Zen and the Art of Speedskating

I have been chatting with Tom DiNardo via email- Tom is a photographer, and he directed me to some AMAZING galleries that he took of the North American Longtrack Speedskating Championships that occurred February 8th-9th & 10th.

For example, here is Kreg Greer warming up:

I love photos like this, where you can clearly see the light coming in under the front half of Kreg’s right blade, it shows exactly where his weight is driving through.

There are a lot of Canadians in this gallery, including Nicole Garrido, who I met 6 years ago in Calgary, she was just a kid then, now she is a cruise missile of Canadian national team speed.

Connor Slivocka, another young skater whom, every time I see him, seems to be an inch taller & 10 lbs bigger.

Here is a wild Panorama, of Canadian Kerry Dankers/Simpson, (we think) crashing. Click on it for the big version.

I’m not sure who this is, but wow… that’s some nice 500m corner form. (note: as per her comment, this actually is 2006 Olympian Kerry Dankers/Simpson again!)

Here is Tom’s homepage and the direct link to his North American Longtrack Speedskating Championships Galleries

Tom has tried to organize his galleries by skater, so if you competed there, check it out. Here are the skaters he has identified, and has multiple shots of:

Midway Speedskating Club - Women
Midway Speedskating Club - Men
Puget Sound - Non-Race
Saratoga Speedskating Club
Sault Speedskating Club
Askervold, Thorston
Belanger, J-R
Belchos, Jordan
Bergeron, Stephanie
Bernhard, Nathan
Berriault, Tobey
Blouin, Vincent
Boutin, Michele
Bucsis, Anastasia
Cribb, Evan
Dankers, Arne
Duffeld, Kelsey
Dutton, Will
Dyrud, Rebecca
Gendron, Kyle
Garant, Alexandre
Garrido, Nicole
Gladys, Timothy
Gregg, Sarah
Greer, Kreg
Goplen, Nick
Gozinsky, Marcin
Growden, Dan
Haire, Marty
Han, Jimmy
Hambly, Lisa
Hawke, Erica
Henry, Elyce
Hill, Jackson
Huot, Veronique
Jackowniak, Steve
Jeong, Clare
Johnson, Andrea
Kemp, Jennessa
Kitura, Jeff
Kriek, Ricky
Kryski, Eric
Kury, Tim
Lanser, Erica
Lapointe, Sabrina
Lay, Kirsti
Lee, David
Lewis, James
L’Heureux, Justine
Makowsky, Mykola
Marsh, Pat
Martel, Peter
Maunder, Justin
McCabe, Adam
Nam, Julia
Ouardi, Muncef
Parrot, Kyle
Phillips, Crystal
Plummer, Matt
Queen, Amanda
Riopel, Phil
Sadlier, Aaron
Savard, Mireille
Sibold, Shannon
Simpson, Kerry
Spencer, Haley
Stinson, Fraser
Starke, Alister
Sugden, Lynn
Sugden, Scott
Sulzer, Keith
Tutt, Breanne
Waples, Stephan
Zettler, Spencer

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Filed under: from the coffee shop

So I am riding my bike to work on one of those huge, open, Salt Lake roads that has room for 4 lanes + turn lane + parking + ample bike lanes.

a minivan darts through an opening in traffic, AND ALMOST RUNS ME OVER!!!

I barely have time to grab my brakes, as the minvan flashes by a mere foot in front of my wheel, -they are turning into a gas station.

My heart is jumping & twisting like a fish on a hook. After a few seconds to collect myself, I turn into the gas station after them.

These idiots are driving through the gas station, using it as a shortcut to get to a different road!!

Traffic is brisk, and they are stopped at the exit. I roll up behind them, angling towards the drivers side window….

Suddenly traffic clears and the minivan rolls forward. I am about to put my fist through their back window, but at the last second remember that is a really bad idea (for my hand, I don’t care about their window) so I do a loud open palmed thwack, and let loose with a stream of All-American obscenities at the top of my lungs (and I can be LOUD when neccesary).

Usually, confronting a 3,300 pound Plymouth Voyager while riding a 19 pound Bianchi is a VERY bad idea, but with a gas station full of people sympathetically watching, it’s a bit safer.

The minivan spins it’s wheels, & zips away with the driver giving me the finger.

I continue back on my commute, wobbly, angry, sick to my stomach, wondering if I did the right thing, and with a wild new feeling mixed in, that my life is not just about my life anymore…

32 Comments »
Filed under: on the road

(if you have not seen it, be sure to check out my HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT just after this post)

but onward to my first Zen-10 questions follow-up

I have several google news alerts that tell me when speedskating news appears on the web.

When an alert popped up that JEN RODRIGUEZ was coming out of retirement for another shot at the Olympics, I stalked around the office that I now work in, and tried to tell anyone who would listen about this great news (I received the quizzical looks that most folks give to speedskaters who get excited about something).

Given the scarcity of good news sources for anything deeper than just race results, I realized that if I didn’t ask Jen some of these important questions, who would?

So first of all, let me holler out, on behalf of so many, WELCOME BACK!!

1. You have 2 Olympic medals in your pocket, you have won world championships in both ice & inline. So why the comeback? Is there business left unfinished?

My original intention after the 2006 Games was to continue skating, but I was so overtrained and burned out, the thought of skating made me sick.

It wasn’t until this past November that KC finally got me on the ice at our local rink here in Miami. The first step on the ice, I realized how much I missed it. I actually started to get a little teary eyed.

That’s when the thought of trying to make a comeback happened. I played around, back and forth with the idea for a while and made my decision in January. So to answer your question, I just love skating and did not want to end my career the way I did.

2. You have been a professional skater your whole life, but the last 2 years have been away from the sport. What did you miss? What didn’t you miss?

I absolutely miss the professional athlete lifestyle. It can be hard at times, but real life sucks big time! Physically it’s not nearly as demanding, but the stress level is no fun.

Right now I’m working 12-14 hours a day. I enjoy what I’m doing, but I don’t love it. At least as a skater, when times are tough, you’re doing something you love.

3. Do you have a particular picture of you, or you & KC, which represents the past 2 years. Will send it separately.

Here’s our picture…This is how the last 2 years have felt for us.

4. You spent a lot of time since you retired working on Track cycling, are there lessons that Track can bring to speedskating?

I spent about 10 months with the whole track thing. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I also think it was too soon for me to try and come back to competition.

The main lesson I learned was that no matter you do, you have to work extremely hard if you want to achieve success. I had a lot of work to do to make it in track and I wasn’t ready to commit the time nor the energy to it…at least not at that point.

5. You have had 2 very successful Olympics, 98 & 2002, self-analysis is so essential in a sport like long track, looking at your Olympics in 2006, what are you changing looking forward to 2010.

My main problem in 2006 was overtraining. By the time I got to the Games, my body was almost in complete shut down. My motivation level was zero, I could barely skate 2 laps without dying, I couldn’t sleep and was living off sleeping pills (mind you, I can sleep in the middle of the highway) and I had a constant numbness that covered my shoulder blade down through my left arm.

If you don’t learn from that experience, something is wrong with you.

There are a lot of things I will go back and change. The most important will be making sure I’m getting the proper rest. I’m no spring chicken anymore and I’m going to have to be very careful, especially now that I’m playing catch up.

6. When I wrote you asking about your comeback, you replied “, I’m on my way back and maaaannnn do I have a lot of work ahead of me.” Like what?

For me, at least I’ve stayed in somewhat decent shape. I’ve lost a lot of weight, mostly muscle, so I’m going to have to work extremely hard to get that strength and power back.

It was always a weakness for me anyway. And, even though I’ve been on the bike a bunch, it’s still not the same as skating. Sitting in that position is going to take some work to get back.

7. What did you miss about not being a full time skater? What didn’t you miss

I miss taking naps! I love sleeping. I miss my teammates and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss traveling.

You do so much traveling you actually get sick of it, but when you’re cooped up for two years with no travel, it can drive you insane. Right now, I’m completely stir crazy.

8. I asked Jessica if she wanted to ask a question, here is what she came up with.

You & your husband are obviously both very competitive people, how does that affect the dynamics of your marriage, considering that you participate in the same sport, and often train together?

When it comes to daily life, I think I’m more competitive than KC. Maybe that’s because he beats me at everything and then laughs at me.

On the ice though, there’s no competition. We were always good about leaving the ice on the ice. We rarely brought skating home.

9. You were consistently among the top skaters in the world for several years. From your perspective as one of the truly fast, what are the factors that sorts out who is 1st, 3rd, 8th, 12th? Everyone is talented; everyone tries really hard, what creates those tiny differences?

I think a lot has to do with natural ability. Some people have it, some don’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a great athlete.

I think the quality of each exercise and workout make a huge difference. A lot of people work hard, but don’t pay attention to fine details. They kind of just go through the motions.

When I’m training and skating, I’m always thinking about my position and how to make it stronger and more efficient. Plus, when I race, I just go for it. You can’t be afraid of the pain. It’s always going to hurt.

10. When was the last time you walked out of the Utah Olympic oval? what were you feeling & thinking, and what do you think will be in your heart when you return in May?

The last time I walked out of the Oval was before the 2006 Olympics. I didn’t think it would be over after that.

