Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

 The plan for last month was to skate more regularly and to pay attention to muscle conditioning while skating on my old boots but waiting for the new ones, or in preparation for when I'll get the new ones.

Well, it didn't go too well.

It made the skating feel like exercising so less enjoyable. I also felt pressured to have a schedule (needed in order to build muscles), and then guilty if I didn't respect the schedule. And there is also the pain. Firstly there is the ankle pain from still breaking in the old boots that were rebuilt and are now stiff. As I bend the knee more than when skating causally,  I also bend the ankle more, plus I push harder...  Then there is the muscle pain from working the muscles harder. I know I go through that pain while rebuilding the muscles, the problem is that if I don't skate on a regular schedule, I don't really gain much muscle strength anyway, so I go through this pain for nothing...

I was thinking of the potential problems for my skating "comeback" for when I'll have the new boots. I will have to build more muscle strength, readjust with the spinning dizziness and  break in the boots. Now I see I will also have to readjust with the skating schedule. I'm hoping that the excitement of having new boots will help in approaching these problems.

For now, I'm reverting to  casual skating for this month, go when I can, skate how I feel like... with some stroking and some spinning.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

So, I've ordered custom boots! They should arrive end of December, but I'm bracing myself for them to be late, as it is holidays and as I found out from the factory, there is materials shortage...

With the knowledge that I will be able to "really" skate soon I feel I should slowly plan my "comeback". By "really" skate I mean that I will be able to trust the boots to go on edges, to go fast, take lessons, so train... and I will be able to progress.

I remember coming back to skating after the covid lockdown. I definitely felt I had to build back some muscles (mostly the quads and the medium glutes), despite doing some exercising while off ice. And the biggest surprise was that I needed few months to build back the resistance to dizziness while spinning.

To build those muscles I need to bend those knees, extend the free leg during longer strokes, so the muscles have time to get tired. To get longer strokes I need to go fast. I told you I feel unsure of edges because of the old colapsed boots, but I can do regular stroking fast, on bent knee, holding the extension! And I definitely should spin each time I'm on ice.

Custom boots! There must be a skating god!

 So what do you know... The stars aligned and I traveled to Riedell factory in Red Wing, Minnesota and I've ordered custom boots!

You know I concluded a while ago that I needed custom boots. The Riedell was the most obvious choice as I was in Riedell before and happy. The new Riedell stock boots don't suit me anymore because the toe box was raised and it is too high for me. But custom should work...

The driving distance from my location to Riedell factory is 6 hours, and I would have to be there on a work day. To make the trip in one day would be a stretch. I've never drove by myself for more than 2 hours at a time and it would be inconvenient to drag somebody else along.

But! An opportunity presented in Minneapolis for Monday October 18, between 1 and 3pm that would help my career. More than that, the previous Sunday I had to travel one hour into that direction for an event. So I figured it was a sign! 

For the Sunday drive I caught a beautiful sunny day and the road was on the side of the Mississippi river. I got to the hotel just as it was getting dark.

I had appointment at Riedell for Monday between 9 and 10.30 am. I have made a list with all the problems I wanted covered. Measurements and pictures were taken. I tried a stock boot and notes were made on how to modify the last for myself compared with the stock last. The sole will be modified to help the pronation. The boots should be ready in 2 months but at that point the factory was out of white leather for 3 weeks. 

Then I drove an hour to get to the other event. And then I had a six hours drive back home. This was all on expressway and I was prepared to stop and sleep at a hotel if I needed, but it went surprisingly fast and event less.

Now the waiting begins...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

 I'm reverting to the old format of having, at the beginning of each month, a report for the last month and a plan for the current month. Spoiler alert... no progress and... no goals, I use this mostly to keep me motivated to keep going. Anyway...

Last month I struggled to have the blades re adjusted on my old boots that were rebuilt. It didn't go well at all.  I approached all this blade alignment, combined with the need to break in the rebuilt boots, very patiently and methodically. I skated just half an hour at first, then I increased the time but took breaks to play with the blade alignment. It is painful, time consuming and emotionally exhausting. I'm not even frustrated anymore, I'm just flat out emotionally broken.

 The problem is that my old boots were collapsed towards inside because I pronate. The rebuild process made the boots stiffer so now I have support,  but it didn't fix the collapse of the boot. More than that, after the rebuild I had to have the boots punched to accommodate the inside ankle bone. That accentuated the collapsed feeling. To add to that the right boot it is worse because the blade wasn't actually moved towards the inside as much as I requested because of the the plugs that covered the old screw holes.

What I feel is: Skating forward it s hard to maintain an outside edge. To adjust I moved the blade (at the heal part, as outside edges balance on the back of the blade) more towards inside, and more, and more... I moved so much so much that I couldn't start a forward inside edge... I was feeling my whole foot collapsing towards outside. So I moved the blade a little towards outside, until I've felt the most balanced. But still, I cannot hold an forward outside edge securely. It is especially frustrating for long fast dance edges, where I start on a solid outside edge and I feel it sliding on an inside edge slowly but truly. 

Skating backwards is affected by the blade position on the front of the boot, and there is where I have the problem with the right boot previous screw holes. I cannot hold the outside edge. The left boot is better, but still not perfect obviously.

 At some point I decided to not think about the alignment and just skate. I've realized that the control is much better at slow speed. I feel I can work in not really perfecting, but getting balance awareness on double 3 turns and brackets... for an eventual Gold MITF test. I definitely feel I cannot go fast safely.

All in all I don't think it is worth it to keep investing money, time, energy and emotion in this old boots. So, the plan, at this point, is to skate what I can, when I can, with no goals. The next step is to order new boots.

Here I go again...

 Here I go again.... no... not skating, but struggling with the boots :(

I picked up my old boots that were rebuilt. The seam where the lace goes, just bellow the grommets, was opened, and leather put in to make them stiffer. I was asked to try them on and they felt like my old boots but stiffer! So far so good.

The shoe repair lady, asked if I wanted the holes in the soles plugged but I declined. I had 2 different blades so I wanted the bootfitter to see which wholes were from my newest blades so he can plug and reuse the same spot, as I liked the blade alignment. In order to do them on the spot, he decided to plug in only the holes for the permanent screws, hoping that the temporary screws will hold until I check the alignment.

The first hiccup as I stepped on ice, was ankle bone pain to the inside part of the feet. I skated just once around and I had to give up...  I had to go back to have them punched.

Back on ice I immediately realized that the punching changed the balancing point and I was immediately alarmed by the prospect of having to have the blades aligned again. if you remember, I pronate, and my boots are collapsed towards inside, this wasn't fixed by having them rebuilt. How I dealt with that imbalance in the past, is with wedges under the blade plate. I got quite good in getting aware of my weight and on how to adjust the blade and the wedges. I didn't have much time to worry about that, because the blade from my left foot came lose. Yeap, the temporary screw didn't hold into the old hole.

I went back to the bootfitter asking to plug those holes too and after they dried, re mount on the temporary holes. The temporary mount allows you to move the blade a little to left and right in order to figure out the alignment without drilling hole after hole. I also asked that before removing the blade to make signs with a marker of the current alignment.

When I picked them up he said he found a thicker screw, hopefully it will hold. I went skating... nope it didn't... I'm trying to stay positive here... I was lucky I didn't break anything... right? Also the rink refunded my money for each of these unsuccessful skating sessions. This is e new rink I go to, it seems nice.

I went back to the shoe repair shoe lady and had them plug EVERYTHING. As they removed the blade it became clear that the holes for temporary mounting weren't plugged in. She also said that what the bootfitter did to the other holes wasn't proper either (not plugged deep enough) I'll make a parenthesis here and remind you that I had a fallout with my previous bootfitter last year when I bough new boots, because he was lying to me. I though very hard about the current bootfitter and my gut feeling was that it was a missunderatnding.

When I went back to the bootfitter he did clear the air, he said and as he starting working to attached the blade it was confirmed, that it is very difficult to drill and aligned into those hard plugs. The drill bit was slipping. I asked him to mount the blade sightly more to inside than the previous alignment to compensate for the weight shift I felt. 

I went skating, and finally I was able to actually skate... The boots hurt, they are stiff, I was expecting that I will need a break in period. For the blade alignment, the left boot felt quite fine. the right not... I took it off and I saw that the left blade was mounted a little towards inside, as requested, the right one not... and I remembered that that was the point where the drill head slipped. 

The only solution I saw was plugging that hole AGAIN, and re mount AGAIN. Well I'm not up to it... I don't have the emotional energy anymore. Also, all this is a financial black hole, each trip to the bootfitter was $20, for a total of $100, the rebuilt was $160, the pluging of the holes $55, to be added to previous the tongue reinforcement of $90.

I just don't know what to do!

Rebuilding my old skating boots

I'm grateful that I have found roller skating, but I had come to realize that I need a big commitment to indoor skating and coaching to enjoy its full potential. Outdoor roller skating... well... too hot for me, the weather that is... No wonder I LOVE ice skating, that is COOL!

