Do you skate a lot?

[jjane45]

I was at the pro shop for sharpening and the sharpener asked: do you skate a lot? Guess he saw on the sharpening card my previous sharpening was last month. (7th sharpening free!)

My answer: 5 hours a week. What is a "lot" by your standard?

He: Twice a week. Especially for an adult.

Me...

Ever since I got into skating lessons, my standard of "skating a lot" was being at the rink at least 5 days a week, which could be anywhere from 5-20 hours depending on how many hours the skater puts in per day. Adults at my rink usually don't skate 5 days a week.

I currently visit the rink 3 days a week for a total of 5 hours, and somehow it does not sound or feel like "skating a lot". Maybe it's because I always want more ice time? lol

What do you think is "skating a lot"? For adults? Kids? Recreational skater? Competitive skater? Tester?

[Kim to the Max]

I skate:

Sunday: 3 45 minute sessions
Monday: 2 45 minute sessions
Tuesday: 2 45 minute sessions
Wednesday: coaching, no skating for me - gym day
Thursday: 3 45 minute sessions
Friday: coaching, might skate 1 45 minute session since I am at the rink already
Saturday: coaching, no skating for me - gym day

[SynchKat]

When I competed we did typically 4 hours on the ice 5 days a week.  Off ice in there for a couple of house on top of that.

Now for fall/winter I will do 1.5 hours of synchro a week
Twice a week I will do our adult group class which is 1 hour each and then there is another hour of ice after the classes.

Add in another 1.5 at least once in the evenings and I guess I skate probably about 7 hours a week. I nev feel it is worth it to skate for less than 1.5 hours at a time.  Just seems like too much effort getting tot he rink (5 mins away...I am lazy) and getting ready for a short time. Also the 1.5 hours in the evenings will drop off after November which is when I plan on trying my next test.

[jjane45]

Maybe I should ask this: do you think you skate a lot? ;P

[SynchKat]

I think I skate a lot.  My husband would say I skate a TON!!! 

I figure skating is my exercise and social time so it kind of does double duty.  Also since I am a stay at home mom I figure I deserve to do something I love. 

[icedancer]

I don't skate as much as I would like but I do skate regularly.  I have carved out dedicated mornings when I skate and I will not schedule other appointments or commitments at those times.  This is my equivalent of going to the gym for exercise (which I do not do!)

I also think that anything less than 90 minutes is too short a time to skate - but skating does take a lot of time - you have to drive to the rink, get dressed, put on your skates... skate... warmdown, etc.  It is definitely a commitment.

That being said heading off to do a 45 minute dance session right now - or maybe I will skate more... will know once I get there how much energy I have!!!

[Clarice]

I'm generally on the ice 6 days out of 7, but since a good bit of that is teaching time, I never feel like I skate enough!  Furthermore, my trainer doesn't "count" skating as a workout for me, so I have to spend more time running or at the gym that I really would rather spend on the ice.  On the other hand, it doesn't cost me anything to go out running...

[sarahonice]

I skate about the same amount as jjane45, 3 times a week for about 5 hours total. I'm a new skater (started earlier this year) and I don't have a good idea of what "a lot" of skating is, either, but I guess that's a lot for a recreational adult skater, and not much for a competitive one. There are some people I see at the rink every single time I go which means they're probably there daily, and in my mind THEY skate "a lot."

[Hanca]

I usually skate 6 days a week. If I feel lazy and want to ease off, I do 5 days a week. 2 hrs each time.  I am an adult skater. I am not sure if I skate a lot. I suppose, other people might think it is a lot; (comparing to my colleagues at work, they usually don't have a hobby that they do nearly every day for 2 hours). On the other, I usually don't feel I have enough time to practice everything that needs to be done, so relatively speaking, I don't feel I skate a lot, but unfortunately I don't have time to fit in more skating.   

[Sk8tmum]

Not me, God knows.  Don't skate.

Competitive skater - 6 days a week, 1 to 1-1/2 hours daily, plus off ice, during school year.  During intense summer stuff: twice daily, 1-1/2 hours each session, 4 to 5 days a week. We do cycle down during the "trough" training period to 4 days a week.

Test track skater:  4 days a week 1-1/2 hours a session.  Upped during comps, before tests, by adding another session or two. Similar schedule during the summer, but, on some days, only once a day.

But, if you watch the ice session - the comp skater actually skates more on a relative basis than it would appear, as the test  one doesn't work as steadily or intensely, nor are there as many coaches and sub-coaches.. So, it's actually a bigger differential than it appears.

Oh yeah. They coach 3 or more hours a week too. But, we use old skates for that ...

[VAsk8r]

I skate about 5-7 hours a week, depending on my work schedule and whether I'm in town over the weekend. Basically, if the session (public or free) fits into my schedule, I'll be there. And I've been known to use "Sorry, but I have skating!" as an excuse for things I don't really want to go to anyway 

At my rink, 5-7 hours is an awful lot. I've wondered before if it's counterproductive, but I'd much rather skate than go to the gym!

[jjane45]

At my rink, 5-7 hours is an awful lot. I've wondered before if it's counterproductive, but I'd much rather skate than go to the gym!

