U.S. Long Track Olympic Team Set For Vancouver

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Can you believe that the Winter Olympic Games are only 43 days away?! I am so excited to see the games this year as I have a vested interest! I have friends that have literally gone through blood, sweat and tears to make this dream a reality and experiencing the Olympics this February will have special meaning.

As I mentioned a couple days ago, the second half of Olympic Trials were taking place in Salt Lake City, UT.  The final team spots were fought for with great fervor.  All the years of training and sacrifice came down to a single moment in time of make or break and skaters left it all out there.

This photo was taken by Jerry Search in which he called this "witnessing 110%"

Rebekah Bradford had one shot left to make her dream come true. During her 1000m race, she fell coming up to the finish line. One thing about this sport of speedskating, it can bring you down to the lowest of lows and then just as quickly to the highest of highs. The Low: you try to come to grips with "ok, this is it. My shot for this year is done." You cry for the loss of all the months of training and sacrifice and the pain you put your body through for just this moment. You cry because you feel like you let your family and friends down, which of course is not the case, but as an athlete you feel that way when you don't perform up to your own expectations.  The High: you are extended a reskate. You try to come to grips with "ok, this is it. My last shot for this year." You wipe your tears and refocus with an intensity that you yourself didn't know you had. "Bekah" skated and earned her spot on the Olympic Team with a 1.16.36 (which is FAST), breaking her own personal record by .3 seconds. The opposite happened to Kelly Gunther, who skated a 1.17.12, which before Rebekah's reskate, had her as an Olympian.  The High: I made the team! The Low: watching your spot pass you by for your teammate.

So many of these high's and low's took place at the oval that it gives everyone cause to deal with the conflicting feelings of elation and heartbreak.

Vancouver will welcome the following US Long Track Olympic Team members:

Shani Davis 500, 1000, 1500, 5000, 10,000
Chad Hedrick 1000, 1500, 5000, Team Pursuit
Trevor Marsicano 1000, 1500, 5000, Team Pursuit
Nick Pearson 500, 1000
Brian Hansen 1500, Team Pursuit
Tucker Fredricks 500
Mitchell Whitmore 500
Ryan Bedford 10,000
Jonathan Kuck Team Pursuit


Jilleanne Rookard 1500, 3000, 5000, Team Pursuit
Jen Rodriguez 500, 1000, 1500, Team Pursuit
Heather Richardson 500, 1000, 1500
Elli Ochowicz 500, 1000
Catherine Raney Norman 3000, Team Pursuit
Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr. 3000, Team Pursuit
Lauren Cholewinski 500
Rebekah Bradford 1000
Maria Lamb 5000

I have had the honor of meeting many of these skaters, some from short track meets a long time ago and some from the World Cup meet in October. The USA will be well represented in Vancouver, that's for sure!
 
I have been helping with a blog for my friend Trevor Marsicano. If you have a chance, check it out sometime to see what he is up to on his journey to the Olympic Games.
 
If you are on Facebook, then become a fan of US Speedskating to get the latest updates and stories of your USA athletes! US Speedskating is also on Twitter! Follow them @usspeedskating .
 
Congratulations to everyone!

Ice Princess

Today, I was officially dissed. My daughter is at the age where it is so very uncool to even be seen with her mother that I believe she was ready to hyperventilate when I announced that I would hang around while she and her friends organized a skating night out. "Mom, you CANNOT stay...can't you drop me off and go to Borders or something?" Ahhh, boys must be going, a detail she conveniently left out for Mom & Dad.

Well, after whispering how awful her mother is and that she CAN'T BELIEVE I actually took out my laptop and started working (yes, honey, I could hear you), my coolness factor rose 5-fold. Well, 5 Ugg boots high....I am now the official boot watcher so they don't get lifted- I think I must look trustworthy, because someone not in this group left her boots within my eyesight as well. In an instant I was the most popular mom (never mind the only mom) at the table because I could watch their stuff and they could relax and enjoy fun on the ice- uhm...flirting with the boys. See honey? Mom IS cool!

