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.