Smooth Landing/Face Plant (Practice Thread August 1st-7th 2006) [Archive]

jazzpants

08-01-2006, 02:00 AM

In "honor" of my injuries from my most recent accident! :twisted:

Smooth landing:
Skating seems to be strong this evening. The moves (where I can managed thru b/c of the big crowds tonight) seem to be pretty strong.

Face Plant:
This is what's gonna happen to me AGAIN if they don't fix this ditch on one side of the rink before the test session!!! Seems NOTHING is getting done about this problem and the likelihood of it being fixed is nil until Sept., when our annual ice maintanance happens. 8O Thank goodness I skate at another rink on weekends and have tons of other rinks to go to practice in my neck of the woods if I absolutely needed to! :mrgreen:

Hannah

08-01-2006, 03:08 AM

Smooth landing: Spins! A waltz jump that made my group lesson coach go "Oh, that was nice," and he is awfully stingy with the praise. :D

Face plant: I have been wearing sweatpants to skate in, and unfortunately they are somewhat loose in the ankle. Two days ago, I was going backward and caught the back of my blade in the cuff and went down like a sack of rocks. Missed the back of my head, though I hit so hard that I saw stars anyway- I was skating on an empty adult session and spent an anxious 10 seconds or so laying on the ice trying to figure out if I'd seriously injured myself, and if so, whether anyone would find me. No more of those pants! 8O

Speaking of which, what do you DO when you faceplant in a competition? I watched the rink's summer competition recently, and some of the girls fell- one girl looked like she fell HARD and even slid a ways, but she was up so fast and smiling that if you had looked away for a few seconds you wouldn't have known she fell. Other girls, everything was thrown off for the rest of their skate. So, is there some trick to continuing a skate when you feel like your hip might be broken?

Thin-Ice

08-01-2006, 04:00 AM

ACTING! If you're not sure if you are hurt, get up as quickly as possible and act like nothing happened. You can limp off the ice afterwards and get an ice pack. But if you're body is sending out shooting pains -- skate/hobble/limp over to the referee and say "I'm hurt and have to withdraw". I've fallen MANY times during competitions.. and just the idea of having to say that has made me feel worse than a little bang-up on a hip/knee/elbow. The worst thing that ever happened to me was I had a bad (landing) ankle and re-sprained it about 1/3 of the way through a program... so I just favored that side the best I could and acted as if "Everything is JUST fine!" -- only my coach knew what had happened, until after I took my bow... then I skated on my good foot over to the boards and my coach said "You hurt it again on the flip, didn't you?" Everyone else thought my program was fine. It may not have been my greatest skate, but it was one of my better PERFORMANCES!

Also my coach has a rule when we do program run-throughs: No stopping unless you are actually hurt or you fall and get the wind knocked out of you and CANNOT skate. And if you are that badly hurt, she insists on getting off the ice... and the lesson clock is still ticking... which helps me decide if I'm REALLY hurt.. or just feeling sorry for myself for falling.

Mrs Redboots

08-01-2006, 06:10 AM

Speaking of which, what do you DO when you faceplant in a competition? I watched the rink's summer competition recently, and some of the girls fell- one girl looked like she fell HARD and even slid a ways, but she was up so fast and smiling that if you had looked away for a few seconds you wouldn't have known she fell. Other girls, everything was thrown off for the rest of their skate. So, is there some trick to continuing a skate when you feel like your hip might be broken?Mostly, the adrenaline from competing carries you through. I know it did us when we had a crashing fall in our last competition - Husband said he was fine, so we scrambled up and carried on, without missing a beat, practically. It wasn't until a couple of days later that he started to really feel the bruises!

Back on the ice today:

Smooth Landing:
Coaches were back, so we had our lesson.
John Hamer, the British champion, was visiting, as he sometimes does; always good to watch him skate.
Lesson went well, mostly exercises, which were simple in idea, but hugely difficult to do well.
Our friend K landed her axel and our coach saw her do it!Face Plants:
Although we only missed one practice while we were away, it felt as if we hadn't been on the ice for a month! And there was so much to catch up on with the coach, including the judge's critique of our Fiesta, and who had passed what test, and..... felt like we'd been away a month and he'd been away for several....
Ice was packed: all the dancers, plus our coaches' summer school, plus John and his girlfriend, plus various others.
Coaches were late! Not badly, but enough that Husband couldn't concentrate on our practice.
We didn't get to do more than exercises in our lesson; mind you, we needed them!
Mostly to do with moving our shoulders and upper bodies; we both have problems with that.
In solo practice, I'm quite sure my dance moves get worse and worse and worse....been away two months!

flo

08-01-2006, 12:19 PM

icedancer2

08-01-2006, 01:16 PM

Smooth Landing: Feeling great physically these days and it is starting to reflect in my skating! Bronze Moves getting stronger and prettier and coach is starting to add hand and arm gestures in an effort to get me to show "me" off more.

I think I am FINALLY starting to break in the new boots (gee only 15 months after first putting them on!) Breaking in the ankles and getting more ankle bend, being on the right part of the blade, feeling the flow, yea! Yea! Yea!

The ice this week is finally good (is it the weather -- we've been enjoying cool, sunny '70's) and everything feels smooth, smooth smooth!

