New Blades, Old Challenges

I took my new blades and skated on them at freestyle then immediately went into one of Coach Cruella's group edge classes. Fortunately, group class was exactly what I needed, forward inside and outside edges with the leg in front and back. It was nice to have a half hour of relaxing skating where I could get used to my new blades in a disciplined fashion.

As usual, Coach Cruella stood in the center of the circle dictating our every move.

Achtung! Skate! SKATE, I tell you! Forvard inzide edge, foot in front, NOW!

Yes, our own little edge nazi.

And she's just that cute too. And not much taller.

 So what happened in privates? Well, since they were new blades she made me demonstrate stroking forward and backwards to make sure I was balanced. It turns out that going backwards, my left foot is not pushing as strongly as my right. So with every stroke I had to chant OUT LOUD, "Left side push, Left side push." to get my left foot / leg to push stronger.

Eerily, it did work.

But, despite my stroking weakness, man, I loves me these blades going backwards.

It's really easy to get in the right position with knee and ankle bend so that I'm skating with upright posture, and for the first time going backwards I don't feel like I'm about to fall on my tuchus. 

Like this Cistercian Sister at Nuns Skate Free day at the rink.

Somehow it seems mean for the Benedictine Sister to be getting a good laugh out it.