Need advice on how I should continue...

[Kat12]

Sorry, this is going to be long, and full of financial discussion and me seriously not knowing where I should go next. It's kind of an agonizing decision for me, so I'm struggling with it a lot and with knowing what would be best for me both financially and as a skater. It's hard to ask non-skaters (like family and friends) for advice because they don't quite understand everything I'm dealing with like ice fees, instruction and progression, etc.

So as we know, I'm on a hiatus from classes for right now because frankly, I can't afford to buy ice. I would have to buy a punch card, which means, of course, paying for the whole thing up front. i thought of contracting, as contract ice is cheaper per hour and I think I could pay monthly, which would be more attainable, but I don't want to be limited to that particular day in case a class or lesson gets moved to a different day.

When I started out with skating classes, I took the adult class at Detroit Skating Club. I liked that class pretty well...I believe I was paying $56/month for that class. Not bad. I wasn't a DSC member, just an LTS member of USFS.

Then one of my rink buddies, whose coach moved from DSC to another club, said her coach was interested in getting together an adult class at her new club, so I switched over and joined the club. At the time, it wasn't that much more expensive than DSC because it was a bridge class. When the bridge class ended, that is where I got into trouble because it came at a time when I was (am) financially unstable due to a lot of other non-usual bills coming in (doctor bills, my car insurance over-charging me, etc.). So now, between ice (punch card price) and the coach's fee, I'd be paying about $84/month, plus another $10 for our every-other-week off-ice class.

I need to decide what I'm going to do when I can afford to go back to skating. The logical thing is to go back to the DSC class. I really like my current classmates, though. That is largely what is keeping me from switching back. I suppose that's a dumb reason not to switch, though. But I really enjoy having the chance to hang out with other people my age (I haven't really had friends since college because I haven't had much of a chance to meet people). But on the other hand, it's not like we're really friends outside the rink, so what does it matter, right? But it's the closest I've come to having friends in years and it feels good.

Also, since I now belong to another club, I'm not sure what the politics of going back to the DSC class would be. I don't know how these things work. Would I need to actively drop my current membership, or just let it lapse and not renew next year? And as I assume that LTS members aren't allowed to skate DSC freestyle sessions, it does mean that I would not get a chance to skate freestyle sessions anymore if I needed/wanted to, and would be relegated to only public sessions (see below paragraph for why this sucks). But that wouldn't really be different from my current setup, as I don't skate freestyle sessions except for my class (class is half an hour, then we're free for half an hour, same as it would be at DSC).

My third option is to drop all classes in favor of private lessons. However, I could probably only afford one lesson a month ($51/month for ice + coach's fee). And I think that would be largely pointless, right? Especially if I couldn't afford to skate freestyle sessions once a week for the other weeks in the month (and I probably couldn't. i could say that I would try to skate at least a couple and bring my price close up to what I'd be paying each month for the class, but quite frankly I'm not sure if I could afford to go back to paying that price even when money gets better--my mom just found out she has to switch to another expensive Medicare plan and it might turn out I have to help her out each month). And public sessions around here are so crowded that they're not good for much more than spins, a few small moves like some edgework or 3-turns, maybe some stroking exercises like crossrolls, and being able to say you logged ice time. Don't see a point in pissing off a coach by not showing much improvement between lessons, right? I admit, however, that I feel I would get much better instruction with a private lesson because the coach wouldn't be trying to juggle me along with several other people and would really be able to fix my problems and spend time on them. Right now sometimes I feel like I don't really have time if I want to ask questions, or be shown something specific, or really have a jump or spin or move critiqued. Even at DSC there were fewer people in my class and I felt like I got more one-on-one time. One of my former classmates quit class in favor of lessons for that same reason (though she can afford to do two lessons a month).

