Elegant & Elephants Lessons & Practise 10-17 August

[melanieuk]

Elephants

The ice was bumpy but not too busy. :D

Oh the backspins.....they are improved slightly, with 1 going right for every 4. :frus:
I tried a few change foot sit spins, but flopped about and fell over on a couple of them otherwise I managed 2 or 3 dodgy revs.

I could NOT get a loop on the end of a salchow. I didn't try hard enough.

I think I should change the parallel spin for a sit spin in my programme - again. My sit spin could probably generate more marks for me, because it is faster and quite low down. My parallel is a hit or miss and sometimes I struggle to keep the revs going.
The only thing about the sit spin (and it being faster) is that it makes me dizzy, and I'm supposed to go and do a flip almost right away.
What do you think?

I omitted lutzes, because I take up half the rink and can't see where I'm going. :mrgreen: Any excuse will do!


Elegant

I suppose the flip and loops were quite good today.8O
The field moves moved along alright too.

[TashaKat]

Which do you think that you'll be more comfortable with in the test? I voted for sit BUT ..... is this for Inter-Bronze or whatever it's now called? Be careful hun as the rules say something to the effect of '2 spins of IB standard or above!!' The sit is used in tests BELOW IB .... it may be worth checking that you won't get a 'not skated' mark for doing a 'lesser' element!!!!

L x

[icenut84]

Love the titles, Mel :)

This is for this morning:

Elegant:

Alternating FI3s (which were much better than the FO3 equivalent)

Practiced a lot of inside (open?) mohawks, practicing stepping to the instep as I tend to put my free foot down at the heel (closed?), which I'm not meant to be doing, lol. MUCH better.

Waltz jump

Spent a lot of time practicing one foot spin. MUCH better from standstill, I'm still travelling a bit but not as much as before and it's a bit scratchy, but I'm definitely getting there. :mrgreen: Still having trouble with the "hook" from the FO glide though. :( (Just an added thought - I'm CW and when I travel, I tend to travel to the right. What does that mean? Anything?)

Spirals :) (The weirdest thing!! I went to do a left forward spiral, it didn't work as I wasn't balanced right, then I went into it again on the same foot, and it was only then that I realised I was on my right foot! Hmm. Should know the difference between my legs by now, dontcha reckon?

Back cross rolls and cross cuts (and forward cross rolls)

Elephants:

(Well, I like elephants. Just so you know. ;) )

Alternating FO3s :roll:

"Hook" of 1 foot spin (from the FO edge).

Outside mohawks in group lesson a bit dodgy! That's what you get for only practicing them once in a blue moon. Must rememeber to do them more often, especially on my right, which has always been my weaker side.

I gave myself a 15 minute block during practice to practice jumps - 5 for salchow, 5 for toe loop, 5 for loop and half loop. Got bored and stopped after 4. :roll:

Ice was pants

Didn't have a private lesson. Might never have a lesson with my coach again. :cry: I'm going on holiday for 2 weeks next week and when I get back he'll only be there for about a week or 2 before he's leaving. Am sorting out a freestyle lesson with another coach though. Still have to ask a dance coach.

(Unless I can get there at any time in the first half of next week, no more skating for at least 3 weeks!! 8O )

Rachel x

[melanieuk]

The test is for level 2 and 3. I'm keeping same programme as it fulfills both tests - so I'm assured!


In the rule book it simply says (for level 3, IB) minimum of 2 diff spins (min 3 revs), so it doesn't specify.
As long as they're centred and have plenty of revs it should be ok.
I could do a parallel instead of the upright spin in the level 3 test, but that comes at the end.

[Aaron W]

Well I was pleased last night to landed my first ever lutz. I actually landed 2 of them! :) The first one was a bit low on the landing and I had to work to get my free foot behind, but I pulled it out. The second one (which came two or three tries after the first successful one) went much smoother with a fairly easy check out and good flow on the outside edge coming out of the jump. That one felt pretty good. :)

So I have now landed the toe, sal, loop, flip, and lutz. Unfortunately all of them are inconsistent at the moment except for the toe loop. The loop, which I had somewhat consistent last December, has pretty much disappeared since that time. I'll have to get working on it more. I'll be anxious for the next month to pass by quickly so I can get back to school and have regular ice time again (I live too far away from a rink during the summer to get much more than a couple of visits in each month).

[Anita18]

Yay on your first lutz, Aaron! I tried mine, and I landed a couple, but more often I landed on my butt, and OY those hurt, even for a seasoned faller like me! :oops:

Okie, on with the important stuff...

Elegant:

My backspin is coming back! Yayayayayaya!!! Now, if only I could just get that entrance consistent and get it to go faster..
Scratch spin is getting better too! As always, still need that entrance to feel comfortable...
Got around 2 revs on the camel, but I'm still leaning too far forward....oh well, I suppose it's just one of those things that eventually "clicks" on you one day..
The loop is great fun when you're going fast! You just fly up and to heck with the landing, LOL! :D
I just saw one of my old skating buddies yesterday, who used to be in the same class as me, and I finally got to see how aggressive I really am, LOL. The poor thing was trying out loops and flips from nearly a standstill, and scary ol' me was trying loops at full speed and flips from errr, a little less than that. (Not that I was more successful, but my jumps were a whole lot bigger! Whee!) I think skating has taught me more about "going for it" than anything else I've done in my life, LOL. :mrgreen:


Elephant
Tried the lutz seriously for about 15 minutes two days ago, and man, I've fallen so hard so many times in my life! My butt's sore but I'm still okay with it since I did manage to land a couple of good ones. The thing that frustrates me is that it feels like I'm getting enough air time - I just can't get around! Arghggghhg...:x
I've totally lost the sitspin. Can't even get the entrance anymore - I probably have to pull myself over my axis since I've been leaning to the right as I turn and it throw me off....and it was soo good last week! Waaaaaahhhh!!!! :cry: :frus:
Salchow. Hate it. What's new?
Flip. Still hate that 3turn. Whenever I try to go "up," I lean over to the right too much and fall over on the landing. I have to manage with a tiny flip so I stay upright, but I really really want to get it bigger....sigh.....
Not feeling the waltz jump this week. Oh well - I suppose it's just one of those things...

Anita

[TashaKat]

The test is for level 2 and 3. I'm keeping same programme as it fulfills both tests - so I'm assured!


In the rule book it simply says (for level 3, IB) minimum of 2 diff spins (min 3 revs), so it doesn't specify.
As long as they're centred and have plenty of revs it should be ok.
I could do a parallel instead of the upright spin in the level 3 test, but that comes at the end.

Wish they'd stop changing the rules! These new tests only started in January 2002!!

Here is the reference that I've got, nothing to say it hasn't changed, though! Piggin typical :roll:

[i]BRONZE LEVEL 3

ELEMENTS

1) Figure of 8 crossovers (as existing Inter-Bronze)
2) Loop jump
3) Flip jump
4) Jump combination with Cherry Flip as the second jump
5) Camel spin (minimum 3 revolutions)
6) Back upright spin (minimum 3 revolutions)
7) Straight line step sequence (to include forward and backward 3-turns)

FREE

Programme length 1.5 mins +/- 5 seconds. Should include a minimum of Level 3 Elements or higher including:

- 2 different jumps including a Flip jump
- 1 jump combination
- Minimum of 2 different spins
- Step sequence[/b]

Mind you, you only have to look at the 'straight line step sequence including forward and backward 3 turns' to see how logical they are!! Surely a step sequence which is looking for a number of 3 turns should be a serpentine or circular? Oh well ......

[melanieuk]

Yes, that's what I've got too.
So I can do any spins really, so long as they are good enough to pass the standard.
My sit spin is the better standard (by quite a bit) so I'd better stick with that. Maybe I can put the camel in at the end.

The steps start off with a RFO 3 onto LBO, then LBO3 mohawk.....there's another two 3 turns before the end.

This is my old programme, that was adapted to pass both level 2 and 3.

8O 8O 8O

[Mrs Redboots]

This is for this morning (Sunday)

Elegant: It's actually quite difficult to divide up what happened this morning into good and bad as, like the proverbial curate's egg, it was good in parts. I liked what our coach had us do in our lesson, and told us to practice doing, though, which was to divide our various dances up into tiny bits, and work just on a couple of edges at a time. And when we really focussed on doing that, we could find out what was going wrong, and why, for instance, in our first run-through of the Dutch Waltz, we were fighting each other all the time. And also made it easier to feel when one of us was anticipating.

