Holiday or Drudgery: Lessons/ Practices 21-27 February

[dbny]

The title is in honor of President's Week in the US, when we celebrate the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington with a week off school (in NYC), but only a day off work!

Holiday:
We had about 5 inches of wet snow last night with snow and rain forecast for this morning, so I was hoping my 10 AM lesson would cancel, but she didn't. It turned out to be a beautiful morning, even though only 2/3 of the surface was open due to the snow and problems cleaning the ice. After teaching for half an hour, I decided to skate for myself and ended up staying until 1.

First I just warmed up with F & B power crossovers, and goofed around a bit with chasses and F & B cross strokes. Then I worked on the 5 step Mohawk, which is definitely getting smoother, F & B power pulls, and power threes. The B pulls were almost effortless, really fun, but it was just a bit too crowded to really get into them. The F were on their best behavior, and I was trying something I saw a dance coach playing with: very small pull, pull, pull, skid stop followed by pull, pull, pull, all on one foot without putting the other foot down at all. I've gotten as far as the skid stop, which I didn't have last week on the R foot at all. The challenge here is to initiate the pulls again from a standstill after that skid stop.

Best of all, my power threes have returned! I wanted to show the pattern to a teenager who has been helping with our group lessons and can't afford many lessons herself, and there they were. I could hardly believe that I could do both sides, and with better control than ever before! I guess this is one time when laying off for a while worked.

I even did the old waltz eight to show my teenaged pal. Even though I had to double foot the LFO three, I realized that I have quite a good pattern with strong edges and correct placement of the elements.

I felt so good when I got home that I shoveled the walk.

Drudgery:
This is going to be my back tonight when the effects of the shoveling set in.

BO threes! I can do these, but don't have the guts to just go for it. Stiffening up with fear can cause a worse fall than almost anything else, IMO, so I have to conquer the fear first.

[Petlover]

Holiday: Speed and edge quality on Swing Dance and Cha Cha are getting better - can't wait to show coach tomorrow! Also, my salchow was consistently feeling good today.

Drudgery: Change foot spin was good, bad, good, bad. I have an ISI competition in 5 weeks, and I want it consistently good!

[Terri C]

Holiday:
Actually worked on Bronze MIF today (okay I didn't do the power threes on the long axis, but I still dabbled on them). The moves themselves didn't feel bad, but I'll see what Coach says when we actually start working on them.
My spins came back from their week off! Add to that,that while I didn't warm up my jumps prior to my program runthrough, I landed them all cleanly, except loop which is still cheated, but not by much.


Drudgery:
My coach had to cancel my and other skaters lessons today, because while her daughter had a great swim meet yesterday, she broke two of her toes playing basketball with a friend later in the day. She got a appointment with a ortho doc, but this doc doesn't see patients until the afternoon. Well that extends the life of my lesson punchcard!
When it came time for my program runthrough, the sit and backscratch ran for cover! :frus: :giveup:

[iskatealot]

Holiday: I was working on dbl loops with my coach (which we havent worked on much) and coach was very surprised that jump was coming so easily to me... also a good spinning day... created a new type of sit spin......

Drudgery
2 weeks until test day and Im **looking forward** (NOT) to a 45 min dance session tomorow in which I will only be allowed to work on the European. (most boring dance ever) with no partnering time

[jazzpants]

Holiday:

Loop jumps made an appearance tonight!!! YIPPEE!!! :mrgreen:
Forward power 3's. I did work on them going down the axis, but it was difficult doing the whole pattern in its entirety b/c there's so many people on the ice!
I also worked on the intro 3's for the power 3's. I have a consistent one that at least primary coach will be happy with, but I think the secondary coach would want to see an even faster one, so my work isn't done on this yet.!!! :twisted:
Speaking of primary coach, I watched him land a beautiful double sal towards the end of the evening!!! WOO HOO!!! :bow:
Drudgery:

President's Day holiday crowds! WAAAAY too many people on the ice! Couldn't do too much with moves at all!!! :evil: :frus:
Flip jumps!!! Not landing them tonight! GRRRR!!!
Spins pretty much gone. The ice was so roughed up by the time I got on that it was painful to spin b/c it's so bumpy that my lower back complains.
FI mohawks... need I say more? :roll: :frus:

[batikat]

Holiday:
woke to a beautiful covering of snow but luckily it was warm enough not to have settled on the roads or frozen, so I could still get to the rink easily.

