Stupendous or Sick Lessons Oct. 12-18, 2003

[singerskates]

Well, Sunday was not Stupendous even though it was Thanksgiving Sunday. I played guitar and flute alright at church in the Worship Team but I couldn't play as much flute as we had planned and had to switch to guitar and sing because I was all stuffed up.

Sick: Yup, that's what Sunday was and today too. I woke up all stuffed up on Sunday with my chest and back in pain but got ready for church anyway because the worship team needed me. Usually, I play about 5 of the 7 songs with my flute. Flute requires you to use ever once of your lung compacity. I had very little on Sunday. Which brings me to skating. Since I was so congested and stuff, I ditched the idea of skating on the public session in Tecumseh where I can do as I please anywhere in the rink as long as I watch for others. I ran to one clinic and found that I would have had to wait a life time to be seen by a doctor. Then I went to another. This doc although knew figured out what has been plaging me. I have these sinuses that forever drip into my throat which then run into my chest. My Clarintins weren't helping me anymore. So he switched me to Reactin and put me on Zithromax. But that's not all. He said that I was/am suffering from Allergy and Exercise Induced Asthma and gave me a Beclomethasone (nose spray) and Salbutomol (Inhaler). I read the box from the SAlbutomol and it said sabutamol sulphate. Does that mean that the sabutamol has sulfa in it? I haven't taken it yet for two reasons. One, I'm allergic to sulfa and if it has sulfa in it, it would kill me. Second, if it doesn't have sulfa in it, I have to get the proper forms filled out and faxed on to Skate Canada because it's one of those drugs on the fence where in most cases it's a banned substance except for asthma. So is there sulfa in it?

I haven't taken the Beclomethasone either because I'm suspecting that it's the same as the Salbutomol. In the mean time, I'm still trying to beath here and suffering. My coach won't know about this until tomorrow at skating.

[sk8er1964]

Singer - ask your doc about albuteral. It's been around for ages (I use it before I skate my programs). It's so common, I would think it would be ok with Skate Canada.

Sick - My back. It hurts, and I do not like it one little bit. The doc gave me meds, stretches and exercises. I have a competition in two weeks, and I'm wondering if it's worth it to even bother trying to prepare. I'm thinking I should probably take a week or so off the ice. I'm pretty much ok when I skate, as long as I don't do a jarring jump landing. Can't do any sit spins, though, and camels are a bit sore too. :cry:

[singerskates]

sk8er1964, Have you tried one of those therapy pools at one of the local gyms for your back? Just in case its a pulled muscle make sure to soak in the cool pool for a half hour first and then go stretch in the therapy pool. Wish, I could do that with the asthma thing.

singerskates

[wannask8]

singerskates, can you call your pharmacy on the sulfa question? I don't know how it works over there, but in the U.S., doctors generally have relatively little pharmacology training, and it can be appalling how things get prescribed -- I've seen people just handed a box from the doctor's drawer that was left there by the last drug company sales rep. without a second's thought about other drug interactions, allergies, etc.

-- wannask8

[Lutzgirl]

aww poor you!!!!! :(
Sorry to hear about the the sickness ! Better luck next time :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[singerskates]

Well, after sleeping until 1 pm today, I finally called the pharmacy that filled my perscription. It turns out that there isn't sulfa in it. I also told them the missing thing I was allergic to that I couldn't remember the last time I was there; the sulfa.

It took me until about 4:30 pm or so to get up the courage to take the asthma meds. It sort of helped but I have a long way to go before I'm feeling well enough to skate.

Phoned my coach to tell her the news about the cold, infection and
the asthma. My coach forbade to come to the rink to skate and to stay
home and rest today. She said if I did come to the rink today, that
she wouldn't coach me anymore. She knows I'm severely addicted to
skating because I told her about having the ovarian cyst surgery and
getting back on the ice a month and half later and then competing
just a little over 5 months after surgery where most ladies who have
the surgery, don't do anything but light walking for more than 6 to 8
months. She knows, I push myself beyond the beyond. She thinks I was
crazy for competing so soon. A month later in April I pulled off a
silver in my freeskate and a bronze in my interpretive FS. I've been
gaining and gaining in my skills this past month stuggling to
breathe. Now I just have to get over the cold and infection and get
use to my asthma meds. The preventative makes me feel a bit dizzy but
I noticed I could breathe a bit better through the nose and the
salbutomol opened up my lungs a bit but with the infection, it might
take until tomorrow before I don't have pain in my lungs. I'm hoping
I feel much better tomorrow so I can skate. It was hard to stay home
and not skate.

