Today I was in the ice rink before 6am. I wore my new skating tights and skating skirt that I’ve ordered. Generally speaking the session went well. Turns, Ina bauers and spins are all improving at a steady rate, though I can’t do the Russian sit spin yet.

Today I practiced axels but they weren’t quite right. Just one thing I think was causing me to go off balance so I was falling. I landed one in the end and it was a really really good one. So I thought that will do. However my coach was teaching a girl in her early teens and called me over. He wanted me to demonstrate the Axel to this girl. I couldn’t believe it as I only got it back last session and yes it was good but that was with my coach there to guide me. I find that often when you I back to practicing things I have only just learned (or in my case relearned) on my own it goes backwards as I forget things. Plus it was at the end of my practice when my legs are really tired and then there was a pressure element. Sure enough I fell. Keen to redeem myself I tried another and had a mega fall at a bad angle. I bruised my thigh, which is a pretty standard injury and my left wrist. How I managed to  fall like that I don’t know. So coach then said ‘we’ll concentrate on it on Friday’ which is coach speak for you’re banned from practicing it without supervision until I’ve sorted it out otherwise you’ll end up in a&e. So my body is bruised, my pride is bruised and my confidence is bruised too. Not one of my better days but I’m trying to hang on to the memory of the really good Axel I did and the knowledge that I can do it, I just need my coach to help me regain my technique.

I had another good skate today. I did axel jumps with my coach. I landed it on the first attempt. I did a few after that, only falling on one because I didn’t set it up properly because of lack of ice room. I felt no fear going into it because I feel safe with my coach and he’d told me what needed to be done. He told me to imagine it was a three jump-loop jump combination in midair and I did it easily, just like that. Magic!

My flying camel is back, though not yet to the standard it used to be and my A-frame and tuck behind sit spins have improved. My turns and footwork have also improved and I feel fully comfortable and settled into the ice like I used to be.

Sit spins are a struggle as my thigh muscles are still very achy so I just don’t have the strength to get back up from the position. Today my coach asked me to do a Camel-A-frame- broken leg-back spin combination spin. It didn’t quite happen but that’s mainly due to my lack of leg strength and cardio fitness levels at the moment, but I will get there. Right now I’m very tired, but happy and positive.

In a bid to combat my weak legs I’ve signed up for the gym and been for my first session. I’ve also been downing the protein shakes in order to boost muscle recovery. I am now the proud owner of a gym locker padlock and a Holland and Barrett rewards card.

Today I reaped the rewards as I was injury free and my legs were much stronger. I also felt more like my old self on the ice and a lot more stable. I stuck to my word and focused on spins and footwork and jump prep and didn’t attempt Axel+ jumps.

My speed across the ice increased, some of my old footwork ability with turns returned (pun intended) and many spins improved, especially my camel and my A-frame spin.

I pushed myself hard today in a healthy way, and this is the first session that I have been able to do that. Even my coach commented that I was working hard. Right now I could really do with a couple of hours kip but alas, I have to go to work.

Today was better than Wednesday, although my legs were still achy. My torn muscles were OK until I took off for am axel jump incorrectly and came crashing down into an awkward position.

I was hoping to avoid sit spins in my lesson, but sit spins were what I got. Hopefully my legs will strengthen up soon. There were some improvements. I managed a flying camel spin, although the quality wasn’t brilliant and managed to improve some of my spins.

I am realising that I am going to have to go back to basics more than I envisaged. My coach gave me a basic step sequence to learn and I couldn’t even do the most basic turns. I am going to have to learn to be patient and establish my basics again to a higher standard before I try advanced moves. My skills aren’t coming back as quickly as I thought they would, which really isn’t surprising. I’ve not skated for a long period of time so I can’t expect to be able to just scoot around and effortlessly land jumps that I haven’t worked on in years. I think from now on I’ll try to concentrate on the basic skills I’ve been told to practice and let my coach reteach me my double jumps when I’m ready.

 

It has been a very painful few days since my first skate. Evidently I overdid it, which was always going to happen as I’ve never been good at pacing myself.

Today I got the early bus so I could go and practice at 6am. In hindsight I should probably have rested until my lesson in two days time. Not long into the session it became obvious that I’d strained a couple of leg muscles. Jumps and spins were more or less out. My coach suggested I work on field moves to relax my legs for Friday. This was a sensible suggestion, however it’s been that long since I did field moves that I can’t remember any! At the moment, the only thing I feel I’ll be ready for on Friday is a stint in A&E because it feels like I’ve torn my leg muscles.

 

Today was the first time I stepped on to training ice at the rink for almost 10 years.

I stopped skating all those years back after having to stop training with my coach because of taking my GCSEs as I couldn’t get to the rink he was at anymore. I carried on for a while at another rink but it just wasn’t the same and my skills and motivation suffered.

I’ve been missing skating all these years but the idea of going back to it seemed overwhelming and I knew it wouldn’t work unless I trained with this particular coach.

A few days ago I took the plunge and looked for his contact details online. I am happy and extremely lucky that today I started my first lesson back with him.

The first half an hour or so of being on the ice was extremely painful and clumsy. I couldn’t do a lot, skating felt unnatural and my skates were causing my feet almost unbearable pain.

After a while I settled into the ice and even managed to land an axel jump (after attempts that led to me sliding around on my backside).

Lesson time. 

We started with the basics and then did single jumps up to but not including axel. Then we tried spins. I had failed miserably at doing these by myself in the session so far but my coach got them back for me very quickly. He also taught me some new ones such as Russian sit spin, A frame sit spin and broken leg sit spin. I made progress with them but my strength and fitness was a barrier to doing them very well as my legs were so tired at this point they felt like they might buckle under me.

All in all, it’s been a positive start but I think a return to the gym is in order-and a nap!

At the end of day 1 I am a very tired but very happy skater.

 

 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton