Hockey Ice or Figure Skating Ice - Oct 22 to 28

[Rusty Blades]

Me again? We have to start the practice thread on a different day of the week so other people get a chance to start it more often!

Ok, what are we going to call it this time ? ? ? Oh, I KNOW! (Since we were complaining about hard ice last week.)

Hockey Ice: The discomfort along the outside of the tibia (both legs) was quite intense today once I got onto the ice - it MUST have been the backward stair climbing yesterday! I even looked it up in Gray’s Anatomy and sure enough there is a muscle there from which the bottom tendon wraps around the bottom of the foot but I didn’t find the name or function. Whatever it is, I obviously overworked it yesterday!

Figure Skating Ice: I did half of the two hour session working on stroking, backward glides, 3-Turns and Mohawks, all of which went reasonably well.

Time now to let things heal for a couple of days.

[froggy]

hockey ice: pre-bronze 3-turn pattern... :twisted: enough said


figure skating ice: finally its a true miracle there is some..although very tiny some progress coming along in my sit spin, in my best spin today i had a decent entrance, spun 2x and then stood up with my leg together into a 1 foot spun maybe 2-3x and then exited! this was after maybe like crashing 3x on myself and attempting maybe like 20 sit spins..exhausting! my waltz 8 is also coming along

[DallasSkater]

Rusty blades: Thanks for starting the new one..cute!

Froggy: Don't scare me! giggle.

Hockey Ice: Back to my rink today...5 seems to be the magic number of birthday parties on public ice each weekend day. Egads it was impossible to practice anything that required even a bit of set up. Only stayed 45 minutes as I was concerned I would smush a kid...or maybe concerned because I had thoughts of such! I remember when I first started this board and the discussion was that people at my level should only be on public ice! I would have comments..giggle.

Figure Skating Ice: Did manage a few salchows and they are still there! Fear of the toe loop from the fall last night and limited space prevented me from seeing if that was still there. Spins are definitely easier on my own rink ice. What a difference.

There is a little competition locally next weekend. Several tiny ones were attempting to practice their programs on the busy ice. It was adorable watching them attempt to navigate the crowd ....

[Skate@Delaware]

Hockey Ice: but I wasn't wearing my hockey skates!!! Wouldn't have made any difference. Went to adult skate and I guess I was just tired and still messed up from my blood sugar (tend to get hypoglycemic)...things were kooky...and sloppy...and I must have a mental block on holding the back part of the 3-turn on the salchow...and my toe-loop...I am not getting down and picking way back. I will work on that wednesday night.

Figure Skating Ice: however, I did manage a very nicely centered spin! Yay! And I did some of the 3-turn pattern and I noticed when waltzy type music is one I can do it much better. I actually managed to get from the back crossover to the front inside edge WITHOUT setting down my free foot (major accomplishment)!!!

We took the video camera to this afternoons session, but no chance of a program run-through as there were about 10 people!!!!

[jazzpants]

Hockey Ice:
What was left when I first stepped on the ice. The Zamboni was busted and the ice was a bunch of very dried and bumpy crap ice. :x :evil:

Figure Skating Ice:
(Well, not quite) Finally the rink mgmt. fixed the Zam about an hour before the session ended and they did a quickie resurface. Ice was not perfect but... eh, at least it's not bumpy and I can spin on it. I've had a couple of cases where I couldn't tell now whether or not I've landed my loop cleanly or whether I've did a toe tap, so either I am landing them clean... or I'm so used to toe tapping my landings that I can't tell the difference anymore. :twisted: :lol: :P

I've tried doubletoe's suggestions with the flip (aiming towards the left in my case on the entry and waiting a bit long on the entrance edge. Well, I will say this... it's a LOT more curvier and a lot more speed than I'm used to but when I'm in my braver moods, I could see where it's helping me to be more on the landing side when I land... (Now it's just a matter of being brave enough to trust that I'll land it.) :roll:

[Sk8pdx]

hockey ice: pre-bronze 3-turn pattern... :twisted: enough said
... my waltz 8 is also coming along

Froggy, when do you test? The pre-bronze gallerians are awaiting your success!8-)

Hockey Ice:
Jazzpants, did we skate at the same rink today? We had a similar situation with our zam too! :lol:

Found out that that the club hosting the test session in December cancelled it. So I will not be testing Bronze MIF. :frus: grrrrrr. Will have to wait til January. Maybe it is a good thing in disguise.:??

Figure Skating Ice:
Visited Seattle this weekend and met up with Casey along with some of my other pairs friends --and met new faces too. Had a wonderful skate. While Casey is nursing a broken finger, I was at the mercy of borrowing my pairs friends for a few exercises off ice. Was successful in a 1/2 press lift off ice. Totally fun. even funner is pairs spins (and for those of you who have seen Casey's spins, it is exhilirating to ride along. wheeeee!:D)

practiced loops (well, what would be considered something that resembles one anyway...) patiently, I am still fitting pieces together. first a few "walk through's" at the wall, feeling the edge, lifting up on the toe, feeling rotation etc... then small attempts away from the wall. I am getting a more secure RBOE in the entrance and it was a little deeper today. ... progress is being made though.

Sonic, WTG for landing yours! I am inspired :bow:

[sk8_4fun]

Hockey Ice School holidays (again!!!) even if I could get to the rink, our adult morning sessions are all cancelled anyway:cry:

figure skating ice I might eventually get down that mountain of ironing and feel less guilty when I do get back on the ice in.....9 days......

[doubletoe]

I've tried doubletoe's suggestions with the flip (aiming towards the left in my case on the entry and waiting a bit long on the entrance edge. Well, I will say this... it's a LOT more curvier and a lot more speed than I'm used to but when I'm in my braver moods, I could see where it's helping me to be more on the landing side when I land... (Now it's just a matter of being brave enough to trust that I'll land it.) :roll:

Great! Try to make the 3-turn long and not too curvy. The test is to do this entrance on a line and make sure that your 3-turn is on the left side of the line AND that your pick is either ON the line or a little on the left side, not on the right side of the line (if you cross the line on the 3-turn or pick, it means you over-rotated your 3-turn). Speed is good! :D Just remember, there's a correlation between speed and reach, so if you go into a flip or lutz with more speed, you need to reach back a little farther to pick. And when you do that, make sure you keep your upper body pulled back, with your shoulder blades squeezed together. If you lean forward at all, it will make it impossible to get your weight onto your picking foot and pull yourself back and up.

[Sonic]

Hockey ice

Coach commented that I was drooping my hands in my cross spins.
Cross spins were travelling a bit

Figure Ice

Don't think I have EVER said this (and probably won't say it again for a while)but...
...pretty much EVERYTHING.

Even the spin entrances were there.

Coach said camel spin was looking very good and before long would get more revs out of it. He said 'very nice' to most of much jumps and commented that they have really improved. He was particularly pleased with my loop - and even applauded my waltz jump loop combination.

But the best news? He said flip is 'not bad at all', and thinks once I get over the tendency to lean forward and 'scratch' the take-off foot before take off it will start to look 'nice'.

I feel really happy. Bit of a contrast to last week!:)

S xxx

[sue123]

I like to start with the good, so

Figure skating ice: Moves in the field actually worked for me. Managed to do some power pulls on the "wrong" side, about 4 in a row. I was happy because I could never even manage 2. And on hte good side, I was thisclose to getting all the way down the rink. All my stroking and 3 turns and mohawks, it all just worked today. The skate guard actually told me I'm a very graceful skater. Then he saw my hockey ice.

Hockey Ice: After doing so nicely on the moves, I tried to do some freestyle. Tried being hte operative word. Couldn't spin, couldn't jump. When I would try to spin, I ended up skidding off the side instead, and jumping, forget it. My feet were not leaving solid ice. I couldn't do even a one foot spin, let alone a scratch or sit spin. Couldn't do a decent waltz jump. It was all just one big clunker.

Is there ever a time when everything just works? For me, it seems if my jumps are good one day, my moves and spins suck. If my spins are good, ym jumps and moves suck. Well, you get the picture. So at what point does it all just stick and all work?

[Isk8NYC]

Figure Skating Ice:

I skated a Dutch Waltz and a Canasta Tango yesterday with my kids. I looked like a mother duck with my ducklings trailing along! LOL

We had a great time, just fooling around and doing what we wanted instead of working on elements and programs. That's coming up soon, though.

Spins were dead-on, except the change-foots. I even did a crappy little layback. LOL

Hockey Ice:

Didn't work on MITF at all, nor jumps higher than a waltz jump.
Sometimes, fun is more important than progress.

[faeriefall]

Not actually going to bad...but...

Hockey Ice:
Axel is coming back...but slowly...*grumbles* I hate having our ice closed all summer!
Getting frustrated, as all my doubles will be there if I could just keep my arms in and foot tucked...every time I go to jump you can hear this collective gasp because I *have* it and then something in my brain bails out halfway through...8O

Figure Skating Ice:
Singles are finally back to having their "effortlessness"
Finally started to get my foot crossing over at end of doubles
Beilmann is better than ever
Finally managed to skate my program clean... aside from a fall on double sal but it was a good fall since I normally bail and just do one and a half rotations...ah well, will see how things go today :lol:

[Team Arthritis]

Hockey Ice on Freestyle Session::evil: :evil: :evil:
6 Bloody AM and the ice is full of lastnight's hockey grooves. The morons keep raising Freestyle rates and can't even START the day with decent ice. Let's just say my BI3 wipeouts were more frequent than my decent BI3's.
Lyle

[jazzpants]

Hockey Ice:
Was half asleep this morning b/c I couldn't sleep.. Ended up emailing reply to a friend's email instead.