 I know I will have to order custom ice boots, for now Riedell seems the best option. But it is a 6 hours drive so with the fitting I will loose 2 days. 

Meanwhile I decided to rebuild my old boots at a local shoe repair shop. They were recommended to me by skaters and I already went there to reinforce the tongue and I was very happy. They said they need 2 weeks...

Roller skating

Mmmm roller skating... There are few challenges here. 

Firstly the equipment is paralleling the ice skating equipment trouble somehow. I was telling you that I was lucky to find a used set. The boots are SP Teri and they fit quite well. The plate I am not experienced enough to know if I would want something different, I think is fine. The cushions are some soft plastic that go in between the plate axis and the wheels and their softness gives the degree of maneuverability.  I was advice to change those, and unfortunately the technician choose without consulting with me, the hardest set, that means you have to press harder, or be heavier to get edged. Then is the wheels, and this choice is related to the surface you plan to skate on.  The roller skating wheels have different diameters: the bigger it is the faster it goes, but it is also less maneuverable, so I chose a small diameter. The wheels also have different levels of hardness and in the surface quality. The outdoor surface that I use is not ideal, it has some debris, it is not perfectly straight so a softer wheel is recommended to go over the debris. But a soft wheel is slow, it feels "sticky". 

The equipment should match the style of roller skating you intend to do, and my purpose for this summer was to figure out what I would enjoy best. Here is what I see:

1. Trails. I went once with a friend that was walking and I was always ahead, it was not fun. I am afraid to go by myself and I don't have anybody to go with... Also I feel for trails, inline skates would work better. The quads give edges that are tiring to control on trails. I think a group could have fun strolling and stopping, I saw groups like that, though they feel half my age so I don't feel connected with them.

2. Outdoor courts, like the one I use. The skaters do "tricks". They dance JB style. What? That is James Brown... It is cool looking but it is completely different than the ice skating, it is mostly on 2 feet. My age also be a factor in not finding the desire to learn this style. I was trying to do stroking with extension, crossovers, Mohawks, edges, chasses. But long one foot gliding doesn't go well on debris and on sticky wheels.

3. Indoor courts. You can do Freestyle, Dance and Figures. That's nice... But... I would need lots of practice time, coaching, exactly like like ice skating, in order to learn. they are far away from me, so more difficult to plan than figure skating. And... I still love ice skating more.

For now, I'm doing the outdoor roller skating with focus on enjoying the fresh air and maintaining the muscles for future ice skating.

Little bit of skating, little bit of roller skating

 I told you in my last post that I'm not skating... But a skating friend that moved away visited, and she wanted to go skating. I am still having the new SP Teri boots with blades on them, so why not go?

I would describe this skating as "public skating style", we mostly talked. It was also great to have fresh ears to share my boots troubles and to get fresh perspective on my situation. It is becoming very clear that I need custom boots...

It also gave me the perspective that if I don't try to "work" on specific skating skills I can enjoy skating. So I went skating few more times, just "public skating style".

I've also went roller skating. There is a big park close to were I live and I found a facebook group that organizes to meet to skate twice a week, on some soccer field. As I went to check it out, I found out that there is basically somebody skating there every evening... So I could go there confident that I won't be by myself, afraid that somebody would bother me, or I would fall and there would be nobody to help. 

Roller skating may be the solution to carry my love of skating through, until I figure out some ice boots that fit me...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Well... I'm not skating.

You know I changed my boots, I bought SP Teri, while in the past I was in Riedell.  I put in the time to break them in, and the next step was to figure out the insole with arch support I need, before having the blade align. I had doubts from the first time on ice that they truly fit me well, but my bootfitter said I need time to get use with them as they are a new brand. Well, after I had the blade aligned, there was no more excuse and wishfully thinking... they do not fit. Long story... I'm too upset to get into it right now...

I'm not giving up skating, but, at this point, I don't have a clue where to start looking for boots.

Test: MITF Pre-Juvenile - part 2

And the results are in... I passed!

I talked about the elements of the Pre-Juvenile tests here, I explained the virtual testing process here, and I talked about the last weeks training for the test here. And here is the video:

The judges scores were mostly zeros, with some -1s balanced by +1s. I've got positive for the first move and the last. Mixed mostly 0s and some -1s for the 3-turns. I've got -1 for the power pulls from all 3 judges for minimal power... And I've got 0s for the back circle eight. That confirmed what I've felt myself, that the moves were correct but without having anything special, like power, extension. confidence. 

But, for me this pass is very special, as I am an adult in my 40s that started skating as an adult, and testing standard track, as the kids test. I fought really hard for my little power and ability to hold extensions. I do plan my next moves test to be on adult track, adult gold. Then I may go back and test Juvenile standard to motivate myself to work on "power" . The juvenile test would have few moves that I would have missed, like the cross rolls, 8 step mohawk  and the back power 3 turns. But firstly I have to have workable boots, only then I can get back to "work"....

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Two months ago I was on my old boots, not feeling secure and mostly just skating around... social skating. Then I found new boots and I knew I'll have to spend time to break them in and adjust to them.

So, before moving my old blade to the new boots, I thought to try and prepare and test (by recording the test and submit it for virtual judging) the long overdue Pre-Juvenile MITF test. I was confident in all the moves, I just needed to present them with confidence. I talked about this testing preparation here. I don't have the result just yet, I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

The rest of the month went into the new boots... like in a black whole. This process of changing boot feels like giving and giving and... getting nothing back. The first issue was that while these boots, SP Teri brand, are heat moldable, the bootfitter doesn't like to do that, because it would take from the longevity of the boot. Anyway it felt that I needed two good weeks, skating 3 times per week to get them tight enough. The next issue was the insole. I've bought the same brand "custom insole", and that was customized support under the heels for pronation, but didn't have any arch support. I need arch support, I have flexible feet and if I don't have arch support when I press into the foot, I get too much space into the boots. I also didn't like this pronation adjustment. I had it on both insoles, but I pronate only on my right foot. But I didn't really like it on my right foot either. So, finally... I'm back on my damaged yellow superfeet. The next issue is the blade alignment. I'll have to buy new superfeet insoles and then, my bootfitter will come to watch me skating and align the blades. The problem is that he leaves in vacation and another trip and that will make him unavailable for the whole month of May. 

The plan for this month is to make do... The last time I was on ice, on my old insoles I felt clearly that the heels on both blades needed to be moved towards inside. The "custom insole" I had in the boots up to now and adjusted for pronation compensate on the blade alignment. I actually called the bootfitter and asked permission to move the blade myself... the screws too. I asked him if I can damage the boots, he said he trusts me... I already did that on my old boots... so fingers crossed. I cannot really plan anything else for this month, just to keep settling into the boots. The good thing is that while I don't love them for the moment, I have some hope that they'll end up working for me.

Meanwhile, I finally bought roller skates. I wanted them from the last summer, when I hesitated into buying an expensive set without trying it on. Then, when I had problems with my ice boots (needing low volume ones) it become clear that I'll have the same problem with the roller boots. The plan was that after I'll find ice boots, I'll use the old boots for roller skating. Meanwhile, I found a pair of old roller boots trough a friend that takes lessons at an roller rink. The boots are SP Teri, as my new ice boots and same size. They look sad, worn out, but they actually fit quite well. I will of course paint them, the roller skating boots are rarely white, they are all these fun colors... I'm excited about that! The wheels look really worn out, that I will surely have to change them. I'll also have to check why the left foot goes to the left on its own. The left plate is mounted way more towards inside of the boot than the right one, so I think it has to be remounted. There is also the possibility that the left plate to be damaged and because it is an old brand, parts to repair it may be unavailable. But for now, let's hope for the best...

To test or not to test?

Should I test the Pre-juvenile MITF? I felt I was ready, in fact I registered to take this test 2 years ago, and there was a problem with the registration and I changed clubs. Then, just as I put myself together to test, I've hurt my hip, ah.. the joy of adult skating... Then Covid hit, rinks closed, then open with restrictions like reduced schedule and coaches not being allowed on ice...Then, as I was starting to feel in shape to test again, I couldn't find a test session in the next two months and so I decided to change my boots (that was December), and as you know, that's not going well. I've got a pair of defective boots, I returned them, started to look for another pair, and while I did put the blade back on my old boot, it didn't feel right so I stopped skating for a month. That put me both in bad skating shape and in bad mood in general. The second pair of new boots I bought was defective too. I put the blade back on my old boot and adjusted the blade myself so I wouldn't take another month break. Actually it would have been more than a month as I wasn't sure what boot model to buy next. 

While back on my old boots... I knew the right booth was collapsed towards inside as I pronate on that foot. I already had wedges to correct that, I added more. I was surprised that I need wedge on the left boot too. I think I collapsed that boot too when my hip was hurt. So I had some kind of alignment, not ideal. I felt I could do most of my old exercises but I didn't trust the boots to go fast, to push for new staff and progress... I started to get unmotivated, I've stopped the lessons. I was mostly skating around while talking to friends.

