topic Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce in Community Chat

Giving it another try today. Deuce

hckynut — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:15:28 GMT

Thank you to the many that posted to my original thread with this title. Give you a short(for me) synopsis of my trip to the ice rink. Being over 75 means anyone that age skates free, a good thing.

Entered onto the ice from a players bench were there is no plexiglass so I was close to being able to grab the boards. No problem getting on so I started by standing still on 1 foot at a time to test my balance. Them moved slowly down the boards doing the same while moving.

Felt much better, balance wise, than my last visit skating and leaving with a fractured right upper rib. Little by little I could easily tell my Physical Balance Therapy, along with my hours of working on it at home, had paid dividends for me.

I actually felt like I could say "I skated" as opposed to "I can no longer skate". While I did not feel anywhere close to my former skating, I actually felt comfortable skating once again. Since my physical fitness is in the excellent condition now, I had no issues with leg fatigue or lack of oxygen while skating.

I was able to skate/crossover to turn for close to 15 minutes without stopping. Did have 1 almost when my right knee kinda went partially away, but was able to maintain my balance without falling. Analyzed why my knee was an issue and think I know how to work on it.

Overall I was/am overjoyed with my improvement and once again "think" of myself as a skater. Will skate more often in coming weeks without letting getting overconfident in my skating abilities. I just want to skate and get to a point where I can say I am 100% comfortable doing this activity that I love doing.

There will be no slowdown of my balancing workouts at home, along with sticking with my Cardio/Strength and Flexibility Exercises, along with time for Inverting on my Teeter Table, and time for doing my "Mental Imagery" of me skating with ease.

Will I fall again? I would be foolish to think I won't as that comes with any skater, an old man or a prime age skater. Hopefully things will keep improving the more I actually skate, and if I do fall, that my instincts to best protect the most vulnerable parts of my body still work well.

Thanks to all of you that were concerned about my decision, and to those that felt my decision was a positive move. My wife asked when I got home and when I told her that "she would recognize my skating once again". She was as overjoyed as I was when I told her. She too was uncertain about my decision, but also knew the amount of work I had put in for this very reason.

Wishing you all the best and thank you one more time.

An overjoyed and happy:

hckynut(john)

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

Carmie — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:20:34 GMT

That"s great. Be proud of all your effort, it paid off.

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

beach-mom — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:27:26 GMT

@hckynut - I am SO happy for both of you! When we have a goal to work towards it makes it all the sweeter when we do it! I'm so glad you had such a good time on the ice again! I don't know your background. I assumed you liked hockey. Did you play at one time?

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

goldensrbest — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:31:23 GMT

Glad you were able to skate once again.

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

SaRina — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:33:27 GMT

High five!!

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

alliswell — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:37:22 GMT

Congratulations@hckynut!!! Good job!!!

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

meallen616 — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:38:41 GMT

So happy for you,

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

riley1 — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:43:39 GMT

Your hard work has certainly paid off - good going!!

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

qvcfreak — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:46:52 GMT

I'm excited for you, hard work pays off.

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

wonderfulworld — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:43:48 GMT

Kudos to you John. Mentally it means everything to change your perception of self from one who 'used to be a d***n good skater' ( as I know you were if you were a ref) to someone who is 'still a skater'. A big hurdle!!!

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

SahmIam — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:49:26 GMT

Your hard work is paying off, that's for sure. Here's to your enjoyment and skill knowing no bounds. : )

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

QueenDanceALot — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:55:02 GMT

YAY FOR YOU!!!

That's just great, John. Just freaking great!!

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

Lindsays Grandma — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:56:21 GMT

Gotta hand it to you John...you are as stubborn as they come and that is why you succeed. Happy skating.:smileywink:

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

Lindsays Grandma — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 22:58:05 GMT

Whoops, the emoticon didn't

@Lindsays Grandma wrote:
Gotta hand it to you John...you are as stubborn as they come and that is why you succeed. Happy skating.:smileywink:

work.

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

LyndaGee — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 23:07:25 GMT

Neat! Sounds like you are making good progress. Good for you for pursuing something you enjoy.

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

sandraskates — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 02:25:22 GMT

Hooray for you @hckynut ! Are you using hockey skates or did you retry in figure skates?

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

hckynut — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 06:43:26 GMT

@sandraskates wrote:
Hooray for you @hckynut ! Are you using hockey skates or did you retry in figure skates?

@sandraskates

Thank you for your cheer! I have never worn figure skates in my life, just hockey skates. I always kept 2 pair as a "just in case" when I was doing 20-25 games a week as a ref. Lose an edge 1 night and have games the next day right after work and didn't have time to get them sharpened.

Present pair I used in during this attempt to regain some semblance of skating, was a backup pair that are just barely broken in for my feet. Never rented skates and my friends had only hockey skates I could borrow before I saved enough to buy my own? Was 8 years old when I bought my own with my paper route money?

Found out that the rink has more days of skating than just Thursdays. So I will be going again tomorrow(Monday) and also Tuesday this week. If I can skate 2-3 times a week I would absolutely love it, and would hope to keep improving, to a certain point anyways.

Thank you very much for telling me your story about your skating history, it was inspiring to me during my working hard to make my attempt last Thursday. I appreciate your support, especially coming from someone that understands skating and also loved doing so.

I think once skating gets into the blood, and in my case, hockey played a big role in my life, especially when I started my own Adult League and ran it all by myself for over 52 years. From being a player/Starting and running my league, and being a Ref for over 30 of those years, hockey was my hobby/my business, and a huge part of my life.

Me best to you,

hckynut(john)

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

deedledeedeedle — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 09:57:31 GMT

You rock, John.

from a fellow hockey lover from Hockeytown,

dee

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

violann — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 12:36:32 GMT

Can't begin to describe how ELATED I AM about your post, John.

Re: Giving it another try today. Deuce

hckynut — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 23:52:33 GMT

@deedledeedeedle

Hockeytown, hmmm? Now I am a Rangers fan since the early 1960's, butt!! Hockeytown in the US I still consider to be in Michigan, like Detroit maybe! The home of Mr. Hockey.

hckynut(john)