Crisp or Clammy (Practices September 24 - 30) [Archive]

liz_on_ice

09-24-2007, 08:03 AM

Fall weather, chill coming in. Is it crisp and clear or clammy and dank?

Crisp - improving my back-inside edges. Doing a lot of rolls, I'd had the head and arm movements just wrong and I'm working on fixing those bad habits now. Another 'been doing wrong' is the dance step sequence for FS3, I'd somehow gotten it into my head that the forward mohawk is inside, but it is outside. :oops: Working on doing it right now, a good thing because my RFO mohawk especially was really rough. It's getting better at a good pace.

Clammy - do I even need to keep mentioning the dratted backspin?

looplover

09-24-2007, 08:17 AM

Crisp: I like my new program, it's nice and flowy jazzy when my coach demonstrates it, it's clunky dorky when I do it so far.:halo:

Did a nice, fast, centered scratch spin today.

Clammy: Oh boy. I am driving my poor coach up the wall. I have a really hard time remembering choreography, which is bad enough - but then I go to do the program and I'm trying to remember stuff and I look like a skating baby ostrich or something.

Two footed loop twice! What?!

jskater49

09-24-2007, 08:43 AM

It was all pretty clammy today.

Power class - my daughter is bored to tears because this coach isn't as creative as some others and we just basically stroke for 20 minutes. I don't mind because it's excercize at least but at her level she needs other excersizes to help her power. She's not going to take it for spring session but I probably will.

I think my skates need sharpening because I fell AGAIN - this time just slipped off an edge. That started to shake my confidence but still managed to do some stuff. I really hope this week we can get my artistic done so I can work on other things with my coach - like my spin entry!

j

Bill_S

09-24-2007, 08:43 AM

Crisp: Felt better skating this morning than last week. The effects of oral surgery are wearing off, and the 'dizzy' pills are gone. Spins are coming back (holding the entrance edge longer helps considerably). Had one so well centered that the ice chipped out in the spin spot after ~ a dozen revs and almost tossed me on my backside.

Clammy: Had both a water heater and a refrigerator fail over the weekend. How can TWO major appliances coordinate such a dastardly thing? Shower before skating this morning was tepid, and the snack before skating was room temperature. Repair$ coming soon.

Still Clammy: New boots and blades are officially overdue. Maybe it's a good thing with the timing of the appliance replacement/repair costs.

liz_on_ice

09-24-2007, 10:59 AM

Clammy: Oh boy. I am driving my poor coach up the wall. I have a really hard time remembering choreography, which is bad enough - but then I go to do the program and I'm trying to remember stuff and I look like a skating baby ostrich or something.

:lol: Maybe you've got a spotlight piece there, with the baby ostrich routine!

TimDavidSkate

09-24-2007, 12:14 PM

Crisp: I finally skated after a long time

CLAMMY: It is so tough getting back on the ice after being away from it for so long. I have gained some weight and actually felt it while I stroke around. Not only I was getting my usual cramps but also things didnt feel right. It took me at least 50 minutes to shake off the cramps and start jumping. I did a loop, flip, lutz, and loop/loop - and called it a day. Good enough for now.

blackmanskating

09-24-2007, 03:40 PM

Crisp: I did the smoothest Lutz - double loop combination I've ever done. It was like second nature. Now If only I could get a double lutz to feel like that. Double 3's are getting quiet. Today I could hardly hear anything. I had the ice all to myself this morning so I could really listen. My coach noticed an improvement in my depth of edges. I think I'm finally starting to get comfortable on the ice a little.

On Saturday during club ice, I did the fastest forward scratch spin I have ever done. It was actually pretty centered too. It was so fast that I couldn't completely straighten my free leg across my skating side. The G's were really strong and some of the other skaters seemed impressed. It was a bit scary though.

Clammy: This footwork is hell for me. :twisted: My coach is an ice dancer so he's really intricate and I am struggling to duplicate that level of performance. It isn't working today. And for some reason, my axel is completely gone. I couldn't land it to save my life. I would do a double 3 turn out of the landing. I think I am dropping my left shoulder. It was really weird.

RinkRat321

09-24-2007, 05:43 PM

crisp
2flip & loop were close
good I-Spins
good 2sal

clammy
muscles are really tight from not stretching enough

video from practice click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7rXbh8LNUY)

FallDownGoBoom

09-24-2007, 05:55 PM

Crisp: Greatly enjoyed a little-populated public session today and was able to relocate the bloody waltz jump, toe loop and salchow, which all had gone astray about two weeks ago. Even better: Theyre really, really solid. More solid than ever.

Now with 50 percent more crisp: I believe I identified the reason for the jump troubles. Blade screws were loose. Fixed that.

New formula! Our crispest ever: Greatly enjoyed a sparsely populated public session today and continued working on Stuff I Don't Particularly Want To Work On But That's How We Become Better Skaters, Isn't It.

Clammy: I came ever so close to unleashing some aggressive toepick on the asses of a bunch of morons at public last weekend. That'd learn 'em.

Skate@Delaware

09-24-2007, 09:19 PM

My back is feeling so much better! I skooched up in bed last night, heard my spine "crack" and it felt better!!! I still took it easy today (yeah right). brought my spin-trainer to the gym-what a hoot! I could not spin for anything going my way...but could eke out a 3 rev going the other way!!! But doing backspins...well it was weird!

Off-ice class was in the HARNESS! Flips in the harness. I felt like a dork. Probably looked like one as well. I sort of got it but it's hard to get the weight shift to the picking foot. Then she had me try a lutz...ummm even stranger. I don't like to shift my weight, i see! But, she did not yank me up so that was good.

My class is going well-moved 2 little ones to the real ice tonight then made them skate on their own. Gotta learn sometime!

Power class was heck, as I still had my puffy pants on and I was HOT!!! But, I can swizzle FAST!!! And 3 pushes gets me gliding all the way to the other side of the rink (lengthwise).

It's 10:16 pm, I'm beat, and I still haven't had any dinner. Mondays are tough!

Clammy: the only comment i have here-I was told to order my blades elsewhere because it would take forever to get new ones and they would cost $180. So I did (for about the same price) and when I mentioned that my blades were in...I was told they could get blades in a week and about $50 less!!! URGH!!!! I hate when that happens! Oh well. They get swapped out this week, once they are sharpened.

Laura H

09-25-2007, 08:55 AM

Sorry, this will be LOOOONNG to make up for my long time without a lesson!! and it's all

Crisp!: I signed up for group lessons! I was so undecided but I had to be at the rink anyway (ds hockey practice) so when I saw one of the instructors coming in I went up to her and asked if she was teaching the adults and, well, was anyone else signed up? There wasn't at the time, but lo and behold, someone was signing up as we were talking, so I went ahead and signed up to make it a "group" lesson :D . The other lady was sort of quietly freaking out when I told the instructor the last things we had been working on (waltz jump/salchow) but I ASSURED her that I started out just where she was!! ("a wall hugger like everyone else!!") and we could both work at our own paces!!!

Anyhow, it was an AWESOME lesson since the instructor let me pick what I wanted to work on :mrgreen: . . . she just alternated between the two of us during the half hour. I elected to work on 3 turns (particularly the checking & "big girl arms") and then moved on to the waltz jump (she says, that's good! - did you want to work on getting more height? YES!!!!!) So we worked on bend the knee a LOT on the step & using arms to get more height, it was awesome.

Then we worked on the salchow - I told her I knew the basic sequencing of the jump but just wasn't getting much "jump" in it . . . she suggested I focus on the down-up-down-up aspect of it (down for the 3 turn, up at the point where you turn, back down again and then "UP" for the jump) and I got a little more into the rhythm of it and it started clicking for me.

Special note to doubletoe: she was MOST impressed that I was doing the beginnings of the "scoop" . . . even if it isn't quite perfected yet . . . :oops: I thought of you!!

So, by that point we had about 5 minutes left in the lesson and I was bushed!! So I asked if we could work on the 1 foot spin . . . didn't have tons of progress on that in lesson but she did suggest an alternate entrance from backwards crossovers, step forward into a LOE and hook the turn from that entrance. I kind of like that one because I don't have as much opportunity to throw myself off balance. Did have a few good spins, but just as many when I didn't hook the entrance . . . eek!!

So that was it for our lesson, and I practiced for almost an hour after that at which point I was totally wiped out and nauseous from spinning, so I dragged myself home . . . aaaahhhh . . . great to be back on home ice again.

Crisp-est: Remember all the off-ice work I was doing on the sit spin position? I was SO excited to find that I can now drop into a PERFECT shoot-the-duck position and hold it for 1/2 the rink and bring it up with control . . . I never thought I would see the day!! I just couldn't get enough of it! yahoo!

Rusty Blades

09-25-2007, 09:54 AM

Crisp: Worked on BO edges a LOT in practice - getting FAST....

Clammy: ... still can't get the BXO's :evil:

Clammy: Coach's other skater didn't show up so I had her undivided attention with only 15 minutes warmup/practice

Crisp: With only 8 weeks to the first competition, we decided to resurrect last winter's Interpretive (the one from Nationals), tweak it, and use it for the November competition so we can concentrate on developing the Free program. That's good - at least it is choreography I know.....

Clammy: .... on the other hand, I have to cut it down from 2:34 to 1:30! 8O Coach is going to leave it with me to figure out what moves to cut.

Crisp: In lesson we worked on BO edges, Waltz and Toe Loop, landing positions, Upright spins and Sit spins - all progressing nicely.

Clammy: I REALLY have to fall down more! Getting used to falling would really help my jumps progress.

And this is only day #1 of 3 this week and already I am STIFF! :??

doubletoe

09-25-2007, 12:11 PM

Then we worked on the salchow - I told her I knew the basic sequencing of the jump but just wasn't getting much "jump" in it . . . she suggested I focus on the down-up-down-up aspect of it (down for the 3 turn, up at the point where you turn, back down again and then "UP" for the jump) and I got a little more into the rhythm of it and it started clicking for me.

Special note to doubletoe: she was MOST impressed that I was doing the beginnings of the "scoop" . . . even if it isn't quite perfected yet . . . :oops: I thought of you!!

Crisp-est: Remember all the off-ice work I was doing on the sit spin position? I was SO excited to find that I can now drop into a PERFECT shoot-the-duck position and hold it for 1/2 the rink and bring it up with control . . . I never thought I would see the day!! I just couldn't get enough of it! yahoo!

Wow! Awesome!! :bow:

RinkRat: Good job on the I spin! And that was with "stiff muscles"?? LOL!

Mrs Redboots

09-25-2007, 02:20 PM

CaraSkates

09-25-2007, 04:12 PM

Crisp: Passed Pre-Juvenile Moves this afternoon!! And less then six months after I started working on them (the day after I passed Prelim)! Now onto Juv MIF and a clean axel and 2sal to test Prelim FS...)

Clammy: still sore from a 1hr ballet class and 2hr practice yesterday...

doubletoe

09-25-2007, 04:46 PM

badaxel

09-25-2007, 06:09 PM

This may be a little premature, and I may jinx myself, but I'm very excited:

CRISP: I MAY have discovered the reason for my inconsistent axel. I wasn't JUMPING. I finally discovered, after 2 1/2 years of struggling, that you have to bend your skating knee in order to jump. 8O Thank you, Captain Obvious. Then I did like, 20 of them. Hopefully, axel and I have resolved our differences once and for all. ;) Oh yeah, I got 4 revs on my back catch spin, too.

CLAMMY: Boy, do my legs hurt! Too much jumping and back camel-ing! Owies! Also, I'm soooo sick of these Gold/ Int MIF - I need to test soon! No MORE power circles! :giveup:

Bonus crispy: Yankee's magic number to clinch a playoff spot? ONE!

doubletoe

09-25-2007, 06:31 PM

This may be a little premature, and I may jinx myself, but I'm very excited:

CRISP: I MAY have discovered the reason for my inconsistent axel. I wasn't JUMPING. I finally discovered, after 2 1/2 years of struggling, that you have to bend your skating knee in order to jump. 8O Thank you, Captain Obvious. Then I did like, 20 of them. Hopefully, axel and I have resolved our differences once and for all. ;) Oh yeah, I got 4 revs on my back catch spin, too.

Wow, that IS a big breakthrough!! :D If you did 20 of them, then I don't think it's a premature assumption!

CLAMMY: Also, I'm soooo sick of these Gold/ Int MIF - I need to test soon! No MORE power circles! :giveup:

Hey, can I trade you my back power 3's (Intermediate test) and back double 3's for your forward and backward power circles? (I don't mind the power circles at all compared to those, LOL!)

BatikatII

09-25-2007, 06:31 PM

I wasn't JUMPING. I finally discovered, after 2 1/2 years of struggling, that you have to bend your skating knee in order to jump. 8O Thank you, Captain Obvious. !

Hey I think I have recently discovered the exact same thing ;) :D - what a difference when I really bend my skating knee before the jump. And how crazy that it has taken me so many years to realise this! I now have a decent loop and can even on a good day get a decent loop-loop from speed with some actual height in it.

Crisp: aforementioned loop and even loop -loop in programme, along with flip in programme. Will it last til the British next weekend? - who knows - but at least I now know it can be done. And it feels like I have made some progress after what felt like a year of stagnation.

Part of my re-inspiration came with getting new music - I liked my old music but I love this music:lol:

Clammy: exceedingly painful blister on right ankle where boot is rubbing. Plasters just sweat off and it ends up being rubbed raw each time I skate:(

Skate@Delaware

09-25-2007, 07:59 PM

Crisp-est: Remember all the off-ice work I was doing on the sit spin position? I was SO excited to find that I can now drop into a PERFECT shoot-the-duck position and hold it for 1/2 the rink and bring it up with control . . . I never thought I would see the day!! I just couldn't get enough of it! yahoo!
Wow! Way to go on that! I'm waiting for my bum back to heal up more...I have been dying to do shoot-the-ducks as practice for my sitspins.
Crisp: Worked on BO edges a LOT in practice - getting FAST....

Clammy: ... still can't get the BXO's :evil:
your BO edges will help you with the bxo's ... you know that, as will bending more. you know this also. It will come in time-we all get impatient for these things, don't we? Stick it out, you will get it!

Cara, congratulations!!!

Crisp: worked on more "basics" such as my spin entrance...it's finally clicking and I was able to do a few decent scratch spins. I also worked on my Salchow 101 Lesson...(3-turn then jump) and for one jump I actually scooped my leg instead of knee-ing it up!!!! yay!

Clammy: Public session was overrun with a homeschool group that was unruly and I told one boy to stay away from me or I'd knock him down :twisted: He kept skating near me...I told him he was flirting with danger!!! he he he!

could not loop right...did the waltz-loop and actually that was better, but I'm still tapping down :( could not backspin at all. I think that the wild kids distracted me-they were everywhere! Tried a flip...it was weird!

Crisp: Taught this evening, had a nice blend of all skills levels (snowplow 1 through basic 2) 8O What was the most hilarious moment(s)? Catching the boy in my class making googly eyes at one of the pretty little girls!!! He is about 8, she is about 7....it was precious! I think it made him try harder!

Clammy: One of my other students gave me fits with her "acting" as far as being: scared, unable to move, in pain, etc. I finally had to tell her I was tired of her acting up and to get a move on! She straightened up for a bit. This will be a struggle with her...when lesson was over and practice time began, off she went, not a complaint in sight! :x

Skittl1321

09-25-2007, 08:55 PM

Crisp Had some really fantastic scratch spins today. Foot crossed and centered. I LOVE my group lessons because the coach is a fantastic spin coach. The first one I did I put my foot on my shin crossed, then slide it down to my ankle like he said I ended up going so fast that I screamed and then fell... I'm such an idiot. But it was really fast! One of the young boys told me "you'll get used to it"- I'm not sure about that. But I'm thrilled to finally be getting some spins!

