Where the heck is the new practice thread? Isn't anybody skating today?

Oh well, in honour of my on-again off-again right ankle, let's try this title!

Healthy Well, for my pathetic level of skating, back Mohawks were working fine, 3-Turns work when my coach is watching and fall apart when she isn't. I spend a bunch of time on backward skating and edges - still trying to build my strength and comfort level backards. It was a good session and my ankle didn’t bother me at all - I made it through the full 2 hours.

Injured My forward Mohawks STINK!

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

Healthy:
Skated on an almost empty public session today and was determined to really begin working again, in spite of the fact that I still do not have a coach and have spent the past year doing almost nothing. Started off kind of wobbly, even on pre-pre edges, but after about 20 minutes, they had solidified. Got in 3 repetitions of spiral stretches at the boards, and they did feel better each time. Does anyone else work up a sweat just from stretching ? Worked on LBO transition in Pre BXO pattern, as the RBO is great, but I have trouble opening my hip on the L. It was surprisingly good. F & B cross strokes were OK.

Injured:
FO and FI three turns were not cooperating, and I could not get the BI Choctaw in the Pre power three pattern without touching down first. I'm sure this has something to do with lack of turn out, but I'm also sure I can do it, if I work persistantly enough at it. Power pulls...ugh! I didn't have the strength for the B, and didn't have the confidence for the F. Pre spirals - well this is really a little of both healthy and injured. Healthy that I even attempted it, and injured that I couldn't finish it. It was towards the end of the session and I just completely pooped out after the first FI spiral. Also, I'm quite certain that my free leg was lower than hip height on every spiral that I did attempt.

Getting Well:
Aviator is open! I am going to try to skate there a few times a week, and also may be able to take some of my private students there.

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So does this mean that you got yourself a teaching gig there, or does this mean that you're just taking your students out there for fun to "try out the new place?"

Healthy:

• One foot spin
• Sit spin
• All jumps up to and including salchow

Getting well:

• Camels - not quite in position (Leg's a bit too low.) Still an "almost" camel, but when I am spinning, it's about 2-3 rev. now...
• Flips - landed a couple!

Injured:

• Me!!! (Well, not really injured... just not feeling sluggish...)
• Flips - Had a couple of almost nasty tries at the flip as well as some good ones! (Terri and e-skater, I already told you what's going on... )
• The ice... it was slush by the time I actually got out of work, got dinner and replaced my missing blade guards

DOA:
Loops!

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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!!!

Healthy: Last lesson (couples' lesson, that is) before the Championships! Our most senior elite couple had their last lesson before the Nebelhorn Trophy, too, so lots of "Best of luck and skate great!" "You too!" "See you in Vienna" going on (they're also doing the Karl Schafer, so we're going to watch at least their free dance out there, and probably more).

I could wish our coach was more encouraging - he was saying grumpily that he supposed our free dance was all right but our compulsories were awful. Which they aren't, at least, objectively I expect they are, but I do think they'll do. Well, they'll have to. Mind you, given his soothsaying skills, that probably means we'll win the compulsories and skate badly in the free...! Hope we win the compulsories and skate great in the free....!

Anyway, another skater who was watching (herself a coach, but not at our rink), said we were looking good, and our edges were stronger (well, the coach said that, too, but....)

Injured: Trouble is, Husband believes the coach that we're crap, and so it becomes self-fulfilling. He gets very pessimistic.... but then, so does the coach, I suppose it's the way men express their nerves?

Both he (Husband, not coach) and I have funny tummies today, must have eaten something that disagreed with us. Oh well, not serious enough to stop us skating, and that's the main thing.

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

Healthy: Had a really good lesson today after comng back from back injury (not caused from skating - from housework - knew there was a good reason to avoid that! )

Edges and field moves felt good.

Jumps and spins were OK. landed a loop-loop before my lesson - first decent one ever!

After lesson I ran through bits of my programme and managed to get the loop and the Flip absolutely fine. In fact I did the step sequence several times and landed the flip at the end 5 times out of 5!

landed a Lutz for first time ever too! Well OK, I think I balanced on the toepick before take-off rather longer than strictly desirable but I went round and landed on one foot . Wonder if I'll ever manage it again!

Injured: Why, oh why did I pull out of the British Adult Champs? . If only I'd known my skating would come back this good I'd have competed. oh well I wasn't to know and I haven't actually done my programme to the music so maybe it's just as well.

Injured:

Have a nasty cold and conjunctivitis so am off work (and of course, the ice).

I think it'll be gone by the weekend.

Well it had BETTER be, I'm coming to watch the comp. on Sunday and have volunteered to be driver for the day....

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

One of Annabels laws of skating, I didnt apply for Bracknell because I thought I wouldnt be up to it, and of course I was. Never mind BatikatII as everyone probably tells you, there is always next year. The pressure of having to get it together in record time would probably have not been good for your back anyway, so the programme will be even better next year.

Sonic get well soon, looks like everyone is depending on you, no pressure.

Injured: I went up to the Skating Club of Wilmington for the program (social) dance session last night, for the second time. I'm discovering how much harder it is to try any of this with a random selection of partners than it is doing the patterns solo...coach always makes everything look easy.


