Vacation Time?

[jjefferies]

In an earlier thread there were comments about whether SN marks the end or beginning of the fencing season. Personally I regard the latter half of July and the month of August as a time to rest and relax before resuming the training grind in September. But was wondering if this was generally true. So another poll.

[Inquartata]

MUST I really say it?

Anyway, I got back from Reno on Monday night and was back at practice Tuesday night, if that answers your question.

[Phincer]

We go back to practice August 1. It gives the coach a few weeks off, staff time to start obsessing, uh-I mean planning for- the next fencing season. It's not "fall", but closest thing to it.

[rudd]

The club closes for the two weeks around the nationals and then reopens for summer camps. There is no real attendance at the open session in the evening during July and August. As a result I take July of and usually arrange a session once a week in August with a few other bored souls.

[cattos]

Pertaining to the tournament schedule in these parts, it is always very quite from July through September.

As for my school, it is open year-round despite a big slow-down during the summer break. Rent and bills to pay ....

[hello?]

Yes, I took Tuesday off.

[Craig]

This week is off, then I resume off-season strength and conditioning. Actual fencing will happen later. I don't consider it "time off" but rather a different part of the training cycle.

[ladyofshalott99]

My coach *offered* to let us decompress this week, but Emfuser wants to go in tomorrow...after his crazy flight/drive of doom from SC>OH and back by midnight. Gyaah.

I took this week (Tuesday/Wednesday) off from CrossFit merely because a) I have no clean laundry my house is a mess, and bills/groceries/cats need tending to, and b) am re-adjusting to the humidity, which is not working well (running...bleh). Next week, I go straight back to CF, regular dance classes, and my first 5k next Friday.

Fencing-wise, my club doesn't really stop, ever. I remember last year E took the month off, and with mine, I just started going to bellydance camps/workshops on the weekends since there weren't tournaments scheduled. Then we started CrossFit in August. But this year we're also trying to get as many coached lessons in as possible to a) increase skill, and b) to support our Coach's effort to re-locate our Club a few blocks away later this Fall. (Yay, bigger space.)

In summary, if you want to be good at something, no matter what your skill level, you never, never stop training.

(But like I said, I'm one of those crazy CrossFit people, and we never stop training for stuff anyway )

Besides. Though my energy was good, my results at Nationals were below my standards, and I have a lot of work to do to. No point in putting it off.

[jjefferies]

Interesting. I've since learned that my club hasn't closed. The coach just hasn't been active. But like LadyS my house and critters need some loving attention. After being alone for a mere 36 hours the cat decided that the dog really wasn't that threatening and curled up on one side of my wife with the dog on the other <as close as she's let him get ever>. On the other hand maybe it was that the wife was eating sushi and beef jerky snacks. All this while I was still in Reno waiting to compete.

Sorry if I missed the great Gran Sierra booze out. My room was immediately above "The BEACH" and although I did assay down to check out the tepid spa I didn't recognize any fencers other than some ladies from Halberstadt.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I know this may be shocking... but a US tournament doesn't affect the opening and closing of our club or the beginning/ ending of the "fencing season".

[jjefferies]

I know this may be shocking... but a US tournament doesn't affect the opening and closing of our club or the beginning/ ending of the "fencing season".

Do say. Why shocking and why would anyone care?

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

why would anyone care?

Exactly... your poll is flawed as it assumes a concentricity in fencing that doesn't exist worldwide (as you posted it on the World Wide Web).

[jjefferies]

Exactly... your poll is flawed as it assumes a concentricity in fencing that doesn't exist worldwide (as you posted it on the World Wide Web).

No I posted in f.net which is an American fencing website much as fencing forum
http://fencingforum.com/forum/
is the British fencing website and any number of other nationalities
N.Z. http://www.fencing.org.nz/news.php?cod=2078
Italian, German, Swedish(ask Peter), eastern European (language issues for me). In fact there are fencing forum websites where ever fencers are devoted to the local scene.

