So last night I went skating again, the 4th time this week. The 2 weeks before I went maybe 1 time each because I was hoping that a bit of a break would be beneficial. It wasn't.

• All of my moves are getting worse and less consistant.
• All of my jumps are going downhill, getting less height, sloppier landings...I can't manage do do a loop at all anymore.
• Spins were getting better there for a while, but not anymore, now I'm just losing the speed and centering that I had attained.
• I keep catching the stupid edge of the back of the right blade (the one that's attached to the detaching heel) which is causing falls that otherwise wouldn't happen.
• Though I don't notice it when I'm skating, my feet are hurting worse and worse every time I take my skates off, especially the backs of my heels. This is a pretty recent development, and doesn't seem related to the heel problem as BOTH of my feet end up really hurting, not just the right one.
• I still can't afford new boots, let alone blades.
• I can't afford coaching.

I've been thinking about this over the past 2 or 3 weeks, and grown pretty silent in the meanwhile. Recently I've vented about it to a few friends, whom I appreciate for tolerating it.

I've thought about it a lot, and I think I'm going to put skating on hold indefinitely. I need to send my boots back for repair, which means I'll be out of skates for 2 months anyways. Maybe within 2 months without the distraction and expense of skating I can manage to afford new skates which is what I really need. Last night I came home with blisters on my insteps and a pain in my heels that made it hard to walk (they're still numb today), so I'm completely, completely fed up and done with Graf - they're going back immediately and will be advertised for sale first thing when I get them back, for whatever offer somebody cares to make. I don't think I will ever wear them again.

I'll probably skate again in time, but not for a while. It's not that I don't want to, but I can't really afford to do it properly and have lost all of the motivation and enthusiasm I once had. Has anybody else here gone through similar?

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

There's no wonder that things aren't working if you're in pain from your boots. Maybe a couple of months off to heal your feet and save up for some new boots will give you the break that you need.

Hopefully you'll come back to it after that, it's a shame to give it all up because of something that isn't really your fault.

All the best x

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The best whisper is a click

Casey, do you have a coach?

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

The thing is that it doesn't hurt when I'm skating, only after I'm done and take them off. I can blame the boots for part of the problem, like the extra falls caused by the right blade shifting and catching the ice, but certainly not all of it - I need to face the fact that 90% of the problem here is me instead of looking for something/somebody else to blame.

No, as stated above, I cannot afford one. I'm hoping I can budget things such that I can, even if not that often, after getting new skates.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

I think your frustrations are valid and normal. My feet hurt when I take my boots off (for about 15 minutes or so)--I think this is because I am still breaking them in (I have the same boots as you I believe, Graf Edmonton Specials).

This is unfortunately an expensive sport. I truly believe you cannot make reliable and safe progress teaching yourself. Have you ever had lessons? There are so many small things that you could be doing that you cannot correct without some sort of coach observing you. For example, I would never know that I drop one of my shoulder when I was entering a flip jump. Does your rink offer group lessons? I love those, even if everyone is at slightly different levels you can really fine-tune your technique on basic moves (three turns, etc) which are the at the core of jumps and spins.

Again, I really think the feet hurting have to do with the boots not being broken in. The boots you (and I have) are incredibly advanced boots, and though they are known to be "easier" to break in, that doesn't mean that it happens overnight. As a side note, have you had them heat molded?

Without a coach or lessons, you have no idea about why your jumps, etc are going wrong. It sucks that this sport is so pricey, but I really recommend (after taking the break that you need) that you get yourself in some sort of lessons ASAP. I skated as a child, so in my head I know how to do everything... When practicing on my own (ie. teaching myself) I made little positive progress--sure I could do the stuff but it was awful. Since taking lessons again, it is unbelievable the difference it has made.

One more thing... Along with being expensive and inconvienient, this sport is not one where everyone progresses really quickly. It takes time and patience to master the moves and techniques, and we all have plateaus (that last for much longer than a week! )

You need to do what is best for you... But consider some of the things I said... Perhaps sell the boots and blades, and buy some boots and blades that are a better match to your skating level--the extra money saved can go towards group lessons. I think you have tons of enthusiasm and talent, and it would be a shame to give up.

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--
Natalie

http://www.ILoveTaB.com

Casey - it woudl be a real shame to give up skating altogether - from your posts here you obviously have some natural ability at skating but you do seem to be proof once again of the fact that buying the most expensive top of the range boots when you are a beginner is really not a good idea - it's uneccessary, and ridiculously expensive when the money would be far better spent on an entry level pair of boots/blades and a good coach (even if only once a week or a fortnight). As you have discovered it is not saving you any money by going directly into high level boots - it is costing you in terms of money, pain and killing your love of the sport.