Okay, and let's throw my fourth option on the table: quitting altogether. It's not my preferred option, but it has to be considered. I certainly would not be the first or last person to have to quit skating because it's too expensive. I really like skating, don't get me wrong. My life would not end without it--I'm not a diehard, hard-core, I've-always-wanted-to-be-a-skater type--but I like it a lot and would hate to give it up. Plus my skates are still practically new (and were expensive!) and I've spent months of time and money on learning. But let's be honest: I'm not very good and am not likely to be. I may test in future (though see paragraph above; I don't know how I'd prepare for a test without the individualized attention of a private lesson), but I will probably not ever be good enough to compete. I probably will never be in club ice shows, even if I get good enough (too expensive). So pretty much I am skating because I like to do it. End of story. Not that that isn't the story for a LOT of people, so I don't feel that bad about it. I'm not really interested in becoming a RECREATIONAL recreational skater. That is, I don't want to only skate at public sessions and play around; going around and around in circles all the time just doesn't do it for me. If I'm going to skate, I want to take a class and learn and improve and such.

So those are my options. I've considered talking to the club and seeing if i could possibly trade administrative or some other service for some ice time, but I have doubts about whether that's possible. I understand several things about the scenario: if they let me do it, other people would want to do it (though obviously it would all be kept hush-hush and no one else would know); I might not be the first person who has asked for such a thing with the way the economy is; and I haven't been a club member for more than a few months so why would they let me? Has anybody ever tried anything like this? Part of me says it's worth a try to at least ask--I'm not trying to get something for nothing; I'd trade honest work, and surely clubs have paperwork and other administrative stuff that needs to be done, or maybe they're falling short of volunteers in some other area--but frankly I'm afraid if I ask and they say no, I'll be thought badly of forevermore...

So what would you do, if given the choice? I'm thinking it's most logical to go back to DSC, yes? Some of it will depend on what my mom's situation turns out to be and whether she needs my help paying for her Medicare--so second question is, if she does not need my help and I can manage $84/month, should I stick with the class, or go for a private lesson once a month and pony up to practice on a freestyle once a week for the other three weeks?

[Debbie S]

You didn't say but it sounds like the group class at your current club/rink has ended, so you would have to skate FS sessions and have private lessons if you wanted to continue there?

If you really want to make progress, then private lessons with practice on FS sessions is the best way to go. But 1 lesson and 3 practices a month isn't likely to take you far. That's just the reality. When I started private lessons, I had one lesson a week (which I still do) but at times could only practice 1 or 2 FS sessions that week, due to finances and schedule constraints. I didn't make a huge amount of progress and was a bit frustrated, but also had to be realistic.

If you really can't afford private lessons now, there's no reason to bankrupt yourself. If you want to take the adult class at DSC, then do it. I'm sure there wouldn't be any issues b/c you joined the other club. For one, DSC probably wouldn't know, if club membership is not required for the class. If you need to join DSC, then fine, plenty of people are members of multiple clubs - the only issue is if you compete or test, you need to designate a "home club", but you are a long way away from that.

Is it possible for you to take the class and have one private lesson a month to supplement the group instruction? A lot of people do that hybrid sort of setup when they start out - it keeps costs down but still allows you to get some individual attention on a few elements here and there.

Regarding working your skating costs off in trade....different clubs and rinks have different policies, so you can certainly look into it, but from what I've seen in my area, clubs are financially strapped as it is and can't afford to give out discounted ice or pay people to do admin work - that's why they expect their members to volunteer. At one rink where I skate, people who work at the rink (ice guards, front desk, snack bar, pro shop, etc) get a small discount on their ice time (I think 10%, maybe 15%?). But rinks tend to be a bit more flush with cash than clubs. If the club owns the rink, they are likely even more strapped for cash.

One other thing that occurs to me....the Detroit area has plenty of rinks - surely there must be a rink somewhat close to you that offers cheaper classes and/or ice time than either of these rinks/clubs. Why don't you investigate other options?

[icedancer2]

I can't really address the question of where to take the class - it sounds kind of like 6 of one, half a dozen of the other...

But wondering if there are any other rinks where you might consider practicing - I know there are a LOT of rinks in the Detroit area and some of them may have empty publics that would be a better place to practice than the publics at DSC. I know when I was in a similar position when I lived in Boston (no money) I found cheap places to skate and then would take my one lesson every other week or so just to keep it all going.

It is always hard to show up at a new rink. You never know what it might be like- but you might be surprised to find some like-minded skaters who can tell you where to find good, cheap empty ice to practice on.

[Kat12]

You didn't say but it sounds like the group class at your current club/rink has ended, so you would have to skate FS sessions and have private lessons if you wanted to continue there?

No, sorry, i wasn't clear--we'd be starting up a new session of my current class. It would just cost more than it had previously because we'd be paying for ice separately and such.

And I don't skate publics at DSC. That's too far for me to go just for a public session. I skate publics at my "home" rink that is within walking distance of where I live. As far as I've seen the couple times I've been there, publics at the rink where my club is are just as busy. I think public sessions are pretty crazy everywhere around here, unfortunately. :( I'm always surprised by how many people want to go out and ice skate! I never thought it was that big of a thing that many people did until I started skating...

[kayskate]

Usually the crowd on publics dies down as winter ends. It is at a peak right now. So publics will probably get better. Stick w the groups b/c it will keep you on the ice. I don't think changing clubs/rinks is a big deal having done it myself. Skate where you want to skate based on what is available and affordable for you.

If you have to cut back on ice time, do something else to stay in shape that does not cost much such as aerobics (get a video) and/or walking or jogging. Personally, I have had to take time off b/c of expenses and other obligations, so you are not alone. Many adult skaters go through this. It does not mean you have to quit. However, don't stress yourself financially or your skating won't be fun. Do what you can afford and enjoy it.

Kay

[Debbie S]

OK, well if DSC is so far from you, why go there at all? Is there something about the class, the ice quality, or the cost that you can't get anywhere else? It sounds like you're really limiting yourself here. Look into the costs of FS sessions at rinks that are convenient to you. Even if you take a class at a different rink b/c of the instruction or the people, you don't need to practice at that rink, particularly if there is a cheaper option elsewhere. Get creative - we all do it. And skating on different rinks is actually a good idea if you ever plan to compete - it gets you used to skating in diff places.

And isn't DSC really expensive - like several hundred dollars a year -to join? Clubs in my area are $100 or less. The reason why a club like DSC is so expensive is that they offer plentiful ice time (with sessions split by level and discipline) and off-ice classes to budding elite skaters. As an adult skater just starting out, you don't need all of that. Why pay for things you don't need? And I suspect other clubs, that are less elite-focused, would be more adult-friendly (as it sounds like you are finding with your current club).

[dance2sk8]

OK, well if DSC is so far from you, why go there at all? Is there something about the class, the ice quality, or the cost that you can't get anywhere else? It sounds like you're really limiting yourself here. Look into the costs of FS sessions at rinks that are convenient to you. Even if you take a class at a different rink b/c of the instruction or the people, you don't need to practice at that rink, particularly if there is a cheaper option elsewhere. Get creative - we all do it. And skating on different rinks is actually a good idea if you ever plan to compete - it gets you used to skating in diff places.

And isn't DSC really expensive - like several hundred dollars a year -to join? Clubs in my area are $100 or less. The reason why a club like DSC is so expensive is that they offer plentiful ice time (with sessions split by level and discipline) and off-ice classes to budding elite skaters. As an adult skater just starting out, you don't need all of that. Why pay for things you don't need? And I suspect other clubs, that are less elite-focused, would be more adult-friendly (as it sounds like you are finding with your current club).

DSC is not expensive when it comes to doing the LTS. The cost is great and the coaching staff is amazing. I consider myself super spoiled being apart of DSC. Probably the best instruction I've ever had.

Joining the club at DSC as a "Limited Member" - Kat would be considered an adult, annual dues are only $100 a year. That's nothing compared to what the senior level/competitive skaters pay.

Details Below:
LIMITED MEMBERSHIP
This membership is available to those skaters who are on the synchronized skating teams; skating morning ice only or adult skaters who do not fall into other membership categories. They may only skate General and Dance sessions prior to and including the 1:30 pm session during the week and all day Saturday or other specified sessions on ice schedule. This membership will not be able to vote or hold office.


