Sparkly or Dull - Practice Thread 10/7-14 [Archive]

Bill_S

10-08-2007, 08:35 AM

*Sparkly* * It's very easy to get deeeeeep knee bend with the new skates. I really like sinking in my knees going backwards. Scratch spins seem to be somewhat better in the new skates too. The new skates are ultra-comfortable. Even though I have only a few hours on them, they feel better than my well-broken-in old skates. * *

__dull__ ...Well, I'm afraid the comfort comes at a cost. The soft padding in the boots lets my foot roll around inside, and that causes the blade to buckle under on jump landings. I feel the buckling also when attempting fast bracket-brackets, and then they scrape. I tried a simple, easy hockey stop, and the blade rolled upright, caught, and over I went.

I'm hoping that the padding compresses soon, and allows a bit more control of the edge.

Anybody else with new style Riedell Gold Stars experiencing anything like this?

jskater49

10-08-2007, 08:48 AM

Sparkly: O gee I hope our power coach doesn't read this board - after b**tching about how boring it was last week, this week she did interesting stuff - not just stroking.

Could have been dull but I shined it up When through my artistic to music and fell - but I got up and finished the program so I figured that was good practice. It is a jam packed program - my freestyle is a walk in the park compared to this. Coach says if an artistic is done right, it will be MUCH harder than a freestyle, even with no jumps. My only jumps are a mazurka and a half lutz and I am exhausted when it's over.

j

CaraSkates

10-08-2007, 09:08 AM

Sparkly: Rink added a new freestyle session! More skating time, yay!
Dull: It's 6-7:30am...oh well I shall live. Good start to the week right?

Sparkly: Backspin continues to get faster, I think it is now the same speed as my scratch spin. Laybacks were good, I did one decent camel-sit and one good camel-layback. Camel sits rub my skating heel in my boot. Time for new ones perhaps? Lutz jumps felt really nice today. Not sure why...but I'll take it.
Dull: Apparently my axel doesn't like to get up early since it was no where to be found. Same with my Juv MIF...they had been starting to feel good last week and now...*poof* all gone!

Sessy

10-08-2007, 09:56 AM

So does gym practice count? Cuz I'm doing that too since today (it's very cheap for students here).
We have to first take an introductory course with a sports teacher explaining everything. They even have flyers with suggested exercises for people just starting to exercise.
Anyway it was pretty ridiculous. Can a person have a heartbeat of 78 doing a crosstrainer? I doubt the machine was working properly. I'm not in THAT good a physical condition, no way. So how are you supposed to do cardio if you don't know your heartbeat?

It's nice though, cuz I didn't get tired from it, just got a little energy. I could do it for a half an hour every morning or so I guess. Or just on the days I don't skate.

At any rate I can press like thrice as much with my legs as I can pull up with my hamstrings so I guess I really should train them more.

Is it true you can't stretch after weight exercising for a day? Won't I get very inflexible from gym training then?

looplover

10-08-2007, 12:25 PM

Sparkly: part of the footwork in the new program has back 3s (since I had to do them for ISI) and I can do them in this sequence and it feels pretty good! Hope it looks good. 8-step mohawk seq. was good yesterday. Yesterday did a ton of toe loops trying to get them back and I think I did one good one.

Dull: Yesterday did a ton of toe loops trying to get them back...and I think I did one good one. :-/

(I don't think I ever did them correctly when I first learned them)

liz_on_ice

10-08-2007, 01:36 PM

sparkly - the bright sunshine off the lake which is the Rockefeller rink today!

Still, I skated anyway with both my kids. The younger one, who is nearly 4, claimed she wanted to try skating. She's tried a couple of times before but didn't like it - "I fall down." This time she really took to it. I spent a little while with her holding her arms and catching her when she slipped. I didn't want her getting soaking wet which is what would have happened today if she went down. After about 1/4 of the way around she got the hang of board crawling and proceeded to have a blast. Didn't want any more help, just lots of clapping and appreciation, which she got.

Wheeee! I see more ice time for mommy if both kids want to skate. I can tell DH I'm doing him a favor, taking the kids out so he can sleep in. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! 8-)

doubletoe

10-08-2007, 01:41 PM

At any rate I can press like thrice as much with my legs as I can pull up with my hamstrings so I guess I really should train them more.

Is it true you can't stretch after weight exercising for a day? Won't I get very inflexible from gym training then?

When my physical therapist was making me do exercises to build my hamstring strength (on the leg curl machine and also exercise ball), she would always have me do the exercises and then stretch the hamstrings really thoroughly afterwards.

Sessy

10-08-2007, 03:57 PM

Good good good :) Thanks doubletoe! :halo: :halo: :halo:

liz_on_ice

10-08-2007, 06:00 PM

sparkly - the bright sunshine off the lake which is the Rockefeller rink today!

Here you can see the depth of the water by the wake left by this back pivot. The feet are mine :lol:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/ice-skaters-are-having-a-hot-time-of-it/index.html?hp

Bill_S

10-08-2007, 06:14 PM

Here you can see the depth of the water by the wake left by this back pivot. The feet are mine :lol:

Hey, you made the Times! I also notice the byline of the writer - Winter Miller. I can imagine the city editor assigning the story because of her name :lol:

Sparkly again today: Skated the afternoon session too. It was HOT in the rink with unfrozen parts, but not as bad as the photo in the NYT story. Scratch Spins are WONDERFUL in the new boots. I can enter them from all sorts of unusual steps - a twizzle into double brackets on the R foot, then step into a deep LO edge to a scratch spin. Still need to polish the exits though.

I LOVE the flex notch in these boots. I can sink very deep for all the knee bend a coach would want of me. That part of the boot design is PERFECT.

Dull: I believe that my right boot is oversize, and that's why the edge is collapsing under me on jump landings and edgy moves like brackets. I've always ordered size 7-1/2 boots, but the right one feels more like an 8. I'll give them another couple weeks to completely break in, then see the fitter for fixes.

momsk8er

10-08-2007, 07:19 PM

Glad my rink is not outside, 'cause it was over 90 here today!

Dull - ok I'm trying to come back from a week off with a cold, and maybe pushing the envelope a little. I'm just pooped. Today I did 20 minutes on the precor and 30 minutes with the weight circuit, then I tried to skate. But the rink was packed with everyone practicing for regionals, and I was pretty tired. So when my daughter fell and hurt her hip, I packed it in too after only 30 minutes.

Sparkly - nice newly sharp blades - love that feeling.

SynchroSk8r114

10-08-2007, 07:37 PM

Here you can see the depth of the water by the wake left by this back pivot. The feet are mine :lol:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/ice-skaters-are-having-a-hot-time-of-it/index.html?hp

My, oh, my! That is one melted rink! As much as I complain that my rink can be frigid in the mornings, I'm glad that I don't have to swim through a pond to skate in the 90 degree weather!

looplover

10-08-2007, 09:32 PM

Here you can see the depth of the water by the wake left by this back pivot. The feet are mine :lol:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/ice-skaters-are-having-a-hot-time-of-it/index.html?hp

Hey, nice pivot!

I would NOT want to fall on a day like that - that would be an uncomfortable subway ride home soaking wet...

Scarlett

10-08-2007, 09:47 PM

Had a good lesson today

Sparkly:
Double 3s on my right foot are consistent.
Coach was pleased with camel attempt.

Dull:
Bronze moves...yuck! My new nemesis along with the evil sit spin is the power 3. I'm not a fan.
Lutz. I overrotated that bad boy something fierce today. I landed two of them facing forward which of course involves kissing the ice.

peanutskates

10-09-2007, 01:54 AM

sparkly: waltz, sal, toe, loop, flip (!!!) even my friend's dad was like, "OMG you're getting good". LOL. also backspin was veeery sparkly.

dull: sitspin. my coach still hasn't shown me how to do it, so I am probably doing it wrong... therefore not doing it at all...
waltz/loop combo. same story as sitspin, not taught yet.

QUESTION: Re: flip. I'm not actually sure if I'm doing it or not. The flip is self-taught, feels easy... but I'm not sure how much of a flip it is. It feels more like a salchow, but with a toepick tap, and without the free leg going through. is this a good feeling?

re: melted rinks... I did a loop, and fell right in the middle of a puddle!!! eew. I was having to wring out the water off my shorts.

techskater

10-09-2007, 07:48 AM

Laura H

10-09-2007, 09:02 AM

From my "Group" lesson last night (our adult class has a grand total of 2 students - me, who is working on jumps & spins, and another lady who is working on crossovers and backwards swizzles! Needless to say we get LOTS of individual attention! :lol: ).

Sparkly: We identified a major error in my backspin entry (which I knew was there, but not how to fix it :frus: ) and whoa! what a difference when I fixed it! With the inside 3-turn entry, I was not keeping my free leg back, she had me enter the 3-turn from a line and as I crossed the line, do a tiny toepick drag with my free leg, which kept my leg back just enough to make a HUGE difference in the stability of the spin. I was so excited! now I just need to get enough speed going in to get more than 1 or 2 rotations . . . :giveup:

Dull: yeesh . . . didn't have much going on as far as LIFT in jumps last night. We worked on the beginnings of a loop (excercise consisting of backspin + hop + landing position) and walked through the flip (excitement!) but I'm still too chicken to leave the ice. :oops:

Somewhere in between: This was so funny! I fell on something during lesson, don't remember what, and I didn't think it was much of a fall, myself, but it scared the HECK out of my instructor and she GASPED . . . I jumped up as quick as I could and said "I'm OK!!!" She apologized for her reaction and said it was because she'd never seen me fall . . . (obviously she doesn't stick around for public session practice!) :lol:

SynchroSk8r114

10-09-2007, 09:32 AM

I think you should wait on the flip and the sit spin so you don't teach yourself bad habits that must be undone. The flip should not feel like a toe salchow. If it does, you are not taking off the picking foot.

This can also feel like a toe salchow, which is incorrect, if you are not picking in directly behind your free hip (if you are picking out to the side instead). You need to really try and extend that picking leg back nice and straight, so that you avoid that whippy set-up and take off.

I actually tell my students to think: set-up/glide - push into three- turn/pause - turn your three-turn/pause - reach back and pick in - and the polevault your self up and back, which will help with height and minimize the whippiness that can make this jump feel like a salchow.

Rusty Blades

10-09-2007, 11:13 AM

DULL! Had a VERY busy weekend and was STIFF and very tired this morning - coach was NOT happy :x We only have a couple of weeks to get the Freeskate program ready for competition and I still don't have a good solid Waltz jump, my Toe Loop is non-existent, my Upright Spin doesn't have 3 full revolutions and my Sit Spin is feeble! Then I have the nerve to show up at practice tired and stiff :roll:

Almost Sparkly At least I made a little progress on the sit spins and my coach commented my back edges are improving. The head coach had a compliment for my speed and power on the forward cross-overs, IF I believe her :??

Sessy

10-09-2007, 11:46 AM

re: melted rinks... I did a loop, and fell right in the middle of a puddle!!! eew. I was having to wring out the water off my shorts.

Yikes...

DULL
Our rink was dry today, but they let anybody on during public hours, including hockeyers, who decided to have a game... Well needless to say practicing inbetween that was pretty impossible and no fun at all so I left after 45 minutes. Sit spin refuses to join me.

Sparkly
Did some pretty good 1-foot and changefoot spins though. Camel was gone at the beginning of the session, then returned. Did some good backward cross-rolls (forward didn't work so well) and...

surprise!!!

I can suddenly do a backward bielman spiral! And I can get the skate definately over my head now on the forward one. Well on 1 side.
Yayyyy! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

Mrs Redboots

10-09-2007, 01:41 PM

Dull: Husband was having a bad skate day and was a bit tentative to dance with. And he had a splatty fall - don't know how I managed to avoid going over with him, it can't have been graceful!

Sparkly: Coach pleased with our Fiesta and didn't give us any corrections. We all know it isn't perfect, but he doesn't want to break it at this stage before we need it for two competitions next month!

peanutskates

10-09-2007, 02:31 PM

surprise!!!

I can suddenly do a backward bielman spiral! And I can get the skate definately over my head now on the forward one.

congratulations!! this is my dream right now... I can do it off ice, but not on it...

icedancer2

10-09-2007, 02:46 PM

Sparkly: A great skating-day all around - I usually haven't been skating on Tuesday but since our rink is now basically mostly hockey, the ice has been really really bad in the morning sessions after the hockey team practice. But on Tuesday morning they have "old man hockey" (sorry guys) and they don't cut the ice up so much and so I told my coach I would like a lesson today and she scheduled for for 9 o'clock! I have been taking lessons with this wonderful lady for YEARS and she has never actually given me a lesson time - she just fits me in when she can and so today we had an actual scheduled lesson!!

And the ice was fabulous ANd they left the bright lights on after hockey (which is very unusual, they usually turn them down to save $$). and I had a good lesson. The ice was so clean we worked on figures first - I am hoping to compete at Adult Sectionals (which is here in Portland in March) and there is a rumor that there will be figures competition so I am trying to work up a couple of figures for that - yea!

Then we worked on some dances - she wanted to go over the pattern for the ARgentine and the Westminster (based on what w saw pass at a dance session this past weekend - shheeesh - what were they thinking?) and then we worked on the solo part of the Paso a little bit - and the ice was good and I felt like I was flying!

Great, great skate today!:) :)

I had been feeling like I was really losing my skills fast - but then I see that yes, I have some stuff to work on as always but I can still skate - yea! yea! Yea!

A bit DULL: Starting to work on Silver Moves and they are slow, slow slow and my free-leg really really hangs on the spirals (which I dread) and I can't do an inside back 3 to save my life. Unfortunately I think my coach is really going to retire before I have to really start working on these so I will probably have to learn from someone else... change is hard, especially when you've been teaching as long as she has... Forward and back crosses are good because I've been doing them in dances like the Paso and ARgentine for years - oops, I forgot to do Power Pulls - oh, well, - next time...

Rob Dean

10-09-2007, 05:03 PM

Sparkly: I had a dance lesson with my back-up coach yesterday, and the ten fox is moving right along...

DULL: Unfortunately it was moving right along fast enough that catching my heel on the back progressive on the end pattern (for the man) pitched me to the ice with a whack to the head (iced, lump, no dizziness or nausea so expect to be ok) much faster than I could react. So much for the rest of the evening's activities (i.e. social dance group). I'll skate one more quiet session this week, since I already have a lesson set up to try moves with my injured primary coach coaching from off ice, but I don't think I'm unhappy to have picked up a business trip to Utah for next week, to make sure the head is healed.

Rob

Sessy

10-09-2007, 05:32 PM

SPARK!!!

My club gets to organise the national championships figure skating this year!!! :lol:

Sessy

10-09-2007, 05:42 PM

congratulations!! this is my dream right now... I can do it off ice, but not on it...

Focus on having your balance on your heel - off-ice it's too easy to get on the ball of the foot - and start on a very slight edge, it gives me more grip at any rate (I like an outside edge, but today I was able to do them on any edge and any direction for some reason, I think it's the new skates, my spins also just centered in them). It's more difficult to do on a flat somehow, when the iron doesn't rip into the ice as much. I start with a 1-foot glide, then go into bielman, I don't just go into bielman straight from crossovers/steps, I wait till the edge is solid and the balance point right (and the toes picked up so I don't catch them) before I start lifting my leg.

Also, when I do the bielman, after I come up out of my knee, my butt is actually behind my skating heel, putting my balance point between my heel and crease. Gives a much smoother edge, and less risk of catching toepicks (like I did in the april comp, after which I listened to my ballet teacher and brought the balance further back), though you have to be careful not to tumble over backwards. I like to put my knee on "lock" as it gives me stability but I know a girl who absolutely can't do it that way, so you might have to experiment what works best: stretching all the way through or not.
The way I do it, you get a sort of over-stretch of the standing leg that way, kind of like you let the skate glide before you and follow it, like this (except with the leg upwards instead of backwards)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Joannie_Rochette_Spiral_-_2006_Skate_Canada.jpg/80px-Joannie_Rochette_Spiral_-_2006_Skate_Canada.jpg
instead of this:
http://www.holidayonice.com/img/stars_denise_biellmann.jpg

I think she's doing a spin on the latter photo, because the only way you can do a spiral that way would be on a back edge and it would be scratchy and slow. Else you'd catch the toepicks cuz the balance point is under the ball of the foot instead of under the heal/crease.

And it helps to practice a gazillion normal spirals, trying to get your body horizontal to the ice and your leg up as high as you can, with a curve in your back and looking forward.

blackmanskating

10-09-2007, 06:08 PM

The sparks were flying today. I made significant progress with my double axel. I finally rotated it fully. No quarter turn cheat!!! It wasn't clean though. I two footed the landing, but that is a milestone for me because I know I can do it now. I'll hit my 2 year skating anniversary in Feb, and I think I could have a clean double axel by then. 8O A double axel in two years . . . my coach is really proud. 8-) My bronze moves and freeskate test is coming up at the end of the month. I'm nervous but I'm excited. Looking forward to it. I'm also working on doing a few of my jumps "Tano" style!!!! Even my back camel spin is improving.

The only thing dull is my skates!!! I think I'm due for a sharpening. More to report as the week goes on.

BlackManSkating

Caris

10-09-2007, 06:20 PM

Sparkly

Spins were lovely and centered today as I really got the sweep of the arms spot on so no travelling. Salcows were good, other jumps much higher and combos all hit. footwork getting much faster and more confident yay! Started teaching myself a backspin tonght and got 7 rotations so I was chuffed with that.

Dull

Was attempting deep lunge fwd spinning while down to backward then a half turn on knees to stand - banged my knee and have a huuuuuuge bruise coming!

Terri C

10-09-2007, 06:50 PM

*** Sparkly***
We have a new locker room at the rink just for figure skaters!!
Had a decent runthrough today on lesson with Secondary Coach.

