Eastern Seaboard Series Race 3

Well, yesterday was the third installment of the Eastern Seaboard Series races. In the Sr. Men's race we did not have any stars this time around, No Michael Cheek, one of the fastest skaters in the US. No Oliver Jean, an Olympic gold medalist. So it was a little calm I think. Everyone there in the Sr. Men's race pretty much knew everyone else and how they raced. We skated a 21k this time which I would prefer we skated everytime but that's okay.

From a personal stand point I wasn't exactly looking forward to the race. I thought I was but then when I was there I just felt tired and sleepy. I kept yawning. Luckily when I started racing that went away for the most part. I was much much more active this race. In the first race I was pretty dormat, in the second race I didn't do much because I was tired after falling. But this race I did a decent amount. I chased and got on every single breakaway except one (more on that to come). In the beginning I just chased because it felt like the right thing to do. Then I just kept doing it and kept doing it. In the middle of a race I got on a breakaway with about 3-4 other skaters. We stayed out for about 4 laps (4 miles) or something close to that, maybe a little longer or shorter. For a little while it looked like we might finish on a breakaway which would have put me at a huge advantage in a very small field sprint. But with a little less than two laps to go the pack, led by Justin Mannon caught up to us.

Naturally, shortly after the pack caught us there was a counter attack. Something that every good skater should be aware of. Anyway, the counterattack looked very weak at first and I didn't think it would end up being a break away so I waited in the pack because it wasn't getting far in front of us and didn't look like a huge threat. Then two more skaters chased it. But the pack was still in striking distance. I hesitated chasing the break, I stepped out of the pack to chase and hesitated and jumped back in the pack. I huge mistake on my part. Anyway, the break managed to get further away then I would have liked. On the bell lap (last mile) they had opened up a pretty big lead. I thought about chasing it because I thought I could have caught them, but I wouldn't have had much left for a sprint and at least one person in the pack would have just followed me up to the leaders and then took off sprinting for the line. I figured if no one else in the pack was going to do any work I wasn't going to do all the work for none of the glory. So in the end, three skaters finished the race on a breakaway. At the line Justin Mannon beat me by probably just over a foot. Giving me fifth place for the race.

I was disappointed that I didn't go after the break with less than two laps to go. I don't exactly know what I was thinking. I'm pretty sure I had the legs to go after it even though I was on a break right before. I hate losing and I still don't know why I didn't go after it but that's alright. In terms of a training race I did good. I chased breaks and went on some and still had someone to sprint against at the end there. Every race is just getting me ready for Outdoor Nationals when I won't be able to afford I mental lapse.

My Decision

At the end of this blog.. look back at the title and let me know if you get the pun. lol.

Alright, So it looks that I can say with around 96% confidence that sometime this Winter, most likely November.. first week of December at the absolute latest.. I will be making my move to Salt Lake City to make a full-time switch to short track AND long track speed skating (at least for the time being). It's a move I contemplated last year around this time and decided the timing was not right. This year, I went a little of a different route.

First, I realize that although I am switching to ice, Inline is and always will be my passion. With that being said I came to the conclusion that I will never decide I am ready to switch to ice. Once I realized I will never be ready to I figured that if I don't do it now, I have to wait 3 or 4 years which is too long for me. What I realized is that I'm never going to be completely satisfied walking away from my inlines but it is a decision that I would always regret if I never did it. With that being said everything just seems like it is right for me to go now.

Secondly, I am making a full-time switch to ice.. BUT I am still an inliner and I am still skating inlines throughout the year and throughout the ice season. I still have full intentions on skating every race of the National SpeedSkating Circuit along with a few other meets. I plan skating on my inlines every week even during the winter if possible.
One reason that I am doing this is because the concept that ice skaters can't skating inlines is Bologna. The Canadian short track speed skaters skate inlines multiple times a week and they do it very well in fact. If it doesn't hurt them then it isn't going to hurt me.

Third, when everyone in the inline community realizes how many of us are switching this year I think they are going to be devastated and blown away. But at the same time I think they are going to see that it can be done without sacrificing inlines completely it just depends on how much you really want to do it. Hopefully with so many of us missing from various races even though we do plan on skating inlines it will open up the door for some other skaters to take over and steal some of the spotlight.

I plan on skating ODN, qualifying for the world team, skating worlds and then after that it will be November and time for me to move. I plan on using my blog for a weekly update on how myself and my peers are doing on the ice. We are all starting halfway through the ice season which might make the first season a little rough but I think that will be okay in the long run.

Indoor Nationals

In simple terms my indoor nationals was horrendous at best. For the first time since 2001 I came home empty handed from a national championship which is one of the oddest feelings I will ever experience I'm sure of it.

Next I did not skate good at all and I am baffled by it. I actually was bad from the start but got progressively worse as it went on. I think I did okay dealing with how awful I was especially because it was something I have never dealt with before and I don't think I will solve the mystery that was my indoor national championships of 2010. Next, I am so excited that I still have Outdoor Nationals to redeem myself which I am confident I will do. I've been strong outdoor in the last couple of months which is one reason this indoor fluke baffles me but I am putting it behind me. I have a lot going on in the next 3-4 months that it seems ridiculously thinking about how much I need to get done. Soon I will start telling everyone exactly what I am doing as soon as I get the go ahead to do so. Right now I am 100% devoted to Outdoor skating and to NSC of course.

I get home friday night and have work Saturday morning. Afterward I am getting a gym membership and catching up on some lifting that I should have started two months ago. Next will be lots and lots of intervals to try and counteract some of the weight I am bound to put on with the weights. And the dreaded healthy eating is coming on Monday. I am going to hate it but it's the only shot I have at staying at my current weight while lifting.

Before ODN I have some strength training to catch up on and a lot of sweat to lose. It's going to be weights and intervals the majority of the way up to ODN for me I believe.

Lastly, I want to apologize to everyone who watched me and expected more out of me at indoor nationals. I expected way more out of myself then anyone else and I definitely didn't live up to my training. I felt like an embarrassment to myself, my coaches, and everyone who specifically watched me. All I can say is that come August 9th it will be a different story.

Look for 2-3 more blogs this week!