Sunday/Relays

There were four on the schedule for me.
Veteran 2 Lady, Master 4 Mix, Veteran 2
Mix and Master 4 Lady.
The only one I'd ever done in competition
was the 2 Mix with Jeff Foster. He and I
had been partners in Roanoke, Va., earlier
this year, and I wasn't too worried about
him pushing me into outer space during
our relay tag as I had been then.
There was no way I wanted to disappoint
him either, and I wanted to get out of
the box smoothly and make all my tags.
As it turned out Bob, our Bethlehem coach,
had partnered me with several of our stronger
guys during practice weeks previous, and
I'd come to expect a more energetic push
than the ones Jeff gave during our race.
It being a qualifying event,(he told me
later),he hadn't wanted to take any
chances on getting DQ'd so he played it
safe.
It was nice to know I could have handled
more, and now we have something to work
on for Nationals, besides me being faster!
LOL
Truth is, I didn't even try to give him a
push that mattered. Mine seem to have no
real impact on men.
What I learned from that race was to come
out for my tag on my own timing and not
the timing of the well meaning folks on my
team that were yelling for me to get out of
the box!
"THERE HE IS!!!!".
Did they think I didn't see him?
I was paying attention.
I knew where he was.
And, that he wasn't skating up to his normal
race speed.
So I listened to their urging and came out
a few seconds early, and ended up wondering
what was taking Jeff so long to get to me as
I went further up the wall and farther away
from the prime relay tag zone.
Skate and learn.
My Veteran 2 Lady with Rosemary R. was a
great first relay to warm up with and to get
rid of any bothersome butterflies lingering
around from Saturday.
We'd never relayed together before and it
showed on my tag to her.
Giving her a good heave ho, that she didn't
expect, I unbalanced her several times..
Felt like an ass about that but it never
occurred to me to push any lighter :(
Jenn yelled at me to stop pushing down, which
I didn't think I was, and I was confused on
what I was doing wrong..
I'll have to work on absorbing more of my
forward movement when I put my hands on her,
and also pushing smoother.
Gee..I felt so bad for the two guys on my
Master 4 mix team, Bret D. and Barry C..
They picked the short straw when they got the
two slowest women on our Team for their
partners..
Nothing to do for it.
Age is an issue, and there aren't many women
in our age group that speed skate.
So, fast as they are, and both men are very
fast,we pulled them down to fourth place.
It pained me to hold them back so much..
Ouch..
The most exciting relay, because of all the
screaming that broke out, was during my last
relay, the Master 4 Lady.
Here, each woman goes out and does five laps
once and that's it.
Tami Foster our fastest woman, and who we
turn to for leadership, decided before the race
that I'd be in the SOS #4 spot.
Jane Carey, the coach of Fast Forward's group
in Kendall Park, N.J. brought up the rear for
her team in the same spot.
No need for details, but it was a close race
and we both came out for our tags at the same
time.
Jane got a better push than I did or maybe I
was just slower off mine, but we headed out
together, and though I was behind her, it
wasn't by much.
Our team mates went nuts about it!
The noise got louder and louder as the laps
counted down, I picked out individual voices
here and there, but never lost my focus, never
seized up, nor lost my breath.
Think I might have swung my arms most of the
time too but don't know that for certain.
What I do know is that I was in the best sync
I've ever raced in and my only regret is that
I didn't try to pass Jane immediately after
the first corner.
It occurred to me to do so, but I didn't make
the move.
Bad Joie!
Not sure I would have even been successful..
Anyway, it was very exciting, being in a groove.
From my perspective, and for my ability, I think
I skated it well, and I wasn't ashamed to come
in after her over the finish line.
She wasn't that far ahead of me :)