S@D - Have you looked at Miki A's or Mao A's entry into the solo 3 loop in their current programs? They do it from a Mohawk but they kind of wait on the back inside edge before putting the outer edge (take off) foot down. I wonder if Miki doesn't do it to fool herself into thinking it's a Salchow since she does those from a Mohawk entry too. It might give you ideas since it did for me on the 2 loop.

New&Shiny:

Moves were decent I am thinking they are up to test standard, we'll see next time my coach has me do a full run through.

Program was really good! Only did one run through, but I ended on time, did the lutz, spins were okay...I almost took out a little girl going from my lutz into my flip/loop then into my camel spin....just need to keep working on it

Axels: landed a few more! They weren't fully rotated, but that will come in time as I get more comfortable landing on one foot. I really need to focus on pulling in my arms and my legs... I had one of the little girls tell me that they were getting better, and one of the adults who was practicing before skate school was impressed. And then....one of the other coaches saw one of my axels and as I was inspecting the ice for the takeoff/landing commented that they were getting better...of course, I am not one to take a compliment well, so I of course said that it wasn't fully rotated, but she said that it was better than some of my other attempts....I'm so not good at people noticing that I'm doing better

Old&Dull:
Today was not a good spin day...

No Kidding.

New&Shiny:
Had a great lesson today in spite of no energy or wind or practice. FI threes are still there and even better, more confident and smoother. FO threes were so so in lesson, but afterwards, I chatted with another adult skater whose coach had drawn dotted lines for her to follow rather deep edges, with a 3 at the top of one. I tried it, and FO threes were actually much better that way. I was able to hold the image of my coach in mind and came very close to fully checking a few. Best of all, it seems like I am finally going to get my practice time back! I'm really looking forward to it.

Old&Dull:
Still suffering with a miserable cold, stuffed up ears, clogged sinuses, and an awful cold sore on my septum, of all places. Just what one needs when the nose is running all the time. Older DD was going to go skating with me today, but couldn't because she has caught the cold and was up coughing half the night. DH usually goes, it's our day off together, but he's still out with a back problem. Skating-wise, tried the Prelim power threes for the first time in a long while and now have gotten back some of my old problems with them. Hope to clear that up with some practice!

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Wow! No! I'm gonna have to check that one out!!! I haven't watched any skating on tv...so that will be a treat (have to catch it on youtube.com).

My coach is hilarious with this approach, because I was "cheating" and cutting the 3-turn off after I turned it....so I've been moved to mohawks. She tells me to "hold it....hold it....wait....wait....ok!" after forever on that back edge! Then after good jumps I get to try 3-turns; the back side has to be long or longer than the front side.... it does work, tho so I can't complain too much!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I can only describe Miki's as a Salchow with a step down and change of foot on the take off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZstAByqI2fk

Look at 2:33 of this program at her 3 Loop and the hesitation before the step down.

Had a nice skate yesterday with jwrnsktr and a few other adult skaters. At least one of them is skating in the NYI! Good lunch, too.

New & Shiny:
Spreadeagles are getting better, as are backspins.
Spins were traveling, but sit spin and scratch spin were very good.
Still having camel trouble, so I changed the entrance to BO-FO instead of bk crossovers. Better.
Toe loops are so much more comfortable and the combination with waltz jumps are stable. Finally!

Old & Dull:
Loop and Flip stink. So sad - 20 lbs weight loss would probably be the best remedy.
Back sit spin really hurts my knee, so I left it alone. The change is fine, it's holding that position that hurts.
Ice was really hard and the rink was cold, so spirals were awful. Did a few lousy change-edge spirals along with the PM pattern.
I don't think I would test at that rink, the conditions would be a "Recipe for Retest" for me!

Probably overdid it with the new MaxiFlex, so I'll give that spin a rest for a few days.

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That's hilarious! Maybe you should really try writing the AOSS DSM!

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August 22, back on the ice!

What I originally got the loop with at the beginning was a sort of invention of my own. I'd practiced before a dark window at home on socks on a pretty slippery floor, stretching out my arms with a strong check, making sure that my arms remained perfectly parallel to the floor. Then I'd just really, really swing the arms and pull in and they'd bring me around. It took some practicing on the floor to get them just right parallel, but it worked. Then it was no problem doing a loop from a 3-turn. I'd wait till the last possible moment, basically when you're facing almost forward already, swing the arms and jump up just a tad and I'd land rotated enough to squeeze out a landing. Over time, I got a feel for using the outside edge and those became high enough jumps with a knee going up to do a full rev, then I started doing them from back xo's.

New and Shiny:
The freestyle ice this morning at the rink across town. Nice, soft, smooth ice after a morning hockey game!!
Was able to do centered forward scratch and sit spins and did a clean runthrough of my compulsory moves program for Easterns!

Also played with some elements for my new artistic, including a attitude to backscratch spin combo and a toeloop with both arms raised on the landing position. Started working Ina Bauers again, as I know this will be in the program somewhere.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Very dull: My boot problems have taken a turn for the worse.

