Floored: Absolutely no energy to practice, as I've been dragging my butt for two months, feeling lousy at the high school I work in. I've been coming home and crashing on my bed. Found out Wednesday that a classroom I'm in 3 hours a day has been condemned with a mold infestation. Lovely! But maybe I'll start to feel better soon, and have the energy to practice. And no more headaches, sore throats, itchy red eyes, stomach aches and ear aches either would be nice...

Moved Up: Learned the half lutz today. Instructor said that in the five minutes I played with it, it improved quite nicely. My 12 yr old daughter Icy just laughed at me, and did a lovely impression of my CCW half lutz, (little wisebutt jumps CW and can do a better CCW half lutz than I can...) Had a few successes with my backspin, meaning I've got two rotations down - now to check out nicely...

Schmeck

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blades, gary, Lucy, Emily, take care of Aiden and Sami. Sami is my sweetest heart, and always will be, forever. RIP Cubby Boy, my hero dog.

I know just how you feel. I'm not actively sick any more, but still coughing up all the time, not sleeping well, and dragging around. Got home from my 10 AM Mommy & Me last Wed, and got right into bed. Hope you feel better soon.

Moving up:
Finally had a lesson! Did the FI alt three pattern beautifully, except for my palm resting gently on coach's. I showed my coach the little footwork pattern I developed, and she said I did it very well and that it looked nice. Power pulls are still improving.

Floored:
I still don't have FO threes back, and I'm green with envy that hubby can do twizzles! Also still cannot step into spin from wind up. I think skills that have been lost are worse than ones not yet achieved at all.

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Very true, it's incredibly frustrating. But at least you can keep in mind that you know you *can* do it, as you've done it before. Don't worry, the FO3s will come back. Just keep practicing.

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"It’s never too late to skate at any age." - Alexei Mishin.

Well, I dragged my sorry bum to my Saturday morning lesson. My play opened, closed, and struck this weekend and I'm just now able to breathe out of my nose after a 3-week long cold. My ears are still pretty plugged.

Anyway, I felt like it was a Floored lesson. I just couldn't find my feet and everything felt off. Spirals were OK, I guess. We had a substitute instructor and she has us doing them on the circles. And, actually, they felt OK inside and outside, though my amplitude suffered some when compared to doing them on a flat. It's OK, though, I can pass this element without a problem for my ISI FS1 test.

Then we worked on two-foot spins. I can consistently get 4 or 5 revolutions, but need to come up with another 2 or 2 1/2 for the test. I did get a compliment on my position and exit, thought. And I found out that I'm starting it correctly, too. I thought I wasn't because I was the only person NOT starting with a pivot.

Then waltz jumps. And here's where my feet completely lost connection to my brain. I can jump this at the boards, but get me away from the boards and I can't even step around. Especially yesterday. Geez, I am suck a dork!

Then we finished with back edges. What a waste! I think that my exhaustion had finally caught up with me and I was completely unable to glide backwards to save my life. I just wobbled and wavered and finally ended up chopping some broccoli to stay standing. Which, of course, aggravated the hip injury I've been feeling since May.

I'm thinking that I may want to have that checked out some time, but it only hurts if I do something off-balance and jarring. I can skate or dance on it for hours, but if I trip there's a shooting pain. It subsides within a few seconds, but it's there. I don't think it's muscular as I stretch my hips daily and feel nothing -- and I can do a full splits in both directions and a box split, too. I have full range of motion, too, but if I have to catch myself suddenly it hurts. It doesn't even hurt if I jump up and down or kick in any direction. Grrr...

Why is everyone getting sick all of a sudden????
My cold is waning, but still hanging on lightly.

Moving up: New coach for my adult group class on Saturdays. She started us off with 15 minutes of non-stop front and back crossovers. We were all panting before it was over, but we did have our "ice legs" by then.

Worked on spirals for my first time. OK, so my leg/upper body gets nowhere near parallel with the ground. So what! Yeh, I know it's really only at about a 45 degree angle. Who cares! Look, I'm old and my body is not going to stretch that way. Got it!!!

OK, so they really weren't GOOD spirals, but they were fun and challenging plus I stayed vertical.

Topped off the class with pivots and two-foot spins. Finally got the right "feel" for the forward pivot, but still need work on backward pivots. Just not finding the balance point to keep my shoulder and toe in line.

Floored: Fortunately, nothing.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

You may want to print off THIS page and show it to your coach. You can go ahead and do the NCCP Theory course at any time (usually runs for 2 days, community centres, schools, etc. all run it, it covers multi-sports). To do the first actual skating section, all you need is Prelim Dance, Skills, Freeskate, and one of those at the Junior Bronze level. No more. And a few hundred $$$ and a few days to do the course. Then it's your apprentice hours. Then you're onto some more $$$ and a few days for another course, for which you have to have passed your Junior Bronze Free Skate, Dance, and Skating Skills tests. After that, there's some more hours required, and other bits, then you're fully qualified for Level 1.

No Senior Bronze anything required for Level 1. You also don't have to be doing Interpretive, although I know you will for the enjoyment level. Once into Level 2, you have to get YOUR skaters passing tests in order to pass the level.

I'm an adult (24), not a parent, and am a Program Assistant on CanSkate twice a week (in fact, heading there now in just a bit). Not skating myself as the only ice I'm allowed onto is advanced canskate ice. I may have quit skating over a decade ago, but I've got more tests passed than most if not all of the senior skaters. Don't think I quite belong with the 3-12 year olds trying to learn waltz jumps. Hoping to work out my school schedule so that I can get ice at another club next year.

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Known as IrishDancerAndSkater/Azlynn at FSW

Also posted on Basic Ice Skating Skills:
For any in the Baltimore Area, Mr. Bob Olgivie will be giving a special class at the club session on Saturday. It will be on edges, footwork and control. He has been giving lessons at club lately for the advanced jump and spin class, and wants to try out a class for those interested in working on refining edges. It's open to 15year olds + who have the basic edges.
If you come as a guest to club (10-12:30) $10, you will be able to take his class as well as the general freestyle and dance classes.
Thanks