Blue Skies or Grey Roof? Practice 1/12 - 1/18 [Archive]

Bunny Hop

01-12-2009, 04:43 PM

Blue skies: Made it through to the end of a 45 minute lesson without dying (usually have a couple lesson, so not used to doing that long on my own!). Worked quite hard on a lot of things for Passport Bronze, and although progress is glacial, felt like there was progress. Coach gave me several exercises to work on that might actually lead to me getting some things signed off...eventually.

Grey roof:Coach took apart my forward runs (progressives) for what seems like the hundredth time. I know it's pretty basic, but this really feels like the thing I will never be able to get. Just can't hold the crossed position properly, so back to gliding on two crossed feet on the circle. I have visions of having the entire Passport signed off except for runs!

singerskates

01-13-2009, 12:09 AM

Monday

Grey Roof:

When I got to the rink today, one rink had pickup hockey in it where they were shooting the pucks to the top of the glass at high speeds. So I wasn't going on that ice pad even though they said everyone had to go on that ice because they were doing repairs to the heaters from the other ice pad in where I usually skate. This lasted for 50 minutes of the 90 minute session. Other skaters took one look at the ice pad in which pickup hockey was occurring and immediately went to get their money back to leave. Not me. I waited them out for 50 minutes before being allowed on the ice where the repairs were taking place. Lost time but....

Blue Skies:

Had the whole rink to myself.

I made up for the lost time by pushing hard in practice.

Stroked around a few laps to warm up. Then I went into my first spin (forward corkscrew) which had a fast centered center. Didn't count the rotations. When I got out of the spin, I noticed that it wasn't just the rink attendant watching but I had gotten an audience. Must have been 20 people looking into the ice pad from the lobby.

Then I warmed up jumps with the Waltz jump. Warmed up Toe Loop, Salchow, did a Salchow/Toe Loop combo, Loop, then Loop from assisted travelling 3's as I do it in my freeskate, split jump, flip and lastly split/flip/toe combo. Somehow I keep forgetting to warm up the Lutz.

Warmed up forward sit spin, broken sit as so far planned in program. Lastly I warmed up my spiral sequence (need to work on popping up my free leg higher and faster to get into position and to work on my lean on the second half of my change edge spiral: RFI to RFO, need to stroke more efficently to get more power so I can start the LBI Bielman type spiral sooner to get more of a curved edge. It's coming but not where I want it yet.

Then I ran through my freeskate program none stop (usually don't go all the way through without the music). I two footed the flip in my combo and the Lutz in my run through but just kept on going.
Finished my freeskate with my forward upright Usp (basic, changed layback to an attitude with free leg same as a layback position, then grabbed free foot's blade). Still want to add another variation to my upright but I might not if I can't get 4 clean revs of the variation with the grab from behind. Anyway, when I was done my program the audience was still there watching. I felt like an ant under a magnafying glass. Funny I don't get this feeling when competing or doing a solo in a skating show?

Then I took my hockey stick and a pylon shooting it around the rink doing turns and stuff as I handle the pylon with my stick for about 5 minutes.

Ran through the little that we have done of my interpretive so far. Still need to get the program memorized to the point where I don't have to think what's next as far as we've choreographed it. Because without the music playing, after the spiral I fotget what to do next. One thing that I impressed myself with was my split jumps. I haven't done two consecutive split jumps with flow and a bit of height for quite a while.

Then got back into doing my elements until it was time to go.

katz in boots

01-13-2009, 01:50 AM

Blue Skies:
Our skies today - Hot !

The rink re-opened yesterday, after being closed since the Sunday before Christmas !!! Yay:D

Grey Roof:
I won't get to skate until Saturday morning.:cry:

Blue Skies:
can't wait to get back on ice and find out what I can still do after such a long break. Itching to get my pro-filer out and sharpen my blades, rub the backs of my proflex with vaseline to stop them squeaking (one of those little Proflex quirks, the leather against rubber can really squeak sometimes). repack my skatebag and do all those "back to school" things. :lol:

Mrs Redboots

01-13-2009, 08:16 AM

Blue Skies: Rink to ourselves this morning, which meant a fantastic practice.

Grey roof: (Which is what the weather here is) No lessons as the coaches are at our Nationals!

Bill_S

01-13-2009, 08:38 AM

Blue skies: While my skating time is very limited this year, I did manage an enjoyable public session. Officially, it's no spins or jumps on public ice, but I'm old (probably grumpy-looking too) and they let me try anyway. Managed a respectable 3 rev backspin-change-forward scratch (many revs & fast).

I love the feeling during the transition between back and forward spin combos when my right leg swings from behind to the front. I feel the gain in momentum during the transition for creating speed in the forward spin.

If I had any doubts about my hand sharpenings using a Pro Filer, they are now laid to rest. Buried. Six feet under.

I managed to slice my left thumb on the blade while removing my skates after the session. Blood was everywhere. Despite the pain and mess, I was secretly pleased that the hand sharpenings were so effective.

Not that I wish to shed more O-positive proving it. Once is enough.

liz_on_ice

01-13-2009, 12:51 PM

Blue Skies - Another lunchtime practice, worked spins pretty hard, some jumps and moves. Coach won't recognize me tomorrow with all the practice I've gotten lately :)

Grey Roof - the sky was not blue, and it was windy. Windy enough that I was trying to figure out if the rink had a downhill side, or I was only being blown across it. Made things challenging. Sit spin is still in really early stages, camel is only a wannabe.

jazzpants

01-13-2009, 01:54 PM

Blue Skies:
More choreography work!!!
Primary coach re-did my music! It's now at 1:50... much to his chagrin since he thinks I'm just "not skating fast enough." :giveup:

Grey Roof:
Took a couple of tries to finally get the footwork... and a few times I was blocked by the hordes of public session kids and little hockey guys who don't give a DAMN that they're about to be trampled on by ME!!! :evil:

Blue Skies:
I am in the process of working out my "work from home" situation where I can work from home at least one day of the week, so I CAN get in my lesson with primary coach during the much quieter LUNCH TIME skate!!!

