I visited to the Orthopedist today and he has given me his blessing to take off the boot and start wearing regular shoes. In all honesty, I've been walking around without the boot for the past few days. It doesn't hurt much when I'm wearing shoes because those typically have a bit of a heel but walking barefoot still smarts. He said he wants me to start some PT for 2-6 weeks depending on how well I progress and then, toward the middle or end of November, I can get back on the ice.
My plan is to add walking back into my daily routine (I was doing 6,000 steps a day before the injury but I might now have to start slow and build back up to that), pick up my new boots and blades, and start back on the ice unofficially in mid to late November. Nothing fancy. Just edges mostly until I start feeling more capable. The last thing I want to do is re-injure myself and have to start from scratch. Then, I will make an official return to the ice in January (with a contract) and start back at lessons again. I figure two months will be enough to get comfortable again on the ice and get used to new skates.
I'm still planning on doing Sectionals in March and since I've been away from the ice I'll be keeping my Star Wars program because I won't have time to learn something new. However...I have ideas swimming around in my head for something fun for my next freeskate program. I already bought the dress and I'm thinking outside of the box on this one. Something....dark.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Monday, October 7, 2019
Update!
I had a follow-up appointment at the orthopedist's office today! He pretty much asked me if it still hurts and then felt my calf for a bit before making the declaration that I need to remain in the boot for another 3 weeks. At that time, he'll look at me again and consider removing one of the heel wedges in the boot to gradually get me walking normally again. This tells me he'll have me stay in the boot for some time after he removes the wedge. Sigh.
I'm getting around better, though, and he gave me his blessing to walk in the boot without having to use crutches. But he ordered me to rest when I can and avoid moving as much as possible. Basically, I should only walk when necessary.
I'm bored out of my mind, though. I haven't sat around this much in a long time. But, I'm getting a lot of reading done on the weekends since I really have nothing else to do on my days off.
So yeah, I'm still in the boot and then I'll be in the boot for some time after that. I am a prisoner of the boot...
I'm getting around better, though, and he gave me his blessing to walk in the boot without having to use crutches. But he ordered me to rest when I can and avoid moving as much as possible. Basically, I should only walk when necessary.
I'm bored out of my mind, though. I haven't sat around this much in a long time. But, I'm getting a lot of reading done on the weekends since I really have nothing else to do on my days off.
So yeah, I'm still in the boot and then I'll be in the boot for some time after that. I am a prisoner of the boot...
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Not Again!
I'm hurt...again. I've have some little injuries all summer but this time I'm really hurt and I'll be off the ice for bit. This sucks!
On Sunday evening I was messing around with some floor jumps at home. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. I practice floor jumps at home all the time. I usually start with the easiest jumps and work my way up to the harder ones. I did one waltz jump and it was okay so I did another. When I landed the second one, I came down on my landing leg a goofy way and I heard an audible "pop" in my right calf and then I was on the floor unable to get up. I was home alone at the time since my husband was at work so I had to crawl to my phone and text him about it. I wasn't able to put any weight on my right leg and the pain was increasing. When he finally got home, I told him I wanted to just wait until Monday morning to go to the orthopedist instead of going to the ER that night. I figured they would just send me to the ortho anyway so let's just skip the ER (and the copay) and go right to the people who can actually help me. Luckily, I still have my crutches, boot, and scooter from when I broke my leg two years ago so I can at least be mobile.
So, on Monday afternoon, I went to the ortho's office and saw the same doctor who fixed my leg a couple of years ago. It's no surprise that he remembered me. In fact, I think they all know me now. I was just there four weeks ago for the hand surgery. Ugh. Embarrassing. They did an x-ray to make sure there were no broken bones but, from what I was describing to them, they initially thought I ruptured my Achilles. X-rays came back fine so they started poking and prodding my right ankle/calf. They pressed my Achilles and my foot moved on its own so they determined that it wasn't an Achilles injury (thankfully, because that would have required surgery). However, it looks like I tore a calf muscle so they put a wedge in my boot and ordered me to stay off the ice for at least 6 weeks. Damn.
