Battle Bremen

Well, I don't want to get in the habit of waiting ages between posts and then apologizing for the lack of content in the interim, so let's just pretend that it hasn't been long and that I've been regaling you with interesting and useful thoughts on slalom this whole time. :)

We went to a battle in Bremen, and before the weekend, I was thinking about not taking part at all (*gasp*) because I hadn't been skating at all for a couple of weeks (*bigger gasp*) because I honestly hadn't felt like it whatsoever (*biggest gasp of all*). The reason for this is that I realized in the midst of a real training session that I was no longer taking any pleasure from slalom skating and that I was just doing it because I felt like I had to, which is of course not true. So I stopped rather suddenly, and didn't train or skate for a few weeks. Without slalom, frankly, I felt a bit empty. So, I learned a valuable lesson from my trial separation from slalom, and I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon.

In retrospect, I think having a break was actually a good thing for physical reasons also, because the twinges of knee pain that had been creeping in during my early-spring training bonanza have now disappeared, and I suspect that they were the result of overuse. I have a borderline reverent respect for the human knee and always take care to avoid messing mine up, as it's not something that is easily rehabilitated and you're born with the only two.

But anyway, I digress. Bremen was fun, and even though my classic run was a mess, I'm glad I got to do it. I think I need to go back into it and take out some things that are just too hard. It pains me to do it, because I can do all those tricks when I'm practicing, just not all together in a formal run set to music. That's frustrating, but that's life.

This is also a nice lesson for me from taking part in competition, which is something that I've been debating stopping for quite some time. However I reached a milestone in Bremen and was actually able to relax a little while skating in the battle. I was not good in the final, but it was a huge victory for me to be able to actually enjoy myself instead of just make it through the experience. Saturday morning I was still thinking I wouldn't register at all, but then I realized that I would only be disappointing myself, so I went ahead and took part, and I'm really glad I did. I still had some nerves in my stomach, but I didn't have them in my head, which was quite tolerable, and more akin to the lovely nervous butterflies I used to have before going out on stage in a play. Those nerves I used to experience in theater were healthy, stimulating nerves, and that's what I hope I can eventually have when skating. I think skating in Bremen was a big step towards this, and I look forward to this weekend in Le Havre for (hopefully) more of the same, or (even more hopefully) an even better feeling.

The biggest help to me in terms of coping with nervousness better was (of course) something that Tim said to me. He mentioned to me how he thought I only started getting so nervous after I got sponsorship, and I think he's right. Because of that, I have felt an imperative to be good and that I need to win competitions, when in fact I wasn't advanced when I was originally sponsored. Tim said the important thing for me to do is just to skate like I can and do, because I am showing my slalom, not my competition result. He's right, of course, and remembering that really helped me feel more at ease in the battle.

This battle in Bremen actually had a lot of characteristics in common with the battle in Le Havre last year, for me, anyway. I unknowingly did a stupid final trick, same as I did last year in Le Havre. Whoops. Not that it would have changed the result (it wouldn't have), but my choice was the result of me not knowing the strategy of a final trick. This time I went for 20 cone screw, but 10 toe-heel and 10 toe-toe. I always thought that if a final trick was a combo that it would count as one trick if it showed no transition. But apparently changing from heel to toe counts as a transition because the foot goes flat for a second in between screws. If I had jumped from heel to toe then it would have counted as one trick. *shakes head* Whatever, now I know! And now you do, too. :)

Well, my slalom is far from finished. I'm still working on a lot of wheelings and wheeling transitions, and all I want is consistency! With these tricks at the moment, I am consistently inconsistent. Watching the men's battle competition was inspiring...the level that they are at with wheelings is leaps and bounds above the women, in general. In Western Europe, anyway. :)

As far as style goes, I think my skating is looking pretty good. It feels really good to do, anyway. Nothing holds me back anymore. I used to have hiccups and slow-downs and awkward moments, and now I feel like I am flying through the cones most of the time, totally free. That's the best feeling.

Except for on 50's. I still have to get that flying feeling on 50's.

Okay, I have a new goal! Flying feeling on fifties! 1-2-3 go!

Well I'm off to go chase that feeling. Thanks for reading this, and have fun skating!
xoxoxo
meg