It's Not Too Late To Skate

Evolution of a Long Track Skater

2011-07-15T03:16:00.008-04:00

For our family, time stood still on October 3, 2010, and for a long time afterwards, after Liz was seriously injured in a 1000 meter short track race during American Cup I at the Pettit Center in Milwaukee along with Katy Ralston.

The first of the family to really begin the recovery was Liz herself, insisting on an immediate return to Salt Lake City, and showing both strength and humor by going to a skaters' Halloween party three weeks later, in full leg cast, as Nancy Kerrigan! Around that same time, she returned to the Utah Oval to train and rehab as well as possible.

By late October, three weeks post-injury, Liz was on an exercise bike at the Oval (photo on left), still wearing a leg brace, and trying to move on the running track in a technique she called "agility crutching." By January, 2011 she was mentally ready to test her leg on ice at a public session at the Oval, as seen in right photo, accompanied by teammate Jerebelle Yutangco, doing a uncannily accurate impersonation her Dad's "low" skating position! About the same speed, too. Liz continued her physical therapy (of various sorts), her treatment with a Tennant biomodulator, nutritional supplementation, chiropractic and acupuncture, and also continued her classwork at the University of Utah. Along the way, she made a decision to move to long track, and she entered the summer doing bike work with the long-track skaters at the Oval. That decision to switch disciplines prompted this from one of Liz's first coaches, Marty Medina of the Rochester Speed Skating Team: "She looks great on the Long Track. It is definitely where she needs to be." Did I mention that Liz, Jerebelle and Katy Ralston (who had fully recovered from her injury in the same accident as Liz) went skydiving in May, with Andrea and Elaine Dehnke rooting them on?

On July 13th, nine months from the accident, our friend Jerry Search found Liz on the 400 meter track at the Oval, clap skates fixed to short track boots, to provide a little more ankle support in the absence of regenerated nerves, and took this picture:

There is a long road ahead to full recovery, but say what you will, this proud Dad thinks he has been watching a profile in courage.

Sixty One

2011-04-05T21:45:00.002-04:00

Sixty-One

Is the year that Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, asterisk or not

Is the number of home runs that Roger hit that season for the Yankees

Is the number of my birthday today, April 5th

Steven Colbert Does It Again

2011-04-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

Last year, Steven Colbert and the Nation came to the rescue of US Speedskating. This year, Jimmy Fallon had a challenge bet with him to raise funds for another group. If Fallon raised it, Colbert would appear on the Jimmy Fallon Show to sing "Friday". Both delivered. Here's the clip from the April Fools' Day episode of the Jimmy Fallon Show. sorry about the short commercial in there!
Enjoy!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/229352/late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-stephen-colbert-sings-friday-with-the-roots

Curling in Canada!

2011-03-23T23:53:00.000-04:00

A year or so ago, I had a chance to sample a small taste curling on the Erie Canal with the Rochester Curling Club. This past month, courtesy of the Buffalo Speedskating Team and the Niagara Falls Ontario Curling Club, I got two big bites! What a great sport! Thanks, Danielle B for setting it up!

On two recent Sundays, most recently on March 20th, the Buffalo speed skaters, a couple of whom curl for teams at the Niagara Falls club (which is minutes from the Border, and features six really nice sheets of pebbled ice) had the chance to spend a couple hours each week getting a little introduction followed by the chance to play several ends. On Sunday, after two hours with the Buffalo skaters and some pizza and beer, I got a chance to fill in on team based at the Club for two more hours! What a great sport! Now, if I could learn to power with the leg alone instead of with the arm, PERHAPS the stone would stop before it passes the house! Here are the folks from one of the two lanes used by Buffalo on Sunday:

Jack Shea Sprints, Lake Placid Feb 26-27, 2011: Defeating the Demons

2011-03-10T01:40:00.003-05:00

I'd never competed in a long track meet. I had never raced on the outdoor oval at Lake Placid. It had been fifteen months since my last short track competition, when I'd reinjured myself, and I was nervous. It'd been four and a half months since Liz' injury at Milwaukee, and as illogical as it might be, that made me more tentative about racing. That being said, as January progressed, I was feeling good, and in relatively good condition. I'd been working with both an acupuncturist and a figure skating coach to try and improve balance issues, and overcome fear. I was really anxious to try long track. I knew that until I actually re-entered competition, there would be no way to put the fear of injury behind me. First, I signed up for the Nordic skating competition at Lake Morey, Vt., but that was cancelled due to the impact of January snow on the lake (see my Feb 5 post).

The Jack Shea Sprints at Lake Placid became the new goal. They were close. They were sprints. They councided with the Empire State Games, in which a lot of my teammates were competing. The field, in my age group was small (because so many of the best Masters skaters from the region were heading to Calgary for a Masters meet). And there was the lure of the 1980 Olympic Oval itself, and its setting in the Adirondacks, center of the universe.

There was only one way to lose: by not finishing at least one race. All I had to do was finish one heat, and I'd have two major victories: overcoming the fear factor; and having the experience of trying the long track in a competition. I had a restless night, dreaming about Liz' injury, getting myself wound tighter than a coil.

Saturday, February 26th. The temperature was seven degrees Farenheit at practice time, but the sun was out, the wind was slight, and it was a beautiful winter day. Practice could have gone better (the bolt attaching the mount to my blade came loose. I was trying clap skates, and learned the hard way that getting the weight too far forward is not a great idea). Rattled, even more than from the rough night, I switched to my short track blades, despite the disadvantages for glide and corners. Talking to other long track rookies, I realized that the heebie-jeebies were a shared phenomenon. The gang in the warming hut, old friends, including five of my Rochester Speed Skating teammates, and new acquaintances, gave great positive vibes. Time for the first heat, a 500 meter race.

A couple slow laps in the warmup lane, feeling the ice, enjoying the mountains, and there was the starting line. I'd be racing Bill Keane of the Taconic club, another newcomer to long track. We shook hands, chatted and waited our turn in the sun. The starter, Hans Hoefgen, told told us which lanes to use, then told us both to just go out there and have fun. The kind words helped. Skaters to to the line.....ready....BANG. The first half lap was toward the small but enthusiastic gang, then around the first turn, near the arena. Amazingly, still upright, and still going. The turn into the wind, and along the length of Lake Placid HS, with the High Peaks in view. Change lanes. The cold air hitting the lungs.....much tougher than indoor ice, but exhilarating....the second turn.., past Hans, and down the last straightaway to the finish.... well behind Bill, but still up and moving; then a slow lap in the warmup lane, to breath, calm down, and savor the real victory: one heat was done, and pleasure had overcome fear!

Second heat was1000 meters, this time paired with Carole Blair of the Quinte, Ont. club. Another friendly new acquaintance, who'd race ahead of me for the rest of the meet. This time the cold was really getting to my lungs, and by the start of the final lap, I was feeling a little wobbly. On the other hand, I was PUMPED! Another complete run! Day one over. Spirits much higher. No worry about sleeping well.

The next morning, there was a little snow on the ice, but it was a little warmer...a balmy 14F before wind. The sun peeked, then disappeared for a while. The 500 this time was more familiar, having been on the ice, but I'd gone back to the clap skates and didn't feel comfortable. Maybe practicing with them would have been a good plan. I'd also decided to use a face protector, but scrapped that by the time I did my warmup laps--it was just pushing air up and fogging the goggles. I'd decided that vision was more important than warm lungs. Even unsure on the skates, the absolute pleasure of day one was there in spades. Before the 1000, our official, Hence Bollinger, got the ORDA folks to bring out the Zamboni. That turned out great. The sun came out, the ice was as smooth as glass....the conditions were perfect for a slow, old rookie to have an absolutely fantastic time.....and I did...and I loved the cheering from my fellow skaters coming down the final straight.

Turned out, the weekend was a huge victory in so many ways: overcoming the bad case of nerves; having my first long track competition; ending the 15 month no-compete drought, and finding myself smitten with this different aspect of speed skating. The goal for next season? Some actual practice on clap skates, followed by as many competitions as I can manage. And in the meantime, talking up the Jack Shea Sprints to everyone who will listen. Long track is great!

Thank you, Linda and Christie Sauza, the volunteers, the Lake Placid Speed Skating Club and the Oval staff for a great event. Thank you, Hence Bollinger and Hans Hoefgen.

