Trying Ice Skating (after a 20 year break!)

[Zebra]

I am thinking about trying ice skating again.   I used to skate on a pond in the woods when I was a kid and a teenager.   I would just skate and skate around and around for hours and I loved it.   The thing is, I haven't been for almost 20 years.  I have gained, ahem, some weight since then.   One or two....or three or four....dozen pounds.  I keep imagining myself stepping on the ice, immediately falling over and breaking my ankle, and continuing to fall over directly onto my face and breaking all my teeth.   (I think I may need to drink less coffee... :lol: !)

 

But, my daughter has been learning to skate and is now good enough that it would be nice for us to go to the local rink together.   I have my old skates and I was thinking about making myself just go in and do it, maybe today before I lose my nerve.   Hopefully my car won't start.

 

Has anyone done this, and do they have any advice for me :scared: ?

[Aelwydd]

Yeah...keep your knees bendy! And have fun. :)

[Χά�ων]

Yeah...keep your knees bendy! And have fun. :)

This.

[gingersmom]

Make sure your skates don't need to be sharpened. Consider signing up for a lesson or two.

 

I did the same thing with my kids. It was fun till I fell and seriously injured my shoulder.

 

Have fun and stay close to the wall!

[jenn-]

It's like riding a bike.  It will quickly come back to you.  I used to skate a lot during the Alaskan winters, but only skate on the rarest of occasions since we moved out of Alaska many many moons ago.

[Kathryn]

My mom went to college on an ice hockey scholarship. Forty years and a hundred pounds later, she signed herself up for lessons and really enjoyed getting back into it.

[Dandelion]

Take it slow.  And wear some extra padding.   :)

[DianeW88]

I used to figure skate competitively as a kid.  I only go once every few years now (I need to change that), but it really is like riding a bike.  It all comes back to you.  I can still spin and even do a simple jump or two.  I skate circles around the teens in my youth group, and my street cred has gone up with them considerably (as they all cling to the side and shuffle along). :D

 

Go and have a great time!!

[Alte Veste Academy]

Ice skating was DD's requested birthday activity this year, so my kids went for the first time recently. DH went several times every summer as a child and had fond memories. It came right back to him! I was surprised at how much he enjoyed it. It seemed so relaxing. Oldest DS took to it right from the start because he roller blades. So DH spent lots of time going between DD and DS7. By the end, everyone was doing pretty well and just loving it. Now I think they will all four get ice skates for Christmas. The only issue DH had was that the rented skates really hurt his feet after three hours. There seemed to be zero padding. That should not be a problem for you since you own your own.

 

I got on for (literally) 3 seconds. :lol: I am a big ol' chicken, but I didn't grow up ice skating and was just terrible at roller skating. I will be in charge of cocoa packing. LOL I like the idea of DH having some special things to do with the kids on his own anyway. :)

[JudoMom]

You can do it!  Have fun with it  :001_smile:.

[Word Nerd]

We go a couple of times a year. Take it slowly at first until you get the hang of it again. I never ice skated until I was an adult but used to roller skate all the time.

[HollyDay]

I was never a great skater, couldn't do crossovers or skate backward.  But, I loved it!  I enjoyed skating around the rink, chatting with friends and trying to keep up with the music.  I was off the ice 15+ years, had 2 children (including a c-section).  Needless to say, my body changed quite a bit between the skating.  Dd started lessons in the Fall session 2 years ago.  It has been a lot of fun!  Dh bought skates for me Christmas before last.  We would skate once, maybe twice a week for an hour or so each.  I still can't do crossovers, but I can skate backwards now.  One reason I don't try anything to new is that I'm usually the only driver :001_smile:  

[BrookValley.]

Yeah...keep your knees bendy! And have fun. :)

 

:iagree:   Yup.

 

Our rink has a basic skills program, and the lessons are open to all ages and abilities. Maybe your local rink offers something like this?

[Stacia]

Do it!

 

I did not grow up ice skating. When I was in my 20s, a friend wanted me to take an ice skating class with her. I did & enjoyed it (but I wasn't very good at it, lol).

 

I'm in my 40s now. A few years ago, I decided to try ice skating again & signed up for adult beginner classes. I totally enjoyed it & had a lot of fun. I stopped about a year ago because my life/schedule got crazy. But, I still get the emails from the rink & see when their sign-ups are. Dh has been already asking me for my Christmas list & I told him a few days ago that I'd like $ for ice skating lessons for Christmas. He thought that was a great idea as he knew how much I enjoyed it when I did it a couple of years ago. So, I'm hoping that ice skating lessons will be my present this year.

