Race Goals

Happy 2014!  Although the new year is typically a time for looking back over the past year's successes and failures, I can't yet review the goals I wrote back in March because the skating season isn't done yet.  However, upon looking at those goals I see that most of them need to be re-written anyway, because they're based on my "fast ice" (Calgary or Salt Lake) Personal Bests and I don't plan on going to the fast ice this year.  So, with the US Masters Single Distance Championships coming up this weekend in Milwaukee, now seems like a good time to figure out some new goals.

At the Masters event I will be skating two 500 meter races, a 1000, a 1500, and a 5000.  Here are my thoughts on each distance:

500:  This is historically my worst distance, and one where I can easily surprise myself with either a much better or a much worse time than I expect (as in the last time I went to Milwaukee and had total brain freeze and coasted an entire corner).  The 500 is also, unfortunately, the distance with the most riding on my time: if I can skate a sub-48 second 500 I can then compete in the final American Cup race of the season, in Milwaukee.  No sub-48, no Am Cup.  Since my PB from Milwaukee is 48.2, this presents a fairly large challenge.  Still, my goal for the 500 pretty much has to be that sub-48.  At least I get two shots at it.

1000:  My Milwaukee PB for the 1000 is 1:32.62.  While I'd love a PB in the 1000 (of course), I'd be happy with anything under 1:34.01.  This is the Masters Category I time (108% of the world record in my age group; MAT I is the elite masters designation.)  I've made MAT I every year since it began, but last year I only made it (barely) in the 5K. This year I'd like to make it in all distances above the 500 (the 500 time is 47.43, so that's not happening).

1500:  My Milwuakee PB in the 1500 is 2:24.62, from way back in 2008.  I consider this a fairly "soft" PB; I don't skate many 1500's in Milwaukee because usually when I go there for time trials I do a 500 and a long race (3 or 5K).  My "fast ice" 1500 PB is 2:17.57; typically I'd expect it to be one second per lap, or 3-4 seconds, faster than Milwaukee, so the seven second gap between fast ice and Milwaukee PB's should mean that there's some room for improvement there.  MAT I for the 1500 is 2:25, so a PB would also mean I achieved MAT I at that distance.

5000:  This is my big event, the one I like the most and the one I typically do the best at.  Last year's 5000 was quite forgettable, at 8:48.63.  Usually my 5K's at Milwaukee are in the 8:30-8:38 range; my PB there is 8:26.87, from back in 2008 when the "constant tailwind" fans were turned on.  My "non-fan-aided" PB is 8:30.43.  Now, the interesting thing is that the current Masters World Record in the 50-54 age group is 8:38.57, which is certainly within range for me.  However...my competitor in the 50 age group, Jackie Munzel, is a phenomenal skater.  She just finished competing in the Olympic Trials in Salt Lake City in all five distances, and skated a 7:36 5K there.  Clearly she is way out of my league and will break the masters record convincingly in the 5K (and likely all the other distances as well.).  However, if they skate us slowest to fastest and she and I are not in the same quartet, I could conceivably break the record and hold it for the 7-plus minutes it will take her to skate.  That happened to me back in 2011 at the Masters World Allrounds in Calgary; I broke the 3K record and held it for all of five minutes until the next quartet finished.   It was a fun five minutes.  So I'd love to break the record, for however short of a time. MAT I in the 5K is 9:00.05, so unless I DNF that shouldn't be a problem.

So there you have it.  Pretty aggressive goals, I guess, but my skating has been going well, the thyroid and PVC's have been behaving themselves, and my corners have improved.

Time to see what I can do as a 50-year-old!