Hi all, as a very few of you will have known, I started under three months ago. Now I am having to work part-time, and in university as well as playing two other sports, I have little time and money to skate as much I wanted (three times a week and lessons).

Monmey is a problem, skating current costs me at least $40 a week, thats half my wages from a low pay job.

I just wanted to know how everybody fits skating into their lives?

I'm going to go tomorrow, I miss skating, I love it more than anything right now.

--

I'm also faced with the classic situation of not progressing as fast as I'd like. WHat I mean is that my personality is never satisfied, I'm always wanting to progress faster and faster and that takes some of the fun out of it. Anyone else relate?

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starting at 28

Well, like most people I work full time (leaving the house at 7.45am, getting home around 6.30pm) and I skate Tuesday, Wednesay, Thursday evenings from 8pm until around 10pm. If, for some reason, I can't make one of those nights, I'll skate Saturday morning instead. Sundays? I sleep

I guess fitting it in all depends on your own schedule and the timings at your rink- takes a bit of juggling but hopefully you'll find some sessions that work for you.

Clare

If that's taking the fun out of it, then slow the heck down!

Seriously--skate for fun. If it's not fun, then figure out what will make it fun. If the answer is 'super-fast progression will make it fun', then you're in the wrong sport. Really. It is the rare, RARE person that truly progresses at lightning speed, and actually gets stuff right while zooming along.

It's the nature of the beast--skating is one step forward, two steps back. It's because the skills expand as you learn them. It's not enough to learn to stroke--you then have to learn to stroke with grace and deeply bent knees. And pointed toes. And, and, and. You may learn a waltz jump. But then you have to learn to make it higher, and longer, and, and, and. You can never really learn something, then check it off your list. It will always be there, waiting to be improved upon.

For some of us, that's actually what we like about the sport. But it drives some people nuts, and you may be one of those people.


As for fitting it in--when I was in college and skating, I worked my schedule around the rink. I used the $1 public sessions for nearly all my practice, and saved my money for a weekly group lesson. If it's a high enough priority, you find a way.

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I understand. I changed careers and am in my last year of school (for the last degree, I swear). I justify the expense in a couple of ways:
1. You are not going to live forever, have fun.
2. This is my stress reliever. I am not a smoker but I call it my cigarette money. You just need to figure out what you are spending money on that is unneccessary.

As for time, you do the best you can. If all you can manage to fit in your schedule is one session a week, that is what you do. If you have finals coming up and you can't skate for a week, then don't skate.

Skating is supposed to be fun. Once it becomes stressful, you need to reassess WHY you are doing it. If need be, take some time off.

Good luck with your studies!

To create more time, you could always cut out the other sports. To create more money, hmm. . . that's a tougher one. . . I just charge everything on my credit card and get deeper into debt. . . But I use the same justification Scarlett does: I figure I'm not going to live forever, so I might as well do what makes me feel alive, and that's skating.

Can you get a job at the rink maybe as a public skate guard? Then you could skate and get paid too!

Hi ouijaouija

I toally agree with flippet. Don't beat yourself up about lack of progress (I do this alot too, just ask mintypoppet!) - it's the nature of the sport, even those lucky enough to be blessed with natural talent experience the one-step-forward-two-steps-back thing.

I also think techskater's suggestion is a good one - have you tried it?

For adult recreational figures skaters, time and money is often a problem.
Touch wood we are very lucky in that ice time at our rink is relatively inexpensive. However, forking out for two lessons a week and the cost of car parking and gas to get there in the first place takes most of my disposable income - which on a publishing salary is small enough anyway lol!

I work full time by manage to skate most weekdays - directly before or afterwork is a good time - perhaps you could try the same, I would imagine you could work your skating sessions say in between lectures.

Lastly: do you think you're taking on too much? Perhaps you could drop one of the other sports, or do it less.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

I guess everyone will hate me for saying this, but I'm extremely lucky. I don't work as I'm a full-time mum and my husband has a well-paid job so we can afford for me to skate and I'm fortunate enough to get on the 9.30 am patch which rarely has more than four people on it. Before I became a mum, when I was working full-time, I had to fit skating in around work which wasn't easy, but we had evening sessions and I also skated early before work.

I appreciate it's not easy fitting skating in around work and university and of course it's not easy finding the money either but I'm sure you will find a way. Even if temporarily you don't skate as often as you'd like, you could still get there once a week for a lesson and keep things going, so that when things are easier in the future you will have a good foundation to work on.

Good luck.

Nicki

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You're right, I hate you

Okay, not really, but I sure am envious.

Ouijaouija, I work full time and have a 9 year old who fortunately also skates, else I don't know how I'd do it. However 2 skating means 2 lots of skates, lessons, outfits, ice time. I am fitting it in as best I can. I can't afford to skate as much as I do, sometimes I have to remind myself that bills have to be paid first.

