Ok, I am going to go skate today for the first time in years! I am going to a cheap public skate that I will be near this afternoon, and I will probably stay an hour or so. I am so excited! I am looking into lessons at a nearby rink, beginner of course, and I won't do anything difficult until I get all the weight off. I am thrilled that I am going to skate again!

Wish me Luck!

__________________
Come and Join!
Shining Blades : an Ice Skating Club.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Shining_Blades/

Way to go!!! Don't be so sure you won't do anything difficult until you get the weight off. I was skating for a year before I was motivated enough to start losing weight, but by then I was in much better physical condition and able to do more than I had anticipated.

Let us know how it goes.

__________________

First off kudos to everyone on the board. This is what originally pulled me in

On the cardio/weight training ... that's an oft-debated issue, with the facts often getting in the way of strong opinions. Seriously, even if everyone agreed on the optimal solution, not everyone is going to follow that optimal guidance. If someone is making "enough" progress for them, hey, it is better than nothing.

But on the honesty thing, and focusing support for our new friend Lydia ... I had started getting serious about exercise a couple of months before starting skating, but not much. I am 6'2", right now 214. I was up to 240; about a year ago. It is becoming more difficult for me to know what the final optimum weight is, because the cardio is helping to jump-start the metabolism but/and the weight training and obvious lower leg work on the ice is really beginning to hit that lower body .... Did ya'll read that Sasha ... and all of em I am sure ... leg press 400# ... lest I digress .... I am a slave to those thunder thighs so I am losing fat and gaining muscle ... I suspect that I will stabilize around 190 in other year. OMIGOSH, that would mean dropping 50!

Motto: trust the mirror.

So, point 1; my on-ice and off-ice programs have complement each other, pretty much. My off-ice work enables me to get through skills faster than just on-ice training ... mostly in knee-bend areas.

Point 2: Get the knee-pads. If that is a bit of self-conscious issue, that's fine. Just put them under your trousers. And remember to tuck that chin in HARD, if you go down backwards.

Point 3: Have someone take a video of you when you get mobile, not more than 2 or 3 times into getting on the ice though .... THIS will be a fantastic pump for you. I wish I had done it. I still should though.

Point 4: (I haven't read all the responses ... someone may have already mentioned this ...) You will certainly get those aches and pains. I am concerned a bit about your knees (without knowing anything of course). Anything really out of the ordinary painwise should be watched ... Keeping your doc informed wouldn't be a bad idea. If she is "too conservative" for you, find another one who will "team" with you ... besides all of us, of course.

I am just so jazzed for you.

This will be a real change for you. It won't go the way of the fad diets and exercise tapes and vids.

Joe

Well, I went skating this afternoon. I didn't have the best time in the world. My feet were killing me in my new skates, even when I traded skates with my sister, and she was wearing rental skates, my feet still killed me. I am kind of discouraged right now. I didn't remember a lot of the basics, and my sister, who isn't even interested in skating, was skating circles around me. I really really want to skate. It's my dream! What did I do wrong? I feel like crud.

__________________
Come and Join!
Shining Blades : an Ice Skating Club.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Shining_Blades/

if you wait you'll never do it, go for it

don't ever let yor weight hold you back...I've seen morbidly obese women at my rink jumping axels and performing the fastest spins i've ever seen.

besides, when you skate the weight comes off very easily. I will repeat all my figure skating workout advice that my personal trainer gave me lol

skate 3 times a week min. for at least 2 hrs each time. then work out 3 out of the 4 remaining days at the gym.

drink one protein shake with breakfast every morning, drink an extra if you lift weights that day.

workout:
cardio-walk 5 min at 3.4
jog for 15 min at 6.2
walk for 20 min at 4.0 incline and 3.4 speed
weights-lift for about 30 min
work on different muscle groups on different days
keep weight high enough to make you be able to do only about 10- 18 reps and about 2-3 sets


ok hope that helped

Maybe you can go for properly fitted skates, and also, get the ones that can be heat molded. The ones you heat up in a special kind of oven at the skate shop, and when it's at the right temperature, you pop them on your feet, do up the laces, and the skate material will more or less conform to the shape of your feet. Properly fitted skates aren't supposed to hurt your feet....they're supposed to feel quite ok...like, no pain or bad discomfort.

Don't give up! Go ahead with lessons. This is your dream: claim it!

What Went Wrong?

