Madhouse or quiet rink (practise 15 - 21 Jun) [Archive]

RachelSk8er

06-15-2009, 12:11 PM

Quiet Ice: My session this morning! I got permission to be on our 7am intermediate free and up sessions for summer since there was room. Today is the first day of official summer ice at my rink, and this morning there were only 4 of us, it was wonderful. Spent the session on moves and then working on the new program.

Got my step sequence for my program pretty much hammered out. It's essentially the same as last year's with a different turn at the beginning and a few more steps at the end. Last year's fit the new music perfectly and it's comfortable, so I figured if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Or at least don't change it too much. The first 30 sec of my program is also looking really good, I love the choreography.

Laybacks--getting better. Actually feeling (and hopefully looking) like I want a layback to look before I put it in my program again, especially as the first element of my program. And it was really good in one of my program run-thrus.

Junior moves other than the choctaws. Outside rockers are strong, inside are getting better (the only one really bad is the LFI). Power circles were great today. Power pull-quick rocker pattern is getting better, just need to be more aggressive. I was starting it out with better speed/attack today.

Madhouse: Jumps. Other spins. Didn't really get to them today. And junior MIF choctaws just stink.

londonicechamp

06-15-2009, 12:14 PM

Hi

Was in the local ice rink for practice, from 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. yesterday. I skate at the same rink as where chowskate goes to.

Madhouse: absolutely madhouse!!!! School still on holidays until the end of the month. Absolutely hate this. Even in the middle area, more than 10 freestyle skaters there practising jumps and spins. I was working on scratch spins, waltz jump and toe loop. Wonder how I did not manage to kill anyone!!! :roll:

Quiet ice: slightly better towards the last 20 mins of my practice session. Managed to practise on mohawks, and then waltz jump; and then toe loop, and some bunny hops. Must be towards that last 10 minutes when I started to get tired. Fell and landed on my left palm, had a small graze there. Now cover that area with a small plaster. Hope that area won't be sore tomorrow.

londonicechamp

Petlover

06-15-2009, 01:02 PM

Madhouse: Change foot spin was great the first time and then disappeared. After 3 more tries, I was very upset. So, I got off the ice and sat down for a few minutes to calm down. Went back on the ice, it took 3 times to get it back.

Quiet Ice: Once the change foot spin was back, I hit it 4 times in a row. Also, hit 1 at the end of the session.

Madhouse: First time through, I missed up the mohawk in my footwork program.

Quiet Ice: Second time through the program was good, and another coach complimented me on being much faster than I used to be.

Madhouse: Poor hubby is home sick today. When the alarm went off, he apologized for keeping me awake since 2:30 am - oops, in my sleepy state I told him I slept through his getting up :(.

Skate@Delaware

06-15-2009, 09:26 PM

Madhouse: Poor hubby is home sick today. When the alarm went off, he apologized for keeping me awake since 2:30 am - oops, in my sleepy state I told him I slept through his getting up :(.
Hope he gets better soon!

Quiet Rink: no skating for me (until Hackensack) as my home rink has shut down for the summer. It should re-open sometime mid-August (not sure of the exact date as they haven't updated their website yet). So, plenty of off-ice stuff for me!

Kim to the Max

06-15-2009, 10:22 PM

[Quiet Rink]
Since today was Monday, I skated on campus, which meant that there were maybe 5 of us on the ice :) I love having a mix to the types of sessions I skate on...the crazy ones (but not too crazy :)) and the relatively empty sessions...

I had some good axels today :) I was also able to get my feet fully crossed on a few of them....Jupiter must have aligned with Mars....Hopefully I can have a repeat performance tomorrow in my lesson :roll:

I was able to get full rotation on my 2toe today. No where near landing it, but the first thing coach wanted me to work on was the rotation.

Spins were somehow amazing today....centered everything 8O and even got my butt down the way coach likes it on my sit spin...how the heck that happened, I don't know!

Moves were okay...I have been trying to force myself to finish the power pulls on one foot no matter how slow I am going...and today was molasses like...

[Madhouse]
Something is going funky with my 2sal again. I can't seem to get the timing right...

While, my axels have been getting better, I am still not getting full rotation....I am noticing it less (I think I am landing more on my toe than on a flat), but I still have an issue with not staying pulled in long enough :frus: :frus: :frus:

Moves are also getting frustrating...my rockers are not all that good right now, getting better, but I'm getting impatient about the process :)

SkatEn

06-16-2009, 12:21 AM

Madhouse:
Public schools are on holiday, the rink has been kind of a madhouse on most days. Apart from having to avoid killing anyone, my short skating session was not-too-bad.

Madhouse: absolutely madhouse!!!! School still on holidays until the end of the month. Absolutely hate this. Even in the middle area, more than 10 freestyle skaters there practising jumps and spins. I was working on scratch spins, waltz jump and toe loop. Wonder how I did not manage to kill anyone!!! :roll:

I totally agree. I nearly chopped off this person's head because said person came closer and closer on my camel spin. :roll: Which part of the fast moving blade with a huge toe pick says to come closer? Where's their common sense?

LondonIceChamp, are you the one with the short hair, wearing baggy pants and a loose half-white half-blue jacket? I'm the one with the pink jacket, and black shorts.
--
Madhouse: I think I'm getting bunions. The really ironic thing is that it's the PADDING that is pressing against that side of the foot. It HURRRTTSSS. And there's no one to punch out, I've already asked around. I don't want to give my precious skates to the shoe repair shop because they didn't do a good job on my last pair.

I don't know why, but when I land jumps, the forefoot seems to get a lot of impact and it hurts a bit. It didn't happen in my previous skates. It's a bit like doing off ice jumps without your shoes.

Spins were on-off. Some scratch spins are so on that I was like, whaat?! Totally absolutely centered and it goes so fast and has so many rounds. Those that aren't centered had me stepping out of it - it's that bad. I fell on a backspin badly because I slipped off the entrance. Still am not used to the different ROH.

But Gold Star helps my toe jumps a lot but changed the take off for my edge jumps. I did twenty million waltz jumps, adjusting the take off and it still doesn't feel quite there. Loop is definitely off. I couldn't take off. I did two flips and left the ice. Flips are so humongous that it freaked me out. Seriously huge. My flips have been notoriously ugly too.

Couldn't do toe jumps much because when I tap, the painful area gets worst.

Any help on the pressure point? I tried gel pads, seem to have no effect... Punching out is NOT an option.

Quiet rink (yeah, maybe two weeks later): It was moderately less crowded at about 4-ish. For maybe half an hour. :giveup:

londonicechamp

06-16-2009, 01:11 AM

Hi SkateEn

Yes, I am the person with short hair, half white and half blue colour jacket. Well, I did not really wear baggy pants. You only thought that I wore baggy pants, coz I wore padded shorts inside my tracksuit pants. Next time when you are there, do say hi to me.

I shall be there tomorrow some time in the afternoon for practice, and will definitely be there on Thursday, as I have my lesson with chowskates at 3:30 p.m.

Hope to meet you soon. :D

londonicechamp

patatty

06-16-2009, 06:16 AM

I don't know why, but when I land jumps, the forefoot seems to get a lot of impact and it hurts a bit. It didn't happen in my previous skates. It's a bit like doing off ice jumps without your shoes.

Couldn't do toe jumps much because when I tap, the painful area gets worst.

Any help on the pressure point? I tried gel pads, seem to have no effect... Punching out is NOT an option.
:

Is it your toes or the ball of your foot? If it's the ball of your foot, my mother-in-law (not a skater) was having the same issue, and she does a lot of dance and other exercise. We looked into it a bit and some theories are that it could be due to boots that are too narrow, or inadequate arch support, which then puts all the pressure on the ball of your foot. She switched shoes to ones with better arch support and that took care of it. Maybe your new boots have lower arches so your weight distribution is different. If it's your toes, then maybe you're not tying your skates tight enough and your foot is sliding forward when you tap. Do you have a podiatrist? They can usually tell what is causing the pain and give good suggestions as to how to fix it.

aussieskater

06-16-2009, 07:22 AM

Madhouse: I think I'm getting bunions. The really ironic thing is that it's the PADDING that is pressing against that side of the foot. It HURRRTTSSS. And there's no one to punch out, I've already asked around. I don't want to give my precious skates to the shoe repair shop because they didn't do a good job on my last pair.

I'd second Patatty's suggestion of the podiatrist - maybe s/he could also do the punching out (since they seem to be able to alter shoes to fit, maybe they can do skates as well?) Good luck getting something done about the bunions - you really don't want them to get worse. (((SkatEn)))

SkatEn

06-16-2009, 09:14 AM

Is it your toes or the ball of your foot? If it's the ball of your foot, my mother-in-law (not a skater) was having the same issue, and she does a lot of dance and other exercise. We looked into it a bit and some theories are that it could be due to boots that are too narrow, or inadequate arch support, which then puts all the pressure on the ball of your foot. She switched shoes to ones with better arch support and that took care of it. Maybe your new boots have lower arches so your weight distribution is different. If it's your toes, then maybe you're not tying your skates tight enough and your foot is sliding forward when you tap. Do you have a podiatrist? They can usually tell what is causing the pain and give good suggestions as to how to fix it.
I have extra arch support by the form of an orthotic. It works and ended the issue of arch pain. It hurts at the bottom of the sole (ball) of the feet. Not a whole lot, but enough to refrain from jumping. :??
I'd second Patatty's suggestion of the podiatrist - maybe s/he could also do the punching out (since they seem to be able to alter shoes to fit, maybe they can do skates as well?) Good luck getting something done about the bunions - you really don't want them to get worse. (((SkatEn)))
I don't want bunions too! Bunions aren't very pretty. It's not a bunion yet, but if it continues, it won't be long... I'm going to try all the inexpensive ways to get the area to fit my feet. Then it's off to the podiatrist. But the podiatrist I saw recommended me to ask the person who knows about skates the last time I went (like two years back?).

:(

Petlover

06-16-2009, 02:16 PM

Thanks Skate@Delaware! He's feeling a bit better today, but still stayed home from work again. He'll go back tomorrow, hopefully.

Bum: My cat scratched a growth on his face too hard last night and it bled all over his face and front legs - and he's pure white, that's why we call him Snowy. So, half an hour that I didn't really have was spent cleaning him up and putting the medicine on. The vet did say to expect this, he's very old and Persians are prone to this type of growth on their faces. It didn't seem to hurt him, though, except when I put the medicine on. Lucky for me he's really good natured and easy going :). No bums in skating, it was pretty good this morning.

Blades: Coach is pretty pleased with my programs for this weekend's competitions. She also brought a huge orange silk rose to pin at the waist of my black lace skating dress for the Canasta Tango. It's gorgeous! Coach is the ultimate stylist, I've never seen her look bad. She's very picky about what I wear, but that's definitely to my advantage.

Morgail

06-16-2009, 02:51 PM

Madhouse: axel...bleh. Double sal - I did something that resembled one last week (according to my coach), but I haven't been able to replicate it. I kept tripping myself on my program footwork. Had trouble finding my blade on catch camel.

Quiet Ice: Spins were on fire! My new favorite is sit-back sit-back pancake. I can only hold the pancake for 1-2 revolutions, and it probably doesn't look very pancake-like, but it's fun! Flips and lutzes were good, too.

PinkLaces

06-16-2009, 05:50 PM

From Monday - first day of summer ice

Quiet: I thought there were going to be more kids skating, because school got out last week. However, most of them skated in the morning so the evening session was light. There were a few itty bitties that I was thinking I might spend most of the night avoiding, but they stayed out of the way.

Mad: Bronze moves - they just felt wrong. Not sure what's wrong exactly, but edges felt really shallow and timing is off.

Quiet: Backspin - wahoo! I had one amazing backspin in my lesson. Coach silently counted 8 revs (my most ever), had my arms crossed in front, foot crossed with the heel pressed down. :):):) Also had a nice loop tonight. She also liked my sit spin.

Mad:Flip still causing some problems...trying to get the timing right.

Kat12

06-16-2009, 07:09 PM

Petlover--eek, your poor kitty! This is going to sound dumb, but if he's stained (does kitty fur blood-stain???), peroxide is awesome for getting rid of blood stains...if you dab some on any stained spots, you'll see it foam and it comes off nicely. For that matter, it would work if he happened to bleed on the carpet or couch or something...

Anyone know what sort of orthotics are used for flat feet/lack of arch to the foot? Or how expensive they are, for that matter? I'm hoping I can train myself out of pronation (which is due to my relatively-flat feet, esp. on the right side) and not need them, but...

Mrs Redboots

06-17-2009, 08:39 AM

Madhouse: Thrown jumps. Er, no...... Assisted jumps, yes.

Quiet Ice: Which is what we had this morning. And we managed a run-through of our rejigged programme, which actually went to the music and we managed all the new elements.

SkatEn

06-17-2009, 10:49 AM

Anyone know what sort of orthotics are used for flat feet/lack of arch to the foot? Or how expensive they are, for that matter? I'm hoping I can train myself out of pronation (which is due to my relatively-flat feet, esp. on the right side) and not need them, but...

I use Neat Feat's Arch Cushion. You should go to a podiatrist to confirm what's wrong with the arch and do a scan, if possible. I have high arches that doesn't support themselves, therefore, "presses" down when I stand/walk/skate/etc. The person selling the orthotic should be able to help you. I got mine at about SGD30? Not sure of the current conversion, but maybe USD15.

Petlover: It sounds painful. But I'm sure the "mess" is even harder to deal with.

Pinklaces: Keep going! If you can do that backspin once, it's in you!!!

doubletoe

06-17-2009, 01:06 PM

I don't know why, but when I land jumps, the forefoot seems to get a lot of impact and it hurts a bit. It didn't happen in my previous skates. It's a bit like doing off ice jumps without your shoes.

But Gold Star helps my toe jumps a lot but changed the take off for my edge jumps. I did twenty million waltz jumps, adjusting the take off and it still doesn't feel quite there. Loop is definitely off. I couldn't take off. I did two flips and left the ice. Flips are so humongous that it freaked me out. Seriously huge. My flips have been notoriously ugly too.

Couldn't do toe jumps much because when I tap, the painful area gets worst.

Any help on the pressure point? I tried gel pads, seem to have no effect... Punching out is NOT an option.

Did you heat mold your boots? That should definitely help. Also, you might try tying them just a little looser in the front. I also agree that the boots may be a bit narrow in the front and that an arch insert could help take the pressure off the ball of the foot.

With the round rocker on the new Gold Star blades, you will need to point your toes very hard on all jump takeoffs and landings (especially toe jumps because if you don't point hard enough, the pick will slip). Then really push your heel down as soon as you land so that you get onto the flat part of the blade. I have the same blades and focusing on that got me all of my jumps back. Having to point your toes hard on axel takeoffs will be great for your axel, BTW. :)

Petlover

06-17-2009, 01:52 PM

Kat12, thanks for the tip on peroxide, I will definitely try it carefully next time Snowy has this problem. SkatEn, thanks for the sympathy - he didn't seem to be in pain, but sure was a mess, which he didn't care for me cleaning up :). He's pretty much better now thank goodness.

Madhouse: One of my fellow adult skaters is highly critical of some of the other skaters and coaches, and when she tries to "gossip" to me, I just say good positive things about whoever she's criticizing and skate away. Hasn't stopped her, but has shortened the diatribes.

Quiet Ice: Out of 7 change foot spins this morning, only one was really bad. As long as I remember to bend my knees and stay calm, I think I will be okay for this weekend's competition. One of the coaches - not mine, but a friend of mine anyway - complimented me on how much faster I am skating recently, YAY!

Kat12

06-17-2009, 09:35 PM

I don't think there's any sort of problem with my feet...it's just that I inherited them from my dad, whose feet are exactly like mine...I think it's just "the way they are." Last time I was at the doctor she looked at my feet and didn't say anything looked amiss.

Bum: So one of the rinks I go to (the one further from where I live) won't be having weekend open skate after this Saturday for several weeks. The one within walking distance of me hasn't been having Saturday skate lately (one of the two rinks is closed for construction so they are probably trying to cram everything into one rink). Sundays aren't good because we always go visit my partner's parents on Sundays...so I have the choice of not skating, or of being antisocial for the next few weeks so I can skate. Sad that I am now actually hoping he'll work Sundays so I can skate rather than us going to his parents' house... And with the rink near work no longer having open skate during the week...I am very stuck. GRRR. Then over the 4th of July we're going to the wedding of a couple of our friends...which is up in the U.P. in the middle of nowhere with pretty much nothing to do. No hope there for practice...Skating rinks, ha! I can't even find a town near where we're going to be that has FIREWORKS ON THE 4TH OF JULY (our friends are getting married on the 4ht). For heaven's sake.

PinkLaces

06-17-2009, 11:16 PM

Quiet Ice: Out of 7 change foot spins this morning, only one was really bad. As long as I remember to bend my knees and stay calm, I think I will be okay for this weekend's competition. One of the coaches - not mine, but a friend of mine anyway - complimented me on how much faster I am skating recently, YAY!

Yay!!!! Good luck on the competition!

Then over the 4th of July we're going to the wedding of a couple of our friends...which is up in the U.P. in the middle of nowhere with pretty much nothing to do. No hope there for practice

Where are you going in the U.P? I am orginally from there, but have lived in the Minneapolis area for the last 19 years. I'll be up there for the 4th visiting my family. Maybe I can help you find a rink to practice at. My BIL does our firework show over Lake Superior every year.

PinkLaces

06-17-2009, 11:30 PM

Madhouse: Yes it was. :frus: Several of what I call "Itty Bitties" - those tiny kids who don't look where they are going. The session was full. Our rink rules are that spins are done in the middle, jumps on the ends, and no one is to stand in one place. This one teeny tiny girl was doing spirals through the spin area and generally skating around not looking where she was going. There were 3 adults and 2-3 teenagers trying to do their spins and avoid her at the same time. Also a group of 4 tweens practicing backspins on the axis line (then standing around blabbing) so doing any Moves on that side of the rink was impossible. I finally told them that they couldn't stand there and they moved 8O:lol:

Quiet ice: Since DD didn't have a lesson tonight, I had her look at my sit spins. She said the position is good and I'm getting 5-6 revs. Just need to get lower;) Toe loop and salchows were good.

Madhouse: Afraid to work on camels due to girl mentioned above. The flip is evil. Loop I only managed one half-way decent one. My foot is always wanting to go to the side. Plus I rush most of my jumps. On a less crowded session, I do better as I am not worried about running into some kid.

kander

06-18-2009, 12:38 AM

Madhouse: literally. At my normally empty weekday morning session about 75 kids showed up 8O To make matters worse they coned off half the ice so I only had half a rink to work with. I decided to skip the lesson.

