*No excuses - just do it.*

(Nb. I first started keeping a "journal" for a Facebook page - the next few posts will be a disjointed catch-up. This post should be dated September  2012)


I'm a skater. A year after first stepping a (very wobbly) foot onto the ice, I feel I'm finally almost justified in saying that.

Ok, not a great skater, not even a good skater. But a skater, nonetheless. And if I ever learn to take my own advice, maybe I can one day claim to be a "good skater".

I'm finally starting to string elements together in a step sequence, and while it's untidy, ungainly and pretty slow, it is starting to come together.

And today I discovered that I'm starting to have more confidence in my own ability, which I think is what's led to the fact that I've recently been picking up new things a lot easier and more quickly than I used to. Skating is 90% psychological, I'm certain of that.

This skating malarkey has been one hell of a journey so far and it started in the most random way possible.

In my other life, I'm a newspaper reporter. The best thing about the job is every day is different, and often, you wake up with no idea what the rest of the day will bring.

In my four years doing the job, the stories have been good, bad and downright ugly.

I've met circus freaks, been lifted by a strongman, met former Boro FC star, the lovely Juninho, and Dermot O'Leary while covering the X Factor auditions, I've taken a doomed ride on a boat, in which we wound up stranded out to sea because of bad weather - and wet to boot - and at the other end of the scale, I've covered grisly murder cases at court and interviewed bereaved families.

I've also taken my fair share of phonecalls and visits from the region's weird and wonderful, including a man just the other day who
had a dispute with his mate over how many tables used to be in a long-closed social club, and wanted me to adjudicate.

But back to the skating. It came about because I was sent to interview my now coach. He used to be on telly, you see, and now we'd bagged him at the local rink.

And lo, it led to happy times, sad times, frustrating times - but mainly happy times.

So I am a true adult skater - not one of these "pseudo adult skaters" who actually skated as a child and recently started again.

I'm pleased that I'm the sort of person who keeps a journal. If I didn't, I think I would have forgotten how hard even basic forward skating used to be for me, not even that long ago. If I feel useless at not being able to grasp a backward twizzle (hello, last week's lesson), I only have to look back to July 2011 when I said: "Lesson 3. Balance has improved a bit and I can usually at least hold my one-foot glide for the three seconds now, on my left foot anyway. Coach tried to teach me outside 3 turns - major fail."

So, you see, the improvements do come.

For me, the biggest challenge thus far has been overcoming fear. And it's so stupid because I don't even know WHAT I fear. I've never been able to put my finger on it. Perhaps it's looking an idiot, maybe it's breaking a bone, but I don't think so. I think it's just fear of the unknown. My coach says those magic words often: "Just do it". He's so right. He sees anything else as an excuse - harsh but usually fair.

Ok, so, I'm also pretty competitive by nature, and I hate not being the best! That probably puts me off trying in front of other people. Thinking I'll have to get over that one....:-D

Welcome to my journey - it's going to be rocky.