After 36 years . . . .

[Rusty Blades]

. . . it’s gone, ALL gone :cry:

As I was driving from the skate shop to the outdoor ice at my local community centre with my brand new skates (Jackson Competition boots with MK Pro blades) I was thinking, “When did I buy my last pair of skates?” It must have been around 1964 - oh my! “When did I last skate seriously?” Well, lets see, it wasn’t after college (1972) and I didn’t skate while I was at college, so it would have been the winter before I went to college - 1968/69 - OH MY!

As I pulled up to the ice at the community centre, the wind had dropped and the sun came out for the first time in many days - “Good omen!” I thought.

I laced up the skates at ice-side, slipped off the guards, and stepped on to the ice. “OH MY! What happened to my KNEES??!!” I was so wobbly in the knees I could barely stand up! The 7 foot rocker felt like it was 7"! I managed to wobble down the ice a few feet, catching my picks with every step, and then wobble backwards to where I started. “I have got to sit down!”, so I sat for a minute. Then I wobbled down the ice the other way about 20 feet and wobbled back, and sat down again. I repeated my wobbly out-and-back a dozen times in half an hour and that was enough for the first time out in 36 years!

I am very much disappointed how little is left and how much I have to relearn. In my mind I can still do so much. I expected to feel “at home” again on blades, not like a shaky beginner. I expected to at least be able to skate around the ice, forwards and backwards, and maybe do a simple two-footed spin. LAWRDY! I could hardly stand up!

As soon as my skates dry, I’ll wear them around the house until they feel as natural as my slippers - maybe that will help with the wobbly knees!

Finding out that I am starting from almost zero again is very disappointing - StarSkate will have to wait! - but my exuberant enthusiasm has turned to dogged resolve - GRRRR. I could do it once, damnit I’ll do it again! I have ice tomorrow after work, and again on Friday, and public skating on Saturday (if I am up to facing people by then). I have ice every weekday and every Saturday until it melts (as long as it is fit to skate outside). When the outside ice is gone, I’ll look into the “summer skate” program. I’m coming back damnit, even if my body doesn’t know it yet!

Maybe I should change my username from “Rusty Blades” to “Shaky Knees” LOL!

At least I am not falling down (yet)!

[EastonSkater]

I think that after not skating ... or even snow skiing for a long time, there's always some time needed for getting adjusted and fine tuned again. But because we've done it all before and were good at it before, then picking it up again is really just a matter of time - since we already have the knowledge of what to do basically.

The other thing is, if skaters have been skating on one pair of skates for a long time and then suddenly change to a brand new pair of skates, the subtle or even not-so-subtle differences between the old and new skates can prevent the skater from doing what they want to....until they get adjusted to the new skate.

[montanarose]

Welcome, Rusty. As Bill Clinton was fond of saying, "Ah feeyul yore pain."

I took up skating in 1999, at age 52, after a twenty-year absence. I had stopped skating after graduate school and went back to it after I stopped working full-time. Like you, I was dismayed to find out how much I had lost. Things that had once come so easily -- back crossovers (in both directions!), single jumps up to the lutz, a decent one-foot spin, forward and backward 3-turns -- were gone, gone, gone :oops:

Now it's going-on-seven years later and I'm still plugging away. Nothing came back as quickly as I had hoped, or even at all, in some cases (especially the jumps . . . something to do with fear of falling and breaking a hip at my advanced age, I'm sure). I've had to fight for every little morsel of progress. But the bottom line is: I'm still doing it! As long as I focus on what I'm doing now, and might do tomorrow, rather than mourning for what I did years ago, I totally enjoy being in the moment. It's a great sport as long as you take it as it comes: give up your pre-conceptions and just HAVE FUN!

Ellen, who just watched "Skating With Celebrities" and was mortified to see that Bruce Jenner's waltz jump is better than my own :frus:

[dbny]

Welcome back, Rusty! I was never an ice skater, but was a gold roller dancer who quit at 18. After many years, two kids, no exercise, and a lot of extra weight, I started ice at the age of 53. My first experience was much like yours. I got halfway around and had to sit down. I was shocked, but had been so confident that I had paid in advance for club ice. That, plus lessons, kept me going. After a year, I started to lose weight. I found that certain things came rather easily to me, while others have been almost impossible. The things that came easily were all things that translated from roller. From my own experience, I think that once you get your strength back, your skills will start to return also. It's going to be slow, but it will happen.

[Mercedeslove]

Don't hate me people.

What does 7 foot rocker mean. :-/ *hides in fear*

[sunshinepointe]

Ellen, who just watched "Skating With Celebrities" and was mortified to see that Bruce Jenner's waltz jump is better than my own :frus:

Um ya...I'm 24 and his waltz jump is better than mine - AND he did two of them in a row :roll:

[Kevin Callahan]

Didn't get to catch it myself. Was it worth it? (I bet I can find a torrent somewhere).

[Rusty Blades]

Mercedeslove: Why would we hate you? "Rocker" is the amount of curve on the balde, front to back. 7 foot rocker means the curve is the same as the arc of a seven foot circle. The smaller the rocker, the more pronounced the curve.

Montanarose: "I focus on what I'm doing now, and might do tomorrow, rather than mourning for what I did years ago"

Wise, very wise. I have accepted that the old skills have faded away and I am starting again. I will accept whatever rate of progress I find. If past experience helps, great; if it doesn't, it doesn't matter - I can learn it again. Knowing that I COULD do it once is, at least, reassuring!

[russiet]

Mercedeslove: Why would we hate you? "Rocker" is the amount of curve on the balde, front to back. 7 foot rocker means the curve is the same as the arc of a seven foot circle. The smaller the rocker, the more pronounced the curve.

Montanarose: "I focus on what I'm doing now, and might do tomorrow, rather than mourning for what I did years ago"

Wise, very wise. I have accepted that the old skills have faded away and I am starting again. I will accept whatever rate of progress I find. If past experience helps, great; if it doesn't, it doesn't matter - I can learn it again. Knowing that I COULD do it once is, at least, reassuring!

You'll do great! It's the time on the ice that will condition you and bring it all back.

Consider me. We're in the same age bracket (I'm 51 in March), and the first time I put on figure skates AT ALL was only 13 months ago. I'm having a great time!

With your background you will be a whiz in just a few months.

[emma]

Good for you Rusty Blades.You skating skills will come back. I found that getting your skills back just takes a little time. I have come back from 30 years off the ice and have been skating for a year and a half. My first try at a waltz jump ended in catching my toe pick and belly flopping onto the ice . Gosh that hurts but i kept trying and now am getting my doubles back and testing my adult gold moves this week. Hang in there it will be worth it! What will help is lots of practice and a coach who works with adults. Not all coaches are good at teaching adults there is the fear thing that goes on in the brains of adults that i do not think the kids have. Oh to be 20 again!!!!!

[SkatingOnClouds]

Hey Rusty Blades, I don't you if you've read my threads about returning to the ice after 20 years.

It felt awful, and I had no balance, for ages. In my case it wasn't helped by some poor quality, ill-fitting skates. I was devastated that I couldn't do anything anymore.

First I had to get my balance again, be confident doing crossovers again, hold running edges, be able to make turns again. It is like going back to the beginning, except that you don't need to spend so long on each step. You whizz through the basics until you get to the challenging stuff - at least that has been my experience so far.

Well last weekend I started doing some basic jumps again. I don't kid myself that they were good jumps, but it's a start. I still cannot spin, that's going to be a challenge for me.

Muscle memory is a great thing though. If you regain your basic skills, put yourself into something exactly as you would've before, then get your mind out of the way and let the body take over, it really does remember what to do.

Anyway, that is my experience thus far. I know it's going to get harder, but I also know it is worth putting up with the re-beginner stage. ;)

[Rusty Blades]

First I had to get my balance again, be confident doing crossovers again, hold running edges, be able to make turns again.

Yes, I have realized that balance is the first thing I need to work on - just getting comfortable standing and moving around on blades. I also found a few mussles I hadn't used in a long time so I'm working on some strengthening exercises for them as well as some balance exercises.