Came close again a few times but no cigar on the loop. Primary coach says that he's not as worried about my loop as he is about my toe-loop (or rather my "toe-waltz!" :twisted: :roll: )

Did a runthru of the program and almost tripped on my footwork. Part of the problem is that we needed to redo certain sections so I would have more flow and so that I can demonstrate that I can push out on a BO edge from a spin. (Secondary coach said that it's mandatory for standard track but primary coach quoted our resident judge (the judge that critiqued me on my moves actually) saying that I don't really have to do it, but if I did it, it would make it more obviously to the judges that I have control coming out of my spins. So guess what? We had to rework my footwork at the beginning so I can push out. We also did some reworking on the footwork from one of my jumps so it would have more flow coming out.

Figure Skating Ice:
Well, despite all this, I did managed to get thru the program relatively clean, even when I'm sleep-skating! So I guess I'm getting closer to being ready to take my Bronze FS test soon. 8O

[Terri C]

Hockey Ice:
Was half asleep this morning b/c I couldn't sleep.. Ended up emailing reply to a friend's email instead.

You had problems sleeping last night too? Was this a "Will I Move to Bronze Insomnia?"

Hockey Ice:
It is quite a adjustment going from roomy weekend freestyles to the weekday crowded having to fight to do elements kind of freestyle session. I almost collided twice with the same skater as I was doing moves and she was setting up for a axel.
The sitspin sucked.

Figure Skating Ice:
Moves are getting better and more comfortable every time I get on the ice, especially the power threes!

[Skate@Delaware]

Hockey Ice: literally, as the ice had been zammed rather quickly after LTS hockey and was really crappy....so warmup for dance was on crappy ice...

Figure Skating Ice: There were only 2 of us in dance class tonight, which made it our choice-we got to re-do the Canasta Tango, which was really good-told her I was really having a brain spasm on it. By the umpteenth time around, it was finally sinking in!!! WOW! By george, I think I've got it!!! Now all I need is to do it 5 million more times and I'll have it for sure!

Again, she reminded me about testing and "renting" her partner.....I'm seriously thinking about it now.

ETA: my boss wanted me to switch my day off to another day so the office would be attended. I normally would not care, but my day off is Thursday and that is my skating day-I planned on hitting the ice twice that day (the am then the afternoon session) so I could work on some program stuff and my footwork. If I moved it to Friday, there is no session I could skate on. I have a competition on Nov 4th and this would impact me in a negative way. I hate to be selfish, but I'm going to say "no" to him...I don't know if this will impact anything down the road or not (he is only doing this because he has a new boss and it's her rule that the office be manned fully).

[aussieskater]

Figure Skating Ice: There were only 2 of us in dance class tonight, which made it our choice-we got to re-do the Canasta Tango, which was really good-told her I was really having a brain spasm on it. By the umpteenth time around, it was finally sinking in!!! WOW! By george, I think I've got it!!! Now all I need is to do it 5 million more times and I'll have it for sure!

Again, she reminded me about testing and "renting" her partner.....I'm seriously thinking about it now.

This sounds like a really good suggestion - DH and I thought we *knew* the Canasta reasonably well, and can both skate it solo without step errors (no style or grace or anything but the steps are recognisable), and we discovered at yesterday's lesson that we don't...the end pattern from the run to the cross-roll and ending at the restart is dire, because we can't partner in it. Legs, hips, arms, heads, direction - all every which way (and none of it the same way as the partner's! :lol: )

So guess who knocked whose feet out from under him (hey! it's always the man's fault, right?? :P ), and guess what we're practising ad nauseum this week??

[slusher]

Hockey ice:

The stench from the hockey guys that have the ice after figure club just about knocked me out. Why is it some sort of macho thing to never wash your equipment?

Speaking of ice, we've had freeze/thaw so the top layer is delaminating. Everybody was making dinner plate divots and the ice was chewing up.

Completely forgot my footwork. A string of mohawks does not constitute footwork says coach. ho hum. I was thinking of the loop that was coming up. I did the loop, I usually skate through it, so I'm happy.

Figure Skating Ice:

ho ho, The European is in da house! It's like this dance was made for me. I can't wait for my dance lesson to do this with the Man, hopefully the EW dance god will continue to shine on me.

(I don't want to talk about the fourteenstep)

[phoenix]

ho ho, The European is in da house! It's like this dance was made for me. I can't wait for my dance lesson to do this with the Man, hopefully the EW dance god will continue to shine on me.

(I don't want to talk about the fourteenstep)

Well, I'm glad we found the person it was made for, since it certainly wasn't made for the rest of us!! :lol: Actually I love that dance partnered, it's pretty easy & also very pretty to watch. It's just soloing it that had me :frus: all summer!

[jazzpants]

You had problems sleeping last night too? Was this a "Will I Move to Bronze Insomnia?"More like the "Will I ever land the loop clean" Insomnia!!! :roll: :giveup:

[Mrs Redboots]

Well, I'm glad we found the person it was made for, since it certainly wasn't made for the rest of us!! :lol: Actually I love that dance partnered, it's pretty easy & also very pretty to watch. It's just soloing it that had me :frus: all summer!We have occasionally stepped through it, but you couldn't say we had danced it! I agree with you, I rather love it, too. We were taught it when we could just barely do a 3-turn (dancing it the width of the rink, not the length!). Our then group coach explained that it would be "some time" (like twelve years?) before we could dance it "properly", but that there was simply nothing better for practising back edges & 3-turns.

Hockey ice: It's all very well our skating coach saying he wants to see more kneebend in my left knee, but it doesn't bend any further! So Husband and I are a bit out of balance, as he has more bend in his left knee, and so we end up with me being about 4" taller than him on that side, but fairly together on our rights. Hmmmm.

Ghastly exercises we had to do this morning, all designed to get our edges deeper. Then later it was exercises designed to get our shoulders moving in unison. Husband was moving his shoulders all right, when he remembered - unfortunately, he was leaving his arms behind, so it didn't actually help, especially as we were working in Reverse Kilian Hold at the time!

Still having trouble with weight shift going backwards, especially the change from back crossovers to back cross-cuts in my Dance Moves. Hope to address this in my lesson tomorrow, plus figure 8s of back crossovers.

Figure Ice: Still, we are beginning to see how things must work, and I expect it will ultimately inform our competitive skating. I hope so!

[jazzpants]

Hockey ice:
Or should I say that I don't care what kind of ice it was... cuz I got a good amount of it on my BUTT right after my lesson!!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: Secondary coach was trying to get me to jump UP on my loop. Got frustrated and made me jump in the harness. About 10 minutes later, still couldn't get me to jump up, but my pants are TOTALLY SOAKED!!!

Figure Skating Ice:
My pants are soaked, but when I tried the loop again, I still couldn't get it, but I had NO FEAR going into it, b/c I was expecting to fall!!! The falls from the harness wasn't bad at all... and I came off feeling like I am expecting to fall and it's okay to do so b/c the falls aren't so bad! (Hmmm...weird...good weird... but weird...)

More waltz jumps attempts. I spent a good 20 minutes on those! Secondary coach seems to think that I am starting to kick thru "a little" more towards the end of the waltz jump drill. (Of course, I don't feel like I'm "kicking thru." Weird...)

Okay, time to get out of these very wet jazz pants now... YEEECH!!! :x

[Skate@Delaware]

Hockey Ice: the rink was FREEZING COLD today!!! Ok, I know it's a rink but it was about 18 degrees in there!!!!!!! sheesh!!!! It was very hard to get things pumping!!!

Figures Skating Ice: Despite the fact that it was cold, and took forever to warm up, I managed to do some of these:
crossovers: slow and deliberate and controlled; concentrating on the underpush
spins: again, slow and deliberate and 5 out of 10 attempts were centered, the remainder didn't travel too far; 3-4 were wicked fast!
3-turn pattern: managed quite well, despite almost running into people while I was going down the wrong way (I saw them and moved out of the way but they moved to where I moved to....)
program: no run through at all....maybe later when I go back
mohawks: better! Actually did some that got on the outside edge!!!
drunken sailors: at speed, not too bad; coming out of them and going into the spiral is iffy but who cares! I'm skating no-test and at this stage of the game they don't expect me to be Michelle Kwan, right?

I was supposed to work today, but my boss was insistent that I come in on Thursday (my normal day off); after looking at the ice schedule again, I realized that by taking off today I could skate twice...so I did! Thursday could be used to watch the vids on the usfsa site....since no one else will be in. I have a nice job.

[doubletoe]

What's a "drunken sailor":?:

[kateskate]

Hockey Ice
Well we had no ice this morning :cry: I got to the rink and the zamboni was on the ice stuck and the ice hadn't been resurfaced after last night's disco session. The ice was very snowy and since it had been left all night the snow had frozen further forming lovely dangerous lumps and bumps. I got on to try and skate but I couldn't control my feet and my dance teacher said it was too dangerous to teach and cancelled. It was scary. Usually I'll skate on anything but that was just ridiculous. I couldn't imagine trying to skate dances on it. Yikes. So I went and had breakfast instead

Last night lutzes were all weird. I need my teacher back to tell me what weird habit I've picked up!

Change foot sit spins weren't working either - and they've been pretty consistent of late :-(

Also for fun I did a run through of my free skating programme. I'm not sure if I'm keeping it for next year and I've been practising field moves recently so it was very underrehearsed. Its scary how quickly things revert to BAD!

14 step with my teacher is amusing. I do like to wander off and do my own thing. And I really cheat the mohawk - there is a bit of inside creeping in there oops! Practice needed!

Figure skating ice
Did 3 good axels on Sunday and 3 good axels yesterday! No thud and I felt I had lift. Sadly arms still flail about desparately trying to get over my head and I don't cross my feet but they were on their way back!!!!

Did a couple of decent flying camels. One even felt so nice that I was able to control when I wanted to exit the back camel rather than waiting for the spin to slow and demand I exit.

Dance teacher said my free dance run through was good 8O 8O although he may just be trying to raise my confidence for the competition. Ah well

Field moves feel not scary and I like doing them ALL now - even the mohawks and back inside 3s. Back inside 3s feel really nice when they work.

[Skittl1321]

Hockey Ice: No one can stretch my skates. Now for the "home cures" I'm just nervous about that. I did redo the laces so they skip the hole around the widest part of my foot and that helped a bit. But once I start skating long spans of time, I don't know if it will do. Oh well, next time I get skates I'll spring for the split widths- problem is, that's probably 2-3 years from now.

Figure Skating Ice: Awesome lesson! We worked on waltz- that was a jump?- for the last couple seconds. Mine could be described as a waltz step to the other foot, but both my blades leave the ice and it feels awesome to turn around "in the air" (hah). We also did them from a back outside edge, mohawk to a fwd outside edge and land on a back outside edge, so it was more real than when I learned them and we just jumped back and forth over the line. The ballet jump was not SO terrible tonight either. Still not a good thing though.

[Skate@Delaware]

Hockey Ice: I'm totally insane for going again...after freezing this morning. The zamboni was LATE getting onto the ice. By the time we got on, it was 10 minutes into the session and then 6 girls showed up (sigh). So much for having a mostly empty session.

The only thing I have to gripe about is my toe-loop....it really sucks right now. I know I'm popping up as soon as I turn the 3...knowing I'm doing that, wouldn't you think I would STOP doing that? Nooooo....man....I have a hard head and just don't listen to myself. I need to do that picking exercise (skate backwards, bend down, pick behind and jump up).

Didn't get to run through my program "big time" because the music box wasn't turned on....darn! So I listened via my mp3 player...and I realized when I was looking for a place to clip it that my dress had no place to clip it to! (my dress is a one-shoulder piece)....so I clipped it to my bra down the front of my dress 8O . I'm sure the people in the lobby were wondering why I kept messing with myself......:lol:

Figure Skating Ice: I wore my new dress, as a "rehearsal" so I could get used to the way it feels before my competition. After warming up (which wasn't as bad, as I did my off-ice) I hit my elements...and had a really good skate! I had put the toastie-toes in my skates, which helped to keep me warmer.

Waltz jump: why can I do a good one when my coach isn't arount? I managed to actually kick through and land without curving on a deep edge....I'm hoping it sticks around for my lesson on Sunday.

Salchow: After warming up with the 3-turn pattern, I worked on the salchow with the sideways kicking motion my coach wants me to do...and actually did it!!! Several times! I had been knee-ing through (ugly I know). I only did one bad one, when I rushed it.

Spins: Pretty much back, as long as I don't rush. I sweep my arms (not karate-chop) and have noticed they are much better if I am really down in the knee, AND I'm finally hooking with my toe-pick again...yay!!! I'm trying to go easy and not rush bringing that free leg in. Did some fast "snot-slinging" spins 8O (he-he-he)....

Spirals: I'm all set on this!!! Front to back is good!!! I'm going to work on more stretch, my hip flexor is tighter than normal and it's been harder to get a great spiral but a good spiral is nice. I did manage some fairly straight back ones.

Mohawks/Drunken Sailors: fairly good, I figured out why I have a hard time with the second one in my footwork sequence...it's an outside mohawk and I'm curving to the left but I'm to step down, turn to front and go to the right onto my right foot for a short spiral. It's awkward....hmmmm maybe if I switched the mohawks around it might work better. Time left for another tweak!

PS-I had a lovely chat with one of our younger skaters while waiting for the zamboni. She just participated in Sectionals. She usually comes across as stand-offish but now I'm thinking that she is just one that is slow to warm up to a person. We compared "toepick" stories and our on- and off-ice workout schedules...it was nice!

[Rusty Blades]

Figure Skating Ice: No problem with the sore muscles tonight. (The physiotherapist said the backward stairs would have targeted those specific muscles - backward stairs in moderation only from now on!)

Spend well over an hour on backwards; stroking, edges, pumping on the circle, and back-to-front turns. The backward sure comes together nice when I remember to keep the knees bent, butt stuck out, and keep the hips loose! My backward skating is going to be considerably smoother and more graceful than my forward, probably stronger too once the muscles get built up again.

As a break from backwards, it was 3-Turns and Mohawks (yet again), and stringing turns together (until I get dizzy!).

Good session! (Now I just need another good session tomorrow with my coach!)

Hockey Ice: Had my last session of physio today (for my ankle sprain) - I am going to MISS getting pampered for an hour twice a week. :roll:

[Sk8pdx]

Figure Skating Ice:
Had a moves lesson with my Primary today. Worked on actually performing moves on the correct pattern and setting up correctly on lobes and axis points. I am actually beginning to like the Power 3s. It is the Alternating back XO's to Back outside edges that is now giving me fits.:frus: but I think with more time it will be easier to master.

Briefly at the end of the lesson we reviewed the wall exercises for loop jump, and then tried them away from the wall. As I attempted a loop from a mohawk entry (only 1/2 rotation and 2 foot landing). Coach looked squarely at me and said "I can see the fire in your eyes!".

Hockey Ice:
Bronze MIF has been postponed til February. :twisted:
Although.... *she ponders*...
Hmmmm. maybe after landing loop and flip by then I'll be closer to testing Bronze Freeskate too. Hmmmmm. and then after that, I can work on a program for Adult Pac Sectionals by 2008. and then after that.....8O:!: I am seeing visions of vodka nips... :D :P

[jazzpants]

Briefly at the end of the lesson we reviewed the wall exercises for loop jump, and then tried them away from the wall. As I attempted a loop from a mohawk entry (only 1/2 rotation and 2 foot landing). Coach looked squarely at me and said "I can see the fire in your eyes!". See it? I can FEEL the heat!!! OUCH!!! SMOKIN'!!! http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/images/smilies/smokin1.gif

Hockey Ice:
Bronze MIF has been postponed til February. :twisted:BOOOOO... but OTOH, extra time to cram!!!

and then after that.....8O:!: I am seeing visions of vodka nips... :D :PAHA!!!!!!! NOW we know your TRUE motivation factor!!! LOL!!! :P :twisted: :lol:

[Mrs Redboots]

Hockey Ice
Well we had no ice this morning :cry: I got to the rink and the zamboni was on the ice stuck and the ice hadn't been resurfaced after last night's disco session. Gack! Been there, done that - you should have come down to us! Since they bought a new machine, our ice has been really nice.

Back inside 3s feel really nice when they work.Any tips on how to get them? Mine are still at the stage of turning small circles, although my back outsides sometimes work now.

Not today, though.

Hockey ice: Owwwwww.... my knees hurt! Not too badly now I've stopped skating, but I was really focussing on trying to bend them this morning, and it really made my knee hurt. Then the coach couldn't understand that I find LFO swing rolls harder than RFO ones: "But that's the easy side!" "No it isn't!!!"

Gave me an appalling exercise absolutely guaranteed to cause cramp in my toes, where you bend your knees under you and shoot one foot out, still on the ice. The idea is to alternate them, keeping the underneath foot bent and the in front foot pointed, but it gave me cramp!

Dance moves still dire - cross-rolls okay, actually, but with the cross-cuts I either get the knee-bend he wants or I keep my upper body upright; don't seem able to do both right now so end up grinding to a halt.

Skating ice: In our practice, Husband and I were beginning to find some rhythm in the cross-roll exercise he gave us yesterday. Foxtrot hold still impossible, but everything else beginning to show signs of improvement. We skated round backwards hand-in-hand, which was - interesting! Maybe one day we'll dare do back crossovers together; usually when we try this is a big disaster.

[kateskate]

Any tips on how to get them? Mine are still at the stage of turning small circles, although my back outsides sometimes work now.

Not today, though.



Thinking about a steep inside edge and feeling it come almost completely round and thinking about turning my shoulders before my feet really helps - otherwise I block myself and turn my feet with my shoulders facing square rather than outside the circle. My dance teacher makes me do back inside edges crossing in front down the rink - like the last back inside edge for the spin entrance - for practice. If that makes sense....doubletoe is better at explaining things - her explanation helped me!

Figure skating ice
We had ice today!!!!!! Ran through all my stuff for the competition in Oxford on Sunday. All ok but not particularly good. Step sequence on the free dance was much faster and more powerful - I ran out of room for the last back twizzle so I should beable to fit it in the Oxford rink.

Teacher made me do the willow waltz with my head up the whole time - he shouted 'head' for the whole dance so I wouldn't forget. He said I often put my head down when doing a step and then lift it again so it looks like I need my head to bend my knees! And amazingly I managed a whole willow waltz with my head up. When I was done he said to me 'Katherine you've made a huge mistake on that dance, you skated it with your head up so now I know you don't have some physical limitation preventing you from keeping your head up and you can do it and will expect that every time.

Hockey Ice
I do really try to think about my head but I do struggle to keep it up the whole time - he says even when I do remember it, I usually let it drop quite frequently and with that I usually have a deadpan bored expression. And I don't want to look bored when I skate.