Quiet: despite the crowded session I did a nice axel right in front of coach.

katz in boots

06-18-2009, 04:09 AM

Quiet Ice
Oh yes. One hour of ice & new coach to myself. (Well there were quite a few condensation bumps to keep us company :lol:)

Spent the entire hour working on basics. All the basic edges, working on better technique & correct posture. Mohawks to step fwd inside, again, technique & posture, same with waltz 3 turns. Cannot believe I would be happy to put in an hour of such basic stuff, not one jump or spin 8O . But I just know it's worth the effort. It's only my 2nd lesson with new coach, and already I feel different on the ice. I made progress from Sunday's lesson, even though I hadn't been on the ice in between lessons.

Madhouse
getting out of bed in time to get to the rink for a 7.00am start! (I don't do pre-dawn, as a rule) Next week I'm changing it to 9-10am. While I'm not working Thursday mornings, I can manage that.

Starting to miss jumping & spinning. But I have two weekend public sessions to look forward to, to practise what I have learned from the new coach, and to do some jumping & spinning. 8-)

Kat12

06-18-2009, 06:34 AM

Where are you going in the U.P? I am orginally from there, but have lived in the Minneapolis area for the last 19 years. I'll be up there for the 4th visiting my family. Maybe I can help you find a rink to practice at. My BIL does our firework show over Lake Superior every year.

Thanks! We'll be in Iron River...and as far as I can tell from the map, it's nowhere near ANY larger towns. Not even close to a lake so we can go to the beach! I have no idea what we're going to do when we go up there and are not at the wedding (we'll have all of Friday free). Hell, I don't even know what I'm going to eat! Folks in these rural areas tend to look at you like you have two heads when you tell them you need your food without meat...

SkatEn

06-18-2009, 12:03 PM

I lost my arch cookie. Blasted @#^%#$
I only lost one of them and I can't figure out when and where. Don't know if I lost it at home or at the rink.

Anyway, the rink is madhouse as usual. I refused to step onto the ice until resurfacing, and even then, the ice was still bad. I used waiting time doing jumps, and those off ice jumps are looking good. I need to check the rotations though.

I lost everything during lesson, and fell in a puddle.:frus: Got myself very wet. Went off the ice after lesson.
AT SEVEN PM, IT WAS A QUIET RINK!!!!

:mrgreen::yum:
Wahoooooo! I finally started skating for real. Sit spin had so many revolutions. Still MIA camel since I changed my skates.

I'm not supposed to jump yet because the permanent mount is not in for one skate but yeah... I jumped anyway. Loops flew. It's really wow, for me anyway. Waltz is still bad. And the good flips are so good that I don't know how to land them. High... I'm not used to bending my ankle much in landing because my previous skates are so stiff. So I kept falling. And falling.

Axels felt close, but I don't know. I can't see/feel if it's a tense waltz, or a quart short of 1.5. If it's for me to say, I'll say I two-footed some under-rotated ones, fell like crap on the rotated ones, but felt good.

I wanted to video, then I thought I left my camera at home. Then when I was packing up, I saw my camera at the bottom of my bag. :frus::frus::frus:

Good skating day. The rink is beeaaauutttiiiiifffuuuullll at night.

PinkLaces

06-18-2009, 01:52 PM

Thanks! We'll be in Iron River...and as far as I can tell from the map, it's nowhere near ANY larger towns. Not even close to a lake so we can go to the beach! I have no idea what we're going to do when we go up there and are not at the wedding (we'll have all of Friday free). Hell, I don't even know what I'm going to eat! Folks in these rural areas tend to look at you like you have two heads when you tell them you need your food without meat...

That really is the middle of nowhere - even for the U.P. My sister lives in Escanaba (is a skating coach and director of LTS) which is semi close by. She skates in Marquette in the summer. That would be at least a couple of hours away. My parents live close to Houghton which would have ice, but is even further away. :cry:

Kat12

06-18-2009, 05:23 PM

Yeah, tell me about it! Her parents actually live in a little town near there, that has a population of 300-something. Google Maps can't find her parents' house...

dbny

06-18-2009, 05:50 PM

Quiet Ice:
Another good ice dance lesson today. Began with edges again and spent a bit of time on FI edges in foxtrot hold, finishing each length of the rink with a complete circle. I'm beginning to be able to maintain that hold without feeling totally cramped on the L side. Finished with the three prelim dances.

Madhouse:
Once again, I did a cross roll/swing roll on the Dutch Waltz end pattern :frus:(as in the Canasta Tango end pattern). WHY do those three dances have to be so similar? Completely forgot what I was doing at the beginning of the Canasta Tango, but coach kept going and I pretty much faked it until the slide chasse in the center. I'm going to have to get in the habit of mentally reviewing each dance before skating it.

PinkLaces

06-18-2009, 07:51 PM

Yeah, tell me about it! Her parents actually live in a little town near there, that has a population of 300-something. Google Maps can't find her parents' house...

I'd tell her she should've gotten married in the fall or the winter. :lol: You could've skated in Esky.

Kat12

06-18-2009, 08:49 PM

Nooo! The last thing I want is to be in the UP in the winter! It's bad enough down here!

PinkLaces

06-18-2009, 09:43 PM

Fall would be awesome though!

phoenix

06-18-2009, 11:02 PM

Short practice today, in prep for hour-long lesson tomorrow! I'm ready to go in & work my a** off though.

Madhouse: Last week cancelled lesson because was skating like total crap & didn't want to waste his time or my money. Felt sluggish & clumsy (and FAT!!), and couldn't get anything pulled together.

SO--practiced really hard this week, went on a very low-cal diet & have lost 3 pounds, so feeling better & more energetic.

Quiet Rink: The exercises we'd been working on are, while not perfect, at least worth showing & ready to continue on from there. We're working on Starlight Waltz, and it's just really hard, mainly the speed. I've worked really hard on it in pieces these last 2 weeks, and I'm hoping coach will see the progress. Today in practice was the first time that I thought those end pattern 3's into the mohawk might be one day under control.

londonicechamp

06-19-2009, 01:23 PM

Hi skate En

What time was your lesson with the coach? Do you skate on a Thur or a Friday? On alternate weeks, I also have skating lesson on a Tuesday besides a thursday. Who is your coach?

londonicechamp

06-19-2009, 01:26 PM

Hi skate En

My lesson on Thursday afternoon (3:30 p.m.) was alright. My coach complained that it was too crowded, she could not even work me on any jumps or spins. She just got me to do forward and backward crossovers, forward and backward cross rolls and mohawk sequence. I had my lesson in a coned off area at the very end of the rink.

My coach sold me blade guards from her online pro shop at a discounted rate of $$ 20. Woo hoo!!! :)

I did manage to practise some jumps and spins though.

I shall be at the rink on Monday morning for practice, till about 2:00 p.m. or so. Will you be there? :D

londonicechamp

katz in boots

06-20-2009, 03:23 AM

Quiet Ice
public session today. I worked on what I'd learned in my lesson, and was heartened to note progress in many aspects of technique on basic semi circles of edges down the rink, mohawks and waltz 3 turns. Backspins were frustrating, though I managed one that absolutely rocked. One really good scratch spin too, using the technique as taught by new coach.

Didn't jump a lot, as I haven't worked on any jumps with new coach. I found the improved free leg position really helped my salchows - they actually feel like real salchows now. I've always struggled with the timing of this jump, but today they just felt right.

Madhouse
this morning was a send-off for one of our regular Saturday morning skaters, an older lady who is moving interstate. I shall really miss her :cry: .

Ice was pretty bumpy. New coach says that if I hold my core firmly the bumps won't affect me. She's right, I barely noticed them - does that mean I'm getting better at holding my abdominal core firm? If so, that'd be a bonus cos the ice is bumpy every day at this time of winter.

Finding that just working on edges, mohawks & waltz 3 turns made me sweat and tired me just as if I'd been jumping & spinning heaps. Must just be the extra effort of concentration on all the bits & pieces of technique. I'm sure it'll be easier as I consolidate & integrate the correct methods.

Quiet Ice
tomorrow is another chance to practise and really master correct technique so that hopefully we can move onto correcting more bad habits next lesson :roll: I welcome the chance to re-learn things correctly, however I'll go nuts if I don't jump or spin a bit too.

BatikatII

06-20-2009, 05:49 AM

Madhouse
Looks like it might be the upside down lift that goes in the couples free dance and that's definitely mad.8O

RBO double 3s have deserted me:cry:

Quiet Ice
Some nice flips in my free skating - but why can't I get them like that consistently.
Did a couple of backspins that actually felt good - that's a first!

ibreakhearts66

06-20-2009, 12:24 PM

Kim to the Max

06-20-2009, 12:57 PM

Madhouse

Failed Intermediate Moves again. I'm just feeling so depressed, discouraged and dejected right now. I'm sure I'm not going to be able to get my tests done for regionals. I've just poured so much into skating in the past year, and to come up short of my goal is tearing me up inside. I feel like I might as well quit. I know I won't, but the fact that part of me wants to give up is all the more discouraging. I don't know if I'm just burnt out, but the thought of getting on the ice again brings dread, not anticipation and joy.

I'm not beating myself up over the fail. In the past few months I've been through a lot--even a life or death type situation. It's more that I'm doubting my ability to improve and make progress.

Please, don't get frustrated...I know it's hard, but Intermediate Moves is not an easy test, and they don't get easier from there! Did you get good feedback from the judges? What moves are you struggling one? The upper level moves tests can take a good 6-12+ months to perfect, so take your time. I think that with your jumps, you would be pretty competitive at regionals at intermediate; I know your goal was novice, but intermediate would be a good fit as well.

Work hard for the next month and take the test again in 28 days...you will get it eventually...

ibreakhearts66

06-20-2009, 02:08 PM

Please, don't get frustrated...I know it's hard, but Intermediate Moves is not an easy test, and they don't get easier from there! Did you get good feedback from the judges? What moves are you struggling one? The upper level moves tests can take a good 6-12+ months to perfect, so take your time. I think that with your jumps, you would be pretty competitive at regionals at intermediate; I know your goal was novice, but intermediate would be a good fit as well.

Work hard for the next month and take the test again in 28 days...you will get it eventually...

I'm too old for Intermediate :frus: If there's no age limit for Open Juv/if the limit is high enough, I think I'll just do that.

My biggest problem moves are the forward power circles and the back power 3s. The crossovers have improved considerably, but the marks didn't reflect that. The back power 3s are definitely my least favorite move, and they were a disaster today.

I guess my biggest frustration is that while all of my moves had improved quite a bit since the last time I took the test, my scores were about the same. Yes, the panel was pretty difficult, but I still feel like my total should have been slightly higher. Not necessarily passing, just closer to passing.

And I'm putting in my papers to test again July 22nd. 3rd time's the charm? :giveup:

phoenix

06-20-2009, 02:29 PM

You could always go somewhere that has a rep foe easier passing. Not what I'd usually recommend but for qualifying sometimes you do what you have to do. My area passes anything, practically--too bad I don't get to test here!!

Debbie S

06-20-2009, 03:32 PM

And I'm putting in my papers to test again July 22nd. 3rd time's the charm? :giveup:Hey, it was for me with my Bronze Moves. :) And if that doesn't work, maybe the 4th time will be the charm, like it was for my Silver Moves. I'll echo what the others have said - don't give up. This is a tough test. I freak out when I have to do a BO 3-turn from 2 back crossovers (my coach's latest exercise for me). I don't know how anyone can do those turns after a pattern of back perimeter crossovers. Keep at it and you'll get it. (as for me, when I pass Gold, I'll wait for the 'new' Int MIF test :halo:)

I had a pretty good practice today. I'm actually doing the BI double 3's w/o putting my foot down, with some speed, relatively on pattern. Also worked a lot on the evil power circles, trying to fix my posture and alignment so I can stop being scratchy.

I decided I want that Pre-Juv MIF test, even though I don't need it. I worked a little on those moves for the first time in a month, and found that my BI 3's have improved - must be the work on the double 3's. :)

Kat12

06-20-2009, 04:07 PM

Madhouse: Didn't get on the ice for the 2:00 - 4:00 session until about 2:30...had to go to the bank first for cash to actually pay for it, and decided while I was there to get us some quarters for the laundry as we were running low...bad idea! Instead of taking 1 minute to hit the ATM, I was standing in line, waiting for another teller to be done with folks opening an account or something so she could let MY teller into the vault, etc. etc.! Crossovers were sorta poo today. It was a little-kid-rampant sessions again (seriously folks, if the kid can't stay upright, by all means assist her, but catch her AS she falls rather than dragging her up off the ice by her arm and practically ripping it out of the socket, and it does NOT take four of you to cluster around).

I did fall once practicing a 2-foot spin...leaned too far back, fell off the back of my blades and landed on the side of my hip. It feels really sore still, so I bet I'll have a nice bruise. Afterward the spot was a bit sore so I skated over to the hockey box to brush the snow off and give it a rest for a sec, and one guy did come over and ask if I was okay, which was nice of him.

Found I can't skate backward for crap...swizzles are okay, but my 1-foot glide is practically nonexistent (though I did improve a bit while there). Somehow I can't translate everything I do moving forward, to moving backward...I can't push off without putting too much weight on my pushing foot, so I end up leaning too far to the inside, then overcompensate so I trip over my outside edge.

Oh! And for the longest time I couldn't figure out how someone could *forget* to take their blade guards off before going onto the ice...but today I joined that club. :) They'd just finished Zamboni'ing, and I was so busy watching the folks who decided to go CCW for the second half that I totally forgot. I stepped out and immediately hit the ice. My first thought was, "damn, it really IS more slippery after they Zamboni and it's still wet!" I was still puzzled for a second until I went to get up and noticed the blade guards. *headdesk* Felt dumb, but also a bit relieved that my skills hadn't deteriorated during that ten minutes to the point that I couldn't stand upright on skates. :)

I felt AWFUL after I got off the ice. The combination of getting hot while skating but being in a cold environment is NOT good, at least not for me--being hot internally but cold externally (I tend to get warm enough to push my sleeves up to my elbow pads, and I watch my forearms turn red from the cold but I'm way too warm to put my sleeves back down...). That rink is on the cold side, plus today it's pretty warm out, so I stepped out of the rink and the heat in the rest of the building hit my cold body, and OMG. Plus, I don't change AT the rink, so then I go out into (or come in from) the heat with yoga pants over heavy footless tights and a long-sleeved shirt, and...ick! I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and start changing at the rink, as much as I hate trying to change clothes while balancing in a little public bathroom stall. Otherwise I'll have heat stroke before I ever arrive (my car doesn't have a/c).

Quiet: At least my backward skating did improve a bit. And I actually got to get into the center to work on some stuff (it's not always empty).

Tried a few 2-foot spins, putting to work some of the things suggested here. A few of them weren't too bad. I find I don't do too badly with my arms out for the duration of the spin, but if I pull them in too soon and get going too fast I tend to lean forward too much again. This arm thing is highly interesting to me, though; I found that if I left my arms out, even if I was about to stop, if I pulled them in then, I could get another half revolution. I am no good at counting revolutions--I think I'm going to need an outside observer for that; it's like I get dizzy and lose count when I get going too fast!--but I know some had at least three, and I'm going to guess some of the ones where I "got" it and was able to pull my arms in and all got at least four. Fun! I had a look at my tracings too and it looked like they were pretty centered--they weren't going all over the place. Woo!

CoachPA

06-20-2009, 04:43 PM

Please, don't get frustrated...I know it's hard, but Intermediate Moves is not an easy test, and they don't get easier from there!

Right; Intermediate MIF is just one of those tests that seperates “the men from the boys”, so to speak. I consider Intermediate to be the level at which the moves start getting hard for the majority of skaters, so try not to be too hard on yourself.

I've read about your health challenges that you've been battling these past few weeks, so the fact that you were able to put this test out to begin with speaks volumes not only about your strength as a person but as an athlete as well.

Maybe take a few days off to regroup and reevaluate what it is you enjoy about the sport. We've all hit these sorts of roadblocks in skating, so don't give up out of frustration. As a coach, I've seen a lot of skaters accomplish a lot of things that they didn't necessarily believe could be accomplished or that others have told them couldn't be done.

My point is don't give up just yet. How great it is to see these skaters prove these people (whether coaches, judges, fellow skaters, etc.)--and most importantly, themselves--wrong. ;)

Kim to the Max

06-20-2009, 04:51 PM

I'm too old for Intermediate :frus: If there's no age limit for Open Juv/if the limit is high enough, I think I'll just do that.

My biggest problem moves are the forward power circles and the back power 3s. The crossovers have improved considerably, but the marks didn't reflect that. The back power 3s are definitely my least favorite move, and they were a disaster today.

I guess my biggest frustration is that while all of my moves had improved quite a bit since the last time I took the test, my scores were about the same. Yes, the panel was pretty difficult, but I still feel like my total should have been slightly higher. Not necessarily passing, just closer to passing.

And I'm putting in my papers to test again July 22nd. 3rd time's the charm? :giveup:

With the power circles, is it the timing or the power piece? If you PM me an e-mail address, I can get you a copy of the metronome CD track that will most definitely help with the timing and in turn, will probably help with the power.

Those back power 3's are EVIL...I hit the wall several times on the CW ones. I would suggest going back to doing the Juv pattern, but doing them quicker and harder, and basically the drilling the heck out of them. Watch your shoulders and make sure you are checking (quickly) so that they don't get swingy.

Ah yes, the age issue :( I'm sorry about that...I would say look at open levels to get the experience of competing and then give it another shot next year if things don't work out. Novice moves are not much better than intermediate, and has the EVIL quick rocker/choctaw pattern on it (almost hit the wall on the CW set of those during my test :roll:), but just keep at it...these moves are hard work...

My last suggestion, the one that I give all of the kids at the rink, is to dedicate a good chunk of time every time you skate to moves. For me, I skate 3 45-minute sessions, so I spend a good 45 minutes doing moves...as I tell them, the only way to be done with moves, is to work on moves :)

PinkLaces

06-20-2009, 06:59 PM

And I'm putting in my papers to test again July 22nd. 3rd time's the charm?

No advice - just ((((HUGS)))). You'll get it.

Tried a few 2-foot spins, putting to work some of the things suggested here. A few of them weren't too bad. I find I don't do too badly with my arms out for the duration of the spin, but if I pull them in too soon and get going too fast I tend to lean forward too much again. This arm thing is highly interesting to me, though; I found that if I left my arms out, even if I was about to stop, if I pulled them in then, I could get another half revolution. I am no good at counting revolutions--I think I'm going to need an outside observer for that; it's like I get dizzy and lose count when I get going too fast!--but I know some had at least three, and I'm going to guess some of the ones where I "got" it and was able to pull my arms in and all got at least four. Fun! I had a look at my tracings too and it looked like they were pretty centered--they weren't going all over the place. Woo!

Wahoo indeed! You probably have more revs than you think. I can't count mine at all. I have Coach or DD count for me.

PinkLaces

06-20-2009, 07:30 PM

Friday -

I had the day off. I was meeting my personal trainer at the YMCA. The workout room in the Y overlooks the ice rink. I wanted to do the Public skate, but notice it was sandwiched in between 2 open hockey sessions. If there were a lot of hockey kids skating the public session, I was going to skip it. Those kids are maniacs, making the session totally unproductive for me. After my PT session, I went to check out the 1st open hockey session. There were 4 small kids so I decided to change and come back.

Quiet ice: When I got there, there were only about 8 kids on the ice. Most of them were little and could barely move (human cones :) ). I worked on all the Bronze Moves except the Alternating Back Cross-overs to BO edges. They seemed to go better, but will get the verdict from coach at the lesson next week. Worked on RO, LO, LI, & RI 3's and mohawks in both directions. Getting better. Also, tried some forward power pulls and happily, I could do 1/2 rink legnth on each foot. They were super slow, but I didn't have to do any wild swinging.

Madhouse: About 1/2 way into the session, more kids came and were using those red walkers. Their parents decided to sit in players boxes so there were red walkers all down the one side of the rink. I didn't attempt any jumps. My spins were crap. Scratch spins which is usually like second nature were crap. Backspin - could maybe get 3-4 revs. Could get the foot to cross, but the second I pressed the heel at all, it ground to a stop.

ibreakhearts66

06-20-2009, 07:53 PM

Right; Intermediate MIF is just one of those tests that seperates “the men from the boys”, so to speak. I consider Intermediate to be the level at which the moves start getting hard for the majority of skaters, so try not to be too hard on yourself.

I've read about your health challenges that you've been battling these past few weeks, so the fact that you were able to put this test out to begin with speaks volumes not only about your strength as a person but as an athlete as well.

Maybe take a few days off to regroup and reevaluate what it is you enjoy about the sport. We've all hit these sorts of roadblocks in skating, so don't give up out of frustration. As a coach, I've seen a lot of skaters accomplish a lot of things that they didn't necessarily believe could be accomplished or that others have told them couldn't be done.

My point is don't give up just yet. How great it is to see these skaters prove these people (whether coaches, judges, fellow skaters, etc.)--and most importantly, themselves--wrong. ;)

Thank you for the kind words. I know I'm not really going to give up, it's more of a slump than anything else. I just keep trying to remind myself how far I've come in the past year. One year ago I failed my preliminary moves and was so beyond discouraged. But since then, I've passed 8 tests (prelim-juv moves and free). I suppose if I can do that, I can deal with another retry on Inte

With the power circles, is it the timing or the power piece? If you PM me an e-mail address, I can get you a copy of the metronome CD track that will most definitely help with the timing and in turn, will probably help with the power.

Those back power 3's are EVIL...I hit the wall several times on the CW ones. I would suggest going back to doing the Juv pattern, but doing them quicker and harder, and basically the drilling the heck out of them. Watch your shoulders and make sure you are checking (quickly) so that they don't get swingy.

Ah yes, the age issue :( I'm sorry about that...I would say look at open levels to get the experience of competing and then give it another shot next year if things don't work out. Novice moves are not much better than intermediate, and has the EVIL quick rocker/choctaw pattern on it (almost hit the wall on the CW set of those during my test :roll:), but just keep at it...these moves are hard work...

My last suggestion, the one that I give all of the kids at the rink, is to dedicate a good chunk of time every time you skate to moves. For me, I skate 3 45-minute sessions, so I spend a good 45 minutes doing moves...as I tell them, the only way to be done with moves, is to work on moves :)

Thanks for all of the advice. I'll PM you my email because the foot speed is definitely one of the problems. I actually had a breakthrough yesterday with the CW forward crossovers, but it was too little too late.

The quick rocker/choctaw pattern is evil indeed! But I'm actually starting to like it more than the back power 3s. Typical of me lol.

And your suggestion regarding practice time is SO true. Since my platelets dropped again recently, I wasn't allowed to jump so all I could do was moves. It made such a huge difference. I just have to REMEMBER this now that I'm allowed to jump again.

I'm pretty torn right now about regionals. Part of me still wants to try for Novice (I do think it's conceivable for me to get those moves done in August if I continue to work hard--they're already not terrible by any means), but if I don't and have taken my Intermediate free, I can't do regionals. I guess I'll just continue to work both sets of moves and re-evaluate next month.

Kim to the Max

06-20-2009, 10:43 PM

Thanks for all of the advice. I'll PM you my email because the foot speed is definitely one of the problems. I actually had a breakthrough yesterday with the CW forward crossovers, but it was too little too late.
...
And your suggestion regarding practice time is SO true. Since my platelets dropped again recently, I wasn't allowed to jump so all I could do was moves. It made such a huge difference. I just have to REMEMBER this now that I'm allowed to jump again.

I'm pretty torn right now about regionals. Part of me still wants to try for Novice (I do think it's conceivable for me to get those moves done in August if I continue to work hard--they're already not terrible by any means), but if I don't and have taken my Intermediate free, I can't do regionals. I guess I'll just continue to work both sets of moves and re-evaluate next month.

Check your e-mail/PM :) I sent you the file... Just remember....skating should be fun!! Yes, it is hard work, but just have fun....

katz in boots

06-21-2009, 03:42 AM

Hang in there ibreakhearts66 !

Quiet Ice
not too crowded public session this morning, although no figure skaters, all recreationals. But at least I had room to work.

Again worked mostly on the basics new coach wants. And it is getting easier to do it - or perhaps I'm doing it wrong & not noticing. I'll find out Thursday.
I do feel I am getting better control and set ups for jumps & spins from this work.

Spins: One nice change sit, one beautifully centred scratch spin, one beautifully centred back scratch and one good camel. (Why only one good one of each? How can one be so good, and the other attempts not ?? :evil: )

Madhouse
Jumps weren't that good today, payback for neglecting them lately, I guess.

Quiet Ice
Some young hockey-wannabe boys set up a line of cones down the centre of the ice to skate through. Can't resist, I have to join in and do them slalom style, then slalom backwards. Knees weren't up to doing 1 foot slaloms through them today, but have been known to do that too.

I suppose it's showing off, but it also shows them the benefits of learning to skate properly. And it's a fun way to wind down the session when I'm too tired to do much else. Some recreational skaters think figure skaters are stuck up, so joining in shows our fun side. Okay, I was showing off.

londonicechamp

06-21-2009, 01:08 PM

Hi ibreakhearts66

Please do not give up on your ice skating. You may feel a bit depressed now of failing the intermediate test, but please take a step back. Once you take a step back, you will be amazed at the progress that you have made in the last 8 months.

I do not take tests, but I also encountered frustrations. At one time, I was totally stuck at my scratch spins, and so my coach could not progress me to anywhere, as he is keen to teach me spins first before any jumps. Now I can do scratch spins.

I also have some bad days, where I feel a bit disheartened about not making any improvements during my practice. In fact, to be honest, every skater (whether taking tests, professional or recreational), do have good days and bad days.

londonicechamp

doubletoe

06-21-2009, 11:44 PM

I guess my biggest frustration is that while all of my moves had improved quite a bit since the last time I took the test, my scores were about the same. Yes, the panel was pretty difficult, but I still feel like my total should have been slightly higher. Not necessarily passing, just closer to passing.

Gee, that sounds familiar. . .:roll: I don't know what the deal is with this test, but at least you are in good company, especially on the !@#$* back perimeter power 3's. The brackets suck, too. Blecch.

Mrs Redboots

06-22-2009, 04:36 AM

To ibreakhearts66: You know, you've come an enormously long way already, from Preliminary to Intermediate in just over a year, given that you've been poorly an awful lot of that time. Please don't fret - you can do this, and you will do it.

Skating is lifelong - it's not just now while you're young. You're laying the foundations of a sport that you will, hopefully, still be doing in 40 or 50 years time!

BatikatII

06-22-2009, 08:08 AM

ibreakhearts66: don't be despondent. These tests are so subjective even though they are supposed to be objective. A test that fails with one judge might have passed with another. Good luck for your next test.

Quiet ice: Surprisingly it really was this morning and for a while there was only the two of us on the ice with our coach doing couples dance. We were able to do a lot of work on basics and on our free dance without having to worry about other people in the way.

The main problem is not knowing what length dance to aim for as there seems to be so much variation between comps. I think we might end up with a 1.30 and 2 min variation of it. 2mins 40 secs just seems too long at the moment and that's usually for silver, so the CD's at that level are a bit beyond us.

We will probably put in the spin to replace something we had so it can fit in the 1.30.

Had a go at a proper dance spin with proper entry and managed a few revs on our last go of the morning so that's promising.

Madhouse: I hate it when the coach changes something we've practised a certain way even if it improves the end product I just get so confused.

londonicechamp

06-22-2009, 09:58 AM

Hi

Quiet ice: It was pretty quiet when I went to the rink at 11:00 a.m. this morning, I was able to work on things that my current coach wants me to correct on, able to do some mohawks sequence, and also backward cross rolls, from a standstill position. I think that I have got my edges correct now. Will show them to the coach tomorrow, then I will know. :lol:

Really happy today that I am able to do my sit spins (a bit more than half sits really) most of the time at 4 revolutions. I was not particularly thinking about sit spins this morning. I find that when I think of spins too much, I cannot do them. Anybody have this problem too? 8O Must be a thing to do with the mind.

Mad house: People (mostly students) starting flooding in after 1:00 p.m. ice resurface. I tried practising forward and backward spirals, but gave up, as nearly killed a teenager and her younger siblings. :roll:

It was absolutely madhouse when I left the rink at 1:50 p.m. However, that was not my problem anymore. :D

Quiet ice: did practice on waltz jump, toe loop, and also half flip (saw a girl's coach teaching her that and I just copied her jump). Will show the jump to my coach tomorrow.

Did sit spins, and also upright spins (8 revolutions maximum), 2 foot spins (6 revolutions min.) and scratch spin (4 revolutions min., 5 to 6 revolutions max.) Overall still really happy with the progress I am making. Did not skate past 2 hours and 30 mins today, as have lesson with coach tomorrow. Do not want to use up all my energy lol. :-p Umm, also did loads of practice on backward cross rolls. Now I am happy with them. :)

londonicechamp

Mrs Redboots

06-22-2009, 01:08 PM

The main problem is not knowing what length dance to aim for as there seems to be so much variation between comps. I think we might end up with a 1.30 and 2 min variation of it. 2mins 40 secs just seems too long at the moment and that's usually for silver, so the CD's at that level are a bit beyond us.
I hear that probably for next season it will be standardised at 1'30" for our level (well, I say "our", knowing full well that you two will wipe the floor with us, but we'll have fun trying not to let you). I did ask whether, in that case, the step sequence needs to be from end to end, or whether it could be half-length like in free, but was told it probably will have to be to standardise with the tests. I do wish it didn't - it takes up so much of the dance in a 1'30" dance!

BatikatII

06-22-2009, 02:28 PM

I hear that probably for next season it will be standardised at 1'30" for our level (well, I say "our", knowing full well that you two will wipe the floor with us, but we'll have fun trying not to let you). I did ask whether, in that case, the step sequence needs to be from end to end, or whether it could be half-length like in free, but was told it probably will have to be to standardise with the tests. I do wish it didn't - it takes up so much of the dance in a 1'30" dance!

Thanks for that info Annabel. I think that we will probably change things we've got so far so that we can make it a 1.30 dance and still include the spin. We wanted to put in a second lift which we could in a 2 minute version but you are right about the step sequence taking up a lot of the time so may not get our fancy lift in. I think we might do a 2 minute version anyway for fun!

The main thing really is for them to give us a free dance and not insist on an OD with twizzles like last time when it was harder than the gold level requirements.