So the ISI Adult Championships in October are pretty much literally in my backyard... I've been planning to attend just to see what a competition is like and watch some good skating! But in browsing the ISI site, I looked at the registration form and it looks like even lower level skaters are eligible to compete, in a variety of different events (solo, compulsories, etc.). Since this competition moves around the country each year, it seems that this is an opportunity I should think about, since it would allow me to participate in a competition without making a huge travel commitment. However... I have never done a competition, and don't even have a regular "official" coach, just the various LTS instructors at my rink. (Loosely speaking, I've got ISI Alpha skills and am working on Beta, but have never been officially tested; that would have to change, of course.)
So my question is, am I crazy to even consider this? I have no idea what really goes into preparing for a competition other than what I've picked up from reading here. What would I have to do? Or am I completely out of my depth here? It seems it would be better to start with a smaller local competition first, but I don't know of any between now and then. But am I nuts to think of my first competition being something this big? (And am I really even interested in competing? Not sure... one way to find out!)