Riding the Pine:

Yesterday morning, there was a small hole dip that was being fixed and the area was coned off. This morning, that small dip became a HUGE DIP going down half the length of the rink and more cones were put out along the HUGE DIP! Apparently, I've heard all sorts of stories from repairs from paint chipping to a broken pipe. (Better fix it before the hockey camp, guys!!! )

Strike Out: (Not quite "riding the pine" since I'm still "in the game...")

• After a mild rough start and a much needed warm up on my crossovers and just plain stroking around, I tried for my 5 step mohawks. Primary coach was telling me to be careful of the "scratchies" between the 3rd and 4th step today! I asked about my "extensions" and he said that I'm actually extending more than usual. Huh? (Read my lesson post from yesterday on this thread and you'll see why...)
• Re: my push for the FO3 on the power 3's -- primary coach is griping about whether the feet were tidy and right on the FO edge. "Power is actually pretty good!" he says! Ohhhhkay....

Starting lineup:

• Perimeter crossovers (forward and backwards) - he's happy about them!
• Back crossovers to BO edge: First runthru was kinda iffy, though he like the flow.... He told me to push back onto the BO edge more and I just bend my knees and went for it! Primary coach was cheering and clapping afterwards saying "THAT is how I want you to do that for the test!!!"

__________________
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!!!

Starting Lineup The last day of short, quiet sessions (45 minutes) so I thought I had better work on my backward skating (which is pretty primitive). Made marverllous progress - from shaky short glides to some speed, reasonable control. and some descent backward stroking DAMN that felt good!

Riding The Pine In light of today's progress, I thought I'd try some backward edges (my September goal) - not yet!

Next week's sessions go to 2 hours but there will also be a LOT more skaters - like we'r'e going to DOUBLE our numbers next week.

Next week I lose my full-time coach and her 100% dedication - I think that's a negative? LOL!!

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

Starting Lineup:
The loop is slowwllly coming back. Had a nice low sitspin as well as a good attempt at backsit.
Not a bad freestyle day.

Riding the Pine:
Moves are still not progressing as well as I'd like them to. I'm pushing and waiting like the dickens on the RFO power three, but it's still sloowww!
Need to stop cutting off the corner on the forward perimeter crossovers- this has been happening since I've been holding the undercut longer and making the effort to step on a inside edge!
Session was also crowded, since it's the only freestyle ice of the day.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Starting Lineup:
Stop the world, the impossible has happened....I did my European Waltz today (I'll be skating it solo along w/ a solo OD tango at Lake Placid in 2 1/2 weeks), ON TIME, not once, not twice, but three times, of 2 patterns each time!! There were some sloppy parts still, but I'm so proud of myself, and coach was happy (well, as happy as he gets---a half smile & nod is HIGH praise from him). There is hope! I truly never thought I could do that dance & keep up w/ the music (didn't have to solo it to test)

What made it all finally come together for me was something my coach had said about the shoulders, & which took me about a week to integrate & understand. It's all a Russian thing, so pretty much the complete opposite of how I was taught when I did this dance to test years ago. He said, as you step forward, your skating side shoulder is leading, and it stays there through the 3 turn (that's also a Russian thing--you don't rotate your shoulders to initiate a 3 turn), and it continues to lead on the first BO edge after the turn. Then you switch to the other shoulder leading, & it stays there through the next three steps. So then, your left shoulder leads on every step through the end patterns. Suddenly all the rotation issues are smoothed out!! It took some getting used to but I'm starting to understand it now. And the very cool thing is, now I'll be much better at teaching the dance also.

Pine Splinters in my Butt:
We also spend the first bit on the tango, which was awful because the choreo still isn't set, so I kept stopping and starting.....so after I get it totally nailed down tomorrow it will be much better. It took me by surprise that he asked to see it today, I'd been waiting for the weekend to finish it. His one comment on the new steps was that there were a few places I'd thrown in a single twizzle--he said to make them all at least doubles because a single isn't really worth anything w/ the new scoring system.

Rusty Blades, a belated happy birthday to you!!

Starting lineup:

I did my first crossovers yesterday! After weeks of being bounced from coach to coach for weeks in LTS classes, and last week being paired with a beginner who was on the ice for the second time in her life with the coach trying to make us do the same stuff (I was getting VERY tired of wiggles and swizzles... and had us both holding onto the boards and balancing for 1 footed glides!?!?!?! And then she tried to teach the girl a two footed turn, which was basic for me and too advanced for her... and the prep in the middle of the ice for crossovers . I felt bad for the new girl because everything was coming at her way too fast, and the class was just plain USELESS for me except as a warm-up for the public skate afterwards)-- they were short handed at the rink and our favorite adult coach took me on with the "rest" of the class and had me working on my first crossovers!

Apparently, according to some of the more advanced adults in my class, I'm "wierd" and the side that's harder for them is easier for me. Go figure.

Riding the Pine Pony:

Half of the rink was a giant lake and I "slipped" and fell flat on my butt at the very beginning of the class, so I celebrated my crossover victory in soggy tights and a skirt!

That's weird... did they give an explanation for the lake? (something lame along the lines of: dehumidifier went out and nobody is there to fix it... LOL!).

__________________
--renatele

Nope... Deana even commented that it was slipperier than usual. The back end of the rink just never dried up after the zamboni went through.

Oddly enough, 2 LTS classes later, they decided to run the zamboni again even though the ice was still in good shape and just made the back of the rink even soggier. The ice was not nice in general in a lot of spots on that side, so something must have been going wrong there.

I must say, 2 classes so far in a skirt and tights and I've learned that while I prefer the skirt to pants, it's not puddle-friendly! A soggy butt is not the most flattering or comfortable thing in the world...

Starting Lineup:
Holy cow, with the tips you guys gave me and a little practice before my group lesson tonight, the forward pivot is coming along nicely! Yay!

We also started work on progressives/power crossovers. . . so now I know what they are, even if I'm not terribly good at them.

Riding the Pine:
-I must be turning into a "stroking snob." There's a young lady at the rink who is doing some spins and single jumps and she makes SO MUCH NOISE when stroking & during crossovers--scratch, scratch, scrape, scrape (worse than most of the hockey guys I see). Just so sloppy (which I wouldn't have known but do now thanks to you guys and the folks over at FSU!) Like fingernails on a chalkboard. Drives me nuts. How do they let her do the spins & jumps when her basic stroking is so awful??
-I still miss my dog (it'll be 3 weeks since he died). But the nice thing about being on the ice is that I can just focus on what I'm doing and forget about feeling sad.

Because, let's face it, working on basic stroking is B-O-R-I-N-G and most people would rather do jumps and spins......except us!

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

Oh, wow! Respect, Deb!

We actually had a play with that dance this morning - it's still way beyond our ability level, but we were taught the steps as an exercise years ago. And, very slowly and not covering much ice, we actually managed to partner each other in it - we've never got the timing right before! But that was playing, not serious working!

Riding the Pine: Level 3 dance moves. Sigh.... the snag is, I know they are so much better than they were, and if I can only get this last improvement nailed down (it's coming, but oh, so slowly!) then they'll be testable. I had got them to a level, but not good enough to test, so the coach took them apart to help me get them up a level or two. But I do find it soooo difficult to hold a LBO edge long enough. Husband, helping me, said at least they were beginning to be on edges.... this is both moves, but I find I either do them rather flat but do them, or get them on edges but grind to a halt. Sigh.

Starting Line-up: Husband and I managed a couple of really good Dutch waltzes together, really steep edges (for us), and I suspect our timing was okay, too. Not easy on a Saturday morning with small kids all over the place, but as our coaches are on holiday, not as many as usual! Three of them were having such fun practising twizzles in unison, they were really quite good at them, too!

We did a Fiesta and on the 3rd pattern, suddenly, the end pattern worked! I still don't know what I did differently, but it felt floaty and covered the ice and we didn't grind to a halt on the step to forwards as we usually do. And then I did a solo of it (not to the music) just before we got off the ice, and it felt the same! I do wish I knew what I'd done differently. However, our change-of-edge wasn't very good, we need to do a couple of laps of that tomorrow, so as not to start coming apart there.

Oh, and I think the Husband may have found himself a new partner for Oberstdorf (I can't do the Foxtrot or 14-step well enough to compete them yet; I probably could, with some work, but have to work hard enough on the level 4 dances as it is! Another year, maybe); nothing is certain yet - he hasn't even asked her - but as both of them would probably want to enter Bronze Free in the relevant age and sex categories, it might work. You never know... hope so!

The kids never practice stroking enough - that's where dance is so good, as dancers, even child dancers, know they need to practice edges and turns every single session! Maybe you will enjoy dance, too?

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

LOL!!! There is an older lady (even older than ME!) who shows up now and then at summer school and is a wonderfully good skater. She's probably around 60 and does some very nice jumps. The first time we were on the same session, she was stroking around the perimeter and doing cross-cuts around the ends (with substantial SPEED) to warm up and I flagged her down after and complimented her because her edges were absolutely SILENT!

I thought I was strange for noticing something like that!

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

Skated last night for the first time since our SkatingForums meetup last month. Great, EMPTY session for the first hour or so, until the teenagers started coming.

Starting Lineup:
Did some MITF patterns, not too bad. Spirals were good, and I did some jumps (which I'm feeling the pain of this morning.)

It was nice to skate with my own kids without lessons or anything. Unfortunately, they ditched me once they found other people to hang out with. Fickle.

One of the fathers asked me to give his DD a lesson. What a sweet kid, with some really good skills. I enjoyed it.

Riding the Pine:
My spins are way off, even my sit spin.

I think my blades are dull. Have to make an appt at Hackensack for this week.

__________________

Riding the pine:

Haven't skated for over a week, decided to be sensible and totally rest The Foot - which 'flared up' again on Wednesday night, I was in quite some pain and still couldn't walk on it Thursday.

Starting line-up
Have been keeping foot elevated, icing it in the evenings and rubbing ibo gel on it...and for two days solid now not trouble, even went walking yesterday eve.
Today I progressed to gentle exercises in the back garden....which progressed to to waltz-ing and salchow-ing...which progressed to looping and flipping.

So I'm going ahead with my free lesson on Monday evening...fingers crossed.

S xxx
Why does 11 days' non-skating seem like an eternity....?

Riding the pine:
Me, literally, when I showed up this morning for the first FS at the rink. (I thought it would be a good skate day as there's a competition nearby that people are either doing or watching.) But the dehumidifier had been off for both sheets of ice overnight (so dozens of "egg bumps" and holes in the ice down to the sand where condensation had dripped from the rafters onto the ice). It was literally raining inside. Then the zamboni hadn't been refueled the night before, so the ice couldn't be cut until just before the next session. Then there were so many holes in the ice and small bumps that most of us took one or two falls when catching an edge in them.

Starting line-up:
8 step going clockwise is starting to feel a little better (though I keep forgetting to switch my shoulders on step 6--I remember for step 2 but usually my torso start swinging around on step 6 instead of neatly switching).

BO and BI threes are coming along nicely, though far from top form.

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

Thank you Mrs. Redboots, only another dancer can appreciate the difficulty of that dance! Before we started working on this, I would have literally rather done any other dance, of any level, than the European. I think many dancers would share that sentiment. It's much, much easier w/ a partner (& of course the guy's steps are also much easier! ).

I feel like I should put that on my coaching business card/resume: "Competed European Waltz solo". That should stand out as a big credential!!

Starting Lineup: I landed a Flip. Full rotation and everything.

Riding the Pine: It was double footed and wanted to land on the left foot. That's what you get when you do a half flip so many times.

Which side are you better at? I'm so much more comfortable going clockwise.

Starting lineup:

Really, the whole skate today was very satisfying and complete. I was able to work hard without feeling too tired, and remain positive throughout. I love skates like that. Of course, some things always go better than others.

I warmed up with perimeter stroking, forward and backward. Both felt good. My 3 turns in the field are coming along, except for the RBI 3 turn, which I don't um get. The three other sequences may be a bit "adventurous" at times, but I can stand up on all of them, and that's something.

Jumps were mostly respectable. I'm taking more time to practice the jumps on my Bronze test, as the ones in my competitive program are different. Toe loop has no hook! YAY! I'm not a salchow fan in general, but it's solid. I can always count on loop.

Worked on my new 3 jump combo today. Lutz/loop/toe loop. Landed it cleanly on both attempts, but I want more flow and better form.

