Blue Skies or Grey Roof? Practice 1/12 - 1/18

liz_on_ice · #1 01-12-2009, 12:13 PM

thread title in honor of the new seasonal rink that opened near my office.

Skating under bright blue skies on a crystal clear day. During my lunch break - the most lovely kind of skating. I practiced everyting while the tourists gawked. I even managed a proto-layback. Wheeee!

looplover · #2 01-12-2009, 01:33 PM

That sounds lovely!

Blue Skies: My sit spin/backspin combo was pretty good this a.m. - backspins are getting fast! I can't believe it. Those are fun now, love 'em

Grey Roof: Last week it was some kind of cold and today it's an earache so I felt totally off the whole practice. I have no idea of why those two spins were good because seriously NOTHING else was! I guess I have to go to the doctor (I never go to the doctor). But getting very very worried about easterns! Also I forgot the new end of my program.

Camel - I can't stand it - same mistake every attempt, up on toe pick.

Bunny Hop · #3 01-12-2009, 04:43 PM

Blue skies: Made it through to the end of a 45 minute lesson without dying (usually have a couple lesson, so not used to doing that long on my own!). Worked quite hard on a lot of things for Passport Bronze, and although progress is glacial, felt like there was progress. Coach gave me several exercises to work on that might actually lead to me getting some things signed off...eventually.

Grey roof:Coach took apart my forward runs (progressives) for what seems like the hundredth time. I know it's pretty basic, but this really feels like the thing I will never be able to get. Just can't hold the crossed position properly, so back to gliding on two crossed feet on the circle. I have visions of having the entire Passport signed off except for runs!

singerskates · #4 01-13-2009, 12:09 AM

Monday

Grey Roof:

When I got to the rink today, one rink had pickup hockey in it where they were shooting the pucks to the top of the glass at high speeds. So I wasn't going on that ice pad even though they said everyone had to go on that ice because they were doing repairs to the heaters from the other ice pad in where I usually skate. This lasted for 50 minutes of the 90 minute session. Other skaters took one look at the ice pad in which pickup hockey was occurring and immediately went to get their money back to leave. Not me. I waited them out for 50 minutes before being allowed on the ice where the repairs were taking place. Lost time but....

Blue Skies:

Had the whole rink to myself.

I made up for the lost time by pushing hard in practice.

Stroked around a few laps to warm up. Then I went into my first spin (forward corkscrew) which had a fast centered center. Didn't count the rotations. When I got out of the spin, I noticed that it wasn't just the rink attendant watching but I had gotten an audience. Must have been 20 people looking into the ice pad from the lobby.

Then I warmed up jumps with the Waltz jump. Warmed up Toe Loop, Salchow, did a Salchow/Toe Loop combo, Loop, then Loop from assisted travelling 3's as I do it in my freeskate, split jump, flip and lastly split/flip/toe combo. Somehow I keep forgetting to warm up the Lutz.

Warmed up forward sit spin, broken sit as so far planned in program. Lastly I warmed up my spiral sequence (need to work on popping up my free leg higher and faster to get into position and to work on my lean on the second half of my change edge spiral: RFI to RFO, need to stroke more efficently to get more power so I can start the LBI Bielman type spiral sooner to get more of a curved edge. It's coming but not where I want it yet.

Then I ran through my freeskate program none stop (usually don't go all the way through without the music). I two footed the flip in my combo and the Lutz in my run through but just kept on going.
Finished my freeskate with my forward upright Usp (basic, changed layback to an attitude with free leg same as a layback position, then grabbed free foot's blade). Still want to add another variation to my upright but I might not if I can't get 4 clean revs of the variation with the grab from behind. Anyway, when I was done my program the audience was still there watching. I felt like an ant under a magnafying glass. Funny I don't get this feeling when competing or doing a solo in a skating show?

Then I took my hockey stick and a pylon shooting it around the rink doing turns and stuff as I handle the pylon with my stick for about 5 minutes.

Ran through the little that we have done of my interpretive so far. Still need to get the program memorized to the point where I don't have to think what's next as far as we've choreographed it. Because without the music playing, after the spiral I fotget what to do next. One thing that I impressed myself with was my split jumps. I haven't done two consecutive split jumps with flow and a bit of height for quite a while.

