Monday November 8th

Well, I am back here in New York. I am so happy to be home. I feel like I'm floating in a puffy soft cloud I am so comfortable. I would love to say that the race was a huge success and I am on my way to a great season but that is just not true. I have some serious changes in store. It was a mess of okay skating, equipment problems, mental issues, injury issues and it was generally challenging to stomach. It was better than last Am Cup. at least. I finished 18th out of 24 overall, which to me is remarkable considering how it felt overall. I don't feel good writing about it, but I just thought I should let any followers know how it went.

Friday November 6th

Tis the eve of the race. It is cold and rainy here in Cleveland, Ohio. Well actually it is more snowy than rainy. Call it a wintry mix and I love it. The trees are orange and red and brown and my hands get cold and stiff if I stay outside too long. Feels like it should November 5th.
  I have had a busy bunch of days preparing so I apologize for failing to post in so long. Wednesday night I only got 41/2 hours of sleep because I went to practice that night so I couldn't have all my bags packed when I got back and I had to eat something. By the time I got to sleep it was 11 and I had to wake up at 3:30 for the flight here. I am so disoriented. I went through a porthole it feels like from clear deep blue skies and 85-90s to cold, hailing Cleveland. Thursday was a lost day. I was so wired I hardly was myself plus the fact that the clock moved forward 3 hours from L.A. to here so I traveled super early but by the time I was settled into the room it was practically time for dinner. I have been in a room at the Regency Hotel all by my self since then. It is a really nice room as far as my standards for regular hotels go and overall, I have been impressed. The only flaw so far was the magically emptying bathtub. No matter what I did, it kept emptying even though I stopped the drain and could not feel anywhere where there was a downward current! My bath in Epsom Salts and stretching was the latest thing I've done today, and before, I went to the rink this morning for practice Ice and went to eat and pick up groceries at Wal Mart with Jean and Kyle. With the World Cup team not present, Kyle has a great shot to win the overall competition here this weekend. I'm just trying to improve on last Am. Cup. It should be great and there is actually a live stream in HD, I believe ... here:  http://www.shorttrackhd.com/menu.html  I am pretty sure the live stream is happening tomorrow if you click on the link some ways down that page. I will find out for sure soon and get back to you. Of course, if you miss it or can't watch, my dad is here this time! So he will be recording all the races. You just won't get those live. He should be here any minute from the airport actually. We're gunna go check in for the race and then eat.
  I'll try to confirm on the live video soon.

Monday November 1st

I got good sleeps Saturday night and Sunday night and I woke up ready to work this morning. It was a good thing because the workout was tough and I led most of it. We did the warm up relay, then finished three out of four sets of 20 laps technical - no lap times - followed by 10 laps between 10.5 and 11.0 followed by a 3 lap accel. I was around 10.1 for a lot of the 3rd 10 lapper. I am working so hard on the technique still. 4 things have to come together for me: I have to steer into the turn more with my right, then after the right push I have to cross big with the right. I understood completely what Wil has been saying over and over about transferring weight more today and that helped me comprehend the term "shifting" she always says. So four things in recap:
 - Steer into the turn on the right,
 - Cross bigger with the right,
  - Transfer the weight from leg to leg so longer pushes,
  - Shift the hips more.
  Of course I always have to "tuck" more, which basically means rounding my back but the result is that my hips stay "under my body".
  Imagine going 25 mph on thin blades around hairpin turns on ice thinking about all this and more. It is not easy. But I am better than a lot of people in the country, I have a shot to be great, the whole process is making me a better, stronger individual, I enjoy it a lot when I'm doing well and I am learning how to feed myself, eat, sleep and prepare right so that I can do it well. Why complain?


  Yesterday afternoon was very  pleasant with Gary. We went to Venice Beach, had a great meal looking right out on the beach with lapping waves and clear blue skies. Then we walked to a different part of the beach, the main part and rested in the sun for a good hour. It was too bizarre, first of all to be with Gary in the nice parts of the West Coast when we are always together in the East, but moreover to be in a place that was hot enough to take off my shirt, with palm trees, summer blue skies, and huge white beaches while back home it must be chilly and full of autumn colors. Hard to believe I'll be in that place soon.

