4 leaf clover: Had another great weekend skating with Rob in Atlanta.
Weed: I'm pooped!

__________________
Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

4 leaf clover: Flo and I are finally getting the program together. (Good thing, we only have a few weeks left). We skated Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And, I am back in Baltimore next weekend.

Transitions are finally starting to fall into place. I'm not forgetting the footwork sequence any more. And, we are getting good death spirals.

Weed: My right arm gives out after a few death spirals! Not sure what to try to build my arms up for that particular element.

And, we were both so tired at dinner on Friday night, it was almost like the scene in Cutting Edge where she falls face first in her plate!

__________________
Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
____________________________________________
"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

clover- Omg i had so much speed today, my jumps were good..i was doing them with lots of speed...my spins were pretty good too double axel was only cheated by less than a half turn (thats good for me)

weed I wish i was doing this last week, before my competition...i dont like flying sits!

__________________
dont eat me

Clover:
Coach has given me the go ahead to take Bronze moves on March 29!!!
I got to skate on clean ice today, since the ice was not cut before the freestyle sessions for the afternoon started and when our skating director walked in and saw...... she raised Cain with the PTB.

Weed:
Bronze moves test is borderline passing, so we'll see what happens.
The friggin hockey players from this past weekend's tournament blew out speakers out, so no music today! Especially sucks when you've just started on a new program!
With the late ice cut, our skating director did all she could to keep us on the ice then extra nine minutes, but we were ran off! I'd have loved to be a hole in the wall when she talks to the rink owner on that one!!

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

Clover:
I had the luxury of being able to skate 3 days in a row over a long weekend. Bliss! By last night I was rockin'.
My 1 foot backspin is starting to happen. Way things are going I'll have my backspin back before my forward one foot spin.
everything else fair to middling.

Weed:
Having to go back to work today. when all I want to do is skate. Ah well, tomorrow night isn't that far away.

__________________
Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Actually, I'm named after a weed, so this is probably the wrong way around for me.

Clover:
BO3s are becoming fairly consistent.
Lunges are fine on my right knee.
I keep doing LFO3s because they feel so nice now! This may be counter-productive for getting the FI3s and RFO3s as smooth though.

Weed:
Left knee doesn't like bending enough to do lunges just yet.
Was asked "Have you just started skating?" after spending too long in one spot working on 3-turns. Great confidence-booster!
I think I need to get my blades sharpened, as holding an edge is starting to become a scary experience.

Clover

Worked from home on Monday so sneaked out to the rink. Monday morning practice is a bliss. Preliminary field moves are coming along, and so are other hings. Coach said we can now put a loop into my programme - it's getting consistent, just needs some polishing around take-off. Flip is back, still tentative, but at least I can now land it. Got at least 3-4 revs on all backspins. I feel like I've built some foundation I can now start progressing from.

Weed

As my upright spins improved I discovered a new problem: if I hold it longer than 6-7 revs or spin faster than I used to, I get dizzy and loose orientation - the rink keeps spinning in my head while I'm already gliding out of the spin, very confusing and unpleasant sensation. I wonder if it goes away with more practice.

__________________
My other car is a Zamboni

Have you tried focussing on your hands or something on you? this way its moving the same timing you are.... something I found useful in dance before I did head turns/checking (ballet)... otherwise, train your brain to not focus whilst spinning...

I think its just practise... Im sure other people here can give you better advice... I can only say from my limited experience

__________________
--------------
-Erinna-
aka cassarilda

My Progress Report!
"Did I mention there is only ONE rink in Melbourne?!"
"If you're not flying, you're obviously not trying!!!" - courtsey of the guy who helped me up off the ice after my last spectacular and sore fall

I don't post on these too often because I'm just working away on stuff but I can't resist this time...

Clover: I finally finally finally landed my double sal last night! I think it was three clean ones altogether. Which means I have now achieved my goal in skating.

Weed: Still finishing behind the music in my new program, and messing up the footwork about half the time.

__________________
Where are those knives when I need them?
----------------------------------
I need a detachable left foot!

weed: had my lesson on morning patch 9.30 - 10.30am which is normally great. Today however was the second day of a hockey tournament and my lesson was til 10.30am, so I had the entire hockey crowd (6 teams from Canada and UK) watching me. Wouldn't have been so bad if there were other skaters there but for most of the session there were 3 of us having lessons and for the last 10 minutes there was just me and my coach and a rink full of impatient hockey players. To make matters worse the hockey players mistakenly thought they had the ice from 10am and the rink clock was slow so we didnt' finish til about 10.35! Ever felt like you are NOT the most popular person in the place!

To give them their due I did get compliments from them on my fast backward skating And I was asked if I belonged to a club and did competitions, so they were actually all very polite even when I teased them about being wimps for needing all that padding to skate!!!!!!!!

