Mel On Ice
05-12-2005, 07:58 PM
Well, I've been on a emotional rollercoaster with skating since
Adult Nationals. I had a blast and loved meeting everyone, but I
still get embarrassed from time to time that I am so proud of a last
place finish, and have gotten very frustrated as of late on my lack
of progress in getting the flip and lutz.
I got pretty whiny about flip progress last night and thought I
would never land the flip again, ever.
Well, I didn't land a flip this evening... I landed about 25!
The breakthrough came last night while I was getting whiny. I took
particular interest in my ice tracings going into the flip. I would
turn the LO3, then my left foot would rock to an outside edge, which
left me with a gracefully arching tracing, but I was basically
trying a lutz from a flip takeoff. So I corrected that.
The second breakthrough was the landing leg, which always seems to
thunk down at the last minute. I spent a lot of time on my right
side before trying to jump tonight. I was doing backspins and
loop/loop combinations. Then I tried the backward glide exercise my
old coach taught me, hopping in the air with the leg crossed and
landing in position.
So I started trying them again, and landing on two feet. Then on one
attempt, the free leg managed to stay hung in the air for a fraction
of a second longer than the last and I got the same feeling I got
with the loop, "... that was close. Hmmm..."
Then I just started landing them!
Oh, some weren't pretty, but I fought like heck to land it on one
foot. Many though, were big, beautiful with a nice runout on the
landing. I tried them from a simple 3 turn, then the toe push 3,
then a mohawk into it. WOW!
Wait... it gets better.
With the zamboni chasing me and coach Mary Sue off the ice, I asked
her if I should try a lutz for giggles. You should have seen the
look on her face when I landed it. Then I landed another. Then I ran
over to get my music and sweatshirt and landed a third.
THree lutzes! Granted, they weren't pretty, the arms were all
akimbo. BUT I LANDED THE FLIP AND THE LUTZ TODAY! OH MY GOD!!!!!!
Mel, who hurts all over and doesn't care...
Adult Nationals. I had a blast and loved meeting everyone, but I
still get embarrassed from time to time that I am so proud of a last
place finish, and have gotten very frustrated as of late on my lack
of progress in getting the flip and lutz.
I got pretty whiny about flip progress last night and thought I
would never land the flip again, ever.
Well, I didn't land a flip this evening... I landed about 25!
The breakthrough came last night while I was getting whiny. I took
particular interest in my ice tracings going into the flip. I would
turn the LO3, then my left foot would rock to an outside edge, which
left me with a gracefully arching tracing, but I was basically
trying a lutz from a flip takeoff. So I corrected that.
The second breakthrough was the landing leg, which always seems to
thunk down at the last minute. I spent a lot of time on my right
side before trying to jump tonight. I was doing backspins and
loop/loop combinations. Then I tried the backward glide exercise my
old coach taught me, hopping in the air with the leg crossed and
landing in position.
So I started trying them again, and landing on two feet. Then on one
attempt, the free leg managed to stay hung in the air for a fraction
of a second longer than the last and I got the same feeling I got
with the loop, "... that was close. Hmmm..."
Then I just started landing them!
Oh, some weren't pretty, but I fought like heck to land it on one
foot. Many though, were big, beautiful with a nice runout on the
landing. I tried them from a simple 3 turn, then the toe push 3,
then a mohawk into it. WOW!
Wait... it gets better.
With the zamboni chasing me and coach Mary Sue off the ice, I asked
her if I should try a lutz for giggles. You should have seen the
look on her face when I landed it. Then I landed another. Then I ran
over to get my music and sweatshirt and landed a third.
THree lutzes! Granted, they weren't pretty, the arms were all
akimbo. BUT I LANDED THE FLIP AND THE LUTZ TODAY! OH MY GOD!!!!!!
Mel, who hurts all over and doesn't care...