My suggestion would be to save up a little and get an entry level boot/blade - you don't need any more than that even for double jumps (OK as a man you may need slightly stiffer than the most basic but definitely not the stiffest). Sell your Grafs through your local clubs second hand sale or eBay. Sign up for cheap group lessons or get a coach to give you a lesson as often as possible (15 mins once a week is probably better than 30mins a fortnight and you can get a lot done in 15 mins) Even 15 mins a fortnight would give a coach the chance to correct all those tiny things that are causing your jumps to fail etc. You don't need to go straight into an hour of more of coaching a week.

Hope you can work through this plateau/depression - and we all get those times when we feel we are going backwards rather than progressing - but they make the breakthrough weeks all the sweeter!

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'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

I've basically quit before, because I didn't have the money or motivation. My desire to get back into it returned eventually.

If you really feel like you need a break, take one. There's no point in skating unless you really want to. When the time is right, you will have the desire for skating again.

Good luck!

The boots have only started getting painful in the last couple months, and have only reached the current extremes (pain that lingers for hours) recently. My boots are broken in, they have creases on the sides and such, and are 7 months old now. For the first 4 or 5 months, aside from a short break-in period, they were comfortable. They are not anymore. I've tried different things like bunga pads, thick socks, thin socks, and while sometimes something will help for a short while, it never lasts. They are mostly hurting the bone on the back of my heel, which I'm presuming is because the heels are too wide. Hard to say because it doesn't feel too wide. But these boots don't fit my feet worth a crap. I think for a long time the padding hid that fact, but now as the boots have aged the padding is compressing and more problems are developing.

Yes, I had them heat molded. But there's nothing heat moldable where the bone presses against the back of the boot.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

That is exactly what I hope. I need to sort out my life in general and wait for the AOSS bug to hit again - hopefully I can improve finances a bit in the meanwhile.

Don't get me wrong, I *hate* giving up on things, but if I'm not doing it out of desire and happiness, I'm not going to get any better.

I wrote a letter to my grandmother not long ago where I stated that I believed that we should do in life whatever makes us happy...skating is, for whatever reason(s), no longer making me happy.

If it does again in time, great!

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Casey, I think you would find that a coach would make a WORLD of difference. As others have said, it is impossible to correct your own technique if you can't see yourself! Even video-ing yourself is a poor substitute, because it's not the same as a trained professional being able to help you correct bad habits.

I know coaches/lessons are expensive...but I know you would have an entirely different perspective on skating with an expert to guide you. How many days per week do you usually skate? You could cut back by one day, and spend that money on a once-per-week lesson.

Skating without a coach will do more harm than good, whether you are a beginner or elite. It's amazing the things a good coach can do. I can do the same jump over and over again, without success, getting more frustrated by the moment...my coach can notice one tiny thing I'm doing wrong and the problem is solved.

It sounds like taking a break would be good for you, but once you're ready to start up again, find a coach and you will be glad you did!

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

And yes, I've had a coach before.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

It sounds like the boots just aren't right for you. Every boot is different and a lot of times it's trial and error to find the best skate for your feet. Trust me, I've done this 3 times and am still working on it! Whether or not your feet hurt during or after skating, I'd say the boots are definitely the source for the physical problems, and are probably affecting your skating as well.

It sounds like you could use a break - I've taken several this past year. I think your plan to get new boots and save money for coaching is a good one. As batikat said, group lessons are a cheaper option than private lessons so you might want to look into that once you get new skates. Maybe group lessons with a private lesson every other week, to start? In the meantime, rest your feet and take care of other things that are going on. From your posts, it appears that you've picked up skills pretty quickly and have a real talent for skating, but without coaching, there is only so far that you can go. Be patient with your progress and take pride in the things you've learned.

What's the reason you have decided to skate coachless, if you don't mind me asking? Just cost?

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

This is what happened to me. I basically wasn't skating at all, but since spring, the financial picture has improved, my motivation has improved and I want to skate pretty regularly.

Just let it be. If it's true, it will return.

