Improvement
This past weekend I skated in an all-adult competition. There were 14 very strong ladies in my event. In years past, I would have been analyzing my start order, the list of competitors, and just about everything else you can imagine.
This year I did not.
My new mental focus was to only concentrate on the things that I could control and to be in the present. I did my best not to worry about others around me and past or future outcomes. This strategy worked.
For the first time in my competitive career, I was not nervous. I was in the present and did not think 2 steps ahead. I “dumbed down” my program since my knees were still badly bruised and I didn’t want to take any chances to further injure myself. Since I wasn’t putting pressure on myself to get a certain placement or land a certain element, my mind was at ease.
I skated a good, clean program. My protocol reflected that too. I ended up with a 25.57, which is the second highest score I’ve received to date. My component scores rose by at least 2 points from the last competition. And I even got a dash of doom (0 points) for my last spin since I apparently did not hold the camel position for 2 full revolutions (I have reviewed my video and think it’s right on the border, but the controller did not call it in my favor). Had I received full credit for that spin, I would have earned at least 27 points and gotten a new personal best. I wound up placing 9th, but only by a fraction of a point.
Regardless, I will call this a win. I am working towards a new mental state and am building up the confidence that I can do this and belong here.
Here is the video.