Elephants: We really did do a couple of dreadful runthroughs of the Dutch Waltz and Canasta Tango, the latter mostly because Robert was far too tense when he held me. And his RFO swing rolls, and thus his RFO-I changes of edge, weren't really working - he doesn't seem able to bring his free side around the way he can when doing a LFO swing roll. Perhaps it's as well that my weaker side is LFO! :? I am not sure if it is bad habit or inability, but we need to work on that.

Oh help! I've just realised it's only three weeks until Bordeaux, and we are away over the Bank Holiday. Help......

[melanieuk]

I was on the ice today, not skating, but chaperoning my children.

The small one seems to have a natural ability (even at 4) and an attitude of "I'm staying right here on the ice till I get chucked off!"

Tuesday's my next skate day.

[Kelli]

Elegant:
Moves in the field and jumps. I didn't skate much over the summer because of my crappy job and the two and a half hours I spent every day traveling to and from it, but my jumps and moves in the field have remained semi-decent.

Particularly good was the double threes (juv moves), axel (only a little cheated), and the one random double salchow I landed (again, slightly cheated) as the Zamboni came out. I was off the ice entirely for three weeks for various trips, so I'm pretty happy.

And, I go back to school tomorrow, which means I might get my first real lesson since early May! 8O

Elephants:
Spins. In general. Camel was decent yesterday, non-existant today. My nice fast sit spin got left behind in Austin, Texas. My normally dead on layback (with a nice turned out free leg) - somewhere in California. Grr... The 8-step mohawk sequence going clockwise could be better. I want to test juv moves in October (insert laugh track here), so I would like to get that cleaned up pretty soon.

Melanie - go with the sit spin. Think about what testing nerves will do: your shaky camel spin might not spin at all, but your fast sit spin will probably be a bit slower so you don't get dizzy. I always think you should go with the comfortable elements for a test, as tests are so scary anyway!

[Debbie S]

Elegant:

My toe loop and waltz jump are much improved from even a couple of weeks ago. I'm getting OK height on them. Yesterday in practice, I landed a toe loop/toe loop combo.

Well, in preparation for my Freestyle 1 test on Wed., I practiced the scratch spin out of crossovers. The first couple of times were good, but then, I kept messing up. How is it that I can do something fine one minute, and then not fine for the next 30? Ugghh! So frustrating!

Worked on the BO turns. They're not as hard as I thought they'd be. We just learned them last week, so I think I'm making good progress - I just need to stop coming to a complete halt as soon as I step on the FI edge.


Elephants:

The ice was crappy (can I use that word, Adrian?) again today. I felt like I was constantly getting stuck. I also noticed more ice stuck to my blades than usual. Is this b/c the ice was too soft or too hard - well, anyway, I sure hope it's improved by Wednesday.

Aforementioned scratch spin problems - ughh! - my nemesis!


I decided to practice just the skills I need for my test, so I didn't get to work on the layback or sit spin - just as well, I suppose, considering my general spinning problems. I've given up on the salchow for now -perhaps I just need some distance from it.

Good luck to everyone in their practices and tests this week. Wish me luck for mine on Wednesday!

[flo]

Elephants: Ick. Hamstring is worse. Missed the gold pair test by 1 revolution on the combination spin. I knew that my leg was not happy about holding the position in the cammel, but I figured I would try.
The new pair competition structure will not go into effect until at least 2004, so there's no rush. I'm doing the gold moves now, as it's something I can work on while mending, but I don't think I'm going to test until I need to for pairs. I'd like to see how the moves play out and evolve.

Almost Elegant: ran through the gold moves. The biggest problem will be remembering them. :roll:

[Lars]

Elephants: I tried the double axel about 15 times but fell on most of them. The rotation was there which I was happy about but those I did land were fairly messy.. the best one I did was two-footed. Very discouraging because I landed 7 last week. I could feel some muscle cramping in the last half an hour but still tried the double axel.. however it was still bothering me in the back of my head. I also worked on the triple toe.. two footed a few times with quite a a lot of under rotatons and ice stains (falls). I had a runthrough and it was quite not what I was looking for.. fell on both my double axels.. managed to land the flip but then did some silly mistakes on the second flip, loop, salchow and tow. I'll try harder next week I promise.

Elegant : Landed my double lutz.. I haven't done them in a while and I did two out of five which is plenty for me. Haha! Got my double loop much more consistent.. landed my double flip most of the time and got my single axel 100% for the first time. Working on my spins and trying to make them Stephane-Lambiel-quality and they're getting there. Haha.

[JDC1]

I was on vacation last week so I don't remember the dates of whenn I practiced.

Elegant - waltz jump, every time I do it it gets a little bigger, almost wiped out on a landing but I held on. Learned a little bit of the Dutch waltz (boyfriends niece is an experienced skater and she taught me some of it) it was fun and I really like cross rolls but I have issues with progressives, still considering changing to ice dancing. I guess having no fear with the flip is good but I still can't rotate around once. Edges felt good and "learned" an Ina Bauer - compliments of the niece again. Watched a little girl (9-12) do her program and she was quite the little jumper, lots of doubles and a couple of double doubles but her spins were weak, it was fun though.

Elephant - could not rotate ONCE when trying the LFO into one foot spin. EEKK. Got so frustrated. The "niece" actually was irritating me on this she kept pushing and pushing and wouldn't understand that someone with bursitis in their left hip has less mobilitly, that is in part what's hampering my learning this spin but not much I can do about it but just keep at it. :-) Anyway, she meant well but it got irritating but I just stopped the spinning and did stroking so I wouldn't get too mad.

[LoopLoop]

Originally posted by flo
Elephants: Ick. Hamstring is worse. Missed the gold pair test by 1 revolution on the combination spin. I knew that my leg was not happy about holding the position in the cammel, but I figured I would try.


Flo, bummer about the pair test, but I'm impressed you got that close with a bad hamstring.:(

[flo]

Thanks loops. At least it's not my landing leg. Camels, L spirals and eagles are out for a while. Lutzes and loops are pretty much on the right side, so they're ok. Aside from those, what hurts most is walking!
I have foam in my left shoe to absorb the impact. Oh well - PT tomorrow!

[MissIndigo]

Originally posted by flo
Elephants: Ick. Hamstring is worse. Missed the gold pair test by 1 revolution on the combination spin. I knew that my leg was not happy about holding the position in the cammel, but I figured I would try.

Oh no. Sorry to hear about your hamstring. I hope it's doing better very soon. I can sympathize since I have a bad hamstring too (right leg) that limits me sometimes; I just have to listen to it when it's acting up and not irritate it.

Still, good job on trying to go for your pair test. It is, I hope, still a feeling of accomplishment for you to at least have attempted it.

[kar5162]

Elegant:

My ankle and knee were feeling pretty good today, so I jumped. 2loop was back (for the day anyway). Still most likely cheated, but I was jumping up and landing fairly smoothly!!!

Axel was also coming back. I didn't try to land it - just worked on doing the correct take off and rotating with 2 foot landings for now.

I even tried a few 2flips and they seemed pretty good. No landings, but apparently I was at least nearly all the way around and was straight.


Elephants:

Skipped moves as I saw 2 people collide just at the beginning of the session. My ankle hurt just thinking about someone falling on my again. Luckily it wasn't me in this collision.

My coach is gone for nearly a month - just as I'm finally getting better. The person I want to work with most likely doesn’t have time – he’s too good and busy – so it may be a long month.

Salchows and 2salchows just weren't happening. The take-off just puts too much stress on my ankle for now. :(

Kim

[SusanaO]

Elegant
The FO3 turns I learned last week did not disappear into another dimension as I had feared. They weren't as nice, but they're still around.

Elephant
My LFO edge is horrible. I can feel the blade slipping all the time. I looked at the tracings and I can see where it sort skips a bit. :frus: I worked and worked on my edges but it doesn't seem to help. My coach thinks I may need to have the blade moved towards the inside.

[Terri C]

First of all, Flo, what a bummer about your pair test! Very brave for trying with a injury!


