Grin or Grimace (Practice Thread 16-22 January 2006)

[Mrs Redboots]

Grin: Couples lesson today; Coach doesn't try to kill one quite so much in that as in solo lesson - mind you, with a new lift being learnt, I did rather wonder..... We didn't try it on ice, though, and I have a pulled muscle in my abs (not from on-ice work, but from off-ice toning!), so didn't want to work on our "good" lift. We did our spin, though, and some bits of choreography which were quite fun, and then we were good and turned our attention to the compulsory dances.

Grimace: And then we were good and turned our attention to the compulsory dances. I am so holding Husband back, he could pass his level 4 CDs tomorrow if he did them solo, and I couldn't, yet. But sometimes it's him-not-me; when Coach told him to relax his hold a bit in the Fiesta Tango, it was Much Improved! He doesn't find it easy to find the exact place between holding one in a death grip and not holding one hard enough, as we proved in our Swing Dance (Coach2 had been abominably - but deservedly - rude about it on Sunday!), when I was much too able to push it around....

Among other things, we really must work on our posture, we do know this, but.... Coach focusses on other things like extension and pushing and toe-point. We still haven't got to the place where we can really make our blades work for us, not against us. I don't know if we ever will.... but maybe one of these days.

Cross-cuts marginally better today, beginning to be able to get a bit of up-and-down in them; back cross-rolls on edges now, but I can't get enough flow or curve.... still not able to make my blade work for me!

[Skate@Delaware]

This is for last night's ice dance lesson:

Grimace: First, hubby had a hissy about not feeling proficient on the progressives so he sat out the lesson (hello? how can you gain skills if you don't skate??? So I agreed to skate with him on Thursday and help him out-I told him he owes me-time to buy more fabric!!!). I'm going crooked on my swing rolls-I don't think my body position is right or something-I think I'm trying to compensate.....and those darn cross-behinds are HARD!! I keep thinking that they are another way I'm going to kill myself!

Grin: Hey!!! I actually slid my foot in front and did a real progressive (both directions)!!! YAY!! Now if I can just feel like I won't dive on my toepicks....i know, bend my knees!

[phoenix]

Grin: Partner practice went great this week, we got one of our side by side footwork exercises down really good, so we're really moving & it takes the whole rink length to get one set in since we're going so fast. & just everything is getting better w/ getting comfortable skating together. Am feeling much encouraged by all that!

GRIMACE: Money is so tight this month I had to cancel my private lessons for the next 2 weeks, & frankly I'm not sure I can pick them back up even then. I'm going to do everything I can to try & get some more cash flow coming in (freelance starving designer/artist--sometimes having your own business sucks!! Anyone want to buy a painting??) I sent coach an email to let him know this & am hoping he's okay with holding my slot for me for a few weeks. I'll still keep our team lessons since that cost gets split w/ my partner, so it's not too bad. I've never had to cancel lessons before & I'm totally :cry: :cry: over it.

[Skate@Delaware]

GRIMACE: Money is so tight this month I had to cancel my private lessons for the next 2 weeks, & frankly I'm not sure I can pick them back up even then. I'm going to do everything I can to try & get some more cash flow coming in (freelance starving designer/artist--sometimes having your own business sucks!! Anyone want to buy a painting??) I sent coach an email to let him know this & am hoping he's okay with holding my slot for me for a few weeks. I'll still keep our team lessons since that cost gets split w/ my partner, so it's not too bad. I've never had to cancel lessons before & I'm totally :cry: :cry: over it.
I feel your pain! I just paid a $400+++ electric bill and I haven't seen my gas or oil bill yet:giveup: I told the family that we are going to pretend the house is the rink and everyone is to wear skating tights and sweaters to get used to the cold! Then my daughter had the nerve to show me a $1,500 prom dress! (of course, she was just showing me-she didn't want me to buy it for her-but I was upset anyways).

Can you pick up a part-time job on the side to improve your cash flow in the mean time? That might help for a pinch-maybe substitute teaching (pays very well around here and they are very much in demand).

[NoVa Sk8r]

I feel your pain! I just paid a $400+++ electric bill and I haven't seen my gas or oil bill yet:giveup: I told the family that we are going to pretend the house is the rink and everyone is to wear skating tights and sweaters to get used to the cold!Yowser! And LOL, pretending to have your own mini-rink at home. 8-)
I just had sticker shock, and I need to have my gas bill evened out over the year: It jumped from ~$9 to $128 this month. Ugh.

[Mrs Redboots]

Singles lesson today, but first plenty of drills with husband!

Grin: Because we'd learnt so much listening to the commentators at the Europeans, we tried to put some of it into practice, notably our posture and extension. Don't know how well we managed.

Lesson went reasonably well - I do wish I knew what was the matter with my left boot. Coach says he doesn't see anything wrong with it, but will take it back to the sharpener next week, when he is going.

My mohawks are improving - so I got to work on outside Mohawks, too! For now, he wants me to focus on the position, rather than the edge, but I can't see that lasting very long!

Back cross-rolls not at all bad, for me. Beginning to get some flow into them. Mind you, the ice was good today, which helped.

Grimace: Caught my toe-rake and measured my length in the Fiesta Tango, fortunately not hard. Back cross-cuts only managing 3/4 lap - which I suppose is an improvement on 3/4 length - and not flowy. Changes-of-edge okay, but insides-outsides skiddy on the left foot - and even FI swing rolls skidded very slightly as I brought my foot through. And I know I had my free leg in the right place on those....

Coach explained that the reason I have to work so hard for so little reward when pushing is that I don't have the lean that better skaters have - or the lean of the foot, for dance. I must work on that a bit, I think.

[Kevin Callahan]

Grin: Tim is ready to get me out and testing as soon is as convienent for me (which it may not be for another two or three months because I'm finishing up with my university degree and trying the maintain the 4.0 GPA I've kept for the last two semesters, plus write a senior thesis, plus get ready for grad school). He personally thought given enough time, I could have competed at Adult Nationals this year, but the deadline is today so that is out. Due to my rate of progress he believes that serious training will make ready for the championship event at Adult Nationals next year.

Grimace: Because of the holiday, although I ordered my SP Teri's many days ago, they will not arrive until tomorrow or friday, and I am impatient. And the blades? Not even shipped yet! They won't be shipped until probably friday, so I'll have to wait even longer. BOO. :x

[jazzpants]

$400+ bill?!?!? 8O 8O 8O Good LORD!!!

BTW: S@D, my home IS an ice rink. Hubby does NOT like turning on the heater for more than a few minutes to get the initial chill out... He actually likes it cold!!! I, of course, being anemic, is NOT a happy camper. You can put as many layers on me as you want and I'll STILL be complaining that I'm cold!!! :twisted:

Grimace:

My secondary coach rarely has her skates on the day of my lesson... but this morning she just came over and pointed to her skates!!! And when she DOES have her skates on, you know what that means... yup!!! Skate FAST like the grim reaper (aka secondary coach) is coming after ya'! She chased me for at least a few laps (about 4 laps.) And thankfully, she didn't have to resort to catching up with me and pulling me along!!! Oh and if that's not any better, THEN she wants to see me (still at speed) doing a mohawk into smooth and FAST back crossovers, which got better after she reminded me to look behind me. But still...EEEEEK!!! 8O

Oh, and then there's the waltz jump too!!! I'm not kicking thru... so she made me into a puppet and had me on the harness doing jump lessons. I'm trying. She knows that... but I'm not getting it yet. :( And of course, since I'm not one of her little kiddie skaters, she couldn't hold me that long on the harness so when I had to fall, I did fall... (Thankfully this time, the falls are like...nothing!!!)

Grin:
I survived the grim reaper today!?!?! (But who knows for next week...) 8O

[phoenix]

Grin: Good partner lesson today! At least I still am keeping those for the next 2 weeks, though it's completely different work than in my solo lessons. Our last 2 weeks of separate practice have really paid off, & we only had to repeat one exercise; the rest we just ran through & went on to the next thing. We also at the very end finally got a weird little step in the Starlight corrected, so now I can actually step onto the correct edge I need to! Turns out it was both of us that needed to adjust our shoulders to make it work.

Grimace: As we were getting a drink, my partner asked if this (Starlight) was one of my test dances & I said yes. He & coach both chuckled....then coach said "don't look at me!" Like he's thinking to have my partner take me through the test? I think not! I need all the help I can get to look as good as possible for tests, & as much as I'm enjoying skating w/ my partner, my coach is a much better 'visual' match with me (I'm a little taller than my partner, coach is taller than me), not to mention rock solid & able to help if I make a mistake. I hope he wasn't serious. Not like we have a test date on the horizon, so not time to panic yet, but I think I'd better clarify that with him at some point.

Grimace x 2: I'm so sad about missing my lessons these next 2 weeks! I always stay after our team lesson to work on my own stuff for awhile & today my heart was just not in it. I need to look at this break as a chance to work my butt off & have some real progress to show when I do come back, so I need to get over just being sad out there & skating listlessly around. :cry:

[NickiT]

Grin
Arrived for my hour's patch and had the rink to myself. This has been happening a lot lately. It sure makes you work hard when you have no distractions. I spent the half hour before my lesson running through all my forward and backward double three turn exercises and felt a huge improvement on last week's effort. I ran through all my jumps to lutz-loop and landed them all with no problems, and I did some decent spins - upright, cross-toe, sit, camel and camel-sit. I even did a much improved change-foot camel.

Lesson went well. We spent the whole time running through all six of my bronze field moves exercises and they were a lot better than last week.

Grimace
Struggled with the serpentine step sequence exercise. Although I'm improving on my back inside threes, I find the one in this exercise somewhat awkward and tend to scrape it.

Nicki

[Mrs Redboots]

Grin
Arrived for my hour's patch and had the rink to myself. This has been happening a lot lately. It sure makes you work hard when you have no distractions. I hate being the only skater on the ice! One other skater, even if I don't even know them, fine.... but just me? No.

Mind you, this morning I waited to get on until another young woman was ready - the ice was covered with middle-aged men, including Husband, who pointed this out to me, and no women at all!

[Skate@Delaware]

$400+ bill?!?!? 8O 8O 8O Good LORD!!!

BTW: S@D, my home IS an ice rink. Hubby does NOT like turning on the heater for more than a few minutes to get the initial chill out... He actually likes it cold!!! I, of course, being anemic, is NOT a happy camper. You can put as many layers on me as you want and I'll STILL be complaining that I'm cold!!! :twisted:

Oh, and then there's the waltz jump too!!! I'm not kicking thru... so she made me into a puppet and had me on the harness doing jump lessons. I'm trying.
Hubby freaked out about that-we try to keep the house slightly warm but now we are down to 60-65....less at night. Hubby could sleep with windows open in the winter-he likes it cold! Must be a guy thing! I was anemic-had a folic acid deficiency (weird, huh?)

I don't kick thru on my waltz-I knee it (way I was taught)....don't know if I could kick thru now, being somewhat set in my ways:roll:

[coskater64]

Grimace: New boots 2 weeks before competition and added another event so someone could have some competition. Have to do the Sr. sustained edge step and inside counters.

Grin: Axel is back, spread eagle is back and spins are back but not as fast. Coach saw sustained edge and said is was good, not passing level but good. Got double toe in combo w/ flip and lutz back. Double sow is moving along and did first double loops attempts with out death. :D

[Debbie S]

Coach saw sustained edge and said is was good, not passing level but good. Hey coskater, I'm doing the same thing - competing a move that I'm not working on - and wasn't even on my radar screen when I got the NYI announcement. My goal for the 8-step is to get through w/o falling - lol. I'm really doing the MIF event as practice for testing, so it doesn't matter to me where I place, although it would be nice not to finish last (but hey, someone's got to do it, right?). :)

[NickiT]

I hate being the only skater on the ice! One other skater, even if I don't even know them, fine.... but just me? No.


To be honest I do like to have at least one other person there, purely because if I splat nobody would probably notice and I'd be left in a heap on the ice for ages! I'm getting more used to skating alone though, it's been happening a lot lately. It sure makes you work hard mind. No distractions when there's nobody else there!

Nicki

[coskater64]

Well, like you I'd like to not finish last but what's more important is that it actually looks like the move. You'll do fine on the 8 step-- I pick what elements are important to me, like on the sustained I want to have nice extension and keep good flow and edge quality.

On the 8 step try to keep an even cadence and quick, crisp steps, you may have to sacrifice speed and circle size but pick what you want to get out of the move since you are doing it for fun. :D

[Skate@Delaware]

Grin: Got the application for the competition next month-now I'm 90% committed (someone commit me for doing this!!!). It's an ISI and I'm entering as Artistic 1.

We worked on Moves....stroking was better but pointing that left toe is still hard (and she wants more push). Waltz-8's are better (it's still a work in progress, though). Crossovers are also a work in progress and this time I'm to sit lower and do them inside the hockey circle and really ride the edges. We also worked on 3-turns on the circle (3-turns are an issue with me) and a really, really strong check.

Waltz jump got an ok. Coach liked it during the exhibition (as well as my spiral which was a surprise for her to see as it was very high). I did say that I would like to get a higher, better waltz jump, but later on.

Grimace: Loop. Worked on that for a bit...it started good, but when asked to bring my left leg up and leave it up on the landing, everything fell apart. Sit spin. Did 2 crappy ones and my laces were very loose! Yikes!

Just for fun, I wore my new boots while watching a movie today (don't worry, I didn't walk or stand in them). Just waiting on my blades! It will be nice to have boots that really fit well! Then, it's off to a good place to have the blades mounted (won't happen at my rink, that's for sure!)

[nerd_on_ice]

Grin: Got the application for the competition next month-now I'm 90% committed (someone commit me for doing this!!!). It's an ISI and I'm entering as Artistic 1.

Hey, Skate@Delaware, I am competing Freestyle 1 at an ISI comp. next month.

...Not sure if I'm mentioning this in order to encourage/prod you or just to say that I should be committed along with you! :lol:

[mikawendy]

To be honest I do like to have at least one other person there, purely because if I splat nobody would probably notice and I'd be left in a heap on the ice for ages! I'm getting more used to skating alone though, it's been happening a lot lately. It sure makes you work hard mind. No distractions when there's nobody else there!

Nicki

I like being alone on the ice in terms of not having to dodge traffic, but I find I push myself harder to skate fast when I'm on the ice with people of similar level or higher, especially people who have good speed. Somehow I can feed off their energy, plus I'm trying to keep moving so as not to get in their way, since they move faster than me....

[aussieskater]

Grin: Hey!!! I actually slid my foot in front and did a real progressive (both directions)!!! YAY!! Now if I can just feel like I won't dive on my toepicks....i know, bend my knees!

I must be the odd one out - I found the "pick-up-the-free-foot-and place it over" fwd cross-overs so hard to get, but got the timing and technique of progressives with no trouble. Now that's all I do - to save the life of my aged grandmother, I couldn't do the other sort now at any speed greater than that of my pet arthritic snail...

