Magical beasts or mythical ones (Practice Thread 11-17 March 2007) [Archive]

Mrs Redboots

03-11-2007, 09:26 AM

Because I'm totally convinced (or at least, it's fun to pretend to be totally convinced!) that the Husband's flip jump is a mythical beast - he is forever saying he just landed a great one, with a running edge, but does he repeat it in front of either his coach or me? You guess!

Mythical beasts: Had our first lesson on the Free Dance today with Coach2; not a great success as we couldn't remember what we used to do in order to rejig it! However, we think we may have it more-or-less up to the step sequence, although she's turned us right round, so it might take some getting used to!

We spent ages trying to work out why I scrape on the STF in the Willow (during the man's Mohawk), when partnered, when I don't do it solo. And trying to get the placing of the RFO3 right. Sigh....

Magical: Hmmm.... let's see..... Oh, I got some reasonable LFI 3s (my weaker side) and even one BI3, sort of....

peanutskates

03-11-2007, 10:34 AM

Mythical: passing Grade 6 when my coach practically promised me I would pass (well, he was going to pass me the lesson before, I needed to improve my 3 turns now he is saying I should do the 3 turns with my leg out not in...)

inside 3 turns. argh... they are very hard.

Magical: had a really great practice before last lesson and nailed the leg-in 3 turns. then started to learn leg-out 3 turns... landed 3 jump (or at least a half jump. whether it is a proper 3 jump I do not know.) also did some cool back xo's.

probably mythical for next week: spins. I will try to attempt a spin from a proper back xo entry instead of how we were taught from a 2 foot glide. keep yall fingers crossed!!!

cathrl

03-11-2007, 12:46 PM

Magical:

I can now, just about, do 3 revs on my one foot spin! Which is the last remaining thing I need for my silver figure passport!

We got through the whole 90 minute club session without me having to stop what I was practising and go separate my kids.

Little one didn't want to get off the ice at the end.

Mythical:

Doing 3 revs in front of my coach next week, I strongly suspect :lol:

Rusty Blades

03-11-2007, 02:42 PM

Totally #$@%# MYTHICAL! 8O I should have skated yesterday (at my old home club) but I was absolutely, positively exhausted so I passed. I intended to skate at my rural club today and got there to find the parking lot more full than I have ever seen it! "Must be something going on..." I thought. There was - "ice show" day for the kiddies. (... Adult language removed for our more sensitive readers.....) It must have been one of those things posted on the bulletin board 'cause it wasn't in the original schedule and there was no email notification.... GRRRRRR! (That club is WAY expensive and I was thinking of not going back next year - now I have decided.)

Well, that leaves me 2 session before I depart for competition (maybe 3 if coach thinks I need to make up one of the missing sessions).

Sessy

03-11-2007, 03:53 PM

Sessy

03-11-2007, 03:58 PM

Magical:

Doing 3 revs in front of my coach next week, I strongly suspect :lol:

If you're ccw, let your left shoulder lead the rotation, and bring in your right arm/shoulder in right above your right leg, with your head right in the same direction your arm-shoulder-leg are sticking in (so you turn your head as you bring the rest in). Don't leave your arm or your head behind as you bring in your right leg.
Push the front bone of your rib cage (the one inbetween your breasts) sort of over your toepicks, while leaving the hips in place, and stick your head to the front (not your chin, the movement comes not from a change of position of the head compared to the neck but of the neck itself shoving itself forward, from the back of the neck, from the lower vertibrae of the neck).

Get deep on your knee before going into the spin and on the 3-turn as you go into the spin (the first revolution if you will) unbend the knee fast as you bring the leg-arm-shoulder-head forward, push your rib cage over your toepick basically and tense your belly muscles.
Voila, 3 revs minimum.

No really, I've seen girls who had 1 or 2 revs get 4 and more after this.

And FOLLOW YOUR LEFT SHOULDER into the rotation (if you're ccw), do NOT leave it behind or pull it to the front. Let the left shoulder lead
(right if you're cw).

BTW, on a slippery floor you can practice this on socks.

Mrs Redboots

03-12-2007, 05:08 AM

And FOLLOW YOUR LEFT SHOULDER into the rotation (if you're ccw), do NOT leave it behind or pull it to the front. Let the left shoulder lead
(right if you're cw).But that's the scary bit - it makes you spin too fast.... at least, if you're me! I hate spinning because I end up with spots in front of my eyes for ages afterwards. And I prefer spinning CW, but don't actually like spinning in either direction!

No skating today, there never is on Mondays here, but what is fairly magical is that I've just received the provisional timetable for the Coupe de France and we're doing the Swing Dance to the UK standard Rocker Foxtrot tempo/music (which probably means we're the only couple in it, too bad), and neither of our classes is on the Sunday, so we can sleep through the time change! We'll already be an hour ahead of ourselves through crossing the Channel, two hours ahead is pushing it, slightly.

Team Arthritis

03-12-2007, 11:21 AM

a bit of magic: for the first time in 2 years I finally did several backspins and got the free foot across! The trick seemed to be to practice FI-3 with the free leg crossing front and holding the spin position for a turn and then, well then I can't hold it any longer but it sort of woke my body up and told it where I needed to be to make it work.
mythical: would be my body position during these backspins - seems I really like watching my laces:roll:
Lyle

jazzpants

03-12-2007, 12:12 PM

Magical:

The loops and flip is still steady even at my weekend rink. Of course, it's not perfect and I still had a couple of botched attempts. I also did some loop-loops. Missed a few but landed some too! :D And I was a good girl and didn't attempt any lutz or flip-loops either! :halo: Of course, it was also b/c I ran out of time to practice :lol: and...
Was playing around with back 3's again. RBO3 is still a BEAST, but came close on a few tries. LBO3's is always a pain but at least I can do them. And of course, I always keep up with my FO3's and FI3's as well. (I was working on RFI3 from a fast edge. I still freak out on those! 8O And no, not setting up for a toe loop in the CCW direction either. It's a different set-up for a spin.)Mythical:

The rest of the jumps are okay but could be better. I better practice those a bit more too. :roll:
Camel can spin but I can't get into position. :frus:
Tried doing my catch-foot spiral that I haven't done in a long time. Needless to say, I need to get back into practicing them again!!! 8O
Worked on beginning footwork for Bronze FS program! The way primary coach tried to make it easier for me to do back cross steps now are actually HARDER for me to do!! :frus: (Though the rest of the beginning that I can do definitely is starting to have *attitude!!!* :D )

Derek

03-12-2007, 12:33 PM

Magical creatures:
Yesterday was pleasant, although Sunday public sessions are crowded. It was nice to see they coned off the centre portion for private lessons, so there was some ice available for them.

Mythical beasts:
Normally Monday is wonderful, almost three hours of spacious rink. However I felt out of kilter today, no energy, or focus. To be fair, I had a virus a few days ago, and it left me a bit drained, so I can blame that :?? The darkest hour is allegedly just before the dawn, so perhaps an improvement is imminent, I can but hope ...

Sessy

03-12-2007, 12:47 PM

You can regulate the spin speed with the speed of the 3-turn (you can do spins from standstill too you know, making a 3-turn from standstill, so long as you bend the leg on the 3-turn) and by keeping your arms out. :)

You'll notice you're spinning really slowly, but when you follow the leading shoulder, the spin is way more stable. Then spinning fast is suddenly not scary anymore.

jenlyon60

03-12-2007, 12:52 PM

Magical Beasts: Presumably I'm now on the uphill side of my knee surgery (right knee was scoped last Thurs afternoon) so hopefully I should be able to get back on the ice within 4-8 weeks.

Bill_S

03-12-2007, 01:56 PM

Mythical: My opportunity to skate this morning vanished because the University had scheduled my class' final exam at 8 am. No time to skate or to change afterwards, and still have time to administer the exam.

Magical: I might be able to leave the office a bit early today to make the 4:30 pm session. Also, I'm getting nice emails about the photos I took of our skating competition on March 3rd. I've placed 164 pictures on Shutterfly for parents/skaters to view or purchase. Feels nice to be appreciated.

jskater49

03-12-2007, 02:47 PM

Mythical Beast: Coach says it is all in my head that I cannot put my foot down for the step behind in the Cha cha. I know if I'm going to continue to learn dances I have to be able to do this. I did a couple of them and then I was back to cheating them. So frustrating. I've decided I'm not going to scratch my competition for this dance because I need a strong reason to work on this

Magical - Coach thinks passing the dance tests has given me new confidence, she basically had nothing to say about my Rhythm Blues other than "Don't you want to try to do the step behinds on both feet?"

I'm not afraid of my half flip anymore and I was doing the 3 turn toe taps that I took out of my program. I'll probably end up taking them out again when I have to compete, but it doesn't hurt to work on them.

j

Scarlett

03-12-2007, 03:00 PM

Magical beasts - My one foot spin is back from its long sojourn. I thought it had left me for good.

Mythical beasts - Just finished getting the choreography for my program and let me say it is a major work in progress. Nothing went right. I balked at every one of my jumps, forgot the footwork, and was only half way through it when the music ended. :giveup:

Sessy

03-12-2007, 07:37 PM

Mythical: my lutz is gone again, I only landed 1 and even that was under-rotated.
Magical: for the first time since my anckle injury, I've been doing my flips exactly the way I did them before the injury AND they didn't hurt.

Morgail

03-12-2007, 09:37 PM

Magical:
-Worked on Silver Moves (woohoo for no more Bronze Moves!!) in my lesson - primarily the 8-step mohawk pattern, cross-rolls, and FO 3s to BI 3s.
-Got an eensy bit closer to getting the loop out of a mohawk and long edge (as opposed to RI 3-turn).

Mythical:
-Wasn't kicking through on waltz jumps, and had trouble not hunching over on the take-off.
-And - ouch - the muscles in my sides hurt from so much twisting and correcting of body alignment on outside mohawks and BI 3-turns.

jskater49

03-12-2007, 09:46 PM

Something magical I saw today at practice...

A high level free skater learning the Canasta...and man she looked like a dancer. Lots of times freeskaters look like freeskaters doing dance - but she was a natural. I couldn't resist going over to her and her coach (mine too) and joking "OH so THAT is what that dance looks like when skated on an edge!"" :D

j

jazzpants

03-13-2007, 12:24 AM

Magical beasts:

Landed a couple of flips and loops, including JKo's Bronze guy, who seemed VERY HAPPY to see me finally landing it. :D
Scratch and backspins were coming along better today.Mythical ones:

Couldn't land either one after the first few. I do land on the landing leg but it doesn't glide out. If anything, I get twisted around. :(
Was playing around with some footwork and tried to do a flip out of it. Meh... I'll wait 'til I get my flip up to speed... :roll:
Camel not quite in position.
Ice was crap from the beginning. I suspect that they didn't bother to resurfacing the ice today.

Mrs Redboots

03-13-2007, 08:49 AM

Mythical beasts: Husband will shrug when he does something not quite right - today I caught him shrugging after the twizzles in his free programme and before the drag, and then again when he did a totally pants flip. I pointed out that he needed to act as though he though the judges were going to give him +3 on the GOE, even if he knew quite well it would be -3!

This led to a discussion about curtseys with another friend....

In our lesson, we are still struggling with the Willow, and the Canasta really isn't what it ought to be at this stage. Very Deep Sigh.

In private practice, my left foot change-of-edge from outside-to-inside wasn't working properly - my shoulders wouldn't move in the right place at the right time.

Magical beasts: Our warm-up is improving and improving, and we are really getting round the ice now! Four pushes is too easy.....

I almost managed to turn two relatively respectable BI3s!

I did an off-ice class with our trainer, and my core muscles are much stronger than I thought they were!

jazzpants

03-13-2007, 11:45 AM

MAJOR Mythical beasts:

Well, I guess it's too good to be true... towards the end of the lesson, I lost BOTH my loops and my flips. I got all twisted up on most of my landing and lost my timing again on the entry. :frus: :cry: :cry: Though I got some baby ones back towards the end of the session, I opted to abandon the effort for today (so I wouldn't push for it) and went to doing spins!!!A Small Magical Beast:

I did do some loops at the beginning and one of those magical beasts was biggest loops yet. The ankle landed kinda funky but it was BIG!!! (Maybe that's why it landed funky on my ankle. Body is not used to it...)
Welcome to our new Skating School Director, Shane Douglas!!! :bow: :bow: :bow: You guys that have done ISI comps probably knows him. He's one of the few skaters out there that CAN still do an axel... in BOTH directions!!! (Yup! ISI 10 guy!) Just about everyone so far gave him a thumbs-up!!!

doubletoe

03-13-2007, 12:12 PM

mythical:
I fell in my programme, and then messed up the rest of it. I've no idea why, but this used to happen when I was playing piano and on my driving tests as well. I was hoping it'd be more like dancing where I could snap out of mistakes I made, but apparently, not.
Well, just gotta skate clean from the start at the competition then.

magical:
only flip-loop combo's that I didn't land were at the end of the practice session, when I did about 10 run-throughs of my programme and my belly was already hurting from being too tired and my legs felt like lad. I underrotated my loop half there and my flip a quarter.
But I only need to do it once for the competition so. :lol:

Very magical:
we got 40 minutes of extra ice time because the zamboni driver wasn't there and nobody had the ice after us so... We just stayed on the ice till the zamboni driver chased us off, and even when he did he wasn't in a hurry to do it.

Be careful not to jump when you're tired. You can twist your ankle or knee on the landing, or even pull a back muscle (I learned this the hard way!). Go for quality, not quantity. Also, program run-throughs are a great opportunity to practice how to recover from a missed element. My coach has me come up with a plan for how to recover from each element if I miss it, and I actually practice the recovery for each one so that if I miss it in a program run-through, I automatically do it. It has helped SO MUCH in competition! :)

dbny

03-13-2007, 01:25 PM

Mythical & Magical:
Outdoor rink closed for the season. Magical because I hate teaching groups there for reasons that I can't make public. Mythical because I will miss getting to skate there for free in the mornings and will miss the adult company on those sessions. Magical because I no longer have to get up early on weekdays for those same sessions. Did the Prelim BXO to BO edge pattern on Monday after not having done it for months, and it felt great and was on pattern.

Magical:
The BI Choctaw in the Prelim power threes is suddenly happening without that little touch down and after a good back XO. Coach told me it's in the timing, and to wait for it, and that's working for me! Also noticed how she stands up with free foot at instep of skating foot right before the turn, and that's significant for me too. FO threes are soooo close to being really controlled and checked. I have hope. I'm now getting at least 4 revs on every one foot spin (entered from pivot). Feeling more secure on tango stop, which I've been slowly cultivating because I love it and used to do it all the time on roller skates.

Mythical:
I seem to gain too much momentum to handle when entering a one foot spin from FO edge. I either have to keep my free leg closer, or work on spinning faster from a pivot. Still wimping out too often on FI threes.

LilJen

03-13-2007, 04:41 PM

Magical: Good practice on Sunday, on my own while other synchro teams were practicing, and then with the synchro team.

Mythical: Several people were missing from synchro practice so it was confusing, as this was only my second 1/2 hr learning the drill. And I was mystified as to the meaning of "block" "egg beater" "pinwheel" "slice" and other terms--I had to ask what these strange expressions meant!!

Also am totally unprepared for my first (albeit really basic) comp on Saturday. I finally made it to the rink to a freestyle session (I don't often attend these) because I'm supposed to have prescribed music for this and hadn't yet heard it. . . it's, uh, rather goofy. (See frantic post from last night.) My sense of humor has returned so I think I could probably ham it up to this music if need be, but dh is going to play around with some music tonight. It's only 1 minute and only 4 moves required (can be repeated) so we'll see if I can pull something together.

Skate@Delaware

03-13-2007, 07:18 PM

this is for yesterday...I was tooooo tired to post last night and toooo busy today!

Magical: got a call after work (while I was returning home from shopping) from hubby, the rink director had called asking if I was available to sub for an instructor (she called it "trial by fire" 8O who was out sick!!!! So, it was zip home, change, grab gear and zip to the rink and head out onto the ice with no idea what I was doing, really. March, march, march, gliiiiiide!!!! Lots of encouragement. Best I could do. Small classes (one in the first, two in the second). Not too bad, got to stay for the moves class!!!!

Mythical: tired!!!!! I had a full workout at the gym yesterday, my hip flexors were SORE from stretching them, then hitting the ice and doing moves! AND trying to do the 5-step mohawk sequence which feels SO akward going left :frus: I was still tired today when I got up (and sore, even though I soaked last night in salts).

Bottom line: I will fill-in when needed, and start teaching this fall!!!!! I'm soooo excited! I have wanted to do this for over a year! How I'm going to squeeze this in....I don't know but it will work out!

dbny

03-13-2007, 09:49 PM

this is for yesterday...I was tooooo tired to post last night and toooo busy today!

Magical: got a call after work (while I was returning home from shopping) from hubby, the rink director had called asking if I was available to sub for an instructor (she called it "trial by fire" 8O who was out sick!!!! So, it was zip home, change, grab gear and zip to the rink and head out onto the ice with no idea what I was doing, really. March, march, march, gliiiiiide!!!! Lots of encouragement. Best I could do. Small classes (one in the first, two in the second). .
.
.
.
Bottom line: I will fill-in when needed, and start teaching this fall!!!!! I'm soooo excited! I have wanted to do this for over a year! How I'm going to squeeze this in....I don't know but it will work out!

Congratulations! If you can possibly observe, do as much as you can before you start out on your own.

DallasSkater

03-13-2007, 10:06 PM

Skate@ Delaware: How very exciting! And what a nice compliment to you that the director offered you this opportunity! I know you will do well with it!

Laura H

03-14-2007, 07:53 AM

Didn't have a chance to post after Monday's lesson, but it was MUCH better than last week's . . . just the fact that they resurfaced the ICE was a major plus anyway, but the skating director showed up to teach us "advanced" adults . . . so we had a nice semi-private lesson. 8-)

MAGICAL: power stroking? I think that is what it is called . . . both forwards and backwards were very nice, last time we worked on those I was struggling with the backwards ones, this time it actually made sense to me!! ;)

Waltz jump, half flip, toeloop all ok . . . I guess at least recognizable!!!

