Gold medal or Lead feet 20th-26th [Archive]

Hannahclear

02-20-2006, 02:34 PM

Gold medal:

Skipped skating yesterday because I only had one chance to visit with a friend, but I had a great workout today. I even stayed for the next session because I am on vacation.

Had my moves lesson today. Went pretty well. I'm getting to the point where I'm really ready to test Bronze Moves. However, I'm still leaning toward waiting another few months. I do have to account for nerves and the lowering that will do to my elements. I have plenty of time to qualify for 07 Adult Nats, because I'm not worried about Bronze FS. My competitive program is harder already. In particular, my 5 step mohawks were better today. Getting smoother. And the Power 3s are coming along, though they are still the weakest elements. I have to watch my axis. 8O I have a big tendency to step just a teensy bit before I cross the axis.

The next session, I had a light freestyle workout. Jumps felt good today, no issues with any in particular. Warmed up axel attempts, but didn't do that many because I was coachless. On a good attempt, I get about once around and land on two feet. Can't get that one foot landing yet, unless I don't rotate more than 1/2 rev.

I've changed my program to include a FO spiral into a right mohawk, right BO 3 turn, into a loop, step directly into sit/back sit. I did this sequence twice today and I'm thrilled at how it's coming along. I tend to muscle into my sit spin too much and lose control. Starting the spin from a jump landing really helps me control the turn much better.

Lead feet:

~Back camels were slow today, not getting that many revs.

~My new footwork sequence is very much a work in progress, though it's better than the utter nonsense I had in there for the first competition. I get nervous when I do footwork.

~Didn't actually do a runthrough today, which leaves me with skater's guilt :P

kiwibabe

02-20-2006, 04:32 PM

Lead feet:

Had kiwiskate test night last night, I knew I was going to fail the test, I didn't want to do it because I knew I was going to fail, my coach made me do it anyway. Yep you guessed it, she made me take the test in front of everyone else, I failed the test, felt like #$$#@$%@%^#@% and then she says maybe I'll get it next time.

Then I find out that some other people in my test passed with moves similar to what I did, but her excuse was that they were old and couldn't do it much better so she passed them but I wasn't old so she expected me to do better.

Then hubby (who passed the test easily and also got most improved skater in the club for 2005 last weekend) tried to "help" me pass for next time telling me it was easy and do it like "this". He said it doesn't matter if i'm not as good as him cause he'll look after me when doing ice dance. So I'm still grumpy about it this morning, don't know who to be more grumpy with my coach or my husband. I dont really want to go to ice dance lesson tonight as I'll have to put up with both my coach and my husband at the same time.

Sorry to rant or else I will explode.:x

Skate@Delaware

02-20-2006, 08:42 PM

Then I find out that some other people in my test passed with moves similar to what I did, but her excuse was that they were old and couldn't do it much better so she passed them but I wasn't old so she expected me to do better.

That sucks and shouldn't be an excuse for them to not pass you (or not fail them)!!!

Gold Medal: Ice dance tonight-cha cha is finally coming together-meaning I know all the steps, just not all in the right order! Taught hubby how to push off from his blade properly in order to utilize the whole blade and get more power into his swing roll (I'm always faster than him-now he knows my "secret")

Lead Feet: again, the steps to the cha cha :roll: Whatever. AND we did the dutch waltz in hand-hold 8O can u say crack the whip??? That's what it felt like at times! I tried to slow down for him, but every time I did, he slowed down even more! So I started going faster :twisted: and he did manage to keep up for the most part. Yeah, I'm evil.

Mrs Redboots

02-21-2006, 05:03 AM

Gold Medal: I actually did a length of back cross-rolls this morning and gained speed on them. And my backspin actually did 1 revolution twice (out of about 4 tries)!

We are beginning to get the choreography sorted out for our free dance, but at the moment it's in the s***e stage. It will improve, but right now... just don't go there! Still, it's coming-along-nicely now. As, indeed, are our respective solo programmes - his free skating and my Interp. Sudden panic that only 3 months to Mountain Cup and 4 to Bracknell!

