Good luck to all our skatingforums.com test-takers!

Thursday 11/8 - doubletoe - Intermediate MIF

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Me too:

Saturday 11/10:
Bronze Moves
Rhythm Blues
ChaCha

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3turn
The Great Skate Experiment

Yay double3s! Show 'em how it's done! Best of luck.

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Go Double3s! Let's have a DOUBLE pass this week!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Good luck to double3's...

And am thinking of doubletoe this morning on her Int. Moves test. Show 'em how it's done, girlfrend!!!

What the heck...

~~~ MORE good Int. Moves vibes ~~~> doubletoe

~~~ Good test vibes ~~~> double3's

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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!!!

Crossing fingers, toes and eyes. (Thought of you this morning, but didn't get on the internet until now.)

aaaaannnnndddddd.......????????

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(Better post before I ran out of nails to bite there!!! Of course, if you're testing, take your time!!!)

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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!!!

Well. . . I took a half day off work today so that I could practice on my test ice this afternoon at the beginning of the public session with my coach. I skated all my moves beautifully for him and he was really positive and complimentary. He was sure I was going to pass and was even kind of excited.

On the test session, I didn't do too badly in the 5 minute warmup but I could tell I was a little nervous and I noticed the ice was much harder than it had been in the afternoon (it's always a hockey session right before our Thursday evening test sessions so that could be why).

I started my test and got through the forward and backward power circles just fine, but as soon as I started the first of the back power 3's pattern, the fear and nerves took over and my knees just froze up! I pretty much lost it and fell apart a little on the clockwise ones after that. So I knew I would have to re-skate that entire move in both directions and could not make any mistakes on the next 3 moves. So of course that made me nervous, which made my back double 3's weaker than usual, and the nerves crept in a little on the brackets as well, even the ones that are normally really smooth. I got through them, but they were nowhere near the quality I normally do. Needless to say, the nerves on the back double 3's and brackets put me just under passing on those and sealed my fate. I was not given a chance to re-skate the back power 3's. That "Thank you" from the judges who aren't giving you a chance to re-skate anything is the only "Thank you" I actually hate.

I am really frustrated and upset because I know it's all mental at this point. 5 of these 6 moves were on the Adult Gold MIF test, which I passed on the first try TWO years ago, but the passing standard REALLY is higher on the standard track test and the new back power 3's move just messes with my head. . . I don't really need this test for anything, which makes me even madder! I could just let it go, but I don't want to let this test get the best of me so I guess I will take it again. I just think I'd better take it at a different rink because I now have a pretty strong association with messing up the back power 3's and failing at our rink. So I am going to find out how to test at the rink I practice at on Sundays, which is Olympic sized (no danger of running into the boards like I did last year on the back power 3's) and has softer ice, which is much kinder to shaky edges.

Double 3's, may you have soft ice, kind judges and no nerves. I hope to hear a positive report from your test!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Awwww, man!!! I'm sorry to hear about that, doubletoe. Yeah, test nerves usually gets me and I'm figuring it out that it's usually it's on MOVES tests that it hits me, not FS tests (though obviously it doesn't mean I don't get nervous on FS tests either!!!)

(((doubletoe)))

How close are you to passing? If you're REALLY close, get back in there and take it again the next chance you have! You *KNOW* you're ready for it! You just have to BELIEVE that you ARE READY for it and show 'em how it's done!!! Meanwhile, you have a bit more time practicing that back power 3's move in the CW direction a bit more. Get it so it comes naturally and it will be a matter of time that you'll pass it!!!

Go get 'em, kiddo!!!

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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!!!

Thanks, Jazzzpants. . . Without the nerves, I would venture to say I'm passing already, but with the nerves. . . These were my actual scores, with passing for each move being 3.2:

Forward Power Circles: 3.3, 3.1, 3.2 = 3.2 avg

Back Power Circles: 3.3, 3.2, 3.2 = 3.23 avg

Back Power 3's: 3.0, 2.9, 3.0 = 2.97 avg

Back Double 3's: 3.2, 3.1, 3.1 = 3.13 avg

Brackets: 3.2, 3.0, 3.0 = 3.07 avg

The ironic thing is that the toughest, highest level judge is the one who passed me the passing score on the brackets. Go figure.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

@@@@Hugs@@@@ Doubletoe. I know how frustrating it is when you know you could skate well enough to pass and didn't. Been there, done that.

Next time, okay?

