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Higher Times

AMCuber

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Jun 6, 2017
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Lately you might have noticed on my race to sub 35 that I mentioned that my regular average is a bit lower than thirty. Well, since that day my times have been worse. My average is now 33, where it used to be about 29. I am feeling quite discouraged, frustrated, and aggrevated and I need someone's help.
 
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DGCubes

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How are you defining your average? Is it based on an average of 5, an average of 1000, or something in between? I ask because if you do an average of 5 and get a 29, that is not the same thing as your global average. It could be much worse or much better than your actual global average. If you are in fact basing your global average on a larger average, like an average of 100 or 1000, everyone's times are expected to fluctuate to some degree, and I'm sure your times will get back to normal soon. Everyone has good days and bad days. It's nothing to worry about.

Although, if you want to really get faster, you could do some deliberate practice too (like slow, untimed solves to work on look ahead and efficiency).
 

AMCuber

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I am doing so bad... I feel like I am not ready to participate in my first comp. It's only 3x3 I'm struggling with. I am participating in skewb and 3x3, but I feel really discouraged and don't wanna embarrass myself of my 3x3 "skills" (I'm putting skills in quotes b/c I have none).
 

DGCubes

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I am doing so bad... I feel like I am not ready to participate in my first comp. It's only 3x3 I'm struggling with. I am participating in skewb and 3x3, but I feel really discouraged and don't wanna embarrass myself of my 3x3 "skills" (I'm putting skills in quotes b/c I have none).

Noooooo, never say that! Comps are not a competitive environment whatsoever. Nobody there will make you feel bad or think badly of you for how fast you are; everyone there is super-encouraging and the environment is basically inspiration enough to get faster. If you're going to a comp just to get good times, you're going for the wrong reason. You should be there to make friends and connect with the awesome community. :)
 

xyzzy

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Dec 24, 2015
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Comps are not a competitive environment whatsoever

"Comps are not a competitive environment"

"Competitions are not a competitive environment"

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

But yeah, this is true. Especially for your first comp, don't expect to get good times, as it's pretty much the first time you'll be solving in an unfamiliar environment, which might throw you off in a variety of ways. (I got one DNF and one +2 at my first comp because of general unfamiliarity with how Stackmat timers work, for one.)
 

Gold Cuber

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I am doing so bad... I feel like I am not ready to participate in my first comp. It's only 3x3 I'm struggling with. I am participating in skewb and 3x3, but I feel really discouraged and don't wanna embarrass myself of my 3x3 "skills" (I'm putting skills in quotes b/c I have none).
My first and only competition I did was when I was about as good as you. do it anyway. I got 30 second solves and I got into 2nd round! you'll surprise yourself
 

Douf

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Nov 30, 2015
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I am doing so bad... I feel like I am not ready to participate in my first comp. It's only 3x3 I'm struggling with. I am participating in skewb and 3x3, but I feel really discouraged and don't wanna embarrass myself of my 3x3 "skills" (I'm putting skills in quotes b/c I have none).
This is sad to hear. You have a PB of 21 seconds, which I would love to get one day. I'm almost 40 years old and heading to my third comp, and I have official times of over one minute. I was nervous as heck at my first comp, being what I consider old and pretty slow compared to everyone else. You know what I learned (other than how a stackmat timer works)? Some of the younger crowd (90% of the competitors) said they thought it was really cool that someone my age still loves cubing (little did they know I just started haha) and respected that I go to comps and participate out of pure enjoyment of speedsolving.

What part are you struggling with exactly, thinking you might not win the competition? That's OK! Who cares? If people publicly pointed and laughed at someone solving a cube in under 30 seconds at a competition I'd have never entered one - because I wouldn't want to be involved with people like that. Just know this community is WAY better than that. Go to that comp, have fun, do your best, that's an order! o_O
 
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EntireTV

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Aug 13, 2015
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Don't give up and never hesistate to take break. They are surprisingly helpful. So maybe just take a week off idk
 

pglewis

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Sep 23, 2016
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You shouldn't measure your progress on a day to day or even week to week basis as far as expecting a certain amount of improvement. Like learning to play an instrument, improvement happens in fits and starts. It has taken me about a year and a half to reach the point where I can nearly say I'm sub 30, that's some slow progress. But a year ago I was working to consistently get under a minute and now I'm half that despite a few plateaus and even regressions when I'm learning new things. Maybe a year from now I'll be shooting to make sub 15 the new norm. Play the long game, do deliberate practice, and enjoy yourself along the way.
 

AMCuber

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Jun 6, 2017
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This is the latest update but in the comp I got my regular 3x3 average of 29 secs but skewb was so embarrassing lol because I got a 46 second solve because the center popped and when I put it back in the corner cap popped. I am happy I now have the X Man Wingy.
 
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