Fighting the exhaustion that has come with competing and judging all weekend last weekend. Went to the rink on Tuesday (my old, crappy hockey rink - sort of the "comfot rink" - ) knowing I would see my friends there and also knowing that the first skate after working so hard on something is usually a wash.

And it was. I found myself doing figures haphazardly and seeing if I could stil do a BI3 - (I can!) - also noodling around with some new figures that I'm thinking of trying if I decide to test Adult Silver Figures, so that was kind of fun. Toying with back Serpentines and Change 3s (from the 3rd test I think -) trying to decide which one I'd like to do for the test...

Hugging - decided to take a MITF class at the local mall rink - they finally changed the time from Tuesday (when I cannot attend due to a prior commitment) to Wednesday evening. It is a half-hour class with one instructor and has both kids and adults. Most of the skaters were beginners and frankly it felt good to be able to do everything with some speed and power. After seeing all of the AWESOME adults at Sectionals I was feeling kind of wimpy so this was kind of a confidence-booster. Probably not fair to them, though - I will try to be more humble next week. (But in reality I can see where I may end up helping the instructor - hope she wouldn't mind a little input!). It's a pretty big class.

By taking this class however, I will get all of my public sessions free, so that is a definitely advantage. I am even figuring out how I can go and skate for even a half-hour or so and not feel like I'm wasting my money - I always feel like I have to get my money's worth on a session. Now I can just go and not worry about it!!

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

Hugging:

Lesson today . Worked on cros- uhh, forward progressives (?), back crossovers, spirals, edges, landing position, and 3-jumps once lesson had finished.

Progressives were (surprisingly) okay, as were back crossovers, although a little scratchy. Landing positions were fine, as were edges - my strongest elements. Just need to remember to BEND more...

Fighting...:
...everyone else . Not used to having a lesson on a public session!! Horrible ice too, and people kept getting in my way. It's all very well being told by coach that they'll get out of my way, but in practice, when a wobbly two (or 72...) year old appears behind you, it really isn't my nature to just plough through...

Spirals weren't liking me today...but then they don't like carved up ice. My right foot finally turned out...which convinced coach that I'd be able to turn the right one out too

Hugging again:
Saw (all Dancing on Ice UK people) Linda Lusardi and Dan Whiston training for the DOI tour, with Karen Barber and Linda's husband (hehe he's useless ). Kyran Bracken and Melanie Lambert turned up later to have their photos taken too. So a section of ice was cordoned off for them, then another section for the group lessons...

[Fighting]
STILL no word on the test session on Sunday. This is really annoying now. I e-mailed the test chair to see this afternoon, so hopefully she gets back to me.

Camel spin is still slow as molasses I have no clue why...

Some of the skaters were making me feel "old" today...somehow I was taking with someone about something and mentioned that I was in high school from 1994-1998 and she says....I was born in 1994 She couldn't believe that I am 27! At least that is a compliment that maybe I look younger than I am

[Hugging]
Things seemed to click today...program run through was decent, moves felt good. I'm still working as if I am taking the test on Sunday...now I just need to know for sure.

Forward Power circles can be a little iffy, but if I really think about them, they work out fine. Back power circles are good. CW and CCW power 3's were working out okay today...CW have improved greatly, CCW, I need to remember not to rush them... Double 3s I need to get the lobes a little bigger, but other than that, the turns are placed correctly...Brackets were actually pretty good today, and slips and rips were fine I feel more ready than I did last time....I just hope I don't need to wait....

Hugging Kind of random, but exciting- I passed my ISI Bronze judges test today. It's just a multiple choice test, and open book- but some of the answers were actually a bit difficult. The test took me longer than I expected!

I missed 2, one I clicked the wrong answer (and knew it) and the other I think I actually got right.

I'm a "back up" judge for the competition our club is holding in April. The director is worried some of the out of town judges might get stuck for whatever reason. I'm kind of hoping I won't have to judge, but if I do it's going to be basic skills, so it should be kind of fun and kind of frustrating! I think it will be really hard to rank little kids who are all at about the same level doing alpha skills!

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

hugging: I can FINALLY do RFI3s. They are scratchy most of the time, but they're happening. LTS coach said I have a lot of hip turnout and to really focus on closing my hip and "glueing" my free leg to my skating leg for the 3 turn. It worked! I feel like I'm almost crossing my legs, but it works!

