Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

My goals for last month were to finalize the boots adjustments, to work my muscles, and to watch my schedule to see how much time I can allocate to skating.

The biggest problem at hand is that I'm getting very tired after skating...and this is while skating for just half hour. I do remember going through this in the past, while building muscles and stamina. In the past, I really really wanted progress, and I pushed myself hard and... it wasn't pleasant. I remember I had to make changes in eating, hydrating more, wear warmer clothing, but mostly needing more rest,napping after an intense skating session.  Now, I have a very busy life schedule, I have no time for naps, I have no choice but to take it easy.

I managed to skate twice per week. Well, except, I didn't skate at all one week because I pulled (stretched) my back. Nothing serious, but I was afraid that the pain will make me unsteady on ice.

Then, I was hoping that it wouldn't be the case, but I had to renegotiate the flexibility of my schedule at work. I made it clear when I started working there, that I'll go out the lunch hour and I also asked for flexible hours. But, as I didn't have reliable skating boots, I didn't go skating much, and when I started to go regularly I was worried it was going to be noticed. So I tried to be away from work for no more than an hour, that giving me just half hour of skating. But my lunch hour skating was noticed, and I was told straight up that... "they won't pay me to skate". I don't actually think it was ill meant. This is a family owned business and the boundaries are not well defined. There was a similar situation with other employees and the resolution was to not have the lunch hour paid but to have a raise for the time worked. I actually like this, because it normalizes that I can leave for more than one hour.

I wasn't able to adjust the blades. I need more than half hour of skating to be able to take off the boots to move the blades. I did try some slight modification when I came off ice, and I haven't seem to got it yet. It may be that the screws need to be actually moved, because I'm not getting a solid outside edge. But it also can be that I need the boots to break in a little more so I can tight them stronger, I feel I have a little space and my foot may be actually moving and pulling me towards inside.

But for now, I actually enjoy skating even with the blades like this. Plus I'm building the muscles... I feel if I would have the blade properly aligned I would exert myself more. Better take it easy for now, and enjoy the glide. As I know myself, as soon as I'll have the blades aligned, I will not be able to not get into the frustrating "skating for progress" mode...

My goals for this month are to continue working on my muscles and stamina and hopefully have the blades aligned. For now, I won't worry about my busy life schedule and increasing the skating time, it seems that what I'm able to skate now is anyway all I'm able to physically handle... Depending how I feel, and the schedule, I may try some weeks to skate 3 times a week. And in order to try to adjust the blade I have to skate some longer sessions than half hour.