Why do I find the 'showy' part of skating so hard. My feet work fine - its my arms and head. :frus: :frus:

I WISH I was a natural show off. Dance teacher thankfully also used to find the showing off hard so he understands. He told me I didn't have to be like one of the kids at our rink (who is only there some of the time as she trains somewhere else usually) as she shows off too much but instead to just look like I am enjoying it. If only it were that easy.........

It should be because I do love it.

[Skate@Delaware]

Why do I find the 'showy' part of skating so hard. My feet work fine - its my arms and head. :frus: :frus:

I WISH I was a natural show off. Dance teacher thankfully also used to find the showing off hard so he understands. He told me I didn't have to be like one of the kids at our rink (who is only there some of the time as she trains somewhere else usually) as she shows off too much but instead to just look like I am enjoying it. If only it were that easy.........

It should be because I do love it.

Practice putting on your "game face" in front of a mirror. A nice smile and nice arms....it does take practice! I have my "game face" and a "show face" (which is a bigger smile-it's almost scary but the skating director likes lots of teeth)...it's hard to remember to do that AND breathe AND skate...:frus:

[Isk8NYC]

What's a "drunken sailor":?:
http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=20249

aka:
http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=21844

[Sonic]

I WISH I was a natural show off. Dance teacher thankfully also used to find the showing off hard so he understands. He told me I didn't have to be like one of the kids at our rink (who is only there some of the time as she trains somewhere else usually) as she shows off too much but instead to just look like I am enjoying it. If only it were that easy.........

It should be because I do love it.

This is where I think I am actually good in skating. I'm the opposite - a natural show off - I've had experience of being on stage and stuff. The good news KS is that I believe you can learn to be a show-off.

I always remember something a director once said to me: 'If you're going to b***er it up, if you b***er it up with a bit of panache no-one will notice' - and to a certain degree this works with skating I think. If you *look* like you know what you're doing minor mistakes become less apparent.

Skate@delaware's mirror suggestion is good. Another think I find good is to think of fun things when you skate (oooh err!), and 'practise' smiling while you're skating, yep you feel a bit of a buerke but lets face it - anyone who does figure skating will be used to, at times, feeling that way lol!

S xxx

[2loop2loop]

We had ice today!!!!!! Ran through all my stuff for the competition in Oxford on Sunday. All ok but not particularly good. Step sequence on the free dance was much faster and more powerful - I ran out of room for the last back twizzle so I should beable to fit it in the Oxford rink.

You know we were on the same train on the central line this morning! You looked completely absorbed in your Su Doku so I decided not to bother you, but I wondered if you were coming back from Queens and whether there was ice today.

John

[kateskate]

You know we were on the same train on the central line this morning! You looked completely absorbed in your Su Doku so I decided not to bother you, but I wondered if you were coming back from Queens and whether there was ice today.

John

I didn't realise. How funny! You should have said hi! Engrossed in Su Doku - oh dear!!

I was on my way back from good old Queens.

:)

[LilJen]

Hockey Ice:

-Our (NOT) favorite skater, to whom I refer as Apolo Anton OHNO-WATCH-OUT-HE CAN'T-SKATE, was at the public session today. The guy can't skate (really truly cannot turn) and thinks he can; he goes very fast, in a poor attempt at speed skater style, and passes by everyone far too close for comfort. If he really wants to do everyone a favor, he will take lessons. I didn't say anything today (last week I did suggest he take some lessons) but next time I see him I'll tell him he scares the hell out of everybody. 8O

-I am getting more and more chicken of jumping. I don't know why--the worst spills I've taken were on stupid stuff, but I still can't quite get up the guts (for example) to attempt a salchow that is actually *off the ice.* Half-flip, fine, though it's probably ugly. Same for waltz jump. Anything more than a half-rotation: Forget it.

Figure Skating Ice:

Not a very crowded session so I did get some moves practice in, even on waltz 8s (usually it's pretty tough to grab a corner hockey circle on a public session). I *think* the waltz 8 and pre-B 3-turn pattern are coming along, but my arms still tend toward the spazzy.

[doubletoe]

Why do I find the 'showy' part of skating so hard. My feet work fine - its my arms and head. :frus: :frus:

I WISH I was a natural show off. Dance teacher thankfully also used to find the showing off hard so he understands. He told me I didn't have to be like one of the kids at our rink (who is only there some of the time as she trains somewhere else usually) as she shows off too much but instead to just look like I am enjoying it. If only it were that easy.........

It should be because I do love it.

I hear you! I am also self-conscious in front of an audience and am not a natural show-off, so it's been difficult for me to (a) make my body movements grandiose so that I "take up more space," and (b) smile and "present".
My main goal for my 2005 program was to learn to get comfortable making bigger movements, so I just forced myself to do them until they became second nature. It helped a lot.
As for smiling and presenting, I just choreograph the smiles in, telling myself that's what those facial muscles are doing while the other muscles are doing the skating. I try to remember to smile whenever I'm facing the judges and when I'm doing poses like spirals and spread eagles (where I can finally think about something other than my feet for a few seconds, LOL!). Also, I have finally forced myself to start practicing arm movements in the mirror (or the plexiglass at the rink) to see what looks best. I figure everyone must know I'm doing it for choreography, not out of vanity, LOL!

[sk8pics]

Sigh.... 10 days or so until HC competition, and I am just not feelin' it, so to speak. My poor sainted coach... what he puts up with! I did a poor run through of my interpretive program, had to leave out a segment because of toddlers on ice with coaches who pay no attention :frus: . Then did a run through of my free program that was a little better, then did it again and finished on the music for the first time ever, so that was encouraging! Even had to yell at a kid who was skating backwards without looking to WATCH!!!!! in the middle, which made me mad and so I skated the rest of the program better, LOL. I missed my salchow in every run through so obviously I have work to do there. sigh. :frus:

Somehow I feel better now but really I was not a happy camper earlier and was seriously thinking of not doing the competition... but I know I'll regret it more if I don't do it, than if I do do it and don't skate my best. sigh.

Hopefully tomorrow and then Friday will be better. I did get my skates sharpened and it was another fabulous job by my sharpener so that helped since I was on really crappy ice when I practiced today.

sigh. Hope everyone is doing well, or at least better than me!

[phoenix]

Figure Skating Ice
Started today on Kilian, to begin working toward a test, yay! Coach videod one pattern w/ his magic cell phone, and while he was busy pointing out all the mistakes, I was busy thinking "Wow!! Parts of that don't look half bad!!" :lol:

Hockey Ice
I can still get through it w/ the music (sometimes), but coach says I am slightly behind the music. I can't tell that I'm off time!! And timing is very natural for me, never had to think very hard about it. So I don't know what's up with that, other than it's just a fiendishly fast dance.

[jazzpants]

Hockey Ice:

-Our (NOT) favorite skater, to whom I refer as Apolo Anton OHNO-WATCH-OUT-HE CAN'T-SKATE, was at the public session today. :lol: :lol: :lol: (Sorry! Can't help cracking up with the name!!!)

[Terri C]

Figure Skating Ice:
Had a GREAT lesson with Primary coach today. She told me that my Bronze moves have improved A LOT!! I told her I was determined to pass this test in December. She was happy with the power on the forward perimeter stroking.

Hockey Ice:
Too many little kids and coaches giving lessons! Ice was hard and rink was cold!!

[slusher]

Figure Skating Ice
Started today on Kilian, to begin working toward a test, yay! Coach videod one pattern w/ his magic cell phone, and while he was busy pointing out all the mistakes, I was busy thinking "Wow!! Parts of that don't look half bad!!" :lol:


I wish that one day I will be able to do the Killian and am glad to hear that your's is [not] "half bad". I probably have parts of it that don't look half bad, all the forward skating parts that is! Nasty cross behind choctaw that is. I've tried it slow, reeeaaaaaalllll slow!

Figure skating Ice;

Just a quickie today, did all my program and dance run throughs, walked through the fourteenstep, (nasty cross behind) but did a nice mohawk which was surprising. I'm basking in the good mohawk glow.

Hockey Ice;

Got caught short, and forgot that I was supposed to taxi a kid from one thing to another, so my cell phone rang on the ice and off I went after a 20 minute skate.

[Rusty Blades]

Hockey Ice: Still stiff from yesterday's backward workout - took AGES to warm up! Still close to the LFI Mohawk, but not quite - nowhere close to the RFI Mohawk :cry:

Worked my whole collection of skills - as limted as they be - up to 3-turns and Mohawks - nothing particularly good, nothing terribly bad (that wasn't terribly bad yesterday :roll: )

In lesson tonight we did forward stroking (as always), backward stroking, forward XOs, and backward on the circle. Coach gave me some circle exercises to work on the left ankle strength. Then we went on to 3-Turns.

Figure Skating Ice: Holy Mary, Mother of God - I actually turned a couple of nice RFO3s right in front of my coach! I’m not 3-turn-brain-dead after all - LOL! LFO3s were nonexistent - left leg was pretty well pooped by the time we got to them but that's the first time I have hit my RFO3s right! WAHOO! (Now taking 3:1 odds they'll be gone by Saturday - LOL!)

[Skate@Delaware]

Figure Skating Ice: Holy Mary, Mother of God - I actually turned a couple of nice RFO3s right in front of my coach! I’m not 3-turn-brain-dead after all - LOL! LFO3s were nonexistent - left leg was pretty well pooped by the time we got to them but that's the first time I have hit my RFO3s right! WAHOO! (Now taking 3:1 odds they'll be gone by Saturday - LOL!)
YAY!!!! Well, even if they "disappear" you know you did them in front of a reliable witness!!!!! You go, girl!!!!

