Training officially started for the Olympic year!  When it comes to summer training before the Olympics, we always get a early start.  We only had 3 weeks of complete rest, when we usually get about 4-6.  I have spent my rest very well.  Lots of sitting on the couch, eating food that I usually stay away from and drinking a little wine!  One funny change that always happens in the off season is my attire.  During the skating season, I am the girl that shows up to class in runners, sweats and an old backpack.  When I don’t have to train right before and after class, I can wear whatever I want to class.  Everyone looks at me funny and they always say, “How come you got so dressed up?”  That is hilarious because wearing jeans, a nice shirt and carrying a Mat and Nat bookbag isn’t really that dressed up, but compared to the baggy sweats, it’s a big step up! 

Coming up, we have a summer full of travelling.  As you all know so very well, it can at times be quite cold and windy in Calgary in the sprintime.  Therefore, we are heading south for the beginning of May to do some base cycling.  We are going to Tucson!  I have never been there before and I am actually scared of the heat.  Heat and I don’t really mix, hence picking the winter sport.  I will try to make the best of it, though (complete sarcasm since it will be awesome). 

I will keep you posted on all my travels this summer on my way to the Olympics!

I am sure that most of you know of and some of you have even skated on the Calgary Olympic Oval.  Some of you might remember skating with me a few years ago for an event and I know some of you take you kids there for hockey or public skating.  The oval was build for the ‘88 Olympics.  It is now considered the jewel of the Games left over for the community/country/world to use.  It has become an all encompassing facility.  The public uses the ice surface for public skating, the city and province use it for speed skating programs, our nation uses it as the main National Training Center for the National Speed Skating Team and the World uses it for World Cup competitions. 

The oval is funded by Winsport (formerly CODA) and the University of Calgary.  Recently, because of the recession, both contributors have reduced their funds.  This leaves the oval unable to support the costs of operating the oval ice surface.  Instead of the regular 9 months of ice, it has now been reduced to 5 months.  This is completely unacceptable for the programs that speed skating needs to run.  It is completely impossible for those skaters getting ready for the Olympics to undergo the training they need to succeed with such a blow to the ice availability.

I know that the oval is a valuable facility to the people of Calgary and to all of Canada for Olympic success.  I often hear of people being disappointed in Canada’s Olympic results.  This is exactly why Canada can not reach the next level of Olympic success.  We finally have a facility that encompasses everything that an elite athlete needs all in one place (field of play, off ice training facility, weights facility, National Sport Center, Sport Science/Physiology, Sports Medicine, Physiotherapy and Massage) and Canada is about to shut it down. 

Canadian speed skating has had this facility for 20 years and it is no surprise that speed skating brought in 50% of the medal hall from the last Olympics.  Please help us to keep this amazing facility operating so that we can continue this speed skating legacy for years to come.