Feel much happier skating now the pressure of dance tests is over and I can concentrate on my free. Lots of exercises first and I finally feel I am beginning to really be able to get my weight over the skate properly and be in control (it's only taken me 5 years!!!! ;) ).

I've never had much of a problem with speed but control is a different matter. However my programme is to quite fast music so it is a stretch for me to be able to do the elements with control at speed.

Salchow-toeloop combo was reasonable to today, scratch spin nearly there, sit spin - almost down enough - but still need to work on getting my legs together instead of my free leg being at the 2 O'clock position.

Almost go the feel for a backspin today too - eked out a rev and a half maybe even 2 revs and can see light at the end of the tunnel.

loop jump nearly there now - in fact is almost seemed easier when I went into it with some speed. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable sitting back on the blade on the right leg but still tend to want to jump off too early.

Back slaloms good on both feet, forwards ones are OK on the left but a disaster on the right - that knee doesn't seem to want to work and again I dont' really feel safe on it.

Drudgery
nothing really - I enjoyed my skate today! :)

[Mrs Redboots]

Holiday: Went to another rink last night, so Husband could practice with his Other Woman. I watched them a bit and gave them some advice, and also worked on my back cross-cuts, which are really starting to happen now. It might just have been the ice, which is nicer than ours, although we're getting their old Zamboni when they get a new one, so....

Worked on free dance a bit with Husband, and it wasn't too bad, although when he tries to help my RFO3s, he makes them worse! Same happened in the Willow Waltz. Either he is no help at all or he's so much help I can't do it! We did a lot of work on cross-rolls together, but doing forward cross-rolls down the rink in Foxtrot hold, I kept getting ahead of him, so then we tried doing them hand-in-hand, and I got so far ahead of him I had to let go. And he went out of time with me..... I think he needs to work on his cross-rolls.....

Drudgery: Cold boots! And, worse, cold contact lenses - I don't usually put them in until I get there, so I can read on the train, and they were so cold against my eyeball! Driving home in the snow.

The public session was very crowded, and they didn't hold the dance interval until 9.00, at which time a group of Scouts was going to leave. But that meant they coned off the end of what is a rather small rink anyway..... I gave up!

[flo]

Congrats to Mika for passing her pre-bronze moves!!!!!

Holiday: skating tonight.
Drudgery: getting use to my old boots again - like slippers, but no support.

[Shinn-Reika]

Holidday: Spins are coming along quite nicely.

I'd like to say drudgery because the rink was full of kids, but it wasn't really that bad. I decided to try and have more fun this time artound instead of working on stuff.

Once you get over the embarrasment that you're a 5'10' 175 pound man figure skating in the company of about 8-10 year old girls it isn't that bad. I think I even started a fan club!

[sue123]

Drudgery: driving my sister's car to the rink which has way too sensitive pedals (my car is turning 13, her's is just over a year old).

holiday: can i just say i am so glad i got private lessons? my crossovers have improved so much, and my backwards skating, which i never considered a weakness is much smoother. these little things that you don't really think about in group lessons got fixed in the private lessons. i also managed some pretty nice waltzes, half flips, and spins. nice considering i hadn't done them in a couple of weeks, and they felt so much more comfortable today for some reason.

drudgery: after a nice semi relaxing 4 day holiday (technically, this was our spring break :?? ) i have to go back to classes tomorrow.

[Melzorina]

I haven't actually been skating yet but this is my plan.
I'm sick today so I have a day off school and lots of time to think about things. Mainly skating, as per usual.

I often lie in bed, and think about things in skating that I'm struggling with. I go over it in my head, in slow motion, I know how it works. I keep thinking about it until I finally understand it, and can't wait to try it out. All the times I've "learnt" how to do the move in my head, I've tried it out on the ice a few times, and hey presto!

I've decided that this week, I will master a cherry flip. I hate it. I can't do it and I refuse to practice it, but now, I get it. I'm looking forward to trying it out. I do it from a RI edge,and found a video clip of one, and it's really helped me to understand the entrance. I'm quite excited about trying it out. :)

[Mrs Redboots]

Holiday: Skated last night on Figure Club ice and did quite a lot of work with Husband, again on forward cross-rolls, etc. Also managed a width of cross-cuts easily, so excitedly got off the ice and told my coach about it!

Drudgery: Big mistake! Of course, I jinxed myself and couldn't repeat that at all. And this morning I have done something to my back - it's been sore for several days but today it's so stiff I could barely do my boots up, never mind skate, and got off after half an hour, couldn't have my lesson or anything. Coach has promised me we can make up the missing lesson (which I paid for, naturally, since I hadn't given him notice), and as he has a bad back himself, he quite understood! Now I'm home, ibuprofened up to the eyeballs (tablet AND gel), and leaning on my wheat bag it's a bit better, but what I really need is some Deep Heat or Radian B (local equivalent of your Ben-Gay in the USA), and I don't seem to have any. Or can't find it, if I do!

All of which is so not helping this fit of depression that I'm having trouble shaking... sigh... probably all connected with the virus I had a couple of weeks ago. :frus:

[Isk8NYC]

My kids' school doesn't give them the rest of this week off; they get the days around Easter. Suits me fine - the museums are too crowded now and the roads to work are empty!

Holiday:
Skated at a freestyle session yesterday where I was the oldest skater as always. I pulled off a few good waltz-eights, waltz jumps, and sit spins. Most of all, I had a good much-needed workout.

Drudgery:
My edges are terrible - especially the left foot. I swear I have a different setting on the back than the front. I trip every time I rock the blade! I practiced a few figures but then I got bored.

Spins - can I have some money for my travels? Awful. 'nuff said.

I need a goal to work towards. I've kind of lost my direction. I also need a coach at a nearby rink and regular lessons. Arrgh.

[dbny]

Holiday:
Skated at a freestyle session yesterday where I was the oldest skater as always.

Only because I didn't make it! I was supposed to have a lesson on that session, but coach called saying I was now the only lesson she would be going for, and since her baby had a fever...... I was relieved, as my legs were sore from the shoveling I had done and I was very tired anyway.

[MissIndigo]

Holiday: I finally passed those blasted Bronze moves yesterday!!! :D Even though my power threes were craptacular, the rest of the test went pretty well. I just wish my nerves during the test hadn't taken away the speed that I had in the warm up laps that I took beforehand. But this is great closure for my experiences at my home club, and I'm glad to have this done before I change clubs this summer.

Drudgery: The rink is gonna be closed all next week! Noooooo!!!

[NoVa Sk8r]

Congrats!

When's your bronze FS test? 8-)

[MissIndigo]

Congrats!

When's your bronze FS test? 8-)

Thanks! And...um...Bronze FS...someday... :lol:

[Terri C]

Holiday: I finally passed those blasted Bronze moves yesterday!!! :D But this is great closure for my experiences at my home club, and I'm glad to have this done before I change clubs this summer.!


Congratulations- I haven't started working full out on these moves yet, but a month from now, I will be!
Where are you moving to?

[jazzpants]

Holiday: I finally passed those blasted Bronze moves yesterday!!! :D Even though my power threes were craptacular, the rest of the test went pretty well. I just wish my nerves during the test hadn't taken away the speed that I had in the warm up laps that I took beforehand. But this is great closure for my experiences at my home club, and I'm glad to have this done before I change clubs this summer.
WOOO HOO!!! You go, MissIndigo!!! (Or should I say "future Dr. Indigo"?) :P My power threes are crap-ola too! I think I'm opting for doing two of the other moves really well to compensate for the power 3's. :twisted:

Speaking on Bronze moves...

Holiday: Started back on lessons with the evil secondary coach again... and true to form, she went from being very nice and sweet to...well... :evil: :lol:

Drudgery: Was working on forward alt. forward three. Since we're going the route of making my stronger moves even stronger, she was ULTRA PICKY on this moves today. She wants the edges to be stronger and she wants the intro crossover and first crossover of the pattern to be at a particularly place. She also wants where I step to the inside edge afterwards to be exactly at a particular spot, b/c I have a tendency to go on a flat and then switch to a FI edge. (And yes, she wants it straight into an FI edge.)

But WAIT! There's MORE!!! She started fixing my free leg too. Well, she got me to do them straight, but she wants the foot turned out now too!!! For punishment for not doing that, she's gonna make me do prelim sprials (FI edges at least) to "get me used to turning out my foot." But that's next week!!! Hopefully by next week I will have almost perfect alt. forward crossovers. (Am not counting on it though...) :frus:

[slusher]

Holiday:

It's hard to think of what is going well, because I've hit a plateau where I can do a lot of things sort of okay but they're not good. My spins have improved hugely, ie faster, however, they have more travel miles on them than my amex card does. So I'm sort of happy.

Drudgery:

I did a loop where I slipped off the take off edge and went up sideways and down sideways and apparently bounced and rolled when I hit the ice. I laid there for a while before I got up, just to make sure that I got snow on every single part of my body. Then I had a dance lesson and discovered that my timing is all wrong in the waltz, I'd be practicing it wrong, which makes it extremely fun when doing it with the dance partner for the first time and essentially doing two different dances. Sigh. Yeah, I'm happy with my spins, they were the only bright spot.

[falling_rain]

holiday:
my camels are slightly more consistent these days. just slightly though.

drudgery:
i had the world's worst ice time last night. :frus: sigh. i fell on backward crossovers going into a spin in my program(when was the last time i did that? i can't even remember..), i missed the last camel ending and didn't even bother to do my ending. bleurgh. coach was pretty mad.

lesson before ice time was mainly unproductive because a)i had a huge fall on a single salchow (again...falling on the salchow?!) and it hurt my wrist. and b)because it was sooo crowded with lil kids and hockey skaters.

sigh. i won't be skating again till the next ice time session on saturday so i hope that will be better.

[Debbie S]

Holiday: I finally passed those blasted Bronze moves yesterday!!! :D Even though my power threes were craptacular, the rest of the test went pretty well.

Congratulations!! :bow:

I'm aiming for a late spring or summer test date for these myself. And as anyone who watched me compete Bronze MIF at New Year's can attest to, my power 3's are crappy as well. Like jazzpants, I'm hoping to do well enough on some other moves to (potentially) compensate for failing the power 3's on the test. Of course, my coaches will insist on all the moves being passable in practice before they'll let me test, but something tells me that when the nerves kick in, the power 3's will be the first to go.

And then I need to acquire a passable backspin.

[MissIndigo]

Debbie S--thanks for the congrats! My power 3's are the first to go when I get nerves too, and having had smashed one of my knees attempting those last year didn't make them any easier! 8O Had to force myself to get over that. My advice on that move is to convey that you understand how to generate the power (aka good knee bend) and control the edges--that counted for a lot in my test moreso than the actual speed I had on that move.

Terri C--I'm moving to Nashville this summer, and best of all, the rink is right across the street from where I'll be working! I've already told my mentor that if he couldn't find me at the lunch hour to just throw a brick from the hospital over to the Centennial Sportsplex with a note on it telling me to hightail it back to lab! He hired me on the spot. ;)

Jazzpants--check my journal for a play-by-play! ;)

[flo]

Miss Indigo - Congrats!
It's the week for passing. Mika and my friend passed their pre-bronze moves.

Holiday - got to skate last night. Drudgery: The old boots feel pretty shaky -there's so little support I'm reluctant to land anything with them. My coach is down with the flu, so I hope he's up and about soon.

[Mrs Redboots]

Congratulations to Miss Indigo.

Back still awful, so still off the ice.

[Melzorina]

Congratulations Miss Indigo, well done!

Annabel - I hope you get well soon!

[jazzpants]

No Holiday!!! This is definitely a DRUDGERY public session!!!

I went back on the ice Wed. night (after skating Wed. morning for about 45 minutes with my lesson and some warmup...) WHAT A WASTE!!! There was an even LARGER crowd of college age women (sorority girls again?) skating on the ice last night. I have a funny feeling the hockey guys knew those girls are showing up too, b/c there was an unusally LARGER group of hockey guys also showing up at the rink too!!! :roll:

Spins went south for the winter!!! I just could not spin last night!!! (And I was able to spin Wed. morning. Weird...) Couldn't practice much in the way of jumps just b/c there were tons of skaters getting in the way!!! :giveup: And of course, topping the evening is this one Wayne Gretsky wannabe (an "adult", if you want to call him that...) who kept going into the middle of the rink! I'm ready to kill that guy... or do at least a 2 minute penalty!!! GRRRRR!!! :evil:

[Skate@Delaware]

Holiday: A holiday from skating-didn't go today. It was snowing pretty heavy and schools were cancelling. I left work early to see the doctor and just skipped on home to sew (a skating dress for daughter).

