Smiles or Frowns - Lessons and Practices July 7th - 13th, 2003 [Archive]

Mrs Redboots

07-09-2003, 06:06 AM

Definite :( :(:x :cry: today, with my legs feeling like two lead weights as I walked down to catch the bus to the rink. But for the fact that I hadn't cancelled my lesson the night before, so would have to pay for it (Husband is away on business, so couldn't have it instead), I wouldn't have gone.

So got on to the ice about 3 minutes before my lesson was due to start, and was like "Ow, ow ow" as I skated round, but gradually loosened up. Explained to coach what the problem was, and luckily he knows all about sciatica, having had it himself quite badly, so was most sympathetic. Agreed I could stop my lesson whenever I wanted, and also not to require too much in the way of strength from me, as I really didn't have any. Actually, I think part of the problem is that I've done so much stretching to try to help the sciatica that I've tweaked the hamstrings and calf muscles in both legs, which serves me right for not keeping up my stretches, doesn't it!!! :oops:

Anyway, we started with inside and outside curves, and then forwards cross-rolls ("If you can"). Everything worked all right, but just had no power and lost speed every time I tried to change feet. Also, I simply couldn't hold the extension. So then I worked on back inside edges, Field-Moves fashion (these are rather like power 3s without the 3-turns) which I find hard, as I can't "feel" where to put my weight. Then back outside edges, and then we did very small back outside curves along the line to try to help me feel where my weight should be, but my left leg didn't want to take the weight at all by that stage. So we moved on to "simple stroking", and I was required to push off, and then get into "figures position" for the end of each stroke. Wow..... you get far more curve, even on the flat, like that! Then the next lap, I had to do the same, but then extend the free leg, keeping it in exactly the same relative position, i.e. behind the skating foot, not out to the side! And my goodness, that seriously made a difference to the quality of the edge, even though I was going slowly and was pretty flat! :) Whoever would have thought you'd get an epiphany on the day you were injured!!!! :D

Anyway, by then it was beginning to feel as though I had been kicked in the bum, so I decided it was time to stop - only missed 5 minutes in the end, if that - and got off the ice to do some serious stretching and watching the two girls who were the only skaters left vying with each other to be the first to land a combination axel-double toe. They both managed it before I left the rink!

garyc254

07-09-2003, 08:13 AM

Originally posted by sk8er1964
My axel has gone to visit somebody else.

Ah, the black hole has returned. Everyone beware lest it suck your elements into another dimension where you don't exist.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Black Sheep

07-09-2003, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by sk8er1964
Frown (actually, for me, cry): :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: My axel has gone to visit somebody else. I know it will be back soon, but why did it leave when I was having so much fun with it living in my house??????

Gonna cry, cry, cry, cry 96 tears.... (by ? and the Mysterians!) :cry:

That happened to my lutz-axel this week, but I think it's slowly starting to come back....8-)

icenut84

07-09-2003, 04:35 PM

I skated today, the first time in 2 weeks.

Frowns:

I turned up for the public session to find 17 billion school kids there on a trip. Ice was chockablock. I obviously couldn't just go home again, seeing as it'd taken me 2 hours to get there. I didn't go on straight away, and only spent about 45 mins on there in total. Fortunately the centre of the ice was relatively clear (the centre circle), but most of the surface was very rutted and very wet - I almost slipped over just doing a snowplough stop. Time to get off...

Only skated for 1hr15m altogether.

Smiles:

I talked to one of the coaches about lessons, finally. He also said I could go on the practice ice session on the other rink for the remaining half hour! I've never actually been on a session like that before - it's always been either public ice or group lesson ice. It was fun! There were only a few people on there, mainly dancers.

Spinning was better than last time (still hardly great though :( ), and so were other aspects of my skating. I briefly practiced a bit of dance too (I am RUSTY), but my pivots (especially BO) were better, so that's something. :)

96.23??

07-09-2003, 08:23 PM

I skated today for the first time in maybe 6-8 weeks.! :P

Smiles :) : double sals, and axels were there! and dance steps and skills are coming back nicely. :lol:

Frowns :( : SO sore! :cry: Double loops were SUPER BAD! endurance= baddddd!!!!!!

TreSk8sAZ

07-09-2003, 09:45 PM

:D :D :D : All of my jumps felt REALLY good today, even my combo jumps (which is a first). Learned brackets and got them right away. Worked on Willow as a treat from my coach. Dances went very well, coach feels I'm ready to compete.

:( :( :( : Well, I was on a lot of painkillers so that I could move (migraine hit me hard, but I have a competition coming up). Concentration was next to zero. Ending to Rhythm Blues needs work, but it'll be ready.

Not sure what to classify this as as I'm not sure how I feel about this. So my, coach isn't actually going to be at my competition in a couple of weeks. I've never done a competition without her being there, so I'm not sure how I like this. She's going to have the head coach at my rink put me on the ice and one of her other students/my friend be there for stretching and such. And it's only two compulsory dances, it's not like it's a free program. A little scared of this whole thing now that it's sunk in, but I'm sure it will all work out..?..?... I hope.... 8O

TashaKat

07-10-2003, 02:29 AM

Passed Bronze, Silver and Gold Skate UK tests last night (not exactly an achievement because I've already passed tests above that level) BUT the Gold has a BACKSPIN in!!!! I had to do it twice, the second time I brought my leg in straight away and did a pretty decent one compared to the first where I had my free leg 'dangling out of my knickers' :oops: THAT was a great achievement as it's the backspin (and the camel) that were the sticking points on my next Free test in the standard test structure (the UK test structure seems to change about every couple of years with an out of proportion hike in the test fee .... one of the dance tests almost DOUBLED in price!!!).

Didn't do much else apart from chat!

Have now got to make a decision as to my skating 'career' .... answers on a postcard please :roll:

x

tidesong

07-10-2003, 07:22 AM

Smiles:
Axel is still there, landed one double sal today... i think its the first after my injury...
Layback: coach says i did about 10 rounds in one of them! :)
flying camel: I got one to 5 rounds yay!
I-spin: got my leg quite near my head... now to make it touch :P
Camel: is back!

Frowns:
Ankle aching after practise... arrrgh bad sign... no skating tommorrow :(
Fell splat into wet patch... my boots got *soaked* the water went inside and my socks were wet... i dried them with the hand dryer but i'm so afraid they will break down too soon because of that
toeloop toeloop toeloop *sigh*

sk8er1964

07-10-2003, 12:25 PM

Smiles: My axel decided that it liked living with me, so it came back. I'm really glad it wasn't gone long. :D :lol:

Raine

07-10-2003, 03:04 PM

:) My lutz has been consistent (but tiny tiny tiny). A weird thing happened on the backspin. Basically, I cannot do them properly on a BO edge anyway, but today I executed a rare well-centred backspin, yet I spun on the middle of my blade, not on the toe. The proof was in the tracing.

:( I had one of my weaker overall practices today. I've been skating the 6:00 am session for the past couple of weeks, and it's tough on a middle-aged bod.

Happy Skating,
Raine

96.23??

07-10-2003, 03:28 PM

:D :D :D : harness lesson today! :) funnn!!! axels good! flying camel- pretty good! layback better than ever! all spins: quite good! :) technique fixing going well..

:( :( :( : feet hurt a lot! :( REDOING ALLLLLLL of my technique bc i don't bring my knee thru on jumps...

Debbie S

07-10-2003, 03:41 PM

Congrats, TashaKat!

Smiles: I think I've got the hang of the loop. I landed it in practice Tuesday after not practicing for a week and a half. I also think I'm starting to get the hang of the flip. My new instructor (next series of lessons started yesterday) pointed out that my arms are too high on the take-off - basically, I bend down but my arms don't move, so I can't pull in to help me rotate. When I focused on correcting it, I think I landed one. I also did 2 rotations on a camel spin, in the right position - hey, I'm getting there.

Frowns: My class in group lessons has 2 other skaters in FS 5 (like me), one in FS 4, and one in FS 3. Teaching all of the freestyle elements at each level is hard enough to do when everyone's at the same level, much less 3 diff ones. To make matters worse, the other 2 skaters at level 5 have been off of freestyle for a while b/c they've been skating synchro, so they're just trying to get back basic stuff. And I'm really between levels 5 and 6. The 2 others from my group in the last lesson series, who are in the same situation, aren't taking lessons this time, so I'm really the only one at my skill level.