1) It's very possible that your new skates are not right for you. Did you go with your dad when he bought them for you, and did you get fitted properly? Even then, you might need to have some areas of the boots punched out. Sometimes it also helps to replace the insoles with something more cushy from the drugstore. Believe it or not, that's what Don Klingbeil did with my DH's custom boots when he went back complaining that the bottom of his feet hurt. Don told him that he put in more padded insoles that anyone could buy at the drugstore, and that did the trick. The boots you have may also just not be the right shape for your feet (too wide or narrow in a particular place), or may not provide enough support for you to feel secure.

2) There is always someone who is better than you are at something, or who appears to be at first glance. I don't know the circumstances, but there can be many reasons why your sister seemed to be "skating circles" around you. First, everyone's feet are different. Some of us have miserable problem feet and it will take us longer to get our boots right. Others have more fear or discomfort at first. If your sister is younger than you and/or if she has been skating more recently than you, that could account for it. Also, if she has been roller blading, that would do it.

Good luck, and come back and tell us more!

__________________

Don't have high expecations at first. You are breaking in new skates i undersdtand...this will be painful for some time. You have not skated for a loooong time, so things are going to be difficult it will be like starting over. Just be patient and make sure you skates are fitting right..and are sharpened well.

I'm sure your next session will be more productive, look in to starting group classes, it may better help you remember technique if you learn it in the same order you did when you were younger.

My wild guess is that if your dad bought you skates...they are synthetic ones, right? With plastic heels and blades attached. If so, the advice above is inapplicable because you can't punch out synthetic skates OR heat mold them, and they never "break in", they'll never mold to your foot in anyway- they can't.

I think that you should get some better skates, for one, and for second...you need to learn how to enjoy this sport despite discomfort. If you didn't like going skating because you were in pain, then you probably won't enjoy this sport because you are ALWAYS in pain at some point. It takes a while for feet to get used to skates, I know that everytime I go on vacations (which isn't often thank God) for a week and then come back to the ice my feet hurt for a few days.

Skating isn't a sport where you'll be comfortable. Everything hurts, and you'll fall eventually. You'll fall a lot. And get bruises, and it'll hurt. And you'll have to go skating with them on your body anyways, and still find ways to enjoy it. You may also be in more pain than others because of the extra weight...it'll probably affect your knees, lower back, and maybe even hip joints for a while. It's up to you to decide if living in pain is worth it. I have pain everyday. My back is in excruciating pain right now from doing too many jumps. It feels as though there is a large fire burning through my spine. But that's okay with me and I still love to skate and look forward to training on Monday. It's a choice you make.

Yeah, my Dad bought my skates on sale at a sports retailer that was getting rid of them. They were the best ones they had though. I looked online at the prices of the good skates and blades, and I really can't afford that. I will be doing good paying for lessons, because I don't have a steady income. I live through pain every day... I was born with a spine problem, where my back is curved and some of the vertebrae twist. I have pain all the time, and I have found recently that stretching does help the pain. I can walk normally, and everything like that, so I don't think my back is a big problem. I will slowly save for everything I need. What are the best skates to get for a size 11 Womens US? What other equipment do I need? I will try to make a list of everything.

__________________
Come and Join!
Shining Blades : an Ice Skating Club.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Shining_Blades/

Oh and thank you sooo much for the workout ideas!

__________________
Come and Join!
Shining Blades : an Ice Skating Club.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Shining_Blades/

From everything I have heard, the BEST skates are the ones that fit YOU! I have wide feet (duck feet LOL!) and was told Jacksons were the best for wide feet - it was true - in a 10-C I got a good fit in the heel and with bumping out a couple of spots, got an excellent overall fit - as good as my EXPENSIVE custom boots in the 1960's.

I am sure others will comment on different makes for different shaped feet. Everybody loves their own brand but FIT is more important than make.

Oh, I forgot the other stuff!

NEEDED: guards, something comfotable to skate in (I wear strtch slacks and a sweater), gloves (knitted are nice)

Nice to have: a bag to carry everything in, soakers (soft covers for the blades so they dry properly), a towel to dry your blades after skating, polish and sealer (for the sole), a stretch head-band to keep your ears warm,

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

No need for that - you can heat them up at home, especially if you have a fan oven. We did Husband's very happily in the gas oven - lowest heat, no more than 3 minutes, and they were fine.

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

That schedule would kill her right now... way too tough for her shape and weight!!!