It occurs to me that perhaps you need to take a long look at your priorities and decide what is most important to you. Sure your studies are important, and the part time job buys ice time if not much else. Are your other sports as important to you?

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

with my skating i had 2 give up somthings such as my guitar lessons and as for price wise well it just costs a hell (soz for bad language) of a lot

THIS IS SO TRUE!!! I'm going through this right now. I got frustrated because like you, I sTarted off, and progressed quite quickly, now I'm getting cross with myself as it gets harder and sometimes I feel like I'm getting nowhere.
I'm a full time mum with a part time job which just about pays for me to skate 5 hours a week, with a bout 15 minutes private tuition. I'd love more but just think, some people pay for heaps more lessons and Ice time and may not skate as well as you? I try to enjoy the time I get, and relax, otherwise you'll go mad!!

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Hi ouijaouija,

I was wondering, are your other sports done with the university and if so are they not heavily subsidised by the uni?

I am now in my 4th and final year of uni and studying and fitting everything else in can be hard somtimes, I am very lucky in that I do not have to work in term time so have more oppertunities to take part in other activities. But I am a firm beliver that if you want to do somthing enough you will find a way.

I skate 3-4 times a week on early morning ice before lectures and the two afternoons a week when I have no lectures, I also train with the university swimming team 3-4 nights a week, scottish country dance two nights a week and compete for them, take ballet and pilates lessons once a week. I still get all my studying done and have sacrificed going out at night on a regular basis with freinds in order that I can do all this and sleep, so I guess its up to you to decide what your priorities are.

As far as money is concerned I agree with Scarlett, skating is my stess reliever and I tend to think of it as the money most students waste on alcohol every week I spend on somthing more productive. The other sports I take part in are very heavily are wholey paid by university funding, for example swimming costs me £20 for a year.

So I suppose skating is responsible for the sad state of my bank account

I will be very sad when I graduate, get a real job and have to give all this up because I know that then the time I have to dedicate to my skating will be drastically reduced.

If I didn't spend all the $$$$ on skating like I do, my house would have beautiful furniture, I could wear designer clothes, and I'd be all set for retirement....but I'd probably be a wreck and not have any fun!!!!

I skate, my daughter, husband, and son all skate....my house is full of 2nd hand furniture, I shop at thrift stores and walmart (and (I make skating dresses to supplement my income).

I skate on the cheap daytime session once a week, and have bought club ice because it did work out to be cheaper and more convenient for me. I can work out where I work (for free) so that saves $$$. I do what I can.

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

I know I am really lucky. Of course I do sacrafice other things - I don't drink, smoke or spend heaps on the latest fashion items, and we don't have the best of the best in the house, the most expensive car etc. However my husband has his sport and he therefore understands my need for mine and is very supportive. My daughter skates too so we have the double whammy of skating costs, but it's something she enjoys and is progressing in so we do what we can to let her do it. At some point, when my kids need me less, I may find myself back in the workplace juggling skating and work, but I'm sure making the most of not having to right now, and I feel for anyone who does have to.

Nicki

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It is unfortunately true that as an adult, unless you are extremely lucky, it is difficult to fit skating (or any activity for that matter) into everyday life. I know exactly where you are coming from.

I work business hours, which basically means almost no useful skating time is available. I'm lucky enough to get some flex-time, so I'm able to skate on a quiet public session one morning a week (I start work early the other four days to build up enough time). I have two lessons in that session (dance and 'normal') and have the other half of the session to practice. But those two hours are basically all I'm able to do. The patch level is set too high (IMHO) at my rink so I can't skate on those sessions (there is no equivalent to low-end freestyle sessions). The public sessions outside 9-5 are always too busy to allow any practice. As a result, my progress is extraordinarily slow, because I have almost no time to practice what I learn in lessons.

My husband's work is more flexible, so he can skate during working hours, and has now overtaken me in terms of progress. We are hoping soon to be able to go to some club sessions on a Friday evening (though the next few have been cancelled, ho hum!), which might improve matters, though I don't know if trying to skate after a full working week is going to be sensible!

And money is always an issue as well - full time work does not mean unlimited cash supplies for skating. There are always plenty of household bills that need attention!

I know that's not much help, it's more to show that there are others in the same boat!

Sonic's right - we have a mutual whinging society going on. When a move clicks, it only feels good briefly, because you want to make it faster, smoother, higher... Skaters tend to be perfectionists and along with that comes the frustrations. To me, at least, the challenge is worth it.

As for fitting skating in, I either skate before or after work, and then on lunchtime patch or club sessions at the weekend. I justify the cost because it keeps me sane. That said, I got up an hour early this morning, went to the rink for a couple of hours, then walked to work in the pouring rain - I've been sleepy and sitting in a puddle all day, but I'm still happy. Those aren't the actions of a sane woman...

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hi all, you all sound like you have a lot of energy to skate before or after work, because skating is one of the most tiring sports I've done and I am very sleep afterwards on the bus. I have spent the last hour planning my weekly schedule, I think tuesday before work and sunday morning including my half hour lesson is what it'll have to be.

Is twice a week enough?

thanks for the replies, I am just not used to being busy, i like having empty days, but this year it won't be like that

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starting at 28

Twice a week is fine. Some people are able to fit in less skating and still be satisfied by the time they spend on the ice. To make the best use of your time, arrive in enough time before your skating session to get right on the ice at the start of the session, and wear your skating clothes under your street clothes to minimize the time you need to spend changing. Plan what you want to do before each session. If anyone starts chitchatting with you, you can let them know nicely that you only have a little time on the ice but you can continue chatting after the session.

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Not really. I am not a morning person and was never willing to get up early for anything in my life until I finally acknowledged that my only choice was to skate early in the morning or not skate at all. I don't have much energy in the morning and I don't skate nearly as well as later in the day, but I push through it. I tell myself it makes me a better skater in the long run.

No one has a lot of energy to skate before work, but we all make sacrifices. I am up at 5am on a Saturday because I have ice available and I'll be getting up at 4 tomorrow to skate at 5. Why? Because that's when the ice is available! We maek sacrifices like going to bed at 9pm.

I'm another one who is lucky that money is not an issue in skating. Saying that, I still use caution, it's a guilt thing. I'm a stay home mom but I still feel that I'm always juggling my family and skating life. There's just so much time and I try very hard to be dedicated to both aspects. I have to tell you some days I wish I could be just be a kid for a few weeks and skate my brains out. =-) I too get frusterated with progress sometimes. Part of me knows that I've come far in skating but sometimes it's just not enough. Part of the hard part for ME is that some skills come pretty easy for me and others are just a headache. However, nothing beats the high of learning that headache. And, the easy is well...fun. I've been told that I learn quick, not that I believe it, but compared to the kids I'm slow. And, even this can be frusterating! As for the question to how I juggle my schedule, I manage it with an iron fist as much as possible. Money...ask the rink if there's something you can do to earn ice time.

Chico

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"I truly believe, when God created skating, he patted himself on the back."

Well, during my very tight budget moments when both hubby and I were unemployed, I had to cut my primary coach's lesson to once every other week and skate mostly public sessions to get in the time. As for time, one of the blessings of being a job hunter is that I am master of my schedule. Of course, job interviews, phone screens, etc, comes first. But when my job interview is anywhere near a rink, I usually have my skates and skating clothes on hand so I can quickly change out of my interview duds to my skating duds to go skating.These days, my issues is more with time than money! I really don't want to have to resort to doing just FS sessions if possible, mainly b/c it's cheaper for me to skate the 1.5 hour public session than to pay 2 FS sessions to "sleep skate" the same 1.5 hour session. But during Christmas time when ALL the public sessions are crowded, this is pretty much my only option!

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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I think I have my schedule done, I mean I spent hours pondering about it.

The only problem is that I am spending mroe than i get. Darn.

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starting at 28

Don't beat yourself up over this; we can talk of making sacrifices, but there's also realizing where your priorities are, and work, school, & bill paying should be able to come first without feeling like you're not dedicated.

I'm sort of in a similar pickle this year. I'm frustrated and thinking of backing off from skating for a while as the cost for lessons is prohibitive on a graduate student's income. And lessons are necessary for improvement (which is already glacial as I only skate at school October-April with large breaks), but improvement is so slow that it feels like money down the drain. Plus, I do skating mostly as a way to stay in shape, but the problem is that for me, at least, it's not a very efficient way of staying in shape.

But I really like skating. So I think the plan is for now to skate two or three times a week, and just enjoy the ice without worrying about improving, and sneaking in lessons when I can without worrying about it.

It's not like I'm working to make the Olympic team, here.

It is hard to fit it all in. I skate twice a week before work and once a week after work. And that is tough. Work doesn't really get that I skate - and because I'm clearly crazy I will not miss skating for work - unless I know in advance and rescheduled. This is something I will have to change when I get a 'proper job' (meaning a training contract to be a solicitor rather than just a paralegal aka trainee solicitor without the official titile!) and I know that so I'm enjoying it while it lasts. But even when I get a 'proper job' I still plan to skate on the weekend. I love my sleep but I'd rather skate than sleep. So I make myself get up.

Don't even get me started on money - I would be on my way to a house if I had been saving rather than skating!!