Delightful/Dodgy Lessons + Practices 12-18th Jan

[icenut84]

This is for yesterday morning.

Delightful:

Had a great practice! Much better than last week. In the group class we got back to basics and spent a lot of the time on forward crossovers, concentrating on exact body placement (inside hip and ribcage forward, head facing out, arms, etc), and pushing with the blade. Also did things like step sequences and crossovers and edges.

Had my first freestyle lesson since... 30th November!! 8O (Either me or my coach hasn't been there every Saturday since then). It was fun! We didn't work on any loops or flips (save them for next week, probably), but did waltz jumps, salchows and toe loops. The waltz was fine, and the salchow and toe loop were bigger. That's the thing I have to continue working on, getting them nice and big and springy. It's definitely improving, and my coach was pleased, also landings were good. :) Went over technique and body movements etc. Also worked on 1 foot spins from back crossovers. For ages, I had real problems getting the entry, but with practice it's finally clicked for me. :mrgreen: I'm not saying it's 100% consistent but it's a LOT better than it was, which is great, and my coach was very happy with it. The spin itself wasn't that great though, I either dropped to too much of an inside edge and ended up making a couple of hue circles, or I didn't stand straight enough which wrecked my balance. That's what I need to work on now.

Fun dance lesson, where we went over the British (prelim) Waltz, Swing Dance, and I learnt the 14-step! :) Coach said that's the first of the "tough" dances. :) I liked it, it was fun! The outside open mohawk felt a bit odd the first time but after that it was fine. My coach was pretty pleased I think.

Most 3 turns good, all mohawks good (inside open & closed, outside closed), pivots ok, left forward spiral ok (needs more practice though, I rarely practice spirals). Edges good. 2 foot spin ok but not amazing.

Dodgy:

2 foot spins - although some were good, some were pretty bad. I bad a few balance issues, lol. Lots of body rocking backward and forward, not good.

Back 3 turns not as good as usual. Pivots neither.

CROWDED!!! 8O

[nutty-ducky]

I was hoping to have my new boots and blades by my lesson this morning, but i didnt have them! :(
Delightful -
worked on my forward crossoves today and worked on deeper pushes, not lunging forward and no toe picking.
also worked on my novice field moves. my inside and outside edges were good today, i think. :D and worked on backward crossovers with back edge and it was good but i have to arch my back up a bit more.
i was working on my 3-jump and apparently i did a really big 3-jump which i got 2 compliments on! :D i like 3-jumps!
worked on my 2-foot spin which was good sometimes and not good at other times. i am finding it really hard to get the right shoulder pulling forward and the left shoulder pulling back. it is really difficult for me. i am also doing a 2-foot spin into 1-foot spin, which is coming along ok, and it wil be better when i have my new boots and blades and can get the right shoulder position.

Dodgy -
My forward crossovers going clockwise were not very good. it was really difficiult for me today and i dont know why. i am thinking it could be because i left my guards on my skates the other night and they had rust on them! doh! :( hopefully they will be better tonight!

[mikawendy]

Delightful--

FI closed mohawks are coming along nicely. Not perfect, but I get the idea on each side.

One-foot spin was wonky in practice but when my instructor asked to see it, it wasn't bad, considering this was my first skate on newly sharpened blades.

BO-FO transitions are improving, and I'm also getting more height on my ballet jumps.

Dodgy--
CCW crossovers feel totally shaky. I need to practice these.

FI3s are coming along but still are tiny and shaky.

[mikawendy]

Originally posted by icenut84
2 foot spins - although some were good, some were pretty bad. I bad a few balance issues, lol. Lots of body rocking backward and forward, not good.

icenut84, I have the same thing happening in one-foot spins, and it puts the weight forward, then backward, then forward on my blade, etc. My instructor gave me this correction: when entering the spin, use more kneebend, then straighten the knee (in a 2-foot spin, knees). She said that as the knee(s) straighten, the weight will shift from being on the whole blade to being only on the rocker.

[Mrs Redboots]

Our usual Sunday morning lesson and practice as a couple:

Delightful: The coach must have said, "That is so much better! That's really quite good!" three or four times! This is serious praise from him, you wouldn't believe! We worked on runs/crossovers round the circle - first in Kilian hold, 3 fast, 3 slow, 3 fast, 3 slow, then in the other direction. Then in a figure 8, just slow (2-beat edges; fast being 1-beat edges). Then reverse Kilian (yuck). Then chasses in waltz hold. Then we did a Rhythm Blues together, focussing on staying in time with each other, and being together. Then finally we did swing rolls in waltz hold.

I was really able to relax and not lean on Robert, even when I was going backwards. I tried so hard to lean back. It was harder when he was going backwards, as he has a bad habit of swinging his free leg wide, not following his tracing. But he is getting better, and we did a good circuit at the end of our practice.

Dodgy: We are still both working very hard on our Mohawks, but would someone tell me how come I can do the (Swing Dance) Mohawk almost to time if I go into it rather slowly, but if I do it at proper Swing Dance speed I rush it again? After all, if I'm goign more slowly I have to hold it for longer! Actually, I think the secret is really to stay over my skate and to go into it with seriously bent knees, then it is beginning to work.

We walked through a Swing Dance together, and I wish we hadn't, as I am sure we rushed it quite dreadfully.... oh well.....

[icenut84]

Originally posted by mikawendy
icenut84, I have the same thing happening in one-foot spins, and it puts the weight forward, then backward, then forward on my blade, etc. My instructor gave me this correction: when entering the spin, use more kneebend, then straighten the knee (in a 2-foot spin, knees). She said that as the knee(s) straighten, the weight will shift from being on the whole blade to being only on the rocker.

Thanks for the tip, mikawendy. I try to bend my knees a little on starting the 2 foot spin but it isn't easy to stay like that. The way I do it is to stand still with my feet slightly apart and pretty much on my flats, have my arms straight over to the side, and then as I swing them round and to in front of me my feet are drawn together and I spin. It's worked pretty well before (I've got 6 revs before many times, not sure if I've got more than that), but doesn't always work. It's the method I read in a technical skating book I've got, by Carole Shulman. Other ways I've tried it is to go into it from a 2-foot glide, turning one foot round almost into an inside spread eagle before drawing in, that also works but isn't completely consistent. What do you reckon? Are there any other methods of getting into it that I should try? I'm also planning to try to tighten my stomach muscles next week on all spins I try, as I read somewhere that that can help to keep your back straight. I have done some spins before that have felt 10000% balanced and centred with no wobbling or uncertainty whatsoever, and it felt fantastic. All I need to do is to get it to feel like that every time! :) Easier said than done...

[sk8er1964]

Delightful

At my lesson on Friday, we worked really hard on going back to the basics on my double jumps. I told my coach about the mental problems I've been having. Saturday morning I was able to put to good use what we did, and I could really see the difference, especially on the double toe. Nowhere close to fully rotated, but if feels so much better.

Got my new club membership finalized and all of my entry forms in for Sectionals and Nationals. Yeah!!!

Dodgy

Nothing, really. Camel left me on Saturday, but it'll be back. Then again, I had enough dodgy in the last few weeks to last me through February, I hope! :??

[flo]

Delightful - made it to the rink after being out for so long (Christmas, Ireland,sick...)! Ran/walked through my program and did a few doubles.
Dodgy: I have so little energy - hope it's back by Ashburn.

[MissIndigo]

Flo--I sympathize with your lack of energy from an illness--I have a nasty stomach bug that's going to make everything dodgy for me this week! :( Hope you get to feeling better soon, and hope that Ashburn goes well for you.

Healing vibes from me to everyone who needs them!

[melanieuk]

Delightful
I had a good skate today. I felt "right".
I did 3 sets of the field moves, which took about 25 minutes.
The only really dodgy move was the RBO 3 turns with mohawks on a circle. I don't know what happened to those as they were ok on Friday, and no doubt will be better on Wednesday. :roll:
I ran through my next test elements. The salchow-toeloop was dodgy, but I did them over and over.
Something wrong with the salchow though.
Loop-loop, flip-loop and lutz (eventually) were ok.
I did spiral sequence - RFO spiral, RFO3 turn, CCW backcross X 2, RBO spiral, LF swing roll - RFO 3turn, CW backcross X 2, LBO spiral into LBO pivot. I haven't got arms yet. I'll work on the arms when I get the spirals at constant speed. :??

I tried back camels and sit spins from an inside 3 turn...all funny, but I'm glad I tried. There is hope, especially doing it that way for the sit.


In my lesson, I had 3 waltz jumps, salchow-toeloop (which was dodgy in the lesson), lutz (was better in practice), jumps sequence: loop-halfloop-turn (chainee?)- turn - flip. It took me a while to get the idea of the turns right after the half-loop as there doesn't seem to be any ooomph to get the turns going. I split the exercise up, doing just the 3turns and flip and that was much better. I tried the halfloop and turns at a much slower pace, to get the feeling. I'm pleased I can get the flip on the end :lol: I just need to get the first 3 turn flowing after the halfloop.

I "got" a change foot sit spin, in that I got a couple of turns out of it and actually got up (usually I fall over).
It didn't feel very pretty, though.
On the others I was changing feet and going way back on the blade, almost grinding to a halt. Yuk.
I had to do change foot camels, which invariably ended in a splat. Coach says I'm letting upper body flop forward (aagghh :roll: !)
I tried a couple of split jumps. Not really done those for 22 years. :roll:
Coach says they take off and land ok, but the split has to, well, split more, and my back leg has to kick up, to equal my front leg.
It's a bit scary though.
8O

[jenlyon60]

Delightfull:

European Waltz was quite there today. Coach brought the infamous video camera and had someone tape us doing 2 patterns to the music. My free foot was mostly pretty neat...not too much obvious wide stepping. And not "flick foot" freestyle feet on the 3-turns today. But I noticed some timing errors and parts of the dance were a bit whippy I thought. Although not as bad as in the past. So I guess I'm ready to put my papers in to test it next month (coach thinks so...).

Forward power 3's and 5-step mohawk sequence were okay. I need to really concentrate on holding the RFI before doing the mohawk on that side. It's not a problem on the other side...just that one. Plus I want to make my edges growl on the slip steps.

On the power 3s, they were mostly pretty good although I felt like I was leaning into the circle somewhat on the right 3's.

After lesson, I played with my back 3's a bit, plus played around with the killian choctaw. Discovered that the killian choctaw works much better when you don't "glue" your inside thighs together while riding the LFI before doing the turn.

--jsl

[DancinDiva]

Delightful: EVERYTHING!!!!! I just had my very first skating lesson, and it was SOOOOO much fun. My instuctor was very impressed that I, someone who has never skated before and was wearing "terrible skates with no support and no edges on the blades (my cheap CCM's)" could skate at all. I didn't fall, not even once. The instructor said someone in the above mentioned situation ought to be mopping up the ice, but I didn't! I didn't actually do too much, mostly practiced skating foward with bent knees, keeping my body aligned, etc. Then we tried going backward. The other two ladies in my class, who, despite it being an adult beginner class, are not really beginners (they've had lessons on and off for 10 years), are really good at going backwards, but I'm gonna need some practice. But I did okay, didn't fall. Finally, we did front crossovers, and again my instructor was impressed that I could even do crossovers in those crappy skates. So all in all, it was a great lesson. I hope I can hit in a few public skating sessions before my next lesson so I can work on going backwards.

[singerskates]

Sunday Session/lesson

Delightful:
Salchow/toe/toe combo not done on circle out of footwork (Can't use this in either program because it doesn't fit the music in the interpretive and in the freeskate that would bump up the toe loops to three (that would cost me))

Salchow/toe combo fits in both programs.

waltz jump had nice quick long run out on landing (finally got the check to happen right on the landing)

Started work on loop jump. Was just suppose to practice loop entrance but picked up the entrance quickly. Was able to attempt the jump on the second try. 2nd attempt only got half way around because my arm position was wrong on take off. By the 4th attempt I was only a 1/4 turn short and had to finish the rotation on the ice. Not bad for a first lesson on the loop.

Dodgy:
Did too many salchows and got a little too tired to jump after a while. Did get enough sleep Saturday night because my husband kept me awake with his snoring.

Today/Monday

Dodgy:
Have got *salchow leg*. Left inner leg is sore and stiff.
Attempted lung in interpretive which comes just before the 3's into the toe loop. Did a few too many salchows yesterday.

Was overtired so mostly did dance with only running through my program most of teh way through once.

Was suppose to do a half flip/waltz combo but body is now so use to doing salchows that my poor leg had to go through yet another salchow. LOL

Delightful:
still can do the footwork.

Teaching CanSkate/Learn To Skate
See thread.

[Mrs Redboots]

Last night's dance club:

Delightful: The ice was really nice, and was fast and easy to skate on.

Dodgy: Unfortunately, nobody came! Actually, there were three women, plus Robert, and he had to leave at half-time to go to another meeting! So the second half didn't really happen - one woman did skate as much as she could, solo; I did mostly patch, and the third woman went off to ask if she could have a lesson, seeing as how, and ended up trying to persuade the instructor in question to go to the dentist! Such a waste. Most people have gone ski-ing, one regular was held up at the office, and there was a function on at another local rink that may have attracted some of our number. Oh well....

Even dodgier: Did some dances with Robert during the first half, and the most appalling Fiesta Tango. We hadn't done it together - and I hadn't done it at all - since the fiasco at the Dune of Flanders Cup. It ought to have been okay, but the problem arose, not in the Mohawk, but in the back edge after it. I simply cannot get that edge, and end up on two feet, which looks terrible and loses me all my power...... Grrrr......

[garyc254]

Originally posted by DancinDiva
Delightful: EVERYTHING!!!!! I just had my very first skating lesson, and it was SOOOOO much fun.

WAY TO GO!!!!!!! :D :D :D

You're just beginning to enjoy the fun and excitement. Now, practice, practice, practice, stay vertical, and BEND THOSE KNEES. :lol:


DELIGHTFUL: Mohawk lesson last night. How flexible do you have to be to do a front outside mohawk??!!?? :roll: ;) I don't think my hips will open that far unless I do a little jump at the last second. Lots of fun trying, though.

Convinced one little girl (I think she's around 5) into getting back on the ice during freestyle just to skate with me. She was taking lessons a couple of months ago, but refused to go back on the ice after she saw her sister fall and bust her chin while skating. We spent the entire 45-minute session just skating around. She was telling me stories (most of which I couldn't hear because she speaks so softly) and following my patterns (she only doing forward skating, though). My coach told me she's going to try and convince her to start the group lessons now that she's "tasted" the ice again. She actually skated pretty well and had a lot of confidence. :D

Fell once trying to avoid a collision with a class member. At least it was a controlled fall and only left a small bruise on my kneecap. :o

[flo]

:) Went skating today during lunch. This rink is less than a mile away, and it was empty! I worked on the flying camel and jump sequence in my program, and did a few doubles.
Mika, if you can - check out Patterson Park from 12-2 on Tuesday and Thursday. I was the only one on the ice at times, and at mose there were 4 other skaters!

[sk8er1964]

Worked with another coach that my coach recommended to do the choreography for my AN program - she's really good. I'm so pleased with what we've put together so far - I think this is going to be a great program. Now I just home my lungs and stamina are up to it!

[jenlyon60]

Today's practice.... I was lazy and my toes were cold. This even with wearing the lightweight OTB tights + normal tights. I think I just haven't gotten adjusted to winter at the rink, yet. Plus I wasn't skating super fast today...

Worked on 5-step mohawk sequence in pieces and as a complete pattern. It's getting better although I think my lobes are a bit U-shaped instead of arc-shaped. Something to think about tomorrow...

Also worked on forward power 3's and my slightly wonky RFO3. Took a bad fall off the back of my blades on an RFO3 because I was trying to keep from leaning into the circle and in the process my hand and wrist absorbed some of the fall. Not cool. The wrist isn't swollen but it is a bit twingey at times.

Also did my obligatory 5 attempts at back 3's per foot. And they are slowly getting better...

--jsl

[dbny]

Delightful:
Had my lesson yesterday after a whole week of virtually no practice. Coach talked me into trying the waltz jump again. She said that I had so much hip pain previously because I over did the off ice practice. I was quite surprised to do some very nice waltz jumps, even from a little bit of footwork (LFO 3, back crossover, RBO, LFO jump) with very nice check and runout on landing. Got the courage to demo it tonight in practice area for one of the schools young students, and it was a very good demo...big sigh of relief.

Ended lesson with prelim spiral pattern, which I hate to do at the end, because all the parents are coming in then for class which follows the FS session, and I hate looking clutzy above all else. Big surprise was that when I came off the ice, two moms complimented me on skating so gracefully! Well, I will never be a jumper, so I'm quite pleased with that :D :D :D

Dodgy:
FO threes as usual. At least I'm not scared of them any more.

[Mrs Redboots]

Wednesday's lesson and practice:

Delightful: My changes of edge have, says the coach, much improved! I was able to tell where I was anticipating, which also pleased me - but please, WHY can't I extrapolate? I know I have a tendency to anticipate - why do I have to realise it afresh with each dance or move or whatever?

Most things I tried either improved, or I found out what I was doing wrong. I made him break down pushing on to back inside edges into baby steps - he made me do a length of them, but properly pushing and extending, not our Field Moves weird ones (which are like your power 3s but without the 3-turn!).

I had asked him, before my lesson, to help me with the transition from my Mohawk to the BO push after it in both the Fiesta and Swing dances - I can usually get the edge, but with no push. However, I realised in my warm-up that the real problem was the transition from a LBI edge to a RBO one - that's the bit I couldn't - and still can't - do. But at least I know what to work on!

Dodgy: I didn't think my figures were very good today. Discovered that on one side I'm not comfortable doing counter-body on the FI edge - I think it's the LFI side. Which might explain why I can't always control the LFI swing roll in the Rhythm Blues.... why are my R edges, all of them, so much better than my L ones, yet I'm not really a clockwise skater?

Neutral: Played about with spins and backspins - my backspin is almost better than my forward spin (which makes sense). I can also spin clockwise, although not quite as well as anti-clockwise. Tried a sit-spin, but that was very nearly disastrous, so tried a back-sit, which was marginally less so. Don't really think I'll be able for Improvisation programmes next winter.... One of the children was being made to do flying camels in both directions!!!! She could do it, what's more.

[melanieuk]

For those suffering with 3 turns (of any description) I can empathise.
I have fallen a few times on forward ones. :!:
They have a scary fall, don't they? They totally take you by surprise. Even though I'm doing double left back outside threes and trying to improve my fearful right back inside 3s, I still have to concentrate hard on the LFO3, and never take them for granted!
Oh and I don't feel stupid falling on them now, as TWICE I've seen a Junior falling on them - and she can do a triple salchow with 3 turn entry!

My 3 turns for Interbronze field moves are my worst.
The alternating FO3s are improving, but they're still a hit or a miss.
The back inside 3s with crossover still needs more knee bend on the crossover.
The RBO3s with mohawks are dodgy......why can't I keep my free leg in front of my skating foot? It tries to swing around even though I'm straining to check everything. Most aggravating!

Coach "passed" my backspin. She must need eyes tested.
She remembered it was her 25th year of coaching in April.
8O I remember her coaching when I was 12! Makes me feel old!

I did two lutzes, both a bit dodgy, but landed nevertheless!
(I like that word - seldom hear it now!)

No change with the rest of the spins.
I'm rushing the entry into the camel, going on my toepick on the turn. Coach doesn't want me to turn the 3 on the pick. I don't know why I'm doing this all of a sudden, but try as I might, I couldn't stop doing it! :roll:
********************I want my camel back!!!!*******************

Got a few turns on the back sit but it feels really dodgy.

Tried a few split jumps. They need more split. I need more confidence and belief in myself.
Till Friday....... :lol:

[singerskates]

Tuesday:
Dodgy:
Spins were on travelling vacation (might have to do with the fact that I've been having sinuses trouble the last few days).

Salchow was salchowed out. My leg did too many on Monday and Sunday and was not co-operating on the take off. Had no strength in left leg for take off but everything else was fine with the jump. (Leg feels much better today because yesterday, I remembered to stretch after skating for 20 minutes before I went home.)

Got a sore lower back from jumping alot. Need to work on my ab muscles more so my back muscles don't have to do so much work.

Toe loops didn't happen unless they were in my program or as the second jump in a combination. ( Need more hours to sleep. 5 1/2 to 6 hours a night isn't cutting it. And that's when I get to sleep all the way through. Husband is finally on midnights. But Monday night, eldest daughter had her alarm go off 3 times in the middle of the night before my alarm was to wake me up for work and I'm a light sleeper.) I think I was in dreamland between my ears.

Delightful:
Loop jump, continueing to get further around on loop jump. I am now getting six inches off of the ground with the loop but I need to get my arms under control so I can finish the rotation before I land. Not bad for only the third day trying the loop jump.

Programs, Interpretive-was doing well with timing of elelments until I had coaches and skaters get in my way and that through off my program. Freeskate-added the loop to where I had planned to have it in my FS program. Was doing fine until after the combo outside to inside forward spiral. AFter that I forgot what I was doing but kept with the pattern and the timing of the program until I ended with a half lutz.

Brigitte

[BringontheRain]

Today was my second day back to jumping after 2 weeks off, then 1 week without jumping.

Delightful
I have managed to get everything up to double lutz back easily
Worked on long choreography. I have the first section done. Did a clean runthrough of that section today.
Landed 2toe 1/2loop 1/2fip 2flip today
Did 2 2lutz 2loops
Layback is centered
Choctaws are getting better
My wrap is decreasing

Dodgy
My sit and camel are still a little unsteady
My skates need to be sharpened
Not allowed to work on 2axels, in fact my single isn't great
2sal2toe is crappy, I hate toe combos
Still am not ready to test Junior Moves :(

[skateflo]

Glad I had to go for my skating lesson after work today - took my mind off the bitter cold (20's) and an even more horrible day at work (on the verge of tears several times....)

Delightful: reviewed forward and backward crossovers with much speed and extension - except when kids were in the way (grrrrr!) onto forward outside spirals - amazing posture thanks to Nancy Kerrigan's new book that stressed always looking up so the audience can see your face. Posture sure can correct a lot of things. Power 3's both sides were actually pretty good except for placement of 3. Learned to look to wall and horray, the 3 was in the perfect place and sooooo quiet! Reviewed 5 step mohawk that I haven't done in 'years'! It just took doing it on the large hockey circle to start and thinking of the steps on the "clock" (I've become clock fixated since we started doing salchows) and then it just flowed and had speed!!

Dodgy: well, yes dodgy always happens when you start to learn something new. Now onto Inside spirals (actually quite GOOD - but then adults do like their inside edges....) and forward power pulls. Yee Gads, my hamstrings are going to hurt like...tomorrow!

All in all quite a workout, and it sure was the mental therapy I needed today!

[becca]

Well I took a week off to go see nationals (Canadians) with my mom...a very brave thing to do only 2 weeks before interclubs. Most of my elements are working pretty well but getting through even sections of my program is rough as is my 20 mins of cardio after I skate. I certainly have a new found respect for Krisy Wirtz (I mean, I've only been off for a week). Also my 2toe has totally disappeared and been replaced with a fairly decent 2lutz (hey...I'll take the lutz over the toe anyway).

[JDC1]

Missed my class Monday due to minor surgical procedure so Wed was first time on ice since Sunday.

Delightful - my RFI spiral, I now have enough control to move my hands all over the place. :-) AND YES to whomever said looking up is a MUST, look up and squeeze those shoulder blades down your spine and you will feel secure. My double 3's were very nice, a bit wild here and there but I am getting better at looking over my shoulder before the back 3, old bad habit.

Dodgy - I kept skating on my HEELS that happens to me when I haven't skated consistently and it's always a tad scary. Saw a girl in a lesson somehow flip on to her side with her feet in the air, that was freaky, she seemed okay.

[melanieuk]

Good luck to KwanRainbow (the only other Scot here, who also happens to be my skating buddy - but she's way way better than I am!) who is doing her NISA UK Gold Level 7 free test and elements (I think) tomorrow morning!
:lol:

[jenlyon60]

Delightful:

Today I concentrated on really trying to do a 90-degree LFO stroke out of each 3-turn sequence on the end pattern of the EW. Must have worked because the pattern was much larger than it had been, and we were skating at about the same amount of power.

I haven't got it "mastered" yet especially on the 4th turn of the ladies end pattern, but both coach and I were pleased with the results.

The turns were scratchy a bit and the timing was off, but I can fix that when I am comfortable with the different approach.

Also... I got a "very well done" from coach today on my LBI-RFO choctaws in the forward power 3's. No toe taps and they were actually starting to feel comfortable... (for me the LBI-RFO is the less comfortable side... I would be a CCW skater if I did freestyle).

Weatherman is calling for 3 to 6 inches of snow tonight... (yes... I like snow)

Dodgy:
Today the 5-step mohawk sequence was dodgy in the lesson...although it was better before the lesson. Instead of doing proper mohawks with good extension after the turn, like you're supposed to do in the 5-step mohawk sequence... I had waltz timing in my head (carry-over from working EW I gues) and I was doing the mohawks to a 2+1 timing, sort of like in the Starlight Waltz. Not quite what is expected.

Depending on when the snow stops and how much we get and how the roads are, I may not get to skate tomorrow...

--jsl

[Terri C]

Lesson on Monday:
After a lousy program run- through, my coach asks
"And when was the last time you skated this?"
It was last week. I was a total lame-o during the weekend and didn't skate on Sunday!

Practice yesterday:
Had a lousy program run through, then decided that because I had such a crappy program, I had to stay for another half hour. Ran program again and this time, only had issues with loop and flip! These elements were just added last week, so it will take some time!

Thanks to Mother Nature ( we're getting snow starting tonight- I made the decision not to skate today- it's not known when the snow will start)

[garyc254]

Originally posted by Terri C
Thanks to Mother Nature ( we're getting snow starting tonight- I made the decision not to skate today- it's not known when the snow will start)

Don't change your plans yet.

Last night they were predicting 8 inches of snow starting around midnight.

At 5:30 this morning there was no snow, but they were predicting it would start at sunrise and we would get 4 inches.

By 8 am it was flurrying and the prediction was down to 1 to 3 inches.

Ended up, we only got a light dusting. There was more salt on the roads than snow. :D

[melanieuk]

I don't know if this will post........boards being shut down.....

I had a great skate today.
I really enjoyed it.
Only myself at first, so I did field moves (of course).
Backspin still poohy, but everything else went well.
I still didn't remember my straight steps and didn't have enough time to fool about with them. :roll:

I had a few (surprisingly) decent lutzes. I've discovered that I can actually do them on a slight bend, or even in a totally different direction than I normally do, as opposed to on the straight.

Having problems with the chainee turns (RFO 3 turns, with other toe pick assistance) after the half loop.
How do you get momentum from the half loop to begin the 3 turns?
I just sort of come to a standstill! :roll:

Blades are away to be sharpened.

[Mrs Redboots]

At least Adrian has kindly brought this particular board back!

Today's practice was mostly dodgy; I didn't skate well at all! Kept doing silly things like not pushing hard enough, or breaking at the waist after a turn, or slowing right down instead of speeding up - you know the kind of thing!

About the only delightful thing was walking through a few dances, although they could have been better. Plus my changes-of-edge were as good as they were on Wednesday, I think. But we will not talk about cross-rolls, or 3-turns, or Mohawks, or even plain vanilla back stroking. And as for figures..... the less said the better!

[tidesong]

Just started major skating coz the holidays has ended and I can finally skate without banging into ppl...

Singapore's Nationals are coming up and I am joining and I got a program to get ready by then... working very hard on it...

I just videoed one of my practise sessions and realized that I drop my arms after landing every jump or finishing a move.... arrgh arrgh arggh
ok there I go trying not to do that...

And I am so tired half way through my program I can barely land the jumps in the middle and I can't even control my edges well at the end of the program... nearly fell over trying to three turn into a backspin... any tips on this?

Oh... and I still can't get my lutz consistent... I sometimes do a flutz, sometimes a flat edge thing and sometimes a lutz and I have absolutely no idea which jump I did or will do until I go back and look at the tracing...

This is the first time I have a 2:30 program... used to do the 2:00 program...

[melanieuk]

((Tidesong))
I only do a 1.5 min programme, and I'm usually out of breath, even though I'm fairly fit and work at the gym to try to improve my stamina.
I suppose the more I did the prog, the better/easier it felt.

I tried to do all my jumps and spins during practice, as I skate them in the programme, including steps before and after. This helped a little too.
At the end of my prog going into the final spin, it was sometimes dodgy! It would feel as though I'd lost all sense of spacial awareness or something. Just fatigue, probably. I just had to practice the spin with the programme ending and the step sequence leading up to the spin, every time I did that spin. :roll:

[singerskates]

Thursday:

Dodgy:
Long day at work. Feet, heels and ankles were sore before putting on the skates. Not more than 15 minutes in time left to change from my work clothes and get back in the car to head to the rink by the time I got home from work.

Had to do jumps in lesson more than twice to get coaches notice as she was busy talking. Serious stuff going on in her life right now but she could have had her eyes on me during the lesson. Can't see what I'm doing wrong on loop and need her eyes to tell me.

Ran out of room for my moves/footwork sequence in my FS because I'm all of a sudden pushing harder creating more speed. Had to change steps to fit the new speed. Trouble is with the change, I have to remember the change before I run into the boards with no where to jump at the end.

Had to get off of the ice halfway through senior ice because my back was starting to get sore from the jumping. (note: didn't wait for the back to hurt as much as last time and was feeling fine by the time I left the arena to go home. Didn't over do it this time.)

Delightful:
More speed on footwork sequences. I'm pushing harder and getting farther faster.
Toe loop has come back.
Salchow is there most of the time.
Waltz jump is reliable.

Loop is progressing well. Can jump high enough. Just have to fix the right arm coming forward and in as I jump up and keep my left leg crossed infront of right until landing. Have a timing problem. I think it's also the reason, I can't do a fully rotated flip yet and have to settle for a half flip so far. Once the loop's timing is fixed, I'll be able to do my flip and lutz correctly.

Tried it off ice and it works. Now just need to translate it to the ice.

Half flip and lutz are fine. (wishing they would become fully rotated single flips and lutzes.)

Spins; able to get them centred today but sinuses are still bleeding.

Skated on my session (intermediate session) and then half of the senior session. Skating with the senior skaters really is helping my speed.

Brigitte

[melanieuk]

Originally posted by skateflo
It just took doing it on the large hockey circle to start and thinking of the steps on the "clock" (I've become clock fixated since we started doing salchows) and then it just flowed and had speed!!


Auntie D, can you explain this in relation to a salchow, please?

My coach says she wants the salchow on the blue line (on the straight).

[jazzpants]

Originally posted by melanieuk
My coach says she wants the salchow on the blue line (on the straight).

So did my secondary FS coach!!! She also wants to see it as part of the waltz-salchow-toeloop sequence!!! *AND* she wants me to maintain or even increase speed between each jump! :twisted:

[TashaKat]

Our rink is now closed for two weeks for a PIGGIN MOTORBIKE SHOW!!!! I'll NEVER get back to skating at this rate!! Even BETTER than this was that fact that they've charged us £41 for a two week month when we USUALLY pay £60 for a whole month ...... gripe gripe gripe :(

Hope everyone here is ok :)

Annabel - re coming over to your rink :) Unfortunately I live in Hertfordshire and now work at the North Mid so it's just too much of a trek as much as I appreciate the offer ..... sigh

Is anyone going to Jimmy Young's Summer School this, erm, summer? Madame gave me the info on it but I don't want to be the only adult if I DO decide to go (it may clash with my two week ballet school so I'm not sure if I can go anyway).

Hugs to everyone


L x

[jenlyon60]

Lynne -- I PM'd you...but if things work out, I plan to attend.