Spins were pretty good. Forward scratch, back scratch, sit, sit/change sit, camel, back camel.

Program run through with bronze test elements. I completed everything. Want to have a bit more smoothness on my elements and in betweens. I have a nasty tendency to freeze up on footwork and sorta clunk through the steps.

Riding the pine:

Back camel/back sit! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH I *know* that I have to bend before trying to turn into the sit, but why is it so hard to get my body to do that, even when I'm present enough mentally in the spin to know I need to? Of course, that's only on the ones with enough oomph to them to get into a back sit, which isn't the majority. I want to get a back camel/back sit/forward sit/upright spin combo going here, but I'm not there yet.

Did some axel attempts. I think the wimp factor is holding me back. The attempts weren't bad, but they weren't great either. I don't fall very much. Can't land on one foot usually.

Power pulls? Really frickin' hard. Outside mohawk? Um, I think I managed one, on one side. Silver moves are going to be a long trip.

This wasn't even a young kid--she has to be an older teenager or perhaps in her 20s? Just irks me that someone that age can't be bothered with the basics. But I guess jumps and spins are more glamorous after all, eh?

Starting Line-up: We had a relatively good skate this morning. Did a really big Dutch Waltz, as big as we've ever done it, and a Swing Dance that was only marginally smaller - plus I actually managed to get the "right" feeling in waltz hold when going forwards; I think I mean I was able to open my shoulders and lean slightly backwards, which I haven't managed before with Husband. Didn't get it going backwards, though, and you seriously don't want to know about my Mohawk, but it was on pattern, for once!

Riding the Pine: Fiesta still scratchy when in hold, but managed it beautifully solo. I don't quite know what we are doing wrong that I can't get my weight properly over my right hip when in hold, but something isn't quite working. We spent a long time just skating backwards in hold, plus doing our coach's exercise of back chasses round the circle in hold. Both ways, as I wanted to practice getting my weight over my left hip, which is something I find hard when skating backwards generally.

I think, though that overall I am/we are getting a lot more flow, and don't always scrape. Dance moves still pretty dire, though.

Husband did a Willow but was having trouble with the sequence that (for the man) goes LFO/RFI chasse/LFO3. He couldn't grasp the concept of 1, 2, chasse, 1, 2, turn.... I was trying to count it through him because if his timing is going to go pear-shaped (which it probably is!), it's there! Plus his extension had vanished almost totally and when it was there, his foot wasn't pointed!

Oh dear, if it's not one thing it's another.... His back still hurts when he raises his arms above his head, as at the start of our free dance, but not too badly. He is now promulgating the theory that we fell because he wrenched his back, not vice versa - but as anybody who saw that crash will testify, we fell because the lift went too high due to a combination of adrenaline and fast ice!

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

I think it's clockwise... which has been a pain to practice in public skate because they always have us skating counter-clockwise!

I just wait for the crowds to pass and practice quick before the next wave of people barrel my way (is it me, or does it seem like all of the kids in a public skate clump together, reguardless if they know each other or not?).

Then again, I do two footed spins better in that same direction and risk my life trying to do those, too, opposite rink movement! Friday, a hockey guy thought it would be cute to gun for me and then veer at the last minute...

Here, here!!! (A clockwise skater here too!!!) Lucky for me, occasionally on Monday nights the ice monitor changes directions for 10 minute (which bugs the hell outta everyone ) so I practice my my salchow and waltz jumps then! Maybe should try for loops too while I'm at it.

Starting Lineup:

Moves went okay. I'm glad my RFI mohawks came back! Maybe it's b/c I'm back to the "I don't give a damn if I end up with a retry" mode again. (Besides that, I don't know if I'm on the test session schedule this time again!!!)

For those who want to know what was wrong, yes, I was wide-stepping the mohawks again. I forced myself to bring the foot to the free foot and along with adjusting the shoulder, I got my control back. I used the momentum coming out of the 5 step (I'm leaning back...well sorta...) to push (forward) into the FI mohawks. It works out quite well actually! I get more power on the push and makes it easier to do a better FI mohawks as bonus! SWEET!!!

