I Found My Mojo Again

Over the weekend I was flipping through the channels and I came across a movie that I haven't seen in quite a while. It was "G.I. Jane" with Demi Moore being her bad-ass self. She is sent to go through Navy SEALS training that only sees a handful make it through successfully. If you can't cut it, then the brass bell is there for you to ring three times to say "I Quit."




I am not a huge Demi Moore fan, however, I think she totally rocked in this movie. I like that by the end she seems to develop this swagger that says "Don't mess with me", although I could probably use a little more colorful language to describe that, but I think you get the idea.

Every spring I tend to feel like her character O'Neill when I know dryland is just around the corner. Dryland to this speedskater feels like trying out for the SEAL team. It's hard and brutal on the body and the "Master Chief" (Paul Marchese) can be just as unrelenting.

I have been building on this summer training for the past 7 years. When it begins, my legs and body revolt in such a violent way that it makes it painful to even sit in my car. I have to be able to build momentum in order to walk down a flight of stairs. It used to take me a long time to recover from that first week, but now the body seems to scream "Hey, what are you doing? Oh, yeah. It's that time again. Okay, okay..." and gives in just a couple of days.

I made it through last summer with no injuries...and I began this past season feeling great and had much hope that it would be a successful one. However, as many of you who read this blog know, life has thrown a monkey wrench into my skating season this year and I have not competed at all, let alone at Nationals-which was the goal.

Well, I am beginning to find my Mojo-jojo again and seeing this movie has just fueled the fire to work hard once more.

Bring it Master Chief, cuz I'm not ringin' no bell!