LydiaW,

be patient!!! Ofcourse your feet are killing you... for one your skates aren't broken in yet but furthermore you haven't been in skates for years!!! Give it time... and in the meantime use some aides to help with the pain.
I for example use those little round make-up sponge on my ankles because I have little "spurs" there that kill me otherwise. They also sell gel pads for exactly those kind of problems.
Also, don't thread the laces through the last hole before the hooks, skip it, that helps with flex at the ankle.

Those and other measures will help with the breaking in and comfort level of your skates, but your feet will still need to get used to the confinement of the boots and the new activity... there's no way around that!
Remember... baby steps... don't expect too much too soon!!!

]


As I pointed out earlier, that stuff won't work for her- she doesn't have leather skates. They'll never break in, and any padding will just slide around and not comform to any of her foot. She probably gets *zero* support from these skates and that is where half of the pain comes from, especially when dealing with weight issues and there is no way for that weight to be supported while gliding around. The other half is that they probably don't fit her foot where they should. There isn't very much that can be done other than buying a real pair of skates, and sadly Lydia said it might take a while financially, so I think it's either put up with the pain which might be a mistake because those skates are really not appropriate, or wait until she can afford new ones.

How do you know?! Yes, they were bought at a general sports goods store, but at least in this area, even Kmarts have leather (yes, single-ply, but still leather) skates in winter, and sports chain stores sometimes have Jacksons - up to Artistes or Classiques.

__________________
--renatele

That's a remarkably large assumption - have you actually seen them?

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

Here's what you need to do. If you really want to learn to skate, you need to take lessons. Check with your rink for the cost and schedule of group lessons, and see if they have an adult group class. At the first lesson, ask your coach what she/he thinks about your skates--whether they're appropriate for someone of your level and weight, at least, enough to get by on. Since we can't see your skates, we don't know for sure. If you want to continue skating for any length of time, then yes, you will need to purchase some quality boots and blades, appropriate for your level at the time, but it's possible that you can 'get by' for a couple sessions of basic lessons with what you've got. On the other hand, if they're total crap, the right rentals may actually be better--the coach can let you know.

Have your blades been sharpened? Sports-store skates do not come already sharpened.

If your skates have even half-way decent support (if they're not completely floppy), try tying them a bit looser at the instep, and at the very top of the skates. They should be tightest right at the ankle bend, and gradually looser (without being too loose) towards either direction. A lot of newbies that complain of foot pain, or cold feet, are simply tying the skates so tight across the instep that the foot cramps and it cuts off some circulation.

Like stardust said, skating is not always comfortable. If you expect it to be, your expectations are WAY too high. Same thing if you expect it to be easy.

__________________
"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

I asked earlier: "My wild guess is that if your dad bought you skates...they are synthetic ones, right?" and Lydia responded with "Yeah, my Dad bought my skates on sale at a sports retailer that was getting rid of them. " I could've misunderstood her response and her "yeah" could have been more general, but for all intents and purposes I asked if they were synthetics, and I got a "yeah" back so I imagine they are synthetics. If not, then all the better for Lydia. But the posts above are why I said what I said about the skates.

well if you are having trouble with the fit of the skates, ic an reccomend insoles. if you have health insurance, orthotics might be covered, mine were. If not you can get a pair at many sports stores or maybe at a drugstore even. It can make your skates so much more comfortable. I jsut got my orthotics yesterday and i have to say its like having a whole new skate.

... and lots of plateaus. Maybe more ... maybe less than other "lets get involved in a new sport" I'm not smart enough to know. For me, it has resembled golf, a bit, in the "skill plateauing" concept. (Again, just for me) .. I need to practice in such a way as to mix in a combination of

a. just practicing it over and over again
b. trying something new but somewhat related to "stuck skills"
c. being aware of what it is I am stuck on and sometimes think it through and sometimes just work it

I agree with another poster that at some point relatively soon, lessons are in order. Adjust your expectations appropriately between group lessons and private lessons. I am taking group and private lessons. I am at ISI beta. Folx that aren't taking private lessons get stuck at this level (again at least at the rink I am working out at.) because up till this point edges haven't been taught, posture hasn't been taught and cross-overs are taught pretty much to the extent of .. if you can push the foot over and not fall, you get through alpha.

I guess I've wandered a bit, but my point is that you certainly will plateau if you are on your own or to a lesser degree will in group lessons. You need to expect it and have the tools to get through it. Perseverence is required to get yourself back out when your suffering from normal muscle aching (from use not injury) and you feel like your skill level is going backwards. The coaches then come in at that point to reinforce what you have learned, stop the acquisistion of bad habits and point you in the right direction.

Good luck ...

Joe