Face Plant: I can hardly think of anything -- maybe that BO 3s still my nemesis, along with that right Power 3 -- not the 3, just that darn step forward, but starting to get more in line with that too.

Will I join the Bronze MITF club someday? (Hope, Hope).:lol:

LilJen

08-01-2006, 04:40 PM

Smooth landing:
-got to skate today for the first time in a week and a half. Very uncrowded rink. $3 for the hour--a real bargain!

Face plant:
-Felt like I haven't been skating in a year and a half. I felt like an impostor!! Took most of the hour I had to feel at all confident doing most of the things I know how to do, and I didn't feel at all comfortable pulling off a full spiral position (was sure I'd really *do* a face plant if I tried!). I hereby resolve to avoid being off the ice for more than a week at a time (less if possible).
-BI consecutive edges have not deserted me! I don't know if they're pretty but they felt pretty steady; steadier than BO consecutive edges, in fact.

Rusty Blades

08-01-2006, 05:43 PM

Smooth landing:

Back on the ice after being away for 11 days - wasn’t as rusty as I thought I would be. Worked on forward edges again (control and improving depth) then focused on backward skating. Back inside edges were ok, back outside pretty poor (to be expected since I am so new to backward). Backward stroking started to show some improvement, ALMOST to the point of back cross-over and we finished up with some forward cross-overs. Coach liked my CCW forward cross-overs though I scared the daylights out of her when I was coming toward her and lost my edge!!! LOL!

Face Plant:

MUST get those skates sharpened before I do a face plant! (Or plant someone else's face when I lose my edge - LOL!!!)

Terri C

08-01-2006, 07:42 PM

Smooth Landing:
We finally have a sound system back in our afternoon freestyle rink Yay!
Moves were fairly good- yay again!

Face Plant:
Having a working sound system prompted Secondary Coach to have me do my freestyle program on lesson today. It was only the second time I've done this program since May. Yes it is a mess!!

Loop is still on vacation and the salchow is trying to sneak off too!
Mother Nature was on the ice with me today and stole my sit spin and forward scratch spin- almost stole the backscratch as well! :(

mikawendy

08-01-2006, 08:38 PM

Plant - was working on brackets trying to break in the skates and fell over like a tree.

Smooth - Did about 1/2 hour in the killer skates, could do lutz-loops and more spins. I'm going to have them stretched. Also smooth - Mika's lutzes!

Aww, thanks, but they're really lutz attempts or baby lutzes right now. I have yet to land one completely rotated and completely on one foot except for the one that I think I accidentally did 3 weeks after I started learning the jump. And it happened so quickly that I'm not sure that it wasn't really a bad flip....

Attitude spins were cooperating in my lesson (coach effect strikes again) and we worked on improving height and distance and technique in the sal.

Face plant: Camel spins--here one day, gone the next.... Also, I was a bad girl and didn't do *any* moves practice on Sunday...

tidesong

08-01-2006, 10:11 PM

Plant: Jumps are just wrong. And this from a high of quite a while so its not like I dont know how to do them. Maybe I'm just stressing too much now.

Smooth: Layback is still there :mrgreen:

mintypoppet

08-02-2006, 02:29 AM

Smooth: My RFI and LBI pivots are actually pivoting, rather than coming to a rapid halt.
My B xrolls are *less* on the toepicks than they were.

Plant: Everything else... :giveup:

Mrs Redboots

08-02-2006, 07:37 AM

Smooth Landing: Nobody much under 50, and certainly nobody under 40, for the first hour this morning - who said this was a kids' sport?

The elite dancers were away, so there were no issues about music at all (when the summer school came on, they had allocated 90 minutes for programme run-throughs; they had done them all in less than half an hour!). We were able to do our compulsory dances - and Husband his solo compulsories, which use the same music - and our free dance. First full run-through of that since our accident; we are deliberately keeping the lift lower than it needs to be, reckoning that it will go higher on the day. It went well..... we were told we looked good - by our opposition, not our coaches!

Opposition looked good, too, and their lift is better than ours, I think. They have a hip lift, which I should have liked to have had in our programme, but only one lift is allowed this year and the hip lift made my back hurt. The woman in the couple said that it makes hers hurt, too, unless they get it just right.

After Husband left it was time for my private lesson - ice was less used than sometimes, so my dance moves went well. Not yet, alas, as well as they need to be.....

Face Plant: Coach made me do forward cross-rolls as an exercise to improve my backwards ones. I had to tell him that for me, they were two totally unrelated things.....

jazzpants

08-02-2006, 11:43 AM

Major Face Plant

Did forward crossovers today and it was the WORST I've ever done. It took 3 tries to finally got it to the point where secondary coach was REMOTELY happy about it. (And the worst part is that this is usually my BEST move!!!) :oops: :frus:
Power 3's still needs work. Right now the 3turn is turning too early for her. I'll try to fix this part tomorrow morning with my primary coach.
Tried doing back crossovers to BO edge but almost got clobbered by more Sr. skaters several times. Finally moved on to another move where at least I could see where I'm going and if there's someone coming up towards me.
The ditch is getting much better, but there are still patches where it's not fixed. I am adjusting the pattern so I don't run over those patches, but this partly contributed to some of my problems this morning b/c we don't have as much space to skate on. I'm hoping that the patches get fixed soon so I can go back to my comfortable patterns.Smooth Landing

Back perimeter crossover were good.
5 step mohawks are for the most part pretty good. Of course, I didn't go over that with the coach today.

