Double push and paceline separate amateurs from real speedskaters. Learn the technique for maximum propulsion, plus the 8-week plan for your marathon.
Why does your speed cap out no matter how hard you train, once your classic stride hits its limit? The honest answer: you're only using half the propulsion your legs could actually deliver. The double push changes that — it pulls a second drive impulse out of every stride, one most recreational skaters leave on the table entirely.
Two things separate amateurs from real speedskaters: the double push and tactical riding in a paceline (drafting formation). This guide covers both, plus the training framework that keeps you from cracking over a 42 kilometer marathon distance. This isn't a weekend project — it's structured work over several weeks. But it's exactly the work that turns a good skater into a fast one.
At the pro level, your gear defines your speed ceiling. - Low-cut speed skates: Usually stiff carbon fiber — only this construction gives your ankle the range of motion the double push demands. - Marathon wheels (110-125 mm): Bigger than typical recreational wheels (usually 80-90 mm) — meaning higher top speed and less vibration at speed. - Heart rate monitor / GPS watch: So your 8-week plan actually hits the right zones instead of you guessing by feel.
The classic stride is push, glide, recovery. The double push adds a second impulse in between: thanks to the ankle freedom of a low-cut boot, you don't set your foot down centrally after recovery — you first press it down over the outer edge underneath your own center of mass (first push). Only then do you switch to the inner edge for the classic, wide outward push-off (second push). That gives you a flowing S-curve instead of a straight line — and more continuous propulsion from every single stride.
At around 30 km/h — roughly the pace of a relaxed bike commute — air resistance becomes your biggest enemy. In a paceline you ride tight behind the skater ahead of you. The trick: your stride frequency and double push have to match theirs exactly, or your wheels touch. Done right, a paceline saves up to 30% of your energy — reserves you'll need for a breakaway attempt or the final sprint.
For 42 km, you need a structured build, not aimless mileage. - Weeks 1-3 (base build): Build distance and technique in heart rate zone 2 (60-80% max effort) — a pace where you can still just about hold a conversation. - Week 4 (recovery/test): Reduced volume, ending in a 60-minute performance test. - Weeks 5-7 (peak build): The hardest phase, with long endurance rides and intervals: 5 min warm-up, 5x 2-minute full-gas efforts (90-95%), 3 minutes active recovery each, 5-10 minute cool-down. - Week 8 (tapering): Minimal volume, focus on gear checks and getting your head clear.
A paceline on 125 mm wheels at over 40 km/h — faster than city bike traffic — carries real risk: a mistake from the skater ahead brings the whole group down. Maximum focus and exact stride synchronization are mandatory to avoid wheel contact. Aerodynamics or not, the helmet always stays on, even during pure technique drills.
Use the four Rs of recovery: refuel, rebuild, rehydrate, restore. For race day itself, carbo-loading matters most: in the 24-48 hours before, deliberately eat 5-7 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight — for 70 kg, that's 350-490 grams — to top up your glycogen stores for the 42 km ahead.
A normal stride uses just one sideways push-off. The double push adds a second impulse before it: a brief press underneath the body over the outer edge, before the actual push-off follows over the inner edge. That effectively doubles propulsion per stride.
Only to a limited degree. High-cut fitness skates block the ankle freedom the first push needs. For serious training, you need low-cut speed skates.
At over 40 km/h in a tight formation, a fall by the skater ahead almost always takes the whole group down. The risk is real — which is why exact synchronization and full focus are mandatory the entire ride, not a place to zone out.
5-7 grams per kilogram of body weight in the final 24-48 hours before the race. At 70 kg, that's 350-490 grams, spread across several meals rather than one giant pasta dinner the night before.
Around 30 km/h, air resistance becomes a real drag on you. Below that, drafting barely helps — the up-to-30% energy savings only show up once you're moving fast.
Elite Freestyle Slalom: Wheeling & Sitting Tricks