Gold or Pyrite (Practice Thread 4/8 - 4/14/2007)

[Isk8NYC]

Thread Title in honor of our US Adult Nationals-bound competitors. You're all Golden, regardless of how you place!

Gold: (http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/gold/) (American Museum of Natural History - see lower right corner of webpage: I'm worth over $1.7million!)
Even though I *think* there was a freestyle yesterday, I resisted the temptation to skate on Easter Sunday.
Instead, I exercised using some new 1lutz2klutz exercises (thank you!) and my new weight ball.
This thing is great - it's a squishy 3 lb. ball about the size of a softball that you can grip and lift in all directions.
I'm starting to get a good 15-minute routine going, including stretching. Repetition, repetition.

Pyrite: (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9062054/pyrite) (Encyclopaedia Brittanica - Sparkly sparks, Batman!)
I overslept this morning, missing the freestyle entirely, and now my left side/back is pinched. Back to the Advil.

[Rusty Blades]

Gold: Since I had the day off (Easter Monday) I decided to take in the 7 a.m. session and treat myself to “quiet ice” - it was QUIET - 2 other skaters and one coach. (I LOVE that session!)

I worked mostly on everything backwards; sculling, stroking, and edges, focusing on staying down in the knees and building up those muscles that don’t get used for much else. Backwards is picking up speed, getting better edges and better glides.

Pyrite: Nope, still none (except maybe the continued below normal temperatures). Well ok, the rink was bloody COLD and the ice was rough. I swear they must be keeping that ice at -20C - it's like CONCRETE!

[Sessy]

Pyrite: Nope, still none (except maybe the continued below normal temperatures). Well ok, the rink was bloody COLD and the ice was rough. I swear they must be keeping that ice at -20C - it's like CONCRETE!

My favourite kind! Our rink's always like that. Then I go to other rinks in the region and it messes with my jumps, cuz their ice is like butter compared to ours. But harder ice is nicer for jumps, although softer ice is nicer for spins. :lol:



All I'm doing is roller skating right now due to lack of ice. However, I did touch the back of my head in a bielman spiral attempt on roller skates today. With the wheels that is.

[xofivebyfive]

Let's start with the bad

Pyrite: I fell on my hand while practicing a layback spin. Not too swift. There also were a ton of people on my session. I guess I was just spoiled for the last 3 months, as we used to have 4:15-5:15 sessions that basically 3 or 4 other lower level skaters went on. So I didn't get to practice MITF as freely as I'd hoped.

Gold: I found the smoothest spot in the world doing my layback spin. It was an awesome feeling(right before I lost my balance and fell over). Waltz 8 was better, so that's good. My loop was amazing. I think it was because I tried going into it with a lot of speed. I still think I'm not jumping up, because when I do a loop-loop, with the 2nd loop I can tell I'm jumping up and not around. I just can't seem to translate that feeling to a loop by itself. Tips anyone?

[WannabeS8r]

Gold: I found the smoothest spot in the world doing my layback spin. It was an awesome feeling(right before I lost my balance and fell over). Waltz 8 was better, so that's good. My loop was amazing. I think it was because I tried going into it with a lot of speed. I still think I'm not jumping up, because when I do a loop-loop, with the 2nd loop I can tell I'm jumping up and not around. I just can't seem to translate that feeling to a loop by itself. Tips anyone?

Oh my Gosh, I totally get what you mean about the loop - it's my favorite jump, too. I found that going with a lot of speed in the crossovers gains you soo much height. The feeling of the loop jump is amazing, I love it! :lol: As for tips, I've learned that you have to keep your arms really steady, your right shoulder behind you on the take off (for CW skaters), and lots, and lots of kneebend!

[Sessy]

The loop recently made it to my favourite jump too, ever since I started landing it from backward crossovers. The edge just rotates your skate and the rest of the body for you! At first I thought it was the heavyest jump now I think it's the lazyest LOL! :lol:

[Figureskates]

PYRITE: Getting out of the shower this morning, I kicked the shower door frame with my left foot, primarily the little toe..proceeded to break the little sucker plus ripping the nail off....going to be awhile before I can fit my foot into my skate..........This has got to be the stupidest thing I ever done...good thing I am not competing at Adult Nats!

[jazzpants]

DOH!!! Figureskates!!! I'm sorry!!! :cry:

Pyrite: Very tired legs... couldn't land my loop if I tried. Wanted so much to move my lesson towards the end of the week, but I need the ice time -- if nothing else, for the mental break from life.

Gold:
Well, I was doing this mohawk back crossover type of footwork and I'm supposed to push towards a certain spot. Originally the choreography had 2.5 sequence and then right into the salchow. Weeeeelllll... today I ended up just taking 1.5 sequence before making it to that spot where I'm supposed to do a salchow. Apparently I do have enough power to push thru my footwork to the point where I don't need the 2nd sequence to aim towards my jump spot!!! 8O :lol:

We also worked on a new footwork sequence and Jay is playing around with it some. He now wants to put THAT into my program (instead of the previous one.) Hmmmm... let's see if he changes his mind next week. After all, a woman has the perogative to change her mind!!! (The hidden joke being that I'm referring to my primary coach as a "She.") :twisted: :P :lol:

[Emberchyld]

Pyrite: Although the bursitis in my right hip has gone down, now my left hip is starting to give me trouble:frus: The only good thing is that I don't feel it on the ice... only in everything else in my life!

Finally got a video of myself skating. Oh, boy. Now, I KNOW that I rush my entry into the waltz jump, don't stretch my legs enough in crossovers, and do some floofy thing with my hands that makes me look truly silly every time that I get frustrated!

Spins haven't been working for a few days now. I didn't even TRY those for the video.

Gold: All in all, I don't look bad when I skate, toe loops are kind-of... sort-of not rotating on the toepick, and although my spins are broken, the crossover entry into them is starting to flow-- now I just need to GET ONTO MY LEG!

And for all of my whining above, the video actually looked kind-of cool. Especially on the first viewing, when I didn't pay attention to any of my mistakes. It's nice to know that, in general, I look nice on the ice.

[dbny]

(((((Figureskates))))) Ouch! Hope you heal up fast!

PYRITE:
After taking the whole previous week off because of Passover and crowded public sessions due to school being out, I intended to get back on the ice today. Instead, DD called from Australia last night (this morning, really) at 1:30 AM and kept me on the phone until 3 AM. After that, I couldn't get to sleep until 6, so definitely no skating for me today. Then, on the way home from grocery shopping, the brakes started acting up, so we have to take the car in tomorrow morning and our mechanic just moved from 5 minutes away to 20 minutes away. I'm going to do my best to skate, but I can't count on it at this point.

[Morgail]

Pyrite:
-It's spring break this week and the rink was invaded by crazy preadolescent boys in hockey skates throwing rubber bouncy balls. :frus:
-Also had trouble finding the "pull" in the power pulls today.

Gold:
-Jumps again! Loop from mohawk & back edge was still there, and the flip is sooooo close to being landed neatly on one foot. Also got to start working on the lutz:)
-And spins! Worked on all kinds of different spins - camel (I actually got two whole revolutions!!), camel-sit, sit-change-sit, upright change foot.
-Back cross rolls felt good today. I think I'm sitting more in my knees, which makes them easier.

[Thin-Ice]

Pyrite: -Also had trouble finding the "pull" in the power pulls today.

Morgail... you and I need to work together. I'm having trouble finding the "power" in power pulls!:lol: (yeah, yeah, I know, it's in my knees.. now how do I bend them deeper? :lol: )

[Isk8NYC]

((((Figureskates)))) Get well soon and take care of that toe.

I gave two 30m lessons during a session that was 90m long, so I ended up with a half-hour to myself. The session was empty since it's Easter break, so I had a whole corner to myself for spins and jumps.

Pyrite:
Fussed with the Loop a bit, but not in earnest.
Can't do anything RESEMBLING a Twizzle with my left foot. Really have to have a "Skate Left" day and work on all the things using that side.

Back scratch and back camel spins were fleeting, but correct. Just wish I could hold them longer for more revolutions.

Gold:
Managed a few weak Tango stops on/near the wall. Really hope this doesn't make its way into next month's Show program.
Also practiced forward cross rolls and cross strokes. One of our coaches from the Ukraine has been tutoring me on the difference after I admired one of his skaters' cross rolls.

Worked on backspin exits, which were okay and single-footed.

Good waltz and toe loop jumps. (Oddly enough, Bunny Hops and Ballet Jumps were good, too.)

I can do RFI and RBO Twizzles decently for one turn, two backwards. I love them!

Gold-Plated:
I did my off-ice workout with "all my twins and toys" tonight. We had fun stretching and exercising together!
The girls reorganized a corner of my bedroom to make room for the bands/weights' storage bag and balance ball.
Scariest part: laying on the floor doing leg lifts while the twins stood, wobbling on my bed above me while holding the hand weights. I think I might have rushed the leg lifts to get out of the "drop zone." LOL

[Mrs Redboots]

Pyrites: Although the rink wasn't crowded, it was busy (if that makes sense), and we often had to steer round people doing lutzes and stuff.

Coaches were rather late in, very apologetic - heavier traffic on the motorway than they'd expected. They are coming in later than usual this week, as their 7:00 lessons aren't happening because of school holidays, so of course there is more traffic, what do they expect?

Gold: Our lesson! We worked on the Swing Dance and the Fiesta Tango, and coach was actually fairly complimentary! Then as an exercise we did swing rolls in reverse Kilian hold, and finally got them working as the coach wanted them. I think when we stopped trying to take our shoulders and hips round, and did them contra-body, this helped enormously, and we must keep them like that in our tangos.

[tidesong]

Gold:
I almost had one double toe loop! A nice, decent height (my coach says its fully rotated, but I could feel that toe pick in there so it might have disguised the landing(but definetly not more than 1/4 under... haha) and not on purpose though) And "landed" for a while before my free leg had to touch the ice too lol
oh well :P I got close to that one other time.

So yeah... here we go again with my annual ... will this be the year I finally land my double toe loop?

Flying camel was being a nice sport and let me attempt the flyingcamel-backsit-forwardupright-oppupright combo I'm wanting to practise for next year... eventually i'll add some variations and edge changes in there if possible. But hey for now, I wasn't even sure my flying camel would still be there after concentrating on flying sit for nationals. But it was being a dear lol.


Pyrite:
I hurt after falling so many times on the double toe attempts :P
(gives me incentive to land them next week huh...)

My shizuka change edge spiral is still miserable (aka S-L-O-W)... but ha! I have a whole year to practise that now

I managed a decent beilmann spin attempt two or three times before i decided to show my coach. And then I tried it three times and couldn't get my leg up!!! :frus: Ok I'll show him one day :P

Overall:
I'm glad to be on the ice after competition again with new goals and stuff :)

[dbny]

Also practiced forward cross rolls and cross strokes. One of our coaches from the Ukraine has been tutoring me on the difference after I admired one of his skaters' cross rolls.

We once had a whole thread on the topic of cross strokes vs cross rolls, and I believe our conclusion was that cross strokes is the US term for the same move that is known as cross rolls in the UK. What does the Ukrainian coach say the difference is?

[Rusty Blades]

Pure Gold: Worked on all my backwards, up to (but not including cross-overs YET) and most everything was working and slowly improving, LBO being the weakest (but my left side is usually the weaker). Started working on back COE’s. No problem going from outside edge to inside but inside to outside doesn’t work worth ‘coon sh... heck.

In lesson my coach wanted me to try a spiral. Yup, they work - I can get the free leg WAY up and my nose WAY down near my ankle, on my right foot - nice "dying swan" :mrgreen: Left foot? Nope, not anywhere near that far (yet).

Fool's Gold: In lesson we worked on BO edges and I managed to end up on my asssss... derriere. I can go though more gyrations in a fraction of a second on the way down! Why don’t I just FALL and get it over with :roll: LOL! One of the other coaches said “I see you have been out clubbing....” I looked puzzled. She added, “I have never seen you do that dance before.” Yea, yea, everybody’s a comedian :lol:

[Morgail]

Morgail... you and I need to work together. I'm having trouble finding the "power" in power pulls!:lol: (yeah, yeah, I know, it's in my knees.. now how do I bend them deeper? :lol: )
Sounds like a plan! It's always in the knees. I really think the answer to any skating problem is "bend your knees" (well, except for spirals...).

We once had a whole thread on the topic of cross strokes vs cross rolls, and I believe our conclusion was that cross strokes is the US term for the same move that is known as cross rolls in the UK. What does the Ukrainian coach say the difference is?
I'd really like to hear this too. My coach calls them cross rolls and she's not from the UK. I honestly thought they were the same thing - like swizzles/snowmen/all the other names for that move.

[Isk8NYC]

Pyrite:
Only two weeks to the Show and not one of my soloists has a decent program finished because they were all late with their music. Grrrrrr.

Had a half-hour of freestyle time unused because of a cancellation, but another student asked to extend her lesson. She really needed the time, so I gave up an impromptu practice. Tomorrow's lesson should be a mess. Sigh. Back to crossovers.

Gold:
My private student tonight landed a few more flips using yet another version of the running threes. I told her that I don't care at this point which ones she uses, as long as she lands the jump in the Show!

I "demonstrated" this section of her program in my direction and landed the flip on one foot, but it wasn't a good landing.

I nailed almost every spin, on both feet, in both directions. Very good night for spinning.

Footwork for this program is challenging, and I taught her a forward Choctaw without anyone being injured. Even the choreographer (me!) LOL

Chrome: Cross-Whatsits
One of this coach's students has the most gorgeous flow when executing this maneuver. I made him promise to teach me (in tiny little broken-english lessons here and there) how to imitate her cross-strokes. He corrected me, saying that the student was doing cross-rolls. "Is dance, not freestyle. Is different." was the explanation to my "What's the difference?" question. *shrug* (I'm so dance-phobic, you could use that explanation for anything with me and I'll back off.)

I'm not sure if he's 100% right, and there is a language (and ego) barrier, but here's the definition I think he gave me:

Cross-strokes are done by bringing the free foot across to the inside of your skating foot and stepping down onto the FO edge of the free foot. This I can do rather clunkily. (Much prettier if I sink down into my knees/edges.) Many of the skaters do this beautifully, pushing off the skating foot's outside edge. Others "jump" onto the free foot's outside edge. Practice, practice.

Cross-rolls are done by bringing the free foot in front of (not across) the skating foot and stepping onto an INSIDE edge of the free foot. You then immediately execute a power pull to shift onto the former free foot's outside edge.

The differences are 1) the position of the "step down" and 2) the initial edge used.

I don't know if what he's taught me is right, but it sure is fun and challenging to do his Cross-rolls. My Cross-strokes have gotten better as well - I guess they're jealous. (Or, I'm actually using the skating foot to PUSH for a change.)

I looked at that old thread you mentioned, DBNY. Am I right in thinking that the conclusion of it has absolutely no relationship to this new theory? Ask a hundred people, get a hundred answers. As I said, I still like 'em and they're fun!

[renatele]

Isk8NYC, I think the difference that was explained to you is more of the difference between cross-steps and cross-strokes in FS (ie put the foot over, or do it progressive-style, but switch to FO edge right away). Cross-strokes in MITF are expected to be executed the cross-roll style by his definition.

That's my understanding of all those things, anyway.

[Isk8NYC]

He was an ice dancer in his youth, and he didn't mention MITF at all, so I'll stick with my translation. I'm not testifying that he's right, I'm just repeating what I've learned from him.

[Mrs Redboots]

Gold: Two lessons today, the first with Coach2, choreographing our free dance. She approves of our "maneouvre to lose speed" ("Although you'd better not call it that!"), but as I can't bend as low as the Husband, I am to look as though I'm standing tall on purpose!

We seem to have it choreographed as far as the end of the step sequence; a bit of hard work on Friday should have it ready for her to help us choreograph the end of it on Sunday.

Went through three of the compulsory dances in our practice. Canasta pretty good now.

Pyrites: Did a pretty dire Swing Dance and as for the Willow - well, how am I supposed to do the 3-turn in the right place when my partner isn't in the right place, please?

Solo lesson was okay; did the two Level 3 moves I can do, and then worked on back edges, both inside and outside. Insides okay, but my weight is too far forward on my outsides, and even an exercise designed to help correct this didn't. If I bend my knees, my weight comes forward. It does when I squat down at home to get something out of the cupboard, too. I suppose the great skaters have years of pliés in ballet....

[Figureskates]

Maybe turning to gold....

Though my toe is a lovely shade of black and blue, the swelling has gone down quite a bit and the pain has greatly diminished....ssoooooo, this afternoon I am going to see if I can put said toe and foot into said figure skate...

I am blessed with an extremely high pain threshold...I didn't need pain killers after knee surgery many years back and had a bad case of shingles last year but not bad enough to require painkillers.....

Am I obsessed or what?????

[Sessy]

If I be a good girl and finish all my homework, I can skate tonight. :lol:

[Team Arthritis]

Want a laugh?->
Gold then Pyrite:
first I pulled my groin in hiphop class (when I do it hits more FlailFlop class)monday having too much fun. Yesterday skated 2 hr, had my lesson, hobbling a bit and THEN the College young lady I've been skating with some wants me to help her with some pairs stuff - she's auditioning to be for a new pairs partner to get back into pairs but is a lefty and needs to learn to do things CCW. So we are flying around the rink (She skates fast ALL THE TIME!) working on death spirals and some pairs camels and we are throwing each other around, spending way too much time spinning around on my back across the ice. Well I hobble off and coach asks "what are you doing!?" So I answer "I'm not dead yet!"

I can hardly walk today but boy that was fun!
Lyle

[cutiesk8r43]

Gold:
My Axels were good today and I didn't pop any 8-).
I had a lesson and worked on my freestyle program, which is getting better.

Pyrite:
I had to get up early even though I'm on spring break, and i have to get up early tomorrow too

[jazzpants]

Team Arthritis: http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/frech/d030.gif

(especially the "I ain't dead yet!" comment!!!) LMAO!!!

Pyrite:
Got in the morning FS session... should have checked my VM!!! NO LESSON with secondary coach and she wants a make up lesson again. :roll: Lucky for her. I had my lesson with primary coach this week already b/c he's in Chicago putting out students for Adult Nationals and doing a program himself. :cry: :cry: :cry: (WAAAAAH!!! I have to keep telling myself that at least this time it's NOT b/c I didn't passed the tests needed to go to Adults Nationals. But it still is sad to watch a lot of my fellow adult skaters go to AN and I'm not there with them.) :cry:

Anyway, it was probably a blessing in disguise that secondary coach didn't make it in yesterday. I did too much of it this weekend and my right knee was cranky and wanted a rest. I secretly wanted to move our lesson to Thursday actually! :P

Camel spin wasn't doing much beyond spinning. I really need to get into that spiral position in the spin and STAY THERE!!! :x

Gold:
I actually was making progress in one skill I wasn't expecting -- back sit spin!!! 8O I still have trouble doing them from a back pivot (sit-backsit), but I found myself at least SQUATTING now on my back sit when I go into the back sit from a FI3 entry. If I could reproduce THIS in front of primary coach when he gets back, he's gonna be QUITE happy with the minor progress!!!

Playing around with BO3's and brackets. I would love to get the RBO3's consistent... but I did finally get one this morning. :) Brackets? Got one too... but both went away after that. :frus:

[xofivebyfive]

Gold: I don't know where all my energy came from, but at my group lesson last night, I was really on. My loop was very high and loop-loop was fully rotated. My camel spin was very fast and centered and with the camel-sit, I got down a lot lower than usual on the sit. I had been having trouble with my flip since I came back from my month off due to a stress fracture, but man, last night it was the best it has ever been! I think I truly jumped up, and had a full rotation. It felt clean and not like I had just barely made it. It felt so good having everything work.

Pyrite: My right foot was really cramping up because of a gel thing that I put on my ankle to stop the round bone on the inside of my ankle from rubbing against my skate. I would have rather dealt with the ankle pain.

[icedancer2]

Gold: First attempt to skate today after being off for 8+ weeks with a fractured and SEVERELY tweaked right foot.

What a weird feeling!! At first I could barely stand up on two feet and was like, "Oh no, I can't skate!!" The foot still hurts, but I figured what the heck, I'd better get out there before it all goes to hell...

Then my coach came over and held me up while I skated (barely stroking) around the ice - she wanted to help my confidence (I was like, "Oh no, do I have to pay you for this?" but she was just being nice. Then we just started talking about some stuff, she let go of my arm and soon I was just skating around, talking and laughing with her. What a great coach! She knew how to get my mind off of how scared I was!

So I just did some edges, inside and out -- I wasn't going to even try to go backwards, but then, well, I just turned around and was skating backwards -- just sculling -- (so hard to feel like a baby-beginner again, but had to start somewhere). Then I did a few mohawks and very small 5-step mohawks sequences, just to one side. Tried some outside threes on my good foot and they were okay.

That was enough for today, after about 25 minutes the foot really started to hurt and I thught I should get off. It was nice seeing everybody and I hope to go back in a couple of days.

Pyrite: This injury is going to take a long time to come back from -- maybe by summer I will be trying to work on some Bronze Moves again and maybe taking some dance lessons. Maybe I will just stick with figures - who knows? Two weeks ago I couldn't imagine skating at all, so I guess I am on my way!!

Pretty shakey for my first time out.:giveup:

[Tessa]

Gold -- 3 turns FINALLY. I can do all 8. They're not pretty, and I can't do the lbo turn in the pattern but I can do it! I thought it was flukey but I've been consistent and getting better in each of my last 3 lessons. I actually look forward to the 3 turn part of my lesson now. Seriously, I couldn't do them 1 month ago and 2 months ago I put a moratorium on doing them in lessons because I was so frustrated. But I feel great now. I thought I'd never be able to do them at all; now I'm refining them. Some of the exit edges are off but I am still pysched! Coach thinks I should aim for testing in June. I laugh at her. I'm thinking September. Other patterns went well -- 5-step was really good today too. Power x-overs -- pretty good since I skated them with no warm up; edge pulls were just okay. I need to work my free right leg more.

Pyrite -- I missed practicing over the weekend. I have a business trip next week and will miss my lesson.

[Sessy]

Gold gold gold gold gold!

This afternoon I came home, called my mom and cried on the phone. Life's was giving me a load of poo again. But I have to say that it's actually been a GREAT day in the end!

I went to skate today anyway - despite being actually too busy to - so I'll still have a few hours of homework to do now, and it's a quarter to midnight, but it was WORTH it!

I met a few people from a Dutch online skating forum in real life, I was driven back by a girl from our skating club who turned out to be there as well and I even met a boy my age who SKATES. I didn't know they existed. He's kinda cute (but don't worry, I have a boyfriend I like better still).

Anyway this boy went like... Yeah but your waltz jumps are so high! You can turn them into an axel easily. And I went like, I'd like to, but I can't seem to manage. So he told me to show him and said to swing the arms more. And I did.
And I jumped an axel. I actually landed on the right foot, just a split second after my blade was enough backwards to not trip over the toepick, but it was there. I subsequently fell - but it was a pretty soft fall - but it was THERE and I felt it. On 1 foot, with my weight over the right side and not entirely forward either. If I'd just not drop the shoulder like I do on the loop as well, it'd actually BE there.

And M, this girl from my figure skating club, she saw it to and she went like, "wow you're rotating quite a lot actually."

OMG! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


I know it's not an axel by far yet, but, it's just... It's such a wonderful feeling to spin in the air!!!

This was the absolutely last freeskating session for this season and I feel quite confident about the upcoming test and the competition on friday. Even if I don't actually pass the test and mess up the competition, I know I've done everything this season that I could possibly have.
I feel like this is a good closure to this season and I'm satisfied with my achievements. I feel good about myself.

[Sessy]

TEEHEE!!! More gold!
I was supposed to do some online assignments through a programme of our university now, before tomorrow (and the assignment was given today). This afternoon, the programme was already malfunctioning a bit, but now the server is actually down.

How horrible that I can't do my homework now! :lol: ;)
I'm off to sleep!

[Terri C]

Gold:
Had a good runthrough of my test program in lesson today. The first two elements (loop and backscratch ) simply rocked! Can't wait for lesson with Primary Coach tomorrow.
Secondary coach is going to work me VERY HARD to get this test passed. I had a lesson with her today, then another on Saturday and then another lesson on Monday.:D :D

Pyrite:
My sitspin was totally off today. Tried to get lower, but wound up rocking up to the toepick.:roll:

[dbny]

Cross-strokes are done by bringing the free foot across to the inside of your skating foot and stepping down onto the FO edge of the free foot. This I can do rather clunkily. (Much prettier if I sink down into my knees/edges.) Many of the skaters do this beautifully, pushing off the skating foot's outside edge. Others "jump" onto the free foot's outside edge. Practice, practice.

Cross-rolls are done by bringing the free foot in front of (not across) the skating foot and stepping onto an INSIDE edge of the free foot. You then immediately execute a power pull to shift onto the former free foot's outside edge.

The differences are 1) the position of the "step down" and 2) the initial edge used.

I don't know if what he's taught me is right, but it sure is fun and challenging to do his Cross-rolls. My Cross-strokes have gotten better as well - I guess they're jealous. (Or, I'm actually using the skating foot to PUSH for a change.)

I looked at that old thread you mentioned, DBNY. Am I right in thinking that the conclusion of it has absolutely no relationship to this new theory? Ask a hundred people, get a hundred answers. As I said, I still like 'em and they're fun!

Well, I still have not taken the time or trouble to find that thread, but I can't imagine stepping onto an Inside edge, maybe a flat, but not Inside. One exercise that I was given when I was learning cross strokes is to do them on a line, being sure that the blade taking the ice at the line crosses it at a right angle. Do three in a row and hold the last one all the way around in a circle, then go the other way doing the same. The emphasis was on depth of edge.
Joannie Rochette did the most fluid and powerful cross strokes just taking the ice before a performance this past season. Then I saw my coach do the same. I would say the free foot takes the ice ahead of the skating foot, but definitely across the tracing. Your thighs will be closely pressed together as you cross and the push is from the Outside edge, just like the under push in FXO's. And just like that under push, if you get lazy and don't point your toe, you may catch your toepick. Guess how I know this :x.

Pyrite:
I did skate yesterday, but school was still out, so the session was crowded. Even worse, there were a bunch of hockey kids chasing around. One of them nearly clobbered me when he executed a fast U turn right in front of me. There was a bit of gold, in that a student of mine arrived as I did and asked for a lesson, so I really didn't have to deal with the crowd too much on my own behalf.

I got to the rink again today only to discover that the Jewish parochial schools are still out until tomorrow :frus:. I'm really paying for my week and a half of nothing but cooking, eating and sitting at the computer. I felt old, fat, and weak, and really had to push myself to work. Power threes were pathetic as were FO threes.

Gold:
I did finally start to feel like I could actually skate again. One foot spin was not bad and I managed one from a T push. Backspin is going to happen soon, I got almost one rev several times today, and hardly fell to the inside at all. FI threes were actually not so bad after I got started on them. I just have to remember to reach forward. Only did RF power pulls, but they were OK, especially considering the ice was hard and chopped up at the same time, and my blades desperately need sharpening.

Just Fun:
Ran into two adult skaters that I hadn't seen for a while, and one teen who had briefly been my student at another rink.

[tidesong]

Sessy: Congrats on that axel attempt! I know how it feels, its awesome!!! Sounds like you'll be landing nice ones soon :D

[quarkiki2]

Gold: The team is FINALLY getting both programs skated pretty well. OK, the compulsory disco program is better, but it's a year older. The Latin program is gelling (except for a section in the straight line footwork and the terrified looks on most faces, LOL!). Whic is good, since we're competing them this weekend. I should say, they're competing and I'm cheering very loudly from the side, thanks to baby #2 on the way. YAY!

[Petlover]

Pyrite: While working to improve the step behind end pattern for the rhythm blues, I fell hard flat on my face - tripped on the darn toe pick on the foot I stepped behind on! I can't believe I forgot to step on the edge, not the toepick!

Gold: After skating around a few minutes to get my breath back, I reskated the end pattern about 20 times, and after the first 10 times stopped being terrified and the last 10 times felt really good. Also, my scratch spin was working well this morning.

[Mrs Redboots]

Gold -- 3 turns FINALLY. I can do all 8. They're not pretty, and I can't do the lbo turn in the pattern but I can do it! Wow, well done! Am I jealous, or what? :mrgreen:

I can turn all 8, after a fashion, but I can't do them all on pattern yet, nor am I even beginning to be able to could.

[cutiesk8r43]

Pyrite:
The bad results into good so it goes first. I had a lesson today at 7 and woke up 15 minutes before time to get on the ice. not a good start. I also woke up with a stuffy nose and my cough is still there :frus: IT NEEDS TO GO AWAY!!

Gold:
My coach understood how I felt and didn't work me too hard. I respect her alot more now because my old coach, that I recently just swiched, would have been like "suck it up". Once my lesson was over I didn't feel like throwing up like I did when I got on the ice. I was happy, but I still have to skate this afternoon too:roll:

~Cutie;)

[Isk8NYC]

Pyrite:
Prel MITF - I'm such a spaz!
My coach really choreographs the MITF patterns, with arm and weight shifts as well as foot/edge/direction changes.
Threes on the line are better - fewer touchdowns since I started stepping off the the side instead of trying to turn around.
Power threes - once I started CHECKING my arms before stepping forward, much better.
Have to practice doing edges without the "arm/foot through" to build up some more control.

Gold:
Prel MITF spiral pattern was s-l-o-w, but mostly correct. Yay! The Inside-Outside-Inside sets I've been doing are paying off!
I learned to do the Back Power Crossover pattern without reviewing it beforehand.
It's not too bad, compared to the $%^& three turn patterns. LOL

Back Scratch Spins were excellent - one had at least ten revs!
I'm staying down on my knee, keeping my right arm and leg back for quite some time, then snapping into position. I even got out of them cleanly!

Back Camel Spins were good, too!

Squeaked out a few loops near the wall. Landed a bunch of them, but only if I kept those arms checked throughout.
(Which also keeps the free foot in front.)

[Amandaskategirl]

I haven’t written here for a while.

Pyrite:
- axels!!!!!! So frustrating! I know what I need to do get this better and I have been told the same thing umpteen times but I still don’t do it.
- I can’t get the ‘spin’ on any doubles. I jump up, start to pull in slowly and then chicken out and put the other foot down. Not sure how to get over this.
- Blades are sooooooooo blunt! I slipped of the take off edge of a salchow.
- Teacher hasn’t been able to give me a private lesson in a while because of the Easter hols.

Gold:
- had a group lesson which was still fun!
- double three turns both forwards and backwards are feeling easier and smooth(ish)
- single flips are feeling nice at the moment, I am happy going into to these with speed and they don’t scare me in at all anymore.

[Bill_S]

Gold: The Adult Gold double 3-turn pattern that includes forward outside to back inside threes went very well - better than other pattern which is usually easier. Strange, but I'll take it. Coach had me start passing arms before the step across the line and that took a while to catch on.

Coach applauded when I did the inside slide chasse pattern after I fixed early back threes. That's ready to test.

Finally, spins are improving substantially. Got nice comments from a skater's mom about them too. I still travel occasionally though.

Pyrite: Rink closes after this weekend's skate show. Because of work, I won't have much opportunity to skate in Columbus until summer. Sigh.

[dbny]

Pyrite:
Even though school is back in session, there was a bunch of little kids on the ice. Where do they come from? They are mostly clueless and tend to wander around unpredictably or chase each other. Either way, it's a nuisance and something the guards should be taking care of (dream on). One girl actually moved the cones from the center, making a line across the rink with them 8O. I rearranged those after she left the ice for a few minutes, and she didn't mess with them again.

I sooo wish I had not spent years thinking that holding the BI edge till stepping forward after the FO three in Prelim moves was the right way to do it. I'm having fits learning that little flip sideways of the blade to be able to properly push off onto the next FO edge. Once again, flattening the BI edge on the Prelim power threes Choctaw. Of course, that happens on the "good" side. Today the "bad" side was the good side :roll:. Still cannot reliably get a one foot spin from a T push, and kept falling to the R on the spins anyway.

Gold:
Feeling more comfortable with FI threes. Did one really good rev on the backspin, meaning I didn't need anyone else to tell me it was a full rev, and it was most definitely on the correct part of the blade. That felt great! F power pulls still work if I just imagine skiing first :lol:. B power pulls felt really good, with good knee action and speed.

[Terri C]

Pyrite:
When I got on the ice this afternoon, it was chewed up like it had not been cut all day. Since I had a lesson with Primary Coach, had no choice but to suck it up and deal with it.
On program runthrough during lesson, blew sit and for some weird reason, my free foot came on the heel as I was preparing for my salchow takeoff.


Gold:
Loop jump is getting cleaned up and Primary coach noticed that my sitspin is getting lower!

[Rusty Blades]

Gold: Worked mainly on backward edges (which I want as deep and solid as my forward edges - they aren't :frus: ) and left 3-turns (my weak side). All my 3-turns need LOTS of work but I have managed to turn everything except the LBI-3 - for some reason I just can't get the body position right for that one :x

Pyrite: I was SO physically exhausted after a tough few days at work and 1:30 on backwards and turns that I talked my coach into going for coffee and discussing my next program instead of doing a lesson on the ice. :roll: Oh well, it all contributes to the end result (I hope!)

[Isk8NYC]

Gold:
Great edges and turns last night, for some reason.
Spirals were excellent. My students were 8O for my spiral-3-spiral move, mainly because they can't do three-turns or spirals very well yet. I saw them practicing both later on, so I've done my good deed for the day.
Toe loops and Salchows were good, but not too high. At least I didn't kick myself in the foot again. :lol:

Pyrite:
My boots were so loose, I think I could have pulled them off without untying the laces. LOL
Forward crossovers were sloppy (or "sloopy" as I initially wrote) and I didn't point my toes. Fortunately, I was the only one who noticed. Back crossovers were much better.

Tooth-Cracker:
Spring Shows are tough: every week, I'm missing a few skaters from each of my Skating Show groups. I have one kid on my roster who hasn't come to a SINGLE CLASS this 10-wk session and frankly, she needs the ice time. I'm hoping she's dropped out completely because I've had her as a student before and I don't think she can catch up in the few weeks left.:giveup:

[jskater49]

Gold:
Great edges and turns last night, for some reason.

Tooth-Cracker:
Spring Shows are tough: every week, I'm missing a few skaters from each of my Skating Show groups. I have one kid on my roster who hasn't come to a SINGLE CLASS this 10-wk session and frankly, she needs the ice time. I'm hoping she's dropped out completely because I've had her as a student before and I don't think she can catch up in the few weeks left.:giveup:

Here if you miss one practice, you pay for an extra lesson to make it up. Two practices you are out of the show.

j

[jskater49]

Gold -

Covered a lot in my moves lesson today. Finally showed my coach my mohawks. I have avoided that and only told her how much I hate mohawks and when I finally showed them to her she said they really were better than I had made them out to be. My left inside mohawk is actually acceptable and I can do that from some speed. Unfortunately the right mohawk is in the Swing and of course the 5 step requires both feet.:cry:

First problem with mohawk is that I am doing it heal to heal and it would be less scary if I would put the blade down at my instep. I have a hard time knowing where my foot is and of course I can't put my head down and actually look. We did some at the boards - facing away from the boards --holding behind me because facing the boards I tend to lean too forward. this is one of those moves I just have to make myself do to get comfortable with.

On to back peremiter crossovers. I'm starting these with a 3 turn from a stand still and it's really hard to generate much power after the 3 turn so she made me glide on one foot and then do the 3 turn on the other foot. It actually wasn't that hard and wow, yes, I had some power to get the crossovers going.

So I was doing them on the right edge, had them on pattern but wasn't getting much power. We realized I had my weight on the wrong foot - I need my weight on the foot on the inside edge. DUH - so I need to go back to practicing back inside edges to remember what that feels like.

3 turns - more compliments - she said now I look like I turn when I want to turn, not because my body has rotated ahead of me

Pyrite She had to kind of take back that compliment after she saw my LFO 3 turn...that one still gets away from me.

Lots to work on. Think I'll hunt around for $20 for walk on tomorrow am...

Tonight is picture day for the ice show - looking forward to seeing the girls in costume. I'm not in the show this year because my daughter's prom is that week and she's only doing the Sunday show - next year I definately want to be in the adult number.

j

[Mrs Redboots]

Gold: My skates have been sharpened.

Pyrites: My skates have been sharpened!

However, by the end of the session they were feeling like "my blades" again, and we got some good practice into our choreography. But would someone tell me how couples and pairs manage to synchronise their movements? I don't know whether we'll ever manage to do the same thing at the same time....

[Emberchyld]

Pyrite: :cry: No skating at all this week because (Thanks to my bursitis-ridden right hip), I have a pulled muscle in my inner left thigh. I might lose 5 sessions on my freestyle card on April 22nd because all of my injuries have kept me off of the morning freestyles!

Gold: I showed my ballet and jazz teachers (and, consequently, all of my classmates) the videos that I had made of myself skating, waltz jumping, spinning, toe-looping :D . It's nice to know that reguardless of how "bad" I think I look, everyone else thought I looked amazing :D

Thank goodness for the innocent eyes of muggles:bow: for an ego-boost!

[jazzpants]

Had another make up lesson this morning with secondary coach.

Gold:
Did forward stroking... not bad! Fast... just need to work on extending the free leg more with each stroke.

We worked on waltz jumps at faster speeds today. At the beginning of the session, I can do nice kick-thru waltz jumps but only at slower speeds. We reworked my entry so NOW it's actually kicking thru even at higher speeds... and I went from a decent kick thru waltz jump to ones that had, according to secondary coach, "nice height -- very light and floaty." I had eyewitnesses that has watched me skate over the years and one of them said "Yes, I did see your waltz jump? Are you working on an axel now???" ;) (I haven't even worked on off-ice axels and I have no clue how to go about approaching that.)

No Pyrites!!! Very good lesson today!!! :D

[LilJen]

So, if we have defined cross-strokes and cross-rolls, what are CROSS CUTS? When I do my back XOs for the prebronze pattern, both coach and her hubby/dance buddy say, gee, you're doing cross-cuts there actually. (Which apparently is fine from a testing point of view.) I'm totally clueless.

From the last 2 weeks:
GOLD: Finally got the "pop" in the half-flip, after being coordinated enough to pull the picking & skating legs together properly at the proper times. A big "OH!" moment. Coach also helped me a lot on the waltz jump--essentially making sure I'm squared off before I take off and squared off on the landing--and just that tiny lesson has made a huge difference in how secure I feel. I'm probably still not getting much height, but still. It feels better.
-Most pb moves are test ready. Yay!
-Coach seemed to feel I could also do PB freestyle test (except for the one-footed spin). So hey, that's cool. If the 1-footed spin happens in the next week or so, great; if not, we'll do it later.
-Learned the hokey Hickory Hoedown from dance buddy. Definitely a goofy dance. Yee-ha!

