Lovely Music or Annoying Static: Practice Jan 7-Jan 13

[LilJen]

What, no practice thread yet this week??

I have yet to post for Sunday's synchro practice. Will just share that:

[annoying static] coach "hates Christmas"; all three of our teams were a bunch of bumbling idiots, having forgotten/gotten out of practice/etc over the holidays. It *was* frustrating.
[annoying static] dished out checks totaling about $250 for ice fees, costume fees, competition fees. . . 8O
[lovely music] once I got over the "eek!" factor (this took quite a while) I was starting to feel quite comfortable with jumping. 2-footed spins were also continuing to go around 6+ revs fairly consistently.
[annoying static] must work with coach this week in the TAJophobia. I think I've never quite gotten the timing thing down on the toepick-assisted jumping anyway--I know I've only distinctly felt that "pop!" when the timing is just right only once or twice, and with my timidity surrounding the pick, well, it just needs work! I know that slamming the pick into the ice isn't the answer, and besides, it hurts when I do that!!

[liz_on_ice]

noisy static - no skating since wednesday - catching up at work, kids sick over the weekend. I found out yesterday that somehow I've completely overlooked the fact that the cf spin has two foot changes. 8O :oops:

lovely music - coach is back from vacation, lesson again tomorrow.
Got to the 6am freestyle. I really wish they'd flood twice after late night hockey - there are still genourmous ruts in the morning, smooth edged from being zamboni'd but pretty deep.

Practiced the cf spin a whole bunch with the third spin in, it's actually coming along ok. Put my program music on set for repeat and did at least six runthroughs. Wish I had more stamina, it's getting ragged at the end. The return of spring and park running should fix that up around March.

[Rusty Blades]

Static: Still have a bit of a head cold which effected my skating - sweating a lot once I got warmed up and still subject to vertigo from spins, particularly sit spins.

Lovely music: Nonetheless a couple of the sit spins were right on! WAHOO! (Hey, when you are 58 years old and overweight a sit spin is an accomplishment - LOL!) Couldn't get them consistent though - not getting the spinning foot under me enough. Is a sit spin supposed to be on an outside edge? Seems to be the only way I can get the skating foot under me enough.

Upright spins and jumps were so-so (pretty good considering how I am feeling!), forward edges and XOs good, back edges so-so, (as usual)....

Static: ..... and back XOs ....... what "back XOs" - LOL! :roll:

Guess I will have to go back again tomorrow and TRY to make more progress before my coach comes back and thinks I have been dogging it for the past week! :halo: Maybe have to pick up a day and skate 4 days a week until the February competition ..... sleep is over-rated anyway 8O

[Mrs Redboots]

Lovely music: Back on the ice again after another cold/bad throat/virussy thing. No stamina or speed, so we worked on the European waltz.

Static: We worked on the European waltz. That is not an easy dance!

We had fun, though.

[doubletoe]

Lovely Music
This morning at 7:00am I had my first MIF lesson since my unsuccessful Intermediate MIF test on Dec. 14. In the weeks since my test, I finally managed to come up with a dependable fix on my nemesis move--the CW perimeter back power 3's on the left foot--and it seems to have really solved the problem (knock on wood!). I told my MIF coach about it this morning and she said, "OK, let's see it." I knew she had her doubts, and I think she was genuinely surprised when I totally nailed it on the first try! She said it was the best she'd ever seen me do that move. :mrgreen: And it was on rock hard ice with dulling blades.

Annoying Static
Had much more trouble than usual on the brackets, probably a combination of neglecting them for at least a week and the fact that my edges were slipping. Chasse part of the slide chasses was also a little problematic, as were the BI double 3's. Hopefully they will all be better again after a good sharpening.

[Morgail]

Lovely Music:

-I went to my first early a.m. (5:50) session. Wow, it was early. But I got a lot of practice in, and felt great afterwards. At least it was warm today...I'm not looking forward to skating that early when it's 10 degrees outside!

-Also finally had my first lesson since August! Worked on Moves and dances. I have a lot to practice now;)

Annoying Static:

-I thought I was going to die in the middle of the early session. I got tired very quickly. I'll eventually get used to it, I suppose.

[jazzpants]

YAAAAY!!! Back to work for you, Morgail! :mrgreen:

Lovely Music:
Filling out paperwork now for Adult Nationals!

Annoying Static:
Filling out paperwork now for Adult Nationals! (WOW!!! So much to fill out!!!) 8O

Lovely Music:
It's nice to be back on the ice at my home rink after being in NYC. It's wonderful at Chelsea Piers and I love having my NYC coach around and having the oppty. of training full time with him and working serious towards our goals, but I miss my Monday night session and my coaches are ready and dying to get their hands on me on whatever torture they have in mind for me. 8O (Ummm... maybe I should go back to NYC... :P :lol:)

Plus, I need to get back to work to pay for it all! :twisted:

Annoying Static:
Of course, I don't miss the HUGE CROWDS of holiday skaters that are still coming in to skate. *sigh* I guess I'll wait 'til college is back in session and then I'll have a more "peaceful" session then.

Lovely Music (at least in primary coach's ears... well, sorta...)
I practiced the stuff that NYC coach gave me on the toe loop. I think I'll need secondary coach to look at this and see what she thinks.

I also practiced my new foot position on the loop entry and trying to get my free leg across when I jump up and rotate. I'm happier about it so far. I'm landing the jump more often now b/c of this fix and I managed a few more loop-loops b/c of this change. (Since I'm "feeling lucky...PUNK!!!" :twisted: )

I also practiced shoot the duck down the length of the rink and tried to stay on as much as I possibly can. Primary coach is pleased that I'm finally trying to get down further on my sit spin.

Annoying Static:
Of course, he now wants me to turn the free foot more and THAT is partially what's throwing me off on my shoot the duck. :giveup: Oh, well! My pants are soaked enough to appease the primary coach... so...

[jazzpants]

noisy static - no skating since wednesday - catching up at work, kids sick over the weekend. I found out yesterday that somehow I've completely overlooked the fact that the cf spin has two foot changes. 8O :oops: Uh oh! And your coach didn't correct that either??? 8O

[Sessy]

Static: the ice. I wiped out on my camel because the ice was so hard that nothing would grip at all. I guess with all the figure skating ice last week they decided to make up for it with extreme hockey ice this week. I also couldn't center anything and I'm not sure if it was the ice, the fact that they didn't sweep after shorttrack practice, or the large number of wild hockeyers getting in my way.

Music: Grabbing the leg for the spin with my foot biellmann-ish is becoming easier.

Other than that I spent the session teaching mom bunnyhops. Which went reasonably well. She's daring to do them by the boarding.
I tried her skates on at her insistance (OUCH my ankle bones hurt now, dear lord! I'm glad I don't have to skate for the next 2 days) and the mounting of the blades is fine now and I'd not say the skates are too hard, I could spin & power pull in them fine (despite them being a size too large for me). She claims not to be able to bend the ankle though, so I showed her ways to break in skates faster, which she could do at home. Not like she's breaking RF3 down skating once a week anyway.

I think the main problem is that she's "hanging" on the skates' boots instead of pushing on the edge - how does one go about fixing that anyway?! - and that just in general, she's attempting to use as few muscles as humanly possible, keeping no tension on anything. I spent a lot of the session being angry at her for it, and in the end, her spiral did improve majorly. She even started to push on the heel just a little bit.

