Clean or Scummy? Lessons/Practices - Oct 6th to 12th

[garyc254]

Clean: My bruised knee didn't cause any major problems on the ice. :D I didn't push it too hard, though. A nice, easy practice. Ran through some 3-turns, Waltz 8, back edges, and choctaw. All were in fair form considering I was babying myself.

Helped out with a learn-to-skate class of 10 young kids. Most spent half the class sitting on the ice. I didn't help as much as I herded. None listened to the instructions from the coach. They were fun to watch, but the half hour lesson seemed two hours long.

Scummy: BI edges. I still say they are against the laws of physics. :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by garyc254
Scummy: BI edges. I still say they are against the laws of physics. :lol: You'd be surprised - I thought that for the longest possible time; certainly they go against all the laws of skating, in that you lean your weight the wrong way, but suddenly I seem to be getting them.

Not skating today - could go, but have been out all day, and Robert has a meeting, so need to Feed the Brute first....

[quarkiki2]

BI edges? BI??? For me those are much easier than the back outside ones. My back outside are putrid. I can't go a lobe without putting my foot down. But back inside I actually got to rip!

I think this is why: if I fall too much to the inside, I put my other foot down. If I fall too much to the outside, I land on the ice because I don't have an extra leg out there, LOL!

Anyway, glad your knee is feeling better Gary!

I'm planning to practice tonight -- I 've got some footwork I really need to get down for synchro. I can do almost all of it, but for some reason, the people on my left aren't lining up corectly and they end up going way faster than the rest of he line and I'm doing what I'm supposed to do -- lining up based on the person to my right. So the ones on my left should be lining up off of me, right? Well, you'd think so.... Anyway, this means that I'm not ever in a good position to actually DO the footwork as I'm getting yakend around instead, grrrr...

[AshBugg44]

I had an excellent lesson today! I hit every lutz/loop except one, and I always struggle with that combination. My jumps were just awesome today, my sit was great, and my camel/sit got better as the day went. My coach was always yelling "GOOD ASHLEY!" and clapping as I ran through my program. I was skating TO the music, smiling, and really performing. Regionals, here I come!

[singerskates]

I have lift off......



I have rotation. I even land, but not on one foot. So frustrating!
and what might this be? My loop and my flip jumps. So close. I'm even
getting 6 inches off of the ice on these two jumps. But my coach and
I are so frustrated because I have a lazy left free leg. I'm
wondering if I have this lazy left leg because of the recent flare up
in my lower right ab in the area where I had my ovarian cyst removed
last year (Oct. 4th, 2002). I only tried to do the loop jump a hand
full of times before competing last year at April 2003 SC COS Adult
Spring Skate where I won the silver in FS and bronze in Bronze
Interpretive. So I didn't notice any mild pain at night in the area
until working on the loop and flip with my new club. I'm wondering if
the pain is from under developed muscles?

I went to the gym afterwards and did my weights at mostly 100% for the first set of 12 and then afterwards did two more sets at 50% to 60% to gain strength. I do all the weights except for the military press because that rips out my shoulders. Love to show off the fact that I can lift more on the abductor and adductor weight machines than the guys. I'm lifting 100 bls each on these. After more cardio, I went for a swim and then stretched out in the therapy pool. I still feel a bit of soreness but it's mostly gone.

Until I get my loop and flip to be landed on one foot, I won't get to
start working on my lutz and axel. And with the way Adult Canadians
are written up, the first category allowing upto a partial junior
bronze test past, I need to get my lutzes and axels if I want to win.

Brigitte

OH, Coach is now asking for the Adult Canadians form and announcement.
My interpretive is 2:56 now. I had to make it longer to get a longer
footwork section.

[Mrs Redboots]

Could not get out of bed this morning, so had less than an hour on the ice, and was late for my lesson. Luckily on Wednesday mornings the schedule is pretty flexible, so he just swapped Sam's and my lessons round and it all worked out.

Needless to say, once I was loose and warmed up, I was wide awake - he was yawning more than I was - but it was a seriously weird lesson. Everything I did I kept pulling apart and finding the one bit I couldn't do. For instance, in forwards crossovers, the first length I tried I kept stopping on the push, so although I had good momentum, each cross had to generate its own momentum, rather than build it up - then, when I tried again, this time the momentum was maintained, but I didn't feel I had much of a push....

I had to do a length as fast as I could going backwards, which was fine, but not much flow; then my BO edges kept losing momentum, regaining it, and losing it again - I'm still not quite sure what I did differently. Coach said it was about keeping my feet together.

Then waltz 3s, and again, the problem was with the push-off on to the back outside edge. It's really hard to do a 3-turn, then put your free foot down in exactly the right place on the ice. A matter of inches..... but it makes all the difference.

Another thing I learnt this morning was the difference being relaxed makes - if you tense up, you go straight on to your toe-rake, scrape, scrape, scrape..... but if you're relaxed, then no matter how bent over or upright you are, you stay off the picks.

Ran through my new Interpretive, which is now pretty much sketched out, just wants some steps put into it!

[NickiT]

Had a practice session today after doing my figures class.

My highlight of the morning was my improved backspin!!! I had my fastest backpspins ever today and with quite a few rotations as well. Needless to say when I come to take my test I'll go and blow it but it felt good to get such good ones today!

Also have a new step sequence and it fits nicely into my free programme apart from the fact that I come out of a spin just before it. However I'm starting to get my head together on this now and gradually losing the dizziness that accompanies it!

Nicki

[blurrysarah]

Scummy: Yesterday's synchro session, hadn't been on the ice for two weeks, so I was very wobbly and screwing up all over the place. I felt pretty dreadful and couldn't wait to get off.

Clean: However, had a nice 35 minute lesson with my coach tonight, we got quite a lot done. Loop jump in my new boots is still muddy, but slightly better than the last time I tried it in them. Also found my new boots improved my Ina Bauer so it now travels in a *mostly* straight line instead of a big curve. And my coach helped me with an outside spread eagle, which was quite fun.

[icenut84]

Skated on Monday on a public session.

Clean: Stroking felt pretty good. Turns were ok. Spirals were ok, although not as good as before. Chasses down the ice were pretty good (one of the dance exercises I was given).

Scummy: Spins (though they could have been worse). Serious lack of energy/motivation/attack. What's wrong with me? :cry: My ankle hurt too.

[RNsk8r]

Scummy-Okay, I'm looking for massive amounts of sympathy here.:) It's Wenesday afternoon, and I was planning on having a lesson for the first time in three weeks. Right before I was about to leave, I realized that I left my skates in my car, that my sister is driving, and I can't get in touch with her. So now I've lost my chance at a lesson, and missed a day of skating. Plus, regionals is being held at my rink next week, thus very little ice time available, and I am volunteering, so I don't have time either. Anyway, just needed to vent a little bit.

Clean-I'm back on the ice after having surgery on my foot three weeks ago, and yesterday I skated great. I'm not jumping yet, but my moves felt pretty good overall, and spins were great. I did 2 or three really good scratch-back scratch spins, which I am just starting to get, and I did a few camel-sits. Plus, my foot is starting not to hurt when I skate, and I was able to stay on the ice for the full 45 min. Last week, my first week back, I could only stay on 20 min one day and 30 the other.

Thanks for the opportunity to vent. :) I don't usually post on this thread, but I read it everyday, and am greatly encouraged to have it here.

[garyc254]

Originally posted by RNsk8r
Scummy-Okay, I'm looking for massive amounts of sympathy here.:) It's Wenesday afternoon, and I was planning on having a lesson for the first time in three weeks. Right before I was about to leave, I realized that I left my skates in my car, that my sister is driving, and I can't get in touch with her.

I hate when that happens.

I'm usually the one who has his skates in the van, but it happens that it's not the van I drove that day.

Thanks for the opportunity to vent. :) I don't usually post on this thread, but I read it everyday, and am greatly encouraged to have it here.

Glad you were able to vent. Post more often so we can follow your recovery.

[jazzpants]

Scummy: I'm finally getting around to learning how to STOP!!! :oops: Yeap! I'm horrible at stopping. Haven't learned properly how to stop yet. I did snowplow and t-stop today. Could get only one side on the t-stop but not the other. (Oh, the "blessing" of not having much of a turnout...NOT!!! Secondary coach said "Hmmm? Someone needs to start taking ballet there...") :P

Clean: The edges of Roca & Sur, who were practicing this morning at our rink. Oh, to DIE FOR edges!!! *drool* It's even more beautiful watching them in person.

[skateflo]

clean - sessions were unusually low attended Monday so I worked on new footwork exercises. I love doing them and it really gets my feet going and emphasizes posture.
I hadn't done my little half jumps in quite awhile and was most pleased that they are still there!

scummy - tried to do my program run-through (it has been 2 months since I had the ice space to do it!) and it was sloppy but I got through it and then hung onto my coach while I caught my breath. Still can't spin worth s**t...

But all in all I really enjoyed the 2 back to back sessions. It makes such a difference when there are only 16-20 people on the ice instead of 40! I hadn't had such fun in a long time!

I also think there is part of me that wants to imprint everything on my brain and muscles as I am having a cervical disc removed and my neck fused (bone + plate & screws) November 3rd and have been told no skating for a minimum of 8 weeks!! :(

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by skateflo
I also think there is part of me that wants to imprint everything on my brain and muscles as I am having a cervical disc removed and my neck fused (bone + plate & screws) November 3rd and have been told no skating for a minimum of 8 weeks!! :(

Best of luck with that - and hope you feel great and skate great very soon after it's done!

[flo]

Clean: had a good time at the adult session last night. I moved some things around in the program, and set a new ending. Doubles were ok too.

Ouch - I was picking up my pooch and she lifted her head and bonked me right in the eye. It's a little colorful right now, and I have a major head-face ache. This was after skating. After the double jumps, the flying camels, and running on ice with sharp objects - done in by a 16 year old springer spaniel!
I think I'll tell people it was a double salchow!

[garyc254]

Originally posted by skateflo
....and have been told no skating for a minimum of 8 weeks!! :(

Good luck with the surgery. Isn't modern medicine amazing!!!!

As soon as the surgery is complete, start asking your doctor every visit when you'll be allowed to skate. When they understand the urgency of your passion, they are less likely to be overly cautious.

[sk8clean]

Finished working on my new program. I love it!
Scummy:
The toe loop jump. I cannot do it to save my life and really need it for my competition that's a month away.

[batikat]

clean
still enjoying doing my OD that is now a Free Dance - must remember to change the title on the CD!
Practised Rythym Blues for comp next weekend (19th)and was doing a lot better on the pattern getting my weight over the skate to change edge

scummy
Trying to make my circular step sequence bigger. For the OD it had to be less than half the width of the rink but for the Free dance it needs to cover as much of the rink as possible and my coach says it doesn't need any more steps in it - just the same ones done with more power and speed to cover more ice. Yes but with all that extra power and speed it is much easier to lose control. As it is, I realised today that I would not be able to tell someone what my programme consists of e.g am I doing a mohawk or a choctaw or which edge I am on - I just do it - my feet move and I turn but what I am doing I couldn't tell you.

[Debbie S]

Originally posted by flo
Ouch - I was picking up my pooch and she lifted her head and bonked me right in the eye. It's a little colorful right now, and I have a major head-face ache.

I hope you feel better soon, flo!

As for me, I'm not going to be testing pre-Bronze MIF in November after all. My club changed its test session from a Sunday night to a Monday morning, and I've got classes during those times. It's probably just as well, since I'm really not prepared for it. I really haven't been able to practice as much as I'd like, b/c b-school has been so hectic.

Clean: I worked on my pre-Bronze/Bronze compulsory moves "program" for the adult comp I entered - it's in Wilmington, DE at the end of November. My coach was pleased with my improvement on my scratch spin and salchow.

The coach at my rink who fell and broke her elbow was back at the rink, albeit coaching from a chair along the bleacher side of the ice. It'll be a few months before she's back in skates, but she seems to be in good spirits.

Scummy: Alternating 3s are regressing. Sigh. I can't seem to get a true half circle. I end up giving out on the BI edge about 1 foot before the "axis line."

My loop jump is now nowhere to be found.

[Mrs Redboots]

Total scum today. Really awful - the kind of day when nothing works. First, we did manage to run-through our ex-OD, now free dance (yeah, same competitions as Batikat!), but not to the music, and I stumbled on one of my Mohawks and nearly fell, and after that I'm sure it wasn't Tango-ey. Then we couldn't do a Canasta Tango for love nor money as other people were playing waltz music.

Then, when Robert left, I tried to run through my new Funny, but it's at the stage when it needs a lot more skating put into it, and I blanked out totally on what I was trying to do. Have finished up with some ideas, though. Then did some exercises, which weren't too bad, but compulsory figures were awful.