Then got back into doing my elements until it was time to go.

katz in boots · #5 01-13-2009, 01:50 AM

Blue Skies:
Our skies today - Hot !

The rink re-opened yesterday, after being closed since the Sunday before Christmas !!! Yay

Grey Roof:
I won't get to skate until Saturday morning.

Blue Skies:
can't wait to get back on ice and find out what I can still do after such a long break. Itching to get my pro-filer out and sharpen my blades, rub the backs of my proflex with vaseline to stop them squeaking (one of those little Proflex quirks, the leather against rubber can really squeak sometimes). repack my skatebag and do all those "back to school" things.

Mrs Redboots · #6 01-13-2009, 08:16 AM

Blue Skies: Rink to ourselves this morning, which meant a fantastic practice.

Grey roof: (Which is what the weather here is) No lessons as the coaches are at our Nationals!

Bill_S · #7 01-13-2009, 08:38 AM

Blue skies: While my skating time is very limited this year, I did manage an enjoyable public session. Officially, it's no spins or jumps on public ice, but I'm old (probably grumpy-looking too) and they let me try anyway. Managed a respectable 3 rev backspin-change-forward scratch (many revs & fast).

I love the feeling during the transition between back and forward spin combos when my right leg swings from behind to the front. I feel the gain in momentum during the transition for creating speed in the forward spin.

If I had any doubts about my hand sharpenings using a Pro Filer, they are now laid to rest. Buried. Six feet under.

I managed to slice my left thumb on the blade while removing my skates after the session. Blood was everywhere. Despite the pain and mess, I was secretly pleased that the hand sharpenings were so effective.

Not that I wish to shed more O-positive proving it. Once is enough.

liz_on_ice · #8 01-13-2009, 12:51 PM

Blue Skies - Another lunchtime practice, worked spins pretty hard, some jumps and moves. Coach won't recognize me tomorrow with all the practice I've gotten lately

Grey Roof - the sky was not blue, and it was windy. Windy enough that I was trying to figure out if the rink had a downhill side, or I was only being blown across it. Made things challenging. Sit spin is still in really early stages, camel is only a wannabe.

jazzpants · #9 01-13-2009, 01:54 PM

Blue Skies:
More choreography work!!!
Primary coach re-did my music! It's now at 1:50... much to his chagrin since he thinks I'm just "not skating fast enough."

Grey Roof:
Took a couple of tries to finally get the footwork... and a few times I was blocked by the hordes of public session kids and little hockey guys who don't give a DAMN that they're about to be trampled on by ME!!!

Blue Skies:
I am in the process of working out my "work from home" situation where I can work from home at least one day of the week, so I CAN get in my lesson with primary coach during the much quieter LUNCH TIME skate!!!

LilJen · #10 01-13-2009, 02:48 PM

Jazz, I'm all about the midday public sessions. Empty or nearly so, fresh ice so you can see your tracings. I get so much done on them. Plus they're much cheaper than freestyle sessions.

Blue skies:
-Synchro practice mostly good Sunday. Formation program is coming along and will, I think, be in OK shape by mid-Feb (competition). Plus, we have most of our dresses (over which we were having panic attacks because we still had nothing as of early December!).
-Decent practice yesterday. Only time to run through most Bronze moves, rather than really work on them, as I spent most of my time tweaking my footwork & FS programs.

Grey roof:
-Full synchro program is STILL not done, to be debuted at the same February comp. . . eek!! I think we have maybe half of it in place? Still--we got our dresses lickety-split last week (nydancewear.com--YIPPEE!) so we'll look good, maybe??
-Bleah Bronze moves. Still not consistently getting a good weight shift on the back XOs, and I think my 5-step pattern is out to lunch.
-Tried a lot of different things for reworking the FS program and I still don't really like how things fit (well--they don't fit) with the music. Didn't feel it fit very well as an FS1 program, either, so perhaps the music is the problem! Still, we'll have to go with it, as it's rather late to be making changes.
-SPINS!!! Were nice & centered & controlled last Thursday, but stunk yesterday.

liz_on_ice · #11 01-14-2009, 08:22 AM

Blue Skies - lesson this morning, first time in a month between rain, sickness, and holidays. Coach admired my improvements in jumps and spins. I had sent her some music and we worked on some ideas for my program for the end of season show. She worked over my entrance to the loop, I'm landing it more often, but it's not exactly good.

