Friday, January 22, 2010

Competition Game Plan

I'll know for sure tomorrow after I skate for my coach but it is looking like I am going to be skating in three competitions and one show this spring. Here is the list:

Colonial Adult Winter Challenge March 13-14
Worcester Open April 9-11
Stoneham Ice Review May 1
North Shore Open June 4-6

Now call me crazy but I still have no lung capacity after all the various illnesses this past month and here I am about to skate one event per month for four months. However, it isn't as bad as it looks. For the first two I'm going to be doing moves in the field and compulsory moves events. This will take under a minute. Moves is two laps around the ice and the compulsories are four or five easy stunts and I'm done. Shouldn't be a problem. In order for me to compete in North Shore I'll need my program finished but I have until June. Can I do it? We'll see....

I met with my personal trainer at the gym yesterday. We went over everything I wanted to do. I explained the difference between skating a program and skating compulsories. She compared it to sprints vs a 10K which is pretty accurate. She is a runner and trains for marathons so she put together this schedule for me:

Monday upper body and core weight lifting and cardio
Tuesday skating lesson
Wednesday lower body weights
Thursday cardio day
Friday skate practice
Saturday skate group lesson and practice
Sunday rest

I start the new schedule next week. We went through all the weight machines and it looks like I had never been to the gym. All of my weights dropped back down to where I started except for my stomach (huh?). Must be from all the coughing I've done over the last month. My abs were the only muscles getting any exercise! I have dropped two pounds since the last time I was there probably lost muscle mass. Ugh. She told my that it would be about a month and I'll be back to lifting where I left off in December.

I'm not worried about the muscle mass so much as the lost lung capacity. When I was on the treadmill my heart rate was low but I was still panting. My lungs still aren't fully recovered apparently. More acupuncture is needed I guess and more healing time.

I skated the MIF patterns today to try them out. I still remember them. I think I'll be fine with them by March as long as I stick to my new training plan. Spins are fine. Jumps are another story. While I haven't back tracked on them I haven't progressed either. My Salchow and Toe Loops are still lame on a good day. I'll probably have to stick to pre-bronze compulsories for Colonial. Maybe I'll have my jumps in time for Worcester so I can compete at Bronze level. We'll see....

For now I have to stick to my game plan. Sleeping and eating properly are my only hope of surviving this intact ;-)

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