Pat: I get to debut my new Gold FS program in about three weeks at my practice rink's End-of-Summer Exhibition--in front of an audience with NO judges. This morning, I managed to come up with the connecting moves between elements which will put more energy in my program (not take it out) as I skate it.

Slap: The rink was too crowded for me to practice my Intermediate MITF. I had to skip them altogether due to everyone running through programs, one after another after another....

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This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

Pat: I was almost on time to practice this morning! I hate morning practice...

Anyways -

Pat: I can feel how close my 2sal is getting. I just need to stay in for a little bit longer, and hopefully, my 2footing will be gone!

Slap: My back power 3's suck... alot. I just started them, but I have real issues staying on the pattern and generating power. Hopefully it'll get better as I go.

Pat: I should be starting my new program within the next week or two. The bad part of it is that my new program will include at least one (more likely two...) 2sals in it.

Pat: My double toe was pretty good today! I'm getting closer and closer to landing it and I am starting to really get the rhythm of the jump and the feel for it And I learned the Killian...my coach was impressed that I picked the dance up so quicky...lol but there's not really much to it, except for the choctaw...

Slap: I really have to stop cheating my axel and my double sal!!! All I really need to do is stay in the air longer...but I always try to pull out too early... but if I don't stop cheating those jumps, Iwon't be able to test my senior bronze freestyle any time soon

Pat: My coach wants me to do an artistic program I think it's a really cool idea...and as she said, it would be something to work on while I'm working on getting my axel and double sal back clean and working on getting my double toe.

Pat on the back - Finally had a lesson and it was pretty easy to fix my crossovers so I'm pushing on the power 3s in the Bronze Moves. This is all a mental confusion thing with these peremiter back crossovers and power 3s...I just get confused as to what leg my weight is supposed to be on....if I could just remember I'd have a lot fewer problems.

Slap in the face - People (like coaches) keep telling me there is nothing wrong with my mohawks ...but they sure don't feel like they are okay...but really the challenge for the 5 step is step 3 to 4 and making sure I lean over and step on an outside edge. Also coach wanted more push and so I have to do two pushes before I start them. (was trying to get away with one)

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Pat: I started landing my 2sal way more consistantly. I went back to the 3turn entrance instead of the one I've been using lately, and now I seems to be at about 40%-50% landed fairly cleanly (aka on one foot).

Slap: My back camel is a little wonkers today. It worked a few times, but it didn't stay around.

Pat: My back sit was okay though. It could probably go lower, but I can hold onto it and it feels good most of the time. My combo spins (first time I've worked on one in months...) were decent too. I'm getting the required revs and they seemed fairly centered.

Slap: I've been ignoring my layback for a really really really long time. I do them when forced to, but I can't make myself practice them when not in lesson.

Pat: I think I'm starting my new program Friday or next Monday.

Pat on the back
-I think I finally got the hang of all of the forward rockers! We were doing them as figures today, and I did fairly well. I had a hard time holding the BO edge for a full lobe, but the turns were good.
-Axels are feeling much bigger and better. I've been trying to change to takeoff a bit so I get more of a pendulam action, and I think its starting to pay off.
-Preliminary moves felt good today! (Knock on wood). The alternating 3 turns did not drive me to tears today.
-I tried like 3 triple loops, and one was pretty close. I mean, it was a half-turn short, but I'm not complaining.
-I finally got that pesky RFO loop. I can now do all loops. I can't do them all of the time, but I am capable.