Drudgery: Show practice is picking up speed-three routines for me (all synchro, but one is less synchro-killer). Why are synchro routines really, really FAST? Ok, so I get to be a parasol-totin' cutie, a Navy babe (sailor hat and all) and a hobo. At least I won't freeze in the hobo costume! :roll:

[pennybeagle]

Holiday:
Landed my first double salchow!!! :D :D :D
If I could make that little smiley-face hop up and down, I would. I also FINALLY ran through a clean program in practice, which kind of made up for the fact that I totally crashed and burned in last weekend's competition (ugh, landed only ONE jump, and did ONE spin correctly en route to rightfully finishing last) :oops:

Drudgery:
Extremely painful blisters that developed on the insides of my heels when I decided (stupidly) to change the way I laced my skates. Why, oh why did I think to do such a thing??? :frus:

[Terri C]

Only my spins today were the holiday. My jumps were off bigtime and my program run-through was total drudgery. The only reasons that I could think of was PMS and the fact that our rink management does not believe in heat- even the lobby's cold.

Another holiday: My club had it's first test session today and ended with a passing rate of approximately 90%! Congrats to all those at my rink that tested and passed today! :bow:

[jazzpants]

Holiday:

Forward alt. crossovers!!! My one good move element today! I was showing my primary coach what my secondary coach wanted me to do yesterday. My primary coach was pleased with the speed I went thru the move. Of course, I wasn't perfect. I still had to manage crowds in one spot and I didn't concentrate on keeping a straight leg today (though I did remember "stretch out.")
Sit spins were much better after warmup
Backspins are coming along.
Watching primary coach land his double sal again!!! :mrgreen:
Drudgery:

Rink was crowded. No organized picnic or anything. Just a lot of kids. Someone told me it's Spring Break, but it's kinda early for it, isn't it? :??
Forward power 3's were better, according to primary coach, but I still have some major areas to fix! One of them is the back crossovers. He said they were "lazy." (i.e. not crossed behind.) *sigh* However, I did keep going...and they did get better on the second shot.
First set of Backward alt. crossovers were drudgery. Second try was much better.
First half of Back crossovers to BO edge were great. Second half... ummm... :giveup:
5 step mohawk - Got reminded to fix FI mohawks and step 4 and 5 again, :frus:but they were better once they are fixed.
Spins were crap at beginning.
Didn't have time to do jumps. Had to move my car... it was in a 1 hour parking zone. :(
Other note: (since I'm asking for it.) Primary coach wants me to try for a May test date now! So we'll see what happens!!!

[Mrs Redboots]

Holiday:
Landed my first double salchow!!! :D :D :DWow, well done! I bet you're feeling totally jazzed about that. Could you repeat it? You will, of course, but maybe not as often as you'd like, just yet! I forget, do you have an axel, or have you got your double sal first - some people do, others get the axel first, others get both around the same time!

As for me, I feel a lot better physically today, but my back hurts worse than ever... go figure, as they say! Don't think I'll be skating this afternoon, especially not stuffed up to the eyeballs with ibuprofen, and with ibuprofen gel AND Deep Heat slathered all over my back.... will go out for a walk, though, in the snow which has been promised all week and finally arrived!

[blue111moon]

No skating for me this week. I took the wekend off to do accounting for a competition in New York, and will need to be off on Sunday for another competition I'm doing as well. Then my mother went into the hospital on Tuesday; they were supposed to let her out yesterday so I cancelled my lesson to take her home. Only the doctor "forgot" to sign the discharge paper (filled it out and told everyone she could go home, but never signed it!?!!!) so we waited for four hours while they tried to chance down the doctor before they decided she'd have to stay.

Which means no skating for me tonight because I'll have to bring her home today and, although she's doing very well, I'd still feel funny leaving her alone, even just for a couple hours, as soon as she gets home.

But there is good news: my new programs are done and I should have them before I skate again. Just in time for Baseball season....

[mikawendy]

Congrats to Mika for passing her pre-bronze moves!!!!!


Thanks, flo! I tested early, then got to see some of the other tests, including a really really good Intermediate Moves test. The skater was smiling during every move, the picture of confidence and relaxation. AND she had beeyewtiful extension, especially on the extension after the forward power circles. Her body was one long line from fingertip to toe.

And congrats to MissIndigo on the Bronze Moves! :bow:

[MissIndigo]

And congrats to you mika for your accomplishment--passing your pre-bronze moves! :D

Holiday: Started to really focus on all the Silver moves today, and discovered that my back inside threes are still intact. Small stuff, but lots of good small stuff makes me a happy skater.

Drudgery: The RBI 3-turn was sketchy. And I still don't want to do outside mohawks at high speed after a bad fall I took last year on the 8-step mohawk pattern. :??

