The gravity of an 'Elfstedentocht' depends of course largely on the condition of the ice, and on how much 'kluning' (walking) has to be done. The weather, however, is more important as to how much pain those 200 kms. will cost you!
For instance, during the tours of 1985 and 1986, it was not
extremely cold, ther was not much wind, and there was little or no rain, hail or snow.
Because of this, most participants reached Leeuwarden in time.
In 1963, on the contrary, the ice was in bad condition, and snow storms made the track
sometimes nearly invisible. Only 69 out of 9294 participants completed the tour...
Every participant skates under his own responsibility. To be well prepared, you have to
have completed at least a few other tours.
At the subscription, all the participants receive advice
concerning clothing and food during the tour. Of course, the material should be in perfect
condition. At every control post in the cities, as well as at some other places, First Aid
posts are located. A great number of volunteers is working on the health of the
participants.
What to wear?
First, wear cotton underwear, followed by a woolen
undershirt. Then wear a bodystocking or tights. Wear a skating suit or coverall, followed
by a thick sweater or jacket. Skaters should wear a small plastic bag between their tights
and socks.
Wrap a thin piece of foam around your knees, between the tights and the pants of the
skating suit. It keeps the knees warm, is nice when crawling underneath bridges, and it
will protect you in case of falls. Between tights and pants skaters may choose to wear a
pair of swimming trunks with a thin piece of leather sewn inside, to help protect the more
sensitive parts of the body. Skaters should not wear nylon/synthetic clothing to the tour.
Skaters will need two wool caps, one of which should be pulled down all the way over the
ears. A pair of snow-goggles can help keep it in place. Snow goggles help protect the
eyes, especially in the early morning hours. Tearing eyes can freeze, causing
snow-blindness. Participants in the tour should keep their hands warm wearing gloves,
covered with a pair of mittens. Hint: sew a couple of large pockets inside the jacket to
carry the covers for the gliders of the skates. Wear the registration card on a cord
around your neck, cutting out gaps in the plastic cover where the check-up marks will be
placed.
Schedule
Tour riders do best to ride by themselves. They might find someone along the way who holds the same speed as they do. Especially in the darkness skaters should be cautious starting off. Both hands held loosely on the back, so should the skater fall he has time to catch himself. Once past Sneek riders should be settled in a rhytm. Leisure skaters do well not to worry about the time. According to the experts they should not be tempted to follow people skating faster. It's best to keep your own speed. There is the least waste of energy when riding at about 70% of your power. If the skater wants to make the finish in time, he or she should be past Bolsward between noon and 1 pm. Making that can raise confidence in the skaters. They know they are on schedule to finish the course well within the time limit. But the toughest part of the tour starts at Franeker.
Food!
Eat plenty the day before the tour. On the morning of the tour itself eat some porridge with lots of sugar and warm milk or tea. A frequently asked question of Elevencities tour riders is what to take along. No sandwiches, no cheese, sausages, chocolate. Good things to take are raisins, dextrose tablets (mono-saccharide sugar tablets), and warm milk with sugar. The skaters can safely take pieces of oranges offered along the way. Competative skaters do best to take along one or two bottles of hycal (high-sugar, high-energy drink).