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

doubletoe, I'm sorry to hear you didn't pass! Intermediate moves are rotten. I struggled with them for years before passing and they are to date the only test I cried over when I passed. There is a huge jump from Juvenile to Intermediate in terms of skating ability, demands of the test, and a whole slew of new skills are introduced. Don't be disheartened! Sometimes tests are as much about getting over your nerves as they are about skating your best. Just because you don't "need" the test doesn't make it a worthless goal. Next time, baby, you'll kick those moves' butts!!

Sorry for the retry, doubletoe.
Vesper, I cried when I passed too! I was SOOO happy when it happened. Mine could have passed the first time (passed 1 judge, didn't pass 2 judges by 0.2 total, no reskate) and if I had ever taken a MIF test previously (I passed my Gold FS before MIF implemented), I probably would have gotten over the nerves on that first try and gotten them then. The biggest thing I found that was different on my passing test was I projected confidence, even on the move I hated (CCW power 3's - my non-rotational direction)! I took my time between each move to take a deep breath and a drink of water when I needed it. My coach wasn't even there because we found out at the last minute I was on the session! I just remembered what to focus on on each move.

So sorry doubletoe, I was rooting for you to blow them away with your skating.

I hope you retake the test and do really, really well on it next time!

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Aren't we silly! I didn't even cry when I passed Junior moves in January! I probably will when I pass Senior, though. *fantasizes about being a gold medalist*

Yes, that really makes a huge difference. I smiled my way through the tests, even though I was going "friiiiiiick" in my head the whole time. Maybe that's what testing is really about: Learning look like you know how to skate while simultaneously panicking in your head.

Thanks, everybody. (((HUG)))

Yeah, I know the confidence projection is important, and believe me, I was fine until my knees locked up on the first back power 3 and made me stumble through that set and the whole rest of that move! I did manage to project confidence again once I got to the final move (Slide Chasse), but I guess I'm just not quite that good at faking it yet. I will need to do these back power 3's over and over and over in practice until I feel like I can do them in my sleep, and then pretty much step on the ice for my next test with an "I'll show you, you blastards" attitude!

I saw two Juvenile MIF tests last night and it occurred to me that a major disadvantage of going from the adult track to the standard track is that you skip some of the moves that will prepare you for the next standard track test. There's a back power 3's move on the Juvenile test that makes it much easier for the kids to master the back power 3's on the Intermediate test, and I didn't take the Juv test so I guess that would explain why I seem to have so much more trouble on these things than everyone else. I was starting to think I was just developmentally disabled. :p

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

The move that gives you the most problems should be the one used for daily warm up. I hate the perimeter to quick rocker choctaws on the Novice test, so it is used by me for warm up at least 60% of the time I'm on the ice. It gets progressively better each time I work on it because I choose to focus on it. When I was preparing for the Intermediate test, I patched brackets and double threes a minimum 1/week for the entire summer and then worked on the MIF pattern seperately from my patch session. This helped my understanding of the turns and control which enabled me to skate both of these patterns well when it came time to test. I spent part of this summer patching counters and rockers (counters on the Novice test AND in my circular step sequence and rockers in my circular step sequence and on the junior test). I have asked my coach not to focus on testing until spring/summer 2008 because I have other things to focus on right now.

Yes, using my most hated move as my warmup every time I skate is probably a good idea. . . as much as I would hate that level of adrenaline surging through my barely awake body as soon as I step onto that rock hard early morning ice. . .

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Double 3's, thinking of you and wishing you calm nerves and perfect edges today! Let us know how it goes!

Meanwhile, I just found a December 14 test session at an Olympic sized rink that usually has softer ice than ours, so I am signing up to re-take that blasted Intermediate MIF test there!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Good Luck, double3's!!! We're looking forward to hearing about your test results!!!

YAAAAY!!! And since it's an Olympic size rink, running into the wall will be one less worry for you during the test!!! All you have to do is let go and push thru the moves!!! You can do this!!!

(WOW!!! Same day as when Terri C is gonna take her Bronze FS test too! I'll have a double whammy day then!!! Better grow out my nails... LOL!!!)

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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!!!

ROFLMAO!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Thanks everyone! I passed all three tests! Excessive detail (and photos!) are here.

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3turn
The Great Skate Experiment

Congratulations double3s, you are probably are very excited, excellent job! Oh my 23days till I take some of my tests, yikes!!

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2014 and 2018 Olympics here I come!

Skating, skating all day long, skating, skating all night long! May seem tiring to some people but not me, it's my life!!

Goals: Triple Loop, Novice Competitive, Sr.Silver Dances, Gold Artistic, and top 3 at Sectionals

Way to go, Double3's!!!

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

YAAAAAY!!! Congrats to you, double3's!!!

(Yeah, I *hate* those forwars power 3's too!)

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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!!!