My Muscles Have Alzheimers

The person who said that muscles have memory must never have been an adult figure skater. Last Wednesday was "one of those days" where my body had completely forgotten how to skate. Okay, maybe not completely: I could still go forward and backward but that is about as much as I could handle. Crossovers; back to swinging the leg in a wide arc before putting my foot down- I thought my coach had gotten rid of that last year? Spins; couldn't center one to save my life. Spread Eagle; forget it. I couldn't even do a decent forward three turn. What happened? My muscles go on vacation early? I have a list of possible reasons (excuses?):

• Too much weight lifting on Monday
• Not enough sleep (always a problem)
• That two day old yogurt I found in my lunch bag: blech, why did I eat that thing?
• Boots too tight
• Boots too loose
• Too much skating over the weekend? (I uncharacteristically skated three days in a row which is usually results in muscle weakness but three days later??)
• Forgot to take my vitamins this morning?

I just want to plead temporary insanity on the part of my muscles. They've lost it. Forgotten everything I've learned this past year in the space of two days. Fortunately this is a temporary insanity. Friday I had a great skate and practiced my spins from a standstill until I got them back. I was even doing small Salchow jumps. When I have days like Wednesday I just have to leave the ice (usually in disgust) and try again another day.