In the course of events in this thing I call my life, I need to mix things up. I’m not the kinda guy that you can expect to sit still for more than a few minutes at a clip, at least with my pants on…
REVEALED: This is how I cop so much time on SkateLog Speed Skating Forum.
I need to be busy. Need to be doing something. And no matter what it is, if I really find it interesting, I can become very disciplined, very quickly and develop routines that I’ll adhere to, religiously, for years without interruption. But once I start getting bored, the routines get hard to maintain, and I need to find something to spice things up, or I’ll start getting lazy and I’ll start relying on anything I can find to use as an excuse to get distracted from that thing I was so engrossed with that it became a part of my daily life and part of the definition of…me.
My career as Skatey Spice was short lived...I just couldn't bring myself to shave my legs.
I’ll admit it…I started getting bored with this thing of ours. That’s right. I started to become a slacker skater. If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, you’ve seen the ups and downs. What I’ve published here really only scratches the surface. And yes, my posts do tend to exaggerate the state of things, and go more for a cheap fart joke than any real substance, but that aside it’s a pretty honest portrayal of my skating life. I’ve added emphasis there because my skating life is truly more than roller skating, or, you know, inline speed skating. Ice has become a part of this thing I do. To the extent that I should really just say I’m a skater, as opposed to an inline skater, because the latter implies a singularity of purpose that just isn’t in my make up anymore. It’s like saying “I’m a road-skater,” or “I’m a trail-skater,” or “I’m an indoor speed skater,” or “I’m a marathon skater.” The label “inline skater” has become too restrictive. And since freedom is so much of what I love about this sport, I think saying “I’m a skater” is about as liberating as I can get. That said, inline is really my core so I’m not dumping the label. I’m just more open-minded about this thing I do.
We're just not coming at this from the same place.
Being one of such open mind, I decided that since nude speed skating is flat-out too dangerous and just wrong (God knows the view would be hanus trying to catch a draft,) 2011 is the year of doing things differently. By that I mean setting new goals, tackling new challenges and stretching past my comfort zone. It’s one thing to try to break a personal best time, whether it’s for 100m or 26.2 miles. It’s another to try to become somewhat competent in another discipline, and that’s what I’ve chosen to focus on. I’ve moved to ice. Not in the epic sense of a Jondon Trevena or Derek Parra or Chad Hedrick. No. Just in the sense of being me and trying something new. And it’s been a humbling experience, one that’s done the ego some good.
Taking a similar track to what I did my first year on inlines, I jumped right into the deep end of training and competing. Honestly, the main reason I haven’t been updating these pages all that much lately is that I’ve been using all the spare time I can find to get me some quality ice time on my new Marchese One boots and Marchese Zero blades. (Full disclosure…CadoMotus makes these Marchese’s, and CadoMotus is a sponsor of First Loser.)
These skates kick butt.
Yep…I’ve become a short track slut, puttin’ out on the ice as much as I can, and gettin’ my money’s worth out of the Ice Center Super Pass I bought in February. But I digress…
To really kick up the excitement a notch, I competed in my first ice meet earlier this season, The 2011 Colorado Speed Skating Championships. The meet was organized by Colorado Gold Speedskating, and they’re just awesome! anyway…this meet was a quick test of my ego-resiliency. Considering that my only real competition was a self-described “old lady” and some guys that have been doing short track for all of maybe eight months to a year, I was thinking I was on my way to gold, or at least the claim of having my First Loser status carry over in my ice debut. That wasn’t to be the case. I did pretty well, in that I got the entry fee’s worth out of the event by placing in my heats and skating all the finals, but the podium was a bit further away than I thought it would be.
Turns out I was competing in the masters division. So even though I was on the ice with the Bony Pony’s, or whatever we were being called, I was skating against those guys I was watching and going “Holy S#!t look at that!” So needless to say I didn’t come home with any medals (not even a freaking participation award or a chocolate bar) but I did skate away having had a great time and really falling for this new discipline. (Father’s pride: Freezy Weezy took third in his division!)