Healthy: Well, at least my motivation level is up...too early in the week to say much else as I don't have a lesson until Thursday.

Rob

Precisely! SarahG and I are counting on you to be fit and well and chauffeur us around for the day

Honestly though, please don't worry about it if you're feeling rough. It's better for you to stay at home, rest and recover quickly. There's always next year - when perhaps we can come and watch you take part!

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"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

And I'm counting on you guys for spectating company but yep, as Minty says, if you're too sick then a day in bed would be more valuable, if less enjoyable.

Clare

Thanks for the get well wishes guys, and don't worry, I WILL get better for the weekend.

Mintypoppet with any luck I'll be at the teatime session on Thurs. and we can discuss what time etc on Sun.

S xxxx
PS - whadya mean, 'when perhaps we can come and watch you take part!'? Don't think you're getting out of it lol!

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Neither. It means that I'm going to speak with the skating director about guest coaching on their public sessions. The website says guest coaches are welcome but must contact director first - about insurance most likely. If their commission is too high, I many not do it.

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My ice dance coach was talking about going up to the social dances...it's been something that we've toyed with doing. She is good (her and her partner are master's level, but I only "know" the dutch waltz 100%). They sound like such fun, though.

Maybe we will go up once I get a few more dances under my belt (we are currently working the canasta tangle (which is hopeless) and the rhythm blues (which I almost have).

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

Injured: Rehabbing hip slowly, very arduous and slow, very annoying that can't do things I could do with torn ligament and several other problems currently skating badly by normal standards but good if you take things into account.

Healthy: Well,...I didn't die during the operation so that must be a plus.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Healthy:
I am finally getting on top of those back power 3's in the Intermediate MIF. I recognize this feeling of a move coming under control and coming into the realm of "passing level" and I looove reaching that point! It just seems to have taken forever with this one!

After adding one more position to my spiral sequence, I had to re-choreograph the setup for the next jump and it turned out to be a real blessing in disguise. After trashing the idea of replacing the flip with an axel, I came up with a new entry and positioning for the flip and it is working SO much better than the original one! Instead of doing back crossovers into a 3-turn-flip, I'm now doing forward crossovers into a mohawk-flip and suddenly getting so much more power and height on the jump.

Injured:
* My camel spin and camel-sit were unusually problematic on Sunday. I suspect my left hip, which has been giving me a little trouble lately. So I took yesterday and today off to give my hip a rest.
* My double toe drove me nuts on Sunday. My takeoff was perfect, but once I went into it with plans to do a double instead of a single, I either aborted the jump before even leaving the ice, or I didn't pull up straight in the air and messed myself up. This irrational fear of being straight and tight in the air is so ridiculous. Arrghh.

Injured:

Yes, I am. Have been off ice and mostly even out of the gym with a throbbing hip flexor injury on the right. I think I should be back on the ice next week--spending this week doing little bits of rehab so the muscle doesn't ping again (VERY painful!).

Injured: Got my blades sharpened yesterday but they slightly over did the sharpening and found that when I got on the ice today (Tuesday), I could not stop at all. It took me half an hour of stroking, running my blades on the plastic where the doors are on the boards to get my blades dull enough to start stopping. Finally by the end of the session I could stop. Thankfully this was not on my club ice but on the Tuesday Public Adult ice session that the Town of Tecumseh runs for $2. The ice was like skiing on powder; no grip and it just flaked away it was so dry. There were a few people with sticks and pucks on the ice but they kept there distance from every one. Just meant that it wasn't going to be a session that I could try to do dances or programs.

Healthy: Now that my blades were sharpened and that the pro shop that I went to got out the bumps between the ball of my foot and the toe pick, I'm now able to hook my spins again. Yes, I did have 13 revs but it wasn't from hooking the spin. Now I've got my spins to center even better.

Got my salchow to take off clean again without sliding before hitting the toe because my blades were fixed. Also my toe loop and waltz jump landings didn't slide after landing on the toe pick and then rolling to the ball of my landing foot. That was freaking me out for quite a while.

Did some stroking and worked off a few calories while dulling up my blades enough so that I could stop. Never can get enough cardio to slim down. LOL

Helped this hockey player/skater (she was one of the skaters with the sticks and pucks) work on her backward crosscuts. She had her arms all wrong and wasn't crossing under with her inside foot. Found out that she had her blades shapened flat and didn't have two distinct edges. Told her to bring her skates to Brian's Custom Pro Shop http:// www.5192545733.yp.ca to be sharpened and to have her boots profiled too when she complained about one of her feet giving her problems. I just hate it when people think that adults just skate recreationally and don't deserve to have edges when getting their skates sharpened.

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"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

Healthy:

• One foot spin
• Sit spin
• All jumps up to and including salchow

Getting well:

• Flips - landed ONE!

Injured:

• Me!!! (Still sick...resting rest of the day!!! )
• No secondary coach! Don't know what happened to her but no lesson! (Was soooo tempted to turn around to go home instead of skate today too!)
• Flips - Lots of two footed landings and one aborted attempt!!!
• Smooth ice but slightly bruised in one small spot! Was promptly patched up!!! (I didn't run over it but others mentioned about it... and I saw the guy come out, bucket of ice in hand...)

DOA:
Loops! (Don't ask!!!)

__________________
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!!!

Healthy:
Bronze moves were good yesterday on lesson!
I actually did a sitspin that had the thigh to calf connection.... kept in mind that I need to ride the outside edge going in before I snap the free leg to the front.

Injured:
While the moves were good on lesson, lesson took place on hard, chewed up ice that had been skated on earlier in the day by the local pro hockey team. While the ice was cut between team and us, it's still rather hard. As a result, my legs are killing me today!
Ice was so hard that I couldn't get into a edge for the loop and had a hard time practicing jumps- it was crowded!!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Injured Well I went to the physiotherapist today to see about my wonky ankle. It took her only 15 minutes to diagnose what was wrong. She had me stand on my tip-toes, then my heels, then roll my feet to the inside, then the outside. Then she had me lay down and she flexed my foot this way and that asking “Does this hurt?”. Then she started probing my ankle with her thumb asking “Does this hurt?” “No.” “This?” “No.” “This?” and when she pried me down off the ceiling she didn’t need to ask! Apparently I have a “Class 1" sprain (the best kind - Class 3 is surgery!) Who’d’a thunk you could sprain your #$@% ankle in today’s “Iron Maiden” skating boots doing gentle relaxed backward change-of-edges! Goes to show that the little things can sometimes bite!

Healthy The good news is that it shouldn’t interfere with my skating and we have begun a course of treatment to heal the damage.

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

Yeah! Glad you're on the road to recovery. Just no triple Axels for you, K!

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"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

Healthy: Well things are definetly getting better. I can actually do two footedspins on the new skates and the idea of a one footed spin doesn't seem too far off either... although a backspin will probably come first. And I can hold backward outside edges!

Injured: What happened to my forward stroking and forward crossovers? They disappeared with the new skates. I'm also annoyed I have to get my skates resharpened after only 5 hours because the sharpener didn't do a good job.

Unhealthy: Can I please not be sick anymore? I work at a daycare and took on some extra work and one of the babies got me sick, and I'm having to stay up and work at night. By "stay up" I mean like 10:00 but I'm not doing well. The skin around my eyes is pratically black from lack of restful sleep and all day I kept thinking the floor was going to fall out from under me- but there aren't any subs available so I have to go to work. I start a new job next Monday, and I really don't want to be sick when I start.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Healthy: Well, we're ready! Bring on the Adult Championships. One good run-through of everything this morning to the music, plus a little playing around to clarify where we were still fumbling a hold change.

Injured: Mind you, if Husband skates like he did today, he won't do just so well! His free skating wasn't all it could have been.

My level 3 dance moves. Deep sigh. Will I ever get them right? Did make some progress today, though, and the coach gave me an off-ice exercise to help, which should help with my kneebend. Honestly, just skating has given me well-toned legs & bum, if I do this exercise (especially if I do it on my balance ball, which I think he wants me to), I really will be toned! I can feel my thigh muscles right now....

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

Injured:
Where have all my combination spins gone? I can hit the first position, but I lose my sweet spot when I try to change position. I thought I had adjusted to the new blades by the end of last week, but it looks like I'm having a "new rocker relapse." Sigh.

Healthy:
Thank God at least one thing was still working when I skated my program this morning: the spiral sequence.

Injured: my knee is still achy from my weird salchow landing the other day....I've been icing and wrapping it at night (at night I put biofreeze on it). I've been tired and feeling run-down. My program run-throughs were lame and I bailed on the drunken sailors. I'd like a different footwork in it instead...but I don't see that happening.

Healthy: Despite feeling blah, tonight's skate was pretty good. My warmup was pretty good and I really did nice crossovers! Although I'm still fighting the backwards one-foot glide, they are improving. My jumps were better, I tried to push off more and get some height. My coach called me over and taught me (with my daughter) the ISI pattern for freestyle 2 & 3-they are a dancy thing with mohawks (inside and dreaded outside)... Not too bad.

It was hard to dodge some of the little kids tonight for back spirals so I waited until the end of the session, when most leave for home. They are improving and should be good. I can go from the center to the hockey dots in a fairly straight line if I extend my opposite shoulder.

Gave my coach my music for next season last time we met and she gave me feedback...she really likes it. I told her to cut it-I was through messing with it. I don't care what she charges. She likes my daughter's music also. Should be fun!

I tried some spins, bringing up my free leg higher as well as circling my arms as though hugging a beach ball. I had done this in the past but got lazy. I actually had some very nice spins. Not too centered but better than the ones I've had recently. I also worked on exiting them correctly (facing the right way).

Ok, I'm tired now....trying not to catch what's going around. Not skating tomorrow as I have appointments and sewing to do (it's that time of year again).

ps-attempted some loops. my daughter played "coach" and suggested I throw my upper body into it....which didn't really seem to help. I'm hopeless at this point. Then we tried some flips which made her laugh hysterically......I give up. I'm too tired to care right now.

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