Clammy I'm having more eye problems so contacts are out and I have to skate in glasses. This is causing a major problem- when I breathe, the glasses fog up and I can't see. Skating without them, even when I'm alone on the ice (I tried for figure 8 around the rink crossovers), is out of the question. Is there anything I can do?

dbny

09-25-2007, 10:08 PM

Crisp: Good lesson this morning. Didn't do much more than stroking, chassés and swing rolls, but boy, I'm stiff now!

Clammy: I think we're all getting old, including my coach.... we all agreed that it was horrid being 50-something....

See, you're back loving skating again! Don't think about 50 because 60 is next! Just remember that the alternative is most definitely worse!

Crisp: Passed Pre-Juvenile Moves this afternoon!!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I finally discovered, after 2 1/2 years of struggling, that you have to bend your skating knee in order to jump.

I am always telling frustrated students that even elite skaters still have to work on knee bend! I just thought of a new exercise yesterday to help keep the knees down of FXO's. I told my student she was my guinea pig :). It did help, so I tried it again today with another, and she liked it too.

exceedingly painful blister on right ankle where boot is rubbing. Plasters just sweat off and it ends up being rubbed raw each time I skate:(

Ouch! Do you have adhesive backed felt over there? It's called moleskin here, and works wonders, but you have to apply it before you blister, because you can't put it over broken skin. Not only does it not sweat off, but I leave it on for days, right through showers and all, and it's still fine.

Crisp:
I have not had time to practice at all :x. The most I can say is that in demos for my students, my F threes and FI Mohawks have not embarrassed me.

ibreakhearts66

09-26-2007, 12:23 AM

clammy-my journey to the rink. walked a mile to the bus station, only to wait 40 minutes for a bus. switch buses, but get off too early, and walk another half-mile to the rink!

i'm afraid i need to get my skates punched out. i think they're just a little too narrow in the midfoot area

my axel feels really small. i figure the stiff skates and inability to really bend my knees has something to do with it, but it still annoys me

crisp-jumping felt pretty normal in my new skates. landed some nice double loops, got applause from my old coach and some of the skaters :D

learned i CAN do regular split jumps! i thought i could only do split-falling leafs, but i tried some split jumps and did those well! i was reaallly surprised. i think working on split falling leafs has changed my timing for split jumps and made it easier for me to get a full split.

Thin-Ice

09-26-2007, 04:34 AM

Crisp: I actually had a camel spin this morning and landed a couple reasonable lutzes.. with my coach watching!

Clammy: Unfortunately, the did not stick around very long.

Moderate weather: Which means they weren't there for my test today. On the other hand this was my "dress rehearsal" test.. so I wasn't planning to pass. I had been awake for 22 hours by the time I tested, so I was just happy to go through the motions and remain vertical! :lol: Also, I'm glad I had this opportunity to prove I can do parts of the test even though I felt stiff and awkward and exhausted.

Crisp: All three judges commented they liked my music, choreography, facial expression and confidence (which was TOTALLY faked). I also was happy with the flip/loop, as well as the attitude spin and spin combination. I know I can skate the program better than I did.. and WILL when I retest in two months. My coach and I laughed saying the judges couldn't find anything else nice to say so they commented on the music and choreography:D . Although WE did find things that we liked about my performance.

Rusty Blades

09-26-2007, 09:12 AM

Clammy: Yesterday was a good workout and I was STIFF this morning! It took a LONG time to start to loosen up. (Oh the joys of being over 50! :roll: )

I exercised everything, particularly back outside edges - starting to get WAY better! - and taking FXO's to the extreme - ok, I know exactly how much edge the ice will hold now ;)

Coach couldn't make it so I started working on the choreography for my Bronze Freeskate. For the first competition (in November), I had to cut the music from 2:30 to 1:30 - holyshyte that's SHORT!

Crisp: Anyway, I got the first draft of the first half of my Freeskate and I LOVE the way it flows .......

Snapping Crisp! The first half is back edges and circles and OMG is it powerful and FAST to! (I could see the head coach watching - that's always a good sign that I am doing something right - LOL!)

Beyond Crisp: Every once in a long while now, when there is little or no traffic on the ice and my head is just TOTALLY into the music and choreography, I "become the skater I used to be" and it is a marvelous feeling!!! Everything melds into one - the music, the movement, the ice, the edges, the flow of position ..... delicious! Absolutely marvelous!

Morgail

09-26-2007, 11:08 AM

Clammy I'm having more eye problems so contacts are out and I have to skate in glasses. This is causing a major problem- when I breathe, the glasses fog up and I can't see. Skating without them, even when I'm alone on the ice (I tried for figure 8 around the rink crossovers), is out of the question. Is there anything I can do?

Ugh - I used to hate the fogging up when I skated with glasses. I don't remember them fogging up when I was on the ice though - just when I came inside after skating. Although I was a kid at the time, so it's possible I just don't remember it!

Crisp: Passed Pre-Juvenile Moves this afternoon!! And less then six months after I started working on them (the day after I passed Prelim)! Now onto Juv MIF and a clean axel and 2sal to test Prelim FS...)

Congratulations!!!! :)

Mrs Redboots

09-26-2007, 12:34 PM

Congratulations, Cara.

Crisp: Worked on edges a lot.

Clammy: My ribcage is stiff. My bingo wings hurt. The ice had absolutely emptied when it was time to leave.... I had had enough, but even still....

Bill_S

09-26-2007, 12:43 PM

CRISP!: New skates are in Columbus awaiting pickup! Now to find a few hours to drive there.

Clammy: A home water heater replacement wasn't concluded until 9:30 pm last night, and then had to get dinner afterwards. Needless to say, I didn't get up at 5 am this morning to skate. I got a workout last night helping the plumber though!

Still don't have a working refrigerator.

Terri C

09-26-2007, 12:45 PM

Congratulations, CaraSkates!!!

This is for yesterday and today:

Crisp:
Had a nice camel spin on lesson yesterday with Secondary Coach.
Am feeling parts of my program where the speed has improved.
Started taking a beginner step/ resistance class on Mondays, where there is hardly any afternoon ice.
Starting next month, our rink will start the morning ice at 5:30 am- we're finally in tune with the rest of the skating world

Clammy:
Spins are not as there as they have been.
Calves are sore from step class.
Morning ice starting next month will be contract- I'll have to see if I can afford the one day a week that I'm off.
Now, for the Number One Way for Rink Management to Run Coaches Out of a Rink:
There is a rumor amongst the coaches that their commissions may increase. Our rink charges a pretty penny and then some for commission and this increase, if it does happen may keep several coaches from continuing to to coach there.
My off ice cross training class was cancelled today- I didn't know until I got to the gym!

doubletoe

09-26-2007, 01:16 PM

learned i CAN do regular split jumps! i thought i could only do split-falling leafs, but i tried some split jumps and did those well! i was reaallly surprised. i think working on split falling leafs has changed my timing for split jumps and made it easier for me to get a full split.

Wow, I am really impressed that you can do a split falling leaf! I have a pretty good regular split jump, but have never managed to get enough "oomph" when I've tried to do it from a falling leaf takeoff. Any tips you could share on the split falling leaf?

[FONT="Arial Black"]Moderate weather: Which means they weren't there for my test today. On the other hand this was my "dress rehearsal" test.. so I wasn't planning to pass. I had been awake for 22 hours by the time I tested, so I was just happy to go through the motions and remain vertical! :lol: Also, I'm glad I had this opportunity to prove I can do parts of the test even though I felt stiff and awkward and exhausted.

Crisp: All three judges commented they liked my music, choreography, facial expression and confidence (which was TOTALLY faked). I also was happy with the flip/loop, as well as the attitude spin and spin combination. I know I can skate the program better than I did.. and WILL when I retest in two months. My coach and I laughed saying the judges couldn't find anything else nice to say so they commented on the music and choreography:D . Although WE did find things that we liked about my performance.

Thin Ice, you definitely passed the "Mental Toughness" test, though! If you can do what you did under those circumstances, you are going to nail that test under normal conditions!:bow:

jskater49

09-26-2007, 02:28 PM

Not Clammy, just frustrating - I really like how my artistic is coming but is seems like we only add about two seconds to it each lesson and I'm impatient to have it done!

Clammy: Coach tried to get me to do bunny hops in it and it wasn't until I said "I'd rather do a waltz jump than a bunny hop!" that she believed bunny hops were not going to work.

So I skate for an hour, then sit in the cold rink playing music for an hour, then skate again. That's probably not a great idea.

Crisp: Dance lesson after an hour of playing music- I've decided to compete the Rhythm Blues and not the Swing in November. coach is very impressed with how much I've improved. We had to adjust the pattern because I'm so much faster that I was running into the wall. She says all that is left to make it a really strong dance is to work on keeping my feet closer together. Even the timing is good!

We were going to work on back perimeter crossovers but I was kind of worn out after several dance patterns so instead we tackled my intro steps. This may seem like a throw away but it is a struggle for me. I cant' really do a 3 turn going fast so we start with the 3 turn and I was doing these little pumps in between that was adding too many steps. Discoverd my 3 turn was way too swingy and was throwing me off balance. As she was trying to make it straighter - I made the connection - oh this is like my half-flip 3 turn that freestyle coach has been trying to fix. When I thought "half flip 3 turn" I was able to control it much better and it was much easier to go right into crossovers after the turn. I love it when I make those connections!

j

Scarlett

09-26-2007, 05:29 PM

I frequently skate in my glasses because I'm too lazy to put my contacts in. If they are just a little fogged on the ice, you can ignore it and it goes away. If they are so fogged up you can't see, waving them around like a raving lunatic usually works. Skating without them just leaves me off balance and running into walls.

As far as going back into the warming room, I take them back off the second I sit back down and let them "neutralize".

It is annoying. After about 2 weeks of skating with glasses, I start wearing my contacts for a time.

ibreakhearts66

09-26-2007, 08:48 PM

Wow, I am really impressed that you can do a split falling leaf! I have a pretty good regular split jump, but have never managed to get enough "oomph" when I've tried to do it from a falling leaf takeoff. Any tips you could share on the split falling leaf?

the thing that helped me most was to work on them off ice in the form of jetes. it is a weird timing, at least for me. like, you push off your right leg, and really reach with your left while kicking back with your right. i also do them from a mohawk, like as if i were going to do a loop. maybe soon i'll post a video trying to explain what i mean.

[QUOTE]CRISP: I MAY have discovered the reason for my inconsistent axel. I wasn't JUMPING. I finally discovered, after 2 1/2 years of struggling, that you have to bend your skating knee in order to jump. Thank you, Captain Obvious. Then I did like, 20 of them. Hopefully, axel and I have resolved our differences once and for all.

that is so funny, because that is exactly what i do. my coach jokes that i'm the only person she knows who can take-off of a straight leg and still land the jump (clearly my leg isn't TOTALLY straight, but just about).

doubletoe

09-26-2007, 09:39 PM

the thing that helped me most was to work on them off ice in the form of jetes. it is a weird timing, at least for me. like, you push off your right leg, and really reach with your left while kicking back with your right. i also do them from a mohawk, like as if i were going to do a loop. maybe soon i'll post a video trying to explain what i mean.

Hmm. . . I'll have to try them on the floor. . . So do you get a better split when you do the falling leaf from a round edge or a longer/flatter edge? Also, do you feel like you're taking off from the toe or from the side of your blade?

CaraSkates

09-26-2007, 10:26 PM

Crisp: Layback was nice and centered today. Also started really working on Juv MIF, double 3s are decent, power 3s are good on RBO and so so on LBO, forward cross strokes are nice and flowy and have "rip".
My coach made copies of my test papers so I got to re-read them today. Don't remember all the comments but the marks were -
Judge 1 - 16.8
Judge 2 - 16.4
Judge 3 - 16.6

Every move got at least 2.7 (passing average) and a lot of them got 2.8 and 2.9's...Some of the comments..."good knee action" "nice flow and power" "mantains pattern nicely"
It's always fun to read them when they all say nice things about you!! Moves are actually one of my strengths, freestyle is not.

Clammy: 8 step mohawk needs mucho work before I can even THINK about testing it. So do the back cross strokes. Camel was having an off day...I either hit my camel and it's fantastic, or it sucks and I can't do it at all. No inbetweens.

Thanks to everyone for the congratulations!

kimberley801

09-26-2007, 10:44 PM

Crisp: FO3s are really progressing nicely. I just started doing them a week and a half ago. Somehow my usually troublesome R foot is understanding 3 turns better than my usually reliable L foot. BXOs are getting more power, and mohawks are consisten!! woohoo!

And my first official private lesson is next week!

Clammy: 2-foot spins are inconsistent. Perhaps I was cheating on them when my blades were dull. Now that my blades are sharp, it is more difficult to get a good spin. Also, not enough time to skate this week - work, appointments, conflicts with the current PS schedule...

mikawendy

09-26-2007, 11:09 PM

[Clammy I'm having more eye problems so contacts are out and I have to skate in glasses. This is causing a major problem- when I breathe, the glasses fog up and I can't see. Skating without them, even when I'm alone on the ice (I tried for figure 8 around the rink crossovers), is out of the question. Is there anything I can do?

There's an eyewear store (Lens Crafters, I think) that has a lens cleaning liquid spray that they say is anti fog. I haven't tried it in a few years (I use water), but I think it did have some anti fog properties. They sell it in pretty small bottles, so it probably wouldn't cost too much to try. Or you might be able to explain your problem, ask them if you could try their product, and then try it out to see if it would work (so that you don't have to buy something that ultimately won't work).

I don't love skating in glasses but it's better than trying to do ballet class in glasses. Somehow they fall off my face more because of spotting and bending over in port de bras, etc. Spinning on the ice doesn't do that to my glasses.

Thin-Ice

09-27-2007, 03:30 AM

Thin Ice, you definitely passed the "Mental Toughness" test, though! If you can do what you did under those circumstances, you are going to nail that test under normal conditions!:bow:

Awwww, gee whiz, thanks!:oops:

Skittl1321

09-27-2007, 06:49 AM

There's an eyewear store (Lens Crafters, I think) that has a lens cleaning liquid spray that they say is anti fog. I haven't tried it in a few years (I use water), but I think it did have some anti fog properties. They sell it in pretty small bottles, so it probably wouldn't cost too much to try. Or you might be able to explain your problem, ask them if you could try their product, and then try it out to see if it would work (so that you don't have to buy something that ultimately won't work).

I don't love skating in glasses but it's better than trying to do ballet class in glasses. Somehow they fall off my face more because of spotting and bending over in port de bras, etc. Spinning on the ice doesn't do that to my glasses.

Thanks for the idea. Anti-fog sounds good! Plus I need it for the winter when the fog up going into buildings.

And I totally agree. I could never dance in glasses- I'd just do it blind (which seemed a bit safer than skating without them) but skating they've never fallen off. Contacts are just better.

