2012-13 Season is Over for Brian Hansen

Cheering from afar is never the same as being right there yourself. This World Championship competition in Sochi, Russia this weekend was my main goal this year to make, and so having to be a spectator and not the competing athlete has been difficult. But looking back on this year, let alone my last three years that have been full of injuries and comebacks, I don't regret the path that I have taken in my athletic career. It's been worth it.

That being said, being able to cheer on Brian Hansen and my mom/coach as they finish their speedskating season this weekend at the World Championships in Sochi, Russia, has been awesome. Being able to watch his races live and seeing my coach on TV as well still amazes me. Technology is such a blessing! And this venue is the Sochi Olympic rink for next year, so my mom has been sending me videos and pictures throughout the week of the area and venue so I get the feeling of being there, haha. She is great. :)

But back to racing/results from Worlds...

Brian raced this past Thursday/Friday, placing the highest he ever has at a World Championships! In the 1500m on Thursday, he placed 4th...in the World, no big deal, ha. (See the entire 1500m results here: http://live.isuresults.eu/2012-2013/sochi/r1404.htm). Always bittersweet placing 4th at a major world competition, and having placed 4th myself at the last Olympics with my teammates, I know exactly how it feels. BUT, I believe being 4th going into Olympic year is a great position to be in...less pressure in having to defend one's world title for the Olympics.

Now on Friday (yesterday), Brian raced the 1000m, placing 9th and again, placing his highest ever in a World Championships...I'd say it was one successful season finish for Brian! (See the entire 1000m results here: http://live.isuresults.eu/2012-2013/sochi/r1403.htm).

Brian is now finished with his season, so proud of him and the rest of the USS team that has been representing us at the World Championships...and I am pumped for our mom to come home. Though, she will only be able to relax a couple of days before her MAJOR knee surgery that she has been needing for years. If you all remember, please pray for the surgeon and the success of her surgery which will be done this Thursday, March 28th!

NOTE: this is not the end of our blog posts now that this season has wrapped up and we are in our 'off-season'...keep checking back for more as we now head in Olympic year. Actually, we are hoping to hype things up more on this blog, posting more videos, giving you an inside look at what Olympic training looks like and like we promise in the title on our page: "This is a place for family, friends and supporters to follow our adventures as we compete and train our brains out to make the next winter Olympics in Sochi." Please continue to comment, like, and/or follow this blog and our twitters (find these links on the right sidebar of this blog) as well as my (Nancy Jr.) fanpage on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NSwiderPeltzJr) where daily updates on training/life will be posted!

Thanks, as always, for your support in our journey to make the next Olympic team and it is our hope and prayer that we represent well, everyone who has helped us get to where we are today as well as our Lord and Savior.

God bless,
Nancy Jr. 


1 Corinthians 9:25

Finishing Strong at the end of the Season

Jeffrey racing his 1000m

Season is finished...well, for Jeffrey and I. Brian will be competing in the World Championships in Sochi, Russia in a week and a half with my mom, who left to be with him yesterday after being home for only 22 hours after Calgary. World Single Distance Championships will begin March 21-24th and the link to those results can be found at:

 http://live.isuresults.eu/2012-2013/sochi/

There should also be a live video feed of the competition on http://nos.nl/sport/schaatsen/live/ that I will repost when the competition nears.

Calgary Olympic Oval from the outside

Speedskater Art outside the Olympic Oval

But onto recapping this past week's Oval Finale competition in Calgary, Canada:

• Day 1: 3k ladies...
• Skated to a 4:12.5 overall time, which statistically is the 3rd fastest time skated by a US lady this season. I did slip a little with 2-laps to go, so I know I had a faster time in me, but from where I have been for most of this season, I was pumped to have finished this season with a strong 3k time. I am on my way back to my olympic shape :)
• Day 2: 500/1000m ladies, 500m men
• 500m/1000m, these races are not my strong races, but I wanted to see how I could finish this season with the 6-weeks of training I have done to rebuild my condition since our Nationals/regionals in early January. I was happy with my times being my season bests and though I didn't get any all-time personals, they were 4-year personals (41.7 & 1:19.7). In my 1000m, too, my second lap was less than a second of a drop from my first lap, so this shows that my training is giving me a good base and that I can keep up speed to the end of the race without tiring much.
• 500m men. Jeffrey raced a personal best right from the start, clocking in at 36.76 in his 500m. He said he messed up his second turn, so he knows he had a better time in him.
• Day 3: 500m/1000m ladies, 1000m men



Elli Ochowicz (3x Olympian), my mom and I

• 500m/1000m ladies. Third day in a row of racing and I was a tad tired going into these two races. Even though my times were not faster (they were less than a tenth slower), I showed consistency from day to day in my racing, giving me the confidence that my condition is solid and how I should be training for the next season.
• 1000m men. A good race, but Jeffrey was a half second off his best time from last year so he really wanted to get that personal in the same race the next day. (Jeffrey embedded a video of this race in the last post)
• Day 4: 1000m men
• Day off for me, but Jeffrey had his 2nd 1000m race. And after his 1000m yesterday, his goal for this day was to break 1:11 mark. He skated faster but it was only 1:11.54, just a few meters from breaking 1:11.00.
• Day 5: 1500m ladies/men and Mass Start
• 1500m ladies. Going into today, I had hopes of breaking the 2min mark and getting close to my personal best, but instead I crossed the line at 2:01.7. Times were pretty consistent throughout the race, though, and that is something to be confident/happy about for the brutal 1500m race.
• 1500 men. JEFFREY'S BEST RACE THIS YEAR. Wanted to break 1:59.00, got 1:58.99, he was so happy, haha. 



Mass Start: fast grouping, can you find Jeffrey?!
Click on the picture to enlarge it...

• Mass Start: So we were not originally going to race this race, but after our 1500m's, we were like "why not?! it's more training and maybe we can make some money?!" Jeffrey was entered into the faster group of men, who held a fast pace (for almost all 20 laps) and though Jeffrey won a prime lap and sprinted for another one, having finished the 1500m recently, his legs quickly got tired and he stopped. For the ladies, there being only 4 that signed up, we were placed with the slower group of men, though we competed in our own division. In short, I won both prime laps, but the Japanese girl took off with 1 lap to go (15 laps total) and I couldn't compete with her sprinting abilities resulting in 2nd place, still winning $30 Canadian!

In short, the Oval Finale was successful and together, we both had all season-best times along with Jeffrey breaking two of his Personal Bests! Again, as I always write because it is so true, thank you to everyone for your support in our speedskating goals/journey as we strive to make next Olympic team together. We could not do what we do without everyone beside us along the way. It's a team effort and always will be one. God gave us these talents, and to be able to share the journey with you all is worth the pain we put our bodies through. Ha.

To God be the Gory...

Nancy Jr.

1 Corinthians 9:25

I've already posted the following previously, but wanted to post it again:

"Thanks always to our Support Team including (sorry if I failed to mention you, but you know who you are): our sponsors Extreme Endurance, Magnet Street, CoreFitness, Oakley (Megan&Steve). To our therapy team: Paula, Bannockburn Chiropractic (Dr. Yoss/Carl), and Major Chiropractic and Sports Injury. To Hilary Barreto who has done amazing work with our photo shoots. To our mom, our coach, who has sacrificially given her life to help us achieve our goals and teaching us life lessons along the journey. And to our family and friends, for we would not be where we are today if it wasn't for the people alongside us encouraging us everyday."

Today is Day Four Out of Five of the Last Competition

So far, Nancy and I are putting together a solid competition. Nancy has raced some of her best times in a few years and I've come around after having maybe my worst competition ever last weekend in Salt Lake City. I also did a personal best in my 500 meters on Thursday. Let's finish strong! 2 days left. Nancy races a 1500 meters tomorrow and I race a 1000 meters in a few hours and a 1500 meters tomorrow as well. 

Here's my 1000 meters from yesterday, this dude smoked me! (He did a 1:10.32). I was a 1:11.73 and I want to be a sub 1:11.00 today! I'm in the light blue skin-suit.

Racing Begins TOMORROW!

Giving y'all a short update and the links for the Calgary Finale competition starting tomorrow!

Calgary Olympic Oval, Canada

Wow, a long day of travel yesterday finally got us (Jeffrey and I) to Calgary, Canada last night. Racing for me begins tomorrow (the 3000m) and Jeffrey will begin Friday with the 500m. Ice was wicked fast during race prep at the oval today, or so it felt like that to me coming from the slower/work ice in Milwaukee, so that gave me the extra confidence tomorrow's race should be a solid one! This will be the first time I've raced since my rock-bottom results from Nationals back in December. Yes, there is a bit of nervousness going into tomorrow's race, but what I have gained in my training the last couple months has given me the excitement for racing tomorrow. And though it seems a lot is riding on this race tomorrow: to get a fast time, end the season on a good note, prove that I am on a comeback going into 2014 Olympic year, to validate my training as of late...I have to say that the faith and joy I have found once again in my training in these last weeks has been the turning point I've needed in my career. But in all of this, the glory that results is all for the Lord (in victory and in failure)...who has blessed me tremendously throughout the trials/injuries I have endured since Vancouver 2010. He is the one who has given me this talent in the first place; He has given me everything. Like Eric Liddel admirably said,

"You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, 'Believe, have faith,' in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, 'Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me.' If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race. I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

Now for the links to the results from this week:
Calgary Oval page and click on the race you want...I will be racing the 3000m ladies tomorrow (March 7th) http://136.159.129.160/Competition/Results.aspx

SpeedskatingResults.com: http://speedskatingresults.com/index.php?p=2&e=10459 and then click on the race.

Last resort, go to my Facebook fan page where my updated tweets on our racing will be posted as well:
https://www.facebook.com/NSwiderPeltzJr

The Calgary Finale full schedule:

Thanks always to our Support Team including (sorry if I failed to mention you, but you know who you are): our sponsors Extreme Endurance, Magnet Street, CoreFitness, Oakley (Megan&Steve). To our therapy team: Paula, Bannockburn Chiropractic (Dr. Yoss/Carl), and Major Chiropractic and Sports Injury. To Hilary Barreto who has done amazing work with our photo shoots. To our mom, our coach, who has sacrificially given her life to help us achieve our goals and teaching us life lessons along the journey. And to our family and friends, for we would not be where we are today if it wasn't for the people alongside us encouraging us everyday.


God Bless,
Nancy Jr.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Brian's first GOLD!!!

Brian's Gold in the 1000m today! With Stefan, Dmitry, 
and Nico. Thank you Kip for the picture!

Proud. proud. proud.

Brian Hansen, our training partner, won his first individual World Cup GOLD medal in the 1000m race today at the Erfurt World Cup (and he is just 22yrs old!). Darn it, I wish I could have been there for Brian's first Gold, but the best I could do was to catch him on FaceTime to chat afterwards. That guy is a world-class skater. But for those who have known him well, knew this success (and more to come) was inevitable! I am honored to have him as a training partner and to have experienced the Vancouver Olympics with him...we've had the best of memories.

Brian began speedskating at 10 because he just wanted to go fast on hockey skates which led him to the Northbrook speedskating club. Two years later, he (and his parents) found Nancy Sr., who has been his coach ever since. His career has been unusual in that he has constantly risen to the top with rarely ever having a bad race. His athletic talent and exceptional competitiveness combined with what we all think is my mom's unusual intuitive coaching expertise, is how we believe they're an unstoppable team. Day-to-day feedback from us and the one-on-one attention we get from her is what makes our team successful. 

A look into Brian's major accomplishments so far:

Brian will be competing in the 1500m tomorrow, the last day of the World Cup in Erfurt...catch his results at http://live.isuresults.eu/2012-2013/erfurt/index.htm or watch it on live streaming at http://nos.nl/sport/schaatsen/live/. The 1500m will be starting at 1:45pm in Erfurt, 6:45am Central Time/Chicago (early, I know) and Brian is 7th pair with Sverre Pedersen.

Or if you miss the live NOS feed, you can watch a recap of his 1500m anytime here: http://nos.nl/sport/schaatsen/video-en-audio/, just click on video "WB Erfurt 2013 1500 meter (m)". Watch Brian's 1000m race from today by clicking on the embedded video below starting at 0:53!

Brian is dominating...now I have to step up my game next week in Calgary. Ah!

God Bless you all,

Nancy Jr.

1 Corinthians 9:25