Groovy/Gordon Bennett Lessons + Practices 8-14th Sept

[icenut84]

This is for yesterday (surprised nobody's started the thread yet!)

Groovy:

Landed first loop! (See other thread ;) )

Backward runs (foot sliding behind) - good.

Back cross rolls much better.

All the dances on the dance interval felt better - much stronger and smoother than before I went on holiday. :) Yay! (I put it down largely to the new blades)

Swing Dance felt better - coach said my 3 turns in it were "Superb!" (actually, said how good they were a few times! :D ) and mohawks were better too.

Waltz jump was good. Toe loop was ok too - glad we went over this, as a couple of technical details were altered and after it was better. Also landed a pretty ok half loop (didn't practice it a lot, that was in my lesson)

Pivots ok

Spin from back crossovers a little better...

Gordon Bennett:

Still can't get the "hook" of the spin properly! Grr... very frustrating.

Spiral (the only one I did) distinctly dodgy

Fiesta Tango not exactly fantastic

Salchow

Verrrry crowded! Hmph.

Last ever lesson with my coach who I've had for the past year. :cry:

[Anita18]

Who's Gordon Bennett, LOL?

Anyways, I went skating yesterday, so I shouldn't technically be here, but I wanted to help you out on the spin hooking. Yesterday I was having a heck of a time with it too, since I'd get off-balance after I'd hook.

The trick is to swing the free leg all the way around, like you're throwing a discus with that foot. The thing is I'd swing it, but I wouldn't stabilize it with the rest of the body. (In other words, I'd swing and tilt at the same time - bad thing, LOL.) So bend your knees and pretend that you're one of those carnival rides where there's a big pole in the middle and the swings protrude from the top. (Hopefully you know what I'm talking about, LOL..) The foot should swing around the body, and your body should be still. When I do that, my spins start to improve greatly in its stability.

Good luck!

Anita

[MissIndigo]

Skated for the first time today in nearly two weeks. My usual rink was closed for repairs all throughout August and was supposed to open up on the 1st, but they are still having compressor problems so no ice within a half-hour's drive. Still went to the rink that is an hour away and had my lesson today. I didn't do all that I wanted to do since I needed to get my feet back under me some, but I am happy that I skated even though it wasn't such a great day for me skillwise.

Groovy: Camel spin. These are getting fast and more centered. I'm also catching my foot now! Waltz jumps nice and big and floaty also. Waltz jump-step-mohawk-back 3-salchow sequence nice also. And...my spreadeagle is coming back! I am so happy about this and was pleased to find out that my turnout is better when I have some speed into this move. Layback also coming along.

Gordon Bennett: Toe loops. Just not their day. Sit spin--what's new.

I did get to witness one raw, pure moment of delight. One of the teenagers at the rink finally got her layback spin today and did she ever do the happy dance! You could have heard her squeal from the parking lot! Rarely have I ever seen a skater so happy, and she was so proud of herself.

Saved the big news for last...coach said....start practicing axels on the floor. She said we'll take them to the ice once I get my flip jump.

[singerskates]

Groovy,

One spin was centered and had 6 rotations.

Gordon Bennett Lessons:

spiralling eged still needs more work, especially the free leg and my arms. toe loop was week and so was the waltz jump.


SEe New Skating SEason/first day back thread.

[JDC1]

Groovy - finally rotated and landed the loop jump twice - I have the back spin to thank for this. I was practicing the back spin off and on all Sunday and I thought I should just try a couple of loops and see if they are bettter, fell forward on one, got 1/2 around on two then I landed 2!!
Can almost land the flip on one foot am getting really close. I can do the salchow if I cheat :-) but still don't quite get the jump, hopefully we'll work on it in class. Got around 4 times on a back spin, pretty excited.

Gordon Bennet - the salchow still escapes me as does forward spinning, you can't say I don't try but somethings just not clicking, maybe it's my blade. Am going to try to remember to ask someone to look at my blade and see if they think that's contributing to my problem.

