First Snow

Today brought the first real brush with winter. Morning training was cold — properly cold — and by the end of the session snow had started to fall. The timing felt merciful. We scattered back to our rooms, letting the worst of it pass without us.

Training itself was good. Quietly so. Though I did notice a slight drag in the pace — not wrong, just slow. It gave me the sense that a rest is approaching. Not urgently, but inevitably.

Over the past few weeks, despite still enjoying the experience, I’ve felt the weight of it accumulating. Learning and maintaining this many forms takes more than it appears from the outside. It’s demanding in a way that isn’t dramatic, just constant.

What stood out today was something simple. When performing for my coach, I need to move at my pace. Body mechanics and flow matter far more than speed. Speed can come later, if it needs to. Right now, there are other things asking for attention.

The challenge isn’t knowing this — it’s remembering it while training.

Snow fell.
The session ended.
Tomorrow is already waiting.