Feast or Famine: Lesson/Practice for March 16-22 2009 [Archive]

Skittl1321

03-16-2009, 02:17 PM

Well I guess technically this is last week, but I just got back from vacation.

Feast: I skated at Polar Ice Peoria on an adult skate with a friend (who posts here on skatingforums, but I think wants her location unknown). The rink was lovely, with nice ice. It wasn't a very crowded session, which was nice, and I was too shy to say hello to any of the other skaters- but everyone was nice about sharing ice space, and they had some very good adult skaters, including a couple who was practicing stroking, and a learning the dutch waltz, which lead me to believe they were a pairs team- as their stroking was much stronger than their waltz would lead you to believe it would be.

I had a great skate, though I couldn't center spins at all, and it was just lovely to skate with my friend. I did all my silver moves, and actually did okay with most of them. I think summer 2010 is a reasonable goal there. I actually practiced all my jumps, which I rarely do, so that alone makes it a great practice.

Famine: Now that I'm back in Iowa the horrible pain in my right arm has returned. I thought I was rid of it, as I was pain free in Arizona. This does not bode well for synchro :(

dbny

03-16-2009, 03:11 PM

(((((Skittl)))))

Famine:
Got on the ice yesterday (to work) for the first time since skiing last week, and nearly fell right away. Not sure, why, except maybe my body expected more resistance from my boots/skates. That went away, but as the day went on, I discovered that I was slipping out on all FO edges. I know it's partially due to dull blades, but I just could not tighten up enough and find the right place for my weight to deal with it.

Feast:
Went in the AM to give a short lesson - I never work on Mondays because I'm too tired. Found that I was fine, and worked the FO edges after I was done, and got things in order again. Also grabbed my Basic Skills book and learned the Canasta Tango in prep for ice dance lesson on Thurs.

Bunny Hop

03-16-2009, 04:45 PM

Feast: Did four sequence of the Rhythm Blues, and did the cross-behinds every single time. I have such a mental block about those that this was much more of an achievement than it sounds!

Feast and Famine: After our lesson we tried the Golden Skaters Waltz to the music. On the third attempt managed to do the cross in front/cross behind bit twice (which I normally can't manage that quickly) and was so excited by this that I promptly fogot the rest of the steps.:oops:

Famine: During our lesson we were doing backward chasses in waltz hold. In my attempt to actually get something resembling a back edge slammed straight down on my hip/thigh, and took my husband down with me. Not a bad fall, as these things go, but frustrating, as after all this time I still don't have back edges with any sort of curve.

jazzpants

03-16-2009, 07:07 PM

Both Feast and Famine:
Did two runthrus of my technical program, with a couple of laps of stroking around the rink between the first and second runthru. I'm glad I got to try for that, but OMG!!!! I'm TIRED!!! :giveup:

Primary coach thinks the second run thru was better. Me? I thought the first one was better since I did land my jumps (both the loop and the lutz) on the first runthru but not the second. Dunno...

Feast:
The runthru did go well. It's FINALLY stablizing and I am ending on time!!!

Famine:
Flip wants to go on vacation. It's very inconsistent this afternoon!!!

ibreakhearts66

03-16-2009, 10:04 PM

Feast
-Discovered I can do 2flip from traveling 3s. My coach was trying to figure out how to put the 2flip in my program and I really didn't think I'd be able to do 2flip like that. Apparently I can! Need to add more speed though.
-Sideways leaning laybacks are improving
-Inside edge back camels are starting to get consistent.

Famine
-Popped like, 7 double loops before finally doing them today. I was just so afraid of catching my edge/heel for some reason.

Slightly Hungry
-Double axels were even closer today than yesterday, but still nothing backwards on one foot.
-Coach has decided I'm doing a double axel AND triple toe in my Novice short. Ummmmmmmm....But yeah, she was trying to decide what jump I should do out of footwork and she said, "How's your double toe walley?" I replied that it was fine and showed her one, thinking "Only a double toe at Novice?!" I land the double toe and she goes, "Ok, good. Go do a triple." In all honesty they weren't tragic attempts, but I was just a little 8O over the whole idea.

Mrs Redboots

03-17-2009, 07:51 AM

Feast and Famine: After our lesson we tried the Golden Skaters Waltz to the music. On the third attempt managed to do the cross in front/cross behind bit twice (which I normally can't manage that quickly) and was so excited by this that I promptly fogot the rest of the steps.:oops:

But of course, everybody forgets the steps to the GSW! We were playing with it a bit last week, and I found it really hard to get my weight in the right place on that step.

As for me:

FEAST: Think we have our free dance more-or-less choreographed.

FAMINE: Husband dropped me on the ice from a great height (well, from the lift), and then laughed. And I have a really sore behind now (luckily not my coccyx, just above there), and have been mainlining arnica, ice and ibuprofen!

dance2sk8

03-17-2009, 08:22 AM

Feast: Had a fabulous lesson with my instructor (We were ALL BY OUR SELVES AT THE END OF THE SESSION FOR A GOOD 15 MINUTES!) and skated for 2 hrs...did power pulls, lunges, spins, you name it...all came together well...

Hang on to your butts for the famine....

Famine:Found out my mom has a large tumor (malignant) in her colon, hence colon cancer. :cry: Doctors are EXTREMELY concerned. It may have spread. ALSO, within that same hr yesterday, lost my job. I have 2 weeks left.

Thin-Ice

03-17-2009, 09:21 AM

SkatEn

03-17-2009, 10:55 AM

-Coach has decided I'm doing a double axel AND triple toe in my Novice short. Ummmmmmmm....But yeah, she was trying to decide what jump I should do out of footwork and she said, "How's your double toe walley?" I replied that it was fine and showed her one, thinking "Only a double toe at Novice?!" I land the double toe and she goes, "Ok, good. Go do a triple." In all honesty they weren't tragic attempts, but I was just a little 8O over the whole idea.
Your coach is funny!

FAMINE: Husband dropped me on the ice from a great height (well, from the lift), and then laughed. And I have a really sore behind now (luckily not my coccyx, just above there), and have been mainlining arnica, ice and ibuprofen!
Ouch! I hope sitting isn't a pain! And neither is sleeping! Try adding a comfortable cushion when you sit...

Famine:Found out my mom has a large tumor (malignant) in her colon, hence colon cancer. :cry: Doctors are EXTREMELY concerned. It may have spread. ALSO, within that same hr yesterday, lost my job. I have 2 weeks left.
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope the best for you and your mom.

---
Okay, bad things first.
FAMINE
+The ice sucked before resurfacing. It's so hard I could barely make a hole when I chopped the ice with the end of my blade.:roll:
+After resurfacing, I fell from forward power pulls as I was pulling onto the right outside. Slipped off the edge. I slid a big distance...
+School holidays for primary and secondary and JC students, so there are wayy more people than normal. Didn't do much and kept setting up jumps at where kids with the metal support were...
+Right outside edge feels bad but I blame the ice.
+A skater with hockey skates (you know, those kind...) nearly skated over my leg as I was trying a hydroblade. I didn't see that, but I heard the shouting that two skaters made and saw that they actually pulled him back. Terrifying. And to add icing, he asked what I was trying to do and then demonstrated a great hydroblade AND got up from it...:P:giveup:

Feast
+LANDED LUTZ after a few attempts. I thought I was going to lose it. All lutzes have a stuck exit, in that when i land, I stay there.:o
+Flip feels so much better, and I got a few good-feeling loop in!
+Realised that looking at the ice/down before/during/after the jump makes the jump lower.
+Sit was nice, and camel feels better, minus the bendy free leg...

Diet
+I'm eating way too much lately, and it's starting to show in my tummy!!!:??

aussieskater

03-17-2009, 05:10 PM

dbny

03-17-2009, 07:51 PM

Husband dropped me on the ice from a great height (well, from the lift), and then laughed. And I have a really sore behind now (luckily not my coccyx, just above there), and have been mainlining arnica, ice and ibuprofen!

I would smack mine if he laughed! ;) Hope you feel better soon.

(((((dance2sk8))))) What a terrible day for you. I hope your mom's cancer has not spread!

+I'm eating way too much lately, and it's starting to show in my tummy!!!

Been there. Hope you get that under control, and wish I know how it's done.