I got some tight spots in my boots bumped out yesterday and they feel good now - no more pinch on my right foot - so that will help a great deal in getting comfortable again. I even decided to take a day's vacation so I can spend some time on the ice (without putting on a show for the kiddies!)

I have the sense that once I get my "ice legs" back (being comfortable and stable on blades) the rest of the basics will come easily. I can still "feel" all the moves in my mind so it's just a matter of getting the legs to cooperate :roll: and that's just a matter of time and familiarity. So today's "lesson" is just to stand around and "drift", just to spend lots of time on the ice without worrying about "doing" much, giving the legs and balance time to return.

I also contacted a coach in the nearby city and explained my "situation" and that I want to continue skating through next summer. He is looking for "an adult coach" and suitable program for me :D

Thanks all!

[VegasGirl]

Hi Rusty,

you have the spirit and the drive, that makes all the difference in the world!
Yes, it had to have been disappointing to realize that you have "lost" all you once knew but look at it this way, atleast you're still willing to go out and do it. How many people your age (or even mine) can say that?

It's funny though, we just had this discussion at the rink... we being a group of adult skaters (Coffee Club) between the ages of 30 and 80 (or so)... a few just started skating as adults and the rest that started as kids, some very successfully and at one point professionell.
Any way, I belong to the group that started skating as an adult. To be precise about 2 years ago at the age of 38 and I'm thrilled to death that I've come as far as I have! I never thought I would ever pass FS2 (ISI standard) but here I am working on FS3!!!
So I was wondering how it feels the other way around, having been at a much higher level years or even decades ago and then having to find out you can't do it any more. I asked a couple of the ladies there that used to skate professionally in the late 60s early 70s, but didn't really get an answer... your post on the other hand gives me an inside... thank you!

Keep your spirits up and eventhough you might not be able to regain all your former skills enjoy the ones you will be able to do... but even more, just enjoy this wonderful sport no matter at what level!!!

[Rusty Blades]

Well VegasGirl, it's the sh!#s when in your mind you can still hit the ice skate a short program perfectly while in reality you just HIT THE ICE! :-)

This is today's entry from my journal:

Friday, 2006/01/20
Session #2, Previous Ice Time: 0:30, Session Time: 0:45

I realized during my first session on Wednesday that my boots did not fit well. Although they did not feel too bad in the store, the right boot in particular was too tight across the toes. I thought I would have to go to custom boots to get enough width for my foot until the nice folks online told me about “bumping out” boots! Well that is something new since the 1960's so I went back to the skate shop after work on Thursday and had the lady bump out the tight spot. It worked so well I had her bump out a couple of other spots to until my off-the-shelf boots fit just about as well as my custom boots has so long ago!

When I came past the ice on my way home from work yesterday (Thursday), some teenage boys were gathering for a pick-up hockey game. I paused for a few minutes but decided I did not feel like providing the entertainment so I went on home. I put on my skates and laced them up as I sat watching television - just to see how they felt after awhile and to let my feet and the new boots get to know each other ;-)

I decided to take a day off work today and spend a bit of time on the ice while the kids are in school. I had planned on doing two half hour sessions with a break in between. I was not planning on anything more than some more wobbly out-and-backs with a lot of sitting in between, mainly just to spend as much time on blades as I could manage to try to get some of my balance back and to get over my wobbly knees.

I laced up at ice-side and looked at the 1/2" of new snow. The scraper was there so I decided clearing a little snow would give me “a third leg” and the chance to work a little on skates so I cleared two scraper widths across the ice. It was exhausting! So I sat for a minute.

Then I stood for a few minutes, then a few shaky pivots, forwards and back, one foot in then the other, and I sat. I did a few short strokes and the lead-in to a one-footed forward spin to the left (no spin mind you! I am not at that point yet) and it felt pretty good. Another to the right. Another short rest. (The rests are getting shorter.)