I slept until 1pm today. Everytime I tried to wake up, I'd fall back
asleep. I guess, struggling to breathe really takes it out of you.

Can't wait until the cold and infection are gone.

[Magz]

Well figured I'd report on my practice today
Stupendous - My coach over booked herself so I'm now taking turns having lessons with another coach and my main coach. It's fun because they both focus on different parts of skating so I'm sure it'll be pretty good in the long run!
My sit spin got tons better...way lower. My camel had a few more rotations but my coach said that my arm positions were still off and I needed to keep my head up. My skating in general was quite powerful today...lots of strong pushes on power circles! :D
My Ten-Fox was pretty ok today, but I can't get the pattern right on the 2nd side.
Jumps in general were pretty good.
Sick - Well I just got spacers put between my teeth and they hurt TONS.
Not much practice on axels today...I did a few waltz jump-back spins that ended up being very cheated axels but that was all.
FLYING CAMELS...urgh sometime's they're wonderful but then other times I can't do anything right for them!
And there were lots and lots (well 6) of kids who were just off of Canskate though I don't know how because they can barely skate confidently...

[blurrysarah]

Originally posted by Magz
Sick - Well I just got spacers put between my teeth and they hurt TONS.


Spacers are by far the worst episode of braces! Ergh, that constant feeling of having something stuck between your teeth. I was actually relieved to get the braces on.

[SDFanatic]

Hope you get better soon singerskates, and stay away if your coach says so, it took me forever to find my coach!

Sick: I did water arobics Monday, and while I didn't notice it then, today I did, and my upper legs are really sore! Must have been something new that we did because I haven't been sore there before.

Stupendous: Monday was an ok day, worked on this that and what not, nothing spectacular. Today I had my coach, we worked on, forwards and backwards crossovers, power 3 turns, bunny hops, and one foot spins. Everything went pretty good, she complained when I told her about my not doing bunny hops as I thought I was doing them wrong so I didn't really play with them. We also talked a bit about entering an upcoming competition, and what I need to work on to actually compete in it. So it ought to be fun considering my memory!

Steven

[Mrs Redboots]

I do hope all the coldy ones are feeling better now.

Sick: Last night went relatively okay; we were a bit later getting on the ice than we meant to be, so stayed on to figure club. We had enormous problems with our back chasses in Kilian hold, we keep kicking each other.... Gack. But this morning, I don't know what happened to Robert but he was having a Bad Skate Day. We ran through all our dances, including our now Free, was Original Dance, and were reasonably okay when we started, except I messed up the beginning of the Canasta Tango so we had to start again, but his solo dances were dreadful. Oh well, I expect - hope - they'll have recovered by Sunday. They'd have need to!

In my lesson I discovered I was - not quite wimping out of my inside-outside changes of edge, but allowing myself to slow down before the crossover, in order to remain firmly in control. Deep sigh. Back inside edges were atrocious, back outside ones less so, and I actually gained momentum on my second side.

Stupendous: My friend laughed at my new Creative programme, even though it's not yet finished.

I was moaning to my coach about wimping out on turns and jumps and so on, and commented that as little as three months ago, at Bracknell, I was happy enough to be able to do a turn sequence in my free dance, never mind whether it covered the ice or not, I never noticed that it didn't. He said, "Yes, your skating's definitely gone up a level recently!" :D :D :D

All the same, while I'm delighted to hear it, it does make life more difficult when I want more flow in everything......

Edited to remove an appalling typo that I hope nobody else noticed!

[melanieuk]

Stupendous
Back on the ice for the first time in 5 months. :)
Terrified my feet would be in agony the minute I put my boots on, (my poor malformed feet were starting to recover but lately they've been growing extra knobs and bits on), dreading my first steps on the ice in case I just trip or freak out with how scary it is. 8O
There were 5 of us on the ice - I knew everyone. :)
My feet were agony, or the right one was, but I grinned and beared it!
I tried an upright spin first (I skated around a bit first and I had a jog/stretch beforehand!) and it was ok. I felt a bit dizzy though.
Then I did a sit spin, and so far so good. The things I felt most insecure about were the entries or the take-offs into a jump. I tried a camel, and YIPEEDOODAA I could do it. I am so happy for my camel! :D
OK, next it had to be the backspin...or at least several inside 3 turns to GET to the backspin, failed/aborted/no good. Glad to see SOME things haven't changed. Back to laalaa land on the backspin.

I tried a few 3 jumps, a salchow and a small cherry!
Still hate the toe-loop. :(
Bottled out of trying the loop flip and lutz.
Maybe next time!

Sick
The backspin - what can I say?
Did I really expect it to be there after 5 months of solid neglect?


http://uk.geocities.com/melanie32uk/camel.jpg

[LoopLoop]

Stupendous
* Did an axel-loop for my coach on Monday! It's the first time he's seen me do it (it only happens occasionally).
* Fixed my flying camel takeoff.
* Started working on double loop again and came reasonably close a couple of times.

Sick
* Flying sit is frustrating right now! It's either REALLY good or REALLY bad; I know it's just temporary as it improves, but I hate falling out of it.
* So tired of adult gold MIF. But I'm going to try the test again in December.

[jazzpants]

Sick: FAST LFO edge in figures position... better but no cigar!!!

Stupendous: I managed ONE good set of alt back crossovers... ones that my SECONDARY coach actually liked!!! :D

Roca & Sur are back again!!! :D When my coach told me to "MOVE IT! Get GOING!", Renee Roca was so funny -- she said "Yeah! Get going!" in this teasing tough coach tone and does this cute hand whipping gesture. I said "Yes, Ms. Roca!" back in the equally joking "I'm tired as hell... but I'll do whatever you tell me to!" tone. :lol:

I love being a WHUPPIN' POST!!! :lol:

[singerskates]

First day back on the ice didn't happen. I had my skates in the van but never took them out. I thought I'd see how I could handle the cold just sitting outside of the rink watching for a few minutes. My lungs weren't ready so the skates stayed in the van and I saved on Ticket Ice costs. I had to go to the rink anyway because we have our coaching fee payments due every month on the 15. So I watched the ticket ice and then most of the 1st club session before leaving to go home. I'm thinking I'll be OK by Friday to skate. Just wasn't ready today. I do feel more alert
and not dizzy or spaced out like yesterday from my asthma medication though.

Well, will you guys share with me what you did on the ice today because I didn't get to play? What was stupendous and what was sick?

Brigitte

[quarkiki2]

Interesting night... Somewhere between stupendous and sick, I think.

How on earth does anyone practice back edges on full ice? I can't get more than two lobes before some kids playing tag or someone doing laps or the ice dance couple go right through my pattern. I try really hard to stay out of the way, but I cannot think of a time when I could do more than 2 lobes, grrr...

I start a new session of lessons in Freestyle 1 this Saturday. Right now there are 6 skaters, 3 kids and 3 adults. I'd really like to improve what I'm doing so that I can start working on the Freestyle 2 stuff, too. What's holding me back the most is the edges and that's because they're harder than hard to practice. And the waltz jump (my idiot brain is holding me back on this one, LOL!)

I know that I'm ready to start working on a one-foot spin and my spirals would pass Freestyle 2 already. I'm really anxious to learn the dance step footwork, mostly.

It's not that I want to squeeze by on my edges -- I actually like doing them, but it seems the best place to practice them is actually in the lesson when we have room and we're all moving across the short axis of the rink.

Anyway...
Syncho is getting a little better. We still skate much faster than I like, but at least I know I'm not causing all of the issues. We've got some of our faster skaters at the heads of the lines and they have been sort of jumping the gun when it comes to moving in a line -- our choreographer finally realized that this is why the tail of the line is always scrambling to get into position. So now they're waiting a beat until we all get our arms back up and it's 100% better! And I'm also NOT the issue in the S pinwheel -- there's a crack-the-whip thing happening with the skaters on the ends of the S and that's why I feel like I'm being torn in two.

I'll make it! Eventually ......

[garyc254]

Originally posted by quarkiki2
Syncho is getting a little better. We still skate much faster than I like, but at least I know I'm not causing all of the issues.

I'll make it! Eventually ......

Have you watched any video of your team practices yet? If not, have someone video for you.