___Dull___

The sitspin did not show up for either program runthrough I did today.
Had to yell : "In program, please move," during my program runthrough.

doubletoe

10-09-2007, 07:17 PM

Sparkly
Started teaching myself a backspin tonght and got 7 rotations so I was chuffed with that.

That's DISGUSTING! It took me several years (okay, I was easily discouraged, so didn't practice that often) to get just 3 revolutions on my backspin! :frus:

doubletoe

10-09-2007, 07:26 PM

Focus on having your balance on your heel - off-ice it's too easy to get on the ball of the foot - and start on a very slight edge, it gives me more grip at any rate (I like an outside edge, but today I was able to do them on any edge and any direction for some reason, I think it's the new skates, my spins also just centered in them). It's more difficult to do on a flat somehow, when the iron doesn't rip into the ice as much. I start with a 1-foot glide, then go into bielman, I don't just go into bielman straight from crossovers/steps, I wait till the edge is solid and the balance point right (and the toes picked up so I don't catch them) before I start lifting my leg.

Also, when I do the bielman, after I come up out of my knee, my butt is actually behind my skating heel, putting my balance point between my heel and crease. Gives a much smoother edge, and less risk of catching toepicks (like I did in the april comp, after which I listened to my ballet teacher and brought the balance further back), though you have to be careful not to tumble over backwards. I like to put my knee on "lock" as it gives me stability but I know a girl who absolutely can't do it that way, so you might have to experiment what works best: stretching all the way through or not.
The way I do it, you get a sort of over-stretch of the standing leg that way, kind of like you let the skate glide before you and follow it, like this (except with the leg upwards instead of backwards)

I think she's doing a spin on the latter photo, because the only way you can do a spiral that way would be on a back edge and it would be scratchy and slow. Else you'd catch the toepicks cuz the balance point is under the ball of the foot instead of under the heal/crease.

And it helps to practice a gazillion normal spirals, trying to get your body horizontal to the ice and your leg up as high as you can, with a curve in your back and looking forward.

Yes, the second one definitely looks like a spin (you can tell by the body's position over the front of the blade and also by the bent skating knee).

Something to add to Sessi's excellent advice is that while you push your skating foot forward and away from your body, you also need to push your free foot away from your body in the opposite direction, i.e., back behind you. It looks like you need to just pull it straight up, but if you do that you will get pitched forward. Instead, push it up and to the back because that will pull your upper body back and keep you off the toepick.

Caris

10-09-2007, 07:32 PM

That's DISGUSTING! It took me several years (okay, I was easily discouraged, so didn't practice that often) to get just 3 revolutions on my backspin! :frus:

Lol don't be too disgusted, it's from a two footed curve in then just lifting up the other foot at the mo, so a long way from being a proper one!

jazzpants

10-09-2007, 07:54 PM

That's DISGUSTING! It took me several years (okay, I was easily discouraged, so didn't practice that often) to get just 3 revolutions on my backspin! :frus:
You and me BOTH, doubletoe!!! But both of us finally got a decent one now, right? ;) (Okay, maybe YOU have a decent one. Mine is NOT on the CORRECT edge!!! That's gonna be another few years there... :frus:)

Skate@Delaware

10-09-2007, 08:01 PM

Dull: Ever have one of those days, when you realize you should have listened to that little voice and stayed home??? Yeah..... I need to listen better. My lower back was KILLING me but like a dummy I went skating....our rink has a fog problem AND condensation bumps (not too bad really). I could barely bend over and get my tights or skates on. Was working on my waltz jump set-up and TOEPICK!!! SPLAT!!!! Did the Superman on the end of the rink, landing flat on my stomach, right hip, right thigh! Luckily, I had my head way back and did not eat the ice or plant my chin (no concussion!!!). Did get in to my chiro.

Sparkly: In spite of tanking early in the session, everything else was decent. Not too great, but for the pain I was in, I'll be happy with the session. I did learn, for the backspin 2-foot glide entry, if I enter bending my knees, and push my arms down (i.e. keep tension in them) and stay bent...it does help get everything else going! That was a nice little gem to know!

I left after an hour instead of staying for the whole session. It was a shame since there were only 5 of us on the ice, total!!!! Darn!

tidesong

10-09-2007, 09:00 PM

Sparkly:

Landed three "quarter under" double toes! Two were really nice, one was a struggle I got stuck on the landing but managed to bail out.

Discovered that my legs refused to kick faster, so my hands have to go slower to accomodate them (other wise I just throw myself on to the ice...) My friend says the better attempts look a little slo-mo lol

Managed one or two? (my memory is bad now) back-side-catchfoot layback... didnt manage to come up for the bielmanns at all though

chowskates

10-09-2007, 09:11 PM

You and me BOTH, doubletoe!!! But both of us finally got a decent one now, right? ;) (Okay, maybe YOU have a decent one. Mine is NOT on the CORRECT edge!!! That's gonna be another few years there... :frus:)

Well, these days, is there such a thing as a "CORRECT" edge for spins?? :lol:

dbny

10-09-2007, 10:03 PM

Sparkly:
I actually got about 15 minutes practice in today and did ONE properly checked LFO three. Had I been doing it in the Prelim alt three pattern, I would have made it back to the line with an exit edge equal to the entry edge. One is not much, but is more than the zero I've been getting.

Got to observe our skating director teaching a backspin for the second time, and am now convinced that hers is the best method I've ever seen. Both students got the spin right away. In each case, the student knew immediately if the edge flipped to FI and bailed on the spin. I played along and also got onto the BO edge, and held it for a single rev. Today's student (my older DD, who had never learned a backspin) got about 3 revs, with free leg crossed over. I think if I had the courage to cross my free leg, I could do better sooner - not likely to happen though :roll:.

Dull:
The metatarsal (I think that's what it is) right behind the R little toe is now swollen and red from the pressure of my boots. Hopefully Klingbeil will punch this out and it will be bearable again. It's like a bunion on the little toe side of the foot, and is worse than my ankle pain.

doubletoe

10-09-2007, 11:39 PM

You and me BOTH, doubletoe!!! But both of us finally got a decent one now, right? ;) (Okay, maybe YOU have a decent one. Mine is NOT on the CORRECT edge!!! That's gonna be another few years there... :frus:)

Well, once I get into it I'm fine, but I can still totally spaz out on the entrance when I do it on its own, LOL!

peanutskates

10-10-2007, 02:16 AM

Sessy and doubletoe, thanks for your advice! I will try it today.

Thin-Ice

10-10-2007, 02:27 AM

Sparkly:
Got to observe our skating director teaching a backspin for the second time, and am now convinced that hers is the best method I've ever seen. Both students got the spin right away. In each case, the student knew immediately if the edge flipped to FI and bailed on the spin. I played along and also got onto the BO edge, and held it for a single rev. Today's student (my older DD, who had never learned a backspin) got about 3 revs, with free leg crossed over. I think if I had the courage to cross my free leg, I could do better sooner - not likely to happen though :roll:.

And what is this magical method? It seems I've tried everything the local coaches know and still get maybe 1-3 revs on a GOOD day! Thanks!

Sessy

10-10-2007, 06:53 AM

Something to add to Sessi's excellent advice is that while you push your skating foot forward and away from your body, you also need to push your free foot away from your body in the opposite direction, i.e., back behind you. It looks like you need to just pull it straight up, but if you do that you will get pitched forward. Instead, push it up and to the back because that will pull your upper body back and keep you off the toepick.

You're right, I first lift from the hip with a bent free knee, behind me, arabesque style, then catch my blade and pull it up when my free foot is already at around hip height. If I just pulled it up from the bottom I think I would do exactly the tumbling forward you're describing, because to reach down you'd have to shorten your upper body (because you can't make your arms longer, and most people's arms only reach to just below their hips) and the only way to do that is either by bending backwards, or forwards, and if you reach down you automatically bend forwards, the only way to bend backwards is reaching back. Well you could reach down bending backwards, but then you have to push your hips forward not to lose b alance, that would be fine for a spin but I don't think you can do a spiral that way... Come to think about it, this describes exactly why a few girls at our rink can only do a bielman backwards, they reach down... Hmm....

Oh also, peanutskates, if you have quad rollers or can borrow for a while from someone, try them on those. You don't have to be moving on them, just the very fact that rollers have a shorter "blade" length than skates do (making you fall over backwards or forwards quicker) will teach you to stay more precisely balanced. Also it helps to build the necessary strength required to lift the free leg high enough, because quads are even heavier than skates, so it's peanuts after that.

Skittl1321

10-10-2007, 07:14 AM

Sparkly Our LTS session ended. I passed Freestyle 1. LOL. I passed that in like March- it's a mixed level freestyle, and we worked on skills up to Freestyle 4 (I'm going to be stuck in Freestyle 3 for about ever, since my backspin isn't crossed, and sometimes doesn't exist.) I guess the instructor wasn't given sheets to check off our appropriate levels. Though it doesn't matter since I won't be passing 3/4 for awhile. (I've been "passed" out of 3- but I don't think I deserved it.) I don't care what the sheets say as long as the class is challenging- which it was.

