March 5, 2009

OK…the nerves are starting to set in. I’ve been trying to treat Worlds the same as every other competition. I always have the same general plan, lead the same laps, and eat and sleep optimally. This week shouldn’t be any different. No sense in trying to be “extra perfect” because that’s sure to just cause stress. I’m plenty anxious without adding extra expectations!

World Champs is run a little differently then World Cups. At World Cups, Friday is all pre-lims, and then the quarters, semis, and finals are run Saturday and Sunday. A skater can “specialize” in their best two distances and race one on each day. At World Champs, every distance is raced by every skater. The number of skaters competing for each country depends on the overall results from the year before. This year the U.S. men and ladies have three individual spots, and they belong to Apolo Ohno, J.R. Celski and Jeff Simon, and for the ladies me (Katherine Reutter), Kimberly Derrick and Jessica Smith.

All rounds of the 1500m are run on Friday, all rounds of the 500m on Saturday, and Sunday is a big day with the 1000m, 3000m and relay finals. The smartest thing to with such a full schedule is to recover as much as possible between days and races.

Mentally I’m ready. I know what I have to do and that I can only control my own outcome. Physically I’m ready. My legs are strong, and my racing awareness is as good as it’s ever been. I’m even confident, which is a hard feeling to come by in a sport where anything can happen by the slip of a blade.

So wish me luck! I’m off to bed! Hopefully I have happy dreams full of success and no dreams about sleeping in late and missing warm-up. :-0

Just kidding. ; )

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