[Skate@Delaware]

Lovely Music: more backspins in the right position...Yay!!! toe-looooooops!!!! I'm starting to get the weight transfer and getting that "pop" into the air. My routine (with chair AND purse) went well today. No one crashed into the chair....that was good. And it did not stick to the ice, which was really good!

Annoying Static: Scratch spins-sucked. what else is new. Loops did not happen. foot work in routine is still dorky and got me all tangled up. Oh well, at least the date got moved for the exhibition so I'm ok with having more time.

[Kim to the Max]

[lovely music]

As predicted, coach saw a few of my axels today as she was in other lessons and pulled me over and said to do it again....no pressure there! Of course I choked when I thought she was watching...that always happens...but when I thought she was watching someone else, I was okay... I think she was a little amazed from the look on her face :) They are still not completely rotated...I need coach to take a look at them in a lesson to make some corrections (even today the few she saw she said I was sticking my butt out, and I can feel that I'm breaking at the waist a bit), however, I don't think that's going to happen until March because of testing...we'll see what she says on Thursday during our lesson...

Coach signed my test form, so I will send it off tomorrow! I also need to bring coach chili on Thursday for our lesson...I had said something about needing to time things with our lesson (we are skating at noon) because I'm making Chili for 20 (gotta' provide dinner for the students I supervise...we have training Thursday/Friday/Saturday), and she said, make that 21...so I need to bring her both some vegetarian and some meat!

Skating tomorrow and a little Thursday at lunch because of work stuff...I have training starting at 5pm on Thursday going until probably 10pm that night, and then Friday from 8am-6pm and Saturday from 11-2 probably....can't wait to get back to a normal schedule! Which won't be until February...maybe...if someone will take my duty for me :(

[annoying static]

The sessions today were crazy busy...and the ice was cruddy from skate school...

Still doing something funky with my lutz :( No clue what it is...

Scratch spins would NOT center today, and I just can't get onto the ball of my foot when I change to a back scratch....ugh!

Didn't get a chance to run through all of my moves today because it was just too busy...did the back power3s though...

Looked at our duty schedule for work (we all take part in an on-call rotation for a week at a time) and the person who did the schedule this semester put me on for the week before my test...I now need to find someone to either switch with me or to hold the phone for me for about 3 hours for 4 of the 7 days I'm on duty....hopefully someone will help out....

[vesperholly]

Lovely music: I finally sent my applications for Sectionals and ANs!! I'm officially competing now! :mrgreen:

Did a huuuuge axel and then axel-loop in my lesson for my coach. After all the lessons of tears and miserableness because of the axel, it feels so great to have them consistent.

I asked my coach to look at my traveling layback and really crappy back sit, and I got great feedback. The free leg in the layback needs to be curled behind more, back sit is wide-stepped and the free leg isn't crossed enough, which is pulling me off the spin.

Annoying static: My ribs are so sore, and I have no idea why.

I've been asked to teach FIVE learn to skate classes at my rink, in addition to the 1.5 hours I'm teaching at another rink Saturdays. I'm really happy for the experience and income of course, but I am going to be so tired. It's a good thing that three classes are on Saturday, when I don't skate for myself. And I thought I was at the rink a lot before!

[singerskates]

Lovely Music: Healthy again.
Annoying Static: Strength is not yet back.

Lovely Music: Adult Public ice on Tuesdays at Forest Glade Arena (person in charge lets us adults do anything we wish). Met a few other adult skaters during the session. They were from the Adult Rose City Rhythms who train at Forest Glade Arena on Sundays. I was quite surprised that I spun better then them but then, they haven't been working on freeskating for a long time.
Had the room at the end of the session to run through my freeskate program once from beginning to end.

Annoying Static: Because I'm still on the weak side ( was sick from Christmas Eve until last Saturday so I couldn't go to City/Ticket Ice to Freeskate ), my jumps didn't have much in the way of height especially my split and flip. I totally just bailed on the Lutz and skated through it. Second half of my RFO ce RFI spiral during my spiral sequence was too short because of a lack of speed going into it. My forward corkscrews still thought it was the holidays even though I was cracking 10 revs. Same goes for my forward sit/broken sit. On the sit, I know that I'm not getting my free leg close enough to my skating leg in the first part of my sit.

Lovely Music: Back catch spiral on LBI edge is much smoother and travels a good distance down the ice diagonally to my split/flip/toe.
Still can do my LFO spiral/lunge move into my corkscrew without any steps or turns in between which is the last thing I do my my program.

[jskater49]

Annoying static

I've decided I don't like freestyle anymore - which is a little inconvenient, considering I'm competing both a freestyle and artistic next week. It showed when I ran through my freestyle for my coach. It was the worst run-through of my life - I just gave up. She was pretty disgusted with me.

A little better music - I ran through it again with music after my lesson and did a better job, artistic wasn't too bad.

Also she says my back spiral is better than my forward spiral - my leg is actually hip level and I don't bend my knees at all. Othere than that, nothing good.

Dd had her first dance student, I thought she was so cute in her coach's jacket. Made the mistake of tellining her that and got the eye roll.

j

[Mrs Redboots]

Lovely music: Skated for 90 minutes today (not all of it hard by any manner of means!), first time I've been able to do that for months. Not working has some advantages. Not many, but some!

Static: Coach laughed at us when we were practising the European waltz before my lesson.
I don't push myself nearly enough when skating solo.
Still hate FO swing rolls solo.

[Rusty Blades]

Dead Silence!!! Some days are better forgotten!

Woke up today physically and emotionally exhausted (rough day yesterday!). Normally, when I take to the ice I am able to leave everything else behind but not so today - no spark, no energy, no nuthin! Absolute waste of time...... :(

[myste12]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D Apparently, the third try was the charm. I'll post details on my blog: http://myste12.blogspot.com/.

Annoying Static:
I fell on a forward power circle and hit the boards feet first at full speed two days ago. It didn't hurt at the time, but my left ankle hurts something fierce today. I was really lucky to make it through my test today. I can't point my toe at all, and I don't have words to describe how painful FI rockers were. I've confined myself to the computer chair and couch for the rest of today in hopes that I'll be able to skate tomorrow. I've got a lesson, and I want to start my senior moves darn it!

[dbny]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D Apparently, the third try was the charm. I'll post details on my blog: http://myste12.blogspot.com/.



CONGRATULATIONS!

Still no practice for me, but this is the first day I've started to feel better, so I'm hoping for tomorrow.

[jazzpants]

Lovely Music:
Managed after a couple of dud loop jumps in my warm up to get my loop mojo back...

Annoying Static:
...'til I did my first runthru. Of course, I didn't land the first one and the coach stops the music right after I two foot the loop.

Lovely Music again:
Then I finally started the program again and the first run thru was quite smooth. I managed to even finish the program on time and land my flip at the tail end of my FS program!!! Nice!!!

Then I went back and started the beginning pose and did the section all the way to the loop, expecting that when I step out that my coach was gonna stop the music right after that since I did land it and our usual training regiment was that after the first completed runthru, we do the program again but only to after my loop jump. I expected the music to stop but I didn't stop b/c I'm trained to do the program all the way 'til the music stops.

Annoying Static again:
... but the music didn't stop!!! EVILLE secondary coach decided to make me go do a DOUBLE RUN THRU!!! AUUUUGH!!! 8O :twisted: 8O :twisted: 8O

Lovely Music again:
So I just concentrated on pushing thru my program and just kept going. And I managed to get thru that runthru and finish it. I was a little behind at the ending with the last spin... but I DID land the flip jump at the end on the SECOND runthru as well too! :mrgreen:

Annoying static:
But we still have to fix my toe-waltz in my jump sequence! :evil: Apparently, we found out that I could do them in isolation but not within a jump sequence. NYC coach had trained me to do them in isolation (i.e. toe loop by itself), so secondary coach had to finish that grim task of making me go thru his drill, but in a jump sequence. I have MORE stuff to practice this week... EEEEK!!! 8O

Thankfully, I DID managed to actually do toe loops now, so secondary coach knows that I have worked on this with my NYC coach... so a BIG "Thank You, NYC COACH!!!" (I'll be sending him a box of chocolate soon...) :mrgreen:

Lovely Music:
Secondary did say that overall, she's glad I went off to NYC to train with the NYC coach! I needed that different perspective... and I needed that "working with a new coach and being on my best behaviour" factor. Of course, I did joked when I skated up to my secondary coach "You're not <NYC coach's name>!?!?! AUGH!!! I'm going back to bed!!! :twisted: " (Her response was "Yup, it's just funny looking me!!! DEAL WITH IT!!! :twisted: ")

Nice to be back home!!! LOL!!! :lol:

[liz_on_ice]

lovely music - coach is back from vacation this week and my lesson didn't get rained out. Somehow over the holidays I made a big breakthrough in my waltz jump. I'm taking off and landing on the edge like it's supposed to, the jump got big and the takeoff leg is straight in the air like it's supposed to be. Coach was impressed :)

annoying static - lots of work to do on CF spin and toe loop. corrections on a bunch of other things too. I took copious notes so hopefully I can fix them by next week.

[Isk8NYC]

I have been so wiped out this week, I left the Coffee Club session early yesterday. Not that I was skating badly, but I was exhausted and achy all over. A good night's sleep has helped, but I'm going to take it easy today.

Annoying Static:
Spins were okay, but I didn't try anything more than the basics.
MITF practice was okay, except the dopey threes-on-the-line. I kept touching down, no more or less than I usually do, but still ticking me off.
Figures were terrible, but so was the ice. I have to remember to start focusing on my centers instead of the ice in front of me - that was always a bad habit. However, I can do the change-edges much more easily now, sloppy edge tracings, though.

Lovely Music:
Had a very short and productive MITF lesson yesterday. I really liked the coach and he's got very sharp eyes at spotting what I'm doing wrong. You really can't see yourself skate objectively.

Jumps were excellent. I had moved the left blade inward and tada - my salchow is suddenly much easier and has a clean takeoff! I only tried half-flips, but they felt great. Waltz jumps are a bit lower, but now I can do combinations with toe loop and two-footed loops without feeling terror.

Crossovers are all cleaner and stronger, even with the creaky knees.

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!!
Congratulations!

[Kim to the Max]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

[LilJen]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D Apparently, the third try was the charm. I'll post details on my blog: http://myste12.blogspot.com/.

Congrats! Hope the ankle is feeling better.

Annoying static: Someone, clearly, has stolen my waltz 8. It's been quite secure and dependable for a while; but for the past week it has totally stunk. Don't really know why; the 3s are fine, the BO edges are fine, the FI edges are fine. Will have coach diagnose. Also--two skaters who really should know better spent the better part of an hour talking at center ice. I think they were trying to work out a routine together, but there was a whooooooooole lot more talking than moving around. I did ask them if I might take the center hockey circle for a bit to practice my waltz 8s (they did graciously cede the space to me since they were not skating at all) but they just moved their conversation to another part of the middle of the rink and stood there instead--did not get the message that standing around mid-rink ain't a great idea.

Lovely music: Good practice yesterday, with emphasis on moves and very few jumps, as all my jumping on Sunday made my ankle a bit sore--too much too soon.

[sk8pics]

Congrats myste12!

LilJen- I love your signature line, LOL! My ankle cost me closer to $30,000 when you count the complications and the removal of the screws... oh dear. Actually, it cost my insurance company most of that!

[Bill_S]

Static: More injury! I've been off the ice since Saturday when I somehow sprained my back reaching for a jar of pickles in the fridge :roll: I can't even put on my socks without wincing in pain, let alone lacing up skates and tossing myself onto the ice.

This is the third time I've pulled something in my back since summer. I'm beginnning to suspect something is wrong.

At least this time away from skating gives the bumps on my heels a chance to heal.

[doubletoe]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D Apparently, the third try was the charm. I'll post details on my blog: http://myste12.blogspot.com/.

Annoying Static:
I fell on a forward power circle and hit the boards feet first at full speed two days ago. It didn't hurt at the time, but my left ankle hurts something fierce today. I was really lucky to make it through my test today. I can't point my toe at all, and I don't have words to describe how painful FI rockers were. I've confined myself to the computer chair and couch for the rest of today in hopes that I'll be able to skate tomorrow. I've got a lesson, and I want to start my senior moves darn it!


WOW, YOU ARE AWESOME!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:
Take care of that ankle, though. I prescribe a few days of rest. . . preferably on your laurels. :mrgreen:

[coskater64]

Congrats on passing JR MOVES!!

Lovely Music: I can skate! Learning these moves is interesting I have never done the lower moves. I started at intermediate, these are very helpful even though I tend to forget the power 3's (french 3's), the new move on the pre bronze is impossible to do with speed. Even starting from a stand still I barely get 4 sets in, 3 works much better. My coach says my waltz 8 is very pretty, the bronze test is much easier. I can do my brackets on all edges and obviously 3 turns but RO rocker, not yet, R knees doesn't have correct bendy action.

Annoying Static: Paperwork for AN's and Sectionals not that I am doing anything difficult, solo dance and moves for sectionals and artistics (2) for AN's.

Put up video of me skating on my Blog, click where it says Movie up top, if you watch remember, 4th day on ice new boots and blades, and 3 month old hip. I have no extension and just barely remember the dances (Euro and R Fox) but...I did make it around the ice.:roll: :roll:

[jazzpants]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D Apparently, the third try was the charm. I'll post details on my blog: http://myste12.blogspot.com/.
CONGRATULATIONS on passing your Junior Moves, myste12!!! WOW WOW WOW!!!

:bow: :bow: :bow:

(Now rest that ankle for your own good!!! You want to get a good start on the Senior Moves and working on it with an injured ankle is NOT it!!! Besides, you've EARNED the rest anyway!!! :mrgreen: )

coskater64: You make those edges look so easy on those dance videos on your website! We hate you!!! :twisted: :P :lol: :bow:

[SkatingOnClouds]

Lovely Music
skating again after a 2 week holiday shutdown.
Jumping again !!! I love to jump !!!
Gliding, twirling and just skating. Feels so good!

Finally going to be able to buy new skates !!!!! Excited, even though it's going to take weeks before I get them, cos I have to get modified boots to fit my truly horrible bunions.

Static
lousy ice, hot weather making the ice melt.
As always, my spins stay on holiday for weeks after I take a break :roll:
Damn I hate that !
Getting balance back

Stiff sore hamstring muscles and butt myuscles after my first session back. Can't believe how much muscle strength I lost in 2 weeks

[Thin-Ice]

Lovely Music:
I passed junior moves today!!!! :D :D :D Apparently, the third try was the charm. I'll post details on my blog: http://myste12.blogspot.com/.

Annoying Static:
I fell on a forward power circle and hit the boards feet first at full speed two days ago. It didn't hurt at the time, but my left ankle hurts something fierce today. I was really lucky to make it through my test today. I can't point my toe at all, and I don't have words to describe how painful FI rockers were. I've confined myself to the computer chair and couch for the rest of today in hopes that I'll be able to skate tomorrow. I've got a lesson, and I want to start my senior moves darn it!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Wow.. that's a BIG one. I've been told by many of our local judges anyone who can pass Junior Moves can pass Senior fairly easily.. if they just remember to "perform as if there's music on" during the test, instead of "just skating".

[Isk8NYC]

Wow.. that's a BIG one. I've been told by many of our local judges anyone who can pass Junior Moves can pass Senior fairly easily.. if they just remember to "perform as if there's music on" during the test, instead of "just skating".
One Club actually DOES play music during the moves tests - the SD said it relaxes the skaters and judges.

[Thin-Ice]

One Club actually DOES play music during the moves tests - the SD said it relaxes the skaters and judges.

One of our clubs used to play music during moves tests too... in fact, when I took one of my moves tests I was happy about it.. it made me feel better (not to mention, it covers up slight scratchiness). But about halfway through the judge-in-charge called me over and asked if I wanted them "to turn off that terrible music". In my one fast thought for the day, I said I hadn't noticed any music and they could leave it on. (probably NOT what the JIC wanted to hear -- since apparently he was the one it was bothering!;)

[Kim to the Max]

[Lovely Music]

Did some nice high flip jumps last night.

Worked on axels some...not too many because my legs were tired.

Spins were okay...

Moves were decent...the back double 3s were actually quite good as was the slide chasse pattern....brackets....'doh

[Annoying Static]

Axels are still not fully rotated.

Didn't skate too hard last night because my legs were tired, and I have a lesson today at noon, so I wanted to make sure I was okay for that.

[coskater64]

We play music on our test sessions, very quietly but just loud enough so it's not dead quiet. We have to keep it soft so the judges can hear the rips of the good edges....:mrgreen: :evil:

[LilJen]

More Annoying this morning than anything: Yes, my RFO3 turns in particular are very screwed up somehow. Coach noticed when picking for the half-flip that I tended to pick wide. . . whyyyyyy can't I control my free leg???? And the more spins I did during the lesson, the worse they got. When will I find my center? Oh, I am impatient!

[jazzpants]

One of our clubs used to play music during moves tests too... in fact, when I took one of my moves tests I was happy about it.. it made me feel better (not to mention, it covers up slight scratchiness). But about halfway through the judge-in-charge called me over and asked if I wanted them "to turn off that terrible music". In my one fast thought for the day, I said I hadn't noticed any music and they could leave it on. (probably NOT what the JIC wanted to hear -- since apparently he was the one it was bothering!;)
Short answer: iPods!!! :mrgreen:

Long answer: iPods!!! Serious...if it's just you on the ice patch. It relaxes you and the judges can concentrate on hearing the rips of the edges (or the scratchiness of the toe picks :oops: ) and doesn't have to subject to "that terrible music."

Of course, in my case, I prefer not to have it on. I need to hear my edges and troubleshoot myself as I go along the patterns... :P

[jenlyon60]

On our test sessions, I would not want the skaters wearing iPods while they tested.

We double-panel almost all of our tests (although certain Intermediate/Novice elements are alternated for safety, most Junior MIF elements are alternated and all of the Senior MIF elements are alternated).

But then my club is consistently in the top 3 in terms of total number of tests conducted (MIF, FS and dance) annually (last year we were #1).

Great club to trial judge at, in terms of opportunity and volume.

[Helen88]

Lovely:
I got to skate for aaages today - school's shut cos the boiler broke :D So when I got there at two, there was only about five people on the ice. Wonderful :)
Anyway...
Spirals: Higher (I think...no lesson today), MUCH more confident with them...
Crossovers: Deeper, more bend, more confident again, both forwards and back.

And the ice!! When I got there, the ice was wonderful...smooth, softish...empty :D

Annoying:
Waltz-jumps decided to leave me today...but I wasn't really working too hard on them this session, so I'm not too upset

Erm...that was about it! It was a really good session overall.

[Kim to the Max]

[lovely music]

Coach and I did a full run through of my moves today.

They were okay...some small fixes I need to make...but, I can do it! Pretty much t-minus 3 weeks until the test session...coach asked if I was going to freak out beforehand...we'll see....I also need to decide if I'm going to skate the early morning session before the test (6am-7:30am)...

My power circles were okay...backwards were off...coach is getting me a copy of the darn metronome CD so that we can make sure the tempo is right...

Power 3s - good, need to work on the CW, making sure I'm pointing my toe and getting my feet a little quicker

Double 3s - very good, transition on the inside needs to be quicker so that I'm closer to the 1st 1/3 on the first three

Brackets - getting better...I think that one is a confidence thing seeing as I pretty much despise that pattern...

Slips and Rips (Slide Chasse) - just need to do some more presentation on them...otherwise, not bad...

Coach is trying to get me to do the adult synchro team next year...it all depends on the $$$....

Coach also commented on the axels she saw on Tuesday and how she was a little surprised :) Of course, that was part of my super-secret plan :)

[myste12]

Thanks for the congratulations everyone!

Lovely Music:
My ankle's feeling better, not good yet, but not intensely painful anymore. I did skate this morning and walked through most of the senior moves patterns with my coach. I took it really easy on my ankle and just got the basic idea of the patterns down. There was certainly no speed or power to my skating today! I also skipped the left foot side of a few patterns (spirals and double 3turns to quick twisting rockers) to spare the injured ankle. The individual turns and edges weren't too bad because I've worked so hard on them for all of the preceding tests, but getting the power, quickness, and extension that's expected on a senior test is going to take some time to say the least...

The highlight of the morning was watching my coach (who hasn't skated competitively in 20 some years) breeze through these patterns. Now there's some inspiration!

Annoying Static:
Will be spending the rest of the afternoon sitting down with a heat wrap on my ankle instead of hitting an afternoon skating session. I hate injuries!:evil:

[Isk8NYC]

I was really tired today, but I skated anyway. I skated badly, but I made the effort anyway.

Static:
Change-edge spirals from inside to outside were impossible today, but I can do the change-edge gliding, so there's still hope.
I'm totally befuddled with the turns I've been working on; I can't even remember what they're called. Doesn't matter - today they looked NOTHING like what they should have, lol.
Spins were flaky and hard to hook. Finally made some progress on the camel, but nothing outstanding.

Twizzles were awful, no way to sugar-coat that one.
Catch-foot spirals (1st tries) were poor, but no one was injured, so it's okay.

Music:
Prelim MITF were much better, thanks to Tuesday's lesson. Can't wait for next week's lesson!
Serpentine Figures were sloppy (edge-wise), but stronger and consistent. I think the sizing is off, I have to plan my layout better next time.
All jumps were jumped, with the usual two-footed flip and loop landings. sigh
Salchows were 100% better, though.

Tango stops and spreadeagles were very good.

[blackmanskating]

[Music]

My axel is back after a 2 day hiatus! Landed 9 of them cleanly but I had to reduce my speed coming in on the entrance. I would constantly overrotate if I had too much speed. I've been a little under the weather so everything that involved rotation was way off including spins. Double loop is coming back, still a bit underrotated but it's getting there. Back spin has returned along with my forward sit and camel. Double sal is better than it's ever been. Happy to be skating somewhat normal again. Ready to start adding that loop on the axel to prep for Silver Free. I'm going to blow those judges away this time. :mrgreen: Bronze moves are feeling good. I'm still working on the silver moves.


[Static]


My Forward scratch is still travelling to Japan. No idea what's going on. Determined to fix it though. Still too scared to land the double toe cleanly :oops:


Today was a great skating day. Learned a ton.


BlackManSkating

[jazzpants]

Music:

Primary coach changed my program a lot at the beginning to give me more time to set up my loop jump.

Static:

Of course, the payment for more time to set up my loop jump now is I have to do a LOOP-LOOP!!!

And just to make sure I would do it... my secondary coach walked into the rink early and heard it. The two coaches talked and she said to me "Oh, she's upposed to do a loop-loop instead of a loop? Is THAT so!?!?!! We'll have to fix THAT!!! :twisted: " (I see the horns coming out of her head right then and there!!! EEEEK!!!)

There's more!!! The other option for the primary coach is that I do a loop-toeloop at the beginning and a salchow-loop as the second jump. Of course, I told my secondary coach this and she gives me this look like "WIMP!!!" and said "Do a loop-loop, then do a salchow-loop!" Missed the loop-loop but did land the salchow loop, even though it was kinda wimpy. She said "Is there a difference on the landing between the loop and the salchow?" Me: "Ummm....no?" She said "NOT from MY end of things!!! Now go do a loop-loop again!" :twisted: Landed the second loop-loop clean (though again wimpy... but what do you expect at the end of a half-hour lesson with primary coach.) She said "I'm glad you see my point!!! :twisted: "

Music Again:
Secondary coach did bragged to primary coach that she made me do a double CLEAN runthru yesterday.

Static Again:
Needless to say, she also hinted at how much her lighting a fire under my butt ALWAYS gets me moving!!! 8O

[Terri C]

I too have become the victim of coaches cahooting.
Today it was decided that Primary Coach will deal with Easterns stuff on my lessons with her and Secondary Coach will deal with Valentine Open stuff during my lessons then. So today when I showed Primary Coach my straightline footwork for Bronze CM, she declared it was too boring and added more tortuous stuff to it. Tappy toes are not going to happen, so she now wants me to do the swing roll, up on toes thing on each foot, then forward crosstrokes to power threes and then back crosstrokes to the salchow.
Uh, Bronze CM has a 1 minute time limit.

Lovely Music:
Got the ballpark idea of the above footwork. Did a sitspin that rocks during freeskate program runthrough. Did a okay runthrough of artistic program that I just started Tuesday.
Will be going to secondary rink tomorrow to skate- more room, nice ice and more adult skaters!!!

Annoying Static:
Lost 15 minutes of ice today, because I complained to the skating director that the ice was HORRIBLE!! It was- there was no resurface after the hockey that preceeded the freestyle, but boy oh boy that Zam is lined up and ready at 5:50 when the session is over.
What is so digusting about this is everyone is paying money to skate on this ice, whether it's freestyle ice, for lessons or commission and the freestyles are crowded to start with. Having crappy ice is only asking for accident to happen.

[Rusty Blades]

.... I complained to the skating director that the ice was HORRIBLE!! ... Having crappy ice is only asking for accident to happen.

Yup! I am the "Queen Bit@h" at my rink. I am usually there by 6:15 a.m. to warm up for the 7 a.m. session, well before the head coach. I have rejected the ice so many times they must think I work for management!

[Terri C]

Yup! I am the "Queen Bit@h" at my rink. I am usually there by 6:15 a.m. to warm up for the 7 a.m. session, well before the head coach. I have rejected the ice so many times they must think I work for management!


So what do you do to get the ice cut? Several skaters and parents and a coach complained this afternoon before I did and got nowhere.

[SkatingOnClouds]

More Annoying this morning than anything: Yes, my RFO3 turns in particular are very screwed up somehow. Coach noticed when picking for the half-flip that I tended to pick wide. . . whyyyyyy can't I control my free leg???? And the more spins I did during the lesson, the worse they got. When will I find my center? Oh, I am impatient!

Wide to the inside? Could be that your right shoulder (assuming you jump CCW) isn't checked back enough after the 3 turn. My coach had me working on this for what felt like months, but it has improved now. I just have to remember not to allow myself to start pre-rotating before I pick now, otherwise it happens again.

[sk8pics]

Lovely Music Skated yesterday with my coach, first time on the ice in a month, and it was fabulous! The session was crowded and the ice was crappy but it was great! I didn't let my coach let go of me, though, LOL. Still, we did forward and backward stroking and one-foot glides, forward and backward inside and outside edges, forward and backward crossovers. 8-) The back crossovers were really quite good, but boy, did they tire me out! We were talking about how no matter what other exercise you are doing, there's nothing like skating for tiring you out, LOL!

Also saw a couple of people I hadn't seen since I really got started skating again, so hugs all around. It was nice.

The ankle doesn't hurt at all but it does complain a bit about deep knee bend, like when I was doing the back crossovers. Oh, we also practiced landing positions and that was interesting!

All in all, a great day on the ice.

[Rusty Blades]

Static: Had a long sleep last night - 3 of them actually - and still woke up VERY tired. Oh well, coach is back today so off to the rink..... and the rough ice (again) ....... but I got on 10 minutes early (6:50).

Music: A few upright spins were really good and a couple of sit spins almost happened but jumps were less than normal (which puts them pretty much at "non-existent"!) .

Static: Didn't see any sign of coach or her other skater by 7:15 - don't blame her - after a week on a beach in the Dominican, I wouldn't be in any hurry to return to a rink in Winnipeg either! Had pretty much pooped myself out by 7:40 so decided to rest for a few minutes and see if coach showed up at 7:45 - sure enough - tanned, sun-bleached hair, looking ever so refreshed and perky! (She ought to be ashamed of herself!)

Spend some lesson time going over a bit of everything but mainly talking about choreography, music time, etc. By the time we finished, I had been out there 50% longer than I had planned - but it's the weekend now and I can SLEEEEEEEP!

[Isk8NYC]

The twins had their lesson this morning, so we managed to get out and make a 7am 8O :80: freestyle session. Since I was there anyway, and it wasn't crowded (so I didn't have to play bodyguard) I skated too!

The heels of my blades need a bit of adjusting, but the front seems to be okay. I've gotten very good with my screwdriver and skewers, lol.

Static:
Flip jumps were two-footed on the landing. Five more pounds, five more pounds.

Sit spins were nice and low, but I blew the change-foot every time. Should have really warmed up more.

I've decided that I have "clubbed feet" when I do back crossovers, so I'm going to practice POINTING my toes more often.

Spreadeagles looked nice, but I just couldn't straighten out the inside curve today. Hips must have wanted more sleep (or more stretching).

Music:
I did five camel spins today that were on the mark! As a bonus, three of them had a change-foot to a back camel that didn't fail too badly.

Waltz, Salchow, Toe Loop all good. I even managed a few with a nice backspin position in the air. Have to practice that more - I think I'm afraid of spiking my landing leg.

Spirals were very good, even did a few FI-FO and vice-versa change edges.

MITF were sooo good today, even the 3's on the line and the crossovers that I've been neglecting. Not perfect, but getting there. Now I need a theme song to get some rhythm going during Moves, haha!

[Rusty Blades]

So what do you do to get the ice cut? Several skaters and parents and a coach complained this afternoon before I did and got nowhere.