Annual Dues: $100.00 per skater
U.S. Figure Skating Fee: $ 40.00 first member of family. $15.00 each additional family member.


More info: http://www.dscclub.com/membership.php

[Kat12]

OK, well if DSC is so far from you, why go there at all?

DSC is ten miles from me. My local "home" rink (not the one where I belong to the club) is less than a mile. We're not talking freestyle sessions here--we're talking public sessions with everything from good skaters to the village idiot. Why would I go so far for that?? It makes sense for a class, but not to trip over little kid when I can do that at home for less money.

In addition, freestyle sessions generally cost the same anywhere--usually somewhere between $10 and $15 per hour. And unless they're "open" freestyle sessions, require club membership. If I'm going to do freestyle sessions, I might as well stick with ones at the rink where I'm already a member.

And isn't DSC really expensive - like several hundred dollars a year -to join? Clubs in my area are $100 or less. The reason why a club like DSC is so expensive is that they offer plentiful ice time (with sessions split by level and discipline) and off-ice classes to budding elite skaters. As an adult skater just starting out, you don't need all of that. Why pay for things you don't need? And I suspect other clubs, that are less elite-focused, would be more adult-friendly (as it sounds like you are finding with your current club).
Again, see my post. You do not have to become a full member of DSC to take their adult classes...nor, for that matter, do you have to be an LTS level skater, as many of the people I know who skate or have skated in classes there, are much higher level than LTS. When I skated there before I put in my $12 or whatever for an LTS membership to USFS, paid for my classes, and that was it. Easy as pie. And as Kristin mentioned, if it really came down to it I could do a limited membership if that worked out with my schedule. So no big deal.

If you have to cut back on ice time, do something else to stay in shape that does not cost much such as aerobics (get a video) and/or walking or jogging.
Yup, I belong to a gym and already go there as well, so no problems with staying in shape. Actually, I need to get better about going...I need to get back into lifting and such.

[fsk8r]

Out of curiosity how many rinks do you have within a reasonable commuting distance, and have you investigated the different public sessions available at these other rinks?
I'm not in the US and we don't have the luxury of hundreds of local rinks (actually 2 within a 10 mile radius would be doing good), but I know at my local rink that different days and times have different crowds on public ice. People have routines for going down the rink. I don't tend to skate public anymore, as we're not allowed to practice any freestyle on the ice, but there is one session I do attend because it has a dance interval in the public session and that session is quieter as the recreational hockey types don't come down. It might be that with a little investigation you can find another rink with quiet public sessions where you feel you can practice more and save a few pennies.
I hope you are able to find a compromise on the lesson situation as I think in your situation I would stay where my friends are. I took up skating after college as a way to meet people. My skating friends now aren't all the same now as they were then (my skating progressed and the original ones were happy staying recreational) but I'm very grateful for them and it would be very hard to give them up, and some of the friendships have progressed beyond the ice rink (it's just so nice to discuss skating with them as well as real life). If you do feel that it's cheaper to switch rinks for lessons, perhaps organise with them to skate a public together once a week for practice and then you can keep up with the two sets of people you are meeting?

[Debbie S]

Joining the club at DSC as a "Limited Member" - Kat would be considered an adult, annual dues are only $100 a year. That's nothing compared to what the senior level/competitive skaters pay.

Again, see my post. You do not have to become a full member of DSC to take their adult classes...nor, for that matter, do you have to be an LTS level skater, as many of the people I know who skate or have skated in classes there, are much higher level than LTS. When I skated there before I put in my $12 or whatever for an LTS membership to USFS, paid for my classes, and that was it. Easy as pie. And as Kristin mentioned, if it really came down to it I could do a limited membership if that worked out with my schedule. So no big deal.Oh, I see. That's nice that they offer a cheaper membership to skaters that aren't training for the Olys one day, but the restrictions strike me as rather adult-unfriendly. Saturday ice is fine, but adults who work full-time can hardly skate on weekday mornings, unless it's very early, and not all of us are morning people, lol (and I imagine the morning sessions are overrun with high-level kids skating before school). But if it works for your schedule, go for it.

