Hockey Ice: No one can stretch my skates. Now for the "home cures" I'm just nervous about that. I did redo the laces so they skip the hole around the widest part of my foot and that helped a bit. But once I start skating long spans of time, I don't know if it will do. Oh well, next time I get skates I'll spring for the split widths- problem is, that's probably 2-3 years from now.

Figure Skating Ice: Awesome lesson! We worked on waltz- that was a jump?- for the last couple seconds. Mine could be described as a waltz step to the other foot, but both my blades leave the ice and it feels awesome to turn around "in the air" (hah). We also did them from a back outside edge, mohawk to a fwd outside edge and land on a back outside edge, so it was more real than when I learned them and we just jumped back and forth over the line. The ballet jump was not SO terrible tonight either. Still not a good thing though.

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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)

Hockey Ice: I'm totally insane for going again...after freezing this morning. The zamboni was LATE getting onto the ice. By the time we got on, it was 10 minutes into the session and then 6 girls showed up (sigh). So much for having a mostly empty session.

The only thing I have to gripe about is my toe-loop....it really sucks right now. I know I'm popping up as soon as I turn the 3...knowing I'm doing that, wouldn't you think I would STOP doing that? Nooooo....man....I have a hard head and just don't listen to myself. I need to do that picking exercise (skate backwards, bend down, pick behind and jump up).

Didn't get to run through my program "big time" because the music box wasn't turned on....darn! So I listened via my mp3 player...and I realized when I was looking for a place to clip it that my dress had no place to clip it to! (my dress is a one-shoulder piece)....so I clipped it to my bra down the front of my dress . I'm sure the people in the lobby were wondering why I kept messing with myself......

Figure Skating Ice: I wore my new dress, as a "rehearsal" so I could get used to the way it feels before my competition. After warming up (which wasn't as bad, as I did my off-ice) I hit my elements...and had a really good skate! I had put the toastie-toes in my skates, which helped to keep me warmer.

Waltz jump: why can I do a good one when my coach isn't arount? I managed to actually kick through and land without curving on a deep edge....I'm hoping it sticks around for my lesson on Sunday.

Salchow: After warming up with the 3-turn pattern, I worked on the salchow with the sideways kicking motion my coach wants me to do...and actually did it!!! Several times! I had been knee-ing through (ugly I know). I only did one bad one, when I rushed it.

Spins: Pretty much back, as long as I don't rush. I sweep my arms (not karate-chop) and have noticed they are much better if I am really down in the knee, AND I'm finally hooking with my toe-pick again...yay!!! I'm trying to go easy and not rush bringing that free leg in. Did some fast "snot-slinging" spins (he-he-he)....

Spirals: I'm all set on this!!! Front to back is good!!! I'm going to work on more stretch, my hip flexor is tighter than normal and it's been harder to get a great spiral but a good spiral is nice. I did manage some fairly straight back ones.

Mohawks/Drunken Sailors: fairly good, I figured out why I have a hard time with the second one in my footwork sequence...it's an outside mohawk and I'm curving to the left but I'm to step down, turn to front and go to the right onto my right foot for a short spiral. It's awkward....hmmmm maybe if I switched the mohawks around it might work better. Time left for another tweak!

PS-I had a lovely chat with one of our younger skaters while waiting for the zamboni. She just participated in Sectionals. She usually comes across as stand-offish but now I'm thinking that she is just one that is slow to warm up to a person. We compared "toepick" stories and our on- and off-ice workout schedules...it was nice!

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

Figure Skating Ice: No problem with the sore muscles tonight. (The physiotherapist said the backward stairs would have targeted those specific muscles - backward stairs in moderation only from now on!)

Spend well over an hour on backwards; stroking, edges, pumping on the circle, and back-to-front turns. The backward sure comes together nice when I remember to keep the knees bent, butt stuck out, and keep the hips loose! My backward skating is going to be considerably smoother and more graceful than my forward, probably stronger too once the muscles get built up again.

As a break from backwards, it was 3-Turns and Mohawks (yet again), and stringing turns together (until I get dizzy!).

Good session! (Now I just need another good session tomorrow with my coach!)

Hockey Ice: Had my last session of physio today (for my ankle sprain) - I am going to MISS getting pampered for an hour twice a week.