I have made it a point to get to know the rink staff a bit, enough to stop for a few words and joke around a little. Also, when we were having trouble with the group ahead of us over-staying their time, I took it up with the General Manager. (I also volunteered to get checked out on the resurfacer and do the morning flood myself. If you are going to complain about a problem, offer a solution to!) Anyway, because the guys know me, if I ask for a flood, they do it. They know that if I don't like the ice, the head coach wont either and she'll go straight to the G.M. and raise bloody hell. Last fall she threatened to pull the club out because of the condition of the ice in the mornings. Believe me, the guys would much rather deal with me and do a flood than deal with the head coach!

[Scarlett]

Lovely Music:
-Surprised the coach (and myself) with decent backspins. She didn't know that I could backspin and the ones I did the morning where very good for me.
-Lutzes have made a reappearance. (Still have the funky free leg though).

Annoying Static:
-Bronze moves
-I couldn't do a forward spin to save my life.

[Sessy]

Got a new shirt that'll be perfect for skating, on the front it reads: "do you know a place where dreams come true?"

My group lessons coach first wanted me to practice 8-pattern of outside 3turns, then said I could probably do "english 3's" and had me started on those... What's that called in English? You start out on a line as if you were to do forward outside edges, but then halfway the edge you do a 3 turn and continue on a backwards inside edge, then at the line you change with a sort of outside mohawk-ish footchange back to a forward outside edge on the other foot.
They were going pretty well in 1 direction, and very miserable in the other.

[liz_on_ice]

lovely music - I studied my lesson notes before practice and made a point of working hard on the things coach pointed out. Lots of edge rolls and three turns with the free leg lower, and pulled in correctly on the turns.

somewhere over the holiday I had an edge epiphany. Not that mine were bad, but I got a new 'feel' for them and many things from footwork to waltz and salchow have improved. Especially today, I skated extra long, with a half-hour rest in the middle, and started to get really soft and down into the ice.

I'm getting the hang of the change-foot part of the CF spin. I did several long spins where I just changed back and forth as steadily as I could. My backspin is still nothing to write home about, but I drilled it hard.

Worked on the loop for a bit since I was feeling so edgy. I did a couple of half rotations, so it's getting closer. Started playing around with a sit spin. Got instructions from coach a while back, but haven't really been working on it. Wasn't able to do it, of course, but trying was fun.

annoying static - I can really feel the holiday poundage, especially on takeoffs. :oops:

[Terri C]

Lovely Music:
Skated at a fairly empty freestyle session this morning at another rink, with good ice. Well worth the hour drive to get there.
Had some good low sitspins.
Pieces of artistic program are coming together- especially the new spin entry Secondary Coach has me doing. For me it was hate at first try.
Sent my entry forms for Adult Easterns off today at the post office!!

Annoying Static:
Had a nasty fall on the first sitspin I tried. It wasn't from in the spin itself, but coming up out of it. My left sitbones are sore this afternoon.
Had a hard time getting my music on at the rink. At this rink they expect everyone to put their own music on when not in a lesson.
Had another fall, this one not so bad, on the swing roll up on toepicks thing that is not only now in the Artistic program, but my Bronze CM program for Easterns as well. I feel like a clutzy duck doing this move.

[dbny]

What's that called in English? You start out on a line as if you were to do forward outside edges, but then halfway the edge you do a 3 turn and continue on a backwards inside edge, then at the line you change with a sort of outside mohawk-ish footchange back to a forward outside edge on the other foot.


Those are called Forward Alternating Threes on the Line. They are in our second Moves in the Field Test (Preliminary Moves), and gave adult skaters so much trouble that they were taken out of the Adult Pre-Bronze test (first Adult Track Moves test) and replaced with an easier three turn pattern.

[Sessy]

Thanks!!!

LOL yeah I can see why... Well fortunately it's only for the test AFTER the one I have to take first, so there's plenty of time.

BTW coach said you can't do the back sit for the test, but encouraged me to learn it for my programme. She says I can do it in lesson too if I want, and she had a great laugh about how I can get into it, down and spin, just can't get back up again LOL. :D

(and I'm confirmed again and again in my suspicion that the brighter colors I wear to the group lesson, the more likely the coach is to spend some of her time on me, LOL! I wore leopard print today.)

[dbny]

Lovely Music:
I finally got to practice a bit yesterday. In my lesson today, I am now feeling when I'm looking down on the alt FO threes. My coach says enough muscle memory has kicked in on other things, that now I can move my attention along to this issue. I'm feeling much more confident on FI threes, really standing up on them and only sometimes touching down the free foot before the RFI turn. Managed a few one foot spins, and was able to do three in a row before getting too dizzy (was one a the beginning of the session). Coach says she thinks I will regain this skill faster now that I have time to practice. Worked on backspin, which seems to be (yeilding very slowly) to a combo of learning techinques. Did F power pulls when leaving, and they were sooo good, with a lovely rip, rip, rip. Where were they up till now?

Annoying Static:
I am still sick, and was so run down that I had to stop to catch my breath after one set of threes on the line. Was planning to go shopping after skating, but had to have DH take me straight home instead. Heading off to be soon - have to work all weekend, and need the $$$.

[jazzpants]

Lovely Music:
Sent out AN forms out via FedEx 2-day corporate rate so I can track to make sure my forms arrived on time and to the right person. (My wonderful company has a GREAT shipping dept.!!!) :mrgreen:

Annoying Static:
Still have to send out forms for practice session, have to figure out which airline flight to go on, etc. (Thankfully, I think the living arrangment is set. I will be staying at a HUGE cabin with some local adult skaters.)

[Skate@Delaware]

I don't know what to put this under...I saw my "pain doc" today. I am going to get cortisone injections to deal with the pain from the herniated disc. Along with everything else already scheduled.

The worst part? He wanted me to stop skating :cry: but when I finally stopped crying...we reached a compromise. No jumps or spins for a while. I must still wear my pads, and not take "unnecessary risks" while skating. He made me shake on it. I hate myself for agreeing and I don't like him much anymore.

I have one waltz jump in my artistic program and a one-foot spin (not even a scratch). I won't do them while I run through my program but they're staying. I can't even think about giving up skating right now, I stuck it out even when the pain was excruciating and I could barely stand for more than 30 seconds, and I was teaching tots.

I'm not feeling very happy right now---it's probably time to OD on ice cream...

[liz_on_ice]

Lovely Music:

Annoying Static:
I am still sick, and was so run down that I had to stop to catch my breath after one set of threes on the line. Was planning to go shopping after skating, but had to have DH take me straight home instead. Heading off to be soon - have to work all weekend, and need the $$$.

Sorry to hear you are still sick. I missed you at the rink today, didn't go last weekend because both kids had tummy bugs.
Hooray for the FI threes :)

[Isk8NYC]

((((Skate@Delaware)))) I'm so sorry to hear about your trouble. Did he put any time on the abstinence? (1-2 months, perhaps) That would make it a little more palatable.

How about a non-jumping program challenge - what program elements would you include to make an interesting program?
We can substitute two-foot spins, right?

[mikawendy]

I have one waltz jump in my artistic program and a one-foot spin (not even a scratch). I won't do them while I run through my program but they're staying. I can't even think about giving up skating right now, I stuck it out even when the pain was excruciating and I could barely stand for more than 30 seconds, and I was teaching tots.

I'm not feeling very happy right now---it's probably time to OD on ice cream...

Skate@Delaware, {{{{{hugs}}}}} to you. I hope all your treatments go well. I think I understand what you mean about not wanting to stop skating--if you have to put up with pain like that it's almost like you need the special treat of skating as a help to get through it. Sending hugs, white light, and good (pain-numbing) vibes your way....

