In the air or grounded: 19-24 May 2009

[Mrs Redboots]

Wot, no practice thread? And as Oberstdorf is next week, I imagine people will be beginning to think in terms of flying across the Atlantic, or maybe just the Channel....

In the air: Walked through most of our compulsory dances; not too bad. Not great. Did a solo Dutch Waltz before coming off and was pleased with my speed.

Very pleased with our video of Bracknell (thanks, BatikatII):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChuLAgXMjqw

It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected, given the stills!

Grounded: Didn't run through our free dance today as we were late to the rink and ran out of time.

[BatikatII]

In the air

Finally managed a whole length of the hardest field move (for me) in the UK level 5 FMs. This goes something like FO3 turn, cross in front, cross behind to back outside 3 and hold the FI edge til you can make the choctaw to the back outside edge. That's the difficult bit getting to that outside edge when you place the free foot down and I still can't make it to an outside edge really but at least it seems like it could be possible now. This is repeated in alternate directions for the length of the rink both sides.

Jumps were quite good considering I've not done them much recently.

Added the step sequence to couples free dance which coach has choreographed to be done all in hold which makes it interesting! Actually understood how it goes with the music at last.

Grounded - can't think of anything really

[phoenix]

In the air:

I worked HARD today! Which probably was a mistake, since I have a lesson tomorrow. Oh well....

I put Paso music on, and made it through a pattern on time--this was the first time I've gotten through without losing the timing! Woo hoo! Maybe if I work hard this one can be ready to test at the end of summer.

Grounded:
I brought my camera & video'd my back power 3's from Int. moves--ah, yes, they sure do look slow & sluggish & careful, don't they!! Well, better to know that so I can work on it.

Why is it you can feel like you're pushing really hard and going really fast, but it doesn't look that way at all?!

[coskater64]

Only skating 2 days this week before jetting across the pond for OD and MC, still can't do hard jumps but I am as prepared as I will be. Overall can't complain IJS scores have been consistent and starting to get more levels called. Figures are awful, maybe Bettina and I can just have a beer drinking contest prior to the figure event!!:lol::lol:

[sk8ryellow]

Oh this is cool,

In the air Landed everything in my long program including the double double combo which never happens.

Grounded My stupid Double Salchow is going haywire again! Its tiny and swingy! You would think after a couple years of having it it would stay good!:frus: my coach keeps telling me its all in my head8O

[dbny]

Very pleased with our video of Bracknell (thanks, BatikatII):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChuLAgXMjqw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChuLAgXMjqw)


And rightly so! Love the pairs spin. Thanks for posting.

In the Air:
Had a really good practice yesterday. Made myself do 10 one foot spins from T push, and they were all at least 3 revs. Did each of the first three dances again and had no problems with stamina. For the first time ever, I did the entire Pre-Juv power pull pattern. My F pulls were actually better than my B 8O. I didn't ever think that could happen because I used to be so scared of the F ones. Now they feel really secure and I get a rip most of the time, though acceleration is spotty. Finally made myself work on Prelim power threes, and actually got my bad side (L side) to the point that I was beginning to push on each step again. I got there by going back to BXO's and B power XO's because I realized I didn't feel secure enough on CW BXO's. It didn't take too much to improve them. This is once again a matter of neglect!

Grounded:
Those one foot spins have definitely taken a turn for the worse. I've been rocking forward and back on them, and still getting so dizzy that I have to stand with feet apart for a bit before doing the next one. Still can't work on FI mohawks because of the pulled whatever. It is getting better though. I've been taking a prescription NSAID with dinner for the past several days.

[flo]

Good luck to all competing next week!

Flying - had a nice edge only practice with partner.

[Skittl1321]

I wish I was flying across the atlantic, alas, even the competition being held a mile to my house is too expensive for me to enter- $80 for the first event IIRC. (And it wouldn't be a competition because I'd be the only one)

In the air well this is actually grounded... LOL
If I were a yeti, I'd have perfect (footwork) loops. Sadly my feet are not size 23, so I only did a few actual good ones (1.5x blade)- but hey I did some good ones. I just can't figure out what I'm doing to make big loops and what I'm doing to make good ones. It's like everything else in skating, I don't know what's causing the right and what is causing the wrong... so it makes fixing it really hard. I don't have that power pull I need to get out of it, so I close the loop and get stuck.

Finally figure out the half loop and why I might want to do it. Now working on toe loop- half loop- salchow sequence, though I run out of steam at the salchow and land still (like I land my loop, LOL)

Grounded This is the bad one right?

Choctaws are hard!!

[PinkLaces]

In the Air: Started on Bronze Moves today. The first 2 are not as evil as I feared they might be...although we haven't gotten through the whole test yet. Salchow was pretty good. Toe loop was really toe loop about half the time instead of waltz toe (this is an improvement from mostly waltz toe).

Grounded: Loop and flip - being equally difficult. Teeny tiny or 2 footed landings. No skating for rest of the week (vacation - yea!) and then no coach next week for ISI conference.

[Mrs Redboots]

Figures are awful, maybe Bettina and I can just have a beer drinking contest prior to the figure event!!:lol::lol:

I thought it was champagne and nibbles you guys went for between figures?
(Goodness, I can't wait to see you! THIS TIME NEXT WEEK, who-HOOOOOO!).

In the Air: Second "holiday" lesson with coach J; worked on Fiesta and Willow and got some good corrections.

Grounded: Even he can't help me get my Willow mohawk timed right, or stop me scraping rather loudly on the STF. Ah well....

[RachelSk8er]

Grounded: Haven't been able to get on the ice this week because of softball on Monday and a school thing I'm wrapping up this week, although ( in the air ) I finally renewed my gym membership, which expired in February, and have made it to the gym two days in a row and did exercise other than figure skating or roller derby for the first time since some time in January or February. Just the bike, haven't tackled running yet but probably will tomorrow. Want to skate tonight but I'd have to run from figure skating to 2 hrs of roller derby practice and that's a bit much on the leg muscles for one night.

Yesterday I started back at my regular Tuesday/Thursday yoga classes now that I don't have school for the summer. I knew I'd lost some flexibility because I went from Pilates at least once a week when I was skating synchro (team did it before practice) and yoga twice a week all last spring/summer to NONE once law school started, and my spirals and laybacks have suffered because of it. But holy crap I didn't know it had gotten as bad as it really was!! Oh well. In a month or two I'll be back to were I was.

Must find a way to keep doing yoga once school starts. Making classes is downright impossible, but maybe I'll find a few good videos and do it at home...that's better than nothing.

[Skate@Delaware]

Must find a way to keep doing yoga once school starts. Making classes is downright impossible, but maybe I'll find a few good videos and do it at home...that's better than nothing.
That's what I do when I'm squeezed for time-I make a few yoga moves part of my bedtime routine. It really doesn't take long, usually about 20 minutes and it unwinds & relaxes me for bed. I try to include frog/child pose/downward dog and close with corpse and deep breathing.

[Kat12]

In the air:
I'm learning...slowly! I'm getting better at not pronating, and I'm sure I'll better yet when I get more supportive skates. I'm still working on my stroking and crossovers...and edges....and stopping...but I'm getting much better at all those things. I think I'm starting to get the hang of advanced stroking, and my snowplow stops and T-stops are DEFINITELY coming along. Edges are starting to "click" too, at least a little. I find that some things just "feel" right--or at least I think that what feels right to me is right. Getting my free leg just right in advanced stroking, or feeling like I'm really settling into an edge, just feels like the way it's supposed to be.

And I like how skating gives auditory feedback--I can tell if I'm pronating or if my blade is slipping just by the way it sounds, even if it's slight enough that I can't feel or see it. Proper gliding is much quieter.

I've taken a couple falls and this is actually in the good category, not the bad, because I've remembered now how little it actually hurts.

And I ordered my skate guards and soakers last night.

And the boi wants to go skating with me again (we went together last weekend).

Best of all, I really feel like I'm getting more comfortable out on the ice. I don't look or feel at home out there like some people do, but I'm getting there (I hope).

Grounded:
I have fallen a couple times, but oh well.

Still don't have edges down as much as I'd like, but oh well. Practice makes perfect and blah de blah. I know it'll come.

Am trying to get all my Basic Skills Level 1 stuff down, and while some stuff I can do is Level 2 or 3, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out a "backward wiggle." Dunno why I need to know when I can do backward sculls/swizzles, but whatever. It's annoying me to no end.

[Skate@Delaware]

Had lesson with private coach tonight (following dance class, during which I pulled something in my glute :cry: cause we spent almost 30 minutes shimmy-ing; it was sore during lesson but really started hurting when I got home).

In the air: spins! Maybe it was being loose from dance, the tight muscle or just doing what my coach said (finally) but I did some really good scratch spins!

Grounded: not so good with the change-foot, cause I allowed my upper body to get ahead of my lower body. But it's slowly getting better.

In the air: After a rocky start, my toe-loop is better, I freak out when adding speed....cause I get height and that scares me! But I managed to hold it together and concentrate on each step instead. And did some toe-loop/toe-loops which were cool!

Then we did some loops....and to get the right feel, coach had me practice hopping up on the jumping foot (rolling off the toe) and getting a little bit of rotation and landing on one foot. Then I jumped a few and they were sooooo much better that I landed a few (fell on one but it was cause I leaned forward). Suddenly, the fear of being on one-foot is not there!

What a great way to end the lesson!

[kander]

In the air Did perhaps my longest axel ever. It went over 7 feet. woo hoo! I also did a couple of big salchows which, unfortuneately, I blew the landing. Landed my first loop in a long time.

Grounded My basic scratch spin is still traveling all over the place.

[antmanb]

In the air: after years of only skating once a week I've finally managed to jig things around and get to an extra patch session on a Wednesday tea-time and a not too crazy saturday morning public session where i can practice (in addition to my thursday evening public).

So last night was the first time on the Wednesday patch and while it looked busier than a crazy public session you can still actually get a good practice in!

I concentrated on jumps and spins since moves looked more or less impossible! Overall was a great practice did good three jumps, toe-loops and did a ton of loops (at last i'ts starting to come back) I even decided that the RFi three turn is thrownig me off and managed a number from a backwards glide.

Managed to do some good froward upright spins a along with a camel that had at least 4revs (hurray!) and some good ones that were nearly the same. Several reasonable sits (not sure whether any them were truly good and sat but they felt lower) and went on for a good while. Even managed a very unbalanced and poor camel-sit-upright with at least two revs in each of the camel and "sit" positions.

Grounded: Salchow is giving me fits - i'm circling on the ice before I take off quite badly. Some days its fine and other it loops a while 180 degrees before the flag on the end and i just can't figure out how to stop so i ditched it completely.

Flip was not as good as last week and I didn't make any on one foot. I did land a few good ones with slight two foot but more were bad than good!

Ant

[blue111moon]

In the air: well, I'm still not jumping at all so nothing is really "in the air" but I did have a decent session last night. The spins worked pretty well, until I optimistically tried a sit spin - WRONG! The ankle just doesn't bend enough yet, or if it does, it's not strong enough to stay bent long enough for me to actual spin.

The Wednesday session is a little less crowded than Monday and Thursday and there's no hockey kids on it so it was a little easier to run through the dances (no music allowed still) and I ded get the free dance program played before time ran out.

Grounded: Step Sequence - ugh! I ended up spending most of the session just repeating it over and over, aiming for light, smooth steps but ending up clunky and noisy. And the edge changes going into the backspin entrance will probably kill me - I fell twice on the stupid thing. And falling on a session where people don't know me is not fun. The thud attracts attention, the little kids stare wide-eyed at the "big person" on the ground (I think they expect the ice to break under me) and at least one coach is bound to come over to check on me. At least my ex-coah knows better than to bother, as long as I'm getting up.

But skating on Wednesday night instead of my usual Thursday has me all confused today. I keep thinking it should be Friday.

[Skate@Delaware]

The Wednesday session is a little less crowded than Monday and Thursday and there's no hockey kids on it so it was a little easier to run through the dances (no music allowed still) and I ded get the free dance program played before time ran out.


Can you wear headphones (one in only) and listen to your music that way? Or maybe find a popular song with the same beat/tempo as your dance music and play that?

When we had dance classes, we listened to a metronome (no music, only the beep-beep-beep) to help us "count" and I prefer listening to music :roll:

[liz_on_ice]

in the air - starting to get a little speed going into salchow and toe loop, waltz jumps are soaring


on the ground - my velvet covered butt, skidded out on a cross-roll of all things :roll:
and my 9-step dance sequence (required for FS3 sucks, spent most of lesson working on that outside mohawk

[BatikatII]

Hmm Grounded - that' an appropriate title for today's dance lesson since I spent rather a lot of time on the ground in the pursuit of adding an 'assisted teapot' (i.e shoot the duck for my American/Canadian friends) to our couples free dance. Surely an assisted teapot should be easier than an unassisted one you do on your own but it seems maybe not!

Anyway after several spills and a great deal of hold adjustment I think we might have cracked it (or me)!

In the air: Nice to hear some positive comments on our dance from one of the teenagers. And the first part is coming together nicely now and we've added the fun revolving 3 turns around each other too.

In air: In free lesson my final loop and flip before lesson end were pretty good.

My back inside alternating double 3's (UK level 5 FM) were actually OK today - in fact better than my outside alternating double 3's and that's never happened before. Completed two lengths without needing to touch down with my free foot.

I noticed how much doing couples dance seems to have helped with my edges. I'm finally beginning to trust my edges and get that lovely lean into them at speed.

[SkatEn]

Learnt the real AXEL today! Not waltz-backspin, or waltz-loopx20mil!

In the air:
Coach made me do waltz halfloop salchow loop toeloop. oh wow. A little tough to remember but coach said my jumps are improving a lot. :lol: Which is a nice thing since he doesn't do compliments often. All spins are smashing today too.

Grounded:
I asked to work on axel and he said to do a waltz backspin, not from standstill. OWWW. I waltz-backsplat-ed :giveup::halo: the very first one. Really hard fall on my rear, back and hands. Knocked all air out of my lungs. Hurts.

In the air:
Was surprised that coach said, now do the real thing. Suddenly, I was like, what? now? how?! There's no harness at the rink, so yeah. I had some "good try"!!! Made one revolution on most but my legs aren't crossed, and I look like a hunched chicken in the air haha. :P The bright side: Coach said I have enough height to rotate. I just have to well, rotate!

Grounded:
Lesson ended and then there were a hundred plus kids flooding the rink, thereby ending the good skating day!

[dbny]

I noticed how much doing couples dance seems to have helped with my edges. I'm finally beginning to trust my edges and get that lovely lean into them at speed.

Nothing has helped my edges and pushes more than my ice dance lessons with a coach who is the exact right height to be my partner. I really never dance solo in my lessons, as I think I get the most from skating with a partner whose level is far above mine.

In the Air:
Got to practice yesterday. Don't remember much about it, but my stamina is definitely improving from getting in more than one practice a week. I'm now going thru my ice dance lessons almost non-stop, whereas when I began, I had to take a break after almost every dance. In lesson today the Rhythm Blues and Canasta Tango felt really good and got several "good's" from my coach, including a "good save" when he was not in quite the correct position and I adjusted to get him there while skating. The Dutch Waltz is merely OK. I was assured that the judges are not so picky with these beginner dances, and I should test wherever it is most convenient and not worry about reputation.

Grounded:
While teaching a tot, I did a little two foot jump and made the mistake of looking back and down at her. Caught my L toe pick and very nearly fell. That would have been very :oops: for me, but probably :lol: for her. Dutch Waltz is still not a comfy as I want it to be.

[Mrs Redboots]

In the air: We bit the bullet and rechoreographed the end of our free dance - Husband has had a sore back and doesn't really want to do the lift, and I can't see him doing it well on the big day. So we have put a 2nd spin in, instead.

Grounded: Am I an idiot because I'm feeling worried that I feel ready for this competition, and am in a "Bring it on!" mood, rather than a "Why the flutz did I think this was a good idea?" mood?

[aussieskater]

Grounded

Well, DH and I are supposed to be testing in a few weeks' time 8O so I got DH to video me doing the Swing & Fiesta with Coach. Then I returned the favour for him.

When we asked Coach did she need any more or could we put the camera away, Coach said "no more - we have so much work and so little time..." :lol: She's so right! (I actually think she was referring to the fact that the session had only 7min left, but watching the video back, it could just as validly have referred to the fact that the test date is looming...)

In the air

Not much, according to the video. Ummm, the only thing I can think of (apart from remaining upright - rather too much so!) is that the Fiesta timing wasn't too horrible for my level. (But Coach said I stiffened up and felt like a brick to skate next to, so that bit's definitely grounded.) Swing felt much more relaxed, but video showed it to be the worse of the two, to my surprise.

[sk8tegirl06]

In the Air: As of tomorrow...me!! I'm flying home, and the chance to skate in figure skates for the first time in 4 months.

My work schedule is such that I will be able to skate the $6 2 hour nearly deserted public sessions at least a couple days a week. :D

Grounded: See above re: figure skates. Lets just say attempting any sort of spinning/jumping in hockey skates has rather different results.

That rink was also only seasonal, essentially it was outside...with the temperatures hitting 90+ degrees F/30+ degrees C the chemistry is not there for the rink to remain open. Therefore, I have not skated whatsoever since the end of March.

[CanadianAdult]

Very pleased with our video of Bracknell (thanks, BatikatII):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChuLAgXMjqw



Mrs. Redboots you are shrinking!

Very very nice pairs spin. very nice :)

[RachelSk8er]

Grounded: Summer ice time schedule...ugh.:frus:

The only sessions I can do are 7 am weekday mornings and 6-8 pm Wednesdays (7-8 pm is just for adults). BUT much to my dismay/frustration, 7 am sessions are intermediate + competitive elite sessions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the kiddos will want to sleep in and turnout will be low, in which event I've been told that I can get on them. If my plan B won't work, my coach will just let me on these sessions if they aren't full because that's the only time he can get my lesson in (and since he's the summer school director he can do that). Why the heck do these kids need to skate at 7 am? They can skate all day. Most of them are home schooled and skate all day all year, and NONE of them are ever on the ice before 8 am. They all roll in around 7, warm up off the ice, and get on sometime around 8 as the adults who skate in the morning are getting off. :frus::frus:

I'm working on convincing the rink management to let us have the other ice surface from 7-8 as an open freestyle session not affiliated part of the summer skating school. I'm hoping this will fly as long as there isn't a hockey school or someone else using it at that time, so far my coach is fine with it. I know the head honcho's theory is that if the rink is open and no one is using one surface, he'd much rather open it up if someone wants to skate and make a few bucks, rather than just letting it sit there unused. Then the adults can have our usual pre-work skating like we do the rest of the year.

In the air: Worked on choreography of the new program with my coach. I had the first minute sort of laid out, he's just much better at making it look nice than I am. My 38 yr old straight male coach doing choreography, especially to girly music (like mine) is always amusing. Like what we have so far, EXCEPT he said I'm moving my flying camel from the beginning of my program to later and I'm putting a layback at the beginning instead. I agree that the music screams "DO LAYBACK HERE" much more than a flying camel (that was the first thing I thought when I heard the music)...but I reminded him that my layback is a pile of crap and that's why we took it out of last year's program, and that flying camel was my problem all year and I wanted to put it first and get it out of the way. To which I got "too bad, that was last year, we're going to fix your layback and you're going to do it." And he insists my flying camel won't be a problem this year. :giveup: Ugh.

New adult skater at my rink today, too, who is working with my coach! Yay! A guy who wants to compete, has no tests right now but from what I saw he should have no problem getting his prelim or bronze free this year.

Jr moves weren't bad, just a tad sluggish because I wasn't quite awake yet, nor was I really in the mood to do them. Didn't even try the diagonal patterns though.

Grounded-ish: Axels are still yuck. I'm only "allowed" to do my coach's takeoff drills until he tells me otherwise (or isn't there to see what I'm dong...ha ha :twisted:)...rotation/landing are not my problem, he insists that all we need to do is fix minor issues with the takeoff and I'll have it. At least I'm not beating myself up flinging myself into the air trying to land on one foot with crappy technique, because that was last year's approach and it didn't work. Feels like I made some progress today...even though all I'm "allowed" to do once I'm in the air right now are waltz or bell jumps.

And I tried to do dance today...one pattern of the blues was YUCK, 2 patterns each of the starlight and paso were so-so. Haven't worked on them in a while.

[kander]

In the air FINALLY landed a good axel in a lesson. Yay! Also did a toe loop and salchow. A rare lesson trifecta. Charlie was shocked.

Grounded My spins are as bad as they've ever been. I'm at a loss as to what to do.

[dance2sk8]

In the Air: Sit spin is coming together better, I am getting lower and my leg is being brought in closer than before. Still not touching the other leg like its supposed to.

Scratch spin is so much fun! I now can do that particularly well.

Camel spin!!!! I can now do a camel spin, BUT only 2 rotations max. I have hit 3 a few times, but still trying to find my footing and keep my circles small. BIG challenge. However, my body positioning is really great. Keeping my leg straight and not drooping at all.

I now am solid in my jumps, doing combination jumps. Loop, loop...flip jump, toe loop...flip jump, loop...etc.

Grounded: BACKSPIN!!!! Always on an inside edge now!!! AND TRAVELING!!!! :frus::frus::frus::cry:

[Skate@Delaware]

In the air: salchow was good today, as were toe-loops.

Grounded: pretty much everything else: spins, change-foot spins, waltz jumps were blech, and choreography for the "Enchanted" number was missing so many people I felt like a solo skater!

In the air: even tho spins were not happening, during lesson tonight I did manage to step out correctly...very helpful advice was to keep free leg out longer and keep it up far longer than I think I should (this coach is group lesson coach and it's refreshing that she repeats what my primary coach says instead of contradicting).

Grounded: did power 3's going across the rink, I can only manage 2 before I hit the wall...I wish we could do these going the looooong way!

[dbny]

did power 3's going across the rink, I can only manage 2 before I hit the wall...I wish we could do these going the looooong way!

Why can't you?

In the Air:
Felt great the minute I stepped on the ice, and warmed up with F stroking, FXO's, F power XO's, and F cross rolls. Finally got my dance music onto a tiny MP3 player DD gave me, and used it today to practice.

Grounded:
I just seem to be stalled on F threes yet again. Doing them, but still not checking enough. Only got one good spin because I just couldn't tighten up enough and hang on to it. There were just enough kids on the session to keep me from getting through even one complete pattern of any dance without interruption. Because the guard places the cones on the red dots and on the center line and blue lines, and the rink is a bit small, it's impossible to do F power threes and B power XO's comfortably. My #%*&! injury didn't bother me on the ice, but started acting up right afterwards, and is now almost as painful as last week.

[samba]

Very pleased with our video of Bracknell (thanks, BatikatII):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChuLAgXMjqw

It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected, given the stills!

I havent seen you skate for at least 2 years so I can see the improvement, well done.

[Skate@Delaware]

Why can't you?

In the Air:
Felt great the minute I stepped on the ice, and warmed up with F stroking, FXO's, F power XO's, and F cross rolls. Finally got my dance music onto a tiny MP3 player DD gave me, and used it today to practice.

Grounded:
I just seem to be stalled on F threes yet again. Doing them, but still not checking enough. Only got one good spin because I just couldn't tighten up enough and hang on to it. There were just enough kids on the session to keep me from getting through even one complete pattern of any dance without interruption. Because the guard places the cones on the red dots and on the center line and blue lines, and the rink is a bit small, it's impossible to do F power threes and B power XO's comfortably. My #%*&! injury didn't bother me on the ice, but started acting up right afterwards, and is now almost as painful as last week.

It's the way it's set up (for classes) each class is set up in sections ALTHOUGH some of the classes do go the long way (and cut into everyone else's section). If we do these next time, I will say something...because it's not effective going across, better going longways (unless the coach does it because the others in the class are just learning).

Did you stretch out & ice your injury after skating to see if that helped?

[AgnesNitt]

The last two freestyle sessions have been coach free zones ;) since, all the coaches were out at PSA. It's amazing how good I am when no one's there to give me 'coach eye'.:lol:

The Big Guy was on the ice for the first time in two weeks. Afterwards at b'fast it was 'whine, whine, whine' about the hard ice. Then he laughed and said our skating quote for whiners "The ice doesn't care!"

On my figures there are minutes when I'm just perfect: Body position, edge, flow, balance, arm movements, strike. These are figures as meditation. I feel like time stops, and the universe is moving around me. Then my upper body gets too far forward on a strike and it's back to the mundane.

[dbny]

Did you stretch out & ice your injury after skating to see if that helped?

I think it's way too late for ice. I've had this injury for about 3 weeks now. A good hot soak might help, but I'm always too far from home with too much to do first. I have a rice bag that I can heat and apply, so maybe I'll try that. Had a horrible night last night, waking up in pain, but then when I got to the rink today, It was better on the ice. I think some obscure muscle might have been cramping up last night. The injury is in the crease between the top of the thigh and the hip, in front, in line with and maybe a little to the inside of the hip bone. I've got to find an anatomy site and see if I can figure out what it is. I'm planning on going to the doctor for it in about 2 weeks, which is the earliest I'll have the time.

[Mrs Redboots]

In the Air: Coaches back from holiday; got our regular lesson.

Grounded: Which was our last lesson (not counting the camp) before the Mountain Cup! Unless we can get a lesson in Germany.

[Skate@Delaware]

I think it's way too late for ice. I've had this injury for about 3 weeks now. A good hot soak might help, but I'm always too far from home with too much to do first. I have a rice bag that I can heat and apply, so maybe I'll try that. Had a horrible night last night, waking up in pain, but then when I got to the rink today, It was better on the ice. I think some obscure muscle might have been cramping up last night. The injury is in the crease between the top of the thigh and the hip, in front, in line with and maybe a little to the inside of the hip bone. I've got to find an anatomy site and see if I can figure out what it is. I'm planning on going to the doctor for it in about 2 weeks, which is the earliest I'll have the time.
Maybe you should try alternating heat & ice...or even ice right after skating to keep the inflammation down then heat later. At this point, I'd be up for trying anything that brings relief! It's been over a year for my back surgery and I still ice it (which helps) more than heat.

Ha-Ha-Ha, funny story: I was going to make a bag full of flax for heating and applying....when i got ready to stuff my bag with the flax, I opened the package and realized I had bought "pulverized" flax seeds :roll: ... which won't really work very well.

[SkatEn]

Air:
Spins are really getting better. Got about 4 rounds of backsit (which I'll have to video to see if it actually looks like a backsit), 3-4 of camel, and really fast sit.

Grounded:
Muscles are too tired to do jumps. And I'm freaking out about Axel.
The more I'm afraid to fall, the more I tense up, the more I fall, so I get more afraid, tenser, and fall more. It's really not fun. ugh.

Recreational skaters should know to stay out of my way when I attempt Axel because I fall all over the place! This two siblings kept chasing each other and imitating each other's waltz jumps (they are on figure skates), and getting into my way! Their mum was on ice, and didn't stop them and told the younger one to follow his sister! :twisted: :halo:

dbny, I hear you. I pulled the muscle on the inside of the thigh, not quite abductor, not quite hamstrings. It's the one that makes me unable to do front split and straddle split. But when it gets worst, it feels like a hams injury. And I just injured my hip flexor. All aren't serious, but enough pain to get me off the ice. And it always comes back.

[phoenix]

I think some obscure muscle might have been cramping up last night. The injury is in the crease between the top of the thigh and the hip, in front, in line with and maybe a little to the inside of the hip bone. I've got to find an anatomy site and see if I can figure out what it is. I'm planning on going to the doctor for it in about 2 weeks, which is the earliest I'll have the time.

Sounds like hip flexor. I pulled that trying layback spins a couple years ago, finally had to get off the ice for 3 MONTHS for it to heal!! Don't ignore this like I did--get some treatment & stop skating for a few weeks to give it a chance to get better. I went to physical therapy, who did very painful deep tissue massage work on it which definitely helped.

[liz_on_ice]

grounded - spins were not optimal today, on the upside though even off spins are better than they used to be.

in the air - I landed a whole bunch of flips with even a little ride-out. They aren't pretty but I'm starting to feel confident about the balance and timing so I'll practice them a lot more now. Loop is sloooowly progressing.

[dbny]

Sounds like hip flexor. I pulled that trying layback spins a couple years ago, finally had to get off the ice for 3 MONTHS for it to heal!! Don't ignore this like I did--get some treatment & stop skating for a few weeks to give it a chance to get better.

Aaak!!! 8O I can't do that. At the very least, I have to keep working; can't afford not to. But, thank you for the scare. I think I'll make that doctor's appointment now, even though I can't go for almost another two weeks.

[aussieskater]

In the Air: Coaches back from holiday; got our regular lesson.

Grounded: Which was our last lesson (not counting the camp) before the Mountain Cup! Unless we can get a lesson in Germany.


