Back to skating

[jp1andOnly]

Hi all,

Well, I've finally saved enough money to get back on the ice. I've dropped about 50lbs and my health is pretty darn good. I'm working full time and going to school for my masters so it's busy. I figure this would be a good way to get my stress level down and to get back doing something I enjoy.

I managed to find a club close to my area that has Adult time at a time I can actually attend. Most programs are offered late in the evening, and as a teacher I'm up at 5:30 am so there is no way I could skate till 11pm. Yah for Saturday morning!

So what tips can you all offer me after 2 long years off the ice? I just found the program last night so I havent even registered or found a coach. I'll check it out today and get all the details settled. I think I'll mainly be working on dance and skills but if I'm feeling ambitious I might get some freeskate in there.

I'm gonna be sore tomorrow :)

Jennifer

[Lutzgirl]

wow! 2 years off the ice!
What level are u at???
Well sure have fun and after count ur bruises not your blessingz!:d:d

[Elsy2]

Wow...I think the biggest change will be that weight loss, good for you! I'm just wondering if everything will feel a bit different. I mean you have a whole new body, and I'll be curious to hear how that effects how you feel on the ice.

I just had a friend show up today after a year or so.....he was awesome on the ice! At first he said he wasn't going to jump. That lasted 20 minutes, as he went through his singles nicely. He's got great knees! He's no spring chicken either at 50 years old....

Now two years is even longer....so....

Just go out, start slow and do the basics....I think you'll surprise yourself and maybe accomplish more than you thought.

Let us know how it goes!

[GoldSeals]

sore...well..it depends if you excercise regularly.Yes you will feel those muscles you havent used in 2 years.However you probably still have the muscle memory.Its important for you to do lots of stroking and twizzles to get those muscles back.You will notice the spinning might take a little longer.Its takes longer for some people to get used to the spinning again.
Have a Great One:)
GoldSeals:)

[jp1andOnly]

we'll im back and I lasted the whole hour and a 1/2 on the ice. That in itself was a bonus for me. Because I lost weight, my skates are now a bit too big for me (I used to wear a size 9 shoe and now im down to a 7.5) but they are brand new (i wore them for 3 months before I stopped skating) so I wont be getting a new pair. I had no skate pains, except I have a little blister I feel forming.

I mostly just stroked around to try and regain my balance. I think thats going to be the hardest thing...reagining balance and security. I did a couple of backspins which totally sucked. But I didnt fall on them and I only got moderately dizzy. I did a couple of simple waltz jumps. I noticed right off the bat I didnt have to push as hard to go as fast as I used to. And I think my waltz jumps were pretty decent sized. I did try to do a flip and ended up over rotating it or just landing on two feet. I did some skills and then the last 1/2 hour we did dances. Starting right with the dutch waltz. I'm amazed at how many dances i do remember.

I did take one spill and I know I have bruises already. I smacked my elbow pretty hard and will have a bruise on my thigh. The muscles aren't too sore..YET.

[Lutzgirl]

wow!It sounds like you are doing good already!
Keep up the good work!

[Elsy2]

Well, that sore elbow will surely remind you that you are back!

I was just going to suggest that you might want to try a thicker insole in your boots to take up some of that extra room from the weight loss. For my daughter we bought Dr. Scholl's athletic insoles, and trimmed them to match her skate insole. They took up the extra room and provided a little arch support too. We really hacked away at them with scissors to get the proper fit.

Glad you had a good time!

[Lutzgirl]

Well at least you got a Souvenier from your first day back at skating!:D:D
It will always be with you!:D:D

[jp1andOnly]

Thanks for the suggestion Elsy2. I may just try that

[Lutzgirl]

ya i might try that as well elsy2

[icenut84]

Originally posted by Elsy2
I was just going to suggest that you might want to try a thicker insole in your boots to take up some of that extra room from the weight loss. For my daughter we bought Dr. Scholl's athletic insoles, and trimmed them to match her skate insole. They took up the extra room and provided a little arch support too. We really hacked away at them with scissors to get the proper fit.

I second that. I got that tip from Elsy (I think) ages ago, as I needed to take up a bit of space in just one of my skates. The best way to get the insole to the right shape and size is to take out the insole you've already got in your boot and use it as a template. Make sure the new insole is the right way round (top & bottom) for how it will be in the boot, and be very careful when cutting it so that it doesn't move around and you get the right shape. :)

[pennybeagle]

Jennifer-

Welcome back to skating! I was off ice for 4 years at one point because I was living out of the country and then in grad school. When I got back, it was definitely frustrating at first, but things did start to come back (it was not like I had to completely re-learn everything)

However, I would definitely seek out a coach as soon as possible. I unfortunately did not follow this advice--I thought I could "get things back to where they were" without a coach and worked on my own for about a half a year. Well, it turns out that I was doing more harm than good--I was picking up all kinds of bad habits that "felt sort of right" (double-leaning being the most offensive, but all kinds of little things--toe placement in jumps, spin entries, etc). Basically, I was relying too much on muscle memory that was a little too fuzzy to begin with. When I finally did get a coach, we went right back to square 1--something I should have done from the start rather than waste a half year time and money (for all the public and freestyle sessions).

Go back over the basic basics. The prelim. dances are a great place to start, as are the pre-preliminary moves. I had to spend a lot of time re-learning how to really stand up over my skates (no leaning front or back or to either side) and hold sustained edges (like around a hockey circle). Trying to hold a back inside edge around that circle took forever! But I am thankful now that I was made to work on it.

As for your skates-- Insoles will help, and perhaps an achilles/ heel pad. You mentioned that you did not skate on your skates for very long after you bought them 2 years ago. At that time, were they still tight, or were they already broken into? Are they too long, or just too wide? When you press your heel to the back of the skate, how much room do you have in your toes? Does your heel slide around or come up as you skate?

I only ask because if your skates are really really too big (too long AND too wide, without a secure heel) you may be fighting an uphill battle trying to force your new body to skate in your old skates. Your entire center or gravity and points of balance (crucial in spinning!) have probably shifted, and if you have a skate that is too big, you may find that it is very difficult to "feel" the ice as you are getting used to all these new changes as well.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. But the important thing is--you are back on the ice!! :)

[mikawendy]

Originally posted by Elsy2
I was just going to suggest that you might want to try a thicker insole in your boots to take up some of that extra room from the weight loss. For my daughter we bought Dr. Scholl's athletic insoles, and trimmed them to match her skate insole. They took up the extra room and provided a little arch support too. We really hacked away at them with scissors to get the proper fit.

The other thing you might want to try (if your heels feel like they're slipping because your boots are slightly too big) is wearing bunga pads or something similar around your ankles. If your boots are big enough that you feel your ankles shifting, it will be unnerving when you jump or spin, plus it can affect your jump takeoff and landing as well as your spin entry.

Welcome back to the ice!! :O)

[Elsy2]

Yes, we used bunga achilles tendon pads for awhile in daughter's SP-teri's. I got sick of all the padding and problems from a loose fit in the heels and eventually ordered custom Harlick's. But the bungas were a decent temporary fix.