Skating report
Aug. 23rd, 2010 03:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamsharkReally excited about skating right now. I have made more progress in the last month than in the entire previous year. In April I started doing off-ice strength and balance work in response to problems with my back: exercise classes at the Y and small doses of stretching/strength exercises throughout the day. It helped take the strain off the affected back muscles fairly quickly but it was a solid 3 months before I could see overall improvements in strength and balance.
But somewhere around mid-July I started to be able to do things on the ice that I couldn't do before. My balance was much better, especially on my left leg (my weaker side). I finally conquered the left front outside 3-turn in the last week of July, just in time to pass the Gamma level test on August 2.
Then I signed up for a 3-week series of lessons at a different rink for the month of August just so I'd have somewhere to skate during the August doldrums. To my amazement, I've been learning new things at each lesson! I went from just barely able to make a 3-turn after 40 minutes or so of warming up to being able to do it almost every time. The instructor showed me how to do a 3-turn from a standstill, something that I had never tried but found surprisingly easy. The other students in this class are more advanced than me so we've been doing back edges and single-foot edge change exercises, and I'm getting a little better at each class.
I still can't do the key moves to pass Delta (which I need to do to qualify for Moves in the Field classes), but if I ever qualify for that class I'm almost ready to pass the first MIF test! I've also gradually built up my endurance to the point where I can skate for 1-1/2 hours if the opportunity presents itself. That's pretty much my top level of physical fitness. Not terribly impressive from the perspective of a serious athlete, but pretty good for an old lady.
I live in fear of having some kind of accident that will stop me from skating and biking, though. It's taken me so long to get to this rather modest level of fitness; I'd hate to have to start all over again after an injury. I do feel lucky to be as healthy as I am (knock on wood).
But somewhere around mid-July I started to be able to do things on the ice that I couldn't do before. My balance was much better, especially on my left leg (my weaker side). I finally conquered the left front outside 3-turn in the last week of July, just in time to pass the Gamma level test on August 2.
Then I signed up for a 3-week series of lessons at a different rink for the month of August just so I'd have somewhere to skate during the August doldrums. To my amazement, I've been learning new things at each lesson! I went from just barely able to make a 3-turn after 40 minutes or so of warming up to being able to do it almost every time. The instructor showed me how to do a 3-turn from a standstill, something that I had never tried but found surprisingly easy. The other students in this class are more advanced than me so we've been doing back edges and single-foot edge change exercises, and I'm getting a little better at each class.
I still can't do the key moves to pass Delta (which I need to do to qualify for Moves in the Field classes), but if I ever qualify for that class I'm almost ready to pass the first MIF test! I've also gradually built up my endurance to the point where I can skate for 1-1/2 hours if the opportunity presents itself. That's pretty much my top level of physical fitness. Not terribly impressive from the perspective of a serious athlete, but pretty good for an old lady.
I live in fear of having some kind of accident that will stop me from skating and biking, though. It's taken me so long to get to this rather modest level of fitness; I'd hate to have to start all over again after an injury. I do feel lucky to be as healthy as I am (knock on wood).
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-08-23 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-23 09:19 pm (UTC)I, too, have been experiencing some pretty cool things with my workouts. My strength is coming back, my figure is partially returned, and I have endurance now.
GO US!
no subject
Date: 2010-08-25 05:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-25 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-23 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-27 01:53 am (UTC)