For the past couple of weeks, I've (rather grudgingly) been nursing a few injuries I've accumulated over time and have given the park a break to heal up a bit and recharge. The adage that dudes like Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen have put out there is true, to think, that the end of our skating will come in a glorious, catastrophic injury, leaving us hopelessly crippled with a helluva story to tell the grand kids as we putter around in the wheelchair is for the most part, the exception. The real truth is, as our bodies age, sometimes the injuries accumulate, don't heal all the way, and you can feel yourself starting to grind to a halt.
Granted, two busted shoulders (one separated and one jacked rotator cuff,) a tweaked up elbow, a heelbruise, and having half of your bottom and front teeth consist of repair fillings ranks comparatively minor to broken bones, hips, skulls, but this stuff can add up, make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, and limp to work like you just got worked over by every mugger in the D.C. area. Pain hurts, and while it takes older skaters a little longer to heal, this stuff doesn't discriminate. Young and old, the injuries can pile up and from what I've been told by skaters who are way better than me, taking a break here and there can actually improve your overall skating by leaps and bounds.
I really think it's all in how you use that break though. I still get out every day and ride around, get the blood pumping, ollie up some curbs, etc. I even set aside time in the driveway to do flip tricks in the driveway afterward. I cherish that time when I can zone out the world and focus on things like foot placement, timing, and try things repetitively without having to wait my turn.
I had that experience today and broke through that wall to that "Zen" like state of tranquility where things just seem to click and landed my first FS Pop Shuv and BS 180 in the driveway today, all during my "recovery" time. Kickflips and heelflips are still eluding me 2 years back into skating, but I feel them getting close, real close, with heelflips being the closest. Just got to get that flick down and catch with both feet.
For all else, ice, aspirin, yoga, and physical therapy is somewhat of a lifestyle, but the price I pay for being active and having fun while doing so. Same as any "sport" or fitness lifestyle, doesn't matter whether it's weightlifting, golf, tennis, wing walking, or competitive flagpole sitting. If you're active doing something you love, you learn to mitigate injury as best you can, but also to deal with them in their aftermath when they do happen. If I've progressed in anything in the past two years skateboarding, my kneeslides out of bails are tops! I also visualize Ray Barbee and the "ragdoll" when I skate. I think it helps me overall, plus it makes for some pretty funny bails as I flop all over the place and leave a trail sweat smears. Staying nice and loose helps you dodge the injury bullet as well for the most part.
Anyway, I'm much more healed, still some pain though, but I can't not skate the bowl for too long. This weekend I'm back at it. Good concrete demands to be shredded!
Tim
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