Stressed

So lately I have been super stressed out about school and not training enough. We have Nationals in a little over a month and if you know me all I do is really train outside so I'm in good outdoor shape but my indoor rink is 2.5 hours away. So that truly does suck I cant get enough indoor time at this time in my life and Nationals so happens to be an indoor event. I stayed up at my indoor rink for a little bit over a month before regional's and I skated pretty good. But in reality I cant just stay up there all summer because I have summer classes. So I have to balance school and skating and its super hard. I thought I could do it and each night I have second guesses I try and train as much as I can on my skates but when it is 100* and above on a regular base right now in Florida. Its hella hard but I will figure it out I know school becomes first before my skates so I need to focus on that right now because that's what is important. Thanks for letting e vent tonight guys more blogs to come and better blogs to come I promise.

Matt Rice

Back on the Grind

So regionals was last weekend the day I had to skate Jimmy Blair handed me the boots he made for me and he and I talked for a minute or about twenty. We both decided I should wear them because my other boots had cracked carbon. I went out for warm ups and first I was all over the place but as soon as I settled down I skated good. for you to put on a boot for the first time and skate it at regionals and place second. I think all credit goes to a great boot maker in Jimmy Blair.

In other thoughts I just got back in from skating outdoors it was hot and brutal. Im using my Pinnacles for my first time outdoors. And for me its a lot mental knowing how far I can lean on the boots and all the good stuff. But the boots were very responsive I know its going to take me more time to fully 100% get use to them but for the time being I am very impressed and glad I have these boots.

The Road to Trials

So lately I have been doing nothing but training its been very crazy traveling and doing what I love. I know NSC Trials were this past weekend and I really think I should of skated it thats just my thoughts on it. I have been skaiting pretty well in my eyes and other peoples eyes I am skating on well equipment I just got the prototypes IQ wheels. I am pretty much in love with the wheels and skating on the stiff P*51 frame 4x110mm and simmons boot. It seems pretty good for me right now and I can push all my power down with the 4x110mm frame. But I am honestly thinking about gettign the new Triple XXX frame 4x110mm it just seems like the frame to skate on at the moment. And I have a new boot on the way but wont leak that out quite yet.

At practice the other day on the new IQ Wheels I have the outdoor set but are floor isnt coated so we wear outdoor wheels. I ran a 1min 33 seconds it went well we ae still trying to get my start up so I can run the 500's and open up my start for the 300m and 200m outside so pretty much we are killing my legs with hill sprints and tube starts. Pretty much the final results is me wanting to die and my feet killing me!

The past couple weeks I really want to work on my 500 and thats it but we have been doing a lot of laps at practice like are warm up is 350 laps with right leg pushes and left leg holds. So we are building are muscle memory to know where are arm swings suppose to be and weight transfer and all that techniqual stuff AKA the stuff everyone hates but needs to get done. Always remember GO SLOW BEFORE YOU CAN GO FAST. I know I have to work on my left arm swinging all the to my nose and not lifting my legs above the cone. But thats what I am working on.

But I will be at home for a while I believe and just work on the basics and just a lot of skating and working on basics. I know I rather go slow right now and work on the things I need to then by the time Trials comes around hopefully I'll stay off injury and be able to fly! Thats my goal this year yeah indoor is there but indoor hasnt been fun for me lately now im really only focusing on outdoors and making team thats my mind set right about now...

Have to go slow before you can fast.

Hey guys it has been a while since I have blogged but I am back and have a little to say. First I want to start off by people if you plan on going fast right now you can go ahead and do it but in my eyes I think it is very dumb to do. This time of the year is time to go slow and the speed will come eventually I promise you that. Guys just take it slow work on weight transfer hip going into the corner work on arm swing also know as the basics. If the best athletes do this ever year from NFL superstars to World Champions in speed skating this is what you have to do. Now most of people know that but I have just noticed on facebook and etc that everyone is training hard and thats good I am training hard but I am not traing hard to get "fast" im training to perfect my form and strength me more mentally more than anything. This subject just has really bugged me for a couple seasons actually but now just getting off my chest. It cracks me up when people have wack form and thing there doing something. Look at Mantia, Cheex, Bowen, Vogel all those World Champions I bet they get home from Worlds and take time off and then get back to basic training. I just see the younger kids in the sport just trying to go fast and turn left there is way more than that in the sport it is easy to go fast but its so hard to go fast and do it right and its even harder to get faster without any form. So this is to the little skaters in the sport work on your form right now and then speed will come!!!!
-Matt Rice

The Meet.