Mrs Redboots

03-18-2009, 07:49 AM

Famine:Found out my mom has a large tumor (malignant) in her colon, hence colon cancer. :cry: Doctors are EXTREMELY concerned. It may have spread. ALSO, within that same hr yesterday, lost my job. I have 2 weeks left.
Oh dear, how awful and worrying for you; I'm so sorry. Please, go skating as much as you can, as it will seriously help you - your mother is going to need you badly, and you will help her far more if you can come to her fresh and relaxed after skating, rather than tense and worried after a poor night's sleep. And one CANNOT worry when on the ice, it simply can't be done!

My behind is fine this morning - the arnica was totally magic! I am aware there is still a bruise there, but that's all.

Did not skate today; wanted to, but woke up very tired indeed, and simply couldn't. It would have been dangerous. Am going back to bed soon.

Isk8NYC

03-18-2009, 08:22 AM

Famine:Found out my mom has a large tumor (malignant) in her colon, hence colon cancer. :cry: Doctors are EXTREMELY concerned. It may have spread. ALSO, within that same hr yesterday, lost my job. I have 2 weeks left.Oh no. What an avalanche of bad news! Sending hopes and prayers for a 'best case' diagnosis/treatment for your mom and 'better job NOW' for you. ((((dance2sk8))))

This week's thread title is appropriate since all I could think about last night was the corned beef and cabbage dinner I prepared before I went to the rink. I knew DH was cooking it and I didn't want to miss out.

As a result, I left last night's session (with only ten people on the ice) early to get home for dinner, lol.

Feast: Jumps were good, as were MITF.

Famine: Spins were awful; I need a sharpening.

Kim to the Max

03-18-2009, 08:41 AM

Feast: Show program is coming along...I am switching around the axel and the loop, just can't get the axel to go off where we have it now...coach is okay with it...

I am actually doing an honest to goodness flying camel now :) Coach saw a few as I was practicing and was impressed...

Famine: my axel has been nicknamed the 9th Circle of Hell....need I say more? I was getting frustrated and coach said to me, "Is it the 9th Circle?" ha!

alliegator66

03-18-2009, 01:29 PM

Feast: after my 3 year break and a big relocation, I now have a coach and some tentative goals!

Famine: skating still seems really unnatural to me after spending those 3 years on ballroom, so I hope I can be patient (not a personal strength) while I get used to it.

Terri C

03-18-2009, 02:09 PM

FlyAndCrash

03-18-2009, 03:08 PM

Feast: Today was my first time on the ice since before spring break (as in my first time skating in almost two weeks...). It went much better than expected and I even did a program run-thru! :D

Famine: I cut out some elements from my program (the flip at the end of my jump seq.) and didn't do some elements very well (like the last lutz in my program, the last spin, and the footwork).

Feast: I finished on TIME! This has been the first time I have finished with the music since OCTOBER! Yay me!

Famine: I almost ran into a guy while I was doing a BRO spiral... 8O I could feel the wind moving between us. I don't know if I actually ran through where he was standing (facing away from me talking to a girl he's going to do a dance program with for the spring show) and he moved, or if I just got really really close to him. Nonetheless, it freaked me out.

Feast: I'm skating three more times this week because my professor canceled class Friday!

doubletoe

03-18-2009, 05:58 PM

Dance2sk8 - I am at a loss for words, so I will just send you a big ((((HUG)))).
I agree that it's a good idea to keep skating if you can. When you step onto the ice, it may be your only break from the pressures and stresses you are dealing with. And it's true, when you're on the ice, it's all you think about because otherwise you end up on your head! :roll:

flo

03-18-2009, 07:03 PM

Dancetosk8 - Sending all my positive thoughts your way.

liz_on_ice

03-18-2009, 07:12 PM

Famine - lack of skating coach on lesson day, went to the session for practice anyway. Flip is a flop, I think I'm going to swap in a salchow in that spot. Even if I land it, I'll never make the immediate RBO3 transition out of the landing into the heel pivot the program calls for. I can do it with speed and style coming out of the sal.