Elegant: Almost all of my Pre Bronze moves, EXCEPT those FO3's from H#@$%! I did notice that when I don't force the turn that it will happen on it's own. I also managed to straighten out the three turn on my salchow! Had the ice to myself for a ENTIRE HOUR today, and worked very hard!:lol:

Elephants: I need, need need to do off ice work for my sitspin to get it lower! And why is my backscratch consistently centered , when my forward scratch is not! Flip is not really that bad, just have to get more height and lock free leg! Ran freeskate program- my coaches and I really need to work on this to get it competitive!

Will have to cancel lesson on Thursday, due to car repairs!:cry:

Good luck to anyone testing this week to beat the deadline!

[jazzpants]

Sorry to hear about your pairs test, Flo!!! Agreed... very brave for going out there to test with a bad hamstring. The spins are usually the first to go, followed by 3-turns... (Guess how I know???) :roll:

Anyway...

Elegant: Scratch spins... pretty decent here...when I get it!!! :P
Sit spins: Ditto...
Waltz 3: Not bad... Much better flow and power on the RFO3 than the LFO3 though.Elephants: Loop and Flips sucked BIG TIME!!! Primary coach decided to "leave it alone before I start reinforcing a bad habit..."
One flop on my boot on a spin entry. And of course, my primary coach cheered "YAY!!!! She fell down on the ice!!! YAY!!! YAY!!!" (I know. Strange coach...) :P Trying to do a proper back swing roll. Didn't happen... I ended up doing back cross STEP instead!!! :( Backspins.... :roll:Cheers,
jazzpants

[jenlyon60]

First lesson in over a week, and 2nd time skating in over a week (I was out of town on a holiday.)

Elegant:

* Alternating Back Crossovers... Coach was very happy with them for the most part. Only some minor nits.

* European Waltz the last time we skated it today... Nice, close partnering, good timing, fairly quiet 3's. Only real problem was that my left boot was a bit loose so I was a bit wobbly on a couple of the turns.

Elephants:

* right side of Forward Power 3's: Still need more work.. holding the edge longer before turning the 3-turn and checking the 3-turn stronger. But the choctaw was better.

* 14Step: Totally deserted me today. Could not get the setup for the end pattern right the way coach and I wanted.

* Misc aches and pains (aka life of a skater)... ingrown toenail (left foot), plantar fascitis on right foot, some sort of bad internal bruise near the top of the tibia/bottom of the patellar tendon on the right leg.


--jsl

[garyc254]

Back on the ice after a week. Took a mini-vacation, 5 days, and took my twin 15 year old sons to the St. Louis Ram's training camp in northern Illinois and then on to Chicago for museum tours and deep-dish pizza. :D

Elegant: My Monday coach worked me through some of the early MIF sequences. Stroking was fine; found my front edges again; BO edges were better than passable; BI edges didn't go through a space/time continuum warp, but got as far as Andromeda before I caught them; crossovers were crossing; and outside threes were there, not perfect, but there.

I actually kind-of did a decent hockey stop without breaking or dislocating something.

Elephant: FLI 3's. My fault as I kept my balance on the flat of the blade instead of toward the toe. Scraped a lot of ice in the tracing. I need:
PRACTICE - PRACTICE - PRACTICE

I also need more ice time. Thankfully September will be here soon and evening ice will be more readily available. :D :D :D

[Yazmeen]

This was the wildest, most frustrating, nerve racking, but very best lesson and skating day of my life...

Elegant: FO3's are coming along quite nicely as to improving their form, and I started to GET the motion of beginning the one foot spin properly--I was bringing the arm and leg around together properly for the first time. Next week: Working on keeping it going!!! 8O

Big, Clumsy, Stumbly, PINK Elephants: The Dreaded Left Forward Inside 3 Turn from the Black Hellfire of Dante's Inferno. (Gee, get the impression I'm not fond of this move? :?

Today we broke it down and fought with it---bit, by bit, by bit. And I kept trying to finesse it, and we tried different things. I guess I should explain, I can do a "passable" ISI Delta LFI3, but its short and forced. I'm trying for a full fledged "testable" USFSA LFI3--doggone it, I want to do the thing well, not just barely. My frustration level started to build, and finally I just teared up and lost it. I was so mad at myself, I had promised myself I would NEVER, ever cry or get pissy like that with my coach, but the frustration level just built up and I couldn't hold it back. God bless my coach, a warm and wonderful woman who brushed off my apologies and told me to just cry it out--she said you have to let go of the tension sometimes. We worked on just going around a circle with C pushes and going onto the back edge and holding it to "memorize the feel" of that position. Then we had our biggest breakthrough--less arms. My arm motions were too flailing and were throwing me off. It was quite a session, but it made a big difference. They are nowhere near great now, but I at least had a major breakthrough. And I'm actually glad now that I just let go and cried. I feel like I've let go of a year's worth of tension on that stupid move. I was actually able to go into them after that without tensing up.

And of course it was funny afterwards when me moved on to spinning and she looks at me and grins and says, "Now forget everything I just told you over there--here we need more arms!!!!" The laughter that resulted was a big relief, too!!! :lol:

AND...ITS TIME TO MAKE MY APPOINTMENT WITH MR. KLINGBEILL!!!! Paula took a good look at my boots afterward as she wondered if I was having some trouble with the LFI3 from boot breakdown. They have been bothering my feet more than usual, and she was surprised that I'd gotten three years of use out of them. She pointed out major creases around my ankles, so its off to New York. New boots and blades, as my Comets are majorly worn and a bit flattened from three years of use. Wow, I'm excited!!!! This will be my first pair of new boots.

This was one emotional, tough, but great day. It really was the best lesson of my life, and reinforced to me what a great coach I have.

Sigh,

Beth

[Mrs Redboots]

Many commiserations to Flo - hope the hamstring heals and the test gets passed very quickly.

Now then, this for last night at Slough:

Elegant: Oh, we had a lovely time! The ice was clean and fast, and Slough is always a warm rink. There were very few people at dance club - the usual couple of little girls who haven't learnt how not to start under your feet like a pheasant when you tread on it, but we worked round them - one woman who had a lesson for the entire 45 minutes, our friend, us, and one other man. Our friend has a broken bone in her hand, and so skating in Kilian hold isn't easy for her, but she can manage waltz hold, and she and Robert had fun with the 14-step and the Prelim Waltz. Robert and I skated really well together, too - one or two things we both noticed about each other's skating, but only reminders, not desperate!

After the club session, our friend left, and we were working quite hard together. We decided to work on our chasses in waltz hold, and then worked on the Prelim Waltz, discovering, to our delight, that it has suddenly got much easier. Not good, you understand, just easier! So we decided to see what our waltz 3s in hold were like - and to our utter amazement,WE COULD DO THEM!. We couldn't do them clockwise, though - but we plan to show our coach these, since last time we tried to do them, we failed miserably. Imagine us, doing waltz 3s round the centre circle, grinning away and the grin getting bigger and bigger as we managed yet another one. We didn't stop until we were well dizzy!

Elephants: Nothing much, really. We did one or two runthroughs of various dances that weren't all they could be, but then, who doesn't? The usual things of anticipating rather, not bending our knees enough, not extending our free legs enough.... In the Fiesta Tango, I keep getting left behind on the backwards section. Robert says I'm not pushing hard enough, but if I pushed any harder, I'd produce triplets! He can't sustain it much beyond four pushes, either, but we pretend he can.... his Fiesta is actually his best dance!

His back cross-cuts were desperate - he keeps allowing his upper body to flop forwards, which makes it far more difficult. I don't do that, but mine still run out of "oomph" after about six. His back cross-rolls have been passable for ages, but mine are still far to seek. I am beginning to get some movement on them, but only just.

No skating today! :( But I need a rest, as I'll be skating twice tomorrow.

Oh, and Beth, I do sympathise about the LFI 3s. They are totally evil. I can either get an exit edge or an entry edge, but not both!

[flo]

Hi,
Thanks everyone! I'm just back from PT. It indeed is the dreaded hamstring. Also she found that my hips were tilted so that my left leg was actually shorter than the right. I feel like a geological formation and my continental plates keep shifting. So I have more interesting excercises. Ms. Redboots, I like the description of the phesants underfoot!