Good luck, and have a great trip (and great skate!) Say hello to the Aussie contingent for me.

[Skate@Delaware]

Aaak!!! 8O I can't do that. At the very least, I have to keep working; can't afford not to. But, thank you for the scare. I think I'll make that doctor's appointment now, even though I can't go for almost another two weeks.
Got this link from another site (dance) maybe it will have some helpful info:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/hjd/harkness/patients/injuries/

[dbny]

Got this link from another site (dance) maybe it will have some helpful info:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/hjd/harkness/patients/injuries/


Thank you! I have to confess that unless I'm scared stiff or in considerable pain, I'm lousy at following thru with things like hot soaks and icing. The problem on that site that most fits my symptoms (and it fits pretty well) is Iliacus tendinitis, for which rest and anti-inflamatories are recommended. Those I'm pretty good at :lol:.

[Skate@Delaware]

Thank you! I have to confess that unless I'm scared stiff or in considerable pain, I'm lousy at following thru with things like hot soaks and icing. The problem on that site that most fits my symptoms (and it fits pretty well) is Iliacus tendinitis, for which rest and anti-inflamatories are recommended. Those I'm pretty good at :lol:.
I know you don't (or won't) want to lay off of skating for the weeks to heal (I wouldn't either ;)) but maybe just lighten up on the things that cause considerable pain/agony. I've not done any sit-spins because of my back (still hurts, still weak; I'm hoping maybe if I hold out long enough either the rules will change or my coach will let me slide by?)

Tendons take longer to heal than muscles. Be sure to take twice as long to warm up as normal, stretch afterwards (I try to do this but sometimes I forget-my bad).

Get better soon!!!!

[dbny]

but maybe just lighten up on the things that cause considerable pain/agony.

Which is almost everything! Anything that employs turn out does it. That means plain old vanilla F stroking. LFI mohwaks seem to be the worst, and I've stopped doing them entirely, along with most RFI mohawks. Unfortunately, RFI threes are also not very good for it. I haven't practiced since Friday and would love to keep that up, but I have a lesson this Fri for the first time in two weeks and an ice dance lesson on Thurs. The following week will be better since I'm devoting it to my 40th college reunion and cancelling all my own lessons and some of the ones I give.

[liz_on_ice]

airborne - jump sequences are starting to exhibit flow. I've been working hard on the 9-step per coach's instructions, it isn't beautiful but I'm getting rid of that flat edge I had on the step.

grounded - I can either cover the ice in a minute and a half, or I can jump nicely, but not both. I'm still scared to jump with any real speed.

[Skate@Delaware]

In the air: Went skating today at public session. I had thought it would be crowded...it was not! It was fairly empty and I had a lot of fun just skating around not doing anything in particular. After public it was LTS time and we worked on show routines and got through 2 of them-good thing as we have 2 1/2 weeks to the show! Worked with some of the girls on back & arabesque spirals and some other things-it was fun (i miss teaching).

Grounded: started feeling sick towards the end (stomach churning, head spinning etc). It's either the virus that's going around of I was just really tired. Not sure if it was connected, but my hips and knees were aching earlier today which is unusual for me (altho that could also be a symptom of my boots breaking down, which they are doing).

In the air: spins were good, managed some passable centered spins; waltz jumps were also good, I'm trying hard to kick through instead of kneeing the jump.

Grounded: having a harder time following thru on my waltz jump-still find myself looking behind me for little kids. As much as I joke with my coach about running over the little kids to get in my way (LOL) I know I can't really do it.

[doubletoe]

Which is almost everything! Anything that employs turn out does it. That means plain old vanilla F stroking. LFI mohwaks seem to be the worst, and I've stopped doing them entirely, along with most RFI mohawks. Unfortunately, RFI threes are also not very good for it. I haven't practiced since Friday and would love to keep that up, but I have a lesson this Fri for the first time in two weeks and an ice dance lesson on Thurs. The following week will be better since I'm devoting it to my 40th college reunion and cancelling all my own lessons and some of the ones I give.

Will it really make sense to take lessons when this injury makes "almost everything" painful? Why not postpone the lessons until you've given it some rest and rehabilitation and you can actually do the things your coach is showing you?

[dbny]

Except for the LFI mohawks, it isn't painful until later, so I can do most things.