Is there anything worse than preparing for a competition, preparing a piece that you are only going to use at that competition, working really hard at it, paying good money to enter the competition - and waking up on the morning of the competition too unwell even to get out of bed, never mind skate!

And it's the second time that has happened to me.

Of course, there are a great many worse things in life - I could be being seriously ill instead of a minor virus - but it's hard not to feel sorry for oneself when it happens. And guilty - my poor husband worked just as hard as I did, if not harder.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

How about doing all that preparation, getting to the competition then either injuring yourself or breaking a skate in the warm up?
That'd be pretty frustrating.

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

At least you didn't get stuck in traffic trying to get to the rink and missed the competition?

Sorry to hear that, but perhaps you can find somewhere else to show off the programme so that it doesn't get wasted.

I understand your frustration. I did at least skate my competition last week, but I had set myself up in my head to be pain free (or at least painkiller free) and the competition was to prove I was better. So I took painkillers before I got onto the ice! I actually had a reasonable skate, but was still really annoyed with myself about the pills.

Awwww....that's not good Annabel. I'm so sorry you're ill and you missed the competition. There will be others though and your health has to come first.

I'm in one of those awful situations if it makes you feel any better. My dear daughter who was competing in the show number at Basingstoke yesterday and is competing in free tomorrow, came off patch yesterday morning with broken boots. Yep she completely broke them down to the point where they are unuseable. She tried skating in them in the show number but had hardly any ankle support and a mad dash to Les on the way back resulted in her being fitted with new GAM 95s. (She was in GAM 50s and she has broken them down in 4 months due to all the axels etc she's doing). Les reckons she'll be fine skating in them tomorrow but I'm not so sure. I know she's determined - she skated last night, this morning, and will skate later and again tomorrow morning, and she says all but the sit spin is fine, but I'm a mum and I worry. What choice do I have? She can't risk breaking her ankle in her old ones and she's adamant she wants to compete. It's not a good situation but these things happen, and it could be far worse I guess.

Nicki

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www.myspace.com/insatiableskater

(((((Annabel))))) Hope you feel better soon. You do still have the progress you made while working on that program, small satisfaction though it be.

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Being in the middle of a test and having the heel of your boot seperate from the boot part. And the test is absolutely critical to be passed on that date.

Did you pass?

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Were they Graf's? My dd did the same thing - only it was in the middle of her short program at a summer competiton...kept falling off edges and jumps that she could do in her sleep. Poor child came off the ice in tears (something she never does unless really injured). Couldn't understand what happened --- until we looked at the heel on her skate! Apparently, this is not a rare occurrence for Graf boots -- so she is now in Riedell's and Jacksons!

Annabel - sorry to hear about the unfortunate timing of the illness. It does seem odd that you had the same thing happen twice, but that's Lady Luck.

Perhaps things will go extremely well in the future to even things out.

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Bill Schneider

What about: going to the competition, competing and suddenly something clicks in your head and you have kind of a panic attack before every jump of your program, so as a result you don't jump any jump at all (and talking about the jumps that you consider quite easy and think you can do them even in your sleep, such as single toe loop, Salchow etc). Whole program with no jumps at all... That's what I managed this week. (still don't know why and struggle to believe it!)

So sorry Mrs. R,
I haven't had to withdraw the day of due to illness or injury. But I've withdrawn at least twice due to injury several days in advance. One for a stress fracture and one for pulled ligaments in my back. It sucked.

Hope you feel better.

You're right. It sucks. Hope you're feeling better soon.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

{{{ MrsR }}} Hope you're feeling better soon.

DD actually was the poor victim; yup she did pass; they were GAMs (pre-Jackson acquisition GAMs). The softest knees on landings that she's ever had!

Hmm, sounds like my last comp. Only jump I landed was a toe-loop and not one spin worked, no footwork or spiral. Performed well artistically and everyone loved the program, just wasn't any actual elements in it

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

We've done that once, too, going to Oxford - luckily, not the whole competition, but certainly our first class and very nearly our second. We did skate badly!!!! And a man from our rink got totally lost trying to get to Bracknell this year, and missed his class.
Sadly, it will be - it was our free dance music that had been turned into an artistic pairs routine for the event. And then dumbed-down because of my new blades. So even if we decided to keep it as pairs (unlikely, I think we'll do free dance as "artistic couples" at the Mountain Cup, and I don't know anywhere else where it would be suitable), it wouldn't be just like that, as it will be un-dumbed-down (what would be the correct expression there?) as soon as I get my skills back.

Well, at least you had a reasonable skate, unlike poor Hanca!

Yes, it must be awful if one's blade or boot breaks during competition. There is a video on YouTube somewhere, has been referenced on here a time or two, showing just that thing happening to an elite skater in competition, and he skates sadly up to the judges on one foot, waving his blade in his hands.

Nicki, I hope your daughter will be fine. Gam95s really don't have a long break-in time, and even if she doesn't skate quite as well as she might have, I suspect determination will take her through most of it!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I don't think I've ever had a program which stays the same from one skate to the next!
There's a pairs event at the WISA competition in Cardiff in mid August, although as you say it would be an un-dumbed-down program because coaches are like that. They hate for anything to stay the same for longer than five minutes!

SO sorry. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for that to happen twice! I must admit, though, I think I'd still prefer that to Hanca's scenario (shudder).

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

this whole thing about skates and boots breaking is starting to scare me because i had to pay for my own skates and dont have the money to pay for new blades nevermind boots! Hmm GAMs, riedells and Jacksons seem a good make. havent heard anything bad about Edea which im currently in. i think the arch of my foot hurts a bit and ill get that checked out. risports are good right? my next skates wil probably be either the first 3 i listed maybe with a coronation ace when im in the top 3 levels. sadly failed my bronze and wont be skating for another while because of holiday. but i hope to pass bronze and finish silver and gold within 1-2 years and hope to be in comps (maybe sponsor) im quite ambitious!

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Yui's Food and Egypt Diary Blog

You're right. Sheer determination got her through and she had a decent skate. Only thing that let her down was not being able to go quite as low as normal on the sit spin, but she did herself proud. Even my GAMs killed my feet for the first few weeks of wearing them last year and I couldn't have considered competing in them for a month, let alone on the second day of having them!

Nicki

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www.myspace.com/insatiableskater

How long have you had the Edeas? If they are still pretty new, it could just be that they are still stiff, in which case they will probably stop making your arches cramp once they have broken in more. If they aren't that new, then the arch cramping might mean they are a little narrow for you in ball (front part) of the foot. If that's the problem, it will help to get them stretched out a bit in the front. There are many good boot brands. The trick is to go to an experienced fitter who carries many brands so that person can recommend the brand that will best fit your foot shape.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

That's a real disappointment Boots - I know how you feel.

In 2008 Nationals I was good the first day to compete Interpretive (where I didn't have a prayer and was skating against girls 20 years my junior!) but when I woke up the second morning I knew I was in BIG trouble! I don't know if it was a stomach flu or food poisoning but I was weak, shaky, and nauseous before my Free. It was so bad that during the warm-up I was looking for all the places where I could throw up over the boards if I had to! There was no way I could even attempt my jumps but I managed to get through the program without being sick and still came home with a Bronze (small field! LOL!) Just to top things off, I also broke a tooth on the second morning on a mint my coach gave me LOL! I was at least glad I could smile without being in a world of agony!

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Hi guys

The worst thing for me in the world is only to find out that during my freestyle lesson one day, I cannot do anything the coach asks me to do, with even the basics, let alone the jumps and spins. Of course, this has not happened to me. Thanks God!!!!

londonicechamp

What a bummer! This happened to my poor DD a couple of weeks ago - and it was her very first competition. Poor thing cried, she was so disappointed, but with a 40 degree temp there was no way she was taking a 3 hour drive to Newcastle to compete! There will be others.... as I said to her....

Well, the other time it happened was after I'd had a nasty accident while making soap (yes, I know, it was stupid and avoidable) a few days before Dunkerque; I had to go with my arm in a sling and a 3rd-degree burn wrapped up underneath it. Managed to skate very badly the first day of competition, but the second day my body let me know in no uncertain terms that this was Not On. Sigh..... Don't you hate it when bodies do that to you?

Oh, it happens to all of us from time to time - coaches understand this, and make allowances for it. You're always back to normal next session, although you never think you will be.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!