The "Funk" (Insert scary music here)

[FrankR]

Hi,

I'm new to skatingforums so I should definitely introduce myself. My name is Franklin Romero. I skate out of the American Academy FSC in Hackensack, New Jersey. I started skating at the age of 23 (I'm now 28) and am currently in Silver I. I skated Bronze I last year.

As of late I've been feeling extremely frustrated on the ice. Particularly with spins and just not feeling that I'm skating with flow. I tell my coach that it feels like I'm "Frankensteining" it down the ice. (You know, knees in full rigamortis mode, arms feeling like a propeller, stumbling and slipping all over the place :roll: ) My freestyle coach and a few of the skating parents that watch me skate at the un-Godly hour of 5:50am on weekdays tell me that it's not so bad. However, I can't help feeling like a clutz out there. The one positive is that by and large my jumps are working. However, it's a poor consolation that I'm perfectly comfortable in the air because we spend a considerably larger amount of time on the ice than we do in the air when we skate our programs. All this has left me feeling that very uncomfortable Dawson's Creekish angst and I'm not liking it. This is what I call the "funk." (insert scary music here...The Overture to The Phantom of the Opera, the violiny stuff from Psycho, etc.) ;)

Has anyone else ever been in this state? If so, the question I have for you all is: "How do you guys bring yourselves out of the "funk?"

Thanks in advance and looking forward to talking with all of you,

Frank

[slusher]

I think you have to go find George Clinton & Parliament's "We've got the Funk" and play it really loudly at 5:50 in the morning. That is an ungodly hour! (ok, I'm on ice at 6:30am).

I'm not really happy with anything I'm doing at the moment, wouldn't call it a funk, but have stalled, so perhaps suffering the same ennui. I wasn't kidding about the music, sometimes you need to just skate around and blast around to music you like, sometimes just take a few days off.

Also, learning something new is a change, a couple of times when I haven't felt like skating, the coach teaches me figures. They're incredibly hard but require concentration and they make me feel my blades in the ice. Also, I know that I don't have to do them for test anymore, so it's fun.

[LoopLoop]

As far as I'm concerned, skating at 5:50 a.m. is physically impossible.

That aside, does the Frankenstein feeling happen when you're skating your program, when you're skating in general, does it depend what background music is playing, etc? If you can pin down the cause it will go a long way toward fixing it.

As another possibility, have you thought of taking a few lessons with a different coach to work just on stroking, choreography, and the like?

[FrankR]

I think you have to go find George Clinton & Parliament's "We've got the Funk" and play it really loudly at 5:50 in the morning. That is an ungodly hour! (ok, I'm on ice at 6:30am).

I like that idea. Maybe I could follow it up with "Play that Funky Music, White Boy!" :lol: All jesting aside, it probably would help to play a few things I like while I'm skating.


Also, learning something new is a change, a couple of times when I haven't felt like skating, the coach teaches me figures. They're incredibly hard but require concentration and they make me feel my blades in the ice. Also, I know that I don't have to do them for test anymore, so it's fun.

I've talked with my moves coach about learning figures. I might bring this up with him again.

Thanks for the ideas!

Frank

[FrankR]

As far as I'm concerned, skating at 5:50 a.m. is physically impossible.

LOL! I thought this at first too. However, I've been doing it since September. It's really the only work-week ice time I'm going to have unless I quit my job. So, I've been dealing with it and I'm actually used to it now. At least that's what I tell myself when the alarm rings at 3:50am on those days. ;)

That aside, does the Frankenstein feeling happen when you're skating your program, when you're skating in general, does it depend what background music is playing, etc? If you can pin down the cause it will go a long way toward fixing it.

I feel like that in general except when doing forward cross-rolls. Then it feels great but even just doing backward cross-rolls immediately brings that feeling right back. It does happen in my program but only after the first thirty seconds or so. The first thirty seconds of my program feel great then it all goes downhill.

As another possibility, have you thought of taking a few lessons with a different coach to work just on stroking, choreography, and the like?

Actually I started doing that about eighteen months ago to refine my moves in the field. I feel that it's helped but then there are times when I feel like I'm reverting to what I skated like before I ever started moves lessons. I have another moves lesson tomorrow and a freestyle lesson tomorrow. I might approach both coaches and talk it over with them in depth. Hopefully we can put our heads together and get rid of this! lol

Thanks for the reply!

Frank

[NoVa Sk8r]

As of late I've been feeling extremely frustrated on the ice. Particularly with spins and just not feeling that I'm skating with flow. I tell my coach that it feels like I'm "Frankensteining" it down the ice. However, I can't help feeling like a clutz out there. <snip> Has anyone else ever been in this state? If so, the question I have for you all is: "How do you guys bring yourselves out of the "funk?" I'm another silver I skater who feel like this--often, and I think it's par for the skating course.

This morning in my pairs lesson, I was very frustrated (well, that comes par for the course skating with Loops) because even though I understood the coach's instructions, my body just wouldn't obey. And fixing my crossovers feels like brain surgery. I mean, quantum chemistry makes more sense to me than attaining the proper leg/hip position on this. And this time of year is difficult because we're in the lag before nationals. We know we have so many things to fix, but when we can't, it gets very aggravating.

When you discover the magic cure, please pass it along to me! 8-)

[Petlover]

Hi! I'm an older adult skater who skates early morning before work. I have to say, some days are good, some days nothing works. Yesterday, my change foot spin disappeared and I fell right in front of a coach with her freestyle 7 student. They kind of laughed at my faces, and I told them "I guess I've ruined my change foot spin, Coach Gail will just have to fix it tomorrow!" (and she did this morning). I have learned from the kids I skate in the morning with that when things go bad, don't sweat it, it happens to all of us, and when things turn around and go good laugh, cheer and enjoy it! Once you have a move, it does occasionally come and go, but by bringing it back working with your coach, it will be stronger!

Good luck and have fun!

[Terri C]

Frank, Stephen, et al,
I get the funk from time to time , most recently yesterday for strictly hormornal reasons. All I can say is do something less subdued. My body was actually in a "moves mode" yesterday and spins were unusually great, but the jumps and jump combinations I can do in my sleep were no where to be found.

As early as you skate Frank maybe the rink is cold. Actually if I remember correctly, I was at your rink last year for the Adult Camp and I remember the rink being cold- I had full warmups on during the last session both days. At my rink here in Virginia, the ice is hard and the management does not believe in heat or morning ice for that matter. :evil:

[pennybeagle]

Hi Frank,

Hats off to you for being able to move at all that early in the morning. One question: who is skating with you at 5:50 am at Ice House? With whom are you comparing yourself? (I just ask because I skated there on and off on later morning-noonish sessions about a year ago, and I always felt like a total klutz compared with some of the other skaters on the rink).

Do you skate at other times of the day (on weekends, maybe) and do you still feel stiff? How warmed up are you before stepping on the ice?

I tend to skate extremely poorly in the morning unless I've had a very long warm-up, getting my body used to the idea that blood and oxygen are supposed to be getting to the muscles, and that those muscles and ligaments are supposed to bend and react to stuff.

Otherwise, have you tried dance? Doing a couple of laps of some of the preliminary dances often helps me get the feeling of soft knee action and sustained edges.

Good luck!

[fadedstardust]

Well if you have been skating five years, I would think that stroking and crossovers and such wouldn't ever be a problem. I mean I have some days where my jumps and spins are off, like everyone else, and even the more difficult move patterns, and sometimes I'm not paying attention and I'll trip on a crossover or something stupid, but I know how to stroke and crossover properly and save for a misstep here or there, I'll never screw a stroke or crossover up, so I'm thinking your feeling of clumsiness could come from something other than your basic skills. Maybe you're too tired (I especially think this as you say you feel great during the first 30 secs of your program and then it goes downhill, that's a sign of lack of stamina/endurance) maybe you're not stretched properly. Maybe you have the wrong hollow sharpened into your blades and need something deeper/shallower (do you know what size hollow you get?) Maybe you're not paying enough attention. I would say try and stretch properly everyday before your first session, make sure you are warm, make sure your blades are properly sharpened for your needs, and do some running on a treadmill or other cardio work to increase your endurance. I don't see what else could be going wrong, although I'm sure I've overlooked something.

[FrankR]

I have learned from the kids I skate in the morning with that when things go bad, don't sweat it, it happens to all of us, and when things turn around and go good laugh, cheer and enjoy it! Once you have a move, it does occasionally come and go, but by bringing it back working with your coach, it will be stronger!

Good luck and have fun!

Hi Petlover,

This is very good advice. In addition, I can completely relate regarding elements coming and going. I've had several conversations with my coaches about this phenomenon. I understand it happens to everyone but I just cannot wrap my head around why it should happen. I guess I tend to over-think things just a tad. :D In any case, thanks for the reply and best wishes to you on and off the ice.

Frank

[FrankR]

Frank, Stephen, et al,
As early as you skate Frank maybe the rink is cold. Actually if I remember correctly, I was at your rink last year for the Adult Camp and I remember the rink being cold- I had full warmups on during the last session both days. At my rink here in Virginia, the ice is hard and the management does not believe in heat or morning ice for that matter. :evil:

Hi Terri,

Yes, the rink is cold but I think I should be used to it. I rarely skate anywhere else. I also tend to wear layers when I'm on the ice. The only exception is when I'm working on my program. Then I break out into a sweat in a hurry. :P

I hope you enjoyed the camp! Are you coming back this year? I usually work the registration table on the first night so if you do come back it'll be nice to chat face to face! :D

Take care,

Frank

[jenlyon60]

I skate early in the morning (6:30AM) most of the time, and my coach and I have figured out that when things (in my case dance) start working well at the early morning sessions, then they're ready for testing...

For me at least, the way my body responds at 6:30AM with minimal awakeness and alertness is pretty dang close to how my body works for test/competition.

[FrankR]

Maybe you're too tired (I especially think this as you say you feel great during the first 30 secs of your program and then it goes downhill, that's a sign of lack of stamina/endurance) maybe you're not stretched properly. Maybe you have the wrong hollow sharpened into your blades and need something deeper/shallower (do you know what size hollow you get?) Maybe you're not paying enough attention. I would say try and stretch properly everyday before your first session, make sure you are warm, make sure your blades are properly sharpened for your needs, and do some running on a treadmill or other cardio work to increase your endurance. I don't see what else could be going wrong, although I'm sure I've overlooked something.

Hi fadedstardust,

These are all very probable. I find I get better on Saturdays when I'm on the ice a little later in the morning and skate for an hour and a half instead of forty-five minutes as I skate during the week. Regarding my blades, both of my coaches have been suggesting I move to a new blade. Right now I'm on an Ultima Protege and they're suggesting Pattern 99s. As for stretching, I always try my best to really make sure I'm fully awake and stretched before taking the ice. I stretch for twenty minutes before I even set foot on the ice. The endurance training is a good suggestion. I do work out at home but I tend to focus on strength and flexibility more than stamina.

Thanks for all the great advice! :)

Frank