I think rusty is the right word. I feel like I’ve lost my mojo cos haven’t done anything challenging for a year, and have managed to have a couple of really bad falls on surfaces that should not have caused a problem. I’ll probably wait until the kids go back to school before starting to get back into it.
I would venture that the problem is a disconnect between your mind and your body. Your body is a year without "anything challenging for a year", but your mind still thinks you can do it. The mind says yes, but the body can't deliver.
When I retired I went to the Caribbean for three weeks. I used to be heavily into windsurfing when I was in my 30's, although I hadn't set foot on board for twenty years. The local surf guys were in a meeting when I wanted to go, but I persuaded them I was up to the task. Big mistake!
I had to be towed off the beach through the surf.
My feet hurt because the dagger board housing was right where one bare foot wanted to be.
The wind was too calm for it to be exciting.
The swell was too big for comfort with so little wind.
My usual moves seemed a bit slipshod and never really came off as crisply as I expected.
Anyway after 30 mins or so I got bored and thought I'd return but with a big finish.
So I came in to shore as fast as I could, with the intention of kicking up the daggerboard, running the board up the beach and trotting manfully off the board onto the beach without even getting my feet wet. That was the plan.
What actually happened was that there was a large flat rock just underneath that patch of seaweed. I slid up it and the daggerboard tipped the board over and me with it. I went completely under the water and came up spluttering (missed the rock fortunately).
The surf guy's meeting was over and the one that had towed me out came running over. I handed him the uphaul rope and told him that I'd come in because I was bored "it just wasn't the same".
He said "yeah, I could tell that you
used to know what you were doing!"
My mind said yes, but my body could no longer deliver.