Sunday October 31st

I have one week before I am home again! That is one long week though as I still have 3 days of training, a tough packing job, a day of traveling and getting checked in my hotel and then a weekend of stressful racing in Cleveland. Its gonna be good because I will make it good.
  Kendal's party was fun. There were a ton of people there from her and her older brother's school. Everybody was dressed in a costume of course. We danced a lot and I was sore the next day.
  The whole couple days was so hectic. But it was a controlled hectic. From skating friday morning I went home with Kendal, dropped her off at school and then helped Annette (Kendal's mother) shop. We went back to the house and unloaded all the groceries and then I went with Kendal's brother Austin to pick Kendal up from school. I didn't sleep all day leading up to the party though I wanted to but when the party started, I was ready - of course. lol. It was too late to go home to the Uyeharas when Casey and I left so I went home to Casey's dorm and slept there on the couch. When I woke up, I had the challenging decision of how to get home. Should I take the lame bus system and take all day to get back? Should I save time but lose a ton of money by calling a taxi to take me? Could I maybe get Casey to give me yet another ride? Could I all Gary to come down and bring me back? Or should I just stay with Casey all day and go with him to practice? I decided on the first option, the bus.
  It went surprisingly well. I mapped my route out on Google maps and took two different buses for a total of 25 miles for just $3. However it took 2 hours and 20 minutes and by the time I got back, I hardly had time to fall asleep before I had to go to practice. It was good though. The whole thing. I have become so good at planning ahead and working things out on my own. I had everything I needed at all times. I was never hungry, thirsty, sleep-deprived or anxious about much of anything. Casey gave me the book Fight Club to read on the bus as I have finished the other two books I had. The area around his College, OTIS, is very nice and artsy. I like it.
  Today Gary is swinging by and we'll spend the day together.

Friday October 29th

Well not much to say other than practice was good this morning. Very hard with lots of sprinting and lots of hard breathing and sore legs. I am at a house now where there is going to be a huge Halloween/ sweet 16 birthday party for Kendal. I have been helping set up all day and am just now getting some energy up for the party.

Thursday October 28th

This morning was another good practice. We did speed endurance so 3 sets of relays all out for 11/2 laps eight times out. I did a 9.0, a 9.1, and a million 9.2s. That is very good for me. I hope to be under 9 soon  but like Chris said, "You just went the fastest you've ever gone and you're complaining you didn't go fast enough!?"
  I fell last night for the first time in a while and I fell again this morning! I think its because I am starting to really get a grasp of what I need to be doing exactly technique-wise and when I don't execute it, but I am close, its dangerous and I can't support the G's. Last night I think that was the case and it was funny the way I fell: It was the last turn(!) of a 15 lapper and as I went down exactly at the middle block, the "apex" of the turn, I fell back on my left and while I was trying to stop myself from falling, I grabbed the apex block and took it with me into the pads where it came dislodged from my grasp from the impact of the hit. I picked it up and put it back and it wasn't until Drew said " there's about a one in a thousand chance that will ever happen again" that I realized what had happened.  This morning's fall was just a case of stepping on a block. I was feeling sooooo good in a 10 lap technique set and I just stepped on the block. 'Twas bizarre. But really, I am feeling so much better than I have skating. I am feeling like I am on a roll, a mission, and that I can prove a lot this year. Now I am in  high again though so I have to be careful how high I let myself go mentally and not be content with where I am, but want more. That should be easy. I just have to shoot for good technique and try to get under 9.0.
  -Gym later and I have to find some sort of a costume for the Halloween Party at Kendall's house Friday night.
  -Now, eating, sleeping, reading, practicing are in my immediate future.

Wednesday October 27th

Well I am pretty much re-settled back into my room here in The Uyeharas' house in Lakewood. Much like a ready sleeper snuggles into the perfectly made bed and fits his head into the perfect nook in the pillow, so I leak more and more into the house the first couple days back until the structure is set and I can function. The key is the "perfectly made bed", which in my case is keeping absolutely everything intact around me and making sure that I am not taking over the house and making it my own. I have to remember that it is still the Uyeharas' house and that I am a temporary visitor. When I came back Tuesday morning, the room was so transformed I could hardly believe it. There is so much room now and I can keep it so tidy. Its good. :) I have only thanks in my heart toward Jon and Jean and their niece Sarah. Thanks and love. Aloha.