Slap in the face
-BO counters. Yuck.
-Took a horrible fall at the beginning of my lesson. I was doing the preliminary crossovers. Last crossover (so I've built up a decent amount of speed by then), caught my toepick. I honestly didn't even know I was falling. I just slammed into the ice. What did I hit? The front of my right hip/pelvis, naturally (the one I had surgery on). At first my whole hip joint hurt, but now its just the pelvis where I hit the ice. Now, I'm the type of person who take a bad fall and says "Ow" but gets right back up. I honestly just curled up and started crying. I had to be carried off the ice. After shoving an ice pack down my tights, I was able to skate a little longer to finish working on moves. But after a bit my coach said I was turning white and she didn't want me skating anymore. My hip is feeling better now, but the other places I whacked (elbow and knee) are starting to feel the pain
-One of the other falls I took WAS like a slap in the face--a very comedic slap in the face. So I was doing the preliminary backcrossovers into landing positions (after the above fall). I've just done the first back crossover and am pushing back into the landing position when the wall inconveniently gets in my way. I think I caught my skating blade in the small little gap between the ice and the wall, but I'm not sure. I let out a surprised "Oh!" and land on my butt. My ever-observant coach then tells me, "Hey Sarah, there's a wall there!" That one didn't hurt too badly, it was just shocking and funny.

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Youtube Videos

YOUchERs!!!!!! Yup, I'd say your coach was right to make you call it a day. You might want to see a doc just to make sure you're alright, so that if you need to give yourself a little more of a break from skating so that you can heal up more so that you don't stay injured and so that your skating can continue in the future. Keep icing and try some Arnica gel to take the pain, swelling and buising down.

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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

Pat:

• Local rink finally has public skating so I've been able to practice TWICE this week!!
• Still able to do the occasional camel/sit--very exciting!!
• I've actually gotten over my fear of the take-off on the loop enough to jump off the ice from a back crossover, do a 1/2 turn, and land on the correct landing foot--doesn't sound like much but it's a HUGE step as far as I'm concerned!!!
• Worked all four back 3's today--doing the inside ones with the free foot right next to the ankle mysteriously makes it less terrifying.
• I'm finally getting my skates sharpened Friday--hasn't been done in about 3 months.

SLAP:

• Only good sit-spin, which is usually my best spin, all day was the one in combination with the camel. Go figure.
• Salchow is suddenly crap.
• Forward inside 3's--ditto.
• Rink was freezing cold to the point where the toes on my left foot suddenly cramped up and I found myself doing one of those weird ugly spins where the legs are in scratch spin position and the body is bent in half downwards before I fell over. Pretty sure I'll never be able to do it when I'm trying!

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

((((HUG)))) I hope you're feeling better!!! One of these days I'm just going to show up at the rink with a big bolt of bubble wrap and wrap you up in it, LOL!

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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

ouchhh...I had a similar fall today...not as bad though, I don't think! I hope you're recovered by now Skating is dangeroussss!!! lol anyway I was doing a double sal... It was actually a REALLY good double sal...I was really tight in the air and I landed completely backwards and on my toe...but I didn't pull out fast enough, and I was a bit TOO FAR on my toe, so I fell forwards and smacked my knee and hip into the ice

Pat: My axel was definitely better today I was much tighter in the air! And my change sit was also really nice

Slap: the fall on my double sal...and the chotcaw in the Killian!!! I spent my full lesson with my dance coach working on it and then I had a double lesson with my dance partner and we spent the whole lesson working on it and it still hasn't really clicked!!! lol

Also, I didn't really have much energy today...so my jumps were a bit sloppy...so I avoided working on double toe lol

Breakhearts - are you ok? You need to take care of yourself or we'll start calling you Calamity Jane instead. (does that age me too much, you teens and twenty somethings know what that means?)

Slap - off ice last week, so have to build it back up again. Monday was really bad, today was a bit better.

Pat - starting to get that sal from a mohawk, at least get the idea of how to do it, even though I still pretty much screech to a halt before I jump. Got 2x around on camel spin today, but then I try to stretch it out and get my leg higher, and I'm up on my toepicks. Need to figure out how to stretch without leaning forward.

I understand the reference...and I'm only 28 Then again, I often make references to things on the ice and the 14/15 year olds look at me like I've got 3 heads or something!!