The instructor was doing as good a job as she could do with such a diverse group, but I ended up spending most of the time practicing things on my own until she came over to us with about 10 minutes to go (lessons are 1/2 hour long). She gave us some tips on changing from a forward scratch to back scratch (which I do need help with) and gave me some tips on the flip (as I mentioned above). I know the first lesson of every series is a little hectic, but I can see the potential for me to spend each lesson off doing things on my own, which is not exactly what I paid for. I talked to the skating director after lessons and she said she would come over to our group next week and help the instructor out - she didn't give herself a specific class to teach this series so she could rove between groups.

Black Sheep

07-10-2003, 05:41 PM

:( : On the way to my regular practice, I got stopped by one of those loooooooooong, sloooooooow freight trains. Out of fear of being late and not finding a parking space (this rink has an outdoor pool, too, and it was a perfect day for kids to swim!), I rushed to fin a way around this train. I got sooooo lost doing this that I ended up in another town.....

:D : .....which just happened to have a rink with a Freestyle session going on. It was a rather small rink, but with fresh-cut ice and only a small handful of beginner-type kids and coaches. I managed to remember and practice whatever changes my coach had made to my program. I didn't bother trying my whole program, though, because no monitor was there to play tapes, and I didn't want to fool around with a strange machine. It was a strange trip, but at least I got ice!

tazsk8s

07-10-2003, 08:09 PM

:) :) :)
Skated a clean program, in a lesson, for my coach on Tuesday. Helps to have the ice totally to myself!

Did an absolutely huge lutz that made my coach's eyes pop out!

Taz Jr. passed her Juvenile moves today! It was her third try so we are especially happy that she finally got through this test.

:( :( :(

Made the mistake of having a frappucino right before my lesson today. Skated like I had a brick in my stomach. Ugggggh.

jazzpants

07-11-2003, 02:44 AM

:D : Bronze Moves is moving along smoothly... We'll see when my coach is gonna sign the test papers this year... :P Backspin...it's really REALLY getting close. Coach sees one backspin that was so close that he was "stumping mad" that it didn't become a backspin. But it's coming closer. Scratch and sit spins are fine... :( : The one sticking point on my Bronze Moves is still a sticking point -- my power 3's!!! It's smoother... BUT there is still a lot more work to do on it. Backspin -- I really REALLY wanted to get it today and thought TODAY would be the day. *sigh*

NickiT

07-11-2003, 07:50 AM

I'll start off with :( s!!!

OK so I haven't been feeling 100% the last two days with a mild bug but I really needed a decent skate and lesson to get me back into it after competing two weeks ago so I dragged myself along to the rink not feeling as good as normal. Got there and found that a lady who fell this week actually did break her ankle and having another lady with a broken ankle from two weeks ago plus our best kid with a broken wrist, it all brought it back to me so I had to pull myself together and convince myself that I've been there, done that - sort of thing!

So we started on my Bronze Field Moves. Having not done them for the past three months they felt pretty tough going today but in actual fact, my coach felt that they didn't look too bad at all.

Now for the :D s!!!

Despite not feeling too great I didn't actually have a bad skate at all and with taking ibuprofen because of feeling below par, it meant I was able to skate with no pain in my hip which was nice.

I worked on my jumps and got some good flips and lutzes. Also did some spin work and am now working on getting my camel spin. Again I managed a handful of half decent ones, plus the two or three backspins I did weren't bad at all.

Then we decided I should skate my programme again, right at the end of my lesson. I was a bit worried since the last time I skated it was in competition, and my first run through wasn't very good, but I pulled myself together for the second one, and this time I did it cleanly so I was very happy about that.

Also found out that despite coming 5th overall in my competition, one of the judges had placed me 2nd overall so that was a huge confidence boost!!!

Nicki

quarkiki2

07-11-2003, 10:52 AM

Hello! Practiced last night. Found myself at the rink with a bunch of friends, yay! Including a very sweet mother/daughter. The mother was in my Gamma class (now she's Freestyle 1) and the daughter is currently in my Delta class. There were only about 6-8 of at a time on the ice, so we weren't running into each other at all.

Frowns: Forward 3 turns. Big surprise. And, for some reason a really huge frown for counterclockwise back crossovers. As in I couldn't do them AT ALL! The other side is not particularly powerful, but pretty smooth. I just completely balked a the idea of crossing my left foot over.

