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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 27-March 2, 2010 The Park Record C-15 Behind the lines in Vancouver Olympians begin to ask 'What's next?' BY DR. ERIC HEIDEN Record Olympics correspondent The Big Race Tomorrow will be 30 years to the day that I skated what I would consider one of the best races of my career, the 10,000m. It's a long race: 25 laps around the 400m track. The night before that race, 1 witnessed the U.S. Hockey team stun the invincible Russians in what is known today as the "Miracle on Ice." It was a great way to take my mind off of the pain and suffering that was to transpire the next morning. After watching the hockey game, it was time to get back to the business at hand. The night before any big race, there is a routine that a racer follows. The day before a long grueling race will be monopolized by rest. Friends and family are off limits, because they can often be an unneeded distraction. Sorry, Mom and Dad. Except for meals, most of the day is spent horizontal, with your leg propped up in the air. The goal is to conserve any and all energy for tomorrow. The night before a long race, you always want to have a good meal, since the morning of the race, a dry mouth from nerves may make it nearly impossible to swallow. After dinner, it's time to pack your race bag. Never pack the day of the race. It's too easy to forget something if you wait until morning, when you are really feeling the pressure of the competition. We've all heard stories of showing up at the rink without skates or skin suites. After getting the race bag organized, it's back to the horizontal position until you go to bed. The night before any big race, sleep is restless; you toss and turn all night. You watch the clock. You think about the race. You never really sleep. We always say, "It is the night before the night before" that you really need to get your last good shut-eye. Visualization was an important part of my night before, pre-race prep, and the last thing I did before I closed my eyes for the night. Before shutting it down, I would run through the entire next day's race in my mind. Start to finish, every stroke, every straight away, every weight transition, and every turn of every lap. Close my eyes and think about the race, as if I was there. 1 could hear the gun go off, feel the ice under my skates. See the turns coming up. See my pair that I was racing with. Feel the wind in my face. Hear the bell with one lap to go. Every meter of every lap was rehearsed. It was all in real time, but it was being played out in my mind, a real time rehearsal of what was to transpire tomorrow. Guaranteed, tonight there are a lot of sleepless skaters dreaming of gold in tomorrow's 10,000m. Disaster for Two at the Oval When you visualize about your race, your goal is to imagine the perfect race. For the Netherlands' Sven Kramer, his dream was becoming a reality today when all of a sudden, it turned into a nightmare. With eight laps remaining, he made the rookie mistake of not crossing over on the backstretch. To equalize the distance between the outer and inner lanes, the skaters cross over on every backstretch. After 17 laps, and with mind numbing fatigue taking over, Sven made the mistake of skating two inners. To his credit, it was his coach who called out at the last second to cross over to the inner lane. Unaware of the mistake, he continued on. Even the crowd was somewhat oblivious to the mistake, however, some sensed that something was amiss. Three laps later, the reality of what happened was finally appreciated by his coach. He grasped his head in disbelief. Sven finished, the race, arms raised in victory, and was met by his coach half a lap later. It was then that the "thrill of victory" became the "agony of defeat." The skater who had never lost a 10,000m in four years was disqualified. What could have been a defining moment in his career instead left him devastated and distraught. Who was responsible? The simple truth is: the athlete. Unfortunately, his coach gave him -misguided information, but it is the athlete that must take responsibility. to real world issues. It has been a pleasure to follow the athletes as they displayed their skills, and take a recess from pressures that we normally encounter every day. For the athletes whose competitive career ends after the Games, they, too, face a different role in the world. Do you ever wonder what happens to an athlete after they retire? Where do they go, what do they do? I have been surrounded by a bunch of very gifted speed skaters. They can negotiate a 400m ice rink faster than any of us. It is a sport with simple rules: at the end of every straightaway, there is a left turn, and you repeat that until you hear the bell signaling one lap to go, and then finish up with everything you have left. From a young age, these