Practice tonight was actually very good. April and I started with bouting to see how things were going and what I needed to work on. We ended up working on distance for the most part. My knees are unfortunately still bothering me, so I had to take a good number of breaks. I'm hoping my legs hold up for 2 tournaments on Sunday. I got a hotel room in Richmond for Saturday night and Sunday night that way I don't have to get up at 04:30 to leave at 05:30, drive 4 hours, fence in 2 tournaments, and drive the 4 hours back home all in the same day. With any luck I'll actually be able to sleep Saturday night...otherwise I'll be one tired and hurtin' pup by the time I'm finished on Sunday night. I did decide to do one foil bout with Cari...which turned into our typical bout...no blood was drawn...sort of. I parried one of her attacks with my pinkie finger...actually I caught it square on my finger just above the 2nd joint...so my finger is nice and swollen and a nice shade of blue and I really can't extend it. lol! So that was our typical bout...one of us usually takes a really hard hit. How did this happeN? Well...something about holding a foil like a sabre and doing sabre parries in foil. I had a beautiful riposte, though...had I been fencing sabre! Unfortunately, there's this thing on foils at the pointy end that has to depress in order for you to score a point...yea...there was no depressing of that tip...it was a flat hit. lol! That's also typical for me for foil since I switched weapons. Oh well. I had a great time...and got one point on her (also typical)! lol. Oh well...no practice Friday due to the New Year. I'm skipping the Sabre Fest in Lebanon on Saturday to save my knees and so I can actually get on the road toward Richmond. So, with any luck, I'll be able to keep fencing separate from the rest of my life on Sunday and keep my head in the game and do well. If not...well...if not at least I showed up and did the best I could do for that day!
Have a Happy New Year, all! And please...be safe! I'm sure there are plenty of Paramedics in your area that wouldn't like to meet you in the course of their jobs!