[melanieuk]

Groovy
After a week off ice, with horrible tonsilitis, I went today to see if I had any stamina. I lasted 2 hours! :)

The ice was nice (after the Zamboni cleared the huge bumps) and there weren't many of us skating.

The field moves were average - I still couldn't test them.

Most of the jumps were there but I bottled out of the Gordon Bennett lutz a couple of times so gave up on it.
:?

Bits of the programme went ok-ish, but I still can't exit the spin in the right direction.:roll:

I did a couple of "nice" parallel spins but most were overcooked and I was flinging myself about in desperation.
I tried a few back sit spins which seem to have made an irregular appearance. Most of the time though, I landed on my bum.

The flip-cherry remains as ugly as sin, but I might get away with it in a test if the rest f my elements are better....which I doubt.

Not skating tomorrow - going to the gym.

[icenut84]

Originally posted by Anita18
Who's Gordon Bennett, LOL?

Anyways, I went skating yesterday, so I shouldn't technically be here, but I wanted to help you out on the spin hooking. Yesterday I was having a heck of a time with it too, since I'd get off-balance after I'd hook.

The trick is to swing the free leg all the way around, like you're throwing a discus with that foot. The thing is I'd swing it, but I wouldn't stabilize it with the rest of the body. (In other words, I'd swing and tilt at the same time - bad thing, LOL.) So bend your knees and pretend that you're one of those carnival rides where there's a big pole in the middle and the swings protrude from the top. (Hopefully you know what I'm talking about, LOL..) The foot should swing around the body, and your body should be still. When I do that, my spins start to improve greatly in its stability.

Good luck!

Anita

Thanks for the help Anita! Much appreciated. Will practice with it in mind on Saturday.

P.S. re: Gordon Bennett... saying that name is just a saying, like an exasperation. "For Heaven's Sake!" "Gordon Bennett!" etc. :) Have you ever seen Only Fools and Horses? Delboy said it a lot. It's just a saying. Don't know if there was anyone with that name who initiated it though, lol :)

Thanks again for your help :mrgreen:

[flo]

:) Double sals were better and more consistient. Because I couldn't practice regular camels for a while, my flying camel, and camel-jump camel (with very little time on the front) have become much stronger.

:( Still very sore after skating. Can't do it every day.

[dbny]

Originally posted by icenut84
P.S. re: Gordon Bennett... saying that name is just a saying, like an exasperation. "For Heaven's Sake!" "Gordon Bennett!" etc. :) Have you ever seen Only Fools and Horses? Delboy said it a lot. It's just a saying. Don't know if there was anyone with that name who initiated it though, lol :)


Could it be Cockney rhyming slang?

Groovy:
Had a lesson today without having a chance to practice since last one on Thursday. I used the ~45 minutes before my lesson to work on the things I remembered from last week. I'm so scared of those stupid FI threes, that I practiced them on the wall, then graduated to very small lobes on the line. I forced myself to start with the L, as that is the one that clutches me up the most. In the lesson, I was actually able to do a few on decent sized lobes! It really helps me to see my coach do them, as she has such perfect control and can do anything in slow motion.

I did another full Juv cross stroke pattern. Had to screw up my courage for the B, but it's getting easier. There were only five skaters on the session, which helped a lot, as the difficulty with looking behind me is the scary thing at this point.

Coach checked out my spirals (pre-Pre) and said they were very good, definitely passing. I NEVER practice them, as my hips have been hurting. I know that I will have to work them at some point. Will probably wait until after the as yet unscheduled visit to the orthopod for what the family doc thinks is osteoarthritis in my hips.