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

Figure Skating Ice:
Had a moves lesson with my Primary today. Worked on actually performing moves on the correct pattern and setting up correctly on lobes and axis points. I am actually beginning to like the Power 3s. It is the Alternating back XO's to Back outside edges that is now giving me fits. but I think with more time it will be easier to master.

Briefly at the end of the lesson we reviewed the wall exercises for loop jump, and then tried them away from the wall. As I attempted a loop from a mohawk entry (only 1/2 rotation and 2 foot landing). Coach looked squarely at me and said "I can see the fire in your eyes!".

Hockey Ice:
Bronze MIF has been postponed til February.
Although.... *she ponders*...
Hmmmm. maybe after landing loop and flip by then I'll be closer to testing Bronze Freeskate too. Hmmmmm. and then after that, I can work on a program for Adult Pac Sectionals by 2008. and then after that..... I am seeing visions of vodka nips...

See it? I can FEEL the heat!!! OUCH!!! SMOKIN'!!!

BOOOOO... but OTOH, extra time to cram!!!

AHA!!!!!!! NOW we know your TRUE motivation factor!!! LOL!!!

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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!!!

Gack! Been there, done that - you should have come down to us! Since they bought a new machine, our ice has been really nice.

Any tips on how to get them? Mine are still at the stage of turning small circles, although my back outsides sometimes work now.

Not today, though.

Hockey ice: Owwwwww.... my knees hurt! Not too badly now I've stopped skating, but I was really focussing on trying to bend them this morning, and it really made my knee hurt. Then the coach couldn't understand that I find LFO swing rolls harder than RFO ones: "But that's the easy side!" "No it isn't!!!"

Gave me an appalling exercise absolutely guaranteed to cause cramp in my toes, where you bend your knees under you and shoot one foot out, still on the ice. The idea is to alternate them, keeping the underneath foot bent and the in front foot pointed, but it gave me cramp!

Dance moves still dire - cross-rolls okay, actually, but with the cross-cuts I either get the knee-bend he wants or I keep my upper body upright; don't seem able to do both right now so end up grinding to a halt.

Skating ice: In our practice, Husband and I were beginning to find some rhythm in the cross-roll exercise he gave us yesterday. Foxtrot hold still impossible, but everything else beginning to show signs of improvement. We skated round backwards hand-in-hand, which was - interesting! Maybe one day we'll dare do back crossovers together; usually when we try this is a big disaster.

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

Thinking about a steep inside edge and feeling it come almost completely round and thinking about turning my shoulders before my feet really helps - otherwise I block myself and turn my feet with my shoulders facing square rather than outside the circle. My dance teacher makes me do back inside edges crossing in front down the rink - like the last back inside edge for the spin entrance - for practice. If that makes sense....doubletoe is better at explaining things - her explanation helped me!

Figure skating ice
We had ice today!!!!!! Ran through all my stuff for the competition in Oxford on Sunday. All ok but not particularly good. Step sequence on the free dance was much faster and more powerful - I ran out of room for the last back twizzle so I should beable to fit it in the Oxford rink.

Teacher made me do the willow waltz with my head up the whole time - he shouted 'head' for the whole dance so I wouldn't forget. He said I often put my head down when doing a step and then lift it again so it looks like I need my head to bend my knees! And amazingly I managed a whole willow waltz with my head up. When I was done he said to me 'Katherine you've made a huge mistake on that dance, you skated it with your head up so now I know you don't have some physical limitation preventing you from keeping your head up and you can do it and will expect that every time.

Hockey Ice
I do really try to think about my head but I do struggle to keep it up the whole time - he says even when I do remember it, I usually let it drop quite frequently and with that I usually have a deadpan bored expression. And I don't want to look bored when I skate.

Why do I find the 'showy' part of skating so hard. My feet work fine - its my arms and head.

I WISH I was a natural show off. Dance teacher thankfully also used to find the showing off hard so he understands. He told me I didn't have to be like one of the kids at our rink (who is only there some of the time as she trains somewhere else usually) as she shows off too much but instead to just look like I am enjoying it. If only it were that easy.........

It should be because I do love it.

Practice putting on your "game face" in front of a mirror. A nice smile and nice arms....it does take practice! I have my "game face" and a "show face" (which is a bigger smile-it's almost scary but the skating director likes lots of teeth)...it's hard to remember to do that AND breathe AND skate...

