Besides being challenged on the ice, I had a rather thrilling chicken race this morning. Coming back from my ice training, turning on the computer and having my traditional cup of coffee, I suddenly have a feeling of being watched. I look outside the balcony door, and to my chock I see that our two chickens have escaped the cage and are now looking at me with anger in their face. (My theory; they want to haunt us down cause we sort of had their third friend for dinner last week, but hey they are chickens, i'm not cold blooded I have feelings but still..chicken equals food)
Anyway, I grab the kitchen glow and I'm trying to push them into the cage. Then this black chicken starts to attack me and jumps on the balcony fence, to my fear I back off I don't want the bird to take its life from t he 5th floor! And it also gave me a few scratches on my arm so I wasn't as cocky anymore. Continuing the story, I start to put a food trace to trick them into the cage, after much fear and battling the black one gives up and take up the food trace and ends up in the cage, however the second one was a stubborn one. Kept watching me through the glass door, eventually also he gave in for our marvelous crackers.
Lesson learned, I will never raise chickens on my own specially not on a balcony!!

Team Gold Rush Soccer Tournament: On a Sunday rest day we had the annual Gold Rush Soccer Tournament, which offered very entertaining two hours game with many fascinating and very impressive goals, but also fascinating and impressive way's of how not score while a wide open goal is just waiting for you...

However as the picture can tell, my team won by far (13-6) if we managed to count right, we kinda gave up after a while. Thank you team! Josh, Brooke & Roach!

A lifetime of training for just 37 seconds.

Photo: Meijco Van Velzen (www.meijco.nl)

Netherlands: Little more than a week has passed here in The Netherlands and I have enjoyed getting out on the ice again.

This year I'm skating on new equipment, and it gives me an extra kick and motivation on the ice. I feel allready as strong or even stronger than my best period of time last season which looks good for the future. July the 18 I will do a test race here in Thialf, it's still early enough for races and I want to skate through a good race to see how my new skates react in competition mood.

I've enjoyed the off ice time as well, been able to witness some of the high level inline races down here, it's nice to watch and study and bring some knowledge back home to Sweden. Today I was able myself to try out the indoor track that is situated inside Thialf, and it was a nice challenge (when you don't have your own equipment and a two size to big skates)

However, I will return home with new knowledge for my own inline troop. I'm excited.

A normal week here also includes some beach work, soccer game, volleyboll game, guitarr lessons, as a skater I need some "relaxing" in between acitivties.

I also have good news for my weightclub in Gothenburg, that I might bring home a new weighlifter to join the Gold Team. She currently train with Hollands one and only weightlifter Ingrid, which I've competed against back home in Sweden several times. And we now thought of joining in together for training in the gym, share experiences and advices between each other to become even better weightlifters.

Quote of the day:

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.

Denis Watley

Thialf Summer Ice

Thialf - It's the time of the year, and I'm packing my bags for The Netherlands. Summer ice is here! I'll be spending 4 weeks at first and I'm excited to see how my progress will look with my new skates and blades!

Til soon, doei!

Camp Bosön

Bosön-This weekend The Swedish Federation arranged it first camp in Stockholm where we gathered all disciplines such as speedskating, short track & inline skating.

It was 3 filled day's with training, lectures and fun side activites as Capoeira & Sumowrestling.

We had lectures that brought up the subject about gender, and what was highly my favorite lecture was about positive leadership with Jim Thuresson. He has a background in the basketball area, and he is a big inspiration to listen to; you will immediately laugh and just absorb every word he is saying.
And he talked about attitudes, giving positive feedback, having a positive energy amongst others. The best part is that he lived and acted of which he was talking about. Big plus!

It was an intensive weekend with a full program, and Saturday night ended with a fun surprise for us. Sumowrestling + bigboxing ring, very very fun even though I lost my match against Josefin. 3-0...
"I'll be back" for revange =)

All in all, great weather, good lectures, and company around! Successfull weekend in Stockholm.

22 And Going Strong

The Date had come again 23 May, and another number is added on my journey forward! 

I want give a big Thank You for all messages that have overwhelmed my inbox both cell wise and email.

I can look back on amazing things I've come to experience till this moment, such as traveling the world, being at the start on World Championships to have the honor to be hanging in a museum already at this age. And I'm looking forward for the next adventures that will come my way!

Till soon / Cluddet a.k.a miniman as I have been named from my sister (Perhaps the name will come to an end, 50 and still minimen?)

I'm in love with a fairytale

The words from our winning Neighbour Alexander Rybak that set the tones during the Grand Eurovision, for once I agree the right song won!

Speaking of winning, this weekend I pulled off my speed skating skin and stepped into my weightlifting suit. It was time for the Swedish Weightlifting Championships.
Both are very much alike in their appearance, very thin fabric, tight, however behind the suit lays another world.
The weightlifting world vs. Speed skating world has both its own charms. Not only have the weights on the bar counted during competition day, also the weight on your body counts in as well…
It’s not an unfamiliar thing for me to be jumping and spitting around in an hot sauna before the official meeting with the weight scale that will determine my future of which category or points I will be dragged with.
Food? No, don’t even think about food before you stepped on the scale, after that crave as much as you want! That’s a golden rule!

The preparation for the competition it self also makes a difference, you focus, you drown yourself in magnesium to get that extra good grip on the bar, your name get’s called up. And the time set’s for 01.00 min and it’s time to pull some weights!
With a slam-dunk on the back from the coach, and some inspiring motivational words that will trigger that extra hunger to pull that massive peace of junk up it’s time to attack the bar! If one would like, you can sniff some ammoniac to get that extra trigger, in my case I rather skip that part…

Fairytale, ended with a shiny Gold medal. Our Ladies Team did a tremendous achievement, and won by far, just as Mr. Rybak.