Freezy Weezy takes Bronze!
As it stands right now, I’m on the fence about NSIM this year. I honestly don’t know if I’m going to go. It’s a lot of effort for a little better than an hour’s worth of skating time. Yes, it’s the premiere event for me, no doubt. But I’m not excited about the idea anywhere near as much as I’m stoked to go to a short track clinic at the Oval in SLC in June, and compete here in Fort Collins at our first ice meet in October. I’m truly excited and I’m working hard to try to improve my technique so that I can show improvement versus what I did down there at the World Arena in April. That’s got me fired up man. Honestly, I miss that about inline. That same fire just ain’t there anymore.
DON’T GET ME WRONG DAMNIT! I still love inline skating more than any other sport. And now that the weather is somewhat improving here in NoCo I’ve been able to hit the trails with gusto again (94 miles logged last week!) and I’m truly amazed every time I skate in my Pro M1’s on the trail and feel truly in command of every facet of my stride, but it’s that, I don’t know, maybe it’s the novelty of new-found passion that I just don’t have for inline anymore. With inline, it’s like I have something to maintain. I’ve achieved a little something. With ice, I ain’t done s#!t, so I’ve got the world before me. And with a 1:07 500m time, I’ve got nowhere to go but up…at least I hope.
AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR
Crazy F’in Glenn is at it again! Just to make things nice and tidy, he’s offered up a really schweet deal on Bont Patriot Short Track boots and Bont ice blades. Check it speed freaks:
Any in-stock Bont Patriot short track boots, normally $225, this month only, $175.
Any in-stock Bont Platinum blades (top-of-the-line!), normally $450, this month only, $375.
NEW – full custom Bont Patriot boots and Platinum blades, $1000! Note that the blades alone normally retail for $450. Shipping and applicable taxes extra, please.
Email Glenn today: glenn916@yahoo.com to get this crazy azz deal before it’s too late. Sorry Rick! (Inside joke.)
T’was the fourth night of Inline Christmas when…Down the chimney Crazy Glenn came with a bound, he was dressed all in neoprene, a tho’ the room be quite dimly lit, I could see he was wearing a full-body EzeeFit. A bundle of Bonts he had flung on his back, a couple o’ grand worth o’ skates in that pack. Just as I reached for a fresh pair of Vaypors, my wife slapped me hard with rolled up newspapers. “Hold on there Hot Shot, there’ll be no debate, for you really don’t need one more pair of skates.” “But honey,” I said, “Santa knows I need more, I really can’t rest till I have three or four…from each boot maker I need more and fast, for each model skate’s made from a one-of-a-kind last. It’s the deck height and spacing, carbon content and fit, no one’s like the other and till I’ve tried them all I can’t quit.”
“Be they Simmons, or Rollerblade, Bont or Luigino, it’s better than dropping our cash in casinos! Don’t forget Pinnacle, Powerslide, or Verducci, (last night I watched Big Night with that guy Stanley Tucci.) Then I must try X-Techs, Canariam, EdgeTek and Hyper, Cado Motus and Schankel, before I’m old and in diapers. Cause skating keeps me young no matter how old I get, but this rhyming’s for the birds, tis making my head split.” She looked at me sideways as she dropped the club, “Your just do what’s best for us, I’ll be in the tub.” So I asked Glenn to leave, but in a move I found daring, I had him leave me a gross of Buck Bearings.
And it was in bath that I found her later that night, her skin glimmering in the soft, pale moonlight. She shook her head slowly as I got undressed, and said she still loved me, tho’ I’m so skate obsessed.
"Yeah, so we get to Rollerdome, and it's closed. We're like, 'well this sucks.' Then Walter dropped his phone in the toilet. Come get us, Dude."
Whew! I’m throwin’ rocks tonight. I feel like the Dr. Seuss of skating! Trying to write this stuff is like a natural caffeine. I’m naturally wired.
Yep...here's why I won't be competing in 2011. I'm making the transition from inline to skatecycle. I'm gonna own this s#%t!
This is the skatecycle–the next generation recreational vehicle that won an International Design Excellence Award and a permanent place in the Henry Ford Museum. I’m usually leery of these things, but this one looks pretty cool. It combines the foot control of snowboarding, the balanced turning of skateboarding, and the nimble, undulating movements of casterboarding. (Undulating is a perv-word, isn’t it?) Anyway…both feet are placed onto two slip-resistant footboards, and its double-jointed, twisting axle allows riders to move either of the 9″ polyurethane wheels individually by twisting the feet inwards and outwards. This continued foot motion, in synchronization with a twisting upper body, “drives” the cycle over flat, level ground. Dunno…could this be as cool as the Land Rollers were when Apolo was pitching them? Durable aluminum and composite frame supports riders up to 220 lbs. 30″ L x 6 1/2″ W x 9 1/2″ H. (7 1/4 lbs.)
Bust out your Ugly Christmas Sweaters and try and squeeze another buck out of your wallet to take advantage of Crazy Glenn’s Last Minute Ugly Sweaters For Skaters Sale…
The psychedelics in the Red Bull finally strarted to kick in, and Glenn saw more to his date than just that groovy sweater.
Due to popular demand, a returning special just in time for last minute shoppers…
In-Stock Jet 3 Point boots, normally $205, now $150. 100mm Jet 3 Point packages, normally $399, now $299; and 110mm Jet 3 Point packages normally $420, now $320. Shipping and taxes extra, please.
ALSO: sale on Red Semi Race skates and Silver Alpha skates!!!
December Specials Plus: (1) Pair of Long Track Bont Vaypor, blade and silver, size 39 boots only, normally $539, this pair $300, shipped!
ALSO: any in-stock Bont 07 Skinsuit (red/black or pink/purple), $40!
Crazy Glenn is at it again!!! That’s right folks…straight from the man, to you, on a crazy Black Friday! Plump, PLump, PLUMP UP your skating gifts this year with a Plus Size Gift Certificate from Crazy Glenn!
HAVE AN INSANE BLACK FRIDAY!!!
Order a Gift Certificate from Glenn and he’ll add 10% as a bonus to the certificate! Ca Ching!!! You read it right, here’s the skinny…purchase a $100 Gift Certificate for you or your favorite skater and the Certificate will be made out for $110. Simple math to add up to big savings for you! He’s insane and you gain! To get the deal, you must email glenn916@yahoo.com TODAY – Friday, November 26th, 2010. Even if Glenn doesn’t respond today (he’ll be out shopping too you know…probably BB&B…), as long as your email is “postmarked” on the 26th, you’ll be eligible to recieve the Plus 10% Certificate. Expiration date on the Certificate will be March 31, 2011, good on any merchandise Glenn Koshi peddles. Makes a nice gift (but you KNOW THIS!!!)
AND DON’T FORGET!!! Glenn’s got MAD, MAD, MAD DEALS on his existing inventory: Make some happy skater’s 8 wheel dreams come true: CLICK HERE!
Get your consumerism fix on with a great deal here, now, then strap on your skates and hit the malls fast – it’s Black Friday man – our economic recovery is counting on you!!!
Here’s a screaming deal for all you Bont aficionado’s or those of you who’ve been thinking about getting a pair for Christmas…direct from Glenn Koshi:
All in-stock (Glenn’s inventory) Jet boots, normally $205, now $150. 100mm Jet packages, normally $399, now $299. 110mm Jet packages, normally $420, now $320. Shipping and taxes extra, please.
Email or call the man, NOW! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…his prices are so low he’s practically giving it all away! Call or email CRAZY GLENN today…his prices are INSANE (while supplies last)! 760-798-1788 or glenn916@yahoo.com.
The World’s Fastest Powerlifter, Lamar Lovelace, gets a skate upgrade…
This video caught a magic moment for all skaters, didn’t it? It’s that moment we’ve all shared. We ALL know how Lamar feels. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been inline skating, how many pairs of skates you’ve owned, whether you’ve bought them, inherited them, been given an old pair or put the smack-down on a trash talking Junior and taken them, does it? There’s nothing like that new skate feeling to bring out the kid in all of us, no matter how old you are. Hell, my wife knows that when odd shaped rug burns pop up in places the sun don’t shine, it usually means there’s a spit-shined pair of new skates in my bag, ready to wear and tear up a track near you!
The skating of the 15th Annual Northshore Inline Marathon is now complete. I was there when the start sounded, and I’ve earned my finishers shirt. While I’m savvy enough to not hang a banner that says “Mission Accomplished” off the tailgate of my Sequoia, I did achieve what I set out to do. I skated with some of inline skating’s all-time and current best, I actually kept pace with them for most of the race, and I finished with the lead pack. That makes me a winner in my book, and it makes me 13th in the race standings for Masters 35-44. I’ll take it.
Yep...it was the luck of strategery...
All in all it was a wet experience. The road was wet, my feet were wet and I was wet behind the ears. This being my first year skating pro (as in, Professional Speed Weasel…at least to you that is…) I made a few, how do you say…rookie mistakes.
My design for the 2011 Speed Weasels Skin Suit. Unleash your Speedo Weasel...
I also did a few things right, I think. Maybe. Whatever. In any event, I’m skating away from NSIM 2010 with a great experience, knowing I can do it again at this level next year.
Honestly, it felt like I dodged a bullet when we woke to rain at 4 a.m. on race day. I’d adopted a different training regimen this past year, and while I know it was awesome for me in many ways, it was unfamiliar too. I had a sense of uncertainty leading up to this race. This was the first year I’d skate with the Pro Masters, and I’d spent very little time on long distance skates. Yes, I’d done the 100 mile thing, but in years past I’d spent nearly every Saturday & Sunday morning pounding out 26 to 32 miles for months in preparation for this one event. This year, I could count the number of times I’d done 26.2 miles since January on maybe two hands. While they were quality training sessions, they just didn’t add up to what I’m used to.
This year I listened to my coaches who said distance wasn’t the only key. Each was supportive of the other in their own ways so that the message got through: intensity, precision, intervals, rest, and recovery all mattered just as much and distance skating, and that I needed to pay more attention to all of the elements in order to successfully meet my goals at the Pro Masters level. They also gave me a bit of strategy advice, and admittedly, this is my Achilles heel. (Could insert nasty partisan joke about “W” here, but that’d be too easy and might offend some friends. Heaven forbid!)
In fact, it was my inability to commit to a “tough guy” strategy that was the first of the mistakes I made. I don’t remember exactly where we were mile-wise in the race. It was probably just before the half-way mark, when a guy in a Twin Cam skinsuit made an easy mark of me. I was cruising right where I wanted to be, about 5th or 6th in the line behind Norm Kirby, Ryan Chrisler, Jorge Botero, some dude in a Synergy skin suit (nice guy) and maybe one more guy when Twin Cam moved up on left to cut in. I stiffened up, left my hand up and told him to move in behind. Push came to shove and I said something like “WTF, DUDE?!’ before bending over like Eeyore and letting him slip me the Tigger. Then he started letting his buddies in line in front of him from the right. I knew I was pooched with this guy for the rest of the race, so I rode it out a while, then when I saw the four or five leaders make a break I jumped out and on them and took off to get back where I wanted to be. And of course, later on I’d find myself in situations where I needed to catch a break and get back in line, and would inevitably find myself next to Twin Cam so I’d just have to look forward and work harder to get further up in front of him.
Go ahead, slip on in. Everyone else is doing it...
In the end it all worked out OK but the lesson was learned: don’t piss people off too early. It just makes your life harder when there are too many other things to worry about. That early in a race, all you need to do is stay focused on what’s happening up front, and what’s coming up the rear. People jumping in and out really shouldn’t be too much of a concern if it’s not pushing you too far off the leaders so that you can make a move if they do.
As a side note: this Twin Cam guy unfortunately went down really hard as the pack mad-dashed in a mob-like way up the service road to the off-ramp at 5th Ave right at the end of the race. It was like going to see The Who in Cincinnatti in 1979. I hope he’s OK, as I hate to see anyone get hurt when we’re all out there just having a little lively competition for fun. If you’re reading this Twin Cam dude, sorry I was a prick too early in the race. I should have played nice and let you in without a fight, at least till I35. At that point, the pin stripping on the highway would have given us both something more to consider than jockeying for position too early in the race.
My favorite rookie mistake was at about 5 miles to go when you enter the residential section leading up to Lemondrop Hill. It started when we were on the downhill that leads you around the bend, over the bridge and into the town. I was drafting behind the guy in the Synergy suit and Jorge on the downhill when Jorge stood up and moved out of line to the left. It looked to me like he’d exchanged glances with the Synergy guy, who a second later stood up and moved out of line as well. Voi-la, there I was, leading the pack on the downhill, leading right up to the long, gradual up-hill that leads through the neighborhood and up to Lemondrop. I knew I was screwed and that I’d have to think of something fast. This was exactly the situation I didn’t want to find myself in, and here I was. Damn it. Then Knowl Johnson was like, “Hey, you have a witness, you led this race!” And he sincerely meant it. But all I could say to myself was, “Cha…as if” in my best Wayne Campbell. I’m so not worthy…If he only knew who’d told me NOT to do this…
Since this blog is as much about tearing down my (Gene) Simmons sized-ego as much as it’s feeding my narcissistic tendencies, I’ve got no problem telling you that my ego got in the way of better judgment and coach’s instructions. Here I was, up front, with Jorge, Norm, Ryan, Richard and several other really strong skaters in my line, and I was pulling, being the workhorse. I was told not to. My coaches told me to let the ego sit on the sideline, to just watch the leaders and take their lead. Be a wheel-sucker, take verbal abuse if necessary, but do not pull under any circumstances. Well, I skated right into the poop. They got me. I kept the pace leisurely like they had, but it was harder because we were beginning the climb. To make matters more difficult, the masters pack in front of us was making ground, and I knew at some point were going to have to push harder and attack to regain the lead. At one point, this guy came whipping out front and stayed there for a bit maintaining what looked to be the same pace as we were. So I figured, “heh, heh, heh, sucker…I’m gonna make you pull.” I pushed it up slightly to get behind this guy just as he was bonking out. Mondieu! That wasn’t going to work, and now I’d spent some energy making mistake #2. Well, at this point, my quads were starting to burn, and that’s when the usual suspects jumped out and made their attack run on the pack ahead of us. I made a break to catch them but pushed too hard and slipped with my right skate, giving the pack that remained behind me the opportunity to drop me like a spaz with bad teeth and worse smelling breath that sits on the school bus giving people wet-willies. It looked like my goals were toast.
Well, that’s when you chalk stuff up to experience, recover quickly and remember your training. I just heard the word Tabata in my head. It became a chant. Tabata and Puz, Puz Puz. Puz is a code word I share with my home team that means it’s time to kick it into high gear. I just kept my sights on Richard Cassube’s back and pushed hard to get around the pack that had dropped me and back in line behind Richard. I caught up right at Lemondrop Hill, and was happy when the pace slowed to get up the hill. It gave me that few seconds of recovery I needed to work hard again. But the beauty part of it was, this next interval would be nowhere near as hard as the standard Tabata Protocol normally was. I knew it was going to be this way and it gave me the security I needed to navigate the top of the hill, the left turn and the transition to the highway. And that was a blessing, because there was a lot to worry about on that highway.
The transition was smooth, but it quickly became apparent that this road was very much a work in progress. The road was chewed up with those vertical strip grooves they grind in preparation of a new road surface. Combined with the rain and the usual mix of cracks, potholes, bad patching attempts, sewer drains and random square punch-out holes, and this was going to be two of the scariest miles I’d ever skated in my life. Early onto the highway, it became apparent that the lead pack would use everything it knew to shake people where they could. They were very adept and getting the pace line right over the most difficult pieces of road. I was hanging pretty tight at about 6 or 7 in line, but when we started hitting the underpasses, things got very dicey. The rest of the course was pretty well oil free thanks to the rain having washed it all away. But in the tunnels, the oil and water were just waiting for us, and people started dropping like flies. It was rough, but that lead pack kept right on going while people were scrambling all around them. At some point, someone yelled that we had 1 mile to go till the off-ramp, and that’s when all hell broke lose. I could see pretty quickly that some of these other guys who’d been hanging at the middle to back of the pack were going to now make a serious run at the win. They started taking more risks, and some of them paid dearly for it too. I had to jump out of line and over into the shoulder at one point to avoid someone who fell, and I ended up fighting for dear life to get back in line without ending up in a sewer grate or on the road. I absorbed a skate bite and kicked my butt into high gear to get back on that lead pack. I was slipping and sliding quickly to catch back up.
Workin' it...photo stolen from DuffManOhYeah - Inline Planet Member Forum
I got as far as getting in behind Richard Cassube again, we’re in the lower left in this pic – I’m coming in from outside, Richard is in the orange Simmons suit – which at this point was 7 or 8 back. It was then that I realized that we were coming up on the off-ramp, and that I wasn’t willing to commit to those three turns at high speed on a wet road. They had just put fresh blacktop down on the service road leading to the off-ramp, so that made it easier for a lot of folks to get up to speed and up the ramp faster, but I didn’t think a lot of them would be ready for what was waiting up there…chewed up slick road and a tight turn. I purposely went as wide as I could to avoid the falls, and manage my slide. To my surprise no one went down, but plenty were sliding out right in front of me. I jogged hard around a couple of guys and picked up a sprint over the bridge and down the other side. I came at the lead pack from a 45° angle on the downhill. I was within striking distance of the 4th or 5th spot at this point, but I also knew that this next turn was a disaster in terms of the road through the left tight corner, and the barriers jutting out on the right. Not willing to bite it, I went wide again and just slid through the turn not even attempting a crossover. That cost me, as a bunch of guys came screaming through on my left. I was distracted and worried that someone would broadside me. When I regained my courage, I started pounding the sprint again, and made up some ground, just to give it back on the last turn.
Fighting to make up lost ground from turn 2, going into turn 3. Photo by Cher.
Going wide killed my top 10 placement, no doubt. By the time I was able to get my footing and make my final sprint, I’d given up about 7 spots and finished 13th.
I finished the race and heard Horseypants calling my name. There she was, standing over by the docked William A. Irvin ship. She’d just finished her first half-marathon, and she looked great! What a smile – and a sight for sore eyes. It felt so good to have her there when I finished. She’s my million dollar baby! And as it turns out, she took 9th in her age division in the half, only having trained a little over a month, in her first race, on 100mm wheels in the rain! Yes, I’m bragging. (More about the trip to Duluth as an experience and Horseypants’ race in the next post.)
We had a 2 p.m. flight to catch out of Minneapolis, so I said thanks to a couple of the guys I’d skated with, then we grabbed our Bont anniversary wheels, finisher’s shirts and made a line for the car. I poured about a quarter cup of brown water from each skate, changed my shirt and hoped in. Duluth 2010 was over. Yo…we out.
The most fun I had was all in my head. I’d done what I’d set out to do…skate and hang with the best. I had no idea that Jorge was in our group until the night before when Robert Burnson made a big deal out of it when we were chatting. I thought he was kidding, but Jorge was like, “Nope, he’s not kidding.” Nearly shite meself, thanked Robert for what was about to be a completely sleepless night and moved on. Anyway…my fun was in skating with these guys and matching their strides. Trying to keep their cadence and not fall behind. Trying to figure out what they were going to do, if they were going to break or not, then try and catch back up when they did or when I’d make a mistake and fall behind. I’ve never thought more about skating form in a race as I did in this one. I quote Joey Mantia here when I say that for me, it was, “perfect.”
I had to chuckle and shake my head a few times when the 2nd pack would make a run past our line. They’d look over and keep going. I was incredulous. Did they NOT recognize the tall blond guy in the red Bont uniform or the low form of the guy with the mean profile in the Powerslide suit? I laughed, but I guess maybe I make too much of who these guys are. After all, they’re all skaters, just like the rest of us. They LOVE this sport. All of them. There was a shared passion in that line that didn’t allow for my usual goof-off antics. They’re SERIOUS about skating. They don’t whoop it up under the overpasses, they’re too busy…skating. And that made it fun for me, to be in a pack where they train hard and show up to give it their best. Skating in line with them is the best form of instruction a skater can hope for, and I learned a lot that I’ll use to train with this year. Because doing this race and coming in 13th hasn’t filled me with an overwhelming desire to come back and win it in dry conditions next year. It’s revealed a greater truth for me. I’ve learned that I’ve forgotten how to lose. That’s a big win where I come from.
We came. We rolled. We out.
I win by losing, and I’ll continue to be the First Loser…a legend in my own mind.
Skaters from across the nation are on the road this holiday weekend in search of gold and other precious medals in Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s time for the 2010 Inline Speed Skating Indoor Nationals! I thought it only appropriate to pause for a moment and reflect on a word from the Most Interesting Man in the World, on Rollerblading:
Good luck to all of the competitors, may the best boy & girls, men & women make us all proud!
Be sure to watch all the action live starting on Sunday at SkatersPlace:
And now…when you purchase any Bont skate package (boots, frames, wheels and bearings), stock or custom, you’ll get a free black Bont Skate Backpack, value $70!
The backpack everyone wants!
Not valid with any other specials or discounts and available exclusively from Glenn Koshi. Email him directly at glenn916@yahoo.com. Tell him you heard about it here at FirstLoser!
6/24/10 Training: Did a light 10k for breakfast. Promised Horseypants I wouldn’t skate in the afternoon due to tomorrow being “the big day.”
6/25/10 Training: 100 miles, 6:59:41:84…but who’s counting? War & Peace Post coming soon.
6/26/10 Training: 1 1/2 hours with the Rink Rabbits. Actually felt pretty good. Focus on Nationals.
6/27/10 Training: 2 hours with the big kids going round & round. One of the former Pro’s was timed at 9.3 on a fly-by for 100m. The rest of the fast crowd, including the coach, tied at 9.4. I was 2 1/10th of a second off my PBR, so I wasn’t complaining about that. Did spend plenty of time complaining about my ankle though. Tweaked from the 100 mile skate.
6/28/10 Training: Took a day off. So sue me.
6/29/10 Training: 10k for breakfast, Rink Rabbits for an afternoon snack!
6/30/10 Training: 17 miles for breakfast, getting my “100 mile legs” under me for a pretty good time. Did another 12 at lunch, but didn’t feel as good about it as I had in the morning.
7/1/10 Training: 12 miles for breakfast, another 13 for lunch. Finally fixed the ankle problem in my right skate and have been as giddy as a schoolboy all day as a result. DAMN – woulda, shoulda, coulda done that BEFORE the 100 mile thing…
Have you ever stepped in warm dog poo barefoot? I’ve actually done it; will never forget it. We were frolicking in the yard, running under the sprinkler, and I hit the jackpot – WHAM! Landed flat on my back, the warm ooze still soft between my toes and slick down through my heel. Ah the glory days of youth! So while I’ve never been cast for custom boots, I at least know what it feels like. Or so I’m told…
"Damnnnn, Diddy!"
The Speed Weasels, the outdoor team I roll with, had a custom-boot casting party a few weeks ago. Glenn Koshi, the master caster himself, made the trip out here to Northern Colorado to coat the feet of the weasels in gooey socks, casting their peds for cushy new pairs of custom Bont Vaypors!
Titanium T.'s fetish collection.
I was the odd man out, not being cast ’cause I’m “broke as a joke, G!” Well, not really, but I just didn’t have the heart to tell Glenn I’m not a big believer in custom boots. If I had foot problems maybe, but I’ve actually done OK making out-of- the-box skates work really well – particularly with the help of his invention, the EZee Fits.
We're really very sensitive when one is vulnerable. This could have been worse.
For those who skate custom Bont, Glenn Koshi is an ICON. The man has been casting boots longer than the lifespan of your average penguin (wiki that) and he’s been coaching even longer. A true gentlemen of the sport. His talents for shaping the casting sock, calling out the hot spots and making sure you get the perfect fit are known the world over. The Speed Weasels were honored to have him to ourselves for the weekend.
Pretty much what you'd see in the locker room with these guys. Now you know.
I was struck by how light these Bonts are. Particularly with the magnesium frames. And I almost lost control when I saw Tony’s new black & silver set up. Sweet ride!
In 8 to 10 weeks I'll be kicking myself for not getting a pair myself. These will be 3 point Vaypors 110's.
OK, so a minute earlier I was saying I don’t believe in customs. That doesn’t mean I’d NEVER get a pair. I’m just not ready yet. But I know as soon as these guys show up on the trail in their new skates, I’m going to be torqued at myself for not taking the plunge.
"Damn John. A little warning would have been nice." "Sorry, it's my vegetarian diet."
Because Glenn is so good at what he does, I was tempted to have him cast me and hold the molds while I decided how I’d convince Horseypants that custom Bont’s make a great 40th birthday present. But as it turns out, Glenn will only guarantee a cast for a month, because he says feet are always changing. Hearing that I knew it’d take me longer than that to get the courage to tell Horseypants what that great 40th birthday present would cost, so I let the opportunity pass. Cheaper than a new Camaro yes, but not as useful for carting the kids to skating practice.
If you’d like to have Glenn come cast for your team, it’s easy: get 5-7 of your teammates to commit and he’ll be on the next plane. He quick, efficient, and in the minds of these Speed Weasels – THE BEST! Contact him directly through the E-mail Us tab on FunRoll.com. Get there by clicking here.
2/20/10 Training: Indoor practice with the Rink Rabbits in the morning. Lot’s of race focus this week – we’re going to Wichita on Friday! We’ve got a good-sized group going: Speedy Weazy & Mr. Finn’s first meet; “the fast siblings” making their season opener; “the fast kid” with something to prove after NC; the “shoulder roller” making her comeback. In the evening, did 1 hour on the slideboard. Feeling 98% recovered from the stomach flu. The slide felt good. The time off hasn’t hurt. I think it’s actually helped. Easier to stay in tight, tail-tucked position for most of the hour.
2/21/10 Training: 2 hours indoors. We didn’t do any plyos this week so we could get the kids ready for Wichita. Being the night after Apolo’s exciting Bronze in the 1,000, we had a blast running the short track, trying to look like him. Worked on fighting through with our passes, good starts, front end strategy. The most fun I’ve had all year on wheels!
2/22/10 Training: 1 hour on the elliptical, level 9, 6.1 miles.
FORT COLLINS, CO: This just in…Glenn Koshi, you’ve seen him on the Bont Gigantathons (6×110’s), the mad caster from Duluth himself, will be here in Northern Colorado February 5th and 6th to cast foot molds for those that need them! And Glenn’s ongoing special of the month FREE SKATE BACKPACK with any skate package purchase! Contact Tony Toffoli of the Speed Weasels Inline Racing Team if you’d like to schedule an appointment. Inline, Ice or Road Bike, Bont Boots deliver!
First Loser 