[JDC1]

Elegant - I am REALLY close to getting the flip! My waltz jump is much better, my coach was so suprised she said, "It's actually a JUMP". :-)
Had luck learning the waltz-loop combo, still can't fully rotate the loop but I had no problem with the entrance from the waltz to the loop. I guess the best thing is total lack of fear on my jumps going backwards, still confounds me but it's helping me work on jumps. I find the half jumps pretty boring so I am ignoring them (except the half Lutz and toe loop) my coach said it's okay because I am so close to getting the rotation for a full jump.

Elephant - LFO to 1 foot spin, someday it will all click and I'll have a parade but until then I need lots of patience.

Salchow, feels so WEIRD, I finally started getting the hang of it but my first few attempts were comical.

Flo, sorry to hear about your hamstring, sending out positive vibes!!

[Yazmeen]

flo: Do you have a spinal curvature (Scoliosis)? I have one, and that explains the slight droop I have in one shoulder and one leg being slightly shorter.

Beth

[TashaKat]

Anyone remember me saying this recently?

They were set too far to the inside ....... you get used to how they feel and I just felt that I was falling in, it was difficult to get an inside edge but I was slipping out on the outside edge. You can 'test' it by skating a one foot glide in a straight line, you do, however have to be careful not to try and compensate for it!

My coach has moved them now (they think that I'm too fussy about my blades) and I KNOW that they're better because I can 'do' back 3's again

Well, it's official, and just in case you haven't realised yet or I've not mentioned it I hate, loathe and detest back 3's and FIELD MOVES!!!!!

TUESDAY

Got to the rink, was good, got on and did edges and started the Field Moves .... all was going well UNTIL I got to the MINGING BO3 with mohawk exercise :twisted: The first was okay, a bit pulled, I did the second one on straight legs and fell over onto my left hand side, trapping my left hand underneath me 8O It hurt A LOT and I already knew that it was worse than the usual bumps and bruises :( It was so painful that I was nearly in tears but was attempting to be a big (ahem) strong girl and not make a fuss! I was carted off the ice into First Aid and ice packs and then a bandage applied. I could move and feel my fingers BUT I couldn't grip with the left hand and it hurt like a hurty thing on a very hurty day :? Anyway .... I was then taken to hospital where it was announced that I have a Colles fracture and have to go into plaster :(

I'm now officially fed up, bored, tired and hurty .... I get a 'proper' plaster put on next week which I can't wait for as this thing weighs A TON :roll:

Oh, and the date? Not FRIDAY but it IS the 13th!!!!

Hope everyone else is faring better than I am .... I hadn't realised how LOST I am without my left arm! How can I wash my hair? Even putting on udergarments is a feat!

L xxx

[kar5162]

Aww. Lynne that's horrible. Hope you're feeling better soon. At least within a few days you should be better able to do normal stuff. :(

Kim

[garyc254]

OUCH, Lynne!!!! Sorry to hear of your fracture.

Don't ask the doctor if it's okay to skate. He'll probably say "no".

I fractured my left wrist while skating last year, got the cast put on, and was back on the ice two days later. I figured that I had sufficient support and protection from the cast (plus the megadoses of Ibuprofin).

My coaches asked if the doctor didn't suggest I not skate. I told them he didn't say and I didn't ask. :lol:

It wasn't too bad skating with the cast, but it did require a little balance adjustment.

Hope you heal quickly!!!!!

[SusanaO]

That's horrible Lynne. ((((hugs)))) Hope you're not in too much pain.
By the way, here in Mexico Tuesday the 13th is the bad luck day not Friday. Please forgive my ignorance, but what is a Colles fracture?

[MissIndigo]

Originally posted by TashaKat

Hope everyone else is faring better than I am .... I hadn't realised how LOST I am without my left arm! How can I wash my hair? Even putting on udergarments is a feat!

L xxx

Oh Lynne, I sympathize with you having to wear a cast. I had my right hand cast for two weeks just recently here due to severe tendonitis. As a result, I lost the rudder action of my right wrist, and really missed it!!! Funny how my subtle wrist motions aided my balance! The cast came off yesterday, and boy, was my hand weak. The goal was to immobilize the thumb (since that's where the main problem was)...I'm especially weak there so it's still near impossible to write or hold a book properly or anything like that.

BTW, for washing your hair, showering, etc., put a plastic bag over your affected hand and secure it tightly with a rubber band to keep out water. Do the best you can with your other hand...shampoo spreads out pretty well over the head so I'd think you'll be ok here. :) Now my hair is about waist length...imagine what a feat it was to wash my hair with a cast hand!!!:D

I'll send good vibes your way for a speedy recovery...8)

Elegant:
Waltz jumps were the best they have ever been. Don't know if they were so good because I felt so light after having that cast taken off (!)...whatever, I'll take them! I got both good height and distance today. Salchows were high and floaty also. Even my loops were decent. I'm now comfy with the mohawk entry vs. the RFI 3 turn; the challenge comes now to keep my feet crossed in the air. I have a tendency to tuck my free leg up under me.

Did a true half-lutz today from back power pulls. This marks the first time I have felt the counter rotation in the air--wow. Those power pulls got me on a true back outside edge, with the ankle and hip angled properly for the lutz takeoff. Gives me hope that I'll have a lutz someday!

Camel spins were good before I got tired, then they fizzled into elephants. Sits good. Layback getting there. Flying camel flies (I'm surprised! I thought I'd always be afraid of this spin, but I just *go* for it...it is not nearly as hard and scary as I thought it would be!), but it just needs to spin now! Cool to be working on it though; I am confident I'll get it!

Elephants
Scratch spin. Ugh. They were better with the cast on!!! They'll come back; they always do.

Flip. Don't ask.

[singerskates]

Originally posted by TashaKat
Anyone remember me saying this recently?



Well, it's official, and just in case you haven't realised yet or I've not mentioned it I hate, loathe and detest back 3's and FIELD MOVES!!!!!

TUESDAY

Got to the rink, was good, got on and did edges and started the Field Moves .... all was going well UNTIL I got to the MINGING BO3 with mohawk exercise :twisted: The first was okay, a bit pulled, I did the second one on straight legs and fell over onto my left hand side, trapping my left hand underneath me 8O It hurt A LOT and I already knew that it was worse than the usual bumps and bruises :( It was so painful that I was nearly in tears but was attempting to be a big (ahem) strong girl and not make a fuss! I was carted off the ice into First Aid and ice packs and then a bandage applied. I could move and feel my fingers BUT I couldn't grip with the left hand and it hurt like a hurty thing on a very hurty day :? Anyway .... I was then taken to hospital where it was announced that I have a Colles fracture and have to go into plaster :(

I'm now officially fed up, bored, tired and hurty .... I get a 'proper' plaster put on next week which I can't wait for as this thing weighs A TON :roll:

Oh, and the date? Not FRIDAY but it IS the 13th!!!!

Hope everyone else is faring better than I am .... I hadn't realised how LOST I am without my left arm! How can I wash my hair? Even putting on udergarments is a feat!

L xxx

Lynne,
About not being able to use your left arm. I've been there. Broke my left elbow 3 summers ago just before I joined a skating club for the first time. I was stuck learning only ice dance the first year. Anyway, when you want to wash your hair and take a shower, get a green garbage bag, rap it around your whole arm all the way up to your shoulder, then tape it and elastic it to keep it from moving. Make sure you have room to move your fingers. Do keep taking the pain killers because when you can rest, it makes you heal faster. Losts of fruit and veges to help promote healing. Rest as much as you can.

If you have a DVD player, buy the Salt Lake City Olympic Figure Skating Competition and also the EXhibition DVD's. You can spend time studying all the skaters moves in 1/16th of the normal speed. This can help you improve your skating, even when the doc has said no skating for now.

Hope you feel better soon.

Brigitte

[TashaKat]

Thanks for you good wishes and advice :) I feel pretty pathetic right now :( but that should pass soon! I can't skate in this cast because it's only temporary and weighs a TON but I should get my proper, lighter one next Tuesday :)

All the best

L xx

[melanieuk]

:( Poor Lynne. Hope it hurts less soon, and heals quickly.

Can't you get some nice gentleman to help dress you and wash your hair???!!!! ;)

Hugs, mel xx

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by TashaKat
Thanks for you good wishes and advice :) I feel pretty pathetic right now :( but that should pass soon! I can't skate in this cast because it's only temporary and weighs a TON but I should get my proper, lighter one next Tuesday :)

All the best

L xx
Oh, poor Lynne!
http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/kao/otn/pcry.gif
I hope they can give you a removable cast next week so that you can not only skate, if you want, but also shower and wash your hair, etc. Our friend at Slough now has one, and feels the better for it! But then, she has only broken a bone in her hand, not her wrist. ("Only" - I gather it's horrendously sore, still).

