Due to: lack of close ice (and $$$$ gas) and rehabilitating (still) from from back surgery, I'm off-ice.

What have you been doing to stay in shape, for fun, and to stay sane? Why are you off-ice? Injury, lack of ice, lack of $$$$, transportation issues, etc.????

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Our rink is closed now. It's open from mid-September through the end of March.

This summer I do plan to travel several times to rinks in Columbus, OH and Charleston, WVa, but that's not enough to maintain skills. It merely slows down their degradation.

I do PIC skate at the roller rink once per week through July. However it closes for the month of August. (It's not air-conditioned, so even now I've been melting in the heat. The dog-days of August would be brutal.)

I guess that outdoor chores help keep me in shape, though it's nothing like regular ice skating. My weight is creeping upward now, but I'll lose that quickly once we have ice again in mid-September.

EDIT: Marilyn wants to sign up for a ballroom dancing class now that her book is done. Perhaps I'll get to add that to the exercise I get.

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Bill Schneider

LOL not much, just stretching me. Not a lot else I can do.

Here it's like.. Well 6 months seasons and plus my injury, persisting... So that's why I'm off ice.

We have ice from the third week in October to the third week in March. Sometimes we have ice in July and sometimes the rink manager decides he wants to have stick and puck instead of public skating (but he doesn't decide till people start showing up.). I travel 1 1/2 hours for a lesson and practice time once or twice a week just so I don't lose everything I gained during the season.

I'm taking belly dance, solo ballroom dance, and heavy-duty gardening (digging up the giant rocks that grow in my garden). Once the gardening is done I kayak and rollerblade. Last night we took my son and 11 friends to the roller rink--lots of good exercise there chasing the kids down!

How do you like the PIC skates? I keep looking at them but I'm nervous about spending the money where it's so hard to fit boots to my feet.

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You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

that sucks about the change of schedule!!!

I'm also taking belly dance....how do you like it? I'm finding that i can FINALLY move my legs AND my arms at the same time WITH ZILLS!!! (my coach will be so pleased).

For the pic skates, you can get just the frames (wheel part) and mount them to skates, so if you have an old pair OR you can order your normal size if you go customs, they will fit...

I also have a kayak but have been too busy with homework to take it out. Soon, though....I hear the water beckoning!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Hey! Other belly dancing ice skaters!

Just last week I did an intro to synchro skating class, and a lot of the holds and formations reminded me of things that we did when I danced in a tribal belly dance troupe--only a lot faster!


~~taijiya

Now incorporating the two would make for a really cool synchro routine!

I worked out today by mowing my mom's lawn.....rider mower, push mower, weed whacker.....round-up..... 1 1/2 acres......yeah.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I really enjoy it, but my left hip rarely wants to cooperate! Seems to have a mind of its own.

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You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

I am off for the month of June, well until the start of summer school 30 June, then a couple of weeks in August until fall sessions start. Things were deteriorating after mid-January so it was time to take a break and June ice was really "catch as catch can".

I had good intentions of keeping things going in June but then I lost my fur baby (my Hound) on 30 May and that threw a monkey-wrench into everything. I ended up busting my britches for 2 weeks excavating, landscaping, and doing fence repair, etc., in advance of a new girl's arrival last Thursday. Since then I have been up to my armpits in house-training a new puppy and any "unusual movements" are interpreted as PLAY TIME.

Maybe before June 30 I will be able to do a little off-ice ... maybe .....

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

I'll be off the ice for July, maybe longer, due to injury. I'm having a fasciotomy on June 27th. I'll be off for anywhere from 3 weeks to 2.5 months, depending on healing.

I don't know what I'll do to stay in shape, as I don't know what I'll be ABLE to do. I should be on crutches very long, as all they're doing is slicing open the fascia. It's just a matter of the incision healing.

Hopefully I'll be able to walk/run or at least ride the bike and stretch. I doubt I'll do any lifting, as my legs are strong/muscular enough as it is. I don't want to become muscle bound...

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Youtube Videos

The last local ice I had was March 18. I have sort of skated since then as I take my skates along when I have to travel on business to the place that is close to the mall rink but it's nothing more than stroking and edges, it's not a jumping friendly rink. I might get some ice in July but it's close to $50 an hour when I add in all the costs. A few friends and I take a private rental. I did it a couple of years ago because I was nervous of losing everything over the summer but I'm not worried about that now.

