Run (skate) your own race

Summer training…

Long hours inside on a frozen pond.

Eventually, one of these mornings, it occurs to you:

Aren’t all my other friends sleeping in? Camping? At the pool?

…yes… they are!

And then, the next thought:

Is all this summer training even worth it? How am I doing… really? Other skaters are doing….

When we look around at this stage of the season, it’s easy to get caught up in comparing our own situation to that of others.

— That skater is landing that new jump!
— How is she so flexible…?
— What category are they competing in…

It’s sneaky but it happens. The spiral into ‘compare-skater’ land where all our thoughts get caught up in what everyone is doing (or so we perceive them to be) and not on what we can do or control.

The problem is… No matter what anyone else is doing (on or off the ice by the way) we don’t have any control over it!

The metaphor of running your own race — or skating your own program — whichever makes sense to you, really applies here.

When you focus on yourself, your intentions, your plan — You are your most effective.

Here’s a reminder that may help you:

Everyone has their own challenges and triumphs. No matter how good it looks or easy it seems, every person has the things they are battling and the places where they are winning.

So, how do you focus on yourself when the temptation to look around and compare becomes strong?

1. Breathe — Get back in touch with your own breath and your own body. Breathing — when you bring your attention to it — literally brings you out of your head (and that long stream of thoughts) back into your body.

2. Connect — Reconnect to your purpose. Why do you love to skate? How does it make your feel? What are you intending this summer and how can you take the next step towards that intention?

*Side note, taking one step at a time is particularly important when working through healing off any kind. If you have an injury or illness; it’s the only way through. Reconnect and take the next small step that you can…in your own values.

3. Record — Take note, each day of something you DID accomplish. I had a client who took a notebook with the calendar in it and chose to sit everyday after practice and write down something she did WELL that day. She told me that some days, it took her quite awhile to think of something — but she didn’t leave the arena until she had noted her win for the day!

Its SO easy to think of what’s going wrong… of what we aren’t doing yet… and of where we haven’t yet made the goals we wish to…

But this race, this skate, this life, is a journey. It’s only going to happen one step at a time.

Practicing to BREATHE — CONNECT — RECORD one step at a time will not only help you now, but when you do get that goal?

You’ll know how to be aligned.
You will know how to check in with yourself.
And when you get there..?
You may even be happy about it!

See you on the ice… (skating your own race) 💜

skate dance move

Please feel free to pass this article on to anyone you feel it would benefit!!

Company Skating Success™ Inc. @skatingsuccess www.skatingsuccess.com

This is the best place to get to work with me LIVE. Our Master Class Series incorporates all aspects of Figure Skating through our various offerings and always includes artistry and mindset as part of the Master Class Experience!

Connect with me other places…

  • Snapchat @jadenejadene
  • Facebook @skatedancemove
  • Instagram @skatedancemove
  • Twitter @skatedancemove
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade