Profit or Loss Practice 11/10-16 2008

[jskater49]

In honor of our competition making a small profit after I warned the board we were going to take a huge loss. I have no idea how that happened.

Profit - my LFI 3s are coming along very nicely...RFI still scratchy. AND I did a LBO 3 turn on ONE FOOT. Of course I came to a screetching halt and put my foot down after the turn...but that still comes out on the black side...

No losses...I was pretty happy with my skate this morning...

j

[Rusty Blades]

Well I haven't been posting very often but I am still skating. Life has been pretty upside down for a few weeks (new romance, passing of my adopted Mom, worried about my sister) but I manage to get out to skate once or twice a week.

In the Red: After a skate like this morning, I sure feel every one of my 59 years! :giveup:

Profitable: Getting close to 3 years skating now and still adding new moves. Trying to get the balance point for a back spin, getting closer to a back spiral, and actually have back cross-overs every once in awhile. Given another 3 years I might actually be able to SKATE! 8O

[jskater49]

Well I haven't been posting very often but I am still skating. Life has been pretty upside down for a few weeks (new romance, passing of my adopted Mom, worried about my sister) but I manage to get out to skate once or twice a week.

In the Red: After a skate like this morning, I sure feel every one of my 59 years! :giveup:

Profitable: Getting close to 3 years skating now and still adding new moves. Trying to get the balance point for a back spin, getting closer to a back spiral, and actually have back cross-overs every once in awhile. Given another 3 years I might actually be able to SKATE! 8O

I'm so sorry about your loss.

To be able to skate after 6 years would be good. I've been at it for more than 10 and feel like I'm just getting the hang of it.

j

[Mrs Redboots]

I'm so sorry about your loss.

To be able to skate after 6 years would be good. I've been at it for more than 10 and feel like I'm just getting the hang of it.

j

Echoes the sympathies and the sentiment! You and I started around the same time, didn't we, J? Although you had a few years off and I didn't. And I shouldn't be a bit surprised if Rusty Blades outskates both of us. SIGH.:frus::frus::frus:

[Isk8NYC]

Great thread title, btw.

[icedancer2]

Loss: Haven't been posting much - my skating was actually feeling pretty good as I had stopped skating at my crappy old hockey rink with it's crappy ice and finding that I skate better on good, flat ice! Feeling stronger...

THEN - learned the Power 3s from the Novice Moves - was noodling around with them the next day and BAM - my legs got tangled and I went down hard on my butt - felt it in my lumbar spine - could hardly get off the ice. Immediately iced it and went to see the Dr. - very stiff and sore. She was afraid I may have a small stress fracture and forbade me to skate for at least 3 weeks and then after that I am to do "nothing that I would have the possibility of falling" - bummer, but I am taking her advice.

Also thinking of getting a bone density test - at my advanced age (54)- I don't want to do anything to screw myself up permanently!!

I may go skate next week and just do stroking and edges, but right now even that sounds hard...

Profit: Saving money on lessons and ice is making me feel slightly better about the losses I have taken in my retirement accounts. I guess that's one thing to be thankful for!:giveup:

[Rusty Blades]

Also thinking of getting a bone density test - at my advanced age (54)- I don't want to do anything to screw myself up permanently!!

I had one done a few years ago and it showed some density loss which was part of the reason I TOOK UP skating! The doctor said the exercise will help combat osteoporosis.

[icedancer2]

I had one done a few years ago and it showed some density loss which was part of the reason I TOOK UP skating! The doctor said the exercise will help combat osteoporosis.

Well, that is the other side of it then, isn't it?

Skating is a really good weight-bearing exercise...

[hanca]

Loss: My coach has decided that we will change the technique of my toe loop and Salchow. I never though that my toe loop had any brilliant technique; I am aware that my right leg was not doing the outside edge, so if I want to be really accurate, my jump would be called toe walley. But it was not pre rotated (I didn't do toe axel), it made full rotation and it was one of my most reliable jumps for landing, so I wouldn't mess up with it (if I had the choice). I spent hours looking at toe loops on youtube so now I understand what exactly my coach wants me to change, (including doing there the draw and passing the righ leg accross the left leg) but can't land it to safe my life. :frus: My most reliable jump... :frus:
And with the Salchow my coach decided that I have to change the entrance, to do it from Mohawk entrance instead of from outside three turns. :cry: I have to admit that my Salchow was not too good, because it was very scratchy after three turn (because I always get so rigid in anticipation of what is coming and try to slow it down to postpone the inevitable :halo:) My coach noticed that after Mohawk I don't scratch so badly (if I manage to land it at all) so she decided that I will learn it this way. So currently I don't have Salchow and Toe loop. :evil:

Profit: Recently I started landing flip and they are now getting more consistent. My program has been going well, and my problem with toe loop may have one big advantage - it will make me hurry up with the flip, so that I can replace the combo toe-toe with combo flip-toe (to get rid of one toe loop in my program. :)

[coskater64]

Profit:
Jumps are getting better and better with regards to height. Axel is just 1/4 cheated but still lacking height, 2 sal is similar but has nice rotation and form but just need a little more height. Flying camel has returned, back camel combo spin is working well.

Loss:
V Waltz and Blues will both need arm movements and more extension, can do them on time(ish). Coach has decided I may not look down during Jr Choctaws at all so tripping merrily through those. Also have small arm weights just to make me miserable.

Overall skating is going as well as could be expected, very sore, very tired but getting stronger everyday. Much better than this time last year, could walk without 2 canes so looking on the bright side.:lol::halo:

[Mrs Redboots]

Also thinking of getting a bone density test - at my advanced age (54)- I don't want to do anything to screw myself up permanently!!

I had one done a few years ago and it showed some density loss which was part of the reason I TOOK UP skating! The doctor said the exercise will help combat osteoporosis.

I don't want to know! The way my shoulders have gone these past 2 years or so I rather suspect I have the beginnings of osteoporosis (I am at high risk as my mother has it); as I said to my coach, there are some things one is better off not knowing, and if I keep skating.....

Profit: Dances coming along nicely, and about where they should be three weeks before competition.

Loss: Husband's spins are very iffy right now, and for once he messed up his toe-toe combination at the end of his free programme.

[sk8lady]

Profit: Backspin seems to really, truly be consistent at last!!! Attitude/layback has gotten to the point where my head is back and I can actually see the ceiling spinning around (a very weird experience!). Silver moves 3 turns have improved to the point where I am trying them down the length of the rink instead of on the line across the width of the rink (although I still HATE them.).

Loss: Yet another lesson on the only freestyle ice I can attend that my coach will go to got canceled so the only available choice is to have a lesson that doesn't include any freestyle. I hate to be a jerk about it but it is just awful and depressing to have to drive three hours to have a lesson on silver moves, but since I'll be out of state next week, and had lessons canceled for two of the last three weeks, I feel like it's probably better than nothing.
Then I made my coach go over her schedule between now and the next test session, since I was thinking it might actually be possible for me to take my bronze freestyle this year as there's a possibility I will have the loop, and it turns out she will be very likely be canceling 3 of the 6 lessons I would have before the test as she'll be away, including the week right before the test. So unless I want to do the same thing I did for AN last year and show up to skate without having had a coach look at my program for weeks and weeks it doesn't look as though I will be able to test this year after all. :cry: No point in setting goals if they involve my coach at all I guess. Very discouraging.

[Thin-Ice]

(snip) I made my coach go over her schedule between now and the next test session, since I was thinking it might actually be possible for me to take my bronze freestyle this year as there's a possibility I will have the loop, and it turns out she will be very likely be canceling 3 of the 6 lessons I would have before the test as she'll be away, including the week right before the test. So unless I want to do the same thing I did for AN last year and show up to skate without having had a coach look at my program for weeks and weeks it doesn't look as though I will be able to test this year after all. :cry: No point in setting goals if they involve my coach at all I guess. Very discouraging.

Could you work it out with your coach to arrange to take a lesson with someone else she thinks would be a good fill-in and have that coach put you on for your test?

[liz_on_ice]

Lossage - hungover skating. Combination of coworkers deciding night before a holiday is a good drinking night and me deciding a day off is a good skating morning. I wasn't that bad off, after warming up only spinning really sucked

Profit - lots of jumpiness, probably due to excess sugar in my blood. I landed a couple of loops in and among the 'close but no cigars' and my sals are getting bigger.

[Debbie S]

So unless I want to do the same thing I did for AN last year and show up to skate without having had a coach look at my program for weeks and weeks it doesn't look as though I will be able to test this year after all. Is this the U.S. that you're talking about? How did you compete at AN if you haven't passed Bronze FS? (or are you a dancer and competed in Interp?)

If your coach is that unavailable, perhaps it's time to look for another coach, preferably one that is closer than 3 hours away.

[jskater49]

Loss - the opening of my gala solo is nothing- I just stand there and do some arm movments and I just could not get it right this morning. My coach just about split her gut laughing at me. "Stop laughing at me" "I'm not laughing at you" she sputters between heaves of giggles. "I'm laughing at what you just did" Oh well that's much better.

Anyway it's almost finished - good thing - the Gala is Dec 14 and I need a LOT of practice. Just do do the arm motions.

j

[Isk8NYC]

I had my blades sharpened twice, changing the hollow from 3/8" to 1/2" and then back to 3/8" I don't think I have a rocker on my right blade anymore. I can't do backspins or change-foot spins - my blade "sticks" sideways. Even three turns and brackets are totally scraped. I stood at the wall and tried to just twist-and-turn - my blade just made snow; I couldn't find the rocker at all. This is not good.

[Skittl1321]

Loss Still not feeling well, and only took my class. So no individual practice. We had a substitute coach, since ours is at sectionals with his pairs, and she was unimpressed with the height of my jumps. Um yeah, that's as high as they go. We jumped about 20 minutes of the class, which IMO, is too much. She worked with me on jumping sooner on my loop, and through my toe- my current coaches are having me turn forward before jumping so I land backwards, she wanted me jumping before turning, which results in my landing forwards because I don't get high enough to rotate it. I'm at the stage where I can adapt for whomever I'm taking from that day, the jump sucks either way. Lots of toe waltzing, though I did a few that got a "that's better". For some reason on all the jumps but loop I was kicking my leg behind me, so she worked with me on my salchow to get it in front, which makes the jump GO somewhere, instead of up and stop. Half-flips weren't very good either, I've always landed on two feet, so she worked on landing on one. We did camels for 3 minutes of the lesson, I keep falling onto my inside edge. I'm not happy because a month ago I really thought I had that.

