Skatin’ Like a Newbie

     There’s nothing like breaking in new skates to make you feel foolish. Talk about eating some Humble Pie…

     The skates are great — don’t get me wrong — but you know how it is. New skates have a whole different fit and feel to them. They feel taller / shorter / tighter / looser / more stiff / less stiff / whatever compared to the old ones, so my first time on the ice was fairly ridiculous. Sooooo little of the fierce control I always want and imagine having.

     So what’s the problem? The new skates are taller than my old ones, so I have to bend lower to touch the ice on the turns. The ankles were tight, so I had to get them punched out a bit. I’m also not confident in them yet, so that doesn’t help anywhere on the track.

     I figure another two sessions and I’ll feel more comfortable. Until then, my fellow skaters might want to keep a safe distance. It’s dangerous out there…

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New Short Track Skates!

     I can’t wait until Tuesday when I’ll have my first practice on my new short track skates! Check ‘em out: Bont Jets with Maple Chrome blades.

     These boots have a higher ankle than the long track boots, and that’s really needed for the lean and the digging into the ice on sharp turns.

     I’m still doing long track speedskating as well and went to the Pettit Center’s time trials Saturday. Congrats to everyone who achieved their qualifying times and personal bests!

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I Probably Had it Coming

     You’re supposed to treat your speedskates really well. They’re expensive and touchy and easily broken. So what do I do today on the ice but goof off, doing figure-skating spins on my long track speedskates. Naughty. That’s really bad for blades, but I figured I’d be resharpening the blades tonight anyway. Harmless fun.

     Then I’m doing laps and feeling my clap blade hitting differently. Sure enough, I’d lost the screw holding it on and had to cut short my workout.

     Coinky dink? Probably not. I eventually found the screw and made up for the shortened workout with a spin on my bike when I got home, but let that be a lesson to all the speedskaters visiting here. Go forward on your blades — not spinning round and round! But we all knew that…

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Dryland Workouts and Running

     The speedskating season is over, but you’ll find that the really dedicated skaters aren’t spending their newly-freed-up workout times sitting in lawn chairs, drinking margaritas, and finding shapes in passing clouds. Oh, I plan to do that at least once this summer, don’t get me wrong, but the point is we’re supposed to not let ourselves get out of shape, which would make our autumn transition back onto the ice painful.

     To that end, my coach has been holding dryland workouts, including “low walking” (walking low to the ground in speedskater stance) to strengthen those thighs — feel the burn, baby — and sprints for bursts of speed. I haven’t been able to travel for the weekly workouts, but I’ve been making up for it by exercising in other ways, including working on an elliptical machine, on steps, using weights, and running.

     Let me just say that I used to run quite a lot in college and loved it. It was always exhausting the first mile but got much easier the longer I ran, and I had a great running partner who was much faster than me and thus motivated me to keep up — Diane, if you’re out there, email me, hun.

     Now I’m running with my kids, and it’s turning out to be a really nice way to spend time with them. We only run together about twice a week and about a mile per session, but it’s been great to have them as running mates. We’re all seeing improvement in our strength and stamina and we’re having fun — and preparing to set the ice on fire come September!

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Who’da Thunk?

     For whatever reason, I haven’t posted much on something which is a fairly large part of my life. Until today. But I’m just so amazed that I have to share my good news.

     Today I clinched my division in the US Speedskating National Long Track Championships held at Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center. That means… drumroll please… I’m the National Champ!

     I’ve been speedskating for three years and figure skating for longer. I love both, but found myself strangely drawn to the need for speed. Who’da thunk it’d lead to a national championship? I’ve never been national anything before.

     But there’s even more good news. My daughter, Antonia, took fourth in her division, against some tremendously talented girls, some more than a year older than she. We both skated five races, and got our personal bests in all of them. My eldest daughter, Corina, and son Armando also speedskate and are showing great promise! As for my husband, well, I’m still trying to connive him into getting on the ice.

     My thanks to U.S. Speedskating; Robert R. Stewart for sponsoring my division; the Pettit National Ice Center; my club, Badger Speedskating; our coach, Jeff Brand, my darling and supportive husband, and all the folks who make the sport fun!

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