Due to regionals our LTS was all kinds of mixed up- lots of coaches were gone. So I got to substitute for the parent/tot class. It was the MOST nerve wracking experience- 3 kids, including one who was scared of ME (everyone else, she'd be fine, me she'd cry like crazy)- and the entire class is like the day the principal comes to watch what you do for your evaluation. Plus the teacher I was subbing for is probably the BEST tots teacher I've ever seen, so it was big shoes to fill. I just played games with them, and then since it was the last class did some more advanced things (they pretty much only march and wiggle)- like swizzles and little bitty hops, and standing still dips, to get them ready for snowplow 1. After the lesson one of the Mom's (who I have chatted to before b/c she skates on Saturdays) gave me a hug and told me I did great. LOL- that made me feel good.

My lesson was all jumps (last week it was all spins). My coach (substituting for the usual LTS instructor) told me my speed is really improving, which is exciting. When I skate into a salchow I kind of lose my landing, but the jump is higher. I need to find the balance there. I also did some "wrong-way" half flips and was told they looked as good as my "right way" half-flips. I'm not sure I believe that, as they don't feel nearly as steady, but since they are in synchro I need a good wrong way half flip.

Dull I have a horrible pain in my lower left leg. It hurts for about a day after skating, which means Friday, and Monday I'm pain free. The rest of the days ache, and when skating it can become unbearable if I put my weight on it. It's not a lateral motion though, but when I lean on my outside edge- then once I've aggrevated it, it just has general pain. I'm worried I have a hairline fracture from landing jumps, as it's my landing leg that hurts. Tonight I'm going to ask to lay off jumps and see if that helps- get started on bronze MITF maybe. Edge class does aggrevate it, so non-jumping might not be the answer. I guess I'll see. Maybe I just need a spin lesson, then I spend about 80% of the time (except entry edge) on the other foot. But OH it hurts!

momsk8er

10-10-2007, 11:14 AM

"And what is this magical method? It seems I've tried everything the local coaches know and still get maybe 1-3 revs on a GOOD day! Thanks!"

Me too, I really need to know this. My backspin is cr*p and I've been working on it for over a year! I end up with a series of 3 turns instead of revolutions - although its really helping my twizzles, it isn't a backspin.

Sparkly - getting lower on my sit spin. Camel spin coming along - although I need to straighten my knee more. Also loved sharing the ice with very few people this morning, and all adults!

Dull - still getting my wind back from my cold last week. MIF were ok, but if I had to do them all in a row like on the test I'd probably faint. Gotta work on that stamina.

Rusty Blades

10-10-2007, 01:18 PM

DULL: Woke up this morning feeling worse than yesterday. Emailed coach and told her to go back to bed.

Bill_S

10-10-2007, 01:57 PM

Sparkly: Another couple hours practice this morning. I laced the problem-child right boot a little tighter today, and that helped. Still love the deep bend I can get with these new boots.

Fooling around with edges and turns, did some fairly fancy things, but I couldn't remember what I did to repeat them. Felt extra good though.

Dull: Spins went around OK, but most traveled. This happens more on harder ice like we had this morning.

I spin best on soft ice - don't know why.

Mrs Redboots

10-10-2007, 02:21 PM

Mine is NOT on the CORRECT edge!!! That's gonna be another few years there... :frus:So it's a more difficult variation! Firmly!

We were working on ours today - neither of us has a recognisable one solo, but we have a great change-foot spin as a couple. Need to work on the transition, though, or it'll be called two spins not one! We can do it, we're just a little out of practice on it. But a lot better today than yesterday.

Dull: No skating now until Sunday, as there are tests on Friday. Ah well, I get to have a lie-in, so can't be all bad.

jskater49

10-10-2007, 06:45 PM

Busy day full of sparkles, but not dull and ready for bed...

Up at 4 am for 5:45 skate after a club board meeting that went till 9:30 pm last night...

Told coach how unhappy I was to see clunky crossovers in my video on Sunday so we worked on those...discovered the problem, if I don't bend my skating knee enough, I have to bend the crossing leg leading to an ugly bend cross over with a clunky plop down. Bend the skating knee...smoother crossover. Also I am doing the forward perimeter crossover pattern with a LOT of power so that I am almost into the walls on the end, forcing me to do the crossovers on a flat which is difficult to do smoothtly. So we just started further back to give me more room on the ends, and that helped a lot.

Worked a little on fixing the timing of the second progressive on the Rhythm Blues,....then got off and got dressed and ready to drive DD two hours away to Cedar Rapids for Regionals. She skated at 10:20 am and it worked out better for her to sleep in her own bed, skate on her own ice and then drive to the rink this morning. She skated about as well as she can -- she just gets nervous when the music is on and she's in competition. Finished last in her group, but with no double doubles, or a double axel, even a clean skate would have landed her last. She was very pleased that she fully rotated a clean take off on her double toe, even though she landed on her butt--that was progress for her. Clean, proper edge take off and fully rotated double lutz but landed on two feet, but you know, we take what we can get. Probably her last Regionals and she was happy.

I will say, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was charging $5 for ONE results sheet, I will not compete or pay for my dd to compete at an Eastern Iowa FSC competition again. Anyone from there wants to know what else pissed me off about how they ran this show is welcome to PM me and get an earful.

j

dbny

10-10-2007, 11:12 PM

And what is this magical method? It seems I've tried everything the local coaches know and still get maybe 1-3 revs on a GOOD day! Thanks!

"And what is this magical method? It seems I've tried everything the local coaches know and still get maybe 1-3 revs on a GOOD day! Thanks!"

Me too, I really need to know this. My backspin is cr*p and I've been working on it for over a year! I end up with a series of 3 turns instead of revolutions - although its really helping my twizzles, it isn't a backspin.

I haven't tried to teach this yet myself, and I'm not sure I can convey it only in words without a demo, but here goes. First, you have to be aware that the direction you are going to move in is backwards, not forwards, so don't start from anything moving forwards. Second, you must have your weight over the skating hip (big surprise), and anything that pulls your weight out and away is going to pull you onto the FI edge (notice that in elite competition, when they change edge from the BO, the free foot uncrosses and is usually out away from the skating foot). Assuming a CCW spin, stand on two feet with your R foot slightly pigeon toed. Push off with the L foot into what is almost a B pivot on the R foot. As you push, bring the L foot over the right into the crossed position. Keep the L foot parallel to the R foot so as to keep the hips closed. The L arm is in front, with the R arm to the side. As you push off, bring the arms in, hands meeting in front, elbows down. If you feel your weight start to shift to the FI edge, jump out of the spin (from your toe), onto your toe as if you were landing a loop.

The thing that impressed me the most is that there is never any FI edge happening. I think that if you've already got that problem it's going to be very, very difficult to beat, especially if you can't feel the difference.

OK, I just got up and started doing the spin following what I have written (to see if I have gotten it right) in barefeet on my wooden floor. It actually felt really good. I'll have to try it in skates, but not tomorrow, when I'm working most of the day and sure to be exhausted.

Skittl1321
Congrats on your great job with the tots! I know the feeling - some classes are just like that and there's nothing you can do except keep going till they end. I'm worried about your leg. IMO, you should get to a doctor and have it checked out. If it is a stress fracture, it might get worse if you don't rest it.

cecealias

10-11-2007, 12:48 AM

The thing that impressed me the most is that there is never any FI edge happening. I think that if you've already got that problem it's going to be very, very difficult to beat, especially if you can't feel the difference.

Thanks for the description - it was really well described, dbny.

I totally agree with you on the problem on feeling the edge differences; it seems like there is a very small window at the early learning stages to get the right feeling - or not - else the bad habit gets difficult to erase.

singerskates

10-11-2007, 02:21 AM

Wednesday
Sparkly:

Put in another 3 session day but not all of it was my skating. The first two sessions where the Big and Little Skate and CanSkate. I don't know if the Kids in Big and Little Skate are getting anything out of it. At least one 2 and half year old was so tired today, he looked as if he could go right back to the nap his mom woke him out of just before the session. Another kid was duck walking all over the place with his dad. CanSkate was more successful as I got to be with the group of kids that could move on their own even though we are still finishing Level 1. Some of the kid's in Level 1 were able to skate backwards by twisting their hips, butt and knees. Others were still at the walking backwards stage. But most all of them were able to jump while moving forward. Played "What Time is It Mr. Wolf?" and "Green Light, Red Light" with them and that's when I say them do the best stopping and jumping. Then the coach who is in charge of the group took them once around the rink at the end playing "Follow the Leader".

My session. Got to be there for the whole session. Was able to play my music twice. Two thirds of the ice were usuable for my freeskate. That's where I skated at about 80% today even though when my music wasn't on, I had to restart a few times because of skaters getting into my program's path. I actually saw them coming down the ice down the middle as I was going around the corner to set up for a jump and had to stop just before taking off the ice.
Got my head to stop doing the brain freeze when going into the waltz/mazurka/salchow/toe loop so that I don't keep doing a salchow/toe loop or waltz/toe loop or try a waltz/loop. And then I put it into my FS program where I had the lone waltz jump which I originally wanted to have the waltz/loop. Because of this I had to slightly change the set up going into the first jump because I needed more ice at the end of the rink to fit it all in.