Yep. I took a month off lessons when I moved, and was just about to pick a new coach at a new rink when I discovered the problem with my skates.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Well. I've never been for Grafs, said that since day one. However, in all fairness, the only thing you discovered was the heel was separating. Your boots never actually fit you, but you were still making great progress and were enjoying skating. SO, if all that is ruining your practices and your motivation is the heel coming off (because it's basically since you discovered that, that I noticed your positivity waning), I am thinking that a good pro shop (read: not the guy you have been going to) could reglue the heel. Boots can get completely rebuilt. Tongues can be replaced. Heels can be glued back together! I am guessing it might cost 50 bucks or so. Since the heel coming off is all that changed between the time when you were enjoying skating, and now that you are not, you should go to a pro shop and get it fixed. I know it'll cost money, but at least you could skate, then.

And since you say you were going to pick a new coach before you discovered the boot problem, if you fix the boot, you can go ahead and get that coach.

I think taking time off (IF you ever want to compete, which I think you said you might) is dangerous. Especially for someone like you, who expects so much so quickly out of themselves, when you get back on the ice, you will be so lost. It'll be so hard to get skills back, because you haven't been skating all that long. I guarantee it'll be a mess when you come back, even when I take anything over a week off (for injury or what have you), I cringe that first week at how badly I skate. And I've been skating for over ten years. So if you come back all motivated and all ready to go, and you can't even do good waltz jumps anymore, you might get even MORE frustrated and decide this isn't worth it, which would be a waste if you really want to do this. If what is making you want to quit is a circumstance, and not your heart, then fix the circumstance the best way you can. That's the best advice I can give ya.

Well, Graf will fix the heel for free, it will just take 2 months.

Most importantly though, it doesn't seem to be directly related. Yeah, it bothered me for a while, but I got past that. Yes, it causes more falls, but not that many and it's not like I'm sustaining any serious injury, and I've learned certain moves to avoid because it screws them up really bad (like back shoot the ducks), but it certainly isn't responsible for the increasing pain every time I skate, because the left sole is still pretty firmly attached (just a small gap on one side that has not grown at all, and that blade doesn't wobble or work the heel screws loose like the right one does).

After the first 2 weeks through a few months ago, the boots were really comfortable. Then they started getting comfortable a bit before I noticed the heel problem, but I started wearing thicker woolen sockes instead of the thin ones I had been and it solved the problem for a while (I think you'll recall recommending against the thicker socks because they allow more foot movement). Well the thicker socks did indeed impede progress, and after a while stopped helping anyways, so I went back to thinner socks with bunga pads. This worked okay for a while, but like the previous solution, only worked for so long. The bunga sleeves would moreover cause a lot of sweat and then I couldn't skate as long. Thin socks alone aren't cutting it as they once did, to be sure.

I think you're right about them being a bad fit, but I think that the excessive padding hid that fact for a long time. I need new boots, simple as that. I had my partner give me a $500 advance this month, which means I'll be $500 short next month. It means that I could technically afford to buy new boots right now, if barely, but then I'll be in a bind come next month if I don't work some extra jobs in the meanwhile. Though I asked for the advance with the intent of buying skates, I thought about it, and don't think it's the right thing right now. If I'm not doing it because I love it, I can have the most appropriate and comfortable skates in the world and still won't make any progress. Better to give it a rest and save my money until such a time that motivation returns. So I won't compete this year - oh well - I might not have accomplished that challenge anyways and there's always next year's competitions.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

I would wager to guess that incorrect technique could also be causing you discomfort. If you are skating a few days a week with consistent errors in form, your body is going to take a beating. Poorly fitting skates will just compound the problem. Just my 2 cents, and I hope things work out for you.

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Every skater I've ever met has up and down moments skating, me included. Having boot issues and no coach can't help. Maybe a few months off might be just what you need to make you miss the sport and eager to try again. I would try to get a coach to help you. Knowing that "things" are wrong but clueless on how to fix them is depressing. Having a supportive person to guide you is very important. I hope you find your way back to skating and that it's a good experience. Good luck. =-)

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

I agree that if your heart isn't in it, you should take a break. You aren't doing yourself any good mentally and/or physically by forcing yourself into something you aren't enjoying anymore.

I often have times where I haven't skated for months because I just don't feel like it or I don't have the time, and that's okay. I don't have the time nor the money for a coach, so I just take it easy and skate for fun maybe once a week. I did have a coach for about a month, and he definitely helped a lot, but I doubt I even have the time for group lessons right now. No pressure. I find I usually skate better with that sort of mindset anyway. I've retained most of my skills amazingly enough, but I don't know if that's the case for everyone. Of course I haven't progressed much, but skating's just something I enjoy doing and I don't have immediate plans for competing or anything like that.