Smiles: Forward edges. I'm working on getting my lobes nice and even and have found a rhythm that seems to work well and feels pretty relaxing.

Forward 3 turns at the wall -- smooth. And when I alternate them (for example: RFO3, LFI3) I can go the long axis of the rink steadily and smoothly, barely toughing the boards. But heaven forbid I actually put them out away from the wall and I drop my freeleg every time. At least I'm actually doing theoutside turn now, but my one-foot exit edge is pretty non-existant. And I have to force myself on the inside turns to NOT do a mohawk instead. If I don't think about it, I'll do the mohawk.

Synchro tomorrow at 7AM and lesson at 9AM! And then I think I'll skip a wedding to which I'd been casually invited. After spending the last two weekends at my Mom's and the last two Sunday evenings with my inlaws I'm feeling like I really need some home alone time to work on MY house and be with my dogs. Next weekend I'll be on vacation. I'm just starting to feel too busy again and too accommodating again I'd really appreciate some selfish time. I plan to practice again Sunday and may head to the rink this evening if the spirit moves me.

TreSk8sAZ

07-11-2003, 11:06 PM

:( Frowns: Blades need to be sharpened!!! Geez! None of my jumps worked at all. Loop I had somewhat, but not as well as I have been. I just kept over thinking everything and letting some problems in my head. Stupid!

;) Smiles: Dances! They finally feel alright, just perfecting and getting intros and endings. I swear brackets are the easiest things ever! They feel more comfortable than 3-turns. Finally getting my new loop entry, which is just a fun entry. Just need some energy back then maybe I'll do a bit better!

96.23??

07-12-2003, 03:47 PM

:D :D :D :D :D : After two years and 3 days I FINALLY got my technique for my axels and double sals corrected! :P I used to jump a little without bringing my knee thru and try to rotate as fast as i could b4 i hit the ground.. and it did work but it had to be fixed b4 i move on.! :)

:( :( :( :( :( : Off ice was terrible! :P

sk8er1964

07-12-2003, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by TreSk8sAZ
......I swear brackets are the easiest things ever! They feel more comfortable than 3-turns. ....

Aaaack! Those things are the Devil's invention (at least in the Intermediate MIF's) -- I like them freestyle but HATE them in the MIF's!!!!8O

Congrats 96.23 - isn't it great when we actually get a technique fault corrected??!! :D

:D :D :D Axel is definately back, by the way. Yipee!

;) Skated three hours today - one hour of freestyle and two hours of open skate with my little hockey kid and his brand new skates. Fell asleep as soon as I got home!

96.23??

07-12-2003, 07:53 PM

Originally posted by sk8er1964

Congrats 96.23 - isn't it great when we actually get a technique fault corrected??!! :D

:D :D :D Axel is definately back, by the way. Yipee!

Thanks and it sure is!

Congrats on the axel! :) nice when you get that back too :D

Mel On Ice

07-13-2003, 02:19 PM

I think I"m mostly all smiles this week:

Officially began working on the loop and flip after holding out waiting for my ankle to heal. I have everything correct except the landings, so mechanics are okay.

Also officially began work on the lutz! Boy is that a crazy feeling.

Sit spins are erratic, they come and go from high to low.

Change foot is coming around, I'm very comfotable on that edge, I just grind to a halt half the time.

Have new music picked out for the new season and cannot wait to begin working on choreography.

Finishing touches are on my adult team compulsory program, and we practiced it together 5 or 6 times yesterday morning. We are skating to "Roller Derby Queen" and it's a riot. It's ISI 4, and I have to do the half loop.

About the only frown I have is stiffness in my knees because I wore fun instead of practical shoes to the ballgame yesterday. But even that wasn't a bad thing because I got a huge bear hug from STL Cardinal Steve Kline!

Mrs Redboots

07-14-2003, 05:15 AM

Who or what is an "STL Cardinal", please?

Frowns isn't in it, it's :evil: :evil: :evil: today!

Yesterday, rather. Our lesson went fine - we worked a lot on partnership skills, which we need to do, and on the Canasta Tango, which we were to skate for our club in the League match that afternoon. Canasta was reasonably okay in the lesson, fine in the warm-up at the match, and when we came to our draw (which was an easy draw for us, we should have won it), we made the most complete Horlicks of it, you wouldn't believe! I made a slight mistake in the first pattern, then got back into it, but it must have put Robert off, because I have no idea what he thought he was doing, but it certainly wasn't the Canasta Tango! We ended up stopping in the middle of the rink with me going "What are you doing?" and all the judges (and audience) laughing...... Grrrrrrrr......... :evil: :evil: :evil:

Didn't actually do much in the way of social skating at the match, as it was very crowded. Back is okay, but I have to be careful not to overdo it, or it starts to feel as though I've been kicked in the coccyx again....

Mel On Ice

07-14-2003, 10:43 AM

Mrs. Redboots, Steve Kline is a baseball player for the St. Louis (STL) Cardinals.

garyc254

07-14-2003, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by Mel On Ice
Finishing touches are on my adult team compulsory program, and we practiced it together 5 or 6 times yesterday morning. We are skating to "Roller Derby Queen" and it's a riot. It's ISI 4, and I have to do the half loop.

I've seen them practice this program and Mel's right, it is a riot. :lol: Also technically challenging.

It will be fun to see the final outcome. :D

quarkiki2

07-14-2003, 01:02 PM

Yawn.... Dragged my sorry bum out of bed Saturday to get on the ice at 7AM for synchro -- only had 6 people there so it became a regular freestyle. We played the music we're considering for our program while skating. It was nice to skate to music. Because our rink in in a mall, it's not easy to hear music during public sessions and there's none playing on freestyles unless someone's rehearsing a program.

Then I had a lesson at 9. Still no progress on 3 Turns. Instructor says I clearly understand what's supposed to happen and that I'm pretty much doing it correctly, but that I just need to stop bailing on the turn. We did a circular exercise 3-turn, mohawk, 3-turn, mohawk to see if we were rotating completely and I was rotating well, just not on one foot. Sigh... I just know that one of these days this will click and I'll not even be able to imagine how much I struggled.

The good news is that I can apprently do mohawks and choctaws without thinking.

Forward edges are still coming along nicely and getting a good, relaxed rhythm. YAY!!

I'm making up a lesson tomorrow night. Wonder who is teaching it? I'll be gone from Wednesday until the following Wednesday, but I'm taking my skates with me. Perhaps a change of venue will help me get these turns?

Adios and good luck with the week!!!

ChristianeDK

07-14-2003, 02:32 PM

Been away on a sort of training camp with my club so lots of Smiles!

:) First of all: Learned to do toeloop and salchow! Always thought I would have months and months of worries about them, but half an hour of private lesson did the trick. They feel easy as long as I don't chicken out, and coach says the length is v. good. Wohoo! ... Am v. happy. ;)

Also seems to be getting the one-foot-spin right. Yay! Well that certainly took months and months of worries... :)

Just sad I can't go skating again before the rink opens in September. :(

Mel On Ice

07-14-2003, 02:46 PM

gary, are you going to be around for the competition? Hubby won't be, he just told me he has to go to traffic school. That's what you get for trying to show up a bunch of hot-rodding teenagers in a speed trap.

garyc254

07-14-2003, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by Mel On Ice
gary, are you going to be around for the competition? Hubby won't be, he just told me he has to go to traffic school. That's what you get for trying to show up a bunch of hot-rodding teenagers in a speed trap.

Sorry Mel, but I won't be there. Susan and I took a mini vacation this past weekend and I'm going camping/fishing from the 24th to the 27th. Next weekend will be full of all the chores I didn't do this weekend and prepping the trailer for camping.

If anyone videos for you, I would like to see your final production.

TreSk8sAZ

07-14-2003, 08:44 PM

Well, what practice I got today was all :x . I just got my blades sharpened and was trying to stop, hut a rut and went down backward. My wrist really hurt, but I shook it off.... until about 10 minutes later when I couldn't move my hand. My coach & a friend rushed me to the ER and, sure enough, I broke my left wrist. While still at the rink and crying, first words out of my mouth were: I have a competition in 2 weeks!!! Not anymore. Can't even skate for 3-8 weeks. I'm miserable, in pain, and BORED!

The only :D was the support that everyone on my session gave. They were really great and got me calmed down, got everything of mine together, and wished me luck. You do get to be a great family in figure skating clubs!

sk8er1964

07-14-2003, 10:25 PM

Originally posted by TreSk8sAZ
Well, what practice I got today was all :x . I just got my blades sharpened and was trying to stop, hut a rut and went down backward. My wrist really hurt, but I shook it off.... until about 10 minutes later when I couldn't move my hand. My coach & a friend rushed me to the ER and, sure enough, I broke my left wrist. While still at the rink and crying, first words out of my mouth were: I have a competition in 2 weeks!!! Not anymore. Can't even skate for 3-8 weeks. I'm miserable, in pain, and BORED!

The only :D was the support that everyone on my session gave. They were really great and got me calmed down, got everything of mine together, and wished me luck. You do get to be a great family in figure skating clubs!

Oh, what a bummer :cry: . I hope you heal up really fast!

Mrs Redboots

07-15-2003, 07:22 AM

Originally posted by TreSk8sAZ
I broke my left wrist. While still at the rink and crying, first words out of my mouth were: I have a competition in 2 weeks!!! Not anymore. Can't even skate for 3-8 weeks. I'm miserable, in pain, and BORED!! Oh, poor you, what a miserable thing to happen! Are you sure you can't skate - I know neither Tashakat nor DBNY felt able to while their respective wrists were in plaster, but I also know a young lady who broke hers one Tuesday and only took about 2 days off before she was back skating with her cast, which slowed her down not at all! Mind you, she is a dancer, not a free skater.....

TreSk8sAZ

07-15-2003, 11:24 AM

Thanks sk8er1964 and Mrs Redboots!

As to skating, I'm freestyle and ice dancing, but the doctor AND my coach have banned me from the rink, so I don't have much of a choice. Plus, if I fall again I'd be out for longer. I'm just not chancing that! It's bad enough I may still have the cast when my University starts up again, but not skating for longer than 8 weeks would just drive me more insane!!!!

*Starryskye*

07-16-2003, 01:00 PM

^^I'm not positive, but this past season I broke my wrist, and had a cast on it...the doctor just taught me how to fall with teh cast on so if I fell i wouldn't hurt myself even more. This was smack in the middle of competition season and I couldn't stop skating..so we talked it out..haha actually, the day that I got my cast I went and skated two hours on my way home from the hopital!! However, i COMPLETELY understand if you don't want to risk it..just letting you know there might be more options:P

jazzpants

07-16-2003, 06:44 PM

Of course, if both her doctor AND her coach banned her from the rink... ummm... there's no "talking it out!" :lol: ;)

TreSk8sAZ, I hope you'll get well really soon... Do exactly what the doctor tells you and you might be surprised how fast you'll be back on the ice... ;)

96.23??

07-16-2003, 10:05 PM

TreSk8sAZ-- I hope you get better REALLY soon!!! And hopefully you will be able to get back on ice sooner than expected! :D

TreSk8sAZ

07-16-2003, 10:33 PM

Thanks guys! I have my next appointment tomorrow to get the cast (i'm in a splint right now) and see how long I'm off ice. Hopefully it'll be no more than the 3 weeks they set as the minimum!

Thanks for the thoughts!
~ Tre

TashaKat

07-17-2003, 02:38 AM

:x

Big Daddy Frown

Armed with the video of my Prelim program (have decided to resurrect that in order to actually 'skate' rather than just piddle around with elements) I went straight to the rink from work. I had been doing the Adult Classes as a 'get my confidence back' exercise and they're letting us have the ice for a 'nominal' fee until the courses restart as otherwise it will be empty. Except that they're charging £5 for 45 minutes for ice that hasn't even been cleaned! It may not sound much to a lot of people here but when you think that the 45 minutes with 1/2 hours tuition usually costs only £7 it is clearly a case of a rip-off. It's NOT that I couldn't afford it but on principle I told them to stuff it (I could, after all, go to a patch for 2.25 hours for the same price!). Grrrrr. Why is it that some rinks are only out to make as much money from the regulars without any improvement in service (our patch prices went up 4 times in 18 months and then did a massive leap of 40% last year!). We don't even have a proper Zamboni at the moment.

Anyway ..... I have two free passes so I'll just use them for the next couple of weeks.

Hope to be able to talk about my SKATING next week :)

x