Smooth: The ice today! Even though I got to the session pretty late, the ice was nice and I could feel the flow so much better!! I wonder what the difference is... it is a mystery to me...

Noticing that the PT exercises I am doing for my foot/balance are helping my wayward right hip (I need to put my weight over my hip more for the balance exercise and it must be strengthening the muscles I need to skate right, which is fabulous!) and I can feel it when I am doing moves/edges, etc., especially on the right side. My coach is pleased and so am I! I guess breaking my foot and being off the ice for 2 months was good for something.

Was able to do more today, but the ligaments of the affected right foot still hurt and I am scared to do anything like one-foot turns, etc., at any speed, but I had fun today anyway!

Scratchy: Mid-back has been hurting more since I have been skating/working more - what is up with that? Still doing PT exercises and yoga for that, but it is not helping, although it feels fine when I skate. I think I must quit working, driving, etc., and just skate all of the time. That is probably the solution...

Now where is that Advil?

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Have been so very busy with work, house, garden, dogs, and prepping for pre-bronze MIF test so I haven't checked in. Here's a doozy of a "scratchy," though: I broke my ankle on Monday.

Yep. Skating. Doing nothing in particular. Trying to just noodle around the last few minutes of a session, since it was just me and a coach & young student. Somehow I got on my toepick and must have just collapsed on it, because it just isn't that easy to break both your tibia and fibula in a heavy-duty supportive skating boot.

Yesterday morning I had plates and screws put in and am recovering now at home. So much for the testing. so much for the ice show (now my synchro team has lost yet ANOTHER member, waah!) in June, so much for walking the dogs and mowing the lawn and taking out garbage and a host of other household tasks. And so much for skating for a while. The memory of hearing that pop!/crack! is creepy enough to me that I will be very hesitant to get back on the ice too soon after the cast is off. (Fortunately we have many helpful friends and neighbors who are generously stepping up to the plate.)

So, see y'all in a practice thread this summer?

I'm so sorry about your ankle, LilJen! I hope you heal quickly. Just don't spend a lot of time in 1 position while you're recovering, to prevent clotting. Do you start PT soon? As long as you follow doc's instructions and do your PT exercises and such, you should be fine. At least you have a lot of "helpers" around you - you don't want to push yourself too much.

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Ugh! I am SO SORRY about your ankle, Lil Jen!
But I know there are others on this board who have been through the same thing, so they should be able to encourage you about life (i.e., skating!) after breaking an ankle. Get well soon!!

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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

It will count for any one-foot spin, but I think the reason people tend to do the change of direction combo with camel spins is because they rotate slower than other spins so you're less likely to get dizzy and/or out of control on the exit of the first spin and entrance to the second one.

BTW, the bracket I was describing assumed you were doing them on lobes on the Gold MIF pattern: RFO bracket to LBI bracket. That's the only way I've ever really practiced them diligently so it's the only way I know how to describe them, 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

Yay! Well, inspired by all of the cheers of "keep working on both sides":

I went to freestyle at a rink I've only skated at once before. REALLY hard ice that let me hear all of my Scratchiness. But because of how it all ended up, I'll consider most of today:

Smooth: 1 hr working only on BO3s and scratch spin from both directions.

BO3's-- by the end of the session, I actually managed to pull them off, both directions, and continue gliding afterwards! Wooo!!!! Considering that I started the session totally unable to do any, this was majorly smooth.

Scratch spin... still cruddy entry from xovers. most involve me practically scraping to a halt on my toepick and then trying to push into the spin. The good of spinning both directions-- as soon as I do one, I switch to the other, so I didn't get dizzy at all. I know now why I can't get into the entry for my CW spin-- my left leg drags behind me . Great entry on my CCW, with virtually no rotations/travelling vs bad entry on CW, but I actually pulled off a nice, centered spin and my first real scratch spin.

Constant repetition and sheer stubbornness will do wonders! Thank you everyone for inspiring me to keep working on both sides!

Oh, and Isk8NYC-- take care of your back! Those nice stick-on heat patches did wonders for me the last time that I had a similar pull... at least you don't feel it as badly.

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When asked what his "secret" to success was, Wayne Gretsky said: "Skate to where the puck is going and not to where it has been."
Is the figure skating version of this: Skate as if you're doing an axel and not just learning how to hop?

Lil Jen

Sorry about the ankle. Here's to a quick recovery. (I would insert the champagne smiley here if I had any clue how to do so).

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

Heal that ankle up soon, LilJen!

Smooth:
-Back 3s (all of them) felt good by the end of the session once I remembered the tips my coach had given me
-Camels are feeling more steady. Now I can get 2-3 revolutions (verrry slow) about 75% of the time.
-I had fun playing with the back camel even though it doesn't really spin yet.
-Power pulls were decent today.

Scratchy:
-Ugh - I got SO frustrated with the lutz today. A girl on my session landed hers (with cheers all around) and I actually felt jealous. I can't believe I was jealous of a 12 yr old girl I had to remind myself that she's 12 (and I am definitely not 12), and I have no idea how long she's been working on the lutz. I've only been working on it for 2-3 weeks, so there is no reason I should be getting frustrated with it already. Sometimes I think I expect myself to progress more quickly than is possible.

Smooth: Axels have been good this week

Scratchy: haven't yet figured how to do A+1Lo+1T, followed by 2T followed by 2S (properly landed, of course) all within a space of 30 seconds!

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Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
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Auch. Those toepicks are a source of injury to everybody it seems.
Good luck with everything!!!

OH JEN! So sorry to hear about your ankle! Major BUMMER!

It is amazing how many of the sprains, breaks, and other abuses happen when you're doing "nothing in particular"! One of my friends (a fairly high level skater) had a spiral fracture of his leg doing a simple forward 3-Turn. I sprained my ankle last summer doing a stupid back change-of-edge! T'AIN'T FAIR! Skaters should only have injuries they can BRAG about! Oh, I broke my leg working on my triple axel.

Scratchy! My usual quiet session was anything but quiet! The place was packed with hockey players and hockey parents when I arrived at 6:20 A.M.!!! Since I didn't feel like doing my warm-up amid the hockey parents, I found a quiet area of the foyer and at least did a stretch. We normally take to the ice at 7 a.m. but at 7 the hockey team was just leaving. By the time the flood was finished it was 7:15 before we got on the ice.. I HATE disruptions to my morning routine - I am not awake enough to deal with them!

The old legs were pretty stiff and wobbly this morning, I guess from all the skating this week and an improper warm-up. When coach arrived we worked on the spin entry.

Smooth: Then we worked on the spin & jump exit (RBO, free foot back) - that's going to take some practice to get comfortable! But I love learning new things (or old things in a new context).

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

Well, I do a plain vanilla bi-directional spin, except I can never quite manage 3 revolutions on each foot (usually about 2.5) and I hate spinning so seldom practice it. Friend of mine who is doing Silver this year although she can no longer jump is hoping for a Level 2 on a combination which is a 3-rev backspin, followed by a 3-rev forward spin in the same direction and finished with a 3-rev forward in the other direction. My backspin isn't reliable enough to try that yet!

Oh, poor you! Sending huge healing vibes your way. Hope you recover quickly.

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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!

Looplover's sit spin was awesome! My coach and I were lucky enough to see it, and we loved it!

Smooth: Had 3 really good 1 foot spins! Also, I'm working on a lunge to an attitude for part of the ending to my Artistic program, and it actually worked well, can't wait to show coach tomorrow morning. The words to the song are "I get down on my knees and I will pray", so the lunge will go to the on my knees part, and as I come up in the attitude, my hands will be in a prayer position.

Scratchy: The other 15 1 foot spins were not so good, oh well....I also leaned too far into the circle on one of the spin entries and my left foot slipped off the blade - ouch!!! However, I know what I did wrong, so I didn't do it again.

Yay, tomorrow is Friday!!!!

(((((LilJen))))) Hope you heal quickly without complications!

Scratchy:
Everything. After cancelling my lesson last Friday because I didn't feel well, on Sunday I felt much better. Then Sunday night I started feeling terrible, and have had a miserable cold all week, that has just flattened me. NO skating at all except for teaching, which is my only outing each day. Fortunately, colds, unlike broken ankles, are usually over in a week, so I'm hoping to be back on track soon.

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SMOOTH!- I LANDED MY AXEL! I can't believe it! I was on a public session and was doing waltz-backspins and decided to just go for it, and I did and I landed it! I was so surprised that I kind of collapsed and fell down, but I did it! Oh man I'm so happy!

Scratchy- Uh. I think I have two stress fractures now. One on each ankle in the same place. Going to see an orthopedist next week to make sure it's not some kind of bone development problem.(It's probably from tying my skates around the ankles too tight.)

Oh, and I might have lyme disease.

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Well, got a shot on Monday, and it came with a large bruise on the front of my socket and hip flexor. No jumping until next Monday, sigh...

Figures seems to look like an 8 and are getting a little better, dances are doing okay and it just is really sore. Will go see doctor while in Germany who is supposed to be very good and can maybe help with copious hip snapping while doing spirals on right leg.

All things considered not so bad...

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Congratulations. That is quite a milestone!

Congrats!!!! I know you wanted to tell everyone. That's an awesome accomplishment!!! I remember that feeling very well. Always remember that moment because it helps you on those days when the axel isn't quite coming together. I remember when my coach "tricked" me into doing my axel. He had me doing waltz jumps but I had to click my boots together in mid air. Then he told me to cross my feet instead of clicking them together. Next thing I knew, I did a clean axel.

I'm sorry to hear about the stress fractures. I've been blessed not to have had any major injuries except a slightly pulled hip flexor. I am scared to death of getting hurt. That may be what's holding me back from landing some of my doubles.

Lyme Disease??? What causes that?

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

LilJen - Heal up quickly! Sorry about the break, I've been there too.

Smooth: The blades are much better today after the skate guy redid them. (Is that a word? Oh well.) My jumps are back and I didn't fall!

Scratchy: I'm still tentative on them though. My program (that I'm usually comfortable with) was at best average today. All that falling kind of shook my confidence. Coach said to me, It wasn't you it was the blades! Helped a litttle.

Congratulations!!! That's great
Hope you don't have another stress fracture though, or Lyme disease!

I pinched the nerve in my left foot again...ouch. We all need to stop hurting ourselves

Congrats on the axel!!!

Lyme disease is a syndrome caused by the bite of an infected tick. The tick transmits a spirochete which usually causes a bulls-eye rash, flu-like symptoms, lethargy, and muscle and joint aches. If treated early, it can be sucessfully treated with doxycycline or amoxicillin for a 21-30 day course. If untreated or if you just happen to be one of the unlucky few, it can cause a permanent arthralgia.

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

Wow, the good and the bad are equally intense for you right now, aren't they?! But congratulations on the axel!! I will never forget the moment--and the exact date--that I landed my first one! May you have many happy landings to come.

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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

Pulled a rib muscle on the stretches for the bielman. Au.

Count me on the sick-list, I'm afraid; the excessive tiredness of the past three days wasn't laziness after all! Woke up this morning with the long bones in my legs aching like anything, also my pelvis, and I know from experience that this means a minor virus has struck. It will pass, and I hope to be back on the ice, if not tomorrow, then Sunday.

I don't think Husband was too sorry not to have skated this morning - he could have gone down alone, but chose not to.

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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!

What Scarlett said...but also be aware (as I live in MD too) that Maryland is a Lyme Disease hotspot. I pay special attention to insect repellent if I'm going to be anywhere that might include ticks ...

Don't know if it's scratchy or smooth yet: Off to my lesson this morning...stole time to get in some practice, so we'll see if it's helping that fiesta...

Rob