Afterglow
Yeah, that’s me, chasing myself in a sequence from the amazing magical camera of Kim Kraan … I don’t “feel” like this when I skate… I usually more feel like this Bugs Bunny villan, Gossamer the monster. Just a shambling mound of red fur galoomphing about.
But digital pixels don’t lie until they meet Mr Photoshop (then you can make them lie).
Maybe I am actually figuring out something about skating. It just feels like “home” physically.
The last few weeks I’ve been back at training with a vengeance. It helped that my friend Kirk came out to Salt Lake for a weekend, and we skated & skated & skated. The long track has been open this week, and although inline is fun, I’m a long tracker at heart.
Thanks for the inspiration Kirk…
My muscles are glowing like hot embers after a bonfire. Accels, laps, drills, it was wonderful. There is just something about long track. Even though all I see are flaws when I review video of technique, It’s just so much fun
US Sprint Champ Heather Richardson was on the ice as well, getting an easy skate in before heading on up to Vancouver for a training camp. I like her push direction here, left leg especially, you can see what direction her pressure was being applied.
Heather will be the first to stay that technique is a wonderful & maddening thing to continually be working on, no matter what level one is skating at.
It’s hard not to be rough on oneself in the beginning of an ice season, as you remember what it feels like when you are ON, and you know how much work it will take to get there again.
Heather was smiling on the ice today, looking forward to the hard work. Is there something right with us? or wrong?
The slideboard at the oval greeted me like an old friend. We got right down to business. My 1987 Pink Floyd concert T-shirt says “Learning to fly” on the back. Seem appropriate.
Maybe what being a “Speedskater” truly is, is not a measure of speed or physical fitness, but a relentless attitude towards improving, bit by bit, year by year, of striving towards a goal that even if you attain it, is a fleeting instant of execution.
Make the effort of the journey is as sweet as the moments it all comes together, and you can get quite addicted to this little sport. Perfectional velocity? hmmmm.
Again, there is something very right, or very wrong, about this sport and the people who do it.
Filed under: from home
See you are a PhotoShop and literary genius with this post. Your definition of what it means to be a Speedskater is the best I’ve read anywhere!
What shoe covers are you using on the slideboard? I use shower caps and it works well but it would appear you have something better maybe.
Weiland,
shower caps? that is a pretty cool idea. I will have to try it.. What I have on my feet are an ancient & battered pair of hockey socks, folded over each other. They are the ones I was using when I was 16, and are full of holes.
One thing my friend Kirk introduced me to is using surgical booties. They do wear out after a few uses, but they are tiny, easy to stick in a skate bag, and are super cheap for a box of 100.
The shower caps work pretty good and are a lot easier to get on than pantyhose over your shoes. Plus there’s less explaining as to what your intentions are with pantyhose. To see the shower caps in action I even have a video of my 4 yr old son on the slideboard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v13XkScTz1Y
HOLA ANDREW : TE VUELVO A ESCRIBIR DESDE EL FIN DEL MUNDO MI CIUDAD USHUAIA -TIERRA DEL FUEGO PARA CONTARTE QUE REALIZAMOS LA CHAMPIOCHIP PATINAJE DE VELOCIDAD SOBRE HIELO ORGANIZADO POR LA ESCUELA NORA VEGA Y SU PROFESOR ANDRES CHAVES EN LAGUNA VICTORIA HIELO NATURAL CON UN PAISAJE PRECIOSOS Y CON MUCHO EXITO ! Y QUE SE TOMARON LOS TIEMPOS A VARIOS NIÑOS !! PASAMOS UN JORNADA DE DIVERCION Y DISFRUTE DEL DEPORTE QUE MUCHOS QUEREMOS CON EL CORAZON UN ABRAZO CORDIALMENTE. UNA ARGENTINA EN EL FIN DEL MUNDO !!!!
Great post Andrew!
So true- that fleeting moment we are all striving for!!
translations of LINA’s comment from babelfish is this:
HELLO ANDREW: I RETURN TO YOU TO WRITE FROM THE END OF THE WORLD MY CITY USHUAIA - EARTH OF THE FIRE FOR CONTARTE THAT WE REALISED THE CHAMPIOCHIP SPEED SKATING ON ICE ORGANIZED BY SCHOOL NORA FERTILE VALLEY AND ITS PROFESSOR ANDRES CHAVES IN LAGOON VICTORY NATURAL ICE WITH A LANDSCAPE PRECIOUS AND BY FAR SUCCESS! AND THAT TOOK THE TIMES TO SEVERAL CHILDREN! WE PASS A DAY OF DIVERCION AND ENJOYS THE SPORT THAT MANY WE WANT WITH THE HEART A HUG SINCERELY. AN ARGENTINA IN THE END OF THE WORLD!
She is speaking about the fact that some ice races have been organized in South America this year. Extremely cool!
Tierra del Fuego is at the very tip of Argentina and she lives in the main city.
Think Charles Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle. Also the Falkland Islands are near by.
So great that you have a reader literally at the bottom of the world.
me my shadow& i
may the last one win
Andrew;
Hope this is you; thought you might enjoy this update on Katherine; a training journal she is doing for the hometown paper(the bottom part). I think she is doing very well. I am trying to be the good father but keep thinking this could be her big change and how do I make sure she doesn’t waste the chance like many of us do. Have you ever noticed that everyone has plateaus or barriers in performance that they never break through? That is my question to you. My personal take is that the very successful athletes find a way to break to higher levels and others don’t. Many feel it’s all genetic and you can’t beat a superior athlete. YOU talk to many athletes and walk the walk. What do you say? I have found personally that if I sit on my bike and stationary trainer and do intense intervals, I improve both sprint and endurance(muscles become more efficient); but it’s very painful! Wish I had better genetics!
Katherine’s Journal
July is always a favorite time of year for me. It’s hot and sunny, full of good training, and I turn 21 at the end. This July I’ve been spending my time, outside of the rink, enjoying all the great things that Salt Lake City has to offer. Lately I’ve been doing most of my shopping at the farmers market. The market in Salt Lake is rivaled by no other! It takes up an entire park a city block long. I try to make it every Saturday, as long as it doesn’t conflict with training, and bring home whatever fresh fruits and vegetables catch my eye. Sometimes I end up with an eclectic menu all week long, but it’s fun to come up with new recipes using whatever I have on hand. I mostly love the farmers market because I feel like I’m giving back to the community.
Sustainable living (trying to reduce the use of natural resources) isn’t something that most people pay attention to, but it’s pretty easy to cut down transportation costs and pollution by buying locally grown goods. Buying food locally is also more nutritious because the fresher your food is the more nutrients it has to offer. Many small farms grow organically, but can’t pay the fees for official paperwork so you get top quality ingredients for a fraction of the cost. Growing up with my grandparents owning a dairy farm I appreciate the support needed to run a small farm in America.
At the rink I’m more focused than ever. We’re finishing our last high volume training cycle and transitioning into good, quality performance. This phase is difficult every year. My body is worn down from non-stop training the last 3 months, but the on ice workouts are getting faster and faster. Just last Tuesday Shani Davis (Olympic Champion in Long Track) led a 13 lapper for the ladies team that matched the world record for the 1500m. I also set a personal best following Shani for a 7 lapper, which is the main training for a 1000m race. And it’s only July! I won’t be reaching my peak until February, which means there are still improvements to be made!
What I’m most excited about right now is that I’m spending my last day on earth as a 20 year old. Tomorrow (July 30th) I’ll be turning 21. It actually makes me kind of sad to think that I’ll never be 20 again. 20 years is such a long time, but I don’t feel like I’ve gotten 20 years worth of living done. I’ve never thought before that I really should try to get more out of life, but as a 21 year old I hope to have no regrets, less fear, and more fun.
That should be no problem considering my parents and I are flying to Vegas to celebrate! I’ve never been before and am so excited to see everything the city has to offer. We’re going to see the Lion King on broadway, something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I plan on trying every new thing possible! I won’t be getting too crazy seeing as Olympic trials are only 5 weeks away (by the way have you made your plans to watch in Marquette, MI yet?) but I’ll be seeing if I have any luck at the casino for sure!
Be sure to check out katherinereutter.com. It’s up and running! Usspeedskating.org has all the details for the upcoming Olympic Trials and World Cups in Marquette. Keep an eye out for my next