Scratch spin . . . ALMOST! in public session afterwards I came "this close!" to bringing my free foot all the way over and across! And spins just felt really good . . . totally magical. I can't believe I'm actually ENJOYING spins, never thought that would come to pass.

MYTHICAL: still :frus: on backspin attempts . . . just gonna keep on trying it each session . . . I'm sure at some point it willl click. (not the dreaded "click of death," just "click"). Also, for some reason I was feeling like an elephant on the Salchow . . . like I wasn't taking all my body parts along for the ride! :roll: The instructor didn't fall down laughing though, so I guess it was OK.

And apparently, I DON'T do "big girl arms" on my 3-turns when I do them in isolation (i.e., not leading into a jump) . . . had to have a little remedial instruction on that. (the instructor says - "you're doing it all with your HIPS!" Me: "your point being . . . ?" :lol: ). Something else to work on . . . it's always something, right?

Laura H

03-14-2007, 07:53 AM

Skate@Delaware, awesome that you were asked to teach and that's great that you could fill in on such short notice! Congratulations!

Rusty Blades

03-14-2007, 09:30 AM

Mythical Critter: GOOD ICE! It doesn't exist here :x So @$#% rough that I am going to look for blades with shock absorbers, OFF-ROAD shocks!

Magical Beasts: Yup,that'd be my program (the "beast" part!). Actually not that bad. Though I didn't get the opportunity to skate on the weekend, today's run-through was so-so (my evaluation - coach thought it was ok). Coach video taped - well, it's disk now, not tape, so would it be more appropriate to say she "disked" my program? :roll: - and we watched the video after. Ok, I have seen worse in competition - that's encouraging 8-) I was surprised that I looked quite a bit faster than I feel when I am skating it - always good! :mrgreen: One more session with my coach on Friday and then it's off on the big silver bird on Sunday for my first competition 8 days from now.

8 DAYS??!! OMG!!! :??

Isk8NYC

03-14-2007, 09:55 AM

Magical Beasts
Decent crossovers tend to disappear at inopportune times for me: during my test and/or lesson, for example. Spent most of my lesson working on the Prel MITF forward crossover circles, then managed to screw up the Power 3's as well. Still, they're better than when I started lessons in November, so I'm grateful.

Mythical Beasts:
My spirals are getting stronger, thanks to stretching after skating and doing off-ice leg exercises with ankle weights. Still 'clunking' down when changing feet on the inside edges.

Did several really good scratch and sit spins today.

Have to work on strengthening my hip flexors and abdominal muscles.

jazzpants

03-14-2007, 10:28 AM

Mythical Beasts:
My spirals are getting stronger, thanks to stretching after skating and doing off-ice leg exercises with ankle weights. Still 'clunking' down when changing feet on the inside edges.The Prelim spiral is a headache for me... though to be fair, I don't really practice it as much as I should, especially on the inside spirals. :oops:

Have to work on strengthening my hip flexors and abdominal muscles.And lower back too, since you're doing a lot of spirals! Guess how *I* know... :roll:

S@D: Congrats on your coaching oppty!!! That is wonderful!!! :D :D :D

Mrs Redboots

03-14-2007, 12:40 PM

Magical: Husband, for some reason, has developed a change-foot spin which is strong enough that he's seriously considering putting it into his programme for next weekend! It's not quite there - only 1.5 revolutions on the backspin part - but so nearly that it's worth trying. The only thing he doesn't know is how you step out of a backspin. But then, considering he never steps out of any other spins but waits for them to grind to a halt, I expect it's moot anyway.

I had such a magical lesson this morning, I think someone enchanted my coach, who actually said "Not bad" (his highest praise!) not once, but twice! Once was for my inside-to-outside changes-of-edge (which really have improved by not being worked on!), and once was for my clockwise waltz 3s. He also made me do the British waltz solo ("It has everything you need to work on in it!") and I surprised myself by being able to keep it to tempo, although it was very small and weak. But a year ago I'd have been putting on the brakes before the 3-turn no matter how slowly I was going, so I was pleased. Need to work on gaining more power - I think if I focus on power I will get speed without freaking myself out the way I do if I focus on speed, if that makes sense!

Also, our Senior dancers decided, for reasons best known to themselves, to give an exhibition of the Canasta Tango, which was pretty magical. Imagine being able to do it like that - although, if I'm being really picky, I'd have liked to see her head a little higher, and just a tad more tango expression in it. But for an ad hoc run-through, it was marvellous - and oh, the edges. "Why can't you go up the rink like that?" asked the husband....

Mythical: I wish our dances were better. They are much better than last year, but I'm still struggling with the Willow, and a little bit with the Fiesta, although not nearly so much. And I hate the Canasta. I do love the Swing Dance, but we must sort out our start so that we don't start on the off-beat like we did this morning. I can easily make the 3-turn last two more beats, it's not a problem, we just have to work it.

jazzpants

03-14-2007, 01:37 PM

The only thing he doesn't know is how you step out of a backspin. But then, considering he never steps out of any other spins but waits for them to grind to a halt, I expect it's moot anyway. I get out of it by doing a back crossover (free leg crosses over the spinning leg) then push out to a RBO edge. (Assuming he spins CCW...)

Scarlett

03-14-2007, 02:17 PM

Mrs. or actually Mr. Redboots,

I exit my backspin by opening up my crossed foot and gliding out on the outside edge of my standing leg. It's basically just the exit out of a loop.

Beasties: Both me and my coach are sick and yet we both showed up for my lesson. Changed my program around but basically the lesson sucked. At one point, my coach forgot which way I jumped and I forgot how to do a 1/2 flip. :roll:

Mythical: I managed to not hurt myself skating around in a medicine induced stupor.

kismet_78

03-14-2007, 02:17 PM

Mythical: If this program comes together by competition time (2 practices away, gulp) it will be a miracle. Axels are definitely mythical beasts as far as the program is concerned! Combo spin is now missing the camel, as I'm having issues with it at the moment - which is actually helpful as there's more time for the spin and it feels less rushed.

Magical: The spiral sequence finally feels pretty comfortable, though I'm still counting off "1 mississippi 2" etc to make sure they're held long enough :)

And, just for comic relief: I'm trying to practice in competition tights instead of my usual black leggings to get used to them, and had another skater yell at me from accross the rink "Hey, you've got legs!". Yeah, and a red face now too, thanks very much!

Happy skating!

jskater49

03-14-2007, 04:53 PM

Mythical The step behind in the Cha CHa is going to be mythical when I compete. My daughter told me to go ahead and compete this weekend and fake the step--so I'm going for it. The way I look at it, I'm going to do the person who finishes just ahead of me the favor of letting them beat someone

Spirals - I guess I'm weird in that I can get my leg higher in my back spiral than forward. It's not a matter of getting my leg up, I don't press down enough so I"m trying to raise my leg while my torso is still up so we tried to flatten me out today.

Magical A HALF HOUR FREESTYLE LESSON! :) :) I usually get ten minutes --we had time to go over all my jumps, spin and spirals. And this may seem like duh to some of you but I don't get a lot of lessons and this just dawned on me. When I don't jump my waltz, it's not because I'm chicken. It's because it's not set up right and it's impossible to jump. When I set it up, I actually jump and have some flow. DOH! :idea:

I can spin really fast - now just keep my leg tucked close (I can't seem to bring it in front yet) and stand up straight and I can really spin. wow.

I am so lucky my competition is after break week - and hour and a half of ice every day (usually only 3 days a week) and TWO HALF HOUR LESSONS. And I got a chance to compete my program twice already. I'm feeling pretty prepared but I hope I don't have to eat those words.

j

Skate@Delaware

03-14-2007, 09:41 PM

All: thanks for the well-wishes on my instructor-ship! and it is "instructor" not coach...because of the certification/qualification thingy ;) and I do plan on spending some free time observing the skating director during her "little people" lessons

Mythical: Daughter fell on sunday and whacked her knee...it was swollen and bruised so I packed her off to the orthopedic doc today (earliest available appointment). He said she had a bruised bone in her knee and some muscle strain in the opposite hip. No skating for 2 weeks. So, her lesson tonight became mine (actually hubby and I split it) and her competitive events at our in-rink basic skills comp went from 4 to 2.

Magical: so, during my 15-minute lesson with my daughter's coach (who is also my coach), we refreshed my memory on the power 3's (brain fart) for the left side; then hit scratch spins. For some stupid reason, my body does not want to glide, glide, glide, spin.....so she had me to back to the line and spin and really hold it (man, that is HARD to do!); then because my arms are really crappy, she had me switch my arms8O so instead of having my left arm (I spin ccw) swing out (eeek karate chop!) my right arm was in front! Managed to do a centered spin and only fell out of it when I brought my leg in-it's doing something weird on it's own.

I will bring my video camera in, now that it's fixed (my camera, not my spins!) and see how bad I look.

Yeah, my camera is fixed, as is my dvd burner! (both crapped out at the same time) So, now that my competitions are done, i will be making that stretching video, and I have some basic yoga if anyone is interested-I've been working on opening up my hips. When it's done, i will put it up on youtube.

Thin-Ice

03-15-2007, 03:31 AM

Magical Beasts
Decent crossovers tend to disappear at inopportune times for me: during my test and/or lesson, for example.

