Advice about sharpening skates

[DJnet65]

So I just had my skates sharpened after about 2 months or so, and decided to try the newly sharpened edges at a skills class that I attend once in a while.

At first the edges seemed ok, I was turning better and stopping faster and everything was fine. After about 15 minutes of skating though everything started to go bad. I started getting cramps in my lower legs in my calves and ankles. Then my back started to ache.

Now I 'm not the best skater in the class but I'm usually don't come in dead last in every single skating drill like I did tonight. This was mostly due to pain in my legs and back. I have never experienced skating as uncomfortable as this before.

After the class I am still having pains in my back and in the back of my leg right above th ankle. I now walk with a bit of a limp.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? Do you think I should try to get my skates resharpened or just try to dull down the current edges.

Thanks for any advice.

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[deanosaur]

Well it could be your just out of shape...

 

[karnige]

It sounds like you might have rushed back into everything without stretching or something. New sharpened skates don't cause that much pain.

Only thing I can think of is whatever the stone was set at may have been to sharp/dull depending on your style. What was it sharpened at? sharper means less glide and you have to book it harder. maybe you tweaked something because of that?

 

[noobman]

The only thing I can think of is that the extra force required to move yourself with the sharper skates (since they dig deeper into the ice) managed to push you past your limits, though the odds of the extra few millimeters of digging into the ice having that much of an effect is, well, next to impossible.

 

[Sm0otHocKeySPeeD]

Exactly what everyone else has pointed out...

It's a combination of being out of shape and not playing in a while.

I'd suggest bringing your hollow down a step and keep skating. Get those legs going, don't hunch over when you skate so your back doesn't fail you.

If hunching over comes naturally then you need to work on that. Instead of hunching over, bend at the hips/waist and keep your back upright!

Hope it gets better...

 

[We'reGonnaWin*]

Are you skating with the proper skating posture? Just double check that your

- knees bent
- ankles flexing forward
- your upperbody should be mostly straight and upright, bending slightly is okay -- but not hunched over

See: http://www.kariyaweb.com/images/paul-kariya-nashville-predators.jpg for example