One of them was in the boot room icing a hurt ankle. I asked him how he hurt it given they'd not been on the ice yet and he said he'd tripped getting off the coach Poor lad!

clover:Managed loop and flip despite embarrassment at being lone figure skater and did a lovely lap of alternating waltz 3 turns followed by alternating waltz jumps and even made a pretty good effort at the alternating salchows (evil coach's idea of a good skating exercise!)

__________________
'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

Congrats, Loops!

Clover: Had a pretty good moves practice last night. The session wasn't too crowded, so I was able to get a lot of patterns in.

Weed: Had blades sharpened on Sunday and had problems stopping - I had to use the wall a couple of times. I don't remember having problems like this the last time I got blades sharpened at this place - hmmm. By the end of the session, I think things were back to normal.

Managed to run through some patterns without scraping on the back crossovers. Unfortunately, that was only about half the time. I've got to get my percentage up!

Clover: I've actually got to go skating this week! I am skating well (my skills are about Basic 2) and started practicing 2 footed turns CCW- I'm a righty, but somehow my most natural turning direction is CW. I figured I needed to change that before I started learning spins. It's really hard to do though, whenever I turn CW I just flip right around and keep skating, whenever I try CCW I do a wide circle.

Weed: The woman from the rink won't get in contact with me about being able to take Basic 3, and just testing past Basic 1/2 instead of taking the class. I'm sure I'd learn SOMETHING from Basic 1/2 but if everyone else is a complete beginner, it's going to be tough to pull something from it. I can already do everything at those levels.

EDIT: Well I just heard back from the woman at the rink and I have a lesson scheduled for Friday. Now I'm just really really nervous about it. What if I'm really awful? So now I don't have a weed- just anxiety over my first private lesson. And fear that the Basic 3-4 class will be pulled for low enrollment and I'll have to take Basic 1-2 anyway.

Way to go!!!! What a great achievement.

Rob

__________________
Geriatric Figure Skating Crew - President for Life!
Georgia Figure Skating Club - President (again)
Facebook
____________________________________________
"I'm too old to die young, and too smart to be happy" - Kinky Friedman, The Mile High Club

2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

Loops - congratulations!

There were tests at our rink this morning, so 4-leaf clovers were in abundance. The judge was practically the most senior International judge this country has, so it must have felt really great to have been passed by her! I didn't see all the tests, but almost all I saw passed, just the last one didn't.

Then I got on the ice for the first of two sessions today, and had my lesson.

4-leaf clover: Interp now finally choreographed. It just needs work, work and more work. Level 3 dance moves coming along, as are back crossovers, but the same problem applies to all of them - I'm simply not getting properly on to an outside edge and staying there. Sigh. I can read the tracings as well as my coach can, and know exactly what's happening, but correcting it is another matter. I'm told I don't stay down long enough in the knee, and I can feel that I don't, but I am having problems fixing it.

But they are better than they were, that's for sure!

Weeds: So we started the "3s in the field" exercise that I shall have to do if I don't pass this test within the next year. Hmmmm. I can't do BI 3s. I can't do very good FI3s (well, one foot's okay, the other is less so). I can't even do very good B03s. But I can do at least one double 3, no problem.... go figure! But this exercise is going to separate an awful lot of sheep from a very great many goats! And I'm afraid I shall number among the goats. Right now, we are practising across the red line at the end of the rink, coach says he's going to teach all his pupils there; it will be a mighty long time before I can do a lap of them, as required!

Having said that, he did compliment me on the FO 3 part of the exercise, saying it was "very nice".

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

Way to go, Terri! You'll have to keep us posted.

__________________
Where are those knives when I need them?
----------------------------------
I need a detachable left foot!

Now it's time to set a new goal! Congrats.

__________________

clover: my new skates came in!!!! we're working on swing rolls and they seem to be going well. changefoot spin is now my fave thing ever!

weeds: still putting the free foot down on my loop and flip. i think my coach is getting frustrated.

__________________
the truth lies in between the 1st and 40th drink - tori amos

GO TERRI GO!!! You can can do this! Remember... "UP YOURS!!!"

YAAAAAY!!! Congrats on those double sals!!!

Clover:

• Managed a couple of nice (for me anyway) camels and camel-sit!
• Got back my flips and my loops!
• Backspin is good and I haven't killed myself on that exercise that Jay gave me last Thursday.

Weed:

• I wished I had the flip at SECTIONALS!!!
• Loops are still inconsistent.
• No room to work on the Bronze Moves pattern! WAAAAY too crowded! Tried to do the patterns and I keep running into someone!!! I ended up going off to a corner to fight for a good LFI mohawk and even THAT was a challenge b/c of the crowds.
• Played around with BO3's. LBO3's are wimpy. RBO3's are non-existent!!!

__________________
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!!!

Went to figure club tonight to practice with the Husband, as we couldn't this morning because of tests.

Four-leaf clover: We actually got through our dance to the music. It was a very horrid thing, but we did it! So now we have to show it to the coach tomorrow.

Weeds: Bashed the back of the car while trying to park it this evening; not bad, but a nasty little dent. Luckily Husband isn't furious with me....

He had a dire run-through of his programme to music, mostly because his skate needed tightening! He says he can do absolutely everything in isolation, but not in context - how well I know that feeling! But he can when it's in our dance, so I'm not sure why he can't in his programme. Which is at the stage of being a Huge Mess, but then, programmes so often are as they come together. I know mine is - it's finished, and just needs work, but boy, does it need work!

Not the right sort of ice for my dance moves, although I did do some relatively good back cross-rolls, I thought. Worked on back crossovers, too, concentrating on staying down in the knee - not sure if I succeeded or not.

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

Weed: Went skating today, legs were sore from hitting the gym yesterday (squats-evil trainer!) It took a while to warm up. Spins were crappy to begin with. There was no way I could work on the sit spin or shoot-the-ducks!!! And to think I get to hit the gym again tomorrow! I'll have to have him lighten up on me a bit so I'm not wrecked for my lesson.

Still having trouble "scooping" or pointing out the toe on the salchow. I know when I don't do it correctly (which is all the time).

4-Leaf Clover: Once I got going-in my new skates-it was good. Worked on a bit of everything, even the wicked mohawks for the show and the horrible back cross-rolls which are ok if I take them at a snail's pace. My waltz jump is NOT scratchy anymore!!!

Worked on the waltz-loop........which I'm finally getting, although it's 2-footed! AND when I did some scratch spins toward the end of the session (when I was really beat) I lifted my free leg up higher than I normally do and did some wicked fast spins!!! One of the mom's complemented me!

I like my new skates!!!! My coach said I can use "new skates" as an excuse for 1 week then nothing is forgiven.

Had a nice conversation with a man who was "acting up" in hockey skates...I went over to ask him what his problem was but I'm glad I didn't (I need to watch my mouth ). He was cross-training for a marathon and today was his "interval" day from his 18-mile run! He was actually very nice! He did apologize for getting too close to me while I was spinning! He said he got carried away and his skates were really sharp (3/8" roh).

AND, last item, they posted notices that this weekend, all the public skates were CANCELLED due to a hockey tournament! There goes my Friday night date night with hubby (we usually skate at the 4-6 pm session).

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

LoopLoop--congratluations on your double sal! Woo hoo!

Skate@Delaware--I'm confused--if the guy was in hockey skates, how did he have a 3/8 inch radius of hollow? I thought hockey skates didn't have two edges and so didn't have a hollow. Or am I hopelessly clueless? I've actually never physically touched a hockey blade.

__________________
Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Actually, they do have a hollow-they just don't have a toepick! You can have them sharpened to any roh you want (assuming the boys know what they are doing ).

They have edges just like ours, and a rocker (mostly, unless you are in real goalie skates which are pretty flat). I'm just not sure what kind of rocker they have-perhaps they get a choice? I don't know.

From what I know-most go with 1/2" roh. Some go deeper, some shallower. Pays to talk to everyone at the rink!

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

Clover: I'm getting new skates!

Weed: I found out they're cancelling the session I take my lesson's on for 3 weeks because of hockey. My coach was really mad about it, as is another coach who has a really high level skater (doing doubles and a few triples), since it's normally 2 weeks for the tournament, and is later in the year. And my coach is forbidding me from doing a sit spin without her watching, so no working on it for me.

Just went to practise on a few things ... The rink was packed... the ice was crap... BUT there was ice, and I had time...

4 Leaf Clover:
My 3-turns are getting better... Im trying to make them neater... and Ive had some comments on how neat they look... which is nice

I also seem to be getting the hang of doing them at speed... and I have to stop my toe pick hitting the ice when I do it.

My forward crossovers are getting much better!!! Not skating in jeans helps SO much!!

My speed/power is increasing... and I think Im getting my balance and posture correct during this..

I tried some "shovels" - or slip chasses!! we'll see...

My backwards is improving...

I did some lunges, and they are getting better.

Weed:

I practised a mohawk sequence that hubby told me about, but of course when I got home, I realised I was doing the easier version silly me!! oh well.. it was a good start anyway...

There were many people there, and they didnt seem to get the idea that all I wanted was a very little circle at one end.. they could have the rest of the rink...

My back crossovers are awfully scratchy and not proper... I think I have to bend more and lean in more. but Im practising... thats all that matters

So, we'll see how we go... Hubby might come along on Friday, which will be very nice

__________________
--------------
-Erinna-
aka cassarilda

My Progress Report!
"Did I mention there is only ONE rink in Melbourne?!"
"If you're not flying, you're obviously not trying!!!" - courtsey of the guy who helped me up off the ice after my last spectacular and sore fall

4 leaf clover - First double jump in about 7 years, double loop! Woo that felt good. I had a Emily Hughes style grin after that one. Most everything else is going sort of ok at the moment.

Weed - Axel has disappeared entirely, I'm not too worried about it though.