Guest Post: Lessons Going in Circles

Good morning! Wanted to let you now that I am a guest over at Tough Cookie Mommy today! I'm so excited!

I wrote a piece on being a speedskating mama!! Go check it out and leave me a comment to say hi!

I would love it if you did.

Tomorrow will be my Blog of Christmas Future post. Can't wait to share with you all the big things that are going to happen with Mom Got Blog! :)

Blog of Christmas Past

Remember the story "A Christmas Carol"? The character Ebenezer Scrooge gets a visit from 3 ghosts showing him his past, present and future self.

Well, I thought it might be fun to do a little spin on that premise and have a MGB visit to the past, present and future!

So, Part One....

Blog of Christmas Past
Where was Mom Got Blog a year ago? Let's go take a visit!

This time last year, we were crossing our fingers for a snow day, which did actually happen! I guess the magic of sleeping donned with inside out pajamas, spoons under the pillow and sleeping "backwards" really does work! Who knew!

I also wrote one of my "Really?" posts...and actually mentioned Scrooge in this phenomenon of one decorating their car to look like a reindeer. I thought it was dumb then, and I still think it's dumb. Bah, Humbug!

Last year, our son was in the snoop-dog house, when my husband interrupted the covert operation "Mission Present-Ops" that my son and his buddy had put into action. The boy still needs to learn that "The General" is a master at strategy and is always three steps ahead!

Photo by: Jerry Search

I was also patiently waiting for news as to whether I would be going to the Olympic Games in Vancouver. I was so excited for the possibility, because I knew so many of the athletes from the US Speedskating teams, that I was really hoping to win the Olympic Blogging Contest that I had entered in October. But, I did not and wrote from my chair at home, still beaming with pride for all the friends putting their heart and soul out there on the ice.

Well, we are back at the homestead. That was fun. I haven't read those...in, well, a year! Hope you enjoyed visiting them as much as I did.

Tomorrow: A visit to Blog of Christmas Present! I believe it will have to do with some of my favorite holiday tips!

What were you doing a year ago? Leave a comment and let me know!

Like this post? Please share on Twitter and Facebook!

Wordless Wednesday::My Speedskating Rides-Marchese

Coach Paul Marchese's Short Track Skate made just for me!

Do You Have Zero Regrets? Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Ohno In Albany, NY For Book Signing

Apolo Ohno: Zero Regrets

Olympic speedskating gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno is coming to a bookstore near you! Well, at least he is on Saturday, November 6th if you live in the Albany, NY area! Apolo will be at Barnes & Noble in Colonie Center Mall at 11:00am to sign his latest book Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday.

For those readers who are new to Mom Got Blog I will share with you one of my true passions in life: Speedskating. It is a sport like no other. I am extremely active and I have done every kind of sport I can think of, but this skating in circles really fast with 17" razor blades on my feet? Well, it brings me joy down to the core of my being. It's hard to explain...but that is the best way I think I can describe it. And I did not start this sport as a young whipper snapper (did I just say that?), I was already into my 30's, an age where most skaters have long since retired. One aspect that I have enjoyed as much as competing is meeting the people that are involved. For a wide-world sport, the community feels very small and tight knit. Everyone knows everyone. When you hear folks say that this is a life-time sport- they really mean it. If you are not skating, you are involved in some shape or form to keep yourself connected.

I have written many a post on my favorite sport, especially through the Vancouver Olympics, but there is one post that sticks with me. Apolo spoke in an interview about the "Perfect Race", and it inspired me to write about one of my perfect races. We both agree that to have a perfect race does not necessarily equal winning; it's about putting everything you have out there and knowing you did your very best.

Apolo has been NON-STOP since the conclusion of the winter games in Vancouver. He started his own company, is part of the CNN "Hero" Series where he speaks of See Your Impact , traveling for appearances and now has published his first book:

Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday

If you live near Albany and would like to meet and receive an autographed copy of Apolo's latest book, please come out to support him at :

Barnes and Noble
Colonie Center
11:00am.

