WINTER!!!!!!!!!! Today was one of the last practice days before Nationals. Heavy snow and strong winds made travel insane - 30 minutes to go 4 miles! Had to turn around and come home. Travel is impossible until after daylight and by then it's too late to skate.

Spring: Not here! I hope somebody is having Spring!

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

Last week was a slow one for skating, as we had a convention for my other hobby, now much neglected. The top picture on this page, though, give a good reminder of why I'm on the ice.

http://www.lochsloy.ca/wargames/CW08.htm

In that world I'm incredibly thin and athletic, rather than large and lethargic like I am at the rink.

Winter: This week I'm testing the Willow Waltz on Friday. I seem to skate better under pressure, but I must say the last couple of lessons have been distressing as we take apart the problem turns and reconstruct them...

Spring: ...and over the last month, the problem areas and the good areas have switched with each other, so at least there's some hope that everything can be done on Friday.

Rob

Pulled several neck muscles in an accident yesterday, can't even move my head. Doc told me the vertebrae were still in place, and so to take it to my physiotherapist on thursday so that's what I'm gonna do.

Meanwhile, no skating.

Oh, no, Sessy! What happened??

SPRING
- Yesterday I spent some time fixing some little eyesores in my program that I noticed while watching my competition video from last week, then surprised myself by skating a clean program run-through! I was particularly happy to land the axel, since I had only waltz jumped it while warming up.
- Landed two double sals, so hopefully it's on its way back.
- Finally fixed the problem I've been having on my flying camel for the 2-1/2 years I've been doing it! Woo hoo!! I was practicing with a friend who has a great flying camel and I had her do some for me, really looking at her takeoff as she did them. She gave me tips on the torso position and timing on the takeoff, and once I got the timing right. . . Voila! A flying camel that doesn't teeter-totter as soon as I land! Who would have guessed that dipping my torso just before takeoff would be the thing that keeps me from dipping on the landing? I did it three more times and nailed it each time. Even got proof on video. Clearly, both of my coaches gave up on my flying camel takeoff too easily.

WINTER
- The two double sals were after my program run-through; I just did a single in the program (still technically a "clean program" but. . .)
- After landing the two double sals, I started over-correcting and got tilted in the air. Bam! Fell right on my right elbow.

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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

Sessy you need to be careful! You've had far too many accidents recently - you need a rest! ((hug))

Just back from the hospital... Was at my doctor's this afternoon, seemed like nothing was wrong but it got worse, so I went to the ER... Diagnosis: concussion, plus whiplash...

(((((((Sessy))))))!!!!!

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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

(((((Sessy)))))

Please take it easy and get better quickly!!

Sorry RB, that you didn't get to go skate because of the bad weather. Spring will come, I just don't know when it will be weather wise.

Sessy, take it easy for a while and do try after your concussion subsides to head to a chiroprator. Just don't let them crack your neck.

Winter: Still waiting for my orthotics to be done, so I can pick them up and put them in my skates. Had a lovely allergy attack because of this corn beef that my husband bought in the States today. Turns out that the label just said "flavourings". Now we know if it comes from the US and says flavourings, it has artificial flavours and we won't be buying that product from the US.

Spring: This wasn't today but on Thursday and Friday. I was close to landing my flip. The loop now is being landed 75% of the time, so I have scratched my very cheated Lutz and put in the loop in my freeskate in it's place. I'm getting nice height on all of my jumps even though I'm still not able to bend much in my skates (still breaking in new boots). Thursday all of my spins that I did in my freeskate were nicely centered. Yet on Friday because I had a nice allergy episode while I was sleeping, I had a sinuse headache most of the day and couldn't balance right until after finishing with Ticket Ice and then went to the next pad over for the free March Break Public skating. At the end of the Public session as the Zamboni was getting ready to come on the ice and the skating guards were clearing the ice, I did a nicely centered Corkscrew in the middle hockey circle. Got a comment from a girl as we were leaving the ice saying that I was a very good skater. OK, I'll take that but if she would have seen me on the Ticket Ice travelling all over creation, she wouldn't have said so. I guess the allergy was starting to leave my body by then.