[dbny]

Sorry to hear you are still sick. I missed you at the rink today, didn't go last weekend because both kids had tummy bugs.
Hooray for the FI threes :)

Thanks. Unfortunately, it's both still sick and sick with something new. I've got that dratted tummy bug! It took 5 hrs of feeling run over before I realized what it was, when the serious symptoms kicked in. Took some Pepto Bismol, threw it up half an hour later, but felt better. I guess it's going to be up and down all night, and I'm hoping it will run it's course by Sat night. DH thinks he's coming down with it too, which is worse, because he absolutely MUST work Sunday.

(((((Skate@Delaware)))))

[Sessy]

Well if it's the same stomach flu everybody has been having here (including hoards of hospital personnel) it lasts 1-2 days. Which still doesn't help your husband. But on the bright side, you're mostly immune to the normal flu strains of this season's after that.

& Skate@Delaware, your doctor is mean! Go for the Ben&Jerry's ice cream ;)

[Skate@Delaware]

((((Skate@Delaware)))) I'm so sorry to hear about your trouble. Did he put any time on the abstinence? (1-2 months, perhaps) That would make it a little more palatable.

How about a non-jumping program challenge - what program elements would you include to make an interesting program?
We can substitute two-foot spins, right?

Skate@Delaware, {{{{{hugs}}}}} to you. I hope all your treatments go well. I think I understand what you mean about not wanting to stop skating--if you have to put up with pain like that it's almost like you need the special treat of skating as a help to get through it. Sending hugs, white light, and good (pain-numbing) vibes your way....
Thanks, guys! My artistic program has been designed to deal with my limitations...I only have a one-foot spin and a waltz jump; although it does have a lunge (strange that it doesn't cause me any troubles to do that). and some toe-hoppy things...shimmies and campy vampy moves. (I am doing a ISI-3 artistic program and it's a minute long. My dress will be red with fringe...very flapper-ish! and my props are a gold purse and a chair.

I notice that this year there are a lot of injuries (so it's not just me) and sickness (bronchitis is rampant at my rink as well).

My biggest issue about not skating is that mid-April my rink shuts down until September so staying off the ice for a few months would shut me down for the remainder of the season. However, I am pretty resolved to skating up north (the Pond) over the summer and am toying with the idea of lessons...but with gas at $3/gallon it's just a thought at this point.

It's depressing to have come so far and taken such a HUGE step backwards in my skating. Because of my leg numbness/weakness, i'm now afraid of forward crossovers. my leg has collapsed on me several times doing them. Skating is now a mental game.

I haven't thrown in the towel yet. The doc did say that after the pain subsides because of the injection(s), my physical therapy WILL become more aggressive! AND I will be permitted to do more physical activities once the surgery is done and I'm cleared medically.

Lesson learned over this whole ordeal? I'm NOT superwoman and when large furniture needs to be moved, I'm to call my guy friends over to help. (hubby couldn't move it because of his foot).

ps-Sessy, YOU read my mind!!!! B&J's is my FRIEND!!!!! I just don't want to gain much weight...and it's sloooooowly creeping back up.

[sk8pics]

However, I am pretty resolved to skating up north (the Pond) over the summer and am toying with the idea of lessons...but with gas at $3/gallon it's just a thought at this point.


Skate@Delaware, I don't know if you should count on the Pond. They may be all-hockey by then with the way they seem to be going. There are plenty of other options, though.

Hang in there and get yourself healthy! I know you don't want to hear it, but your first priority has to be your health. Maybe you could find a sports medicine doc, though, who might be better?

[coskater64]

Skate@Delaware, I feel your pain, but look at it this way you have time to work on and perfect basics. I am working on figures and dances, going back and relearning things. One of my friends had several inflamed discs and she just focused on her moves and dance. At 46 she passed her Nov and Jr moves, she took her time and can jump--but, wasn't allowed for the better part of 3 months. I'm not allowed to jump until Aug-Oct 08 depending on what my doctor says. I am just happy to be able to skate.

I know its hard but stay positive, do you do pilates?

:D :D

[phoenix]

Everyone's been sick! I'm still coughing just a little. We postponed my Killian test until next month. I just couldn't summon the energy needed to pull it off when the music was on. I'm happy about that though--I need to go into a test feeling really confidant, and I definitely wouldn't have been feeling that way!

Last night was the first time I skated for a full hour since being sick. I took it sort of easy, nothing fast & furious. I was in a mood for what I call "meditative skating"--I work on simple things--edges, 3 turns, moves patterns from levels lower than what I'm working on. So I'm doing things that aren't real difficult for me, but I do them focusing on knee bend, extension and posture. Even though they're very simple exercises, I'm trying to do them very beautifully. Believe me, it still gives you a good workout! It's kind of like barre exercises--you end up drenched in sweat even though you're just doing simple things. So that made me very happy.

[Skittl1321]

Urgh. Today was my first day since the week before Christmas that I could skate, and I didn't get to go. I can't move my leg without a huge amount of knee pain.

I'm not amused, and have to call the doctor on Monday. I have to teach LTS on tuesday, but I probably won't take my class.

I am also unsure when I'll have my private lessons, because my time disappeared in the rink reschedule, and my coach scheduled me for a time during synchro practice. Hopefully someone will move around, or else I'll just have a lot of extra money this season. Of course, if the knee keeps up and I can't skate, it won't matter.

not a happy jessi here.

[Scarlett]

S@D - I know you skate ISI and probably have no interest in doing moves but have you ever thought about doing dance or just challenging yourself to learning the step sequences from the different freestyle levels. That way you can still skate but are not breaking doctor's orders.

Lovely Music - I passed Rhythm Blues today.

[Isk8NYC]

Lovely Music - I passed Rhythm Blues today.Congratulations!

[SkatingOnClouds]

4th session for the year - in 7 days ! Had my first fall of the year today. Normally average 2 falls per session, but made it the 4th session before falling - on a warm up lap of back crossovers, of all things :oops:

Spins are finally coming off holiday mode, ie, no longer travelling so far from home:roll: and my backspins are starting to work.

Jumps not so great today, but they have been on the previous 3 sessions, so I'm not fussed.

Looking forward to next session tomorrow night.
AOSS? Who, Me??? :giveup: :D

[Isk8NYC]

Annoying Static:
Too crowded to really jump.
Started working on off-ice turns and positions in the back of the room while the twins are in their Tae Kwon Do class.
The room has thick padding, so it's perfect for jumps, but I haven't the nerve - it's too distracting to the other parents.

Lovely Music:
Turns and edges are much stronger.
Centered all of the spins I attempted, but didn't do very many.
Bunny Hops, Side Toe Hops and Mazurkas were all easy for some reason.

[Helen88]

Lovely:
Started working on the NISA levels or whatever they're called...edges were good, as were crossovers.
Spirals on my left leg also felt pretty good, and my two foot spin was really getting there. Plus, I'm now on patch :D

Static:
Spirals on my right leg. Not happening.

[liz_on_ice]

annoying static - insanely crowded public session, which I would have avoided except I was taking DD skating. I practiced changefoot spins and 3 turns as best I could, and worked on the loop since I'm too afraid to go fast enough to need much room for it.

lovely music I landed a loop! Teeny tiny wimpy loop, at nearly a dead standstill and I'm sure it looked horribly klutzy, but all the way around and landed on one foot out of reach of the boards!