It sounds like things work a bit differently in your area. In my area, most FS sessions do not require club membership - they are run by the rinks and you just pay per session. My club does have club ice at our home rink 2 evenings a week, but non-members can buy session packages too ($1 more per session than members) and many do.

[Skate@Delaware]

Oh, I see. That's nice that they offer a cheaper membership to skaters that aren't training for the Olys one day, but the restrictions strike me as rather adult-unfriendly. Saturday ice is fine, but adults who work full-time can hardly skate on weekday mornings, unless it's very early, and not all of us are morning people, lol (and I imagine the morning sessions are overrun with high-level kids skating before school). But if it works for your schedule, go for it.

It sounds like things work a bit differently in your area. In my area, most FS sessions do not require club membership - they are run by the rinks and you just pay per session. My club does have club ice at our home rink 2 evenings a week, but non-members can buy session packages too ($1 more per session than members) and many do.
Maybe you should bring it up at the next club meeting that the adult sessions are not as conducive to adults that work. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease-they may not have even noticed the inconvenient time.

My rink doesn't require club membership for any of the freestyle sessions-there is only one club session per month but people can drop in. For a while they restricted jumps/spins on public sessions but that ended quickly as it wasn't posted and so hard to enforce! I drive 8 miles to my home rink; I drive 50 miles 1-2 times per week to my other rink for lessons, only because there are no large "chunks" of freestyle on the weekends available for lessons for coaches. I paid $100 for a "social" membership (aka adult) which gives me testing privileges (that I'll probably not use as they only test dances) and the once per month club ice time.

Sounds like your DSC is right in line with a lot of other rinks in my area, they have differnt times/packages depending on low/med/high and whether you are adult social/dance/freestyle or LTS.

[Debbie S]

Maybe you should bring it up at the next club meeting that the adult sessions are not as conducive to adults that work. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease-they may not have even noticed the inconvenient time.

(snip)

Sounds like your DSC is right in line with a lot of other rinks in my area, they have differnt times/packages depending on low/med/high and whether you are adult social/dance/freestyle or LTS.Uh, I was just responding to the OP. It's not "my" DSC; I'm in MD. :??

[Kat12]

My home rink does have public freestyle sessions, but they're all during the day. :( Otherwise that would be convenient as they're pretty cheap! They do have the requirement that you have passed Basic 8, though. I doubt they ask, though, and if they do, I have no qualms about lying--it's not like I'm a 5-year-old tottering across the ice.

A lot of the rinks around here have similar public session times. And as I can only skate weekend sessions, those are the ones that are going to be packed.

A couple of my rink buddies do skate public sessions at my home rink often...that's actually how I met one of them and started in to classes and such because she recommended DSC. So I would still get to see them sometimes. I guess I'd be more inclined to "stay where my friends are" if we were friends outside of skating too rather than just "friends" as in "people who skate together and get along;" it's just that I get so bored and lonely sometimes that any interaction does me good, lol. But I like the other folks I've met at DSC as well.

[fsk8r]

My home rink does have public freestyle sessions, but they're all during the day. :( Otherwise that would be convenient as they're pretty cheap! They do have the requirement that you have passed Basic 8, though. I doubt they ask, though, and if they do, I have no qualms about lying--it's not like I'm a 5-year-old tottering across the ice.

A lot of the rinks around here have similar public session times. And as I can only skate weekend sessions, those are the ones that are going to be packed.

A couple of my rink buddies do skate public sessions at my home rink often...that's actually how I met one of them and started in to classes and such because she recommended DSC. So I would still get to see them sometimes. I guess I'd be more inclined to "stay where my friends are" if we were friends outside of skating too rather than just "friends" as in "people who skate together and get along;" it's just that I get so bored and lonely sometimes that any interaction does me good, lol. But I like the other folks I've met at DSC as well.

I find the first couple of times on packed freestlyes a bit freaky, but once I've worked out the unwritten rules of who does what and where (and every rink seems to be different), I find I can get enough space to practice.

The easiest solution is to stay where you know people, but having been forced to change rinks, I've discovered that after the first couple of times of not knowing anyone, if you find a session with other skaters at a similar level (and age) then you inevitably start making new friends. Unfortunately those first couple of sessions are a little on the lonely side. Perhaps you can ask some of your rink buddies to come with you on the investigation trips? Knowing what other rinks are like is always useful for those inevitable days when your local rink is closed.

[dance2sk8]

Oh, I see. That's nice that they offer a cheaper membership to skaters that aren't training for the Olys one day, but the restrictions strike me as rather adult-unfriendly. Saturday ice is fine, but adults who work full-time can hardly skate on weekday mornings, unless it's very early, and not all of us are morning people, lol (and I imagine the morning sessions are overrun with high-level kids skating before school). But if it works for your schedule, go for it.

Actually, they offer SEVERAL sessions in the afternoon/evening up until 8pm. So, there's plenty of ice time. I attend the 5:20 and 6:05 sessions. Also, adult classes are offered during the week. Monday nights are best, at 5:45pm on rink B for adult sessions, Kat. Its pretty clear on the ice. There's a small kids dance class going on, but I can run my entire program without much interruption.

I have had nothing but a totally positive experience as an adult skater at DSC. They are very friendly and helpful.

Don't make assumptions about a club without doing the research. All the information is available online at www.dscclub.com.

[PinkLaces]

Can you contact the LTS director and help with the Tot classes or would that interfer with your group lesson? My DD volunteers to help with those classes and gets $6/hr ice credit. I even helped the first day and got $6 that I added to her credit - just cause it was easier.

[Debbie S]

Don't make assumptions about a club without doing the research. I didn't make "assumptions"; I referred to the info you posted about the the ice times.

[dance2sk8]

I didn't make "assumptions"; I referred to the info you posted about the the ice times.

Oh, I did forget to mention in my post, the early am sessions (6:am - 8:am) aren't crowded at all. Since Wyandote is coming up, I know I'll be at the rink early in the mornings starting two weeks before the competition so I can do complete run throughs of my program.

I guess the "assumptions" part came into play because of how you stated some things. Making assumptions that DSC is not friendly towards adults. Also, the comment made that DSC is overpriced. Some may see it that way, but how many skaters have come out of there as elites? Even the adults have had some amazing champions come out of there. Alexandra Bryant Dunn and (can't recall their names) adult gold dancers who won this past year. Paul Harvath and his wife. I guess I can state it as I have in the past. Call me spoiled. :lol: I am hoping to have my name on the wall over there one day as the Adult Ladies Gold Champ - Freestyle.

[Isk8NYC]

Let's try to keep the snippiness to PM's, please, since it really isn't helping the original poster. - Moderator



I have a suggestion for the OP: do you have any skating friends in the area that are in the same boat as you? If so, you might be able to share a semi-private lesson with a friend (or two) if you're at/near the same skating level. That would lower the cost a bit.

[Skate@Delaware]

Uh, I was just responding to the OP. It's not "my" DSC; I'm in MD. :??
sorry! i got confused with who posted what....and with OUR weather, is it any wonder????
My home rink does have public freestyle sessions, but they're all during the day. :( Otherwise that would be convenient as they're pretty cheap! They do have the requirement that you have passed Basic 8, though. I doubt they ask, though, and if they do, I have no qualms about lying--it's not like I'm a 5-year-old tottering across the ice.

A lot of the rinks around here have similar public session times. And as I can only skate weekend sessions, those are the ones that are going to be packed.

A couple of my rink buddies do skate public sessions at my home rink often...that's actually how I met one of them and started in to classes and such because she recommended DSC. So I would still get to see them sometimes. I guess I'd be more inclined to "stay where my friends are" if we were friends outside of skating too rather than just "friends" as in "people who skate together and get along;" it's just that I get so bored and lonely sometimes that any interaction does me good, lol. But I like the other folks I've met at DSC as well.
No need to lie-be honest and if you have met the requirements, go for it!