[Mrs Redboots]

Grin: I hadn't actually intended to skate much this morning; we don't normally skate on a Thursday morning, but the Husband had booked an extra lesson to do some choreography while the ice was quiet. So we were in for 07:40, for an 08:00 lesson (got at least the first 30 seconds of his programme organised; I was surprised he remembered my tentative suggestion for a beginning, which they have more or less implemented). I was really propping up the barrier and making notes - Husband learns best if it's written down for him, so he has gone off with half a page of notes!

Anyway, by the time he'd gone to work and I'd chatted with a friend who'd come in, it was only 08:30 and I really didn't fancy driving home in the rush hour, so though I'd skate for an hour, doing some aerobic-type stroking, and just keeping going. Well, that didn't happen, as I ended up chatting in the pros' room for a bit, but I did do quite a lot of stroking exercises!

Then a couple of celebrities and pros came in to rehearse for Dancing on Ice. And of course, when they are on the ice, they're just skaters, like the rest of us. So I ended up staying right to the end of the patch - which I never do - watching them, chatting a bit, and skating.

Back cross-cuts seem to be beginning to happen (there, now I won't be able to do them tomorrow!), still can't get a whole length, but managed 2/3, with a bit of flow. And got some flow on my back cross-rolls, too. AND some not-bad back inside edges.... Changes-of-edge not what they should be. Walked myself through the Fiesta Tango and began to get the end pattern a little better.... More kneebend, more kneebend!

Grimace: Tried to do my left boot up tighter to see if coach was right that this was the problem with it, and all that happened was that I practically cut the circulation off in my foot! Had to loosen it a bit, and somehow it was all right after that, at least, perhaps because I was working on outside edges not inside!

Tried to do that exercise where you do 4 cross-rolls then hold the 5th round in a circle. Could do it forward, just, but backwards? You guess.... Still, it was better than last time I tried.

My shins ache! Too much kneebend (but I'm quite pleased, all the same!).

[Skate@Delaware]

Then a couple of celebrities and pros came in to rehearse for Dancing on Ice. And of course, when they are on the ice, they're just skaters, like the rest of us. So I ended up staying right to the end of the patch - which I never do - watching them, chatting a bit, and skating.

I found where someone posted it online-so I downloaded it and watched it at home (hubby and I). We found it very entertaining!!! We didn't like the one judge (the one in the middle with the dance background-don't know his name). Thought everyone did a great job for such a short amount of time learning! I think it actually motivated hubby-hence the lesson today!

[Mrs Redboots]

The trouble is, when you get a shedload of people you only really know off the television suddenly coming in (and I include people like Torvill & Dean), to quote Coach2: "Everybody looks like somebody, even when they aren't!"

I am SOOOOOOOOOO cross - utterly bloody Eurosport hasn't shown Pip & Phil's Original Dance - I hope to goodness they'll show it when they do deign to show the top group a little later, but I'm not holding my breath. And just looking at the results (http://www.isufs.org/results/ec2006/SEG008.HTM) isn't the same thing at all! Plus I want to see the Kerr's OD, too. Who the heck thought biathlon was more interesting than ODs? It's like watching paint dry! So I'm listening to Kirsty McColl and swearing.

[mtj4500]

I am SOOOOOOOOOO cross - utterly bloody Eurosport hasn't shown Pip & Phil's Original Dance - I hope to goodness they'll show it when they do deign to show the top group a little later, but I'm not holding my breath. And just looking at the results (http://www.isufs.org/results/ec2006/SEG008.HTM) isn't the same thing at all! Plus I want to see the Kerr's OD, too. Who the heck thought biathlon was more interesting than ODs? It's like watching paint dry! So I'm listening to Kirsty McColl and swearing.

Hi Annabel,

I know it's not quite the same but there are already some photo's of todays ODs posted here: Thursday (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c1%7c0%7c2 8%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c56604785%7c0%7c0%7 c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=7&tag=76), including P&P. The rest can be seen here: Wednesday (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c1%7c0%7c2 8%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c56600023%7c0%7c0%7 c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=7&tag=79) and here: Tuesday (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c1%7c0%7c1 00%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c56599993%7c0%7c0% 7c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=7&tag=80).

Mike (who doesn't have Eurosport and will have to make do with whatever the BBC might provide ...)

[Mrs Redboots]

Hi Annabel,

I know it's not quite the same but there are already some photo's of todays ODs posted here: Thursday (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c1%7c0%7c2 8%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c56604785%7c0%7c0%7 c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=7&tag=76), including P&P. The rest can be seen here: Wednesday (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c1%7c0%7c2 8%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c56600023%7c0%7c0%7 c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=7&tag=79) and here: Tuesday (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c1%7c0%7c1 00%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c56599993%7c0%7c0% 7c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=7&tag=80).

Mike (who doesn't have Eurosport and will have to make do with whatever the BBC might provide ...)Thanks, Mike. Looks as though they will show highlights on Sunday, at 12:45 - but not, alas, interactively as on Saturday. I just hope Eurosport shows their FD tomorrow, but I'm not going to hold my breath!

[sunshinepointe]

Grimace
I feel totally lost working on pre-pre moves without my coach yelling at me to fix stuff. I'm trying to be ultra mindful of what she had told me, but I can't tell if I was actually making the changes effective or not.

