Saturday, May 9, 2009

this is my new blog

i am starting this after thinking about starting it for a long time. i used to write a blog, but i didn't really care for it after awhile because it was so dramatic.

this i want to use to document my process as an inline skater, and to record some things about my travels and life in general. i think my life is pretty interesting, so i think it will work out all right.

i don't take lots of pictures or video, but i need to, so this will also be good for that. inspiring me to do that, anyway. i have only just recently gotten to a level where i'm not entirely embarrassed to see myself skate on video, so i don't think it will be too painful now. it's just that sometimes what i feel i am doing and what it looks like are two different things. it's frustrating, but since i am getting better, it's not as bad as it used to be.

i need to be more diligent about having a practiced routine, not that i am required to use it anywhere, but just so that i have one to fall back on or rely on if i want. the extent of any planning i do within the cones now is in basic little combos, nothing much. i have tried to work on the variety of tricks i call upon in any given run, but if i have a nice, well-rounded routine i can make sure i cover all the bases. my biggest problem here is that my skating becomes choppy when i think of moves individually. it all has to be part of a cohesive whole. the best is when i am skating without thinking and moves i have practiced well simply come together in new ways. i think that is when i look the smoothest. if i practice a routine enough times then perhaps i will do it without thinking...but also i fear doing ONLY the routine and incapable of creative freestyle.

perhaps i just need to suck it up and stop avoiding it, because it will only push me forward creatively and technically to master a set of moves in a certain order that i would not usually do.

today i practiced simple, quick freestyles through the cones. easy moves linked together smoothly like cross, nelson, stroll, mabrouk, italian, curly link, volte, etc. i kept them simple on purpose because i wanted to work only on my speed and smoothness through the cones. i focused on keeping the rhythm of tricks interesting and even...consistency of speed is more important than i've previously given thought to...the sunset slalom video is a great example of the sort of energy i was going for...more technical tricks are always fun to master, but i think i want to focus more on the aesthetics of my skating than i have been recently (i have been on a quest to learn and perfect the highly technical tricks).

skating this way today was very rewarding...i felt that the technical tricks like screw and heel-toe screw actually came to fruition more easily because i wasn't pushing for them, i was just letting them happen as a result of where my feet were at any given moment. i still can't corkscrew all down a line of cones, but i am getting a feel for traveling as time goes on. for now i think it's better to just go around one or two cones nicely than to push so hard to make cone 3 that it looks painful to all those who watch. of course, in practice, i go for it, and i am more consistently making it around 4 cones. for some reason 4 cones is the magic number for me with these moves...the day i corkscrew around that fifth cone will be a good day. i think with these i still need more knee bend...more knee bend, for sure.

wheeling is coming along. on my toes i can usually travel a minimum of 3 cones and a maximum of 5 or 6 if i am lucky. this is not great...in the rink i am getting great at wheeling down the length of a quarter to a half the way around the rink before i need to come off the wheel...it's much easier in a straight line than thru a line of 20 cones...however i realize that if i think of using my edges while wheeling i am much more successful. i think more than anything it is a fear i need to get over...fear that the edge of one wheel is insufficient for me to propel myself and slalom thru...but i think it's just fine if i believe it is. heels are at about the same level....but i am poor with left toe.

footgun is getting loads better. it's still not strong or good, but it's coming along definitely.

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