American Cup III, One For the Record Books

This photo is courtesy of : weblogs.marylandweather.com/forecasts/

Little did I know that the post I had scheduled for yesterday would turn out to be one for the record books.

Short track skaters from around the country made their way to Dale City, VA through THE largest winter snow storm on record for that area. Terms like "Snowpocalypse" and "Snowmageddon" were flying through the air like the heavy, wet flakes that piled inch after inch on every surface, including the Prince William Ice Center's roof.

I finished my post and within an hour, started seeing reports on Facebook that the skaters were sent home...too much snow....bent beams. Then my friend Hans, who was a starter for this meet, called me from his hotel and asked if I heard what happened. I said I had and I posted his account on the blog. He was glad everyone got out ok and as a true upstate New Yorker, was headed out into the snow to find something to eat! (A side note here: we have had zero, nada, zip snow fall this year. Yeah, a few inches here and there, but all the "big one's" have just missed us and have stayed to the south. Maybe mother nature is giving us a little reprieve after freezing us out last year with a killer ice storm, but we are missing the snow! Who would think we would have to travel SOUTH to get snow!) :) I was glad to hear that Hans was ok and wished him safe travels home. Little did we know that as we talked on the phone, the roof was actually collapsing at the rink in which he just came.

Mike Looby's daughter Liz was skating at this meet and he has written a great post on the happenings as they unfolded yesterday. Check out his post on It's Not Too Late to Skate.

I am so glad that all got out safely and averted what really would have been a disaster.

Some of us have had this very conversation while waiting in the heat box."What would we do if we had to get out of here right away?"  I remember a meet where the heat box was set set up just outside the door we used to enter the ice. I was sitting on a bench that flanked a cement wall and could hear something that sounded like a sporadic "sizzle". You know when you hear something and you just can't place where it is coming from? I heard the bell (last lap indicator) and stood up to prepare entering for my race, placing my coat and sneakers in the bucket for the runners and forgot all about the noise. When I came back for my next scheduled race, I once again heard the sound, only this time I could place it, because the sound also had visual! In the middle of the cement wall was an electrical outlet box that was sparking bright white flashes and now emitting small trickles of smoke with each sizzle. The scary thing was you couldn't smell it. All of us sitting on the bench seemed to notice this at the same time and jumped off the bench (electricity and metal blades do not make a good combination) and all at once yelled at the heatbox attendant while pointing at the plug. Luckily, they were able to turn the power off that fed that outlet without disrupting the rest of the rink. That particular bench remained empty for the rest of the meet.

The last thing you think about when you are at a competition is being faced with a circumstance that would make you exit quickly while wearing your skates. I'm glad that the skaters that were laced up and ready to start racing were able to remove their gear and exit the facility safely with fellow competitors, family, friends and volunteers. There is a saying (among many) that one hears every now and then with this sport. "Never a dull moment in Short Track."

This story is definitely one that these skaters will tell for a long, long time. "Remember when we went to Virginia for the AmCup race and..."

Time for a Cool Change In Lake Placid

"The Train" Lake Placid, NY, Jan. 2010

Photo:K.Pugliano

"If there's one thing in my life that's missing
It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters

There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go
And I never want to lose your inspiration

Time for
a cool change..
I know that it's time
for a cool change

Now that my life
is so pre-arranged
I know that it's time
for a cool change"
-Little River Band

This skating season has really slipped by me and I have felt it. I have not practiced with either of the two clubs that I usually skate with in over 3 months and I miss them. I have been able to steal moments in the morning at a local rink to keep the skating juices flowing, but it is often lonely in those sessions because it is just me, myself and I.

I have come to a point in time where my kids are active in their own interests, which I am sad to say, does not include speedskating. This has conflicted with my usual practice time and/or competition schedule. Do not take this the wrong way, it has been great to go and support all their activities and I could not be more proud...I am just missing my time on the ice and the folks that make up my skating "family".

Last weekend, I was able to sneak away to Lake Placid for the Saturday morning session and share a much needed day on the ice with friends. It was exactly what I needed.

The night before, I made my check list of items to bring. I have had a pair of long track skates sitting in my closet for almost a year.  These were given to me by a friend to try out in the hopes that I would purchase them. In the bag they went. I also packed my old short track Bont ZX-2 boots which have awesome Comet clap blades attached-these are actually the boots I used to skate Long Track Nationals a few years ago. Long track laps should not be skated in short track boots. This I have learned from the blisters left on my ankles. Ouch. And last but not least, just in case, I did pack my Marchese short tracks. It was a comfort thing. I made my way down the check list for all the layering pieces, hats, gloves, face guard, toe warmers, etc.. You never know what you will encounter in the north country, so I always seem to over-prepare and bring way more than I need to. I went to bed early and fell asleep with visions of skates dancing in my head.

I woke up early, before my alarm, excited to start my trek. I was picking up my friend Amy on the way and looked forward to great conversation and cinnamon rolls (freshly made by Amy's husband). As I was walking out to my car, I dropped something and when I bent over to pick it up, something was spilling on the ground. I could not figure out what it could possibly be, since I didn't have anything open in my hands....until I felt hot liquid burning my wrist and sleeve. The top to the thermos I was holding in the crick of my elbow was leaking...I apparently thought that I pushed the button to close it, when I actually opened it and coffee was leaking through the cap. I thought, please do not let this be a precursor to how my day would be.

I was a half hour late picking up Amy and felt bad that I made her wait so long. She was a trooper and still offered to share homemade rolls! We settled into great conversation and before we knew it, we were ready to take our exit.

Anyone taking exit 30 off the NYS Thruway (Northway to the locals) knows from this point, or at least from the spot to the left where the hot dog vendor truck sits from spring til mid fall, the town of Lake Placid is about another 30 minutes. Route 73 is the road in and also the road out and it brings you through some of the high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. I have been on this road so many times, that every once in a while, it is so second nature that I forget to take in the breathtaking surroundings outside the car window. This time of year, there are a few winter hikers, but it is always a thrill to try and spot the ice-climbers above Chapel Pond. You expect to find climbers to be of normal dimension, however as you slow down and scan the ice-face, you start to spot bright yellow and red spots. You don't realize how high these rock faces really are until you see those specks so high up!

The drive continues as you climb the mountains and decend into the valleys with the streams covered in snow and ice and hidden waterfalls are frozen in time. The Noon Mark Diner is the next landmark that many a hiker or outdoor adventurer has been into at least once and most likely has left with a delicious homemade pie. More climbs and then one hits what's known as "The Notch". I hate driving through here. It is a narrow two lane road that has a wall of rock on one side and a pond on the other. It is always windy and if there is fresh snow, it is blowing around so much that it can make the road icy, even on a sunny day. I always white-knuckle it through here and even more so when drivers unfamiliar with this roadway tailgate so close. It's not a long stretch, but I would rather drive 25-30 mph to get through than end up smashed against a boulder (which I have seen) or end up in the pond.

After this stretch, the road widens to two lanes and you make a steady climb up and pass the Mt. Van Hoevenberg complex which has the sled (Bobsled, luge & skeleton) tracks and cross-country skiing facility. Next you pass the Ski Jumps. These athletes must be the bravest on the planet; at least in the mind of this height-fearing mortal. Have you ever gone to the top of a ski jump? I've been to the top of the taller jump-(sight-seeing with friends) and the sight that I saw made my knees knock together and threw my stomach into knots. You could not pay me enough money to ever, ever do that sport! 

Next are the Horse Show grounds. In the back is the the Olympic Torch from 1980. It is smaller than one would imagine, but still majestic in it's simplicity and it has Whiteface Mountain as it's backdrop.

A few winding turns snakes you to the traffic light that turns left on to Main Street. On the left sits the Olympic Oval, the jewel of Lake Placid and where American speedskater, Eric Heiden accomplished his "Miracle on Ice" by decorating his gold skinsuit with 5 gold medals. A mere car ride places me (or anyone at all) on the very venue that this feat was acheived! How amazing is that??!

Amy and I arrived at the oval 15 minutes before the session started. I sat in the waming hut lacing up my skates as Amy took to the road outside for a quick run to warm up. I know I should have gone with her, but I was so ready to get out on the ice that I decided just to go and skate. A lot of familiar faces were there and hello's and how've you been's made their way through the crowd. The zamboni was finally finished and out the door I went, skates clap-clapping the whole way.

I stepped out into the most brillant day that I have seen at the oval. There was not a cloud in the deep blue sky, nor was there any wind, which is most rare here. After a friend was so kind to offer a shoulder to lean on while removing my skate guards, I was off.

I am a short track skater. I'm used to tight, fast turns and not the wide expansive turns on the long track oval. When I make my way through a turn, I seem to alternate my cross over with a straight-a-way stroke. I put too much pressure in my crossover and I am forver sending myself into the center instead of gliding my way around with multiple crossover steps. I have tried to teach myself this techinque for years now and even with extra help from other patient skaters I still haven't mastered it! I know I am not good at it, but it has not deterred me from continuing to try.

And to let you in on a little secret? I'm okay with it! Long track for me is something that brings pure joy. I love to skate outside. I love that I can take advantage of the long straight a ways. Here I can really feel the push and glide and the slow roll to the edge of my skates. This is something I don't have on the short track because in two strokes I'm into the next turn! Of course, technically I do have this on the short track, but it is so quick. Long track lets me savor and appreciate the rock and the roll of the glide. It's like a dance. Short track would be the Tango, Long track the Waltz.

For two solid hours, I skated outside in the warm (29 degrees!), sunny morning. Well, actually I should omit 10 minutes from that skate time. I did go in to change into my Bonts. I skated the first hour in the borrowed set-up and decided that I found the boots to be very comfortable, but the blades not so much. I suffered through the last hour in my old boots, however, skating on the Comet blades was well worth it. As soon as I got back outside, I could feel the "grip" right away. This actually helped my turns and by the end of the last hour, I was so happy to have done three crossover steps...IN A ROW!  To me the session ended in success!

Our friend Lisa made it for the last hour of the session and afterward, we decided to go to our favorite soup and sandwhich deli and we filled up on warm cozy goodness and tales from Lisa's recent trip to London.

Amy and I were soon on our way home. It was nice to wind down with a cup of hot cider and coffee and more fantastic conversation. Travels always seem to pass quickly when good stories are at hand!

I enjoyed an absolutely stellar day. Sometimes the soul just needs a cool change to slow down from the over-scheduled hectic life and allow one to rock and roll and dance in the moment of pure joy.

  

Dear Ice, I'll Love Ya Tomorrow

My view before heading out to the rink.

I missed my morning workout yesterday because I had not one, but two sniffling, coughing, "my throat hurts" kids home sick. I completely empathized with them, for not too long ago, I was inflicted with the same exact thing. So, I gladly catered to tea making, Gatorade pouring and any- food- you- feel- like- eating- making.

Today, one sucked it up (they have a game later- and they don't want to sit out) and went to school, the other remained home, sounding a little better, but still having that glassy-eyed look. After getting "sicky" settled, I decided to head to the rink to make up for yesterday's absence, even though I really didn't feel like going.

I showed up an hour into the two hour session. Better late than never. I laced up my skates and walked through the doors into the cool rink and thought, I do not want to be here. But, I continued to walk toward the ice, through the hockey box and opened the heavy door. I stepped onto the ice, carefully took my blade guards off, closed the door and pushed off to glide to my warm up laps. As soon as I finished my warm up, I knew how the rest of this hour would go. Today was going to feel like a "maintenance" day. Get the laps in and get out.  I really hate days like these. I mean this is the sport I love, it should never feel like a chore.

But, you know what? Sometimes, it just does. I'm ok with that because I've learned that no two days on the ice are ever the same.

Tomorrow will be a new day to work through laps and I will love every single minute of it!

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.

Rest Day Equals A Good Day

Yesterday was a rest day for the speedskaters and fans here in Milwaukee. It was a much needed day for everyone.

Thursday evening races at the Pettit Ice Arena consisted of the Men's and Ladies 1000 meter, Ladies 3000 meter and Men's 5000 meter races. Skaters faced a tough night of "slow" ice and fast competition.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I came out to Milwaukee to cheer on and support my friends that are skating this event. They are all doing extremely well in a very stressful qualifying event. Stressful because competition is so incredibly fierce and the pressure to do well weighs heavy on an athlete's shoulders. There are only 4 or 5 open slots and 20 plus skaters are trying to fill them.

When you have a bad day, sometimes it's just that. A bad day. But, you really don't want that bad day to show up during a competition. It's those that can pull out of a bad day and recover that shine bright.

My friend, who is on the path to becoming part of the Olympic team, just had one of those days. He took his rest day to recover and re-group. And today: boy, did he shine. He came in 3rd in his 1500m race today and we were all so overjoyed for his success that it was as if he came in 1st. Our pride was so great, that most of us became very emotional when sharing congratulatory hugs and well wishes.

It was a good day.

Now for some results:

World Cup Team for :

Women's 3000m

1. Jilleanne Rookard
2. Maria Lamb
3. Nancy Swider-Peltz
4. Catherine Raney-Norman
5. Mia Manganello

Women's 1500m

1. Jennifer Rodriguez
2. Jilleanne Rookard
3. Maria Lamb
4. Nancy Swider-Peltz

Men's 1500m

1. Chad Hedrick
2. Shani Davis
3. Trevor Marsicano
4. Jonathan Kuck
5. Brian Hansen

Tomorrow will have the final 1000 meter, Women's 5000 meter and Men's 10000 meter.

Raining in Milwaukee

After a long day of travel, I finally made it to Milwaukee.  When I arrived at the airport I found two friends who were on the same flight pattern and we shared flights, connections and eventually a car to arrive at the Pettit National Ice Arena. It was a wonderful fall day; surprisingly warm and sunny.

My friend Marty is a Masters World Champion speedskater and a lot of fun to hang around. He was hoping to make it to the Pettit to get some practice ice and settle in. We made it with about an hour to spare. As he got his skates put together, it was nice to catch up with folks I haven't seen in awhile.  They made the trek out here to train, some months ago and some just a few weeks ago. When you train with the same familiar faces 4-5 times a week, you start to miss them. As Marty took to the ice, I shared many hugs and hellos. It is great to see everyone again.

As I mentioned, I normally compete in Short Track speedskating. I've skated long track here and there; a marathon, some sprint races and I even skated Long Track Nationals. BUT, and it is a big BUT- I am not a good long tracker. One of the hardest things for me to master is the turn or corner on an oval. I always get a stroke or two into the turn and then I have to stop because I am headed for the middle. See, both types of speedskating are done on ice but they are very different. The equipment is different, the track is different and the sport is a little different with the rules as well. I like to skate the oval very much, but practice is a must before I consider any major competition in the future.

The transition can be done from one style to the next; I recognized a lot of names from the short track world in the pairings yesterday. I did not realize that most had made the "switch", but all looked great and skated some rather good times.  One thing that is new to me for this event is I'm not skating-I'm spectating. Very weird, but extremely fun to play the "fan" role.

Yesterday the 500 meter races were held. I had two friends skate. One set a personal best and one set the minds of the true sprinters on alert for the time that was skated was not expected as the 500m is not their best event. As the pairings moved on, the times got faster and I remember after one pairing flew over the finish line I kept saying "wow"-so fast!

The timing mechanics were dealing with gremlins in the system, so I had to wait to hear the times announced. I completely missed the mens World Cup selection for the 500m distance; sorry about that. Had to go back to the hotel for much needed sleep. However, I did get the Women's team selection:

• 1. Elli Ochowicz
• 2. Heather Richardson
• 3. Jennifer Rodriguez
• 4. Lauren Cholewinsky
• 5. Rebekah Bradford

All these ladies skated low 39 second 500 meters! Congratulations.

My guess for the men would be:
Tucker Fredricks
Brent Aussprung
Shani Davis
Nick Pearson

These guys were skating in the low 35 second range for the first set.

Today I have quite a few friends skating the 1000 meter, 3000 meter and 5000 meter. It will be a very long day I'm sure. It's raining today but I do not think that even the rain could dampen the excitement we are all feeling.

I will try to post again tomorrow. Pictures will be added to posts when I return back home.

Now it's time for a much needed cup of coffee...

Speedskating Olympic Trials Are Here!

In a little over 24 hours, the U.S. Long Track Speedskating Olympic Trials/World Cup Team qualifying competition will be under way. It will take place in Milwaukee, WI at the Pettit National Ice Center, one of only two (the other being in Salt Lake City, UT)  indoor Long track speedskating ovals in the country. Six of my friends have achieved qualifying times to compete for the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. To say I am proud of each and every one of them is an understatement.

I compete mostly in the Short Track speedskating. Most folks that are not familiar with the sport give that puzzled look when I say that and ask "is that the kind that has the two skaters on the big track?" I am able to describe the separate style by those that put each discipline as they say, "on the map". When I mention Apolo Anton Ohno for short track and Bonnie Blair or Eric Heiden for long track, the puzzled look yields to surprise and "oh! That's with the helmets; you do that?!"

Short Track skating indeed has the helmets, neck guards and cut proof suits. It is skated on a hockey rink ice sheet with black blocks set in the corners that measure out an 111 meter size track. Short track is often described as "Nascar on ice" as there can be up to 6 skaters on the starting line for a race, which is lighting fast. Six skaters equals 12 feet equipped with 17" razor sharp blades going all out to reach the finish line first. Crashes are hard and some can be pretty messy.

Long Track is skated on a 400 meter oval with two skaters on the start line. Each skater is racing the clock; therefore, will switch lanes in the back stretch so that one does not have the inner lane advantage or shorter distance skated. Added to this is a skate that has a hinged blade also known as a clap blade, because it makes a clapping sound when it hits the bottom of the boot after a stroke. The clap skate has allowed competitors to acheive world record times on ice. Skaters have worked on their technique for so many years that their smooth rocking from side to side seems to give the impression that they are going in slow motion. In reality, they are traveling at close to 30 mph! Now imagine the fitness level you need to squat and propell your body at that speed for up to 3.5 miles (5000 meters).

I have played a lot of different sports and have been a part of many teams. I can honestly say that by far,  speedskating has been the best sport I have competed in.  Its reach is world-wide, yet the community is so small.  I have never been around a more supportive group of fellow athletes. We are all competitive, however, game is brought to the ice and left on the ice. The moment you are exiting the ice, you see a lot of high fives or pats on the back. What are we saying to eachother? "Nice race." or "Good job." If the race did not go as you envisioned, we know when to offer words of encouragement and when not to say anything. That's not to say one doesn't hear others talking smack before a race, but they are far and few between.

Dreams will be achieved or broken in the next 5 days. All the blood, sweat and tears that have been put into training for the last three years will be laid all on the line for a spot to compete in Vancouver. I will not be skating but I will be there to support and cheer on my friends to skate the best race they can. I am so proud of them.

I will try to post some entries during the trip, so check back and see how your team is doing.

Influence, Olympic Style

The speed skating season has started and I feel like it is my first year all over again.

After watching Bonnie Blair skate long track in the Lillehammer Olympics, I turned to my friends and said “I’m going to do that.” They all scoffed, but I didn’t care. This sport intrigued me and it looked fun. It took 8 years and a couple of moves across state lines before I laced up my first pair of speed skates; it was a day I found my passion.

The Winter Games were being held in Salt Lake City. It was the first time I had seen short track speedskating. It was fast, crazy and exciting to see. I was painting my dining room while watching Apolo Anton Ohno slide across the finish line, boot first. Later, I would have to do a few touch ups to the walls and viewers were finding out that he had cut his leg in the process and would need stitches. Wow. Intense. The next week I did some homework and found two clubs in my area that offered short track speed skating.

A local community college was the host to one of the clubs and I gathered the courage to pack my gym bag with the essentials the very nice man on the phone told me I should have. I needed long pants, long sleeved shirt, a helmet and gloves. I walked into the ice rink and found the person I spoke to on the phone. His name was Howard Ganong and he helped me get set up with a pair of “club skates”, very basic Zandstra skates that look like big plastic hockey skate boots with long blades. I stepped on the ice and could barely stand! I had skated as a kid on the ponds out back and at rinks here and there, but it had been a good 25 years since I had been on ice.

There was another fellow that was trying this sport for the first time as well. He was very chatty and gravitated to a person on the ice with official looking fleece. He was asking a bazillion questions and was basically screaming “Look at me! Look at me!” I stuck to the outside of the rink, as close to the wall as I could get in case I lost my balance, (which felt would happen at any given moment) and would have something to grab onto. The fleece guy skated over and asked if I could skate in toward the middle more so that the other skaters could skate laps. He then followed the single file line of skaters as they zoomed around the rink offering tips here and there. Ahh, the fleece guy was the coach.

Practice lasted a little over an hour and before all exited the ice, groups were standing together proudly holding trophies. Skaters had just competed at a local meet and were showing off their hardware. The club then posed for a group photo. They waved the new guy and I to join the group and I felt a little out of place, since I could barely stand on my skates let alone be considered part of a skating club. But they insisted and welcomed us “newbies” as part of the skating family photo. I looked over my shoulder and saw that the fleece guy/coach was standing beside me and I decided to ask him a question before “Chatty Kathy” could grab his ear again. I introduced myself and shook hands with Paul Marchese. I asked him how long it usually takes to learn this sport. He laughed and said “a lifetime.” He also added that coming off an Olympic year, clubs tend to get a surge of people that want to try it but after a few times out on the ice, interest dies out for most and only a few remain. He encouraged me to stick it out and keep trying. Then with a little point of the finger toward the question man, he said “he will not be around long.” At the time I thought how do you know that? But, he was right.

Practice ended and when I stepped off the ice I learned that this was the last club skate of the season. Oh, man! I just tried it and now it was over! Howard came over to me and shared that many of the skaters went to a local rink to skate during the week and if I wanted to practice I could try making it to one of the sessions. I thanked him for the information and said goodbye to everyone. I remember getting in my car and smiling the whole way home. I walked in the house and bombarded my husband with all the details. I was jumping out of my skin with excitement and could not wait to get back on the ice!

My husband and I took a ride up to Lake Placid to buy my first pair of skating boots; Bont Sharkies. They were awful. They hurt my feet from the moment I bought them, but I didn’t know any better. I thought this is how they were supposed to feel. I also bought a helmet, a neck guard and other miscellaneous things. Now I felt like a speedskater.

That spring into summer I skated almost every single day. It took me two months before I could do a decent cross-over through the turn. Howard and a handful of other skaters graciously shared their expertise and patience as I learned. Each session would bring new challenges and many falls but most importantly, fun. I felt a sense of community and was amazed by the openness and the ease of friendships that I still share to this day.

I did continue to skate. I have gone through 3 pairs of boots, the final keepers being Marchese boots that fit like a dream. I have skated all over the US and Canada. I’ve even competed nationally in both short track and long track. Some seasons have been better than others.

Eight years later, I am set to begin a new season. My goal this year is to make it to Nationals after a two year absence. It’s been a long road back. After a summer of focused training I stepped onto the ice last week to get a workout in and I was amazed at how great I felt. I definitely took note that I was cranking out some major laps for this two hour period and how I have never felt this strong at the beginning of any season.

It seems the Olympic years do draw in a certain skater. What draw does it have on this skater?

Lillehammer inspired me.
Salt Lake City excited me.
Vancouver conditioned me.

This is going to be a good year. I can feel it.

The Ice Pirate Returns….Arrrghh

It has been months since blades have touched the ice. I have missed ye.

Me love of the sea is that of a frozen nature. I be the Ice Pirate. I like me ice smooth and cold and I be havin' no ruts to make me corners rough and hard. I have been stranded for months, six to be exact, from my frozen love and when it come time for me to finally set sail on my swashbuckling blades, I be faced with the worst thing to touch me frozen beauty; a bloke with hockey blades. In ten minutes time he crossed me frozen pond, zig-zaggin’ from one end to the other, scraping his feet and makin’ ruts in me jewel. Aye, a pirate such as me self takes pride in me ocean and gave the soon be prisoner a choice; get off me ice or walk the boards.

Aye, the young lad chose wisely and made his exit quick, but not before he was warned of trying his next passage across me frozen sea.

Me time resumed sailing on me beloved. How me missed the sweet cool breeze.

Yo-ho, Yo-ho, a pirate’s life for me.