Finally made Friday morning, but at the expense of not going to Thursday night and Dance Club - wanted a relaxing day yesterday.

Slums: But lying around all day yesterday has made my back ache. Not sciatica again (I don't think), just backache. But to the point where I'm rather considering a painkiller....

Husband took me down to the rink, then discovered he'd left his keys in the front door of our flat when he went rushing in to get a banana just before we left. So he had to go back for them, which meant, I thought, that he wouldn't be able to skate, but he decided he could spare 30 minutes. So we were able to practice a bit together.

We did a Dutch waltz when the relevant music came on, only for me to find that when he pulled me more into the corner for the slow run at the end, my free leg wouldn't/didn't extend properly. Sigh.

Mansions: However, if nothing else, we had fun. We did work on our swing rolls, both in Waltz hold and in Kilian hold, and I think they were a little better in Waltz hold today. Then he wanted to work on his hydroblade, so we split up for a bit, but ended up for some reason working on various sections of the Starlight Waltz, the Tango and the Blues. None of which we are likely to be asked to do in competition any time soon, but such fun to play!

Also enjoyed watching our elite skaters working on choreographing parts of this year's dances - they have, I think, picked their music now, and are working on bits. And for myself, did some Circle Cycle exercises - or rather, some of my exercises to Circle Cycle music, and one or two other bits. LFI3 beginning to happen now....

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

Following up on my new years resolution, I did an off-ice class this morning and now feel like I have been put through a mangle - all joints ache! It was a good class though and I will definitly do it again next week. It was so good to go through all the warm up and building up exercises and then run through all the jumps off-ice. The only problem being that when I then went on-ice to do the jumps and spins class I was already shattered. Sort-of landed my loop jump again today but it's extremely erratic and no flow. Toe-loop is improving though. Did a couple of good ones - those lovely ones that feel like they take no effort at all! Sadly though, for me these are rarely repeatable. Must remember to transfer the weight back to my picking foot and to look UP!

Spent most of the rest of the session just going round and round chatting to one of the younger skaters who had a day off school as she is doing mock exams - exercise being good for the brain of course!

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'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

MANSIONS - Woo hoo, another great practice day. The public adult skate session started out fairly crowded, so I spent a lot of time on my spins. The back sit spin is coming along much better, probably because I'm doing it in every combination, including camel/sit/back sit, flying camel/back sit, and sit/back sit/sit. Also making progress on stretching out those spin endings. After the first hour, there were only 3 "regulars" left on the ice, so I worked on all the single jumps, stretching my landing extensions as coach suggested. Gosh, they look so much nicer with a nice finish and locked, turned out free leg!

SLUMS - Struggled a little to get the lutz/loop and axel/toe loop to have continued momentum, but the last several were quite good. Still need a lot of work on the flying sit. Went through my full new program once and only two words describe it accurately: PUH-LEASE!!! :\ Sheesh! I still have a lot of work to do.

MANSIONS - But then things really picked up again. I was alone with one of the good 14 year olds who likes to join the "cool" people, and she really helped me with my 2toe. She says I landed two of them, but I feel like they were cheated. I definitely cheat-landed about 6 more, and some of them were pretty darn close to full rotation. At least I know what I've got to work on, as she was great about giving me some pointers.

Finished up with endurance stroking and was really pleased to have skated for 2-1/4 hours!

MANSIONS: Worked on Forward Crossrolls in lesson... first solo, working on getting rid of my bad habit of toe-picking the right underpush wh

en I cross-roll onto the LFO edge. Starting to get the proper feel on that side with something resembling a push. Then we worked on crossrolls in Foxtrot hold... using timing similar to that of the Paso, only slower tempo.

Next, the back progressive/back chasse/back chasse sequence from the beginning of the Paso. Instead of me working them totally solo, today we worked on the sequence in the proper dance hold from the Paso. Then we added the break-out... and it's feeling better than last week when we first worked on the break-out in dance hold... still has a long ways to go.

SLUMS: We were doing CW forward crossovers in open hold, and I tripped on my toepick and did a forward belly flop. Didn't really hurt anything, didn't slide either, though (ice too beat up). Mostly just embarrassed, but I think there will be a bit of minor bruising...

Definitely need to wander down to the pro shop tomorrow and get my blades sharpened... I may get my right blade kicked in just a tad, to help me get a stronger right outside edge.

Mansions: I've been doing waltzing mohawks all wrong and got a lesson from the other coach this week which involved us standing around on the ice listening to the music and her counting very LOUDLY into my ear onetwo THREE fourfivesix, onetwo THREE fourfivesix. It's much easier now, now only to work on style and form and arms and straight leg and those ***! spirals at the end.

Slums: I'm freezing to death. my feet are so frozen it hurts to walk after skating.

Dance class today and I was complimented on my deep edges. Also, the ice was good! That's worth an entire estate!
Slums: I can't get into a test day until March.

Mansions: Yes the lutz is still here and I'm overcoming my fear of the darn thing. I have the right technique now and I notice even before I take off if I'm going to do it wrong.

We finally fixed my technique on the flip. Its still in a bit of the slums but I landed a perfect one for my coach and did 3 more at the end of the session. My sit spin is still low and the speed is picking up.

Had my interview today for the first of a series of articles they are doing on me. Will be photographed on Monday

Slums: Flip jump almost left me in tears but when my coach came for my lesson we were able to fix it. Even he seemed concerned that I was so upset about it.

I'm always rushing things which leads to rushing jumps. Gotta work on that

Off the skating topic, I've had a bad week. Last week I went in for an STD test (they are negative) The nurse stopped and commented that I had a polyp on my cervix that looked a little abnormal. They referred me to a gynocologist. Let's just say the stress and worry is going to give me an ulcer. I'm hoping its nothing but I'm preparing for the worst. I have to wait a month to see the specialist(good in my opinion because if they thought it was that bad they would have sent me right away. Another good point is that she only saw the one and everything else looked good. The third good point is that it wasn't there last April when I had my last STD tests done and that I have no symptoms)

Just wanted to tell everyone to make sure you go get your pap regularily. It's been almost 2 years for me and now I'm paying for it by going thru this worry

Hmph. Here you only get one every three years, if that! Anyway, big <<<Hugs>>>, and I do hope you'll find it's nothing to worry about. Polyps aren't normally a problem, I gather, but you need to have them removed so that they don't become one.

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