Rusty Blades

08-02-2006, 12:55 PM

Smooth Landing: My winter coach (and DEAR friend) finally decided to throw her full support behind my goal of skating at the (Canadian) Adult Nationals next spring. Not only has she agreed to support my quest but would like to come WITH me - WAHOO!!!

Face Plant: Going from a RO to RI edge yesterday, something "popped" in my right ankle. It didn't feel too bad yesterday but today is REALLY sore and weak if I put my weight on the inside of my foot. Going to have to see what it feels like when I put my boots on in a couple of hours. Might have to avoid RI edges today IF I can skate at all!:(

[Added:]

Super-Duper Face Plant: Went to the rink, put on my boots - some swelling in right ankle - did NOT feel good, no strength. Told coach I'd rather miss a couple of days than risk further injury and miss a couple of weeks (especially with everything coming together) so I packed up and came home. Going to go elevate the foot and put an ice pack on the ankle. Maybe skate tomorrow, maybe not.... :(

icedancer2

08-02-2006, 01:34 PM

Smooth Landing: Coach commented on my very nice straight back today on BO edges -- was working on lots of edge exercises -- a straight back is not something I usually have, but for some reason my back has "released" and my posture is better. Is it the new memory foam topper we put on our bed about a month ago?

5-step mohawks and all other moves involving the dreaded step forward are getting better, too --

Did I mention that a couple of weeks ago sexyskates came to visit at our rink and we talked about my step-forward "problem"? She gave me a visual for how my shoulders should be (she has GREAT posture) that has stuck with me and is really helping. Thanks, sexyskates!!

Face Plant: Paint fumes and big painting machine on the ice during the session this morning -- first of all the machine takes up a large corner of the ice, and they keep moving it to different parts of the arena, and they are spray-painting so we are all kind of light-headed and anticipating headaches, but the ice itself is so beautiful this week that you want to take advantage of that and just skate and skate!

It is always something, but I guess that's what keeps it interesting. Of course, for the hockey "stick-time" that follows the public, I am sure that machine will be gone!!

Oh well, at least while they are painting, they have all of the lights on, instead of us figure/public skaters squinting in the dim light they usually have on...:lol:

Sonic

08-02-2006, 01:52 PM

Smooth Landing

Struggled through ice dance lesson this morning, posture, position of free leg etc is improving

Lil' brother may be able to lend me the money for new boots

Face Plant

Same old, same old....freakin' right foot still not right - I could hardly walk on it at the weekend. Getting really fed-up, I haven't been able to skate more than once or twice a week (don't want to risk it more than that).

Not skating, but totally fed-up with my job...skating is the one thing I do to release pent-up agression/enjoy myself...and that's scr**** now because of my foot.

S xxx (feeling really down, sorry, will cheer up for next post):cry:

xofivebyfive

08-02-2006, 06:31 PM

Smooth landing:
I landed a salchow. Well.. I learned it.. and I did it with the half turn on the ice cheaty thing but i jumped and did it and I was so excited. I totally did not understand how you jump from gliding backwards. But yay.

Face Plant:
Ummmmm Hm. Oh I took my Freestyle one test last night and I failed because of my back edges. THEY WERE PERFECTLY FINE. The lady just hates me and wants me to fail at life.

No but seriously.. they were fine. And my coach said to me the day before that they were fine and I'd have no trouble passing.. but whatever. :frus:

Sk8pdx

08-03-2006, 03:55 PM

Did I mention that a couple of weeks ago sexyskates came to visit at our rink and we talked about my step-forward "problem"? She gave me a visual for how my shoulders should be (she has GREAT posture) that has stuck with me and is really helping. Thanks, sexyskates!

Oooo do share. that step forward on the power 3's has me baffled. You can send me a PM or an email and we can arrange a meeting for visuals if needed. Oh. and by the way. my coach informed me that there was not an adult MIF event at our comp in Sept. The moves I saw were from the standard track. (pre-juv. I think.)How nice of my rink to be so supportive of adult skaters. :giveup:

Smooth Landing:
I am finally home from a 10 day business trip from Hades.
At home, the air is cool and crisp in the mornings and evenings. Temperatures are perfect around 78 degrees and 0-10 percent humidity around mid-day. aaaaahhhh!! There's no place like home!

Face Plant:
I have the day off, but I feel so jet lagged I don't even feel like skating today. ...Totally sapped of energy :(

kateskate

08-03-2006, 04:11 PM

Smooth Landing
Fiesta tango feels pretty good. Not sure if it is actually good or if that is just in comparison to the willow waltz. But I had a cross rolls breakthrough. I wasn't getting it to centre enough or through quick enough and something clicked and it makes more sense. And I think I understand the pattern of the end properly now so I know what I should be doing. Its just hard as I have to modify slightly to fit our little rink so it will be a bit different for real at competitions

I realised the other day that I'm not aware of which foot I do three turns on now - which is a HUGE breakthrough since I hated doing right forward inside threes or right forward outside threes (actually its basically I hated doing things on my right foot) and the fact that I'm now not aware of it must mean they feel more natural. Its only taken years. I'm a weird one that can jump and spin but can't do a three turn at speed without mildly freaking out.

Axels were good. I'm so happy. I hope it comes back. I even tried double cherries. Haven't tried them since about January. My friend said I nearly landed about 4 properly but I kept falling. No idea why.

Tried double loops which I don't understand and double flips which are fun. I felt much better trying doubles again (even though I can't land any apart from the salchow! and even then only sometimes)

AND I almost did an outside spread - definitely got onto the outside side of a flat - if that makes sense.........

Skating was so much fun this week - more so than normal :D

Face Plant
Spins. I hate camel spins. I've passed the stupid level 3 test but I still don't feel I can do a camel spin comfortably. My own fault. I should spend as much time on spins as I do on jumps

I miss my free skating lessons.

I'm an odd one apparently as I find double forward outside 3s easier than double forward inside 3s. I swing too much on the inside ones. Dance teacher showed me my tracings. All over the place. First one is good - proper half cirle, all the others were mental.

I am on 2 feet for too long in one part of the willow waltz. I want to blame it one the small rink but I don't think I can. Although it is the back edge before the step forwards after the 1st chasse and out our little rink there just isn't the width.

Spent a LOT of time skating forwards and presenting. I am so rubbish at things like that. Arms and legs just don't like to move at different speeds. Dance teacher wants me to finish my lap of forwards with a cross roll swing but with my arms out and continuing to move to present to the judges. I'm too jerky. My arms so of stop. He does it so nicely and easily. And I feel like an idiot presenting and showing off like that. But he says he used to be like that when he skated so he says he understands and if he can do it so can I.....

Wow that was long....

jazzpants

08-03-2006, 04:45 PM

Face Plant:

Well, not as good as can be... and at the end of the session, I was told to "read the rulebook" and memorize the notes for each of those moves you do!!! It was in the "you better read it dearie, b/c I think you missed something that you should have gotten while doing your moves..." (Great! FINE time to tell me this!!!) :roll: Also, the primary coach thinks the ditch is fixed enough that he now wants me to stay on pattern and skate OVER the ditch!!! (His words was "Don't worry about the ditch! You got OTHER things to worry about as is!!! :evil: ")

Smooth Landing
Well after my lesson and my being pissy about how my moves are and the comment about checking the rulebook, I was left feeling like I wasn't gonna pass again this time (and it might happen...) :cry: Primary coach came out of the coaches' locker room, give me a big hug and said "You're going pass this test! You're gonna do fine!!!" Still pissy, I told him "Stop joking! It was sucky this morning!!!" :evil: But he counters "I *AM* being sincere here!!! I really think you will pass it this time!" still laughing. (I don't buy it still!!!)

Then he commented that another coach expresses his exact words of encouragement for my test... "Skate B****!!!" ROFLMAO!!! :lol: :twisted: :lol:

doubletoe

08-03-2006, 05:32 PM

Face Plant:

Well, not as good as can be... and at the end of the session, I was told to "read the rulebook" and memorize the notes for each of those moves you do!!!

Do you mean the rulebook or this?
http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/MIFSchoolManual.pdf

I think this document should be made easier to find. It's so helpful!

:)

Rusty Blades

08-03-2006, 05:40 PM

$#%@&$# Face Plant! Right ankle still not right - second day of skating missed - no more until Tuesday. *#%$@*%$%# I don'tNEED this - GRRRRR 8O

jazzpants

08-03-2006, 08:21 PM

Do you mean the rulebook or this?
http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/MIFSchoolManual.pdf

I think this document should be made easier to find. It's so helpful!

:)I'll read that when I get home from my job... (Hmmm? Should I be working now? :halo: :lol: :P )

doubletoe

08-03-2006, 09:15 PM

I'll read that when I get home from my job... (Hmmm? Should I be working now? :halo: :lol: :P )

No, of course not! (Silly!)

jazzpants

08-03-2006, 09:18 PM

No, of course not! (Silly!)Sounds good to me, doubletoe!!! :mrgreen: (Yeah, I better read this one too...) :oops:

Mrs Redboots

08-04-2006, 06:18 AM

Emberchyld

08-04-2006, 11:34 AM

Smooth Landing: No more crunch on the backwards crossovers! I love how all of the adult skaters come together to help each other out-- one of the other skaters at my rink just knew the right advice to give to get me moving... without the formerly inevitable toepick crunch! After two footing my way through class last week, and two public sessions of practicing them, I was able to do one footed three-turns to the left (yay!).... now the right is a different story.

And... the most BEAUTIFUL public session ever. The ice was pristine, for the first 10-15 minutes or so it was just me, the guard, and a guy and his kid in the center... as I warmed up, I could see my marks and only my marks on the ice. And when the birthday party showed up, most of them were so new and small enough not to be a problem at all... no little goons racing around the rink trying to see if they can make snowballs out of the ice they kick up! I got to do three turns and crossovers and stroking until I was blue in the face. It actually was painful when I had to leave early!

Face Plant:Landing on my elbow 3 times this week. Fall on it once, shame on me, fall on it twice... time to get some sort of padding! (can anyone suggest an unobtrusive elbow pad that I can wear only when I'm working on something new?) For some reason, I've learned how to avoid hitting my tailbone now, and my knees have been okay since I've started padding them, but still haven't worked out the elbow thing.