Then I found new boots. I was cautiously optimistic... But what if these are gonna have some problems? How will I motivate myself to continue? I decided to delay changing the blade on the new boots for two weeks and take advantage of the new possibility to record tests and submit it virtually. I talked about virtual testing here. 

I recorded the test! Unfortunately my friend that recorded it didn't know the exercises and missed me from the viewfinder a little. That, combined with the fact that the new boots felt reasonably good, made me postpone the decision of sending the test to be judged. There is a period of 30 days from when a test is recorded to be sent in.

And then, the boots didn't go so well. It is the insole mostly... at least that is what I hope. I cannot lace my boots tight enough without proper arch support, if I try, I collapse my arch and my feet start to hurt, cramp and freeze. I started to get frustrated and unmotivated. So I went back to the thought of sending the test to be judged to hopefully pass and motivate me, or at least keep my mind occupied and distracted from still adjusting to the new boots for two week, while I'll get the results. 

I've asked my coach (that I haven't seen from December) to watch it, and he agreed that it's a good effort and the video taping is not terrible. So I've sent the video to be judged!  I should have the result in around two weeks... I'll share the video soon, I just want to edit it and take out the personal info that I needed to put in for the virtual test.

Fingers crossed!

My 3rd pair of new boots

I'm trying to change my boots from December. It's 5 months now.... My old boots were Riedell, I tried to buy Riedell again, and I've got 2 defective boots one after the other... But I also found out that from when I had my old boots, Riedell changed the design, they raised the toe box of the boots, and that makes all boots from Riedell feel too high for my foot.

I've found a local bootfitter specialized in SP Teri. This is a small company that specializes in custom boots. It has stock models but there are not always in stock. I scheduled a fitting hoping for the best. I was measured at 6.5 and I was offered a model called Zero Gravity, a newer, lighter model as the older ones are heavy, and also low cut in the back fitting with my preference in doing Ice Dancing and MITF, while still offering support for jumping. Size 6.5 felt short, I felt my toe hitting the end of the boots while standing straight, not when I was bending the knees, but after like 20 minutes in them I started cramping. I went into size 7, they felt almost too good, like too big. But being that the 6.5 was too small, the bootfiter said with an insole (Sp Teri has a thick one) the 7 would be just right. So I crossed my fingers and bought them.

On ice, the first feeling was that they are too big... They weren't heat molded so they weren't yet tight around my foot, but also they felt long. I measured the insole and it is exactly same length as my old boots. I hoped that what I was feeling as too big was just the contrast between the very tight heels (locked in by a special SP Terry padding)and the still loose front. The nice thing about these boots is that it didn't feel like I needed to break them in at the ankle. I did hurt and I had a blister at the back edge of the boot, from a wrinkle in the fabric, so I made a trip to the bootfitter to soften that.

The next few days on ice it went relatively well. The blade is definitely not aligned, and again the boot was not tight yet, so the edges are not exact. But crossovers, chasses, stroking, forward and backward, no problem... I've realized I wasn't finding my sweet spot on the blade going backwards mostly on Mohawks and 3-turns. That could be my not perfect technique. But I've red about the boots and realized their heel is low, also the new insole is flat. I know my previous boots had also low heel, but I had a high heel insole. 

The next week I "worked" at the insole. SP Teri was advertised as a custom insole that it is gonna conform to my feet, I thought it is a memory form type of material that is gonna mold as the gel molded in my ski boots. It didn't feel it's happening. Besides the low heel situation, I was also hurting under the right heel, from what I've realized was adjustment for pronation (so a customization). I also I had no arch support. As I tighten and tighten the boots I put my feet to sleep that means that I was collapsing my arch. I need to feel the space from underneath, instead of from above. I took another trip to the bootfiter to pick up another insole and different sizes cork arches, and different kind of wedges and heel lifters that I was supposed to play with to see what I liked best. It was a very unpleasant skating week. I was mostly off ice, taping extra bits to the insole and... hurting. The good thing that came out of it is that I finally felt the boots tight and a little more controllable, and then again, still not as secure as I would want them. After all that hurting I ended up putting in my old superfeet insoles. They have high arch support and raised heel, but they hurt a little under the right arch as they were ground by another bootfitter.

So my boots started to feel tighter but still not secure. At this point, I started to think again that the boots may be a little big (long) as SP Teri has a rounder heel to accommodate that special padding to lock in the Achilles's tendon, this could add few millimeters in length. Then I was thinking that I'm not used yet with the low back cut. I would like to try a regular cut boot to check this feeling, in both 6.5 and 7... I'm not seriously thinking that I need another boots, but more as a hopefully confirmation that I'm in the right boot. 

I plan to skate a little more, hopefully I get more used with the boots low back, hopefully they conform to the foot even more. I will now start to pay attention to what the blades feel like so I can eventually have them aligned.

Virtual testing

Testing used to be done in live test sessions offered by clubs more or less once a month. Test sessions are quite a big production, bringing lots of people together. During the pandemic the test sessions in my area were kept very small, and I know tests sessions weren't offered at all in other parts of the country... for a whole year. So, USFSA temporarily allows virtual testing. 

Virtual testing, shortly, means that the skater skates the test on a regular session, in presence of a proctor, the test is filmed and the video is sent to the clubs that organizes the judging. The test can be recorder multiple times, but the video should be one take, without interruptions, and the video must not be edited. Reskating an eventual mistake is not allowed. It is not ideal...

I decided to record my test because I'm changing the boots and from my previous two experiences in trying to change the boots I know it is not sure they will work out. Even if they do, I don't know how long it will take me to be back in testing shape again. I'm afraid during this time, I may lose motivation to train for progress.

I know my skating skills for this test level are there. I also know the video may enhance some mistakes, and also, everything looks slower on video. I recorded myself by placing my phone on the boards and I was able see some things to adjust to be confident the test will look good on video. I haven't seen my coach from December, he teaches at a different rink and it would have been expensive and probably stressful for me to ask him to overview the video making. I just asked the rink director to be my proctor and film me. We decide to try it on Wednesday. The session is from 12 to 1.30. she comes in at work at 1. Well guess what, I couldn't make it in on Wednesday, car trouble. I kept hoping I can make it there at least by 12.45... nope, I called and cancelled. Friday she wasn't available so we postponed it for Monday. As she hasn't come by ice at 1, I went to look out for her. She said she's sent me an e-mail apologizing that she has too much on her plate and cannot film it and let's postpone for Wednesday. At this point I already had the appointment for the new boots postponed once, I just thought maybe it is not meant to be... I'm trying to test this level for two years now... and it is always something... 

But, the rink director said a friend can film me and she'll watch the video when she has time, so she'll still be able to proctor. So we did that... Only nobody on ice was familiar with this test, or with the camera, so we lost a bit of time playing with that, and we only had the time to film it once. My friend that filmed said she lost the focus on me once, but unfortunately it was three times... And I couldn't record it again the appointment to change the boots was next day and I had already postponed it once.

After I filmed it I have 30 days to send it to be judged. For now, I'll put it out of my mind to concentrate on the new boots. If they'll work well I can test in few months in the new boots. If they don't... well that would be a way bigger issue than not testing this test.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Last month I was back on my old boots, and as they didn't feel very secure I wasn't able to skate for progress. I'm grateful that I was still able to enjoy skating in the form of social skating, you know... skating around while talking to people, with some skating exercises forced in. Meanwhile, I kept researching how boots from different manufacturer fit. I closed in into Harlick and SP Teri. Harlick boots would have to be ordered and would take two months, while I found a bootfiter that has many SP Teri boots in stock, so I went to check them out, and we have a winner! Hopefully...

Plans for this month? I'm really really happy I'm able to enjoy skating without getting frustrated that I don't progress, and I cannot even work for progress.

But, being that I found new boots, and I'm feeling very anxious about breaking them in, and the possibility of them not fitting in the end. I thought I should try to put the Pre-Juvenile moves test together on my old boots, film it and submit it for virtual judging. It feels like a swan song... a last effort on unstable but familiar boots, before going into the unknown new boots. I videoed myself with the phone set on the boards and the test looked correct but timid. I'm thinking that the thought I'll test will give me motivation to work on that, well, to work on something, because as I said, lately I was mostly just skating around.

The rest of the month will be spent breaking in the new boots...

Searching for new ice boots

I'm an adult skater and I've had a single pair of boots during my whole 10 years of skating... Riedell, intermediate level (model 220), that I loved.

Now, looking to buy new boots I thought Riedell was the obvious choice. My bad luck of finding that the not one, but two pairs of Riedel boots were defective, and having to return them, may have been a blessing in disguise because I don't think they fit me well.