Laura H

09-27-2007, 09:03 AM

Skittl1321

09-27-2007, 09:34 AM

Jessi, I was THINKING there was some anti-fog thing you could put on glasses but wasn't sure . . . glad someone else knew, to be able to tell you. How long will you be in glasses? I wear contacts too & occasionally have to go back into glasses and I sure HATE them . . . mostly the fact that I then have ZERO peripheral vision!! :oops:

The eye doctor is thinking that I shouldn't wear contacts anymore :cry: :cry: . When I go back in next week I am going to ask about Dailies, that way I can at least have them for tests, competitions and performances (not to mention vacations or special events where my picture might be taken!). I had a corneal ulcer at the beginning of the year- and now I have another random infection. I've worn contacts for 13 years without any problems at all, and now my eyes are just going crazy.

In skating news- I had a fantastic practice/lesson last night. My foot is finally getting crossed on almost all my scratch spins. And they center about half the time. I also started working on a attitude spin and got to practice with a hula hoop- the other people on the ice must have thought my coach was nuts. And I got complimented on my waltz jump, which is leaving the ice, and traveling over the ice :)

Synchro also went well, and I get to add to my list of things to learn/get better at- right now it's 1) right to left mohawk, 2) "wrong side" half-flip, 3)back lunge, 4) moon walk. We spent about 10 minutes working on moon walking. A few of the ladies can do it really really well. I'm not one of them! But we've almost finished the program, so it should be really good by christmas show time.

ibreakhearts66

09-27-2007, 11:16 AM

Hmm. . . I'll have to try them on the floor. . . So do you get a better split when you do the falling leaf from a round edge or a longer/flatter edge? Also, do you feel like you're taking off from the toe or from the side of your blade?

definitely a rounder edge. and it actually does feel like i'm taking off of the edge more than the toe

LilJen

09-27-2007, 11:18 AM

Skated yesterday at a mostly empty rink (crisp!!)

I can get through my pb moves (crisp!) but portions of the moves are really quite crappy (clammy!) and my left foot/ankle/calf likes to cramp up (really clammy!). I'm also having this odd problem where I get a lot of scraping, even just with stroking. So either my legs and/or feet have realigned themselves, I"m doing something truly wackily wrong, or my boots & blades got warped while I was off the ice for 4 months. **must schedule lesson so coach can spot what the heck is going on**

I can still do a 2-footed spin in either direction, about 4-5 revs (crisp!), but I am back to being sort of nauseated after I do so (clammy!). One of these days I'll actually get centered and onto the edge & off the toepick for a 1-footed spin. . .

doubletoe

09-27-2007, 12:23 PM

definitely a rounder edge. and it actually does feel like i'm taking off of the edge more than the toe

Thanks! :D

Rusty Blades

09-27-2007, 01:50 PM

mikawendy

09-27-2007, 03:35 PM

The eye doctor is thinking that I shouldn't wear contacts anymore :cry: :cry: . When I go back in next week I am going to ask about Dailies, that way I can at least have them for tests, competitions and performances (not to mention vacations or special events where my picture might be taken!). I had a corneal ulcer at the beginning of the year- and now I have another random infection. I've worn contacts for 13 years without any problems at all, and now my eyes are just going crazy.

Skittl--I wonder if your contact lens solution could be contributing to the problem? I heard a story on NPR that certain brands of contact solution were recalled because they were leading to a fungal infection of the eye. One story is here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5339028 but the NPR site, Google, or a different news site may have more info.

miraclegro

09-27-2007, 04:09 PM

CLAMMY: Went today for a brief practice and b/c today was a bad emotional day it just seemed to carry through to the rest. I fell 2-3 times on the same knee doing backspins - which i never fall on my knee nor never fall doing those! and doing my lutz sequence, i fell on the lutz on my hip really hard! And to think - this weekend is the competiton! I have to get these painful memories out of my mind!

CRISP: Ran through Silver Ladies Program cleanly this week some, which was good for me!

Skittl1321

09-27-2007, 04:24 PM

doubletoe

09-27-2007, 04:24 PM

Clammy: Worked a bit on everything (except jumps) for 45 minutes before lesson. In lesson, coach & I started working on the choreography for my Freeskate - gonna need Sit Spin and Toe Loop - neither are much good right now!

Snapping Crisp! After MONTHS of fighting with the @$#%#$@ back cross-overs and not being able to do BXO's to save my life, I FINALLY figured out what I was doing just slightly different from the forward cross-overs (my FXO's are supreme!)

So how come I get great FXOs and no BXOs? On studying my own FXOs, as I reach across with the free foot, I let the skating foot lag behind as it pushes to the outside of the circle on a really deep edge. On BXOs, I wasn't dropping the skating foot back (or is it ahead??) and therefore couldn't get the free foot well inside the arc (damned skaters thighs!). When I realized the difference, I had BXOs in 5 minutes!

FINALLY!

I just love stories like that! Yay!!

CLAMMY: Went today for a brief practice and b/c today was a bad emotional day it just seemed to carry through to the rest. I fell 2-3 times on the same knee doing backspins - which i never fall on my knee nor never fall doing those! and doing my lutz sequence, i fell on the lutz on my hip really hard! And to think - this weekend is the competiton! I have to get these painful memories out of my mind!

CRISP: Ran through Silver Ladies Program cleanly this week some, which was good for me!

If it's any consolation, my coach always says, "Everyone sucks the week leading up to the big competition!" He told me that the week before my first Adult Nationals, when I was skating Silver and found myself unable to do so much as a sitspin, which was my best spin. Turns out old smarty pants was right; everything came back just in time and I ended up winning! :)

Terri C

09-27-2007, 06:36 PM

Crisp:
Primary coach is very happy with the forward/ back crosstroke pattern.
Got skates sharpened and usually I cannot spin when I first get on the ice after a sharpening. But today- wow!
Coach also started me on forward to backscratch spins in preparation for sit change sit combo. I did show her that I've been playing with camel/ backscratch, but while the backscratch position is good, the camel position is awful.
Will need to be in the market for new blades soon and Coach has after all these years, suggested a blade that from what I hear is a upgrade from what I now have (Coronation Ace).
Also will be helping with learn to skate on Saturday morning and will get some ice time credit for that.

Clammy:
Ice was awful and session crowded. Thought I'd attempt running my program but after seeing the line for the music box, decided to forget it.

P.S. Good luck Sunday miraclegro. Wish I was competing, but a family wedding next month (well all the preliminary stuff) ran interference!

BuggieMom

09-27-2007, 09:44 PM

I am so glad to be able to post my first practice post!!
Crisp....My coach (my 10yo daughter! HA!) thinks my edges look good, and my crossovers have seen a genuine transformation thanks to her. I am not trying any more of what I used to do (flips, sals) until I can backtrack and work on my basics, since I havent really worked on anything for about 20 years! She showed me a half flip and a half lutz, and I was able to do both, but thay looked like CR@p, I am sure. I am scared to death of falling, and I am still trying to get used to the new boots and blades (both are smaller than I am used to). Excuses, excuses. My dd tries, without much success, to hide the "ohmygoshthatlookedlikeCRAP" look that comes across the face of ANYONE seeing me skate! Bless her little heart...!
Clammy...I HATE HATE HATE 3 turns in any direction...I don't know how I ever got as far as I did as a teen with these things... 'nuff said :giveup:
I have decided that my new goal is a decent 1 foot spin...that's all I ask

Rusty Blades

09-28-2007, 04:10 AM

Welcome back BuggieMom! I was away for 36 years and started back in January 2006 and I STILL hate 3-Turns ;)

antmanb

09-28-2007, 10:54 AM

Crisp

Had my lesson last night and made some good progress on my Back three turns - strangely enough my left foot is normally better/stronger than my right but i've always assumed its becuase you turn in your natural rotational direction. Weirdest thing of all though is that my back inside threes are much better on the right foot turning clockwise! Anyway glad they're getting better. Forward inside twizzles were ok too but left foot is sloppy.

Jumps are progressing nicely with the stretched free leg. Practised with a friend who hasn't seen me skate since the coaching change and commented that my jumps look bigger, longer and generally look nicer in the air than they did before.