I'm just...I have no words right now. I spent the whole summer battling some kind of pain and now this. I finally had a really good lesson on Saturday and I did well at my competition the week before that. I was really starting to feel like I turned the corner on all this bad luck I've been having.
I went to the rink yesterday to tell my coach in person what the diagnosis was (but mostly I just wanted to be at the rink). It feels like home to me. I love the smell and I could watch people skate all day and never tire of it. All I wanted was to get on the ice with them and work on stuff. Sigh.
So, I may not update as frequently as I usually do because there really won't be anything to update about. I just have to sit around and wait for this to heal. It might be a nice little break and maybe I really do need to just sit around and not push myself for a while. I've made comebacks before, I'll make one again. As far as my new boots/blades go, I asked them to just keep them aside for me. I'll be back to get them but I can't fit my stupid foot in them now so I'll need to wait a couple of months in order to try them on and get blades mounted and such. That's another disappointment.
On Sunday evening I was messing around with some floor jumps at home. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. I practice floor jumps at home all the time. I usually start with the easiest jumps and work my way up to the harder ones. I did one waltz jump and it was okay so I did another. When I landed the second one, I came down on my landing leg a goofy way and I heard an audible "pop" in my right calf and then I was on the floor unable to get up. I was home alone at the time since my husband was at work so I had to crawl to my phone and text him about it. I wasn't able to put any weight on my right leg and the pain was increasing. When he finally got home, I told him I wanted to just wait until Monday morning to go to the orthopedist instead of going to the ER that night. I figured they would just send me to the ortho anyway so let's just skip the ER (and the copay) and go right to the people who can actually help me. Luckily, I still have my crutches, boot, and scooter from when I broke my leg two years ago so I can at least be mobile.
So, on Monday afternoon, I went to the ortho's office and saw the same doctor who fixed my leg a couple of years ago. It's no surprise that he remembered me. In fact, I think they all know me now. I was just there four weeks ago for the hand surgery. Ugh. Embarrassing. They did an x-ray to make sure there were no broken bones but, from what I was describing to them, they initially thought I ruptured my Achilles. X-rays came back fine so they started poking and prodding my right ankle/calf. They pressed my Achilles and my foot moved on its own so they determined that it wasn't an Achilles injury (thankfully, because that would have required surgery). However, it looks like I tore a calf muscle so they put a wedge in my boot and ordered me to stay off the ice for at least 6 weeks. Damn.
I'm just...I have no words right now. I spent the whole summer battling some kind of pain and now this. I finally had a really good lesson on Saturday and I did well at my competition the week before that. I was really starting to feel like I turned the corner on all this bad luck I've been having.
I went to the rink yesterday to tell my coach in person what the diagnosis was (but mostly I just wanted to be at the rink). It feels like home to me. I love the smell and I could watch people skate all day and never tire of it. All I wanted was to get on the ice with them and work on stuff. Sigh.
So, I may not update as frequently as I usually do because there really won't be anything to update about. I just have to sit around and wait for this to heal. It might be a nice little break and maybe I really do need to just sit around and not push myself for a while. I've made comebacks before, I'll make one again. As far as my new boots/blades go, I asked them to just keep them aside for me. I'll be back to get them but I can't fit my stupid foot in them now so I'll need to wait a couple of months in order to try them on and get blades mounted and such. That's another disappointment.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Moves Lesson
Today was my first lesson with Christopher since the competition and we got right to work on Silver Moves per my request. We didn't have time for all of them but we looked at the first three moves.
8 Step Mohawk - I've just been practicing this on the hockey circle and haven't yet done it in the full proper pattern so today we did just that and holy cow, it's so different! I didn't realize how big this thing actually is. I mean, it pretty much takes up most of the rink. Geez. So I did better going clockwise than the other way and there were a few missteps especially in regards to that outside mohawk. I'll keep practicing it in the full pattern slowly and work my way up to full speed. It will be a challenge to get all the steps even.
Forward and Backward Cross Strokes - Some corrections on this but it's still the best of all of the Silver moves. He wants me to emphasize the underpush going forward and watch that I get on an edge and not on the toepick going backwards. Later in my practice after the lesson I felt like I was getting a better hang of this.
FO-BI Three Turns - My LBI is still pretty weak and he pointed out that I'm rushing it in an attempt to just get it over with. Yes, that's a true statement! So we worked a bit on making sure I'm turning my torso and head along with the turn instead of forcing it.
Flip Jump - At the tail end of our lesson he wanted to see some jumps so I suggested the flip jump since that has been put on the back burner lately. We worked a bit on getting that pick in and draw so I'm not two-footing the takeoff. This needs so much more work.
Today was one of the better lessons I've had lately! I told him that next week I really want to work on the power pulls since I've been struggling so much with the forward ones. My new boots/blades should be arriving on Monday and on Saturday I'll go in to try them on and get the blades temporarily mounted. Good stuff!
8 Step Mohawk - I've just been practicing this on the hockey circle and haven't yet done it in the full proper pattern so today we did just that and holy cow, it's so different! I didn't realize how big this thing actually is. I mean, it pretty much takes up most of the rink. Geez. So I did better going clockwise than the other way and there were a few missteps especially in regards to that outside mohawk. I'll keep practicing it in the full pattern slowly and work my way up to full speed. It will be a challenge to get all the steps even.
Forward and Backward Cross Strokes - Some corrections on this but it's still the best of all of the Silver moves. He wants me to emphasize the underpush going forward and watch that I get on an edge and not on the toepick going backwards. Later in my practice after the lesson I felt like I was getting a better hang of this.
FO-BI Three Turns - My LBI is still pretty weak and he pointed out that I'm rushing it in an attempt to just get it over with. Yes, that's a true statement! So we worked a bit on making sure I'm turning my torso and head along with the turn instead of forcing it.
Flip Jump - At the tail end of our lesson he wanted to see some jumps so I suggested the flip jump since that has been put on the back burner lately. We worked a bit on getting that pick in and draw so I'm not two-footing the takeoff. This needs so much more work.
Today was one of the better lessons I've had lately! I told him that next week I really want to work on the power pulls since I've been struggling so much with the forward ones. My new boots/blades should be arriving on Monday and on Saturday I'll go in to try them on and get the blades temporarily mounted. Good stuff!
Friday, September 20, 2019
Moves, Jumps, Boots, and Blades
I practiced this morning and it was productive. I worked on the usual things and then I revisited some elements that I've had to set aside in order to focus on competition/testing.
Movez - After my off-ice and on-ice warm ups I started working on Silver Moves. I didn't work on the alternating spirals because it was kind of a busy session and it's scary enough when the ice is practically empty. I spent a lot of time on the 3 turn patterns, though. I have all but 1 of the 4 backward 3 turns. I'm really struggling with the LBO turn. I make it around but I skid a bit and then immediately put my free foot down. I'll have Christopher take a look tomorrow during our lesson to see if he can fix me. Moving on, I worked a bit on the 8 step mohawk in both directions and just did them on a hockey circle. I'm not ready for the full pattern yet. Cross steps were okay so I only ran them a couple of times before moving on to the power pulls. I like that these are getting easier going backwards but I still can't do them well forwards. I wish I had training wheels for this move. It really feels like I'm too much on my heel and it's going to slip out from under me. Scary.
Spinz - I did all of them. Meh.
Jumpz - I realized that it's been a while since I did some flip jumps so I made sure those got worked on today. I did some flips by themselves and then some flip-toe combos. Speaking of combos, I did many today. Loop-toe was fine, toe loop-loop was better, and I even did some salchow-loops which were surprisingly not the worst thing ever. I would really like to get my flip comfortable enough that I can do it in combination with a loop jump. I think if I were able to replace the loop-toe loop from my compulsory moves with a flip-loop, that would be badass.
New Skatez - When I was at the competition this past weekend, the place that sharpens my skates was a vendor and I stopped by their stall to talk about options for new boots and blades. I've had these skates since 2005!!! I mean, it's not like I've been skating in them that long. I took 10 years off from skating so really I have a total of close to 3 years worth of skating in them. It's time to get something new. The blades have maybe one more sharpening left and the boots are broken down to the point that they are loose at the ankles (not safe). I know that, bladewise, I want to upgrade slightly from my Jackson Protege blade to the new Legacy 8. It's pretty similar in profile but it's lighter and has cross cut picks. But when I thought about choosing a new boot, I was originally thinking I wanted to stick with another pair of Riedell Silver Stars but Christopher and the skate vendor convinced me that Jackson is the way to go. I chose the Jackson Premiere Fusion (even though all of those lace hooks feel intimidating). It's a nice intermediate boot that seems appropriate for my level. Plus, I can't lie, it's a pretty boot! So she measured me for everything and ordered them for me and I'll go down to their shop in another week to see how they feel on my feet. The whole idea of getting completely new and different equipment is terrifying! I know there is a learning curve and some adjustments I'll have to make with my skating but I'm scared. I've really only ever been in my current boot/blade. I have no idea what to expect from all of this. It's exciting though! I think I'll feel safer too knowing that I'm not at risk for another injury.
Movez - After my off-ice and on-ice warm ups I started working on Silver Moves. I didn't work on the alternating spirals because it was kind of a busy session and it's scary enough when the ice is practically empty. I spent a lot of time on the 3 turn patterns, though. I have all but 1 of the 4 backward 3 turns. I'm really struggling with the LBO turn. I make it around but I skid a bit and then immediately put my free foot down. I'll have Christopher take a look tomorrow during our lesson to see if he can fix me. Moving on, I worked a bit on the 8 step mohawk in both directions and just did them on a hockey circle. I'm not ready for the full pattern yet. Cross steps were okay so I only ran them a couple of times before moving on to the power pulls. I like that these are getting easier going backwards but I still can't do them well forwards. I wish I had training wheels for this move. It really feels like I'm too much on my heel and it's going to slip out from under me. Scary.
Spinz - I did all of them. Meh.
Jumpz - I realized that it's been a while since I did some flip jumps so I made sure those got worked on today. I did some flips by themselves and then some flip-toe combos. Speaking of combos, I did many today. Loop-toe was fine, toe loop-loop was better, and I even did some salchow-loops which were surprisingly not the worst thing ever. I would really like to get my flip comfortable enough that I can do it in combination with a loop jump. I think if I were able to replace the loop-toe loop from my compulsory moves with a flip-loop, that would be badass.
New Skatez - When I was at the competition this past weekend, the place that sharpens my skates was a vendor and I stopped by their stall to talk about options for new boots and blades. I've had these skates since 2005!!! I mean, it's not like I've been skating in them that long. I took 10 years off from skating so really I have a total of close to 3 years worth of skating in them. It's time to get something new. The blades have maybe one more sharpening left and the boots are broken down to the point that they are loose at the ankles (not safe). I know that, bladewise, I want to upgrade slightly from my Jackson Protege blade to the new Legacy 8. It's pretty similar in profile but it's lighter and has cross cut picks. But when I thought about choosing a new boot, I was originally thinking I wanted to stick with another pair of Riedell Silver Stars but Christopher and the skate vendor convinced me that Jackson is the way to go. I chose the Jackson Premiere Fusion (even though all of those lace hooks feel intimidating). It's a nice intermediate boot that seems appropriate for my level. Plus, I can't lie, it's a pretty boot! So she measured me for everything and ordered them for me and I'll go down to their shop in another week to see how they feel on my feet. The whole idea of getting completely new and different equipment is terrifying! I know there is a learning curve and some adjustments I'll have to make with my skating but I'm scared. I've really only ever been in my current boot/blade. I have no idea what to expect from all of this. It's exciting though! I think I'll feel safer too knowing that I'm not at risk for another injury.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Movin'
Today was the first practice in a long time where I had absolutely no pressure to work on stuff. I have no competitions coming up, I'm done testing for a while, and now I can just plug away at things and relax. I did jumps and spins toward the end of my practice and I ran my compulsory moves once but I mostly spent the hour working on Silver Moves.
Eight Step Mohawk - Since it's been a while, I just stuck to one of the hockey circles and did these slowly in both directions. Man, that outside mohawk is terrifying. It feels unnatural. Oddly, the CW side was more smooth and I was able to even out the steps enough to have a nice cadence going on. The CCW side, however, is very choppy and uneven. This will take some work. Once I get the steps solid and evened out a bit, I will do the full pattern out in center ice as it should be.
Forward & Backward Cross Strokes - This is the only move that I can do from beginning to end. I mean, it still needs work for it to look proper but I can at least get through the whole thing from start to finish. My backward cross strokes are feeling better but I know they aren't perfect yet. I've made progress in the sense that I'm at least stepping on to an edge rather than stepping back onto my toepick.
FO-BI 3 Turns - I did all of the 3 turn patterns on the blue line rather than down the length of the rink because I want to make sure I'm placing the turns at the top of each lobe and it's just easier to see that on a line. These were okay since I've been working on them all summer but it's still pretty evident which side is my strong side.
FI-BO 3 Turns - These were kind of a mess because I spent the summer only working on the FO-BI 3 turns because I needed the BI 3 turns for compulsory moves. So, really, today was the first time I've touched these since July and it showed. They were really sloppy especially on my bad side. I'm still struggling with the LBO turns. Sigh. I'll need to dedicate more time to these.
Consecutive Outside & Inside Spirals - I've been neglecting these as well. They felt very unstable.
Forward & Backward Power Pulls - Ugh, I hate these! Remember how much I hated the Forward Circle 8 when I first started working on it for Bronze Moves? It's just like that all over again. The backward pulls aren't so bad and I know they will get better the more I work on them but those forward power pulls seem impossible to me right now. But so did the Circle 8 and it ended up being the highest scored element on my Bronze test. I can only hope that I have the same outcome with these. I know bending my knees will help and I know that there is a certain rhythm you should have with the down-up-down movement but my body won't cooperate at all. Fingers crossed it gets better.
Overall, it was a productive practice and it was the most relaxed I've been on the ice in a long time. It was refreshing. When I was at the competition this past weekend, I told Christopher that I was thinking of not doing the Aspen Invitational in December and instead just competing at Sectionals in March. I think that would give me a nice break from the pressure I've been feeling lately. The summer just kind of burnt me out a bit. I had my Bronze Moves test in June, the Free Skate test in August, and then I was trying to train for CSI in September while also recovering from hand surgery. It was a lot to work on and work through and I'm looking forward to a couple of months of just practicing for fun :)
Eight Step Mohawk - Since it's been a while, I just stuck to one of the hockey circles and did these slowly in both directions. Man, that outside mohawk is terrifying. It feels unnatural. Oddly, the CW side was more smooth and I was able to even out the steps enough to have a nice cadence going on. The CCW side, however, is very choppy and uneven. This will take some work. Once I get the steps solid and evened out a bit, I will do the full pattern out in center ice as it should be.
Forward & Backward Cross Strokes - This is the only move that I can do from beginning to end. I mean, it still needs work for it to look proper but I can at least get through the whole thing from start to finish. My backward cross strokes are feeling better but I know they aren't perfect yet. I've made progress in the sense that I'm at least stepping on to an edge rather than stepping back onto my toepick.
FO-BI 3 Turns - I did all of the 3 turn patterns on the blue line rather than down the length of the rink because I want to make sure I'm placing the turns at the top of each lobe and it's just easier to see that on a line. These were okay since I've been working on them all summer but it's still pretty evident which side is my strong side.
FI-BO 3 Turns - These were kind of a mess because I spent the summer only working on the FO-BI 3 turns because I needed the BI 3 turns for compulsory moves. So, really, today was the first time I've touched these since July and it showed. They were really sloppy especially on my bad side. I'm still struggling with the LBO turns. Sigh. I'll need to dedicate more time to these.
Consecutive Outside & Inside Spirals - I've been neglecting these as well. They felt very unstable.
Forward & Backward Power Pulls - Ugh, I hate these! Remember how much I hated the Forward Circle 8 when I first started working on it for Bronze Moves? It's just like that all over again. The backward pulls aren't so bad and I know they will get better the more I work on them but those forward power pulls seem impossible to me right now. But so did the Circle 8 and it ended up being the highest scored element on my Bronze test. I can only hope that I have the same outcome with these. I know bending my knees will help and I know that there is a certain rhythm you should have with the down-up-down movement but my body won't cooperate at all. Fingers crossed it gets better.
Overall, it was a productive practice and it was the most relaxed I've been on the ice in a long time. It was refreshing. When I was at the competition this past weekend, I told Christopher that I was thinking of not doing the Aspen Invitational in December and instead just competing at Sectionals in March. I think that would give me a nice break from the pressure I've been feeling lately. The summer just kind of burnt me out a bit. I had my Bronze Moves test in June, the Free Skate test in August, and then I was trying to train for CSI in September while also recovering from hand surgery. It was a lot to work on and work through and I'm looking forward to a couple of months of just practicing for fun :)
Monday, September 16, 2019
2019 CSI Recap - Free Skate
There were seven of us competing in the Free Skate and I was the third skater to perform. It's a good position to be in because I still felt warmed up but then I skated early enough so that I could watch the rest of my competitors perform and cheer them on. I know a lot of people don't like to skate so early in their group but I really do enjoy watching the others perform. It's so fun to see how well they do! So, while the skater before me was performing her routine, I was breathing and doing my grounding exercises. When I was called out to the ice, I was relaxed and ready to do the thing. I was confident knowing that all of my jumps, spins, and footwork went well during my four minute warm up. My mind was healthy. Pretty much I just felt like "whatever happens will happen and there is nothing you can do now but just go out there and skate your routine."
Results! I got 2nd! Silver Medal!!! It was a HUGE surprise! I remember telling my husband before they posted the results that I would be happy with 5th because I honestly felt like that's what I deserved. These other women (and one man) were excellent skaters with lovely routines. We all skated well!
The Main Event - You can see in the video that, even while I was getting into position, I was doing my breathing. It really helped! What didn't help, however, was that they started my music before I was finished setting up my starting pose. RUDE! But, I was relaxed and didn't let it freak me out. I just went with it! What else could I do, right? My opening combo was the toe loop-loop but I didn't land with my free leg in front so I wasn't in a good position for the loop. Split second decision had me completing the combo with the only thing I could fit in there, another toe loop. Again, I didn't let it rattle me but once I got off the ice I started fretting because you can only repeat a jump once and only in combo. I had one too many toe loops!!! I figured that would be a sizable deduction. Alas. Everything else went as planned, even my twizzle that wasn't working the day before had made an appearance. The stag jump that I was so worried about was less like a broke down mule and more like a cute little pony (not entirely a majestic stag but I'll take it!). Nothing fell and I ended on time with the music. I was so relieved that it was finally over! You can see that relief on my face at the end. I could breathe now! The sit spin was squatty but it was centered and I didn't fall out of it. It was an okay program that I felt deserved an okay placement. I would have been happy with anything but was not going to poo poo the silver medal that they awarded me :)
Results! I got 2nd! Silver Medal!!! It was a HUGE surprise! I remember telling my husband before they posted the results that I would be happy with 5th because I honestly felt like that's what I deserved. These other women (and one man) were excellent skaters with lovely routines. We all skated well!
The Main Event - You can see in the video that, even while I was getting into position, I was doing my breathing. It really helped! What didn't help, however, was that they started my music before I was finished setting up my starting pose. RUDE! But, I was relaxed and didn't let it freak me out. I just went with it! What else could I do, right? My opening combo was the toe loop-loop but I didn't land with my free leg in front so I wasn't in a good position for the loop. Split second decision had me completing the combo with the only thing I could fit in there, another toe loop. Again, I didn't let it rattle me but once I got off the ice I started fretting because you can only repeat a jump once and only in combo. I had one too many toe loops!!! I figured that would be a sizable deduction. Alas. Everything else went as planned, even my twizzle that wasn't working the day before had made an appearance. The stag jump that I was so worried about was less like a broke down mule and more like a cute little pony (not entirely a majestic stag but I'll take it!). Nothing fell and I ended on time with the music. I was so relieved that it was finally over! You can see that relief on my face at the end. I could breathe now! The sit spin was squatty but it was centered and I didn't fall out of it. It was an okay program that I felt deserved an okay placement. I would have been happy with anything but was not going to poo poo the silver medal that they awarded me :)
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