Grey Roof - Despite all practice and improvements, I did a fair zamboni impression this morning, falling twice. When I changed my clothes I found I'd cut myself in the thigh with my blade, just a little one fortunately. How often should you get a tetanus shot - 5 years or 10? I should just get them on general principles.

looplover · #12 01-14-2009, 08:59 AM

Grey Roof: ooh I'm grumpy! My last two practices have been horrible! Um, I think I can skate, I was able to until I registered for Easterns...

At one point I decided I was scratching Easterns but I got over it. I'm really REALLY behind in training for this though. So it should be an interesting experience

It's usually so crowded at freestyles I don't feel like I can play my music. Today there was ONE other person on the ice - perfect time - but I was skating horribly so I didn't. I should have anyway.

Blue Skies: Well, I still really like backspins....

Isk8NYC · #13 01-14-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by looplover

It's usually so crowded at freestyles I don't feel like I can play my music. Today there was ONE other person on the ice - perfect time - but I was skating horribly so I didn't. I should have anyway.

Don't make me jump ugly with you - play the music, skate the program! (j/k)

Come early tomorrow and hang out. I'll be your audience and tell you everything's perfect!

phoenix · #14 01-14-2009, 05:12 PM

Grey Roof: our weather! I left with plenty of time to get to the rink, get changed and have a 1/2 hour warmup. The roads were so bad that I got there just in time to put on my skates and step onto my lesson with no warmup.

Blue Skies: Despite that, I skated well! Coach was happy with me, so all was right w/ the world. AND I made it through 2 patterns of Viennese on time with the music! Didn't think I could do that yet. It wasn't great still, but as coach says, "The first thing the judges look for is timing." The (correct) edges will come as I get more comfortable w/ it up to speed.

Funny moment: We had to change my choreographed intro steps because at one point I was basically mooning the judges--in a low bent over position w/ butt pointed right at 'em! Good catch by coach, who happened to be standing where the judges would sit.....

*sigh* there is no dignity left.

jazzpants · #15 01-14-2009, 05:16 PM

Grey Roof:
Woke up LATE -- just got to the rink BARELY in time to go to my lesson with secondary coach. My alarm clock didn't wake me up... and hubby also woke up late (and therefore couldn't wake me up early either.

)

We worked more on CW forward crossovers. I couldn't get the underpush the way that my secondary coach wants it. Needless to say, half of the forward x-strokes also were bad... GRRRR!!!

Blue Skies:
I sorta starting to get the gist of it towards the very end of the lesson. Of course, I nearly had another "click of death" again, to which Her Evilness says "Good! Shows you're willing to fall..."

Grey Roof:
Tried to negotiate for wearing hip pads again. "Not until you're working on axels!

" Her Evilness says!!! (I tried, guys!!!

)

LilJen · #16 01-14-2009, 06:16 PM

Grey Roof: About 6 inches of snow = no skating for me today.

looplover · #17 01-14-2009, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isk8NYC

Don't make me jump ugly with you - play the music, skate the program! (j/k)

Come early tomorrow and hang out. I'll be your audience and tell you everything's perfect!

Ha!!! I should. I might. That's REALLY early. Pretend I can do a camel. (I want to take it out of the program)

singerskates · #18 01-14-2009, 11:31 PM

Grey Roof: Or more like no roof. It was like skating out doors in Edmonton inside my rink today because workmen were replacing the enterance doors and the whole enterance. Wind, snow and cold was wipping in. It was 8 degrees F outside today for the high. I barely could bend my knees. It was so cold I felt like a popcicle. I couldn't do a decent warm up waltz jump because I was so cold.

Ever since my brother came back to Canada from living in the US for 8 years, he's been using this aerosal body spray called Axe. I've got asthma and I'm allergic to it. Everyday it was bothering me more and more when my brother would use it smelling up the whole house. I had to air out the house each day because of it. Then my husband went back to work at Chryslers on Monday (special situation and skills) and came back with a horrible smell all over him which intensified my allergy and asthma problem. It got so bad that I felt like there was a Mack truck on my chest and back sequeezing my lungs. I was so scared about it that I went to the doctors to find out if it was the asthma or if I had caught some bug from my mother-inlaw. The doctor almost had me get another drug on top of my preventative and resque inhaler because my lungs were so inflamed. But I convinced him to let me try taking the resque inhaler for a few days more often to see if we could settle my lungs down.

