Merci for the food.
Well I have not so much experience in the races. I will try every distance and then I can tell you.
It's not for me too ,I am more in Skiing and teamsports like Icehocky or Icesailing.
Speedskating is a national sport here like longdistance skiing 50km stretches are not seldom here.
In the past we had no TV Computers or Radio and people lived and worked often outdoors for the common man ,Sports was a way to become a hero and more so to escape poverty..
Until 1948 we verry much where a state like that of Louis XIV and XVth ,that is socialy and technological.
We for example never had an "Oil and Gas" Economy ,war brought us hard into contackt with the 20th century and thanks to our absolutism like system we could in verry short time "paste" the land with industry."