You just need to figure out what's right for you.

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"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

I share your pain I never like breaking in new boots and I end up quitting on them for many weeks. It is such a painful process.

I also have thought of quitting skating as well. (b/c nothing ever goes right on practices)
I actually have taken the fun out of skating permanently I do not enjoy skating anymore like I used to. I do not have the patience to work on elements
When I skate, I just like to fool around with the music and choreography.

The only thing time I get motivated on the ice is 2 weeks before a competition.

Since ice time is so expensive = I often sneak in sessions.
Coaching = I don't have one, I have my friends and a camcorder

There are alot of ways to stay in skating without having to spend a lot of money. I save them up for competition expenses.

I hope you like competing Casey, maybe that will motivate you on your skating.

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Tim David's Website

Casey, it sounds to me like there are other issues besides the boot problem, that are effecting your overall mental attitude.

Taking a break for however long you need, can be beneficial. My first time was 9 months. I was burned out, trying too hard, was skating for the wrong reasons, my life was so consumed with skating and working long hours that there was nothing else and I was feeling guilty. My expectations were all out of whack with reality. I did go back slowly as I found I missed the rink (at about 7 months.) I also have had to take time off for surgery, etc. and my financial situation also has influenced my skating time and lessons.

Each time I have been off the ice for extended periods of time, I was back up to snuff in about 4-6 weeks, and also had a better attitude. But it has taken me repeated attempts to work at preparing to test to realize that testing is not for me - each time my skills deteriorated and my attitude plummeted. Testing/competing is not for everyone. But as an adult skater I felt if I didn't other adults would ignore me - we all want to be accepted..... I'm much happier now and my skills are improving even though I have decided to just not worry about testing, etc. Each person is different and has their own inner needs.

I vote for taking time off until the spirit moves you from within and you create your own schedule, goals (realistic), and budget. I also vote for lessons - group or private - when you return. Financial worries can undermine your concentration and time on the ice.

Thanks skateflo, that post was really encouraging. I don't think I'll never skate again - rather I hope (and think) that after a bit of time off I'll start really missing skating and come back to it. I'll probably continue working on flexibility with more stretching, maybe some minor off-ice exercises, nothing too major. I'll have a chance to get things caught up financially, and will be able to work some extra jobs without worrying about interference with my skating schedule, so if I do start skating again, it will be with a proper-fitting pair of skates and enough money to afford coaching. I'm not going to wait in anticipation, if the desire comes back, great, if not, no big deal. But I think it will.

Thanks to everyone else who responded too.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Just one more comment if you'll excuse me. I wonder if because you have some natural ability that you simply expected too much of yourself too soon and your discouragement is due to the reality not living up to the expectations you have for yourself in your mind. Maybe it more of a problem for men who often have the brute strength necessary to get a jump to go up and rotate without needing to have great technique ( I have seen this a lot at the rink where boys invariably get the big jumps quicker than girls but their technique can sometimes be very poor and this becomes a problem when they start doubles). If your technique is poor because you have been trying to self correct then as you gain confidence to do bigger jumps the poor technique shows up more and this is a possibility for why things seem to be going wrong now.

Take a break but when you come back do get a coach to look at what you are doing. There are so many almost infinitesimal little things that a coach can correct but you or even a skating friend would have a hard time spotting let alone correcting. You actually save money in the end since 1 x 15 min session with a coach, plus an hours practice, will likely progress you further than hours and hours of uncorrected skating which may be just ingraining incorrect techniques into muscle memory and it's harder to correct a bad habit than to learn it right in the first place.

Good luck and hope to hear you are back to skating before too long.

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'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

This is probably going to sound harsh but I can't think of how to word it any other way:

Skating is frustrating. It's not easy and it's not something you learn in a couple months. Skills come and go inexplicably. Even when you're sure you know how to do something, it can trip you up.

90% of learning to skate is persistence and practice. I've lost count of the number of physically talented people I know who started skating all gung ho and quit. (A side comment: the men quit much sooner than the women; I have a personal theory for this but it's extrememly sexist so I'll keep it to myself. )

Skating is not for everyone. There's a mental part that goes beyond training muscles. It's as much about learning to live with failure and frustration and pain and embarrassment as it is about enjoying the speed and the freedom of movement and the acquisiton of skills. It's about the process as much as the end result. Especially for adults, who CHOOSE to take up the sport, it's more about enjoying the journey. It's way too expensive a sport to do if you can't.