 

I would definitely get your skates checked/blades sharpened. Plus, a couple of adults in classes mentioned to me that wrist guards are a good idea (as one ages :tongue_smilie:) -- two adults I knew through classes ended up falling & breaking their wrists. I never got the wrist guards myself, but may before I start lessons again.

 

I have no plans to be a great skater, but I really do enjoy it & am looking forward to starting again. :thumbup1:

[Stacia]

.

[Zebra]

Okay, so I went.  I am very proud of myself.

 

It was not pretty :leaving: !!!!

 

I didn't fall, but I did have a much harder time than I thought.   I got there and had them sharpen my skates.   They gave me a VERY thorough explanation of when to tell when they need to get sharpened, so okay now I know.   Then, I finally put my skates on and I could not walk from the area where you put your skates on to the ice rink.   I was mortified.   Is this normal?  I had a horrible time balancing, I was sure I was going to break my ankle right there.  But, I sort of held on to various things along the way and made it.   Then I got on the ice and could not figure it out.   An older lady who teaches classes came up and started telling me what I was doing wrong.   Which I appreciated, but she was a DRILL SARGEANT!   First she tried to teach me to glide, which I wasn't really doing very well.   And I kept saying to her, "I think I just need to practice gliding for awhile."  I appreciated the explanation, because I was doing it wrong, but I think I just needed some time to work on it.  But instead she kept kind of barking at me, "Do this, don't look down, now do this, don't hold the side you're using it as a crutch!"   And I felt like I could not absorb 15 different things at once!   And dang it lady, I WILL hold the side as long as I want to!!!!!!   Then I started to feel like I was getting a complex about the whole thing and she said, "You're overthinking it, look up don't think about it!"   Here I am looking like a moron, trying not to fall, trying to keep one eye on my daughter and trying to make myself not quit, and I just felt under all this pressure from her.   But I finally, very nicely, thanked her and told her I was going to practice the things she told me and I skated around the rink for about 40 minutes.   By the end I wasn't hanging on to the side the whole time.  My daughter said I was looking better by the end.  But I was still not doing that well.   And I was exhausted  :lol: !  

 

I'm glad I did it, but I don't know now if I just need to keep practicing or take some lessons or what.   I am really hopeful I can improve.

[JudoMom]

Okay, so I went.  I am very proud of myself.

 

It was not pretty :leaving: !!!!

 

I didn't fall, but I did have a much harder time than I thought.   I got there and had them sharpen my skates.   They gave me a VERY thorough explanation of when to tell when they need to get sharpened, so okay now I know.   Then, I finally put my skates on and I could not walk from the area where you put your skates on to the ice rink.   I was mortified.   Is this normal?  I had a horrible time balancing, I was sure I was going to break my ankle right there.  But, I sort of held on to various things along the way and made it.   Then I got on the ice and could not figure it out.   An older lady who teaches classes came up and started telling me what I was doing wrong.   Which I appreciated, but she was a DRILL SARGEANT!   First she tried to teach me to glide, which I wasn't really doing very well.   And I kept saying to her, "I think I just need to practice gliding for awhile."  I appreciated the explanation, because I was doing it wrong, but I think I just needed some time to work on it.  But instead she kept kind of barking at me, "Do this, don't look down, now do this, don't hold the side you're using it as a crutch!"   And I felt like I could not absorb 15 different things at once!   And dang it lady, I WILL hold the side as long as I want to!!!!!!   Then I started to feel like I was getting a complex about the whole thing and she said, "You're overthinking it, look up don't think about it!"   Here I am looking like a moron, trying not to fall, trying to keep one eye on my daughter and trying to make myself not quit, and I just felt under all this pressure from her.   But I finally, very nicely, thanked her and told her I was going to practice the things she told me and I skated around the rink for about 40 minutes.   By the end I wasn't hanging on to the side the whole time.  My daughter said I was looking better by the end.  But I was still not doing that well.   And I was exhausted  :lol: !  

 

I'm glad I did it, but I don't know now if I just need to keep practicing or take some lessons or what.   I am really hopeful I can improve.

 

 

:hurray:

[Stacia]

Yay for you going & trying it again! :thumbup:

 

I'd say to take lessons (but to make sure that the drill sergeant *isn't* the teacher of the adult class you sign up for).

[jenn-]

Okay, so I went.  I am very proud of myself.

 

It was not pretty :leaving: !!!!

 

I didn't fall, but I did have a much harder time than I thought.   I got there and had them sharpen my skates.   They gave me a VERY thorough explanation of when to tell when they need to get sharpened, so okay now I know.   Then, I finally put my skates on and I could not walk from the area where you put your skates on to the ice rink.   I was mortified.   Is this normal?  I had a horrible time balancing, I was sure I was going to break my ankle right there.  But, I sort of held on to various things along the way and made it.   Then I got on the ice and could not figure it out.   An older lady who teaches classes came up and started telling me what I was doing wrong.   Which I appreciated, but she was a DRILL SARGEANT!   First she tried to teach me to glide, which I wasn't really doing very well.   And I kept saying to her, "I think I just need to practice gliding for awhile."  I appreciated the explanation, because I was doing it wrong, but I think I just needed some time to work on it.  But instead she kept kind of barking at me, "Do this, don't look down, now do this, don't hold the side you're using it as a crutch!"   And I felt like I could not absorb 15 different things at once!   And dang it lady, I WILL hold the side as long as I want to!!!!!!   Then I started to feel like I was getting a complex about the whole thing and she said, "You're overthinking it, look up don't think about it!"   Here I am looking like a moron, trying not to fall, trying to keep one eye on my daughter and trying to make myself not quit, and I just felt under all this pressure from her.   But I finally, very nicely, thanked her and told her I was going to practice the things she told me and I skated around the rink for about 40 minutes.   By the end I wasn't hanging on to the side the whole time.  My daughter said I was looking better by the end.  But I was still not doing that well.   And I was exhausted  :lol: !  

 

I'm glad I did it, but I don't know now if I just need to keep practicing or take some lessons or what.   I am really hopeful I can improve.

 

Glad you gave it a try.  Do you feel as though your skates were tied correctly?  That was/is usually the number one thing I see wrong with people at the local rink.  Oh and I was always the mean friend that would promise my non skating friends that I would hold their hand as I glided them away from the wall.  Then I would let go and make them figure it out and fall on their butts at least once.  They learned they wouldn't die of embarrassment or get seriously injured and they figured it out quicker.  The wall really can be a crutch. 

 

[Zebra]

Yay for you going & trying it again! :thumbup:

 

I'd say to take lessons (but to make sure that the drill sergeant *isn't* the teacher of the adult class you sign up for).

That is my concern with taking lessons.   My daughter had her, and now I know what she went through, and feel bad!   I just can't handle a drill sergeant type for something like this.

[Zebra]

Glad you gave it a try.  Do you feel as though your skates were tied correctly?  That was/is usually the number one thing I see wrong with people at the local rink.  Oh and I was always the mean friend that would promise my non skating friends that I would hold their hand as I glided them away from the wall.  Then I would let go and make them figure it out and fall on their butts at least once.  They learned they wouldn't die of embarrassment or get seriously injured and they figured it out quicker.  The wall really can be a crutch. 

 

I have no idea if they were tied right...how do you tell?   My big concern is that I couldn't even walk to the rink in them.   I was far too wobbly, and it wasn't a mental thing I just physically could not do it.  Is that a "not tied right" thing or a "I need to develop those muscles" thing?   I read that if you're having that problem to go out and buy skate blade guards and practice walking around your house with your arms straight out until you can do it.   I thought maybe I would do that before I try to get back on the ice.   Because if I can't even walk in the skates, no wonder I was having trouble balancing on the ice.

 

I really would like to conquer this!

[MomtoCandJ]

I thought about taking lessons next year with dd1, I would this year but I'm a pregnant and a klutz so I don't think it would mesh well for this year. I know dh plans on taking her to the free skate nights sometimes for daddy/daughter date (way cheaper then taking her for dinner :)).

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I started up after about a 20 year break. Best thing I did was to buy comfy Softec skates that were insulated and had good arch support. Rental skates always made my feet hurt after one lap of the rink. Unfortunately, I had to stop after surgery in ' 11. You never know how much you use abdominals for balance until someone slices through them!

[Zebra]

I started up after about a 20 year break. Best thing I did was to buy comfy Softec skates that were insulated and had good arch support. Rental skates always made my feet hurt after one lap of the rink. Unfortunately, I had to stop after surgery in ' 11. You never know how much you use abdominals for balance until someone slices through them!

Okay, well that might be part of it.   I did have a (more traumatic than normal) C-section years ago.   Maybe that's part of the problem too.

[HollyDay]

Good for you!  Keep at it!  I totally agree that your own skates are better for you than rental skates.  I have a pair of recreational Jackson skates.  Riedel makes a pair of rec skates too.  Dd has skates made for jumping and spinning and I can tell you the rec skates are much different than the jumping skates.  Mine are lined and comfy from the get go.  Her had to be heat molded and broken in.  Hers also have a huge toe pick while mine is much smaller.  I also have a pair of hockey socks that I like to wear while skating.