Last week I was promoted to the top level in my adult beginners skating class. I felt it was a challenge since I was being asked to do new things that I had never attempted before. A week ago Monday, I had worked out my lower back while at the Y and after the workout my midsection felt like jelly. I felt as though I could topple over when I stood up. I never realized how much my lower back was needed in my skating practice when I went to my new class last week. The drills we did last week were all new turning techniques, and my lower back was aching, and I felt it was impeding my ability to even try to turn. Yesterday I deliberately didn’t train lower back since I knew I would have skating lessons the next day, and when I went to those lessons this morning I found that I could do the turns better. I liked the Mohawk turn so much I could twirl myself around like a figure skater (but not as fast as a drill bit). We also practised backwards cross-cuts, which I definitely need to work on. The winter lessons are already half over, with five down and three more to go.