Hi forum,
This week I stepped back onto the ice after four years after a new outdoor rink opened two blocks from my apartment and initial excitement has turned to dejection after a couple of sessions. I can only describe it as paralysis or a mental block; it's not a fear so much as not trusting myself if that makes sense?
Just talking basic skating skills, I started skating after college and devoted most of my spare time to it for 2-3 years, working on what I guess is the equivalent of Intermediate MITF (my country has a different sequencing of exercises but on balance), before work took over and moving countries about a decade ago, where nothing but winter rinks existed. But in the years abroad, even with limited skating in those winter months, I felt comfortable on the ice quite quickly at the start of the season, and felt back to my previous level at the end.
But this is different (of course, I've never taken a break quite so long, with COVID closing everything being a factor). The two main things are:
(1) I feel very, very tentative about building up any speed; and
(2) I feel like I can't trust my edges, even though they've just been sharpened and I've skated on much worse ice in the past and the few spins or bits of footwork I've tried demonstrate that they are holding, when I ask them to. I just don't feel that I *can* - hence the block.
Yes, the ice is hard and rough; the rink can be crowded; I am a lefty skater; my blades were completely dead though have now been sharpened; I've lost weight so could be overbooted, but ultimately, nothing but a mental reason can explain why I've gone from doing one-foot power rockers down the rink to barely daring to put speed into forward three turns and just end up skating crossovers with the flow most of the session.
I suppose this is a semi-vent, but also looking for advice & support. I've already contacted my coach from years ago to see if a few lessons would give me that confidence boost, and will try to take some time out of the day to make a quieter morning session soon... I just feel that if this block persists with the latter, it'll send me further down the confidence spiral (no pun intended).
Thanks for reading.
This week I stepped back onto the ice after four years after a new outdoor rink opened two blocks from my apartment and initial excitement has turned to dejection after a couple of sessions. I can only describe it as paralysis or a mental block; it's not a fear so much as not trusting myself if that makes sense?
Just talking basic skating skills, I started skating after college and devoted most of my spare time to it for 2-3 years, working on what I guess is the equivalent of Intermediate MITF (my country has a different sequencing of exercises but on balance), before work took over and moving countries about a decade ago, where nothing but winter rinks existed. But in the years abroad, even with limited skating in those winter months, I felt comfortable on the ice quite quickly at the start of the season, and felt back to my previous level at the end.
But this is different (of course, I've never taken a break quite so long, with COVID closing everything being a factor). The two main things are:
(1) I feel very, very tentative about building up any speed; and
(2) I feel like I can't trust my edges, even though they've just been sharpened and I've skated on much worse ice in the past and the few spins or bits of footwork I've tried demonstrate that they are holding, when I ask them to. I just don't feel that I *can* - hence the block.
Yes, the ice is hard and rough; the rink can be crowded; I am a lefty skater; my blades were completely dead though have now been sharpened; I've lost weight so could be overbooted, but ultimately, nothing but a mental reason can explain why I've gone from doing one-foot power rockers down the rink to barely daring to put speed into forward three turns and just end up skating crossovers with the flow most of the session.
I suppose this is a semi-vent, but also looking for advice & support. I've already contacted my coach from years ago to see if a few lessons would give me that confidence boost, and will try to take some time out of the day to make a quieter morning session soon... I just feel that if this block persists with the latter, it'll send me further down the confidence spiral (no pun intended).
Thanks for reading.
