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Last Weekend's Fencing (Part 1)
Nov. 19th, 2015 01:14 am(Due to glorious, but ultimately fun, stupidity, there is also a part 2.)
I suppose I ought to thank Cross-Country Trains, because due to their train being 25 minutes late, my gentle 20 minute stroll up hill to the venue became a 20 minute stomping yomp and I didn't really need to do the warm-up I didn't have time for.
So very annoyed by that, and I will be even more cheesed off when they say they can't delay-repay me because it was only 22 minutes, not 30 minutes. But I will try. And when I fail I will raise hell.
Anyway, thankfully, my first match was the "easy" match in the pool, against a poor unfortunate beginner, who I beat at one of the Liverpools, then I beat a fencer who has improved since the last time I fenced her, but I have also improved so it's pretty much as it was, then there's the two good fencers in the pool who both beat me, which is fair enough, and then there's someone from *them*, the fencing club who are my bete noir, even though they're all lovely really. And I was doing so well and not attacking into a counter-attacker and it was 4-4 and ... then I goofed and missed her shoulder and I will get her next time etc etc etc.
Still, could have been worse.
I was 18th after the pools, which was fair enough. Unfortunately, the person I got in the knockout was the team-mate of a friend. She's probably a much better fencer than me, but I am old and sneaky, and have been working on my counter-attacks and remises.
I'm actually quite proud of the match because I kept going behind but instead of panicking like I have done in the past, I stuck to the plan and then suddenly, it just clicked and I ended up winning 15 - 12.
I did not win my next match. In fact I lost it 15 - 2. My only comfort is that she won the whole thing. And I will learn from that disaster.
I ended up being 13th, because I broke seed and so did a fair few people, because the pools were wonked by 999s that shouldn't have been. Not the organisers's fault, just good fencers who'd been injured having this as their first competition back and it ruining several people's days.
There was also a fencing parent who was making a real run for most obnoxious fencing parent ever. He's not, he's not even in my top 3 but that's not saying much. And it's a great shame because his daughter is lovely, and so's her mother. He's just impossible, and he will be impossible around someone with less of a tolerance than the Leeds organiser and it will end badly.
I've also reached the age where I'm starting to think 6 monthly sports massages are not a luxury but an essential, especially if you can get your whole back done for £9. All hail physiotherapy students.
Anyway, got the train down to London. Mine was one of the few trains that wasn't delayed because it was going down country not across. The new Virgin East Coast trains are very swish, and very easy to fall asleep in.
I suppose I ought to thank Cross-Country Trains, because due to their train being 25 minutes late, my gentle 20 minute stroll up hill to the venue became a 20 minute stomping yomp and I didn't really need to do the warm-up I didn't have time for.
So very annoyed by that, and I will be even more cheesed off when they say they can't delay-repay me because it was only 22 minutes, not 30 minutes. But I will try. And when I fail I will raise hell.
Anyway, thankfully, my first match was the "easy" match in the pool, against a poor unfortunate beginner, who I beat at one of the Liverpools, then I beat a fencer who has improved since the last time I fenced her, but I have also improved so it's pretty much as it was, then there's the two good fencers in the pool who both beat me, which is fair enough, and then there's someone from *them*, the fencing club who are my bete noir, even though they're all lovely really. And I was doing so well and not attacking into a counter-attacker and it was 4-4 and ... then I goofed and missed her shoulder and I will get her next time etc etc etc.
Still, could have been worse.
I was 18th after the pools, which was fair enough. Unfortunately, the person I got in the knockout was the team-mate of a friend. She's probably a much better fencer than me, but I am old and sneaky, and have been working on my counter-attacks and remises.
I'm actually quite proud of the match because I kept going behind but instead of panicking like I have done in the past, I stuck to the plan and then suddenly, it just clicked and I ended up winning 15 - 12.
I did not win my next match. In fact I lost it 15 - 2. My only comfort is that she won the whole thing. And I will learn from that disaster.
I ended up being 13th, because I broke seed and so did a fair few people, because the pools were wonked by 999s that shouldn't have been. Not the organisers's fault, just good fencers who'd been injured having this as their first competition back and it ruining several people's days.
There was also a fencing parent who was making a real run for most obnoxious fencing parent ever. He's not, he's not even in my top 3 but that's not saying much. And it's a great shame because his daughter is lovely, and so's her mother. He's just impossible, and he will be impossible around someone with less of a tolerance than the Leeds organiser and it will end badly.
I've also reached the age where I'm starting to think 6 monthly sports massages are not a luxury but an essential, especially if you can get your whole back done for £9. All hail physiotherapy students.
Anyway, got the train down to London. Mine was one of the few trains that wasn't delayed because it was going down country not across. The new Virgin East Coast trains are very swish, and very easy to fall asleep in.
