kickoff kick in the pants
Sep. 19th, 2010 11:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonThis weekend I was in a 2 day competition that semi-officially started the fencing "season". Given the large size and crazy good fencers representing, I hardly expected to set the world on fire, but my performance was even poorer than I'd hoped and it bothered me more than I expected.
My biggest problem throughout was noise, or rather, my (over)reaction to it. Large competitions are always loud but trying to fit 97(!) people into the inadequate space allotted for the mixed open created possibly the loudest event I've ever attended, fencing OR spectating. The combination of nearly 100 people moving, clanging their blades, reffing and some of them SCREAMING at the top of their lungs shattered my nerves before I ever hit the strip.* The second day was better, but after two days of constant din I was at the end of my rope, and unfit for human company.
I was also plagued by equipment failure first day, resulting in having penalties before I even started fencing :(
Long story short, I found it difficult to focus and lost all of my pool bouts on both days. The womens' open was small enough for me to advance to DEs, but I struck out on my first one. I wish I could say I had a fuller sense of what I need to work on, but the most obvious points are powering through distractions and being less predictable. My two great triumphs: scoring a point on an A rated fencer in the mixed and 3 on a (screamer) C in the womens'. I'll be happy with what I could get :P
There was some good to come out of the weekend though: the best possible thing I did was switch shoes. Sure, I'm tired and sore, but I'm not fasciitis-y or shin splint-y.
Also this event had a vendor and an armorer, so I saved myself some angst and had them repair my failed weapons and build a new foil with the Vniti blade I purchased at Nationals. So now I have 4 (count them, 4! Ha ha ha ha ha </count>) working electric blades.
Also, cookies. Cookies make everything better.
*I feel small that mere noise derailed me when opponents and club mates were battling injury, illness, and various greater impediments with more grace and better results, but there it is :/
My biggest problem throughout was noise, or rather, my (over)reaction to it. Large competitions are always loud but trying to fit 97(!) people into the inadequate space allotted for the mixed open created possibly the loudest event I've ever attended, fencing OR spectating. The combination of nearly 100 people moving, clanging their blades, reffing and some of them SCREAMING at the top of their lungs shattered my nerves before I ever hit the strip.* The second day was better, but after two days of constant din I was at the end of my rope, and unfit for human company.
I was also plagued by equipment failure first day, resulting in having penalties before I even started fencing :(
Long story short, I found it difficult to focus and lost all of my pool bouts on both days. The womens' open was small enough for me to advance to DEs, but I struck out on my first one. I wish I could say I had a fuller sense of what I need to work on, but the most obvious points are powering through distractions and being less predictable. My two great triumphs: scoring a point on an A rated fencer in the mixed and 3 on a (screamer) C in the womens'. I'll be happy with what I could get :P
There was some good to come out of the weekend though: the best possible thing I did was switch shoes. Sure, I'm tired and sore, but I'm not fasciitis-y or shin splint-y.
Also this event had a vendor and an armorer, so I saved myself some angst and had them repair my failed weapons and build a new foil with the Vniti blade I purchased at Nationals. So now I have 4 (count them, 4! Ha ha ha ha ha </count>) working electric blades.
Also, cookies. Cookies make everything better.
*I feel small that mere noise derailed me when opponents and club mates were battling injury, illness, and various greater impediments with more grace and better results, but there it is :/
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 10:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-20 10:12 pm (UTC)Re: shoes - yeah, it's tricky. Biggest challenge is that right and left feet aren't used the same way, so running shoes for problem feet might not work on both, but most shoes marketed as "fencing sneakers" have little cushion and no arch support.
I'd suggest consulting with your foot doc/phys. therapist, coach, online research, and experimenting. And if you find the magic pair take good care of them!
How is your fencing going?
no subject
Date: 2010-09-21 12:20 am (UTC)Having only been back a 2nd week tonight after missing the summer due to various craziness, it's actually getting to where it's fun. Tonight we practiced flèches and varying tempo to keep an opponent guessing as to rhythm. I still feel ridiculously out of shape and I'm completely wiped after an hour each week, but I'm pushing myself to go on Mondays after I teach my class in the afternoon - good frustration relief! ;-)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-21 02:14 am (UTC)BTW, 2nd thought occurred - search/ask the Fencing.net forums for shoe help. I'm sure that with it's large membership it's seen/heard it all.