Aug 29-Sept 4: Extended Vacation or Back to School!

luna_skater · #1 08-29-2005, 05:46 PM

Made the mistake of going to Staples today to pick up a few supplies...right in the middle of back-to-school shopping! AARRGGHH!!

Extended Vacation: Everything was pretty good today! Mostly worked on spins during my lesson. Change foot spin is getting better and better. Made some progress towards a sideways-leaning spin. Have a lot more speed going into the lutz, and am getting good hang-time on the waltz. Toe-loops have sort of magically improved as well!

Back to School: Loops. I just can't get the timing right yet. I do go up in the air, rotate once, and land on one foot...but while the rest of my jumps are getting bigger, more secure, and have better flow, the loop is just stuck. *sigh*

Terri C · #2 08-29-2005, 06:01 PM

Extended Vacation:
Had a good runthrough of my freeskate today, except for backscratch!
Also had a good runthrough of five step mohawk and my Interp program.

Back to School:
At work today, I was sooo fired up about Peach later on in the week and couldn't stop talking about it. Went to the rink all ready to work and get on the ice and Coach says- "Okay, Terri- let me see a five minute warmup"

.
"Warmup" was awful, despite Coach's constant reminders to "just settle".
It was a out of body experience that better stay behind on Friday morning!

Kit kat · #3 08-29-2005, 06:05 PM

Extended Vacation: i finally got my camel spin down. thanks to some
free coaching from my friends dad! my flips have been getting more height and arent flat anymore! i got my sit spin back, and its lower and has more revolutions.
Back to School : my lutz's are still flat. but thats about it!

Skate@Delaware · #4 08-29-2005, 07:11 PM

Extended vacation: one more week before my home rink re-opens for the season! My boy is signed up for the home rink hockey team (non-traveling team). And, as usual, I'm signed up for lots of punishment!!!

Back to school: my kids have been back and hating the homework, except geek daughter (honors chem & algebra-yuk!). When I finally hit the ice next week, I will have taken a mini-vacation of 30 days.....(not as bad as last year in which I took off all summer).

TaBalie · #5 08-29-2005, 07:29 PM

Extended Vacation:
Everyone has left town (I live in a resort town) so the rink will be empty from now on (especially before 3pm!). Today I got all my singles (except axel--I am not working on that jump) pretty tight...

Back to School:
...However, while working on a lutz I did a major fall and really really banged up my knee. At the time I just got up and kept on with my lesson, but now it is all swollen and hurts like heck

Mrs Redboots · #6 08-30-2005, 09:36 AM

Extended Vacation: Some of ours are going back to school this week, but most people go back on 7 September. However, my coach is on holiday, and most of his pupils seem to be, too.

Husband and I only had about 30 minutes together this morning. Why is it that the better you get at skating, the more you notice how crap you are? If that makes sense.... we decided to run through our compulsory dances first "as a warm-up", said Husband, and found we couldn't finish one pattern of the Golden Skaters' Waltz as we realised we've developed a bad habit of swinging forwards too early.... sigh.... I hope to goodness it works better on Sunday! We felt our Riverside Rhumba was okay, if not "quite good", but of course we can't see ourselves, and it is the weaker of our two dances.

But recently when I couldn't sleep I did some visualisations, and found a place in the Riverside where I know I look down - so we did a pattern of it with me focussing on _not_ looking down in that place, and it did help!

Our free dance was almost fine, one or two minor glitches.

Back to school: Like I said, our free dance was almost fine, and the lift worked, and we were able to run through it to the music, which was great. I'm hoping we'll have a little more time tomorrow.

In my own practice I was concentrating mostly on not going up on my toe-rakes when skating backwards, especially when stepping to forwards. May or may not have made some progress..... Was very pleased with the two solo dances I'm working on, though (only baby dances, Dutch Waltz & Canasta Tango, but I haven't soloed for years), much better edges and extension not bad. Now, if only I had a bit of speed......

AnnM · #7 08-30-2005, 12:53 PM

Extended Vacation: My coach had me play around with the new Pre-Bronze three turn pattern even though I don't have to test it, and it was a lot of fun. My forward inside three turns have improved since last week, which surprised me. I thought it would take much longer to correct those. Granted, the LFI three turn is scary at full speed, but I can still see myself using this pattern as a warm up. I also worked on power pulls, which were definitely much more fun when I was able to hang on to my coach for balance as opposed to doing them on my own. I was able to get the 'rip' sound on nearly every edge while doing them with my coach, and managed to get the 'rip' on a few of the backward ones while doing them on my own.

I also found out that the freestyle/public session schedule is changing next week. It looks like I will be able to actually make some of the late afternoon freestyle sessions, which means that I can sleep in later on my non-lesson skating days. Yay!

Back to School: Those blasted forward power pulls.

Do I really need to say any more?

figure_skater · #8 08-30-2005, 02:11 PM

Extended Vacation- My camel/sit is getting better, i was actually able to try a camel/sit/change-sit... i landed several waltz/loops, footwork was fast and smooth today... and change-foot spin was really good...

- I did some perfect OFF-ice axels, so now my coach said i get to try them on wed. ON the ice...

Back to School- I couldnt land my lutz, and flip today... (which is weird because i normally do.)

- I have no idea why i chose to do 8 events for my next competition...
and i was really tired practicing all of them...

-youth form. team (pretty good)
-production team (pretty good)
-freestyle (dance-step needs help)
-artistic (need to look more graceful)
-interpretive
-spotlight- lt. ent. (not bad)
-spotlight couples- character (need to end on time)
-compulsory (coach said it was REALLY good)

thats alot... i hope i get them all good by sept. 23rd...

Terri C · #9 08-30-2005, 05:47 PM

Extended vacation:
Got a spur of the moment lesson with secondary coach today. Moves were fairly good as was the freestyle and interp run throughs. No wigging out like yesterday!

Back to school:
Backscratch spin- ugh!
Ice was not cut and because of the humidity, there were quite a few ice bumps- almost caught one during my Interp runthrough.

Will take tomorrow off to get hair done, then skate Thursday morning!

sunshinepointe · #10 08-30-2005, 05:55 PM

Extended Vacation Woohoo, loops ahoy! I managed to land a bunch of loopies today, although they weren't my best. But I'm happy that I'm over whatever was eating me. My forward scratch spins were very good today - fast, controlled, centered. My sit spins were fast and low but not as centered but I was able to come up from them easily. My toe loops and salchows and waltz jumps continue to improve. I really love the floaty sensation I get from them now. When I look at my tracings I'm really impressed with how far I travel across the ice. I did awesome spirals today too. Also, one of the women that skates on Tuesday afternoon regularly made my day by telling me that there was a small group of people upstairs who were talking about the "really good skater on the ice". Heh, I was the only one out there at the time

That same woman also came up to me later and demanded to know how I spin so fast. I can't tell how fast I'm spinning, it FEELS fast....I dunno...I just told her what my coach told me - practice

Back to School Ew ew ew, I should NOT be allowed to attempt lutz jumps on my own yet lol. Actually I just haven't practiced them and considering I've had 5 minutes of formal instruction total they weren't too bad, but I'm leaving them alone until my coach works on them with me.

I'm about ready to give up on the camel. I've regressed big time and I can't NOT spin on the toepick, or spin with a very lifted chest, or bent knees, or whatever else could go wrong in the spin. Meh. My spirals are fine so I don't know what gives.

I took a couple of funky falls on some loop jumps and some flips towards the end of the session. My speed and flow on both jumps are better - as is my height on the flip (wheeeeeee I get so high!) but because I'm attacking them more aggressively there's a greater risk for error and of course, falling. I dropped my shoulder quite a few times on the rotation and down I went. One girl skated over to ask if I was hurt, and I replied "only my pride". She had also fallen on a loop jump earlier so we felt for one another. The difference was that she then started executing double jumps so her recovery was better than mine

I had NO energy today whatsoever. I skated everything at half speed and my boots felt a tad too big on me today. I've been losing weight, so I hope my feet don't shrink too much. My blades could use a good sharpening too - I need to keep better track of time spent between sharpenings.

For those of you who keep a journal, what sort of stuff do you write in it and when do you write - during the session, immediately after, when you get around to it?

Ah well - can't wait until my lesson Thursday, that always gets me charged. Watch my coaches wife have her baby tomorrow

Skate@Delaware · #11 08-30-2005, 07:38 PM

Sunshinepointe: I write down anything of importance, and sometimes things that aren't important! Really, I write down things that I'm working on that session, how I feel, what sucked or worked really great. Notes to self, etc. Then, I write down any observations, like if my skates felt dull, or if I had them sharpened, or if I felt like I was hunching my shoulders (again), etc.

I make a note of things I need to work on for the next session (which sometimes doesn't happen); and if I'm in lesson, things to work on before the next one (re-inforces what I've learned-tend to forget sometimes). Any tidbits the instructor shared with me goes in there (point toes more, don't hunch shoulders, etc).

Also, if the rink will have 'weird' hours or any events coming up.....peoples phone numbers......plus, I have $20 stashed in there.....

PS-keep an eye on how your skates fit-by the time I lost over 40 pounds my skates had 3 insoles stuffed in them just to take up the extra room....I'm in new skates, but should have waited a bit more because I really need 1/2 size smaller

so in all my feet "shrunk" down 1 1/2 sizes......street shoes too!

cutiesk8r43 · #12 08-30-2005, 08:06 PM

Extended Vacation:
coach was happy because of my competition results

, had a dance lesson coach taught me a new dance

Back to School:
fell really hard on my hip doing axels

~cutie

luna_skater · #13 08-30-2005, 09:12 PM

Extended Vacation: Spins started off a little rough, but were getting pretty well centered by the end of the session. Loop is improving a lot on its own, and I worked on tacking it on to the end of all my other jumps today, which was a success! Nicest discovery of the day was that I have gotten comfortable enough with my jumps that I can "save" a landing when called for (if off balance or tilted).

Back to School: No lesson today, so hopefully coach will have room for me tomorrow! Tomorrow will also be my last session for 2 weeks.

Regular ice doesn't start again till after Labour Day, and then I'm going out of town. It will be the longest break I've had since May!

Casey · #14 08-30-2005, 09:16 PM

Well I feel the need to reverse the topics on this one, because I was on hiatus from skating there for a few weeks. Sure, I was going once a week or so, but not taking it very seriously. Well now I'm skating again more, so it's like going back to school! Plus, being long out of school myself, I would really enjoy going back. So without further adieu:

Back to School:
I found some new style bunga pads for the heel, which are wider than the others I'd tried but cushion better and since they come around the sides, keep my heel from wiggling around too. Combined with wool socks, and not lacing the top hooks of my skates (that took a few days to get used to, but was totally worth it), I can now skate comfortably and without pain again!! The skating bug is back in full effect, I skated over 3 hours yesterday and 7 hours today (boy am I knackered, but it's totally worth it)! This morning I got my blades sharpened and had the ROH changed from 7/16" to 3/8" - a definite improvement as well, the instability I had since changing back after experimenting with 5/16" is gone.

And that was all I needed. Pretty much everything has come back, and I've managed to improve on some things. I can't get quite as many rotations in spins as I did, nor are my jumps as big and clean, but they're getting better and I'm confident again.

Plus I had a friend look at my video clips from yesterday and give some advice which I tried to follow - there was definite improvement as a result today!

I'm so happy about it I have to show off:

It's not perfect, but I'm especially proud of this spin.

Extended Vacation:
...well I don't have new skates yet, but as far as I'm concerned, vacation is OVER!! Woo hoo!!

mikawendy · #15 08-30-2005, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunshinepointe

For those of you who keep a journal, what sort of stuff do you write in it and when do you write - during the session, immediately after, when you get around to it?

I pretty much do what Skate@Delaware does. I also write down the length of the sessions that I skate, because I usually need to plan/schedule my sharpenings in advance (and aim for getting a sharpening by about 35 hours after the previous one). In my notebook, I especially concentrate on writing down corrections or things I'm supposed to be thinking about when I'm doing certain elements. When I'm nervous before a test, I write things like "I CAN DO THIS" really big over and over again and also one-word keywords for each element or move on the test. Sometimes I also draw diagrams of certain elements or sequences so that I can remember them later. I try to do it the same day as my skating session, but usually it winds up being the next day.

------------------
Extended vacation: Literally, the nice adult ice session that flo and a few others go to on Wednesdays. I've guested there a few times and will be going this evening, when it's the last session for who knows how long.

jazzpants · #16 08-31-2005, 02:15 AM

Extended Vacation:

For primary coach... he got paid!!!
Finally winding down from the show... my mind is finally clearing up all the "show stuff" and I can concentrate on the stuff at hand.
Loop -- I landed ONE!!! Flips okay at times. Lutz -- I landed ONE!!!
I had one good camel!

Back to School:

Means more kids skating on Monday nights now!!! Oh, dear!!! (OTOH, I have my skating nieces and nephews back with me!!! So that's an extended vacation!!!) But still... WAAAAY too crowded. This is my social skate hour though where I get to show up and just have fun and fool aroud. (Best part is that primary coach lets me do this!) Tonight I spent it doing BI3's and lutz!!! I wanted to do moves, darnit!!! And speaking of BI3's...
LBI3's sucked! RBI'3 is much better. I don't think secondary coach will be pleased. (But she's still hopeful b/c at least I got one side.)
The camel after the one good one became "camel attempts" afterwards! GRRRRR!
I miss my new friends from the show already. "Lives to Skate", Ed, Amy, Century, Rohene ( )...and of course, our guest stars!!! (Sad I didn't get to talk to Caryn. Rudy and Surya, you're both in my book!!!) Sorry I missed the brunch, but I crashed!!! Didn't get out of bed 'til about 11am. Would you believe I actually went skating (at around 3pm) afterwards. (We're talking SIX HOURS on skates here!!!) Was pretty much "dead to the world" otherwise.... (Definitely not following skater's hours!!!)

sceptique · #17 08-31-2005, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunshinepointe

For those of you who keep a journal, what sort of stuff do you write in it and when do you write - during the session, immediately after, when you get around to it?

I write usually when I get home or sometimes the next day on the train to work. It's pretty structured (I'm not a very structured person, but my field of work can brainwash almost anyone into being systematic) - Date, hours skated, session number (so I know I set my foot on ice 59 times by now!), type of practice - lesson or self-practice and what I did there: moves, spins, jumps. Some comments. I also write it down when I did something for the first time, or improved something significantly. And then the plan for the next practice - what I want to work on and one new element I want to try out. That's pretty much it.

Extended vacation:

I sorted out my second weekend session. It will be with another coach how's a very nice guy and absolutely brutal about moves, strokes and posture. He also teaches some dance too, but I leave it to him to decide whether we should through that in.

Back to school:

Well, it's back to office for me - vacation is over. It feels strange - as if I've just come back from another planet. Looking forward to weekend - and the skating clinic!

Mrs Redboots · #18 08-31-2005, 07:20 AM

Like Casey, I'm sure the titles should be reversed - those of you who have had the children at home throughout the long summer holidays must be very relieved that they will be going back so soon!

We had a superb practice this morning, except that the lift at the end of our free dance totally didn't happen! And we only got one run-through to the music, so what a waste! But we walked through it again, and this time it did happen, and it rarely doesn't.....

Later, though, one of the elite Junior dancers caught her toe, fell, and we think she has broken her wrist. Not badly - it probably won't stop her skating more than a day or two - but she and her partner may have to rethink some of the holds in their OD & FD! The other Junior dancer also fell, but didn't hurt herself apart from ice-burn on her bare arm.

I, too, had a fall - was doing back cross-cuts, for once not too badly (still can't manage a whole lap, nor do I seem to get more than one decent length, even, but they are coming) when I skated over a "speed bump" and went flying. Didn't hurt myself at all, not even my tail-bone, but was a bit lucky not to hit my head!

Did do a couple of good run-throughs of the solo dances, though - it surprises me how much more power and flow I have than I used to.

sunshinepointe · #19 08-31-2005, 09:24 AM

Woo hoo! Casey you're back!

Thanks to everyone who replied about skating stuff. I'm going to keep a journal for September and see if it helps any, especially with the "stuff I need to work on" thing.

I have my private wiht my coach tomorrow - let's hope my good fortune with skating continues

luna_skater · #20 08-31-2005, 03:47 PM

Extended Vacation: Two great spins at the end of my session today, the first of which I was so surprised at that I bailed out of it.

On Monday, we worked on an arm variation and trying to do a sideways leaning position. Today I went into my spin normally, then changed to do the variation and expected to come to a dead stop, but shocked myself when I kept spinning! Coach didn't see it of course, and now I'm off the ice for two weeks so I'm sure there's no way I'll be able to replicate it when I get back.

Back to School: Everything else felt really assy today. Jumps didn't feel very high, and I had big problems with the lutz. Did some ok change-foot spins, but more bad ones than good ones. I was disappointed to end on that note, since it's my last practice for a while.

skatergirlva · #21 08-31-2005, 10:22 PM

Extended Vacation
I'm so excited!!! I taught one private lesson tonight and the other didn't show up. I contemplated leaving because I almost fell asleep in the pro room when they were zamming the ice. However, I convinced myself that I needed to skate (limited skating time with a 3 month old). I started with spins. I did a pretty good camel/sit/layback, then I moved to jumps. I have been to chicken to try the axel since last October. I landed a nice, slightly cheated double loop and began my "Nick" axel drills which Marna can appreciate. My first few attempts were lame to say the least. And then I landed a really good, clean axel. I had several quality cheated ones, but had 3 completely clean ones with nice flow on the landing. I got really ambitious and tried a double sal, which I haven't done since Hackensack 2004. It was cheated and ugly, but I was standing.

Okay-that's all.

Marna always says that when one adult lands an axel another loses it. They are just on loan. My apologies to whomever lost their axel today, but it was great to have it on loan.

figure_skater · #22 09-01-2005, 01:11 AM

extended vacation- i got to assistant coach!!! woooooo!!! it was really fun... too bad im way too young to be a coach... :/ o well...

camel/sit/scratch was better today... back scratch actually looked like one and i was actually spinning!!!!!!!

back to school- idk why but i ended up 2-footing most of my jump landings... which put my first try of an on ice axel to next week

i went splat in front of one of the coaches im trying to impress... during the practice for my spotlight routine... i dont know if i almost did a dbl. jump instead of a single... but i went flying and turning through the air... hahaha

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh school starts the 8th!!!!

Thin-Ice · #23 09-01-2005, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzpants

[*]Finally winding down from the show... my mind is finally clearing up all the "show stuff" and I can concentrate on the stuff at hand.

So Jazzpants, when can we expect to see your Bronze tests?

And thanks for the great info on the Fire & Ice show. Glad you had so much fun!

Skate@Delaware · #24 09-01-2005, 06:53 AM

Extended Vacation: Just found out my kids have a 4 day weekend while mine is only 3, however, the rink doesn't open until Tuesday! Why they do this is beyond me

I wish they would open on Saturday for the big holiday weekend!!!!

Back to School: Ok, whining aside, my work schedule is adjusted to take advantage of the daytime skate on Tuesday (when the rink opens); which should be devoid of kids!!!! Then I can go back for the drop in freestyle session with brat daughter (of course she'll pay her own way) and thus start the new season at the rink!

Pat, you'll have to come down sometime!

cutiesk8r43 · #25 09-01-2005, 05:32 PM

Extended Vacation:
did some of the best back sits I've done in a long time

had a fun skate

Back to school:
coach didnt show up for my lesson today(AGAIN)

~Cutie

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