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Thanks
for visiting the Fan Section of my site. I plan to answer as many
email's as possible. It's great to hear from you - thanks for the
mail! questions@susanauch.com |
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What
is the biggest advancement in technology that has made your skating
faster? |
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There have
been two major technological advances in the past 100 years;
First is the building of the indoor oval like the one built for
the 1988 Olympics in Calgary.
Second
was the introduction of the Klap skate in 1997. The Klap skate
works by attaching a hinged mechanism between the boot and the
blade allowing the blade to have contact with the ice for a longer
period of time.
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What
kind of training do you do in the off season to help your skating?
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Most
of our fitness training is done in the off season-we bicycle, weight
train, run, sprint up hills and inline skate. |
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What
other sports would you like to compete at if you had the opportunity?
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I
have competed at bike racing in the past but for now I am happy
do the other sports purely for recreation-I enjoy windsurfing, jogging,
walking my dogs and riding my horse. |
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How
much does diet affect your performance? |
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Diet
affects everyone's performance but for an athlete it is very important
to eat all of your meals plus small meals directly after training-I
try to keep a balanced diet form all the major food groups with
special emphasis on fruits and vegetables. |
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Other
than winning medals, what do you enjoy the most about going to the
Olympics? |
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I
really enjoy meeting the athletes from all of the other sports at
the Olympic Games. |
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I
know that athletes respond differently to pressure, how do you handle
the pressure of competing at such a high level like the Olympic
Games? |
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I
seem to have my best competitions at the Olympic Games-mainly I
think due to focus. The extreme pressure and adrenaline of the Games
helps me rise to a level higher than any other competition. |
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How
old were you when you started skating, and where would I go to get
some information if I were interested in speed skating? |
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I
was 9 when I started speed skating-if you want to get involved you
can try calling a local speed skating club or find a link on my
site. |
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Are
you going to stay involved in speed skating after you retire from
competition? |
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Once
I am done competitive skating I would like to stay involved in the
sport possibly by coaching. |
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What
advice would you give to someone just starting out at speed skating?
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Remember
to always have fun at what you are doing-there with be difficult
days but if you are enjoying what you are doing and you have a goal
you can get through those days. |
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What
made you decide to come out of retirement and compete again? |
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I
was in a coaching clinic and the instructor talked about people
leaving sport before they are ready and regretting it for the rest
of their lives. |
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