Got over my Waltz jump mental block. I don't know what my problem is but I feel like I'm going to catch my toepick, faceplant, then die with this jump. One of my skating buddies told me to just imagine I'm jumping over something. So...I came up to the blue line on the ice and just jumped over it. Look at that! I did a waltz jump! The takeoff was flat footed, but I was off the ice and the landing looked ok. Now to just find that toepick on the takeoff. Oh, and I need to realize I can jump without something on the ice to guide me. I do not need a blue line to tell me I can jump.


Fighting: CW forward crossovers. grrr!!!!! What is wrong with me??! very steppy and not nice and flowy like CCW. I should practice these more. I want to test pre bronze moves soon and it's going to be really lame if they see beautiful CCW and crappy CW crossovers.

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My Blog - FINALLY updated!
Living out my childhood dream

Fighting: Well, got my MRI results yesterday-- tendonosis with a possible small tear in my (already once repaired) achilles tendon.

Hugging: At least the diagnosis won't require surgery or hard casting...

Fighting: but I'm in a walking boot all of the time for at least the next three weeks-- and I'm not allowed to stretch even my opposite leg or even work on abs. I'm basically restricted to as little activity as possible. Aftertwoish weeks of it already in the boot, my left calf has started to flatten.

Unfortunately, as I've already had one achilles rupture in that leg and now this problem, I don't know what kind of restrictions will be placed on me after all of this heals.

(Sorry I missed Easterns-- it aches too much just to even walk a bit-- I couldn't handle hobbling in that boot with the flooding rains and cold rinks. I had been hoping to at least watch!)

*sigh* but...

Hugging: My coach has mentioned that there's a small, local competition in June. If I'm cleared by April, I might be ready for that.

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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?

Hugging: Yay, finally got to meet ISk8NYC today! She's an amazing skater, killer sit spin, backspin and spirals (and sorry I cut you off in the middle of your spirals ISk8NYC... ...)

Not much else for hugging today - loops were good. Um, I have a good edge on this one little section of the program. Did a few flips - but not in the program. Did 2 good sit spins - but not in the program.

Fighting: Ohhhh boy did I skate poorly today. Having pre-competition mental freakout. Music goes on and I feel like someone is trying to kill me - and then I look that way. I rushed everything so by the time I got to my new difficult footwork I was all over the place and it was awful - and tiny. Didn't get the flip or flip-toe. Program sit spins were horrible. Program change foot spin - the only change was that it became a traveling scratch with no backspin on the end of it. MUST get over the nerves. I was able to run through it w/music three times because at the end of the session I was the only one there - and I have got a loooong way to go. Well, at least it was a good workout

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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)

[FIGHTING]
Just got news that the test for Sunday is a no go...the next test session isn't until the end of April...coach is stalking that club to get the form as soon as it comes out. It's probably going to be my luck that the session is going to fall right during my week of duty (I have to hold the duty phone from 4/23-4/30), which would just be lovely because I don't know if I would be able to get someone to either switch weeks with me or to hold the phone.... ugh! I just want to take the test!!

fighting: started post-operative therapy and my behind is dragging!!!! for anyone getting ready for surgery...get in very good shape beforehand cause you will need it afterwards! I'm glad I was! I'm tired, no stamina, no appetite. I started on protein shakes just to boost that up. I have 4 weeks of convalescent leave left and I think I will need it...Work was pushing for me to only take 2-there would be no way I could go to work on Monday if I can barely do anything now! Yikes!

therapist says: no skating, archery, dance, yoga etc for 12 weeks. He may adjust it later on but it is unlikely. I need to COMPLETELY heal.

I do have feeling in my foot, although it goes numb from time-to-time and my lower back hurts. no big deal though.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Except that at that particular part of the dance he's doing quite different steps; and if I remember what he's doing, I forget what I'm doing!

Oh bum! Poor you - I do hope you can get squeezed in sooner somewhere!

Well, dammit woman, you've just had an operation! Of course you don't feel great - it would be rather worrying if you did. Seriously, get well soon and heal fast - but let things take their time and don't rush them.

As for me, today:

Hugging: Great practice on empty ice; ran through all our compulsories and spend a good 15 minutes on the Free Dance (Husband more or less knows the steps now!).

Fighting: Oh, how I hate the Dutch Waltz! If ever there was a dance designed to show up the weaknesses in one's skating, it surely must be it!

And I still can't do the second barrel roll in our free dance without grinding to a halt and sticking my bum out rather inelegantly!