Feast - solved the last remaining "how to get from element A to element B while matching the music" problem in the program. I'm keeping up with the music and being expressive and stuff. Working on more speed.

fsk8r

03-19-2009, 03:16 AM

Famine:Found out my mom has a large tumor (malignant) in her colon, hence colon cancer. :cry: Doctors are EXTREMELY concerned. It may have spread. ALSO, within that same hr yesterday, lost my job. I have 2 weeks left.

My prayers are with you and your mother. Here's to hoping that it hasn't spread. And whilst it also sucks that you're job hunting, on the positive side it gives you more time helping your mother (being positive will help you and her). And I second (or third) all the recommendations for skating when you've got the chance. Keeping a routine will help in this difficult time, whilst also providing you a good release from the stresses of life.

Isk8NYC

03-19-2009, 03:35 AM

Feast: Spins were better after I stoned the edges of my blades. Definitely need a sharpening.

The kids said my layback was good. I was thrilled that it was recognizable.

Famine: Too crowded to practice MITF

Too wobbly to practice jumps higher than a waltz jump.

Rusty Blades

03-19-2009, 08:47 AM

On A Diet (or so it appears ;) ) Still skating, still progressing veeeeeeery slowly - just don't have time to post much. Since I am skipping Nationals this year, coach is being kind to me and we are just working on polishing basic skills. All that will change at the end of June when we start working toward the 2010 Nationals - then my coach goes back to being her whip-and-chair self 8O

jazzpants

03-19-2009, 01:39 PM

Feast:
Major feasting today during the first runthru of my artistic program!!! It went smooth and flowed for the most part. STILL not perfect, but it ran really well. I also got in some good looks (as in I'm actually moving before I JUMP and was gliding out when I landed!!! :twisted: )

Famine:
The second and final runthru wasn't as good. I had people in the way during the footwork section and had to adjust to go around them.

Someday... SOMEDAY... I'm gonna learn how to do hockey stops and spray ice so I get back at my EVILLE choreographer!!! Yup!!! After I paid him at the rink door (I had already taken my skates off), he looked like he was gonna skate away... then turn right away and "showered me with affection!!!" (Alright! He only got my ankles... but GRRRRR...someday... :twisted: :lol: )

Isk8NYC

03-19-2009, 01:44 PM

Got to the rink really early (5:20am) this morning. The kids did their warmups while they waited for the doors to be unlocked, lol. They're really taking their test seriously - they put their skates on, tied back their hair, and remembered their books! Without any prodding or reminding on my part.

We had the ice to ourselves for a good 20 minutes. It was nice.

Feast:
Practiced MITF and mohawk circles. Getting smoother all the time.
Spiral sequences were good; gave up on the backward ones when people joined us on the ice.
Spreadeagles were okay, nothing great, but no one was injured, so...okay.
Tango stops and twizzles were good.

Famine:
Just didn't feel alert enough to jump or spin, but that's okay.
Figure loops were *HUGE*, but I'm getting the hang of them on both feet.

jazzpants

03-19-2009, 01:49 PM

Famine:

We worked on CW forward Xovers and still trying to undo my "public session"-itis!!!

We also worked on power pulls. EVILLE secondary coach had me do this power pull exercise where I'm supposed to stand on one foot (NOT gliding or moving) and then (on the standing foot) press the ankle to force it to do a pull. VERY EVILLE execise!!! Oh and she rubbed it in that her little 6-7 year old boy student can do this. Ummmm.. her 6-7 year old little boy student is either workihg or HAS an axel now, last I've checked!?!?! :twisted: And, BTW, this is the same little boy that primary coach has also "used" (for a lack of a better term) to get me pissed off when I was skating slower than usual one day. :roll:

We've also worked on my back cross strokes. Ummm... need to do the Schaffer push exercise again!!! :oops:

Needless to say, I have LOTS of exercises to do! 8O

Feast:
Would you believe me if I told you that I STILL had fun, even thru the humiliation??? :P :lol:

LilJen

03-19-2009, 01:51 PM

Famine indeed describes the rink schedule. Usually I practice a lot on empty weekday publics. Well, those are GONE as of this week. Why, I don't know; they did melt down one sheet but there's still plenty of uncontracted time on the other sheet. What's the mother of a school-age kid supposed to do??

Feast: At least my bronze moves & Cha Cha are pretty much there. Lessons have been nitpicking and tweaking the last few weeks, and coach feels pretty confident about my passing these in 3 weeks. I feel least confident about the 5-step mohawk, though it's getting smoother.
Got 4 gold medals and 1 silver (3 individual events, two synchro) at last weekend's competition, despite coming down with some sort of wicked stomach virus for day 2 of the comp.

On the other hand. . .

Famine: I have officially been sent to the spin doctor at our rink. Yep. Coach and I are at wits' end with my spins, so sometime (when, I don't know) I'll have to set up some spins-only lessons. Wish I could predict when all this would happen, because scheduling-wise, it's looking like skating times will be hard for me to come by without abandoning the family during crucial family times.

LilJen

03-19-2009, 02:12 PM

jazzpants

03-19-2009, 07:56 PM

Famine:Found out my mom has a large tumor (malignant) in her colon, hence colon cancer. :cry: Doctors are EXTREMELY concerned. It may have spread. ALSO, within that same hr yesterday, lost my job. I have 2 weeks left. ((((((dance2sk8)))))) Trust me, I sympathize with you on both counts! I'm currently unemployed... and my father had passed on many years back (about 19 years...) from colon cancer.

And I guess I don't have to warn you that when you get to MY age (when you're around 40) that you may have to go thru the every 5 year colonoscopy. Obviously, I don't want to go thru that, but eventually I gotta do it. I'll probably go under so I'm not awake while the procedure is being done. I hear the whole thing is a REAL pain in the butt... especially the prep for it! 8O (Yes, pun intended! You may groan LOUDLY here...)

dance2sk8

03-19-2009, 08:07 PM

Thank you ALL for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. I am overwhelmed, more than I can say. We find out the final results of everything regarding my mom this coming Tuesday. I will keep you all posted.

I am still skating as much as ever and will continue to do so as I can. Even if its only once a week (3 hrs on Saturdays - my escape). My husband has been AMAZINGLY supportive and is ok with me traveling down to OH to help my mom after her surgery and to be there in the hospital with her. She and I are extremely close and always have been. I am very blessed to have such a bond with a parent like I do with her. We just click and know each other so well we even buy each other the same thing for Christmas!! (this happens more than I can say...really, I am not kidding) :lol:

I am torn between kinda looking for a job...I do plan to be off for at least a month. (depends on my mom's recovery from the surgery)

Being on the ice is my total escape.

Feast: Getting an extra 20 minutes on the ice alone...no kids, just my coach and I this past Monday. We had a lot of fun. It was amazingly awesome. Also, my coach is extremely supportive and there for me through all of this as well. I am truly, truly, blessed.

Famine: I am extremely moody, and still trying to fix my 3 turns (my checking isn't so great. I continue to turn sometimes...today was a bad day for that) :roll:

dance2sk8

03-19-2009, 08:12 PM

And I guess I don't have to warn you that when you get to MY age (when you're around 40) that you may have to go thru the every 5 year colonoscopy. Obviously, I don't want to go thru that, but eventually I gotta do it. I'll probably go under so I'm not awake while the procedure is being done. I hear the whole thing is a REAL pain in the butt... especially the prep for it! 8O (Yes, pun intended! You may groan LOUDLY here...)

Yeah, my mom is already checking into that to see if my brother and I have to at any point...at least you are out when they do this...

My great grandfather died of colon cancer. So its in our family.

flo

03-19-2009, 08:38 PM

Dance2sk8 - Keeping you in our thoughts.

Feast - good practice on an empty session! Death spirals spiraling along.....
Famine - need more of these sessions!

dbny

03-19-2009, 10:18 PM

Famine:
I could not catch my breath after just a few figures this morning, so I went directly to the doctor and found out I've got a touch of bronchitis on the right.

Feast:
I had to work on the evening freestyle, so I decided to go ahead with my dance lesson, which comes on the session right before the one I work on. I was really surprised to be able to get thru the Canasta Tango quite a few times before having to rest. I had no real problems with it at all. This dance is so much easier than the Dutch Waltz, IMO, but maybe I just think so because I've already been struggling with some basic dance issues in the DW.

Told DH how much better I felt, and he informed me that breathing problems (he's asthmatic) are often better at night, and that I might need the inhaler for the morning.