[mikawendy]

singerskates--
If your doc or pharmacist hasn't gone over this already, you might also want to ask your pharmacist to show you the correct way to use the inhaler--some doctors prescribe them but don't instruct their patients about the right (and wrong ways) to use them. I haven't used one in a while, but I recalled that I had to exhale first and my doctor told me not to close my lips around the inhaler while I inhaled--the idea being to inhale rather than to suck on the medicine. I struggled with exercise/illness induced asthma for a while in high school, right during winter track season.


Sick--
I'm sick too, so I had to cancel my private lesson this week. I'm hoping I'll be feeling well enough to practice tomorrow night and go to my group FS lesson on Saturday! We have only 2 lessons left before the test and haven't started working on the toe loop or the backspin!!

Stupendous--
Took edge class on Sunday and it was marvelous as usual. Very difficult--for a second there during class, I thought I'd have to do a FO3 choctaw choctaw choctaw combination but luckily only the most advanced skater in the class had to do that one! But still, there was a really tough back stroking exercise that I had to do. It was like back cross rolls only instead of the foot progressing from in front to in back, the foot stroked and extended in back off ice and then came around front. I'm not sure what that is--back cross strokes? We also had to do a killer (but good) exercise around a circle--only the second push of a forward crossover. Deathly hard on the calf muscles!! The arm-free mohawk combo I had to do with arms so as to feel safe enough to do them!

[Michigansk8er]

Ska8er1964,

Boy, aren't was a pair. Take care of that back and definitely steer clear of sitspins for the time being. That is what I was doing when I initially hurt my back. Bummer! I hope you will get to compete in 2 weeks (less than that now). If you do, I'll be there to cheer you on!!!! :)

I skated a bit today. I'm very limited at the moment because of my back. I did a few spins, and jumps just to make sure I didn't forget, then got off the ice. It's so much fun, even though it does hurt. I just need to touch base with the ice now and then.....no matter how stupid it may seem. The doctor has said that I can, as long as I take it easy, so that's what I've been doing. 1/2 hour a week. What the heck, the damage is done now anyhow, so I might as well play a bit before my surgery. :) (I'll be going in on December 4th for a fusion........it's been a long 2 years of trying everything conservative.....I'm at the end of the road, so fusion it is).

[singerskates]

Originally posted by quarkiki2
Interesting night... Somewhere between stupendous and sick, I think.

How on earth does anyone practice back edges on full ice? I can't get more than two lobes before some kids playing tag or someone doing laps or the ice dance couple go right through my pattern. I try really hard to stay out of the way, but I cannot think of a time when I could do more than 2 lobes, grrr...

I start a new session of lessons in Freestyle 1 this Saturday. Right now there are 6 skaters, 3 kids and 3 adults. I'd really like to improve what I'm doing so that I can start working on the Freestyle 2 stuff, too. What's holding me back the most is the edges and that's because they're harder than hard to practice. And the waltz jump (my idiot brain is holding me back on this one, LOL!)

I know that I'm ready to start working on a one-foot spin and my spirals would pass Freestyle 2 already. I'm really anxious to learn the dance step footwork, mostly.

It's not that I want to squeeze by on my edges -- I actually like doing them, but it seems the best place to practice them is actually in the lesson when we have room and we're all moving across the short axis of the rink.

Anyway...
Syncho is getting a little better. We still skate much faster than I like, but at least I know I'm not causing all of the issues. We've got some of our faster skaters at the heads of the lines and they have been sort of jumping the gun when it comes to moving in a line -- our choreographer finally realized that this is why the tail of the line is always scrambling to get into position. So now they're waiting a beat until we all get our arms back up and it's 100% better! And I'm also NOT the issue in the S pinwheel -- there's a crack-the-whip thing happening with the skaters on the ends of the S and that's why I feel like I'm being torn in two.

I'll make it! Eventually ......

What level in your freestyle program would have jumps from waltz to lutz including jump combo's (flip/loop and so one) and all basic spins (forward, backspin, sit spin and camel) plus camel/sit? This is where most who have just passed the Canadian prelim test are at.