Got the loop jump to work in my program twice.

Dull:
Feet were frozen because I left my skates at the rink under the stairs of the other pad and didn't bother to warm them up with the blow dryer before putting them on. I also didn't move all that much during the first two sessions.

Had to share ice again with kids that should be on CanSkate and not on the StarSkate session (but they at least help pay for the ice/session). This meant that once my program got to the side of the rink on which they were, I had to abandon my program elements and just skate forwards. The abandoned included my much quicker sitspin. I just moved slowly waiting for my music to get to the point where I cross the line to the other side so that I could do my freeskate elements in my program again without fear of running some poor kid over who should be on a CanSkate session.

Didn't work on my sit/pancake spin today but did get my freeleg closer and at one point touching the knee of my skating leg while at 90 degrees or less which did get me spinning like a top. I don't know how many revs I did in my sit spin.

Didn't work on the camel spin because of the CanSkaters being on the ice. I was just too nervous about slicing a child.

Thursday
Sparkly: going to get to skate with adults. But at least I have I have intelligent conversation when I want to take a break from working on elements in isolation.

Dull: Not many of them freeskate and most just skate around the outside near the boards, so that leaves me with little ice in the middle. That's right I can't run through my programs because it is a Public Adult Session.

I'll tell you how it went later.

Sessy

10-11-2007, 03:41 AM

I haven't tried to teach this yet myself, and I'm not sure I can convey it only in words without a demo, but here goes. First, you have to be aware that the direction you are going to move in is backwards, not forwards, so don't start from anything moving forwards. Second, you must have your weight over the skating hip (big surprise), and anything that pulls your weight out and away is going to pull you onto the FI edge (notice that in elite competition, when they change edge from the BO, the free foot uncrosses and is usually out away from the skating foot). Assuming a CCW spin, stand on two feet with your R foot slightly pigeon toed. Push off with the L foot into what is almost a B pivot on the R foot. As you push, bring the L foot over the right into the crossed position. Keep the L foot parallel to the R foot so as to keep the hips closed. The L arm is in front, with the R arm to the side. As you push off, bring the arms in, hands meeting in front, elbows down. If you feel your weight start to shift to the FI edge, jump out of the spin (from your toe), onto your toe as if you were landing a loop.

This is exactly the way it's taught at our club, with the difference that because of the Dutch testing system where the backspin is not tested separately, but only a changefootspin, you first do a ccw 1-foot spin, then put both feet down and push off with the left foot onto the back outside edge of the right foot. You actually can't do an inside edge from the 1-foot spin without travelling out of the spin (in a forward direction) so you'll know immediately if you're on the inside edge.
When they practice the backspin separately they call it a "spin from standstill" I think but they haven't had our group do it yet.

Skittl1321
Congrats on your great job with the tots! I know the feeling - some classes are just like that and there's nothing you can do except keep going till they end. I'm worried about your leg. IMO, you should get to a doctor and have it checked out. If it is a stress fracture, it might get worse if you don't rest it.

I agree - don't mess with fractures!!! I had this pain in my leg that just wouldn't go away and turned out to be a fracture in the end after all, and now they're saying that if like, within the first 3 months of it happening the foot would've been put in a cast and the weight kept off it, I would've been back to jumping within 6-8 weeks and this way, it'll take about a year...
Don't mess with fractures!!!

Thin-Ice

10-11-2007, 03:50 AM

Skittl1321

10-11-2007, 07:23 AM

Sparkly WOW! I got to see some amazing skating on our freestyle session yesterday. Girls were visiting from regionals, and more than a few of them were throwing triple-triple combinations around, and doing spins like I've only seen on TV.

Dull Um, with that insane session the lesson was a bit of a waste. It's hard to learn when you feel like you are going to get killed at any minute. I knew that they weren't going to hit me- but I was worried I step into their path. I did get a little bit of work on choctaws in, and got a compliment that my speed into my jumps was picking up.

Slightly GlossySynchro also went well- I can moonwalk now, but we do it so fast in the program, that I can't do it. I'm also getting a lot better at wrong side half jumps- so that's a plus. I still can't get my backward lunge, and now it looks like were doing one of those spinny lunges, which I also can't do :( I'm definetly the weakest link- but I think the team is small enough, that they are still glad I'm there.

Bright Shining Sparkly Quarkiki's baby is the most adorable little thing I've ever seen! She's so beautiful, and spent the time we were cooing over her, playing with her hands, yawning (ohhh so cute) and playing with her tongue.

looplover

10-11-2007, 07:30 AM

Sparkly: yay, good practice and lesson today. I have to do a double three turn in my program and it was pretty good, and the rbo three was pretty good. My toe loop came back from vacation. Apparently my backspin is good enough to pass bronze - though it's far from pretty, does the bare minimum of revolutions and I am not sure I'm on the correct edge. I was worried about it though cuz that spin has been a BEAR for me to learn.

Dull: sheesh one wrong step in my program and then I messed up the rest completely! Two footed loop and stuck it in the wrong place.

Rusty Blades

10-11-2007, 11:16 AM

Dull: Ears were still a little plugged up - which effected my balance - which trashed my spins :cry:

Sparkly: REALLY getting comfortable on backward edges - more control and more SPEED! (What the hell am I going to do with all this speed?)

Dull: Couldn't seem to get the timing for Toe Loops this morning, though they were pretty good in off-ice warmup

Sparkly: Worked out a new footwork sequence that I like and I'm not far off the tempo even now.

Petlover

10-11-2007, 11:25 AM

Sparkly: HOORAY!!!!! My rink reopened yesterday! I skated this morning on brand new ice. No hills, no huge lumps, and they painted our club logo in 2 different places in the ice. My spins, both backward and forward were some of the best they have been, which is wierd since I have not skated for almost 2 weeks - I got tired of driving an additional 15 miles to the other rink, although I am glad they helped us out while my rink was closed.

Dull: The ice still needs additional building up and smoothing out. I also could not jump since I slipped and feel in my kitchen this morning and banged my knee on my landing leg. It didn't hurt while I was skating, but a couple of the muscles are a bit stiff, so I didn't want to take any chances on a bad jump landing putting too much stress on my knee.

Sessy

10-11-2007, 11:34 AM

Dull:
- Half the rink melted away (and they're having 3-day championships in hockey this weekend, so there were a lot of manager-type people running about the rink speaking English and the entire rink staff was there trying to fix the problem)
- Left ankle still hurts in the skates, and the healing blisters itch like mad.
Also, camel seems a little, well, gone. Well it's not gone, but it used to be better, I can't seem to get a good hook, travel all over the place, plunge my nose, drop the free leg, etc. Maybe the ice was bad, I don't know.

Sparkly:
- My backspin and changefootspins, my scratchspin, my camel-sit.
- The fact that I'm at about 95% of the motion range I had before the broken ankle WITHOUT feeling pain.
- Talked to a 20-year-old girl at the rink and explained that indeed she would not need special skates (other than her current ones) to join a skating club and that yes, we do have people her age training at her (beginners) level and she felt the monthly fees we pay were acceptable as well. So we might have a new adult member sometime soon.
- Did slalom between the cones they used to separate the melting part of the rink from the functional part.
- Off-ice I can now grab my skate with both hands for the bielman, on ice I can't yet.

- Caught one of the managers saying that besides the 400-metre track for speed skaters which will be ready next year, they're also building a PRACTICE RINK! This would about triple the size of our rink, and our club might get extra ice time - we're desastrously short on ice time right now (sharing the rink with a show-skate club, large ice-hockey club, speed skaters, shorttrackers, government programmes for children and retired-aged and poor people, public sessions, schools, etc).

Bill_S

10-11-2007, 01:17 PM

-(sharing the rink with ....and retired-aged and poor people, ..., etc).

Hmmm, ...maybe I'll postpone retiring and save money for a few more years.

blackmanskating

10-11-2007, 01:46 PM

Dull: I knew the dullness would come in to counter all of the progress I made on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I've been sick for the past 2 days and I decided not to skate. :cry: I'm trying to get back on the ice tomorrow if my body will allow it.

Sparkly: Still excited about my fully rotated but two-footed double axel. It's one step closer in the right direction.

BlackManSkating

Isk8NYC

10-11-2007, 02:04 PM

Bill - Nah. Sooner you retire, the sooner you'll be sharing YOUR ice time with the spritely college students! LOL (That's what the retirees told ME when I was a spritely college student - I was using THEIR ice. LOL)

Skated on a wonderful skating session today, only a handful of people on the ice and I could avoid them easily. Saw one woman doing figures! Ice was great - not too hard, not too soft - and my toe scratching didn't reverberate. Very nice overall.

