Say,I was just wondering what a typical day of trainning is really like from beginning to end for all our on Ice Skaters here.

__________________
FSWer

I stroke for several laps, then forward outside, then inside swing rolls, then I go through all my moves...though today I skipped the swing rolls and did figure eights of crossovers since I'm trying to improve them. I skate an hour and these days I try to do a half hour of moves and half hour of freestyle. After I'm warmed up from moves, I stretch on the barrier, do some lunges and forward and backward spirals. Today I even started doing some spirals on my less favored leg. On to jumps and I start out with my half lutz, since I'm most comfortable with that jump, do a few of those, then on to half flip. Then I do two footed waltz jumps to warm those ups and do waltz jumps. Then I spin, then work on my spin program, then my compulsary program and if there is time I go through my freestyle program and then I rarely have time, but if I do, I try to do some toe loops. And in between I relace my skates at least 4 or 5 times. And I stop to play music for my daughter and watch her do something and listen to her complain about something. If I have time I may cool down with forward and backward swing rolls, but often I just stop and get off.

j

It's amazing how much you can do in just an hour! I normally skate 1,5-2 hours, but I NEVER manage to do everything I want. I used to warm up for a long time doing edges, three turns (never happy with them), mohawks (always need improvement), crossovers, waltz8's. By the time I get to jumps and spins, I only have 20 minutes left. What a disaster! So the last couple of practices I worked mostly on jumps and spins, and they have really improved. But I don't know what's right. My problem is when I start working on no matter what, I don't want to stop until I'm happy with that move. Of course, it never happens. It's a real problem.

My training actually starts off ice first. I pick a warm up exercise. It's either jumping rope or I just use the bottom of a staircase and jump on the same step alternating feet. It works my calves and ankles and raises my body temp. After that, I work on landing positions, then I work on single rotations in both directions followed by doubles. I then do off ice axels. By the time I do this, I normally break out in a small sweat. Now it's time for light stretching. This normally takes 20-30 min.

After I'm warmed up and stretched out I hit the ice for a few laps both forward and backward and I focus on speed and flow. Then crossovers. Finally footwork (or lack thereof) 3-turns, mohawks, brackets, and edge pulls forward and backwards. Spirals are on the roster too. I hate spirals

Then it's off to backspins. Then it's camel spin, sit spin, back camel, back sit. Then it's forward spin to back spin and all the other spin combinations I try to do. Then I go through my jumps on patterns. Waltz jump through very shakey doubles.

Based on how I perform each element, my coach decides on which element needs the most attention. And that's what we focus on. I know it sounds like a lot but it happens rather quickly now that I am getting more and more consistent with some of the elements.

When it's all said and done, I stretch again but I deep stretches this time. I'm exhausted by this point so it's off to dream land after that.

BlackManSkating

__________________
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

Yea as I was writing out how little I actually accomplish - because when I say I work on jumps, I do maybe to 3 or 4...no wonder I'm such a crappy skater! But time and $$ it's just not possible to practice longer. When I have a lesson, then for my non-lesson time I usually work on just what I worked on in the lesson, unless my free time is before a lesson, then I warm up what I think we will work on.

Sometimes I think I want an artistic number, then I ask myself when I think I'm going to have time to work on that!

j

well, my training... my day starts actually with taekwondo, so im pretty warmed up already. i go home to take a bath and warm up a little since my body had been pretty well warmed up after 2 hours of training for taekwondo. Using the barre we have in the house, i stretch before i go to the rink because the clock starts ticking and the money starts vanishes once i step into rink premises. i put my skates on when i get to the rink and start with just stroking around the rink. after a few minutes, my lesson usually starts. of course i work on different mif with my coach and if i have a competition, we work on it. (spins and spirals mostly, since i am not in freestyle yet, my coach just decided to teach them to me early.) then, after my 30 minute lesson, i rest for about 15 mins (since the ice is resurfaced right after my class) then practice mohawks, 3 turns, crossovers, spirals and spins for about another thirty minutes. then i take a few more laps around the rink and times up for me! I do everything at about an hour and a half

I usually do a variation on this basic structure

General
Forwards skating
Forward and backward crossovers in figure of eight
Russian stroking
One foot slaloms forwards and backwards
Twizzles -FI singles, doubles, triples (one side of each), BO singles, doubles and possibly triples (one side of each), FO singles and doubles (one side of each).
FO/FI/BO edges/SR - one side of each
Alternating FO 3s/FIs - one side of each
I then usually practice some sort of set field moves exercise depending on what I'm working on - brackets/choctaws/rockers etc etc

Dance
Dance practice is harder to define as I'll work on sections of whatever dance I'm doing.