And before that lesson I nearly face planted demonstrating to my adult students the importance of/ how to pushing/extend back into your heel while doing spirals. Note to self: finish spiral, then start talking. Also- mohawks are HARD. Why are they in the adult classes before 3-turns? Poor women are so confused, we had such a good class, then started those in the last 10 minutes and I think they left quite frustrated.

Profit I did 3 backspins before getting of the ice, and managed to cross my foot on ALL of them.

Other than that, not much good on the skating front. Our ice show was cast, and I'm excited about it but I think one of the groups is the "adult ice dance" number. I'm even worse at ice dance then freestyle, so I really hope that's not what we end up doing I am not an ice dancer. Just because I'm over 20 it shouldn't be assumed I am. (and another adult, who is younger than me, is apparently refusing to participate if it's ice dance, and he is trying to get put in another group with his regular coach.) My other group I think the coach (who is my group coach) got stuck with me, as it's mostly pre-juv-novice skaters, and even those who don't have the tests have the doubles, so I have no idea what I'm doing in that group. I assume it was a choice between putting me there, or with teeny pre-pre kids where I'd stand out as NOT being a teeny beginner.

[Skittl1321]

I had my blades sharpened twice, changing the hollow from 3/8" to 1/2" and then back to 3/8" I don't think I have a rocker on my right blade anymore. I can't do backspins or change-foot spins - my blade "sticks" sideways. Even three turns and brackets are totally scraped. I stood at the wall and tried to just twist-and-turn - my blade just made snow; I couldn't find the rocker at all. This is not good.

NO- that is not good! I hope you don't have to get new blades... were these ones at least sort of old?

[Isk8NYC]

The blades are probably about three and a half years old. Such a dilemma.

[dbny]

I had my blades sharpened twice, changing the hollow from 3/8" to 1/2" and then back to 3/8" I don't think I have a rocker on my right blade anymore. I can't do backspins or change-foot spins - my blade "sticks" sideways. Even three turns and brackets are totally scraped. I stood at the wall and tried to just twist-and-turn - my blade just made snow; I couldn't find the rocker at all. This is not good.

Try standing facing the wall (hands on wall) with feet close together. Rock forward and back. If the rocker is seriously off, you should be able to feel it. You can do the same with each foot, one at a time. I hope that's not it!

[Isk8NYC]

I did - I'm either on a flat or on the toepick. Trying to "swivel" on the rocker is okay on the left, but I can't make it happen on the right. I just scrape the entire time.

[Mrs Redboots]

My coach just about split her gut laughing at me. "Stop laughing at me" "I'm not laughing at you" she sputters between heaves of giggles. "I'm laughing at what you just did" Oh well that's much better.

Sounds like my coach! Actually, we had a good morning, which was almost all Profit: Finally found the back muscles I'd been looking for, and was able to use them to improve my Mohawks.

Loss: I now ache in places I didn't know one could ache, and think I may have tweaked something where the top of my left thigh joins my bum. That's the bit that is really sore; the rest is just achey.

[Bill_S]

I did - I'm either on a flat or on the toepick. Trying to "swivel" on the rocker is okay on the left, but I can't make it happen on the right. I just scrape the entire time.

I don't know which model blade you have, but I've traced the rocker on some newish Aces blades and scanned them.

You can print out the file, and hold your blades against the print to see how flat your blades have become.

Go to my ProFiler sharpening page...

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~schneidw/skating/profiler.html

...scroll to the bottom, click on either of the small pics of rockers to enlarge, and then save them to your computer. Print them using any image editor.

The picture will still be a little larger than letter-sized paper can hold, but you'll see 90% of the profile. It should be easy to spot any differences.

[Bill_S]

Loss: Been under the influence of a cold (again!). Missed skating Monday and Tuesday, but hope to be back on my skates for the Thursday evening session.

I'm getting depressed about the lack of TV coverage this year for skating events. Being sidelined myself is one thing, but not being to watch skating while I recover really is a downer.

[Isk8NYC]

Thanks Bill. I'll try that.

[Rusty Blades]

Loss: Skated again this morning - froze to the bone. Darned if I can find the right position for a back spin!!!!

Profit: Back cross-overs are getting more frequent and half way to a back spiral.

Like I said to the head coach, "Hard to believe that 3 years ago I couldn't skate. Now at least I can pretend!"

[liz_on_ice]

profit - lesson today, sals were nice, landed a couple of loops, got camel spin lesson #2, starting to get it. Best sitspin yet (1-2 revs in something sort of approaching passing position)

loss - changefoot spin. bleah. work sucked big time today. wish I could go back to the rink and skate off my frustrations

[aussieskater]

Profit: I'm finally able to post on a practice thread for the first time in months (have been away and not skating *gives a little wave to Mrs Redboots*)...but...

Loss: I have forgotten just about everything I ever knew (and that wasn't a lot). In August I had figure-type rockers, counters and brackets working or at least starting to work; when I came back this week, I could barely manage a FO3 and even it was on the toe.

Don't you hate how quickly the adage "use it or lose it" comes into play when you're an adult of "a certain age" ?? So disappointed and disheartened - surely 3 months off didn't mean I had to lose everything! How do you "seasonal" skaters manage (and how long will it take to come back?)

[singerskates]

For Wednesday

Loss: Toe scraping on a certain jump entry killed several attempts to start the jump.

Profit: Did the practice 3 to 4 min warm up I need to do for competitions for my coach minus the Lutz as I thought I needed to get some help on it.

Officially got my first lesson ever on the Lutz. I had one before the early Feb. 2005 accident which messed up Pat Abela, StarSkate Sectionals and 2005 Canadians, then for a short time I got it back before getting reinjured at work in 2005 June when I had to quit work because of it but I never had an official lesson on a Lutz. Had trouble with my back edge not flipping to the inside; flutzing but I did get the full rotation. I also need to watch the leaning forward and dropping my right arm instead of pulling it across. When I did these two things right, only two footed the jump.

Flip has a slight two foot so its improved.

Loop just needs me to squeeze my freeleg harder in the air and wait before bringing it back on the landing.

Salchow was solid.

Toe Loop was also solid.

Waltz was good until the end of the session when I started bringing in my arms and then I ended up with a whole rotation. So now I'm going to at the end of my sessions start playing with keeping my feet crossed in the air and see if I can squeeze in another half rotation for an Axel.

Backspin didn't really try one but I did do a flip/Lutz set up that had my freeleg cross and for the first time in a long time it felt good to try it. I'm thinking that the Backspin my be coming back soon.

Upright back catchfoot spin - decent but not great yet - only 4 rotations.

Upright with leg way out to the side - alright but not strong enough yet.

Layback attempt - was surprised that I tried one again since it's been a long time. Got to stop raising my right arm in the air and start thinking of raising the left one so that I can after a few rotations grab my right skate blade to go into the forward back catchfoot spin.

Sit was OK but not my best today.

Loss - Camel would rather drink water that keep up in the air.

Didn't do a run through with the music. Never competed my program all the way to the end because I got hung up on the Lutz entry. Once I got there I was scratching my skating foots toe on the ice.

[Mrs Redboots]

Profit: I'm finally able to post on a practice thread for the first time in months (have been away and not skating *gives a little wave to Mrs Redboots*)...but...Glad you're safely home and back on the ice. It was great to meet you.

Don't you hate how quickly the adage "use it or lose it" comes into play when
you're an adult of "a certain age" ?? So disappointed and disheartened - surely 3 months off didn't mean I had to lose everything! How do you "seasonal" skaters manage (and how long will it take to come back?)

It will come back very fast - a couple of practices and you'll never know you were away.

[Skittl1321]

Profit Fantastic lesson- apparently what I need is someone yelling at me. Thankfully my coach does that, all while being very very nice about it. While doing forward cross strokes she skated crouched down behind (so she could hear my blades over the music playing) yelling "rip" on each stroke- and probably 90% of the pattern I did. My 3-turn pattern she was very encouraging, and on ever LBI (my nemisis!) she would yell at me not to put my foot down- and I wouldn't! That's HUGE for me. Those are so unstable on pattern, so I always put my foot down rather than risk falling, and my coach would prefer me to break at the waist and wobble then get into the habit of putting my foot down.

Then at the end of the lesson I did 3 backspins and managed to cross my foot on all of them, and even pulled in and spun quickly on one of them.

Synchro also went well other than having HORRIBLE ice (they zamboni after hockey- but he doesn't scrape, just add water. So all the ruts and bumps are still there, AND anywhere there was a pile of shavings it becomes a giant bump. One was so bad we couldn't even scrape it off with our blades (another that I kept tripping on I finally got scraped up)) the practice went pretty well. I was doing crossovers too fast at one point, but I think I'm finally comfortable with the spiral/lunge pass through. My hands are wrong in the hold though, and I need to figure out how to fix that. I hate my left spiral so much, I really wish I was lunging in this program too. I missed catching onto the traveling pinwheel once. If I get a good scratch spin I come out dizzy, and it takes me longer to get to my spot then if I have a bad one. EEK. I need to figure this out!

A few of the people on the team also tried on their dresses and they look mostly good. Which is a HUGE relief, as I was really really worried they'd be awful and we'd have to buy dresses instead. sigh.

Loss My calfs are killing me this morning. No matter what I do, I can't get a good stretch after skating.

Straightline spirals on Silver MITF stink. I hate that stupid left spiral.

[sk8lady]

Could you work it out with your coach to arrange to take a lesson with someone else she thinks would be a good fill-in and have that coach put you on for your test?



Originally Posted by sk8lady View Post
So unless I want to do the same thing I did for AN last year and show up to skate without having had a coach look at my program for weeks and weeks it doesn't look as though I will be able to test this year after all.
Is this the U.S. that you're talking about? How did you compete at AN if you haven't passed Bronze FS? (or are you a dancer and competed in Interp?)

If your coach is that unavailable, perhaps it's time to look for another coach, preferably one that is closer than 3 hours away

I passed the first 6 ice dances and did interpretive (and didn't come in last--not that there's anything wrong with that!--so I was very pleased considering that we also lost our ice March 23--I went down to Lake Placid early so I could have some actual practice time).

I was having fill-in lessons with another coach on public skating ice in my area until the rink owner decided figure skating was too dangerous unless no one else is on the ice. That was the end of that. Sadly, there are no other coaches closer than three hours away (it's actually 1 1/2 hours each way) or I would have switched after the AN debacle.

Profit:I did talk to my coach some more about testing and it's possible I could test in January, although I don't know if I'll be ready. She said she might even come to our rink once to give me a lesson!!!

Loss: Strained my back yesterday carting huge loads of teenaged boy laundry around (he usually does it himself when the piles get too huge for him to move through the room but I couldn't stand it any longer!) and had to keep taking breaks during my lesson because the pain was so bad (but I didn't dare cancel because who knows when my next one will be????).

[doubletoe]

Profit Fantastic lesson- apparently what I need is someone yelling at me. Thankfully my coach does that, all while being very very nice about it. While doing forward cross strokes she skated crouched down behind (so she could hear my blades over the music playing) yelling "rip" on each stroke- and probably 90% of the pattern I did. My 3-turn pattern she was very encouraging, and on ever LBI (my nemisis!) she would yell at me not to put my foot down- and I wouldn't! That's HUGE for me. Those are so unstable on pattern, so I always put my foot down rather than risk falling, and my coach would prefer me to break at the waist and wobble then get into the habit of putting my foot down.

Then at the end of the lesson I did 3 backspins and managed to cross my foot on all of them, and even pulled in and spun quickly on one of them.

Loss My calfs are killing me this morning. No matter what I do, I can't get a good stretch after skating.


Yay! Sounds like a great practice and lesson! :) Really good calf stretches are hard to come by, but my physical therapist gave me a sort of unusual one that works better than any other I've tried: Stand in front of a doorway, railing, pole, or other vertical surface that you can grab onto. Holding onto the vertical surface, squat down and put the bottom of one foot flush against the vertical surface, with the back of your heel touching the floor. Keeping your leg straight and your foot flush to the vertical surface, pull yourself up and forward as far as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. You can also rotate a little to the left, then a little to the right to stretch the inside and outside of the calf.

[renatele]

Really good calf stretches are hard to come by, but my physical therapist gave me a sort of unusual one that works better than any other I've tried: Stand in front of a doorway, railing, pole, or other vertical surface that you can grab onto. Holding onto the vertical surface, squat down and put the bottom of one foot flush against the vertical surface, with the back of your heel touching the floor. Keeping your leg straight and your foot flush to the vertical surface, pull yourself up and forward as far as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. You can also rotate a little to the left, then a little to the right to stretch the inside and outside of the calf.

Nice one! Will have to keep it in mind.

What I do to stretch calves is find some stairs, or almost anything that is slightly raised near something I can hold on to, then keep just the balls of the feet on top, and drop the heels down. If I don't have anything to steady myself, I keep one foot a step higher, and drop down just one heel (ie: right foot flat on a step, left foot a step lower with the heel dropped). If you bend the knees with the heels dropped, it will also stretch achilles.

[dbny]

DH goes down stairs backwards once a day to stretch his calves. He had the beginning of plantar fascietis and that stopped it.

Profit:
I had to go in a bit early today to teach only one lesson, so I put my lenses in and stayed to practice. I am so disgusted with my lack of progress on certain things, that I finally enforced the "rule of 10". On one foot spin #7, I felt some improvement, and by #10, I felt good enough to keep going and must have done about 20 one foot spins, including one very good one from a T push. It was faster than usual, and I remembered last week, my coach saying to me that I freak when I go too fast, so this time I held on and completed the spin. I also got some good work in on FO and FI threes, and even did alt LFI/RBO threes just a bit (not 10, maybe next time.) F cross strokes had been feeling a bit forced, but last week I did them as I left the ice, and they just flowed and are still flowing like that. I was overthinking them, thanks to a comment younger DD had made a while back. Got in a good round of Prelim power threes, and just a bit of Adult Pre-bronze three turn pattern.

Loss:
I seem to be coming down with a respiratory something. I had intended to practice Tue and Wed, but instead worked a few hours Tue and was wiped out all day Wed. F power pulls were very lacking in power, but at least I didn't feel like I was bending forward or sitting too far back. I need to apply the "rule of 10" to a lot of other things besides spins!

[AgnesNitt]

Loss Got shims put in my skates. While I was skating in front of my skate tech, I did a power pull, my skate slid out from under me and I fell backwards--hit my head! On the top! It took 4 days for the strain in my neck muscles to heal! 8O I have arthritis of the spine, I have no idea how I got bent so far backwards that I could bang myself on the top of the head.
Profit I got up right away and did another one. Not bad for 57.

[Isk8NYC]

My skates suck.

[dbny]

Loss Got shims put in my skates. While I was skating in front of my skate tech, I did a power pull, my skate slid out from under me and I fell backwards--hit my head! On the top! It took 4 days for the strain in my neck muscles to heal! 8O I have arthritis of the spine, I have no idea how I got bent so far backwards that I could bang myself on the top of the head.
Profit I got up right away and did another one. Not bad for 57.

OUCH! That's exactly what I find so scary about F power pulls, the possibility of just a little too much weight to the back of the blade, and it's suddenly not under you any more. Bravo for getting right back up and doing another one.

My skates suck.
Aw :cry:. Hope you can get them fixed up soon. Do you still have my contact for Gold Seals?

[kander]

Profit: Had a good sense of "up" tonight. I felt in control of my jumps even if they weren't that good because my "up" was working (as in staying upright instead of getting crooked in the air). The loops are starting to come around.

I'm taking friday off and probably going skating in SF around 1 or so.

Loss: My axel is still AWOL. I'm beginning to get frustrated with it. :frus:

[Mrs Redboots]

Profit: Nice quiet session; plenty of opportunities to use the music.

Loss: Discovered I am apparently unable to do a proper lbo/rbi progressive run. Who knew?

[jskater49]

Power class today...

Profit - practicing my inside 3s paid off today when coach said "Wow - those are soo much better!"

Loss - power pulls...what a joke...trying to do backward cross strokes, even the excercize to get me to it ....I just can't seem to get my feet behind each other...

breaking even - showed coach my one backward outside 3 turn - I need to get back on the heel more....I did improve to get more on the middle of the blade, but I need to get back even more.

My program is coming a long...there's a bunny hop that I'm doing really well but then there's a 3 turn after that I'm still skidding to slow down because I'm scared to turn going that fast.

j

j

[dbny]

Profit:
I had a really good lesson today! We began with the Adult Pre-Bronze three turn pattern, which I teach, but have trouble doing. Coach agreed with me that all I need it to keep practicing (which I rarely do) to gain confidence on it. Technically, all is well. I did my 10 one foot spins (and some more too) before lesson, so we moved on to spins, which performed their best ever. One from a T push was the fastest coach has ever seen me do, and I once again resisted freaking out and held on to it to the end. This time, the spins started to feel better around #4. Prelim power threes are moving, but L side still needs work on shifting weight. Ended with FO threes, FI threes, and RBO threes, all of which are better. This was one of those lessons where I got that great feeling of how far I've come since I started with this coach. I really, really need to practice every day!

Loss:
FI threes are still not as comfy as they had been before my loss of confidence over a month ago. Well, that's what practice is for!

[liz_on_ice]

profit - good practice this afternoon. Did two, count them, two, passing standard change-foot spins. This means that someday I'll actually pass FS3!
Fun working double-threes and sitspin. Lots of frustrations to work off meant I jumped a lot, and jumped high.

loss - couldn't work on the camel spin in the public session, got pretty tired and raggedy towards the end, I was probably just reinforcing bad form.

[looplover]

My skates suck.

:(

You know my right boot still sucks too and that trick of wearing a thicker sock it in was a BAD idea.

I haven't posted in so long!

Profit: We're working on a new approach to the new program (which isn't fully choreographed) - put in there what works for me and try not to worry about being less technically challenging than everyone else. This is going in the loss category as well but I think it's a good thing for now because my frustration was overtaking my enjoyment.

So am doing familiar jumps at faster speeds (ways to go on that totally working out). I would put loss of my counter in "loss," but I did some weird arm movement in the footwork and I think it will probably stay in the program. I like those counters.


Loss: This new approach means the lutz is almost certainly off the rotation for easterns, and I still cannot do a flip for the life of me. At this point it is psychology and completely ridiculous and I've done a flip many times, but something in my brain will not allow me to do this jump on anything but two feet (meaning my brain is making me break at the waist and not lift free leg). I still think it might have something to do with this right boot never fitting quite right and I don't feel secure on my picking leg. but in actually it is dysfunctional brain! It nearly made me want to stop skating altogether recently but I'm over it.

[AgnesNitt]

:halo:Profit UPDATE! After my disastrous fall backwards after getting my blades shimmed--I had my lesson today. Warmed up w/ an hour of step, followed by a half hour of yoga, (shower, change), then an hour on the ice.
FINALLY I CAN DO BACK CROSSOVERS WITHOUT LEANING OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE! SO THE SHIMS WORK!:cry: (I WEEP AT THE BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT)

LOSS Now that that's fixed, my coach is fussing at me for completely new problems! It never ends!:giveup:

[Skate@Delaware]

Loss: My coach has decided that we will change the technique of my toe loop and Salchow. I never though that my toe loop had any brilliant technique; I am aware that my right leg was not doing the outside edge, so if I want to be really accurate, my jump would be called toe walley. But it was not pre rotated (I didn't do toe axel), it made full rotation and it was one of my most reliable jumps for landing, so I wouldn't mess up with it (if I had the choice). I spent hours looking at toe loops on youtube so now I understand what exactly my coach wants me to change, (including doing there the draw and passing the righ leg accross the left leg) but can't land it to safe my life. :frus: My most reliable jump... :frus:
And with the Salchow my coach decided that I have to change the entrance, to do it from Mohawk entrance instead of from outside three turns. :cry: I have to admit that my Salchow was not too good, because it was very scratchy after three turn (because I always get so rigid in anticipation of what is coming and try to slow it down to postpone the inevitable :halo:) My coach noticed that after Mohawk I don't scratch so badly (if I manage to land it at all) so she decided that I will learn it this way. So currently I don't have Salchow and Toe loop. :evil:
I feel your pain! I had to re-learn those jumps when I got my private coach-as my toe-loop sucked and my salchow had only been signed off (I could not do it). I had to start from 3-turns and move forward. You will get it all together soon just hang in there!

:halo:Profit UPDATE! After my disastrous fall backwards after getting my blades shimmed--I had my lesson today. Warmed up w/ an hour of step, followed by a half hour of yoga, (shower, change), then an hour on the ice.
FINALLY I CAN DO BACK CROSSOVERS WITHOUT LEANING OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE! SO THE SHIMS WORK!:cry: (I WEEP AT THE BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT)

LOSS Now that that's fixed, my coach is fussing at me for completely new problems! It never ends!:giveup:
Ah, coaches....

[Mrs Redboots]

Profit: Good practice today; focussed on re-bending to change lobe, and it did help.

Loss: Sometimes I fear Husband does not understand the concept of partnering.... and I fear that I will never get everything in the Willow Waltz working at one time or another!

[Stormy]

Profit: Learned a change edge camel, it has potential! Also learned a figure loop, I see so many skaters doing them now so I figured it'd be a good thing to have to put in footwork eventually. Spins were really good today.

Loss: Double sal was not happening today. Argh!

[blue111moon]

Profit: I put my skates on on Friday!!!!!! :D:D For the first time since last June and the first time since my surgery in August. (Don't tell my doctor or my PTs - they think I'm patiently waiting until January or February to try to skate.) But the swelling has gone down enough to get my foot into the boot.

Loss: It hurt. A lot. I lasted half an hour and that only becasue we needed the extra coach on Learn-to-Skate and there was no one else to fill in. I did mostly sculling and some marching and at the end a couple of one foot glides to get the weight off the right foot. Edges are not happening. When the lesson time ended, I could not get the skates off fast enough. :giveup:

But at least it's something to post here.

[Isk8NYC]

(((bluemoon))) Hope you finish healing quickly. Could you skates have dried out? That would make the leather shrink, so the boots would be a little tighter than normal. I once heard Don Klingbeil tell a customer to "sweat them up" a bit after disuse. Good luck.

[blue111moon]

Thanks, but I can tell just by looking at them that my right ankle is still "thicker" than the left one, so the swelling is still there. My PT is using something called Graston Massage to break down the scar tissue and releive the swelling; it's incredibly painful while she's doing it but it is working, albeit slowly.

I'm just being a tad impatient. It just doesn't seem fair that I get to do all the work for the skating club (test chair, LTS registration, fundraising) and get none of the fun of skating itself. :frus:

[Skate@Delaware]

I haven't skated in about two weeks, and now have to take lessons at a rink an hour away...bites a bit I guess.

Profit: Had an overall great lesson, once I got used to the rink. Here are the highlights:

Jumps: Waltz-good, no setbacks (only had to do it 3x); Salchow-good; Toeloop-good, try to make it less "spinny" on the 3-turn; Loop-again, still doing this one on the line, LFI edge into a right mohawk then loop...and I landed it on the right foot ONLY!!! and fell over onto my right hip!!! YAY!!! I got all the way around! My left leg was UP! I tried a few more but that first one was very aggressive with the edges and the others less so.

Spins: Scratch-we figured if I concentrate on squeezing my right thigh in a bit more, it closes and I am in a better position, less travel. Then we had me bring my hands in closer to my chest, much better. Backspin-ok, keep weight OFF that left foot, right? Wow it does work better! That finally clicked and I managed some decent backspins!

We talked a bit about "stuff" and me getting my spiral back. Thanks to someone elses post (think it was xoxobyfive?) on stretches for the splits, I can work on them.

I've been a bit depressed about things but I heard a song today that re-motivated me and now...WATCHOUT!!! I am going to re-focus and go for it! So I have to drive an hour each way, so what! I even had a friend offer to pitch in for gas $$$!!! What a friend!

Loss: the gas $$$ to drive over and back, and on the way back, it was dark I missed a turn (i guess) and got lost...almost panicked but utilized my gps and the compass on my truck to re-orient myself.

ps-yes I was polite at the new rink-did not yell "MOVE" at anyone...<g> :D

[liz_on_ice]

Profit - second practice this weekend, coach won't recognize me at my next lesson :lol: I had a lot of frustrations to work out so I put them into lots and lots of jumps. Somewhere I lost some fear recently and I'm willing to put more power into the spring - jumping rocks. I also worked out those aggressions on back power pulls - I've never done them so hard before, I was actually accelerating all the way down the rink, worked up to some serious speed on them.:o
Starting to feel the balance on the backspin, no miracles, but progress happens.

Loss - not so much to say for the sitspin or changefoot this eve

[Mrs Redboots]

Profit: I put my skates on on Friday!!!!!! :D:D For the first time since last June and the first time since my surgery in August. (Don't tell my doctor or my PTs - they think I'm patiently waiting until January or February to try to skate.) But the swelling has gone down enough to get my foot into the boot.

Yay, we'll have you back dancing before you know where you are! That is such great news, even if you can only skate for a few minutes at a time just yet.

[Bunny Hop]

Profit AND Loss: When I arrived for patch (freestyle) this morning, the session had just begun but there was NOBODY on the ice. And I was the only one there the whole session. 8O

Now, everyone is going think I'm nuts, but I didn't like it.:giveup: I would have been happier if even one other person had shown. I know part of it is that I still feel like a bit of a fraud being on patch, so I kind of felt as if I was doing something wrong by being out there on my own, but it was also the silence! Usually someone puts some music on, but I didn't have any CDs with me, and I don't know how to use the CD player anyway. I dug an old MP3 player from my skate bag (normally I don't use it, but in this case I didn't need to hear if anyone was about to mow me down) but the battery was flat. Which meant I could hear every scrape I made on the ice, and as there'd been an ice cut before the session, the only tracings were mine, so I could see the marks where I'd toe pushed on every single stroke (this wasn't news to me, but it's still disheartening to see it!).

Loss: Now normally I like a nice quiet (quiet, not dead!) session so I can work on my (pretty much non-existent) backward edges without worrying too much about who I'm going to run into, but I didn't want to do that, because I was worried that if I went over backwards and hit my head nobody would actually notice! The rink staff all seemed to be congregated in the canteen, and the stewards are not that good at noticing people falling over even on the rare occasions they're actually on the ice!

Profit: Despite the above, I did get more done than I usually do on patch (albeit all going forwards), as I didn't have anbody to give way to (as I'm always the slowest, most nervous, and lowest level skater on patch I give way to everybody as a matter of course). So I didn't have to bail out of anything, which meant a rare chance to do complete dance patterns (without the music of course, so no doubt completely out of time!). Haven't done dances unpartnered for some time, so was pleased to find that my patterns are now somewhat larger than they used to be, though nowhere near as big as when skating with my husband, and can now do the slip (slide) chasse in the Canasta Tango without needing to hang onto someone!

Greater Profit: This will likely be the only time I'll ever be the best person on a patch session! :lol:

Loss: This should have been a good omen for the (normally very quiet) public session which followed, and indeed three skaters who probably would have actually appreciated the empty patch turned up, which was fine by me. Unfortunately they were shortly followed by a quantity of small children (do they never go to school anymore?). Now that can be okay if they're mostly hugging the barrier, but these were the type who liked to occupy the centre of the rink, falling, sitting, toddling and not looking where they were going when making their way between the centre and the barrier. There was a brief respite when they went to get food, so I seized the chance to practice some runs (progressives) and backward crossovers on the middle circle, but even then I seemed to be operating some sort of magnetic field so that the three little girls remaining were drawn to my path, whatever it might be.

So we had the kindergarten class in the centre of the rink, the three good skaters skating in the loop around them, leaving me as the one skating at the barrier, as the only available spot to practice. :frus: Fortunately I have a well-developed technique of doing backward edges close to the wall (much to the astonishment of my dance coach), but that was a habit it took a long time to break, and I don't want it back!

So what should have been a good session was kind of wasted for various reasons, part of it only in my mind!

[jskater49]

Profit AND Loss: When I arrived for patch (freestyle) this morning, the session had just begun but there was NOBODY on the ice. And I was the only one there the whole session. 8O

Now, everyone is going think I'm nuts, but I didn't like it.:giveup: I would have been happier if even one other person had shown. So what should have been a good session was kind of wasted for various reasons, part of it only in my mind!

I don't think you are nuts - I can't skate alone....I need people out there to motivate me. There have been a few times my daughter and I went to a freestyle session and we were the only ones and we just ended up goofing off and talking because we just could not be motivated without other skaters.

j

[doubletoe]

Profit: Learned a change edge camel, it has potential! Also learned a figure loop, I see so many skaters doing them now so I figured it'd be a good thing to have to put in footwork eventually. Spins were really good today.

Loss: Double sal was not happening today. Argh!

Wow, that's so cool!! I remember John Z. was trying to teach us the change-edge camel at the Hackensack camp in '07 but I didn't get it. I'm hoping the RFI loop will help me get a change edge backspin, though. . . Which loop did you learn? And can we start a double sal support group?!

[Mrs Redboots]

I don't think you are nuts - I can't skate alone....I need people out there to motivate me.

I can't skate alone, either; one other person, fine - just me, not so good. I have been known to stay on longer than I intended just to keep one other person company while they were waiting for their lesson, as I know how miserable it can be trying to skate on your own.

When it's me and Husband, though - we revel in it!