Welcome to Berlin...a pretty sight huh! I've been here now for almost a week and time seems to be slowly ticking by here. This weekend officially marks the beginning of the World Cup Season with the first races being held here in Berlin. I've been coming to Berlin now for 11 years now and have maybe seen the sun a handful of times here! The Oval is located in the old East of Berlin. It is part of a former DDR training compound...scary. Wouldn't we all like to know what happened behind these walls! A couple of years ago the German Sport Federation remolded some of the buildings here. The oval got a minor face lift, but the track and field hall got a major one. The whole complex is pretty impressive. There are probably 10 soccer fields, 4 indoor hockey rinks, one speed skating, an indoor track and field hall, multiple weight rooms, an indoor throwing hall for discus and shot put, tennis courts, outdoor track and field, and of course dormitories. Berlin is considered a National Training Center and that is why they have all of these facilities here. I have to admit our training centers have a bit more of a warm, fuzzy, happy feeling as compared to here. (Way to go USOC peeps!) 
The indoor track and field hall..pretty impressive. 
Ohh, look who I just happened to run into at the running track...my girls! Rempel and Kerry! This is always one of the major high points for me on the World Cup Circuit is getting to see my Calgary Crew again! I always miss them so much and it is so nice to hang with them at World Cups. (Notice the giant pom pom on my head...I tried to find the largest one possible before leaving SLC. It's sweet.)
This picture was taken at like 10 am in the morning...find the sun! When it isn't grey outside it is raining here. I can't believe I actually brought my sun glasses here...a complete rookie move. I know better than to think the sun actually shines in Europe. (#8 on Why Europe Sucks..the sun never shines here!)
Inside the Oval during a morning training session. Berlin has a huge scoreboard! My first time here it was hard not to look at my lap times each lap. The organizers here are a bit controlling about the ice times. We are only alloted one hour to train in the morning. All of North America...team Canada brought 30+ skaters with, and Asia. We have about 75 -100 skaters on our session at once. Pretty brutal! And scary.
Myself and my teammate Pat Meek finishing up some laps together. We have new suits from Nike this year. Most of us are unhappy about them. They are very tight, uncomfortable, and restrictive. I'm not sure if we'll be racing in them next weekend or not. The team is not very happy about them, and I'm sensing a revolt coming soon.
Ohh, look who I just happened to run into at the running track...my girls! Rempel and Kerry! This is always one of the major high points for me on the World Cup Circuit is getting to see my Calgary Crew again! I always miss them so much and it is so nice to hang with them at World Cups. (Notice the giant pom pom on my head...I tried to find the largest one possible before leaving SLC. It's sweet.)
This picture was taken at like 10 am in the morning...find the sun! When it isn't grey outside it is raining here. I can't believe I actually brought my sun glasses here...a complete rookie move. I know better than to think the sun actually shines in Europe. (#8 on Why Europe Sucks..the sun never shines here!) Inside the Oval during a morning training session. Berlin has a huge scoreboard! My first time here it was hard not to look at my lap times each lap. The organizers here are a bit controlling about the ice times. We are only alloted one hour to train in the morning. All of North America...team Canada brought 30+ skaters with, and Asia. We have about 75 -100 skaters on our session at once. Pretty brutal! And scary.
Myself and my teammate Pat Meek finishing up some laps together. We have new suits from Nike this year. Most of us are unhappy about them. They are very tight, uncomfortable, and restrictive. I'm not sure if we'll be racing in them next weekend or not. The team is not very happy about them, and I'm sensing a revolt coming soon. 
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