Dull:
My blades need sharpening and I don't know where to take them.
As a result, my spins are traveling and my threes are scraping.

Sparkly:
Decent MITF practice, albeit limited because I wasn't keeping track.
(One of these, two of those...whatever I felt like doing.)

Sit spins were weak; no wonder since I've been off the ice so long and I sit in a chair all day working.
(I actually miss the eight flights of stairs to my office.)

Camels were surprisingly decent, even the back ones. They traveled, but they had the right feel to them, position-wise.

Only tried waltz jumps; have to get my strength back and lose the 5 lbs I've gained before I get back to jumping seriously.

Bill_S

10-11-2007, 02:18 PM

Bill - Nah. Sooner you retire, the sooner you'll be sharing YOUR ice time with the spritely college students! LOL (That's what the retirees told ME when I was a spritely college student - I was using THEIR ice. LOL)

Well, I am not near retirement anyway. This thing called a 'mortgage' prevents that from happening anytime soon. Sigh. :roll:

I have also observed that there are absolutely _no_ spritely college students up for the 6:30 a.m. sessions. Plenty in the afternoons, though! 8O

peanutskates

10-11-2007, 02:49 PM

sparkly
loop is good
today, my spins were quite good
I actually did about 2 revs in an OK-ish position on a sitspin! turns out my arms were hanging around and throwing me off balance. as soon as I fixed them, it's soo much better.

dull
loop from back entry is very bad
coach taught me some really simple footwork sequence, which I just can't get into my head!!! it's like, a little waltz jump/bunny hop thing, then your right leg has to be over your left leg or put down or something and uhh I don;'t get it........ oh well more practice needed I guess.

sk8tegirl06

10-11-2007, 02:55 PM

Sparkly: I'm going to be taking my pre-pre moves test in 2 weeks!! :lol: It is a long time coming, after a 5-6 year hiatus, I relearned most of the moves this summer. So here goes nothing. 8O

Dull: I'm probably not competing this year. I thought I would but other things have come up that have put that off till next year. It is probably for the best, giving me more time to pass tests. Edges were good, but I need to make it back to the axis without coming to a screeching halt. Waltz 8 was improved as well especially on the clockwise side, although the whole pattern needs to be much bigger. Overall, everything needs more speed and confidence.

Muskoka Skater

10-11-2007, 03:23 PM

Wednesday Night

Sparky

-my spins

Dull

-everything, I was so tired from staying up the night below to work on a slide show for an english assignment, then the teacher wouldn't even let me into my hotmail to get my slide show to show the class because we're not aloud to go into hotmail.(I don't stand why they just don't block the site:twisted::?:)

momsk8er

10-11-2007, 03:49 PM

Sparkly - MIF feeling good, hope I can test soon. Not going to test in October, as my daughter is testing then, and I want to be there to support her, not be a nervous wreck over my own test.

Dull - getting a few good rotations out of my camel spin, but I need to get my leg up farther. Anyone have any good exercizes for that? I'm trying to put a weight on my ankle and get into spiral position on the floor. But I'm not sure that is helping. I think I also need more flexibility. But the stretching I'm doing seems to be all hamstrings and hip flexors, but not the right muscles for the spiral.

Also dull - still energy level issues.

badaxel

10-11-2007, 04:56 PM

Sparkly- Axel is getting much more consistent! 50/50 is about the worst that it gets now! I'm also getting through my program all the way (doing bell jumps instead of axels for now). My double salchow is up to a salchow and a half, and I'm landing it on one foot. I'm calling it a very cheated double to make myself feel better about it!

Dull- Very tired this week, and I spent a lot of time fooling around with my fellow axel strugglers.

Caris

10-11-2007, 04:57 PM

Sparkly Spins, I was actually getting my foot crossed over for a proper spin today, whereas it's normally bent up in front. Started sit spins too, going way too fast though and have to slow down!

Dull Spinning was the only thing I could do as the rink was a packed public session with crap ice and no space!

Questionable I do my fwd spin on my right leg, does this mean I should be back spinning on my left?

Isk8NYC

10-11-2007, 05:19 PM

Questionable I do my fwd spin on my right leg, does this mean I should be back spinning on my left?Technically, yes. Your right-footed forward spin turns CW-Clockwise, so your back spin should be on your left foot also turning CW-Clockwise.

If you're really talented, you could do a back spin on your right foot, turning CCW-Counter-Clockwise. j/k - it's really hard to spin in the other direction.

Sessy

10-11-2007, 05:21 PM

No our government programme for retired-aged people is more like "learn not to be afraid of the ice, it doesn't bite".
they only do forwards and backwards stroking, I've never even seen them do x-overs.

Sessy

10-11-2007, 05:22 PM

If you're really talented, you could do a back spin on your right foot, turning CCW-Counter-Clockwise. j/k - it's really hard to spin in the other direction.

I can do a cw backspin of about 3 revs but not a cw 1-footspin... And I'm ccw. How weird? 8O

Caris

10-11-2007, 05:36 PM

Technically, yes. Your right-footed forward spin turns CW-Clockwise, so your back spin should be on your left foot also turning CW-Clockwise.

If you're really talented, you could do a back spin on your right foot, turning CCW-Counter-Clockwise. j/k - it's really hard to spin in the other direction.

Ahhhhhh thank you, I was starting to do it on my right leg, and wondering why it felt like I should be doing it on the other!

techskater

10-11-2007, 08:26 PM

Skate@Delaware

10-11-2007, 08:36 PM

This is for last night...I was pooped and it was late when I got home so here it is

Sparkly: Rink was fairly empty by the time of my lesson. I was mostly warmed up and the fog was gone (and the ice has gotten harder-no mush!!!). We went over "stuff" and it was mostly good.

3-turns: I'm to do them with the free foot tucked at the skating heel...only because my free foot likes to party and go wild!!!

Salchow: because of that partying free foot, I've been taught to salchow from a mohawk. It was weird but sort of cool! My coach likes the height! And the fact that I can really hold that back edge before jumping. This is my exercise from now on (along with the 3-turn)

Backspin: still doing these from the 2-foot glide, but making the transition/push more like a mohawk/push and gliding the free foot on the ice behind me a smidgen while staying reallly bent down; then when the free foot is in front, raising up. I'm also to do change-foot and scratch-backspin-scratch.

Dull: yeah I have something for this.

Back Spiral: I haven't done these in a while...it shows! Good thing my chiro fixed me up yesterday so my back wasn't in too much pain! I got good extension on my legs, they were just bent...ewwww!!! And I was on a flat because my shoulders were not square. yuck!

Overall, a good lesson! next week-choreography for my competition, I just don't know which routine!!!!

Freestyle: Rihanna "Unfaithful" only music not her singing
Spotlight: I wanna be bad (cant remember who sings it, but it's a 1920's song re-done and it's cool)

Scarlett

10-11-2007, 09:52 PM

I have gotten in a lot of practice this week:

Sparkly:

Landed a lutz-toe!
Waltz-loops were cleanly landed.

Dull:
How is it that I cannot do a simple mohawk? The 5-step mohawk is hopeless.

Thin-Ice

10-12-2007, 02:45 AM

Overall, a good lesson! next week-choreography for my competition, I just don't know which routine!!!!

Freestyle: Rihanna "Unfaithful" only music not her singing
Spotlight: I wanna be bad (cant remember who sings it, but it's a 1920's song re-done and it's cool)

Is this really "I Wanna Be Evil" by Eartha Kitt? If so, have fun with this. I skated to it a few years ago and it was my breaththrough Interp. program... since I really got into the "cheating at jacks" and other "evil" things.:D It's great music and she was such a great singer. Oh, and if you want an idea of how slinky/sexy/sultry she was.. she was the original "Catwoman" on the old "Batman" TV show in the 1960s.

Sessy

10-12-2007, 04:16 AM

If you can spin your back spin on your right foot and your left, you've got a feature to your spins under IJS. One of the kids in our region uses that as a feature in her L3/4 change combination spin and it's quite nice.

Yeah but I'm not an american skater, we just have the normal system and that's it. I'm not sure if it counts for anything under that? And it's really discouraged to even spend time on developing it over here, although I'm not sure of the reason...

And how would one do the transition anyway?

(and what's a l3/4 change combination?)

Mrs Redboots

10-12-2007, 05:45 AM

I have also observed that there are absolutely _no_ spritely college students up for the 6:30 a.m. sessions. Would you have expected there to be????

No skating for me today - tests this morning meant no early ice.

As for the spinning - I prefer to spin clockwise, but have been taught to spin anti-clockwise (have to, with Husband) - coach likes me to do a bi-directional if/when I do a solo programme, but it seldom has more than 2 revs in each direction. And my solo backspin is non-existent, 1 rev at best, although our couples' backspin is arguably one of our better spins! Go figure....

techskater

10-12-2007, 07:51 AM

Sessy

10-12-2007, 08:45 AM

Would you have expected there to be????

No skating for me today - tests this morning meant no early ice.

