Get an Olympic Workout
By Courtney Dunlop
Photo Credit: Digital Vision/Veer
TRY IT: SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING
THE EXPERT: Katherine Reutter, 21
Short track speed skating is pretty badass — skaters sprint around an oval track at up to 30-plus miles per hour, jockeying for position and hoping no one causes a dangerous collision. "When your technique is spot-on and you're going top speed, you feel absolutely out of control," says Reutter. "You can't think about a track pattern or who's behind you; all you can think about is how you're going to stay on your feet. It's exhilarating."
WOW FACTOR: Reutter is a three-time U.S. Champion.
WANNA TRY IT? If you crave speed and are comfortable on Rollerblades, speed skating isn't a huge leap. Go to usspeedskating.org to download technique instructions.
PRO MOVES: Get your own legs of steel with one-legged squats: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then do a chair squat while extending one leg sideways to tap your toe on the ground. Bring the leg back in and return to standing. Do 10 to 15 slow reps on one side, then five as fast as you can. Switch sides and repeat.
RUN FOR IT: Reutter's dry-land endurance routine mimics on-ice relays: 15-second sprint, 45-second jog; repeat for 30 minutes total.
GET ROLLING Every Sunday, Reutter lies on a foam cylinder and rolls out her glutes, hips, back, and IT bands (which run down the outer thighs) to unknot muscles and make her motions more fluid.
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