Northshore Marathon-Dulth, MN

The word to describe this race-FAST.  We were clocked by the motorcycle at one point, on flat ground, cruising at 33+mph, that's over 50km per hr!   much of the race was like that too... The first fliar was oh, say about 100m into the race, once that came back, the second was about 1/4 mile later.   That's the way the race went until Wesley and Luis-Carlos got away at mile 12.   a few of us, Julian, Matt Walther, Ty Fidler, Steffen Howard, Jesse Pauley, and myself (there were a few others-cant remember) tried to catch, but at that point, the 12 leaders had gotten too far away.    from mile 12 to 24, it was fast, really fast... a few times it went from 30mph+ down to about 5mph, but once it got moving again.. back to 30+ QUICK!   I will say, there was only a few that actually led and put some work in.. most of the 18+ skaters in the pack didn't do any work, that was disappointing...

Once we got on the freeway, that's about 5-6 miles from the finish, the pack stayed at a good fast pace, everyone watching to see who would make a move. one we were about 2 miles away, a 15 year old, Christopher made his move... and no one jumped on..  I was shocked.. I was in a bit of pain, so if I went to catch him, I would have nothing at the end.  1.5 miles to go, I realize we are racing for 4th, so I try to get my legs as ready as I could.. alot of skaters were jocking for a position at the front of the pack, but I tried to stay up in the top 5.   Once we start up the ramp, I knew it was about 1 mile to go.. 1600 meters and we are done!  Juan Toban went!  He had such acceleration no one could go with him, he was after that 3rd place and Chris!    At the top, that's where it started to get a little crazy, feet everywhere, skaters trying to get to the front, a hand here, a hip there, I got shuffled to about 8-10th and knew I had to move up, so on the downhill I pushed it a bit to move up a few spots, made it around the first corner, and the people in front of me split, 5 or 6 skaters across the whole road.  Was thinking, ok, I guess ill stick it out here and try to pick a spot off at the end, Im stuck!?!    well, once about halfway down the stretch-500m to go, gaps opened up, I saw two, one big one to the outside with Rob Bell, and a small one on the inside.. Hmm... outside is a longer distance, and legs are screaming... Inside it is!!!  Took a few steps inside, got around a skater or two, corner came up and had to go back to the middle of the track as I was right behind Andres Guzman, cant move up if he is in front right?   3(ish) skaters right around me,  last 150m, a straight shot to the finish... Sooo... hips dropped, head down and go... I saw my skates moving ahead of everyone, saw the line, and DONE!  stood up, won the field sprint... its been awhile since Ive done that!       Looked at the clock, 1:04 marathon.. 5th place... WOW.   

Amazing race, fun, no drama or anything during the race, a little teaming(that's how 1-2nd got away), but that's racing, it was great!   

I really enjoyed the event this year, and hope to get in a little better shape for next year...

Thanks for reading, write soon, God bless!

stress sucks....

Its been a long, strressful few days.. Getting ready for Northshore Marathon, getting the last training in, work, house work, among normal life has worn me out.    I felt great training last week, this week, not so much.   My body didn’t have the pop it normally has, legs were sluggish, slow moving, and I felt drained(hope its not like that on Saturday, say around 930!)  I know we have gotten some good miles in the past few weeks, the part of Precision that races outside is looking very strong right now, especially with A2A coming up.   

Im really looking forward to racing Duluth, we have the Marathon team all together, so I think its gonna be fun!   Duluth is always fun though, 2 years ago, I finished with a group of skaters and Ty Fidler was in that group (he has joined up with Pinnacle), and earlier this year, Pinnacle’s Bill Numrick and Steffen Howard were awesome to race with at Road rash. 

I think some of why I felt so bad the past few days, was because we had a family trip to Six flags, first time Jimmy has ever gone, and of course Chase also.  It was a great day riding all the rides with the wife and family, and Jonathan, Mom, Dan and Dustin H went with us also, so it was exciting.    The only thing to drink there is soda, unless you want to pay $3.50 for a bottle of water, so I drank more soda that day than I have in 2 years! LOL    That day totally wore us out and J was a tired little boy at school the first few days this week.    School is great for him, hes enjoying it, and learning alot, and I think making some friends too.   Chase,  this kid is growing up so fast.. “talking” a lot more, in baby talk of course, and crawling so fast, he is everywhere!    He is pulling himself up on everything, checking it out, then on to the next thing he can get into.   The bigger the boys get, and more activities they are getting into, themore I know I gotta get my shop out of the house..  They need a playroom, and the only place is the basement, where my shop is now.  I also kinda want to build a theater downstairs too (lol). 

Ill write more after I get done with this weekend… I pray the race goes safe and well for me and all the racers, Take care and God bless!

chewing up wheels...

There are a few sounds you hear when skating outside on roads..   you hear wind, nature, other skaters, and one of the best in my opinion... the grinding sound of your wheels chewing up pavement... its a sound like no other!    you know you are putting power down when you hear that sound, the woosh, woosh, woosh, its great!    

So,... this year has seemed pretty good so far, overall winner in the Americas cup in SR division, 2 overall wins out of the 3 stops of Americas cup. Two out of 3 races won at Indoor nats, along with a record in the 2000m.  Did a few Marathons that were great, with one more coming in a few days..   I ccnat help but think this is some of the best shape I have been in in a a few years.   Im nowhere near where I want to be, but I feel pretty good. 

I have a new training tool coming in the next few days..  Not so much for me, but I hope its going to help the skaters that I train with alot...  Ill make sure to post pix when it comes in. 

Everyone have a great one. talk again soon..

its been awhile

Wow.. its been awhile... new child, change in in buisness, almost 2 inline race seasons.. lots have happened...

just wanted to get back on here to log my training for the upcoming season..

2 days in a row of 20-25K of skating is not good on my shoulder.. I gotta find out how to fix this thing...

Seattle trip

Its been a while.. the last I posted on this, I was heated.. and some situations annoyed me for a while, so I quit.. but I again feel that getting some of my thoughs on paper is good.. so.. here goes.. happy 2011!

This was my first trip to Seattle, and was for the 2011 Battle in Seattle. Mike Pattison and crew/family did a great job with the event, as I have heard a number of great things about the race in the past. First impressions were a very nice, big, clean rink, great staff, and an impressive amount of awards and pictures of National Champions on the walls! First look toward the floor, once in the building was that Mike keeps the big 90’ rotunda floor at Pattions west very smooth, fast and clean! Once I got on the floor for the event practice, it met my expectations of how it looked, very fast and tight. Practice was great, A few of us were testing the new Hyper wheels to see what was going to be the best combination, then it was time for them to start the NSC.

Before I write this, remember, this is my opinion, some feel the same, some don’t, so don’t take it to heart.

NSC 3(i think) for 2011 was great racing, missing some of the top guys, but none the less, great racing. There were falls, pushes, bumps, grabs, and upsets, all for what makes great spectator viewing. One of the guys that impressed me, as he always does, was Harry Vogel. He just came off the Ice, no real training/ skating on inlines, and he came out with a mission. He broke (killed) the NSC flying 100m time (he was later barley nudged out by Will Bowen for the win) and had some great finishes in all the races he skated too! Another impressive one was Jake Powers. After being on the ice all winter, he skated very good and as his nickname states, he snaked some points for some great finishes and the overall grand Champion. Overall, I think the Thursday night event was fun and had good racing, much like most invationals were before the NSC came about. That being said, I think that the fact that a lot of the NSC skaters don’t skate invitationals any more is bogus. I have heard (again my opinion) that they are asked not to skate the races, so that the NSC has the best and most exciting racing in the US. I think the NSC concept, much like its predecessor the NSL/US Cup that was done in the early 2000’s could be great for the sport, if done with the best interest of inline speed skating in mind (we all LOVE to do and watch it right?)

Now onto the main reason for the trip to Seattle, the Battle! Great racing was done this past weekend in the north-west, tons of talent is in this area, with no less than 8-10 teams within a very close area, and competition was great. A few races were very close, with some others having 1-2 skaters that were having a great event out in the front with a gap. Chyanna Moses impressed me in her races, so did Carol Pattison, she looked very strong. A few of the guys that stood out were Nathan Jackson and Brandon Hall that def showed up to race. Halfway through Division, I was asked to do a classic pick-a partner with a newer skater, named Bryan Lovelace. In talking to him, I learned he’s been skating about a year, and was a bodybuilder before taking up skating (knew little me was going to get a good push!!) In standing on the line, Bryan informed me he was kinda new at the relay thing, and he really had never done one in competition. I can’t lie, my first thoughts, ok… this is NOT going to be good! (lol) The first relay was a little hairy, but he caught on really quickly and we ended up finishing in 3rd, and personally, I think the race was a blast! Bryan is a super nice guy and glad I got the chance to race with him. Overall I ended up on the silver placement stand in senior men, but I think I got lucky (2nd in senior, me? I’m too old for that!!) In the open I got caught up in some traffic while the front guys were doing fliers, and it took its toll on my legs for the end, much the same in the Champions Race. I guess I need to get some longer outdoor training in huh?

I really enjoyed the Battle for my first time to the north-west, and hope to get back to the area soon. I met some new Skaters, made some friends, and saw a lot of people that I only see a few times a year. Thank you Mike for hosting, and the skaters for providing a great atmosphere!

God bless you all, and I for one am glad it’s getting warmer everywhere for some outdoor racing/training!
Jimmy Blair II

West Palm Track & Road Racing

Its always nice to get to some warmer weather in the middle of winter isn't it? South Fl. was a little warmer, but still cloudy so we didn't see much sun for the time we were there. Our group pulled in Friday night about 8, checked in, then went to grab some pizza for dinner. Got to sleep in a bit on sat. (compared to other races) as the registration and track did not open until 11AM, so that felt good.

Once we got to the track, I started setting up the booth, even before we had anything out, Hyper wheels were flying off the table! Finally got the boots set up after a little time, then went to go warm up. WOW, the wind was intense! I think there were gusts up to 40mph, but it was a 15-20mph wind all afternoon! I love the track in fl, I always feel good on it, but with the wind on sat, i never got comfortable, plus i had a brand new boot on, so that didn't help I'm sure. The tack racing that afternoon and evening was good, good competition, Son from china did really well in the shorter races, Jonathan Blair and Will Bowen(who is expecting his first child in the next 2 weeks) along with Bryan Talley did great in the sprints too. On the girls side, Erin Jackson was the one to beat, but some of the girls from stardust were right there giving her all she could handle! one girl that impressed me was Melanie Bradley who took last year off and is back now, but she looked strong for just coming back to skating. JM won the long race that evening, but what was bad was the racing didn't get over until after 11PM!!! The road was open at 7AM on sun, so it less sleep than anyone wanted.

Road started off cloudy and sure enough, right after the 200m TT, the sky opened up and poured for 3-4 hours. Once it stopped raining, the long races were put before the middle distance since the ground was still wet. There were a few falls in both the men's and women's races due to the fact the pavement was still a little slick. Women's race pretty much stayed together the whole time, with not much excitement. The men's race on the other hand.. WOW.. ALOT of pushing, shoving, hip grabbing, and taunting was going on in the 12.5K elim race. Julian Riveria, Jarrett Paul, and a teammate of Julian's got out front and never looked back. That left everyone else in the pack, just simply racing for bragging rights, since the 3 top placements were gone. Joey tried to catch the breakaway a few times, but was unsuccessful, so he came back to the pack to taunt and pick on some of the skaters(for what reason is a mystery). I saw him doing alot of pushing and hip grabbing for what he eventually got DQ'd for. Once he got DQ'd instead of moving to the right and leaving the track, he moved to the left right in front of 2 skaters(myself being one of them), blocking on an elimination lap. The mark of a champion? or a sore loser? I dont know. I pushed him out of the way (he is a stout guy, since I'm only like 155 he was hard to move), and the other skater shoved him out of his path also, what resulted in him falling and laying there for a few laps. The 2nd skater was dq'd for "knocking joey down" and eventually got revoked from the event for injuring the great JM. (who was fine the next race). I was the closest to the action so I saw everything, I just wish there were more ref's to see stuff, and skaters to stand up for what is correct.

Overall, IMO, this was the worst ran PBC that I have ever been to, not because of the rain because we cant help that. The races ran late, it was unorganised, and there were only 2 referees on the road! There are supposed to be a min. of 5 on a track that big!

Well, thats my review, only my opinion of course, the next event is Hickory, Squiggy, then the St. Pattys Speed Weekend in Georgia, March 19-21 with the MAIN EVENT happening on Fri night! You WONT want to miss that one!!!

Look out for the announcement of the full Pinnacle/CCN factory team, skating on the #1 wheel, Hyper, and the best frame on the market, ION frames.

God bless everyone, get out to do some skating, training, help someone else with something they are struggling with, and remember.. keep it clean!

January 6th, 2006..

A day that I will never forget. I was leaving Atlanta to head to a clinic in NJ.. I walk into my parents house that morning for a ride to the airport, and I will never forget the look on my dads face when he walked around the corner... He was crying, and put his arms out to hug me, and i didn't know why, but i extended my arms also for a reason that was unknown. As soon as we embraced, I cant ever forget the words he told me, "Jeff was in an accident this morning and was killed"... I dropped what i had in my hands, (shocks to my suburban) and lost it. He was my mentor. He was one of my best friends. He taught me what i do. Next to my Father, he was one of the best men that i will ever know. I went to NJ and made it about halfway through the clinic and practice. After that, i was like a lost little puppy, I didn't know what to do. Finally, I caught a earlier flight back to Atlanta, and had one of the longest weeks of my life.



He lit the room up when he walked in, He was always smiling, and very, very rarely did he ever show his anger. He worked from not knowing anything about prosthetics, to basically running SPS. He could build orthopedics, prosthetics, and learned how, with me by his side, to build speedskating boots. I could write all day about what he could do, what he was, and just plain how cool he was. Jeff is the reason why Pinnacle is even alive today. Without him, who knows what I would be doing, where I would be. I don't think there is anything he wouldn't try to do..


I have so much more, but really.. I cant write any more...

Jeff Green, I thank you for everything. I thank you for teaching me, for the laughs, for the ability to have a carrier that I love. I miss you.. RIP man... Ill see ya again someday....


God Bless, hug a loved one.. please..