I woke up to an incredibly perfect day today (February 10th), that was half gone because I slept so late having been up til 4am doing emails, texts, and the summary of ideas I send to Jr. who puts them into this blog. The sky was a cloudless blue and the Black Sea looked as if I were in Florida. This is the time of year I have been in Florida with my mother, and I think the position of the sun here must be similar.
I took the shuttle, as I do every day, to the venues...the routine, the security, and the safety so far melting everyone into a certain comfort zone. I anxiously walked through the Welcome Center where I enter, hoping my bike was still locked to the fence. It was! I've never been so happy to have a bike, ha! I then happened to run into Robert Lehman (our German training partner) and then Brian, all because I can get around more on the bikes. We ate lunch and then were off to the races.
Below, again in the warm up room, before Brian Hansen's 500m race today (Feb 10th). I just had to share this video because that's the relaxed Brian "jog", haha. For any who are skaters from the 70s/80s, it mirrors the infamous jog of Eric Hendricksen (shown below in the White House picture). :)
Brian's goal today was to put in (simply) a great race and if we felt that the effort of 2 x 500's (the 500m speedskating race is the only distance where the winner is determined by the combination of 2x500 races) would jeopardise in any way some strained muscles he's had in the past, then he wouldn't skate the second 500. We wanted to wait and let the first race dictate the second. After the first race, we decided to make the safe decision and feel not racing the 2nd 500 was a wise choice .This 500 he skated was his best lowland time ever raced, so that's good going into the 1000m race on Wednesday, and then the 1500m race on Saturday, his specialties :)
Some of you were watching and wondering what happened for his second race, and in case you don't know yet, that's why you didn't see him. I sent a picture of Jeff Klaiber and myself watching the races (to the right). He is the other private coach here coaching Jonathan Kuck and Emery Lehman. He was on the Olympic team with me in the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Canada. And I'm going to have Nancy Jr. insert here, a picture of the 1988 Olympic Team at the White House where Reagan is holding Nancy Jr...and Jeff Klaiber is also in the picture!
Unbelievably I haven't had time to roam the Venue area, so I hope to take a short time tomorrow and take a look and show you all.
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| 3rd from left: Dave Cruikshank, 5th: Jeff Klaiber, Bonnie Blair is next to baby Nancy held by President Reagan, Eric Hendrickson is standing behind me. |
I so miss having Jeffrey and Nancy skating on the ice as a team with Brian. They were the ones (well, I'm starting to forget I did too!) who pulled Brian in many a lap when he was learning the technique he now has, which has helped to bring him to this point. I just wanted so much for this to be all of us as a team (TeamSwiderPeltz!) in Sochi. It was Jeffrey's goal, after he saw Nancy Jr.'s 4th place (team pursuit) and her 9th place (3000m) and Brian's silver medal win (team pursuit), that he would go for Sochi 2014.
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| Brian Hansen, myself, and his family in Sochi, Russia |
He has been training currently in Milwaukee since Brian and I left for Sochi, preparing as best he can (mostly by himself) for the final American Cup starting the 28th Feb. He is also currently enrolled full time at Wheaton College, driving himself back and forth to Milwaukee. I'm excited to be back for that competition!!!! :):):):)
Thanks for following us here, and please keep prayin for us as well, for safety and that Brian and I make wise choices for his training and competition...misc. videos from today you can watch below! :)
God Bless,
Nancy Sr.
I'm slipping a little here in this video below. It wasn't from today, but this is how we sometimes prepare before races. Usually before or after training. It's called "mashing" and is similar to a deep massage, but we've found the greatest benefit: for loosening and preparing the glut and hamstrings for bolistic movements. It is a technique taught to us by Bob Cooley, along with the rest of his staff, called RFST (Resistance Flexibility and Strength Training). Look him up at: https://www.thegeniusofflexibility.com/resistance-stretching/rfst.html
Shani and Mitch's 2nd 500m Olympic race race showing only the first corner. They were paired together today, February 10th, 2014.
The first turn of Tucker Frederick's 2nd 500m race today, February 10th 2014.
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