Who knew? Your coach was right all along...

It seems like forever since I posted anything here! It's been mainly because I've been on a minimal skating regimen for the last couple of months so I feel like I haven't even done any skating to write about really.

I put myself on a skating "time budget" before Christmas because I had two injuries that just refused to heal - neither caused directly by skating, but continuing to skate was probably the reason they persisted as long as they did.

So I decided that, as the rink would be busy out of term time anyway, it would be a good time to cut down skating to literally my half-hour lesson once a week plus one other short practice session (usually an hour), and I banned anything that really pulled on the muscles, spirals, for example.

The hip flexor injury's not bugging me anymore, but four months down the line I'm still suffering with a strained adductor..however, it's feeling like it's on the mend finally after the rest(ish) period, so, although I'm not overdoing it, I have gone back to "proper" skating this week.


I've been making sure I warm up properly before every skate (I was often guilty of getting straight onto the ice before) - running to get my heart going then stretching before I even get my skates on, and I think I've discovered an interesting side effect of the warm up: I skate better.

It's a strange little phenomenon, because as I'm running, and getting out of breath, and my legs are starting to ache, I'm always thinking "This is a terrible idea. I'm going to be too knackered to skate!"

But then every time, I've found that by getting on the ice physically warm, not shivering, and already with loosened-up joints, I instantly feel much more energised, and therefore seem to skate a little bit faster, bend my knees more and "bounce" a bit easier (I'm usually so stiff-legged).

Who knew? What our coaches are telling us is actually right - you really do seem to fare better if you warm up before skating. Haha!