LilJen

01-13-2009, 02:48 PM

Jazz, I'm all about the midday public sessions. Empty or nearly so, fresh ice so you can see your tracings. I get so much done on them. Plus they're much cheaper than freestyle sessions.

Blue skies:
-Synchro practice mostly good Sunday. Formation program is coming along and will, I think, be in OK shape by mid-Feb (competition). Plus, we have most of our dresses (over which we were having panic attacks because we still had nothing as of early December!).
-Decent practice yesterday. Only time to run through most Bronze moves, rather than really work on them, as I spent most of my time tweaking my footwork & FS programs.

Grey roof:
-Full synchro program is STILL not done, to be debuted at the same February comp. . . eek!! I think we have maybe half of it in place? Still--we got our dresses lickety-split last week (nydancewear.com--YIPPEE!) so we'll look good, maybe??
-Bleah Bronze moves. Still not consistently getting a good weight shift on the back XOs, and I think my 5-step pattern is out to lunch.
-Tried a lot of different things for reworking the FS program and I still don't really like how things fit (well--they don't fit) with the music. Didn't feel it fit very well as an FS1 program, either, so perhaps the music is the problem! Still, we'll have to go with it, as it's rather late to be making changes.
-SPINS!!! Were nice & centered & controlled last Thursday, but stunk yesterday. :frus:

liz_on_ice

01-14-2009, 08:22 AM

Blue Skies - lesson this morning, first time in a month between rain, sickness, and holidays. Coach admired my improvements in jumps and spins. I had sent her some music and we worked on some ideas for my program for the end of season show. She worked over my entrance to the loop, I'm landing it more often, but it's not exactly good.

Grey Roof - Despite all practice and improvements, I did a fair zamboni impression this morning, falling twice. When I changed my clothes I found I'd cut myself in the thigh with my blade, just a little one fortunately. How often should you get a tetanus shot - 5 years or 10? I should just get them on general principles.

looplover

01-14-2009, 08:59 AM

Grey Roof: ooh I'm grumpy! My last two practices have been horrible! Um, I think I can skate, I was able to until I registered for Easterns...:roll:

At one point I decided I was scratching Easterns but I got over it. I'm really REALLY behind in training for this though. So it should be an interesting experience:twisted:

It's usually so crowded at freestyles I don't feel like I can play my music. Today there was ONE other person on the ice - perfect time - but I was skating horribly so I didn't. I should have anyway.

Blue Skies: Well, I still really like backspins....

Isk8NYC

01-14-2009, 11:07 AM

It's usually so crowded at freestyles I don't feel like I can play my music. Today there was ONE other person on the ice - perfect time - but I was skating horribly so I didn't. I should have anyway.
Don't make me jump ugly with you - play the music, skate the program! (j/k)

Come early tomorrow and hang out. I'll be your audience and tell you everything's perfect!

phoenix

01-14-2009, 05:12 PM

Grey Roof: our weather! I left with plenty of time to get to the rink, get changed and have a 1/2 hour warmup. The roads were so bad that I got there just in time to put on my skates and step onto my lesson with no warmup.

Blue Skies: Despite that, I skated well! Coach was happy with me, so all was right w/ the world. AND I made it through 2 patterns of Viennese on time with the music! Didn't think I could do that yet. It wasn't great still, but as coach says, "The first thing the judges look for is timing." The (correct) edges will come as I get more comfortable w/ it up to speed.

Funny moment: We had to change my choreographed intro steps because at one point I was basically mooning the judges--in a low bent over position w/ butt pointed right at 'em! Good catch by coach, who happened to be standing where the judges would sit..... :oops: *sigh* there is no dignity left.

jazzpants

01-14-2009, 05:16 PM

Grey Roof:
Woke up LATE -- just got to the rink BARELY in time to go to my lesson with secondary coach. My alarm clock didn't wake me up... and hubby also woke up late (and therefore couldn't wake me up early either. :frus:)

We worked more on CW forward crossovers. I couldn't get the underpush the way that my secondary coach wants it. Needless to say, half of the forward x-strokes also were bad... GRRRR!!!

Blue Skies:
I sorta starting to get the gist of it towards the very end of the lesson. Of course, I nearly had another "click of death" again, to which Her Evilness says "Good! Shows you're willing to fall..." :twisted:

Grey Roof:
Tried to negotiate for wearing hip pads again. "Not until you're working on axels! :twisted: " Her Evilness says!!! (I tried, guys!!! :giveup: )

LilJen

01-14-2009, 06:16 PM

Grey Roof: About 6 inches of snow = no skating for me today. :cry:

looplover

01-14-2009, 06:32 PM

Don't make me jump ugly with you - play the music, skate the program! (j/k)

Come early tomorrow and hang out. I'll be your audience and tell you everything's perfect!

Ha!!! I should. I might. That's REALLY early. Pretend I can do a camel. (I want to take it out of the program)

singerskates

01-14-2009, 11:31 PM

Grey Roof: Or more like no roof. It was like skating out doors in Edmonton inside my rink today because workmen were replacing the enterance doors and the whole enterance. Wind, snow and cold was wipping in. It was 8 degrees F outside today for the high. I barely could bend my knees. It was so cold I felt like a popcicle. I couldn't do a decent warm up waltz jump because I was so cold.

Ever since my brother came back to Canada from living in the US for 8 years, he's been using this aerosal body spray called Axe. I've got asthma and I'm allergic to it. Everyday it was bothering me more and more when my brother would use it smelling up the whole house. I had to air out the house each day because of it. Then my husband went back to work at Chryslers on Monday (special situation and skills) and came back with a horrible smell all over him which intensified my allergy and asthma problem. It got so bad that I felt like there was a Mack truck on my chest and back sequeezing my lungs. I was so scared about it that I went to the doctors to find out if it was the asthma or if I had caught some bug from my mother-inlaw. The doctor almost had me get another drug on top of my preventative and resque inhaler because my lungs were so inflamed. But I convinced him to let me try taking the resque inhaler for a few days more often to see if we could settle my lungs down.

Because of this, I couldn't get all the way through my freeskate today. I only made it 3/4's of the way through and then the cold was just too much for my lungs so I had to stop and take a break for a minute or two.

Blue Skies:

Even though I was having asthma problems, I still was able to do the following:

Salchow
Salchow/Toe Loop
Split/Flip
Split/Flip/Toe Loop
Loop (just need to stop tapping my free foot down for a moment)
Lutz (rotated it but didn't have the strength to even try to one foot it)

Did a decent run through of my freeskate until I got to the 3/4 mark. See Grey Roof.

Sit spin somehow was decent even though all other times, I couldn't bend my knees enough. Go figure?

Forward spin until I was within 15 minutes of the end of the 2 hour session, was decent.

Had a double lesson today. 15 minutes freeskate and 15 minutes interpretive.

Worked on changing my Forward Upright spin with my coach from what I had (basic, layback, bihind blade grab) because after several friends told me that including the layback in my upright, I was doing a combination spin in my Canadian Adult Bronze freeskate which isn't allowed. My forward spin (Usp) is now a forward leaning to the left from hip with left arm up and out to the left and right arm down to the right and right leg out to the right for 3 or 4 revs, then did an attitude spin for 3 revs before pushing my hips forward but not laying back to grab my free legs skate blade for 2 to 3 revs before coming out. My coach says that this is a level 2 spin. And being that my music doesn't give me enough time to try and add another variation, I think I'm just going to leave it as we have it now.

Blue Skies and a Party:

We worked on my new interpretive some more today (Wednesday). We got about a 5th done.

Anyway, after seeing the change my coach wanted me to do, I ran through the program as far as we had it choreographed. As I finished what we did, my coach and all the other skaters, got excited about my performance screaming and clapping. I was so floored. There's no way that I was that good. Can't be. I'm in disbelief. Now I have to finished the other 4/5's of the program and match the intensity. Can't wait to get the rest of it choreographed. It's partly my ideas and my coach's ideas (about 50/50). Last time I took to much ownership of the program and that is why it didn't get a better placement than second last. I've got a feeling that this program will do much better this year because I'm "Feeling Good".

looplover

01-15-2009, 10:33 AM

Grey roof: heh, forgot to meet ISk8NYC early. Had PMS-induced meltdown during second run-through of program. Thought I looked like ostrich on skates. Blamed PMS.

Couldn't flip today until the last try.

Blue skies: Well I've at least run through the program to music twice so am back on track, sort of! sit spin to backspin is pretty consistent. Now live on first floor so can do more off-ice practice :D

jazzpants

01-15-2009, 06:20 PM

Grey Roof:
Did my first two runthrus of the technical with the new music (and my first runthru in about 2 months.) Oh, dear -- I got a skating critique to do in 3 weeks and I'm totally can't land any of my jumps to save my life. :cry: I also couldn't get the timing on the very first runthru to land on time from the beginning on. (The second runthru was a tad better at the beginning but after the footwork towards the backspin is where things starts falling apart on the timing. EEEEK!!! 8O )

As for my lesson, I'm "sleep-skating" thru my lesson with my choreographer. Couldn't get the underpush on the CW forward crossovers, so he gave me this one straight drill combining forward crossovers with forward power pulls. Needless to say, I didn't QUITE get that... http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/muede/d015.gif

Blue Skies
I finally "woke up" just in time to do my runthru for my artistic program. Didn't do too badly... could be a lot better. (The FO mohawks accident from last week freaked me out. My choreographer immediately noticed the hesitation and corrected me on my wide stepping into the FO mohawks. Rightfully so, since that's how the accident happened in the FIRST PLACE!!! Must have feet UNDER me (or rather, my hips.) Much easier after that correction!!! :bow:

Finally I can start working from home once a week!!! My primary coach and I will start our midday lesson on the 1/26 (since next week is MLK's Day and the rinks will be CROWDED anyway.) NICE EMPTY MIDDAY PUBLIC SESSIONS, HERE I COME!!! :twisted:

singerskates

01-15-2009, 06:31 PM

Grey Roof:
No relief from the North Pole cold. It was another day of the human skating popcicles. None of us could bend our knees very well. Our muscles were all stiff from the cold. No matter how many jumps or spins we did, we couldn't defrost our butts and legs.

Still had trouble breathing with the cold.

Blue Skies:
Although my asthma was still bothering me today, at least I didn't have a Mac Truck on my chest and back squeezing my lungs. So I'm slowly getting better.

Jumps:
Waltz jump was back on but not good until the 3rd try.
Salchow wasn't taking off from the ice until the 3rd attempt and then the rest of the session was fine.
Salchow/Toe was on but only after I sort of got warm enough to bend my knees a bit while getting the Salchow going (see Salchow)
Toe Loop didn't have a problem.
Split almost split from me being that my legs were so stiff from the cold.
Split/Flip/Toe was not has high as when the rink is warm but at least I did it.
Lutz rotated but barely off of the ground.

Spins
Sit spin was so so but doable.
Forward Corkscrew was decent.
A) Upright Variation spin where top half of me leans to the left and right leg to the right was not that great as I had trouble controlling my balance and barely made 2 revs with this.
B) Forward Attitude spin was decent.
C) Forward back blade grab was not as strong today until the final freeskate run through.
Level 2 Usp (A+B+C) was just OK except for the last one which was actually centered and faster.
Then at the end of the session, I decided to play around with the spin entry by starting off with 2x forward then RFI attitude step, then went into a short LFO spiral into a lunge and then used the LFO edge from the lunge to go into the spiralling edge to start my Level 2 Usp. Would that make it go up a level for the entry?

Didn't do a run through all the way through all at once. I had to break it up so that I could breathe. I broke up the freeskate into 3 parts. It worked for me.

My interpretive was just as good as yesterday.

CanadianAdult

01-15-2009, 07:05 PM

My forward spin (Usp) is now a forward leaning to the left from hip with left arm up and out to the left and right arm down to the right and right leg out to the right for 3 or 4 revs, then did an attitude spin for 3 revs before pushing my hips forward but not laying back to grab my free legs skate blade for 2 to 3 revs before coming out. My coach says that this is a level 2 spin. And being that my music doesn't give me enough time to try and add another variation, I think I'm just going to leave it as we have it now.

I could see that the sideways leaning spin could be a difficult variation affecting the balance of the body core, but I don't see what your second difficult variation is. If your coach thinks an attitude spin is the second bullet, then I'm doing one tomorrow, pronto!. A blade grab can't be a difficult variation, do you mean that you're trying to do a haircutter? How high is your free knee?

singerskates

01-15-2009, 07:22 PM

I could see that the sideways leaning spin could be a difficult variation affecting the balance of the body core, but I don't see what your second difficult variation is. If your coach thinks an attitude spin is the second bullet, then I'm doing one tomorrow, pronto!. A blade grab can't be a difficult variation, do you mean that you're trying to do a haircutter? How high is your free knee?

I'm not sure. Please discribe what a haircutter is. Maybe I don't know the name of what I'm doing.

dbny

01-15-2009, 07:28 PM

Blue Skies:
Had my second ice dance lesson today. I could pass the Dutch Waltz right now.

Gray Roof:
I will consider the Dutch Waltz test worthy when I can skate it with my coach without feeling like I'm fighting him and trying desperately not to keel over forwards from the incredibly deep knees he forces.

Blue Skies:
I LOVE the deep edges when skating with him. I improved right in the lesson, same as last week.

Gray Roof:
OMG, don't know how I am ever going to get those deep knees and deep edges on my own, especially on F progressives. This is going to take a lot of practice.

blue111moon

01-15-2009, 08:45 PM

Pretty much all blue skies for me: :D:D It didn't hurt much to put the skates on, I skated for an hour without as much pain as last week AND I managed to remember the steps to the Dutch Waltz and the Canasta Tango, which is pretty darned good when I haven't done them since last June! Anyway, I'm happy.

The only Gray Roof I can think of is that my left calf muscle is now sore. It could be from the skating or it could be from the new orthotic insoles I got on Monday.

doubletoe

01-15-2009, 09:15 PM

I'm not sure. Please discribe what a haircutter is. Maybe I don't know the name of what I'm doing.

A haircutter spin is when you are in a layback position and you're grabbing the blade of your free foot and pulling it up to the back of your head (thus "haircutter"). It requires a lot of back flexibility.

singerskates

01-15-2009, 11:09 PM

I've done a haircutter before but that was before getting the herniated discs in my upper back in Feb. 2005. No, I'm not doing a haircutter. My free foot only gets as high as my waist and no I'm not laying back at all with my head now that I'm not doing a layback before grabbing my free foot. So what is that called?

doubletoe

01-16-2009, 12:50 AM

jskater49

01-16-2009, 08:48 AM

Gray Roof

Today was my first time on the ice in a week...we've had blizzard white out conditions, 30-40 below wind chills, one morning my driveway wasn't plowed out and yesterday my car battery died. I don't think I've felt really warm since November.

So there was a theme today in everything I did "Okay, could you try it standing up straight now?" accompanyed just about everything I tried.

Moves - worked on back 3 turns. Now I'm working on holding the outside edge, turning on two feet, then extending the free leg and holding the edge.

I asked my coach why the back 3 turn was outside the circle and she said "Because otherwise it would be a bracket...oh speaking of brackets" and she had us all work on those. We started with practicing the scissor motion at the wall...then she had me try them on two feet on the circle. I actually think backward brackets are going to be easier for me than back 3 turns. I like turning toward the circle.

We all got to pick a move for her to give us a tip and I tried the prelim alternating outside 3s. She had me stand on the wall and work on turning my hip out and leaning back for that exit so I can set up for the next edge. Helped a little.

After class I had a lesson - I missed my Wed lesson due to not being able to get out of my driveway but her Friday lesson wasn't able to come

Back cross strokes...started with back swing rolls ("try that again standing up straight - much better") then thinking about making a C behind the skating leg and transfering the weight. I think I could get these.

Then I thought perhaps I had improved my 3 turns enough to tackle salchows again. These have always been impossible for me. She had me show her that I could control the exit of my LFO turn. Yes I can. Then it got confusing. This jumps just confuses me. She has to draw me a pattern on the ice to follow. We worked on just walking it through...finally toward the end of the lesson I felt like I could rock up on my toe to take off.

And the last 2 minutes she looked at my spin edge entry. "Do you think you could stand up a little straighter?" Stretch my arms out more. Don't let that shoulder creep forward. It's getting better she says and she doesn't lie but it sure doesn't feel like it.

j

BatikatII

01-16-2009, 10:05 AM

blue skies:

Well the good news is that coach (who got bady burned in an accident) is back home and recovering well. I expect it will still be several weeks til he makes it to the rink but I shall be delighted to see him when he does, even if he just has to sit on the side and shout at me instead of getting on the ice as he usually does. I didnt realise how much I would miss him and his ability to fix my jumps when they go wrong.

Also blue skies is that I think I have remembered my programme. We'd only just made it up and run through it a few times before Christmas and I had forgotten it but working from the jumps, I think I have pieced it back together.

I would so like to be able to do the jump combinations in it by the time coach returns, so practised hard on them today and did succeed in at least one almost passable flip/toeloop combo and a salchow/loop combo wth speed that felt so good I shall have to retract my 'that's impossible' statement from when he first put them in. Of course I still only managed one decent one of each and a lot of bad ones so there is a way to go yet.

Gray roof: Atmosphere at rink is still subdued following the awful events of last week. Although Jayne wasn't my coach, her untimely and tragic death has affected everyone and I'd actually seen quite a lot of her before christmas when she was choreographing my daughter's group numbers in the ice panto. The good news is that her miracle daughter appears to be doing well so we are all hopeful.

liz_on_ice

01-16-2009, 11:41 AM

Blue Skies - the sky is the most amazing shade of blue when it's really flipping cold out. Skating still works up a heavy sweat though. I had a couple of sitspins where I really felt the center. Now I just need to get that consistently, and way lower down. Practiced some odds and ends from lesson, loop is improving slowly.

Grey Roof - I can tell the camel spin is going to be a tough one for me. Check back in a year and ask me if I've got it yet. Visiting the in-laws this weekend, so no more skating till Tuesday. Unless I pack skates and go to Hartford. Hmmmm..... :D

singerskates

01-17-2009, 12:51 AM

Friday
Grey Roof: Still way too cold outside. It's suppose to go down to 2 degrees F tonight. Who else is having a deep freeze night?

Never got a chance to warm up the body after skating for 2 1/2 hours because the car was frozen solid and when I got home I found out that the thermostat was set to 68 degrees F. Then I had to go back out when it was even colder to see my coach about something. As I write this at 12:57 AM Saturday morning (really night time), my legs from my kneecaps down are still feel frozen.

Got more speed in my interpretive during the faster music section. Problem, was freaked out at my new speed and couldn't control when I was suppose to do turns and jumps (half jumps; not doing any full rotations or more so as to keep it an interpretive and not confuse the judges into thinking I am doing a freeskate). Need to work on the faster setion at slow speed and then bring it up to speed bit by bit to get use to my new found speed. Help! Anyone else discovering that they can skater faster in a program but then freak out not trusting that you can handle it?

Blue Skies:

City Ice (ticket ice) was moved to the new Windsor Family Credit Union Center today and will continue every Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM in the Windsor Star ice pad. It's clean and much warmer then where I skated on Wednesday and Thursday (Forest Glade Arena; arena where the Pat Abela competition is to be held). I was able to bind my knees a bit more than Wednesday and Thursday. The ice for the most part was smooth, not too hard and not too soft. Just right for Goldielocks. LOL

I got further in my freeskate. Actually if I hadn't have been blocked by some of the child skaters, I would have been able to do my lutz in my program. I had to stop and skate around the child and then go into my final spin. My breathing has improved about 65% from Wednesday. Feeling better. By this coming Monday, I should be at 95%.

Jumps
Waltz jumps were better today
Toe Loops were good until I went to pull my arms in on one of them. I ended up doing 1 1/2 revs when I pulled in my arms, like I need to do on my Loop, Flip and Lutz, to show my coach why I have the bad habit of not pulling in my arms during jumps. I was trying to break the bad habit of forgetting to pull the arms in on the Loop, Flip and Lutz.
Loop is still making progress and near to clean. Had better height on my loop today too.
Flip was a bit off today rotated but with a severe 2 foot on the landing.
Lutz didn't rotate except for one time. But at least I had a quieter entry edge this time.
Salchow/Toe was OK
Split/Flip/Toe had rhythem but the Flip was two footed.

Sitspin was much easier to get down into today. I even attempted to do my sit with basic position + upper body twisted to the left with right arm up in the air + broken sit once.

Upright spin; once again attempted to do the left upper body lean with right free leg extended up + attitude spin + behind body free foot blade grab in my freeskate. Getting better at it.

Learned a new upright variation that I'm doing in my interpretive at the very end today. I'll discribed it. I started by going into the basic position but after the first rotation I brought my free leg behind crossing it behind my skating leg way to the left and then slightly collapsed downward not quite into a sit position with my right hand just to the right of my bellybutton and my left hand just behind my left butt. Ok, my arms went down a little farther than that. I saw my coach do it and wanted to learn it to do in my interpretive. I do 3 or 4 revs depending how fast I rotated before getting out to end with the music. Does anybody know the name of this upright variation?

Got a bit more choreographed in my interpretive today. And am gaining lots of speed on the faster part of the interpretive.

jp1andOnly

01-17-2009, 12:59 AM

ummm..I don't think you've done a haircutter before.

All you are doing is grabbing your leg...nothing specific. Ask your coach and get him/her to tell you what you are doing. Calling things levels and trying to name them without proper input will end up leading you to think you have higher levels then you do. Only if you meet the requirements by checking exactly what you need, how long you need to do it, and it being stable does it go up a level. Please consult your coach

I've done a haircutter before but that was before getting the herniated discs in my upper back in Feb. 2005. No, I'm not doing a haircutter. My free foot only gets as high as my waist and no I'm not laying back at all with my head now that I'm not doing a layback before grabbing my free foot. So what is that called?

jp1andOnly

01-17-2009, 01:01 AM

there is no name for that position. I've done it multiple times in my spins..its just a variation of an upright that looks different

Friday
Grey Roof: Still way too cold outside. It's suppose to go down to 2 degrees F tonight. Who else is having a deep freeze night?

Never got a chance to warm up the body after skating for 2 1/2 hours because the car was frozen solid and when I got home I found out that the thermostat was set to 68 degrees F. Then I had to go back out when it was even colder to see my coach about something. As I write this at 12:57 AM Saturday morning (really night time), my legs from my kneecaps down are still feel frozen.

Got more speed in my interpretive during the faster music section. Problem, was freaked out at my new speed and couldn't control when I was suppose to do turns and jumps (half jumps; not doing any full rotations or more so as to keep it an interpretive and not confuse the judges into thinking I am doing a freeskate). Need to work on the faster second at slow speed and then bring it up to speed bit by bit to get use to my new found speed. Help! Anyone else discovering that they can skater faster in a program but then freak out not trusting that you can handle it?

Blue Skies:

City Ice (ticket ice) was moved to the new Windsor Family Credit Union Center today and will continue every Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM in the Windsor Star ice pad. It's clean and much warmer then where I skated on Wednesday and Thursday (Forest Glade Arena; arena where the Pat Abela competition is to be held). I was able to bind my knees a bit more than Wednesday and Thursday.

And I got further in my freeskate. Actually if I hadn't have been blocked by some of the child skaters, I would have been able to do my lutz in my program. I had to stop and skate around the child and then go into my final spin.

Jumps
Waltz jumps were better today
Toe Loops were good until I went to pull my arms in on one of them. I ended up doing 1 1/2 revs when I pulled in my arms, like I need to do on my Loop, Flip and Lutz, to show my coach why I have the bad habit of not pulling in my arms during jumps. I was trying to break the bad habit of forgetting to pull the arms in on the Loop, Flip and Lutz.
Loop is still making progress and near to clean. Had better height on my loop today too.
Flip was a bit off today rotated but with a severe 2 foot on the landing.
Lutz didn't rotate except for one time. But at least I had a quieter entry edge this time.
Salchow/Toe was OK
Split/Flip/Toe had rhythem but the Flip was two footed.

Sitspin was much easier to get down into today. I even attempted to do my sit with basic position + upper body twisted to the left with right arm up in the air + broken sit once.

Upright spin; once again attempted to do the left upper body lean with right free leg extended up + attitude spin + behind body free foot blade grab in my freeskate. Getting better at it.

Learned a new upright variation that I'm doing in my interpretive at the very end today. I'll discribed it. I started by going into the basic position but after the first rotation I brought my free leg behind crossing it behind my skating leg way to the left and then slightly collapsed downward not quite into a sit position with my right hand just to the right of my bellybutton and my left hand just behind my left butt. Ok, my arms went down a little farther than that. I saw my coach do it and wanted to learn it to do in my interpretive. I do 3 or 4 revs depending how fast I rotated before getting out to end with the music. Does anybody know the name of this upright variation?

Got a bit more choreographed in my interpretive today. And am gaining lots of speed on the faster part of the interpretive.

katz in boots

01-17-2009, 01:35 AM

Blue Skies
Ah bliss ! After 4 weeks finally went skating this morning !
So good to see the regular Saturday morning public session crowd, and so good to skate again.

Grey Roof
Finding out how much I couldn't do. Took a while to get my balance right and to get my weird inner ear used to turning and spinning again. So unfit and out of shape!

Disappointing to find that jumps weren't good. Fell a couple of times on flips, only attempted 1 lutz and no waltz/loops. It was okay, but it is so frustrating to go backwards and have to work hard to get back to where I was.

Blue Skies
well at least most of my spins hadn't disappeared completely. Actually did what felt like an okay camel, a change camel, change sit, change attitude. Best news is that my backspin, which I'd made big gains on late last year, hadn't gone too far backwards.

I could remember Fiesta Tango and Swing Dance too, and they weren't too bad considering the break. I do wish they wouldn't shut the rink for holidays. Sigh.

And it's just nice to be skating again.

slusher

01-17-2009, 08:54 AM

there is no name for that position. I've done it multiple times in my spins..its just a variation of an upright that looks different

There is a crossfoot spin but it is a variation on a backspin. It's on the junior silver elements and guys usually do it instead of the other option, layback :P

Mrs Redboots

01-17-2009, 09:15 AM

I actually think backward brackets are going to be easier for me than back 3 turns. I like turning toward the circle.

I have always found back brackets far easier than back 3-turns. And discovered during the week that I do 3-bracket-3, not bracket-3-bracket. I have just, this week, learnt that I can do a LFO bracket, and occasionally follow it with a LBI 3 (although with a toe-tap); but on my right side, it's definitely RFO3/RBI bracket! Also with an occasional toe-tap.

Bill_S

01-17-2009, 09:39 AM

Gray Roof: I skated yesterday afternoon, but NOTHING worked. I even fell on back crossovers because I didn't have the leg strength for pushing after a deep knee bend. I just collapsed going backwards.

My spins traveled, I somehow lost my ability to do back inside 3s, and fell a bunch. I don't know if the -4F (-20C) weather we've been having had much to do with it or not. In the unheated rink, the ice was rock hard too, and that doesn't help things.

Throughout the evening after skating, I felt depressed. This is the kind of episode that makes me want to hang up my skates.

I'll keep at it though. Heaven knows I need the exercise.

dbny

01-17-2009, 11:27 AM

Blue Skies:
I had a great lesson yesterday with my regular coach. Didn't get much of a warm up because we got to the rink late, but started with some stroking & FXO's which were both deeper in the knees and smoother. Did my first 3 turn of the session in my lesson and it wasn't half bad. Actually got back to the line a few times on both R & LFO 3's, and FI 3's seem to be coming back finally. Big shocker was that the first spin I did was from a T push and was at least 4 revs and centered. Did two more in lesson and both were good, did a few after and they were all good. This is a first for me and real sign of progress on spins....at last! Worked a bit on CW backspin by doing LFI 3 at the boards and sinking in to deeply bent knee after turn. This is something I can practice without fear and it give me a good feeling of where my weight should be for the spin.

Gray Roof:
When I video my students to show them how little their knees are really bent, although they think they are bent deeply, they are always surprised. Yesterday, I bit the bullet and had DH video me on what were supposed to be deep knee FXO's. Ugh! The sad thing is that my knees were bent deeper than usual. On the plus side, nothing hurts as a result of the dance lessons and deeper knee bends.

Skate@Delaware

01-17-2009, 12:25 PM

gray skies....no ice today due to a hockey tournament that mysteriously changed it's start time! It was scheduled to begin at noon, I called and was told, "Yes, there is club ice this morning" so I got dressed, braved the cold and drove over to the rink, only to see the packed parking lot.....

got inside only to find out that they had "mis-printed" the brochures and decided to go with what was on them.

Yeah.

I didn't skate at club on Wednesday night because I was with my mom at the hospital getting a chest x-ray, then back tothe doctor because she has pneumonia. We didn't get her home until 8:30 pm, well after club was wrapped up.

So much for my club time, I'm not getting to use it at all this year.

I'm thinking of asking for a refund. :x

jp1andOnly

01-17-2009, 03:39 PM

but thats not the spin she is talking about....

There is a crossfoot spin but it is a variation on a backspin. It's on the junior silver elements and guys usually do it instead of the other option, layback :P

slusher

01-17-2009, 10:09 PM

but thats not the spin she is talking about....

Agreed, posted that info so that what she was doing would not be called a crossfoot because a crossfoot is definitely something else. I'm not a fan of using the internet as a substitute for coaching, sorry for hijacking the thread.

I should post about my European, grey roof or lack of timing, knee bend, correct edge and the refusal of my coach to attempt to partner as I'm "dangerous". Blue skies it was warmer in the rink than outside. :P

singerskates

01-17-2009, 10:57 PM

Agreed, posted that info so that what she was doing would not be called a crossfoot because a crossfoot is definitely something else. I'm not a fan of using the internet as a substitute for coaching, sorry for hijacking the thread.

My coach taught me the spin on my lesson to use in my interpretive but didn't tell me what it was called yet. I was just trying to get a name for it. And yes, I definately know that it's not a cross spin. Why? Not started on a back outside edge with other leg crossed tightly in front on an outside edge. My free leg doesn't touch the ice at all and is crossed behind way over passed my skating leg and is done on an back inside edge and I'm halfway between straight up and doing a sit when I'm in the spin. I'm a CCW spinner. My left arm is hanging down behind and the right hanging infront.

katz in boots

01-18-2009, 02:13 AM

Blue Skies
2nd skate for the year (and another 2 falls - definitely maintaining my average of 2 falls per sessions so far this year). Much more comfortable on ice today, though the ice wasn't great.

I did backspins, with free foot crossed in front :D !!! I have been struggling with this spin for 3 years and was only just getting it toward the end of last year. I am rapt that I was able to do these today. I also did a decent camel, and a decent change camel.

I did a couple of okay flips today too, good sign, and one waltz/loop ! Other jumps are also starting to come back, though not trying to put loops on them all yet, and tending to chicken out on lutzes.

Grey Skies
bit stiff & sore from skating after a break, and lacking in stamina. In fact, :oops: I fell asleep on the couch this afternoon. I never take naps ! :oops:

Mrs Redboots

01-18-2009, 09:09 AM

I should post about my European, grey roof or lack of timing, knee bend, correct edge and the refusal of my coach to attempt to partner as I'm "dangerous". Blue skies it was warmer in the rink than outside. :P

Sounds like my husband's Foxtrot!

I have had a very Blue Sky skate this morning - a visiting coach transformed our throw salchow by telling us to do a Mohawk into it rather than a 3-turn, which makes the whole thing far more do-able. It's not there yet, but it will be. And I did an RFO bracked AND RFI and LFI brackets for the first time ever! Go me! Now just to get those two BO brackets sorted, and I'll have all 8.

Stormy

01-18-2009, 11:08 AM

Despite another snowstorm, it was a very blue sky morning since I landed a bunch of clean double sals for the first time in ages, and did a camel, back sit combo with 10 revs each. This is a really good time for the double sal to come back with Easterns so soon! :D

AgnesNitt

01-18-2009, 01:06 PM

Blue Sky So after yesterday's lesson on outside and inside eights done old-style figures way, I slogged back into freestyle session and moved from circle to circle so I wouldn't be 'camping'. Coach's direction to be on middle of the blade first half of the circle then back of the blade on the second half, worked out. I can now make it all the way around the circle--alas not from the pure T position--but it's close to the T position. My outside circles are egg shaped, but I'm making it all the way around (80% of the time--a big improvement). My inside 8's are round, but I still have to give a soft push at the halfway point as my inside balance is not as strong as my outside. This is a major improvement, as previously, my inside 8's from a T position were so weak I kept falling in the circle and needed 3 soft pushes. I'll do coffee club tomorrow, I think I can nail the inside 8's with a little more practice.

Grey Roof It's 2 deg (F) outside, the ice was like steel. People (especially the light weight kids) were complaining about holding an edge. Falls all over the place. Carrying 40 extra pounds, I can get an edge on concrete.
My left mohawk still sucks. Coach wants me to nail my free foot to the heel of my skating foot coming out of 3 turns <shiver/ what will I do without my back leg pontooning behind me when I fall?> I can do it but I'm a long way from perfection.

Blue skies I was fiddling around on my inside edges, when someone called my name. I just tightened the edge and did a sharp turn 180 to face her. I realized I'd done a perfectly serviceable loop. Beginner's luck, I couldn't duplicate it.

looplover

01-18-2009, 02:14 PM

Grey Roof: tomorrow, for national skating day, my rink has cancelled the early morning freestyles. Great! :evil: I NEED to practice tomorrow and tomorrow is one of my work from home days so I'll force myself to drive to Raleigh.

Very crowded public session today also led to grey roof - I don't like to do flips when it's like that - so no flips.

Blue Skies: last night I realized my bracket was a really shallow 3-turn so I fixed that today. Was able to at least work on the footwork in the public session, and worked on some variation of a show stop, also backspins. Did a couple of decent loops and worked on looking up during footwork! Still have been looking down too much!

aussieskater

01-18-2009, 04:40 PM

I have had a very Blue Sky skate this morning - a visiting coach transformed our throw salchow by telling us to do a Mohawk into it rather than a 3-turn, which makes the whole thing far more do-able. It's not there yet, but it will be. And I did an RFO bracked AND RFI and LFI brackets for the first time ever! Go me! Now just to get those two BO brackets sorted, and I'll have all 8.

Wow! Sounds like you had a great day! If you're doing a throw sal, you obviously have the secret of that dratted jump - when I try it, it's like "turn, turn, turn, turn, jump" - then coach says "you jump on the third (or fourth, or 242nd) turn, not the turn you did!" :D

Can't wait for school to resume - (a) all the kids will be back at school so the rink will be a little emptier; and (b) our kids will be back at school so we can get some practice together, rather than going once a week separately.

DH bought me a heart rate monitor for Xmas (my request!), so I thought I'd play with it at the crowded session yesterday and see how much work I have to do to get my heart rate up into the "lard burning" zone. I managed it by doing boring laps for the last half hour, of which the last 20min was in the Zone. (It took 10 min to work out how much I had to work to get the heart rate up.) I found that I really need to push to get the heart rate up, which means that I was going really fast (for me), and what with all the dodging, I'm not sure how much of the magic 80% of maximum heart rate was fear!!

Chatting afterwards, one of the group (who studied health sciences at uni) said that if I do that for 15 min at the beginning and end of each session, I've met the Australian Heart Foundation cardio requirement for the day.

mr7740

01-18-2009, 06:15 PM

There is a crossfoot spin but it is a variation on a backspin. It's on the junior silver elements and guys usually do it instead of the other option, layback :P

I have been doing a crossfoot spin for over ten years and it was always one of the very few spin variations I have been able to do with my lack of flexibility. I think I remember copying the spin from Michelle Kwan's 1996 short program and teaching myself how to do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGaIWjgBWyU
(around 2:40)

Except when I do it my free leg is extended more than hers...sadly this isn't even considered a difficult variation in IJS. Does anyone know why? Do you think it will change? This position is more difficult than some of the other things they consider a difficult variation and it definately requires a change in center of balance, etc

RachelSk8er

01-18-2009, 07:50 PM

This is for Friday and Saturday:

Blue skies:

My coach worked with me on choreography for my interp...we left my layout and most of my steps and stuff the same, he's just much better at body movement, connecting moves, and other little things I don't think of. Let's just say it was pretty damn funny watching my 38 yr old straight male coach choreograph a pretty sexy interp for a female skater. :laugh: But I seriously love what we've come up with!!

Flying camels are getting better and better!

I was jumping pretty good yesterday too for the most part (except for below)

Yesterday my rink didn't have ice (stupid hockey) so I went to another area rink...there were already a bunch of skaters in town for US Nationals and they were there practicing. Carol Heiss and Karen Kwan were there coaching, most of the skaters must have been novices or juniors because I didn't recognize most of them. Must be nice for Carol to be back home coaching on her old turf! Needless to say it was a pretty fun session.

Grey roof:

We lost ice today again (at the only rink w/Sunday ice) due to stupid hockey.

Lose all the ice this week at my rink due to US Nationals (it's the official practice rink), so I have to trek out to a different rink.

Lutzes. I was working on them yesterday and I keep coming up in my skating knee way too soon.

Sit-change-sit: Started out pretty blah yesterday (on the back sit), but they were getting better toward the end of my session yesterday.

jskater49

01-18-2009, 09:01 PM

If you're doing a throw sal, you obviously have the secret of that dratted jump - when I try it, it's like "turn, turn, turn, turn, jump" - then coach says "you jump on the third (or fourth, or 242nd) turn, not the turn you did!" :D
.

Glad I'm not the only one that finds the salchow totally confusing. I have to have my coach draw me the pattern on the ice so I know when I'm supposed to jump.

j

Skate@Delaware

01-19-2009, 07:12 AM

this is for yesterday:
Blue Skies: got my choreography! Good thing, as the competition is on 8 Feb!!!! Everything is nice in it (no Ina Bauer) and it goes really great!

Grey Roof: My spins were kinda crappy, as I'm under the weather with a virus. I was EXTREMELY COLD on the ice, didn't warm up (the only warm place on me was my toes cause I was wearing toastie toes in my boots). After I got off the ice, my stomach hurt a lot and I felt like hurling....

Music: instrumental version of Shakira's "Eyes like mine"

LilJen

01-19-2009, 08:09 AM

Blue skies: Synchro formation program is coming together. We worked out some important kinks.

Grey roof: Synchro dance number. . . is still NOT FINISHED!!! I think there's about a minute and a half left to choreograph. And we have 3 practices left to do that before our competition. Needless to say I'm feeling rather stressed ou!

jazzpants

01-19-2009, 01:14 PM

Blue Skies:
Skated with a bunch (15 people!!!) of the adult skaters from my skating club at the Holiday Rink at Union Square. Not too early either (10am), nice and pretty empty. We went to the landmark Sear's Fine Foods (http://www.searsfinefood.com/store.html) for those famous Swedish pancakes with lingoberries (http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/pl0dk-4JXVG1ZlUlbYpdSQ/l) afterwards. :yum: :yum: :yum:

http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/pl0dk-4JXVG1ZlUlbYpdSQ/l

(Note: Yes, it's a tourist trap. Most people don't bother going here b/c of the LOOOOONG lines and we're just too lazy to go in long lines! That said... for a tourist trap, price is not too bad. That said, almost everyone went for the pancakes. A few also risk their arteries for the bacon. :twisted: And no, I was very good and didn't have any bacon there! :halo: )

And yes, we skated under blue skies, not windy and comfortably cool weather too!!! :bow:

Grey Roof:
Took a spill on the tailbone. Not too bad thankfully. Barely missed the bird doo-doo that was also on the ice though. (EWWWW!!! :x )

Holiday rink closing this week!!! :cry: (Which means that my home rink is gonna be even MORE crowded :frus: *sigh* Until at least after AN, I'm now going to the morning FS session on Friday now too... so that should take care of the need to skate on those crowded weekend sessions.)