Just an FYI: He is only signing his book, no memorabilia. Time is short as he will be making his way to Syracuse and Buffalo on Saturday as well.

I just reserved my copy. I'm looking forward to reading and sharing my thoughts with you.

If you have read Apolo's book, what did you think?

Word"less" Wednesday::Upcoming Announcements

Chicago

Ok, I admit it. It is hard for me to keep my Wednesday's wordless!! I try and I try, but it is just too difficult! Heh. One of these days I will surprise you....and myself and keep it to just a photo.

Today is not the day! :)

A lot is coming up here at Mom Got Blog this week, so words are necessary.

Tomorrow we will have another guest post from the Crayon Wrangler! She has once again created a fabulous post, so please come back to read it and enjoy.

Friday is October 1st, which means we will welcome our new Blogger of the Month! I am so excited to introduce you!

This weekend marks the start of speedskating season. Yes! Skaters have traveled to Milwaukee, WI to compete in Short Track American Cup (AmCup) series races-look for the latest updates and a story or two about those skating fast and turning left.

So I caught you up through the weekend with lots of words. Maybe next week I will try to zip my lip.

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!

"Oh, Canada!" Providing Olympic Firsts

I have been glued to my television for the past 3 days hoping to soak in as many Olympic moments as possible and have been treated to many incredible stories, especially those that have happened for the first time.

Here are some of the Highlighted "Firsts" that I have found to show the true spirit of the Games and the incredible athletes that are living the dream:

Nordic Combined: Not sure what this sport is? I wasn't quite sure either until I watched it for the first time yesterday. I was in the middle of watching online stats on the Womens 3k speedskating event (more on that later) and TV coverage of this event at the same time. I found I was cheering simutaneously for two completely different sports at almost a rabid pitch! I did a little homework this morning and found that this event is ski jumping and cross country racing combined in the same day. The athlete soars from the ski jump and earns points for style and length of jump. The total points earned will dictate the starting position in the 10k cross country ski course, which loops through a stadium and up steep hills through the woods and back to the stadium. I did not know the names of the athletes that were pushing their bodies to the VO2 max with each loop, but their struggle to climb those hills and position themselves just right for the finish line sprint completely drew me in. I was screaming at my television screen "GO GO GO GO GO GO!" The outcome? After being passed at the last moment on the finish line,  Johnny Spillane (USA) earned a Silver medal, a first in Olympic history for the USA in this discipline. Truly amazing!

Pairs Figure Skating: I enjoy seeing the fluid motions and grace of figure skating. I found myself drawn in to yet more athlete's stories last night as I watched the short program of Pairs Figure Skating. The first couple on the ice was Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo (CHN) who set the bar so high for those that followed. With the highest score ever given in the short program of 76.66 no one came close to their near perfect performance. When you see something magical, you know it, even if you don't follow the sport on a regular basis. This will most likely be the couple's (in real life too) last Olympic Games and hopefully the first time they will acheive Gold, a color that has elluded them for 18 years.

Most of you who read this blog know that I kind of like speedskating. (Haha) There were quite a few firsts happening here in both the Men's & Women's races. What I  realized for the first time: I have a love/hate relationship with NBC and the coverage of this sport. Hate:They claim to offer coverage of speedskating and when tuned in for 5 hours, not one bit of coverage until primetime rolled around and even then it was of 1 race pair! (Hint NBC: in the women's 3k, the three American skaters were back to back of one another. You could have at least shown that much.) Love: They are offering replays of the races online, some in their entirety. Click Here to see video.


Men's Speedskating: In the Men's 5k race there were a few firsts. My friend Trevor Marsicano skated his first Olympic race. We were screaming at the TV "GO TREVOR!" and jumping up and down. My son dryly said to me afterward "Mom, he can't hear you." My reply was "Yes he can!" A very proud moment indeed.
 
