jskater49
06-11-2007, 08:01 AM
So I just got back from Quad Cities competition....it was a nice long weekend off with my daughter anyway.
Good - Thursday night my daughter passed her European Walz and Silver Tango. Two totally different dances but on the waltz judge said she looked like a waltzer and and on the tango "Nice crisp tango feel to it"
Bad - Sat am practice with high level skaters. WHY WHY WHY? Truly, I am not embarrassed or above skating with little kids who do baby jumps like me. Since there was a jump event that day, that's what everyone was doing. It was intimidating and terrifying. Then I did what you should never do and watched another adult land a PERFECT toe loop. OMG What am I doing competing a toe loop that I've just been working on for a month? I don't mind loosing but I don't like looking like I have no business in that event. Oh. Then said adult does a perfect lutz. She's probably not in my event (turned out to be a Silver skater)
I was so busy trying not to get run over...it was not much of a practice.
Ugly - Jumps Competition. I've never done one of these before. I got nervous and intimidated and even my half flip, which I do pretty well was tentative and done from a practical stand still. It was all I could do to just walk through the toe loop. Which considering how scared and intimidated I was, I choose to be proud of myself for accomplishing that much. One other competitor. Her toe loop was cheated as well, but she actually jumped. Jumped cheated toe loop trumps walked cheated toe loop.;)
I had to remind myself that the reason for entering this event was to make myself learn a toe loop, which I did so mission accomplished.
Good DD stood up on everything (slight two foot on double flip) in short program. She ended up 12th in short program and 13th in fs and 13th overall Championship out of 15. This is the best result she's had in intermediate so she was happy. She two footed her double lutz but I was so happy she at least tried it...she used to land a double lutz in juvenile all the time but for the last year it went on vacation and she wouldn't even try it. She also tried a double toe and two footed it but stood up at least.
Getting better - Spins competition. I felt good about doing this...unlike the horror and despair with which I approached jump. One foot spin and two foot spin. I got nervous, rushed the one foot spin and never found my sweet spot so I was unable to do as many revolutions as I can (maybe I eeked out 3) Wouldn't have mattered if I had done ten revolutions - I still have a two foot entry. Competition did a beautiful scratch spin entry with her foot in front (mine is still to the side) Coach says it's time I learned a one foot entry. That's what we shall work on next. Silver medal again.
Good - Sunday morning practice - same high level skaters but I decided, I was assigned this practice, I belonged there as much as they did and I was going to claim my space and just practiced, aware of others but also aware that they needed to make way for me as well. It gave me a lot of confidence.
Freestyle - I felt good. I smiled throughout and at one point decided to look right at the judges and THEY WERE SMILING BACK AT ME. THAT is why I like to skate. I felt great after that. And I JUMPED the toe loop on the back of my waltz. I rushed my spin again and didn't do that as well as I could, but over all I was happy.
Two of us in this and silver for me. You know, I used to enjoy taking home medals as a souvineer and one was nice but by this time it was getting a little ridiculis. I kind of wished there had been another competitor so I'd have a bronze medal - different color at least.
On to the one foot spin entry!
j
Good - Thursday night my daughter passed her European Walz and Silver Tango. Two totally different dances but on the waltz judge said she looked like a waltzer and and on the tango "Nice crisp tango feel to it"
Bad - Sat am practice with high level skaters. WHY WHY WHY? Truly, I am not embarrassed or above skating with little kids who do baby jumps like me. Since there was a jump event that day, that's what everyone was doing. It was intimidating and terrifying. Then I did what you should never do and watched another adult land a PERFECT toe loop. OMG What am I doing competing a toe loop that I've just been working on for a month? I don't mind loosing but I don't like looking like I have no business in that event. Oh. Then said adult does a perfect lutz. She's probably not in my event (turned out to be a Silver skater)
I was so busy trying not to get run over...it was not much of a practice.
Ugly - Jumps Competition. I've never done one of these before. I got nervous and intimidated and even my half flip, which I do pretty well was tentative and done from a practical stand still. It was all I could do to just walk through the toe loop. Which considering how scared and intimidated I was, I choose to be proud of myself for accomplishing that much. One other competitor. Her toe loop was cheated as well, but she actually jumped. Jumped cheated toe loop trumps walked cheated toe loop.;)
I had to remind myself that the reason for entering this event was to make myself learn a toe loop, which I did so mission accomplished.
Good DD stood up on everything (slight two foot on double flip) in short program. She ended up 12th in short program and 13th in fs and 13th overall Championship out of 15. This is the best result she's had in intermediate so she was happy. She two footed her double lutz but I was so happy she at least tried it...she used to land a double lutz in juvenile all the time but for the last year it went on vacation and she wouldn't even try it. She also tried a double toe and two footed it but stood up at least.
Getting better - Spins competition. I felt good about doing this...unlike the horror and despair with which I approached jump. One foot spin and two foot spin. I got nervous, rushed the one foot spin and never found my sweet spot so I was unable to do as many revolutions as I can (maybe I eeked out 3) Wouldn't have mattered if I had done ten revolutions - I still have a two foot entry. Competition did a beautiful scratch spin entry with her foot in front (mine is still to the side) Coach says it's time I learned a one foot entry. That's what we shall work on next. Silver medal again.
Good - Sunday morning practice - same high level skaters but I decided, I was assigned this practice, I belonged there as much as they did and I was going to claim my space and just practiced, aware of others but also aware that they needed to make way for me as well. It gave me a lot of confidence.
Freestyle - I felt good. I smiled throughout and at one point decided to look right at the judges and THEY WERE SMILING BACK AT ME. THAT is why I like to skate. I felt great after that. And I JUMPED the toe loop on the back of my waltz. I rushed my spin again and didn't do that as well as I could, but over all I was happy.
Two of us in this and silver for me. You know, I used to enjoy taking home medals as a souvineer and one was nice but by this time it was getting a little ridiculis. I kind of wished there had been another competitor so I'd have a bronze medal - different color at least.
On to the one foot spin entry!
j