It was my second Jack Shea Sprints, but my first ever competition on clap skates so the entire weekend was a bit of an experiment. The last time I'd skated with my short track blades. On the left, a picture Liz took of me at evening practice on the 14th of December. The skater who looks awkward...that would be me! The EVO blades were new, having been worn exactly once, at last Saturday's Rochester Speed Skating Team practice at the Genesee Valley Ice Rink in Rochester, NY.
The first day of the meet included picture perfect conditions! Sunny (sunglasses were advisable), with no significant wind, really smooth ice, and temperatures just below freezing. The second day was more typical...light snow, colder, with a brisk wind hitting us on the backstretch.
Liz, accustomed to the indoor ice of the Utah Oval and the Pettit Center, was not that thrilled with her performance, but the truth is that she was first in her classification, and her times were better than the last time she'd skating in the Adirondacks! As for her father, let's just say that a jarring fall in the backstretch on the first race of the meet (a 500 meter sprint) was humbling but did not damage the ice or the concrete beneath. The other three races may have taken the "speed" out of speedskating, but were a learning experience on the clap skates and a great deal of fun.
I am particularly grateful to fellow skaters and to officials who were nothing if not encouraging every step of the way! The clap skates felt much more comfortable than short track blades, too. I think it's safe to say that if race officials let me sign up, I'll be on the long track ice again. And again. And hopefully a little better at it!
