New Adult Skater / Advice

Hello everyone I am new to this forum because I am looking for advice on skating technique. I am 30, 5'8", 140. I just signed up for my first learn to skate classes- Adult level 1, after going skating for fun while on vacation and realizing how much I missed it!!! I skated recreationally for about two years as a kid, and got pretty good as just skating around but never got the chance to do any classes or training for real, so I am not new- new to the ice in general, but I definitely don't know any technique yet. I just purchased the Riedell 114 Pearl skates and have skated in them about 5 times now. I have noticed with these skates that when gliding I keep accidentally hitting my toe pick, and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for why this is happening/ how to correct it.

Thank YoU!!!

Well, I guess it‘s happening because you‘re leaning too far forward. Try to keep your upper body straight

In addition to the prior answer, if you're used to rental skates, your new blades probably have a different rocker and a more prominent toe pick. You'll have to get used to those changes and learn where your balance points are on your new blades.

Honestly, it's really just something you have to adjust to. There's no other way around it.

You'll have to adjust to sitting back on your blades more, just not too far back.

Get some knee pads. I had the same problem a few years ago when I switched from inline-skating to ice skating. The most fun part of inline-skating is spinning on your toes. The bad part is making the transition to toe picks/ice skates. The knee pads saved my knees and now I don't need them anymore. They will serve you well for the first few months of skating. I just wore them under my sweat pants so I didn't look like a huge dork.

Give it time- you’ll be used to them soon. Good luck with your skating- I always love seeing new adults.

As a funny side story- a skating friend of mine just got skates for patch and was saying she felt like she was going to trip because there was less of a toepick. Only in figure skating.

Hi, no feedback on your skates but I am in the same position as you. Actually we are super similar. I am in my early 30's and 5'9'', I started skating in November 2018 for the first time. It is fun and a great workout and challenge, but it's HARD. I find it is much slower for me to learn skills than younger beginners. Even if I had started 5 years ago I think it would have been easier, but it is what it is! I am also afraid to fall, which holds me back a bit (I stop myself a lot because I feel like I'm going to fall). I've had a few painful falls which scared me. Not the same to fall at 32 as it would be for an 8 year old, or something.

Anyway, to give you some perspective: I started at the beginning of November and the ONLY think I could do was skate around the rink in a circle. Now, I'm about at the adult basic 5-6 level. I can do forward and backward crossovers, stroking, working on forward and backwards edges, two foot spin, 3 turns, waltz jump, mohawk. (Not saying I can do all those things perfectly, but I can do them) This is with one 30 minute class a week and going skating at public sessions about twice a week to practice. I am very limited in time, which makes it hard. And I have times when I feel like I am progressing so slowly I am going backward. But I am learning, little by little.

Good luck! I wish you lived close to me and we could skate together. I wish I knew other adult beginners to skate with.

I am four years in (started just skating twice a week in my early 40s with 1 lesson a month), now skate at least 4 hours a week since I am so addicted. Passed Adult Pre-bronze moves and free skate last year and working on Bronze now.
My advice is to not "stop yourself"; try instead to go through the skill/turn etc. stopping is more dangerous than just going through. You will fall. If you're worried, talk to your coach about learning to fall. I will get butt pads at some point, I think, to cushion the blows.
Skating is such a great sport and I'm lucky we have a lot of adults at our rink who love it and stick together. We've done adult clinics and are doing a special adult session on spins soon. Don't give up, even when things get hard--enjoy the process and best of luck!