Brigitte

[lizzz]

Singer you dont' need a combo spin ie.. camel/sit.. OR a lutz to pass a canadian prelim test.. You know that!:-)

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by Michigansk8er
Ska8er1964,

Boy, aren't was a pair. Take care of that back and definitely steer clear of sitspins for the time being. That is what I was doing when I initially hurt my back. Bummer! I hope you will get to compete in 2 weeks (less than that now). If you do, I'll be there to cheer you on!!!! :)



You know what? If I stand in the middle of the ice and wave my arms for the entire 2:40, I'll still medal (pewter - fourth out of four). So I'm leaning on competing anyway, because darn it! I don't want to scratch again because of injury (Midwestern Sectionals, Ann Arbor Spring Invitational were the last two). So, if nothing else, there's a good restaurant/bar at the rink where we can go and celebrate my "injury-medal". Isn't that the fun part of being an adult skater? :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

The socialising? Sure is! And it simply isn't the same if you aren't competing - I don't know why it's not, but it's not. You go out there and do the best you can, Skater1964, injured or not - you can't control what the judges do, and you can't control what the other skaters do; all you can do is skate the best you can on the day, and see what happens. If it's 4th out of 4 (we don't get 4th place medals in this country, which is a pain), so be it.

Anyway, having said that, skating is getting more frustrating than ever. Last night was Dance Club, which normally doesn't count as it's one of the things we train for, rather than train at. However, with a competition on Sunday, training was the name of the game last night. Robert was skating much better than he had on Wednesday, which frankly wouldn't be difficult, but I have reached a new level of awareness - so I know, for instance, that I'm not pushing quite as hard on the right ronde step in the Riverside Rhumba as I am on the left. I don't think it will matter, as I'm on the inside of the curve on the right, but it irritates me!

A high-level skater was very kind and gave us some constructive criticism, mainly reminding me to look up, and to try to keep our Canasta very Tango-ey. I hope we can....

We did two Swing Dances, and on the first I was pleased to find I could push into the 3-turn at the beginning. Whether I'll be able to at Oxford, when I'll be tired by the time we do it, is another matter.

As it's primarily a social dance session, Robert and I also had a go at the Foxtrot, but found it difficult to get the timing right for my Mohawk at the end of it. I'm not sure, and nor is he, what he's supposed to be doing while I'm doing it - I know it's a back run, but at which bit do I push on to which edge?

We'll get it sorted sooner or later..... it's fun to be able to do it with him. Once I can do the 14-step with him, which I hope to do soon, we'll really be getting somewhere.

[NickiT]

I had a great lesson today. Quite surprising really since I spent half the night tossing and turning with severe pain in my face due to sinusitis! Also felt very hot and cold all the time. Getting hot at all at our rink is a miracle at the moment as it's absolutely freezing.

My coach handed me my test application form today for me to send off - EEEEEEK!, so I worked at that to begin with. I'm testing both Level 2 Elements and Free. I ran through my elements as they are in the test and my coach said I had no problems with them at all. Little does she know that when my nerves get going it'll be a miracle if I do a back spin!!! I ran through my programme twice and both times it went well and I felt comfortable with it, so I have no excuse really as far as this test goes.

After my lesson and a well earned cup of coffee I returned onto the ice to do our weekly jumps class. We worked on a few spins then all my jumps up to lutz. Needless to say I've had no problems landing my lutz cleanly ever since two-footing it at the British.

I managed a few decent parallel-sit spin combinations today too which was pleasing so I've come away a very happy skater, but a nervous one!!!

Nicki

[wannask8]

Good luck, Nicki -- nice to have such positive reinforcement at your lesson.

As for me:

Sick: Only skating about fifteen minutes today.

Stupendous: Getting reacquainted with the same ice that whacked me upside the head and back so badly last week -- and not reinjuring myself. I was kind of anxious about it, especially because there was literally no one else around, but just focused on steady forward stroking while wearing my new Skatesafe crash pad spine protector, just in case (thanks for the tips, jazzpants!). My back is still rather stiff and sore, but things warmed up a bit and felt better after a few minutes. At the very end, I couldn't resist a minute of back stroking -- just a minute -- and it felt pretty fine!

It wasn't much, but I just didn't want to wait a long time to get back out there and have some humongous psychological hurdle to overcome. Five more weeks 'til recovery, according to the physical therapist . . ..

-- wannask8

[NickiT]

Originally posted by wannask8
Good luck, Nicki -- nice to have such positive reinforcement at your lesson.


-- wannask8

Thanks very much Wannask8. I know I CAN do it but it's getting to grips with the nerves that's the hardest thing!!!

