Lace Bite again

Lace Bite Isn't fun, and I've been battling it lately.

For me - this is what is happening. There is a tendon that runs from your shin to your foot. It may run further up than your shin but I only play a doctor on TV. My skate laces are so tight that they're digging into that tendon when I bend forward. It causes this huge bump where you tie your skates and makes it difficult to push off. While it is painful, when you walk in gym shoes, you don't notice it too much.

I've been trying to take it easy with it, as I had it last summer on the other side and rest really helped it. Since then I've bought gel pads to wear over the area, but that's only good for preventing. Once you have it, you can wear these pads but you're still in pain.

I've played a few games with it, and loosened my skates because of it. I believe that it is the reason, or a huge contributor, to my falling and lack of power lately. I feel so shaky on my skates, and I just don't like it.

What has helped me a lot is hot baths, and then ice right after that. I am looking forward though to a week or two off so it can heal properly, but until then, I'm stuck with it. It is a lot better now because I know how to handle it.

Sharp skates - I like it!

My performance in the last Goaldiggers game was a little concerning to me. I've been playing extremely well for the past month. I'd like to continue that pattern, so that I can become more reliable, and become more confident which is a huge hole in my game. I came out slow, and without energy. Knowing it is summer, and that we were at the Edge, I knew the ice was going to be awful, and suspected that my skates needed a good sharpening. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the place that usually sharpens my skates so I tried someplace else.

I just got back from the game with the freshly sharpened skates and it just makes a big difference for me.

Sharp skates are a must for me now, especially in the summer. I always read that you're supposed to get them sharpened every 10ish skates or so depending on how aggressive you skate. As I've gotten to become a better skater, I've started become more comfortable on my edges, and even more aggressive than I was a year ago.

So now that I'm starting to learn more and more about my skates and what I do like, I need to figure out what hollow I do want. I've always just gone with a 1/2 inch. That's seemed fairly standard. To be honest, I have been too afraid to try anything else. I got a 1/2 inch hollow this time, so maybe next time I'll try an eighth up or down. I don't know.

What I do know is that I'm playing a lot more than I used to, and I'm skating harder than I used to, so I'll need to get them sharpened more. I remember a stretch when I first started playing, I went about 6 months without a sharpening and it was a different experience afterward. If anyone has any advice after seeing me play, please, talk to me about it because this is something I know very little about. I'm a light guy, I play different positions, on different types of ice and it all needs to be accounted for.

Skate Lace Colors

It has been a while since I've done a post about equipment. I'm actually emailing a team mate about what may be the most insignificant piece, the skate laces. Once you get your length, and waxed preference, is there really anything else? For me there is... color.

See, at some point, instead of using white/black laces I made the switch to different colors. I started with red, and now I've switched to neon green. I'm getting almost to the point where I need new laces, so it is better to be prepared and have them in your bag BEFORE they break. So what color will I get?
I went with the red because that was what color my new team, the Immortals were. Occasionally, people would ask about them and my excuse was, "They make me skate faster." When I bought my new RBK 9K skates, I wanted waxed laces at that point, and my red ones were in need of replacing anyway. I picked neon green to go with the trim all around the skate. They look really sharp.

The brightness really got the attention of my team mates and it became somewhat of a joke. "Green make me handle the puck better." It is kind of like how Denis Rodman would dye his hair. Now that I'm in need of new laces, I question if I should change colors. One team mate said that they'd wear green laces on the Goaldiggers if I paid for them... I'm paying for them. And now, I'm wondering what my laces should be. Blue? Purple? Orange? Stay with neon green?