Random Thoughts...

Random thoughts from the past week:

• If you choose to skate with "the boys," be prepared to work. On Tuesday  I was planning to do a taper workout for the upcoming American Cup races this weekend.  Some of the masters boys were planning to, as well. One of my goals now is to skate with people more often--I think I can count the number of laps I've drafted off of anyone in the last two years on both hands--so when I saw Cop Guy, Aussie Boy and Sprinter Boy winding up to start their warmup laps, I quickly jumped on behind them.  Five fast laps, four hard straightaways, four hard corners, and three, 250 meter accels later, they had completed their warmup.  I, on the other hand, felt that I had completed my warmup and about half of my workout...my usual warmup is more along the lines of "four easy laps."  Still, it was a lot of fun, and I think if these guys let me tag along now and then, I'll become a much better skater.
• I didn't think it was possible, but I seem to have upped my personal Dorkiness Factor.  I got my new skating glasses and while they do a fantastic job (when they have their little foam insert snapped in) of keeping my eyes from watering on those windy January nights at the oval, they are not exactly a fashion statement.  Well, a Fashion Don't statement, maybe. The glasses are fine, actually--they're nice black-framed sports sunglasses...except that I put Transition lenses in them, so when I wear them inside, as I did today at the American Cup races, they are a heavy black frame with clear lenses.  Nice.  I wanted to get silver frames, but wasn't willing to pay double just to halve my Dorkiness Factor.  (Maybe I'll post a lovely photo when I get home; I forgot the camera cord this weekend).
• Discovery from the drive down to Milwaukee last night:  McDonald's Chicken McBites and an ice cream cone, while tasty, are not the best "to go" meal.  You see, as soon as the nice McDonald's employee hands you the ice cream cone, you effectively have only one hand.  And while you might be able to unwrap a nice, tidy cheeseburger using only one hand, it's quite difficult to open your McBites, open the sauce, stage the McBites and sauce on the passenger seat in such a way as to allow easy access while avoiding spilling, and simultaneously contain the drip-fest that is happening in the cone hand.  By the time my meal was prepped and I was ready to pull out of the parking lot there was ice cream on the steering wheel, Sweet and Sour sauce on the emergency brake, and a handful of fries had made a successful bid for freedom and are now roaming free somewhere on the Subaru floor mats.
• And finally, and most important...Personal Bests are nice!  I skated a 1000 meters and a 3k this morning (and I do mean morning; warmups were at 6:15, and I was done racing by 8:40 am), and got a personal best in both.  1:32.62 in the 1000, down from 2008's 1:34.67, and a 4:51.63, in the 3k, down from last February's 4:55.91.  I was hoping to break 4:50, but I'll take the 4:51.  Tomorrow is a 500 and another 1000, and I hope they go as well as today did.  Oh--and no PVC's in the races! (some before and after, but I don't care about those.)

I like when all my random thoughts are good thoughts!