Nicki

[garyc254]

I was a bit more careful at last Saturdays practice and only fell once instead of twice. :oops: :roll: Just warming up doing back crossovers around the circle and got my weight too far back on my blade. Ouch, the tailbone!! Bruised, but not badly.

Monday night I helped with the Learn-to-skate class, warmed up during a freestyle session, then had a short lesson from my coach.

Stupendous: Well, not really stupendous, but my coach had me working on back chasses (sp?), back swing rolls, and crossovers in combination. I'd never really tried these before, so felt good that they were acceptable after coach was done tweaking my position and timing.

The Waltz 8 is coming along, but I need to hold my edges longer to get around the full circle. BO & BI edges are making progress, but far from consistent.

Sick: I may never get my feet to both leave the ice at the same time. Saturday coach had me working on the half-flip. I can step through it easily, but DON'T MAKE ME ACTUALLY JUMP!!! 8O

I can do a minimal waltz jump, but only after I wind up with a mohawk sequence.

Maybe it has something to do with rotational fears.

[luna_skater]

Stupendous: For one, the fact that I actually had a lesson for the first time in two weeks! Partnered the Keats, American, and the Rocker today for the first time. The Keats felt GREAT, but the Rocker needs some serious work! The funny thing is, the Keats feels like garbage when I solo it (well, mainly just the mohawk), and fine with a partner, but I feel really good about the Rocker on my own and it stinks when I'm with a partner! The American was...interesting...lol. Just needs more practice, really. I feel more confident about the three-turns, but I need to work on pattern placement. Now that test day has been announced, I have a month to make it all perfect!

Sick: Mohawk in the Keats. *sigh* I know to pass it just has to be fine with a partner, but I still want to be able to do it well on my own. The American was very frustrating today. As I mentioned above, I am having issues with pattern placement. And it's not all that easy to practice when the ice is full of freeskaters. On the upside, I have another lesson on Monday and possibly on Wednesday, so I think I will see more improvement than when I am only going once per week. I think skills have been put on the backburner until after test day. I'd kind of just like to get prelim over with because I really really want to learn proper back three turns!!

[Michigansk8er]

Sk8er1964,

I'll cheer for you waving your arms for center ice..........then we will go socialize. I had to scratch sectionals, Port Huron and AN last year........so I hear you on scratching. Go do what you can. :)

[CanAmSk8ter]

Stupendous (I guess):

Had a lesson tonight and was told my Silver Tango has, in fact, surpassed my American. Not really a surprise, since I really really really don't like the American. And I've been busting my butt on that Tango. We decided the test date in November is coming up too fast but there's another one in mid-December that we're shooting for. I'll probably worry about taking the American at the test session after that in late January. It'll be nice b/c I'll have five weeks of winter break to train hard and work on the American before I have to test it. Coach is VERY happy with the Tango, though. Blues is coming along too; if I can get through the American this winter I may very well have a Pre-Gold under my belt by late summer. Yay! :D We've decided tentatively that I'll compete Junior at the summer competitions; the Novice dances for this year are the Tango, American, and Kilian, and since I'll probably have passed both the American and Tango by spring (knock on computer desk) it doesn't make sense for me to spend the summer doing them. And I hate the Kilian with a passion anyway, so I'd like to avoid that. I have to work hard on the Starlight and the Argentine if I want to skate Junior, though. Arge has actually come a long way since I last worked on it; I can actually do the twizzle without coming to a grinding halt first. I still don't have enough speed to finish the dance, though. Coach promised to look at it next week.


Sick:
My knee is still bothering me a little, and sometimes it hurts up into my hip too, but after I skate for twenty minutes or so the knee pain goes away, and sometimes the hip pain too. The knee pain usually comes back shortly after I get off the ice. Perfect solution: I skate all day! Somehow I don't see my parents liking that very much since they're paying for school.

Starlight Waltz. Why oh why does it look so beautiful when Grishuk and Platov do it? I'd sooner die than watch a video of my Starlight right now, LOL. I tried it with my coach last weekend and nearly took us both out. I think at least now he realizes that I have a lot of work to do on that dance. (I tried to tell him...;))

[sk8pics]

Originally posted by garyc254


Sick: I may never get my feet to both leave the ice at the same time. Saturday coach had me working on the half-flip. I can step through it easily, but DON'T MAKE ME ACTUALLY JUMP!!! 8O

I can do a minimal waltz jump, but only after I wind up with a mohawk sequence.