Jumps
Three jump
3 three jumps
Salchow
Cherry
Loop
Flip
Lutz
Three jump-loop
Loop-loop
Flip-loop
Lutz-loop
Three jump-loop-loop-loop
Three jump-loop-loop-backspin
Three jump-loop-backspin
Three jump-backspin
Backspin-loop-backspin
Axel
Salchow-loop
Double salchow
Cherry-loop
Double cherry

I usually do 2 or 3 of the singles and then many more repetitions of jumps I am working on - axels and higher

Spins
Upright
Change foot upright
Backspin
Sit
Change foot sit
Camel
Camel-sit
Camel sit- backsit
Layback

Camel normally gets the most attention as it is the weakest.


Then I do sections of programmes and jumps/steps/spins in context of programme without music.

Programme run through at some point.
And I usually end up going back to axels at the end.

Of course if I'm having a lesson it all changes - I would normally just do the general stuff then at least one of each jump and then it's lesson time.

Oh and I too also invariably need to relace my skates at least once!

And I usually watch others run through programmes for some part.

Right now, we're preparing for competition. So I do a general on-ice warm-up (mostly stroking, runs, and that move where you do very deep knee-bends on one knee while keeping the other leg straight, and I've no idea what it's called. And chatting to friends!) while Husband works on a few free skating elements. He seems to need a longer warm-up than I do, and often does several laps of forward and backward stroking.

Our couples' warmup, which we occasionally omit if there is a dance playing consists of one side of very fast stroking in Open Kilian hold, followed by one side where we cover the ice in four pushes. Recently our coach has asked us to add in two circles of forward runs, so we do that.

When we are not in "competition mode", we then do several laps of stroking in waltz hold - plain edges, chassés and swing rolls, taking it in turns to go backwards. We also work in Kilian and Reverse Kilian holds.

In "competition mode", especially in the last week or so before competition, we go through all our dances, focussing especially on places where we lose togetherness, or where one of us is doing something different that doesn't help the other one. We also work on our starts and finishes.

We then run through our free dance, and any "silly" pieces we're working on, but usually run out of time.

After Husband has gone (he comes in at other times to work seriously on his free skating), I work on edges, skills (turns of various kinds, spins, twizzles) and power/stamina work.

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

I have a test and competition at the end of the month, so I'm focusing mainly on moves and my program. I stretch and warm up off-ice, doing 1.5 and 2 rotations, and off-ice axel if I have time. When I get on the ice I run through all the moves (Pre-Bronze) in order. Sometimes I do Bronze moves and the Silver 3-turn patterns too, depending on time.

After moves I do all the single jumps and jumps with loop on the end. Then I do my flip/inside loop/salchow, footwork into loop, and lutz/toe loop, because they're in the program. I usually work on twizzles for a bit, especially the left inside and right outside, because they're not as good as the right inside. I run my footwork sequence a couple of times and then do sections of the program and the whole program. When I start getting tired I work on all the spins I know - scratch, scratch/back scratch, back spin, sit, attitude, camel, and camel/sit. Mostly I do the camel/sit because it's really bad and supposed to be in my program. If I have time I'll run the whole program once or twice again. When I get home I stretch for 20-30 minutes.

In a lesson, I only do PB moves and work on my program. When I get past the test and competition I hope to go back to learning the axel and double toe, and start on double sal, sit/back sit and layback!

__________________
The skating may not sparkle, but my dress sure does!

Just passed: Pre-Bronze MIF & Freeskate. Next goal: Bronze tests in July.

Is this like a half-loop? If not, could you describe it please?

Thanks!

stand up ... fall down... stand up ... fall down (repeat the process several thousand times!)

__________________
AW1
mum to Miss Lil (6yrs old)
mum to be to #2 due in March 08

A typical training day, eh? I'll start off with warm-up.

Warm-up
Forward stroking
Forward and backward crossovers in figure 8
Alternating 3turns
Cross rolls
Crossovers into BI and BO edges
I don't like moves in field much, so I don't usually focus too much on 'em.

Jumps
Waltz
Waltz/loop (axel prep.)
Toe
Salchow
Loop and Loop/loop
Flip and Flip/Loop
Lutz and Lutz/loop
Waltz-backspin (axel prep.)
I also enjoy doing as many loops in a combination as I can (such as loop/loop/loop/loop with like 0% flow on the landing... lol).

I have to warm up my spins A LOT before they get nice and centered in a session, and that's so annoying.