Lead Feet: Worked a bit on the (Canadian) Cha-cha this morning, and I don't know what happened, but suddenly my feet weren't where they were supposed to be and I sat gracefully on the ice, which was cold! Didn't hurt myself or anything, just sat down.... Swing Dance more successful, but a lot of work to do on it before competition, never mind before testing it!

Skated too long and am now tired, and even then didn't do quite all my exercises (omitted the changes-of-edge) because I did too many run-throughs of my Artistic.

Gold Medal again: And when I got home, for the first time I was able to reverse the car straight into the garage, without having to come forward and straighten up! It's 2 months tomorrow since I passed my test....

coskater64

02-21-2006, 02:39 PM

Gold Medal: Recovered from the flu, actually wasn't a big chicken and made a good effort on all my doubles. Got the sow going and the toe was great easy as can be but....I'm still tired from being sick so holding the landings was hard. Managed about a dozen 2loops all with that stuipd 1/4 cheat on them. Pooh

Lead feet: The major anti-inflammatory they have to help my hip worked for about 2.5 hours and then stopped. I am walking like Quasimoto, you know an ugly monster. Time to rest.

Gold again: Kimmie Meisner skated well, yeah for her!

Mrs Redboots

02-22-2006, 05:17 AM

Arrived at the rink this morning to find only middle-aged men on the ice - three still on and one just getting off, shortly replaced by another (Husband). And me, of course, but I can't see myself! For the first 45 minutes or so, I was the only woman on the ice! And later on Coach1, of course, whose wife, Coach2, informed me with great glee that he was turning 50 in September!

Lead Feet: Slept very badly last night, for some reason, and am really tired today, which, needless to say, informed all my skating. I couldn't get either sufficient knee-bend, nor sufficient core strength, and didn't skate well.

Gold Medal: Free dance choreography is working now, it's more-or-less done down to the end of the step sequence, with only about 15 seconds to finish. Seems to be a lot more twists and turns in it than last year, but maybe that's my imagination! Just before Husband had to leave, we did one really good spin, although it was a bit slow. But it did what we needed it to do!

Interp likewise working now, although Coach keeps saying "he doesn't like the middle of it", but not making any suggestions, except to put back cross-rolls in at the end. So I now have to go from back cross-rolls to a back spiral to a cherry flip (toe loop), to a spin. And I've not to do my rather puny change-foot ("because it looks as though you're losing balance and putting your other foot down"), but have to do my spin-in-the-other-direction on the right foot.

Skate@Delaware

02-22-2006, 07:06 AM

This is for yesterday's practice session:
Lead feet: had a hard time focusing; was late to the rink, it was crowded, people kept playing their music over and over and over and over again 8O which was annoying. They played mine, but because the box is locked and the volume can't be controlled....I couldn't hear it. So, I had to put my headphones on and skate like that. Bleh! And, I got the little girls in my way (again) they were watching me skate my program, but they were on the ice where I needed to be :twisted: so I had to skate around...

Flip, backspin, yuck. Can't get my arm around for the backspin. Didn't even attempt a camel. Loop sucked but I am managing to keep the left foot off the ice.

Gold Medal: even with the crowds, I did manage to do 2 run-thrus of my program and wasn't very winded, which surprised me as I had just finished up at the gym an hour beforehand (yeah, but never again). Worked harder on the salchow (it was getting sloppy). AND, helped a better skater (doing double jumps no less) with her spiral (which was pretty crappy). She had never been properly taught to do a spiral! So, I helped her out and it was much better (yeah, but not as good as mine:lol: ). I attempted a change of edge spiral and eaked out a little one, then did a forward bielman-like spiral (need more flexibility!). Didn't do a backwards (chicken).

Then it was time to go.

jazzpants

02-22-2006, 03:18 PM

Gold: Got better FI mohawks than last year when I worked on these. Still sucky on the LFI mohawk side, but the RFI side (when I do concentrate on doing these well) actually comes out nicely, to the 8O of my secondary coach!!! I'm also getting better extension on those 5 step mohawks... well once I make myself concentrate on doing them right. Secondary coach is pleased...well, at least content!!!

Lead: OD'ed on jumps on Monday night! My lower back on my landing side this morning is hurting badly!!! :cry: Am making a visit to my chiro to get a much needed adjustment. (It's been a few months!) I should be okay in a couple of days (hopefully.)

Meanwhile, I'm heating my lower back and doing a lot of stretching and just plain NUTTIN'!!! Just as well anyway. My body is telling me I'm long overdue for a break...

I am NOT looking forward to Sectionals. The one thing my lower back and I agree on is that we both HATE skating on hockey hard ice... and unfortunately, in the case of the Sectionals, this is the case. Oh, dear! (Sorry for griping, those of you in the St. Moritz Skating Club. I know it's better than no ice, but...)

flo

02-22-2006, 03:26 PM

Gold: Coach and I skipped lessons to watch Kimmie skate.
^. .^
=o= is home from vet!!!

jazzpants

02-22-2006, 04:29 PM

^. .^
=o= is home from vet!!!That is great news!!! :D

Hannahclear

02-22-2006, 06:56 PM

MAJOR GOLD MEDAL DAY!

I took a major step towards landing my axel today. Finally finally finally coming down on one foot, in backspin position and beginning to fall over. Another coach even skated by and commented that I looked ready to land it. My coach was very excited too, because I've never been able to land it on one foot unless it was strictly a waltz jump.

I think I have enough muscle memory now where I have learned how to take off, where to put my weight, how to hold the shoulders etc and I started *thinking* about getting my left foot into backspin position. That's all I thought of. It worked. The one foot landings followed.

So that was very exciting!

Other jumps were pretty good today. Lutz/loop is getting more consistent and my flip technique is cleaning up a bit, though this is now the more inconsistent jump.

Program runthrough was decent, though several people did not clear out of my way, which was annoying as I did have the vest and right of way. But I still managed a very decent back camel to open (4 revs) and the lutz loop. Missed a few other elements though. Footwork is coming along, but is still scratchy and awkward. Better than the other sequence though.....that's what I tell myself!

:P

No lead feet today, I'm thinking positive!

sunshinepointe

02-22-2006, 08:09 PM

Coach was a little late for my lesson today so I had a considerable amount of time to warm up all off my moves in the field and some spins. By the time she got there I was working on the Waltz 8, yet again, and we jumped right into trying to fix that. I think at this point she knows that I know what I’m doing wrong on other aspects of the test, although I would like to go over edges with her again next week. Anywho, apparently my timing was okay, but I was trying to make everything way too big. After much discussion about why my waltz-8 is so not right, I proceeded to do a VERY good waltz 8 pattern. I even stepped back into the circle properly, imagine that! A bad habit I did start to pick up though - instead of stepping forward to finish out the pattern I was doing a back 3 turn. I suggested to Beth that I should get EXTRA points for a more difficult transition and she said uhhh….it would be nice but thats not the proper move. What a party pooper. :twisted:

We then moved onto my 3 turn pattern - aside from teeny tiny technicalities that can (AND WILL) be worked through the pattern isn’t so bad anymore! A lot of it really has to do with being able to control the 3 turn. Beth was happy enough with the pattern that we actually went on to do - dun dun dun - THE OTHER SIDE. My LFI3 is really, really grotesque - the first part of it is fine but on the check my upper body collapses like an accordian throwing me off my edge. The rest of it wasn’t so bad, even my timing was okay. Could I actually be making progress? 8O

One thing that I note, and I’m not sure how to overcome - when I first step out on the ice and I start things like stroking and crossovers and such I’m SO off. Everything feels a little shaky and I’m not secure on my edges for crossovers and on stroking I’m not getting full extension, doing the toe pushing, slouching a little etc. But after I’ve been skating for 30 minutes or so everything feels so much easier and looks so much better - my stroking is improved, my posture is improved, my crossovers, as poor as they are, are improved (slightly). It would be great if I could have a 30 minute warm up before testing…but since that’s not possible I’m really just trying to think of how to get to that same comfort level when I first step on the ice.