Gary,
I used to be the same as you, stepping through my jumps instead of jumping. While it's of course an on-going process, there were some things that helped me. Learn to love your toepicks! Once I got to that stage, jumping got much easier. And the thing that really helped me on my half-flip was when my coach put me in the harness and just about held me up while I balanced on that toepick and then jumped. After that it became much easier. Now the flip jump, which we're working on now, is a whole 'nother story! But maybe that would help you, too. My backup coach commented to me a couple of months ago that I actually do have some spring in my jumps now, which was pretty cool. Even my waltz jump now has pretty good spring, and I can really pop up on the half loop.

Hang in there, you'll get it!

BTW, I've lost 32 pounds now. 8-) I think that may have something to do with my jumping, too!

Pat

[SDFanatic]

Stupendous: Was a great week of skating, worked on a number of things, my coach showed me how to do a half flip and I learned how to do a salcow in learn to skate. My coach also made up a program to do for an upcoming competition, needs some work but I have the logistics of it down. I still get lost on some things, arm placement for one and not checking enough to stop my rotation. I did get passed on Basics 4 however, so now I can skate on club ice when I need to, but it's deffinitly cost prohibitive.

Sick: My coach says I'm not being challenged enough and need to do more, and while I agree, (I've been working on edges mainly for almost a year) there is only one class offered for adults and I'm already taking it. I went in today to do an advanced skate class, but was turned down being told that it's for kids only. So I was told I can get on practice ice and get another coach, not as if I'm in enough debt now having just one coach.

Steven

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by SDFanatic
Sick: My coach says I'm not being challenged enough and need to do more, and while I agree, (I've been working on edges mainly for almost a year) there is only one class offered for adults and I'm already taking it. I went in today to do an advanced skate class, but was turned down being told that it's for kids only. So I was told I can get on practice ice and get another coach, not as if I'm in enough debt now having just one coach.

Steven Steven, have you thought of entering for the first round of tests? Or, if not entering yet, then working to the point where you can enter? That would be a goal to work for, and would challenge you far more than just pottering about on the ice with no specific goals.

[jenlyon60]

Stupendous NOTHING.

Sick EVERYTHING.

My capability to skate an LFO3 at speed as an intro-3 turn into my dances seems to have totally deserted me. I do them just fine in isolation, or with a couple of extra strokes. But, put the music on, stand next to my coach and skate off, and I choke. It's all mental. I've done this before, before competitions and tests, but never this bad.

My right knee is a disaster. It's making noise when I do stairs and is painful when I put too much static weight on it. Pain is in a different area than earlier this year when it was bothering me. I am going to have to "get me to a doctor" ... I've just been putting it off, because I know what will be said.

[Jess-ka]

stupedous, i can finally do the foxtrot with out killing me or my coach woopwoop, gave my coach a number to call about a potential partner **crosses fingers**

Sick, yesterday while do my free dance i twizzled into a wall, hit my knee while doing a side pull through into twizzles...tripped my coach later in the program.while my crazy skate coach mom yelled at us to finish it at the other end of the rink.

all in all i think the two days went rather well^_^

[SDFanatic]

Originally posted by Mrs Redboots
Steven, have you thought of entering for the first round of tests? Or, if not entering yet, then working to the point where you can enter? That would be a goal to work for, and would challenge you far more than just pottering about on the ice with no specific goals.

Hi Mrs Redboots, I talked to my coach about testing, we went over a couple things and she gave me a list of elements to work on toward that goal. As for other things, I don't know yet, we haven't had the time to go through everything yet as I've have many questions yet as well as wondering what I can look forward to in doing.

I honestly don't have a clue of which ways I can go, being an adult is deffinitly a negative, so many things are geared towards towards kids. Sopposedly I can do the regular track, or I can do the adult track which is easier, or from what I also hear, I can do both! Sure wish my USFSA book would come already, it's only been two months!

Steven

[Elsy2]

Stupendous: All of it. I'm just happy as a clam to be on the ice and able to skate, period. It's been two weeks, and I'm going through some difficult times, but when I'm on the ice....all is well.

My first two foot spin (I always warm up with a 2-foot) had to be a ton of revolutions totally centered. Had some very decent one foot scratch spins as well. Only one decent sit, and camels were a little funky, but I have yet to master this spin. Jumps were fine, except for that one fall on a loop combination :roll: But my trusty skatingsafe knee pad saved my bad knee....

Sick:...well something has to be said for two footing all my flip attempts.....clunk!

Still...happy to be on the ice with my friends and just having fun!

[Mrs Redboots]

Steven yes, you can both test and compete adult track (in this country, you test standard track or not at all, but there are plenty of competitions for adults). You can even compete internationally as soon as you have your adult pre-Bronze, or before if you don't mind not being quite as good as some of your competition.

Jess-Ka, well done about the foxtrot; I'm just, just starting to do it with my husband - we've both done it with rather better skaters for some time now, him more than me as there are more better women than men!

JenLyon, rotten about your poor knee - and I do so know what you mean by that introductory 3, been there, done that, read the book AND bought a whole stock of T-shirts! The only thing to do is grit your teeth and PUSH into the damn thing, which paradoxically makes it far easier, and I know is much, much easier said than done!

Well, yesterday morning was almost a wash-out, as the ice hadn't been cut - first time for a long time that has happened, but of course just when we had a major competition in the afternoon, and others were running through what they hoped would be a final practice before tests on Tuesday. But we ran through everything we needed to do, and then called it a lesson, went home, ate an enormous breakfast, and headed off to Oxford.

Well, as I expected, three more last places - but not too badly last, for once. In fact, we were only last in the couples compulsories by virtue of that's how the placings worked out - of 3 judges and 2 dances, we only had 1 last place out of 6, and were in 11th place in the 2nd dance. The fact that we were last was largely caused by one of the judges completely "losing the plot", as he is the first to admit, and marking some people a whole mark higher than the other judges, so the placings were all over the place!

I don't think I danced the Dutch Waltz very well, couldn't extend to save my life, it just didn't happen.....

Then in the free dance, as soon as I saw our opposition I reckoned we'd be creamed. The results were totally in the order they should have been (there were only two other couples, so at least we got a default medal), but we were surprised at how close the marks were. I reckoned the next couple up would be at least a whole mark ahead of us, but to my surprise it was only .2 and .3.

In the Zimmer trophy (the skaters each have to be over 45 and their combined age over 100! The trophy itself is a miniature Zimmer frame) we were definitely last, but I was very tired by then, and our Canasta was flat - my skates are in dire need of a sharpening, and what little edge they had suddenly vanished (I took a stone to them before the Swing Dance). Our Swing Dance wasn't as good as at the British, but we've done worse.....

[quarkiki2]

Well, we started a new session of lesons. I'm re-taking ISI Freestyle 1 and, I acn proudly admit, I have now had a session of lessons with every coach on our staff! We're working now with the most technical of the coaches and boy, what a difference! I've never had a lesson with someone so absolutely technical before. I could tell an immediate difference in my back outside edges. He also backed us up a bit on the waltz jump and started us from a T-position instead of the four-step mohawk sequence. I actually discovered that my set-up was pretty good and that my weight was where it was supposed to be, thank goodness. Perhaps the jump will come this session?

I'm planning to practice my back edges two-footed next time so that I can actually get my shoulders and hips in the right place. If that feels more secure, perhaps they will improve one-footed.

He also recommended that my pivot go lower. Of course. They all just want to see me fall into the splits, LOL!!!

Anyway ... onto a week of rehearsals and other work stuff. Yippee!

[garyc254]

Originally posted by sk8pics
Gary,
Learn to love your toepicks! Once I got to that stage, jumping got much easier.

Thanks Pat. You're right. I hadn't thought of it that way. I've been skating for the last couple of years trying to avoid my toepicks. Now, to suddenly have to put them to use is a very strange physical sensation.

Stupendous: Saturday's adult class was challenging but loads of fun. Worked on a freestyle dance sequence and a FI/BI mohawk practice drill. Although I'm not up to a decent speed yet, I've got the basics down.

Also tried a one foot spin. Now that is a real challenge for me. I can barely balance on one foot when I'm not in skates and spinning. :oops: In the end I was able to pull off a couple of rotations without tipping over. :lol:

Sick: Nothing really, but I still skate tonight so who knows.