I've totally lost any waltz jump I've ever had. My loop was kind of crappy today too. I really need to start back the off ice jumping thing I was doing before along with strength and flexibility training again.

Grin
A girl working on her double axel told me that most of my jumps have enough height for doubles. Ooooookay, if she says so. She also said that I was "good for an older lady" 8O :evil: :roll: ;)

My flips were pretty good today. My scratch spins were good too, including forward scratch to back scratch. My skating buddy told me that they were nice, fast, centered and looked like nice spins. Sheesh, finally. She thinks that even after just ONE lesson with my new coach that my posture has improved and my lines are much, much better.

I did a couple of good CENTERED sit spins, albeit they weren't totally sitting - again this is a strength issue. My camels weren't too bad either today - I'm really working on keeping the free leg straight, or straighter at least. I'm also trying to straighten my skating knee gradually, but - strength!

Overall it was a good day, and I'm feeling very encouraged that my friend can see an improvement just after one lesson. I guess I'm the type of person that needs a coach breathing down their necks at all times. I have no problem with that if it means I'll skate better :twisted:

[Skate@Delaware]

Grin: What happens when you put a husband and wife on the ice and the woman gets to tell the husband what to to for 1.5 hours?? 2 very tired people-too tired to even bi*ch at each other! :P (and I only got about 4 hours of shut-eye last night-I'm zonked!!!)

Actually, it was a very good session and we covered a lot (almost everything on my list). By the end, he was feeling "overwhelmed" and tired. I told him I usually do a bit more-like jumps and spins too.

I showed him a good way to warm up, stretch (he is not flexible at all), and stroke (he has issues with this-still does baby-toe pushes and doesn't glide far). Then we worked on chasses, swing rolls and progressives. Then cross-overs, edges, and spins. We ended the session with 3-turns on the circle and we worked on strongly checking the arms (something I have problems with). Because he was overwhelmed, I skipped the mohawks and back edges.....but there's always next time!

Then we had 30 minutes to goof off so out came the video camera and I did a few jumps (yes, I worked on my loop) and we did some stupid things together.....but I don't want to do any on-ice lifts with him yet as I don't feel he is ready.

Grimace: There were a few times he tried to sneak off to the wall and corner, so I had to call him back-to the middle!!! I would not let him off the hook and we worked mostly in the middle. He was uncomfortable with that. And, of course, when you work with someone else, you don't get to work as much on your own stuff, but I can catch up. I have to work with him for a few more sessions, but today's was the most intense (for him!), and tomorrow we will hit each element for 10 minutes only.

He was in the habit of spending an hour working on one thing (like mohawks) and getting frustrated. Then he would neglect the rest and fall behind. I'm making a schedule for him and a checklist for him to follow (he is very methodical).
Big Grin: Found out my private coach is subbing for my group lesson coach tomorrow night!!! My group coach asked me to help out as far as names and such goes for class and mentioned that I was the best skater in the class (I'm sure my private coach is wondering what she is getting in to!)

[crayonskater]

I went skating today for the first time in over two months. For half an hour. I did the one pre-juvenile pattern I know, some crossovers and a couple really retarded two-foot spins.

Tomorrow I'm doing a toe loop.

[Skate@Delaware]

I went skating today for the first time in over two months. For half an hour. I did the one pre-juvenile pattern I know, some crossovers and a couple really retarded two-foot spins.

Tomorrow I'm doing a toe loop.
I do good two-foot spins and really, really retarded toe-loops!!!:oops: (I shouldn't even do them in public, because when I do I get comments like, "what was that?")

[tidesong]

Grin:
Coach managed to get me to land a double salchow and a fairly good one too I felt the lift going up, but it was apparently about 1/8 short, still a much better effort than usual. Unfortunately I didnt get any good ones after that :(

A simply amazing flying camel came from nowhere, coach asked me to try and arch my back more, I did, and it appeared. Second time round it didnt work as well anymore. I shall have to keep practising at it, it is awfully tiring though. (doing one with an arched back) but I suppose it looks much better than a floppy one, and its easier to maintain the tension that way.

I did a huge axel- loop on my own later, I worry that my take off is too skiddy, but I am glad that I can even do it at a fast speed, I seem to be losing the ability to jump consistently when entering with speed, my timings get all messed up.

Grimace:
I managed to re-kill my wrist even though I wrapped it in wrist support... grrr I shall have to be more continually careful about trying jumps.. I have to stop falling on this wrist!!

[jazzpants]

Grin:
Another try at the camel-sit and it's getting there... The camel's position is kinda wimpy but the last try I had with a camel was smooth enough that primary coach yells "SIT! SIT!!!"... and well, I peetered out after about 1 rev but he was just thrilled about me getting the camel and getting closer to a camel-sit position.

Grimace:
The Bronze Moves!!! You know the crowd is bad when primary coach looks around and says "Don't these kids go to school?" (Hubby's response to that is "not if they're on winter break from college!")

The worse one was when I had to do one of the moves and there was a HUGE crowd of college kids hovering around my path at the beginning that I had to "go around" but STILL stick to the pattern!!! I hit one of my imaginery walls (am supposed to go around, not skate over, the hockey circles) trying to dodge these skaters and the college kids are freaked out that I was going to run over them. Primary coach noticed I "hit" my imagery wall and yells out "Oh, you hit the wall again, you crazy Chinese lady driver!!!" Freaked out college student went into major fits of laughter at that comment!!! (I almost ran over this mystery guy crossing the street six months ago with my car. Guess who the mystery guy was... :roll: ) Should have ran over him when I had the chance... :twisted: :P :lol:

We will probably go over my program at Sectionals...soon!!! :twisted: (Me? I want to retire from doing this program already, along with my Pre-Bronze status!!! :evil: )

[batikat]

Well original coach left before Christmas and new coach (after 2 lessons) is away coaching in America for a few weeks so today I had a lesson with yet another coach. It's scary doing moves and jumps for a new coach. Somehow I felt I wanted to impress the new coach to do justice to the old coach and then because of trying too hard, it's hard to skate well.

Anyway I was impressed with this coach and she immediately picked up one of my problems in that I do tend to go into the jumps a bit wild. (and when I mentioned this to skating friends after, they all agreed it was true! - Humphhhh!) I have begun to notice that as I am starting to get braver and going in with more speed I am finding it much harder to control the landings and she correctly identified it as a take-off problem. So now I have to concentrate on a slight pause/check/relax before launching into the jumps and this should hopefully also enable me to get more height by channelling the energy the correct way. Anyway it all made sense but it's not so easy to put it into practice.

Grin: improvements to 3 jump (check, push, jump) and salchow (concentrating on more of a flat BI edge with a hook instead of a fairly evenly rounded BI edge)

Grimace: only managed one really good loop and flip has gone AWOL again

Now the problem is that I'd like to continue to have lessons from this coach but I also liked the lessons with the coach who is currently away and I'm not sure if that's going to be possible to have both.

[aussieskater]

I found where someone posted it online-so I downloaded it and watched it at home (hubby and I). We found it very entertaining!!! We didn't like the one judge (the one in the middle with the dance background-don't know his name). Thought everyone did a great job for such a short amount of time learning! I think it actually motivated hubby-hence the lesson today!

S&D, I downloaded it too, but couldn't find out who got sent home at the end of episode 1 - do you happen to know?? (And I really hope that the person who uploaded it for us will continue to do so - we never get anything like that downunder!)

I have to say that I was plain envious of the celebrities' level of achievement in such a short time - while I know that a lot of what they were doing was two-foot skating with very few if any turns, the men still had to lift their partner/trainers...and I thought the trainers were pretty brave (read: foolhardy) for training themselves or the celebrities without appropriate padding/crash hats on - at least at the beginning of learning to lift/be lifted...

[aussieskater]

A girl ........said that I was "good for an older lady"
If you ae an "older lady", what does that make me??? I must be positively geriatric - I'll book my nursing home bed forthwith. As for some of our other regular posters, I guess the funeral parlour will offer bulk discounts...

[Sk8pdx]

Grimace
Geez, change foot spins are hard to master! I just don't get it. What I can do that remotely resembles a change foot spin (specifically the back spin part) really stinks.

Grins
Coach was delighted to see my Ina Bauer :D . I Also learned a falling leaf jump. (taking baby steps up to a loop jump). I am having fun practicing that one! I feel like I am really progressing in skating. I am gaining confidence in my Pre-Bronze MIF where I am feeling confident even with the new 3 turn pattern. and Waltz 8. My goal is to test in April. -- and pass!

[Mrs Redboots]

Now the problem is that I'd like to continue to have lessons from this coach but I also liked the lessons with the coach who is currently away and I'm not sure if that's going to be possible to have both.If they work well together, you might find you can have the best of both worlds - if not, that might be a problem. Difficult when you don't know either of them that well.

As for us, we went to Saturday patch this week as we were both tired yesterday and didn't feel like skating. Saturday patch is always heaving, and even though our elite skaters are still in Lyon, today was no exception.

However, we both managed to do things we wanted to.

Grin: We did some work together, and our chassés have never been faster! I was so pleased, because they were the best we've ever done, but neither of us has any idea what we were doing differently! Swing rolls okay, too, perhaps not just quite as fast. We goodly did a Dutch waltz when someone put a waltz on, and were delighted with our ice coverage in it - I don't think it was just because the ice was fast..... we are skating faster now. Then we needed to play, so we did the British Waltz instead (much more fun than the boring old Dutch!) and again, it was pretty good, and nice and fast. I expect my free leg was all over the place, though, and I know I didn't push properly on the step to forward, but still.....

Also had a play with possible music for an Interp, which was great fun. Obviously have no skating in there yet - I was just doing 3-turns up and down the rink and acting - but it might well work. Will have a go on quieter ice, and if it works, I'll put it on a CD and play with it in my lesson on Wednesday.

Grimace: Husband fell on a loop jump attempt and banged his funny-bone, which made him feel a bit faint and I didn't have any Rescue Remedy with me. He says he has strained his wrist slightly, but he's making such a fuss that I know it isn't serious. ;) He might wear a wrist brace for his next lesson if it's still stiff.

We worked on our lifts, but I really didn't feel secure and then realised it was because I was wearing sweatpants. I think I'll have to wear a skirt and tights, as it will make it easier for both of us. Isn't it good I can now drive down so I won't have to change rinkside - but I hate wearing tights when it's so cold!

We got some good work done on the Swing Dance, but my Mohawk is still off-pattern. We'll get it there in the end, I hope. We didn't do any work on the Fiesta Tango, but did do a Rhythm Blues when that music was played ("Want to do a real Blues?" asked the Husband, but no way with so many good skaters around. Playing with it at Dance Club is another thing....), and my inside edges are still skiddy. Coach is going to his sharpener on Wednesday, so he might take my boots to have them redone; they don't feel as though need it, but that skid is worrying all of us. Coach said it was because my boots were laced too loose, but even when I tightened them up so much I nearly cut all the circulation off in my feet, they still skidded a bit. :x

[NickiT]

I've had a good week all week this past week. I've skated on empty or near empty patches so I was able to really focus on what I was doing.

Grin
A big breakthrough on my Bronze field moves this week. I just started doing them again after several months off and had lost all confidence but thanks to our top skater who is now a coach giving me some pointers during a group class on Monday I realised what I was doing wrong. Now I have reasonably decent flowing forward outside and inside double threes, and backward outside double threes. The backward inside doubles are better on my scarier side in that I don't skid the turn and so they are coming too. I can feel a real improvement in my brackets, but still have a lot of work on the serpentine step sequence and the choctaw exercise.

Also I've found my camel and camel-sit much improved this week. They've been so much more consistant and good ones too with several rotations. Jumps went well. I felt confident all week so this really helps.

Grimace
Still lacking confidence on my serpentine step sequence. I find the back inside three turn difficult on that exercise. I'm also picking apart my lutz. Although I land it with a nice running edge and take off the correct edge, my picking toe slips a bit as I launch into the jump so I have to work on.

Nicki

[Skate@Delaware]

S&D, I downloaded it too, but couldn't find out who got sent home at the end of episode 1 - do you happen to know?? (And I really hope that the person who uploaded it for us will continue to do so - we never get anything like that downunder!)

I have to say that I was plain envious of the celebrities' level of achievement in such a short time - while I know that a lot of what they were doing was two-foot skating with very few if any turns, the men still had to lift their partner/trainers...and I thought the trainers were pretty brave (read: foolhardy) for training themselves or the celebrities without appropriate padding/crash hats on - at least at the beginning of learning to lift/be lifted...

My version didn't have it on there so I don't know!:cry:
Annabel or Tashakat-who was sent packing???

This is for last night's group lesson:
Grin: Our subtitute teacher was my private coach. It was fun and different-more like a grab bag of skills. She asked everyone what they wanted to work on (I was the only one that said jumps, hubby said back edges). She went down the line hitting everyone's items (spirals was the other) and giving tidbits.

Grimace: Although it was almost 50 degrees outside, it was 38 degrees inside???? Go figure! I'm glad I didn't wear my dress (sudden change of mind). Maybe on Sunday morning, since I'm only there for an hour. Anyway, I still want to "fix" or work on my waltz jump. I've gotten lazy on it and need to: get a bit more speed, bend more on take-off and landing, not hunch over on landing.

PS-I finally got my dresses in, although they are too late for the exhibition AND my daughters dress does not look like the picture (stripes are horizontal instead of diagonal) plus it is too big around her although the girth is fine (it's going back). Mine is fine. Now that I have it I can "study" it and all. I don't see where it is any different than the ones I make except for the price---$100 vs $35 is the price I charge for show costumes, but for skating costumes I know the sky is the limit. For those of you that went up to the Halloween Classic and saw the ones next to Flo's stand-they weren't cheap (they were very well made, with silk chiffon, hand beading, etc though).

[TwirlGirl10]

Grin: Well, not to much really:frus: :frus:
Grimace: Ok I had about the worst practice I have ever had. I fell on almost every jump in my program, flip lutz axel double toe double sow. (F.Y.I im working on my double flip!!) It took me about 3 times just to get through my progam:cry: :cry: I wanted to cry!! I couldn't spin either! It was horrible. I think some of my problem is that I hate my music so I hate doing my program. But im getting new music soon, unfortunatly I have to compete one more time mith my old music in March. I think its way to late to get a whole new program before then, am I right?? Oh well, maybe it was just a really bad day:??

[Mrs Redboots]

My version didn't have it on there so I don't know!:cry:
Annabel or Tashakat-who was sent packing???Tamara Beckwith, thankfully - what did she think she looked like? Can't wait for tonight's episode, which is due to start in just over an hour.

[Debbie S]

Grin: A skating friend of mine told me that my skating is much improved (she doesn't see me skate that often). That was nice - hopefully, the judges for my Bronze MIF test will think the same thing - I feel like I'm in perimeter stroking purgatory - lol!

I practiced my program choreo with all of the elements together. Didn't get a chance to put the music on (it was not a good day for sit spins and salchows - see below) but I was able to at least see how the program covers the ice. I'm going to work on bringing my footwork sequence closer to the side instead of straight down the middle, which means that I need more speed going into my FO spiral to hold it longer and cover more ice.

I also got to run through the moves patterns and concluded that I'm nuts for trying to compete with the 8-step - oh well. :giveup:


Grimace: I got knocked down by a coach who was so busy watching his student he didn't bother to notice he was skating into someone else's path. He skated up to where I was (coming from behind) and slammed right into me, and I went flying and landed on my left knee (my chin hit the ice too but only lightly, thank goodness). This is the 3rd time the guy has either hit or nearly hit me b/c of not watching where he was going, and I don't even skate there that often. I was doing the power 3 pattern and looking in the direction of my back crossover (isn't that what you're supposed to do?). He skated toward me from the other side - the only way I would have seen him is if I'd had eyes in the back of my head. Whatever happened to looking out for lower level skaters? :roll:

And b/c of my fall, I missed about 15 minutes of the session to ice my knee. For the rest of that session and the next one, I was a bit limited in what I could do with my left leg (sit spins will have to wait for another day). :evil:

[e-skater]

Grin: A skating friend of mine told me that my skating is much improved (she doesn't see me skate that often).

I also got to run through the moves patterns and concluded that I'm nuts for trying to compete with the 8-step - oh well. :giveup:

Grimace: I got knocked down by a coach who was so busy watching his student he didn't bother to notice he was skating into someone else's path.
And b/c of my fall, I missed about 15 minutes of the session to ice my knee. For the rest of that session and the next one, I was a bit limited in what I could do with my left leg (sit spins will have to wait for another day). :evil:

First, congrats on someone noticing improvement in your skating! It's so nice to receive a compliment, which is intended as such (and some "compliments" are not....). It can really encourage you.

I give you LOADS of credit :bow: for competing the 8-step. I'm trying to teach myself that until serious AS MIF work begins. I can barely do it. Hats off to you, Debbie! :)

As for the coach who knocked you down. Sheesh, how totally not a good example for any student, and unprofessional! So sorry about your knee. Those falls hurt like hell, and I can't think of one single time I've hit my knee that it was good. :x

[sk8pics]

Oh, Debbie, sorry to hear about your collision! Did he at least say he was sorry? The only people who have actually run into me have been coaches! Too many are in their own little world, I think, and assume they have the right of way since they're coaching. Anyway, I hope you won't be sore!

Pat

[mikawendy]

Grin--
Got some good work done on elements of my FS program, moves, and the compulsory moves I'm getting ready.

Grimace--
--My waltz 8 stinks! The pattern is all wonky.
--I did a click of death while practicing power 3s, fell right on my hip. The more alarming part was that I knew a coach and a student were behind me but not anywhere in the way of my intended skating path. When I clicked and fell and slid I was really worried I was sliding toward them. Luckily I wasn't.
--Ice was sooo crowded. I think I'll have to stop going to the "low FS" soon--there are tons of little kids. Some of them did group lessons with me and we all know each others moves well enough to stay out of each other's way. But others are just all over the place and not paying attention!

[Mrs Redboots]

Grimace: Woke up to find no hot water (the boiler is back on now, thankfully), so had to have a most unsatisfactory sponge-bath with the aid of the kettle instead. Of course, there was a frost. And I decided to wear a skirt and tights, for once, as I reckoned my sweatpants weren't really helping our attempts at learning a new lift. So I put my little bag on top of my clothes to remind me to put my bunion-pad on under my tights - only to find, when I opened it, that it wasn't there. Obviously I'd dropped it at the rink yesterday.

So I was rather dreading skating in case my foot hurt, but luckily, when we got to the rink, the brooms had been locked into a cupboard somewhere so the place hadn't been swept - and I suddenly spotted my pad, trodden into the floor. It was, of course, filthy, but nothing a good wash (which it promptly got) wouldn't cure - and it has been trodden on and will probably tear very soon, but at least my feet didn't hurt, until I got so cold I could no longer feel my toes!

I don't think our music is going to do - I was beginning to have doubts about it, and although I still like it, I think I shall cut another couple of songs and see if they would be better. Part of the problem is that the chorus isn't quite long enough for a step sequence - right now, it's not even long enough for a straight-line step sequence, never mind a diagonal, and as we were asked to do a straight-line last year, it will probably be a diagonal this year. I don't think they'll ask us low-level types to do a circular, but you never know....

Grin: We did a fantastic British waltz - we were warming up together when someone put the waltz music on, so we just did one length of chassés in waltz hold and then went straight into the British waltz without stopping, and because we were going fairly fast, we actually got it to the sort of pattern that would be expected on a test. Except then the Husband over-rotated a 3-turn "because you have to just there, to go round the corner". I pointed out that he was nowhere near the corner, and the way he'd turned, we'd have been going right up the centre of the rink! Duh!

In his lesson, they choreographed a few more steps, as far as his step sequence, which is far less demanding than the dance one, only being half the length of the rink. He and his coach are busy working out what to put in there, including a bracket-3 which, he says, will have to go at the end when he is slowing down!

We worked on our step sequence, which is really coming along nicely, or would if only it covered the ice and fitted to the music! And we played with some other steps and changes-of-hold, which may or may not go in somewhere. I do wish they would hurry up and publish the requirements!