And this makes you different from most of the rest of us??? I've NEVER heard of anyone having BETTER crossovers during a test! :lol:

Mrs Redboots

03-15-2007, 05:38 AM

Thanks for the advice on the backspin exit, which I'll pass on.

Mythical The step behind in the Cha CHa is going to be mythical when I compete. My daughter told me to go ahead and compete this weekend and fake the step--so I'm going for it. The way I look at it, I'm going to do the person who finishes just ahead of me the favor of letting them beat someone

The thing about that step is that it is on to a fairly steep inside edge! Even if your foot isn't quite crossed (I don't think mine ever is), get on to a serious inside edge and make sure you're practically facing the short end of the rink by the time you push on to the RBI edge to finish the dance. That will score you brownie points for getting a better pattern than anybody else.

And jenlyon60 told me last year (when we were competing it) that the judges also look for a definite widestep after the inside chassé at the beginning. This is easy for UK skaters, as we have widesteps in both the Golden Skaters' Waltz and the Riverside Rhumba, so by the time we compete the Canadian Chacha (which we only ever do abroad as it's solely a recreational dance here), we're well used to wide-stepping!

And get a good down-up-down in the knee on the "double whammy" edge, and try to make your slalom edgy, and you should do fine! The difficult thing about this dance, I find, is filling the rink - you really do need power to do that. Mind you, last time we competed it the ice was so fast we had to move our start, or I'd have ended up being scraped along the barrier after the afore-mentioned cross-behind! We very nearly won, too - just one mark by one judge kept us in 2nd place!

jskater49

03-15-2007, 05:40 AM

And this makes you different from most of the rest of us??? I've NEVER heard of anyone having BETTER crossovers during a test! :lol:

Not crossovers, but my daughter, when she gets nervous, bends her knees MORE and pushes HARDER. So that before a dance test, her coaches actually tell her to NOT PUSH, otherwise she ends up in the boards.

j

Team Arthritis

03-15-2007, 08:49 AM

THE BEAST!
got up early worked hard but NOTHING would work, not a centered scratch spin, forget backspins, scraped every 3 turn, forget the Willow! Arrggghhh!
Lyle

Isk8NYC

03-15-2007, 11:14 AM

Magical Beasts:
Did a few really good spins last night at the seasonal rink.
Waltz jumps were really high and smooth.
Edges were rippin'.

Mythical Beasts:
Ice was just right for spins, even the back spins felt good - tried an illusion, but it was unrecognizable and therefore 'mythical'! LOL

Still working on that d**n Tango Stop. Can't get it to happen with the right part of the blade - I either dig in and trip or use my heel and scratch.

Beasts of Burden:
My arches are getting cramps from all the toe-pointing I've been working on lately.

And this makes you different from most of the rest of us??? I've NEVER heard of anyone having BETTER crossovers during a test! :lol:I think that, since I coach, my crossovers should be better and consistent. :oops:
Especially since my coach is the Skating Director, and therefore, my boss.

My coach said I complain the least of all the adult students. I laughed and said "Oh, my knees, my back, my arches, my whatever!" She said, "Well, you don't complain about WHAT we're doing." LOL

jazzpants

03-15-2007, 12:14 PM

I think that, since I coach, my crossovers should be better and consistent. :oops:
Especially since my coach is the Skating Director, and therefore, my boss.That's my type of "on the job training"!!! :P :lol:

My coach said I complain the least of all the adult students. I laughed and said "Oh, my knees, my back, my arches, my whatever!" She said, "Well, you don't complain about WHAT we're doing." LOLMy secondary coach would go "Hey, you're not whining and complaining. You're actually going ahead and doing it!!!" :D My answer is "Ummmm... you're just going to make me do it anyway, so what's the use of whining and complaining about it???" :roll: :P

doubletoe

03-15-2007, 02:41 PM

Mythical Beasts:
Ice was just right for spins, even the back spins felt good - tried an illusion, but it was unrecognizable and therefore 'mythical'! LOL

You mean the illusion was just an illusion? ;)

jskater49

03-15-2007, 04:24 PM

Thanks for the advice on the backspin exit, which I'll pass on.

The thing about that step is that it is on to a fairly steep inside edge! Even if your foot isn't quite crossed (I don't think mine ever is), get on to a serious inside edge and make sure you're practically facing the short end of the rink by the time you push on to the RBI edge to finish the dance. That will score you brownie points for getting a better pattern than anybody else.

This was really helpful...when I do that cross behind wrong, it's really dangerous so I'm just setting my foot down beside my foot but I really made an effort to get on an edge and I really had a lot of fun with the dance today. My dance coach is gone ths week and she's probably gonna have a fit when she sees that non-step behind, but I just want to go out there and have fun. Someday I will do a step behind but it's not happening in time for this weekend. I think I covered the rink pretty well and felt like I was curving, not going straight like I tend to do on the Canasta

Magical My daughter caught one of my one foot spins that was pretty fast and long and she said "That was really good" My daughter does not hand out praise liberally so that felt good.

j

jazzpants

03-15-2007, 05:12 PM

Magical beast:
Loops and flips are back. Loop-loop, I landed one and missed one. Gold guy said "Oooooh! You got a little more PEP going into it!!!" :D Primary coach even figured out a way to get me to "visually" do my loop jump. (The red line is now my new "wall") Lower back on my left side is better, so I was able to jump a little.

Mythical ones:
NOW it's my RIGHT SIDE that's hurting!!! GRRRR!!! :evil: And I'm still wondering how I'm going to do the loop AT SPEED!!! What a dilemma!!! 8O

Magical beast:
With that in mind, my primary coach did made a compliment that he thinks I'm much faster and less hesitant skater now than I was even just before I took my Bronze FS test.

Needless to say, we also worked on my choreography... and my lower back and I are very thankful to my primary coach for SPARING my lower back today!!! :bow:

Off Ice Exercise stuff:
I'm going to be temporarily going off pilates to get a personal trainer and work me for a while 'til I lose all this extra weight that I've gained over the last year or so. Since I HAVE to wear a skating dress for this number :roll: , I want to lose all this excess weight so I don't look like a sausage stuffing into its casing!!! :lol: :P Wish me luck! It's 15lbs I have to lose between now and late October this year. Should be cake, but cake is not allowed in my diet! :giveup:

Other notes:
Primary coach's Interp. program for AN is definitely getting more polished now. :mrgreen:

BatikatII

03-15-2007, 05:52 PM

magical beasts: Well loop and flip have showed up several times even in my programme so they are definitely not mythical - not exactly in magical category yet. One of my toe-loops this week was though - felt great!

more magic; dance coach liked the music I wanted for my free dance. Most people seem to go with standard dance music - a blues or a tango for example - but I am going to have an Oakenfold track. I've wanted to skate to this ever since I first heard it and used to make up steps to it when it played on public sessions. Now that dance music can have words I can use it - yipppeeee!!! She even agreed I can put in my made up steps (a version of brackets and crossovers). I don't know if judges will like it but I dont' care - I just know I am going to love this dance and will enjoy performing it even if they dont' like it. Not sure all my friends at the rink like the track either but they'll have to get used to it - they could be hearing it A LOT!:lol:

mythical: still looking for that dratted backspin.

Skate@Delaware

03-15-2007, 06:12 PM

mythical: still looking for that dratted backspin.
I borrowed it until Sunday....after that, you can have it back! I am going to ask to proceed onto the flip (bypassing the loop for now).

And I am changing my gym workout to hit the weights again. I took a 2 month hiatus while I worked with my new chiropractor and did stretching. I feel the difference (ewww, as in not as trim but puffy and flabby 8O !!!)

plus, my jeans are snug....no, it's not the 2 boxes if girl scout cookies I ate! (really!) :lol:

jazzpants

03-15-2007, 06:19 PM

I am going to ask to proceed onto the flip (bypassing the loop for now).I believe my secondary coach in saying that my flip was cake once I got my loop consistent!!! (Yeah, I was a skeptic too... until my secondary coach got little ol' me to do a flip in a day!!! NOW I'm a BELIEVER!!! :bow:)

Skate@Delaware

03-15-2007, 06:43 PM

I believe my secondary coach in saying that my flip was cake once I got my loop consistent!!! (Yeah, I was a skeptic too... until my secondary coach got little ol' me to do a flip in a day!!! NOW I'm a BELIEVER!!! :bow:)
We started on the flip earlier this season...and it did help with the loop. My coach is going "out of the box" in her thinking and getting me to try different things. She did say we will bypass the lutz for a while. So, back to the flip-which helped my toe-loop and loop, then more waltz-loops, and then back to scratch spins.

And those power 3's......8O as long as I don't get confused on my L/R/L/R....feet, arms, etc!

Tessa

03-15-2007, 06:59 PM

Magical -- considering I've been skating sporadically for the last few weeks my lesson went really well. I actually managed to do all back threes -- at least once. Now if I could just lay them out in the pattern. I did some decent scratch spins and back spins, my camel made an appearance and all my other pre-juvie patterns rocked. I got the rip on my power pulls.

Mythical -- doing the back threes in the pattern. Will it ever happen????? Sit spin is not as low as it was a month ago.

xofivebyfive

03-15-2007, 08:12 PM

I was able to go skating today on the condition that I wouldn't jump. I got my mom to tape some of my spins and stuff and I guess I look better than I thought I did, although I'm a lot slower than I thought I was. If anyone wouldn't mind taking a look at some of my videos, and give me some feedback, I'd really appreciate it. :D

My camel and sitspin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujyBmi0N5RA)
A couple of scratch spins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQi9UfzNdXs)
another scratch spin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-1W1szbyfI)
Trying a layback(or 4) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaafFMpR6aQ)

LilJen

03-15-2007, 08:21 PM

Magical: Got "program" figured out, more or less, without music yesterday. To get through all the elements took about 45 seconds so I have to figure out what to repeat to fill in.

Mythical: Music? What's that? I went to a freestyle session today to hear the music a few times. . . heard it ONCE (oh yes, it's not "Four-Leaf Clover"--it's "Oklahoma"!). Apparently you're supposed to bug the monitor to play your music? Oh, I am SOOOO green at all this!! Anyway, a kind soul at FSU sent me some files and I think one will work. So I'll pop it on my mp3 player and I can get some practice in the morning of the comp. Whee!! (so I guess that's sort of magical.)

Isk8NYC

03-15-2007, 08:38 PM

You mean the illusion was just an illusion? ;)Exactly! I knew you'd get the joke!
I didn't even get my lead arm down, so I know my head didn't go past my hip.

Mythical Beasts:
Had a half-hour between groups to do some choreography for the Show.
If it's Thursday, it must be the Conga! by Gloria Estafan. I had a blast fooling around with the music, but the kids in my group skate at about 1/4 my speed and they can't do three turns yet. LOL

Magical Beasts:
Did a great hydroplane while working on edges with the first group of the night. They were complaining about not being able to bend their knees, so I said "Look, it's easy!" and went into a RFI hydroblade. Not as low as I've done in the past, but definitely good.

I think I have a half-hour free time during groups, so I'm going to try and teach a private lesson. I lost one of my students when I gave up Sunday lessons. She can't make any of the other dates, but she's here anyway on Thursdays for groups.

Apparently you're supposed to bug the monitor to play your music? Yeah. Some rinks you have to stand guard in the box or you lose your place in line. Skaters on lesson (or who haven't had their music played yet) are supposed to get priority over skaters who've already had run-throughs. Problem is, the music monitor doesn't always know or care, so you have to dog them to get the job done.

jskater49

03-15-2007, 09:28 PM

Yeah. Some rinks you have to stand guard in the box or you lose your place in line. Skaters on lesson (or who haven't had their music played yet) are supposed to get priority over skaters who've already had run-throughs. Problem is, the music monitor doesn't always know or care, so you have to dog them to get the job done.

I do ice monitor duty one day a week. I try to enforce the "so and so hasn't had her music played so I'm going to play hers first'...but boy I can get some glares from parents. And at our club, coaches can budge but not twice in a row. I keep trying to talk them into my plan - when it's very busy before a show or competition - everybody turn in their music before they skate, I will play it all in a rotation (with the coach budge exception)- you figure out who you are after and it is YOUR responsiblity to be ready to go - if you aren't ready - you miss your turn and it's on to the next, cuz we only have an hour and half and we don't need to be messing around. That's how we did it in my old club and it worked, but I can't convince anyone of that. If there's a monitor, the rules are pretty much enforced, but if a monitor doesn't show up, it's every skater for themselves and if you aren't aggressive about it, you can get overlooked.

j

Isk8NYC

03-16-2007, 12:38 AM

Another thankless task - music monitors. :bow: :bow: :bow:
I hate doing it during private lessons, but I have to at the Club. It takes me off the ice (and away from teaching) for 5-10 minutes. I used a technique last year that worked well. One little girl is a music hog - she'll just keep putting her music into the queue over and over. By the end of one session, I had heard the same song five times. The next week, I waited in the box for one of my students who was on lesson. When I saw the other girls' tape (third goround), I looked at her and said (point-blank): "Didn't you already go twice? E's on lesson, these two kids haven't gone yet, and J's lesson is in ten minutes. Let them go ahead of you." It worked! She's been much less of a hog this season. (I can tell - I'm not hating much of her music this season. LOL)

There are some new sound systems being introduced that use a hard drive with a remote control. You can program the playlist for a freestyle, adding or reordering as needed. It's a bit of setup, but it would lessen the need for another "bad guy" to try and keep it fair.

I've got the twins doing stretching and weights with me before bed. They like my 'sandbags' best - the ankle weights. HAHA

tidesong

03-16-2007, 02:45 AM

Magical:
The rink was supposed to be closed at 5.30pm because of some bookings but because the zamboni broke down the people that booked the rink decided not to come after all as a last minute decision, so the ice was really empty because no body knew about it and the rink was filled only with people that decided to stay on and lucky random visitors to the rink that wasn't aware that it usually closes early on thursdays anyways.

So with the empty ice I got the rare chance to practise my spirals over and over again. I have to work on hitting my sweet spot the moment I get my leg up for the split position, I have a dangerous chance of getting into a edge that is too deep or too forwards and miss out on that level... AND get a -goe for having a bad pattern etc etc...

So too bad my coach wasn't around since even he had no idea the rink was available... oh well. I just did my best I could... I was getting it a little better by the end but as you see my next point... I was really quite dead beat.

Mythical:
I started skating at around 2.30pm... so by 5.30 I was already in a wobbly state and only managed to last till 7pm. (but the empty ice was just too tempting to resist... I just kept running through my program and then slowly dropped out the jumps and spins when i got too tired lol)

My stamina is still not up to par.. but I'm working on it! On the other hand, I'm hoping that if I can do 50% of my program after skating for 3 hours... then maybe I can do 200% (aka twice in a row) the next time during lesson when I'm all fresh after a simple 30 minutes warm up...

Mrs Redboots

03-16-2007, 10:08 AM

Mythical beasts: Usual last-week-before-competition panics! All our dances are terrible, we're going to look such fools, etc, etc, etc. Actually, that isn't totally true, but we've certainly done a better Fiesta than we did today. Also, we are getting in a muddle with our starts, and if we aren't careful we'll start on the off-beat of both the Fiesta and the Swing Dance. Sigh....

And would someone tell me why all my skating dresses make my arse look huge? It isn't that huge any longer, but it appears to look that way in a dress!

And why did an elite dancer choose this morning to demonstrate the most beautiful waltz 3s round the centre circle to the Westminster Waltz music - quite put me off practising them!

And why, when I did practise them - and my British Waltz, solo, I could so feel where I wasn't pushing, and still couldn't push?

Did a Willow solo - still wide-stepping after the RFO 3, and can't find the pattern on the back run after it at all, so it's not Husband, after all (but I'm not telling him that!).

Did a Swing Dance solo, which would have been very good if I'd been doing it on a half-sized rink. Sigh.... I NEED MORE POWER. PRACTICE!!!!

:frus: :frus: :frus: :frus:

Magical beasts: Husband's spins! I had a look at his so-called change-foot, and realised that he just leaves his free foot dangling in all his spins, except perhaps his camel. So I said that I expected his coach would start taking his spins up to the next level, and making him do them with his feet crossed - he hadn't realised you were supposed to, and, of course, nobody was actually doing one at that moment, and we didn't quite like to ask either of the two free skaters on the ice to interrupt their practice to demonstrate (although I'm sure they would have been happy to do so). Anyway, he had a go and although he didn't cross his foot, he did bring it in much closer, and instantly improved his upright spin 100%! Of course, he lost his changefoot, but hey....

Our Canasta Tango was actually very good, I thought. Still needs to be a little more staccato, especially our upper bodies.

Rusty Blades

03-16-2007, 12:13 PM

Magical! Started with a 30 minute warm-up - nothing strenuous, just focusing on getting deep in the knees and trying for fluidity on everything and through transitions. Backwards is starting to flow nicely and picking up speed quite effortlessly. The back outside edges were getting solid enough that a couple of times I had to restrain the urge to try an Axel. 8O - LOL!!! - good thing I don’t have my backward 3's yet!!!! The week before my first competition is no time to be trying something stupid! **SNICKER** (It would, however, be in keeping with my reputation for not doing things in "the accepted order" - LOL!)

This was my last skate/lesson of the winter season so it's RAMBLE TIME! :roll:

After skating I went out for breakfast with my coach and the coach who will be riding heard on me in Calgary and we had a nice leisurely chat.

Next week is Calgary and the 2007 Skate Canada Adult Championships, maybe one recreational skate the week after, and then Spring School in April, Summer School in July and August and who-knows-what after that.

At this particular juncture I have been reflecting on the past 14 months, since January 18, 2006, when I first stepped on to the ice after a 36 year absence and found out I did not know how to skate - there was nothing left, nothing at all. And I think of the way I felt this morning on the ice - so “at home”, so comfortable in my edges, the speed, the power, and the flow starting to come back and it brings a tear to my eyes. Damn I love this sport!

doubletoe

03-16-2007, 12:25 PM

Magical:
The rink was supposed to be closed at 5.30pm because of some bookings but because the zamboni broke down the people that booked the rink decided not to come after all as a last minute decision, so the ice was really empty because no body knew about it and the rink was filled only with people that decided to stay on and lucky random visitors to the rink that wasn't aware that it usually closes early on thursdays anyways.

So with the empty ice I got the rare chance to practise my spirals over and over again. I have to work on hitting my sweet spot the moment I get my leg up for the split position, I have a dangerous chance of getting into a edge that is too deep or too forwards and miss out on that level... AND get a -goe for having a bad pattern etc etc...

Don't you just love it when you have the freedom to practice your spiral sequence with nobody in the way? Me, too! Woo hoo! Is your rink a full-sized rink or is it smaller so that you have to make adjustments?

MYTHICAL
So, yesterday I was landing my axel again, both from the RFI 3-turn setup and out of the landing of a loop jump. So where was it today? :?? I was also having trouble with the change foot part of my combination spin. I had it great until I tried to improve it to get one more revolution on that backspin, and now I seem to have lost the timing. Ugh.

MAGICAL
One of our Adult Masters skaters saw my double salchows (which were either 1/4 turn under-rotated or fully rotated but with a hand down on the ice on landing) and offered some advice about my takeoff position. Who would ever think that putting more tension in the left hand just before takeoff would keep me from breaking at the waist and touching down on the landing? And yet. . .! 8O :D :bow:

♥Feel the Rain♥

03-16-2007, 12:31 PM

Magical: For the first time I've landed my flip clean! I've also did a good loop/loop and a flip/loop (with a little shaky flip). My scratch, sit, and camel were mostly okay, and a good attempt at a layback - 4 rotations with completely leaning back!! That's it for this morning. Oh yeah, my footwork is coming along as well. ;)

Mythical: Uhhh... I hate the lutz. I can't do it - I always mess up the take off and preparation... :(

flo

03-16-2007, 02:45 PM

♥Feel the Rain♥

03-16-2007, 02:57 PM

Rain - congrats on the flip!

Thank you - I was pretty surprised I landed it clean myself! I thought that once I have the loop solid I'll have the flip, as well, but NOO... The hardest part for me on the flip is timing the three turn and not curving it too much. I love it when I do it right though. :halo:

Skate@Delaware

03-16-2007, 04:51 PM

Rain - congrats on the flip!

Beasts: my skates, I'm sure of it. The heels were raised because my heel keeps comming up. Now the blisters are just raised. I can be in the skates for 30-40 minutes at a time max. Losing wt. does not help the fact that the boots are too big already.

Mythical: dreaming of my new boots.
That is the only downside to losing weight....you actually lose weight in your feet and your boots are suddenly too big!

*actually it isn't that your feet "lose" weight as much as there isn't as much weight they are carrying, so they aren't as spread out...although you do lose some fat, it isn't significantly much. My heels got skinnier and the width of my foot decreased (not the length by much but I went from a ladies size 10 to a size 9-9.5 depending on the make).

dbny

03-16-2007, 05:47 PM

Magical:
Made it to the rink in spite of the driving sleet and slushy streets/highways. According to the traffic reports, we were on the only major highways that were accident free.

Made some minor progress on my one foot spin. Was able to enter it from FO edge and actually spin! BI Choctaw in Prelim power threes is coming along, but very slowly. I really have to focus and force myself not to put the free foot down before it. What actually helps is to say out loud "wait, wait, wait, now". Prelim BO edge to XO was still very good, and B power XO's were even better. I seem to finally be regaining some of the confidence lost when my old coach and I parted ways.

Mythical:
The little "half bracket" that coach wants when stepping forward in the Prelim alt FO threes is not consistent at all.

Sessy

03-16-2007, 05:58 PM

*sigh* I can't jump in my programme! I need to warm up and I can't do that! Ugh! And oh yeah the coaches checked today if we're ready to test and I had just about the worst practice this season today so uhm... Well let's hope I can test anyway. Not too sure about it now.
Having worked/studied/done study activitiies for like 60 hours this week (I didn't even cook this week), I'm not surprised that I messed up practice but hey. Would suck not to test

doubletoe

03-16-2007, 06:06 PM

Mythical:
The little "half bracket" that coach wants when stepping forward in the Prelim alt FO threes is not consistent at all.

Yikes! In my experience, half of a bracket is a very dangerous thing! 8O

doubletoe

03-16-2007, 06:07 PM

Sonic

03-16-2007, 06:26 PM

dbny

03-16-2007, 06:32 PM

Yikes! In my experience, half of a bracket is a very dangerous thing! 8O

I have no better name for it. Until I started with this coach, I always thought it was a mistake, but she says it's important to be able to get a proper push onto the FO edge for the next three. It's really a little flip of the front of the blade from the BI edge so the blade is parallel to the axis when you push onto the FO edge. It scares me, but I've seen lots of people do it, and you probably do it without even realizing it.

Isk8NYC

03-16-2007, 06:38 PM

I have no better name for it. Until I started with this coach, I always thought it was a mistake, but she says it's important to be able to get a proper push onto the FO edge for the next three. It's really a little flip of the front of the blade from the BI edge so the blade is parallel to the axis when you push onto the FO edge. It scares me, but I've seen lots of people do it, and you probably do it without even realizing it.
I know what you mean - it's when you shift the blade you're skating on so you get a clean edge push onto the other foot. It leaves a flat edge mark on the ice.

I learned to do it when I used to take Figures lessons. In Figures, you wanted those push marks to be centered on the figure and clean. I still like to do them, just for fun.

A new coach was teaching that shift-and-push as the transition for the PPM Forward Inside Edge Pattern and was corrected by two senior coaches. I don't think it was wrong, but I do think it wasn't the way everyone else taught it at that rink.
(Conformity is our friend, donchaknow? ;) ;) )

I'll ask about it next week, just to see what the opinion is on this side of the water, okay?

dbny

03-16-2007, 06:48 PM

A new coach was teaching that shift-and-push as the transition for the PPM Forward Inside Edge Pattern and was corrected by two senior coaches. I don't think it was wrong, but I do think it wasn't the way everyone else taught it at that rink.
(Conformity is our friend, donchaknow? ;) ;) )

I'll ask about it next week, just to see what the opinion is on this side of the water, okay?

Thanks. That is actually how I broke my wrist on the PPM BI edge pattern. Did the little shift a little to energetically and pulled my foot right out from under me.

Laura H

03-16-2007, 07:29 PM

Magical: I had a day off work and got to go skating TWICE today . . . must be getting used to spinning, because I did LOTS of it and didn't get sick! :lol: Still working on the one foot spin . . . I had some really good centered ones . . . and GOT MY FOOT OVER into the beginnings of the scratch position. (yay!). Worked a lot on the waltz jump and salchow . . . some magical/some mythical.

Mythical: any illusions that I might have had about how fast I am going . . . I videotaped some of my practice today and geez I am SOOO slow!! and look so tentative and deliberate at times. Gonna have to work on kicking it up a little bit and picking up some speed! ;)

And the downright NASTY . . . got to the rink about 11:00 a.m. and the ice had not been resurfaced for some time . . . it was pretty scary!! Went & complained and no one was there who could resurface it, and the guy who COULD do it, who was coming in at 12:00 . . . never showed up. :roll: Went back for the 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm session and thankfully someone had apparently shown up at last and we had nice smooth ice to play on!

Skate@Delaware

03-16-2007, 09:04 PM

I'm debating whether or not to hit the rink tomorrow for a bit and work on some spinning...coach wants me to work on the entrance to my scratch.

She demonstrated a very nice entrance, making a nice tight circle that was about 3' across, free foot behind, skating leg bent. Once she returned to where she began, free foot whipped to the front, skating leg straightened and man, did she spin!!!!

That's what I'm to do. 8O but I can't get circle (I make an arc not a circle) and I whip around to soon :frus:

Any suggestions? (um, besides saying "well, just do that"????? smarty-aleks :lol: )
(at least the power-3's are EASIER!!! and I really just learned them correctly)

doubletoe

03-16-2007, 09:16 PM

jazzpants

03-17-2007, 01:31 AM

Thank you - I was pretty surprised I landed it clean myself! I thought that once I have the loop solid I'll have the flip, as well, but NOO... The hardest part for me on the flip is timing the three turn and not curving it too much. I love it when I do it right though. :halo:
Rain, first thing... congrats on the flip!!! :D

Trust me... I was a skeptic when my secondary coach told me after I got the loop that it would be significantly easy for me to get the flip... but guess what? Once my loop was steady, I got started on the flip with her and within a few minutes I got it landed. Now... it's far from consistent and at times I would lose the flip. But it's nice to know that I'm starting to get this flip jump to the point where it's no longer an "almost" flip! I OWNED the loop and flip now!!! (And after years of getting it for a day or two and then losing it for a year or two too!) :bow:

Mrs Redboots

03-17-2007, 09:33 AM

That is the only downside to losing weight....you actually lose weight in your feet and your boots are suddenly too bigTell me about it! But although I've lost more weight since I got new boots, they're still fitting okay. Think I need new laces, though.

Rusty Blades

03-17-2007, 10:02 AM

CanadianAdult

03-17-2007, 10:18 AM

Magical! Skate Canada posted the entry list for the Adult Championships yesterday and they have divided Pre Introductory Interpretive not just by age but also by skill level, which means rank beginners (like me!) are not competing against people with advanced skills in other disciplines. Pre Introductory Interpretive just became a REAL competition!!! That puts a whole new slant on next week's competition. Am I happy about it? It means I have a chance at the podium but it also mean I have to earn it on the ice!

I was in one of those interpretive groups last year, and skated really well for me, but it was extremely disheartening to look at the placements even knowing that everyone else had gold or silver tests in dance/skills/freeskate. Yes, I had a great skate and it felt good.
I haven't looked at the list other than my own group, I already know that I won't be first or second because those two ladies have beaten me every single time, so it's a race for third. I'm getting a wee bit nervous now.

onto skating:

Magical: I think I finally have my choreography finished.heh. Competition is in less than a week. But, the blank bits at least have something all I have to do is remember them.

Mythical: I had my last skate in my home arena this week. They're building a new one and with going away to CAN and skating at my big club, I won't be back in the old one unless I can chat up the rink guy to let me on one last time. I've been asking if I can drive the Zamboni before they close, but they don't trust my driving! I can't believe that I'm going to miss the chippy ice, weird rink, pissy stinky dressing rooms and the lack of heat, but yeah I will. Sigh. It was where it all began, my adult skating obsession.

Terri C

03-17-2007, 12:02 PM

This is for yesterday and today:

Magical:
I have my Bronze freestyle mojo back!
Have been going to another rink in my area to skate, because of hockey tournaments at my rink. The magical thing about this place is that there are quite a few adults at this rink and it's making me work harder.

Yesterday's program run throughs were okay, but nothing to write home about. However, today's runthrough was just plain magical and after skating it, I felt as if I had never been injured or not able to skate much because of work.

I will also start training a new colleague on Mnoday at work, so I hope to be back to my old training schedule soon!

Mythical:
Back crosstrokes- ugh!

Rusty Blades

03-17-2007, 12:05 PM

... it was extremely disheartening to look at the placements even knowing that everyone else had gold or silver tests in dance/skills/freeskate.

Yes, in watching the tape the disparity was substantial. I can imagine the feeling of knowing you don't have snowball's chance in ... a warm place. I thought I was headed into that and it has really change my attitude - I am not sure to what!

Magical: I think I finally have my choreography finished.heh.

You must love stress! ;) I was feeling "late" by not having a full program six weeks ago. Of course, with the changes in the competition I am thinking about making some changes :roll:

I've been asking if I can drive the Zamboni before they close, but they don't trust my driving!

With the terrible ice quality in Winnipeg rinks, I have been threatening to hijack the Zam and show them what figure skating ice is SUPPOSED to be! Unfortunately the rink maintenance man's office is right beside the Zamboni :twisted:

Skate@Delaware

03-17-2007, 05:58 PM

Magical: I think I finally have my choreography finished.heh. Competition is in less than a week. But, the blank bits at least have something all I have to do is remember them.
OMG! That would freak me out, waiting until then to finish it...I know I would blank out for sure once I stepped out on the ice!
Magical: I have my Bronze freestyle mojo back!
YAY!!!!!!
It was tooooo cold today for trampoline work :giveup:

Slightly OT: I was at the rink today, while son was doing hockey (and believe it or not, we were actually EARLY and I didn't have to yell or cuss!); but I was working on my laptop listening to music...I'm toying with the idea of using some really sad music for spotlight next year (or at least artistic, but I want to use props so I'd like it to be spotlight). It's very saaaaaaad and moves me so much, I almost cry :cry: every time I hear it! I'm going to think about it for a month or so, then run it by my coach.....

dbny

03-17-2007, 06:05 PM

I'm toying with the idea of using some really sad music for spotlight next year (or at least artistic, but I want to use props so I'd like it to be spotlight). It's very saaaaaaad and moves me so much, I almost cry :cry: every time I hear it! I'm going to think about it for a month or so, then run it by my coach.....

What is it? I think music is incredibly important and can make or break a program. The right moves to the right music is a winner when all else is equal.
Programs that come to mind are Yagudin's "Winter", Kazakova & Dmitriev's "Sad Waltz" (their Oly winning short), and Weir's 2005 SP to "Rondo Cappricioso".

Sessy

03-17-2007, 06:19 PM

Not schindler's list stuff is it?

mikawendy

03-17-2007, 07:21 PM

That's what I'm to do. 8O but I can't get circle (I make an arc not a circle) and I whip around to soon :frus:

Any suggestions? (um, besides saying "well, just do that"????? smarty-aleks :lol: )
(at least the power-3's are EASIER!!! and I really just learned them correctly)

When I whip around too soon, it usually means that my free leg is coming around too early, meaning that I need to hold it behind me longer. Do you practice this on a line from a T position? That's a really good way to practice the entrance.

Skate@Delaware

03-17-2007, 10:06 PM

What is it? I think music is incredibly important and can make or break a program. The right moves to the right music is a winner when all else is equal.
Programs that come to mind are Yagudin's "Winter", Kazakova & Dmitriev's "Sad Waltz" (their Oly winning short), and Weir's 2005 SP to "Rondo Cappricioso".

Not schindler's list stuff is it?
I'm thinking of "The Blitz" and "Evacuating London" from the soundtrack of Chronicles of Narnia...those two songs get me soooo emotional (especially since I read the books)....and, being a mother myself, I got to thinking how horrible it must have been to pack your kids up and send them away for who-knows-how-long to who-knows-where during the Big One....and if you'd ever see them again.....:cry: ...I come from a HUGE military family and this really hits home. So, my take on this would be to dress 40-ish with some props (maybe push a pram)....I could pull this off since I already look like a mom!:roll:

I agree that your music has to become part of you...I have seen skaters who did not believe in their music. It's a great collaboration between skater, coach, and the music and if you can draw the audience and judges into feeling it with you, that's even better!

When I whip around too soon, it usually means that my free leg is coming around too early, meaning that I need to hold it behind me longer. Do you practice this on a line from a T position? That's a really good way to practice the entrance.
Yes, I have the HORRIBLE habit of rushing that edge and WHIPPING that free leg toooooo sooooon!!!! So, yes, I practice from the line in a T-position. Which does help a lot because they are better (not great but better)...they just go to he** when I add back crossovers (point A to point B) :lol: Coach wants me to feel that leg WAY behind me for a LONG time! Years of bad habits/teaching is so hard to undo!

Sessy

03-18-2007, 04:12 PM

Stretching and warming up the achillis tendon before practice works magic! Also not dry-jumping - at all - helps a great deal. I could actually walk semi-normal after a 2-hour practice today! It hurts now, but not as badly as it used to.

My programme is coming nicely along. And one girl of our A-group, that is the girls who compete at nationals, said I had really nice things in my programme. :lol:
I was like, who, me? 8O You're talking to me? 8O Really? :D Wow gee thanks COOOOL 8-) 8-) 8-)

The trainer had me practice my flip without jumping around, only jumping up. It's like... I do 10 times that approach and then 1 flip and then it's the best flip I've ever jumped, very very high compared to what I usually do. And then the next flip, I've already lost the feeling. I'm breaking sideways in the air apparently. I'm landing them anyway, but that's what's making me stop at the landing instead of glide it out, that's why I'm jumping forward instead of backward apparently. So I've gotta really focus on not dropping the right shoulder. I actually ended up doing 1,5 rotation in the air by accident (just cuz it went so high) when I got it clean but I just keep loosing the feeling of what it's supposed to be immediately... I'd like to really practice this but we only have 1 hour of ice time a week for the next 4 weeks and then a summer break for 4 months so I guess I've to keep this in mind for next season.

Also, practicing all those floor axels a week ago or so seems to have fixed my salchow somehow. Whee! :)

My toeloop is kind of feeling a little miserable right now. It's high, but that's all it is. The free leg is behind the landing leg from start to the end and it needs to go in front eventually from what I understand so ehm yeah well. Whenever I try to get the free leg in front though - for the toeloop-loop for example - I end up pre-rotating it and making it a toe waltz. Frustration!

Rusty Blades

03-18-2007, 04:45 PM

Morgail

03-18-2007, 04:52 PM

Magical: I landed my flip! Whee! I landed about 6 or 7 of them on Saturday. I don't think they were very pretty and I barely held the landing, but I landed them on one foot:D This is my favorite jump, and I'm SO glad to have it back.

Mythical: The last flips I tried didn't land on one foot (I think I was getting tired). Also, loop from a long edge isn't really happening yet.

Mrs Redboots

03-18-2007, 04:56 PM

Magical: I landed my flip! Whee! I landed about 6 or 7 of them on Saturday. I don't think they were very pretty and I barely held the landing, but I landed them on one foot:D This is my favorite jump, and I'm SO glad to have it back.Well done!

Mythical: No skating today - woke up with a very swimmy head, and after my shower, went straight back to bed and stayed there most of the day. Am off back there now to finish watching Mansfield Park.

Skate@Delaware

03-18-2007, 05:10 PM

Magical beasts: had a very interesting session today...it was good. Went over some details, such as "I'm not competing anymore till the rink closes to I have no pressure over me." So we worked on adding new stuff!