If you bother to read the threads here you would quickly realize that f.net revolves around the American fencing scene. You will rarely if ever see threads such as

"BFA Organisational Structure

I just read with interest the bit Keith put in the Sword about the BFA set up, apparently we now have 15 salaried staff! How did we get to the stage where we went from 2-3 members of paid staff to 15?? Has the BFA level of responsibilities grown 5 times in the past 5-6 years??"

Or announcements like "a series of 5 Training camps here in Auckland." or an announcement such as "Do not link, in any post to websites that sell fencing equipment other than Leon Paul’s."

Yes, there are a number of non-Americans who regularly post here with their own non-American view points. And likewise there are American's who post on other websites such as KD5MDK who recently posted on "fencing forum". But it would be a serious faux pas for an American to post there and not be aware of where he was. Just as your posting revealed your ignorance.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

LOL... Don't get yourself too worked up old man, don't want your wife to be a young widow. Cheers!

[KD5MDK]

I show up at a college club, so their regular summer schedule isn't affected by Summer Nationals. I was back at practice last Tuesday. I'm missing this Tuesday because I'm out of town and hopefully will be back weekly after that.

[jjefferies]

LOL... Don't get yourself too worked up old man, don't want your wife to be a young widow. Cheers!

Smarmy little pre-teeners.

[TBean]

My club remains open for bouts, lessons, and classes as there are any number of athletes who do not go to SN and train year-round. Coach encourages most of the competitive athletes - those who geared up for SN - to take a few weeks off. He expects to see them back by August 1 to begin conditioning and strength training. Fencing begins again in earnest - for most - in mid-August. Also summer tends to be quieter in the club anyway as people will take vacations, or weekend trips - there are very few local events after nationals. Also, this summer Coach got his hip replaced which means all his adult students and junior elites are getting a break if we wanted it or not - although most of us are still training. The junior coaches are handling all the classes for adults and kids, as well as the summer camps.

[Peach]

My club remains open for bouts, lessons, and classes as there are any number of athletes who do not go to SN and train year-round. Coach encourages most of the competitive athletes - those who geared up for SN - to take a few weeks off. He expects to see them back by August 1 to begin conditioning and strength training. Fencing begins again in earnest - for most - in mid-August. Also summer tends to be quieter in the club anyway as people will take vacations, or weekend trips - there are very few local events after nationals. Also, this summer Coach got his hip replaced which means all his adult students and junior elites are getting a break if we wanted it or not - although most of us are still training. The junior coaches are handling all the classes for adults and kids, as well as the summer camps.

Same club, and I'll add that my training cycle has a couple of months to go before I can rest. We always do have sparser attendance in the summer, but I'll add that summer-camp classes often take up the attention of the coaches during this time.

I usually scramble to find training partners in the summer, and, in the lessons I take with our head coach when he's not having a hip replaced, have to keep reminding him him that in the summer I'm doing the last part of the training cycle rather than the refresh-and-renew cycle.

[jeremyb215]

My club remains open for bouts, lessons, and classes as there are any number of athletes who do not go to SN and train year-round.

Thank gods for that. I just started my classes!

[TBean]

Same club, and I'll add that my training cycle has a couple of months to go before I can rest. We always do have sparser attendance in the summer, but I'll add that summer-camp classes often take up the attention of the coaches during this time.

I usually scramble to find training partners in the summer, and, in the lessons I take with our head coach when he's not having a hip replaced, have to keep reminding him him that in the summer I'm doing the last part of the training cycle rather than the refresh-and-renew cycle.

I agree it is so hard for you, and any other vets, going to worlds given how much it can quiet down over the summer. Coach so mentally resets himself for the new season after summer nationals. You don't need him implementing all his new ideas - you need to be gearing up for a major event.

Not that it helps you, but there were a ton of epee fencers last Tuesday - if you ever wanted to just come and play. I could hardly believe it more than half my bouts were with other women. When the heck does that happen anymore?