((((HUGS)))) Sorry

Wounded A bunch of college hockey girls thought it would be a great idea to warm up in our rink - because games were going on in all the other rinks - "there is no where else for us to go." Played their music sooo loud that it was drowning out everyone trying to do their program. Several us complained to rink mgmt and some complained to their coach (who wouldn't do anything because there is no where else for them to warm up). They were yelling and making fun of some of the skaters doing their programs. Yeah, we see you...now get over yourselves. Luckily, they left before I had my lesson.

Proud Other than being super annoyed, I had a good lesson. Went through my program and ended with the music. Worked with coach on some arm positions so that program is "prettier" in the places where it is lacking. Camel spins were better, but we decided to take out the camel-sit. Program will have 1 plain camel and 1 camel-backspin or camel-scratch-backscratch. Worked on arms in the backspin and got them better. Flip not bad. Loop jump good. Lutz not bad.

Wounded Coach not happy with sit or backsit. Not low enough.

Proud Second run through pretty good. Ended before the music. Feels so good especially since I was struggling to keep up with it last week.

Last lesson on freestyle ice for a few weeks. Rink is stopping freestyle sessions for some reason, so it's back to public ice.
Marching proud Made it two times around the rink stroking backwards on my own--this is the bane of my skating skills. People stare because when I"m nervous I hum music from the Pirates of Penzance, so I started counting instead (which appears to be socially acceptable). Will this backwards stroking never end?
Crossovers are back! (Again!) How many of you have had to relearn stuff over and over again? At least the 3rd time around it doesn't take as long.

Wounded in Battle My butt sticks out on my figures....sigh.

Started 3 turns (again!) on the boards. Coach points. "That's the ankle you broke. I can tell" Apparently my left leg waves around in panic mode when I'm on the formerly broken right ankle. She also diagnoses that I don't do "down-up-down", but "up-down-up-down-up". It's killing me to get rid of those extra 'ups'.

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Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

Wounded: Last ice of the season tomorrow night, then back to scrounging all over the state for an hour here and there.

Marching Proud: Stellar season to look back on:

• Passed Bronze Free
• Passed Hickory Hoedown with extra points
• New freestyle coach
• New dance coach (driving 180 miles EACH WAY though)
• Gained solid loop from back crossovers
• Progress towards fully rotated flip (still slightly cheated)
• Ready to partner Willow Waltz
• Started working on Ten Fox at last!
• Can finally do all Silver Moves straight through; three are at pass level, 8 step needs additional speed and power, and back 3 patterns need to be bigger

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You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

(((((kim)))))) So sorry. You're having a bad year so far. Hope it gets better soon.

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Marching proud:
I'm skating again! Was too tired/lazy/just needed a good break. Anyways I started basic ice dancing lessons and know how to do (sorta) a progressive, chasse and swing roll yay

I also randomly tried my jumps and I can still do all of them singles plus the double salchow

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~
Tidesong

Agnes,
What rink is this? I know that I've heard etchings of the Charlottesville rink closing and Prince William had a roof collapse during one of the blizzards, so I was wondering what rink is stopping freestyle when there's such little ice to skate on as it is.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Coach told me it's the Sat Freestyle... But rink sched shows it still up. I'm confused now. Sent you PM.

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Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

So sorry, Kim. I hope you can find something else in your skating right now to thoroughly enjoy.

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

Marching:
Hrm, not much from today. Got in a few stork spins that were really fast...gonna have to get used to it so I don't end up dizzy afterward!

Financial situation has settled down a bit that I might be able to get back to class soon. Thank heaven. Still haven't decided what I want to do when it comes to classes, though. Emailed a couple of the rink buddies since I haven't seen them in a while (they haven't been at public skate lately when I've been there) wanting to get together with them for lunch, and would like to run my situation by them too. (For those who don't remember, my dilemma is between classes at my current club, with the rink buddies, where I was learning most recently, or classes at a different club, which would be cheaper but wouldn't have friends there--there are some coaching differences between the two as well. Long story; I posted about it once. Rink buddies have both been at both classes, so they might be able to give me opinions on what they think I should do.)

Wounded:
Ugh. Bad skate day, IMO.

For one, I am so very sick of public sessions I could scream. They're so crowded, and so chock-full of clueless little kids (some of whose parents don't correct them or even watch them) that I feel like I can barely accomplish ANYTHING. I think I'm going to need to pony up for some freestyle sessions, and/or get back into skating at the "school" rink near where I work. The school rink isn't as near to work as I'd like, and I hate the time (3:30-4:30, which means I get back to work just in time to pack up and go home--ouch; my coworker keeps saying, "why don't you just go straight home?" Because I want to make it clear I'm taking my lunch hour rather than just leaving early, dumb as that sounds. It might be time to talk to the boss and let him know I'm planning on doing this maybe once a week; he won't care, but that way if someone else says something, I can tell them I already cleared it with the boss. And I feel like it might just be common courtesy to let him know if I'm taking a longer lunch one day and making it up from other days).

For the most part, spins were so-so. I can do a stork spin kinda okay, but when I start trying to turn it into a real scratch, all hell breaks loose. I can sorta-kinda get my leg to the point where it's out in front of me (though no further), but that different leg position changes my balance just enough that I don't have it down yet. Actually getting it crossed over is not anywhere in the near future, I don't think! I tried it on one and immediately hit the ice, so, yeah.

Salchows are still wussy. Very, very wussy. I mean, I can sometimes land a tiny one that is decent for a tiny one, but ugh, I'm tired of my wussiness.

Toe loops also not so great. Problem is that I realized that for the pick, I was actually turning my foot out to the side, rather than leaving it pointed to the front. All the better to cheat the jump with, my dear, no doubt. So I've been trying to do it correctly and, obviously, not having as much success with the jump as I was before. But I'm not mad about that because again, now I'm trying to do it correctly.

3-turns and mohawks pretty much sucked today. Dunno what my problem was. Last couple of times they actually were improving.

Tried a couple spirals, but I can only get those in at the very end of the session, in those last few seconds when most everyone else has left the ice and before the zamboni dudes cut me down with laser glares of death for staying on the ice too long, so the ice is all scratchy, hard to get up speed, feel rushed, etc. So spirals sucked especially much today.

Fell a few times but didn't hurt any of those times. Stumbled a LOT of times and felt like an idiot, but oh well.

Still do not have the edge control I want. I know I need to work on it more. In part I don't because I want to have a lot of room, which is difficult at a public, and in part because it's just so discouraging when I do try; I feel like I don't get anywhere, so I don't want to work on it. But I know I should really try to whip myself into shape. I still need a lot of work on the basics, and i really want to get solid on that before I do too much with the more fancy stuff.



Gave advice to another skater today...a couple girls; one was trying to teach the other back crossovers. I was watching, and realized the one was trying to cross her foot in BACK. I don't usually like to butt in on people and give tips, for a lot of reasons (just like our thread about that), but I felt bad for her because learning back x-overs is hard enough without starting out doing it wrong. So i let them know she needed to be crossing that foot in front, and demonstrated. The friend that was helping her acknowledged that she THOUGHT the girl was doing something wrong, but couldn't figure it out (probably was too close--she was holding onto the girl's hands to help her keep balance). I hope I helped. They asked me to demonstrate a few more times, but the girl said she was pretty confused. Maybe she'll keep working on it and figure it out, though.

Also forgot a couple weeks ago to share a funny story. That day on the ice there was a lady with her two young daughters, and she was clearly trying to teach them figure skating. The younger one was probably four, MAYBE five? and I saw her skate over to a little hockey boy the same age and say, "can I tell you something?" I didn't hear most of the conversation as they were several feet away, but I heard the little girl say something about "my mom" blah blah blah and I think she was telling the boy her mom was teaching them to skate and I got the gist she was either trying to tell him how to do something (presumably that she'd seen him doing in a manner she thought was incorrect), or telling him her mom could teach him, or something. The conversation lasted a few minutes, and then I heard him say something about "my dad" and I assume it was something like, "my dad is teaching me" and he was essentially blowing her off. So as he skated away, she got this super-indignant look on her face and yelled after him, "but you can't even skate backward!" I wanted to crack up right there on the ice. It was just so obvious she thought he couldn't skate for beans, and he wasn't listening to her, and she was just so mad about it. Too funny.

Thank you all....I was quite bummed on Friday and Saturday about the whole thing. I'm frustrated with myself because I know I can do it, I just can't seem to put it all together on the day of the test.

I still haven't looked at the test papers. I don't know if I will anytime in the near future.

I also know that there are several factors that went into Friday's bad test: 1) I ran straight from an all day work meeting that wasn't over when I left and I thought I was going to be late getting to the rink 2) I can't get any quality practice in at my rink because the kids are clueless (I've been raising a stink about this at my rink) 3) I generally crack under pressure.

Friday I was ready to give up and to not test them again - I was that disgusted with myself. Then today, I had a reminder in someways...one of the sweet little girls at the rink (who I have had for LTS too) got last in one of her events at the comp this weekend and was crying. I reminded her that if she skated her best and had fun, that is what is important...I guess it was a reminder to me that while I didn't skate my best, I tried and while testing is certainly not fun, skating is. I told the kiddo that I didn't pass (it was one of the first times that I had told someone what had happened) which was in some ways a turning point for my mood about the entire thing.

I don't know what the plan is entirely. The club show is on 3/27-28, so we won't be doing moves until after that (plus, I'm gone from the 19th-22nd at a conference!!). I know that there is a test session on April 25th and one on May 15th (but the one on the 15th may not have high enough judges, I don't know). We are probably going to take a bit of a break from Junior moves...another coach (who I took lessons from when Coach had her baby) suggested to my Coach that she teach me the Senior moves to break things up, give me something new to work on and to perhaps boost that confidence a bit - and to give me start on working on them too . The other option is dance, the agreement between us is that we would start dance after senior moves, so who knows what we will do.

A lot of folks at my rink (and other rinks!) are so stunned that I didn't pass and I don't want to say that they feel sorry for me, but they definitely feel for me because they see how hard I work at it. A coach I goof off with sometimes said that she won't let me quit because I am so close. And one of the mothers from the rink I tested at, who has seen me skate a bunch when I skate there, was so shocked. But she takes the cake when it comes to comments....#1. What happened? Our rink is bigger!!! ((I hit the wall on all 4 sets of rockers)) and #2. Next time you test, let me know and I will find some kids to put out there so you have to dodge them.

I'm glad I have a bit of a vacation coming up with this conference because that means I am off the ice starting Friday and won't get back on the ice until Wednesday or Thursday (depends on what time I get back from Boston). I usually don't like taking time off, but I think I need it after this...

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

Kim, I'm so sorry! (((((Hugs!!!!))))

wounded: tonight's lesson was painful! Many of the problems I've been having with the flip relate to poor technique learned YEARS ago from my first instructor, who never bothered to correct mistakes, or teach how to check! Now we have to deconstruct my LFO 3-turns to fix them. I think this is the last 3-turn left to fix.

I almost got creamed twice by clueless girls skating backwards NOT WATCHING WHERE THEY WERE GOING! I was spinning (sit) one time, and doing a loop jump the 2nd. Barely got out of the way each time. I was in a lesson. Complaints fall on deaf ears. My coach will talk to the director. Hopefully, that will have more of an effect.?

Marching proud: loop went a bit better, as long as I bend down more...I can actually get off my toepicks! Some progress is better than none.

Trying to figure when I can skate next is a chore; but Friday I'm free from school/clinicals so that will be my overload day! 2 back-to-back sessions (one public/one freestyle). Then I need to figure out when my pairs partner can meet up with me and skate.

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

(((Kim to the Max)))

Marching Proud:
It's slowly and steadily improved during the lesson... to the point where I managed to start reworking my sit spin during the lesson. Not perfect, but the spin got better and better thru the lesson to the point where I was able to get back my sit spin and my spin coach was VERY HAPPY with the progress!!!

Wounded in Battle and carried off on a gurney:
*sigh* My spin entry is still in the dumper though!!! ESPECIALLY when I tried to do camel spin. QUITE frustrating for my spin coach!!!

And tomorrow my skates will be in surgery... getting the blade alignment changed to see if it would make a difference in some of my weak spots (i.e. power pulls on the right foot, spin entry...)

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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!!!

Marching Proud: Last couple of days on the ice (last Friday's lesson and yesterday's practice) have gone pretty well. I had been skating with a knee brace on my perpetually wonky left knee for the past few weeks, but felt good enough to go without the last couple of days. It really is easier to bend my knees without that thing!

Worked on some evil axel exercises in my lesson, and then was instructed to alternate between my back crossover entry on the circle, and just doing them from a standstill on the line. I'm getting the weight transfer pretty well, just not enough height. The standstill entry did seem to help with that..all I had to focus on was jumping UP.

Just for fun, went to a public skate with my 18 year old daughter and 23 year old nephew. Nephew hasn't skated since an injury in high school but wants to get back to the point of being able to play some pick-up hockey games. Daughter has been teaching basic skills off and on but hasn't really *skated* in a year, since a non-skating back injury. Wouldn't you know it...she could still spin, still had all of her singles including the axel, plus a double sal and slightly cheated double loop. NOT FAIR!

Wounded: Not much, really. I'm going back to work with my previous off-ice trainer for awhile starting this Saturday and I'm sure there will be loads of sore muscles then.

Wounded My skates are horribly dull. I missed the skate "carpool" to the sharpener, because they were going to have them done 3 days before a competition I was in. Then the sharpener was on vacation. All my spin entries and edge jumps have skids. We ended up leaving early last night. DD was doing partner practice for her Foxtrot test on Weds. They go up in the corner for the mohawk and a girl knocks into DD's coach/partner. Since he is an adult man, he wasn't knocked down. He jerked enough that it totally freaked DD out and she couldn't concentrate the rest of their session together. He decided to pull DD from the test session on Weds. She was pretty upset and couldn't concentrate so we left.

Kim, I'm so sorry to hear that. I took my Intermediate moves 4 times last year and just developed a worse and worse mental block with the back power 3's each time. I still haven't retried the test, although I may at some point. I figure, ultimately, the purpose of mastering these moves is to improve the skater's PCS/skating skills in freestyle skating, and that has happened with me even though I didn't pass the test. The same is true of your skating and the benefits of having mastered the Junior moves to the extent that you have. Are you planning to test the Junior FS test? If not, you don't technically *need* to pass the Junior MIF test, right? I'm not saying you shouldn't try again at some point, just making the argument that you still get the benefit of having worked on them and you can still start working on Senior moves, too.

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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

I don't technically *need* them, but I really want that gold medal for passing Senior eventually There probably is little to no chance that I would ever be able to test junior free, but I do want to pass the Junior and Senior moves...it's a pride thing...

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

I can understand that. . . And you will.

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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