ICE SKATING 101

7 . 7 . 12

I’ve now been ice skating three times and it’s hard to quit now after getting over the worst part of it. I find it quite different than what I was expecting. My first thought was that ice is slippery and I would fall immediately. So I grasped the wall with all of my strength as a self defense tactic to stop me from falling. I almost gave up completely. I had been on the ice 15 minutes and my left arm was dead tired from supporting all of my weight. My foot ached because I roll it to the side when I walk and I could not sustain pressure evenly distributed across the soul of the shoe. I thought I was done. The instructor told me to try hockey skates next time. And sure enough that worked.

The second time was different. I was able to keep my skates straight. Still I supported too much of my weight as I continued to do what the instructor told me to do: Take small steps. I went in 20 feet intervals taking baby steps and it was quite exhausting. I hadn’t exercised in weeks not to mention skating uses muscles you never have used before. I continued with the baby steps to the third session, staying near the wall and circling the rink 5 times in the hour I was there. Towards the end I was able to maintain my balance and take the baby steps without holding the wall, which was a moral victory for me.

I have yet to fall on the ice. I think that overcoming the fear of falling is important in learning to skate. But that’s a story for a different day.