I think Chad Hedrick went 36 something but Andrew Love had him at the 100 with a 10.3.......the 1500 Chad Hedrick and Trevor Marsicano raced and went 1:49/1:50. Not sure if they were "going for it" or training. Looked like training. People said the ice was slow.
Paul Dyrud looked like he had a good 3k as did Pat Meek. Not sure who else did what. I raced Pat Meek in the 500. I stumbled off to a 10.7 or so and held him off barely. I wish we both went faster. Pat's a great distance skater. It wasn't bad for me but a second off my PB. Things are going according to plan though even though there is no plan.
Skated with Robert Lofgran at the oval. He's a bike stud and super strong. Not a bad speedskater as well. http://www.lofgrancoaching.com/
It reminded me of bike riding seeing him. I realize that I put a lot of hard work in for this skating season. 48 bike races....That's right I just looked at my training log and I did that many from March 24th to Sept 18th. Good thing I took 9 days off between skating and cycling. That's why my buddy Pete Dykstra called me the "crit machine". I like that and I like crits. Thankfully I didn't go down....knock on wood. The Tuesday night Worlds at RMR (Rocky Mountain Raceway) was a staple.
http://www.utahcritseries.com/Content.aspx?id=1
Great training for a cheap price and all guts and glory for bragging rights only. I think I won a couple of $10 gift certificates to Canyon bikes for a couple of preems. Big $$$. Did a few mountainous (for me) Road Races and the Big CottonWood Hillclimb. I have to say the Big cottonwood hillclimb was one of the best races/fundraisers I did all year. It was a good vibe, good food and good people. I know I'm ready to rock next week at the US Championships and am looking for reasons why in some ways.
Practice races today at the oval it was the Zen and the Art of Speedskating blog vs Flyin Brian blog on the 1000m. Head to head. I've raced Andrew a number of times in pack style but not sure we have ever done a metric race? He would have smoked me on the 500. It was nice to just be racing the clock with him to push me off the start. As Andrew says it was the "World Championships of RIGHT NOW" :) We have become good friends this past year training alot together so it was different today. I actually hoped we both went 1:13 or better today but it was a couple of clicks slower. It was a super close race and I passed him the last turn when he had the piano on his back. I'd easily give Andrew the W today for a huge personal next week when it counts.
Not only did I eke out a victory in the 1000m vs Andrew but more importantly this blog apparently has a higher lever of sophistication. My blog reading level
Get a Cash Advance
Andrew's blog's....
Check it.... http://www.criticsrant.com/bb/reading_level.aspx
I haven't seen the lap times but I think it wasn't that bad of a die for the sprinter stud Andrew Love. We were even or actually i might have been ahead at 200m. I was like yea baby that must have been a good start but Andrew slipped a few times he said on the opening turn. I had good focus today because I couldn't have told you what he did that first turn and i was on the inner. I thought he would possibly go "over the top" of me and I wanted to really get it going. I guess our openers were only 18.0? Too bad. He had a good first turn that I'm sure the Trainer sessions that we have been doing helped.
The 1st lap he was ahead 10 meters maybe but aparently talking to him he got a super draft on the backstretch. I was really surprised because I have pretty good turns. I have to work on my turn entries for next week. They weren't good. If you miss the entry then you have to wait till the apex to get back on track. I had Scott Koons check my blades. My left didn't feel too good out there. Only my 2nd time on the new Maple Laser Steels (17.5)...excuses excuses. He said that it's hard to skate with the left bent the wrong way in the middle. I'm looking forward to getting that fixed up. Thanks Scott!
Andrew was pretty far ahead at the backstretch and I didn't think I would catch him. Funny thing for me was I had a meeting at work from 11 - 12. I raced the 500 luckily at 10:50 or so. Got on the meeting via conf call spun then got my skates on and sat on the bench just a few pairs b4 my race. I answered some questions on the call with my skates on. Put the phone down and about 1:15 later I was back on the call. Now that's working remotely. I worked last night till late to get my project done for work but on this call they wanted more and more and more which is like any business users. It seems like my life is unmanageable but that's the great part about it. It all works out somehow. I am very grateful.
I was thinking at the start line that there was no other place I wanted to be than right there in that moment. That's a powerful thought. I didn't think about the call for work or about anything. I had the blank mind state I would call it. It was good. I starting thinking/judging my race at 200m when I checked to see where Andrew was. Well I couldn't miss him he was right next to me. Got focused again and was thinking again at 1 lap to go (shit he's way ahead? How'd that happen?).....then thinking again on the backstretch.....Andrew doesn't look like he usually does? He wasn't dying I think till the last turn.... last turn I just stayed down and grittetd it out. I'd be curious to see our lap times.
I saw my good friend Marty Medina from Rochester speedskating club. He's a fellow tech geek with his own company and a many time Old Man Nationals champ.....
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/692/2B3
Tommorow is the US ST Nationals at the Oval in SLC. My bike buddy and Deseret News writer friend has a great entry here....Crit racing at the oval. It's going to be a throw down (Friday 6pm (1500), Sat 11am (500), Sun 10am (1000m - 3k - relay). Should be awesome. I'll be block chasing. Last time I did that I was with Steve Hallisey 11 years ago. How you doing Steve? Miss you guys at Baystate.
http://irideiwrite.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/crit-racing-at-the-oval/
Yes it is a crit on skates and that's why I like short track. Marty was asking me if I was going to do Master Nationals in his age group. I don't know why he would be concerned. He schooled my last time in Madison two years ago. He's got a bag of tricks in his repoirtaire on the ST. I'm a straight line skater with a few tricks. I hope to get to Old Man Nationals in the LT and ST this year and race my age group. Man I'm 42. I don't feel it.
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