same loop every week through the monuments, and traffic is usually pretty light.
– Elinor Flynn
