Am I missing something!

I've always known that figure skating is an expensive sport, but somethings just take the biscuit!
I've been off ice for a while and as the weeks are slowly arriving where I have to start training again, and I am all out of clothes to train in. immediately I remember the gorgeously decorated leggings one of my skating sisters wore last year. They looked like ordinary Lycra leggings and had silver, studded diamonties going along one side. She had mentioned at the time, they where expensive, but expensive leggings to me is around £30 max. So I was in complete shock and horror when my eyes scrolled across a website page, selling figure skating training kit and saw £50!
So there it is. The reason I gave up ice skating.
I'm completely kidding. I haven't given up. I'll just hit up Primark and buy four pairs (it still doesn't even scratch the surface of that price). However,there is something I need answered. Why? Why are those extortionate merchants selling me leggings double their actual price? I love ice skating but if I don't get a job really soon, I doubt I'll be able to afford it for much longer.

First things first

For Christmas I got an off ice spin trainer. I wanted one for so long, so badly, even though all the reviews online weren't saying great things, but for some reason the thing with me and reviews online is that, I'm the complete opposite, always. When I came to buying my phone people where saying great things about it and it turns out, that all I can use it for is a paper weight (and a cracked one at that). From this you should have probably gathered that the spin trainer has been working wonders for me. I admit, yes, I fly of it most of the time but when I get the spin down I can feel where I've been going wrong and looking at videos of me from before Christmas, I can notice a huge difference, for example, I am so much lower on my sit spin and I can also do a broken leg spin, not quite as awesome as Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's, but come one, she's a thirteen year old prodigy. But all these new spins I can do doesn't mean anything unless I can do them on the ice too. If I can, all the girls at the rink will be surprised. They better watch out because they might have some unexpected competition on their hands (though it's competition we still love each other). 

Also I have to be tracking my fitness and flexibility. Sadly I was showing off at a party recently. We had been dancing in a circle and being at a party, with all my peers naturally I show off. I can do over splits really well on one leg, but the other it's like such a struggle. Silly me forgets this at a party. Bang I go straight down on the not so developed legs. The crowd goes wild. I smile as if I’m ok but I have badly pulled a muscle. It was shaking when I was just sitting down the next day, luckily for me it was a Saturday and I wasn’t going anywhere. This happened on December 17th 2011. And until today January 11th 2012 I find it extremely painful to get into my normal splits or even train my spiral off ice. To all you young skaters out there I am warning you, know your physical limit. Luckily I wasn't skating the next day or for a few weeks potentially a month later. Never the less I am way out of shape and out of practice. Being subject to school life and stressful exams as well I haven’t had time to work out, take care of myself and stretch every morning as I would usually do so I will mark where I am in terms of fitness from Friday 13th of January 2012, and keep you updated every 13th. Looks likes I am in for some very unlucky days this year. Pray for me my graceful skaters.

                              
 

Goals and Ambitions

So today, January 11th 2012, marks the day I begin my figure skating journey. I have been ice skating for just over a year now but I feel like I am progressing in a slow rate. Therefore I created this blog to show my improvement, in hope it will help me to progress even faster. I have been following figure skating internationally for the past three years and following the sport gave me another reason to write a skating blog. I am also hoping to get some advice to help this progression increase faster. 
I am currently just beginning the Bronze level and taking private lessons at my rink, which has recently moved. I haven't actually seen the new venue, but, I am very excited to break in my brand spanking new home (with brand spanking new skates), with my skating family on the 21st. Yeah, yeah I know for a skater being off the ice for three weeks isn't good, as I've noticed my fitness has weakened greatly over Christmas (it was all those pies), therefore effecting my performance on the ice. so join me all you beautiful skaters, of all experiences, and we can embark on this challenging yet thrilling ice adventure together.