But I must say, hats off to Sven Kramer (NED), for skating a gutsy and fantastic race to his first Gold medal. Sven threw it down and skated a 6:14.60, a new 5k Olympic Record! To see him clear the barriers and leap into the sea of orange-clad Dutch fans and embrace his family was amazing. However, once again, NBC and their reporter missed the mark by showing their lack of speedskating knowledge by asking Sven this question after returning from his family: "Can you tell us who you are and what you just won?" Truly a first.
 
Women's Speedskating: In the Women's 3k, Jilleanne Rookard took to the ice in her very first Olympics. I could only watch the online splits (as indicated above) as Jill skated a great race. What I didn't realize, until seeing the replay of her race was that she slipped in her final lap and somehow saved herself from crashing, finishing 12th overall! Amazing!
 
However, the 3k Gold medal went to Martina Sablikova (CZE) in an outstanding time of 4:02.53. Her technique sent her to the record books by awarding her country the first medal ever in the sport of speedskating. Her joy was so overwhelming that the fans in the Richmond Oval joined in her celebration cheering her on as she skipped with her country flag draped on her shoulders. 
 
Men's Short Track Speedskating:  Apolo Anton Ohno (USA) secured silver in the 1500m final after two Korean teammates took eachother out in the last corner before the finish. The Bronze went to J.R. Celeski (USA) who competed in his first major competiton since sustaining a severe injury to his leg in September. What a way to begin your first Olympic Games!
 
Men's Freestyle Moguls: This post could not go without this acknowledgement. Canada has made no bones about stating that they want to "Own the Podium" at these Winter Games. Canada has hosted the Summer Olympics in Montreal, and Winter Olympics in Calgary and has not won a single gold medal on home turf.  Last night, Alexandre Bilodeau (CAN), ended that 34 year old quest for home soil gold in 23.17 seconds. The only word I could say was "WOW!" I am not a skier, but I could even tell that this guy was smoking down the mountain as he pounded his knees into each mogul and soared through the air with flips and turns.
 
If these first few days are any indication of what is to come, I will be a hoarse, happy, heaping mess by closing ceremonies.

Speedskating Goes Back to School

Yesterday I had the extreme pleasure of going back to the second grade and sharing my own version of Speedskating Show and Tell. 

Kids at this age are so eager to learn. They are full of wonder and soak everything in like little sponges. Knowledge is still exciting.

I was asked to come to this class to share information on speedskating and the Olympics and I have to admit, I was a little nervous going in. Second graders are eager to learn, but they are also a tough audience. If you don't know what you are talking about, they will smell the fear and eat you alive with questions.

I started by placing photos of a long track team pursuit (featuring the Italian Team) and a short track race (featuring Apolo Ohno).  We made our way through what differences they could see between the two pictures. When we finished with the comparisons, I pointed to Apolo and asked the class "Do you know who this is?" In unison "Nooooooooo." I had my work cut out for me.

I thought it would be a great idea to bring my gear with me so the kids could have something tangible to go with what they saw in the pictures and were hearing with my words. I passed around both a long track skinsuit, pointing out the hood and then a short track skin pulling half the suit inside out so they could see the cut proof material sewn in. They liked knocking on my helmet and ooh-ed over the pirate sticker that is stuck to the front. I then passed around my Marchese short track boots with "Whoa's!"  and then the long track boots where they enjoyed clapping the blade with giggles. I shared different medals that I have earned and started asking them questions about the Olympics.

We talked about Lake Placid (host to two Winter Olympic Games, 1932 and 1980) and tied in local talent Trevor Marsicano. We played a few YouTube videos of Trevor skating long track and Apolo skating short track. The buzz grew in the classroom to a fever pitch and it was great! One student came up to me and in a whisper said "I am Soooooooo glad you are here!"

In wrapping up I asked the kids to send their "Good Luck" message to Team USA and of course they obliged! The only problem with this was me being technologically challenged. I had my phone video set to the wrong setting, leaving the file too large to pass along to Trevor. So, it is saved for when he returns from Vancouver and I will play it for him.

The room was preparing to go to gym and the greatest thing happened; the entire class suddenly dropped into a squat and low walked their way down the hall!

Olympic fans are definitely evident in second grade and who knows, maybe a seed of inspiration was planted and a future speedskater will be making their way to the ice.

Short Track Speedskating American Cup III, Long Track Masters Sprint Games & Vancouver

Photo by Jerry Search

Get ready for some fast skating this weekend on both the Short Track and Long Track ice!

Short Track:

If folks can make their way through the winter snow storm happening in Dale City, VA, they will be treated to the American Cup III racing series! Most of the competitors arrived yesterday, some just making the last flights in before mother nature blanketed the area in wintery white. Practice ice was held last night and skaters will be sharp and ready to begin their racing card today and tomorrow. A "good luck" goes out to all the skaters, especially to those from my club: Katy Ralston and Josh Cummings. I will keep an eye on results and post when available.

***Update as of 2:30pm EST***
American Cup III has been officially canceled.  After warm-ups were completed this morning, skaters were getting ready to begin races and starters were taking their places. At this time a loud "Bang" could be heard from above and when eyes looked over-head, it was noticed that one of the support beams holding the rink's roof had bent and collapsed. The rink's occupants were safely evacuated. Upon inspection, it was found that the heavy, wet snow that has crippled the area had now claimed the integrity of the roof. For the safety of all involved, officials have closed the rink. Never a dull moment in Short Track!!

Safe travels to all!!

Long Track:

The 2nd Masters Sprint Games are being held in Milwaukee, WI at the Pettit National Ice Arena. Organizer Andrew Love has put together another top notch event that has attracted the fastest Masters Long Track skaters from around the world. The USA team is choc-full of talented skaters and will show that you can still skate fast, no matter what age you are. Good luck to Martin Haire and Masahiko Yanigahara.

Vancouver News:

Team USA Short Track and Long Track skaters have arrived in Vancouver! The Long Track Team has been practicing at the Richmond Oval and have stated that the ice is F-A-S-T and they look forward to racing! The Short Track team arrived yesterday and will have practice this morning. Both teams have been getting settled in their new "home away from home" and are very impressed with accomodations. Each team has gone through the "outfitting" of apparel that will be worn for opening, medal and closing ceremonies. The clothes have been provided by Ralph Lauren and Nike and these threads are sweet! The excitement is exuding from both first time and returning Olympians as they share these special moments. All are looking forward to meeting fellow athletes from around the world as they begin to arrive.

The world awaits to witness Vancouver's magic as Opening Ceremonies are only 6 days away!

A Speedskater's Take on "The Perfect Race"

I was grabbing a t-shirt out of my drawer to go run. When I realized which one I was ready to place on my back, I decided to snap a picture and share.

If you click on the photo, you will get the whole picture.

This is a shirt that I bought while I was in Milwaukee competing in the Short Track National Championship in 2005. I always try to buy something from a meet so I can support the club that is hosting and it is usually a t-shirt. It was my second Nationals competition and my first time at the Pettit National Ice Center. I never really paid much attention to the list of names. Whenever I wear this to practice, I tend to find skaters following me around. I get that feeling, like someone is looking over your shoulder and when I turn around I hear " Oh, sorry...just reading your shirt!" I've always said to myself I should check it out, but I forget and it gets shoved in the bag after practice, goes through the laundry and back in the drawer until next time.

The year before, in Cleveland, I was a nervous wreck. It was my very first National competition and I had never skated a 3000m, that is 27 grueling laps. I had butterflies for days leading up to it and thought I was going to get sick while sitting in the heatbox.  I lined up at the start and off I went. I remember skating cat and mouse with another skater; I'd pass her and she would pass me, I would pass her and so on. Our skinsuits looked similar and our helmet numbers were very close. We were lapped a few times by three other skaters, so as a lap counter, it was probably hard to keep track of who was who and how we would finish. As a skater, there comes a point in this race that you stop counting the laps because you are focused on just get me to the finish. When you are in the "pain cave" (a term very aptly coined by Andrew Love) you focus on who is going to end your suffering; you find your counter, search for the outstretched hand showing how many laps of pain you have left and make eye contact to make sure they are talking to you.