Had an intensive spin lesson with coach who worked me hard and i got a rev and half on the backspin and she even had me try a forward camel change feet for a back camel...i managed a rev on the back camel...then tipped forwards and jumped around trying not to fall over! Not bad for my first attempts at back camels!

Clammy

Friend who i always used to practice with before she had a baby now has to leave the rink dead on time because of her child care and it means that unless i skive off work early i can't get to practice with her :(

Damned sit spin travelled all over the rink and never settle down once. It is sods law - if i do a good camel then the sit is nowhere to be seen and vice versa.

Forward outside twizzles are impossible - its the backthree sensation i can't get on it and always leave my weight too far forward so i do a travelling front spin on the left leg and break my neck toe scrape on the right leg :frus:

Ant

jazzpants

09-28-2007, 12:28 PM

BuggieMom: Welcome to AOSS hell! I had a feeling you'd be back! ;)

Congrats to CaraSkates!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:

CLAMMY ALL AROUND:
I was about to leave for the rink for my lesson and my work STOPPED me and said that I had to perform a task that took 45 minutes to complete (b/c of the waiting of the other engineer who also had to scramble. Yes, it was a last minute task that go dropped on me with NO NOTICE AT ALL!!! Needless to say, I only got a 20 minute lesson b/c of it. 2-3 minute WARMUP only!!! :evil:

Also clammy for this week... my dressmaker dropped the ball and I'm left SCRAMBLING to find a new dressmaker for one of my dresses. (The artistic number...) I ended up buying off the rack at Sharene for my FS dress!!! GRRRR!!! Obviously, I'm QUITE pissy about it b/c he's been sitting on this project for 3 MONTHS!!! No comments, no word... NADA!!! He didn't draw any designs or anything based on my wish. Not a word from him. I'm sad that he let me down like this b/c I've seen his designs and they're very good work.

Part of me had a gut feeling that he and I were not gonna work out. He didn't have as many samples of fabrics as I've seen with my previous dressmaker (who sadly is VERY terminally ill with cancer right now... :cry: ) When we were talking about dresses and designs, he and I just plain didn't connect... I should have followed my gut to go find another dressmaker at that point. Hindsight is always 20/20 and all... :roll:

Crisp:
Thank goodness I have the hindsight to check on things so that I have some time to get it together and all. :D

Got more stuff on the artistic program. I'm sure my secondary coach is dying to see the rest of this program... :roll: :lol:

blackmanskating

09-28-2007, 02:05 PM

First of all. . . TGIF!!!

Crisp: My double lutz came back. So did my axel. Yay!!!! I was nervous because I couldn't do a thing earlier this week. Double salchow is getting so strong that I'm over-rotating it sometimes. Double loop still has a little bite on it but it's way less than a quarter rotation. But when I do it on the back of a combo it is spot on. Still no luck with landing the double axel!! I'll get it though. Working on my Bronze moves and freestyle. Taking those tests at the end of October. I don't seem as nervous about this one as I did my Pre-Bronze.

Clammy: I can do a doggone forward sitspin to save my life. How in the heck am I going to have a double axel with a crappy sit spin?? It sounds so stupid.

BlackManSkating

Skate@Delaware

09-28-2007, 05:24 PM

Skittl--I wonder if your contact lens solution could be contributing to the problem? I heard a story on NPR that certain brands of contact solution were recalled because they were leading to a fungal infection of the eye. One story is here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5339028 but the NPR site, Google, or a different news site may have more info.

Thanks for the info- but nope, these have been bacteria, not fungal.
I switched to one that had peroxide in it (Clear Care), mostly because it cleaned better (and was recommended by Consumer Reports)! It is a pain to use because the contacts must stay in the solution for 6 hours, you must wash your hands if it touches them (and it burns if you touch your face/eyes, etc). But, it cleans better than some of the other "newer" solutions.

Sessy

09-28-2007, 05:25 PM

Crisp:
my camel spins!!! I'm cleared to try camel-sit now, and strangely the sit works better for me from the camel than it does from the normal entrance. WAY cool.

Also, my 1-foot spin is now officially approved! It does tend to travel, but it travels in circles, and oftentimes it doesn't really travel. So now I must practice change-foots instead of 1-foots. Yay!

Dreaded backward inside edges are improving: I now do 3 edges on the short side of the rink, which means I would do 6 on the long side. You're allowed 4-8 on the test, so that's good. I do still need more speed. Backward 3-turns are picking up speed, backward crossrolls have solid edges.

Clam:
Well, obviously not jumping any time soon.

Haven't been able to do the bielman spiral last sunday, and today it didn't really work either... I think the problem is that I've been doing so many normal spirals lately that my point of balance shifted, putting me too far on the back of the blade for the bielman.

Oh yeah nearly had a collision today with a girl doing her programme while her music was on. Ooops... :frus:

Sessy

09-29-2007, 01:19 PM

At last I have my new skates!
I'm very glad I waited for the half size up which wasn't in stock. The smaller one would crush my feet for sure. I opted for the graf edmonton in the end. I know it's gonna be hard breaking it in without being allowed to jump right now, but anyway.

I walked them in today. I think the left blade will need to be moved a bit - but I'll see about that tomorrow on ice. Walking was pretty painful, but not unbearable. Well, not until I took the skates OFF anyway. :mrgreen:
However, I did discover a new problem: the new skates are wider. They don't fit into my favourite skating backpack!!! :frus:

My roomies said I pulled my "in love" face when I was showing them to them!
http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/5964/imag0126iw6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

doubletoe

09-29-2007, 01:23 PM

At last I have my new skates!

I'm very glad I waited for the half size up which wasn't in stock. The smaller one would crush my feet for sure. I opted for the graf edmonton in the end. I know it's gonna be hard breaking it in without being allowed to jump right now, but anyway.

I walked them in today. I think the left blade will need to be moved a bit - but I'll see about that tomorrow on ice. Walking was pretty painful, but not unbearable. Well, not until I took the skates OFF anyway. :mrgreen:

However, I did discover a new problem: the new skates are wider. They don't fit into my favourite skating backpack!!! :frus:

Cool! :) Are they heat-moldable? That can make a huge difference it fit and comfort.

Sessy

09-29-2007, 01:27 PM

They are. I was stupid though, put left on first, so right gave in a little less than left did. Should've put right in first, being my problem foot and all.

It did make some difference, but they'll need to be broken in anyway. The sides of the ankles hurt, mainly. I'm very glad at least the back of my heels isn't constantly hurting like in the old skates!

I'm happy as a bunny. Bouncing off walls actually. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I added a pic above.

Morgail

09-29-2007, 02:34 PM

At last I have my new skates!

Yay! Have fun breaking them in;)

I switched to one that had peroxide in it (Clear Care), mostly because it cleaned better (and was recommended by Consumer Reports)! It is a pain to use because the contacts must stay in the solution for 6 hours, you must wash your hands if it touches them (and it burns if you touch your face/eyes, etc). But, it cleans better than some of the other "newer" solutions.

I use Clear Care too. My eye doctor recommended it. It's expensive (I think), but it cleans the contacts better. And you don't have to rub them like you do with traditional lens cleaner! I do keep some saline solution around though, in case I have to pull them out before the 6 hrs is up.

RinkRat321

09-29-2007, 02:48 PM

crisp: i did a pretty good I-Spin today
double flips were close-ish

clammy: butterflys are HARD

Video from practice today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri1tiot-aNQ)

Kim to the Max

09-29-2007, 02:51 PM

Crisp: At my lesson today, Intermediate Moves were good...getting better :) Coach commented that things look better than they did last time and that I seem to have my legs under me more...

Freestyle was also good...got scared when I really got some air with my jumps :) oops! Most of my pre-juv elements were decent...

Clammy: Lutz jump needs some work...