I think 5-7 hours for recreational adults is a lot, especially if it's all freestyle ice, not public session. And the skater works hard most of the time instead of socializes - I tend to chit chat and fool around much more on publics

Ice time is never counterproductive!! Even just standing on the ice helps the skater improve

[Rachelsk8s]

I think it depends upon the skater and what his/her goals are.  I feel as though I'm on the ice a lot, I teach LTS 4 times a week during the months of September through April, (less during the off season) and I skate 5 times a week, for an hour to two hours at a time.  I prefer to be on the ice for more than an hour when I'm skating though, I feel like sometimes it takes me a half an hour to really get warmed up lol

[taka]

I skate between 4-5 hours a week normally. 1x club session (1hr 45mins - part practice, part socialising) and 2 patch sessions (variable length - serious practice).

The weekday patch sessions vary in length as the rink only opens when the 1st coach gets there. During term time this is usually approx 15 mins ahead of a 6.30 or 7am lesson but can be 7.45am for an 8am lesson in the school holidays. It gets annoying sometimes trying to guess when you can get access as it is not advertised... The session ends ~8.30am which is when I need to head to work anyway.

I don't feel like I have enough time to do everything I need to practice justice and feel like I'm not even treading water sometimes. I really, really need to maximise the ice time I get (particularly getting out of bed and to the rink on time! ). Trying to do dance and free with this amount of time doesn't work for me but I don't really want to give up on free altogether (I've not jumped since June! ) I think if I could do ~6 or 7hrs a week it would help a LOT but it is hard to fit in!

[Skittl1321]

I don't think I skate a lot.  I am at the rink 3 days a week and skate for about 3-4 hours a week.  That's not much at all for a "skater".

However, since I think most people in Iowa skate less than 3 hours a year, to normal people, that is probably a lot.

[JSM]

Not enough!  I skate maybe 4 hours a week, more if I can, but I'm not making progress and it's because I don't practice enough.  I work too much and ice time is not always available.

I'd like to get up to 7-8 hours, but unless my job cuts my hours while giving me a raise (lol), it's not going to happen.

[alejeather]

I skate 3-4 days a week for a total of 4.5 - 6 hours. Honestly, the hourly sum surprised me a little. I thought I skated more than that! I think it's because my roommate and I work very different hours and we don't run into each other at home much and about two-thirds of the time when we *do* see each other, I'm coming or going from skating, so she thinks I'm always skating!

I guess I'd say I think I skate a reasonable amount. I'd like to add another day into the mix, so I guess I could also say I don't think I skate enough.

[Janie]

I skate usually 5 hours a week/3 times a week:
1 hour on freestyle including half hour private lesson
2 hours on public including 45 min group lesson
2 hours on public
Sometimes I throw in another 1 hour freestyle if I have time/money

I don't think I skate a lot, I wish I could skate a LOT more than 5 hours. But I don't think I can afford paying for too many freestyle sessions ($10/hour), and also I'd have to get up at 7:30 in the morning so I can skate before going to lab (as a night owl, that is too early for me!)

My non-skating friends though, seem to think I skate tons. Their reply to when they hear I skate three days a week is "wow lucky you", as if I said I went shopping or clubbing three days a week. I find that kind of unfair, because if I'd said I went to the gym three times a week, no one would think anything. It's not like I fool around on the ice and play when I go skate. I'm actually working hard practicing. And I actually need a lot more practice than I currently have. I never have enough time to go over everything I want to work on.

[sarahspins]

This summer I've only averaged about 2 hours of ice time a week for "me" but I've been on the ice close to 3 hours teaching.

Since school is back in session and there is more available (quiet) ice time I'll probably pick that up a bit.. my goal is maybe 6 hours a week for me, I think that any more would be too hard on me physically while I'm rehabbing my "not really injured, but damaged" knee and ankle.

[techskater]

I skate 6-7 hours per week on average and looking at where I am and what my goals are, I don't feel like I am skating near enough.  There's always more things I should be working on.

[TreSk8sAZ]

Not only do I not skate a lot, I don't skate nearly enough. I only skate about 4 hours per week, on a good week. I really need to be up around 8-10, but that just can't happen right now.

[slcbelle]

I typically skate 5 days a week for 1 to 2 hours each day.  It probably averages to 7 hours a week.  I try to skate on public ice as much as possible since I have an annual pass but I'm often on the freestyle sessions for lessons.  I'd say that's skating a lot for an adult.  Most adults I know don't skate at all.  :-)

[PinkLaces]

This summer I skated 5 days/week for an hour each time plus a half hour group lesson so 5.5 hrs.  This fall I am going to drop down to 4 hours over 3 days/week.  I find an hour and half session is the most productive for me.  An hour is a too short and 2 hours gets a bit long. 

[mamabear]

I'm in awe.  Nope-don't skate much.  We can go on the ice either before or after our lesson so that combined with lesson would be about an hour and then I go another time with the kids to practice.  In the past I would have said I have no idea how I would fit more in but the rink has added some daytime public ice and so I plan on getting more skating in.  My husband travels extensively for work and so finding a session that works around the kids other activities has been a challenge.

[jjane45]

Looking at the practice thread poll, 3 practices a week is the most common among participants of the practice thread!   that is likely 3 hours to 6 hours of ice time...