The skating rink is a popular destination this evening; it always seems to be during the holiday break. I never realized how popular it was with the local teenage demographic until now. I used to come here during the afternoon session when the kids were younger and it only housed tiny tots making their way around the ice sheet holding on for dear life to an upside down bucket.

Kids still wobble on loose rental skates as they file into the cold rink. I can feel the draft from here and my feet are getting cold.

Hmmm....I wonder if any of these boots next to me are my size.....

Long Track Olympic Trials

This weekend, speedskaters are pouring their hearts and souls into last ditch efforts to make the Olympic Team and to represent the USA in Vancouver come February.

I know I said I was taking a few days off from blogging, but I just got news via Twitter and phone call that my friend and fellow speedskater, Trevor Marsicano has just added another distance to his Olympic skating card! Just a few moments ago, he won his 5000m distance, earning him a spot on the team! I just had to share this great, great news! I am so proud of him.

I will be back in the next day or two and will be sure to let you know how Trevor and the rest of your USA team did this weekend in Salt Lake City!

T'was the Night Before Christmas...

And I can't wait! I can't wait for the pre-dawn scuttle (that still happens, even with teenagers), to have the coffee self-brew on automatic timer and to fill the kitchen with the smell of cinnamon rolls. This is my favorite time of year!

I will be taking a short break from posting to the blog to enjoy some family time. I will be back in a few days.

In the meantime, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and here's to a Healthy and Happy New Year!

US Long Track National Championships/Olympic Trials

Do you have Olympic fever yet?

Well, get ready! It is almost here! Only 51 days to go until athletes from around the world come together to compete in Vancouver at the Olympic Games.

After a grueling travel schedule for the World Cup circuit, US Long Track speedskaters are back in Salt Lake City, UT and will have one more shot at earning their place on the 2010 Olympic Team. Over 70 skaters will be competing for the final open spots. You can be sure that athletes will be focused and will provide all-out efforts in chasing their dream.

US Long Track National Championships are being held December 26-29 at the Utah Olympic Oval. Be sure to catch the latest updates on US Speedskating or follow on Twitter @usspeedskating. Another great site for results is http://www.speedskatingresults.com/ .

Skaters have started their trek to Utah and will be training through the Christmas holiday. I have a feeling that many of the athletes have the same Christmas wish this year: Let me be the fastest across the line.

Snoop Dog-house Christmas

As I was shopping for my 2 year old nephew, I came across this item in a catalog. I couldn't believe my eyes! In a matter of seconds, I was remembering one of my favorite gifts found under the Christmas tree.

I don't remember why I wanted a Snoopy snowcone maker, but I know it was way better than the Easy Bake Oven. The EBO was time consuming and the end result was barely two bites of a teeny tiny cake! Snoopy hooked me up with a few cranks of crushing ice cubes and some syrup and I could make as many as I wanted.

I never really was one to snoop for Christmas presents. I always waited for early Christmas morning to do that. I would sneak down before anyone else was awake and check under the tree to see if Santa was indeed there. Under the tree I would find wrapped boxes with my name and my brother's name. Sometimes, Santa would leave some toys unwrapped, ready to play. I can remember one year, my brother got this really cool ship with a helicopter that you controlled with levers. By moving the right and left, up or down, you could make the copter take off, fly in a circle (it was attached with a wire), hover or go backwards. I zipped it around the ship once or twice, landed it, clapped my hands together under my chin, and with a big smile tip-toed back to bed, happy to know that my brother and I once again landed on the "Nice" list.

This Christmas, I believe our son is afraid that he is in the doghouse. Two days ago, I would have agreed with him. He had been asking for a few weeks to have a friend sleep over, so we finally caved and said sure. His buddy is a good kid and we enjoy having him over. My husband and I were watching a movie and when it was over,  I cleaned up while my husband was getting ready to go to bed. He went upstairs and caught them red-handed searching for presents. Well, I believe our son was snooping while his friend was the look-out. Our son said "Well, I saw this big green box under your bed with my name on it and I wanted to see what it was." Now mind you, our bedroom door was closed and the box was well under our bed, far from sight unless you were to get on your hands and knees and pull it out to see the name on the small tag! My husband got nose to nose with our son and said "I think it is now time that you go to bed!"

The next morning, my husband and I had a good chuckle over coffee as he told me of the covert operation gone awry.  When the boys emerged for breakfast, I let them squirm a little bit. I asked what time they went to bed (12:00 was the answer).  They ate and went to play video games. When our friend came to pick up his son, he asked, "So, were you guys good last night?" Both chimed at the same time "oh, yeah! We were great! We even went to bed early, and got a good night sleep and ate a good breakfast!" After his friend said thank you and goodbye, my son had the look of "whew!" mom doesn't know....

"Ah, Pal" I said, "I want to ask you a question". GULP.

I don't know about you, but it seems for us, it's getting harder to keep the surprise for Christmas morning! I guess Santa will let our son out of the doghouse (as he was a good kid all year) and I hope he finds magic under the tree with a gift that will be remembered as a favorite!

I Love Those J-I-N-G-L-E, Bells...

This photo is from the blog "Simply Marvelous" a beautiful blog on horses.

I have two favorite versions of the "Jingle Bells" song; one sung by Frank Sinatra and the other by Harry Connick Jr. Every time I hear them, it puts a little hop to my step and I can't help but sing along.

One of my favorite holiday trivia questions is this :

What is the name of the horse pulling the sleigh in the song "Jingle Bells" ?

I'll wait while you sing the song in your head....

We had friends stop over last night and over a glass of wine, we discussed the holiday and if we were "all done". I was so surprised that I found myself saying "yes"! I cannot remember the last time I felt "ready". It seems I am always cramming to get last minute things done like baking cookies, mailing packages or cards. This year, my cards have been mailed, packages have gone out and I have only a few recipes left to bake. It is leaving me feeling as if I am forgetting something!

Friends and family joked because last year, we did not send a Christmas card, but a Happy New Year card. From our discussion last night, I now realize why. There were other priorities.

This time last year we were without power due to a massive ice storm. I'm not talking a few hours without power, I'm talking days. My husband was in Chicago. He was trying to beat the storm home (which he did) and come to my rescue as I had a very long day bailing out our sump pump and snaking extension cords to neighbors' outlets to help me save our month old finished basement. Can one feel thankful and also feel like they are getting kicked in the pants at the same time? Well, I guess that's how I would describe it, because thankfully, the other half of our neighborhood DID have power, so I was able to plug in to get the sump pump working. The kick came when at night, I could look out my window and see every light, every Christmas light display and even heat escaping from chimneys, as some neighbors were blissfully unaware that Siberia was out their back door.

Generators were at a premium on day 2. We were able to get one and keep the sump pump and our refrigerator working. I never realized how dependent we are on electricity! More luck for us: we replaced our electric stove for a gas version, so at least I could cook! By day 3, winter camping in our house was beginning to get old and we decided that if the power did not come on the next day, we would go where it was available. While sharing pizza with our friends, we noticed that Christmas lights were blazing on our side of the neighborhood. We asked in disbelief, "Now why would you waste generator power on lights?!!" Then we saw lights up and down the street. "We have POWER!!, Ok, love ya and thanks for the pizza, but we are going home!" I never knew turning on ALL the lights in one's house could bring such joy! I guess I was listening to the radio when the power went out, because as we walked in, I could hear Frank singing "Jingle Bells".

Did you figure it out?

I know, it's a trick question. The song doesn't say- but most people think it's Bobtail. The lyrics are actually:

"Bells on bob tails ring, making spirits bright..."

It was fun to sing it though, wasn't it?

Yup, my spirits are bright this year and so are the lights on my tree.

Anticipation is Keeping Me Waiting

My fingers are still crossed!

Many of you have asked if I have heard anything from the Microsoft Office Blogging Contest. Not yet.  We have all been patiently waiting and should find out within the next couple of days. However, the wait will still continue as the official announcement will be made January 7th at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And you can bet that if I am lucky enough to make the cut, what happens in Vegas (on Jan. 7) will most definitely NOT stay in Vegas!