I attended a free ISI coaching seminar on Sunday morning. One of the things I discovered is that ISI requires T-stops on both feet. I decided to do all stops today with "other" foot, and they cleaned up pretty good by the end of the session. There was actually more on judging than coaching at the seminar, but that info was useful too. The worst thing about it was the free breakfast (Dunkin Donuts) and lunch (Italian heroes and various salads)!!! I need to lose weight .:cry: :cry: :cry:

Gordon Bennet:
I've been wimping out on the Prelim power threes by not crossing completely over. Coach fixed this in lesson, but I need to get the whole thing moving faster with bigger lobes. Fear of the three turns at speed is holding me back. Coach says the threes look fine, and she would never know if I didn't tell her.

Gained four pounds over last month from hosting too much company. I can see it and feel it. I'm hoping to skate four to five times a week now and get it off that way. Nordic Track :x on days I can't skate.

[sk8pics]

Hey everyone, it's been awhile! I took a week's break because my primary coach was away, and because I just needed a break. But now I'm back skating and doing pretty well!

Groovy Finally, finally, I have learned to hold the landing on my waltz jump, and so have finally, finally, finally gotten the hang of being able to step forward after landing. My coach was very pleased and I was delighted, and said I'm finally really landing on an outside edge. It's a very cool feeling. 8) The other cool thing in my lesson yesterday was that I skated the opening segments of my program in the middle of the rink with my coach over by the boards instead of helping me! (A forward pivot on my right foot into a little two foot spin -really a couple of turns- into a RFO3, to 1-2 clockwise back crossovers, to a waltz jump, hold the landing (:)), step forward.) The trick for me is not getting too dizzy or freaking out, and yesterday I did an okay jump even though I felt dizzy. But my coach was very happy and a little surprised at how much I'd improved. Isn't it fun to surprise our coaches?

Also Groovy I got my new blades, MK Professionals a couple of weeks ago and I love them! However spinning is an adventure because I wobble! 8O But everything else feels wonderful and I'm sure soon I'll be able to spin.

Happy skating everyone,
Pat

[JDC1]

Groovey - Did alternating 3's and mohawk 3 step "pattern" ( I don't really know what to call it) but anyway those went well. Did some really decent waltz jumps and got gutsy and was trying to increase the size. Did some decent waltz-toes but rushed the toe a couple of times. Did a very nice RFO spiral that was controlled and I held it for a long time (for me).

Gordon Bennet - shared the ice with some very advanced but not necessarily courteous skaters, it's supposed to be adult free style session but most of us are probably freestyle 1 or 2 and these young ladies were much more advanced and one was a serious ice hog. Anyway, stupid, stupid salchow still annoys me. My loop decided not to appear and my flip was funky but I finally got a couple of decent ones but still can't land on one foot.

[LoopLoop]

Groovy:
* First power stroking class...tiring but fun.
* Flying sit is tiny but I can actually do it!
* LOVE the back double threes and slide chasses from intermediate MITF.

Gordon Bennett:
* HATE the intermediate power circles, particularly forwards.
* Wimping out on axels and double sals. Coach says I'm checking out before I even get all the way in. Which is frustrating because I have good takeoffs and plenty of height for the jumps, just not enough rotation.
* Camel was on vacation most of the session.

[singerskates]

Groovy: Seems like a 60's theme here. LOL

My waltz jumps are now, light and airy. My coach and I broke them down, yesterday. We discoverd that I missed three things in my waltz jumps before; before preparing to go forward placing the free foot next to the skating foot and sort of guiding backwards, readying my upper body arms and head before stepping forward while still shortly guiding on two feet and pointing lastly my non skating foot (left) before placing it on the ice for take off of the waltz jump. What a difference in height and sound!

Gordon Bennet Lessons : is this an English thing? Hmmm?

Salchow and back inside threes. Just don't have control of the back inside threes yet.