Just somehow a depressing day - but I've found, in skating, that this very often happens just before you start to improve, so I refuse to be downhearted....

[mikawendy]

Originally posted by Debbie S
Scummy: Alternating 3s are regressing. Sigh. I can't seem to get a true half circle. I end up giving out on the BI edge about 1 foot before the "axis line."

Debbie--
I worked on alt. FO3s in my lesson and got a few valuable pointers.

--First, when you turn the three and do the second part of the 3 turn (in this case, the back edge, take the free foot (which is beside your skating foot as you turn the three) and point it to the back , sort of in stroking position. That is, when you're doing the BI edge (in the FO3s) the free foot is pointing to the back but isn't exactly lined up behind your skating foot--it's a little to the back and a little to the side (just like in forward stroking). This will put your free foot on the "print" or "tracing" and will help you ride that BI edge.

--Second, I was told that I was "sinking" too much back into the skating knee after I turn the 3. I always thought 3 turns were DOWN-UP-DOWN, and they are, but the second down should be less "down" than the first. The idea is that the deepest part is just before the initial push (because as Jeff taught us in edge class, a push is ALWAYS preceded by a bend of the knee and ankle to create pressure against the ice). I find that less "down" after turning the 3 helps me control that back edge.

--Third, be sure to not place the turn too early on the lobe. I have a big problem with this and I always have to think about this. If the turn is not at the top of the lobe, then you will have that much farther to go to get back to the axis (plus the MIF judges will be looking for proper placement of the turn on the lobe).

--Fourth, thinking of the upper body may help. I was told to think of my skating side (hip and chest) leading into the turn. That is, don't let the skating hip and shoulder collapse and be lower than the free hip and shoulder,

Good luck! I need to practice these lots!!

[flo]

Thanks Debbie! Hope I can spin by Saturday morning.
Glad to hear Susan is back at the rink.

[Debbie S]

Thanks, Mika! So you do yours with the free leg extended? Claudia wanted me to pull my free foot in b/c the control would be easier, but I swear the back half has gotten harder. Maybe I'll try extending my free leg like you described after I do the turn and see what happens. They're in my compulsory moves program - ugh!

[SDFanatic]

Clean: Oh my, what a week I had, One hour lesson with my other coach on Monday as my regular coach is on vacation. I ran into a couple people who haven't seen me all summer and they say my skating has much improved! I went a bit overboard with skating this week as my total hours this week hits 17 hours. 5 more then I usually do, and 7 more then I did last winter, hmm, I need a job, lol!

Still Clean: Today was a riot, I worked on some of my regular stuff, as well as my new waltz jump and rolling mohawk. But was most grateful as school was out today and the ice had some kids on it. I know some people dislike it when there's kids on the ice, but I find them such a hoot and to do something different and off the wall like freeze tag, sharks and minows, and what not. Much more fun then just doing pretty much the same thing time after time.

Scummy: Have some work coming up, so I'm going to miss a couple sessions, but I could use the money as savings only go so far.

Steven

[singerskates]

Today's Ice Time:

Oh, I showed my coach the announcement for Adult Canadians and she was floored that it was all the way in BC. ROTFLOL

She has me teaching two different groups in Learn to Skate and
CanSkate tomorrow morning. She asked me at today's Learn to Skate where I warmed up all the kids on the ice before they went to their groups.

I later was teaching this one girl during her freeskate time about
spirals and doing demos. She was so cute just trying to stroke
forward and then do a two foot guild to left her foot behind her
barely but it gave her purpose to want to try to do what we were
trying to get her to do in her Learn to Skate group. She totally
forgot about the stroking and just did it and totally forgot about
the gliding and did it just to try to do a spiral like me. Not even
close to mine but it was a good attempt for her.

Today while learning my footwork section for my When You Believe Interpretive FS, I did a little Pair Skating with my choreographer. Everything was in unison except for when I got to the dumb LI Op Mo. I don't know why I can do back double 3 in any direction outside and inside but can't do a forward CW 3 or a LI Op Mo. What gives? Why won't my head let me skate it? Yeah, I'm a CCW skater. Anyway, I ran through what I have choreographed so far into a forward spin not really trying getting 5 revs (Tuesday's forward spin had 9 fast revs I was told by my friend) and then exited and got myself to the corner in a pose that says, "Hey Judges, look at me. I'm going to do a diagonal footwork section." This is where I placed the footwork we
worked on today. It was working great until that dumb back LI Op Mo! Frustration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got a decent RFO to RFI spiral with my foot extend above my head and then into my cheated flip/toe combo. It's the flip that is still landed on 2 feet.

Brigitte

How did it go with you guys for your Today's Ice Time.

[Mrs Redboots]

Brigitte, you probably find back 3s easier as they turn you to forward, and you can put a quick foot down if you need to! Or else you haven't mastered the weight shift for clockwise 3s or Mohawks - practice them round the hockey goal.

As we aren't here tomorrow, we went to the rink today.

scummy: Robert was way too energetic for my taste! And it being Saturday, there were too many people. We ran through our Free Dance, as usual, but it wasn't very good. Then we had a row about the Riverside Rhumba. Then we discovered we needed to be working on the Dutch Waltz and not the Golden Skaters' waltz - luckily, we're relatively good at both waltzes, so it doesn't much matter.

Later on I ran through my Interpretive, only to find I'd forgotten how I'd planned to start it.... duh, the perils of rechoreography!

Clean: We didn't do the Swing Dance, but we did do a lap of swing rolls, which were great - NO TOE-RAKES from me, and only one tiny one from Robert. Back chasses not so good, we both wide-step too much to make them great.

But towards the end of the morning, someone was playing a Foxtrot, so I said to Robert, come on, let's have a go - and we can do it now! Okay, it was small and slow, but it's a start - I haven't dared dance the Foxtrot with him before, but I think we're going to enlarge our repertoire.....

I was well pleased, as although it will be several years, if ever, before we will want to compete at that level, it's good to be able to do it socially.

[Lutzgirl]

lol that is funny garyc how did u manage that?:)
:)

[dbny]

Clean
F power pulls are still improving, and B also. I can tell right away when I lift my free leg if they are going to fly or not. When they are right, it's as if I am floating above my skate and it seems effortless.

Managed two decent one foot spins at a public sesseion Fri morning, but I must have tried about a dozen. I'm sure they will come back, but when?

F and B cross strokes are still improving, and hubby sometimes says I make them look easy.

Scummy
Three turns are dead in the water.

I'm going to miss a whole week of skating because I have to go to another ISI certification course. This one is at Oglebay in Wheeling, WV, a 6 hour drive for me. I signed up for the course in Ice Arena Programming, but no sooner had I paid and put in for reimbursement from my edu grant, than I received a call saying the course was cancelled, but I could take the course in Operations instead. Whoopee, refrigeration technology :roll:. How I wish hubby could go instead of me. On top of it, I seem to be getting sick and I have to leave tomorrow morning. I was sick through the whole thing last year and it was gruelling. If I have a fever in the morning, I'm cancelling, no matter what it costs. At least this is the end of the education grant. The best thing I've gotten out of it so far is the Dubova video on stroking from Rainbo.

[Jess-ka]

Clean- got lots of new footwork that is challenging for me, which makes me very excited! and i finally got that stupid mohawk thingy from the foxtrot...for some reason today it just clicked i was so happy, plus my coach is gonna talk to this guy about skating with me and yeah it was cool.

Scummy- i just got my blades sharpened and i couldn't do anything!! it took an hour for my to be able to stop normal like!! it also made doing the foot work harder b/c i'm not used to having edges now.

[RNsk8r]

Clean-I skated at a public session this evening, and it wasn't all that crowded. I was pleasantly suprised, since I haven't skated regularly at public sessions for about 2.5 yrs. Spins were working pretty well today. I got several really good scratch-back scratch spins, and my sit spin is doing well too. Plus, my foot is starting to feel really good too.

Scummy-The camel-sit wasn't working too well. I wasn't getting my leg in in the transition to the sit spin. I really need to have a lesson and get some of these bugs worked out. My moves weren't working too well either, but I'll just chalk that up to it being a public session. I need to find another moves coach too, as my moves coach is leaving in a month.

Anyway, not too bad. Finding ice time this week will be interesting. Regionals are at my rink this week, and between not having any freestyle sessions, and spending most of my free time volunteering it will be a bit of a trick. I spent six hours today monitoring today, and by the time I left, I was a block of ice. This was with a long sleeve t-shirt and 2 fleece jackets. Oh well.