[Pat on the Back]
*Starting to feel more comfortable with the Novice Moves...FINALLY I'm getting the bracket-3-bracket...I use the cue words "toe, heel, toe" to remind me of where my weight needs to be on my blade
*Positives about my axels: They are very, very, very high off the ice
*Double sals are fully rotated, and I'm trying to work on getting my feet crossed every time
*Laybacks were awesome today
*Starting to get more revolutions on my flying camel
*Camel/back sit for my juv program is coming along

[Slap in the Face]
*The quick rocker/choctaw pattern really sucks...spent a lot of time on that tonight...I just can't get a good push off the choctaw
*My back outside counters still need work...I can do the turns on the correct edge and everything, but they get a little "swingy"
*Axels...I need to get more snap and stay in that split second longer to complete the rotation...I also need to land on my toe, but that's another issue.
*Double sals...fully rotated, but two footed...and I'm only getting my feet crossed some of the time
*My left knee got screwed up about a week and a half ago (I fell straight on it doing the CW quick rocker/choctaw pattern) and while it is getting better, it will not cooperate for regular sit spins...
*My friends decided to go see "The Dark Knight" this evening, but of course picked a time when I was at the rink
*Can't skate tomorrow due to work...morning ice won't work because I have an 8:30am meeting that I cannot be late for (and I need to be dressed up! What's up with that?!?!) and I have a meeting that goes from 2:30-5:30, which means that skating at the campus rink is out too because they have group lessons and no late open ice...

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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'm doing perhaps slightly better today. Still pretty sore though. And I do understand the reference, but mostly because another adult skater started calling me that about 4 years ago

Thanks But remember, I'd probably find a way to trip WHILE in the bubble wrap and fall on something that would impale me through all of the bubbles...

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Youtube Videos

This for yesterday and today:

Pats: Coach1 pleased with improvement in our British Waltz. Think we have sorted out choreography for New Improved version of free dance and for our Variation Rhythm Blues.

Slaps: Not a lot. My LFO waltz 3s are dire - I have developed awful bad habits on them!

Everybody who watches that video seems to think I'm doing a back spiral when Husband does his drag. Well, I wasn't - hope my back spirals are a little better than that! But now I am..... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Thing is, it throws out the timing as I take forever to get into it. And if we do Bristol, we'll have to turn the dance round or the judges (who sit at one end of the rink) will get a splendid view of parts of me that I'm sure they'd really rather not.....

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

If you wanted to be just a bit naughty, you could pin a smiley face or some other such message to your backside under your skirt... if nothing else, the judges would know you realize you're giving them an "odd angle". OK, maybe not.....

Or a "CENSOR" sign?

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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!!!

Pat: Friday, coach gave the go-ahead to test three prelim dances and PB MITF and FS (after seeing about everything that'll be on those tests). Hooray! Monday lesson she saw my waltz 8 & PB 3-turn pattern and pronounced them much better than on Friday and said she felt much more relaxed about the PB moves tests, since those have been the more problematic moves.

Slap: Today we worked on spins for the first time in a long while. Arms flailing + weight not over spinning foot = they SUCK. As usual. But at least I'm getting a handle on why I can't spin very well at all: The arm flailing. How on earth anyone does arm variations or, heck, anything other than an upright spin is beyond me. If I can just get a more consistent, 3-rev, 1-footed spin by testing time I"ll be happy. (Actually I probably won't; I'll want more!!)

Slap: Took a very nasty fall on the PB 3-turn move on Monday morning. Very nasty slap on the right forearm, left elbow & left knee. It was a combination of the blades clicking & toepick tripping. I think I should have gotten positive GOE for the combination of two such deadly moves.

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

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

GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRR Slap in the face: Freakin idiots on the freeway who cause accidents during rush hour so everyone is backed up and those of us with places to go can't get there. In rush hour, it's normally a 45 min drive from where I live (and my rink) to work and vice-versa. But today I missed my session because I had to sit at a standstill on the freeway for an hour en route from work to the rink. I literally put my car in park and whipped out a book because I was stuck and couldn't get off and go any other way. Luckily I can make it up and not lose $$, and I didn't have a lesson scheduled.

On Monday, after spending the first half of my lesson on dance, my coach and I really worked on axel takeoff, then I stayed for his off-ice jump class that he teaches (which he focuesd on axels since I was going to be there), and I REALLY had this feeling that today was going to be the day I landed it (on one foot, ha ha). So I was really looking forward to skating, after a run-thru of my jr MIF test I was planning to spend the rest of the session just on axels...but now I have to wait until Saturday morning. GRR.