My other problem, and this occurs mostly in lessons, is that I’m somehow unable to think about more than one thing at a time. For example - today we worked on scratch spins at the end of the lesson. When she told me to turn my leg out and point the toe I bent the leg. When she told me to straighten the leg, my arms would go awry. It’s almost as if my brain can’t process more than one command at once. I’m not a total dumb*** (a little flaky and a lot goofy, but not stupid) so I’m thinking it might be a result of overthinking? Or overthinking one aspect? Doing the moves in skating is hard enough, but remembering every.little.detail. is soooooooooo much more difficult and my brain can't process it.

The good news is that the notes for moves are getting more nitpicky - there aren’t any GROSS problems. Everything now seems to be more about making things just look a little smoother with improved quality. The toe to heel thing? Magic. Absolute magic. Wonder if there are any other magical secrets I’m not aware of?

crayonskater

02-22-2006, 08:11 PM

Gold medal: I've had a good week in practice working on my waltz potatoes. Today my coach pretty much tore it apart into french fries. It's all three-turn placement and swinging the leg straight back/forward on the rest of the 1-2-3 4-5-6s

And then I learned forward inside three turns, and I didn't die.

Was feeling very skaterish.

mikawendy

02-22-2006, 08:22 PM

After much discussion about why my waltz-8 is so not right, I proceeded to do a VERY good waltz 8 pattern. I even stepped back into the circle properly, imagine that!

Tee, hee, that happens to a lot of us. See this thread: http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=18177 (oh, duh, edited to add that I see that you were one of the people who posted in that thread....)

One thing that I note, and I’m not sure how to overcome - when I first step out on the ice and I start things like stroking and crossovers and such I’m SO off. Everything feels a little shaky and I’m not secure on my edges for crossovers and on stroking I’m not getting full extension, doing the toe pushing, slouching a little etc. But after I’ve been skating for 30 minutes or so everything feels so much easier and looks so much better - my stroking is improved, my posture is improved, my crossovers, as poor as they are, are improved (slightly). It would be great if I could have a 30 minute warm up before testing…but since that’s not possible I’m really just trying to think of how to get to that same comfort level when I first step on the ice.

When you eventually test, will you be able to work it out so that you'll at least have skated earlier in the day? Sometimes even if I can't be skating just before the test, having a good practice earlier in the day helps. (My club's home rink has 2 surfaces, so I've been spoiled for tests). Another thing that helps is a really good warmup, off and on the ice. One poster here (sorry I can't recall who!) said it really helps her not have as much shaky legs from nervousness.

My other problem, and this occurs mostly in lessons, is that I’m somehow unable to think about more than one thing at a time.

Me, too! I pretty much try to take it all in but then I freak out and think, oh crap I have to rotate this thing, instead of focusing on arms or reaching during the jump entry, etc. I have to go off on my own before the next lesson and try to put it all together on my own.

batikat

02-23-2006, 05:38 AM

Gold medal:

Well after discussion with my new coach on Tuesday about how my right blade has never felt right he decided he should remount them (it was someone else who put them on originally). He gave them back to me this morning and I could really feel a difference. Some of it may be due to them having been sharpened too but I really felt much more over the right part of the blade on jump landings and back outside edges felt so much more secure than they have ever done.

I'm actually planning on getting new blades soon as I've never really liked these ones but they feel so much better now I may hang on to them for a while.

Worked on salchow to stop the swingy arms (coach did a real cruel impersonation but it was quite funny!) and managed a few good ones.

lead feet: not a lot - although coach spent a lot of time talking I can forgive him anything right now if the blades stay feeling as good as this!

e-skater

02-23-2006, 04:12 PM

Gold Medal: change foot spin, with a good backspin! 8O

Lead Feet: Fall on one hip while working at improving backward twizzle. Fall on other hip after "clicking" on a back xover! At least they match! :lol:

nerd_on_ice

02-23-2006, 05:38 PM

Gold medal: I've had a good week in practice working on my waltz potatoes.

I'm sure I missed this in an earlier thread, but "waltz potatoes"??? Where did that come from?

I'm a starch addict; I want to do waltz potatoes too! :lol:

crayonskater

02-23-2006, 05:56 PM

Haha! The first time I tried the waltz 8, they were rather bumpy and I thought they looked like potatoes.

jazzpants

02-23-2006, 06:22 PM

Can I get a waltz potato too? Please, pretty please??? :D

Gold Medal:

Got my back cracked and though I'm not totally normal yet, it's much better than last night...
Still can skate pretty fast, though not as fast as I normally would for a program.
Did some good spins, even the backspin. (Of course, the lower back hurts a bit lot while doing them.)Lead Feet:

I didn't do a program runthru. The rink had too many rugrats in the rink!
Just as well... even though I'm better than yesterday, my lower back is still not quite perfect yet. So to play it safe I told my primary coach to keep the jumps down to a minimal b/c of my lower back!

Skate@Delaware

02-23-2006, 06:42 PM

Lead Feet: really just cold feet! The heat was off in the rink and it was about 35 degrees!!! I think it was even warmer outside! I had to leave my jacket on for most of my skate. AND there were about 20 people there....and some dumba** hockey guy was blasting all over the place doing side skids and not watching where he was going nearly knocked me over when I was spinning.....I saw him head towards me and put my toepick down to stop spinning-he bounced off of me and HE almost fell. He was bigger than me :x . He looked a bit astonished (or embarrassed). Of course, all my guys saw and laughed, which hurt his feelings, I'm sure. He stayed away from us after that (he he he).

Gold Medal: The flip is coming along....I know I need to bend way more when I turn the three and I'm having security issues with that. I will get it as I do more of them. Toe loops and waltz-loops were fine. Did some decent scratch spins (even tho I was on migraine meds). Played my music and we had a good time!

Then one woman (Ukranian) was talking to me about skating lessons-her English wasn't good and I don't speak Ukranian but I think she understood about lessons.

Son starts figure skate lessons tomorrow!!! He is 10 and said he'd "try it for a while" which is cool of him. Not sure if he will wear his hockey skates, or switch to sissy's figure skates (they wear the same size).

nerd_on_ice

02-23-2006, 08:27 PM

Haha! The first time I tried the waltz 8, they were rather bumpy and I thought they looked like potatoes.

I love it! I suspect mine are potatoes as well. Will have to tell my coach about this; she will giggle. :)

coskater64

02-23-2006, 08:35 PM

GOLD:don't why but 2sow and 2 toe landed cleanly and beautifully upwards of 5 in a row. so happy decided to work on 2sow 2toe sequence, bad idea

LEAD: in that sequence 2 sow clean falling leaf too far inside circle , body too far forward and the jump went lateral. left hand blocked face from hitting but didn't stop upper body, knuckles are black and blue had to get hand x-rayed nothing broken, but can only type with right hand.

GOLD got cool brace my have to bead it to match dress. lacing skates interesting as thumb is badly strained and does not move.

Mrs Redboots

02-24-2006, 05:51 AM

Owwww, CoSkater64 - look after yourself!!!!

As for me, it was all Gold Medal this morning. Husband and I have finally got our step sequence sorted in the free dance, and most of the early part of the programme, too. Now we just need to choreograph the last few seconds, during which we have to get back to the centre of the rink and find a pretty final pose. We have already done both our spin and our lift, so can't end with either of those.....

For once, my back cross-cuts were better than my back cross-rolls, partly, I think, because we only had 2/3 of the ice (the other 1/3 was hired out to people from Dancing on Ice), so I had to start from a standstill. And I was able to get right down in the knee, and they worked. Tried to get my X-rolls too fast, and also, I saw the tracing I was leaving, which was not really a BO edge as it should have been, which was very disheartening of it! So worked on getting them more edgy, which made them not quite as fast as sometimes.

On Wednesday, I persuaded my coach to let me work on another change-of-edge exercise, which was harder than the Level 2 Dance moves one I've been doing - this one is way harder. So was working on it this morning and, blow me down, I can almost do it! You start with a RFO-I edge, then push to a LFI-O one, and then RFO-I, by which time you're supposed to be down at the other end of the rink, then you come round and push on to LFO-I, then RFI-O, then LFO-I again to get you down back where you started. I still have trouble pushing into the LFI edge, but it's coming, and with 2/3 size rink this morning, I was covering the ice nicely, to my joy!

Lead Feet: Not a lot. Had a bit of trouble with some of the steps in my Interp, which is me bottling out of turning at speed as usual. And was disappointed with my back X-rolls, but apart from that, not a bad morning!

crayonskater

02-24-2006, 09:45 AM

Gold: So, in the two weeks since I a) learned FO three turns b) learned the waltz 8, I've noticed that I generate a whole lot of speed. This is not helped by the placement of the first three-turn, because I have to push strongly in order to get where I need to be in three counts, and then I push strongly again on the backstroke, and then by the time I get to the LFO, I'm really going at a good clip and far faster than my comfort level. So I do the LFO, am completely surprised that I haven't died, and finish the pattern.

I'm still struggling on the LBO-RFO edge step. I have no idea why. On the RBO-LFO step on the second lobe, I flow into it. On the first one, I always skid.

Lead:I do not recommend competing in fencing for three years before one starts skating. It's excellent leg strength training, but yeesh, I have to push lightly.

This wouldn't be a problem except that I generate wayyyy too much speed on counterclockwise forward crossovers. Right leg is so strong. So then I cheat the underpush, and my coach says 'Don't cheat the underpush', so then I try to push lightly on the (um?) outerpush and strong on the underpush and I still go so fast. I think I need to just suck it up and speed around the ice.

Also, my hamstrings are sore. I am not sure why. I'm going to say that it's due to my excellent kneebend and all those three-turns.

cutiesk8r43

02-24-2006, 11:38 AM

Gold medal:
landed both axels while doing my program with the music on.:)

Lead feet:
ankle is bruised and coach didnt show up for my lesson again (sigh):frus: :roll: :giveup:

~Cuite;)

WhisperSung

02-24-2006, 06:26 PM

Gold Medal: Forcing myself to skate for the third day in a row when I really just felt like going home after work to sleep.

Also, fixed my double flip so I don't break at the waist when I land (who knew it was as simple as making sure I'm not looking down at the ice when I take off for it?).

Working on adult moves (my new little project)

Lead Feet: Didn't do a run-through of my program today. . .just worked on bits and pieces which won't help stamina much.

Also, flexibility was crappy due to soreness from yesterday.

Time for a one day break to start feeling better!

Skate@Delaware

02-25-2006, 06:21 AM

This is for lessons last night-I was too tired to update and had to set up VCR to record skating......and they still didn't show it all at one time :twisted:

Gold Medal: nothing for me, mostly for the boy (he is 10), who is taking figure skating lessons. He had his first lesson last night (in hockey skates no less) and did very well. I need to catch him up on a few things and the next time he needs to be in figure skates (rentals, the toepick is smaller than his sister's gargantuan toepicks 8O ).

Lead Feet: Outside Mohawks. What can I say other than YIKES!!!! My scratch spin was nice for coach and she had nothing really to add other than to get me heel down. Sit spin isn't happening at all.

I need to get time to get my blades mounted onto my new boots.....can't seem to find the time..... I thought I'd go today, but the boy woke me up at 5 AM and said he felt like throwing up. So he is sick with 101.2 and there goes my day.....(hubby works today).:roll:

jazzpants

02-25-2006, 09:08 AM

coskater64: OWWWWWW!!! 8O Get well soon!!!

Lead Feet: Had my second chiro visits. Back is slowly healing. Still not perfect yet but...

Gold Medal: With the provision that I stretch my hip flexor and another visit after Sectionals... yup! I have been given the green light to compete at Sectionals. :D Of course, given how this problem is still hurting, I'm still very worried that I may get hurt again in the days before my Pre-Bronze debut at Sectionals... The pressure of competing (doing well) is now shifted into "staying vertical" and just not make this injury worse. (Which I do very well!!! Boc boc boc!!!) :lol: And with that, the majority of the fear of doing this Sectionals is gone!!! (i.e. I don't expect to do well given this. But... we'll see! :roll: )

Thank goodness in a week I'll be back doing nothing but moves, so this injury can finally heal!!! (Let this be a lesson to you jumping bean kids out there! Please limit your jump practices!!! Your lower back will thank you!!!)

sceptique

02-25-2006, 10:34 AM

Not yet gold medal, but...

... a Silver one!
Today I finished 2nd in my first competition (out of 5). My placements were 1-2-2, so I actually managed to challenge the girl who got the gold, and she is a more experienced skater than me!

Lead feet
Still, I could have done better. I stumbled on a spiral - something that never happened to me during practice. Well, it still looked good on pictures!

Skate@Delaware

02-25-2006, 11:34 AM

Sceptique-That's Great!!!! :bow:

Jazz, have you thought about getting a deep-tissue massage? It really helped me. Just a thought.

jazzpants

02-25-2006, 12:07 PM

Jazz, have you thought about getting a deep-tissue massage? It really helped me. Just a thought.Yup, I have. Unfortunately this is NOT a muscle thing but a spinal thing, since the lower back problem is triggering a slight weakness on the landing leg. (Yup! I got a mini-sciatica episode again.) :cry: I have been given no restrictions besides to "watch it" on how many jumps I do on ice. As far as I'm concerned, I can continue to skate and exercise and do everything else. So I am very thankful it's not as bad as I thought!!! :bow:

I should be okay for Sectionals.

Mrs Redboots

02-25-2006, 12:53 PM

Skate@Delaware

02-25-2006, 02:45 PM

Yup, I have. Unfortunately this is NOT a muscle thing but a spinal thing, since the lower back problem is triggering a slight weakness on the landing leg. (Yup! I got a mini-sciatica episode again.) :cry: I have been given no restrictions besides to "watch it" on how many jumps I do on ice. As far as I'm concerned, I can continue to skate and exercise and do everything else. So I am very thankful it's not as bad as I thought!!! :bow:

I should be okay for Sectionals.
oh, okay. I hope it clears up in time for you then. Mine is a combination of spinal and muscular (stupid auto accident-got rear ended at a red light 8O by an illegal immigrant with no insurance and not able to speak English-she couldn't call 911 :x ) so auto insurance will pay....not forever tho.:x eerrrgghhh!!!!

Do you have exercises you do? I can't remember if you said you do or not...(doh!)

Debbie S

02-25-2006, 05:20 PM

Sending out healing vibes to Coskater and Jazzpants! I hope you guys feel better soon!

Gold Medal: My end pattens on the forward and back perimeter stroking are improving - more steady and an even rhythm. That is, when I can actually do the end patterns without a little child suddenly deciding that my path of travel would make a great location for a spin, jump, or just meandering. :roll: I'm also landing the loop and salchow better and I think I'm getting lower on the sit spin.

Lead feet: Very crowded today. Plus, I felt pain in my shins (sort of like temporary shin splints) for the first 15-20 minutes or so of skating, then everything was fine. Maybe I just don't bend enough early in practice and lean too far forward. (which is why, when I test moves, I better make sure I can practice for at least 30 minutes beforehand)

Backspin has gone on vacation. I can do the spin fine, and am actually getting more revs than before, but I can't get the exit. :frus:

Also golden: I found out today that the skating director at my rink will be able to compete at AN after all. She qualified for Champ Masters at Easterns but thought she'd have to skip AN b/c the rink's Basic Skills comp is that weekend, but luckily, some others have stepped up to help with her students and with the admin stuff. Good for her!

jazzpants

02-25-2006, 06:10 PM

oh, okay. I hope it clears up in time for you then. Mine is a combination of spinal and muscular (stupid auto accident-got rear ended at a red light 8O by an illegal immigrant with no insurance and not able to speak English-she couldn't call 911 :x ) so auto insurance will pay....not forever tho.:x eerrrgghhh!!!!

