Gold:
My Axels were good today and I didn't pop any .
I had a lesson and worked on my freestyle program, which is getting better.

Pyrite:
I had to get up early even though I'm on spring break, and i have to get up early tomorrow too

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Skating is suppose to be fun , no PRESSURE at all

~*Courage*~*Confidence*~*Consistance*~

Team Arthritis:

(especially the "I ain't dead yet!" comment!!!) LMAO!!!

Pyrite:
Got in the morning FS session... should have checked my VM!!! NO LESSON with secondary coach and she wants a make up lesson again. Lucky for her. I had my lesson with primary coach this week already b/c he's in Chicago putting out students for Adult Nationals and doing a program himself. (WAAAAAH!!! I have to keep telling myself that at least this time it's NOT b/c I didn't passed the tests needed to go to Adults Nationals. But it still is sad to watch a lot of my fellow adult skaters go to AN and I'm not there with them.)

Anyway, it was probably a blessing in disguise that secondary coach didn't make it in yesterday. I did too much of it this weekend and my right knee was cranky and wanted a rest. I secretly wanted to move our lesson to Thursday actually!

Camel spin wasn't doing much beyond spinning. I really need to get into that spiral position in the spin and STAY THERE!!!

Gold:
I actually was making progress in one skill I wasn't expecting -- back sit spin!!! I still have trouble doing them from a back pivot (sit-backsit), but I found myself at least SQUATTING now on my back sit when I go into the back sit from a FI3 entry. If I could reproduce THIS in front of primary coach when he gets back, he's gonna be QUITE happy with the minor progress!!!

Playing around with BO3's and brackets. I would love to get the RBO3's consistent... but I did finally get one this morning. Brackets? Got one too... but both went away after that.

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Gold: I don't know where all my energy came from, but at my group lesson last night, I was really on. My loop was very high and loop-loop was fully rotated. My camel spin was very fast and centered and with the camel-sit, I got down a lot lower than usual on the sit. I had been having trouble with my flip since I came back from my month off due to a stress fracture, but man, last night it was the best it has ever been! I think I truly jumped up, and had a full rotation. It felt clean and not like I had just barely made it. It felt so good having everything work.

Pyrite: My right foot was really cramping up because of a gel thing that I put on my ankle to stop the round bone on the inside of my ankle from rubbing against my skate. I would have rather dealt with the ankle pain.

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Gold: First attempt to skate today after being off for 8+ weeks with a fractured and SEVERELY tweaked right foot.

What a weird feeling!! At first I could barely stand up on two feet and was like, "Oh no, I can't skate!!" The foot still hurts, but I figured what the heck, I'd better get out there before it all goes to hell...

Then my coach came over and held me up while I skated (barely stroking) around the ice - she wanted to help my confidence (I was like, "Oh no, do I have to pay you for this?" but she was just being nice. Then we just started talking about some stuff, she let go of my arm and soon I was just skating around, talking and laughing with her. What a great coach! She knew how to get my mind off of how scared I was!

So I just did some edges, inside and out -- I wasn't going to even try to go backwards, but then, well, I just turned around and was skating backwards -- just sculling -- (so hard to feel like a baby-beginner again, but had to start somewhere). Then I did a few mohawks and very small 5-step mohawks sequences, just to one side. Tried some outside threes on my good foot and they were okay.

That was enough for today, after about 25 minutes the foot really started to hurt and I thught I should get off. It was nice seeing everybody and I hope to go back in a couple of days.

Pyrite: This injury is going to take a long time to come back from -- maybe by summer I will be trying to work on some Bronze Moves again and maybe taking some dance lessons. Maybe I will just stick with figures - who knows? Two weeks ago I couldn't imagine skating at all, so I guess I am on my way!!

Pretty shakey for my first time out.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Gold -- 3 turns FINALLY. I can do all 8. They're not pretty, and I can't do the lbo turn in the pattern but I can do it! I thought it was flukey but I've been consistent and getting better in each of my last 3 lessons. I actually look forward to the 3 turn part of my lesson now. Seriously, I couldn't do them 1 month ago and 2 months ago I put a moratorium on doing them in lessons because I was so frustrated. But I feel great now. I thought I'd never be able to do them at all; now I'm refining them. Some of the exit edges are off but I am still pysched! Coach thinks I should aim for testing in June. I laugh at her. I'm thinking September. Other patterns went well -- 5-step was really good today too. Power x-overs -- pretty good since I skated them with no warm up; edge pulls were just okay. I need to work my free right leg more.

Pyrite -- I missed practicing over the weekend. I have a business trip next week and will miss my lesson.

Gold gold gold gold gold!