The lap counter was calling out our helmet numbers...you have 3 laps to go.....helmet number....you have 3 laps to go.....could I be ahead??? When I came to the last lap, the bell rang as I passed. Then it rang again behind me. We finished and I was immediately given a hug from my teammate (winner of this race) and fellow competitor who was waiting in the center of the ice. I remember her whispering in my ear-"I am so proud of you! You did it! You rock!"
 
I eagerly awaited the results and when they were posted, I stood there in complete shock. Next to my name was a big DNF (Did Not Finish). My teammate told me to go to our coach and tell him to protest. When the heat card was presented, there were a lot of erased pencil marks...you could tell that the counters were confused. You could literally SEE it. Shoulders were shrugged and that was that. I was devastated. My competitor was gloating on her 4th place medal. I learned something about myself that day-missing out on a medal was not what bothered me. Having a DNF next to my name, knowing full well that I suffered through that race and DID FINISH bothered me much more. My coach and friends tried to make me feel better by telling me their stories of losing overall National Championships on calls just like this. It was just part of the game.

When it came time for Nationals in Milwaukee, I was focused. I was focused on one race and one race alone. I had trained all year for this 3k. There was going to be no doubt what-so-ever that I crossed that finish line. In a recent Olympic commercial spot, Apolo Anton Ohno speaks of a perfect race. He describes being so focused that time seems to slow down. This was my perfect race. I could hear nothing but my coach as I came into the turn telling me either go "deeper" into the turn or "good". I could hear breathing behind me. I lead my competitor for 25 laps. With two to go, my coach kept saying "pick it up- now, now!" With one lap to go, she passed me and I could not answer it. My legs were wood. I could barely walk off the ice to sit on the bench. She came up to me, still breathing hard and said "Wow! You trained hard this year-that pace was fast- I did all I could do to hold on!"  I did not win that race, but I consider that one of my perfect races. I improved my time from the previous year by almost 2 minutes and there could be no denying that I finished. I committed to skating a better race than the year before and I accomplished that. The slight nod and raised, impressed eyebrow from my coach, spoke volumes and that is when I felt as if I did win.

So, what does this have to do with my t-shirt? Well, I finally looked at all the skaters. If you look close at those listed, you will see many names that are competing in Vancouver, including Apolo who is only 15 competitor's away from mine. Some have remained in Short Track and some have moved on to Long Track. They have made an Olympic team! After years of hard work and many, many competitons, I hope that their journey this February will allow them (medal or not) to experience their own "perfect race".

Petra Acker, "The Sweetness" Factor

L to R: Sam Marsicano, Kelly Pugliano, Petra Acker & Josh Cummings

This photo feels like ages ago, but it is only a few years old. Sam, who used to be our much loved babysitter is now in college and a breath-taking beauty. Josh is now taller than me and is one of, well, most likely, the nicest young man I have ever met and should be on the watch list of up and coming skaters. Rounding out this photo with me is Petra Acker, a true talent in both discipline's (short and long track) of speedskating.

When I first started speedskating 8 years ago, I would go to a local rink and practice almost every day. Skating and offering advice was the world-known speedskater, Howard Ganong. Hanging out in the middle of the ice, looking bored and sitting on a big white bucket was Howard's granddaughter, Petra. She was very shy, but always said hello before going back to playing on her bucket. Who knew in a few short years she would be globe-trotting to Poland and China as a Junior World Team member!

It seems around this time the three of us-Josh, Petra and I were introduced to a well known coach in the speedskating community; Casey Wager. He had retired from the sport for many years but started to show up at the rink to lace up his skates just to "get some laps in". After a few months, Howard had talked to Casey to see if he would mind showing Petra a few exercises to do on the ice so that she didn't seem so bored. Casey obliged and realized he had a diamond in the rough; Josh and Petra have always been two peas in a pod-the best of friends-so when Casey helped Petra, Josh was learning as well. Now Casey had two diamonds and out of retirement he came.