So you won't be at Dance Club tonight, I take it? I shall have to rest before I go, given that I have already skated for 1.5 hours this morning!

Rotten: The ice! Was horrible - cold, hard, lots of "speed bumps", and the Zamboni had gobbeted in one place and nobody had picked it up. Almost unskateable, but not too awful once you actually got going. There had been tests on it earlier, and people had passed in spite of it!

My free dance! The middle section, which is slow, and which I want to use to show of such skills I have, but my coach says I look far too tentative doing them. He's right, of course, but I don't know quite how to fix it. If I skate forwards, as he wants, I shall go faster, but then won't be able to turn round, which I never can at speed from forwards to backwards.

Said as much to my coach, who was exasperated: "But you know as well as I do that if I hold your hand, you can turn as fast as you like!" which is absolutely true, and nobody could be more frustrated by it than me..... I was not meant to be a solo skater!

He wouldn't let me use the "trick" someone had shown me on Friday for improving my back edges, saying it exaggerates one of my faults. Oh bother - it did make the edge better.....

Regal: Not a great deal. Did manage some nice BO edges, which pleased him, and some good back chasses. Also some waltz 3s both ways - but still toe-scraping on the step to forwards when going clockwise. Deep sigh. The coach said it was because I was involving my upper body too much.

He then pointed out that even he still works his 3-turns sometimes, and that all skaters should and must work on their edges and turns, especially dancers.

Had great fun watching him with a Level 6 dancer, who is actually not quite as good as she looks, and who had a horrendous blister on her ankle, which didn't help her back edges any (how come that suddenly got posted in the middle of that?). But this particular young woman has always looked better than she is, and she really isn't at all bad!

[melanieuk]

Elegant
Not a lot today. :(

For some reason, the loop -loop isn't working "nicely". After the 1st loop it curves round too much. It's never done this before. 8O

I thought of Lynne when I did the hideous RBO3s with mohawks. They are so elephants . I thought to myself: "Keep your arm out the way in case you fall and land on it...! :evil:
I can't say it did much for them though. :(

Also elephants is the steps for level 3. What's happened to the BO3s? Is it subconcious because of Lynne? 8O

Oh I tried the sit spin in my prgramme. I did 4 revs (minimum 3 required) but could do it much faster than my 3 camel revs, so change it to 5 revs and still had time to keep in with the music. If I do 6 or 7 revs, I become too dizzy for the flip, and start to freak before I go into it.
I haven't discussed it with coach yet, but she can decide what I cam manage best. She DID say last week (about the camel spin) that it "nearly made it" - the minimum 3 revs. So technically it wouldn't have passed.

The parallels are away to pot. I'm trying too hard. Or else I need my blades sharpened.

I tried exercise for laybacks (complete beginner with these).
All I do is spin with leg out to side and arms held in a circle in front of me at waist level approx. I don't do anything special with the leg, just the toe is facing forwards and the blade is almost parallel with ice, but the leg is lifted slightly(raised free hip).
My coach says to get used to spinning, centred, with leg and arms in those positions, then the next stage will be the hardest! I managed about 8 semi fast revs on the spot :) in this position. I think it is harder than it looks, especially holding it there and keeping it going.
Anyway, lots more practise needed for that.

The flip -cherry is ever so slightly better than it was last week - it was completely hideous then.
:roll:

[sk8pics]

Lynne-I'm so sorry to hear about your injury! I hope you will heal fast and better than ever!

Flo-Sorry to hear about your silver pair test and your injury! Hopefully you will heal soon and get through that test! I admire you just for trying it.

Beth-I had to laugh at your post, not because it's funny really, but because I've also been in tears on the ice with 2 of my coaches, so I can really empathize with the level of frustration you were feeling. My primary coach is used to me by now, although it hasn't happened that often, and he knows how to soothe me very well. I also tend to tear up and then cry after I get off the ice after my test, I guess from having to hold in all those emotions while I'm skating. Anyway, I'm glad you had such a breakthrough.

As for me,
Elegant: My secondary coach worked on the foward power 3's move with me on Monday, and it was initially scary but then so exciting! He was helping me, but still, I did all the turns, crossovers, and steps properly (after a couple of tries, of course!). On the sequence starting with a RFO3, I actually was able to go the whole length of the rink without freaking out or losing focus and maintained my speed. :D It was very exciting! He tells me we're going to do the alternating back crossovers to back outside edges next week, gulp! 8O

My primary coach has been doing mostly choreography with me and my program is almost finished. It has a waltz jump, half flip, toe loop (I love this jump), bunny hop, right forward outside spiral, some spins and edges (not in this order). I like it! But I get so dizzy trying to skate it. My coach always starts laughing when I get this stricken look on my face because I feel like my eyeballs are spinning in my head!:P And it covers pretty much the whole ice surface, which is amazingly hard to do!

And last night when we were working on it, the last 15 minutes or so there were just adult skaters and Olympic coaches on the ice; quite amazing really! It was really fun. When we were working on the choreography at one point we went through the area where the other coach was working with her adult pair, and they all jumped back for us. It was nice to see such courtesy. And did I say how much fun I had? :D

That's it for now. No Elephants for me this week!

Pat

[Yazmeen]

Lynne: I am so, so sorry about your injury!!! The plastic bag over the arm does work wonders with showers or any other situations where the hand might get wet. It was a lifesaver for my husband when he had his broken wrist. Believe me, you will get very talented at shampooing with one hand!!!! ;)

Pat: The program sounds great!!!! Are you doing two foot or one foot spins? On the alt back crossovers to back edges, I think your coach is talking about backward extensions. Similar to doing back edges down the line, you push off into the back crossover, but then hold the back edge on the skating foot (ie: with a left crossover its a right backward edge) in the same position you would hold when landing a jump--in other words, you do the crossover for less than half the "curve", then you push arms out from chest and hold the edge back to the line. Then you switch sides. Its quite fun, one of those RARE things I caught onto fairly quickly. Its marvelous practice for the "landing position" for jumps.

Slightly Elegant Elephants (and that's hard for me to say, I'm a Democrat...) Made a little more progress with the LFI3 last night at Adult Skate. (And thankfully, this time it was adult skate--not a kiddle in sight!!! ). We have an older gentleman there, a professor, who's very talented and a sweetheart. He can do these change edge spread eagles that are to die for--one time he did them around Anna and me and cheekily informed us that we had just been "circumSCRIBED!!!!" :lol:
He suggested I try more speed with the LFI3 because he thought I wasn't building up enough momentum to keep going after the turn. He was right--it helped. Ahh, millimeter, by millimeter, by millimeter.

Still truckin',

Beth :P

[flo]

Lynne, Ouch!
Things to do:
Get a cast to match your boots.
I love the idea of a nice gent to wash your hair.
After he washes your hair, go get a massage.
Pick out a nice bracelet to go with your cast.
Go out with a couple of friends and linger over tea.

Thanks to all for the good thoughts. Beth, I do have slight curvature, but my left leg was shorter because it was jammed up into the hip and stuck.

Seems like an icky time for many of us. Must be sun spots, or the moon having an inexplicable gravitational pull on our blades, throwing everything off just enough to make us crazy. Yes, I'm sure of it. We could probably get a federal grant to study the effect.
ta,

[sk8pics]

Originally posted by Yazmeen
[B]Pat: The program sounds great!!!! Are you doing two foot or one foot spins? On the alt back crossovers to back edges, I think your coach is talking about backward extensions. Similar to doing back edges down the line, you push off into the back crossover, but then hold the back edge on the skating foot (ie: with a left crossover its a right backward edge) in the same position you would hold when landing a jump--in other words, you do the crossover for less than half the "curve", then you push arms out from chest and hold the edge back to the line. Then you switch sides. Its quite fun, one of those RARE things I caught onto fairly quickly. Its marvelous practice for the "landing position" for jumps.

Beth,
Thanks! Actually, my coach seems to have conveniently forgotten my resolve never again to do a two-foot spin! He wants me to do one directly out of my half flip. So, I land on my left foot and then put my right foot down on an outside edge and enter the spin from that edge. Sigh. The one-foot spin will be at the end someday...

Yes, you're right about the backward extensions. If you look in the usfsa rulebook or on-line, it's named the way I referred to it. I don't know how quickly I'm gonna get this, but we'll see! I'm looking forward to trying it.

Pat

[garyc254]

Originally posted by flo

Seems like an icky time for many of us. Must be sun spots, or the moon having an inexplicable gravitational pull on our blades, throwing everything off just enough to make us crazy. Yes, I'm sure of it. We could probably get a federal grant to study the effect.
ta,

I agree. An astronomical research study should be started. We can find out what magnetic and gravitational effects are doing to us. Why our skating elements suddenly enter parallel dimensions where we don't exist. What effect sun spots, the moon, and earth's rotation has on our routines. If solar flares cause bad ice. :lol:

Since I started skating last year, I think there were two weeks (not consecutive) that some part of me didn't hurt. And I thought karate was physically damaging. :lol:

[TashaKat]

Originally posted by flo
Lynne, Ouch!
Things to do:
Get a cast to match your boots.
I love the idea of a nice gent to wash your hair.
After he washes your hair, go get a massage.
Pick out a nice bracelet to go with your cast.
Go out with a couple of friends and linger over tea.


LOL, Flo, I had to laugh at that :D I'd already decided to go for purple if they offer it .... to go with my boots!! Mind you, I NEED a dark coloured one, this one's already got a spinach stain (because I'm being good) and a chocolate stain (from the choc chunks in the biscuit I was eating to cheer myself up :roll: ).

Nice gent sounds a good idea, unfortunately I don't own one of those :(

I'm not allowed to do clinical work (because I would be unable to do life support) and had a major panic as the thought of 6-8 weeks without pay flashed before my eyes ..... HOWEVER the new database has arrived so I've got the job of setting it up and putting all the patients from Jan 2002 on, won't be paid as much but at least it's money!

Everyone was fascinated about the ins and outs of my injury, one doctor in particular kept following me around teasing me that a Colles fracture is an 'old woman's' thing' and how I look so young!! He then proceeded to ask if it had hurt, did I know right away that I'd broken it and was it deformed!

I doubt that I'll be getting a removeable cast, to be honest I wouldn't want one even though my skating is on hold. The break was actually very 'neat' with no deformity, 'good' movement in my wrist and fingers, only my 'grip' suffering and that's because it hurt too much.

Thank you again for your good wishes :)

L xxxx

ps a Colles fracture (sorry, can't remember who asked) is a break across the end of the main bone of the forearm (the radius), or both of the lower arm bones (the radius and ulna).

http://www.pennhealth.com/images/ency/fullsize/9205.jpg

[wannask8]

(((Lynne,)))

Poor you!! Sending lots of good vibes so you can get back to your routine – and the ice – as soon as possible!

-- wannask8

[wannask8]

(((Lynne,)))

Poor you!! Sending lots of good vibes so you can get back to your routine – and the ice – as soon as possible!

-- wannask8

[jazzpants]

EEEEK!!!! 8O I'm SO SORRY, Lynne!!!! http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/kao/otn/pcrying.gif

I am just reading up in my Sports Medicine book about your injury. First thing it said was that in adults it's a very common injury for those who are in contact sports or "in activities with potential for falling accidents."

Did your doctor mention anything about surgery and inserting pins? Or are they going through the "closed reduction" route? (Sounds like since you mentioned it was a clean break that this route is likely your route...) My book tells me that depends on the severity of the injury, you'll probably be in that cast for about four to six weeks and you probably won't be allowed back on the ice for another twelve. (Or in more severe cases six months.)

If you can, this is probably a good time to watch all those skating tapes of your favorite skaters and study their moves and technique. I like the one of the 3 (or is it 4 yet?) tape Lussi technique series, though I will warn you right now that the technique stuff has been known to put me to sleep a lot after a while! :lol: Of course, no skating tape collection is complete w/o my primary coach doing his MK routine at Adults National this past year! :lol:

Keeping to the original thread...

Elegant: My primary coach gave me some stuff that helps to get over that "cheat" on my spin entry.
Waltz 3's are okay. Not the best, but at least I could do them on both sides now. (My LFO3 is a bit weak...)
Elephants: My backspin. I did one try and my coach says "Let's go onto the next thing." Yeap!!! That bad!!! :oops:
One attempt with said Spin Entry results in a nasty bruise on my knee. (Caught a toe pick... I was supposed to go into the FO edge HEEL FIRST!!!) :roll: Coach was CHEERING "YAY!!! She FELL!!!! YAY!!!" (Weirdo!!!) :roll:
Could even get simple edge exercises right. (Well, not that basic...)
Started up on cross strokes this week! Oh, boy! This one's gonna be hard!!! :roll:
Loops are totally gone!!! WAAAAAH!!!! :cry:
Cheers,
jazzpants

[melanieuk]

I had a great skate today. :)

Not put off by the babysitter coming late, or being stuck in traffic for ages, I skated ALL the field moves, my programme several times, some change sit spins, and camel change camels. Even the backspin was working (sometimes) today.
The flip-cherry is not as elephants as it was last week.
All the jumps to lutz and flip-loop were working well.

I love it when you skate well and it just lifts your whole day.
I wanted to try an axel, since the skatng was good, but I declined, as it was nearly time to come off.....and why tempt fate, and end on a bum note? :roll:

[JDC1]

Elegant - I fully rotated my flip jump!! It took about 10 tries last night and I did it, I still land on 2 feet, not quite on my toes, but that's what I'll practice next!! I did the half toe and it worked really well, I think I am finally figuring out where to "pick in" on my boot to actually get UP in the air. :-) Practiced jumps in and around the center with the "big girls" i.e. the more advanced skaters, I'm definitely getting more confident.

Elephants - Spins were yuck, hope I'll have more luck this week-end. The salchow still feels SO uncoordinated. If I break it down into parts I can do it really slowly but if I try and do it quickly I am at a total loss.
Got really winded and quit after an hour. Still can't skate for more than an hour without a sufficient rest.

[Debbie S]

Get well soon, Lynne!

I'm happy to report that I passed Freestyle 1 last night. My scratch spin was OK, my jumps and stroking were good, but she told us that our forward edges and BO turns need work (well, duh - we only practiced them once during six weeks of lessons!) - we all passed nonetheless. So now it's time to perfect the toe loop and work on back edges and FI and FO spirals. And the salchow is lurking in Free 3.

I guess I've got lots of time to practice since lessons don't start again until the end of September, so soon I'll be back to the early evening freestyle sessions.

[Mrs Redboots]

Elephants: No, the Blues is definitely not my dance! That was the featured dance at Alexandra Palace last night, and while I can do all the steps - even the Choctaw - my back edges are simply not good enough. I can do the steps, but not join them up, if that makes sense! And it is a lovely dance - I plan to work on the Choctaw, back cross roll, step to inside edge which goes right round in a circle, it looks and feels lovely, but I can't really do it yet. Once I can, I'll start to really work on the dance and see if I can make it skateable.

Robert and I were, I think, tired - it is quite late at night when we go there - and the only dance we managed to do at all decently was the Fiesta Tango, of all things! For the others, we were getting in each other's way rather than enabling each other. I was amused when in the Paul Jones another friend grabbed me for the Canasta - we are due to skate it against him and his partner in a few weeks, so he hoped to rob us of one practice run-through!

However, I did get very cross with Robert in the Swing Dance, since he will wave his free leg in the breeze on the last swing roll. Which he says is to flatten out the swing, and I do see his point, but it pulls him on to an inside edge and makes the whole pattern go wrong, and he simply doesn't believe me! I will make my coach look at it.

Did I tell you he has been given his papers for Level 3? Jammy - I am credited with it, but asked my coach whether I'd pass. He doesn't think so - he thinks I would probably pass the Golden Skaters' Waltz, but not the Riverside Rhumba yet (not enough edges, he says).


Oh, and when I got in, I made myself a "doctored" cup of tea - and was asleep before I could manage so much as a sip. What a waste of a good digestif!

Elegant: Well, I am very pleased for Robert getting his papers. I got off the ice after the interval, as I was tired, and he stayed on for a while and did a lovely Golden Skaters' Waltz with a very good skater: "And the edges she made me do!" He was exhilarated. But his head (I typed "free head" at first, as though he had two!) was waving in the breeze a bit, and I wonder whether the judges might not comment on that.

I did a lovely twizzle sequence in the interval - best I've ever done! I do know why my coach said I looked hesitant doing it in the morning, mostly because I wasn't focussing on where my feet were, so this time I really focussed on keeping them together and tidy, and it made a huge difference. I also got some lovely flowy back edges, much better than I've done before, which pleased me - I can do them, sometimes!

Oh well, trudge another mile! No skating today, although Robert may have had a practice this morning - he had an appointment in town, but not until 9.00 am, so he thought he might go first - but we will practice together and separately in the morning, I hope.

[jenlyon60]

A very positive lesson today....

* FINALLY, I did 3 consecutive patterns of solo Foxtrot IN LESSON with COACH WATCHING. They weren't big, they weren't powerful, but they were mostly on-time and I kept going. This is a major confidence builder I hope for me.

and... the right side of my Forward Power 3's was much improved today. I said to my coach, "yes, the choctaw does work better when I stand up straight on the back crossover... you can now say 'I told you so'" (We joke around alot...) I find that I have to feel what I'm doing wrong, even with coach saying it, before I can really fix something.


14Step was okay but not great today. I wasn't completing the back swing roll enough, so then the next back progressive sequence was shallow, which set up miscellaneous problems for the end pattern. But I know what i'm doing wrong, so I just need to drive the early morning skaters nuts for the next 2 weeks with lots of Foxtrot and 14Step.

Then... left rink and I swear I hit every possible traffic light between the rink and my office RED.

But... bought my airline ticket to Atlanta for Peach and got a pretty decent price....

Anyone ever skated at the rink in Duluth, GA who can tell me how cold it is?

[TashaKat]

Hi :) No, I don't think that I'll be having pins as the break was very clean with little deformity. They did some manipulation in the A&E but am seeing the fracture clinic next Tuesday for a new (lighter I hope) cast and an assessment. We haven't actually discussed going back to skating yet ........ to be honest I'm in no hurry, even I know it would be stupid to try and go back before I'm healed! LOL I've been given 6-8 weeks in plaster if all goes well .......

Unfortunately we don't get the Lussi tapes over here but I still have to work anyway so that whiles away the hours ..... :)

L xx

Originally posted by jazzpants
EEEEK!!!! 8O I'm SO SORRY, Lynne!!!! http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/kao/otn/pcrying.gif

I am just reading up in my Sports Medicine book about your injury. First thing it said was that in adults it's a very common injury for those who are in contact sports or "in activities with potential for falling accidents."

Did your doctor mention anything about surgery and inserting pins? Or are they going through the "closed reduction" route? (Sounds like since you mentioned it was a clean break that this route is likely your route...) My book tells me that depends on the severity of the injury, you'll probably be in that cast for about four to six weeks and you probably won't be allowed back on the ice for another twelve. (Or in more severe cases six months.)

If you can, this is probably a good time to watch all those skating tapes of your favorite skaters and study their moves and technique. I like the one of the 3 (or is it 4 yet?) tape Lussi technique series, though I will warn you right now that the technique stuff has been known to put me to sleep a lot after a while! :lol: Of course, no skating tape collection is complete w/o my primary coach doing his MK routine at Adults National this past year! :lol:jazzpants

[Ellyn]

I've never been comfortable with the lutz, and although I don't mind the flip, on both jumps I have a habit of turning them into toe-assisted salchows (i.e., I leave my weight on the left foot after I've picked with the right and often after the pick has left the ice as well; plus I almost always flutz at least a blades' length).

Started double toe today as promised and it didn't feel very comfortable to get power for more rotation either.

Would different blades be likely to make a difference in terms of committing my weight to the picking foot?

[Anita18]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your injury Lynne! Hope you get well soon! 3turns are always evil, but the BO3s are okay for me. If anything's gonna break a bone, it's the LBI3. If I work on that, I'm begging for a toepick trip! 8O

Elephants (let's the bad stuff out of the way first..)
I couldn't center my scratch spins or sit spins at all today! Well, I had one "good" sit spin - boy, it was FAST....8O - but URGHGHGHG I hate that!!!! Grrrrrrrr......:x
Still not feeling the toe loop. I'm lacking in air time and it has to do with my pick in...sigh..
Flip. Every time I tried it, I collapsed over my right side. I had forgotten my gloves, and the ice was rough. My hands burned afterwards. Why can't I get this jump???!!!! :frus:
The all-importance of jumps. Okay, let me elaborate: another adult skater has been working on all sorts of jumps, courtesy of her coach. Today she was trying out a lutz for the first time, and IMHO if I was her coach I would have her work on edges the entire time. (Actually I took some lessons from the same coach and I insisted that I work on spins, LOL..) What irks me is that she told us that she might be working on the axel soon. From her basic skating skills, it looks like she's been skating for four months tops, and her spins are basically nonexistent. :roll: So, if anyone who bemoans the little kids only learning jumps, adults can be the perpetrators too. I don't quite understand why this annoys me so much, but the skaters who extensively work on their edges and basic skating get so much more respect from me, LOL.
Okay, let's be more positive now! :D

Elegant
Backspin is still present! Now I need to get my skating foot to point straight ahead before I kick out with my free leg. I usually kick out first when my skating foot is still turned out, and I have to adjust it as I spin along, LOL.....
Loop! It was faaabulous! Whee!
Salchow! I don't hate it as much anymore! Just need to remember to push down the heel as I jump up...
Had fun demonstrating edges to another skater. (Yay! Somebody else who cares about them! :D )
To get my mind off that darned flip, I worked on the camel, and my balance has gotten a lot better! I'm not getting anywhere close to centered on them, but at least I can hold the position longer. Also, I can do a scratch spin from the camel, when I couldn't do one from regular crossovers. Oh well - combination spin! :D
Right before the session closed, I decided to try out the back sit, and actually got around twice without falling over! Whee!
Dabbled in the back camel, and I can get into the position! :D LOL it was more of a back spiral than a spin, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was be, LOL....
When I was stopping by the boards, a beginning adult skater stopped me and complimented me on how beautiful my skating was. At that point, I had only warmed up with edges and crossovers. (Woohoo! I have basic skating skills! I have basic skating skills! :mrgreen: ) That totally made my day!
Anita

[Mrs Redboots]

Actually, Lynne, the skating community seems divided - I've known people who've skated very happily with a wrist in plaster, and others who have preferred to stay off the ice altogether - so when you go back seems to be entirely up to you!

Anyway, for today.

Elephants: Didn't really feel like doing any work today, so mostly played around! Robert and I did do some stuff together, but mostly we played, too. We tried to do our waltz 3s round each other, but they didn't work, so we played with the Prelim Waltz instead.

And before I got off, I tried to rechoreograph the middle section of my free dance in accordance with my coach's instructions to "dumb it down", but although I like it now, I don't think it's quite long enough. Oh bother.

Elegant: Well, if you fancy a morning's playing instead of skating, let yourself have one! It pays dividends from time to time. I spent most of the time playing with the steps of the Blues, and actually found my back edges improving! I think, tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon, but I think I am beginning to have a back cross-roll.
YABBA-DABBA-DOOO!http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/kao/chika/chirolp_hello.gif
Only LBO at the moment, and I can't do them continuously, but THIS IS PROGRESS!!!. So I am very pleased. Bet I don't still have it on Sunday, but will keep trying. The secret is to go slightly faster than I'm actually comfortable with..... It is still really scary. Oh well, I always was a wimp!

[JDC1]

I just want to respond to your post - the one particular example you give is a skater who takes private lessons (solely?, you don't say) -and focuses on jumps and not edges. I take group lessons and it's just one big group of adults so they cannot teach me separately, so even though I don't have a toe loop yet (but my flip is VERY close) I have worked on the structure (holding the edge, picking in then popping up not jumping)of a lutz because there's only two coaches and they cannot teach me differently. So not all adults jump because they want to rush it sometimes you just have no choice. When I do have private lessons I like to work on edges, and crossovers BECAUSE I jump so much in class. But I actually do have really decent edges and learned a bracket as well as any of the advanced skaters, the irony is I'd love to take it more slowly and focus on edges and do one jump every 10 week session and learn it then move on but I just have to go with the flow. So anyway just thought I'd give you some insight into what might be happening with some adults who seem to jump to early.

