Kate: Stroking is not a euphamism.

We've started practicing in earnest for taking the Pre-Bronze test levels. I will make a post on what that means tomorrow. Or later this week. Or next month. You don't know what I might not do.

...Anyways.

We're learning things like "backwards edges," "consecutive edges" and "forward perimeter stroking". If you're wondering what the hell those are, here are the links from a couple of different sources: consecutive edges and forward perimeter stroking. I love consecutive edges because once you get the momentum going, they're actually pretty easy and you feel quite graceful as you glide along. I've been working particularly hard on stroking because when you do it, you're only allowed eight or fewer strokes before you have to hit the finish.

Yeah, I know.

So, all of that is hard, but I'm actually enjoying it. It's fun to feel like a baller on the ice.

Trying to master backwards edges, on the other hand, is made even harder by the fact that I had a spectacular fall while working on them two weeks ago. Not fun. I started to skate backwards by doing some half-swizzle pumps for momentum, then lifted my left foot in front of me to try and glide backwards on my right outside edge. Well, I did glide...through the air. Somehow both feet went out from under me and I landed with a jarring thud on the top of my ass, right near the base of my spine. The palm of my right hand took a what impact my tailbone didn't and it felt like my entire spine shook when I hit the ground.

So...that was both terribly painful and embarrassing.

It took me a few minutes to get up and once I did, I was shaking so badly that I was pretty useless for the rest of class. It took almost a week to fully recover from that fall physically, but mentally I'm still totally freaked out. After a week of nanny-goating, today I managed to get over some of the fear and do backwards edges again.

My project for the next week or so will be putting on my big girl panties and practicing going backwards. I'm very slowly regaining confidence, but my dignity is still nowhere to be found. I'm cool with that, though. Dignity and I aren't usually on speaking terms anyways. Who needs her?