[Bill_S]

Annoying static: The back injury is better but far from normal. I about went home after just trying to lace my skates - OUCH!

My heel problem was improved by slipping in some heel cushions, but one of them came unstuck from the inside of the skate, and jammed itself into a little wad. I pressed on regardless, but it's really sore now.

Lovely music: Even thought I've been off the ice for over a week, it came back fairly quickly. It was a public session, so that limited what I could do anyway.

On another note, when the Zamboni came out to cut the ice, it had a very large sign taped to the side that said:

MARRY ME

The driver backed up to a spot where some skaters were sitting in the hockey box (it's customary at our rink to sit in the hockey boxes during an ice cut), and honked his horn a couple times. Everybody was witnessing a marriage proposal, and his girl in the hockey box screamed in surprise and joy, then cried. The crowd clapped.

Just like a movie!

[mikawendy]

On another note, when the Zamboni came out to cut the ice, it had a very large sign taped to the side that said:

MARRY ME

The driver backed up to a spot where some skaters were sitting in the hockey box (it's customary at our rink to sit in the hockey boxes during an ice cut), and honked his horn a couple times. Everybody was witnessing a marriage proposal, and his girl in the hockey box screamed in surprise and joy, then cried. The crowd clapped.

Just like a movie!


Awww, that's so sweet. I know two couples who had on-ice weddings, but this is the first zamboni proposal I've ever heard of.

A co-worker of mine was on a beach vacation one year and she thought her then boyfriend was acting weird during the trip. One morning, she woke up, went to the balcony, and saw that he had snuck out to the beach to write WILL YOU MARRY ME in the sand.

[liz_on_ice]

Awww, that's so sweet. I know two couples who had on-ice weddings, but this is the first zamboni proposal I've ever heard of.

A co-worker of mine was on a beach vacation one year and she thought her then boyfriend was acting weird during the trip. One morning, she woke up, went to the balcony, and saw that he had snuck out to the beach to write WILL YOU MARRY ME in the sand.

Once at the beach I saw a plane fly by trailing a banner that said "Caroline, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Ever since I've wondered how many husbands of women named Caroline are out there now because they didn't have the nerve to say it wasn't them :lol:

[Terri C]

Had a rare after work freestyle on a Sunday afternoon.
The sitspin is still there after Friday's fall.

Had no music, as there was a Special Olympics exhibition in the other rink and they were using the boombox.

Everything else was fine.

[Kim to the Max]

[lovely music]

Program was decent today. Got through the whole thing with jumps and spins and footwork, it was even at a semi-okay speed :)

[annoying static]

Lutz is still giving me problems...I'm breaking at the waist and still doing something funky with the take off :( I have a feeling that at some point coach and I are going to be having quite the lesson on lutzes :( It needs to happen before 2/29 when I test my pre-juv free though...of I just need to get lucky during those 2 minutes!

[lovely music]

Worked on axels today...fell on a lot of them, but that's okay, because I think that means that they are getting closer to being fully rotated. I don't really know, because I need coach to take a look at them and that won't happen until March after my tests...I also know that I need to work on my leg position in the air...

[lovely music]

Moves were decent today...coach is getting me the metronome CD on Tuesday...what torture that will be! :evil: At least I will be able to make sure that my power circles are good...those are still giving me minimal issues, mainly with the exit and making sure I am exiting on opposite sides....back power 3s were really good, as were the double 3s, and slips and rips...the brackets however...I had a good number of mis-starts, but once I got going, they were okay...I just need to get some confidence in myself on them!

[annoying static]

Not exactly related to actual skating, but for work, we participate in a rotating duty schedule to respond to crises on campus when they occur. Well, I happened to be scheduled for the week before my freestyle test on 2/29 (we are on duty from Wednesday to Wednesday), and I'm trying to get someone to switch with me, but it doesn't look like someone is going to be able to :( I had someone offer something today, however, it's both when I'm going to be gone, and the week before my moves test! This whole duty thing tends to get in the way of everything :(

[Sessy]

I know of a couple who went on vacation to Vegas (from Europe) with a huge number of other people (you know, one of those organised tours). At the hotel they learned that if one couple of the company married, they would all get free drinks for the rest of the night. Most of the people there were elderly and already married, others weren't of different genders, etc. Of the whole group, they were the only ones who were suitable candidates and the group, eager for free drinks, kind of harassed them until they said yes.

... That's how they got married. They have 2 kids now. How's that for fate?

[Thin-Ice]

Short answer: iPods!!! :mrgreen:

Long answer: iPods!!! Serious...if it's just you on the ice patch. It relaxes you and the judges can concentrate on hearing the rips of the edges (or the scratchiness of the toe picks :oops: ) and doesn't have to subject to "that terrible music."

Of course, in my case, I prefer not to have it on. I need to hear my edges and troubleshoot myself as I go along the patterns... :P

Ha! I would recommend against that... one of our local judges saw a skater testing moves while wearing an iPod or at least the earbuds and called the skater over and told her to take it off, since it "could include coaching".

[Thin-Ice]

Static:

Of course, the payment for more time to set up my loop jump now is I have to do a LOOP-LOOP!!!

There's more!!! The other option for the primary coach is that I do a loop-toeloop at the beginning and a salchow-loop as the second jump. Of course, I told my secondary coach this and she gives me this look like "WIMP!!!" and said "Do a loop-loop, then do a salchow-loop!" Missed the loop-loop but did land the salchow loop, even though it was kinda wimpy. She said "Is there a difference on the landing between the loop and the salchow?" Me: "Ummm....no?" She said "NOT from MY end of things!!! Now go do a loop-loop again!" :twisted: Landed the second loop-loop clean (though again wimpy... but what do you expect at the end of a half-hour lesson with primary coach.) She said "I'm glad you see my point!!! :twisted: "

I sure hope this is your interp program... or she was just being evil for your practice?? Because as we have discussed (over and over again) on this board -- WBP requirements only allow you to do 2 of the same jump in one program. Or maybe secondary coach forgot that???

[LilJen]

Yeah, yeah, I'm behind. So shoot me.

Sunday's synchro practice revealed that, gee, we're all getting a bit nervous about how rough our routine is. . . only THREE more practice sessions to go before our competition!! We did the kinks worked out of one section, though, thank goodness. Heaven forbid anyone should be injured or drop out at this point, though, 'cause we are too muddled to figure it out from here!

Since our young girls' team is named the Sparks and the teen team is named the Fire, someone suggested that we recruit a bunch of gay men for a team and name them. . . Flames. I guess that means, though, that we should change our name from Silver Blades ('cause we're old--on average, 47) to something like Smoldering Cinders--or maybe Dying Embers? :lol:--to fit the theme.

[jazzpants]

I sure hope this is your interp program... or she was just being evil for your practice?? Because as we have discussed (over and over again) on this board -- WBP requirements only allow you to do 2 of the same jump in one program. Or maybe secondary coach forgot that???

It is for the FS program... but no, it's not like that...

Here's what I think they want for jumps...

Aim for:
Loop-loop
Sal-toe loop
Sal-Waltz-toeloop
Flip

But if I have to chicken out, do these jumps instead:
Loop-toe loop
Sal-loop
Sal-Waltz-toeloop
Flip

(And to date I've been doing this:

Loop
Sal-toe loop
Sal-waltz-toeloop
Flip

VERY watered down as far as being competitive is concerned, but for me, it's a challenge as is. :oops: )

Clear as mud? (And yes, they're being EVIL in my practice! :twisted: )