Played around Silver/pre-prelim spiral and prelim spiral for fun today! Nothing much to report. Just want to get the feel of it. The only pushing of myself is to do a good edge to get into the spiral position (and of course, to actually *get* into a spiral position...) Might as well get myself ready for the next moves test. (Prelim moves.)

Riding the Pine:

Don't have energy for much else. I essentially am kinda dead after the Bronze Moves practice. I had lower back problems yesterday on the forward spinning side, so I played it safe and not push for a spin (and risk fall on it.) I went off the ice and went straight home! (Alright! I was also overdoing it! I had pilates and cardio before that and I was already half dead going into the pilates class. BAAAAAAD ME!!! )

__________________
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!!!

Riding the Pine:

• It was a challenge having to go at speed on a few of the moves b/c of the kids! I really wanted to go fast at the beginning of the session but I have a few people who just want to go on their path and if they're in your way, too D*** bad! Obviously there were enough accidents w/o me getting in their way to warrant not pushing it.
• But it was still fast enough where the Gretsky-wannabes wanted to "keep up with me!" (I should be flattered, but it's annoying b/c I'm focusing on edges and patterns, NOT speed!!!)
• (Thin-Ice would want to hear about this one too...) It was interesting when I got to my weekend rink to see a cop in a cop car sitting right across the street from the rink!!! When I got into the rink, the regulars immediately warned me to put away my bag in my locker (I normally do anyway, particularly on public sessions...) b/c someone that morning went thru and stole at least two bags. (The bags was recovered by one of the regular's kid (who also skates with me) in one of the ladies' stall and the only thing that was stolen from the bag was a cell phone and one makeup bug!!! Too bad, robber was NOT caught! (Hmmmm??? You wonder whether the robber you're looking for is a GAL and not a GUY!?!?!) Ice Dancer Guy #2's bag was opened and pithered thru too. (He jokingly said "Go ahead! Steal my money... all $3 worth of it! But if you steal my cookies or Gatorade..." )

Starting Lineup:

• Did okay on moves despite the kids and I was still going pretty fast on sections of my moves!
• Did some prelim alt 3's. FO's okay. FI's... not as good (but at least I can do them. Now I have to figure out a way to do them EASIER!!! )
• Scratch spin and sit spins okay. Camel okay, but not great! Backspin crap but can still do them!
• Landed all jumps cleanly... up to and INCLUDING the loop!!! WOO HOO!!!

__________________
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!!!

Starting Line-Up:

I had a "full, rich day" at one of our local rinks for a competition. I judged most of the morning. Judging was fun but a lot of brain-strain when you have 7-10 little girls who are doing essentially the same thing and only one looks up or goes a bit faster or doesn't have on a pink dress (so you can keep them straight in the 5 seconds you get to figure out what marks you're going to give them -- and compare them to ALL the previous skaters!)

I competed in the afternoon and figured to come in dead last -- since I've been having new blades "issues" since Adult Nationals. I finally bought new boots to solve the mating of blade/boot issues -- and have had the new boots two weeks... they are not quite broken in... so I had them punched out a bit more on Friday, and also had the right (landing foot) blade moved 2mm to the inside.. but had not skated on them since the adjustment. Oh did I mention I haven't even run through this program since AN??? Not even in practice? My coach didn't know I was competing... so we've been working on moves during my lessons. One of the other skaters has tested through Silver, but should be a Gold skater (she's just not confident of her Axel) -- and won Silver II Ladies a couple years back without even trying an Axel.. so you KNOW she's a gorgeous skater. One of the other skaters and I have faced off for years... and she nearly always beats me, and the other skater has a wonderful new program. So we figured the finish order would be 1) Gorgeous skater 2) other long-time competitor, 3) new program skater 4) new boot/blade skater (me). On the warm-up I tried a couple of jumps.. and they even felt reasonable. So I kept them in the program, smiled a lot, figured the worst that could happen would be I finished 4th.. which I was already expecting. I was happy with how I skated.. and when they posted the results -- I was 2nd!!!! I usually don't care about standings.. but I was amazed because all I wanted to do was remain vertical -- and remember to smile once during the program. I did both those things.. and I guess because I was so relaxed, I skated faster or something! More importantly though we ALL had a good time! Oh, and I forgot my Bunga pads.. so skated without them.. and didn't need them. What a great day THAT is.