Hockey Ice: my legs hurt from skating yesterday (I skipped the gym today). And, after about 45 minutes of skating, my heels started hurting (as usual). I had therapy today and hurt worse than normal (it was a tough session) so I had to soak in my whirlpool and I'm going to ice my heels.....

Figure Skating Ice: Spins!!! Yay! Did a beautifully centered one that my coach saw (she even looked at the tracing). Waltz jump-I'm kicking through (mostly). Worked on backspins and got about 2-3 rotations on them, but since I was doing them at the end of the session, my heels were really hurting. And, last but not least, Salchow! I did the "kick the soccer ball" kick and managed to actually over-rotate this puppy! It was a solid jump (several times) and felt strange to do this rotation, but nice! I tried a few with extra ooomph of pushing UP then kicking and it was very interesting! this will have to go on the back-burner until after HC, though....but it is interesting and I have lessons on Sunday (during which I will wear my whole dress/hair/makeup for a "dress rehearsal" in preparation for HC).

ETA: I forgot to mention...reworked my "drunken sailor" footwork and I think it actually works better....all I did was stay on my spiraling/skating foot (left) and start the sequence from that! It was amazing how that little change keeps me from tripping up! Doh!

[Sk8pdx]

YAY!!!! Well, even if they "disappear" you know you did them in front of a reliable witness!!!!! You go, girl!!!!

... And, last but not least, Salchow! I did the "kick the soccer ball" kick and managed to actually over-rotate this puppy! It was a solid jump (several times) and felt strange to do this rotation, but nice! I tried a few with extra ooomph of pushing UP then kicking and it was very interesting! this will have to go on the back-burner until after HC, though....but it is interesting and I have lessons on Sunday (during which I will wear my whole dress/hair/makeup for a "dress rehearsal" in preparation for HC).



(Sk8pdx doing the happy dance for Rusty Blades. ) You get a gold star! Put it up on your fridge or bathroom mirror to remind you of the small successes you have accomplished. Continue to skate with pride and passion!

Skate@Delaware: Nice job on the Salchow! ** if you are having such a fun and "interesting" time with it, just pull in tighter and you'll have a double! he he he**. Wish I could peek in on your "dress rehearsal". I know you will skate beautifully for HC! :bow:

[Sk8pdx]

AHA!!!!!!! NOW we know your TRUE motivation factor!!! LOL!!! :P :twisted: :lol:

.......... :halo: :D

[Thin-Ice]

Figure Skating Ice: Holy Mary, Mother of God - I actually turned a couple of nice RFO3s right in front of my coach! I’m not 3-turn-brain-dead after all - LOL! LFO3s were nonexistent - left leg was pretty well pooped by the time we got to them but that's the first time I have hit my RFO3s right! WAHOO! (Now taking 3:1 odds they'll be gone by Saturday - LOL!)

It's OK if you lose them again for a while... now your brain KNOWS you can do them, so you won't be fighting THAT body part to do them again. (When I work on Moves I sometimes have this fight going on in my head:
Voice One: "Bend, push, adjust weight, prepare for the turn..."
Voice Two: "No! NO NO NO NO!!! We can't do that turn. It's hard. STOP NOW before we get hurt!"
Voice One: "Well, we're never going to learn to do this if you keep stopping me".
Voice Two: "But it's scary, so it must be dangerous!"
Voice One: "It might be scary, but it can't be dangerous. Little kids are out here doing this!"
Voice Two: "Well, but, uh...."
Voice of my Coach: "Why did you stop?"

[Rusty Blades]

Voice One: "Bend, push, adjust weight, prepare for the turn..."
Voice Two: "No! NO NO NO NO!!! We can't do that turn. It's hard. STOP NOW before we get hurt!"
Voice One: "Well, we're never going to learn to do this if you keep stopping me".
Voice Two: "But it's scary, so it must be dangerous!"
Voice One: "It might be scary, but it can't be dangerous. Little kids are out here doing this!"
Voice Two: "Well, but, uh...."
Voice of my Coach: "Why did you stop?"

HEY! You hear my voices to?

[LilJen]

Originally Posted by LilJen
Hockey Ice:

-Our (NOT) favorite skater, to whom I refer as Apolo Anton OHNO-WATCH-OUT-HE CAN'T-SKATE, was at the public session today.

Jazzpants wrote:
(Sorry! Can't help cracking up with the name!!!)

Jazz, it's the only way I can get past punching him!!! Seriously, though, next time I will "screw my courage to the sticking plate" and tell him that he just MUST change his ways. I don't care if he's only doing it to cross-train for running; it's just scary and dangerous. Never mind stupid.

Originally Posted by Thin-Ice
Voice One: "Bend, push, adjust weight, prepare for the turn..."
Voice Two: "No! NO NO NO NO!!! We can't do that turn. It's hard. STOP NOW before we get hurt!"
Voice One: "Well, we're never going to learn to do this if you keep stopping me".
Voice Two: "But it's scary, so it must be dangerous!"
Voice One: "It might be scary, but it can't be dangerous. Little kids are out here doing this!"
Voice Two: "Well, but, uh...."
Voice of my Coach: "Why did you stop?"


HEY! You hear my voices too?

No, those are MY voices!!

[Team Arthritis]

so when the voices argue, I only do half the move, but half a bracket is a bad thing.
Lyle

[Mrs Redboots]

You know we were on the same train on the central line this morning! You looked completely absorbed in your Su Doku so I decided not to bother you, but I wondered if you were coming back from Queens and whether there was ice today.Where are you training now, John?

Kateskate, I take it you are going to be showing the Husband how to do the Willow & Fiesta yet again at Oxford?! I think he's a total glutton for punishment, after Bristol, I really do.... and he's doing the Zimmer Trophy with his other partner. Me, I'm just helping out (have been asked to do some announcing); I'm finished competing for the season!

[Mrs Redboots]

No, those are MY voices!!Oh no they aren't, they're mine, all mine!

[kateskate]

Kateskate, I take it you are going to be showing the Husband how to do the Willow & Fiesta yet again at Oxford?! I think he's a total glutton for punishment, after Bristol, I really do.... and he's doing the Zimmer Trophy with his other partner. Me, I'm just helping out (have been asked to do some announcing); I'm finished competing for the season!

Yes - I am competing on Sunday! :D I will certainly try to show my best performance. I have strict instructions fro dance coach to try and show off, keep my head up, smile and not to look like he's forced me to skate. He won't be there to see it though. I have a friend there who I will turn to though to put me on the ice......

How did your husband do in Bristol? Who won that class? Were there many kids in it?

I will see you on Sunday

[Mrs Redboots]

How did your husband do in Bristol? Who won that class? Were there many kids in it?I can't now remember who won - some kid or other, I think. But Husband skated badly, and finished at least one place lower than he should have done, really annoying for him. His timing went off, yet again.... Let's hope it doesn't on Sunday.

Mind you, the kids didn't have it all their own way there! In at least one class, it was the adults who showed them all how to do it.

See you Sunday!

[Sonic]

I can't now remember who won - some kid or other, I think. But Husband skated badly, and finished at least one place lower than he should have done, really annoying for him. His timing went off, yet again.... Let's hope it doesn't on Sunday.

Mind you, the kids didn't have it all their own way there! In at least one class, it was the adults who showed them all how to do it.

See you Sunday!

Looking forward to seeing both of you on Sunday. (Why, oh why did I volunteer to help with the announcing lol!)

Today: Skated on the teatime session as usual today.

Hockey ice: For some reason this session seems to attract more idiots than other sessions, but today it felt like they were really out in force! It was difficult to practice anything without a kamakaze kid skating through the middle of it.

Spins weren't that great today. Sit spins were particularly week.

Hockey ice:
Jumps still felt fairly solid, especially the loop/waltz jump-loop combo

Novice foxtrot felt better than it has done for ages. As I mentioned in my blog, I've given up stressing about Sunday, I'm just going to put my 'hey look at me I'm Jayne Torvill' smile on my face and enjoy myself! I'm looking forward to watching others skate, and this will (hopefully) both inspire me and take my mind off it.


S xxx

[DallasSkater]

Attended bridge last night and a lunch time practice today.

Hockey Ice: Salchow was really shaky after being off ice 2 days. Unreasonably stressed that when I return from vacation it will be gone completely...I have fallen hard in a toe loop attempt twice. Find myself reluctant to do many of these. Weird because I find it actually easier than the salchow...but have not actually gone down with a salchow before. Before bridge class I felt really out of anything I knew for some reason. I seemed to do better in the class than my practice before.

Bridge worked on waltz-toe tap and another waltz..did ok but knew I could do better...then spins...I really get thrown by having a different coach for this. He makes us go from different entry that messes with my ability to center one footed. Oh well, I think it is good to not do it the same way each time. It will come..eventually.

Parents of the kids in bridge decided to bombard our ballet class that followed..if it were not bad enough that I had to be stared at for my tippy toe thingy that goes across the room only two by two, it was totally intolerable that the cell phones and not very attempted muted chats were going on. I spent the entire ballet class wondering what the social implications would be of just turning to them and saying "SHUT UP!" giggle. Did not find my Zen for this entire class!

Figure Skating Ice: Did really well today during lunch. Landed several salchows, a few toe loops and found my center on spins so much easier than yesterday. Practiced the different spin entries ....interesting how different each feels. Even the waltz-tap-waltz seemed better. Had the entire rink to myself for 35 minutes then was joined by one hockey guy.

Still doing well to include basic skill practice at least 10 minutes of every session. Seems to be helping somewhat as I am trying to get my LI 3 turn on the lobe to "work" consistently. A regular LI 3 turn is no problem for me...so it is frustrating that I still can't seem to translate it to the lobe without a right touch down...I will get this!

I have also committed to myself to make sure I do extra 15 minutes stretching before and after my step classes in hopes of improving my flexibility....We will see if that does any good! It sure can't hurt! I would always do the warm up but am very guilty of leaving as soon as the step portion of class is over.

today was my last day of seeing patients before vacation. I will have to do a few office things tomorrow...other than that, I am ready! Will have my skate classes tomorrow but no private lesson. I will make a really good retired person!

[Debbie S]

Sigh.... 10 days or so until HC competition, and I am just not feelin' it, so to speak. LOL, sk8pics, neither am I! I've been considering scratching, but since I've already spent $70, I might as well do it. :halo:

Tomorrow, I am going to get my skates sharpened, assuming the guy is there. I skated on really hard ice tonight (similar to Ice Works, I'm sure) and had a lot of difficulty with spins and footwork.

Did my run-through in lesson tonight and my coach says my jumps have improved, but that my speed needs to come up. And I couldn't do my spiral or my change-sit due to traffic. :frus:

[Thin-Ice]

Oh no they aren't, they're mine, all mine!

Well Mrs. R., LilJen and Rusty Blades, you are all welcome to those voices. I want Voice Two to go away so I don't have to hear all those "safe/negative" messages any more... and it would be nice if Voice One would just stop arguing (at least long enough for me to hear my coach).:lol:

[aussieskater]

Oh no they aren't, they're mine, all mine!

I did wonder where they'd got to ... now I know. :) I'm guessing that voice 1 had obviously given up the fight and wandered over the oceans and was followed by voice 2, whining (as is her way) that "I can't *do* that!". The problem for me is that I can hear voice 2 perfectly well across several thousand miles of water, but can't hear voice 1 at all. Could you please mail voice 1 back ASAP (you can keep voice 2, stuff it down a deep mine shaft, and drop whatever you like on top of it)? Thanks :lol: :lol:

[techskater]

I want Voice Two to go away so I don't have to hear all those "safe/negative" messages any more...

I've been known to sit in the penalty box and tell Voice #2 to shut the heck up! Works, too!

[Mrs Redboots]

Looking forward to seeing both of you on Sunday. (Why, oh why did I volunteer to help with the announcing lol!)Oh, that's why I'm announcing the last two hours, to cover your competition (and when Husband is skating, please, it's pronounced "Smith", not as spelt - these Irish!).

I am amused to note that our ice hockey team is at home to yours!

Meanwhile, skating ice: Today's practice was okay, except that I am beginning to see what the judges didn't like about our Fiesta, given the work we are now doing in our Reverse Kilian hold - I shouldn't have cared to have tried a Fiesta this morning!

Our cross-rolls in shoulder hold really are working now, although I do tend to lurch forwards. And we are getting nice outside edges in most of the holds. Foxtrot hold felt a lot easier (wonder what we are doing wrong???), and we actually tried the beginning of the Foxtrot, which wasn't a great idea... we didn't quite fall over, but very nearly. The trouble is, when Husband goes into his cross-roll-3, he forgets he has a partner....

Hockey ice: He is still worrying about his back edges in the Willow Waltz, which are not what they should be - I could have told him that from the time we competed it as a couple! Ah well, you have to find out these things for yourself or you don't know them.

Ended up with a nasty fall when I was working on my back cross-rolls and failed to negotiate a speed bump. I went down quite hard, and then felt my head jerk backwards and was like, "Oh no!" but luckily managed not to hit it! But I did bruise my left hip - it's still sore now. But as I wasn't actually hurt, I did make myself get up and complete the run-through of my Dance Moves. But owwwwwwwww!

[kateskate]

Hockey Ice

Dance teacher was late. Ice was very wet and the rink was extremely cold. It has to be liquid nitrogen levels for me to think its cold!

Arms WILL NOT cooperate. I try and move them smoothly and gracefully but no…..And my stupid head. I really really tried to keep it up for the whole willow waltz and teacher said it wasn't really. He said it still looks a bit flat. He says he knows I'm trying but that we really have to work on it. I know and I try and it worries me that it isn't getting any better. But then he said it has got better - my arms used to be a lot worse it you can believe that. And I used to skate hunched over and head down. Slow progress.

I feel like I'm getting ill……

Figure Skating Ice

Run throughs were ok. Nothing special. My feet feel fine. I feel in control and nothing is making me panic steps wise.

Not the best skate today though……

[Skate@Delaware]

LOL, sk8pics, neither am I! I've been considering scratching, but since I've already spent $70, I might as well do it. :halo:

Tomorrow, I am going to get my skates sharpened, assuming the guy is there. I skated on really hard ice tonight (similar to Ice Works, I'm sure) and had a lot of difficulty with spins and footwork.

Did my run-through in lesson tonight and my coach says my jumps have improved, but that my speed needs to come up. And I couldn't do my spiral or my change-sit due to traffic. :frus:
Eeek! reading this made me wonder if I should have had my skates sharpened....and if it's too late to do it now....I had them done about 2 weeks ago and they are "just right" for my ice. Oh well, maybe I won't worry about it now, since they are just right for spinning anyway and my jumps are ok with them. :frus:Something to add to my "pre-comp checklist"

[kateskate]

and we actually tried the beginning of the Foxtrot, which wasn't a great idea... we didn't quite fall over, but very nearly. The trouble is, when Husband goes into his cross-roll-3, he forgets he has a partner....

Lol - that's me exactly whenever I try and skate with my teacher. I scare him I think. I like wandering off and doing my own thing!

Hockey ice: He is still worrying about his back edges in the Willow Waltz, which are not what they should be - I could have told him that from the time we competed it as a couple! Ah well, you have to find out these things for yourself or you don't know them.

Ah to have the back edges instead of the forward ones! I really don't like the second forward inside before the mohawk. I'd like to swap and do the men's steps.....

[phoenix]

Kate: The things that you are focusing on now, the arms & the head & the expression--those just take a long time to really be great & look natural. They can only come *after* the whole dance is very comfortable for you, and you feel confident and strong. So good for you!! You are doing the dance so well that you're allowed to spend time on the aesthetics!! And I do know exactly what you mean..... Going out to do YET another pattern at 7:00 in the morning on a COLD dark rink, and I hear my coach's voice from the other side: "Smile! This is fun!!" :lol:

Figure Skating Ice! Kilian was much improved today, though I didn't have to do it w/ music, which was my saving grace. I try to do it fast, but I know it isn't really up to true tempo. But who cares!! I did good consistent patterns w/ really solid edges, which I know are a lot deeper than some of the tests I've seen lately. So I may have a shot of getting to put this out sometime in the next few months.

Hockey Ice: Coming out of the choctaw in one corner, which is a totally blind position for me & at which point I'm flying around the corner backwards at top speed--I see a kid skate behind me just out of the corner of my eye. I about had a heart attack! I bailed out & said a VERY bad word which I'm afraid he probably heard :oops: His coach made him come over & apologize to me.....I don't think he was actually in my way (if he were I would have hit him), but he came so close & was totally oblivious that I was bearing down on him, it scared the heck out of me.

[kateskate]

Kate: The things that you are focusing on now, the arms & the head & the expression--those just take a long time to really be great & look natural. They can only come *after* the whole dance is very comfortable for you, and you feel confident and strong. So good for you!! You are doing the dance so well that you're allowed to spend time on the aesthetics!! And I do know exactly what you mean..... Going out to do YET another pattern at 7:00 in the morning on a COLD dark rink, and I hear my coach's voice from the other side: "Smile! This is fun!!" :lol:

Thanks - I know it should be a good thing that I'm focusing on arms rather than steps. But its frustrating!! I shouldn't expect so much so quickly.....

His coach made him come over & apologize to me.....I don't think he was actually in my way (if he were I would have hit him), but he came so close & was totally oblivious that I was bearing down on him, it scared the heck out of me.

I'm impressed the coach made him apologise. Some coaches don't even tell their pupils to look behind them when going backwards or to watch out for someone doing a programme. I've even heard one coach tell her pupils to just skate no matter what and everyone else will move.........

[Mrs Redboots]

Thanks - I know it should be a good thing that I'm focusing on arms rather than steps. But its frustrating!! I shouldn't expect so much so quickly.....When my coach says "Watch your arms and shoulders", then I know I'm getting my edges as good as he thinks I can get them!

Meanwhile, Husband's arms & shoulders on the LBO edge where the lady does her RFO3 are enough to make a cat laugh, but at least he's getting an edge now. I don't think he did when we did the dance together - it was all he could do to stay solid so I could do the 3-turn! Maybe this year....

[Rob Dean]

Hockey Ice: Boy, this whole week so far has felt like it. I was on a business trip with no ice available last week and came home this week knowing that both lessons would be devoted to the cha cha in preparation for this morning's test. Both lessons were rough, as my mind was elsewhere, and the test this morning was a trial. The judge's comment "slight loss of unison on end pattern" just goes to show that what you feel and what people see are two different things, because I felt more like I was trying to wrestle my poor coach to the ice! :frus: Despite passing, there'll be a good bit more to do before I'm happy with this one...

Figure Skating Ice: Well, at least I passed, and next lesson we'll give this one a break. I'll ask to work on the Fiesta for some fun. 8O

Rob

[doubletoe]

HOCKEY ICE
Oh, where oh where did my loop-axel go? But I have vowed not to obsess about it, even though it's in my program. In the meantime, I'll just practice the axel from a regular mohawk RBO edge setup and hope the loop-axel comes back on its own.

I'm still having trouble finishing my program on time, and unfortunately, there's nothing I can--or am willing to--take out in order to end on time. I'm hoping it's just a matter of my body not having enough pep before 7:30am, and that when I have to skate it in competition I'll do okay. . .

FIGURE SKATING ICE
Not that we actually HAD figure skating ice this morning (it was hard!), but . . .
The camel and flying camel both seem to be finding their way home. Whew. Also, my Intermediate MIF are almost there now, which is good since I'm testing in less than 2 weeks. My entire bracket pattern was surprisingly smooth and solid this morning, and I'm starting to fix my arm positions on the back power 3's so that I don't look like I'm about to lose my balance the whole time. Then, just a little more smoothness and sureness on the back double 3 pattern and I'm there.

[phoenix]

I'm starting to fix my arm positions on the back power 3's so that I don't look like I'm about to lose my balance the whole time.

I saw a girl working on these this morning--something interesting, they had her holding a Thera-band so that it went from hand to hand, *behind* her back. I watched her do it a few times, my guess is that it was to help w/ her posture (not to lean forward), & maybe the way her arms worked together. It looked interesting, I might try it next time I work on these.

Rob--Congrats on passing the Cha-cha!! That's a fun one. Have you looked at some of the Juvenile CDs from the US Regional videos yet? They have to do a Cha Cha this year & there are some pretty good ones! Might inspire you.

[Skate@Delaware]

Yay Rob for passing the cha-cha!!!! if only the ice dance was as easy as the ballroom version.....:roll: i might have a snowball's chance in he**

[Rob Dean]

Thanks for the acknowledgements. :)

For better or for worse, I don't know anything about any of these dances in their ballroom originals. I've done very little dancing in "real life", apart from some English Country Dance at early music workshops a couple of times and a dreadful six months when my parents signed me up for square dance lessons when I was about 13. I haven't had a television since, um, around the time of the Calgary Winter Olympics, so I can't even watch "Dancing with the Stars". :) Time to hit the library and see what they have in their DVD collection...

Rob

[Mrs Redboots]

Yay Rob for passing the cha-cha!!!! if only the ice dance was as easy as the ballroom version.....:roll: i might have a snowball's chance in he**

Many congratulations to Rob!

Although it's not part of our test structure here; no two couples do it the same way! But I do find it a heck of a lot easier than either the Fiesta or the Swing Dance, which I understand are the other two dances at the same level.

[e-skater]

Hockey Ice: Boy, this whole week so far has felt like it. I was on a business trip with no ice available last week and came home this week knowing that both lessons would be devoted to the cha cha in preparation for this morning's test.

Figure Skating Ice: Well, at least I passed, and next lesson we'll give this one a break. I'll ask to work on the Fiesta for some fun. 8O

Rob

Congrats on passing the Cha Cha! I tested it solo (in fact I'm "dancing" solo), and am also working on the Fiesta Tango and Swing Dance right now, for testing, hopefully, in January.

Good for you!

[e-skater]

The test is to do this entrance on a line and make sure that your 3-turn is on the left side of the line AND that your pick is either ON the line or a little on the left side, not on the right side of the line (if you cross the line on the 3-turn or pick, it means you over-rotated your 3-turn). Speed is good! If you lean forward at all, it will make it impossible to get your weight onto your picking foot and pull yourself back and up.

I discovered the "entrance on a line" drill when I was trying to straighten out my entry three. Not that I can get the desired results consistently, even using this drill. I do see the I am drifting, as the jumps which fail (a relative term for me, LOL!) have pick marks on the right side of the line.

My coach is trying to get me to go into the flip with more speed, which, as you point out, can create other issues if one is ill-prepared to deal with them! However, I can do a version of a flip much more readily than a lutz (which I get about one out of 50, then four in a row, then none again for weeks....). When you mentioned the non-desirable "lean forward"....that is my big problem with the lutz. Call me the "bobbing drinking bird"! LOL! Not to mention I'm a chicken for going for any more speed with the lutz.

[Debbie S]

Eeek! reading this made me wonder if I should have had my skates sharpened....and if it's too late to do it now....I had them done about 2 weeks ago and they are "just right" for my ice. I think you're fine, Skate@Del. My skates hadn't been sharpened since the beginning of August. I don't wear down my blades much so I don't need sharpenings that often, and the blades felt like they were still sharp enough. But I know that the ice is hard at Ice Works, and after practicing last night on hard ice, I decided to get them sharpened before I usually would.

[doubletoe]

I saw a girl working on these this morning--something interesting, they had her holding a Thera-band so that it went from hand to hand, *behind* her back. I watched her do it a few times, my guess is that it was to help w/ her posture (not to lean forward), & maybe the way her arms worked together. It looked interesting, I might try it next time I work on these.

How odd! Was she supposed to be extending her arms straight out to the sides, horizontal and at shoulder level? That's what the girls were doing on the Intermediate MIF tests I went to watch yesterday, so that's what I'm trying to do now. I just have to be careful not to get too close to the boards at the end of the rink or I'll hit it with my hand, LOL!

[dbny]

Me again? We have to start the practice thread on a different day of the week so other people get a chance to start it more often!


Haven't we been starting on Mondays until recently?

CONGRATS to Rob on passing the Cha Cha!

Hockey Ice:
I had only been able to skate once since last week (house guests), and it was yesterday. My FO and FI threes felt pretty good yesterday, but today the fear was back and I was wimping out before my lesson.

Figure Skating Ice:
I had my second lesson with my new coach today, and am even happier with her than last week. We started with the Prelim FXO and BXO pattern, for which she had a few comments. One of them was to stretch my arms more "for the form you want". I felt as if she were reading my mind, and maintaining a stronger upper body position immediately made my bad side feel better. I told her I was scared on the threes again, and once again she spotted me to start with. This time, she saw me doing something that she hadn't last week, and by way of correcting it, revealed to me for the first time ever, the great, mysterious technique of checking the turn! I've been struggling with this for so many years, and have seen what she was talking about, but not been able to put my finger on it. This is something simple that my last coach somehow totally missed :frus:. Voila, checked, controlled FO and FI threes! I also learned a great technique for practicing the FO and FI threes on the wall for the times when I am totally chicken, (may they decrease in number rapidly). I still have a lot of work to do, since it's easy to forget one body part while focussing on others, but for the first time, I have real hope. In fact, I think I may be able to move ahead in the next week or so, as I plan to get to Aviator at least three days this week. Finally, I mentioned my boot problems because my L is once again feeling too loose, and my coach asked if I'd ever skated barefoot. This does not appeal to me at all, but if it can keep my feet from slipping in my boots, then I'll do it. I'm going to try it next time I skate. She also said, quite realistically, IMO, that there is only so much any bootmaker can do for you. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm in love with this coach :lol:.

[jazzpants]

Hockey Ice
... in my case, NO ICE! Given my schedule and the fact that I'm volunteering for Skate SF Saturday, I won't be skating 'til at least SUNDAY now. :cry:

Lots of skaters at Skate SF... but not as much as last year. (Weird! As one Gold lady skater said, "Where is EVERYBODY!?!?! Where are my competitors!!! I miss them!!!" :cry:

Figure Ice:
Lots of skaters to watch. Lots of new faces!!! :D Can't wait to see the Senior FS tomorrow night. (Short Program is tonight but I already got "planz" :roll: ....)

[Skate@Delaware]

dbny-I skate barefoot and you can really feel the ice better, and grip better without hose. You slide around a bit more with hose on, even socks. Give it a shot (one or two times) and see.

[dbny]

dbny-I skate barefoot and you can really feel the ice better, and grip better without hose. You slide around a bit more with hose on, even socks. Give it a shot (one or two times) and see.

Thanks for the encouragement. That's exactly what my new coach said. I'm trying on Monday. Will wear footless tights and bring "feet" with me just in case it's a complete disaster for me (like if I can't get my feet into the boots 8O).

[doubletoe]

If skating barefoot is uncomfortable, the next best thing is very thin 100% cotton socks. Your foot slips around much less than it does in nylon stockings. I always wear thin cotton ankle socks with over-the-boot or footless tights when I wear a skating dress.

[Rusty Blades]

Hockey Ice: Coach got on me almost as soon as I got on the ice about my stroking - pointed to a couple of the other ladies (who have been skating for some years) and said “THAT’S stroking, that’s what I want you to do. That (- whatever words she used -) that you do along the boards, that’s NOT skating!” OUCH! Ok, I am hyper sensitive to criticism - I push myself pretty hard anyway and the comment was like a flash-back to childhood when nothing I did was ever good enough for my Mom. (Funny how we never completely loose those “old tapes”!) I had planned to spend the first hour primarily on turns and not exhaust myself on power but the comment switched that around! By the time we got to lesson (at 2:15 into the session) the old legs were getting pretty tired.

Figure Ice: (I guess....) I spent 60 to 75% of the time working the left leg and ankle - my weak side - on sustained forward glides, deep edges, cross-overs, backward outside edges - anything to force my left leg to carry the load. My backwards is getting better - finally getting the muscles built up - spent lots of time backwards and worked a bit on FI Mohawks - not trying to watch my feet helps :roll:

Quite a long and vigorous session - I am POOPED!

[looplover]

Hockey Ice:Not sure what happened to my sit spins, but they seem to have gone on vacation., however in their place as of today are

Figure Skating Ice my flips, which were really consistent today and I realized that not only wasn't I transferring my weight to the right toe, but I was not stepping to the right enough so I'd been trying to do a flip off my skating foot with my picking foot crossed behind my skating foot.

No wonder flips have had me in tears....

[phoenix]

Figure Skating: Really good practice today, I have been feeling how much all the time spent on basics lately is paying off; I'm skating killer edges w/ speed that are very stable & solid, which I never did before. And ran through more Kilian patterns. Didnt' have music but am finally getting pretty comfortable w/ the speed needed, and skating on the killer edges needed (see above comment), and am starting to skate w/ a lot more attack than before.

Hockey Ice: **voice of doom** On my very last pattern of the day, I did something weird, not even sure what....I think I turned forward too quickly & my upper body got ahead of my feet. Any case, I went down in a very weird twisted up fall w/ 1 foot still going backwards....kind of ended up in some form of Ina Bauer w/ one blade still gliding, except on the leg behind me I was on my knee, getting dragged across the ice due to the speed I had when I went down....I was stuck between my 2 feet all twisted up, & my legs were splitting further & further apart & there was nothing I could do about it. I finally got low enough from the split to throw myself over to one side & slide to a stop in about the posture of a pile of mush. I lay there for quite awhile & everyone gathered round to see if I was still alive, including one dad who came out onto the ice in his shoes! Must have been quite the fall to watch. It took awhile to get up. My knee is pretty well bashed up from riding on the ice w/ my full weight on it for about 15 feet. And I can't tell yet how bad the groin pull may be--that bit of news will come tomorrow when I try to get out of bed! Ugh. And of course I didn't have time to recover & then walk through those steps again which is the best way to not fear it for next time. So next time I'll have to start out slow. I think it was just a fluke more than anything, but dang! It was nasty, and just when I was getting rid of my fear of this dance!

[doubletoe]

Figure Skating Ice my flips, which were really consistent today and I realized that not only wasn't I transferring my weight to the right toe, but I was not stepping to the right enough so I'd been trying to do a flip off my skating foot with my picking foot crossed behind my skating foot.

No wonder flips have had me in tears....

Don't you just wish everybody taught the flip and lutz takeoffs on a circle so that it wouldn't take so long to figure out why we have to pick behind the skating foot on the lutz but not on the flip? :frus: It's amazing how long I had been doing both jumps before someone pointed that out! :roll: Anyway, congratulations on getting your flip back! :D

[Mrs Redboots]

Oh, Phoenix, I do hope you are all right - please keep us posted!

I had Husband's lesson today as he has gone to Oxford to get used to the ice there before this afternoon's competition.

Figure Ice: Coach2 has transformed by back cross-rolls with one simple tip! I am delighted, but wish she could perform the same magic on everything else.

My forwards edges are, I think, beginning to improve.

I dreamt I'd done a Riverside Rhumba solo, so, of course, I had to do just that - not bad; I still remember the steps. One of the few dances I don't actually mind doing solo; most of them I am so much better with a partner.

Hockey Ice: Had to call Husband back as I'd left my coffee in the car!

Quite apart from anything else, there were still speed bumps all over the ice, and although one of the boys spent some time with a scraper, they were still bad. After my fall on Friday (which made skating quite painful!), I was a bit nervous of going backwards, but didn't hit anything, thankfully.

Back cross-cuts still vile - I just can't get every body part in the right place at the right time. Back crossovers pretty dire, and one of the main problems on my dance moves is getting into and out of the crossovers round the end!

Tried to do a Swing Dance solo, which was a Big Mistake, because I really skated it badly and felt most disheartened. Very frustrating!

[looplover]

Don't you just wish everybody taught the flip and lutz takeoffs on a circle so that it wouldn't take so long to figure out why we have to pick behind the skating foot on the lutz but not on the flip? :frus: It's amazing how long I had been doing both jumps before someone pointed that out! :roll: Anyway, congratulations on getting your flip back! :D

Yes, exactly, thanks!! I've still been having trouble with it after learning it on the circle but learning it on the circle has gotten me to the point where I can recognize where I'm messing up. I always tried to do it as straight as possible and couldn't figure out why I couldn't move 8O

hey wait, this probably means the lutz is going to mess me up too, doesn't it! eek

[doubletoe]

Yes, exactly, thanks!! I've still been having trouble with it after learning it on the circle but learning it on the circle has gotten me to the point where I can recognize where I'm messing up. I always tried to do it as straight as possible and couldn't figure out why I couldn't move 8O

hey wait, this probably means the lutz is going to mess me up too, doesn't it! eek

No, the lutz won't mess you up as long as you practice your picking position on the circle first! LOL!

[doubletoe]

Phoenix, how are you today? Are you feeling okay, other than the bruise? Take it easy!

[phoenix]

Phoenix, how are you today? Are you feeling okay, other than the bruise? Take it easy!

Thank you so much for asking! Yes, amazingly I'm fine today, not even sore other than the bruised knee. I'm guessing that since I'd been skating hard for an hour before, my muscles were so warmed up that the uber stretching didn't do any major damage! Whew!

[Rusty Blades]

Ok, lets start the practice thread tomorrow - I can't think of anymore titles - so I am going to post here tonight!

Hockey Ice: Saturday’s heavy duty stroking session left my legs stiff and sore so today wasn’t much for power or speed. Tuesday skating is cancelled for Halloween night.

Figure Skating Ice: I finally got that @$#% LFI Mohawk to where I can turn it half the time and RFI Mohawk about 1 in 10 - I guess that’s an improvement. I finally figured out what it should feel like and now it works. Backwards was working ok today - good speed and flow, nice deep edges. If my legs hadn’t been so damned stiff, I think I could have done back cross-overs but as it was even forward cross-overs we poor.

(Note to self: Don't let coach push me into heavy stroking when I have another 2 hour session the next day!)

[Rusty Blades]

I'm fine today, not even sore other than the bruised knee.

So glad to hear that!

[Casey]

No, the lutz won't mess you up as long as you practice your picking position on the circle first! LOL!
When practicing on the circle, where should the pick go for each jump? I'm assuming you just go the opposite way on the circle for the lutz?

[Casey]

Thank you so much for asking! Yes, amazingly I'm fine today, not even sore other than the bruised knee. I'm guessing that since I'd been skating hard for an hour before, my muscles were so warmed up that the uber stretching didn't do any major damage! Whew!
Oh, good! I was hoping it wouldn't be too serious...

[Terri C]

Figure Skating Ice:
Everything went well today- moves, freestyle. I actually got my intro three on the power three pattern on the top of the lobe not once, but twice!!
Can't wait to get this test out of the way!!

Hockey Ice:
Rink management keeps putting our club session on the surface that has no sound system!:roll: :x Every week it's a major hassle to get on the rink with the working sound system. The weekend manager switches us to the working sound system rink, then someone switches us back to the rink with no sound! Club president said he will talk with the rink manager about this!

[Skate@Delaware]

Oooops! My bad for starting this thread on the wrong day??? Sorry!

Figure Skating Ice or Hockey Ice? Too tired to care: Well, considering I stayed out camping the night before with my son's soon-to-be boy scout group (and it was cold and windy), I wasn't in too bad shape (actually I'm lying!) I was cold, tired, hungry and late for rehearsal (no big deal as they hadn't started on my part yet).

Lesson went ok, we went over my warm-up routine, costume, hair, makeup, meals and water-drinking, etc. Then I skated my warm-up routine, elements then my routine. I still have a problem with hunching my shoulders until I get going good-then I seem to relax more and my shoulders settle down.

That's it for my lesson. We did go back for adult skate, but I was really tired...was working through one of my elements (an easy one too!) and caught my toepick and went down like a player making for home plate! My elbow is skinned up and my right knee is bruised (I am icing it). Considering I tripped in the hockey box this morning (as in not lifting my foot enough to step on the back step-fell on my right knee and ALMOST spilled my coffee!) I'm pretty banged up....is this a good omen for a good skate on Saturday? or should I just not stay out late with the boy scouts the night before a skate?

phoenix: I'm glad you weren't too banged up!

[Sk8pdx]

Hockey Ice:
Arrived at public session today to find the ice surface like a frozen gravel pit! The zam broke again. :frus: It would make even places I have skated in Seattle feel pristine. ;) However, I can't complain too much, when I asked about the ice condition, they refunded my admission. I love my home rink! They take such good care of me. Lately as far as skating goes, there isn't really much to write home about. Maybe it is time to have my blades sharpened as my skating seems to feel a little blunt. :roll:

Figure Ice:
Worked on sit spin today and am seeing some progress. Attitude spin felt good and solid. (this is good since it is in my holiday program). I did make a first ever attemp at a camel-sit spin today just for fun. I gathered the sense that if you're not too careful in the transition-- how you can end up too far back on your blade getting into the sit position and fall on your rear. I am sensing this is not an unusual error to overcome. It was fun to try though. :)

[doubletoe]

When practicing on the circle, where should the pick go for each jump? I'm assuming you just go the opposite way on the circle for the lutz?

For both jumps, the objective is to pick right on the hockey circle you're traveling on. For the lutz, you are going CW on the LBO edge, so your left shoulder faces inside the circle and your right foot has to almost cross behind the left foot when you pick in order to pick on your circle. After you pick, take a look and make sure you picked right on the circle.

For the flip, you are traveling CCW on the LBI edge, so you need to pick to the right a little in order to pick right on the circle you're traveling on. You'll see how it works when you actually try it on a hockey circle. :)

Of course you never really do these jumps on a hockey circle; you do them on an imaginary circle that is much larger, so the crossing behind on the lutz and the reaching to the side on the flip is much less pronounced.