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

http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=20249

aka:
http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=21844

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This is where I think I am actually good in skating. I'm the opposite - a natural show off - I've had experience of being on stage and stuff. The good news KS is that I believe you can learn to be a show-off.

I always remember something a director once said to me: 'If you're going to b***er it up, if you b***er it up with a bit of panache no-one will notice' - and to a certain degree this works with skating I think. If you *look* like you know what you're doing minor mistakes become less apparent.

Skate@delaware's mirror suggestion is good. Another think I find good is to think of fun things when you skate (oooh err!), and 'practise' smiling while you're skating, yep you feel a bit of a buerke but lets face it - anyone who does figure skating will be used to, at times, feeling that way lol!

S xxx

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

You know we were on the same train on the central line this morning! You looked completely absorbed in your Su Doku so I decided not to bother you, but I wondered if you were coming back from Queens and whether there was ice today.

John

I didn't realise. How funny! You should have said hi! Engrossed in Su Doku - oh dear!!

I was on my way back from good old Queens.

Hockey Ice:

-Our (NOT) favorite skater, to whom I refer as Apolo Anton OHNO-WATCH-OUT-HE CAN'T-SKATE, was at the public session today. The guy can't skate (really truly cannot turn) and thinks he can; he goes very fast, in a poor attempt at speed skater style, and passes by everyone far too close for comfort. If he really wants to do everyone a favor, he will take lessons. I didn't say anything today (last week I did suggest he take some lessons) but next time I see him I'll tell him he scares the hell out of everybody.

-I am getting more and more chicken of jumping. I don't know why--the worst spills I've taken were on stupid stuff, but I still can't quite get up the guts (for example) to attempt a salchow that is actually *off the ice.* Half-flip, fine, though it's probably ugly. Same for waltz jump. Anything more than a half-rotation: Forget it.

Figure Skating Ice:

Not a very crowded session so I did get some moves practice in, even on waltz 8s (usually it's pretty tough to grab a corner hockey circle on a public session). I *think* the waltz 8 and pre-B 3-turn pattern are coming along, but my arms still tend toward the spazzy.

I hear you! I am also self-conscious in front of an audience and am not a natural show-off, so it's been difficult for me to (a) make my body movements grandiose so that I "take up more space," and (b) smile and "present".
My main goal for my 2005 program was to learn to get comfortable making bigger movements, so I just forced myself to do them until they became second nature. It helped a lot.
As for smiling and presenting, I just choreograph the smiles in, telling myself that's what those facial muscles are doing while the other muscles are doing the skating. I try to remember to smile whenever I'm facing the judges and when I'm doing poses like spirals and spread eagles (where I can finally think about something other than my feet for a few seconds, LOL!). Also, I have finally forced myself to start practicing arm movements in the mirror (or the plexiglass at the rink) to see what looks best. I figure everyone must know I'm doing it for choreography, not out of vanity, 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

Sigh.... 10 days or so until HC competition, and I am just not feelin' it, so to speak. My poor sainted coach... what he puts up with! I did a poor run through of my interpretive program, had to leave out a segment because of toddlers on ice with coaches who pay no attention . Then did a run through of my free program that was a little better, then did it again and finished on the music for the first time ever, so that was encouraging! Even had to yell at a kid who was skating backwards without looking to WATCH!!!!! in the middle, which made me mad and so I skated the rest of the program better, LOL. I missed my salchow in every run through so obviously I have work to do there. sigh.

Somehow I feel better now but really I was not a happy camper earlier and was seriously thinking of not doing the competition... but I know I'll regret it more if I don't do it, than if I do do it and don't skate my best. sigh.

Hopefully tomorrow and then Friday will be better. I did get my skates sharpened and it was another fabulous job by my sharpener so that helped since I was on really crappy ice when I practiced today.

sigh. Hope everyone is doing well, or at least better than me!

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August 22, back on the ice!

Figure Skating Ice
Started today on Kilian, to begin working toward a test, yay! Coach videod one pattern w/ his magic cell phone, and while he was busy pointing out all the mistakes, I was busy thinking "Wow!! Parts of that don't look half bad!!"

Hockey Ice
I can still get through it w/ the music (sometimes), but coach says I am slightly behind the music. I can't tell that I'm off time!! And timing is very natural for me, never had to think very hard about it. So I don't know what's up with that, other than it's just a fiendishly fast dance.

(Sorry! Can't help cracking up with the name!!!)

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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!!!

Figure Skating Ice:
Had a GREAT lesson with Primary coach today. She told me that my Bronze moves have improved A LOT!! I told her I was determined to pass this test in December. She was happy with the power on the forward perimeter stroking.

Hockey Ice:
Too many little kids and coaches giving lessons! Ice was hard and rink was cold!!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

I wish that one day I will be able to do the Killian and am glad to hear that your's is [not] "half bad". I probably have parts of it that don't look half bad, all the forward skating parts that is! Nasty cross behind choctaw that is. I've tried it slow, reeeaaaaaalllll slow!

Figure skating Ice;

Just a quickie today, did all my program and dance run throughs, walked through the fourteenstep, (nasty cross behind) but did a nice mohawk which was surprising. I'm basking in the good mohawk glow.

Hockey Ice;

Got caught short, and forgot that I was supposed to taxi a kid from one thing to another, so my cell phone rang on the ice and off I went after a 20 minute skate.

Hockey Ice: Still stiff from yesterday's backward workout - took AGES to warm up! Still close to the LFI Mohawk, but not quite - nowhere close to the RFI Mohawk

Worked my whole collection of skills - as limted as they be - up to 3-turns and Mohawks - nothing particularly good, nothing terribly bad (that wasn't terribly bad yesterday )

In lesson tonight we did forward stroking (as always), backward stroking, forward XOs, and backward on the circle. Coach gave me some circle exercises to work on the left ankle strength. Then we went on to 3-Turns.

Figure Skating Ice: Holy Mary, Mother of God - I actually turned a couple of nice RFO3s right in front of my coach! I’m not 3-turn-brain-dead after all - LOL! LFO3s were nonexistent - left leg was pretty well pooped by the time we got to them but that's the first time I have hit my RFO3s right! WAHOO! (Now taking 3:1 odds they'll be gone by Saturday - LOL!)

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

YAY!!!! Well, even if they "disappear" you know you did them in front of a reliable witness!!!!! You go, girl!!!!

Hockey Ice: my legs hurt from skating yesterday (I skipped the gym today). And, after about 45 minutes of skating, my heels started hurting (as usual). I had therapy today and hurt worse than normal (it was a tough session) so I had to soak in my whirlpool and I'm going to ice my heels.....

Figure Skating Ice: Spins!!! Yay! Did a beautifully centered one that my coach saw (she even looked at the tracing). Waltz jump-I'm kicking through (mostly). Worked on backspins and got about 2-3 rotations on them, but since I was doing them at the end of the session, my heels were really hurting. And, last but not least, Salchow! I did the "kick the soccer ball" kick and managed to actually over-rotate this puppy! It was a solid jump (several times) and felt strange to do this rotation, but nice! I tried a few with extra ooomph of pushing UP then kicking and it was very interesting! this will have to go on the back-burner until after HC, though....but it is interesting and I have lessons on Sunday (during which I will wear my whole dress/hair/makeup for a "dress rehearsal" in preparation for HC).

ETA: I forgot to mention...reworked my "drunken sailor" footwork and I think it actually works better....all I did was stay on my spiraling/skating foot (left) and start the sequence from that! It was amazing how that little change keeps me from tripping up! Doh!

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

(Sk8pdx doing the happy dance for Rusty Blades. ) You get a gold star! Put it up on your fridge or bathroom mirror to remind you of the small successes you have accomplished. Continue to skate with pride and passion!

Skate@Delaware: Nice job on the Salchow! ** if you are having such a fun and "interesting" time with it, just pull in tighter and you'll have a double! he he he**. Wish I could peek in on your "dress rehearsal". I know you will skate beautifully for HC!

..........

It's OK if you lose them again for a while... now your brain KNOWS you can do them, so you won't be fighting THAT body part to do them again. (When I work on Moves I sometimes have this fight going on in my head:
Voice One: "Bend, push, adjust weight, prepare for the turn..."
Voice Two: "No! NO NO NO NO!!! We can't do that turn. It's hard. STOP NOW before we get hurt!"
Voice One: "Well, we're never going to learn to do this if you keep stopping me".
Voice Two: "But it's scary, so it must be dangerous!"
Voice One: "It might be scary, but it can't be dangerous. Little kids are out here doing this!"
Voice Two: "Well, but, uh...."
Voice of my Coach: "Why did you stop?"

HEY! You hear my voices to?

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