Sessy

09-29-2007, 05:16 PM

Yay! Have fun breaking them in;)

I am! *points to signature*

I kinda think it feels good. Bone-crushing, but good. :mrgreen:
But I'm not over-excited yet before I've tried them on ice.

Terri C

09-29-2007, 05:59 PM

Crisp:
Actually had a good time today helping out with Learn to Skate and got a hour's worth of freestyle credit for it. Hopefully there will be more to come!!
Since the kids were away at a competition, the freestyle ice was empty for the most part.

Clammy:
Forward scratch and sit spins were a struggle today and refused to show up for program.
There is some tension at the rink between rink management and the coaches.

doubletoe

09-30-2007, 01:00 AM

dbny

09-30-2007, 01:16 AM

CLAMMY ALL AROUND:
I was about to leave for the rink for my lesson and my work STOPPED me and said that I had to perform a task that took 45 minutes to complete (b/c of the waiting of the other engineer who also had to scramble. Yes, it was a last minute task that go dropped on me with NO NOTICE AT ALL!!! Needless to say, I only got a 20 minute lesson b/c of it. 2-3 minute WARMUP only!!! :evil:

Work should never be allowed to interfere with skating!

Crisp:
Between work and ankle problems, I have had no time at all to practice in the past two weeks, so I started my lesson by telling my coach that I was regarding it as supervised practice. I then proceeded to do the absolutely best R side of Prelim power threes ever! I could feel everything happening correctly, from the equally sized lobes on the threes to the pushing to BI edge right on the axis to the push forward on the Choctaw. The first thing my coach said was that she had nothing at all to say about it, everything was right, and it was Adult Bronze passing.

Clammy:
It has to be Prelim passing!!! Also, the L side was not so hot. Likewise spins. I couldn't get all the necessary parts to cooperate at the same time :frus:. I think that sometimes a layoff can be good for things that have been worked on consistently for a long time, but rotten for the relatively new skills.

Sessy

09-30-2007, 04:25 AM

Oooohhh PRET-TYyyyy! :D You know, you can heat mold them a second time if the ankle is still too stiff.

Yeah, apparently it can get molded up to 3 times. I wonder if the limit on the moldings is really technical, or built-in at the request of skateshop owners with a fear of becoming bakeries... :mrgreen:

Mrs Redboots

09-30-2007, 08:06 AM

Crisp: Was at the British Adult Championships yesterday, although not competing; good to watch lots of friends skating and mostly doing very well, although I'll leave it up to them to report for themselves if they wish. We didn't miss competing - we have had a month off from competition prep, although we'll have to start it again for Oxford Seniors at the beginning of November, and, of course, Dunkerque at the end of it.

Our coach has let us drop our broken lift in our free dance and subsitute our change-foot spin instead (the rules for Oxford allow one, but no more than two spins, and the lift is optional). I have no idea why it broke - mostly my fault, I think, and entirely psychological. I was fine with it for a whole year after the crash, did it several times, but since Bracknell I haven't been able to do it at all! Go figure....

Clammy: Not a lot, for once. Beastly cold at the rink - my feet got cold!

Sessy

09-30-2007, 11:15 AM

Muskoka Skater

09-30-2007, 04:02 PM

Friday Night

Crisp

-Did my solo landed: axel-double loop, double flip, double loop, and double saw-double toe
-Learned the rest of my gold skill
-My gold artistic looks amazing!!

Clammy

-Did my solo messed up my lutz, fell in my footwork and bruised my left leg really bad, was off for the rest of the program after the first two happened
-Had trouble skating after falling on my leg

looplover

09-30-2007, 04:58 PM

What a weird practice.

Crisp: I know the choreography pretty well for my new program up to what we've done so far. My scratch spin is ok and the transitions are good.

So that's all I've got for crisp...

Clammy: I somehow have suddenly become unable to do a toe loop. What the heck? Also, crazy public session in which kids (including young figure skaters) were shooting pucks out on to the ice and skating after them. One kid practically aimed right for me as I was about to do a 3 turn. Also there is no way I will have this program ready to test next month, since I can't do a backspin.

I don't have AOSS this week.

jskater49

09-30-2007, 06:30 PM

Once a year at the beginning of the season my daughter and I's coach gets all her students togther for an hour or so meeting. She always brings snacks and has them play games. Today it was a $5 coldstone coupon for the one who put their skates on the fastest. I didn't even bother to try. I thought my daughter had a chance but she has new skates and she only had one skate on before the winner was done.

We go over the competitions coming up and which ones we want to do. She gave a little talk on nutrition and what to eat in the mornig before skating. I've been a avowed non-eater in the morning but she has convinced me to eat a handful of cashews and some dried fruit. That's all I can handle at 4 am. She talked about off ice warm up and the new thing now which is to do some off ice warm up and stretching AFTER you compete. Especially if you have more than one event.

And we found out she's having a baby in April but she is having someone her level come in and take over for her. There's really a dearth of upper level coaches around here.

Then I had my adult group lesson. Everything was pretty clammy because I didn't get my Sunday nap time because of the meeting. So I was tired and not motivated.

Started out with stroking, then crossovers and she had us do crossovers with are hands behind our backs. The backward 3 turns but only two footed and then holding just the back edge and not trying to turn. Two footed brackets. I've had to do these in power class and never can get anywhere, but I think these were better.

Forward power pulls - which I almost can do. Backward power pulls, I never got past doing them two footed and even then I couldn't seem to get the up down rhythm.

j

Skate@Delaware

09-30-2007, 06:35 PM

this was for yesterday, which was one of those sessions that makes me wonder why I still keep at it :( !!!!

Clammy: I'm frustrated. I need a change-foot spin for my ISI comps and I don't even have a decent backspin. On the other hand, I have a slight reprieve from loops and sitspins, I don't think I will need them until next year!!!

I might just skate spotlight this year, if my change-foot doesn't materialize. At least I have options!

I have been told (as of Wednesday)...I need to actually fall on some of my things (I rarely fall).

Really Clammy: I can't quite get the "roll your foot on the takeoff" thing for the loop my coach has taught me...I will get it tho, I did understand the concept.

My back is KILLING me again, I had an adjustment on Friday and wow, is it a doozy!!! My left sacro-iliac joint is so tight!!! Sitting more than 30 minutes hurts too much-spasms kick in.

Crisp: Did some decent scratch spins, had 2 that centered and one almost centered!!! Finally, some progress! And, this coming week, i will mount my new blades and sharpen them.

Kim to the Max

09-30-2007, 06:53 PM

Today...

Clammy...skated on a public session and the ice was cruddy...all cut up from what experience tells me were hockey players....made it hard to do anything in the corners...including certain MITF patterns. Lutz jump is still MIA.

Crisp...spins are getting better, MITF is feeling better, and jumps (minus the lutz) are good :)

doubletoe

09-30-2007, 10:34 PM

CRISP

Tried my skates on ice. I think the left blade isn't straight under it, it drags a little, but otherwise - MY what a difference!!!

Edge control gets a whole different definition! With the old skates, they could just flip over from an inside to an outside edge or vice versa on a spin - these skates don't do that. The spins were just calm like cutting through butter! I might actually learn to like the spins in these.
The edges and powerpulls were also like WHOA, it was like none of the momentum was getting lost and like the edges weren't vibrating but were just way smooooooooooooooth... I didn't even know they could be like that. I can get deep enough of a kneebend to do hydroblades in them, but I'm not getting a lot of push (I think it's just because they need to be broken in).

I did get off the ice after just 40 minutes cuz I was starting to get blisters and the pain in my ankles was really beginning to get to me. But I think that after breaking in I might have myself a winning pair! Graf sure knows how to make em! :bow:

Yay!! That's so great! Do you have gel ankle sleeves and/or gel pads where you're getting your blisters? It can make a whole lot of difference! :)

Crisp:
Off-ice double loops and double sals were great today. On the ice, I saw a major improvement in my flying camel and I know how I did it so I'm hopeful that it's repeatable. Also, the new-and-improved opening spin has become ridiculously consistent.
Intermediate MIF were not bad today either; I'm finally starting to get some power on my back power 3-mohawk pattern. Now I just need to stop being dizzy after the first set because that makes me mess up the second set, LOL!