I always thought I had narrow foot. When I bought ski boots, my foot was called low volume... whatever that means. I'm finding now that I have medium forefoot, medium heel, medium arch... but low instep, and toes slim in height, hence the low volume, AND I have compressible forefoot. My toes squeeze in narrow boots by compressing. While I don't hurt, that is not good from a medical point of view, but also, because my forefoot doesn't lay flat in boots I cannot control the edges very efficiently.

Now, for the new boots. Riedell has recently redesigned the toe box by to make it more comfortable. All Riedell boots have now a high toe box. Well... it is too high for my slim, or thin toes. I had two insoles in the new Riedell boots I've bought and returned, and I still felt that my toes lifted and I wasn't in control, for example when turning from backward to forward, so when I needed to rock from the front of the blade to the back of the blade. 

My bootfitter said, I'm quoting "You may just have to resign yourself to the fact that there is nothing out there that is going to be exactly what you are looking for, and internally modify some stock boot in the best possible way. "But he does not have a clear suggestion on what boot, or boot brand to go to to modify. Riedell doesn't work because of the high toe box. Jackson supposedly also has high toe box and it's wider. I tried Edea and I wasn't crazy about the concept of not feeling the boot snug at the ankle, plus the only model that felt comfortable was the ice fly, that may be too stiff for me. Risport I never tried but it's said to be similar with Edea. Harlick and SP Teri are traditional boot manufacturer that mostly make custom boots. They do have some stock boots. They both are said to have lower toe box but the fit it's different. Different how? How can I try these stock bots? Harlick stock boot is build to order, so I cannot try it, and... it if it doesn't fit, it cannot be returned even if not modified. SP Teri recently changed ownership and supposedly have quality problems so my bootfitter doesn't work with them anymore. These are all the stock boots options... 

The next option is semi custom. A stock boot is modified in the factory like in width or stiffness. I called Riedell and they said they cannot modify the toe box as a semi custom option...

The next option is full custom. I'm unclear about this option, can it be ordered by the local bootfitter or will I have to go to the factory? Anyway the custom option is pricey, over $1,000... It will also take few months to get boots. My biggest problem is that is seems it is not certain that custom boots are always a good fit, as per two of my friends that ordered custom boots in the past.

I've decided to do what I did when I was looking for skiing boots, to ask around and to ask in forums. I'm describing my foot shape and hopefully somebody that has a similar foot will have some suggestions.

Mid month ice skating update - social skating

I'm still skating... but... less...

Just before the pandemic I used to skate 5 sessions per week, 1 private lesson, 3 training sessions and 1 slow and easy in the studio rink. After the pandemic I was able to get back to 4 session, 1 private  and 3 training sessions. I had some interruptions and changes of rinks but I had a rhythm.

Now because of the buying and the returning the 2 pairs of boots after I put the pain to break each them for 2 weeks and I took a whole month off of skating, I've lost muscle and stamina, motivation and... hope.

I'm back on my old boots and they don't feel quite right. The blade on the left feels misaligned and I've changed the insole and it is too low in the heel. But I don't want to spend more on the old boots.  I'm actively looking to buy new boots (and have these old boots transfer to roller skating).

For now, I'm finding myself trying to skate in my old boots. In an effort to motivate myself I put the cell phone on recording during doing the exercises to Pre Juvenile MITF test. I thought if the video looks good, I may try to test virtually. Yes... tests could be recorded (there are rules about it) and sent in to be judged. Anyway, while the video shows I do all the moves reasonably well, I just looked lethargic... beaten up... and I think that could translate as unconfined. This filming experience ended up cutting even more from my motivation.

Well, I still went skating and luckily more and more of my old skating friends showed up skating and we used the time to chat and skate a little and chat again and... it is all actually pleasant.

I do hope the time to skate for progress will come again, but I'm thinking it will come with the new boots, and I don't know when that is gonna happen...

Until then I'll take the social skating!

Roller skating and roller boots

 I did have those strap on roller quads as a kid and enjoyed them a lot. I was just skating forward outdoors. I wanted to buy some last summer but everything low to mid price got sold out quickly and I didn't want a more expensive boot without trying it on, and I didn't know how to choose a plate. And all the stores were closed... So I gave up for the moment. Then I realized that I needed ice boots, and I would have my old boots for rolling! You know that my try to buy ice boots didn't go well... Then the plan was to rebuild the tongue of my old boots so I can still use them for ice skating and buy new rolling boots.

I looked for roller skating shops and one of them was in a roller rink. I made an appointment for boot fitting close to the time they had public skating session so I could get to skate too. 

The bad news is that Riedell, the brand I'm in for ice skating boots, has the same update for roller boots as for the ice boots, the high toe box. That didn't seem to work for me on the new ice boots I've tried. So what roller boots then? The bootfitter said that the artistic roller skaters mostly use Edea... He gave me to try an outdoor (read inexpensive) set of boots that came with the plate and wheels. Well, the size that fit in length, felt large in width. So, the bad news is that I don't have a plan in what rolling boots to buy...

The good news is that I roller skated in rental boots and I loved it and I did quite well, considering the modest equipment. The public session was 3 hours long and split in "play" segments, like 15 minutes man only, then women only, then reverse the direction, then skating backwards... and more. But what it is more attractive to me would be artistic skating, dancing and figures, and especially outdoor skating.

A friend that already has roller skates went to another rink where there is an artistic rolling club with cheap monthly membership for training and she found a dance instructor. Oh, I sooo want it! And I'm aware that a group was meeting last summer weekly for rolling in my local park. And another group was meeting in another park...

I'm back to my old plan to buy ice boots and have my old boots as roller boots... I cannot wait...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

To put it very shortly... no progress and... no goals.

After I've decided to return the second new pair of boots, defective too (and just a parenthesis, I don't have my money back yet), I've spent the most of last month adjusting and settling into my old boots. I've also had to rebuild, again, my muscles and stamina, as I haven't skated at all in January after I returned the first pair of new boots, and then I worked to break in the second pair of new boots.

I'm still not quite happy with my old skates. I've had their tongues rebuilt as they were really thinned out and the laces were cutting badly into my ankles. I'm happy with that. Then I've adjusted the alignment of the blade by playing around with adding wedges under the frame of the blade. I think I've got some improvement there, but it's either that I've messed up something else, or the boot is so deformed that it cannot be "helped" anymore. I've decided to stop adjusting the blade and try to adjust myself to this alignment. There is still one thing I need to adjust: the height of the insole heel.  My old insole, superfeet, got damaged by a boot fitter while adjusting the new boots. They were very thin in front and had a built in heel rise after the arch. I bought the Riedell insole that came with all kind of adjustable feature, only the exact part I needed, a wedge that can be added rise the heel... was missing. So I'm now on an insole that's thinker in the front and lower in the back compared with what I used to have. This is affecting my spin, I'm always on my toe pick while spinning. I cannot think of anything I can add there, under the heel, and not feel it. I'm exhausted of trying to find solutions. I also dread to think about buying new boots again.

These annoyances, the fact that I don't totally trust my boots and the worry about my muscles hurting again, made me lose motivation. I think, more precisely, I don't find my goals motivating anymore. My goals were progress and enjoyment. I really really love to skate, but when I pushed for progress, sometimes I've got frustrated and I've lost the enjoyment. Now, it is something else. I feel I CANNOT push for progress (because of the boots)  and, on the other hand, I definitely don't enjoy just stroking around in public skating style.

I've asked my skating friends is they have any suggestions. One of them said to take a break. I considered it, and when the skating day (I have prepaid ice) came, I actually felt that I wanted to go. But as I get to the rink I don't have the energy to even think what I want to do on ice. So I thought I'll allow myself just to be there. Some old skating friends came skating after long breaks and I found myself happy to catch up while just stroking around. And then I did some of my skating exercises without putting any thought into them, any corrections, or even evaluating them.

Another friend suggested I take some group lessons. The group lesson schedule really doesn't fit in my schedule. But it happened that I found out about a syncro clinic coming out soon. I plan to go. I appreciate synchronized skating but I was never interested in it for myself as I feel it is a big time commitment (and time taken from skating for progress) plus, honestly, I'm afraid by skating so close to other people. Covid may be a way to ease into that, as now the teams have to social distance... Then they have try out for  the team. My skills are the minimum required, so I may not make it to the team even if I would decide to try. I'm happy for the opportunity to try something new and hopefully energizing. I'm also happy that I'll get to meet new adult skaters.

I think I'll somehow have to "work" again at the Pre-Juvenile moves test, I have to get that out of the way. I was ready to test it 2 years ago... The fact I haven't tested it makes me feel that I haven't progress at all during the last 2 years, and that probably it's not true, but that's how I feel. The problem is that I'm so bored of it I don't find the desire to improve it anymore. The skills are there, but I have to perk up and find the desire to "present them".

Settling into my old boots

This week, on Monday I started to feel I've reached a reasonable alignment on my old boots. At some point I do have to stop adjusting the blades and allow myself to get used with what alignment there is. I knew from when I've changed my blades few years ago that my right boot is collapsed towards inside. Than, and my pronation that probably cased the boot to collapse in the first place, were compensated by added shims between the sole of the boot and the frame of the blade. I added another layer of shims, as I felt and I could see the old layer was compressed. I also added to the left boot, where while I cannot see the boots is collapsed, it may be, because that is what I feel. This is not an ideal solution, and it may not hold for long (I was hoping for a a whole year), but I finally felt I could skate. I also tried to screw extra screws with a hand screwdriver, and it worked. So I think I'll be safe.

 On Wednesday, I've tried to get into my old skating routine. Part of my warm up are exercises that bring awareness to alignment and the need to press into ice. I do slalom, edge presses and stroking forward and backward. Then depending either on my mood, either on the plan to test something or not, I do either MITF exercises, either dance exercise, or both. I've found myself cautious to go fast so I ditched the dance in favor of the moves. I'm quite comfortable with these Pre-Juvenile exercises so I felt I could work on building back speed. The good surprise is that I feel  the 3-turns are better. I think the new blade alignment helps. The back circle eight is not very confident and not coming around on the inside edges. That may be because of the added shims that push me towards outside. I'll have to get used with it. I've tried all kinds of exercise in the MITF category, mostly on the slow side. I did fast exercises only on the things I'm most comfortable with, stroking, crossovers. I haven't tried jumping yet, that is in the plan for the next skating session. My forward spin is still MIA, that may be because of the new insole that is thicker on the forefoot but the arch is lower, so it's pushing me more to the heel then before? Hopefully I'll get used with that too... it is very frustrating. The other not so pleasant surprise is that I was sore and tired after the skate on Wednesday. The worst surprise is the fact that my hip that was injured acted up again. Those muscles are either not strong enough, either they tense after a more intense work out. I did longer strokes with the extension held, I did the Preliminary pattern of  back crossover to back extension edge, and I did spirals. I'll try to tone it down and build those muscles carefully. I'll also have to stretch after skating, even if shortly, because we are not allowed to stay more then 10 minutes in the building because of covid restrictions.

Friday, as I stepped on ice, I found myself feeling tired and slow. After my usual warm up of slalom, edge presses and stroking I thought I'll try the dance exercises including the dropped 3-turns, without pushing, just observing the alignment and my level of confidence in skating faster. After all these, I felt like going slower, so I did circles 8s, the backward inside still not coming back to center. I did sets of  forward to backward 3 turns, forward brackets, twizzles. I tried the forward spin, nope, nope and nope... Backward spin... fine. I did some jumping just 3 to 5 of each waltz, salcow, my under rotated loop and toe loop... fine. At this point I felt like running the Pre-Juv MITF exercises and they were mostly fine. I did some stroking around and talking to a friend. Then, with renew energy I did the Ten fox. 

All in all, the conclusion after this week's skating, is that while I'm not 100% comfortable with the alignment of my blades, that is probably because the boots are old and deformed and there is not much I can do about it, so I should try and allow my body to get use with them.

My skating skills are kind of there, but kind of dusty.

My body needs a little time to build up the muscles again, no wonder, as I didn't skate at all in January, and most of February I was skating slowly to break in the new boots that I returned.

I'm missing... maybe gumption would be the right word... Hopefully I'll get if after my body will feel stronger.

I've returned the second pair of new, defective boots

Riedell accepted the boots back. I will get a refund eventually...

The bootfitter was straight rude, he shamed me for losing his time with me. Maybe blame Riedell for sending out a defective boot?

Picking up the pieces on my old boots

I decided to have the tongue of my old boots reinforced at a local shoe repair shop, recommended by few skating friends. I left them there on Saturday, they were done by Monday, I picked them up on Tuesday morning.   

I skated Wednesday. There is some difference I feel in stiffness, but not as much as I feel a difference in support, maybe it is somehow one and the same... The big difference is that I don't feel the laces cutting into my ankles anymore. So, I'm happy! Well almost... 

I'm still feeling not aligned, I cannot go comfortably on the outside edges. I pronate on the right foot and when I bought new blades few years ago, after the blade was moved towards the inside as much as possible to still feel centered, shims were added to correct the angle. I think those need to be replaced, they looked worn out, thinner. But the left side is a mystery as I don't pronate on that foot. The blade is installed to the very edge of the inside part of the sole and I still don't feel centered. These are 10 years old boots (though I skated seriously just the last 3, 4 years). I'm aware that the right boot is collapsed towards inside because I pronate on that foot. Maybe something is wrong and was wrong from the beginning with the left boot, like the sole could be uneven. Or maybe the left boot got deformed in time too.

I don't want to spend more on these boots to have them professionally aligned. I've already spent $100 on the tongues and $50 on the new insole (that I didn't need but the old one got destroyed during the fitting process). So I decided to mess a little with the shims. I added shims on the left foot, that is my "normal foot" that I don't pronate on but I'm still unable to go on the outside edge.

I skated Friday. Well... hello 1.5 revolutions left twizzle! that I was never able to do... And hello comfortable left inside 3-turn! that I fell badly on, just few months ago. To be clear, all my skating is slow, like trying things... I don't feel I'm really skating. I don't add any power or speed, as I don't trust the alignment yet. I think I still have to work a little on the shims. I think under the left heel I added too much, and that is the only one I added that I caught  into a screw, so now I have to completely remove that screw. And I'll add shims on the right boot too, the old ones look thinned out.

I'm a little concern if the screws are still holding, being that the holes are old, so I haven't jumped yet and as I said I haven't skated fast. I think I'll have to try to add some screws myself, or to go to a professional that can fill the holes maybe. But again, I'm done spending with them... Still, they have to do the job until I'll buy new boots, I was hoping to still be able to use these old boots for about a year...

Skating on my old boots again

The second pair of new boots I bought is defective, the tongues have different lengths and it would need to be fixed, exchanged, or returned. I talked about all my options in my previous post, none convenient. I don't know what I'm gonna do. What become clear is that it doesn't make any sense to still break in these boots, because I would have to break them in again, when the tongue is replace or the whole boot is exchanged. I took them to the shop and they said they ask Riedell   what the options are, return, replace or repair.

Meanwhile, I'm back on my old boots....

I skated on my old boots only once after I returned the first pair of boots I bought, and not only I felt I had no support, but also the blade felt misaligned. Now... as I've refreshed my knowledge in aligning the blade on the boots with the defective tongues. I decided to give it a try and put the blade back on my own! I put in just the temporary screws so I could adjust the blade. I put in the new Riedell R-kit insole with arch support (as my old insole got damaged now by the technician bu griding it, with good intentions, of course). I thought to try the boots in the house and I couldn't muster the courage. I think, I thought, that if they are not gonna work out, at least I'll skate another day....

And off I went skating! The first feel was that the new insole are cramping my toes, they are thicker than my old insoles... As I started skating I wasn't hurting, just cold... Ok, whatever, I can live with that. I did need to adjust the left blade, twice, and the right blade I've tried but I felt I've made it worse so I reverted. I think I've figured it out.

I started to do my usual exercises, not those for softening the ankles, actually I avoided them. I did stroking forward and backward, edge presses, chasses and progresives on lobes, all the moves from Pre-Juv test, more 3-turns, brackets, more power pulls (this was the only thing it felt hard from the moves test). Then I've got courageous and did cross rolls, fell on the back ones and felt good, like I'm skating again! I haven't tried jumping, spinning didn't go too well. Twizzels didn't go at all. So not so good, not so bad either. I don't feel supported by the tongue, if it would be to go back to my old boots, I would have to reinforce the tongue. But I've got to skate another day!

And another day, that felt better.  I've decided to give it a try and rebuild the tongue of my old boots at a local shop recommended by a skating friend.

The problem with the second pair of boots

The tongue of these new boots I bought, is uneven. The usual approach would be for the boots to be sent in to the manufacturer to be fixed. They would get back to me in few weeks. Soo... I would have to stop skating again! NOOOO!

I cannot tell you how frustrated I am :((  But being what it is, I was thinking to order other boots, (semi-custom after my old boots, that would take 2 months to make), hopefully they'll have no issues, and after they arrive and put the blades on them, and have the blade adjusted, and then to send in these boots to be fixed.  I'll have two pairs of new boots... but I can put inline wheels on one of them them. On my old 220 I want to put quad wheels... This would allow me to keep skating, even if the boots feel uneven...  I have prepaid ice, nonrefundable, and anyway I want to keep skating. 

As I was complaining to a skating friend about the pain I was in from breaking in the new bots, and the tongue defect and the scenario of buying a new boot, only to be able to skate in this defective boots for the two months until the others are gonna be manufactured... He said... you realize that in the next two months you will barely break in these boots, then you'll have new boots that you'll have to break in, and then you'll have the defective boots back and you'll have to break those in AGAIN. This defective boots are gonna have  brand new and stiff tongues, yeap, I haven't thought of that... That would mean that for the first half year of this year I would just break in boots... 4 pairs, to be exact, 2 defectives, and the 2 new ones yet to come. I had a panic attack right then... 

Another option would be for the manufacturer to send me a brand new boot, same model, now, not to wait weeks for them to repair the old ones, or two months to produce the semi-custom ones. But... I cannot see myself starting over to break in new boots again... NOW. I was thinking I could have gathered my patience to break new boots in two months from now... but that may not be realistic as I would have had barely broken the defective ones until then.

My friend asked about my old boots, and he advised me to have the tongue rebuild at a local shoe repair place. They can do them in a day! And I could skate without interruption. That sounds good short term, well not so short, as he said I may be able to squeeze another year out of the boots. 

I may want only 6 months out of these old boots. I wanted to add quad wheels on these old boots, for quad skating you need soft boots. But if the new tongue will be still to stiff to do that in the summer, then I would need to buy roller boots for the summer or give up on that for another year... I will still have to buy new ice boots at some point...

One more issue... If I would repair my old boots, I wouldn't need this new boots, the defective ones anymore, unless I would keep them in a box for 6 months to a year or more. But what if, when I'll finally put the blades on them, I would found them defective? I had two defective boots out of two new boots I just bought... 

Should I return these boots too?

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Review of last month: basically NO SKATING. At the very end of the month I've bought new boots that I'm breaking in now... 

Progress: surely regress...

Goals adjustment? I did have it in plan to test the Pre-Juvenile MITF at the end of February, on the new boots. That obviously is not gonna happen. 

The new goal is to figure out the new boots. It's not just that I'm still breaking them in, it got a little more complicated. I mentioned that a tongue is shorter then the other.  No question, that tongue issue has to be solved. But how?

Breaking in the new, new boots - part 2

Read about the first three times on ice here.

On the fourth day on ice, I could actually bend and do most things I'm technically able to do! And, the hurting from both the ankles and the insoles feel fine! 

I still have a problem... I cannot get an outside edge on the left foot, and that is the foot that doesn't pronate. The right foot, while not perfect, feels better. After the boots will be truly broken in, I can eventually ask for wedges to be put in, but for now, for the left foot something is not right. I'm gonna go back to the shop to stretch near the little toe, last time when I was there I think they forgot to do it. I feel very cramped there, and hopefully that will allow the foot to go more towards the outside of the boot, and create a little weight shift. The blade is mounted towards the inside of the edge of the boot already... So if the boot punching will not help, the sole of the boot may not be straight, or I don't know...

Before the fifth skating session on this new boots, I stopped by the skate shop again to do something about the left blade alignment. They did the punching near the little toe and also moved the blade to the maximum possible on the inside, they actually moved the screws on the from frame. I also mentioned again the tongue problem, and I showed the technician a picture I took of my feet, where you can see where the tongue digs on my skin. He said I can send them to the factory and they will be repaired, no problem... No problem? I would have to stop skating again... for what he said few weeks. Problem!

 

On the other hand the alignment was a progress! I was able to do without struggle both forward and backward, edges, edge presses, chasses, 3-turns forward and backward, forward and back circle eight. The things still questionable are the forward spin and the back 3 turns. The spin, I center it and then I feel my ankle falls inside. I want to try it again on another skating session, otherwise, the shop will have to move the screws on the heels too. The backward 3 turns are slow, of course the boot is not broken in but I also have extra space over the toe (all new Riedell models have a higher toe box now). Now, my left foot alignment feels better then the right. I haven't have the screwdriver with me, but before the next skating session I plan to move the right blade towards inside too. On the next session I also plan to watch for the new toes pain. The punching resolved the little toe pain, but now the next one is hurting. As I felt inside the boot, there is a reinforcement material right there, maybe that cannot be stretched. Worth mentioning is the fact that in this fifth skating session I think I tightened the skates more then the last time, and I felt I needed to put more effort in the ankles than last time. So I'll try to leave them a little looser next time.

The sixth session on ice was kind of the same. Still working to softening the ankle and still unsure about the blades placement. And still adjusting and readjusting the tightness of the laces. 

The tongue repair problem weights on my mind a lot. It has to be done for sure... the right foot tongue is shorter than the left one. I feel the boots hitting at different height on my shin, the metal on the tongue that holds the laces hits lower then where it needs to hit, I feel less support on my right boot, and I think that's gonna become a problem, as I press harder into the right foot,  that would feel softer and softer then the left boot, in time...  Riedell would fix the tongues for free, including shipping back and forth. It's just that I would be without boots again, so not skating again :((( 

 

As I was complaining to a friend about this, he asked why do I bother still breaking them, as I will have to break them in  again after the tongues are gonna be replaced!

Breaking in the new, new boots

This boots are the Riedell Motion. They feet stiffer then the previous boots, Riedell Flair, even if their declared stiffness is the same, 70. They also have less padding, so they feel less comfortable.

They were heat molded after my foot at the skate shop. My Yellow superfeet insoles were added in the boot immediately after they were warmed, so they got molded too. This store didn't allow me to stand and flex, they just had me sitting. The skates laces weren't tied very tightly so I didn't feel they were successfully molded, the sides were still kind of straight, not taking after my feet. 

When I went to pick them up with the blades installed, I asked for another heat molding. But I had mentioned before that I'll go skating immediately, and the technician said I couldn't skate for 4 hours after the boots are heated. I've got to skate a little on the rink that's on the same building with the skate shop, but it was for blade alignment purpose, a little, I didn't want to abuse the time of the rink and fitter. Firstly the blades were pretty well align, I was surprised, because with the previous fitter I worked, it wasn't so straight forward... I'll see more about the blade alignment after I break in the boots a little.  Now, the fit... while I felt some tight spots, I wasn't sure if I should I have them "punched out" or they'll relax on their on. I also felt the tongue on the left foot hitting on of the ankle bone.

First skating session: I tied them leaving the last two hooks unlaced and I immediately had to tie them again after I stepped on ice, both to tighten the lower part and to tie one more of the upper hooks. I skated for 10 minutes, swizzles, slaloms and chasses forward and backward, the exercises that I felt helped the most on the previous boots. That all went well. But, I had quite bad pain from the tongue in my ankle bone, overall pain at the ankle, an overall sleepiness of the feet, and... of course some pain in the arch of the right foot. I unlaced and added bunga pads that I bought especially for the occasion of breaking in the boots. I haven't needed them on the previous boots with their thick padding. It helped, but I felt some pressure on the lower edge of the bunga pads... I skated some more and I have to say that I was able to do things that with the other boots I did just on the third session. The other boots, the Flairs, needed to have that foam compressed before I felt some control. As I kept skating the arch pain started and got worse and worse. It was at the inside edge of the arch. 

As I tried the different boots in the store and they've all hurt my right foot, the lady that fitted me looked at the superfeet insole on my foot outside the boot and said that she thinks my arch overhangs over the insole wall and she should grind it a little. That didn't fix it. But, after the insole was added on warmed from the heating oven and they molded with the boot, so that initial pain disappeared. But I felt now as I was skating, that the thin but hard wall of the insole biting me under the whole length of my arch. I think that is due do the grinding it was done :( This is a different pain than the pocking into the arch I had with the previous boots I returned. I survived the skating session and as I unlaced I saw red marks on all the spots were I was hurting, including a red line where the insole bit into my arch. I should have taken a picture! 

Anyway, I put the boots on at home the next day, and it seems that I need the boots punched where the toes insert into the metatarsals and near the ankle bones. I've also took out the superfeet insoles and the pain on the very inside of the arch disappeared... I will need some arch support to help with my pronation, so I'm looking to buy other insoles. I walked around the house with the boots, flexed at the ankle with the top two hooks unlaced, so I'll soften the tongue. For now, I feel some progress in softening, but that's about it...

Second day on ice. Without the superfeet insole and because I pronate, I couldn't get on an outside edge. Other than that I had the pain that I expected, near the pinkie toe and the tongue biting into my ankle. The worse point of this tongue pressure is a point where there is a seam on the tongue.  Not only it hurts, but this seam is at the point where the tongue should crease, and it doesn't really. So I feel I cannot flex as much as on the other foot. I actually realized that one tongue is longer than the other... and that's why those seams are hitting my foot at different points. The one new thing that jumped at me was that I feel that space in that raised toe box (a new feature on Riedell boots). I'm wondering if I'll get used to it. All in all, this second day on ice felt a progress in softening and creating the crease on the tongue at the ankle.

I went back to the skate shop and I had the boot punched near the little toes and at the ankle just on the inside. That felt way better. The technician wasn't worried about the tongue seam not softening. He said it will... meanwhile he showed me a different way to lace the boot, skipping the first hook and coming back at it after I hooked the rest of them. That felt better too. While lacing I showed him the tongue length difference, I cannot use that metal guide on one of the tongues as it hits between where the laces should go. He said he thinks the tongue just sits lower, if it wouldn't straighten as I break in the boots he can model it with a golf ball. Also he offered the Riedell k-fit insoles that have all kind of interchangeable parts to adjust as needed the height of the arch and of the heal, including something special for pronation, but most importantly they don't have the hard edge that was bothering me with the superfeet.

The third day on ice was mostly wasted... I'm skating now at my home rink where we are not allowed to bring in the skating bag, or any bag. The previous days I would have wanted to change some things but I didn't have with me what I needed. Now I prepared, I stuffed in my coat, extra insoles, extra gel pads, even a screwdriver... After just few minutes on ice I've decided to take out the bunga sleeves.  The back of my ankles were hurting from them, the sleeves are new and I'm feeling the edge. They helped with the tongue cutting into my ankle bone but now that was punched. So I had to take the skates off... I added a small gel circle on the ankle where I hurt the most and I'm very happy to report it felt fine. But now, I felt I had space around my ankle... so I decided to forget about the new lacing technique that skipped the first hook and do the regular lacing, still just on the first 3 hooks. I still felt unsecured, so I laced up to the top. Ok... better... but of course harder to bend into the ankle. I felt pain where the boot meets my leg for even the next day... but that's part of breaking the skates in... The one thing that's off, is that one of the tongues is shorter than the other... I hope I'm gonna get used with it, for now, I feel it hitting my foot differently. Next,  I'm happy to report that the new insoles work, well, after I took the little heel wedge that is supposed to help with pronation. That is a really bad idea, it creates a bump in the heel, that's same spot where I was hurting in the boots that I've returned... After I took that out, I felt better, but I feel the arch is lower than my previous insoles,  and I also need to add some kind of lift under my toes, to fill in that space for the higher toe box that Riedell had now on all their boots. I was advised to add something just under the toes, but I don't know what, so until I go again to the skate shop, I decided to add the insoles that came with the boots under the new insoles with arch support. The next adjustment was the blade... It is almost fine. I felt from the beginning that the left blade goes under me as I stroke, not much, but it was confirmed when I tried the forward spin, I enter the spin and center it, then my ankle falls in... I asked the skating shop to do it but they didn't... so I took the screwdriver with me, a skinny one. Only I couldn't unscrew the screws on the heel... So I'll try home with a stronger screwdriver. As you see, I've spent a lot of time off ice, adjusting something. And it may have been a little bit because my ankles hurt when I skate, so I wanted to rest...

I think, while I'll keep making these adjustments, I'll slowly soften the ankles too, they still feel very stiff.  I have hope, but I have no idea how long is gonna take.

New boots... different model

Soo buying boots  again, long story that I'm trying to make short.

I was hung on the model Riedell Flair I've bought and returned as it was defective. I felt intense pain in my soles, but otherwise, I loved that boot... My size was not in stock at the factory, it would have been a wait of 2 months. Also, as I went to another bootfitter than the one that sold me the Flairs, he wondered if the back of the Flair being very curved was not a thing that contributed to my pain in the sole. He recommended another boot, Riedell Stride, the closes cut to my old boots that are not manufactured anymore, the model was 220... I was doubtful about the Stride flex of 50 compared with the Flair's 70 that felt perfect and I didn't want to go softer than that, but I allowed him to order them. And... he called to say that factory didn't have this Stride in my size in stock, they would  be available mid February.

So, at his encouragement, I called around to see if other stores have any of these boots in stock, and not wait months until the factory has them. I found Stride 5.5 medium, Flair 5 medium, and Motion 5.5 medium at the same store, one specialized in hockey...

I tried all the boots with my yellow superfeet insoles that have arch support added. I firstly tried the Flair 5 medium as it was the only one laced, and of course I felt it short on the toes, but the volume was fine, snug, like the 5.5 narrow I had. I looked for the pain in the sole... nothing on left, pain on the right... As I took it off I looked for that bump I saw in the Flairs I returned and I didn't see any.

The Edge, 5.5 medium: As the lady put the laces on it, she said she was happy that those polyester laces are easier to lace. I was thinking... those flimsy things will have to go away... After I was in them, I flexed and they were actually stiffer than the Flair! No pain in the left sole, pain in the right sole. At this point I was thinking my right foot must be sensitive from the old, defective Flair, that bump was into the heel, so hurting the bone... The fit of Edge felt snug, but it hasn't necessarily felt as the old boot 220. As I was flexing into them I realized they were not reinforced all over, some parts were softer, as I pushed into them they made oblique wrinkles... like those very beginner fake leather boots. The word I would use, is that they felt flimsy for my weight and my pushing into them. They wouldn't have lasted long...

The Motion 5.5 medium felt on closer to what I remembered my old 220 as reinforcement. I still felt pain under the right sole but at this point I was sure it was me...I stayed in them and tried to feel if I can live with that pain, if I would have it for a while. 

I took on the  5 Flair again, same pain, and that padding made them more comfy... So I was thinking... maybe the bootfitter could push out the front of this 5 medium Flair, as I asked for the Ice Flies... or I could have waited for the 5.5 narrow to be manufactured. Then I wondered about the stiffness. I felt the Stride was softer then the Motion and The Flair was softer then the Stride... So the Flairs may be softer then my old 220. I've felt support in them now, that they were new, but would them have lasted?

I tried the Motion 5.5 again and I've realized I liked them for being more stiff.

Also, my home rink, that is 15 minutes away from my home, finally opened from today and I have prepaid, non refundable ice until March... I needed some boots, or at least to have the blades aligned on my old 220. They shop offered 10% discount on the Motion, free blade installation, they have the rink near them open so they can align the blade...

So I bought the Motion! 

I'll do a day by day report of the breaking in process.

Finding new boots - another boot fitter

I'm not skating. As you know I've tried new boots that haven't worked out. The blades are back on my old boots but I tried skating and both the boots and the blade alignment felt off. Also, my home rink is still not open so I would still have to drive 30, 40 minutes to go skating. I cannot get the motivation as I'm not even sure I'll be able to skate :(

I've just had a new boot fitting with a very well regarded an highly recommended fitter. He is booked two weeks in advance so I had to wait. He is also an hour driving distance. He also doesn't have too many boots in stock. Where I'm getting at is that finding new boots is gonna be a long long process.

The fitting: he asked what I had before and what my style/ and level of skating was. I had Riedell, the beginner - intermediate level boot model 220 (stiffness probably 50), not produced anymore. They served me right for 10 years. I also mentioned immediately that my right foot is smaller then the left and I wear a thin flat insole under the yellow superfeet and that I pronate on the right foot and I had wedges under the blades frame. Then he measured me and came to 5.5... medium. He didn't measured the width around, just flat. He asked if I had something in mind. I said the Riedell Flair because I like that lower back as I do mostly dance and moves... and he seemed a little hesitant but he said ok and was ready to order those.

Now I've told him whole experience with trying the Flairs before. That the 5.5 medium felt large in front and I ended up in 5.5 narrow, that felt snug in store bot then compressed and I had to add another insole to fill in the volume. And then I hurt in my sole and I discovered some bumps in the sole of the boot. He hasn't seemed alarmed by the extra insoles. He asked to see me feet from lateral. He was looking at the Achilles tendon shape. On the left is quite straight, on the right a little more curved. He said that the Flairs are very curved at back and that may have also contributed to the pain. 

He then recommended the Riedell Stride, model 223, because that would be the closest with the cut of the former 220. and also the lower level boots, this included, hasn't got the raised box toe, that Flair and the other higher level did.  I said I could live without the lower back, but I thought I would need a little more stiffness, as now I know how to press into the ice and also I've gained some weight, like 10 lb during the last 10 years, especially this last year. He said that they would feel stiffer then my old boots because they are new, and because they don't have a notch at the ankle the stiffness will last longer. Ok then... He ordered Stride in 5.5 medium. He said he'll get them probably at the end of this week but part of the blade installation he adds varnish on the sole, so he'll need few days for that, so to expect to go and try them at the end of the following week. I asked to try them before being modified (varnished), he said, that he'll keep them anyway, and of course I don't have to buy them if they don't fit.

At some point, because of the shape of my feet, that he said are pretty regular, he mentioned the Edea's Ice Fly... but as one of my foot is smaller then the other, we would have to order the size for the smaller foot, and try to stretch the boot for the other, longer foot. I was resistant towards Edeas, it seems that people either love them or hate them, and he agreed... 

As I got home, I've checked the Riedell web site, and the Stride boot has raised toe box, so they may be too large, and they also the notch at the ankle, so I'm worried that even if they would feel stiff now, they won't last. Arghhhh, I'm so frustrated. Anyhow, for now, I'm waiting for the Stride at the end of next week...

Returning the new boots

As you know from the very long previous post, the new boots haven't worked out. They had a lower point and then a bump, in the inside side of the sole of the boot, at the heel, that gave me intense pain in the soles of my feet. Both the technician and the boot shop owner saw it and felt it. The boots were clearly defective. The shop was extremely slow to accept that. Even after accepting it, they were hesitant about the return.

I offered to called the factory, the shop seemed happy about that.  I was asked lots of details, including about sizing. They also asked what it was the agreement I've reached with the shop. I said, it was no agreement, the shop suggested a replacement, but I would like skates now, and I know you don't have them in stock, plus I've lost my trust in their capabilities so I would want to go to another boot fitter.  And they said they'll call back, by the next morning. They didn't. I called the shop in the afternoon twice, first they said they had a voice message from the factory but didn't have time to get back to them, then they said the boss is on the phone right then and will call back. Four hours later, their closing time, nothing... 

Next day I waited 2 hours from the shop opening time, no call. I called, and... we had a kind of a fight. I said, look, I need new boots now, I haven't skated for real in 2 weeks, my old skates feel awful now, I cannot skate in them, you took the longest time to figure out the boots are defective, now you give me no support to expedite the return. Please tell me when I can have my money back so I'll arrange for new boots. 

He brought up again that I ordered a different size that he recommended. So, I had to remind him as he genuinely seemed he has forgotten. He measured me 5  1/2 medium that he had in stock and I tried on and felt big, so he recommended 5 1/4 medium, that would have been custom order that would have taken 2 months. I asked to try on again the 5 1/2... nope too big. I pointed in front of the boot and I said, yeah, I know I have a low volume foot. He said let's try something else and brought a 6 narrow that he had in stock, and that felt thigh, both width and even length. He pulled out my insoles from my old boots, and compared with the insoles of the 6, it was a big difference, of course. So HE decided that I would be happy with 5.5 narrow that was in stock at the factory so he ordered them. AND I don't quite understand what that got to do with the pain in the sole of my foot. Now, the boots foam compressed quite a lot, so I was wearing the insole that came with the boot, under the superfeet insole to fill in the space there, as I felt that I couldn't get enough tightness from tying the laces. I felt perfectly happy with this solution but he commented it is not normal to have 2 insoles. Well, 5  1/2 narrow is slightly lower volume (narrower) then the 5 1/4 medium, so if the boot I had 5 1/2 narrow, is not normal, neither would have been the 5 1/4 medium. 

I'm wondering if he thought that my reason for returning is the lack  of tightness not foot pain, and he wanted to refuse it. Did he not believe I was in pain? Maybe not, as he did change the thickness of the insole to see if I report correctly what I feel in the boot. But he said he agreed the inside of the boot was uneven... that is a manufacturing defect, not his fault... On the other hand a bad sizing would be his fault, and maybe he tried to shift the blame to me if it would have come to that. As I read the sizing chart of the manufacturer, those two boot size are very similar, and anyway, I felt fine in the boots. All in all extremely weird and trust eroding.

What I'm resentful for is how long it took him to even look inside the boot. Then, I've realized that if he would have put the surefeet insole in the new boots in the store, I would have hurt right then. I mentioned that and he exploded. He said it is my responsibility to say I wear something custom. I don't know, I thought  you go to a boot fitter, for him to guide you. AND the surefeet insoles were out from my old boot, he compared the new boots stock insoles with the old surefeet ones, then the old boots were put in the box of the new skates, surefeet insoles too... and the box was taken at the counter to charge and pay for the new skates. So he just ignored the insoles when he warmed the boot. Then he ignored them again, when he open the box to take out the blades from my old skates. They are yellow, they jump at you. It seems this boot fitter just doesn't think the insole matter in the fit of the boot, or alignment of the blade. My skating friends reported that the other boot fitter in town asks if you wear insoles, bunga pads, skate barefooted... But I've asked in a facebook group, and the majority of the skaters said not only they weren't asked about insole, but they think is the skater responsibility to bring it up. One of them said, how would they know that you wear insoles if you don't tell them? I would say, by asking me...  The insole wouldn't have mattered if the boot inside would have been straight in the first place. But in this case, it would have shown the manufacturing defect sooner.

He said he'll give me back my money that day. But he said that there is usually a process and that is to send the boots to the manufacturer, wait for them to inspect them and them issuing the store a refund, then the store would issue a refund to me, or replacing the boot. I mean that would have been two more weeks, over the two I've already lost. I'm wondering why the manufactured doesn't trust their authorized dealer to determine a defect? Why would they expect the customer to sponsor all this process? 

I've found on internet 5 1/2 narrow of a similar hybrid boot, a little stiffer, they were returnable if not altered. Until I've got the money refunded that sold out, so another disappointment. I was able to set an appointment for another boot fitting (with a different boot fitter) next Monday. 

Meanwhile, I tried my old boots in the house and decided to not go skating, they feel so different. Maybe I'll find new boots next Monday and I won't have to keep re adjusting. The rink were I was usually skating lately has many days sold out, I would have had to go to the new rink I found... Just too much "adjustings"... 

And so, the time that I haven't skated (as breaking in new boots doesn't count as skating), is... a whole month!

New boots problem

You know now, from the previous post, that the boots ended up not working out...

Tuesday morning at 11 I went to the boot shop and I thought I'll go skating at 1.30. I explained them that I thought that is gonna be geometrically impossible to keep the anatomic shape of the sole by free grinding, I thought they should be returned, I thought they were defective from the factory. They didn't disagree, but they said that the fact that the spot were I was hurting on the left foot is gone is a good sign, let's try. I told them, that the spot merely moved... but I wished for nothing more than the boots to work, I wouldn't want to go trough the breaking in again, but I also didn't want to keep coming back to the shop every day for another week and get plantar fasciitis during the process.

I didn't get to go skating. They ground and ground and ground. The left boot improved, from a  pain of 8 out of 10 , to a 2, 3 out of 10 in an hour. The right foot was way slower, after 3 hours we got to a 5, maybe 4 out of 10. In the process, he messed up with the blade alignment, he added more insoles, that crammed my foot that felt almost like a try to see if I truly tell them what I felt. Anyway, at one point the technician said that there is progress and hopefully we finish until 7, their closing time. I said shyly, that I couldn't really stay more then 3pm, that was an hour away. The technician said he was just joking and he went back to grinding. We went back to 5 out of 10, plus a new pain spot. 

At that point I explained again that my theory was from the beginning that a uniform grinding cannot be done, and the pain spot will just keep moving around and we agreed to call it quits. The technician asked the boss if he would accept it as a manufacturing defect, he hesitated and said that actually the factory has to agree with it. I asked what's next, I need new boots, they said the factory we'll replace these if found defective. I'm like, that's gonna take 2 months, I need new boots! I was in pain, and in rush to leave. I said I'll call the factory, but tell me straight, do you see and feel the bump and he said yes. And then he brought up again that I wasn't in the boots he recommended.

I was late, I actually had to go to a outdoor rink skating birthday party. I asked them to put the blades back to my skates and left the new boots for them to return to the factory.

I will write another post about the returning process... it was more then weird... and even if they agreed it was a manufacturing defect they hinted they won't give me the money back, but replace the boot. Well, that boot was not in stock, I would have had to wait for it to be manufactured. Secondly, sorry, I couldn't work with this fitter anymore, I just didn't trust him, and you'll see why next time. But I did get the money back, and as soon as I had the in my hand I called another boot fitter. It was closed for the next 2 days. He works just 3 days a week. I caught him today and I have appointment for not this coming Monday, but the Monday of the following week.

After I tried my old skates on the outdoor rink and they felt so strange, I couldn't make myself go skating. Hopefully I'll go next week... or I'll wait till I go to the fitter, maybe he has something in stock that fits me and I don't have to keep adjusting and re adjusting to new and old boots.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Happy New Year!

Firstly lets see how my skating went last month. The first half was mostly used to work on the Nutcracke exhibition program. It was a happy time. 

I also kept working on the Pre-Juve MITF to keep them ready for test. Then, as I found out my club's next test session was end of February, I've decided to use this time to change my boots. 

I was unlucky to get defective boots, the inside of the boot was uneven and was hurting the sole of my foot. I've spent the last week of December breaking them in and working with the skate shop to adjust them. There was progress but it needed more work, read here how it went. i=Ultimately, it wasn't doable, they were declared a manufacturing defect. 

So, wasted time... lot's of hurt and nerves later, I was issued a refund and the blades were put back on my old boots. I started writing a post with how each day of breaking in the new boots went, I will finish that post and elaborate on this more.

The first week of January I have not skated with the exception of once, on a outdoor rink that a friend rented for her birthday party. My old, sooo beloved boots, felt quite... awful. So I haven't had any drive to go skating. 

I would like to go to another boot fitter. The old one took way to long to discover the problem, I mean to accept the problem I discovered. The new fitter is closed these days, he will be open Saturday, and only then I can make an appointment for fitting, if he chooses to put me in the same boot, the factory doesn't have it in stock, it is gonna take up to  two months to be manufactured.

I plan to make myself go skating. I mean, I should be able to readjust to the old boots!