This afternoon I came home, called my mom and cried on the phone. Life's was giving me a load of poo again. But I have to say that it's actually been a GREAT day in the end!

I went to skate today anyway - despite being actually too busy to - so I'll still have a few hours of homework to do now, and it's a quarter to midnight, but it was WORTH it!

I met a few people from a Dutch online skating forum in real life, I was driven back by a girl from our skating club who turned out to be there as well and I even met a boy my age who SKATES. I didn't know they existed. He's kinda cute (but don't worry, I have a boyfriend I like better still).

Anyway this boy went like... Yeah but your waltz jumps are so high! You can turn them into an axel easily. And I went like, I'd like to, but I can't seem to manage. So he told me to show him and said to swing the arms more. And I did.
And I jumped an axel. I actually landed on the right foot, just a split second after my blade was enough backwards to not trip over the toepick, but it was there. I subsequently fell - but it was a pretty soft fall - but it was THERE and I felt it. On 1 foot, with my weight over the right side and not entirely forward either. If I'd just not drop the shoulder like I do on the loop as well, it'd actually BE there.

And M, this girl from my figure skating club, she saw it to and she went like, "wow you're rotating quite a lot actually."

OMG!


I know it's not an axel by far yet, but, it's just... It's such a wonderful feeling to spin in the air!!!

This was the absolutely last freeskating session for this season and I feel quite confident about the upcoming test and the competition on friday. Even if I don't actually pass the test and mess up the competition, I know I've done everything this season that I could possibly have.
I feel like this is a good closure to this season and I'm satisfied with my achievements. I feel good about myself.

TEEHEE!!! More gold!
I was supposed to do some online assignments through a programme of our university now, before tomorrow (and the assignment was given today). This afternoon, the programme was already malfunctioning a bit, but now the server is actually down.

How horrible that I can't do my homework now!
I'm off to sleep!

Gold:
Had a good runthrough of my test program in lesson today. The first two elements (loop and backscratch ) simply rocked! Can't wait for lesson with Primary Coach tomorrow.
Secondary coach is going to work me VERY HARD to get this test passed. I had a lesson with her today, then another on Saturday and then another lesson on Monday.

Pyrite:
My sitspin was totally off today. Tried to get lower, but wound up rocking up to the toepick.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Well, I still have not taken the time or trouble to find that thread, but I can't imagine stepping onto an Inside edge, maybe a flat, but not Inside. One exercise that I was given when I was learning cross strokes is to do them on a line, being sure that the blade taking the ice at the line crosses it at a right angle. Do three in a row and hold the last one all the way around in a circle, then go the other way doing the same. The emphasis was on depth of edge.
Joannie Rochette did the most fluid and powerful cross strokes just taking the ice before a performance this past season. Then I saw my coach do the same. I would say the free foot takes the ice ahead of the skating foot, but definitely across the tracing. Your thighs will be closely pressed together as you cross and the push is from the Outside edge, just like the under push in FXO's. And just like that under push, if you get lazy and don't point your toe, you may catch your toepick. Guess how I know this .

Pyrite:
I did skate yesterday, but school was still out, so the session was crowded. Even worse, there were a bunch of hockey kids chasing around. One of them nearly clobbered me when he executed a fast U turn right in front of me. There was a bit of gold, in that a student of mine arrived as I did and asked for a lesson, so I really didn't have to deal with the crowd too much on my own behalf.

I got to the rink again today only to discover that the Jewish parochial schools are still out until tomorrow . I'm really paying for my week and a half of nothing but cooking, eating and sitting at the computer. I felt old, fat, and weak, and really had to push myself to work. Power threes were pathetic as were FO threes.

Gold:
I did finally start to feel like I could actually skate again. One foot spin was not bad and I managed one from a T push. Backspin is going to happen soon, I got almost one rev several times today, and hardly fell to the inside at all. FI threes were actually not so bad after I got started on them. I just have to remember to reach forward. Only did RF power pulls, but they were OK, especially considering the ice was hard and chopped up at the same time, and my blades desperately need sharpening.

Just Fun:
Ran into two adult skaters that I hadn't seen for a while, and one teen who had briefly been my student at another rink.

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Sessy: Congrats on that axel attempt! I know how it feels, its awesome!!! Sounds like you'll be landing nice ones soon

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~
Tidesong

Gold: The team is FINALLY getting both programs skated pretty well. OK, the compulsory disco program is better, but it's a year older. The Latin program is gelling (except for a section in the straight line footwork and the terrified looks on most faces, LOL!). Whic is good, since we're competing them this weekend. I should say, they're competing and I'm cheering very loudly from the side, thanks to baby #2 on the way. YAY!