Spins
Scratch
Scratch-change-scratch
Backspin (or at least an *attempt* at it)
Sitspin
Pancake (recognizable position though inconsistent)
Horrible camel (x < 3 rotations )
Sit-change-sit attempts followed by a "SPLAT".

Spirals - my favorite!
Classic spiral
Catch-foot (or Chinese)
Biellmann
Y-spiral *attempts*

__________________

Ok,I've seen these types of video sites before. But have never been able to figure the out. All I'm getting is a bunch of pics. But no single pic. So,how do I find your Daughter. How do I work it? Also,do you have it to support html.? Thanks.

__________________
FSWer

I have no idea FSWer, all I know is that I click the link and it gives me a big video off to the left - that is my video - the smaller videos off to the right are other peoples stuff I think.

__________________
AW1
mum to Miss Lil (6yrs old)
mum to be to #2 due in March 08

There's more then one pic. on the left.

__________________
FSWer

Yes, the inside loop is the same as half loop! For some reason I've had a hard time jumping on the half loop, although I can do a flip/loop perfectly well.

__________________
The skating may not sparkle, but my dress sure does!

Just passed: Pre-Bronze MIF & Freeskate. Next goal: Bronze tests in July.

I completely agree with you on this one! I really don't like this jump... although my coach does have me keep practicing it. She says she does it to "increase our choreography options". I think she does it to torture me!

Well I am just an ancient re-beginner so I don't have all the fancy jumps and stuff to work on - I am still working on the basics.

A typical skating day starts at 4 a.m., check the email and message boards (like this one ) with a cup of coffee and be out of the house by 5. It's an hour's drive to the city, grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the Tim Horton's, and arrive at the rink about 6:15. I do 15 to 20 minutes off ice stretch and warm-up in the warm lobby, put on my foam butt pad, get the music stand unlocked (I am the first one there), and start booting-up about 6:45.

I am on the ice at 7 and start out easy with some two-foot serpentines to get the legs and hips moving (and to start waking up!). When i get loosened up, I usually do a lap or two of hard forward stroking and a lap or two backwards to get the muscles warm, then some deep XO's (to stretch the legs), deep edges (to get my "edge stability"), and then start practicing whatever moves are the newest and need the most work.

Some time between 8 and 9 a.m. it's off to work until late afternoon and then doing the things I need to do to keep the household together and me and my hound fed. With 4 a.m. mornings, bedtime comes early at our house

For some reason, since I started skating, "free time" has disappeared! There always seems to be a whole list of things waiting to be done

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

it is torture! it's a nice connecting jump for a 3-jump combo, but i wish i could be a little more graceful while doing it, instead of swinging my arms all over the place

__________________
The skating may not sparkle, but my dress sure does!

Just passed: Pre-Bronze MIF & Freeskate. Next goal: Bronze tests in July.

When i dont have a lesson:
I usually warm up for about 15min doing forward and backward stroking through to spiral and step sequences. Then i do spins for 25min and then jumps. Single jumps (inc. axel) training for about 20min then the ice is resurfaced. After resurfacing; 30min on doubles, 15min on programmes and 15min on double axel. 15min at the end of the session is a power stroking class for anybody in the club, this usualy includes playing games and doing suicide runs (for those who dont know a suicide run is when you start at the base hockey line, skate to the 1st blue line and back then skate to the middle red line and back etc as fast as possible and repeat until the coach says stop)
Then (or do homework)

Flik

Typical non-lesson day:

1. warm up by a couple laps of forward stroking followed by the dutch waltz. I'm not a dancer but I find it is a good warm up of edges. My warm up may also involve running my mouth with fellow skaters as we stroke around the rink.

2. One or two moves patterns

3. Spins. I am a horrible spinner so I usually focus on these first. 2 foot, forward, sit, spiral to stretch, camel, backspin.

4. Jumps. Waltz and then I will pick one or two jumps to work on (toe-loop through lutz).

__________________
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

Right now I'm coaching more than actually skating, although I'm going to skate more this summer (I hope). I like going to the adults-only public sessions at my rink in the morning because it's basically all figure skaters, a nice group (mostly old enough to be my parents or grandparents, but I don't care), and we put the ice-dance music on and just do one dance after another. Now that I've learned all the dances it's a really good workout because I basically don't stop moving for almost an hour.

Some days I go in earlier and do a freestyle session at 7:30 or 8 instead, if I want to jump and spin, and some days I just go to the empty public skate at lunchtime with my hockey skates and do drills.

__________________
Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!