Reality check: my figure skating coach, Alexandre Chichkov, was at Empire State Games with some of his good figure skaters. He'd been watching out the window of the arena at the long track races. His comment the week after? "As soon as I saw you, I knew it was you. Your kick was good, your arms were good, but looked like a shorttracker, but your glide......no one but you puts your second foot down that fast. Learn to trust yourself and you'll go three times as fast!"

Masters: A Major Reason Speedskating is Such a Rush

2011-02-23T01:34:00.000-05:00

For someone my age, a sport like speedskating is partly about competition and fitness, but mainly about friendship and comraderie. At practice tonight, for example, I was skating with a little more speed and smoothness than usual, and was rewarded by cheering from my teammates! Two weeks ago, the Rochester Speedskating Team invited over 50 Masters skaters from the Buffalo and Syracuse clubs to join us for Saturday morning practice. I was amazed how many came, and what an incredibly powerful and positive practice it was. Here's the gang. Speedskating is NOT just for kids!

Masters Massed, and Snow Dumps on Speedskating

2011-02-05T11:24:00.003-05:00

The Rochester Speedskating Team practice this morning (Feb. 5, 2011) was a real joy. Our masters' group was joined by probably a majority of the over 50-year old skaters from the Buffalo and Syracuse clubs and the morning was just plain fun. Photos to follow. I hope it is a harbinger of what to expect in October when we host a Seniors meet!

As we lined up for s photos, taken by RSST teammate Rob Goodwin (who will also be a senior in just a couple of decades), someone did a quick calculation and decided we had about 1250 years of experience on the ice at Genesee Valley Rink. Speedskating is definitely NOT just for kids--I can't remember the last time I saw 25-30 fellow silverhairs having such a good time.

Next week was supposed to be my debut on nordic skates, at the North American Marathon races at Lake Morey Vt. My new skates (above) were going to be wings on my feet! Alas, winter intervened, and on Thursday the event was cancelled. It seems that the enormous snowfall January and February worked a double whammy on the Lake: snowcover first created a blanket over the ice which was not thick enough to support the snowplows. Because the snow was not removed, though, its weight became enough to accentuate cracks and render the ice surface unusable. So, there are these nice new Nordic blades with no where to go.....

Looking for a way to make lemonade from the lemons, I realized that my budget was suddenly a little healthier because of the cancellation of the Vermont meet. So, despite having no idea whatsoever of what do do with clap skates, I signed up for the Jack Shea Sprints at the Lake Placid LT oval for the last weekend of February. This will be interesting. Stay tuned!

The Younger Generation Inspires Me

2010-10-30T00:11:00.003-04:00

Just 26 days after her accident at American Cup I in Milwaukee, Liz returned today to the Utah Olympic Oval to get on with her return to strength. I'm in awe, as I have been at her courage and generally good spirits over an awful and painful month. Here she is doing "one legged spinning." I could not do better to illustrate her strength and spirit than to quote what she put on her Facebook page tonight.

"Liz Looby I did my first workout in 3 weeks today at the Oval! Abs, upper body, and leg lifts. Plus some agility crutching. Got that part on video. :) I also weighed myself, lost 11 lbs of beloved muscle :("

When one of her friends asked what "agility crutching" was, Liz said "The coach sets up cones on the track we have to run around and past...I just did it with crutches, and a lot slower :P"

It's really nice to draw inspiration from the strength of your own child. I've been fortunate to have that feeling with each of my kids. Way to go Liz!!!! I'm sure the "beloved muscle" will be back soon!

A sign of spirit: she went with her teammates to a Halloween party as Nancy Kerrigan!

Look Who's Starting Her Comeback!

2010-10-22T00:51:00.000-04:00

This photo was taken of Liz and Mike Kooreman (Sue Ellis in background) by Jerry Search at the Pettit Center in Milwaukee on October 2, 2010 at Am Cup I, the day before her accident in a 1000 meter final. She's working hard at her recovery, so this picture really represents the very start of her recovery!

Is This Heaven? No, it's Iowa

2010-09-27T20:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I got the chance to play catch with my son on the outfield of the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. As Kevin Kostner said in the movie, "it's perfect."

Summer Ice 2010

2010-08-10T02:05:00.005-04:00

There is nothing quite like some really good ice cream (if you are in Rochester NY, read "Abbott's Custard") on a hot summer day. Unless, of course, it is having the chance to have summer ice to train on. Same cold, no guilt and no brain freeze! Two weekends in a row, I've had the opportunity and the luxury of clinics with lots of ice time and lots of dryland. As the advertising campaign goes, Life is Good.

On the weekend of July 31st, Anthony Lobello came in to Rochester to lead us in two days of ice, dryland and inline--a opportunity taken by about twenty of the masters skaters of the Rochester and Buffalo teams, and one young skater who is determined to show her (considerable) speed. Anthony was a patient and very informative teacher, and I think will one day, when his competitive career is done, prove to be a fantastic coach. He gave us exactly what we needed after several months without ice: a return to basics, breaking down the elements of skating and working on the small pieces that, done right, should improve the skating form of each of us. Anthony did a great job of explaining and presenting word pictures of what the positions, done right would feel like. Having stepped on the ice with great trepidation, fearful of a recurrence of last season's injuries, after several hours with him, I felt both more comfortable and much more psyched for the coming season! The Rochester Speed Skating Team has a pretty intense dryland program under Coach Tom Rossborough, but Anthony presented some variations that will serve us well as we move closer to the start of the ice season. Thank you Anthony!

This past weekend, it was off to Morrisville State College IcePlex where members of the Center State, Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo clubs had two perfect summer days, and that fast, terrific Morrisville rink to work on ice; and a new astroturf football field for dryland skills, this time with Coaches Jenn Barber, Marty Medina, Tom Rossborough and Mikey Burdekin, who came in to show us what he's been learning over the past year in Salt Lake City. I am so looking forward to the start of our regular season!

A Wonderful Feeling

2010-06-17T03:49:00.001-04:00

I've written before about older athletes. About what Dara Torres wrote about training as an athlete ages. My relative quietness on the blog recently has largely been the result of having to work through the injuries that cut last season short, the hospital in December, and a blood pressure problem this spring. So, it was with some trepidation as much as with anticipation that I finally took the field Tuesday with my Rochester Speed Skating teammates (and some Roller Derby colleagues) for dryland.

Now, I am not an accomplished athlete, and probably never will be, and I'm fine with that. The gifts God gave to me are different than the balance and coordination of a natural athlete. Competitive sport, for me is mainly about the friendship, fun, health, being part of a team, and setting goals that are just a little beyond what was possible the season before. I also know that in every practice, and in every meet, I get a lesson of some sort, to use and to build upon. For all that, after several months, it was daunting to think of trying again. To think of reinjury. Or of embarrassment at failure, or of being too far behind. Of being 60 this time.

It turns out that there was nothing to fear. My teammates were, as they have been from the start been welcoming and supportive. Our coach's admonition to adjust your training to your condition is the same in execution as it is in theory. I've got a long way to go, but the reality is that my carcass worked better than I'd expected, on the first day back. And twenty-four hours later, there is the stiffness that is normal to getting back into it, but none of the injury-type pain I'd feared. Having made a new beginning just feels really, really good. Lactic acid and a little tenderness in the usual places never felt so good!

Small Rebound from Vancouver

2010-04-29T00:48:00.000-04:00

Every now and then us mortals see at least a flash of something very special. On April 28th, Steve Mesler of the Gold Medal winning four man US Bobsled Team from the Vancouver Olympics came to the Board of Education meeting in Buffalo NY. Steve is a graduate of Buffalo's City Honors High School, and had come at the request of the Board. A colleague who knows him introduced us, and I had a very nice chat which included a chance to hold that gold medal for a little while. On a very visceral level, I felt the meaning of the phrase "vicarious thrill." My colleague had also already told him of Liz' dream, and he chatted with me for a while about the long, hard preparation of performance at that level. He'd trained for two years in Lake Placid and then seven in Calgary!

A taste of Curling

2010-02-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

Saturday night (2/20), I was watching the US/UK women's curling match on tv from the Olympics. A little later, looking through a newspaper I found that the Rochester Curling Club was offering the opportunity to try it on natural ice on the Erie Canal at Palmyra NY. Well two "hints" in as many hours cannot be ignored, and on a nice sunny winter Sunday, it was too tempting to miss! Thank you, RCC! P.S.: I know the rock is supposed to be on the ice, but when I did it right no one got a picture! So it goes!

US Speedskating Does the Right thing; Evan Lysacek wins!