Mazurka! Which I realized was actually a sideways-bunny-hop (sort of) but not nearly so evil! So, after doing several, coach added some stuff in combination (and had to demo the 1/2 flip because I'd forgotten it)...

waltz jump; mazurka; 1/2 flip; toe-loop all done without any connecting steps!!!! Cool!!!

Backspin: good and I did 2 that were 3 revs and can tell which edge I'm on! I need to pay attention to stay down longer before raising up.

Discussed my ideas for spotlight. Extreme comedy or extremely emotional...I have the emotional music but have no ideas for comedy. Have to think that one over.

Mythical ones: spin sloooowly getting fixed but I vented my frustration.:x But, she gave me some "fixes" for it and they are finally working! I'm under orders to spin ONLY from the T-stop position. My free leg had been in a strange position, so i have to think about pointing the toe UP and bringing the leg more forward. It worked, as I did some spins that were almost as fast as the spins I used to have! I got dizzy!!!

My right heel hurt and I was COLD when I got off the ice! But, my blood sugar wasn't crazy, as I'd had oatmeal and peanut butter toast for breakfast and a banana and protein bar when I got off.

This week, I hit the gym and the weights, but cant start until Thursday, since I have to take Mom to the hospital for more tests (Monday) and back to the doctor for her follow-up visit (Wednesday).

I need to get un-lazy and actually watch my new videos-NYC Ballet workout! Been sitting on my desk at home for over a week.....

doubletoe

03-18-2007, 06:15 PM

Mythical: Flew into Calgary this morning, all settled into the host hotel, within walking distance of the venue for the Canadian Adult Championships (and Star Skate Championships). A few more skaters trickle in this afternoon and by Wednesday the hotel will be FULL of figure skaters (actually overflowing into an adjacent hotel). Tomorrow I have two hours on the competition venue. Going to be interesting to see if Olympic ice SEEMS bigger than NHL ice....

How exciting that you are at the site of your big Nationals competition now! Be sure to let us all know how it goes!
Just remember, the trick to transferring your program from an NHL size rink to an Olympic size rink is just to STAY AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALLS. The length of the rink is the same, but an Olympic sized rink is 7-1/2 feet wider on each side. That means if you skate as far out towards the sides as you normally do, you'll find yourself either not getting as far down the length of the rink or you'll find yourself behind your music.

Isk8NYC

03-18-2007, 10:45 PM

I was teaching on Saturday morning and I demonstrated an opposite-direction spin, turned right around and did my normal CCW spin. Went SPLAT onto the ice and I think I may have damaged my left shoulder. It hurts to move that arm, especially to lift it over my shoulder. This morning, something 'clicked' when I went to fasten my bra and the pain was much less. If the Advil and heating pad doesn't help by the end of tomorrow, I'll go to the ortho for a check.

Good thing my afternoon skating rink was closed due to snow.
(Bad for my wallet, though.)

I did skate today, at a birthday party for a friend's daughter. I just helped out with getting the newbies going and I got to put her little one (<2 yo) on the ice for the first time! The ice was terrible - the season ends next week and the employees were saying a lot of workers had already gotten other jobs, so they went no-show.

The rentals at this rink were horrible! They were dull as anything, they had no hard steel edges left, and the blade 'tails' were all curved upward. You basically had a forward and backward rocker! I must have stoned five pairs of skates just to get the kids through the session.

I showed off a little, doing some PMITF and some spins. One of my DD's claims to have video'ed my sit spin. If I find it on the camera card, I'll post it if it's decent.

tidesong

03-18-2007, 11:01 PM

Don't you just love it when you have the freedom to practice your spiral sequence with nobody in the way? Me, too! Woo hoo! Is your rink a full-sized rink or is it smaller so that you have to make adjustments?

My rink is a smaller rink... I don't really have to make adjustments because I've only ever skated in this smaller rink for practically my whole skating life (only got to skate once in a nice big one when i travelled to shenzhen last year for competition)

Who would ever think that putting more tension in the left hand just before takeoff would keep me from breaking at the waist and touching down on the landing? And yet. . .! 8O :D :bow:
I usually put some tension in my whole arm and its really hard to control that (too much and i pop)!! Maybe it will work if its just the hand o.O

Sessy

03-19-2007, 04:36 AM

Well done!

Mythical: No skating today - woke up with a very swimmy head, and after my shower, went straight back to bed and stayed there most of the day. Am off back there now to finish watching Mansfield Park.

Is that on Jane Austen's novel? I didn't watch it, I only read it, but Pride&Prejudige and Sense&Sensibility were better novels in my mind. They, by the way, have also been filmed quite well. :)

I was teaching on Saturday morning and I demonstrated an opposite-direction spin, turned right around and did my normal CCW spin. Went SPLAT onto the ice and I think I may have damaged my left shoulder. It hurts to move that arm, especially to lift it over my shoulder. This morning, something 'clicked' when I went to fasten my bra and the pain was much less. If the Advil and heating pad doesn't help by the end of tomorrow, I'll go to the ortho for a check.

If your collarbone were broken, you'd be unable to lift it over your shoulder, so that's the good news. Try to get your hands on ointments containing diclofenac, it totally rescued me after my second fall of this kind (after the first one, I was unable to lift a coat with that arm for months and had to have physical therapy). Also see about beinwell salbe, a plant-based ointment that helps me too in this sort of things.

Mrs Redboots

03-19-2007, 08:45 AM

Is that on Jane Austen's novel? I didn't watch it, I only read it, but Pride&Prejudige and Sense&Sensibility were better novels in my mind. They, by the way, have also been filmed quite well. :) These are new adaptations of Mansfield Park and Persuasion (which we will miss because we're in France, but it has to be better than the version with Hugh Grant, right?) and an older one of Sense and Sensibility.

Hope to be back on the ice tomorrow - I'm feeling a lot better today. No skating, of course, as it's Monday.

Sessy

03-19-2007, 11:56 AM

LOL, here in the Netherlands, a reporter of a youth programme fastened herself to Hugh Grant with handcuffs. And she didn't have the key, so they he had to bring her along to the premiere! I never much liked Hugh Grant because of his arrogant attitude, but I thought he reacted really cool on that.

First he laughed about it, then he got tired of her and asked her to please p... off. Really politely! :lol: Then she said he had no keys and so he just took her with him onto the red carpet then. And afterwards he said apparently the Dutch security people were as lenient as our drug policy. :lol:

Here's how it went (at first it's in dutch but afterwards it's in english)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0KyLaT3oo

He didn't press charges by the way so she was released after a few hours at the police station. He felt that she was a really tough woman :)

www.mywestend.co.uk
Hugh’s fan a drag - Feb 27 2007
Newly single Hugh Grant has been linked to another attractive brunette - this time literally.

It seems the star was posing for photographs at the Dutch premiere of his film Music And Lyrics when a fan leapt out of the crowd and handcuffed herself to him.

A slightly bemused Hugh then had to walk down the red carpet signing autographs with the woman chained to his left wrist.

According to the Daily Express, the star spent a full ten minutes attached to her as firefighters struggled to release him.

Even when the chain was eventually broken, Hugh was still stuck with the handcuff around his wrist and was forced to spend the rest of the evening with the metal bracelet tucked up his sleeve.

The Express reports that the woman was detained by Dutch police.

An onlooker told the paper: "It was incredible. She came from nowhere and Grant couldn’t believe it was happening.

"But he was the ultimate professional. He just stood in silence and waited for the firefighters to free him. He did look relieved when he disappeared into the theatre - she could have been a maniac."

jazzpants

03-19-2007, 03:31 PM

I was teaching on Saturday morning and I demonstrated an opposite-direction spin, turned right around and did my normal CCW spin. Went SPLAT onto the ice and I think I may have damaged my left shoulder. It hurts to move that arm, especially to lift it over my shoulder. This morning, something 'clicked' when I went to fasten my bra and the pain was much less. If the Advil and heating pad doesn't help by the end of tomorrow, I'll go to the ortho for a check.OH NO!!! I hope it's better today. If it's any consolation, if you're able to move your arm but with pain something clicked, then you probably didn't break anything and you just got a bad sprain or a nasty bruise.

Sessy: That "reporter" is CRAZY!!! 8O Thank goodness Hugh stayed calm and they got him out of those handcuffs! (I couldn't figure out at the end what she was saying since it was in German. I guess she was mentioning about her experience in jail and later on she was released or something?)

Sessy

03-20-2007, 03:51 AM

Actually that was in Dutch. And if you think she's crazy, don't come to the Netherlands. A LOT of the Dutch girls are kinda like her, and those who aren't, are wishing they were. It's become sort of a national sport to see who does the most daring thing and not end up in jail. Which, with the Dutch police is relatively easy. You get like 70 hours of working and studying for sexually abusing a toddler here so I mean seriously, nothing's gonna be done about this. The prosecutor's office is here in the Netherlands free NOT to prosecute whenever they feel a case is not amongs those that should be given priority so generally you can expect a fine.

A while ago there was this guy who wrote all kinds of police-insulting texts on the back of his car and then raced at the maximum speed that his car would yield past those speeding-ticket-photographing-machines, I'm not sure what they're called but when you go past a certain speed, you get photographed and you get a ticket automatically. Anyway he didn't do that once, he did it 6 times in 1 night with different texts.
I do believe he lost his driver's license for 6 months or something. :lol: