Starting over yet again

The plan for today included me going down to the skate shop to pick up the replacement skates but I got a message from them early in the morning to tell me that the Jackson representative said that it was normal for the hooks to move a bit when you heat mold them. I was assured that the hooks are still stable and the skates are under warranty so if I have problems in the future, they will fix or replace. I wanted to get on a public session to start the process of getting used to new boots and blades but I also don't want to get hurt again so I double checked the stability of the hooks and they seem pretty solid.

I went to the Sport Stable for a one hour public session and had pretty low expectations for my first time out. I started with edges and then worked my way up to some crossovers and field moves. Once things started to feel okay, I did some small waltz jumps and a salchow or two. Here's what I've noticed: I HAVE A ROCKER NOW!!!! So, you know how my spins are super travel-y? They aren't anymore. I have a nice rocker now and I can easily get to it (and stay on it!). Every single one of my spins felt awesome! Another thing I noticed is that my edge jumps feel safe but I'm terrified of toe jumps. I did a toe loop by the boards and took a HUGE chunk out of the ice when I picked in. These cross-cut toe picks are super grabby and it doesn't seem like I need to pick in as hard as I did with my straight-cut picks. This will take some time to get used to. But damn, these skates are nice. I feel FANCY!

I ended up only skating for 45 minutes out of the hour because things started to hurt. Oddly, my injured calf didn't hurt at all but instead, my left leg where the plates and screws are was the area where I felt some pain. I think I need to play around with the lacing to see what's going to give me the support I need without putting too much pressure on that area. Once I get that figured out, I think I'll be in a good place with these skates. I was really expecting my most recent injury to give me grief but it actually felt good today. I've been keeping up with my PT so that's helped.

So, now I need to get signed up on the new contract and get back to my regular practice schedule and lessons. I've been doing a lot of thinking about Sectionals in March and I just don't think I'm going to do it. I think I'm out for the rest of the season (which sadly will result in a DNQ for the Adult Competition Series). This will give me some time to recover, work on getting back to basics, and work on improving skills to get ready for the next competition season. I don't want to push myself like I did over the summer. I was miserable and ended up with an injury. I need to rest my body, mind, and spirit so I can come back even stronger. I want to scrap the Star Wars program and start fresh next season with something new and different. I have a dress, I have music, and I have the desire to kick some ass!