2010-02-19T01:28:00.002-05:00

The snow disaster at the Prince William Ice Center in Virginia left so many of our best young speedskaters adrift, so to speak. An email from US Speedskating showed a great spirit and intent to do the right thing, and I applaud them! Here's the email:

Dear US Speedskating Members,

Due to the cancellation of American Cup III-Short Track in Dale City, VA, US Speedskating will take the following actions:

1. Any skater that was registered for American Cup III-Short Track in the Senior Division, and also competed in at least one other event in the Senior Division of the 2009-10 Short Track American Cup Racing Series shall be eligible to compete at the 2010 American Cup Final-Short Track. The following events are considered a part of the 2009-10 Short Track American Cup Series:

a. Short Track Olympic Trials

b. American Cup I-Short Track

c. American Cup II-Short Track

d. American Cup III-Short Track

e. American Cup Final-Short Track

2. Skaters who had registered and paid an entry fee for American Cup III-Short Track in either the Senior or B Division will have that entry fee credited toward the American Cup Final-Short Track or the National Age Group Short Track Championships. Skaters who have already registered or are not competing in the American Cup Final-Short Track or the National Age Group Short Track Championships will receive a refund of their American Cup III entry fee.

Meanwhile, back in front of the television....The short program in men's figures the other night ended so close to a three-way tie that you could not help being excited to see the long programs. And they delivered! The off ice warmup of Evegny Plushenko looked so calm and relaxed, while the warmup of Evan Lysacek looked so tight! Then the skating....Lysacek first, turning in a stellar performance! Then the wait as the rest of the best skated, building up to Plushenko who looked...like a master. He said he thought he'd skated well enough, and it sure looked like it, but the Gold went to Lysacek and his 257.67 combined! The first US Gold in the sport since the Battle of the Brians in Calgary twenty-two years ago! Just excellent! Commentator Scott Bowman had it right: To win at the Olympics is amazing. To do it beating the best on a good night....truly magnificent!

Judging by my television habits lately, I must conclude that there is NO winter Olympic sport that I don't like!

Dick Francis (1920-2010), Rest in Peace

2010-02-15T15:05:00.002-05:00

The media are reporting the death yesterday of Dick Francis at 89 in the Cayman Islands. A Champion Jockey in the UK before turning to writing, he is my all time favorite mystery writer, and creator so many memorable characters: Sid Halley, Freddie Croft, Tim Ekaterin, Tony Beach, Kit Fielding...the list goes on over more than 40 novels, using the backdrop of British horseracing (and sometimes US or Australian racing) to weave a wonderful tale. His last novel, co-authored with his son, as had the last few, will be published later this year. Thank you, Dick Francis, for so many great stories, and so many literary friends who live on in the imaginations of many of us! The photo is an AP wirephoto from 2000, used with thanks.

Vancouver Day 3 (And a Note from Quebec): Silver Hair is Good

2010-02-15T03:06:00.008-05:00

My daughter Liz was telling me the other night how exciting the Olympics are for her this time around especially since so many people--from the US, from Australia, from Bulgaria--are people who are her friends and with whom she has trained in Salt Lake City (it was watching the Torino Olympics that triggered her own decision to be a speed skater). I share the excitement, but tend to approach from a different perspective. Relatively few events have reached the medal rounds, but the 21st Winter Olympics are starting to show evidence that there are championships, and not just champions, after 30. Medals aside, it's been really interesting to see how many athletes are making their Olympic debut at 27, 28, 29; and how many over thirty are putting in outstanding performances. For those older "debutantes" perhaps their best days are yet to come! Of special note so far:

Armin Zoeggler, Italy, 36. Bronze medal in Luge to go with his Bronze from Lillehammer (1994), Silver in Nagano (1998), Gold in Salt Lake City (2002) and Gold in Turin (2006). The spill in the practice brought chills, especially after Friday's tragedy on the luge run, but it was inspiring to see him keep the pressure on those fine young German sliders.

Adam Malysz, Poland, 32. Silver, Ski Jumping (Normal Hill), to go with his Bronze and Silver from Salt Lake City. For one bright shining moment, I thought he had his Gold!

Hongbo Zhao, 36 and Xue Shen, 31, China. First Place after the Pairs Figure Skating short program. I mention them today because their score of 76.66 is the highest ever in Olympic competition, under the modern scoring system; and because they've been skating as a team for 18 years!!! Twice they have had Bronze medals, and judging by tonight, it will be hard for anyone to deny them the top of the podium!

Meanwhile in Quebec, Rochester Speedskating's Jim Cornell won the 2010 North American Marathon Championships, finishing second in the 25K (first in his age group) and first in the 50K! He is shown above with women's champion Suzanne Dion and the Mayor of Joliette PQ.

It's certainly heartening to see champions of that age who are called something other than designated hitters!

Vancouver Olympics--Day Two 2/13/10: Outlasting Adversity

2010-02-14T02:42:00.008-05:00

During the last summer Olympics, my posts related mainly to older athletes performing at the peak. That will probably be true again, (talking about Michelle Roark at 35 and with six knee surgeries behind her, still making the final round of Ladies moguls, for example) but the lasting impression I have of day one relates to perseverance. It is a story of Simon Ammann of Switzerland, and JR Celski of the US. My wife and I were in the stands, at the same end of the rink in Marquette MI in September 2009, when JR hit the wall at Olympic Trials and sustained that terrible leg injury. I remember clearly the jumble of thoughts: that it looked like an artery; that he was so very good; that I could not believe how fast Walter Rusk leaped the wall and came to JR's aid; how surreal it was to think we'd seen JR and his family just that morning as they left and we arrived at the same restaurant...Then last night watching opening ceremonies on television, and seeing the close up of JR's face as the US Team entered the stadium, and thinking how perfectly joyful he looked. A little over five months of intensive training to recover from that ghastly wound...and what a triumph in the 1500! I can't think of a more complete comeback in so short a time! All the way to the finals at 19 and then...a bronze! A true story of rebounding from disaster. With Simon Ammann, a different sort of adversity. At Salt Lake, he'd emerged from relative obscurity to win two golds and then.....seven years on the plateau of frustration. I'm having trouble dealing with four months! But his spirit survived intact and today, on the normal hill, a lead coming out of the first round of jumps, and a jump of pure beauty on the second to pull away and become the holder of Vancouver's first gold medal! Wow. Two stories, one message: never, ever give up on yourself.

The Meet that Never Was, Or How Vancouver's Snow Went South for the Winter

2010-02-06T14:32:00.027-05:00

American Cup III, being hosted in Dale City VA, Feb 6-7, 2010. The snow had started falling in abundance around mid-day on Friday; my son texted from DC "good call" in midafternoon about our decision not to travel. Warmups were underway on Feb 6th at the Prince William Ice Center when things went amiss. Liz and her SLC team mates had warmed up, and she says there were odd, strange noises in the locker room, where Coach Jun was sharpening skates. Skaters and others on ice heard the noise too. The officials came in and said the rink was being evacuated. Mitch Connelly had just arrived after an all night white knuckle ride from Rochester NY (lots of similar stories being reported from NY, WIS, etc).Heidi Kreuger (Pittsburgh SSC) posted on Facebook around noon that with a bang one of the main support beams broke and shifted under snow weight and that metal rivets popped out. The skaters were sent back to hotels, but ultimately the meet had to be canceled. Happily the harm is snow damage to a building, not harm to people. The skaters have tee shirts now to remember AmCup III, the Meet That Never Was. Meanwhile, back at the hotel....power out at Liz' hotel; power/no power is hit and miss at other hotels. They used the hot tub until the water got cold! Two and a half feet or so in 24 hours is an awful lot in the DC area....that will take a while to move. Petra Acker's (Saratoga Winter Club) Facebook comment: "Virginia: 1, Speedskaters: 0." In the meantime, a real memory for those who made it in! Now, how to make it OUT??? I keep reading of the stories of plans to import snow to the outdoor venues for the Vancouver Olympics. It appears that the Middle Atlantic states hijacked British Columbia's snow!!! Is that "Dixie" I hear playing in the distance? And, I think that perhaps Steven Colbert has the basis for another great speedskating story to share with his Nation????

Update, 3:47 Eastern. President Obama told the Democratic National Committee that the snow storm in the DC area is "Snowmageddon." About 200000 people without power in the greater DC area, including some of the speedskaters. I've gotten three reports that local media down there says the ice rink roof did collapse (a warehouse or hangar at Dulles, a Church in DC and some other buildings have suffered similar fates). See http://www2.insidenova.com Upside: There are also stories of community snowball fights! Annette Pumphrey (SoCal Speedskating) reported that skaters ran out in the blizzard in swim trunks and found a place to order 17 pizzas! And Liz Looby has her knitting with her! My son, Liam, who had been working on assignment this week in DC reports "I'm fine. Playing in the snow and stranded at the Monaco :=)." Nice place to be stranded!

Update:7:37pm Wild day for ice sports. Collapse of the Prince William rink is confirmed, but the owner pledges to rebuild as quickly as possible. In Fairport, NY (near Rochester) a Zamboni clearing ice for an outdoor hockey tournament went through the ice and into the Erie Canal (yes, the 'I've got a mule and her name is Sal, 15 miles on the Erie Canal..." one). See http://www.whec.com/news/stories/s1403253.shmtl

Update from a powerless hotel. The hotel got pizza for the skaters. Then, according to Liz, "we played the scariest game of hide n seek ever...Dark in a hotel, it felt like in those movies where you're in the hotel and the power and tele lines go down and everyone's in a room together but then people start to disappear...."

Two of the Photos above were posted by Ben Gertner of Bay State Speed Skating Club and sent to the Rocker U page on Facebook for short track speedskating. I'm including them with Ben's permission (thank you!!). The third is from Michigan's Kelsey Schiel, who has a number of great photos on her Facebook not only of the Prince William rink but of her trip through snowcovered DC on Sunday!

US Speedskating Championships 2010 & Bruce Connor

2009-12-28T15:00:00.008-05:00

The US Speedskating (LT) Championships are underway in Salt Lake City, with great photos and commentary as always by Andrew Love at his blog Zen & the Art of Speedskating (see right column for a link).

I've mentioned Bruce Connor in an earlier blog, but looked at the results from SLC and must express awe and amazement at his 500m time of 00:38.90 at a pressure meet! I can't go that fast in a car! Bruce is within hairbreadths of men less than half his age! Way to go!

Thank you, Bruce, for continuing to inspire those of us who've been around the block a few times! I've never met you, but appreciate the inspiration.

I hope your turn comes to be highlighted to the Colbert Nation!

Auld Lang Syne

2009-12-28T14:23:00.004-05:00

Just a note to look back on the old year, and to welcome the new:

For the old year, a poem:

“Forever in your Debt” by Kirk Jones

"Guím maith dhóibh siúd a shéid an ghaoth
agus iad uilig a stiúir an bád
thugamar linn é i gcoinne an trá
bead buíoch thar lá mo bháis "

With thanks to those who blew the wind,
And those who sailed the ship,
We sailed it tight against the tide,
And I shall be forever in your debt.

For the new year:

"What next? Ah. What a splendid question."

-William Kennedy, O, Albany! New York: Viking Press, 1983

To everyone, a Happy New Year, and to each of you 365 wonderful answers to Kennedy's "splendid question"!

How Venty Made My Cleveland Meet A Success

2009-11-09T02:06:00.013-05:00

The racing at Cleveland this past weekend was a personal disappointment both because my daughter (and most of my Rochester teammates, for that matter) had a frustrating weekend in the American Cup II and because in the Ohio Invitational, I re-aggravated an injury from Rochester and had to withdraw. To my eye, though, Liz's skating continues to advance, and I think she's just on a plateau for a while. For all that, I've never had a bad time in Cleveland, and this trip was no exception. I've written regularly about the deep pleasure of trying to learn this discipline of speedskating in my late 50s. Imagine the depth of my pleasure, then, at what happened on Saturday, as I was in the heat box getting focused for a 1000 meter heat. A man of about my own age, wearing the bright green skinsuit of the Cleveland Heights team introduced himself as Venty Raghavacktari. He told me that he was skating his very first meet, and that I had been his inspiration!!! Venty told me that he'd watched me skate (a euphemism, perhaps, but a welcome one) at the Ohio Invitational for a couple of years, and watching me try encouraged him to try the sport himself! Venty gave me a sense of pride and pleasure that lasted beyond the ice packs that followed each of my two attempts to race, and survived the drive back to New York as well. He acquitted himself pretty well too, and I can see I am going to have to step up my game to give my newest racing partner a run for his money! We chatted over the two days of the meet, and both of us understand quite clearly how part of this, at our age, is a matter of overcoming our own fears and demons, and part of it is recapturing what ABC's Wide World of Sports used to call "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." Welcome, Venty, and thank you for a phenomenal mental boost! Between us maybe we can start of trend! My daughter-in-law was at the meet, and commented that one of the things that impressed her most about our sport is its openness to the youngest rookie (one neophyte of perhaps four started crying at the noise of the starter's pistol, ending his race) to the late to the game starters, like Venty and me. She's right....and I hope we always preserve that openness. It's a strength.

One plus from having an injury early, is that I had more time to really watch the American Cup racers. Some of the impressions are broad brush: Cherise Wilkens skated as well and as strong as I can ever remember seeing her, and that is saying something. That very good skaters lose more often than not, if for no other reason that its hard to have five way ties. And this: if you skate the same track consistently, you will not maximize your success. You can, for example, wait all day for the chance to make an inside pass, but some skaters ride that line so well that the only realistic way to pass is to the outside. For whatever reason, though, a lot of very good skaters appear skittish to try the outside, or to really vary tactics to meet the situation. Watching closely, I noticed several skating each race the same way...and I will bet their best opponents could see that too, and planned accordingly. It's necessary to build a large arsenal of tactics, and to be comfortable enough to use any of them at a given moment of the race, because the race itself is as fluid as the surface we skate on.

A lot of what I love about speedskating is the comraderie, and the Cleveland meet was all about that for me. So thanks to all of the friends I got to spend another weekend with, and thanks to Tom Frank, Dennis Marquard, Dennis Hopper and all of the other Cleveland people who once again presented a smooth, wonderful meet. Cleveland rocks! And thanks too to Diana Harrel of the Chiller club for making me laugh Sunday afternoon, when she told me she'd had to skate day two, because I was ahead of her in the points standing on day one!

When The Gods Are Benevolent at Practice & The Colbert Nation

2009-11-04T01:44:00.008-05:00

Nov. 3rd may have been my first really satisfying practice of the season. Work schedule, minor injury, a touch of flu have all been co-conspirators, but tonight's practice was one of those where everything is so perfect...I'd decided to spend the practice time focusing simply on balance and on glide, and had the benefit of Coach Gerry Savoie prompting and correcting. The rink in Rochester was its usual--COLD--and I'd stayed out for the session with the club's more advanced skaters, because I really, really need the practice. So it was glide, shift weight, monkey drills....all very steady and rhythmic. And for once, I felt at ease on the blades, comfortable, not even thinking of a misstep or a fall. The crossover continued to elude, but this time, certainly for the first time this season, I felt that communion with the ice that makes skating such a wonderful sport. Just in time, too, because my second competition of the season is this weekend in Cleveland: the Cleveland Heights rink is one of my favorites, and each time I've skated there I've gotten personal bests (such as they are). The Cleveland crew always runs a first rate meet, too. Tonight the gods were kind, and the practice was an exercise in joy.

On a broader front, the news of the last few days is pretty wonderful: Dan Jaansen appeared yesterday on the Colbert Report, after his NYC Marathon run (as did Bob Crowley from US Speedskating. . I don't know if Bob ran the Marathon, although Tim Doherty from Rochester Speed Skating did for the third time!). The signed the Colbert Nation as sponsors of US Speedskating! The interview is at http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/254015/november-02-2009/sport-report---nyc-marathon---olympic-speedskating

US Speedskating has added a spot on its website for contributors from the Colbert Nation. Please tell your friends: https://webpoint.usspeedskating.org/wp/Transactions/Donate.asp

Go Colbert Nation! Go US Speedskating!!

Getting Ready, Getting Psyched

2009-10-01T02:45:00.004-04:00

The ice is ready, the practices have begun, and the trick becomes getting focused and psyched. The goal for the year? Really modest...to get comfortable in the lean, to get a passable crossover. Good things will follow from each. Liz' qualifying for Olympic time trials was a MAJOR psyche for me, so I took her dream, and my mantra and came up with a new license plate as psyche #1 (as much of the mantra as fit the plate, anyway). By the way, Volkswagen of America, you can send your check for the free publicity any time.... Psyche#2 was finding some football padding that may protect my kidney, and if that is true I think that it will be more comfortable out there. Psyche #3 has been to just pick one technique issue to work on at a time. I'm starting with staying level in my bend, and not letting myself bounce much. Psyche #4 is tinkering with blades a bit and Psyche #5 was a refresher course in sharpening from Craig Pielchowski last Saturday after our RSST practice. We'll see. In the meantime, its off to Saratoga for the weekend for American Cup I, to watch the skaters with some real skill.

Mary Travers

2009-09-17T00:34:00.001-04:00

Heard tonight of the death of Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul, and Mary. Thanks for years and years of good music and memories.....The times, they are a'changin.....

Not Exactly Greased Lightning

2009-08-31T00:39:00.003-04:00

Well, the summer is almost over and my dry land training has been less frequent that I would have hoped, but there is still some fun to be had. Three of the older men in the Rochester Speedskating Team, Don Ducharme, Jerry Roberts and I raced a 5k on 8/30 for the Veterans Outreach of Rochester, called Pound the Ground for Vets. A near perfect morning for a race...cool, sunny, no humidity to speak of....and a very nice turnout of perhaps 160-170 for the organization's first race on a nice course in Genesee Valley Park. The good news: finished the race. The bad news: have some conditioning to do before ice season starts in a couple of weeks!

2009 Desert Classic in Salt Lake City, Pt. 2

2009-08-24T01:37:00.009-04:00

Thanks to Teri Willingham for allowing use of the photo below, taken during the 1000 meter time trial in Salt Lake City on Aug. 22 where her 01:37.4 gave her the opportunity to go to the Olympic Time Trials. Teri took the two to the right the following day, showing Liz in a heat, and in her trademark lime green. While I am at it, I want to thank the coaches and members of the Rochester Speed Skating Team who have taught this sport to us both, and instilled in Liz a real passion for it, especially Marty Medina, Jim Cornell, Tim Doherty, and Karen Veronne, Gerry Savoie and Tom Rossborough; to Mike Kooreman and Derek Parra and most recently to Coach Jun-Hyung Yeo, whose passion is really remarkable, for bringing her so far in this past year. In the second day of the Desert Classic, Liz achieved a second PB for the meet, with an 00:47.8 in the 500 meter final. One has to wonder, however, if the speed of the weekend has any relationship to the Ramen eating contest of last Thursday? If so, I probably must thank Simon Cho for joining her in that little exercise in moderation! Finally, I would like to thank Andrew Love and Brian Boudreau for sending their first hand observations to me; and to Marty and everyone else who touched base by email, phone or Facebook to help share my excitement over Liz's meet...once again, I have seen the evidence of what a terrific group of people work in and around this sport. Now, the parents' moment savored, it's time to look ahead. I will end by quoting the note from our favorite starter, Jeff Golz, who conveyed congratulations with a simple "I guess we'll see you in Marquette!" I guess that's right!

E Makes Olympic Time Trial Times 8/22/09!!!!!

2009-08-22T13:37:00.010-04:00

Flash from Salt Lake City and the Desert Classic! Liz did her time trial today with Vicki Labourdette, and she said she felt really crazy and good coming off. And no wonder!!! She beat her former 1000 meter personal best by nearly two seconds and at 01:37.4 has gone under the cutoff time for the Olympic Time Trials next month in Marquette MI!!!! Three and a half years ago she'd never even worn a speedskate! What a wonderful day!! PS the photo is from Nationals last year, because I don't have the good luck to be in SLC today to see!!! Only 48 hours ago she came in second in a Ramen eating contest to Simon Cho, so maybe its good luck to load up on noodles???? Check Liz' blog (link off to the side of this and get a first person account!) Postscript, Aug. 26, 2009: Andrew Love posted an article today on his blog entitled "Qualified" which features Liz and her teammate and our friend Anthony Barthell, who also qualified for Olympic time trials last weekend in SLC. It's a very thoughful and insightful piece about the emotion and meaning of reaching a special moment in sport, and I commend it to you highly. The link is over in the right hand column of this blog or just double click http://andrewlove.org/blog/

Larry Beck Bikes Mt. Washington

2009-08-19T20:40:00.003-04:00

One theme of my blog has always been the older athlete. The best stories, though, are usually not about Lance Armstrong, or Dara Torres (even though I love to talk about Dara Torres) but about those of us who compete, and train and try for the joy of it. The Rochester Speed Skating Team is loaded with such master athletes, both current and alumni, and I am very pleased to share this report from Larry Beck:

"Hi folks,

For those of you who remember my Mt. Washington stories from a few years ago, I just wanted to provide an update.

In 2007, the race was canceled (a rare occurrence) due to icing conditions and 90 mph wind gusts at the summit.

In 2008, I came down with an infection 2 weeks before the race and was forced to skip it.

This year, I broke my collarbone in May in a bike crash. I followed that up with kidney stones and another bike crash in July. Having lost several weeks of training, I still managed to get (mostly) ready for the race this past Saturday.

Having qualified for the Top Notch group in 2006, this was my first year lining up with the elite racers in the first wave to start. Among the riders were Ned Overend, the ageless mountain biking great, and several up-and-coming professionals. It was exciting to hear the announcer introduce us as the best climbers in the world.

As always, the race was started with a blast from a (miniature) cannon. After 50 yards of flat surface, the road turns up and doesn't stop until the summit at 6288 feet. The sound of clicking dérailleurs surrounds you and is shortly followed by the sound of cursing as several riders drop their chains. I've learned not to follow too closely at the start to avoid someone stopping suddenly.

My heart rate quickly climbed into the 170's, where it stayed for almost the entire race. The weather was sunny, hot, and humid. The first four miles are tree lined, so there was some respite from the sun. A short time into the race, I realized I was geared too high (probably due to my lost training) which meant a lot of standing on the bike. When we emerged from the trees, the usually raging wind and rain was replaced with only the occasional light breeze and the burning sun.

For most of the race, I held a steady position and found myself grouped with several riders. A couple of fast riders from the 2nd starting wave caught and passed us about 5 miles along the road. My group managed to overtake a few struggling riders as we neared the top. With a mile to go, I was able to drop most of the others in my group. As I approached the finish, I was greeted by a chorus of cheering spectators and ringing cowbells.

The finish line sits atop a short 22% climb lined with people screaming encouragement, a sound that is drowned out by the sound of your heart pounding. My poor gearing choice made the final climb a challenge. One of the riders I had dropped was able to overtake me, but I stood up and managed to turn the pedals over a few more times and crossed the timing mat. A pair of EMT's hold up each rider as they begin to recover from the final effort. After a couple of seconds, I was finally able to unclip and mouth the works "I'm OK" to the EMT's and I moved passed the finish line. Holly quickly found me with some food and liquid.

The final result after missing 2 years: 48th of 519 finishers overall and 6th of 88 in the men's 45-49 age group - over 4 minutes of improvement from 2006. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Hope you are all doing great. I still enjoy reading you various race reports. Happy skating this winter!

Later,
Larry"

Sometimes it's not the Skating, its the Skater

2009-07-24T20:51:00.003-04:00

My cell phone beeped a few times today. Liz calling in from SLC to tell me what today's training included (if you don't know, you don't want to know. Trust me on this.). The last text message really made my day. Thanks, E! It said "btw yr glasses r super cool, forgot to tell u"

Couldn't help wanting to share a wonderful moment!

Lessons from Dara Torres

2009-07-15T00:59:00.006-04:00

There is little to recommend the NYS Thruway, but it does provide long stretches of time to listen to audio books. I've been "reading" Dara Torres' book "Age is Just a Number" in which she describes the several times she's come out of retirement to train for the summer Olympics (12 medals so far). She has a LOT to say about training as an older athlete that is interesting quite aside from her personal story line. She says that being a much older swimmer [read: speed skater] is a lot like being a very young swimmer [read: speed skater]: no one expects very much, so you get to be a wild card again. Her key advice: understand your body, and the fact that you need to give yourself lots of recovery time (and she suggests amino acids to help); that you must be much more attentive to stretching than when young; and that you must fix what is failing (she describes a number of procedures she has needed on her shoulder and knee). She says to be very focused and serious about rest; about what, when and how much you eat; and you must carefully pick your training and stretching programs and remain dedicated to them. She says she has been very deliberate in picking coaches, but once committed trusts them. Her discussion of resistance stretching (where, like yoga, you extend and contract muscles simultaneously) is compelling. Most of all, though, she says that as older athletes we won't be able to maintain the longer training sessions of younger people, nor is it necessary. What is necessary, though, is to focus on perfect technique....never, she says, cheat on the practices....work hard to do every practice, every procedure perfectly...make it second nature. It is technique, more than anything else, that wins the day.