Thank you for all your support through this journey; It has meant so much. I am still extremely hopeful that I will be able to go to Vancouver and share the Olympic story with you!

**Update ** Winners will be announced to the public on January 14th. Wish me luck!

Really?! Part 4

I may get a lot of flack for this post, but it is not a reflection on anyone as a person or a dig at one's holiday spirit, it is just my opinion.

In my travels to and fro around town to do holiday errands, I have started to see a lot of autos with this "car costume". I never knew there was such a term until I Googled it just a few moments ago. I have seen wreaths on front grills in the past and have said "okay..." but this latest trend is making me instantly turn into Scrooge like Jekyll turns into Hyde.

I am a big fan of Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer and I love to snuggle down and watch him profess "She thinks I'm cuuuuuute!!!" as he leaps into the air upon learning Clarice's affection for him. But to decorate your car?? Many reviews say "it's cute".

Uhm. No. It isn't. It looks ridiculous.

But if you strongly feel like channeling your inner Rudolph, you can purchase your own at Taylor Gifts. And as I pass you on the road, I will not be saying "Oh, how cute is that?!"

Bah! Humbug!

Cold as Ice

Lately, I feel as though this is what the skating rink is crooning to me:


"You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love

You never take advice
Someday you'll pay the price, I know

I've seen it before, it happens all the time
(Oooh-oooh) You're closing the door, you leave the world behind
You're digging for gold, you're throwing away
(Aaah-aaah) A fortune in feelings, but someday you'll pay

You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love

You want paradise
But someday you'll pay the price, I know

I've seen it before, (oooh-oooh) it happens all the time
(Oooh-oooh) You're closing the door, you leave the world behind
You're digging for gold, (aaah-aaah) you're throwing away
(Aaah-aaah) A fortune in feelings, but someday you'll pay

(Cold as ice) You know that you are
(Cold-cold, As-as ice) As cold as ice to me
(Cold-cold-cold, As-as-as ice)"- Foreigner

I have been slacking so bad in showing up for skating practice that it is beyond not being funny. I had grand plans for this season to get back to Nationals after a two year absence. I worked my tail off in dryland sessions and rode my bike endless miles to prepare for what I figured to be my last competitive season for a while.
 
As much as I would love for my family to share my passion for speedskating, they don't. My kids have their own interests; baseball, cheering, dancing, intrument playing and tae-kwon-do that it keeps them busy doing things they enjoy, as it most certainly should be. Most of these activities happen at the same time that my evening practices are scheduled and I have been left with making choices. As you may have guessed, I have been choosing to support my kids in their endeavors and letting my skating take the back seat.
 
Since skating is something that I absolutely love to do, I still get my fix. I am lucky in the fact that there is morning ice available for me to skate. The only problem with this is that I do not have pads up to protect from falls-(hitting hockey boards at high speeds only leads to broken bones) and keeps my practices limited to slow, steady laps and technical work. It's also, well,  kind of lonely. There are mornings where I am the only one on the ice.
 
I miss my team. I miss the conversation while lacing up the skates, I miss the joking around in between sets, I actually miss my coach telling me for the umpteenth time to "PICK UP YOUR FOOT" in my crossover. I miss racing! I miss it all.
 
 
 

 
 








Maybe training to get to Nationals this year was not the brightest idea. Being an Olympic year, the event schedule is all out of whack to accomodate trials and qualifying competitions which makes meets I would normally compete in either non-existent or earlier/later in the season. I may have to compete in more long track this season, which is not a bad thing, just different.
 
So, dear ice, I will not close the door and leave our love behind, but will leave it ajar and hope you will welcome me back with open arms when the time is right.

Long Track World Cup 5/ Jr. Short Track Championships

This weekend is a busy one for speedskating! Get ready to see some REALLY fast skating.

In Long Track:

ISU World Cup 5 is being held in Salt Lake City, UT and will be covered by Versus. Scheduled times are Saturday and Sunday from 11pm-1am (EST) and repeated from 1am-3am (EST). Check your local listings. Big thanks go out to Versus for covering another speedskating event!

Be prepared for lighting fast skating; yesterday, records were being broken all over the place!

In the Ladies 500m race, Jenny Wolf (GER) skated 37.00! She set a World Record (WR), National Record (NR), Track Record (TR), Personal Record (PR) AND Season Best (SB)! Whew! Wang Beixing (CHN) skated 37.14 setting her own (NR), (PR) & (SB). Lee Sang-Hwa (KOR) was only hairs behind with 37.24 also setting a (NR), (PR) & (SB).

USA claimed a new National Record with Elli Ochowicz skating a 37.74 also giving Ochowicz a (PR) and (SB). Heather Richardson (USA) skated 37.95 setting a new (PR) and (SB)!

The 3000m race was also held yesterday and these ladies were flying as well! Top three (USA) skaters:
(14) Jilleanne Rookard 4.05.05, (15) Catherine Raney Norman 4.05.26 and (18)  Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr. 4.06.25!

In the Men's 1500m race, the track was smoking as well! Shani Davis (USA) keeps getting faster! He skated a 1.41.04, setting a new World Record (WR), National Record (NR), Track Record (TR), Personal Record (PR) and Season Best (SB)! Chad Hedrick (USA) was second with a 1.42.19! Third went to Mo Tae-Bum (KOR) who skated a 1.42.85 setting his own (NR), (PR) and (SB)! Trevor Marsicano (USA) skated his own (SB) or 1.43.88.

The 500m also proved to be fast with Lee Kyou-Hyuk (KOR) skating a 34.26 setting a (PR) and (SB). Yuya Oikawa (JPN) set a (NR) with a 34.27 as well as a (PR) and (SB). Another National Record was set for Mika Poutala (FIN) coming in with 34.31 also giving him a (PR) and (SB).  Tucker Fredricks (USA) skated a (SB) with 34.43 and Shani Davis (USA) was close behind with 34.85, another (SB)!

If you miss the times while watching racing on your local Versus channel, you can check out all racing results on SpeedskatingResults.com.

In Short Track:

Junior Short Track Championships are being held this weekend in Green Bay, WI.

1000m Time Trials were held yesterday and everyone is off to a great start!

Ladies:
1. Mary Grace, 2. Petra Acker, 3. Sarah Chen, 4. Morgan Izykowski, 5. Rachel Skrocki, 6. Katherine Ralston, 7. Rachel Stewart, 8. Andrea Dehnke, 9. Kendal Pumphrey, 10. Alaina Fiorenza, 11. Sarah Burg, 12. Katie Welsh, 13. Jerebelle Yutangco, 14. Sally Chea, 15. Jacqueline Chen, 16. Kristen Santos

Men:
1. Robert Lawrence, 2. Cole Krueger, 3. John-Henry Krueger, 4. Julian Wood, 5. Gilbert Claude , 6. Jonathan Sermeno, 7. Daniel Fiorenza, 8. Michael Burdekin, 9. Brett Perry, 10. Adam Callister, 11. Andrew Astalos, 12. Christian No, 13. Matthew Ferguson, 14. Ian Quinn, 15. James Rodwowsky, 16. Landon Hatfield.


To see updated results be sure to check out UpToSpeed on the official US Speedskating website!

I wish everyone the best of luck!

The 3 C's of a Snowday

When the weatherman has a winter storm forecasted to hit your area, every school-age kid secretly wishes for the same thing: A Snowday!

Today's youth has their own version of making that happen. They sleep with spoons (I don't get that one either), wear their pajamas inside out & backwards and may even sleep in the opposite direction in bed. When I was younger, the best we could do was cross our fingers and just hope for the best. We would wake up and hang on every word the RADIO announcer would say. Yes, they would read each and every school delay and closure. If your school name started at the beginning of the alphabet, you were in luck because you learned before most that you could sleep just a little bit longer. Disc jockeys in modern times rejoice that school closings are now announced via the local news channels. Most parents stare bleary-eyed at the TV trying to see the small print at the bottom of the screen wondering if school will be delayed or closed. If delayed, we moan and if closed we smile, remembering that special feeling of getting a "pass" for the day from Mother Nature.

I prepared for today just in case. I have all my baking supplies, craft supplies and as I mentioned yesterday, my holiday cards.

When the kids awake from there cozy slumber, I anticipate hearing giggles and a few "Woo-Hoo's" before requests for pancakes and hot chocolate are made. After playing in the snow, we'll trim our tree and dive into our 3 C's for the day-

• 
  
  Cookies
  
  
  
• 
  
  Crafts
  
  
  
• 
  
  Cards
  
  
  

Thanks Mother Nature for giving us a magical day!

My Chai Tea is Better Than Sliced Bread

I have been fighting whatever bug has taken over my household this past week. It has struck each one of us differently and has now won it's battle with me. I have not had a sore throat like this since I was a kid. It actually made me break down and cry this morning- or maybe that was because I had to drive my daughter to school because she missed the bus. Nah. It was the sore throat and headache and stuffed nose and...

I have been eating Halls drops like they were lemon drops and they have provided some relief...but not much.

I have learned that when I feel like crap, my patience increases like 100-fold. Maybe I am such a zombie that I don't realize that time is ticking by. I just spent an hour in Office Max printing out our holiday cards. They were so busy that all the attendants looked like chickens running around racing from one person to the next "Can I help you? Can I help you?? Can I help you???" The guy that was helping me actually waited on two other people before going back to my order. Under normal conditions, I would probably be as patient, but I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so they would most definitely know that I was annoyed. But not today. Even the "I call the shots" guy was asking if everything was okay and if I wanted to sit down because I was standing there for so long. I said I was fine- not even realizing that I had been verticle for so long because I was locked in that frozen stare that you just can't blink out of until someone or something crosses your line of vision and snaps you out of it. The lyrics to "My Guy" were waltzing through my head...

"Nothing you can say,
Can take me away,
From my guy.

Nothing you could do,
'cause I'm stuck like glue,
To my guy.

I'm sticking to my guy,
Like a stamp to a letter,

Like birds of a feather,
We, stick together,

I can tell you from the start,
I can't be torn apart from my guy."

Yeah, I'm stickin' to him like glue because he still has my flash drive plugged in.

I finally broke free of that madness and went to Target into another whole level of Christmas rush.  I hate when someone hits the back of my heel with their shopping cart because they are not paying attention, I am always amazed that I am the one that gets the dirty look! Hellllllooooooo......you ran into me.

I stocked up on more Halls and found exactly what I wanted...Chai Tea. Yum. I already made a scalding hot cup and that did numb it for about the same amount of time as the Halls drops, but it tasted a lot better.

Any suggestions for speeding this healing process are much appreciated as I may have a snowday tomorrow and will have to entertain the troops.

Good Day Sunshine

My morning run yesterday was gorgeous. I started just before the orange-pink sun made its way over the horizon. There is something extremely peaceful the dawn after a snowfall. All  is covered in fluffy white, creating a softness to everything and as the sun peaks, it makes the snow shine that special sparkle. The road traveled was icy and made my pace slow and deliberate.

Probably not the best time to take a picture. I just held it in front and snapped, making it a little blurry. Better blurry than falling!

What a great way to start a day!

Long Track American Cup II, Day 2

Long Track American Cup II continues Sunday, December 6, in Roseville, MN. Be sure to check out some great skating via live feed today from 9am-2pm (CST). Click here.

To see the latest results, go to http://www.speedskatingresults.com/ and click on American Cup II Roseville (USA). This will give you all the latest updates on how your favorite skaters are doing! A quick shout out to Matt Rittenhouse for skating a 4.52.35 in his 3000m yesterday earning him a 14th place position and Season Best (SB) and Personal Record (PR)! Another goes to Andrew Hodor for skating a 4.34.44 in his 3000m and placing in the top 10 (6th place)! Mary Kate Hodor is also skating well with a 28th place finish in her 1500m and 29th place in her 500m.

World Cup 4 is also taking place this weekend in Calgary, Canada. The USA team is skating well! Trevor Marsicano earned a 7th place finish in his 1500m with a Season Best (SB) time of 1.43.92. In the same distance, Chad Hedrick earned a Gold Medal with a Season Best (SB) and Personal Record (PR) of 1.42.14. Shani Davis was a close second earning the Silver Medal with a Season Best (SB) of 1.42.19. Denny Morrison (Canada) earned the Bronze Medal with a Season Best (SB) of 1.42.74.

Results for the World Cup in Calgary can also be found on http://www.speedskatingresults.com/ .

Good luck to all the skaters competing this weekend!

Long Track Speedskating American Cup II, Roseville, MN

No, this is not Roseville, MN.  This is the FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON hitting my deck! It always takes that first sight of the fluffy white stuff to get me into the holiday spirit. As the light fades into evening, the twinkling of lights outlining houseframes and bushes will shine through the neighborhood as they have for the last few nights. However, tonight there will be a special "magic" in the air because the snow (which is now about an inch and no longer a dusting as in the photo) will give a special background and feeling that the holiday will soon be here!

The first snow also makes me giddy at the realization that the speedskating oval in Lake Placid will be open soon! I am really looking forward to being outside and skating lap upon lap until I feel the need to step into the warming hut to warm up the skates and legs and such. For those that have skated at this venue, you know it is cold and has a wind that always blows against your face down the backstretch. I'm not talking just a breeze either. The force can be so strong, that at times will slap you like a sucker-punch when you come out of the turn and stand you straight up, no matter how hard to try to fight or "skate through" it. I will go until I have had a good two hour work out trying to master those corners or until I am just tired of the elements beating me up! The next best thing of being in Lake Placid  is going through the quaint little town and getting a coffee or homemade soup with friends.

Some of the good folks I skate with are in Roseville, MN this weekend competing in the American Cup II series long track races. What is great about these races is they are being carried by live feed and you can watch from the comfort of your computer if you are, like me, nowhere near Roseville! Click here! to watch some great skating.

Good luck to everyone in Roseville!

Now it's time for a cozy cup of hot chocolate and to sharpen my long track blades....

Pampered Chef Stoneware, How Do I Love Thee?

Let me count the minutes... 26 to be exact.

I am in dire need of brownies. I'm tired of raiding the last bit of Halloween candy that has been discarded by the kids as not good enough to trade or hoard for themselves. I need something I can sink my teeth into and savor the warm, gooey, chocolatey goodness that a bite size Snickers Bar just can't match.

My favorite mix is the Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. I've tried others, but this brand seems to bake the best in my Pampered Chef 9"x13" Stoneware Rectangular Baker.  If you do not own one, put it on your Christmas list. Seriously.

We've all been in the same boat of "Home" party invitations...make-up, jewelry, decorating or entertaining and I bet most of us always say the same thing..."If I accept, I can't just go and enjoy the party without ordering SOMETHING." We search for the least expensive item or order just one thing to "help our friend out" with getting their (free) stuff when all is said and done.  I have to be honest, I have declined an invitation or two based soley on the party item. One party I will not pass up is that of Pampered Chef.

I own quite a bit of this product...I have stoneware, mixing bowls, measuring cups, etc. and if I had more kitchen space, I would probably own more. I am a consultants dream. I have only wept over a broken dish once and that was my brownie pan (pictured above). It cracked in my oven- totally my fault- I had the temp too high. This was a pan that got my family through dozens of meals and desserts for YEARS. I let out a loud "OOOHH, NOO!" when I heard the big "POP" come out of my oven 3 years ago. I knew right away what happened and after carefully removing the pieces, I hopped on the computer and through misty eyes ordered a new one.  It felt like Christmas morning when my new one arrived and the very first thing I made when it was unpacked and washed was- yup, you guessed it, brownies.

Why am I obsessed with this stuff? Because it truly is the best product to bake with. Once you make a few brownie batches, the pan becomes "seasoned" and you don't have to grease and flour as with other pans. Plus, the item cooked in it comes out perfect every time. I could cook a lasagna, clean the pan (with just water and a plastic scraper) and then bake a cake and you would never taste the item cooked just prior.  I also have the stoneware cookie sheet and make all my cookies on it. It's a pain to use only one pan, but the finished product is just delectable.

And...oh, wait...I hear a beep, beep...timer done on microwave...26 minutes are up. Sorry, story ends here- time for chocolatey goodness! Yum!

The Sharpening "Jig"

This my friends (not in the speedskating world) is called a jig. It is one tool that EVERY speedskater owns (or borrows). It is a contraption that holds our skates upside down and by turning the clamp will keep the millimeter thick blades into place. Unlike the hockey and figure skating blades which can be sharpened by machine, the speedskating blade has to be sharpened by good old elbow grease. That is one commonality that both the Olympic caliber and novice skaters share; the art of maintaining your own equipment.

My jig is an old relic (paid $35.00) compared to new sporty models (hundreds of dollars), but for me it gets the job done and is actually made for the brand of blades I have (Pennington). I am now close to purchasing a new set of blades and I'm afraid when I do that, a new jig will have to follow. Ca-ching. That price tag will probably run close to $500.00 for both. Now you know why I actually did dance a jig when I gladly paid a friend $35.00 for my jig 8 years ago.

Another item or two that you may see in this photo is a  Diamond sharpening stone and a bottle of baby oil. Sharpening stones are all a matter of personal preference. If using a true stone, then oil is required to provide a slight film to help the gliding surface over the metal blade. The Diamond stone has two sides and (depending on the color dot in the corner-which measures the grit factor) only requires a little bit of water.  I have two stones- the Diamond to sharpen and a smooth polishing stone which I use the baby oil. I've tried the "skater oil" and it smells. My family would always complain; "ugh! That STINKS! Can't you do that somewhere else?" So, for the sake of my family I switched to a much more pleasant smell of baby oil. It works just as good and I will have to admit, it's better to smell like a baby than a gas station- you see, I also learned that keeping sharpening stuff in the same bag as skinsuits and clothes is not a great idea because the smell permeates everything!

At any competition you will be able to see skaters hunched over this apparatus going back and forth, back and forth- arms extended out in front, then retracted close. Some do this motion quickly, others more deliberately. We can be in the stands, lined up against a wall (great by the way especially when your back hurts!) or in the locker room. Depending on the ice conditions, this ritual may occur after every distance skated. There is usually very sporadic conversation between skaters when doing this. Why you ask? Because we are counting. It's hard to talk and count at the same time. For me, depending on how bad the blades are, I like to use a 15-20 count in 3 directions. When my arms are extended, that would be a "one-count". This is repeated until you feel a "burr" (the small amount of metal that is pushed over the blade edge) which you can test by "plucking" the edge- kind of like a guitar string. Then with another piece of metal you slide it down your blade and cut the burr off.  There are other processes that go into sharpening, polishing and de-burring, but this is the gist of it.

Since our blades are so thin and long (15-17 inches) and the fact that speeds can reach close to 28mph, it is very important to have sharp blades. Skaters have to not only propel themselves around the track but also balance their entire weight on the left outside edge of the blade. If this is not sharp, it will not "grip" the ice and you will see the skater fall. During racing if a skater seems to give up or all of a sudden, seems to just run out of gas, or stands straight up,  watch their feet. They may pick up their foot and look at it. Most likely they have just "stripped an edge". They probably hit a piece of dirt or even a piece of ice frozen on top of the ice. You can feel when that happens because your foot begins to slip and you are no longer in control. It's better to finish last on one skate than risk serious injury.

This photo was taken this morning before starting my 20 minute ritual; now I am off to the rink to get lost in the rhythm of short track dance with solid footing, even on ice.