To tell you the truth, my long track skates are still apart from the trip home from Torino. I think they’re in a closet somewhere.

I’m not sure how I’m going to feel when I get back. Probably a mix of emotions, both good and bad.

11. What do you define “success” as, in this return.

Coming across the line knowing you put everything out there. If you have a smile on your face, then it’s success.

Haiku Speed Round

1. When I moved to Salt Lake City, I had a bunch of speedskaters help me unload the U-haul, it was a world class moving crew!!! What 4 skaters would you pick, from any era, to help you load/unload your U-haul, and eat Pizza with afterwards?

Eric Heiden, KC Boutiette (of course), Dave Tamborino, Nick Pearson

2. Tell us about things you have added to your life since you were last on the ice? Hobby? Pets? Skill?

Two rescue dogs, Suki and Chuck. Own and operate my own bike shop. Went to a broadcasting school and graduated. Currently doing a sports internship at the local NBC. I love wakeboarding. I got a long board (skate board). Recently acquired Guitar Hero 3!!!

3. Most full time athlete struggles with injuries, what are your weak spots?

Bursitis in my right hip flexor.

4. Should Florida re-hold it’s democratic primary? And how?

I wish I cared about politics, but I can’t get into it. I vote, but that’s about it.

5. You get to do one more race, and then your career is truly over. What distance is it & where is the race held? Ice? Inline?

1000m Ice race. Thialf, the Netherlands

6. You are in the sponsorship hunt yourself, with medals & world championships on your resume, where should potential sponsors contact you?

My agent Rhiannon Ellis at Rhiannon@movesmgmt.com

7. Favorite Rink outside of the USA?

Hamar

8. Favorite food after a brutal training day?

Pizza and a root beer or vanilla cream soda…exciting I know.

9. Best pair of skates you have ever owned?

A pair of pink quad roller skates. I won a race at the 1993 World Championships in them. I still have them, I still skate in them and I still love them

(thanks to Jim white for mentioning this picture in the comments)

10. If you could travel through a time-tunnel and give your teenage self a few words of sage advice, what would it be?

I’m not sure. I think I needed to have all those awkward experiences to become who I am today. I feel so old and experienced now. I guess the one thing I would tell myself is not to worry about all the little things. Back then the little things used to be such a big deal. They really weren’t.

6 Comments »
Filed under: Zen 10 Questions:

Remember early in the year, when a heavy snowfall was exciting, pretty, and walking in it was calming & contemplative?

That is early season snow; however when it snows in late March/early April, it feels different.

This last freezing gasp of winter makes me feel like that slush-slimed garbage can on the side of the road.

Well… Ok, it’s still pretty…. Muddy, but pretty.

After several warm days, that were truly “shorts-worthy” this is just Mother Earth playing with us, making sure speedskaters rest more, before they can start cycling/inlining outdoors again.

Hey Father Sky…. Can you crank up the heat a bit?

2 Comments »
Filed under: from home

Occasionally, people send me things, & ask that I post them on the blog. This one was very unusual.

An American living in Korea, David Jensen, wrote me this note:

I’m an American ex-pat in Korea and an (amateur) speedskater.

I recently posted on youtube a video of my adventures at Taerung Ice Rink in Seoul. It doesn’t have much actual speedskating, just footage of Seoul, the training facility and a little bit of commentary on Korean sports.

Hopefully, I will be able to get some footage of some competitions in the near future.

In his video, there is a tantalizing moment, 1:09 in, where you see the long track in Seoul, and a little kid in a very Korean hat skating by.

The rest of his video is commentary on a Korean Olympic Museum.

David continues:

There seems to be a lot of misperceptions about Korean speedskating. First, everyone seems to think that Korea is really cold.

Compared to upstate New York (my home), Korean winters are mild. It would be really fun if the Han River iced over, but sustantial snowfall and natural ice are very rare here.

Second, people seem to think that everyone in Korea is a ST skater.

Seoul, Korea has maybe half a dozen ice rinks with a population 20+ million people. Needless to say, most people aren’t ice skating on the weekends.

I think the Koreans have adopted an East German style training (minus the steroids) - take a few talented kids and train them to death.

Since the vast majority of Koreans lives in proximity to Seoul, you don’t have the kind of issues that young U.S. speedskaters have with being far away from professional training facilities.

Like in the US, Korean speedskaters are a small but very dedicated group of people.

I have always thought that if you added up all the medals won at Long track worlds, short track worlds, and inline worlds, Korea would, in sum total, be the leading skate nation in the world.

I wonder how many licensced, competitive speedskaters there are in Korea? I do know that their masters championship had 60 skaters in it.

Hey David, where are you from in Upstate NY? That is my ancestral stomping grounds!

4 Comments »
Filed under: Audio/Video