[Debbie S]

sorry! i got confused with who posted what....and with OUR weather, is it any wonder????No worries, I just wanted to clarify. :) Stay warm!

[Skate@Delaware]

No worries, I just wanted to clarify. :) Stay warm!
It's ok-hey it's 10 degrees WARMER today....HEAT WAVE!!!!!

[Kat12]

No need to lie-be honest and if you have met the requirements, go for it!
Oh, but there would be a need to lie. I haven't passed Basic 8. I understand they don't want just any idiot out there, however, as I've skated freestyle sessions before, it's not like I don't know how to keep out of peoples' way.

At any rate, the point is moot since as I said, the latest session ends at 4:45. Doesn't work when you work until 5:00, in a town almost an hour away.

Can you contact the LTS director and help with the Tot classes or would that interfer with your group lesson?
I'm really not into kids, and hate teaching, so that's not my thing anyway...at any rate, I think LTS classes are offered through the club, not my rink. And they're not going to let a chick who can barely skate herself, teach other people.

I find the first couple of times on packed freestlyes a bit freaky, but once I've worked out the unwritten rules of who does what and where (and every rink seems to be different), I find I can get enough space to practice.
I'm still talking about PUBLIC Tom-Dick-and-Harry sessions, NOT freestyle.

[fsk8r]

I'm still talking about PUBLIC Tom-Dick-and-Harry sessions, NOT freestyle.

There's still unwritten rules about different public sessions. If you go to the same ones, you learn that you can hide in this or that corner and work on whatever. OK, there's always a Joe Blogs who doesn't normally skate that session who gets in the way, but the regulars generally respect the unwritten rules.

Are there no rinks closer to the office that you could get to? Or is there a way you could perhaps finish work early one day and make up the hours another day? I flex my working hours to fit in around my skating.

[Kat12]

There are a couple, but I hate cheating my lunch hour even if I make it up later. I could just talk to my boss and explain that I'll be doing this once a week, but that won't do much for me if other people notice, don't understand, and get pissy about it and start talking and I gain the reputation of one of those people who never does their work or something. At any rate, one rink (the one I used to go to) no longer seems to be offering public sessions; I haven't been in a while as they changed their time by half an hour for this year, so the session ends at 4:30, which means I got back to the office just in time to pack up and leave (which also would look bad for me). The other rink is even further away (and the first one takes about 11-15 minutes to get there and back). I'd have to drive almost 12 miles each way to get there (and this on top of driving 30 miles each way to get to work, so you can see why I balk at putting the extra miles on my car, plus that means almost 20 minutes each way to get there according to Google Maps, so i'd be taking almost a 2-hour lunchtime once you figure in time to put on and take off skates, and skate for an hour.) Their freestyles end at 5:20, so it's possible I could skip my lunch and just leave work early, and head home straight from there. I see their prices are nice, though, both on freestyles and public skating (a punch card for 10 freestyle sessions is $70, and their noon public skating is $2) so I might just have to bite the bullet, give my boss the heads-up, and do it. Have never been there, though, so I'd have to try it out some time to make sure it's a nice place. I just hate driving that far. My poor car.

[kayskate]

Just to add perspective to the driving part of this discussion, I have regularly driven 30 miles for ice time. I used to drive close to an hr. 10-15 min sounds like a treat to me. Of course, it's all relative to what you are used to and the time you have. However, I don't think it's unusual to have to drive long distances to a rink, especially if your hrs are limited and you don't have your first choice. When I worked full time it was very hard to find ice. That often meant skating once/wk. One yr, I even froze my patio to practice spins. That was huge project and I haven't done it since, though it is cold enough this yr to make it a possibility.