Winter: Still having trouble entering my spiral sequence onto my skating profile at the Skate Canada Members Only site. It just won't let me add my spiral sequence on my freeskate program content form which needs to be done for the controllers and judges for Adult Canadians.

Spring: Called Skate Canada about the problem with the planned program form and they said that they would get right on it and would get back to me about it on Tuesday. Wow, Skate Canada really is starting to take us adult competitive skaters seriously. Never had I such quick action before this year.

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"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

OT:
Thought you might want to know that in the US, "flavorings" is one of the many ways of saying "monosodium glutamate". I just saw a program on brain diseases and learned that glutamate is what brain cells use to communicate and that it's possible that people with msg problems are affected because, in them, the msg crosses the blood-brain barrier and over stimulates their brain cells.

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The construction on the new rink is almost complete. Almost. All classes and public skate sessions were cancelled for the week until the rink is ready, which they hope will be in time for public skate on Saturday.

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deannathegeek
"It's like trying to do a toe loop in hockey skates-you have to have the right tools for the job."

Spring: Well it's about #$%$# time - finally on the road to recovery - felt the best I have felt for WEEKS! Oh the energy still isn't back to normal but it's on the up-swing. Everything was horribly rusty after being run-down and woozy (from an inner ear infection) for weeks and needs lots of practice but it finally feels like there is hope for the up-coming competition.

Many things were half way back to normal: upright spins, Waltz jump, footwork. Forward and backward edges were pretty good, forward XOs were smokin' again. If I time it right, I should peak at Nationals

Winter: CCW footwork and Toe Loops were still poor.

Spring???? On the drive to work after skating I was thinking about the sessions I have left before competition and realized that the one rink where I will be skating next week is a proper figure skating rink - NO BOARDS! - and one of the things I need to work on is my jumps, which I only feel secure about along the boards! I think skating without boards is going to force me to face my fears - LOL! I chuckled about that all the way to work

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

Oh no Sessy!!!!! Get well soon...

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Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Winter: Worked on compulsory dances in our lesson.

Swing Dance - don't let's go there....

How is one supposed to hold a man in waltz hold and keep one's shoulders back?! It seems like a physical impossibility.

Spring: Dutch Waltz and Rhythm Blues better than I expected; lots of little picky corrections and Husband and I both blaming each other for the faults, but that's normal!

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

Winter: strange day today and not sure why

Spring: Ice was nice. Tried to improve on my jumps at speed and actually managed one really good (well for me anyway) loop that I went into without slowing down so it is possible - just needs lots of practice to stop bottling it at last minute. Did a couple of great Flips too that I really enjoyed.

Spins were odd - upright was travellign all over, backspin came and went. Worked on getting better and lower position in sitspin and at one point ended up quite accidentally almost in a broken leg sit spin that really accelerated. It was such fun but I couldn't quite emulate it again but will defintily work on that. I want one for the improvisation comp.

[Winter]
First session was crowded and so many people were working on show programs, so I decided to not do mine...

I focused on pulling my arms in for my axel, but they were still not landed on my toe I'm getting so frustrated!!

The next test session, of course, falls when I am on duty for work...I just hope that one of my colleagues will help me out...

[Spring]
Spins were quite good today, as were jumps....

I did a few of my moves patterns, so that they stay fresh...did the back power 3's (CW and CCW) and it appears that the CW have gotten a bit stronger than the CCW! oops

Brackets were nice an smooth...coach actually commented on them as she was getting off the ice for the night...

...guess there will be no excuses for not passing this time...

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

Winter: 1st lesson since Sectionals and it's BACK TO BASICS with my coach. I think she is just starting to realize just how crooked my body is and it is driving her crazy!! So today we worked on edges, edges, edges, edges and everything is about my right hip and how I need to get it under me.

Really hard to go back to doing that when you've been working on other stuff.

But I promised I would work hard and try to get less crooked, but I'm afraid age is doing it's thing - that, and gravity!!!

Spring: Free publics at my mall rink because I'm taking a class - MITF - heading over there tomorrow to practice edges, edges, edges, edges, edges....

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

Spring: My skating club had a skating showcase/critique for all the adults that are going to AN. We got our critiques done over dinner at Chevy's afterwards (since we had to clear off the ice for hockey...)

Winter: Ooooooh, dear! I got a few surprises!!! My jumps were counted as a different jump than the intended one. One of those was actually my flip. One judge counted it as a toe loop. Another judge counted the flip as a LOOP!!!

And yeah, I know my sit spins could be lower too... that one I know and it's gonna have to wait 'til after AN to get fixed.

Spring Again: The program was overall VERY clean and very smooth! Okay, I didn't do the loop-loop combo, but I did a clean loop with nice flow out and my intended flip was clean!!! They like the dress!!! And the judge that gave me the critique had commented that he was very proud and very happy for me b/c he remembered how I skated at my Bronze FS test and he "saw a lot of improvements since then!" I got good speed and I had EXTRA time so I actually put back the section of footwork that my primary coach had taken out so I can actually finish the program right at the right moment!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Winter: One of those days. Left edge skidding all over the place. Coach checked boot and blade and said it's definitely me, not it....

Spring: In my experience, a day like that when you can't skate at all is very often followed by a major breakthrough, so am not worried!

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

Mid @$#%$ January! Today was "simulated competition" for my Interpretive - 6 minutes warm-up, short delay, skate the program.

Well I sure hope it is true what they say (poor practice = good performance) because, if it is true, my Interpretive at C.A.N. will be GREAT because it stunk to high heaven today! Absolutely TERRIBLE skate! I'm surprised my coach doesn't disown me and my club hasn't asked for their club jacket back!

Tomorrow we'll see what kind of mess I can make of the Free program .....

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

Winter:
I am so NOT a morning skater!!! I am just so NOT a morning skater!!!

Yup! Missed the loop on BOTH runthrus. The second runthru I got the flip but it was my wimpo version of one.

No lesson with secondary coach today. She is sick and she left me a msg saying asking if we could have a lesson Friday. Lucky for her, I do plan to be back Friday anyway for my runthrus, so I said yes! Besides, we got stuff to go thru on my judges critique.

Spring:
Got lots of kudos for my program last night on our judges critique! Earned the title from a fellow skater for both "Hardest working skater" and "Most Improved over time" (Hey! I gotta have some spring in my life here!!! )

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Stuck In The Mud: Just saw the revised entry list for who's in my Interpretive group! I am roasted, toasted, and over-easy before I even take to the ice. Time for a strategy change. No more "serious competition" - now we're going for laughs! (I LOVE making the judges grin!) If you can't win, you can still be memorable!

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

Wow, were they drinking at the time? Maybe the one who counted the flip as a toeloop isn't used to watching CW skaters? What did your coach think?

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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

I'll know more tomorrow when I see at least one of them. (Secondary coach is out sick today. Will have lesson with primary coach tomorrow and secondary coach makeup on Friday...)

I was thinking the same thing about the judge that thought I was doing a toe loop instead of a flip, especially since I don't have a standalone toe loop in this program and I guess he doesn't know that I now have a flip. (He's probably quite surprised that I have a loop now too.)

What were they drinking? Who knows before getting to Chevy's! (We all got together for dinner at Chevy's to get the judges' response. I only saw one margarita shared and it was between two other skaters in the group. I actually like this method of getting the judges critique -- over dinner! )

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Amen, sister! Mind you, it's a bit frustrating when you've seen the judges enjoying your programme hugely, and they then give you 1.2 or worse, 0.8! But as long as the audience enjoyed it....

And as long as you have fun. Nobody will have fun watching you if you're not having fun out there - so go and enjoy yourself.

I've seen this before; at the first Oberstdorf competition one skater was horrified to find that what she had written down on her PPC sheet as a loop jump, a flip and a lutz were all three called as loop jumps. My coach said this can happen if you don't pick in cleanly and it looks as though you are gliding back on that edge, not picking.

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