Mrs Redboots

03-20-2009, 07:28 AM

Famine: Discovered when I got on the ice this morning that my bruise wasn't healed as much as I thought, and that it hurt to skate! Husband hoped it would go away with warm-up, but it feels like a bone bruise and didn't really.

Feast: Enjoyed wishing our dance couple "Good luck" for their first-ever go at Worlds!

Skate@Delaware

03-20-2009, 08:59 AM

this is for yesterday:

Feast: got to the rink-saw a schoolbus THAT WAS JUST LEAVING! Only 4-5 of us on the ice...two hockey dudes (polite at that and one was very cute would have made a very nice ice dancer I said to my friend) and three figure skaters.

(My friend got to show me all her new stuff. She had a bad run of luck last year with a coach that constantly ditched her, never called, etc. So, she "fired" her and picked up a new one for this year-what a difference! She has everything up to her lutz and is now working on her camel! )

I ran through my "homework" and she helped me with my loop-I did it from back crossovers and landed one fully rotated! Only put my other foot down after I landed it! Then I helped her with her toe-loop, which she hates doing.

Ran through my program a few times.

Famine: still have problems doing scratch spins from back crossovers, it helped having another set of eyes, seems I'm stepping OUT OF instead of BACK INTO my circle. oh well.

Skated 2 hours!

liz_on_ice

03-20-2009, 12:36 PM

Famine - thoroughly disorganized morning getting to rescheduled lesson (normally it's wednesday) Feeling frustrated worried and grumpy. Came out of the train into mixed rain and snow combo. :frus: I think, either my lesson is cancelled or I will freeze in my little dress.

Feast - despite everything going against me, including about a half inch of snow on the ice making everything feel draggy and weird, I squeaked a pass on my FS3 program! :D

Finally! I'll be competing at skyrink ISI comp and this summer I'll start in on USFSA tests. Pre-Bronze peanut-gallery, here I come! 8-)

jskater49

03-20-2009, 01:16 PM

Today was a day of feasting in skating.

First, I've been having difficulty with my spirals - I get my leg up high enough but I don't lower my back enough. So I've been working on it and *felt* like my back was flat so I asked coach to look at it today and she cheered and rejoiced and said it was much better.

And I've been working on back outside pivots and really improved those. We tried working on those a couple of years ago when I was trying to do toe loops and never got very far because I was just too chicken to put my foot down behind me - now I've just about got it - I'm just not quite opening up my shoulder enough and it tends to throw me forward and off the edge. But again coach was very excited.

"What else can you do" she asks eagerly. "Um, backward 3 turns?" and sure enough we made some progress with those even. Still not much of an exit but I'm working on getting the turn better and then we'll worry about an exict.

Then she has be work on my back inside pivots and doing these sweeping arm movements. And she says "Oh -do you want your music for the show?"

DO I?!!!!?

I've got a feature as Auntie Em in our skating show which is an ice theatre of the Wizard of Oz. I have been wondering what on earth I could skate to. Well my feature solo is a little over a minute and it's in the castle when Dorothy is locked up and she's dreaming about Auntie Em. It's really pretty music and my program is just the pivots with arm movements, waltz 3s - a long spiral across the whole ice (which is why coach was so happy I've improved them and explains why she had said "Now KEEP PRACTICING them I don't want you to loose it! ) The last part of the music is the very end of "Somewhere over the rainbow and I spin and Dorothy comes toward me but I fade backwards away from her. It's going to make people cry.

I'm just so excited I get to skate to something pretty in the show!

Isk8NYC

03-20-2009, 01:17 PM

I squeaked a pass on my FS3 program! :D

Finally! I'll be competing at skyrink ISI comp and this summer I'll start in on USFSA tests. Pre-Bronze peanut-gallery, here I come! 8-)
CONGRATULATIONS LIZ_ON_ICE ! !

I'm sure it was more than a squeak-by. Details! Details!

Isk8NYC

03-20-2009, 01:23 PM

I am torn between kinda looking for a job...I do plan to be off for at least a month. (depends on my mom's recovery from the surgery)This is more a "Patsy's Parlor" discussion than an "On Ice" thread, but had you considered temping for a time? If you can make some money and not worry about how the company will react to your taking time off to care for your mother. Either way - hugs and prayers still coming your way.

dbny

03-20-2009, 08:08 PM

i squeaked a pass on my fs3 program! :d

finally! I'll be competing at skyrink isi comp and this summer i'll start in on usfsa tests. Pre-bronze peanut-gallery, here i come! 8-)

Congratulations!

Feast:
Started the lesson with F stroking, which got a compliment for beautiful extension - something I've really never had before. I'm teaching a few students to extend now, so maybe that's where it came from. At least now I know I'm setting a good example. FI threes came back for my lesson, and FO threes are still improving. I fully expected not to be able to spin at all, not having done any for at least 2.5 weeks, but when the time came in my lesson, I just did a T push into a very nice spin, complete with neat FO three and snap-in. Did another right after, but stopped because I was dizzy. After helping a friend who's struggling to get on the BO edge in her very fast FI backspin, I found that I can get the entrance myself now. Still too chicken to really go for it.

Famine:
I had to stop when I ran out of tissues. The jacket I wore didn't have a lot of space, so I had to make do with 7.

liz_on_ice

03-20-2009, 08:15 PM

I've got a feature as Auntie Em in our skating show which is an ice theatre of the Wizard of Oz. I have been wondering what on earth I could skate to. Well my feature solo is a little over a minute and it's in the castle when Dorothy is locked up and she's dreaming about Auntie Em. It's really pretty music and my program is just the pivots with arm movements, waltz 3s - a long spiral across the whole ice (which is why coach was so happy I've improved them and explains why she had said "Now KEEP PRACTICING them I don't want you to loose it! ) The last part of the music is the very end of "Somewhere over the rainbow and I spin and Dorothy comes toward me but I fade backwards away from her. It's going to make people cry.

I'm just so excited I get to skate to something pretty in the show!

That is way cool - but where are you going to find a plain grey figureskating dress. :lol:

liz_on_ice

03-20-2009, 08:50 PM

I'm sure it was more than a squeak-by. Details! Details![/CENTER]

It really was a skin of the teeth thing, 60 points I think. Coach says I normally would have gotten somewhere in the 70s. I did everything wrong, looked down at the ice, skated slow, spirals were lame, sal and toe loop good. I was so unfocused and the snowy ice was scary. I love skating outdoors in the snow, but not performing in it. I don't care. I passed I passed I passed. I can kiss that darn change-foot spin goodbye. Ok, except for the competition. At least it won't be snowing indoors in June.

Friday night is Girl Scout night, and I'm leader of my little one's daisy troop. It's been a long day. I'm now unwinding with a glass of rum and a box of Lemon Chalet cookies. Perk of the job. ;)

Kim to the Max

03-20-2009, 10:28 PM

jskater49

03-21-2009, 08:41 AM

That is way cool - but where are you going to find a plain grey figureskating dress. :lol:

We have someone who sews most of our costumes and she's making a gingham dress for me. I'm thinking of looking for a grey bun wig. I dont' know if my hair will be long enough to put in a bun by May.

I'm also going to be a tree in the adult number :D

Joelle

AgnesNitt

03-21-2009, 01:47 PM

First day back on ice after three weeks off. Legs still a little weak, but I did do some FO3's and two foot turns, and a really, really good arabesque.
Was only on the ice for 45 minutes before fatigue set in.
Resolved to skate three days this week to build up my stamina.
Coach took one look at me and said 'no lesson today, next week, but you look much better than the last time I saw you, at least you have color in your face.'

AgnesNitt

03-21-2009, 01:54 PM

We have someone who sews most of our costumes and she's making a gingham dress for me. I'm thinking of looking for a grey bun wig. I dont' know if my hair will be long enough to put in a bun by May.

Joelle

I was just thinking that the gingham dress with a kind of gray or pale chiffon tacked over it might make it seem really dream like. Depending on how the gingham dress is cut, a slightly longer over dress with an uneven ghost like hem could give a real other worldly quality to it. It wouldn't even have to be chiffon, you could try white netting and dye it pale grey. And since it wouldn't be integral to the dress you could just not use it if it didn't work or you wanted to use the dress again.

SkatEn

03-22-2009, 01:01 AM

Feast: Had a lesson tonight....went pretty well...coach and I worked on flying camels, she had me try a pancake, did axels, and my show program....nothing too horrible...although, the axel in the show program just is not working out the way I need it to :(

Famine: I really just need to trust myself and to point my freaking toe to land my axel....I am getting a TON of height, and it's pretty much all the way around, but I pull out that split second too early and then I tense up and even if my toe is pointed in the air, I flat foot it at the last second....I am at a loss...

Hey, how long have you been working on Axel? I've got about 4 friends working on them, and some have been for almost half a year. (think of how deprived I feel when I watch them...) What I heard somewhere is that if you keep doing something wrong, change something. Otherwise you'll end up with the same results all the time. At least you know it's your point that needs to be corrected. Wish you well! I'm getting Axel anxiety with the people who are frustrated with it!

FAMINE ALL THE WAY: I got too lazy to wake up and skate morning, so I didn't when in fact I really needed to skate. This is the freaking second time.:o:twisted: I'm quite pissed at myself.

Kim to the Max

03-22-2009, 08:53 AM

Hey, how long have you been working on Axel? I've got about 4 friends working on them, and some have been for almost half a year. (think of how deprived I feel when I watch them...) What I heard somewhere is that if you keep doing something wrong, change something. Otherwise you'll end up with the same results all the time. At least you know it's your point that needs to be corrected. Wish you well! I'm getting Axel anxiety with the people who are frustrated with it!

Don't get Axel anxiety :) We all have our own hangups...mine just happens to be landing on my toe :) I have been currently working on my axel for a little over a year, but I had the basics before that as I had skated as a kid and the axel was always my trouble jump (I could land it, but I had the same landing issues). I could do a double sal and was starting double toe when I stopped skating to focus on school, once I get over this mental hangup, I think that the others are going to be easier because I am already fully rotating my double sal, I just need to land on one foot. I am pretty good at analyzing what I'm doing wrong, so, that is helpful, even if it is annoying for my coach who sometimes feels like she doesn't need to be there :)

Mrs Redboots

03-22-2009, 09:54 AM

Feast: Have rejigged the start of our free dance to match the requirements for Bracknell.

Famine: Had another nasty fall on my bum so have been icing myself again.... sigh....

Skate@Delaware

03-22-2009, 08:44 PM

Feast: hahaha! getting to post on the same day as my skate! Spent the beginning part of lesson working on spins and the LOOP jump. Learned a new tip to help with the rotation (and yes I was looking down during my jumps...and exiting my spins-dang it!). Ran through my program twice and it was good, except for some slight breathlessness towards the end.

Famine: last lesson unless coach is able to move it to my home rink......

I got to the rink to find only 3 cars parked-no one else was there! I went inside and only the zamboni driver was there....a panicked txt msg to my coach was responded to with a call from her-yes there was freestyle ice. Whew! But the snack bar was closed and the vending machine broken so poor son had to suffer for 2 hours (he is 13 so yes, it was a famine for him).

Feast: after, we went to Panera Bread!!!

Famine: on the way home, I got a lovely pull-over by a Maryland State Trooper informing me that my tag light was out!!!! OMG!!!! Luckily, no ticket, just a warning. So......gotta add that to my "to-do" list in addition to study for a HUGE test I have on Tuesday. Oh well how would life be if nothing happened?????

phoenix

03-22-2009, 08:55 PM

Famine: Had only skated once in a week & a half, due to being sick & travelling. Really not what I needed 5 weeks before nationals! Finally got to practice tonight--on really crowded ice

Feast: For being off that long, it wasn't too bad. And for how crowded it was, I got a decent amount of work done. I even got to play my music once, & made it through a pattern on time (though not good edges).

From here on out, it's all Viennese Waltz, all the time! :arrow:

looplover

03-23-2009, 07:32 AM

Famine: skating! I'm taking an extended break from lessons because of the economy and fear of living on the streets in my old age ( 8O ) and I miss lessons. Have only skated twice since easterns, so yesterday my sit spin was in a shambles! Didn't jump except for one small loop. I hope I'm not losing interest in jumping, that wasn't supposed to happen for a while...

Feast: Petlover was in the area so we went to the public and had much fun! Did some good backspins and worked on my footwork a bit.