Because of this, I couldn't get all the way through my freeskate today. I only made it 3/4's of the way through and then the cold was just too much for my lungs so I had to stop and take a break for a minute or two.

Blue Skies:

Even though I was having asthma problems, I still was able to do the following:

Salchow
Salchow/Toe Loop
Split/Flip
Split/Flip/Toe Loop
Loop (just need to stop tapping my free foot down for a moment)
Lutz (rotated it but didn't have the strength to even try to one foot it)

Did a decent run through of my freeskate until I got to the 3/4 mark. See Grey Roof.

Sit spin somehow was decent even though all other times, I couldn't bend my knees enough. Go figure?

Forward spin until I was within 15 minutes of the end of the 2 hour session, was decent.

Had a double lesson today. 15 minutes freeskate and 15 minutes interpretive.

Worked on changing my Forward Upright spin with my coach from what I had (basic, layback, bihind blade grab) because after several friends told me that including the layback in my upright, I was doing a combination spin in my Canadian Adult Bronze freeskate which isn't allowed. My forward spin (Usp) is now a forward leaning to the left from hip with left arm up and out to the left and right arm down to the right and right leg out to the right for 3 or 4 revs, then did an attitude spin for 3 revs before pushing my hips forward but not laying back to grab my free legs skate blade for 2 to 3 revs before coming out. My coach says that this is a level 2 spin. And being that my music doesn't give me enough time to try and add another variation, I think I'm just going to leave it as we have it now.

Blue Skies and a Party:

We worked on my new interpretive some more today (Wednesday). We got about a 5th done.

Anyway, after seeing the change my coach wanted me to do, I ran through the program as far as we had it choreographed. As I finished what we did, my coach and all the other skaters, got excited about my performance screaming and clapping. I was so floored. There's no way that I was that good. Can't be. I'm in disbelief. Now I have to finished the other 4/5's of the program and match the intensity. Can't wait to get the rest of it choreographed. It's partly my ideas and my coach's ideas (about 50/50). Last time I took to much ownership of the program and that is why it didn't get a better placement than second last. I've got a feeling that this program will do much better this year because I'm "Feeling Good".

looplover · #19 01-15-2009, 10:33 AM

Grey roof: heh, forgot to meet ISk8NYC early. Had PMS-induced meltdown during second run-through of program. Thought I looked like ostrich on skates. Blamed PMS.

Couldn't flip today until the last try.

Blue skies: Well I've at least run through the program to music twice so am back on track, sort of! sit spin to backspin is pretty consistent. Now live on first floor so can do more off-ice practice

jazzpants · #20 01-15-2009, 06:20 PM

Grey Roof:
Did my first two runthrus of the technical with the new music (and my first runthru in about 2 months.) Oh, dear -- I got a skating critique to do in 3 weeks and I'm totally can't land any of my jumps to save my life.

I also couldn't get the timing on the very first runthru to land on time from the beginning on. (The second runthru was a tad better at the beginning but after the footwork towards the backspin is where things starts falling apart on the timing. EEEEK!!!

)

As for my lesson, I'm "sleep-skating" thru my lesson with my choreographer. Couldn't get the underpush on the CW forward crossovers, so he gave me this one straight drill combining forward crossovers with forward power pulls. Needless to say, I didn't QUITE get that...

Blue Skies
I finally "woke up" just in time to do my runthru for my artistic program. Didn't do too badly... could be a lot better. (The FO mohawks accident from last week freaked me out. My choreographer immediately noticed the hesitation and corrected me on my wide stepping into the FO mohawks. Rightfully so, since that's how the accident happened in the FIRST PLACE!!! Must have feet UNDER me (or rather, my hips.) Much easier after that correction!!!

