Well, since I just started in November, my 'resolutions' ( or perhaps better put, 'goals') are certainly different from everyone's here. I'm 63 years old, so my intent in terms of taking up skating was based on working on my balance and strengthening my legs so that I might hold off a broken hip in twenty years. So, when I started in Adult 1 in November, basically, my goals were:
1) learn how to stay vertical.
2) learn how to move forward.
3) learn how to lace up my skates in such a way that I don't have pain (63 year old feet have a lot of badly fitting high heels on them, so this was key for me because I figured that if my feet hurt, there was no way I'd stick with skating).
4) skate well enough that I enjoyed myself and did not fall.
We just finished the Learn to Skate Program this week; I'm in Adult 3 and I'm going to go back in the fall still being in Adult 3. I did not pass out, which is OK.
So, how has this worked out?
Well, except for the falling part, I achieved all of my goals. My legs are a lot stronger and my balance is better, overall. I still need to work on strengthening my legs (especially whatever muscles those are on the inside of the thigh that you use for pushing off with the inside of your skate). I'm able to go around the big circle on my inside and outside edges and make it half-way around on one foot. Yay, me. I do have one problem that I have to work on - it's really the one thing that is holding me back in terms of passing out of 3 and going into 4 and that is this combination of fear of falling and skating backwards. I do know where it comes from - I had a couple of nasty falls when we were practicing turns (one where I hit the back of my head - thank goodness for the helmet) and I also fell a couple of times when I was practicing backwards swizzles (I'll take my full share of the blame on this since I ran into a kid who was taking private lessons. I thought I was safely out of the lesson area but obviously hugging the wall is not enough). Part of this is that I'm deaf, so I don't have a good feel for where sound is coming from, but this has combined into a situation where the whole 'skate backwards while looking over one shoulder and extending the arm' thing is not going well. On the plus side, however, I have lost 10 pounds (which at my age is a huge victory).
So, my resolutions between now and October when the local rink opens up again:
1)Ride my bike at least 3 times a week.
2) Do other off-ice strengthening and conditioning (thigh-master, anyone?). My left-side is basically about half as strong as my right.
3) Register for the Adult Weekend in June at Lake Placid, NY
Resolutions for this fall/winter season:
1) Work on the left side more to bring the two halves into more close alignment. This will help with getting a better push.
2) Improve my look - part of it is maintaining an erect upper half, but also part of it is working toward a more elegant look (not sure how to do that, but it is a goal).
3) My instructor has given me the diagram for the Dutch Waltz (I think it's the only dance in the book where I'd always be going forward - a real confidence builder for me); this is going to be a major project for us this fall.
4) Conquer the fear of what is behind me.
Lots to do!!