When a skater begins to dedicate oneself to a chosen sport, the equipment gets expensive. Showing up at speed practice with your recreational skates isn t a no-no, and may be a way to try it out without the financial investment. However, it is very inspiring and one becomes more competent if one has the proper speed gear, but that can come later. Most, if not all speeders use five wheel frames, but I have run across speeders that use a long four-wheel configuration. If you find that running with the speed skaters is where you want to be, speed skates will be a necessary investment.
Time is the enemy.
Getting to be an accomplished speed skater takes a lot of your time. The younger skaters typically have more time than most of the older skaters. For the Pros and Elites, it becomes an encompassing life style. Like so many things in life, you really get out of it what you put in. The workout is the prime objective and the speed follows.