Pyrite: While working to improve the step behind end pattern for the rhythm blues, I fell hard flat on my face - tripped on the darn toe pick on the foot I stepped behind on! I can't believe I forgot to step on the edge, not the toepick!

Gold: After skating around a few minutes to get my breath back, I reskated the end pattern about 20 times, and after the first 10 times stopped being terrified and the last 10 times felt really good. Also, my scratch spin was working well this morning.

Wow, well done! Am I jealous, or what?

I can turn all 8, after a fashion, but I can't do them all on pattern yet, nor am I even beginning to be able to could.

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Pyrite:
The bad results into good so it goes first. I had a lesson today at 7 and woke up 15 minutes before time to get on the ice. not a good start. I also woke up with a stuffy nose and my cough is still there IT NEEDS TO GO AWAY!!

Gold:
My coach understood how I felt and didn't work me too hard. I respect her alot more now because my old coach, that I recently just swiched, would have been like "suck it up". Once my lesson was over I didn't feel like throwing up like I did when I got on the ice. I was happy, but I still have to skate this afternoon too

~Cutie

__________________
Skating is suppose to be fun , no PRESSURE at all

~*Courage*~*Confidence*~*Consistance*~

Pyrite:
Prel MITF - I'm such a spaz!
My coach really choreographs the MITF patterns, with arm and weight shifts as well as foot/edge/direction changes.
Threes on the line are better - fewer touchdowns since I started stepping off the the side instead of trying to turn around.
Power threes - once I started CHECKING my arms before stepping forward, much better.
Have to practice doing edges without the "arm/foot through" to build up some more control.

Gold:
Prel MITF spiral pattern was s-l-o-w, but mostly correct. Yay! The Inside-Outside-Inside sets I've been doing are paying off!
I learned to do the Back Power Crossover pattern without reviewing it beforehand.
It's not too bad, compared to the $%^& three turn patterns. LOL

Back Scratch Spins were excellent - one had at least ten revs!
I'm staying down on my knee, keeping my right arm and leg back for quite some time, then snapping into position. I even got out of them cleanly!

Back Camel Spins were good, too!

Squeaked out a few loops near the wall. Landed a bunch of them, but only if I kept those arms checked throughout.
(Which also keeps the free foot in front.)

__________________

I haven’t written here for a while.

Pyrite:
- axels!!!!!! So frustrating! I know what I need to do get this better and I have been told the same thing umpteen times but I still don’t do it.
- I can’t get the ‘spin’ on any doubles. I jump up, start to pull in slowly and then chicken out and put the other foot down. Not sure how to get over this.
- Blades are sooooooooo blunt! I slipped of the take off edge of a salchow.
- Teacher hasn’t been able to give me a private lesson in a while because of the Easter hols.

Gold:
- had a group lesson which was still fun!
- double three turns both forwards and backwards are feeling easier and smooth(ish)
- single flips are feeling nice at the moment, I am happy going into to these with speed and they don’t scare me in at all anymore.

Gold: The Adult Gold double 3-turn pattern that includes forward outside to back inside threes went very well - better than other pattern which is usually easier. Strange, but I'll take it. Coach had me start passing arms before the step across the line and that took a while to catch on.

Coach applauded when I did the inside slide chasse pattern after I fixed early back threes. That's ready to test.

Finally, spins are improving substantially. Got nice comments from a skater's mom about them too. I still travel occasionally though.

Pyrite: Rink closes after this weekend's skate show. Because of work, I won't have much opportunity to skate in Columbus until summer. Sigh.

__________________
Bill Schneider

Pyrite:
Even though school is back in session, there was a bunch of little kids on the ice. Where do they come from? They are mostly clueless and tend to wander around unpredictably or chase each other. Either way, it's a nuisance and something the guards should be taking care of (dream on). One girl actually moved the cones from the center, making a line across the rink with them . I rearranged those after she left the ice for a few minutes, and she didn't mess with them again.

I sooo wish I had not spent years thinking that holding the BI edge till stepping forward after the FO three in Prelim moves was the right way to do it. I'm having fits learning that little flip sideways of the blade to be able to properly push off onto the next FO edge. Once again, flattening the BI edge on the Prelim power threes Choctaw. Of course, that happens on the "good" side. Today the "bad" side was the good side . Still cannot reliably get a one foot spin from a T push, and kept falling to the R on the spins anyway.

Gold:
Feeling more comfortable with FI threes. Did one really good rev on the backspin, meaning I didn't need anyone else to tell me it was a full rev, and it was most definitely on the correct part of the blade. That felt great! F power pulls still work if I just imagine skiing first . B power pulls felt really good, with good knee action and speed.

__________________

Pyrite:
When I got on the ice this afternoon, it was chewed up like it had not been cut all day. Since I had a lesson with Primary Coach, had no choice but to suck it up and deal with it.
On program runthrough during lesson, blew sit and for some weird reason, my free foot came on the heel as I was preparing for my salchow takeoff.


Gold:
Loop jump is getting cleaned up and Primary coach noticed that my sitspin is getting lower!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Gold: Worked mainly on backward edges (which I want as deep and solid as my forward edges - they aren't ) and left 3-turns (my weak side). All my 3-turns need LOTS of work but I have managed to turn everything except the LBI-3 - for some reason I just can't get the body position right for that one

Pyrite: I was SO physically exhausted after a tough few days at work and 1:30 on backwards and turns that I talked my coach into going for coffee and discussing my next program instead of doing a lesson on the ice. Oh well, it all contributes to the end result (I hope!)

__________________
Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Gold:
Great edges and turns last night, for some reason.
Spirals were excellent. My students were for my spiral-3-spiral move, mainly because they can't do three-turns or spirals very well yet. I saw them practicing both later on, so I've done my good deed for the day.
Toe loops and Salchows were good, but not too high. At least I didn't kick myself in the foot again.

Pyrite:
My boots were so loose, I think I could have pulled them off without untying the laces. LOL
Forward crossovers were sloppy (or "sloopy" as I initially wrote) and I didn't point my toes. Fortunately, I was the only one who noticed. Back crossovers were much better.

Tooth-Cracker:
Spring Shows are tough: every week, I'm missing a few skaters from each of my Skating Show groups. I have one kid on my roster who hasn't come to a SINGLE CLASS this 10-wk session and frankly, she needs the ice time. I'm hoping she's dropped out completely because I've had her as a student before and I don't think she can catch up in the few weeks left.

__________________

Here if you miss one practice, you pay for an extra lesson to make it up. Two practices you are out of the show.

j

Gold -

Covered a lot in my moves lesson today. Finally showed my coach my mohawks. I have avoided that and only told her how much I hate mohawks and when I finally showed them to her she said they really were better than I had made them out to be. My left inside mohawk is actually acceptable and I can do that from some speed. Unfortunately the right mohawk is in the Swing and of course the 5 step requires both feet.

First problem with mohawk is that I am doing it heal to heal and it would be less scary if I would put the blade down at my instep. I have a hard time knowing where my foot is and of course I can't put my head down and actually look. We did some at the boards - facing away from the boards --holding behind me because facing the boards I tend to lean too forward. this is one of those moves I just have to make myself do to get comfortable with.

On to back peremiter crossovers. I'm starting these with a 3 turn from a stand still and it's really hard to generate much power after the 3 turn so she made me glide on one foot and then do the 3 turn on the other foot. It actually wasn't that hard and wow, yes, I had some power to get the crossovers going.

So I was doing them on the right edge, had them on pattern but wasn't getting much power. We realized I had my weight on the wrong foot - I need my weight on the foot on the inside edge. DUH - so I need to go back to practicing back inside edges to remember what that feels like.

3 turns - more compliments - she said now I look like I turn when I want to turn, not because my body has rotated ahead of me

Pyrite She had to kind of take back that compliment after she saw my LFO 3 turn...that one still gets away from me.

Lots to work on. Think I'll hunt around for $20 for walk on tomorrow am...

Tonight is picture day for the ice show - looking forward to seeing the girls in costume. I'm not in the show this year because my daughter's prom is that week and she's only doing the Sunday show - next year I definately want to be in the adult number.

j

Gold: My skates have been sharpened.

Pyrites: My skates have been sharpened!

However, by the end of the session they were feeling like "my blades" again, and we got some good practice into our choreography. But would someone tell me how couples and pairs manage to synchronise their movements? I don't know whether we'll ever manage to do the same thing at the same time....

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Pyrite: No skating at all this week because (Thanks to my bursitis-ridden right hip), I have a pulled muscle in my inner left thigh. I might lose 5 sessions on my freestyle card on April 22nd because all of my injuries have kept me off of the morning freestyles!

Gold: I showed my ballet and jazz teachers (and, consequently, all of my classmates) the videos that I had made of myself skating, waltz jumping, spinning, toe-looping . It's nice to know that reguardless of how "bad" I think I look, everyone else thought I looked amazing

Thank goodness for the innocent eyes of muggles for an ego-boost!

__________________
When asked what his "secret" to success was, Wayne Gretsky said: "Skate to where the puck is going and not to where it has been."
Is the figure skating version of this: Skate as if you're doing an axel and not just learning how to hop?