Maybe once I stop pouting I'll go outside and do some off-ice.

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2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Pat: My double sal was pretty good today! It was my only jump that was really springy. My Killian chotcaw is also getting better, slowly

Annndd, my coach told me that at first, she thought my junior silver skills might be ready for test day next MAY, but today she said that they might be ready for December!!! I never thought she'd say that because I've never really been good at skills...but I've been working at them a lot lately and I guess practicing them really helps

Slap: I had to get a shot today...the new Gardasil one...and so my arm was really sore wehn I skated...so I wasn't really pulling into my jumps well and I wasn't getting as much height and snap...oh well...maybe tomorrow...

My ultimate summer goal was to try an axel-half loop-double sal...I've decided I'm trying one tomorrow Wish me luck lol

Pat: I GOT NEW SKATES!!! I'm super excited. I was going to tough it out another year, but decided I needed a reward for passing through my prejuv free, graduating high school, and just because I wanted them (lol). I'm very happy I did though, because my feet grew a whole size since I got my old ones over two years ago.

Slap: They were expensive! I got a silver star boot again, but upgraded my blade to a pattern 99. And out the window went $950.

Pat: I'm going to pick them up either Friday afternoon (as in after I skate...) or Saturday!

Slap - dd left her skates at our home rink, but we were going skating at another rink tonight, so I picked her up at camp at 4, then we went to home rink by 4:40 to get skates, stopping for small snack; back to the other rink by 5:30, she skated on the 5:45, but naturally there was a line to pay, so I didn't get on that session. Of course that session had 4 people on it, and the next one was much more crowded.

Then I did something to my hip flexor, and couldn't get it to improve. So I got through my 15 min of moves, 15 min of spins, and started my 15 min of jumps and really couldn't get any spring from that knee/hip. So I gave up after about 5 minutes.

Pat - at least I skated today, after doing yoga this afternoon for an hour.

I skated after I got my Gardasil. It sucked. I had to keep reminding my coach not to hit my arm! lol. And I couldn't do anything that put pressure on whatever muscle they inject the shot into - even keeping my amrs up during stroking and moves, even balancing my my elbows during off-ice.

Pat
coach says my Canasta Tango is improving, and my Dutch Waltz. I think I'm getting the hang of some of the differences in technique between dance and free skating. At least my butt was hurting from practising the different way of stroking, so I think I must be doing something different.

Slap
Spins, as always. I detest hard, rough ice. Even if it has been scraped, it's still horrible to spin on. Unfortunately, Wednesday night it is usually like that.

Landing knee still too painful to jump at all. I've ordered a knee brace but it hasn't arrived yet. And now the left knee is playing up similarly

I am just not into ice dance. Sorry to all the exponents of ice dance here, but it just isn't me. I can't get into the sheer discipline of the neatness and detail. I need to jump!

Pat
Looks like I may be accepted to start training as a coach. Got some details to sort out, but looking like it might happen. Does mean I have to discontinue my training as a judge for the Aussie Skate levels though. And continue my ice dance training to get test level accreditation for coaching. And I know that if I'm struggling with something, it tells me there's something I need to fix.

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

Pat:
Choreography session: We're now working more towards the arm gestures of the choreography and BOY this is where I really REALLY need help on! (It's partly why I'm a software engineer and NOT a dancer... ) How the choreographer managed to make me LESS stiff and more fluid on the arms is beyond me. (Okay, I had to remember "ballet arms and hands" and "lead with the elbow", even though I'm NOT doing ballet here. LOL!!!)

Slap:
Secondary coach wants me to do my program and well, some parts she likes and others... ummm... (But she did acknowledge that the beginning 4 measures she liked better than two weeks ago...)

And those DANG TOE WALTZ!!! I am really trying hard to NOT toe-waltz here!!! I can do them standalone and at slower speeds. But put them at the end of a jump combination... AUGH!!!

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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!!!