Solid Water (or you can call it the Ice in the Rink) August 2 - 9, 2010

[singerskates]

Went today to actually go back to skating today but couldn't register until there was only 5 minutes left of my session. So instead I spent the session today just watching from the sidelines learning where each skater went during their programs for tomorrow.

Anyway if you haven't guessed it, this (Solid Water ) is the on ice skate practice thread for this week. The other thread ( Liquid Ice ) I started for those of use who practice our off-ice in the pool.

[icestalker]

Had a lesson with my coach, backspins were mediocre.

As soon as she left- her blade marks hadn't even frozen over yet- I started doing 4-6 revolution backspins. Just watch. Next lesson I will have crappy backspins again. :frus:

She ran me through a 3 minute competition warmup and then had me do my program, during which I failed miserably. I fell apart so fast doing the program, my coach could see my arms and legs shaking.

At least my compulsory program isn't giving me problems. Yet.

[singerskates]

Tuesday:

Almost didn't make it in time to skate today do to the fact that the shopping around town for the new toilet and bathroom tile took longer than my husband and I had planned. The traffic was aweful because of all of the construction and a few accidents. And so instead of getting a bite to eat at a sit down decent restaurant after our purchases before I had to be at the rink, I only had time to go through a drive through. Actually ate my food at the rink (half before and half after skating).

Today was my first day back on the ice after 2 and half months. Whoa, I didn't know where my balance had gone for the first 15 minutes.
Just doing three turns, stroking and mohawks was an interesting trip for the first 15 minutes. And then it clicked in once I bent down deeper into the ice.

Spins were faster than I remember them, or at least I wasn't use to spinning because of all that time off.
Had no trouble getting into my upright spins but whoa the speed! My head lost the feeling and had to recope. They were sort of centered until I got my free foot crossed and down and then came the centered drill.
Sit spins need tightening up in the basic position and I'm not low enough.
Camel spin + upright was in shock that I could do 2 revs in my camel before going into the upright!
Back catch foot attitude spin was surprisingly there at the last 15 minutes of the session. Didn't try them until then. Had 6 revs. Who knew?

Waltz jump took me 15 minutes to clean up to look like I left them when I left 2 and half months ago.
Toe Loop was sloppy until half way through the session.
Salchow kept forgetting to check before the take-off and also brought the freeleg around too slowly and too open until I was just goofing around skating to someone else's music and then bam there it was.
Salchow + Toe happened while I was skating too someone else's music.
Loop from RFI Mohawk got the rotation but landed on both feet after a few tries.
Split jump took me 3 times to get it done but it wasn't with decent height until the 7th try.
Flip took me 3 times to get the rotation but never landed it on one foot.
Lutz didn't attempt one.

Spirals - didn't do any.

No program because I was just getting my feet wet.

Advice I have: If you can, skate all year long. I've lost so much in these last 2 and half months. No wonder my coach wanted me to skate June and July too. I just couldn't because I coundn't handle the heat (high 90s and some 100 degree days and a ton of humidity) and I had a few trips scheduled in June and July. A matter a fact after my last day on the ice from spring skating, I had to hop in a brand new car right from the dealer's and drive from Windsor to Montreal for a family funeral. Anyway, if you can keep skating non-stop.

[singerskates]

Wednesday:

Today balance was there right from the get go.

Forward Uprights were fast but not so centered until I crossed my freefoot and brought it down. Noticing that I'm dragging my freeleg behind too long during my spiraling edge and that tends to not let me hook properly. Don't know when this bad habit started but I have to break it.

My sit spin got lower and faster today from yesterday but I have that freeleg dragging problem on this too.

Camel : didn't do one today.

Back Upright spin : I had a few of them get 2 and 3 revs but those where very close to the boards. Have to remember not to look down and to keep my arms in and maybe just maybe I'll get use to doing them and can move them away from the boards.

Waltz jump : It's ba.....ack!
Salchow : At first didn't want to leave the ice at all but then after about 4 tries it was there for the rest of the session.

Toe Loop : Is also back.

Loop from 3 turn : has the rotation but I don't seem to trust that I have it and end up putting my freeleg down.

Flip was rotating but I kept pulling my freeleg out too soon. So frustrating! Had proper arms and stopped looking down while doing them.

Lutz: took until there was only half an hour left to get the guts to leave the ice but when I did full rotation was there.

Practiced a bit of Swinging Mohawk skill including doing my weak side 2x as much as my good side. The weak side for me is the one with the LFI Mohawk. I tend to freeze and hesitate before doing the LFI Mohawks while doing the skill, yet I can put them in my freeskating. Don't understand why that is?

tired and falling asleep.l.....

[AgnesNitt]

the Good: Leg strength has returned and the ankle I broke last year has stopped hurting, so I'm picking up new stuff from new coach (see post "Coaching Technique"

He had me doing two foot spins. I can get around twice in a dignified fat girl spin. First time ever I didn't wobble out of control. Why do all my coaches have this thing about me doing spins? I'm perfectly happy going forward and going backward with interesting turns in between.

The Bad: Mohawks still missing in action--but I'M REALLY CLOSE TO GETTING THEM BACK! HONEST! :roll:

The good: I did a couple of back crosses on my own in footwork! Hooray!

The bad: New boots are killing me. They're going to EBay. I'm going back to old boots.

[Skate@Delaware]

My plans to go skating today tanked big time...my right knee is hurting (from my accident end of May). So, no pair skating lesson with partner, no hanging with my skating friends.

aspercreme & biofreeze, ice packs & wraps....story of my life! Gotta get it better cause my rink re-opens August 21st!!!!

Agnes, what kind of skates...what size are they?

[tazsk8s]

Friday's Lesson:

Bad (since the thread title doesn't really differentiate):

Forward scratch spin. It was so stupid, especially in light of the good stuff below. It was awful, slow, and traveled enough to need its own passport.

Jumps in general, just wonky. Knees were bothering me some.

Good - actually REALLY good:

All my spins EXCEPT the front scratch. Sitspin is getting lower in spite of the strain it puts on my bad knee. Backspin - wheee! Started working on a back sit all by itself (as opposed to tacking it onto a front sit or camel). And I had my Best. Camel-Sit. Ever. I was never, ever able to do those, even when I skated 5-6 days a week before all these darn injuries. You know it's a good one when you're still in the middle of the spin and you hear a "Wowwwwwww" from my coach. I attribute it to the off-ice work the last few months.

Of course , I only managed one of those and couldn't duplicate it to save my life, but my coach and I both agreed we'd take the one good one and run with it.

[flo]

Skate@del hope your knee is better soon!
Had a fun edge class. Lots of twizzles, rockers and loops!
Starting on choreography for my
program!

[Skate@Delaware]

Skate@del hope your knee is better soon!
Had a fun edge class. Lots of twizzles, rockers and loops!
Starting on choreography for my
program!
Thanks! I'm keeping off the ice and babying it until I have to skate, which means no pair skating until probably September. Better safe than sorry!

Loops are cool! Wish I could do them!