As for the spinning - I prefer to spin clockwise, but have been taught to spin anti-clockwise (have to, with Husband) - coach likes me to do a bi-directional if/when I do a solo programme, but it seldom has more than 2 revs in each direction. And my solo backspin is non-existent, 1 rev at best, although our couples' backspin is arguably one of our better spins! Go figure....

Try pulling in your hips, I can do a 1-foot fine with my butt sticking out, but for the backspin I need to "pull my tail up" like a scared cat. Else I don't get more than 1 rev either.
Well probably that isn't the problem but you could try - or not. Just sharing :)

Rusty Blades

10-12-2007, 09:18 AM

Dull: With my balance still a little impaired...
Sparkly: I was surprised to find my upright spin was back :D and the sit was as good/poor as usual :??
Dull: Unfortunately the nice 3-turn footwork from yesterday wasn't happening today :cry:
Sparkly: Coach gave me some great tips on my Toe Loop! I was so concerned about cheating the TL that I was making it way too difficult. Maybe I WILL have the TL for competition next month.... :mrgreen:
Dull: Did one run-through of the Freeskate program. Maybe once it "sets" in my feeble brain 8O things will ACTUALLY get skated where they are SUPPOSED to be in the program! :roll:

quarkiki2

10-12-2007, 09:18 AM

liz_on_ice

10-12-2007, 12:36 PM

sparkly I thought I'd be without a lesson this week, but coach had a free slot at 9 today, and I was able to take a half day off.

dull wow did I get a lot of corrections :roll:

sparkly but some of them really worked wonders and we covered a ton of ground. I'm going to need a lot of practice before wednesday to get just half of those notes internalized.

I've also got my music cut for my FS3 program. She wants me to switch to the USFSA track but we agreed not to change focus till after this year. I want to pass FS3 and compete at that level at the spring ISI comps, and not be distracted by a completely different set of requirements.

Maybe this time next year I'll have a shiny new "pre-bronze for life" card to show off. :lol:

doubletoe

10-12-2007, 01:43 PM

jazzpants

10-12-2007, 01:48 PM

Violet is CUUUUUUTE, quark! (I looked at the picture before I got into work. My work blocked a bunch of websites, including flickr and photobucket. :x :frus: )

doubletoe

10-12-2007, 01:50 PM

Yeah but I'm not an american skater, we just have the normal system and that's it. I'm not sure if it counts for anything under that? And it's really discouraged to even spend time on developing it over here, although I'm not sure of the reason...

And how would one do the transition anyway?

(and what's a l3/4 change combination?)

For a change-direction spin, you can do either a forward-forward or a backward-backward:

- Forward-forward: Do a CCW forward upright spin, exit on LBI edge, Step out to RFO entrance edge and go into the CW forward spin. When you step down onto the right foot, it must be the entrance to the opposite direction spin (no step-down or change of edge in-between).

- Backward-backward: Do a CCW backspin, exit on RBO edge, step down forward onto LFI edge which becomes the entrance to your CW backspin. Same rule about no step-down o change of edge in-between)

Of course you can also do the CW spin first, then the CCW spin. Some people prefer it that way if they are CCW spinners, since the CW spin will be the slower spin and the CCW spin the stronger, faster spin.

A level 3 or level 4 change-foot combination spin is one with 3 or 4 features. Spinning in two different directions counts as one feature, so the skater would also have to have 2 or 3 other features (such as difficult variation of position, change of edge, etc.)

Isk8NYC

10-12-2007, 01:54 PM

Awww - Violet's so cute.

Tried another new rink; think I'll stick with the other one. Ice was hard and a very chopped up and it seemed a bit too small for the building. Other facility was nicer and easier to get to; same amount of time commuting, though.

The public session had about 25 kids on a class trip and I have to say, they were the most well-behaved and respectful kids I've ever shared the ice with. I went out of my way to compliment them to their teacher/chaperone.

Dull -
Did a few toe loops and weak little loops (mostly half-loops.)
Couldn't hold the back scratch spin in place, in fact almost every back spin was sad.
MITF - meh. Choppy ice makes for crappy edges and turns, but I practiced anyway. Skipped the tango stops today; too choppy to be safe.

Sparkly -
Great, long scratch spins and forward sit spins.
Very good waltz jumps, but not too much height; three jumps and half-walleys were easy.
Great spiral patterns, even the inside spirals. Realized that I always do RBO spirals, but never the others - onto the list.

Best part of the session: at the end, they played every version of the "Cha-Cha Slide" and almost every one of the skaters (all kids but me) bopped along and tried to keep up with the song. My heart was in my throat at the "Criss Cross" part - I was sure someone was going down. Lots of fun. LOL

dbny

10-12-2007, 08:38 PM

Violet is (as my kids would say) "ah doe able"!

Sparkly:
Well, I've had another week of no practice, and yet had a very good lesson today. I'm sure this is the result of being on the ice for hours each day teaching, now if I could only add some practice to that, I might make some significant progress! FO and FI threes were better than last week, and I did the best Prelim alt FI three pattern I've ever done, touching my free foot down on only two of the four RFI's, instead of all. One foot spin was ON today, and showed coach my new approach to backspin, which we discussed and she doesn't mind my doing at all. I didn't really work the backspin, but was able to get the free foot crossed and maybe one rev. Prelim power threes were amazing - for me, that is. The R side was almost fast enough for Prelim testing, and the L side was faster than I've done it before, actually picking up speed as I gained confidence on it. I haven't done this move in two weeks 8O. Did the BXO's to BO edges in my lesson for the first time, and coach's only suggestion was to get more extension, which is what I expected. B power pulls were their absolute best ever, with a nice rip and deep edges. I even did a whole length on L leg only and picked up speed.

Dull:
Was going to do Prelim spiral pattern with just free leg extension, but R knee gave me a very sharp tweak when I bent it in entry strokes, so I had to bail. I've had no knee pain from last week's toepick splat until yesterday, when both started acting up. I think it's just the wear and tear of the week's work.

Kim to the Max

10-12-2007, 09:05 PM

Sparkly: the Lutz and the Lutz-Loop made a reappearance...now I just gotta' work on my arms, seeing as they are not exactly where they need to be...Finally got my spins centered, and I have been able to get up after a very low sit spin...camel spins are getting better. Maybe I will try a flying camel...hmmmm...

Our goal is to get me to pass my juv freestyle by next year so that I can teach LTS :) Which would make me VERY happy!

Dull: Must work on my single loop. I know they could be so much bigger! The Intermediate back double 3s and brackets in the field are getting better, just some small kinks to work out. The pre-juv scratch spin change back scratch is making me mad :twisted:

chowskates

10-13-2007, 03:29 AM

Thanks for the compliment on Violet, Jessi!

Jessi is, BTW, doing a great job of fitting in on our team. I can't wait to get back on the ice...

Here's a recent pic for those of you who don't venture into the Parlor...

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t231/milomamask8r/DSC_1257.jpg

Ooh, yes, adorable indeed!

When do you expect to get back on the ice? I already want to plan when I should get back on, even before I get off!!

quarkiki2

10-13-2007, 08:57 AM

Hey, Chowskates -- how's it going?

I'm planning to get back on the ice next week -- 5 weeks post partum. I'm in much better shape *down there* than I was after DS's birth. Honestly, the biggest reason I've not been back sooner is that I'm breastfeeding and it hasn't been until the last week or so that she hasn't been eating every 1.5 to 2 hours. Now she's going 2 - 2.5 hours and that's enough time for me to get to the rink and practice for an effective amount of time.

After DS, I had a bunch of stitches that made sitting and walking uncomfortable, so I wasn't even keen on TRYING to skate until 7 or 8 weeks post partum. If you have a c-cection (I didn't, but had many stitches -- he has a big ol' noggin), that time will be more reasonable.

I don't know if it made a huge difference, but this time I did NOT have an epidural and have found my recover to be faster. Seriously -- I bounced out of the bed after having her, LOL!

Derek

10-13-2007, 08:57 AM

Definitely a sparkly day today, as I finally passed my Bronze Passport :)

Already practising for the Silver, but I don't expect any rapid progress soon.

Dull - my coach has been trying to organise a group session on Monday mornings, but it is proving difficult to fix the students into that slot. Hence my lesson will have to remain on the Saturday session, getting more challenging on public ice ! On the upside, I did approach one of my coach's other students, suggesting that I would be happy to engage in a shared lesson (or a longer one) if that was agreeable - the suggestion seemed well received. Anything to amortize the cost of lessons !

All in, a lovely day.

Sessy

10-13-2007, 12:57 PM

Sparkly:
Practiced at my mother's skating club today, in a lower-class group, but it's good to refresh the basics sometime. I also practiced some 1-foot spins, here's a tracing, I think it's pretty sparkly, don't you?
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6930/afb015vx9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Also I did a little extra paying attention on my mom, and noticed a very weird thing about the way she skated - technically it wouldn't be possible to happen, but it did. Turned out her heels were hanging by her ankles in her skates (that's why I refused to wear her skates a year ago, I had the same problem except I didn't think that was normal and got my own skates) and her heels were never touching the bottom of the skates... Dragged her to the skating shop, had them dented out, now she's happy as a bunny with them. I think maybe she will be able to stretch through on spirals now. I also suspect her blades are incorrectly mounted, but we didn't tackle that yet today.