I was like the "Auntie" of the group. Helping them along, and offering advice or support whenever they needed it. In turn, they helped me out by making me chase. The kids and I would do the technical items that were given to practice and the laps that Casey would dish out. It only took a couple of seasons for both Josh & Petra to outskate me. I remember the first time I realized it.  We were doing passing drills and I could tell they were holding back. "Keep going, Kelly." Josh would say in an encouraging voice. "Yes, come on, Kelly." Petra would echo as I tried to make my way to the front. "Don't go slow on my account!" I would say. So this day they both turned on the gas a little and started to put some distance between us. All I can remember saying is "You little stink-pots!"

My first season as a competitive speedskater I skated in the Novice class. There is a great story here, but I will save for another day. I came to the last meet of the season and decided that I wanted to skate in my age class, so that is what I signed up for. I thought "I've been skating all season-I can do this no problem". Did I get humbled, real quick. I had never skated a 1500m before and I maybe skated a 1000m once during that year. I remember thinking "Oh, my. How am I going to finish this." but worse; I was mortified that I was lapped, not once, but many times. Funny, thinking about this now because the 1000m and 1500m are my favorite and best distances to skate!

The following year, Casey had us skating this meet and I remember that it was the first time Petra had competed. She was a nervous wreck and I thought she was going to literally get sick from the butterfies in her stomach. Her mom and dad tried calming her down, but it wasn't working. Sometimes, to talk to a speedskater, you have to be a speedskater. Petra's mom asked if I could talk to her. I remember her expression and I shared with her the story I just shared with you. I assured her that she would most definitely be spared the mortification of being lapped because she was good enough NOT to get lapped. Then we came up with a handshake and a mantra for her to focus on. We gave eachother a sliding horizontal "five" and I said "It's all Sweetness. No matter what, have F-U-N! Now give me some sweetness!" We did this before every race that day.  It seemed to work in both of our favors-neither one of us were lapped and we both medaled!

Last season, Petra earned a spot on the Jr.World Long Track team and traveled to Poland. Before she left, I wished her well and held out my hand and said "Give me some Sweetness!" Her face lit up and she exclaimed "Oh, Kelly! Yes! I forgot about that! Yes, Sweetness!" and she placed her hand on top of mine as we gave eachother a horizontal-five and then a big hug.

Petra has matured into a beautiful young lady. Poised and confident to take on the world. I am so lucky to know her and I could not be more proud.

Petra returned yesterday from Taipei City, China after competing on the Junior Short Track World Team. After checking the results, I say she did awesome. Click here for article on US Speedskating and to see full results. I'm sure that the road to an Olympic Games will be very near in her future. A long way from the center of the ice and a big white bucket.

Rest assured, not only does Petra have the "It" factor, she has the "Sweetness" factor.

U.S. Long Track Olympic Team Set For Vancouver

Visit usspeedskating.org to purchase this pin!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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....

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.

A Dream is A Wish Your Heart Makes

I have been saying to myself "Please pinch me" for the past week.

 I am still amazed that I have been chosen as one of five finalists in the Microsoft Office Blogging contest. What is even more amazing is the outpouring of support that I have received from family, friends and folks that I don't even know. I wish I could share the deep thanks and appreciation I feel for the encouragement you all have given me to continue my quest to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a part of the Olympic Games.

I enjoy both the Summer and Winter Olympics but seem drawn more toward the Winter Games. Maybe I'm partial to my Uncle Bill's stories of competing in the Bobsled or the fact that I compete in another winter sport of speedskating, but regardless of these, I get excited to see each and every sport that are the make up of the Winter Olympics. I keep thinking how incredibly cool it would be to be able to compare my experience with that of Uncle Bill's. Would the Games have the same feel? Would the athlete's anticipation and excitement be the same?

To have the opportunity to see the best of the best compete in their individual sport and the experience the Winter Olympic Games is a dream that my heart has wished upon since being a young girl. To be able to write about it and share with others that story is icing on the cake.

Please let me take this opportunity to say thank you for inspiring me to keep writing and to keep chasing after my dream.

Voting continues through 11/29/09 at http://officewintergames.com/ .