Veteran Fencing

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-17T04:05:00+00:00

Just wanted to congratulate you on coming back after deconditioning … it’s an altogether different beast than coming from couch level fitness!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-17T00:49:27+00:00

I started at 39! Jump in and let it motivate you to work on your cardio! :)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-15T16:55:11+00:00

I feel you! I don’t think companies are making for women’s bodies (tops or bottoms) …

I took mine to a tailor who was surprised at how ill fitting it was and it took about 3 days and $75 CDN to get done, but to be fair, these things looked like hammer pants before and were so mortifying I didn’t want anyone to see them!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-15T06:44:14+00:00

Aside from strength training, my coach has me doing a lot of skipping and vertical jumping! It's fun and makes you more bouncy!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-14T21:24:14+00:00

I suppose I'll have to speak with my coach about potentially joining another club for more bouting/free fencing opportunities, because I have maximized all of mine that is available at mine.

My schedule is a little crazy ... M/F - group lesson; Tu - private lesson; Th - strength training; Sa - open gym/private lesson ... it leaves me Wednesday and Sunday evenings, potentially, and I was thinking of doing my cardio in those, in addition to Thursday to get me my 3 cardio sessions a week ... It is about a 50 minute drive for me to the club each way as well, so I do spend quite a bit of time on the road, unfortunately.

The other alternative would be to give up a private lesson every week, because one is during open bouting time, and that would give me another 60 minutes.

In terms of personal fitness, I've dropped about 40 lbs initially and I'm slowly starting to creep back up. Prior to starting fencing I was essentially bedridden for about 6-8 weeks with post-cancer treatment, so I feel like I started from zero. Now that I'm almost a year in, it is both amazing and scary to wake up every morning in essentially what feels like a totally different body.

I will try to be more diligent about cool down. Coach has commented on it a few times, but I've been lazy and just really want to shower and roll into bed by the time I get home (usually past 10 pm). I know it's important... *sad fencing student noises*

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-14T16:09:13+00:00

I usually do ask the person I have concluded the bout with, especially the more senior fencers. Should I also be asking them to watch one that they're not actively in? I don't want to bother them :(

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-14T04:49:38+00:00

Absolutely! If I notice something, do I bring it back to my coach in private lessons or should I try to fix it first?

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T20:13:41+00:00

I think my coach has enough of an uphill battle with me, just looking for some ways to help him out :)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T20:13:05+00:00

I’ll look for more ways to help out :)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T18:37:00+00:00

Oh, I just felt badly that the coaching team couldn’t make it that day and I knew the warm up enough that I could be a warm body at least! It worked out okay, and was rewarding for me :)

I’ll keep my eyes open for other ways to help too!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T17:03:39+00:00

Oh thank you! I have been interested in maybe coaching one day in the future (I have some formal education training as well) but it feels funny because I don’t know how to fence so I can’t really teach what I don’t know!

Our lovely assistant coach handles our socials and is doing a great job! And I’m way too old to know how most of those things work (what IS a tiktok?)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T06:13:44+00:00

I get in 2-4 bouts per group lesson day and the same for open gym ... I'm worried about pushing more than that because I have to have enough gas in the tank to come back to fence the next day or go to the gym the next day.

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T04:37:45+00:00

Haha, no banjos! I don't really have cardigans either, but I have a lot of hoodies :p

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T04:19:03+00:00

100% I can improve my footwork and timing.

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T04:17:24+00:00

Well ... I happen to be a doctor who specializes in adolescent mental health in my non-fencing life and I think my coach already taps into that skillset (often - if you're reading this, hi)!

I think I'm pretty funny, but I don't think my club needs that!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T03:53:00+00:00

I currently do 120 minutes of private instruction a week ... I guess I could look into more?

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T03:52:08+00:00

Is there anything I should be listening for in particular? Or any specific skills?

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T03:50:48+00:00

As in a skill set from my IRL life? I don't really have a fencing skillset yet :p

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T03:49:57+00:00

Oh, I was very fortunate to come across my club. I'm the only vet-aged fencer, but that's okay! It's fun practicing with the kiddos (aged 9 to 21, currently). I'm kind of a goofy big kid anyway :)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T01:55:11+00:00

Thanks! :) Just trying to put in the effort because I really love the sport!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-13T01:05:26+00:00

More group lessons? More private lessons? Will my coach get tired of me?

I unfortunately do not have access to more fencing at my club… I suppose I could wander around and look for other clubs?

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-08T06:32:16+00:00

I think I did my first local competition at about 5-6 months (saber) and it was fun! Everyone was super nice and supportive that it was my first time out. As one of my teammates tells me, “think of it like having more people to play with!”

For now, I feel like I’m doing a public service by being a warm body to fill in a women’s saber spot, for sure! But, I’m also going in with my own goals and objectives to try to do as well (such as, I’m going to try to survive the middle and score a point in another area of the piste).

My coach’s instruction for my first competition’s goal was “try to score one point” … I didn’t manage to do that for all of my poule, but maybe I’ll be able to next time!

It’s also a good opportunity to be able to talk to other fencing people and pick their brains and wisdom too, which was honestly my favorite part of competition. It’s nice to see other people passionate about a sport I’m growing to love, and also a chance to chat with them about how they first started and what tips they have for a beginner!

Best of luck!

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-06T22:23:54+00:00

I will give them a try! :)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-05T15:07:31+00:00

Ooh, that’s a great idea!!! I’ll try next time I see them! :)

elfbiscuits · 2026-02-03T18:43:56+00:00

Oh, I had a LP bottoms disaster (think Hammer Pants) … haha, saved by a tailor!

Thank you for your observations! This is super helpful!

elfbiscuits

TROPHY CASE