Podium or Peanut Gallery? - Practice 1/26 - 2/1

[liz_on_ice]

In honor of US Nats, just past.

Peanut Gallery - the crowd at my lovely lunctime rink, due to a school holiday. It was fun to show off, but it's a tiny rink and while I squeaked in some jumps it was mainly for exercise, I couldn't concentrate on improving technique.

Podium - There's almost always enough room to work some spins, and that's what I need most.

[Bunny Hop]

Peanut Gallery: Local schools had an inset day so rink had an unnecessary number of screaming girl teens at normally quite Monday morning session.

After skating four times last week, my knees were killing me, so had even less knee bend than usually (i.e. legs basically straight...).

Podium: Had one of those light bulb turning on moments with my three turns, when coach told me to look in the direction I was going throughout the movement. Obvious? Yes. Made them easier? Yes. Am I an idiot for not working this out for myself? Most definitely. Still, it's only taken me a couple of years to get the three turns back.:roll: So frustrating - I could do them in my sleep when I was a teenager.

Coach said my forward skating was much faster than it used to be when skating on my own. Was pleased to hear that. Attempting to keep up with my husband obviously has had an effect, even if it does scare the willies out of me sometimes!

[singerskates]

Peanut Gallery: I think this is a suitable choice for things that went wrong since in at least the US news I've heard that there has been a recall on peanut paste because of contamination.

Being that there was another really cold weather snap this weekend and last night, I didn't even bother to venture to the rink (Tecumseh Arena on Mondays and sometimes Tuesdays 1 PM to 2:30 PM) today. I'm also still nursing a pulled and/or torn butt muscle on my landing leg.

Podium: Taking an extra day off of the ice to allow my butt muscle to heal more. The butt muscle is not healed yet but it does feel better. It no longer hurts to walk.

[jazzpants]

Podium:
I got all my jumps back during my lesson. Loop, loop-loop, flip, flip-loop, lutz (Well, sorta kinda. I'm still trying to get myself to land and glide on an edge and THEN jump up, rather than just jump right off the toe picks like I'm doing now!!! :twisted: )

CW crossovers are slightly better... well, better now that I got my skates sharpened this past weekend!!! :twisted: No more slipping off the edge again!!! :bow:

Peanut Gallery:
Toe loop. Gotta stop doing the toe-waltz thing... but he doesn't want me to "take off on two feet either when I do that temporarily back pivot thing into it either." *sigh*

Primary coach notes that I don't as high as I usually do and I don't have the "I'm very tired" excuse now that my lesson is at NOON!!! :giveup: But I do have the feeling given the past weekend (non skating friends were keeping me QUITE busy... and interrupted me on Sunday afternoon RIGHT AT THE POINT THAT I was to hear the score for Jeremy Abbort for his LP!!! GRRRR!!! :x I'll gripe about it at Patsy's Parlor...)

Interesting Note:
Both a fellow skater and my primary coach were picking on me about THIS post. (http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?p=383147#post383147) :roll: :lol: So just to pre-empt my other fellow skaters and coaches...

I AM NOT MICHELLE KWAN and I DON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE HER!!! And IF I AM MICHELLE KWAN, I would be busy doing diplomat stuff, taking classes, spending time with my rich bf and traveling a LOT instead of getting up at some ungodly hour in the morning to skate at a FS session and then rushing off to work!!! So QUIT BUGGIN' ME, WILL 'YA!!! Better yet, go bug my primary coach!!! He likes the attention!!! :twisted: :P :lol:

(And now back to our regularly scheduled program, already in progress... :halo: )

[Isk8NYC]

Podium:
Good MITF practice. Managed some decent sit spins and back spins. Jumps were very good.

Peanut Gallery:
Knee's bugging me again, probably from sitting on the couch watching Nationals this weekend. Laziness gets me every time.

Still struggling to center my forward spins.

It may be my blades. :frus: Never ends, does it? :giveup:

[flo]

Podium - continued working on pairs program, we're up to the footwork section. My partner has been great, going from zero to gold pairs in a very short time with a crash course in pair skating.

Peanut gallery - the rink has a new compressor and is freezing!!!

[AnnM]

Podium: The camel spin is coming to me rather quickly. Also, my new boots are breaking in nicely. I can't believe I suffered through my old, painful boots for so long! I feel that there will be a lot of improvement in my skating this year.

Peanut Gallery: We started doing prep drills for the loop jump again. I can't believe that after 25 years this darn jump is still my nemesis. I am terrified of it!

[jazzpants]

ANNM!!!!