I've been feeling a bit of pain in the left heel the past couple weeks. I mostly ignored it. It was worse yesterday, so I took a look (yeah, I know. You'd think I would keep an eye on those things).

WOWSA! There was a HUGE marble-sized round bump on the heel that had been developing! It's thick skin and not a blister as I thought. One of the fellows at the rink suggested I was growing a second head.

It's apparently bursitis of the Achilles tendon caused by pressure or rubbing of the affected area. Darn those boots!

The right heel has one developing too, but it's smaller.

I should take off time for this to heal, but I'm likely to press on regardless (at least until our rink closes in early April). I bought some heel pads and inserted them in the boots for the time being.

New and shiny: The heel inserts worked nicely and didn't interfere with skating.

Also, I got to see on the the former rink regulars who had been away at school in Europe for a while. It was fun catching up.

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Bill Schneider

I've been working on loops off-ice in front of large dance/aerobics mirrors and it has helped-but I can't do them in socks on a slippy floor-I'm accident prone!!!

I do them on the line (like beginning backspin practice) LFI, cross the line, RFI mohawk, setup, loop back across the line. It seems to be doing the trick...I've landed two and had the backspin position as well. I've also fallen because my body is used to putting that darn left foot down....well once I get used to doing them right I will stop falling over.

Of course, everyone is freaking out because they are afraid I will somehow re-injure my back....but my doctor said it can't happen so I'm ok with it.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Oh, I don't know. . . I think I could get through the compulsories (3 moves) but my only other comp I just got incredibly nervous. . . I was good for maybe 10 seconds and then I just had this moment of "oh my God, what the heck am I doing/everyone is looking at me/I feel like a dork/etc" and that's when the stumbling began. . . I don't know if it would be a better thing or a worse thing that there will be many fellow skaters from my club there, um, cheering me on. Do I prefer anonymity, or blind support even if my skating totally sucks???

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Less than 24 hours to go before the rink re-opens after a 2 week holiday.
Talk about torture !!!!

It is going to be a looong day at work tomorrow, waiting to go skating.
So many things I want to work on and improve. Boy, have I got it bad

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

New:
Waltz jumps!! Much steadier, did them all session without the barrier, and had much more confindence on them. They were (or at least felt) higher, larger, and more secure.
Spirals were also okay...need to get my leg MUCH higher, but I managed to do them without being a few inches from the barrier, like I usually am. My 'Just In Case' syndrome.
Drags - fine, although they usually are. Getting much lower on them now.

Dull:
Fell and bashed my knee on a couple of drags near the end - a combination of carved up ice and me being tired after skating for going on two hours I think. Nothing more than a bruise though.
Spins - weren't happening. Entry - totally blanked out. Exit - wobbly. Actual spin? One foots weren't working, two foots weren't working...I gave up in the end, before I did either myself or another person a serious injury

EDIT: Oh, and I heard one thing that really made me laugh - little boy skating past - 'mum, I nearly fell - I stood on my toothpicks!!'

The more you compete, the easier it gets.

That is so funny!!

Shiny:
-Great practice! I think it's because I really pushed myself to warm-up instead of just skating lazily around the rink before starting to practice.
-Dances are good. I think I stayed on rhythm.
-Did a few good camels.
-I think I got lower on my sit spin.
-Did some decent, although slow, lutzes.

Dull:
-I'm cheating on my sit spins. Instead of holding my arms out, I've been putting my hands on my knee so I can push myself up at the end of the spin. Need to stop doing that. I think it will be easier once I get all my leg muscles back into condition.
-Didn't really get to practice Moves on pattern because it got too crowded.

Yep, I know that. . . never got over nerves while competing in various other disciplines as a kid/teen (let's see, gymnastics, ballet, violin, skiing--although the adrenaline *helped* the skiing!), but I usually got through things--not flawlessly but well enough. I guess part of my problem is those old inner demons coming back; I had major, major self-esteem issues (and perfectionism issues!!) until oh, gosh, perhaps my 20s. . . I'm so much better but that emotional baggage doesn't always leave entirely, y'know?

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement!

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

But now you have the emotional maturity to kick some demon butt.
It's the only advantage adult skaters have over children, the brain, but it's a major one.

New and Shiny: Wow! Today was the best practice I've had in a looooong time. One bad thing detailed below. I really have a consistent backspin now and as of today I can exit the thing without putting my foot down to stop it. I'm shocked. Worked out some footwork issues, did a bunch of decent loops and three good flips! I hadn't done flips in SO LONG. I test bronze FS in February and except for the one bad thing I think I have a chance of passing. Unless nerves get me (which is very likely).

Old and dull: The bad thing: my *(#(*&(@#* sit spins! I tell you if I fail my bronze test for crappy sit spins and pass the backspin I dunno if I'll laugh or cry. I used to have a very fast, low sit spin and haven't been practicing it enough. I think it might be ok but out of a bunch of attempts only one was close to passing - but it wasn't low or fast enough.

Also kind of dull...my rideout after my loop, I end up kind of stuck.

Still, I wish my coach had seen this today...

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

New and Shiny:
No time to practice since my lesson on Friday, but just fooling around in between LTS and private lessons, I've been getting a solid rev on a backspin, and today, at the end of a very long day, I just pushed off onto RFO and did a three with arms at sides, using just shoulders. It was so good it startled me, so I did the L foot also, and it was also good. Something clicked on Friday! I'm going to try to practice tomorrow morning at the outdoor rink before I have to do LTS indoors in the afternoon. Hope I can wake up early enough!

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New & Shiny: worked on my backspins...which really ROCKED!!! I managed some very nice ones, not many revolutions, but had the free foot crossed! YES!!!

did some jumps, they were ok. did not spin, still have a head cold.

Old & Dull: eeek! my blades! Need to sharpen, and also need to "fix" up my skates, they look beat up and broken! Also need to put new laces in....been busy lately.

Because of my skidding blades, didn't really work on the loop; didn't feel confident. So I worked on my routine. Which sucked because I'm still learning it. I did work on some of it off-ice which helped.

Still have my cold/congestion...had used my inhaler before I left the house so it had time to kick in. My rink has had a ventilation problem with the carbon monoxide. I'm worried it could worsen my cold and give me bronchitis or worse.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I don't know what we can say to make it better or easier, but doing your best is more important than being perfect. Besides, if you were perfect, would you want to do it anymore? Heck, you'd just quit because if you were perfect there'd be no point in skating ever again!

New&Shiny:

Yet again, axels were quite good Not fully rotated, but on one foot, and I think I am starting to get further around and am trying to put my feet in the right place I'll see coach on Tuesday (no lesson, but we'll be on the same session) and if she sees, she will probably be quite amazed....one of the girls on the ice tonight was commenting on how close I am...her and I have had a few conversations about how you can't really count it until you do it right...her comments I enjoy because I know that we are of similar mindset (some of our skaters badly cheat their doubles and don't realize it)...

Moves were good. Still need to work on the tempo of my power circles

Program was decent...I still need to SKATE between elements and work on my endurance...

Old&Dull:

Spins were still not cooperating...I REALLY need to get that scratch/back scratch consistent...

The 2nd session of the night (the first one I skate) was also very crowded...the 3rd on the other hand was empty...although there was a small group program being choreographed, which hindered some of our ability to do moves (those of us doing moves that go through the middle).

I also have developed a small, hard bump on the inside of my left ankle right above the ankle bone....It was rubbing against my boot....this has never happened before so I'm not sure what it is...I'm not skating tomorrow, so hopefully that will help....I'm wondering if it's from the bunga pads and if that's where it ends when I put it on...maybe on Tuesday I will try to position it better...

New and Shiny:
-Found a new sharpener so now I don't have to go over the GWB any more!
-Landed many, really awesome axels!
-Actually landed an axel in my program
-Found my spins after getting the sharpening- I was getting worried!
-Power Circles continue to improve
-Ran my program twice in one day and made it through!
-Actually starting to SKATE my program (and listen to the music)

Old and Dull:
-Didn't skate much last week
-Couldn't land the axel very well after the sharpening
-Still struggling with the axel in the program

New and Shiny

New term of Ice contract - Power class now is 7-7:30 after an hour of free style, which I personally like better

I went through my free style and artistic programs. Dull--I decided that I was doing my scratch spin with the one foot entry from now on - no more pivot entries...but it's really bad. When I start from a standstill one time out of 4 tries I will not rush it and get a decent spin - but in my program, I rush it and it's not good.

I think I'm getting better at not two footing my transistions in both the back swing rolls and back chasses.

Power class -- new teacher a 19 year old who has a whistle and works us hard. Plus there is another adult - she's a higher level skater than I am but she hasn't taken power and I'm faster than her. Having her there makes me work harder. Last term there was no way I was going to keep up with my dd and the other little girl in the class - so I didn't try. But I'm just competitive enough to try to outskate someone closer to my level. Of course, she's just not used to power, once she gets up to speed, I'll be toast - but at least I'll be close enough to keep trying

Oh and I am really ticked off at the club were we are competing and testing next week. (well dd is testing - not me) - The test sheet says THURSDAY - it's always been on Thursday - for six years the test has been THURSDAY. So I prepay for a hotel room Wed night -- come to find out from the coach (not the club yet mind you) that its Saturday night. So I'm out that money. I am not happy. Plus my dd's planned content sheet is late and they want to charge me for $25 (nowhere on the form does it say they will charge $25 for a late planned program sheet) for that and I just sent a very nice email suggesting that in light of what they are costing me in hotel for changing the test date and the fact we have come to this event for 6 years and our club spent $50 on an ad in their program, perhaps they might want to waive the late fee.

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