Finally I can start working from home once a week!!! My primary coach and I will start our midday lesson on the 1/26 (since next week is MLK's Day and the rinks will be CROWDED anyway.) NICE EMPTY MIDDAY PUBLIC SESSIONS, HERE I COME!!!

singerskates · #21 01-15-2009, 06:31 PM

Grey Roof:
No relief from the North Pole cold. It was another day of the human skating popcicles. None of us could bend our knees very well. Our muscles were all stiff from the cold. No matter how many jumps or spins we did, we couldn't defrost our butts and legs.

Still had trouble breathing with the cold.

Blue Skies:
Although my asthma was still bothering me today, at least I didn't have a Mac Truck on my chest and back squeezing my lungs. So I'm slowly getting better.

Jumps:
Waltz jump was back on but not good until the 3rd try.
Salchow wasn't taking off from the ice until the 3rd attempt and then the rest of the session was fine.
Salchow/Toe was on but only after I sort of got warm enough to bend my knees a bit while getting the Salchow going (see Salchow)
Toe Loop didn't have a problem.
Split almost split from me being that my legs were so stiff from the cold.
Split/Flip/Toe was not has high as when the rink is warm but at least I did it.
Lutz rotated but barely off of the ground.

Spins
Sit spin was so so but doable.
Forward Corkscrew was decent.
A) Upright Variation spin where top half of me leans to the left and right leg to the right was not that great as I had trouble controlling my balance and barely made 2 revs with this.
B) Forward Attitude spin was decent.
C) Forward back blade grab was not as strong today until the final freeskate run through.
Level 2 Usp (A+B+C) was just OK except for the last one which was actually centered and faster.
Then at the end of the session, I decided to play around with the spin entry by starting off with 2x forward then RFI attitude step, then went into a short LFO spiral into a lunge and then used the LFO edge from the lunge to go into the spiralling edge to start my Level 2 Usp. Would that make it go up a level for the entry?

Didn't do a run through all the way through all at once. I had to break it up so that I could breathe. I broke up the freeskate into 3 parts. It worked for me.

My interpretive was just as good as yesterday.

CanadianAdult · #22 01-15-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singerskates

My forward spin (Usp) is now a forward leaning to the left from hip with left arm up and out to the left and right arm down to the right and right leg out to the right for 3 or 4 revs, then did an attitude spin for 3 revs before pushing my hips forward but not laying back to grab my free legs skate blade for 2 to 3 revs before coming out. My coach says that this is a level 2 spin. And being that my music doesn't give me enough time to try and add another variation, I think I'm just going to leave it as we have it now.

I could see that the sideways leaning spin could be a difficult variation affecting the balance of the body core, but I don't see what your second difficult variation is. If your coach thinks an attitude spin is the second bullet, then I'm doing one tomorrow, pronto!. A blade grab can't be a difficult variation, do you mean that you're trying to do a haircutter? How high is your free knee?

singerskates · #23 01-15-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanadianAdult

I could see that the sideways leaning spin could be a difficult variation affecting the balance of the body core, but I don't see what your second difficult variation is. If your coach thinks an attitude spin is the second bullet, then I'm doing one tomorrow, pronto!. A blade grab can't be a difficult variation, do you mean that you're trying to do a haircutter? How high is your free knee?

I'm not sure. Please discribe what a haircutter is. Maybe I don't know the name of what I'm doing.

dbny · #24 01-15-2009, 07:28 PM

Blue Skies:
Had my second ice dance lesson today. I could pass the Dutch Waltz right now.

Gray Roof:
I will consider the Dutch Waltz test worthy when I can skate it with my coach without feeling like I'm fighting him and trying desperately not to keel over forwards from the incredibly deep knees he forces.

Blue Skies:
I LOVE the deep edges when skating with him. I improved right in the lesson, same as last week.

Gray Roof:
OMG, don't know how I am ever going to get those deep knees and deep edges on my own, especially on F progressives. This is going to take a lot of practice.

blue111moon · #25 01-15-2009, 08:45 PM

Pretty much all blue skies for me:

It didn't hurt much to put the skates on, I skated for an hour without as much pain as last week AND I managed to remember the steps to the Dutch Waltz and the Canasta Tango, which is pretty darned good when I haven't done them since last June! Anyway, I'm happy.

The only Gray Roof I can think of is that my left calf muscle is now sore. It could be from the skating or it could be from the new orthotic insoles I got on Monday.

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