The Week That Was 02/10 – 02/16
Jessica Smith, center, shown in 2006, excelled at inline skating, which is not an Olympic sport. She switched to blades and now is competing in Sochi. Lee Jin-man/Associated Press
From the New York Times – To Go Further, Speedskaters Had to Let Go of Their Wheels
Rollerblading is back.
Well, at least among American Olympic speedskaters.
Of the 25 long- and short-track American competitors, 14 started out as inline skaters. They are split between long and short track, according to U.S. Speedskating.
KC Boutiette NSC Interview
NSC Race Analyst Thomas Ford interviewed four time Olympian KC Boutiette and inline to ice pioneer. Boutiette had just raced a NSC event for the first time only a couple weeks after he raced in the Long Track Olympic Trials.
The Engineering Sport blog has a piece on the culture, courage, and innovation that drives Dutch success in speedskating.
VeloNews.com – Debunking The Myth of Lactic Acid
We all remember the gym coach who roared about how you weren’t working until you felt that lactic acid burn. The phrase “lactic acid” is part of our sports lingo. How many times have we heard “gotta clear the lactic acid”? Well, it turns out that the coach was slightly misinformed. More and more, I have endurance athletes asking me the truth about lactic acid: 1) Are lactic acid and lactate different and which one do we have in our bodies? 2) Does lactate have a purpose?
There is considerable power behind the lactic acid myths, but the reality is that they are just that — myths. Let’s dispel them now.