http://andrewlove.org/blog Thoughts about Speedskating & Speed Skating, Coffee, and trying to relax while moving 35mph on a 1mm thick blade Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:23:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A little over a year ago, I was out mountain biking with my friend Zane, and we rode some trails where wildfires had charred the mountainside. Groves of skeletal trees, ash stains imprinted on the ground, wildflowers beginning to push into view among the devastation. That day, I was ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=679 A live picture from a freezing room at the Holton in Richmond, VA, full of people incredibly passionate about a frozen sport- John Dimon was always fond of saying: “The way people act, speedskating is not life or death, it’s FAR more important.” You see that a lot at this meeting. All level ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=772 (Originally written on the 18th, pubished on the 30th) By myself at an empty public skate session, just my battered boots & me. Drills, easy laps, orientation of the complaining body to the skates again- Skate politics is filling my brain, as much as my hips are being oriented again to the ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=771 The news came on Friday. My peers in the general membership have elected me to US Speedskating’s board of directors. It is a deep honor. After reading the election results, RZ and I took a walk down the alley next to our house. She took every opportunity to stand ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=770 We have names for the colors we can see; Reds, greens, blues, bent through cornea, lens flare and pixels. But our cornucopia of names trails off when color arcs into ultraviolet and infrared, X-ray and gamma, even though those powerful wavelengths flow through us. So it is with love. Such ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=769 60+ bicycle racers at the start- by the time we were ripping towards the final turn of the race, there were still 40+ in it to win it. The pack was boiling back and forth across the road like a scalded snake. Earlier: Sounds of coffee percolating, was on ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=767 How does that saying go? It's not over till the fat lady sings? I have an addition to that saying, specific to speedskating. "The season is not over till Mahoney slides" I've seen Charlie do this to ceremonially end the season a couple of times. He gave himself ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=766 Masters worlds is much more than just the racing. It’s also the people you share it with. For example, here is the amazing Arne Kjell Foldvik, cheering on another Norwegian. Arne is in the 75-80 category. I asked him how many are competing in the 75+, he said with a ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=765 (on the flight, I did work on my report from Masters Sprint Worlds, almost a month late, but I will publish it this week.) 17 nations, almost 300 athletes. It wasn't the Olympics, but Baselga di Pine in Italy did a great job hosting Masters Allaround Worlds. This competition is a ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=764 Awaking from the turbulent dream of international travel, the rough ministrations of an Altalia 747 spits me out, punch drunk, jet lagged, into a strange country where everyone is skinny and dresses very well. Must be Italy. One sleep in a hotel bed, wake, one cup of tremendous Italian coffee (taste, ... http://andrewlove.org/blog/?p=763