Getting Zinged

2009-05-05T00:01:00.004-04:00

Looking at my daughter's Facebook page, I noticed that a mutual friend had told her that I started taking yoga. My daughter's reaction, and I quote, was "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...my dad...yoga...lol" Ouch. Well, it's week two, and I just finished my third session at EastMeetsWest Yoga in Buffalo. The instructors have been terrific

and I am learning quite a lot, and enjoying it more than I'd expected. Its really interesting to see and feel how the stretches work, and to begin to related specific positions to speedskating protocols...things like eagle position, which closely parallel the balance points you seek on skates.

Stalling Over, Dryland Begins at the Yoga Center

2009-04-28T21:56:00.003-04:00

Hearing Tom Rossborough talk about his rowing, and John Diemont his biking, and the folks in SLC talking about their aching, it very slowly dawned on me that it was time to get going on dryland. So, with a little time before Rochester or Buffalo dryland begins, I decided to try something new (for me). I signed up at a little club in Buffalo to take 12 yoga lessons in the next six weeks, beginning last night when I met with about a dozen other neophytes and our instructor, Sara, for a couple hours. Cannot say that it was fluid, but it was interesting, and fun, and a surprising mix of strenuous and relaxing. We learned quite a bit about the concept of ujjayi breathing, and practiced it throughout the session, figuring out to extend a stretch on the exhale, and pressing weight to the rear foot, not the lead, which seemed counterintuitive, but clearly helped extend the stretches. A lot to absorb in a first session, but it was really engaging and I'm looking forward to Thursday night!

Earth Day

2009-04-19T23:52:00.005-04:00

April 22, 2009 is Earth Day, with events occurring across the globe (and continuing into the weekend). In Rochester, on Saturday, if you bring a bag stuffed with plastic grocery bags to Wegmans, they will give you a really nice reusable bag to replace it. A small thing, but a lot of small things--replacing incandescent bulbs, for example, begin to add up. Check out http://www.earthday.net and for everyday tips and solid information from the National Geographic look at http://www.thegreenguide.com The photo to the right, incidentally, is at the edge of a huge windmill farm in Wyoming, along I-80. We passed it last summer, on the way from NYS to Salt Lake City. The sign says "Strong Winds Possible." It's a good thing, or someone is going to lose a bundle on those windmills!!

Birthday 5K

2009-04-05T12:41:00.004-04:00

7:30 AM on my 59th birthday, at the starting line with about 300 runners in the marina park embarcadero in San Diego harbor, for the National School Boards Foundation annual 5k run. I could not have picked a better way to both celebrate my birthday, have the first running race of the year, fly the Rochester Speed Skating Team flag (well, T shirt) on the West Coast and let my teammates know that I have not turned into a couch potato! It was a fun race, with sun, a nice breeze and mid-60s temperatures, through a really beautiful park that runs along San Diego bay facing Coronado Island across the way. In the harbor, a Dole container ship probably loaded with pineapples, the USS Ronald Reagan and another aircraft carrier, and several other Navy vessels. It was a lot of fun, and while my time was about average for me, it was in the top half of the finishers, proving that there is merit in picking the races where most of the runners are over 30. In the post-race picture with me is Tim Kremer from the NY State School Boards Association, who was also flying his flag on the west coast, in his case the emblem of the New York Giants. Jay Worona had racing #1. I would have asked how he got that, if only I could have caught up to him!

Dyngus Day and Earth Hour

2009-03-29T14:33:00.005-04:00

I'm deviating from usual themes. Last night, at Liz' urging, we participated in Earth Hour, killing all the lights for an hour. I've never been a big fan of symbolic gestures, but the issues of global warming and energy waste are too urgent to keep ignoring. A site to visit: http://www.earthhour.org If you want to see some photos of how Earth Hour played out in Toronto and other cities, check Liz's blog Speedy Ice Effect (link over to the right).

The Irish have St. Patrick's Day, the Nawlins folk have Mardi Gras, but in Buffalo, the Poles have Dyngus Day!!! (I am told that it is celebrated in Pittsburgh and in Chicago too). The idea seems to be a city-wide post-Lenten party, with good food and polkas everywhere, and busses to move you from bar to bar. The story is that on the Monday after Easter, long ago, people would sprinkle potential lovers with water, and touch them with pussywillow branches. Dyngus Day in Buffalo has that, and I am told (have not seen it yet myself) that squirt guns are now involved. Anyway, I invite you to check this out at http://dyngusdaybuffalo.com or, more generally at htpp:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Monday You have to love the idea of a party involving "the world's largest squirt gun" (a red fireboat);where there are bus shuttles to the"official Dyngus taverns" and where the dancing, eating and partying even includes a public library (Adam Mickiewicz Library, known locally as Mickey's) and some churches (such as St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish, known as St. Stan's). There is a parade too. Google this thing! As a NYS car dealer says, "It's HUGE"

Bruce Connor: An Accomplishment to Applaud

2009-03-24T18:36:00.001-04:00

Anyone who reads this blog knows that the accomplishments of older athletes are my thing. I strongly recommend that you link to Andrew Love's blog, Zen and the Art of Speedskating (see column to right) and look at the pictures and text about long-tracker Bruce Connor. I have never met Bruce but I want to shake his hand. At the age of 53, he has qualified for 2009 Olympic trials with a 500m time of 38.xxx seconds!!!!! I'll have some of what he's eating, please!

The End of A Season

2009-03-22T16:26:00.003-04:00

The cycle ends, the cycle begins. New job, too much commuting, too little practice resulted for me in a season that was a lot of fun, but more of a plateau than an advance. For Liz, a completely different story: she came in to her own this season in Salt Lake, as a skater and as a young adult. It was so much fun to serve as a timer in Midland MI at American Cup Finals and see her and her teammates, both from Salt Lake and Rochester skate so very well...both those who won, and those who those whose efforts deserved better outcomes (yes, Matt, I am thinking of that great display of aerobatics!!! I have no idea how you stayed on your blades).

Midland also brought four days of what I love most about our sport...the company and friendship of really good people, parents, skaters, officials. It's a privilege to be part of a sport where so many of the people are open, supportive, genuinely friendly.

Now, a deep breath, a short pause and begin again. Yesterday I brought my bike to the shop for a tune up. Like the first robin, the tune-up is a sure sign of spring and, of course, of dry land practice!

Skate the Bay, February 7-8, 2009

2009-02-08T12:20:00.027-05:00

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth..." Proverbs 27:1 A biblical lesson was reinforced in Webster NY this weekend, at Skate the Bay: one should never miss the opportunity to skate on the FIRST day of the meet...carpe diem!

Robert & Karen Verrone, and Eric Young and their other volunteers, reached into the waters of Lake Ontario and brought forth a natural ice long track for what turned out to be a wonderful, but truncated, speedskating adventure. Race director Tim Doherty was out there at 2AM the night before dealing with cracks, etc. in the ice....a LOT of work went into the creation. Thank you!!!! Even ice sculpture speed skates decorated the shoreline (see photo, taken JUST before the heat wave finished its work). An adventure, because the weather gods, who had provided temperatures near zero for a week, chose the weekend of the meet to send temperatures into the 50s F, and the that sent our blades--a motley combination of long-track, short-track, hockey and at least one pair of figure skate blades--into ever softening ice. Rochester, we must remember, sits on the SOUTHERN edge of the Canadian Shield!

Thanks, by the way to all the sponsors, and to Webster recreation, and to Bob Buono and the staff of the Bay Side pub (a very friendly little neighborhood place right on the water or ice, depending on the moment you look, with great food, by the way).

Happily, it was possible to run three events, including the 50 meter race before weather conditions really got out of control, so the first full day of racing happened. And what a memory! There were lots of people around to watch our "niche sport" and that was a lot of fun by itself. Skaters from as far as Western Canada and North Carolina as well as from the NY clubs and Quebec. About thirty or so skated the 50K and almost all of them finished with Jim Cornell in the lead at least eight of our own Rochester Speed Skating adults (and Wes Rossborough, who should be very proud of his accomplishment) competing at that intimidating distance (a lot more of the RSST members did skate one or both of the shorter races and most of us were primed for today). For me the goal was to overcome some fear garnered in the prior week, and that much, at least, I managed....without the slightest nod to style or skill, having my fourth fall just beyond the finish line in the shortest distance....oh, well. I was registered for the 10K today and like to think I would have done it! Wait 'til next year!