Overall we've come to the conclusion that we're never, ever buying skates in the Netherlands again, and going to Belgium instead.

Sessy

10-13-2007, 01:35 PM

For a change-direction spin, you can do either a forward-forward or a backward-backward:

- Forward-forward: Do a CCW forward upright spin, exit on LBI edge, Step out to RFO entrance edge and go into the CW forward spin. When you step down onto the right foot, it must be the entrance to the opposite direction spin (no step-down or change of edge in-between).

- Backward-backward: Do a CCW backspin, exit on RBO edge, step down forward onto LFI edge which becomes the entrance to your CW backspin. Same rule about no step-down o change of edge in-between)

Of course you can also do the CW spin first, then the CCW spin. Some people prefer it that way if they are CCW spinners, since the CW spin will be the slower spin and the CCW spin the stronger, faster spin.

A level 3 or level 4 change-foot combination spin is one with 3 or 4 features. Spinning in two different directions counts as one feature, so the skater would also have to have 2 or 3 other features (such as difficult variation of position, change of edge, etc.)

Ahhh thanks! :)

RinkRat321

10-13-2007, 01:48 PM

sparkly
axel landing is getting better
double flip was okayish :)

dull
double toe is so hard!
my i-spin was really slow & uncentered

some stuff from practice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT59y5ZtVMw

dbny

10-13-2007, 04:55 PM

I don't know if it made a huge difference, but this time I did NOT have an epidural and have found my recover to be faster. Seriously -- I bounced out of the bed after having her, LOL!

The epidural does make a huge difference. Any anasthetic that affects half your body will do that.

Isk8NYC

10-13-2007, 10:35 PM

Today we joined our local skating Club and skated on the Club ice time. It was great, but my kids were a bit spooked by the higher-level skaters. We spent a lot of time covering "Safe Skating" and having them cling to me for safety. (Assuming, rightly so, that the skaters would be more likely to see me than the little ones.) I'm sure they'll get more comfortable on the session after a few sessions.

Dull:
Did a few traveling spins. The trips weren't planned; I still need my skates sharpened. lol
Due to the kiddies hanging off me like monkeys, I really didn't skate a lot.
Still working on pulling my feet back together on transitions, not a pretty sight.

Sparkly:

A few good waltz jumps, scratch spins were eeked out, along with some spirals.

My twins are really starting to skate. One of the coaches they had at summer camp corrected a lot of their posture and positions. It really showed today. One of them did a cute little fake sit spin and the other had gorgeous spirals! I was impressed.

We all worked on back outside threes - the twins on two feet, me on one.
They really like my fan double back threes, glad I impressed them, too!

Sessy

10-14-2007, 04:58 AM

The epidural does make a huge difference. Any anasthetic that affects half your body will do that.

Doesn't an epidural go into your spine? I've heard from a gynecologist who said this apparently put lots of extra work on muscles that normally would have to do less work pushing. I imagine that makes a difference too.

fsk8r

10-14-2007, 11:33 AM

Awww - Sparkly -
Great, long scratch spins and forward sit spins.
Very good waltz jumps, but not too much height; three jumps and half-walleys were easy.

Question: What's a three jump?
I know a waltz jump is what I know as a three jump, but what's the american version of a three jump? Is that what i've heard described as a jumped three? As in a three turn with a jump and lands on the same leg as you took off from?

Skate@Delaware

10-14-2007, 03:42 PM

Is this really "I Wanna Be Evil" by Eartha Kitt? If so, have fun with this. I skated to it a few years ago and it was my breaththrough Interp. program... since I really got into the "cheating at jacks" and other "evil" things.:D It's great music and she was such a great singer. Oh, and if you want an idea of how slinky/sexy/sultry she was.. she was the original "Catwoman" on the old "Batman" TV show in the 1960s.
Oh here I go dating myself...I remember watching BATMAN and seeing her!!!
No, that isn't my song, mine is a 1920's just re-taped by a modern singer. I am going for the boop-a-doop type of look......and FRINGE!!!!

I ventured out today, even though it wasn't 100% smart-my back was racked up again I could barely bend over to tie my skates! (duh, maybe my camping oout last night had something to do with it?????)

Dull: No jumps, every landing HURT and I was unsteady-the nerves were pinched, so I stuck to spins and 3-turns.

Sparkly: even tho I could not jump 100%, I did mohawk/salchows and 3-turn/salchows. These are different than normal salchows, these are 3-turn...........hold............jump! :mrgreen:

Spins were good, even did some 3 rev backspins; then did some change-foot and managed 2!!!!!

The rink was really cold today! The fog is gone tho. Back to putting toasty toes in my boots!

Skittl1321

10-14-2007, 04:35 PM

Mrs Redboots

10-14-2007, 05:45 PM

Sparkly: Husband's programme is beginning to be choreographed. He did several really nice loop jumps from a traditional entry.

Together, we did some good spins, too, in our free dance.

Dull: Ice was too crowded for compulsory dance. Circle Cycle is seriously difficult.... it ought not to be, but my shoulders go the wrong way.

icedancer2

10-14-2007, 06:58 PM

Sparkley: The ice at the rink where I have been skating was super-smooth today and I could really feel my flow - it is so exciting to me because for the longest time I was feeling mroe and more hesitant, feeling like I was losing my skills, etc., and now I think I am getting them back!

The ice at my old hockey rink is just too darn hard (for my poor old bones!).

Worked on the Argentine today with my dance coach - that darn twizzle:twisted: drives me nuts but the front section felt good and the last section also - with the cross-roles (cross-strokes?) anyway felt good.

Dull: Some tension in the air at the rink today - is it because everybody is going to Regionals next week or ... -hope it has nothing to do with me because I was having a good time!!

Skating-wise still having trouble with all back-to-fronts going from left to right foot but what else is new? --- feel better in general. Wondering about my dance blades - should I switch to Synchro blades?

Questions, questions...

chowskates

10-15-2007, 12:12 AM

Hey, Chowskates -- how's it going?

Thanks, Quarkiki. Everything's going very well so far.

Its an interesting point you made about the epidural. I suppose I will have to see how it goes!

fsk8r

10-15-2007, 12:02 PM

I learned a three jump as a jumped three turn- so you take off and land on the same foot. So one of the 8 possible three jumps is an underrotated loop.

Thanks for that. It's what I know as a jumped 3. It's quite confusing sometimes all the different English and American terminology. I thought I'd learnt most of it and then another one comes along.

dbny

10-15-2007, 12:46 PM

Question: What's a three jump?
I know a waltz jump is what I know as a three jump, but what's the american version of a three jump? Is that what i've heard described as a jumped three? As in a three turn with a jump and lands on the same leg as you took off from?

I learned a three jump as a jumped three turn- so you take off and land on the same foot. So one of the 8 possible three jumps is an underrotated loop.

Thanks for that. It's what I know as a jumped 3. It's quite confusing sometimes all the different English and American terminology. I thought I'd learnt most of it and then another one comes along.

Now for more confusion! I had understood that a three jump in UK terminology is what we in the US call a waltz jump. In the US, a jumped three is a three turn done at high speed, in which the majority of the blade leaves the ice just a fraction during the turn, thereby "jumping" it. This is not actually a jump, but a three turn (or other one foot turn) technique. You can see these all the time in the elite competitions.

Sessy

10-15-2007, 12:50 PM

Today's public session wasn't a lot of fun, considering highschools apparently had a day off to study for their mid-term exams starting tomorrow. Of course nobody was studying... :frus:
I'm not going tomorrow either, if they're having exams this week that means they're done by midday and tomorrow's session will be just as bad. I'm going rollerskating tomorrow.

Did a lot of explosive, heavy gym exercises this morning though. And some 20 minutes fat burning.

fsk8r

10-15-2007, 02:02 PM

Now for more confusion! I had understood that a three jump in UK terminology is what we in the US call a waltz jump. In the US, a jumped three is a three turn done at high speed, in which the majority of the blade leaves the ice just a fraction during the turn, thereby "jumping" it. This is not actually a jump, but a three turn (or other one foot turn) technique. You can see these all the time in the elite competitions.

You're right the UK three jump is a US waltz jump, but i was told a jumped 3 (not a 3 jump) is a three turn with a little hop in it, although I was shown it with quite a big hop and not a fraction leaving the ice, but it sounds like we're thinking about the same thing. I did think it was leading to confusion when we were told it was a jumped 3 and that was different from a 3 jump, but having spent time in Texas, I'm confused anyway as I've started saying waltz jump.
Just let's not start on the old toe-loop cherry flip thing. I don't understand why it's called a cherry flip and feel lucky to have had a coach who had worked overseas so had stopped calling it a cherry as it made more sense to me to being called a toe-loop. Now I can do the jump, you can call it what you like and I know what it is, but it was confusing when I was learning it.