The wonders of muscle memory...

[Anita18]

Heh, so I hadn't skated in probably over 2 months, and the time up til then wasn't very productive either - probably once every couple of weeks, if that. BUT I decided to go skating today, and the skategods must've looked favorably upon me, because I did not miss the bus this morning! :D

Anyways, I was truly surprised at how much I could still do. Practically every move was at the level I had them the last time I did them - all my spins (forward scratch, sit spin, my sucky camel, backspin - woohoo, still have it!), all my jumps (my flip had even improved 8O ) and most of my footwork and edges. The only think I could NOT do was stop. Not that I had any stopping talent to begin with, but my stops were truly horrifying today, LOL...

I'm just happy and amazed that I haven't lost anything - the last time I skated after a long hiatus, I could barely do a crossover in the first half-hour, LOL...And I was also amazed that I didn't sprawl all over the ice after my first spin. I was worried that I had lost my immunity to dizziness since whenever I turned even once on the ground, I would get dizzy. But apparently my body has differentiated between on-ice and off-ice spinning... :P

Next session, I'll have to work more on my lutz. I tried several today, and sprawled on two of them. Meh...I also might as well get crackin' on the axel, but I have a hard time with any of the waltz jump exercises, like waltz-backspin and waltz-loop. Any pointers on how to get started on the axel?

[Aussie Willy]

Muscle memory is quite amazing. I am not sure of the exact details, but apparently there is something in the top of your spine that records the learning of physical skill. So you might not actually pick it up immediately, but you body does and takes some time to process the information.

I teach people to drive and always tell them they are learning a new physical skill and it does take time to learn. Funny how they sometimes do not have a lesson for a few months and don't drive, then do their lesson and find they get it back pretty quickly.

[slusher]

I have a similar story, I quit (as in threw the skiis into the trash) downhill skiing at the age of 19 (I was good at it but couldn't take the pressures), and then 10 years later got roped into a ski trip with friends. Even with rental equipment, and I was nervous, would I remember how?, no problem the first glide and having to bite the edge for a turn, it all came back without thinking. I was surprised. I also easily outskiied my friends who had taken up the sport in their 20's, which got me into trouble because I said I couldn't ski. I really believed I had not kept the ability after being off for 10 years. I've skiied once more since that time, I have no desire for it at all, not to get into a discussion of intensive training of children and burn out, but there are eerie parallels to skating.

Which makes me moan to the skating coach time and time again, oh why didn't I learn to skate as a kid?!!! Then it would be so much easier. In skating training now, I work to develop muscle memory, I'm not much of a thinker, it just has to have the right feel. When a move is right (according to coach "yes, that's it!!") I try to absorb the feel into my entire body. So, I think there is some transfer of training ability between sports. I'm hoping that everything I've learned in the past year will stick because I won't be back on ice until September when we get ice in the rink again.

[Mrs Redboots]

My favourite experience with muscle memory is that some years ago I did a (very poor) solo free dance in competition. I then didn't do that for a year or so, and then decided to bring it out and dust it off again a couple of years later. I hadn't the faintest idea, then, what steps I had done back in 1998, but it was quite extraordinary how my body knew!

That said, how come I can never remember which compulsory dance I'm doing?:?:

[plinko]

That said, how come I can never remember which compulsory dance I'm doing?:?:

Hah! I have the same problem. I say that it's the partner's job to remember the steps and to tell the lady before she steps on his foot. I'm thinking about too many other things to actually have to remember steps! :P

[eliao]

It's nice to hear how many of you have successfully returned to form after a long break from skating. I'm pregnant and due in late July, and I've been off the ice since late December. I miss skating so much, and I worry that I won't get all my "tricks" back. I originally planned to continue skating through my pregnancy, but my husband and family hounded me until I gave in, despite my doctor giving me the okay.

In the meantime, I still at least have my wonderful skating dreams from time to time. The other night, I dreamt that I snuck out of the house 7 months pregnant, laced on my skates and hit the ice and had a blast skating, my skills still intact! My husband laughed when I told him about this dream!

Emily

[Anita18]

Which makes me moan to the skating coach time and time again, oh why didn't I learn to skate as a kid?!!! Then it would be so much easier.

Hah, I think that all the time. It took me such a long time to find my feet in skating (well, edges and balance and all that) but once I got that down, jumps and spins came a lot easier. A lot of the times I wish I were a little kid learning how to spin instead of a 5'6" teenager...but at least I have a steep learning curve, LOL. And then I'm glad I learned as a teenager - I think more about what I'm doing instead of just doing it blindly, and I don't have a skating mom/dad/coach pushing me. Sometimes I just feel so sorry for the little kids...

About not knowing which compulsory dances you're doing, I have a similar thing in piano. When I've memorized something, and I'm playing it later (sometimes even having the sheet music in front of me to remind me of how it goes) I'll be in the middle of a piece and suddenly think, "Wait a minute, what key am I in? How many sharps and flats are there?!??!?" 8O