Kay

[fsk8r]

There are a couple, but I hate cheating my lunch hour even if I make it up later. I could just talk to my boss and explain that I'll be doing this once a week, but that won't do much for me if other people notice, don't understand, and get pissy about it and start talking and I gain the reputation of one of those people who never does their work or something. At any rate, one rink (the one I used to go to) no longer seems to be offering public sessions; I haven't been in a while as they changed their time by half an hour for this year, so the session ends at 4:30, which means I got back to the office just in time to pack up and leave (which also would look bad for me). The other rink is even further away (and the first one takes about 11-15 minutes to get there and back). I'd have to drive almost 12 miles each way to get there (and this on top of driving 30 miles each way to get to work, so you can see why I balk at putting the extra miles on my car, plus that means almost 20 minutes each way to get there according to Google Maps, so i'd be taking almost a 2-hour lunchtime once you figure in time to put on and take off skates, and skate for an hour.) Their freestyles end at 5:20, so it's possible I could skip my lunch and just leave work early, and head home straight from there. I see their prices are nice, though, both on freestyles and public skating (a punch card for 10 freestyle sessions is $70, and their noon public skating is $2) so I might just have to bite the bullet, give my boss the heads-up, and do it. Have never been there, though, so I'd have to try it out some time to make sure it's a nice place. I just hate driving that far. My poor car.

I'd explain to the boss if you did want to do it, and then not worry about colleagues. I bet they all do odd hours if you pay enough attention. I find people admire others who do these sorts of things and squeeze them into their day. Most people I work with know I skate and they know that on x day I'm late and on y day I leave early, and know I make the hours up during the rest of the week. Other people work odd hours for other reasons from kids needing to be picked up, to other activities. Bosses actually like it because you're having to pay attention to your timetable to be able to do everything you're more dedicated to your job when you're there.

[Kat12]

Yeah, my boss is cool and won't care, especially when I explain to him I'll be making up the extra time with other lunch hours. I'm thinking about people like, say, the assistant in the other section (to give you an idea, this woman accosted me yesterday morning before I even got my coat off to tell me that the empty, washed-out soup can from my lunch the day before that I'd forgotten to bring home for the recycling that evening was going to attract bugs. Despite the fact that it was clean. I mean, she was downright pissed off. People like that).

As far as driving...I know people have driven further, however: I need to balance a desire to skate with practicality. I already worry about the miles I put on my car--I do not want it wearing out before I have it paid off! I also need to worry about my expenses with gas and such. And it's not like I'm a great skater that spending a ton of time and money on this hobby is justified, anyway.

[fsk8r]

Yeah, my boss is cool and won't care, especially when I explain to him I'll be making up the extra time with other lunch hours. I'm thinking about people like, say, the assistant in the other section (to give you an idea, this woman accosted me yesterday morning before I even got my coat off to tell me that the empty, washed-out soup can from my lunch the day before that I'd forgotten to bring home for the recycling that evening was going to attract bugs. Despite the fact that it was clean. I mean, she was downright pissed off. People like that).

As far as driving...I know people have driven further, however: I need to balance a desire to skate with practicality. I already worry about the miles I put on my car--I do not want it wearing out before I have it paid off! I also need to worry about my expenses with gas and such. And it's not like I'm a great skater that spending a ton of time and money on this hobby is justified, anyway.

Sounds like you work with some really petty people. But I'm the sort of person who tries to ignore those sort of comments and get on with things. If I don't work for them, I don't care.

As for the driving, I understand your concerns about adding miles and fuel costs. It's all to be considered (although if you're doing 60miles each day, adding another 12 onto the week ain't going to really affect the car too much). But great skaters aren't born over night. I wouldn't call myself a great skater but I try. My skating hours have increased as my skills increased, and my skating level wasn't much different from yours when my boss first became aware that I skated. Changing my schedule to fit a different session in is always a big upheaval especially when it involves messing around with the working day. The first time I had to skate before work, I said I'd trial it and see how it goes. I ain't overly impressed with the being tired at work thing, but I'm coping and I seem to skate OK at a time when the rest of the world is still in bed, so I've let it continue. However, after the first time it became easier to do, and now it's routine.
If you think there's an option for a practice session or a lesson which isn't too much of an upheaval but required a little planning at work to do, I'd try it. Even tell the boss that you're just trialling it to see if it works for you.