skaters have made a decision to dedicate their life to that pursuit. As a consequence, they have made significant sacrifices. What kind of professional life skills have they developed that they will take with them into retirement? Most of them have no formal education to fall back on, and the chance for PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC HEIDEN Eric Heiden iry the sport early. One thing is for sure, mastering Nintedo or Wii is not part of the recipe for athletic accomplishment. ' The recipe for success is different for every individual, and it is what makes coachTwo Parts Human ing so difficult. Despite what some might want you We often hear athletes Bridge to Reality to believe, there is no one give credit for their success * method that is right for to a supreme being. The In a couple of days, the everyone. Every athlete is truth is, they should thank Olympic bubble that has unique. their Mom and Dad. insulated us from the rest Success, like a good soup, It has been a wonderful of the world will burst. The starts with good stock, and couple of weeks here at the that comes from parents. 21ST Winter Olympics. I The genes you get from have had a chance to renew In a couple of days, the Olympic bubble them are the foundation of old friendships and make physical ability. Just many new ones. When you that has insulated us from the rest of the your because Mom and Dad are have the opportunity to world will burst... volunteers, like me, will athletically gifted doesn't make friends from around mean you will have the the world, you realize the go back to our regular duties. same ability, but the biology world is indeed a small of genetics says you've got a place. I hope the harmony good chance. Too bad we among the Olympic athletes - Eric Heiden cannot pre-select our par- can serve as an example of ents for maximum athletic how we can all coexist, genes. despite our many differences. See you back in Park If you have been given them to capitalize on their athletes will move on to good stock, then the next City. their next competition. The athletic career is small. volunteers, like me. will go Retirement and entrance item to add is development Dr. Eric Heiden is team into the professional world of skills, to use that stock back to our regular duties. Again we will return to the can be frightening for these well. Exposure to sports is physician for the U.S. Speed athletes. The rules of the the next key ingredient. Skating Team, a gold medal realities of the world game are different, and not Kids need to develop cer- winner in all five speed skataround us. It is strange to always well defined. The tain basic skills if they want ing events during the 1980 think that the eyes of the world have been focused on gauge of success is no longer to follow their athletic Olympic Win ter Games, Vancouver, and at the same measured by a clock or the dream. For instance, if you and an orthopedic specialist score of a judge. Progress is want to be a good swimmer, and surgeon with Heiden time, we here at the hard to define. No longer is skater, or skier, you need to Orthopaedics, Park City. Olympics have been blind AN EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION there a coach giving you direction, and feedback on how to improve. With no teammates to share the experience, the transition can be lonely. Park City Performing Arts Foundation presents "Remember Me" FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY Swdll class sizes, dynamic curriculum, creatively inspired education forpre-1:, through 9th grade-right here in Park Cit\>. East Village Opera Company OPEN HOUSE Saturday February 2 7 7:30 p.m. Visit our campuses, meet our teachers, observe our classrooms P A R K T Y and learn more about Park City Day School's programs for 2010-2011. D A Y S C H O O L PCDS PINEBROOK CAMPUS AT 3120 PINEBROOK ROAD: Thursday, March 11, 9:00am for grades 3-5 Thursday, March 25, 9:00am for grades 6-9 PCDS COLBY CAMPUS AT 3770 NORTH HWY 224: Thursday, March 18, 9:00am for grades K-2 "Remember Me" is a collaboration featuring internationally renowned Parsons Dance and the lead vocalists of the Grammy nominated rock opera group, East Village Opera Company* Combining contemporary dance, live and recorded rock music, a multimedia design including enriched digital lighting, special effects and projections, this is an original and dynamic performance experience* Tickets start at $18 Sponsored by: Wednesday, March 24, 9:00am for Preschool (3yr olds) - Jr.Kindergarten (4yr olds) Grub Steak Restaurant Veterinary Specialty Center of Utah GEORGE S.& DOLORES DORE 3120 PINEBROOK ROAD PARK CITY, UT 8 4 0 9 8 www.parkcitydayschool.org FOR MORE INFORMATION: Diana Kaps, Admissions Director 435.649.2791 PARK CITY PERFORMING ARTS rOUNDATION ECCLES (ENTER .FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS www.EcclesCenter.org 43&65&3114 |