Pain in my right landing foot. Swollen. Something popped Sunday but I thought it went away Monday before skating. Nope. So today, I skipped my session but still visited the rink to tell my coach. I also arrived 2 hours too early. Not use to my new club's schedule yet and got the days and times mixed up. Plus, it was my 19th wedding aniversary today. i was going to do light skating today if I got the times right but was kind of lucky in a way sort that I could rest my foot. Went out to eat with hubby and ate everything notty; Honey Garlic Baby Back Ribs (full slab), fries and cob of corn and two Cokes. Hey, I was good all week and day till tonight's supper. Tomorrow I have to starve until after my ultrasound on my right abdominal side. Need to know why I get pain there ( Have no appendix and I'm not pregnant.).

[jazzpants]

Groovy:

Camels - Primary coach says that he sees progress and a lot of hope that I'll get this soon... Backspin - Same with this spin too!!! Of course, he's been throwing a lot of matches into my backspins. (i.e. I've came close a lot!!!) :lol:

Gordon Bennett: Scratch spin... not happening, man!!! :x
Sit spin... same thing. Have a lot of trouble turning the foot out too!!! :x Edge exercise... don't ask. Not even close!!!
Cheers,
jazzpants

[melanieuk]

Yesterday was gym day.
Today was a good skate day. Even the 1st lutz went well. The RBO3s weren't so hot today, but that's expected!
The programme got an ok first time from coach.
The other two times I practised it (outwith my lesson) and it was also passable.
The camel spin is hitting or missing on a daily basis now, but the sit is much faster and lower. Why can't I have both?
I was really tempted to try axels today, especially with senior level and double jumpers egging me on - but I had no crash pads. I did feel like I could've tried it though. Back to 3jump-loop exercises again.

I did fall twice - backwards on the landing - of the toe loop (LOL) and the flip. We decided it was because my butt had grown half an inch and this was throwing me off-balance. We decided to counteract this by hypothetically placing water-filled balloons in place of my non-existent bosom to equal the load. This ended in hysteria when we envisioned the balloons bursting mid jump. Funny, but you had to be there.... ;)

[Mrs Redboots]

First day back on the ice since Bordeaux.

Groovy: Robert and I have new choreography for our Rhythm Blues variation - still nothing difficult, but we want to do it well, however easy it is, and that's what we didn't do at the British championships. In my solo lesson I have finally got the pattern right for my free dance. And a relatively good run-through of both the Dutch Waltz and the Canasta Tango.

A child friend of mine landed her double flip for the first time ever.

Gordon Bennett!: Robert's Riverside Rhumba is still depressingly bad; why he can't do it when he has a 14-step to die for, I do not know! Our Fiesta Tango as a couple is also appalling - mostly me, but a certain amount of him, too, although he is superb at it solo. In my solo lesson, I went badly out of time the first time I tried the Canasta, and had to remember to count. We started our Rhythm Blues variation on the wrong beat - AGAIN. My free dance is okay, but I tend to forget and shuffle the back chassés rather, and sometimes I still can't turn round fast, even on two feet. Plus, I'm still not sure what the last two steps of the dance are to be - they were back cross-cuts, but I've done those, so we are now trying back runs (progressives), but I'm not very good at those, so they tend to turn into chassés.

I don't know when I shall skate again before Monday, which is rather sad. I hope to maybe get an hour tomorrow evening now that we have teatime ice again. We shall see.

[quarkiki2]

OK. It's been forever since I put in an update.

Saturday was my second lesson, adult Beta

Groovy: Backwards stroking improving by the minute. I need to hold the one foot glide a little longer and then it will be ok for test. I have t-stops on both feet, yay! Did backwards pumping and am able to gain speed on this. Learned LFO3 turn. Hubby can do turn consistently, but his upper body is a shambles and, I don't know HOW he does this, but he doesn't ben his knee! Then there's me: nice straight back deep knee bend and I make the turn and bail on the backwards glide. I barely get turned around and I drop my free foot. I know I'm not going to fall, but my darn feet aren't listening to my head!

Gordon Bennet: I simply have to get over my fear of going backwards. I bail on back crossovers, too. As soon as I'm on one foot moving backwards, I just freeze. Does anyone have any hints? Besides the good ol' practice, practice, practice!