I hope your recovery time is short, ibreakhearts!

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So sorry to hear about the loss of your "fur kid". And good luck with the new baby!

I'll be on and off the ice this summer. My mom just had surgery last week so I couldn't skate and later in the summer she will probably have open heart!! So, I definitely will take off that week and then some. We are going away for about two weeks this summer also. So.. I'll probably be off for around 4 weeks off and on.

We have ice availability issues here too.

We went through the exact same thing last summer with our poor old girl and then our new puppy (now officially a dog but still a pup at heart!).

If you have a spinner use it somewhere the pup can't interpret it as playing. I think my spins would only have improved if I was doing a routine where a dog was running under my feet as I was spinning!!

Best of luck to you.

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You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

I'm off until September at least - depending upon what my orthopedist says on Thursday about surgery to fix my poor aching feet.

Although I'll miss seeing my friends regularly at the rink, I'm really looking forward to the break. I have so many things to do that are not ice-related that I know I'll be busy and it's nice to remind myself that ice skating is only one of the things I enjoy, not The Only Thing.

BTW I was busy moving so I didn't exactly do a lot of stretching or anything else off ice and my core strength is like gone! Sheesh I was feeling my core after some off-ice (biellmann) spirals yesterday.

Just read this thread - I'm off the ice temporarily due to flooding. I'm getting in workouts at the YMCA instead, including - BELLY DANCING! I was astonished to discover so many others doing that! We were going to try zills last night, but I was babysitting my granddaughter and couldn't go. I can't wait for next week's class! I'd love to put it into a synchro program, but I suspect the two men on our team would have something to say about that!

I bought a pair a while back but i havent felt comfortable trying them becuase my leg still isnt strong enough and it feels awkward to me and i am afraid of falling on the concrete. A suggestion for you about the skates not fitting your feet you can just buy the wheels and the part that mounts to the boot and mount it to an old pair of boots that you have or your current ones when you get new ones that is what i am going to do i only ordered the wheels and the plate and am using my old skate boots for the boots.

I like my PIC skates and use them regularly. I still prefer ice skates though, but sometimes I don't have a choice. They're a reasonable substitute.

I've had them for about 7 years. (I realized last night that my second pair of boots are completely shot. Time for yet another pair of boot$ for the PIC frames.)

There are a bunch of threads on this board about using them, but to summarize, I consider the feel very close to figure skates, with some exceptions. For one, spinning in them is very difficult. Of course this comes from someone who hasn't truly mastered on-ice spins.

Forget hockey stops or show stops. Wheels don't go skid sideways like skate blades used with proper technique. They grab FULLY, and over you go.

Figure skating moves (threes, brackets, etc.) are more difficult (see "grab FULLY" above) but can be done. I'm doing most of the threes, and my strongest bracket (RFI) on PIC skates.

There are competing brands also, and I believe "Snow White" is one. Try a search for older threads about roller skating, inlines, or PIC skates to find this information.

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Now fully in the spirit of someone who's been without local ice since the end of March, I went PIC skating last night at the local, non-air-conditioned roller rink for two hours, ran home very sweaty, showered, and then went to the ballroom dancing class for another hour. More sweat.

Hmm, maybe I'll start another thread about perspiration...

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Bill Schneider

As for PIC's, check out my Snow Whites movies at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpJ5fitJCgs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-8g4NLWmk

I'm off-ice because I have to drive 1hr and 30mins to get to the nearest open rink. It's too much money to drive and for the ice time there (because it's at Mariposa). Also I'm off-ice because I suffered from a concussion 3months ago and the symtoms are still bothering me and I 3weeks ago I broke my wrist. Also my family and me are looking for a house and are trying to get our house ready to be put up for sale, so I don't have much time.

For keeping in shape I have been playing on a house league soccer team, a select soccer team, and a rep soccer team. Also I've been swimming alot and biking everyday for 30mins.

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2014 and 2018 Olympics here I come!

Skating, skating all day long, skating, skating all night long! May seem tiring to some people but not me, it's my life!!

Goals: Triple Loop, Novice Competitive, Sr.Silver Dances, Gold Artistic, and top 3 at Sectionals