Clammy:
Even though my single salchow takeoff felt like it was perfect for a double, something happened when I actually went for the double today and it just didn't work. I have a new bruise on my right hip to show for it. Sigh. Also, the reverse sit is back to its old ways after I thought I'd gotten that entry worked out on Friday. It seemed easier when I did it out of the flying camel.

jazzpants

09-30-2007, 11:39 PM

Sessy: PUUUUURTY new skates!!! :mrgreen:

Work should never be allowed to interfere with skating!Here, here! We should pass a Federal law for that!!! :twisted: :P Meanwhile, trust me... my coworkers know I wasn't happy about it. Everyone in the office knows that my REAL job is a figure skater and I'm just moonlighting with them to pay the bills! :twisted: :lol: :P

Congrats on the power 3's!!! :mrgreen:

doubletoe: I just *know* you're gonna get your double sal soon! Just keep at it and go in with a relaxed analytical mind about it. (Yes, I know. "Relaxed" and "analytical" is an oxymoron in my case. :P )

Clammy:

Only got around an hour to skate b/c of traffic. (There was a local street fair going on this weekend. Needless to say, since there are kids reading this board, I will not mention the name of the fair.)
Rink was QUITE crowded and we're getting into the Winter season now, which means I have to start thinking about changing my Sunday session to a less crowded session (like either Club Ice or even another morning FS session. :evil: )
Couldn't practice camels b/c of the crowds for fear of decapitating some poor young clueless soul who always manages to come in the middle despite the skate guards best efforts to keep the rugrats out of the middle...
Couldn't do straightline footwork w/o crashing into someone. In fact, it was so crowded that I couldn't even do my usual moves warmup straight down the length of the rink. :frus:
STILL working on show stops. It's better but it's still not there yet!!! :(Crisp:

I landed 5 clean loops in a row. :D
I landed a slew of clean flips :mrgreen:
OMG!!! What a BREAKTHROUGH!!! I FINALLY landed about 3 or 4 of what's probably a flutz, but it's intended to be a lutz!!! I RARELY land those clean and I landed 3 or 4 or those clean TODAY!!! (Yes, there is a young lady skater about 7 years old and her dad is a coach. She's my witness on the lutz today!!!) :bow:
Landed a couple of waltz-loops and called it a day on the jumps!!!
Spins are decent... at least the one foot, backspin, sit. Back sit still needs work, but it's not bad enough where I'm gonna panic about it. I can definitely do them in my FS program next month.

Sessy

10-01-2007, 02:45 AM

Here, here! We should pass a Federal law for that!!! :twisted: :P Meanwhile, trust me... my coworkers know I wasn't happy about it. Everyone in the office knows that my REAL job is a figure skater and I'm just moonlighting with them to pay the bills! :twisted: :lol: :P
[/LIST]

Yeah!!! :bow:

Sessy

10-01-2007, 02:49 AM

Yay!! That's so great! Do you have gel ankle sleeves and/or gel pads where you're getting your blisters? It can make a whole lot of difference! :)

Nah, I just suck it up and complain. :mrgreen:

I could get gel pads on 1 foot (I only have 1 pad I'd consider thin enough) but I kind of think it might be counterproductive... Isn't the whole idea that my bones punch out a hole in the padding, sorta? So the more I smooth it out the longer it takes, right?

liz_on_ice

10-01-2007, 12:19 PM

Nah, I just suck it up and complain. :mrgreen:

I could get gel pads on 1 foot (I only have 1 pad I'd consider thin enough) but I kind of think it might be counterproductive... Isn't the whole idea that my bones punch out a hole in the padding, sorta? So the more I smooth it out the longer it takes, right?

The problem is prolonged inflammation can make bones grow bumps, bunions and heel spurs are examples. Those are permanent changes to the bones, requiring surgery to correct, better to just baby them and fix the boots if you can.

doubletoe

10-01-2007, 12:34 PM

Sessy

10-01-2007, 02:07 PM

techskater

10-01-2007, 08:21 PM

No, you need to wear whatever it takes to keep from having permanent damage to your feet.

doubletoe

10-01-2007, 09:14 PM

But aren't they supposed to get skated in?!
The skateshop guy says he won't mold them until I've tried them for at least a week (I went back for the blades to get fixed today)

I know about the prolonged inflammation bumps thing... I had to get these skates in the first place cuz of the bumps on the back of my feet.

Really?! My shop molded them just before I skated in them for the first time. I thought the whole point of heat-molding was precisely to prevent the type of painful first week that you are experiencing! So what is this guy's rationale for not heat-molding them until you have suffered in them for a week?

garusha

10-01-2007, 09:24 PM

NOOOOO!!!! Don't do that!! Liz is right. Your bones will grow big bumps on them and that will only lead to more of the same problem. I have a big bump on the top of the left foot from aggravating that bone, and now it pushes against the tops of my shoes. . . which makes it grow yet another layer of bone to protect it. . . which makes it stick out more and push even more against the tops of my shoes. . . You get the idea.

Get the ankles punched out, or at least heat mold them again.

Try doughnut pads. Those are small sticky patches with holes in them. They go over bunions or whatever bone growths you have. Works for me. I don't skate without them, for it hurts when I get on my outside edges.

Sessy

10-02-2007, 12:54 AM

Really?! My shop molded them just before I skated in them for the first time. I thought the whole point of heat-molding was precisely to prevent the type of painful first week that you are experiencing! So what is this guy's rationale for not heat-molding them until you have suffered in them for a week?

He's already molded them once and says the rest is just breaking in the skates.

Well I dunno. I mean I did take skates like WAY over my level - Edmonton would be cool if I were jumping doubles (I did take it with the idea that I want them to hold up if I'll be jumping axels, which I was trying) but right now I'm not jumping at all with the ankle, so the stress on the shoes is wayyyy less than they were calculated for.
For the spins and spirals and mif I could do with my old broken down skates easily, if my right ankle would hold which it didn't. And I didn't wanna buy skates for just the half a year it'll be before I can get back to jumping and then go through the whole we can't deliver this, we can't deliver that, wait a half a year and meanwhile skate in completely broken down skates again.

Besides only my right ankle keeps hurting after I take the skates off. Left is just blistered, but the bones don't hurt at all.

But I will put in gel, but I'm worried, won't this flatten out the padding?

Morgail

10-02-2007, 09:12 AM

But I will put in gel, but I'm worried, won't this flatten out the padding?

It should be fine. I wore those Bunga gel discs (along with the ankle sleeves) for several weeks while I was breaking my skates in. And they broke in just fine:) The gel discs are flexible enough to allow the boot to mold to your foot's natural shape while still protecting your skin.
Did you get the ankle bone areas punched out? If not, that will help a lot.

doubletoe

10-02-2007, 01:29 PM

It should be fine. I wore those Bunga gel discs (along with the ankle sleeves) for several weeks while I was breaking my skates in. And they broke in just fine:) The gel discs are flexible enough to allow the boot to mold to your foot's natural shape while still protecting your skin.
Did you get the ankle bone areas punched out? If not, that will help a lot.

Yep! I second the recommendations of the ankle punch-out and gel disks. Sometimes I suddenly have irritation or pressure somewhere on my foot for no apparent reason, so I'll put a gel disk right on that spot (often under my gel ankle sleeve). After a week or two I'll stop using the gel disk to see if the problem is still there, and I usually find that the pain/pressure is gone. I have to do this much more while breaking in new boots. I find there's no such thing as "too much padding" inside stiff new boots!