[dbny]

Originally posted by quarkiki2
Gordon Bennet: I simply have to get over my fear of going backwards. I bail on back crossovers, too. As soon as I'm on one foot moving backwards, I just freeze. Does anyone have any hints? Besides the good ol' practice, practice, practice!

Keep doing back half swizzles around the hockey circles on both sides until you feel confident enough to pick up the pushing foot and glide. I had to set myself a goal of doing 10 times whatever I was having trouble with every time I skated. I remember it working pretty quickly on things like back edges.

[singerskates]

Originally posted by singerskates


Pain in my right landing foot. Swollen. Something popped Sunday but I thought it went away Monday before skating. Nope. Tomorrow I have to starve until after my ultrasound on my right abdominal side. Need to know why I get pain there ( Have no appendix and I'm not pregnant.).

I iced my foot today, took more Advil, drank a ton of water, staved myself until 2pm after the Ultrasound was over. Put on my old ankle brace and it seems to be helping me. Maybe over time with icing, elavating(sp) the foot, stretching it and wearing a brace the pain will go away. It's what I did last time I went to physio, only this time I don't have to worry about taking time off work or messing up my schedule. The true test will be tomorrow on the ice.
As far as the Ultrasound goes, I don't know what the results are on the test that I under went today. Boy was it humiliating. I don't want to go there. Guys are so lucky. Anyway, I want to find out the cause of the ab pain and get rid of it so that I can skate proper and do a proper spiral again. At the moment, my sprials are barely hip high because the pain restricts me.

[JDC1]

Groovy - alternating 3's are getting really good, I actually did them on a lobe but on a straight line and only put my foot down to steady once!! The mohawk sequence was better too, getting decent flow and don't have to stop and readjust for the R mohawk.

GB - weird jumping night, timing was off and I had tummy ache. Finally got some good waltz jumps and a couple of good toe loops. Left knee is a bit sore, not sure why. Only skated for an hour and was wiped out, think I am getting a cold too so that didn't help matters.

[garyc254]

Originally posted by JDC1
Only skated for an hour and was wiped out, think I am getting a cold too so that didn't help matters.

I've got a full blown head/chest cold and tried to skate last night. I was only on the ice about 1/2 hour before my lungs couldn't take any more.

For the time I was there, only one young girl was on the ice with me. Lots of practice room and you could really hear every toe pick scrape as I asked the rink not to turn on any music.

Nothing special nor bad last night, just some stroking, mohawks, and 3-turns.

[melanieuk]

Gordon Bennett

The change sit has gone away again...not that I had it, but at least I could stay off my butt!
I actually found the camel - change- sit was easier.
I managed NOT to fall today - so obviously wasn't taxing myself or off-keel anymore.

Groovy
Only four of us on the ice and I spent half my time practising with one of them which is always nice.

[LoopLoop]

Gordon Bennett:
* I have a muscle strain in my right leg so couldn't work on axels or double sals, or flying spins either.

Groovy:
* Started working on intermediate MITF with moves coach; she really liked my back double threes.
* Came THIS close to landing a double loop...it was about 1/8 turn short and very slightly two-footed. Couldn't do it again though.

I decided that I'm going to test preliminary FS this fall, just for the heck of it.

[singerskates]

Salchowitis and Bikeitis.....

The salchow is my worst jump but soon it won't be. Yesterday, my
coach had me do about 50 of them. I finally got the takeoff from a
RFI Open Mohawk and landed it but.... I couldn't yet stop the turning
on the landing. I am swinging my freeleg still too wide on the take
off and I am not checking right yet on the salchow. I am so close I
can taste it. After the salchow, I'm going to tear down my loop jump
with my coach and fix that too. Then I'm going to get the
salchow/loop combination. I'm out for Gold. That was salchowitis.