So we had are first meet of the year today we went up to the rink last night to scrub the floor and I didnt get to bed till 12 and was at the rink at 4:30 but it was very fun actually and I announced the meet and everyone said I did a really good job and I am going to do it for all the NTF League Meets . It was at our home rink so that was an advantge but I mean its not that much of an advantge I won the Junior Men divison and fooled around in Senior got dqed twice and still got 4th overall hahaha. But then we had are 50 lap open it was a pretty good field with a lot of up coming talent I guess you could say that I ended up skating very strong and ended up winning the open as well. I skated good when I wanted too haha. But then after practice we went to Hooters to get some grub then have a two hour hill session with Taylor, Will Moreales, and Blakelee Pittman. It was pretty rough but rough makes champions in my eyes but we got done after are two hour session and then we went to go roll around at session haha. Pretty skateful day to say the least but now Im dead beat tired so Im going to eat some left over wings and get some sleep goodnight yall

Time Trials

So as I look on wacthing the World Championships its crazy the times coming down for this years championships. Will Bowen out of the heats sets a world record with a 24.243 and Joey qualifed out with a 24.754 but it was a rain delay and they re ran the races this morning and the final was just blistering fast. Will got third with a 24.313 Joey got second with a 24.253 but still wasnt fast enough for his matter wheels teammate the native of Colmbia Andres cranks down with a 24.009!!!! And the New world record! great racing from Senior men as always and to the Junior Women Kimberly Goetz gets 9th overall and Eben Jackson gets 12th overall and Jonathon Blair gets 13th overall but didnt make the final due to Eben having a little bit of a faster time. Goodracing so far from the Championships and its only day 2! Ill keep you posted a little later.

"Team USA or Group USA?"

So this is to the speed skating world are World Championships start tomorrow in Colombia. An there is a lot of fighting with the JR and Senior World Team guys mostly I believe now this is my opionion and Im not holding back at all. I think its crazy how they are fighting you guys are a TEAM! Now unless you live underneath a rock then you know Joey Manita is the star for are country. HE DESERVES IT! I'm not a worship Joey kid but damn he has all the titles and all the medals he WORKS for it if you want to be a champion WORK for it! Like Colin Thomas posted on twitter yesterday "The throne is up for grasp who wants it?" I know a lot of people are training it shoot I'm training for it. But its not going to be given to you, the season starts this sunday for me and I want to do what I did last year and not lose one meet. But back to the Team USA, you guys are being immature from the people posting stuff on facebook to the parents getting involved. Suck it up and SKATE! Let the medals talk and all that good stuff if you want to get respect EARN it. Im and old school kid in a young mans body you have to earn respect before you can just get it. Mantia, Hedrick, Turner, Vogel have earned there resect on the podium. Now to all the Juniors just go out there and skate dont let anyhting you get down. This is a once and life time oppurtinty maybe I would die to be at Worlds right now but im stuck in Georgia training as if I was at Worlds. You guys are so blessed and your taking it for granted just because the drills are based on the "Champion" well if it was me I would be sitting in the back and taking notes HE HAS 26 GOLD MEDALS ON THE SENIOR LEVEL he must be doing something right. But granted im not there but it just seems like its one or two people that are getting butt hurt but come on your at Worlds! Hvae fun and get medals work as a TEAM its TEAM USA not GROUP USA. I know I dont know the whole truth and I never will know the whole truth but this is what I see from the outside I hope everything works out down there and they can come together and show the World Team USA is the best. Sorry for the rambling but I had to say some stuff on this touchy subject that has been in a lot of peoples heads the last couple days. So what is it to you Team USA or Group USA? You decide...