Today, I drove up to Purdue for the "Spring" Open. I note that I left reasonably early to insure I could find a parking space only to discover that the university had booked a swiming meet and thus I parked at a meter near a residence hall and walked back. There was nothing else available.

Fencing started late and I was, unfortuantely, in a pool of FOUR. I hate it when that happens. I won one, lost one 4-5, and was down 2-3 when the left-handed, teenage (female) fencer, moved forward at a fast speed with the saber out.

If it had been a double light, it would have been my touch because the attack ends when the foot hits the ground. Unfortunately, it was one light AND the point of the blade hit the wrist joint and continued traveling. Fortunately, it went UP my arm rather than through my wrist but it hurt like heck.

My immediate and sensible response was to double over, holding my wrist and to take stock of the situation.

I'm down. I hurt. My fingers won't bend. Take a deep breath. How does the wrist feel? Not broke. I asked the director for a couple of minutes, which he was more than willing to give. I debated whether to ask for a medical break for ice and cursed myself for leaving my ice-filled cyro-cuff in the car.

I made what was probably the wrong decision, checked the wrist and decided that since it was swelling but not bleeding, I'd finish the bout (last bout) and then go for ice.

I say this was the wrong decision because it was another 20 minutes or so before the other pools finished and thus I would NOT have delayed the competition. Besides which, I think I need to start putting "fix what broke" before inconveniencing others. I only have two wrists and it would be nice to keep them both functional.

I lost that bout.

I was 15 out of 24 and fenced #18, Koby, in the DE. Koby and I have fenced before and he's usually defeated me. This time, however, I focused on second intention attacks with the idea that I would lose, but I would learn in the process.

Much to my surprise, I took the lead and kept it. Koby adjusted to my tricks and I - much to my surprise again - managed to keep my head and adjust.

Last Thursday, Coach said I was beginng to "see" and I'm definitely at a cruical point in that I could "see" well enough to attack into Koby's simultaneous attacks a few times such that I got the attack. I can't describe what I saw, but I knew he was going to attack and I got my blade out there first. Wow! I don't think I've successfully done this before in competition.

My next DE was against Nathan, who was #2 and who I'd fenced at the last Purdue Open. Last time, he defeated me badly. I simply cannot move as fast as the teenages. This time, I lost 14-15 and I'm not really upset about it (although I would have preferred to win) because I took some chances, fenced smart, and probably scored every one of those 14 touches on a second intention attack of some type or another.

I'm thinking before fencing and planning what to do... Woot!

I also broke a blade in that DE, calmly switched to the second blade that I'd put on the table at the beginning of the bout, and resumed fencing. It didn't bother me at all.

I've had a lifelong problem with Imposter Syndrome [url http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_Syndrome [/url], which means I think any small success is due to luck, not skill. No more. Not in fencing, anyway. I am an E level fencer. I may even be a D level fencer who just hasn't earned her D yet. I am worthy of being a V50 WS team alternate and I belong where I am on that point list. I am not Delia Turner or Jane Eyre, but I am a good fencer and growing better every day.

Go me!

Note: Edited at 0630 hours, after waking up and being apalled by typos and grammatical errors.

Edited again to add thumbnail photo

http://www.lindajdunn.com/fencing/in...ngOpen2009.jpg

My husband says he cannot see the discoloration.