This is bikeitis. Went to get my stress test down for the exercise
induced asthma. I just know that because he found out that I figure
skate, that the doctor had the tention go up quickly. I mean, I could
feel it go up way high in no time at all. My legs were still sore
form all the salchows I did the day before, not to mention all the
other jumps I did, plus running through my program 5 times in a 1
hour session. Then there was the bike seat that killed my butt. My
butt was sore for an hour after the test. My left leg now feels like
hamburger. Glad I have the rest of today and tomorrow to rest my leg.

Oh, and I did all this after only getting 5 hours sleep before
working at work before the stress test. The test was stopped because
my leg was getting sore. No wonder. Hello.

[CanAmSk8ter]

Originally posted by LoopLoop

Gordon Bennett:
* HATE the intermediate power circles, particularly forwards.


I passed my Intermediate Moves last month, and that the was the only move anyone failed me on! Only one judge, but it was still annoying. I would love to know where I got the idea that those would be the easiest thing on that test. Trust me, they're not.

[Anita18]

Groovy
My backspin entrance was the most consistent it's ever been! Well, I could only pull in on two of the spins, but I at least I didn't fall over on that many, LOL...
I had a couple of really good loops today.
Flips were coming along! Wow! Well, most of the time I'd slam my right thigh into the ice, but if I put less oomph into the jump, it was okay, LOL..
Lutz went around completely a couple of times! Still need to fix that side pick-in..
Waltz jump! I forced myself to do consecutive bunny-hops across the rink, LOL, so the entrance finally caught on. Actually, I was more surprised that I could do consecutive bunny hops, LOL.Gordon Bennett
I couldn't do a single forward spin today! :cry: :frus: (see my other post for more griping...I think I've done enough of that for today..)
Toe loop. Well, some were fine but sometimes I'd miss the pick-in completely. 8O
Salchow. Eh, what's new....Anita

[singerskates]

Just got back from the rink.

Warmed up for 5 minutes and then got my lesson and didn't even get a chance to stretch. Had to stretch after my lesson. Anyway,

Groovy:
Waltz jump, light and airy again with more distance in air and landing.
Salchow, actually can do them now. I didn't believe I did it, so I told my coach I wanted to do it again and sure enough, I did it again.
Then I did the toe loop, had to do it twice to get the landing to stick. Then my coach said, "Salchow/toe loop combination." and I did it. Not great but I did it. Now way. What's next session? Loop?

Gordon Bennett Lessons:
Either I can get 5 to 6 revs with an improper spin entry or I botch the rotations with the proper spin entry.

Ran through my program with the music. I can't believe I could skate my whole program last spring. I'm way out of shape. I couldn't finish my program. Had to make them stop the music. I was so tired. I also am not skating fast enough to keep up with my music at the moment but that will come with time.

Had trouble controlling my LBI3's from the RFI OP MO's but was able to get a messy salchow/toe loop combination in my program when I wasn't skating to my music.

Boy am I out of shape!

[singerskates]

Just got back from the rink.

Warmed up for 5 minutes and then got my lesson and didn't even get a chance to stretch. Had to stretch after my lesson. Anyway,

Groovy:
Waltz jump, light and airy again with more distance in air and landing.
Salchow, actually can do them now. I didn't believe I did it, so I told my coach I wanted to do it again and sure enough, I did it again.
Then I did the toe loop, had to do it twice to get the landing to stick. Then my coach said, "Salchow/toe loop combination." and I did it. Not great but I did it. Now way. What's next session? Loop?

Gordon Bennett Lessons:
Either I can get 5 to 6 revs with an improper spin entry or I botch the rotations with the proper spin entry.

Ran through my program with the music. I can't believe I could skate my whole program last spring. I'm way out of shape. I couldn't finish my program. Had to make them stop the music. I was so tired. I also am not skating fast enough to keep up with my music at the moment but that will come with time.

Had trouble controlling my LBI3's from the RFI OP MO's but was able to get a messy salchow/toe loop combination in my program when I wasn't skating to my music.

Boy am I out of shape!