[pennybeagle]

Wow, well done! I bet you're feeling totally jazzed about that. Could you repeat it? You will, of course, but maybe not as often as you'd like, just yet! I forget, do you have an axel, or have you got your double sal first - some people do, others get the axel first, others get both around the same time!


Thanks, Mrs. Redboots. I have had an on-and-off axel since about October. Right now, it's on...supposedly...it's just shy so it hides in a dark corner somewhere during competitions or performances and only comes out again a day or two after the event is over. ;)

I almost repeated the double sal today (two footed three of them, half-turn cheated two more, crashed and burned on the last three and decided to leave it alone). I am in no hurry to get this jump consistent, as I will not be competing in the Gold category until I manage to pass the $%#! moves test. Doesn't matter. I'm still happy about it!

[Melzorina]

Today was brilliant!
I skated from 6 - 2, 8 hours!

I mastered the Salchow, it no longer scares me, and I can do it with confidence, I actually quite like it.
Apparently..I have excellent edges! I'm rather thrilled about that, seeing as they've been atrocious.
Finally, I passed grade 9! One more grade to go! My instructor said I will be able to do my novice test this year easily.

My spin is very uncentered. Anyone got any tips?

[falling_rain]

Holiday: i managed a few clean runthroughs of my program today! yay!! and i finally had FUN on the ice heh heh. haven't had that in ages. it makes me realise why i like to skate again. :D

Drudgery: My spins are half-half. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. It's quite worrying. 8O

[Debbie S]

Holiday: Skated yesterday for the first time this week. I was supposed to skate and have a moves lesson on Thurs night, but it snowed. Today I practiced and then had a lesson, where we started the choreography for my new program. I was also able to get lower (I think) on my sit spin when I did it in practice. I also felt myself getting a more fully-rotated loop and I was feeling so ambitious, I even tried a sal-loop and sort of landed it - I say "sort of" b/c I'm sure the loop was a bit cheated, but hey, I stayed on 1 foot. I was trying the sal-loop last summer but it never worked well b/c I was leaning forward too much on the landing of the sal and never really got on the BO edge for the loop. I think the landing of my salchow's improved a lot since then.

Drudgery: Of course, the loop all but disappeared during my lesson when we worked on the new program pattern. And my backspin (what there is of it) went AWOL. Yep, there's a backspin in the program, since this is the program I'll likely use for the Bronze FS test. It's at the beginning, so I can do it from a pivot at a standstill - just my speed. :frus:

It was also very crowded this morning on the first session, so not much success with moves then, but the second session cleared out a bit so I got a chance to run through all the Bronze MIF patterns. Dare I say my power 3's are improving?

[Petlover]

Holiday: Skated yesterday morning, Dance outside 3 turns are great! Back edges are finally feeling solid.

Drudgery: Did not skate today, no ice due to a hockey tournament, BOO!!!

[mikawendy]

Holiday--
Very centered scratch spins today (thanks to all those who posted advice in the separate thread about not disturbing one's hips when pulling the free leg to the ankle and not pulling in too early). Sal felt good, loop felt good, loop-loop was shaky but I did land one that was fairly okay.

Drudgery--
Didn't get to skate Thursday because of the snow. Just as well, because I was feeling worn down and flu-ish.

Today's camel spin attempts were just that. My back threes also need lots of work! My flip also felt wussy--not as much height and honest rotation as I'd like...and the falling leaf was also wussy...

[Mrs Redboots]

Holiday: I'm probably quite mad, but skated a bit this morning (after doing some stretches designed for sore backs in the morning!) and even had our couples lesson. As I wasn't able for all that much, we focussed on the two compulsory dances we'll need for the British Adult Championships this year, which are the Golden Skaters' Waltz and the Riverside Rhumba. Unfortunately I couldn't do forward swing rolls very well, and the change of hold in the Riverside was impossible for me, so we worked on it solo. We also managed a few laps of chassés in waltz hold, and even chassé-swings, although my coach said he could see I was favouring one side.

Drudgery: Being unable for rather a lot more than I hoped - although I was able to do a lot more than on Wednesday. I found skating backwards better than forwards - I couldn't extend behind me, so forwards was rather sore at first. Oddly, it was my right hip which really hurt while I was on the ice, but it's somewhere in my left buttock that is actually the painful part! My coach said to take anti-inflammatories, which I shall, but I don't think it's a very good idea to take painkillers before skating if one has an injury, except in the dire emergency of a test or competition!