The 4th week of August

The rink belonging to the city  hockey team, that is 7 minutes away from me, opened this week. They do not have consistent public skate so I have to check each week on what they have. This week they had Monday through Thursday at 11.30. I was eager to check it out to see how crowded it is, if it is too crowded I can always go to my home rink that is 20 minutes away and offers at noon Monday, Wednesday, Fridays adult skaters only.

Monday there were around 10 skaters on ice but there was a mixed crowd, some beginner figure skaters, some good figure skaters, some kids, some beginner public skaters and some hockey skaters. I started cautiously, but I ended up doing all I wanted to do. I was able to put my music as there was no music from the rink, and on a waltz song I did the willow waltz. During the whole session I concentrated on soft knees, it seems that stiff knees make me tense my muscle, overworking them and then I have muscle pain. I stopped skating at 50 minutes.

Tuesday I woke up excited about skating and not much tired, I went skating again. I was thinking for a while that I need a goal and I decided to go through the adult gold moves at every skating sessions. I can do everything but the double 3s and brackets are very slow, it remains to be seen how quickly I can develop them. This skating session I've put my music again and as a waltz came, I did the Ten Fox, since I've done the Willow Waltz the previous day. I can do the TenFox with reasonable flow and control! And I'm thinking to make it a goal to test it this year, there are 4 months left after all. Without goals I just "skate around". 

Wednesday I was moderately tired and I had a crazy work load so I took a day off skating.

Thursday I started the day again with intense work (intense, so I can get done what needs to be done and go skating). I was able to go just at 12 instead of 11.30. As I got there, the ice was empty. Too bad I wasn't there on time, because it filled with few families with kids, some kids were using those frames to hold themselves steady, other kids were playing around. I skated half hour, went through the gold moves and the Ten Fox. It was better than nothing and I had to get back to work anyhow.

Friday it was again an unusual crazy work day. I felt tired mentally mostly because of that, but after skating, I've realized my muscles were tired too. I skated at the home rink, it was a further drive, it was quite crowded. 

So this week it was mostly the work that got in the way of skating. I cannot complain about the boots anymore, thank you skating gods! My muscles are still building but skating shorter sessions seems to be working better. 

The 3rd week of August

This week I was able to skate Monday, Wednesday and Friday at my old rink.

Monday, I was stiff after a long weekend travel that including the previous Friday. I skated just 45 minutes and did my basic exercises, I felt quite meh until I remembered that I haven't skated from the previous Wednesday, then I cut myself some slack and I felt better. The lovely thing is that these noon sessions are for adult figure skaters only, and the feel is relaxed and supportive.

Wednesday I stepped on ice trying to not have expectations. I felt pretty good, I started to feel my knee rise. These sessions are an hour and a half but I felt tired at 50 minutes and I've took a second to think on what I've done. I did lots of exercises, all the move from the adult gold test and the dance exercises. I was excited so normal I would have skated more, but I stopped to be sure I won't overwork my muscles. I did good! I felt tired in the afternoon, but not extremely tired the next day and Friday I was brand new.

Friday was a pretty lovely skating day, my knees was soft and I felt I had enough control to put some exercises and later some dances on music.

Mid month update

 I'm on a mission to build back my skating.

I'm doing mostly observing and planning, as the  rinks are still on the summer schedule, so not that much ice variable, plus last week I had a to work, so I couldn't skate consistently. And this, consistency, is what I need and try to plan.

I'm trying to plan:

- my life and work schedule so it will match the rinks schedule starting in mid August (skating will be at 11.30am  at the close rink an 12 Mo,W, Fr at my home rink, that means I should start getting ready at 11am, and expect to get back home to work at 1.30 to 2.30)

- some exercising. I'm prioritizing exercises for ankle strength, as I felt a little pain on ice, and leg exercises on my non skating days, to keep building the muscles. Of course some core an upper body work would totally not hurt, but I have to start somewhere...

- I'm watching skating videos an making lists on exercises I could o on ice. I want to have options for days when the rink is busy or I feel off. When I encountered days like that in the past an I haven't got a plan and exercise options, I felt I was inefficient, as I got frustrated and I've just pushed the old exercises, that weren't working in that context.

- I sharpened my blades

- The one disappointing thing I observed is that, as soon as I started to plan, I started to push, and I started to feel pressured. I've lost the fun a bit. I've also skated longer sessions an that gave me pain muscle. I have to learn this threshold of  when to stop skating (this is the plan), as without muscle pain I go back skating with more excitement an more control.