Do you have exercises you do? I can't remember if you said you do or not...(doh!)DOH!!! on your car accident!!! 8O

Yes, I have a number of stretches to do, plus I have to ice my back 20 minutes a day and just plain "take it easy" for a while.

Thanks for the well wishes, Debbie and nice to hear you're making progress on those moves. :D

coskater64

02-25-2006, 07:59 PM

jazzpants-
take it easy, I love ice on my back, it helps soooo much. 8O

mikawendy

02-25-2006, 08:02 PM

Yes, I agree w/coskater--sometimes when I'm having muscle or nerve pain in my back, ice helps better than heat. It seems to numb the pain and stop the nerve from firing so much or something.

coskater & jazzpants--I hope you're both feeling better soon!!!!

Mrs Redboots

02-26-2006, 07:03 AM

Today is my rink's (http://streathamicearena.co.uk/) 75th birthday, and there was going to be a celebration during the morning, typically just when we were at Church! I hope it went well.

Gold Medal: I think I actually managed a 3-revolution spin a couple of times, rather to my surprise. The ability vanished later in the morning, so I left it, but who knows..... Husband and I didn't do much work together as Sunday mornings he has his private lesson, so tends to work solo much of the session, but we did do a rather good Dutch Waltz when the music was playing, and a Fiesta Tango and a Swing Dance, ditto. We also walked through our free dance as far as we've got to, and reminded ourselves of the steps. Not sure of some of them - some of them seem rather bowel-clenchingly terrifying right now!

Managed one decent length of back cross-rolls and one of back cross-cuts, but still can't manage a whole lap yet. Sigh....

Lead Feet: Which is what I developed towards the end of the session - I think I must have laced my boots too tight, and they not only stressed a tendon that was a bit sore anyway, my feet got really, really, really cold! It's a cold day here, and the rink isn't warm.

And I didn't feel I skated well - I slept badly again, and was tired. It wasn't a totally awful day, but it wasn't as good as Friday had been.

techskater

02-26-2006, 09:16 AM

OW! COSKATER64: I do a similar jump sequence (mine is axel-falling leaf-falling leaf-double toe). The best advice I can give you is to jump the falling leaf straight out (instead of around), check very strongly before the pick and get a good weight transfer. I have found my double toe to be much more consistent this way and am considering working on the axel-double toe combo. (I must be crazy, but it will wait until after AN's). Work on the falling leaf-double toe part in isolation, that helped me (I spent probably a month just working on the timing for that part and probably two months of lessons on it!). :??

Jazzpants, get better too! You have Coasts to concern yourself with!!!

Skate@Delaware

02-26-2006, 11:00 AM

Lead feet: show practice this am; couldn't get motivated to do anything other than help a girl with her spins...she is getting much better! I did try to work on my flip. I need to work on the backwards part of it (like the back lunge and picking in). Like I said...not motivated.

Cold feet: it was really, really cold this am! Then, there is a hockey tournament the rest of the day so NO PUBLIC ICE AVAILABLE! The one time we could all (at least hubby and I) get together, we can't! :frus:

So, I'm staying home doing girl stuff (doing my hair, catching up on my eyebrows, etc.), sewing and laundry (ewww).

Edited to add: hubby and I just finished reviewing the Physics on Ice Tape 1 (darn the fact that the rink is closed for hockey tournament today). Hubby is all fired up to review the basic stroking technique (wants to get his speed up) as well as the edge technique. I've explained to him before, but he just wasn't ready. Guess the time just had to be right.

And my microwave blew so he bought a new one and it's cool-black and silver!