WOW!!! I was wondering what happened to you!!!! Glad you're still skating. (If it's anything I don't have a camel spin yet and my boots are JUST FINE!!! :frus:)

[BatikatII]

Podium: For my coach who is already back at work coaching when he wasn't expected to leave hospital til end of February after his accident.
bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:

First lesson back with him and ran through all the usual stuff. Lots of edges and field moves.

podium: With coach's help managed to regain flip/toe-loop combo and salchow/loop combo

Peanut Gallery
Nothing as I'm so happy that coach is back!:D

[Mrs Redboots]

Peanut gallery: Forgot to leave my skates to be sharpened on Sunday, so was struggling with blunt blades all morning.

Podium: Very strenuous lesson - a great workout!

[Stormy]

Podium: Worked on some finishing details with chorographer last night. Footwork is getting edgier and curvier (slowly). Did more awesome camel spins. I still can't believe what a huge difference the 3 turn entry made to my camel spin.

Peanut gallery: I'm having a really hard time getting the change of edge in my spiral sequence correct. I really need to work on this a lot. I'm dropping my free leg and not turning my free hip out enough, and my free leg drifts inward, making the spiral after the change of edge really difficult. :frus: It was fine before, but I wasn't doing the change of edge correctly either. All these IJS things I have to think about now.

[sk8lady]

Podium: Showed my coach the exhibition program I choreographed and she liked it, plus the entire dance class was directed to watch me by their coach and they all really liked it! The side spiral actually looks like something now that I can get the leg straight up in the air (albeit with a hand assist).

Peanut gallery: Test session in which I am not participating is coming up. :cry: Coach is determined to find something positive to say about everything including the flip I don't have so she keeps telling me it's good because I'm landing it on one foot. Told her for about the fifth time yesterday that I've been landing it that way for just about ten years but since there's a two foot long tail on it that's not really a feel-good comment and she actually got irritated and said that was because I'm not rotating in the air and laid out the three reasons why I'm not rotating in the air. I think she thought she was being tough on me but THAT I can work with! Gives me concrete things to focus on.

[Rusty Blades]

Not Quite In Contention: (Somewhere between the Peanut Gallery and the Podium LOL!) Haven't skated much in the last 2 weeks - only 30 minutes last week - fighting the mid-winter doldrums - but dragged my sorry axx.... carcass out to the rink this morning. When I stepped onto the ice, it felt like I had never skated before :frus: But my favourite Zam driver is back from holidays so I had beautiful ice 30 minutes before "official start time".

I LOVE that first 30 minutes, having the ice to myself, my old time Rock & Roll on the P.A., and reverting to my childhood LOL! 8-) It is nice to have a really good workout without having to look over your shoulder. (I do tend to go easy on jumps and spins - don't wanna konk my noggin when I am the only one there!)

After 30 minutes of solo ice, I was pretty much back in the groove before anyone else showed up.

Now, if I could just keep my feet warm enough that my toes aren't turning blue after an hour ....... :giveup:

[AnnM]

ANNM!!!!

WOW!!! I was wondering what happened to you!!!! Glad you're still skating. (If it's anything I don't have a camel spin yet and my boots are JUST FINE!!! :frus:)

***Waving Hi!*** :D

I was having major problems with my old SP-Teri boots for most of last year, so I wasn't skating as often. I was resistant to buying new boots because there was so much life left in the pair, but I couldn't take it anymore and bought a new pair of Jacksons in December. Add work woes (a supervisor that hated me and an unexpected transfer) to the mix and you have the reason why I've been "off the grid". But things are looking up now and I am determined to get back into good skating shape.

[liz_on_ice]

Podium - Standing on the top step holding the flowers, and waving - I landed a flip today!!!

Sit spins still slowly coming, improved loop jump. I met another adult skater at the Seaport, she's not on any of the boards but I plugged skatingforums. If she shows up - Hi Ann! :D

Peanut Gallery - no camel or layback to speak of, and forgot to bring my practice sheet :-p.

[Thin-Ice]

Podium: For my coach who is already back at work coaching when he wasn't expected to leave hospital til end of February after his accident.
bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:

First lesson back with him and ran through all the usual stuff. Lots of edges and field moves.

podium: With coach's help managed to regain flip/toe-loop combo and salchow/loop combo

Peanut Gallery
Nothing as I'm so happy that coach is back!:D

That is SUCH great news!!!:bow::bow::bow: for your coach!

[Thin-Ice]

Podium - Standing on the top step holding the flowers, and waving - I landed a flip today!!!
Way cool! Congratulations!!!!

[Thin-Ice]

Not Quite In Contention: (Somewhere between the Peanut Gallery and the Podium LOL!) Haven't skated much in the last 2 weeks - only 30 minutes last week - fighting the mid-winter doldrums - but dragged my sorry axx.... carcass out to the rink this morning. When I stepped onto the ice, it felt like I had never skated before :frus: But my favourite Zam driver is back from holidays so I had beautiful ice 30 minutes before "official start time".

I LOVE that first 30 minutes, having the ice to myself, my old time Rock & Roll on the P.A., and reverting to my childhood LOL! 8-) It is nice to have a really good workout without having to look over your shoulder. (I do tend to go easy on jumps and spins - don't wanna konk my noggin when I am the only one there!)

After 30 minutes of solo ice, I was pretty much back in the groove before anyone else showed up.

WOO-HOOOOO!!! I take it you've re-found your motivation???

[Rusty Blades]

Thanks T.I. Don't think it's back but had to get out there and remind myself why I started this.

[Mrs Redboots]

Podium: Lovely quiet session, so got a lot done.

Peanuts: No, we do not do the Willow Waltz like that. Chatted to coach for too long afterwards and got cold.

[jskater49]

Lesson today.

Peanuts - Still trying to shift my weight on back crossovers.

8 Step Mohawk - I was looking behind me before shifting feet on the mohawk and coach suggested I look straight ahead and not move head until after the turn and that actually works much better

Went through my progam with the Canon music and she noted that I do my crossovers so well and so fast that I'm really not able to do the 8 step properly because I'm so terrified and it slows down the crossovers because I know what's coming so we changed the program - 8 step first, then stroke down the rink for a circle of crossovers....of course then I have to go into waltz threes after all that built up speed....

We got our assignments for the Spring Ice Show - "Skating Down the Yellow Brick Road" - I qualified for a feature role as "Auntie Em" I don't think our club has ever had an adult as feature before....and I'm going to be a tree. Some of the adults who are also trees were all huffing "Oh great - we just stand there" but they haven't seen the movie and I reminded them that trees are mean and chase the characters....so I think it will be fun.

No dance number this year - not enough people signed up for dance.

j

[looplover]

This is from this week so far:

Peanut Gallery: conversation with coworker about Easterns:
Me: "My practices haven't been going well and I really don't feel comfortable having anyone come to the competition to watch."
Coworker: "I'm going, I want to see."
Me: "I really don't want anyone there and it'll make me screw up my program so I'll just show you the video.
Coworker: "I'm sure it'll get better, you have a month."
Me: "You can't go."
Coworker: storms out of my office.

:frus:

OK, so I'm being stalked.

Tuesday lesson: could only do flips when coach wasn't watching (yikes). Then couldn't do loops either, which doesn't happen. Oh well...I'm just writing that all off and not worrying about it...

Podium: sit spins and backspins are good again...added arm movements to footwork...at least did those two flips before the lesson! :lol:

[phoenix]

Peanut Gallery: Viennese Waltz wasn't great today with the music. Edges are still way too flat when I do it up to speed. I need to work a lot harder on my own to get this thing going with the music AND have it be correct!!

Podium: Blues was good. Coach was very pleased, and said just do one run-through per practice from now on & then focus on the waltz.

[momsk8er]

Peanut gallery - why are my power 3s getting worse over time. I am doing some funky waist bending and turning with my body instead of my foot according to coach. I am so done with these moves!

Podium - spins are really improving, sit spin is really getting lower and soo very centered. I still am not getting low enough, but it is feeling really good now, so all I need is a little more knee bend. Loop jump is tiny but there most of the time.

Peanut - if only I could get more spring in my sal, and have the nerve to get more around so I could land a flip. I do a really good 1/2 flip, but I can't seem to get all the way around for a full one. Seems like I'm getting enough height, but I can't figure out how to rotate.

[Thin-Ice]

Outside the building (beyond the peanut gallery): My left arm and shoulder and part-way down the left side of my back are in a muscle spasm. It was silly of me to think I should go skate.. but I didn't want to miss a lesson with my coach this close to Adult Sectionals. I was fine the first 5 minutes, then the cold of the rink really made the muscles "freeze up". I couldn't do ANYTHING except forward stroking..... not even 3-turns or mohawks. It just hurt too much to even turn my head or move my arm/shoulder. We agreed neither one of us wanted to work on just stroking for an hour (not that it would be a bad thing to work on more).

Podium: I was willing to call it a day and get off the ice, but my coach said she'd come up with something we could do. So she came up with footwork segments and had me not move my arms! She's SOOOO creative!!!:bow: So I'd planned to do the ISI Worlds coming up in July since they're pretty close to home.. and we ended up choreographing about 45 seconds of what will be a 1 minute program!!! By that time I was able to move a little bit more easily.. so we worked on cross strokes (for the Juvenile Moves test)...

Peanut Gallery: and my backspin.. which can use all the time, effort, supervision and work it can get. At least it didn't get worse.. despite the "body issues".

[Rusty Blades]

Behind the Podium: (With no competition this year.) I got my ZIP back 8-) Needed something to keep me challenged while maintaining/improving my basic skating ...... found it ..... school figures 8O Yes, I know I am strange! I loved 'em in the 1960's, I admit it.

Did some FO and FI 8's with coach this morning, tried some BO and BI 8's ...... now my forward edges in Freeskate are pretty darned good ..... put them on an 8 and they fall apart LOL! That ought to keep me out of mischief for awhile :giveup:

Even had 3 coaches (on the 7 a.m. session) who thought doing an hour of figures (starting at 6 @$#% a.m.!) before the regular session would be a great idea. (Let's hope their enthusiasm dies off QUICKLY or the young skaters will lynch me!!!!)

[Morgail]

Peanut Gallery:

No skating for me since last Thursday. I was sick all weekend/early this week. Then there was snow, ice, and more snow. Actually left my house for the rink yesterday, but no one was there. Looks like they have power though, which means it's warmer at the rink than in my house!

I could try skating on my driveway, trees, roof, yard...:lol: There's certainly enough ice!

[jazzpants]

Peanut Gallery:
Jumps are gone again!!! GRRRRR!!! I guess it's official that I just can't jump in the mornings to save my life... :frus: :frus: :frus:

Podium:
Skating buddy from LA came up north to visit. The hubby has a convention at Moscone Center and he tagged along. (And WOW!!! He's improved LOTS too!!! I saw him skate while getting my skates off!!! 8O :bow: )

I tell 'ya -- there's something in that water in LA there!!! :P :lol: (No, it's NOT the sushi. I've been having sushi every other week. In fact, I just had some a few minutes ago. Jazzpants is now a happy gal again! :yum: )

[kateskate]

Peanut gallery

My camel spin has gone on a long extended holiday. I fear it will never return. I'm currently reverting to the awful head down, no hook, letting free hip come in and drop forwards. Yuck

Axels weren't rotating

Sometimes I break makes you forget.

Podium

Managed laps of alternating rocker choctaws without even really realising it. Flips and lutzes were nice.

Sometimes a break erases bad habits.

[blue111moon]

Podium: Did the Dutch Waltz to music for the first time since Mountin Cup last June. :) I was about half-a-beat behind the whole time but, hey, it's better than I thought it would be. I remembered the steps, which for me is a miracle.

I also went through the Canasta without music a few times because I kept forgetting the steps after the end cross-step.

I also did a couple laps of back crossovers which was an achievement, given the pressure they put on the right outside edge.

Peanuts: After 45 minutes, the ankle was too sore to do much else so I got off. Pain is not good. :) It's okay today so I'm optimistic that it's just temporary and will get better as the scar heals more. There was only minimal swelling last night too.

Mountain Cup is looking more like a definite than just a hope.

[jskater49]

Peanut Gallery - I don't like my Moves class anymore now that it's been taken over by high level skaters....it's just too far above me now...I can't even sort of do choctaws and shaefer pushes...even though coach tries to give me alternatives...it's just not fun anymore.:cry: Too bad I've paid for it until April. Or not too bad because I will just have to suck it up and go and deal with it.

Podium - Daughter is back from college for a week and she came to skate with me. She said my 8 step looked good and she wouldn't say that just to be nice.

j

[Mrs Redboots]

I also went through the Canasta without music a few times because I kept forgetting the steps after the end cross-step. It's cross-roll swing, and then into the restart!

Mountain Cup is looking more like a definite than just a hope.

Yay! We would have missed you quite dreadfully if you'd not come!

[phoenix]

Podium
My first morning of practice ice, with my new resolution to add 2 morning skates per week, to bump up to 4 days a week.

I worked mainly on Viennese Waltz, which really isn't bad until I put the music on. I've got the 2 forward edges on the first end pattern really cranking around. Of course that doesn't happen at speed, but one good thing I'm noticing is that the more I run through it, every few days I get a little further along before it falls apart. So there may be hope!

I also tried a new exercise to help w/ my Int. back power 3's--my issue w/ these is going into that first back 3 turn of the end pattern w/ so much power. So I'm doing this in a cirlce: 2 back crossovers, 1 back power 3 (back 3 turn, mohawk), then repeat. I think it's going to help.

[Morgail]

I can't even sort of do choctaws and shaefer pushes...even though coach tries to give me alternatives...it's just not fun anymore.:cry:

What is a schefer push? That's a new one to me!


Podium:
Finally got to skate last night! The only thing that stands out is the 3-turn pattern from Gold Moves. I felt like I was getting really good edges on it.

Peanut Gallery:
Where to start?
-My house is freezing.
-There is a hole in my back wall.
-There are tree limbs everywhere.
-Skating was really not good last night. I felt slow and had to fight through everything. I think it was a combination of getting over being sick and spending the previous night trying to sleep on the couch in a 30-40 degree house.
-Flip was weird, I kept doing something with my right shoulder that kept me from doing a decent lutz, axel wasn't even close to rotated.
-Moves were sloooooooow.
-Coach cancelled my lesson today. She can't even get out of her house because of all the fallen trees.

Podium Again:
-Hoping for better skating on Saturday since we're now staying with my mom in her nice, warm house.

[jazzpants]

What is a schefer push? That's a new one to me!Okay, when you are doing back cross strokes, you're stroking on your outside edge to get speed, right? That's "stroke" is a Schaffer push!!!

And jskater: That's one of my many exercises -- Better, still suck at it though!!! LOL!!! :twisted: :lol:


Peanut Gallery:
Where to start?
-My house is freezing.
-There is a hole in my back wall.
-There are tree limbs everywhere.
HOLY CRAP!!! And you went SKATING!?!?! How do you CONCENTRATE on skating when all that is going on??? 8O

Peanut Gallery:
Okay Jazzpants was MAD!!!! MAD AT HERSELF at the middle of the session for NOT landing her loop during her runthru in her FS program AGAIN... never mind her flip or her lutz -- this was probably probably the lamest run thru I've had since....

Podium:
So what did she make herself do? Do a BUNCH of CLEAN LOOPS!!! Except for a couple of them they were just fine. I also managed to land one flip cleanly at the very end of my FS session just before I left too!!!

I WILL REDEEM MYSELF!!! I WILL!!! :evil:

Peanut Gallery:
So today I have a SPIN lesson with secondary coach. Fine there, except I realized that I couldn't feel my RIGHT SIDE except for this one area near the butt. Sciatica STRIKES AGAIN!!! I tried fighting thru it in the lesson but I just CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!?!?!? OH, CRAP!!! 8O

Podium:
Thank you to secondary coach for saving my life during our lesson!!!

:bow: :bow: :bow:

A skater was coming up quick within my blind spot (Yes, I WAS LOOKING BACKWARDS on my back crossovers, but short of being Linda Blair, I only have so much range turning my torso or head!!! :P ) Secondary yelled LOUDLY to "WATCH OUT!!!" and I spotted her at that moment and quickly put the brakes on, nearly avoiding a collision!!! Said skater probably wasn't even looking either, as she just skated away as if nothing happened!!! "La-de-la-de-la..." SHEESH!!! 8O

[aussieskater]

Podium

Kids are back in school, kids are back in school *sing tunelessly to self to tune of "Boys are Back in Town", then repeat*. First practice with DH since early December. During the long summer holidays we each managed to go maybe once a fortnight separately, but the rink was very crowded with holidaymakers, and it's not the same as practising together. It was terrific to be back!

During that long summer break, I was lying awake one night trying to work out how I can get my Fiesta solo pattern to look like it does in the book. (What else do you do when you can't get to the real ice?? :P ) I tried my solution yesterday before DH arrived, and it took a while playing around with positioning the start, but it finally worked. Very pleased with that. Now to (a) bring it up to speed, and (b) learn to partner the thing respectably - partnering that dance is much harder than solo, I think!

DH and I did a respectable Swing, especially given it was our first practice for many weeks.

Pretty happy with the current state of the Fiesta and Swing, as these are our next test dances (hopefully April but not sure yet).

Peanut Gallery

Nothing in particular! *Kids are back in school, kids are back in school*

[jskater49]

Okay, when you are doing back cross strokes, you're stroking on your outside edge to get speed, right? That's "stroke" is a Schaffer push!!!




You also use them for Choctaws. I have issues with putting my foot down behind.

j

[doubletoe]

Peanut Gallery:
So today I have a SPIN lesson with secondary coach. Fine there, except I realized that I couldn't feel my RIGHT SIDE except for this one area near the butt. Sciatica STRIKES AGAIN!!! I tried fighting thru it in the lesson but I just CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!?!?!? OH, CRAP!!! 8O


Yikes! Are you seeing a doctor or physical therapist for it??

[CoachPA]

Peanut Gallery:
So today I have a SPIN lesson with secondary coach. Fine there, except I realized that I couldn't feel my RIGHT SIDE except for this one area near the butt. Sciatica STRIKES AGAIN!!! I tried fighting thru it in the lesson but I just CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!?!?!? OH, CRAP!!! 8O

I certainly hope you're going to take a day--or several--off to rest. Skating through pain can be very dangerous, even more so with a condition in which you can't necessarily feel the pain (or anything).

Here's to hoping you heal up quickly!

[ibreakhearts66]

Podium
-I actually had a really good moves lesson! I was kind of nervous because I had been slightly neglecting my moves this week, but I really learned a lot. I know everyone says Intermediate is supposed to be a horrible test, but I'm really not hating it all that much. Yet...?
-My coach gave me a great compliment. She said watching me skate isn't so stressful or scary anymore, and it's even somewhat pleasant! She says she can't see the tension in me from across the rink anymore :lol:. This is HUGE progress for me. No but really, it is.
-Double flips are slowly coming back to me. The trick seems to be taking off my gloves so I'm too chicken to reach for the ice and ruin an otherwise good jump.

Peanut Gallery
-Forgot my Bunga Pads, so now my ankles are all nice and bloody.
-I also forgot that I hurt my hip. I went to go stretch at the boards and tried to just swing my leg up there. Oops and ouch. :giveup:
-Double flips are still somewhat missing. :frus::frus::frus:

[jazzpants]

I certainly hope you're going to take a day--or several--off to rest. Skating through pain can be very dangerous, even more so with a condition in which you can't necessarily feel the pain (or anything).

Here's to hoping you heal up quickly!Except for personal training tomorrow with my trainer... probably not doing much the next two days. No skating 'til Monday at least!!! We'll see how I am Sunday night... (I can walk normally, no worries about that.)

Yikes! Are you seeing a doctor or physical therapist for it??I'm trying to get in to a chiro appt. I think I'm long overdue for a back cracking... :giveup: (Massage therapist too, for that matter.)

[liz_on_ice]

belated thursday practice notes...

Peanut Gallery - rink full of half-height skaters going splut all over the place. Funny and cute, but tough to get in a practice

Podium - landed another flip (out of several tries) one sitspin that felt like a spin, though not nearly low enough.

[Skate@Delaware]

This is for yesterday:
Podium: ran through my routine a few times, it went very well, even with my additional piece for the ending I was not rushed and had plenty of time for everything! I'll be ok doing the waltz-ballet jump if I'm warmed up enough.

Did a few nicely centered spins as well.

Peanut Gallery: loop jump is gone (for now). I'm not too concerned, as my program is my main concern...I'll get back to it later.

On another note: had a re-visit with my ortho doc RE: my 1-year follow up to last year's surgery....and he recommended 1 month of physical therapy. I found a place with a pool (heated!!!) and am scheduled for the eval next Tuesday. I'm hoping this helps with the limited mobility. My lumbar region looks like crap on the x-ray but therapy should help.

[Mrs Redboots]

Very pleased with that. Now to (a) bring it up to speed, and (b) learn to partner the thing respectably - partnering that dance is much harder than solo, I think!

That end pattern is a bear, with or without a partner - without, I don't get enough oomph or ice coverage, and with, I find I am pulled off-balance and can't get a decent inside edge on the STF to save my life.

Pretty happy with the current state of the Fiesta and Swing, as these are our next test dances (hopefully April but not sure yet).
Given that I've been told I'll never be good enough to test those dances, do you mind if I hate you? Actually, I don't plan to test ever again after humiliating myself so badly last time!


You also use them for Choctaws. I have issues with putting my foot down behind.

And in back progressive runs. And in the end pattern of the above-mentioned Fiasco Tangle! I can't do them well, either.

[AgnesNitt]

Peanut Gallery:
Sciatica STRIKES AGAIN!!! I tried fighting thru it in the lesson but I just CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!?!?!? OH, CRAP!!! 8O
Podium:
Sister I feel your pain---cause I've got piriformis syndrome. I don't see how you did the lesson. You know best how to take care of yourself, keep us posted.

Peanut Gallery My bad hip was acting up, I'd get on my left outside edge in the 8 and do the shift of weight to the heel on the backside of the 8 and the leg would just buckle on me. I was able to hold myself out of the 'buckling' position, but it wasn't good technique. Fortunately, my coach was pleased w/ my right half of the 8.
Coach has worked me into a much better posture. I'm still leaning forward. It's tiring to hold the correct position and I just gradually slip into the lean.
Coach says when I fix the bad lean, most of my issues will clear up.

Podium Well my forward mohawks both ways are consistent. They're not particularly pretty, but they're about to become an uncommented accomplishment like forward stroking. I'm able to do a waltz 8 with only some trouble in the backward glide--it's a small waltz 8, but it's valid--the backward mohawk thingy is consistent both ways to, as are the 3 turns.

My figures are much improved. I can really nail the edge on the first half of the circle, it's just when I bring the leg forward my posture comes forward too and I go on the flat. Still, it was improvement.

[doubletoe]

Fiasco Tangle!

LOL! I love it! Is that as bad as the "You're-a-peeon waltz"?

[jazzpants]

Sister I feel your pain---cause I've got piriformis syndrome. I don't see how you did the lesson. You know best how to take care of yourself, keep us posted.

Peanut Gallery:
Well, this is part of my skating training, even though it's off ice, but I don't see an off-ice thread anymore so...

I had a training session with my personal trainer this afternoon and well, my lower back was really BAD today. We basically made this into a stretching session and my range of stretching on the torso is SEVERELY impacted by this!!! 8O In addition, we got out the foam rollers and she has specific instructions now for me to roll on the foam rollers PRIOR to my skating sessions!!! (Oh, dear! I have to set my clock for another 20 minutes earlier now...)

I have a chiro appt. on Monday afternoon so we'll see how it goes then. I also suspect that this is "Auntie Flo" related too. :evil:

I am also reading the low impact skating thread. I am strongly considering taking up ice dance after AN now... Not that it's a bad thing since I know how much of a challenge ice dancing is, but just I realize that my body can't take the pounding that it used to. Also, if that's the case, I may have to give up my primary coach too, since ice dance is NOT his specialty. :cry:

Podium:
Well, I'm happy to say that my personal trainer and I have worked out a schedule that apparently will be MUCH better than what I've had before and that I won't lose her to college. :bow: I knew when I told my secondary coach about the possibility of losing this personal trainer that she was like 8O . (She likes the fact that she has "easy access" to this trainer. And so far, this is the ONLY personal trainer I had that she liked.)

LOL! I love it! Is that as bad as the "You're-a-peeon waltz"?:lol: :lol: :lol: (May I coin this phrase from now on? I LOVE IT!!! LMAO!!!)

[singerskates]

This is for Friday

Podium:
Out of the 3 hour session, I skated 2 and half hours solid at our new arena; Windsor Family Credit Union Centre (WFCU Centre) has City Skate from 12 noon to 3 PM every Friday barring a hockey tournement getting in the way for $7. What a deal! It's nice to skate somewhere once a week that isn't North Pole cold like the other arenas on the East end of town.

Loop was landed on one foot at least once during my lesson but did a small backward loop before I could do the run out. Must learn to remember to lift the free leg and then bring it back.

Flip is improving.

Had at least one decent Lutz attempt at speed and I'm not leaning as far forward as I was before on take off.

Was well enough to get my variations except enough rotations on the reverse direction variation to count as an extra level.

Spiral is getting higher and gaining more speed during spiral sequence.

After having starting doing the reverse direction spin, doing 3 turns, Mohawks and loops in the CW are getting easier to do and feel better. I'm not freaking out about going CWs that much.

Freeskate program run through; I made it all the way through and I could breathe. I'm feeling better lung wise as the sickness I had is over.

Peanuts:
Stayed on the ice an hour longer than I should have and made my injury to my butt muscle worse. Chiropractor says that my injury is a slow healing one. Just how slow, I'm not sure.

The longer I stayed on the ice, the worse my balance got when doing the reverse direction spin. The muscle was weakening on me and I could feel myself shake while trying to use it. But somehow it didn't affect my jumps. I was able to do my right out side spiral by itself but when doing my change edge from inside to outside, as soon as I would hit the change of edge, I'd hit a wall of pain. Finally, I just marked where the spiral sequence was suppose to go in the program. I also couldn't get down in my sit spin nor could I even do one the last half hour because of the pain, so I just marked that with a simple upright and then moved on in the program.

Last Week Friday Jan. 23 (I forgot about this):

Podium:
Started to play with flying spins when my friend from another local skating club came over to skate with me. I never got down into a real sit spin position after landing, so I would definitely call the ones that I didn't botch upright flying spins which were landed on the same foot as I took off and rotated about 4 revs max. Not bad for a first attempt.

[Helen88]

Gosh I haven't been on here in a while...

Podium:
Think I've finally cracked that !!?@**'?// one foot spin over the last few weeks. 8O. It only took me...oh, the entirety of two years :roll:

Dances are coming along, did both the Foxtrot and the Blues with music yesterday...my head can hear the beat but my feet have a hard time keeping up.

Peanut Gallery:
I've been thinking of taking a few months off. Maybe it's the getting up so early on a Saturday, maybe it's the cold weather...maybe I've just burnt myself out a bit, but I'm just not enjoying it as much anymore. So I'm cutting my lessons down to one a fortnight. I did think about giving up completely for a while but the very thought had me on the verge of tears, so I guess there must still be some passion left. Perhaps it just needs some time to rekindle.

[Mrs Redboots]

Podium: We have music!!!! Finally stopped faffing around with Lloyd Webber, which just got drearier and drearier and no good to skate to, and reverted to an idea we had a few years ago and are using a Kirsty McColl song.

Began to choreograph it, not seriously as yet but skating round listening to it and beginning to think of steps that would "go".

Peanut gallery: Husband's flips.... not working. So he has been told to practice picking in and then doing a back twizzle on that foot, focussing on crossing his feet. Which he can't do - and why am I practising it too? I have no idea of jumping a flip!

[flo]

Mrs. Redboots - hubby can also try a 1/2 flip, 1/2 flip, flip. It sets up a nice timing and may help with the foot cross.
Peanuts- it's been hard to get to the rink lately - too much going on at work.

Podium - We finally managed to get to a session together and it was great. Only two other people on the ice. Hopefully we'll finish more of the choreography tonight.

[doubletoe]

Peanut gallery: Husband's flips.... not working. So he has been told to practice picking in and then doing a back twizzle on that foot, focussing on crossing his feet. Which he can't do - and why am I practising it too? I have no idea of jumping a flip!

I never heard of that exercise but it's brilliant. . . keeps the weight over the picking/landing side and keeps the left side (leg, hip, shoulder) closed instead of opened out like a half flip. :)

[looplover]

I never heard of that exercise but it's brilliant. . . keeps the weight over the picking/landing side and keeps the left side (leg, hip, shoulder) closed instead of opened out like a half flip. :)

That IS brilliant and I'm putting it into action immediately! So is the 1/2 flip, 1/2 flip, flip! I love this board.

Peanut Gallery: yeah the flip. Blargh! Skated so strangely this morning - weird skids, blade stuck in rut on ice (metaphor?), generally just not great. Saw a good skater catch toe pick and come down hard on her knee, ouch! Exactly how I messed up my knees a couple of years ago.

Podium: But, had a great practice at the public yesterday, so what can ya do? I know the items in my program that need serious refining, which is good - things are a little more in focus. If I two-foot the flip, I two-foot it - that's fine. Hope I get it but I'm not going to agonize.

Also podium but not mine: Our open adult team came in first in synchro sectionals, yay!

[CoachPA]

That IS brilliant and I'm putting it into action immediately! So is the 1/2 flip, 1/2 flip, flip! I love this board.

I use it for my skaters having trouble with the flip and it does help.

[Morgail]

Okay, when you are doing back cross strokes, you're stroking on your outside edge to get speed, right? That's "stroke" is a Schaffer push!!!

HOLY CRAP!!! And you went SKATING!?!?! How do you CONCENTRATE on skating when all that is going on???


Skating makes me forget about all the craziness!
Thanks for the info on the Schaffer push. Hope your leg is feeling better!!


This is for Saturday:

Podium:
-much better skating than on Thursday!
-spins were all good
-jumps were good, especially lutzes
-Moves were back to normal
-I did a run through of my silver program and actually remembered it all! I might be able to compete in the next couple of months, so I thought I'd drag the program out and see if I could still do it.
-And it was my 5 year wedding anniversary:D

Peanut Gallery:
-nothing skating-wise!
-Found a cracked pipe to add to all the house woes. :roll: We're now one of about 83,000 homes/businesses without power. That number keeps going down, slowly, but surely...

[sk8lady]

Fine there, except I realized that I couldn't feel my RIGHT SIDE except for this one area near the butt. Sciatica STRIKES AGAIN!!! I tried fighting thru it in the lesson but I just CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!?!?!? OH, CRAP!!! 8O

8O

So do you really mean you actually can't feel your legs? Because probably you ought to see your doctor. Numbness usually means nerve damage. (I ought to know, I ignored the numbness in my feet for years thinking I was being tough and now I have screwed up feet with nerve damage and a podiatrist who thinks I am an idiot!)

[Skate@Delaware]

This is for Sunday, which was totally crazy!!! beginning at 4 am when my husband woke me up-son (age 13-it was his BIRTHDAY for crying out loud) could not breathe!!! so, it was a FRANTIC 1.5 mile trip to the ER at 80+++ mph (this was faster than calling 911 since we are rural and rely on volunteer services, we would have waited up to 30 minutes for the paramedics to arrive). Hours later, he was finally released, breathing ok but shaken up a lot.

Husband and son said" mom go skate" so I did. But I was so worried all the same. It was my last session with my coach before competition. But, they were shooting each other with nerf guns and gaming on the x-box so, skating i went!

My dress was nice fit well, BUT it's a chore to squeeze over my shoulders (I'm selling it when this season ends). My routine is nice, coach added some arm stuff. All is well it should fly nicely. My spins with 3-turn entries are neat-o and i've even made friends with the ballet jumps (granted, they are not as EVIL as bunny hops).

My knees are banged up from the knee slides tho!!!

[mikawendy]

This is for Sunday, which was totally crazy!!! beginning at 4 am when my husband woke me up-son (age 13-it was his BIRTHDAY for crying out loud) could not breathe!!! so, it was a FRANTIC 1.5 mile trip to the ER at 80+++ mph (this was faster than calling 911 since we are rural and rely on volunteer services, we would have waited up to 30 minutes for the paramedics to arrive). Hours later, he was finally released, breathing ok but shaken up a lot.


I'm glad your son is okay! Sounds like it must have been more than a few scary moments.

[flo]

Eeeeeks!!! Glad he is ok!