Help with Stamina please!

[Loops]

I need your help/advice

I have my first solo competition in 30ish years in 2 weeks.  Last week, my coaches just finished my program (long story, don't want to deal with it).  Last night I had my first run through with music.  I thought my heart was going to explode towards the end of it, and couldn't push.  Not enough energy to even FAKE that all was well.

I've been jogging, and have recently had a breakthrough to being able to run  25-30 minutes, outside over hilly (not not crazy hilly) terrain.  I'm thinking I need to move up to intervals, but everything I'm finding online is like 20s intervals.  I need to go full-bore for 2 minutes without having a heart attack.

These next two weeks are going to be torturous, but I'm game.  Anyone have any tips/suggestions training regimens to share?

I'm not expecting miracles, just would like to at least be able to bow to the judges, and maybe even leave the ice before collapsing.

[LunarSkater]

I was sick for six weeks from October through December and I'm also struggling with this. I have some on-ice suggestions that my coach has me working on. You're already running much longer than I can. 

The first is taking a fast lap around the rink as soon as the music stops. It's tortuous when you already can't breathe or barely skate, but it'll train your body to be active at that level for longer.

Kind of the same thing, but back-to-back program runs. No stopping, just reset the music and go again. I don't know if your rink has limits on the number of times you can play your music, but mine tends to be lenient to those obviously gearing up for competition.

Put on your music and skate laps at speed for the entire time it plays.

Skate your program at least once every session. As my coach told me "everyone should be sick of it" by the end of the season.

[alejeather]

I second the recommendation to skate your program as much as possible, which to me means once or twice every session you skate. Laps after your program is also a great way to keep pushing and help your endurance.

I also want to reassure you that it is totally normal to feel that way at the end of your program when you first run through the fully choreographed program from end to end, and really, the only way past it is straight through.

[Loops]

Thanks guys!  I appreciate the suggestions. Fwiw, I expect to be winded after my program, just not having palpitations.....

When I was a kid, my coach made me do two full laps post program.  I absolutely need to do that (last night, I literally had to sit down, so not an option).

Run throughs with the music are actually a problem.  We are 14 who are competing, and the coach controls the music.  If we get ours played more than once a session, it's a BIG DEAL. Plus we are 18 who are on the ice, most of us silver+, and a few prelim, so there's not much room, and actually doing those laps at full speed is complicated. .  The sessions are too crowded but that's another story for another thread.

So I have to deal with this primarily off ice.  I ran at decent speed (in my house- rain and gale force winds outside) for the duration of my program.  The best way I can see to deal with this, is to take my music on my runs and do intervals.

How do you deal with this off ice? Do you have running programs you follow?  Something else? Has anything worked particularly well?  Like I said, not expecting miracles by competition day, but obviously need to make some changes.....

[Query]

Run throughs with the music are actually a problem.  We are 14 who are competing, and the coach controls the music.  If we get ours played more than once a session, it's a BIG DEAL. Plus we are 18 who are on the ice, most of us silver+, and a few prelim, so there's not much room, and actually doing those laps at full speed is complicated. .  The sessions are too crowded but that's another story for another thread.

Did you join the French skating organization, or are you skating in an ISU competition for the U.S.? Or is it just a rink or coach-wise competition?

Hopefully, your competitors are in the same situation, and have the same issues, unless some of them own private ice.

So you need more ice time... In the U.S., most rinks have uncrowded mid-day sessions (except, maybe, around lunch time). Is it different in France? Or does your work schedule not allow that?

They have a bunch of famous outdoor rinks in France, right? Could you stand using one?

I've known skaters who used synthetic ice rinks to increase their strength and endurance. Yuk! - but they say it works. Wears out the blades, too.

If all else fails, some rinks rent private night-time ice. E.g., the rink I used to work at sometimes had "lock in" parties for the skating club all night long. Expensive - you'd probably need to share the ice, but you can pick who you share ice with, if you do the organizing.

If you can't get enough ice time, it's hard to believe that anything is going to be as good as skating itself to increase your skating endurance. I've taken off-ice skating-specific training classes, but they emphasized strength and flexibility more than endurance. I don't know, but assume the "Ballet for figure skaters" classes do the same thing.

Obviously, since I don't skate at your level, I can't guess what is specific to that type of skating.

But you could always try Ballet, or other performance dance, to augment running. Social dance helps increase general endurance too - people frequently dance most of the night, in a lively manner, and are frequently quite exhausted by the end. It can be fun too.

Or any other exercise that involves deep knee bends and jumps. Trampolines? The big trampolines are surprisingly gentle on your knees and other joints, because you slow down over a distance of a few feet. Sort of fun, too.

For that matter, no fancy equipment or cost required, a lot of competitive runners add high step intervals into their training regimens, but you need a fairly soft surface, if you don't want to mess up your joints.

The only exercise machines I know of dedicated to increasing skating endurance are designed for hockey, so maybe they aren't practical for you. But if pure endurance is what you want, some hockey training centers have them.

Surely there are coaches and other skaters in your area who you could ask what is available there?

Good luck! I hope you do well. Maybe you could share videos of your competition, and we could watch you win.