Spirals! I can't get my brain wrapped around the fact that you don't keep your back up as your leg goes up (I'm too used to staying upright in 90 degree arabesques and then leaning forward into penches... still keeping the back up. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the feel of leaning forward for such a low leg position in spirals!)

And a new pet peeve that doesn't directly affect me, but bothers me nonetheless: Why is it that these rinks rent skates to kids that are total cr*p, the wrong size, let the kid lace the skates up wrong, and then let them out onto the ice? I've seen so many kids and adults painfully mincing by with their ankles almost on the ice, loose skates, and the guards saying nothing. It's not even a good business practice, because if the new skater can't stay upright, why would they ever want to go ice skating again? Last night, I just had to tell one guy to go back and ask for a smaller pair of skates (and the ones that he was wearing were also so beat up that they didn't lace up all the way, giving him no support whatsoever)... meanwhile, the guard was totally oblivious to the poor kid clinging to the boards!

Skate@Delaware

08-04-2006, 11:59 AM

Face Plant:Landing on my elbow 3 times this week. Fall on it once, shame on me, fall on it twice... time to get some sort of padding! (can anyone suggest an unobtrusive elbow pad that I can wear only when I'm working on something new?) For some reason, I've learned how to avoid hitting my tailbone now, and my knees have been okay since I've started padding them, but still haven't worked out the elbow thing.

I use the slip-on elbow pads (from walmart, where else) plain white, for some sport like volleyball, come in small, med, large. Just slip them on over my stuff and when I didn't need them slipped right off. They are super-cheap and washable.

Spirals! I can't get my brain wrapped around the fact that you don't keep your back up as your leg goes up (I'm too used to staying upright in 90 degree arabesques and then leaning forward into penches... still keeping the back up. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the feel of leaning forward for such a low leg position in spirals!)
Lock, lift, lower---that's what my coach told me...lock (sort of, I still don't lock my leg all the way) your leg, Lift your torso and leg, lower your torso...I also push my skating leg a bit forward. If you make a mantra it helps!
And a new pet peeve that doesn't directly affect me, but bothers me nonetheless: Why is it that these rinks rent skates to kids that are total cr*p, the wrong size, let the kid lace the skates up wrong, and then let them out onto the ice? I've seen so many kids and adults painfully mincing by with their ankles almost on the ice, loose skates, and the guards saying nothing. It's not even a good business practice, because if the new skater can't stay upright, why would they ever want to go ice skating again? Last night, I just had to tell one guy to go back and ask for a smaller pair of skates (and the ones that he was wearing were also so beat up that they didn't lace up all the way, giving him no support whatsoever)... meanwhile, the guard was totally oblivious to the poor kid clinging to the boards!
If I see someone in a very obvious bad fit, or very loosely tied (or untied!!!) I just skate up to them and nicely recommend a lower size, or that they crank the laces down, etc. Not all the people working the counter know anything. The skate guards are in the same situation-sometimes they don't really know any better. If I'm getting my skates on and I see a clueless parent I help them out (don't tell anyone it will ruin my image :twisted: ). I will help little kids, they really don't know any better, even the hockey kids (yeah, I'm a hockey mom too)

I'm glad you had a great day skating....don't days like that make it all worthwhile???

Skate@Delaware

08-05-2006, 10:16 AM

I did an off-ice workout....haven't skated in a while and have been sick with migraines this month (they suck). I finally made it to the gym (I feel lazy with all the heat) and have been cautioned by my trainer to take it easy until I feel better.

I did some treadmill (slower than I normally do) and then did 30 minutes of stretching for my hamstrings and legs. I had gotten a deep-tissue massage Wednesday evening and could really feel the difference. Also did some barre work (actually the railing behind the locker rooms....whatever it takes) got some good stretches going there then hit the aerobics room for some floor work on my spiral and attitude spiral. They are getting better on the left leg but I need to break out my Maxi-flex and really stretch it out.

Also need to work on my spinner; haven't done that because of the migraines-spinning makes me even more nauseous when my head hurts but I need to work on positioning for the backspin and camel...and sitspin....:frus:

Emberchyld

08-05-2006, 02:47 PM

I use the slip-on elbow pads (from walmart, where else) plain white, for some sport like volleyball, come in small, med, large. Just slip them on over my stuff and when I didn't need them slipped right off. They are super-cheap and washable.

Thank you! I'm on my way to WalMart today to get a pair. I was afraid that the only things available were those dreadful rollerblading things... I never would have thought of volleyball pads!

Lock, lift, lower---that's what my coach told me...lock (sort of, I still don't lock my leg all the way) your leg, Lift your torso and leg, lower your torso...I also push my skating leg a bit forward. If you make a mantra it helps!

I still can't get into the lowering part-- I think years of drilling proper arabesques into my head are now fighting against proper spirals.... I try, get my leg up to 90 with my torso still upright... and glide for about a second because I promptly lose my balance! I'll try to remember lock, lift, lower!

And last night there were another two kids that I went up to because their skates were actually gaping around their ankles. I feel kind-of goofy doing so, only because I don't consider myself a great skating authority yet, but it just looks painful, and I don't think it's fair to the new skaters either. *sigh*

Thanks for all of the help, Skate@Delaware!

Skate@Delaware

08-05-2006, 03:28 PM

You are quite welcome!!!

Sk8pdx

08-05-2006, 06:36 PM

Face Plant:
Couldn't center any spins at all today. not even a simple upright. Back spins are even worse. It is taking me forever to master a change foot spin :evil: Practiced with my program music for the first tme since spring. Ewww. it was bad! Also landed square on my a** and slid nearly across the whole rink on a salchow gone wrong. The good thing is, I managed to refrain from breaking the landing with my hands down. I guess I am getting better at falling. (should I have put that under "smooth landing"?)

Smooth Landing:
Landed a loop today!!! 3 times, Finally!!! Coach was there and saw it too! (like that never happens!). I'm actually having fun working w Bronze moves (except power 3s:frus: sorta suck). and now that Jazzpants passed hers, it is even more inspiring to work on them. Yes, you can eat an elephant one bite at a time. :)

Went over goals and competition plans with my coach over Starbucks. What could be better than special coach time off ice and coffee.:yum:

mikawendy

08-05-2006, 07:37 PM

Smooth Landing: Only 3 other people at the first FS session this morning. Plenty o room to work on my FS program without dodging little kiddies.

Face Plant: Just got my blades sharpened and the ice wasn't cut this morning, so spinning felt wonky. Also felt tired in general.

Edited to add: Congrats to sk8pdx on landing her loop and to jazzpants on passing Bronze MIF!

aussieskater

08-06-2006, 01:06 AM

Smooth landing - back on the ice! (Tentative but it's a start). I went around with my little daughter today to see how the dreaded toe would behave in a skating boot, and it was OK. Ached a bit in the boot (no surprise after a few weeks away), but didn't pain as such, and isn't hurting now, some hours later. Good. :D :D

Face plant - I've lost right FO3s - and for that matter anything which requires a RO edge, thanks to my brain telling my body that "that's your sore toe so stay away from it..." Mind you, the one thing which requires a RO edge and which has, if anything, improved is my RO to RI change of edge...might have something to do with the brain getting the body off the edge with the sore toe ASAP ... :) Also face plant - I was riding in my heels rather than the middle of the blade (again, my errant brain telling my foot to keep away from the toe - even though the toe didn't hurt! The things our brains do to us.)

Never mind, I'll just take things easy for a while, and won't jump into full-out (for me :oops: ) skating until the toe (or the brain) says I can. Ambling around the rink was pretty good anyway!

samba

08-06-2006, 02:50 AM

On Wednesday night we were dancing at Alex. Palace, and a friend said I would find it easier to keep my feet together if I kept my thighs together. Which it does - and Husband pointed out where I was losing control of my free leg..... so all in all it is going much better, and much less scrapy

I cant imagine how you can have your feet together and not your thighs??8O but it makes me laugh to imagine it :lol: I guess they mean to focus more on the thighs rather than the feet, I will try it myself as and whenever our rink re-opens, sigh.

- but I still wide-step on the step forward to the LFI edge, and it's driving me insane, especially as I don't do it when I solo the dance! Grrrrrrrrr.

Maybe I'm stating the obvious here, but if you do this better solo (which is much harder) then it must be something to do with your joint timing, maybe he is counting the beats too fast leaving you no choice but to wide step to keep up with him or you are counting them too slow, you probably already do so but try counting the beats out loud for now so that you both step at the same time and dont let him hurry you, I know how eager he gets, bless him!! Please dont take this as a criticism just a suggestion because I have much work to do before I can criticise anyone :lol: :lol:

Good luck
Samba

samba

08-06-2006, 02:52 AM

Face Plant
No rink.:cry: :cry: :cry: closed for refurbishment and I have already been told fees are going up once its finished.

Smooth landing
I wish.

Mrs Redboots

08-06-2006, 07:01 AM

Maybe I'm stating the obvious here, but if you do this better solo (which is much harder) then it must be something to do with your joint timing, maybe he is counting the beats too fast leaving you no choice but to wide step to keep up with him or you are counting them too slow, you probably already do so but try counting the beats out loud for now so that you both step at the same time and dont let him hurry you, I know how eager he gets, bless him!! Please dont take this as a criticism just a suggestion because I have much work to do before I can criticise anyone :lol: :lol: I think you may well be right - we spent ages this morning doing the end pattern over and over and over and over again, trying to isolate what the problem is. Partly, sometimes, I'm just not getting any oomph on the RBI cross edge, so he's gone away from me before the step to forwards.....

Smooth Landings: What was seriously gratifying, though, was that we were able to do it all at speed - Husband occasionally felt like holding back (we do 3 pushes and then into the RFI edge for the Mohawk), but I just said "Push!" so we did them all pretty fast. Which was the whole point, as we can do it quite well, slowly!

Plus, tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, but I think I just might have had a breakthrough on the Dance Moves - they felt much more flowy and edgy this morning! Not 100% certain that (a) I can sustain this or (b) I'm doing the right thing yet or even (c) what, exactly, I'm doing differently, but you never know.....

And a third plus - we did a Swing Dance when the music was playing, and I got the timing right on the Mohawk BOTH PATTERNS, which is unheard-of! Yaay me. Maybe one day the coach will let us test our L4 compulsories... then again, maybe he won't!

Face Plant: Husband doesn't want to compete it at Bristol, though, so we're only doing the qualifying classes, plus he's doing the Intermediate solo compulsories. Must get the applications sent off, now we've filled them in!

His L4 Dance Moves aren't so good - he could not understand his coach's correction, it was so funny! He just looked totally blank - I knew what she thought he needed to correct, and agreed with her, but he couldn't understand what she was asking at all, to their mutual frustration! I explained it to him very slowly and clearly afterwards.....

His solos are lovely once he gets going, you can't fault them except for the occasional bobble on timing, but oh dear, his starts look terrible! If only he could get a good start, it would really help his presentation.

There's a problem in our step sequence in our free dance - I've developed a mental block about my first 3-turn, and I think I'm going to have to ask the coach to help us rechoreograph that bit, as it's ruining the whole thing. Sigh...... :frus:

kateskate

08-06-2006, 12:25 PM

Smooth landing

Sadly little. I had one of those bad skate days. Everything was not right. I'm struggling to think of one thing.... oh back inside double threes felt good and fast. And the bracket/three double turn in my step sequence feels better. I don't feel like I'm coming to a stop now that I'm thinking of travelling forwards. And the dance club organiser said he liked the choreography of my free dance. Well that's at least something.

I demonstrated an axel for a kid in a lesson and I hadn't warmed it up or done any jumps and i did it to backwards and without a thud on landing. I think it may be coming back..... Sadly due to my new disciplined self I did not explore this further as I needed so desparately to practise dance.

And one of the older ladies said I did a lovely Argentine Tango in the interval with my teacher - I asked her if she could please tell my teacher that! I know I can't do it but its nice to hear that someone thinks it looks good.

Face plant
Inside edges. I have an awful swing on left forward inside edges. I spent 30mins doing forward inside edges from standstill and I couldn't quite get it. I'm fine when I can swing my free leg through but if I have to just hold the edge (as in the willow waltz) it gets really swinging. Inside edges are my nemesis. And I do practise them. I guess I've got into bad habits.

Really struggled on the outside outside inside inside mohawk section of the willow waltz. All very very swingy. And my teacher made me look at the tracings - some (most) are suspiciously diagonal flats. Why do I find it so hard.

Fiesta tango was better but was still not doing the crossroll correctly. Teacher said he thought I had more in me.

That stupid spin at the end of my free dance. I was so cross with myself. I CAN do a camel sit change foot upright so why don't I do it. I only managed one that was 3 revs, 3 revs, 3 revs. The others were 2 revs, 2 revs, 2 revs - if that. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Blade was making a weird noise on left back inside edges. Great. Another basic thing I can't do right.

Backward inside spiral in my free dance just wants to go in a completely different direction to where it should. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I think teacher was despairing more than usual today. He is usually super perfectionist wants everything done correctly to way above the standard (I do prefer that he is like that) but sometimes it just makes me think I can't do anything. I honestly feel like a beginner a lot of thetime.

I have so many bad habits a lot of which I have ironed out but a lot are still there. Years with a different coach messed up a lot of my dance. I really wish I'd had my current coach from the beginning. But its too late now. I did so much wrong before and just didn't know it. So at least now I know what I'm doing wrong and what is the right way. Its tough though on days like today when I feel I can't do anything at all and he must think I'm completely hopeless. I am trying though. One lesson I got so cross with myself that even he said 'Don't worry, its not your fault - you just have to relearn it and thats hard' so at least he knows that I am trying - I think.

I stayed on the ice for 3 hours after my lesson and practised hard. I did so many edges I thought I would go crazy. I hope it worked and I'm on the way to doing it right.

That was a bit of a rant....

Mrs Redboots

08-06-2006, 02:03 PM

Fiesta tango was better but was still not doing the crossroll correctly. Teacher said he thought I had more in me. We were given a superb drill for this in France - Xavier made us do a LFO outside edge round one of the corner hockey circles, then cross to the RFO as we hit the blue line at the end of the rink. That way, he pointed out, you have to get on a decent outside edge, or you'll hit the barrier! So we did, and haven't really had trouble with that step since. First of all we did it solo, then together, and then added the LFI edge afterwards in.....

kateskate

08-06-2006, 03:04 PM

We were given a superb drill for this in France - Xavier made us do a LFO outside edge round one of the corner hockey circles, then cross to the RFO as we hit the blue line at the end of the rink. That way, he pointed out, you have to get on a decent outside edge, or you'll hit the barrier! So we did, and haven't really had trouble with that step since. First of all we did it solo, then together, and then added the LFI edge afterwards in.....

Thank you I'll have to try tomorrow. Will have to modify it slilghtly as we don't have hockey circles. But I get what you mean.

sk8pics

08-06-2006, 04:05 PM

My new free program is about half way done and seriously hard, but that's okay. Actually, in my lesson today my coach was very pleased at some tries I made at one section of it, where I'm supposed to spin and then exit directly into back crossovers as opposed to gliding out on an edge. 8O But it wasn't all that bad. The other 8O today was doing a waltz jump out of some forward skating, but that actually happened for the first time today so it was 8-) . The final 8O 8O is doing jumps out of a backward spiral without first putting my free leg down. Can't say that made any progress today, except in it becoming very clear to me that it's going to be hard!

Also have to say that the alternating back crossovers with the extensions in between (from the bronze moves test) is coming along nicely.

Happy skating everyone!
Pat

Skate@Delaware

08-06-2006, 05:14 PM

Smooth Landing:
Arrived at the rink early enough to see people still in lessons (always a nice treat; saw Pat and Lisa). Had enough time to change and relax from the drive (we made really good time today, only took an hour and fifteen).

Public session was very EMPTY!!! No parties or anything!!! So, got a good warmup going: deep slaloms, edges, progressives, then some back crossovers. Did a few waltz jumps and salchows too. (eta: was showing Lisa the front/3-turn/back spiral my coach wants me to do this year...and I can almost do it! it's slow, but hey, it 's a start!) Started working with hubby on some moves: mohawks (not that mine are any better...), 3-turns; and 2-foot spins. He manages a 2-rev one foot spin!

Face Plant: Here's where Murphy's Law of Skating kicks in...right when we were getting ready to work on pair back crossovers, I said "I smell ammonia"...no sooner were the words out of my mouth when we were hurredly herded off the ice, to grab our gear and get out of the building!!!!

So much for the session! The rink was officially closed for the remainder of the day! We only skated for 30 minutes....:cry: I mean, it was a good 30 but still...never did get to work on our routine or my sit spins or camels.....:frus:

Sk8pdx

08-06-2006, 07:31 PM

S@D, oooo, is there going to be a new pairs team blossoming? 8-)

Sorry to hear that your session was cut so short. bummer.:(

Skate@Delaware

08-06-2006, 08:23 PM

S@D, oooo, is there going to be a new pairs team blossoming? 8-)

Sorry to hear that your session was cut so short. bummer.:(
Well, we got about 30 solid minutes of good practice in, so that's something!!! Since my throat was getting irritated by the ammonia, I really didn't mind leaving for fresh air!!!

I'm trying to get a pair partner!!! Since I can play evil wife :twisted: (easy part for me)....he doesn't have much choice but to do what I tell him.....Actually, he does think it's fun and we did manage some coordinated skating a few weeks ago that psyched him for it!!!

I'm not going to talk about our matching outfits....except to say that the man is going crazy with the sequins...8O

jazzpants

08-06-2006, 08:53 PM

Ammonia??? YIKES!!! I constantly have to be aware given the politics at my weekend rink and the setup that I may sometimes have to "run for our lives" b/c of the ammonia fumes. So far to date, I haven't had to go thru the trouble and I've been there for years!!!

Okay, with that point...

Smooth Landing:
I did warm up on the ice with the Bronze Moves elements and it's smooth and comfortable again! :roll: :giveup: (Or should this go under "Face Plant?") But in any case, I will keep doing these moves to warm up! They look pretty (when done right...) Plus I have a feeling one of these moons I'll be needing them again! ;) I was able to get thru most of the elements for my Bronze FS program, including the footwork. Well, every element except for...

Face Plant:
.... THE STINKIN' #$&*@ LOOP!!! :evil: :frus: I can't seemed to land those cleanly. And I can't help but think that maybe I'm slightly under rotated too. :giveup:

doubletoe

08-06-2006, 09:14 PM

Face Plant:
It is taking me forever to master a change foot spin :evil:
Smooth Landing:
Landed a loop today!!! 3 times, Finally!!! Coach was there and saw it too! (like that never happens!).

Congratulations on the loop!! That is a very exciting jump to land for the first time because it's really the first one where you have to stay backwards and rotate over the landing hip (so it really feels like a full revolution). It's a major accomplishment! :D
As for the change foot spin, you are not alone. I had had a lutz for 2 years before I actually did one of those, and I still have trouble on it sometimes. Here's what I think as I step onto my right foot: "ball of foot, back pivot" Both of those thoughts really help! I also try to remember to think of my body as a single unit so that I don't drop a shoulder or twist my body in any way.

doubletoe

08-06-2006, 09:23 PM

Smooth Landing:
- Skated 3-1/2 hours today! Ahh, I love Sundays, when I don't have to rush off to the office after just one hour on hard, early morning ice!
- Landed 4 double toes, after not even trying them for months. And I figured out something about my takeoff position that I think is going to make them better from now on.
- Skated my program 3 times! I can't remember the last time I did that many run-throughs. This is good for building stamina. :)
- My spiral sequence pattern is now looking like that of the hotshot triple-lutz landing kid who was on my session today, woo hoo! Not the positions, mind you, just the ice tracings, LOL!
- Back perimeter power 3's (Intermediate MIF) are starting to get stronger and faster. . .at least today.

Face Plant:
- Wasn't able to land even one clean double salchow today, and it's been that way all week. I think it's probably all mental, but still. . . :cry:

sk8pics

08-07-2006, 05:49 AM

Face Plant: Here's where Murphy's Law of Skating kicks in...right when we were getting ready to work on pair back crossovers, I said "I smell ammonia"...no sooner were the words out of my mouth when we were hurredly herded off the ice, to grab our gear and get out of the building!!!!

Glad you were okay! I heard about it later in the afternoon from someone who was there. She said the fire department was there, and it was on the news this morning. Here's a link:

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060807/NEWS/608070339/1006

Guess I'll have to call later to see if they're open! What a bummer... hoping the employee is okay.