For the first time, I was beginning to experience short period when I felt comfortable and relaxed again on skates and as soon as I started to relax, things started to “work” again and I wasn’t constantly one BIG white knuckle all the time!

Up again, this time the lead-in to a one-footed backward spin, first one way, then the other, then a few more. I am beginning to feel comfortable with this! Exhausted. Time to sit again and rest the legs and feet. A smile is starting to turn up the corners of my mouth. I remember these feelings, the feeling of going into a spin.

After my rest, I got up and started across the ice. Gee, I am actually getting in a few strokes here without catching a toe pick and getting a few seconds of one-footed gliding! OOPS! Stumble. Hum, good reflexes - managed to get my feet under me without going down - we wont talk about the divots in the ice ;-) Left foot is stronger and more stable for the glide, work on the right foot for a bit. Sit down. Rest legs.

Back up and do some more lead-ins - they feel good - some more forward sculling, backward sculling - this is getting easier and more smooth - it’s all I had the first day, two feet firmly(?) planted on the ice - now things are improving!

I was starting to get chilly (it was below -20 and cloudy) so I decided to go to the local restaurant for a bite to eat and a warm coffee. The clock in the car said I had been out a bit over 45 minutes instead of the intended half hour. Ok, I like!

I went for brunch and came back to the ice 45 minutes later. I looked at the ice and my legs said, “If you quit now, we’ll let you skate in Winnipeg tomorrow with the adults. If you skate more today, you are NOT skating tomorrow!” so I came home to dry my skates and rest up for my first “public appearance”

One thing I noticed when I got home is that skating has changed my posture! Isn’t that strange. I find myself walking much more erect and back on my heels more. Who’d’a thunk!

The greatest gift today was those few moments when the nervousness and trepidation went away and my body began to remember how to move and my mussels cooperated. It IS there, all the elements of being at home on the ice and moving with confidence and fluidity! It is there waiting to be brought out again

[SkatingOnClouds]

Yay, way to go !!!

Forget the depressing bits, focus on the sheer joy of the good bits.

[Rusty Blades]

Saturday, 2006/01/21
Session #3, Previous Ice Time: 1:15, Session Time: 1:15

I drove in to the West Kildonan Arena in Winnipeg today to join the Seven Oaks Figure Skating Club adults in their Saturday morning skate. What wonderful bunch of people! Met people from youngsters to some more my senior, some who had started skating in the last few years, and some who had been away from the sport of awhile (though none as long as me!)

I started off a bit wobbly again, but not as bad as before. Did a few pivots and sculling to warm up. Started working a bit more on my forward strokes when the wobbly knees went away. Maybe 15 minutes into the session, my hips started to limber up and relax and my stroking got a whole lot better. Proportionally I have legs like a bullfrog and I was starting to feel the power there. As my hips loosed up, I wasn’t feeling the toe picks anymore as I started pushing the stoking harder and harder. Hum, getting pretty fast! Pump through the corner - really picking up some speed - stroking is working good. A couple of time around the rink and the power was coming back but it was time to rest the legs - sit for a couple of minutes. Back up, a few more pivots, and back to stroking - right foot is better than left - work on stroking with the left foot - push it harder - getting better. Going into the corner I am wondering if I should do some cross-overs on the corner - no, not quite ready for that yet - out of the corner and down the straight away - caught a toe pick - feet gone out from under me at full tilt - don’t stick the hand down - tuck and roll - nice landing on thigh and buttock - sliding to a stop - stick one thumb up for the coach - NICE FALL! No damage, not even sore. Back on my feet, brush off the snow and back at the stroking. Turn it around and go the other way (right turns) push for more speed - LOVE the sound of the skates! - I have been here before - that’s what it is SUPPOSED to sound like!

After 1:15 on the ice with an hour remaining, my legs were telling me I had enough for one day - I had, after all, doubled my ice time since coming back. I bid farewell to the Seven Oaks FSC adults and promised to come back next Saturday. I left feeling VERY good about my progress today. At this rate of progress I think I MIGHT be looking for a coach and a program in a couple more weeks! Next time out it will be backward stroking and maybe cross-overs :-)