Zen and the Art of Speedskating

I am not a superstitious person, however I do place some minor stock in personal symbolism. Here is an example of what I mean; during the hour that I was born on January 5th (roughly 1pm) I have a tradition of doing something connected to how I want the next year to proceed. It means nothing really, but it has become symbolically meaningful to me.

In past years I have done all sorts of things during this hour, riding my bike, hurtling down mountains on skis, doing the books for my business, etc. etc, and a few things that I REALLY should not discuss on this blog, fun though they were. This time last year, I was in Lake Placid, and I went to the 1980 “miracle on ice” hockey rink to do an hour of hard dryland, as that was what I really needed to take my skating to the next level (and it still is).

But this year, during the hour I turned 35, as I am in Norway to speedskate, I was on the ice at the Norwegian Vikingskipet long track rink (I accounted for the time difference). This rink is called the “Viking Ship” because from the outside, it resembles the hull of a ship. I will get a good outside picture eventually (maybe when its not so cold, damp and grey outside, I might have to wait till spring!) but here is their website if you want to see it, it’s stunning! This is the rink the 1994 Olympics were held in, and where Dan Jansen finally won his gold.

However my pictures today are from the inside. As usual per most long tracks, they have very strange internal architecture. I like the internal struts, they are wood, and certainly feel like the inside of a boat. Click on the picture for a larger & desktop friendly version of it.

Here it is, the secret to Norwegian Speedskating sucess, this is the actual turncable Johan Olav Koss used to use before his 3 gold medals in the 1994 Olympics. Actually not, I don’t think any human could pull this rusty, Greyhound bus length piece of psychotic anchor chain. Why is this hanging on the wall?

This size 798 skate (rougly a 3443 in euro sizing) is hanging from the roof. You can see it at the end of the straightaway in the big photo. It supposedly once said “Coca-Cola” on the side, but since Coke stopped paying their sponsorship bills, they taped over the logo, but left the skate cause it’s just odd.

Top Norwegian Speedskater & 3k world record holder Eskil Ervik was staying late after the Norwegian National team practice, and did some media photo sessions with these two adorably attired kids. What unimaginable sufferings these professional athletes must endure!

I am feeling good, and enjoying myself here in Norway, its 11pm right now, and it somehow feels strangely like late afternoon, and I could just party & drink all night to celebrate another year! am I now in my mid 30’s or my late 30’s??

Yeah, right, party & drink.. not this fella, I think I will go back to my hotel room, watch more ski jumping on TV, and go to bed early, visualizing the perfect 1000m race in a few days.

Filed under: on the road