And then there was snert. Rochester Speedskating Team members who do a lot of long-track had shared with the people at Bay Side Pub three recipes for a traditional Dutch soup, called snert (or erwtensoep) that is apparently served at a lot of European long-track meets. It's a pea soup with ham and onions etc. in it that really hit the spot...delicious! Sort of fun to see a soup so thick the spoon stands up too! The chef told me that he started out with about seven gallons, and that it cooked down to 4-5. He also said it sold out!

I imagine that a lot of potential skaters waited for day two, the 10K and 25K races. As Julia Roberts said to the shop clerk in "Pretty Woman": "BIG mistake....HUGE!" Nature gave us one good day this year, and anyone who missed it missed a wonderful day of skating and fun. A couple of miles away, another group was having their polar bear dip in Lake Ontario today. They may have needed SPF 40 sunscreen.

Lessons on Clap Skates -- Lake Ontario Feb. 1, 2009

2009-02-01T23:06:00.006-05:00

I tried to skate on clap skates today, on natural ice on Irondequoit Bay, Lake Ontario, getting ready for Skate the Bay next weekend. Many important lessons: one: when the weather gets up to 40 F. the ice is not wonderful; two: when the wind is blowing hard and you start to slide backwards, clap skates are not your ally; three: wind and temperature are why they created indoor ovals; four: when you fall and hit your head, your head loses; and five: don't slide backwards into docks. On the plus side, by getting the bad karma out now, all should be well next week! Robert Verrone and his crew have made a wonderful track, and are working very hard to get and keep it in good shape. The ice fishermen have been respecting it pretty well, and sticking holes elsewhere. It's going to be so much fun! I recommend a visit to www.skatethebay.org. And a visit to Webster NY next weekend! Anyway, my daughter in Salt Lake wanted me to post the photo from my little mishap, so here it comes, to complete my embarrassment! More of a wound to dignity than to anything else, but it did remind me not to get to overconfident!

Something in Common with Apolo

2008-12-02T02:12:00.007-05:00

Liz called this past weekend from Salt Lake, very excited. In practice, she'd done 9.9 and 9.7 second laps! It's a thrill to share those plateaus she reaches as her training intensifies out there!!!

Meanwhile, back in New York, the plodding continues. On the ice, there is one clear similarity between my skating and that of a great skater say, Apolo Ohno or Jordan Malone: we all circle the track to the left. Off ice, however, we really do have something in common: Stay Bent Frames, the world's greatest sharpening frame! Mine (pictured) got delivered to me at practice the other night in Rochester by one of the designer/creators, Jerry Whitmer. I can't say too much about this frame: it is designed to align the same way every time, and it's swiveling clamps hold the speed skating blades in such a way as to hold the bend, and improve the sharpening effort. I was sold when I saw the early prototypes that Jerry and Marty Medina built. I was absolutely hooked when teammate Craig Pielechowski (an excellent skater) started using them and discovered that he got a better edge. Don't take my word for it: roam around any US meet where the top skaters are racing, and take a look at what they carry. More and more of the really good skaters are using Left Turn Dynamic's Stay Bent Frame. And now the secret is out....even some of us amateurs are using the Stay Bent to remove one more excuse for not getting to that next plateau. Check out the web site at http://www.staybentframe.com and see for yourself! As for the engraving, Jerry came up with this: "Michael Looby -You Know, Liz's Dad" Very cool, Jerry. Thanks! Oh yeah, don't call it a jig.

Day 2, Short Track Junior Nationals, Bay City MI

2008-11-15T22:48:00.003-05:00

As a father and as a fan (and having a ringside seat in the timer's box except when Liz skates) the first two days of Junior Nationals have been unforgettable. On day one, while sharing timing duties with Saratoga friends Don Acker and Bill Ralston, it was a thrill to watch Katie Ralston of Saratoga break 01:43.500 in the 1000 meter time trials, to qualify for A group, while being torn up to see Liz miss the cut four the top sixteen by six thousandths of a second. Day one was frustrating for Rochester skaters and also for two young Salt Lake skaters I've been happy to befriend, Matt Ferguson and Andrea Dahnke. Day two was a new day for Liz: three races, three personal bests: she went under 50 seconds for the first time in the 500 heat, and then beat her new best to win the A Final at 00:48.832. What a great way to shake off the disappointment of day one! But she was not done: leading wire to wire in the 1000 meter heat, she met the A cutoff by nearly a second, scoring 01:42.736 (perspective: she is consistently about twice as fast as her dad!!). Meanwhile , strong performances from Mitch Connelly, Lily Swartz and Mikey Burdekin (who turned in the smoothest race I have ever seen from him) rounded out RSST the day. Andrea and Lily were within thousandths of each other, while Matt's frustration continued with some falls and some bad luck that just defies explanation. Matt has been a fine example of sportsmanship, however: his frustration shows, but do does his class and determination. Marty Medina noted that progress in speedskating tends to come in chunks, and that Liz was posting some times in the last couple of meets that demonstrate that. By the way the photo above is a copywrited photo taken in Minnesota this fall at American Cup I by Jerry Search, and is reproduced here with gratitude. Anyone interested in a gallery of wonderful speedskating photo's should visit Jerry's site.

Ohio Invitational/American Cup II Nov. 1-2, 2008 at Cleveland Heights

2008-11-13T00:07:00.003-05:00

There are certain advantages to being an older speedskater, such as when your times are converted to age groups, the group itself is small enough that on paper your performance looks decent.

The Ohio Invitational had all sorts of attractions as my third meet of the season. First, it was run in tandem with American Cup II, which gave us our first chance to see our daughter Liz skate since she began training in Utah. She had grown in confidence and skill, and looked stronger. Injured in practice on Sunday, she nevertheless finished first in the B group, winning three of four events!!!

Second, the meet presented my second chance to skate the event, and a chance to compare my effort with the prior effort last January. Mixed bag...a couple times better, a couple worse, but a rollicking good time with a LOT of very good people. What was clear, though, was that my ability to skate was much better, even if the times did not show it. Cleveland Heights is a wonderful, wide rink. For someone of my limited speed, that means moving to the outside really adds distance... oh well, maybe next year! Tom Frank's crew runs a really smooth meet in Cleveland, and the officials were terrific....can't wait for next year.

Ohio also gave me my third meet of the year, and my third in three weeks (never bunched them like that before). It was interesting, in a frustrating sort of way. Apparently I packed a different skater for Cleveland than I had the weekend before for Rutland. For reasons I could not absolutely define, my confidence and comfort on the ice was less, and the times were consistently worse than the prior week. Perhaps a flu shot the day before the meet was a factor....perhaps I'd put pressure on myself because my daughter and her teammates were there...perhaps an equipment malfunction????? I'd been experimenting....I'd moved my blades back a notch, and it had seemed to help during the Rochester and Rutland meets. In the two weeks since, I had also realized that the old sharpening stone I'd inherited seemed to have seen better days...for my most recent practice, it took 90 minutes of steady work to sharpen well...Finally, I decided to move the blade a little bit to the right on my left boot. Only one practice, and maybe its a head game, but it felt more comfortable, and my bucket drills actually resulted in crossovers (a minor miracle, that.).

Green Mountain Invitational Short Track, Rutland VT 10/25/08

2008-10-27T00:54:00.005-04:00

The Green Mountain Speed Skating Club hosted their first meet this weekend, and I am very glad I went over to Rutland, Vt. Fast moving, fun event and perfect for young skaters and us not so young ones! The ice conditions were near perfect, and the facility is comfortable, clean very pleasant. It's a non-profit operation, not a municipal one, and the pride of ownership shows. This one should be on the radar of everyone in the Northeast and eastern Ontario/western Quebec next year. One great feature: the Castleton State College men's hockey team served, in shifts, as the block chasers and squeegee guys all day. What a good volunteer service! Thanks guys!

Thank you first of all to my teammate Beth Burchill for outstanding moral support (and congrats on some very impressive personal records!!!!) Thanks, too, to many of the adults at the arena for their friendship and support (Don A., Rick T., Fred M., Chris & Ramona H., etc.) and to the other three members of my age group for the competition--Fred Cole of the Saratoga Winter Club and John Murphy and Paul Cantella of the Pittsfield (MA) Speed Skating Club. They are much stronger, faster skaters but once again proved what a friendly, supportive activity speed skating can be and usually is. It was a pleasure to kibbutz with them all day, and to try my best to keep up (and out of the way, once passed!!!). The good news for me is that two 500 meter races were both PBs, and I am beginning to hope that I'll be not quite so far behind soon. Moving the blades back a bit seems to have helped two weeks in a row! A 01:37.345 for 500 meters may not be all that impressive, but it's a full six seconds faster than my previous best, and is encouraging.

There was one little glitch for me early in the day. The races started with 1000 meter heats and finals. My heat time was objectively slow, but pretty good for me. In the final, I felt great and was sure that I was on a PR time. I was coming into my bell lap (I'd been counting carefully, after going a lap too far the prior week in Rochester, and my count matched that of a couple of officials as I passed), but unfortunately the chief up thought I was too slow and that I had more laps to go and called the race. The numbers got posted. It WAS going to be a personal best by a lot. To say that I was pretty fried was putting it mildly. Beth Burchill to the rescue on that score! No complaints though. The official and I wound up the day on the same page and all is good. I've been an official at enough events to know how hard those jobs are, anyway. Since the timers did report the time, I was able to figure the pace and see progress, which was my goal. And for as long as judgment is part of the sport, there are going to be days when I, or any other skater, will get a break we did not expect or perhaps deserve. Those cut both ways... sometimes the luck is good, too, and the judgment call goes your way.

Rochester Invitational Oct.18-19, 2008

2008-10-26T12:00:00.002-04:00

Day one, marked by frustration, wobbly knees, slow times and my usual place in the back of the pack....arrgh. More in the nature of a Hail Mary pass than anything else, I decided to move my blades back a little on the boots. Day two. Two skaters on the line: my good friend (and better, faster skater) Don Ducharme and I. The gun sounds. A much better than usual start and I have the lead!

Passing the apex on turn one, the announcer, Tom Connelly, with some incredulity in his voice, calls my name as the leader! I've never been in the lead...what to do now!!! I try to focus on form, getting as low as I get, milking glides for as much as possible......bell lap....still in the lead! People who have cheered me on for a year are yelling! Tom's voice on the PA.....Ducharme gaining...who wants it more....last turn.....I can see Don in my peripheral vision....running out of gas....never mind form....break into a run down the last straight.....focus...push....and across the line with six-hundredths of a second to spare!!!!! What a rush!!!! Don leaves me in the dust a little later at 1000 meters, but for the first time, in the first meet of my second season, I've won one heat....feeling really good....this sport frustrates, but it also rewards.....

When teammates help the most

2008-10-13T00:41:00.006-04:00

A week from the opening meet of my second season, the discouragement is palpable. It is so incredibly frustrating to feel that skills are no better, and some worse than at the end of last year, and to see the performance gap increasing. At one practice, Tina said "you're so tense...there is no smile and you don't look like you're enjoying it." The inner demons are at work: fear of speed, fear of falling, fear of embarassment. Still, my team mates keep encouraging me on: an idea to exaggerate the kick, to make more of a pendulum and to glide better... a suggestion to go back to one of Jim Cornell's dryland drills to finally get a crossover... a "thataway" from inside the circle at a practice... an invitation to stay on ice and help with the youngest kids....the invitation to sit with "Coach Sam Adams" after practice...I have been part of a lot of groups and organizations over a lifetime, but the men and women and girls and boys of the Rochester Speed Skating Team are the greatest. They meant it when they called it a team and not a club.
If I ever develop any real skills in this sport, it will be as much because of the support and the patience of my team, as it will be of effort on my part. But I will keep plugging until then...see the post from August 18th on the "late bloomer" at the Summer Olympics.

More Good News for Old Olympians!!

2008-08-18T21:50:00.006-04:00

Wonderful story today (Mon Aug 18 2008) from Bejing. The Silver Medal to Canada in equestrian team jumping, includes a first medal in NINE Olympics for61-year old Ian Millar!!!! Millar's story, reported by the CBC is worth mentioning:

"I remember back in the early '70s when I had a disastrous Grand Prix, my wife, Lynn, said to me, 'Don't worry, you're going to be a late bloomer.' That's what she said to me and I've always held that thought," said Millar. "And so the Olympics don't go well and I'd say, 'Lynn said I'm a late bloomer. I'll go to the next one.' And sure enough, guess what happened? I bloomed." The sad note? Millar's wife died from cancer earlier this year. "I had an angel riding with me, that's all I can say," said a teary Millar.

Last night, it was exciting to see 33 year old Oksana Chusovitina win Silver in Women's Vault, jumping for Germany (back at a "NORMAL" age for success in her sport, she was a Soviet star!). I'm loving the Bejing Games!

Saturday at Summer Olympics: Great Day for the Oldsters!!!

2008-08-17T01:34:00.007-04:00

Spending WAY too much time in front of the TV watching the summer Olympics, but what a day this Saturday Aug. 16 has been!!!! Michael Phelps' Eight for Eight (they said 8 is a good luck number in China), and "Lightning" Bolt's 100m sprint, of course; but what gave me the most pleasure and excitement was seeing the success of so many "older" athletes: Two Silvers in swimming today for Dara Torres (41); a Gold for Jason Lezak (32) in the anchor leg of the 4x100 swimming relay that cemented Phelps' #8; and a 2:26.44 marathon Gold medal for Constantina Tomescu (38) of Romania. How much inspiration could you want in a single day!!!!! Wow. I'm exhausted just watching! Makes me wonder how many great athletes were NOT in prime time on tv today! Exemplars like these make it easier to believe that each of us, irrespective of age and specific ability can aspire to Citius, Altius, Fortius, and can hope to be a little better than yesterday.

Have You Ever Seen Pure Joy in a Face?

2008-07-30T19:08:00.011-04:00

I have just returned from Salt Lake City, after bringing my daughter out to join Mike Kooreman's New Edge team at the Olympic Oval, and get her ready to begin her college career at the University of Utah. Sending my son to college several years ago was hard. Sending my daughter, my youngest, is no easier. Still, we had a wonderful four day trip together, seeing the Field of Dreams in Iowa, and looking for Shoeless Joe in the corn fields (see photo--is it a ghost, or just me?); eating a great steak in Omaha; going to Chimney Rock NP Nebraska (see photo of Liz cycling past Chimney Rock); to Fort Laramie (color me surprised to find that it was an open layout, and not surrounded by log walls as in the movies); and to Fort Bridger, Wyoming and a few other spots along the Oregon and Mormon Trails. Seeing the most amazing lightning storm near North Platte NE. A wonderful dinner at an organic restaurant Liz picked in Laramie WY called Jeffrey's was a highlight, too. Our first trip west without a plane--I had no real idea of the vastness...sure glad we could share driving! I hope Liz had half as much fun as I did and will remember it with as much pleasure. In any event, it was Monday morning, at 6:15 at the Utah Olympic Oval. From the bleachers, I watched my daughter take to the ice for the first time with her new teammates. NEVER have I seen a face so happy, so excited. My daughter is where she needs to be. A chance to take her sport to a new level. Quite apart from my hopes for her, I am proud to see her reach for the brass ring.

dryland is not ice

2008-07-09T23:58:00.002-04:00

At this time of year in my area, hockey rules, and ice time gets scarce for figures, nonexistent for short track. So notwithstanding on land work, the gap of ten days between figure skating sessions was pretty obvious. Muscle memory seems woefully short term, and basic building block moves felt tentative and awkward for the first half hour. What a relief when, at last, the edges felt right, the leans more natural in the second part of the skate.

The Second Season

2008-07-04T03:04:00.009-04:00

It is dry land training time. Intense Tuesday workouts. Sore muscles two days later. But having had so much fun as a first year speed skater at 57, and had so much acceptance from others, on home ice but also in Pittsburgh and Cleveland and Syracuse and other venues, I am anxious to do it again, but better. We'll see . At a time trial near the end of last season, Mitch Connelly of Rochester Speed Skating teased that he was "only" twice as fast as me at 500m (but he was recovering from a tib/fib fracture and I had no such excuse other than being "slightly" older.). I learned that in speed skating, there is room for everyone. When on ice, its almost zen....the world narrows down to the contact of blade and ice, and to a spot on the ice about 15 feet ahead. But at practice, each muscle just yells "are you nuts?" And always the nagging question: why is it so much easier to do crossovers in figure skates than it is on short track blades?