  Monday afternoon beach training, the first in a while because of rain, went well. I worked hard. :)
  Tuesday morning practice went well. We did lots of work. Lots of tempos - the all out things, remember? I am in a bit of a "low" right now physically. I think this is because I worked so hard recently but it is not a negative thing. I can become much stronger based on how I work through it. If I let it get to me and stop working hard, it will take longer to go away I feel. So my times weren't great tuesday or monday but I worked hard and that's the required constant.
  Tuesday night I had a great weight session and afterwords I went into the mall right next to the gym and shopped for some better shoes. The other ones were not doing it at all. These seem much better and I put them to the ultimate test this morning at the stairs. I was rested and strong this morning on stairs and I did an extra "bonus set" at the end to finish with 5 differing sets, not counting the initial walk up. I hope I feel strong again tonight in skating but regardless, I plan to work hard again. Why not? I can. I am here now. Later

Monday October 25th

Saturday was a busy day. Gary came and picked me up at the house I am living in here in Culver City. Gary is an old friend of the family (my family back in New York) and lately Ive gotten closer with him through the yoga classes he runs at this sweet house. If I kept going about Gary (stories, accomplishments, awesomeness, etc.) it would be a novel. Anyway, he picked me up and took me on a great ride through Beverly Hills, then up and down the Hollywood Hills and we arrived at our destination, the house of one Penny Marshall  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Marshall
Among numerous jaw-dropping features to the house, it has a porch with sofas and tables which looks out over much of L.A. She has a ton of baseballs autographed by Joe Dimaggio, Roger Maris, Jacky Robinson and so many others. Derek Jeter's Helmet, Darryl Strawberry's helmet - there is so much. Outside of the kitchen window there are about 6 or 7 Hummingbirds feeding. 

  Gary took me to the rink and watched the little race we had. I did so so in the race. I have been training soooo hard lately I think it is catching up with me as my legs were super heavy. I had some good moments.

  After the race I went to eat at Chipotle with Casey after and then back to his College Dorm where I met his room mates and chilled there for a bit. Then Zach's parents picked me up on the way back from Souplantation and I slept like a baby.

  Sunday, a new day, an off day, and still a busy day. I woke up and went to the Araneta's church, which was quite an experience. Live music and a very confident pastor were included in the sermon before we went to eat in Chinatown. Then we went to Santa Monica pier which was cool and saw a movie (not worth mentioning, but don't see Life As We Know It). Santa Monica is cool because there are tons of live performers on the street. We came home at night and I played the cello for the family while they ate. haha.

  This morning I was back on the ice and dealing with mental problems. I was not in the mood to work hard and it was the first time Ive caught myself with something less than a determined attitude since my new resolve. I caught it though and finished strong. Joey Lindsay may be coming to train for a long time here. That would be super!

 

Friday October 22nd

When does it stop being interesting changing families! The Aranetas, my latest kind hosts (kind is an understatement in their case as you will see), are from the Philippines. Apparently as Lorelei has told me when you are middle class or above there, you have such an easy, laid back life with Nannies and people who do your laundry. They moved here and took a few years to adjust, with the help of Lorelei's mother, as the life was much more trying obviously. Lorelei is a fantastic cook and she ran a catering business together with her husband Zachary until recently. Now she has a lot of free time and lucky for me she uses a lot of that time to cook for the family. I feel like a king the way I eat here. Egg sandwiches with scallops in the early morning along with a strawberry-banana smoothie; When I came home this morning, the younger Zach who skates and myself went to the pool and jumped in the cold pool for 5 minutes then in the steaming, bubbling jacuzzi for (a long) 5 minutes a couple times. we came home to the smell of delicious salmon burgers and sweet potato fries made only with healthy ingredients along with another shake. Now Zach is off to school and I am here alone in the house with the keys and access to anything. I am serious when I say I feel like a king. I am helping out as much as they will let me, which is not much as they are just too kind. Its amazing.
  I had another good session this morning and Kyle is in town for the weekend (the reason I am not in the Uyeharas' house) so I had someone to chase which was great. I am lowering my consistent lap times which is so cool. soon I am hoping to be under 9 flat consistently. Technique technique technique!