Yee ha BugMom! I'm also 38, had a severe case of Untreated Juvenile Onset Skating Syndrome (ie, wanted to skate as a kid, but never got to take lessons) and have now been skating/taking lessons for about a year and a half altogether (with several years' break in between). It's fun. . . last summer when I was just getting back into it I would be practically trembling with excitement as I drove to the rink. I thought, "what is wrong with me"? Go for it!!

Yay!! Here is something to motivate you to get back on the ice: since I re-started skating last year, I've lost 20 lbs!! And I'm still losing weight

Go for it! I was afraid of hurting myself at first, but that passed Somehow the need to hurl myself into the air surpassed the "Oh my God I'm going to fall and break my neck" instinct.

...join us...

My dd's summary of my skating today...
"You really stunk today"

Brat...go clean your room...!

Maybe I should post this on the "stink like a skunk" practice thread.
I guess my semi-success during my first day of skating was nothing but "re-beginner's luck", because second toe loop I tried, down I went. Not a big fall, nothing was hurt, but it made me scared to death to try another. So, on to spins. YUCK! My dd demonstrated what I looked like, and I think it was rather drunken chicken-like. My skates are actually a little big, so I am having trouble finding a sweet spot (at least thats the excuse I am giving for now!) I ended my skating practice by working on stroking and crossovers, which are not too bad. I flew around the rink going backwards, and just loved the feel of the speed and the wind whiping by. Wow!
But something else happened. I tried a spiral, and actually did a pretty nice one, then promptly felt my muscles protest, so I went skating over to the boards. There were a couple of adult skaters over there, and they told me that it looked really nice. So we stood there for a bit, me rubbing my backside, talking about skating, and how nuts we are, and suddenly I felt like I belonged to something. I have seen and talked to these people, but always as a skate mom. Now, I was out there with them, and without any further ado, I was absorbed into their little "community". I have been assimilated!
OK...I give up ...I have become <gasp!> An Adult Skater!

Welcome back! I came back at 37 after 20+ years off the ice. I was also at least 50 pounds overweight, and quite out of shape.

A bit of advice from someone who's been there -- ice and ibuprofin are your friends. I went through a wide range of aches and pains associated with coming back to the sport - most memorable was pain in my thighs (quads). That one lasted at least a month before it went away - I think it was when I was starting back on my axel. As others have said, stretch (which I don't do nearly as much as I should). Also, listen to your body. When it's had enough for a day, it will tell you. I didn't listen when it told me to back off the axels and doubles about a year after I came back, and I paid for it with a hip flexor injury, physical therapy, and a three month ban on jumping (it was a great opportunity to work on MIF's, though ).

I sent you a PM, too.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

Yay!! So when do you start lessons or group freestyle classes? You don't want to try to get everything back completely on your own, because while your body will remember some of it correctly, it won't remember everything and you are bound to get into some bad habits.

Oh yeah, and those spirals sure will develop those comatose butt muscles! See the thread, "Does this sport make my butt look fat" for more on that subject!

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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

Welcome!! Welcome!! to the wonderful world of skating!! It is my passion and obsession.(Within reason of course) I've even got my husband and kid into it - they don't skate but whenever I compete they wear t-shirts that match the color of my dress! My husband says it's his 'team uniform'!!

herniated, that is so cute! I'm gonna have to get my parents to do that

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That is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard, herniated. How luck you are to have such great support!

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The skating may not sparkle, but my dress sure does!

Just passed: Pre-Bronze MIF & Freeskate. Next goal: Bronze tests in July.

NOPE...it is NOT DUMB!!! I wanted to skate when I was much younger but the thought of harassment/bullying from other boys was too much to handle. Now at age 36 I wouldn't give this up for anything.....I LIVE for this sport! If & when you decide to start competing you'll find there is a lot less pressure than for the kids your daughter's age cause we're all cheering each other on. There are some days you will be sore from falls & sprains and some days where you will hurt in places you didn't even know you had muscles. For me it's still worth it when I skate out to do that program - even if my stomach is in knots!
Adult skating is growing by leaps & bounds here in Canada and it sounds like it is in the U.S. too. Find yourself a coach, get some good skates & start working....you will find yourself smitten with it!

Untreated Juvenile Onset Skating Syndrome - I so had that too!

I had to laugh at herniated's description of what her family does when she competes. My two kids stand on the side during the warmup and yell (and I do mean YELL, even the judges jump) "MUM!!! SMILE!!!"

Go buggiemom!

Hi All, And thanks for the great comments on our family uniform!! I am lucky they are two great guys. My last competition they didn't have time to go home to get thier 'uniforms' (pale blue t-shirts this time) and my skating stunk up the ice! We all decided to be stuperstitious about this By the way, when we are all in the same color it makes for very nice pictures!

Anyway, thanks again and I'm so happy for buggiemom!!

For everybody who cares: my mom signed up for group lessons too now!!! She's 1963-born.
She says she'll learn the axel. I told her to start with a toeloop and see how she likes falling on her butt. Although for somebody who bought a racing motorcycle (cuz it's faster and got more horsepower!) when she wrecked her old motorcycle while flying out of a curve and off a hill, I'm gonna guess she'll like falling on her butt just fine.

I'm sure she'll get one, although perhaps not this year. After all, my husband's going to get one, and he is at least 13 years older than your mother (who is ten years younger than I am - I bet she skates a lot better a lot quicker!).

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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!

Skating's different here, patch ice is really only available if you're with a trainer, and most clubs don't give private lessons - if they do, usually it's not to adults, I intend to take privates in Nijmegen but she lives on the opposite side of the country from that. And public skate sessions are always like 14.00 in the afternoon, very rarely in the evenings, and not for 6 months in summer. So that sort of slows down the progress a LOT. Especially the lack of private lessons.
Which is not to say I won't drag her butt out on the ice and yell stuff at her like "Kneebend!" "If you don't look up, I'll glue your pigtail to your back!" and "You're not getting off the ice before I see ten revolutions on it!" and "That toepick is there for a reason. You jump off it, or else I won't come over for THREE WEEKS!" and most of all "YOU CHECK THOSE SHOULDERS!"
I mean considering she used to do that sort of stuff back when I was dancing with me! ("Contra body movement! I SAID,!" and "KNEEBEND!" and "Off the HEEL not the toe!") Justice Nah it'll be fun.
She wanted spicey feelings? I'll make sure she gets em Mwuahahaha!