[Lars]

Elegant :

Started choreographing a new program to Cirque du Soleil's Quidam.. we worked on the first minute and I did two run-throughs - each one I did a double axel, double sal and double flip-double toe and right in front of my coach so I'm a very happy camper!!.


Elephants :

Tried the triple flip and triple loop.. it didn't turn out right even though they felt good. I didn't really warm up the double flip until the 15th time.. argh.. these jumps are so inconsistent i need to skate more. I basically had a horrible first hour where absolutely nothing worked so it was just a waste of time.. things didn't pick up unti lthe 2nd session.

[Anita18]

Originally posted by JDC1
I just want to respond to your post - the one particular example you give is a skater who takes private lessons (solely?, you don't say) -and focuses on jumps and not edges. I take group lessons and it's just one big group of adults so they cannot teach me separately,
<snip>
So not all adults jump because they want to rush it sometimes you just have no choice. When I do have private lessons I like to work on edges, and crossovers BECAUSE I jump so much in class. But I actually do have really decent edges and learned a bracket as well as any of the advanced skaters, the irony is I'd love to take it more slowly and focus on edges and do one jump every 10 week session and learn it then move on but I just have to go with the flow. So anyway just thought I'd give you some insight into what might be happening with some adults who seem to jump too early.
Thanks for the insight, but this is really very unusual, at this rink and for this coach. Yes, she does take group lessons too but they actually work more on non-jumping moves in those lessons. It's when she's working one-on-one that she tackles the hard jumps. I've seen other skaters that this coach works with and they all have pretty decent edges and spins. So really, I don't get it, LOL.

All I've done are group lessons (not counting the three private lessons I received as a gift last month), and it's true, we don't usually get to work on edges, although we spend most of the time on random footwork moves. I wish I could do a bracket, LOL, but I'm going to wait until I can properly control my checks before I tackle it again. :roll: I don't know if I'm unusual in the fact that my edges are pretty decent despite my lack of private lessons, but it helps tremendously that I read boards like this and watch a ton of skating so I know that edging is important. LOL actually my dream is have edges that are similar to Michelle's and to do a biiiig delayed axel one day. :mrgreen:

Anita

[dbny]

Originally posted by Mrs Redboots
Actually, Lynne, the skating community seems divided - I've known people who've skated very happily with a wrist in plaster, and others who have preferred to stay off the ice altogether - so when you go back seems to be entirely up to you!

From my own experience, a colles fracture calls for a cast half way up the upper arm, making skating pretty difficult. Personally, I didn't feel the least bit like skating or doing anything else that could possibly even jostle the arm for at least four weeks afterwards.

[TashaKat]

Yes, to be honest I feel the same. I'm usually fairly flippant about injuries, I even (stupidly) skated the day after my head injury. My 'gut' tells me no this time ... plus, as you say, the cast is not exactly discrete. The things that I'm doing right now are difficult enough without having a change in my balance to deal with. I'm also worried about falling again and making it worse, I'm pretty 'lucky' in that it is clean and not deformed :)

I may feel differently in a couple of weeks, who knows I may be growing up at last ;)

I'd certainly welcome any thoughts/experiences as this is the first time that I've broken anything.

L xx


Originally posted by dbny


From my own experience, a colles fracture calls for a cast half way up the upper arm, making skating pretty difficult. Personally, I didn't feel the least bit like skating or doing anything else that could possibly even jostle the arm for at least four weeks afterwards.

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by TashaKat
I'd certainly welcome any thoughts/experiences as this is the first time that I've broken anything.
Be guided by what you feel like! I know one child who had a colles fracture of her wrist who was back skating the following week, but adults do heal more slowly! DB, I know, didn't skate at all until her wrist was out of its cast, yet another friend of mine broke a bone in her hand (okay, not quite the same thing) two weeks ago and didn't take any time off at all until her planned holiday this week. All you can do is listen to your body and not skate until you feel able again. And do skate as soon as you do feel able, even if all you do is Novice Field Moves!

[tidesong]

This week I got my new boots!!! I got Risport's RF2 Super and they are beige and the correct size finally!!!! No blisters so far!!! I am very happy... I can manage a few axels but I am so nervous taking off on new boots that I swing around alot sometimes and splatter. My blades are also new and since the boot is smaller, the blade is shorter... now my toe pick is where its supposed to be. I don't have to strain so hard to press on them anymore :)
Now I am lacing up with one left at the top. It doesn't give me as much support as I like but lacing all the way makes backward three turns and sit spins nearly impossible.

[MissIndigo]

Originally posted by tidesong
Now I am lacing up with one left at the top. It doesn't give me as much support as I like but lacing all the way makes backward three turns and sit spins nearly impossible.

You know, I wonder if this isn't holding me back on the sit spin as well. My Risports are still very stiff and I've had them almost two years now! I can bend my spinning knee to only a certain point before I feel my ankle is hindered by my boot. I can do shoot-the-ducks though, but just that move alone lets you rest more toward the heel of the boot while you need to bend forward a bit more to spin on the ball. Hmmm...

[jazzpants]

I want to add to this sub-thread...

My experience when I first took group lessons is that my classmates usually HATES having their coach make them work on crossovers and edges once they are in the highest level of the adult group classes. They all prefer working on jumps and spins!!! Of course, to keep the students interested in their lessons, the coaches often give them what they want. Also, group classes are limited in the number of lessons per semester(?), so there isn't really a lot of time for a coach to beat those essentials into a student's skull.

Since then, our skating school as introduce an group edge class to get people to build up their foundation as well too. It's probably one of the more popular classes. Still, with the short semester period... and the individual one on one time you get during group lessons.... :(

I've been heavily been working on (Adult Bronze FS) moves as of late. It doesn't mean that I don't work on jumps and spins...but that for now that my foundation needs more attention. It's already paying back in spades though - Mistress Coach commented at my last lesson that my crossovers are a LOT better than when I first came to her and she credits my working on moves for it!!! (She's into the total package thing... she wants to see good stroking and crossovers leading up to the jumps or spins!!!) Of course, this doesn't mean that I now skate gracefully... :roll: (On the contrary, there's still a lot of work to be done on me!!!)

Cheers,
jazzpants

[tidesong]

Originally posted by MissIndigo


You know, I wonder if this isn't holding me back on the sit spin as well. My Risports are still very stiff and I've had them almost two years now!

Hey there, what kind of Risports do you have? You could try lacing up with one left at the top to see if you could do a sit spin with that :) Some of my friends at the rink never lace up to the top. Alternatively, you could also think of getting a slightly softer boot for the time being. I managed to break in my Risport RF2 (previous boot) so if yours is even harder than that you may want to try the RF2 :)

[MissIndigo]

Hey!

I have the Super Cristallos. Those were recommended to me as a good beginner/intermediate boot, and have served me well as I'm still working on single jumps and single/loop combos.

I'll try doing a sit spin with the one hook undone and see if I will be able to bend down farther. My coach has told me my position is good and my spin is good (it is passable but not yet as good as it could be); I just need to get my leg bent at that magic 45 degree angle. When I was breaking in the boots I skated with the top hook undone but found I needed more support; now that I know more about the control I need to put forth I can probably back off one hook.

I'll try it and post it in next week's lesson thread.

[garyc254]

Originally posted by TashaKat
I'd certainly welcome any thoughts/experiences as this is the first time that I've broken anything.



Last November, I fractured the main arm bone at the wrist while skating. It split the end of the bone.

I had my cast put on the next day and was back on the ice two days later. Other than having to make minor adjustments for balance, it didn't bother me while skating. As tight as the cast was, I could have beaten hockey players with it and not injured my wrist further. :lol:

I was in the cast for 6 dreadful weeks. Dreadful because it was on my primary hand. I could barely hold a pen to write at work, but had to.

[Stormy]

Elegant: Flying camel is improving, and becoming more solid after the "fly". Good spins in general!


ELEPHANTS!!: Failed Juvenile moves. :( The judges said I was much too stiff on almost every element, and as a result of that the forward double threes were very shaky.

Any advice on getting rid of stiffness in general? I'm always being told by my coach to relax and loosen up. I'm not doing it purposefully, it's just how I skate!
:oops: