Rough Ice

This xmass, I got a pair of new blades. Not just any blades, Allison Baver's olympic trial blades!! HELLZYEAH! Needless to say I felt very special. (she even wrote "olympic trials" on the tops of the blades :D) I couldnt wait to use them in a meet (which would be the Pittsburgh Holiday Open in about a week). I realized that I had to get used to them so I went out to skate with Buffalo, who were welcoming Rochester skaters to skate with them over Rochester's mid-season break (bleh).

As soon as I got on the ice I was stumbling. I could barly do crossovers or keep balance. Now I was worried, maybe I put them on wrong, or maybe they were just too good for me. Before I skated on them a second time I had Marty come to the open skate to look at them and see if I had them on right. He said they were on perfectly and stayed to watch me skate for a few minutes then gave me some pep talk, which made me feel SOOOOO much better, you have no idea. Whenever I get nervous and have a technical or mental issue, Marty is the guy to talk to. During my first meet, I got nervous because I stripped the edge on the outside of a blade during a 500m, so I asked him what to do and if I should sharpen them. He said it wasnt necessary because it was an outside edge, but if I was going to be thinking about it during the next races then I should sharpen it to feel more confident. It might sound weird, but it gives me so much more confidence when a coach tells me that something is right, or even if they say something in general, because ill believe them and won't doubt a word they say. Kind of like thoes little arctic or antarctic animals, if one jumps off a cliff the others do too. (ex: Jim's lectures on nutrition and whole foods XD, now I eat steel-cut oats for b-fast everyday!)

Anyway, the Pittsburgh meet comes, and im nervous again because none of our coaches came. It was only 4 of us. This kid from Pittsburgh (I won't name this skater, ill make up a new name for him..."evil kid") So during the 1st race, 1000m heat, we start. The evil kid makes me fall in the first turn so we start over. We start, he interferes, I fall AGAIN. Same spot. We start again, I get about 1 lap in and fall again for some reason. I was really discouraged at the end of the race so I switched back to my old blades. After the switch however, (excluding the 500m heat where the evil kid uses his elbow to nearly push me into the inside track..im telling you this kid skates like a Korean!) I was crankin' out thoes personal best's (PB's) in every event!!! In the 500m I got 56.32, the 777m was 1:27.47, and the 1500m was 3:06.09. Since then ive skated with the new blades a bit and im getting used to them, ill use them for next weeks meet, the Eastern States Meet in Saratoga. Rock on.
(Me in front)