PYRITE:
-PB 3-turn pattern is still inconsistent. Did a LOT of them down the long axis of the ice, on both sides, the other day, but they're still just. . . well. . . messy! I think they'll get there by testing time, though.
-Spins? Spins earned a "we'll spend a lot of time on these next lesson, because you're really not finding your center and I'm not sure you couldn't be a CCW spinner" (CW feels more natural, but I always manage to step away/get shoulders & arms away from my center rather than bringing them to the center). Spin & jump direction does need to be finalized sooner rather than later. . .

[Mrs Redboots]

My coach uses the terms "cross-cuts" and "cross strokes" rather interchangeably to mean the move where you are skating backwards and put your free foot down in front of the skating foot on a back outside edge.

[Terri C]

Gold:
On lesson today, I fell twice on my loop. Why is this gold? Because my loop was finally all the way around. I managed to land a couple fully rotated on one foot after that!
The sitspin is now in sitting position!

Pyrite:
It's great that I'm making progress on my nemisis elements for the Bronze free test, but the real test is doing them in program and that did not go well.

[Sessy]

pyrite:

The fall in competition yesterday left me all chafed and bruised all over. Even where the bruises didn't appear, it hurts. I took painkillers cuz it was just no fun anymore. Ohwell nothing serious though, I'm glad about that! :D

[Sessy]

I think maybe he means you lift your leg on the crossovers? Cuz I know neither of my feet is actually really leaving the ice on my crossovers.

[jskater49]

Not gold, not pyrite - just so so -- Went back to the line to practice back inside edges so I could remember how that is supposed to feel for my backward peremiter crossovers. Somewhere I'd gotten into the habit of shifting my weight from the foot on the inside edge. It was pretty easy to get back into it

Practiced most of my moves today on the line, or my mohawks on hockey circles, there were so many kids practicing show numbers it was pretty hard to stay on pattern so I thought this should be a day to work on technique more than pattern or power.

Gold - Did a bunch of waltz jumps WITHOUT skidding to slow down.

Next hour - Artistry in Motion - next week we test our choreographed program. I'm having my coach cut me the music to the right time because this is going to be a real christmas show number for me.

I had trouble doing all the elements will with the music so coach suggested I take some things out and simplify it. At first I thought I'd take out the waltz jump at the end since I don't really have time for it but I think I replace the half lutz with the waltz... she said my program had a lot of personality

pyrite - I managed to do a spiral and grab my foot but seeing myself do this in the glass I'm thinking it looks so ugly it's really not worth doing it. Although I suppose it's like learning the violin - beginnning attempts are not real pretty.

j

[dbny]

Gold:
In my lesson Friday, we worked on FO and FI three turns first, with the emphasis on the little half turn before stepping forward. I suddenly really got it, and said something descriptive, to which she replied "I couldn't have said it better myself". Now I know for sure I have the right coach, because she is working with me not just talking at me. Afterwards, my coach commented on how far I've come since starting lessons with her, and she was sooo right. I wasn't able to do FO threes at all when I started, and had decided it was due to foot/boot troubles that I had lost them. Well, same feet, same boots, and I'm doing them again. We spent the second half of the lesson on spins, where I actually got another full rev on a backspin and could feel how centered I was and how in control. To top it all off, I did two one foot spins from a T push, each of 5 or 6 revolutions and exited in control. Afterwards, I asked DH if he had seen them. He hadn't, and insisted I show him, so I did what turned out to be the best of them ever. I'm getting my freeleg into a very nice passe position, and really loving this spin.

Pyrite:
My blades desperately need to be sharpened, and I've resolved to get it done Monday, if possible. Hopefully, I will be back to normal by my next lesson on Friday.

[Scarlett]

Gold - I skated in my first competition yesterday and accomplished my goals of a) staying on my feet and b) not vomiting.

Pyrite- Got my behind kicked in said competition. Even if I had skated cleanly (which I didn't), I would have had my behind kicked anyway. Am taking the experience as a wake-up call.

[phoenix]

Scarlett--got my butt kicked this week too!! To console myself I walked around looking at all the results sheets, thinking, "see, in every event someone has to come in last. And on *this* sheet, that's me!!"

I thought cross cuts were going backward, outside edge, place the new foot crossed in *front*, on an outside edge---and cross strokes would be placing the new foot *behind* on an outside edge. No?

[mikawendy]

I know there's a new thread, but this is from last week's skating, so I'll post here:

Gold:
Just got back last might from my first time at AN. I had a relatively clean skate in the initial round and a clean skate in the final round. I skated last in the final round of my event, so I really tried to focus on enjoying the program and giving it my all. I had a great time meeting so many people--badaxel, Stormy, Mel on Ice (though briefly), doubletoe, some of my skating friends from myspace, etc. I kept bumping into this one master's lady who was so friendly and encouraging. Thanks to flo, Mel on Ice, my friends from Delaware, and everyone else who threw stuff on the ice for me! :O) And if anyone on this forum knows Shawnna from Bronze Ladies II, please thank her for the rubber ducky--I didn't get a chance to say thanks to her.

Pyrite:
Camel-attitude spin was NOT cooperating last week. Also, I have been neglecting MIF something awful!!!

[Scarlett]

Thanks Phoenix...that really did help.

[Hannahclear]

New skates.....cue moaning and groaning.

I have new blades as well, and right now, my spins are the most affected. I need to get used to the slightly shorter length, but I have been promised that I will soon not remember the difference. I have MK Professional Freestyle blades now, after many happy years with Coronation Aces. We'll see.

However, my new Gold Star boots are not bad at all. Not that much pain, I really liked the heated fit. Let's hope it stays that way. I was able to land all my singles, just slower and no combos. Not bad for one day.