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

Ah, Mrs. RB......just like YOU to put everything in proper perspective AND make me LAUGH!!!!!!

Guess i REALLY need to slow way the heck down and smell the roses a bit more (this means-lay around more and watch mindless drivel on my new HD tv)?????

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Hugging:I think things are finally returning to normal for me. My power is very slowly starting to return. I am solid on all the gold moves for my test in two weeks. I had the nicest dance lesson, I'm learning a solo Paso for MC, still not very quick but got 90+% of the steps right which is a huge improvement over last week. Did the American and Tango which are finally doable, I could not do them physically less than 4 weeks ago so this makes me happy. I am getting along with dance coach, he remembers no more than 3 corrections and I "try" not to have too many excuses.

Fighting: Shockingly no fighting, and actually able to do things that are/were very difficult for me this time last year, and the year before, and maybe the year before that.

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

Don't sweat it - I'm used to going around people. I think it makes me a better skater to be alert and able to move stuff when needed. I didn't really want to skate this morning, I just go on with my kids so they don't fool around too much. If I stay off-ice, they get off to talk to me, at least this way they're where they should be - on the ice! lol

It was great meeting you and the loop looked good. Nice flip as well, btw.

I can't tell what's "Achievements" and what is "Needs Improvement" in this thread, so forgive me if I chose backwards:

Fighting:
I skated half-heartedly this morning. I was up late making cookies for today's bake sale.

Change-foot sit and layback were bad, but I wasn't really trying.
Scratch spins were really good after the first three bad attempts.

Hugging:
Inside spirals were okay, but totally without power. It was 7 in the morning so I forgive myself.

Sit spins and backspins were good.

No jumping today - too sleepy.

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Knocked Out Cold! Had a bad night's sleep and skating was absolute CR@P! Nothing at all was working except edges. If I had a cell phone, I would have called my coach and told her not to bother coming out, but I didn't, and she did. At least we went through my Freeskate routine and filled out the Planned Program Content form....

Next week had BETTER be more productive - it's the last week of skating before Nationals........ It has been a TOUGH winter!

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

Sweet! My clockwise sal and toe-loop jumps (4 weeks old, LOL!) are working in my programme, the toe-loop is actually toeloop-toeloop although I think I might be pre-rotating the second one.

Fighting: the coach wants me to do almost everything along the line of the boarding so I use all of the ice, and you know how some people can't do things on the center ice? I can't do things by the boarding. Messes with my edges. So I've no idea how I'm ever gonna do a sit spin in a corner.

Hugging:
Got a huge compliment from coach today: "Your technique actually isn't that bad, you just need strength" . Yes, I do take that as a compliment! Discovered while waiting around for group last night that I can just pick up R foot and do a one foot spin seemingly out of nowhere. Showed coach today and she said it demonstrates that my problem is getting from the entry edge into the spin, and controlling the force. We worked on one foot spins from T pushes, and I did several very nicely controlled entries. I need to be able to demo this reliably for some of my students! Back spin progress is slow, but happening. Got a good edge and then nearly went over it, so took a break. Was able to just keep at the spins today in spite of a tad of dizziness. Tightening up free leg and butt, and pushing L shoulder back more worked wonders smoothing out my scratchy RFI three. Even did a few (barely controlled) FI double threes on both feet.

Fighting:
I was still able to do everything that I did last week when lesson was cancelled, but was tired and didn't have the same level of confidence. Went to a Pilates class (free for me) and discovered that it is worthless because teacher does not monitor students, and was doing a lot of exercises for the thighs and butt, when I need to build core body strength. Narrowly avoided being injured in that class, and left halfway through.

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[Hugging]
Since I am not testing on Sunday, coach and I had fun tonight We worked on my program a little bit, and then did some sit/back sits, flying camels (which are laughable...I need to work on those, coach seems to think that I am going to need a flying camel to test my intermediate freestyle eventually....HA! We'll see if I will ever get the jumps to do that test...), axels (which are SOOOOOO close...coach was funny because she wanted me to land them so badly...I am somehow flexing my foot and not landing on my toe), then we did laybacks (I need to get my leg a little more behind me, but other than that, coach said they look good and that I am getting pretty far back)...then coach decided to have me do camel/layback/back sit, which was pretty comical...

[Fighting]
Not much...I still wish I was taking that test, but it was soooo nice to work on stuff that was fun...

Hugging

-Coach liked my music choice. We are probably going to start getting a program ready.
-Camel sit may actually happen sometime this year.
-Progressives are coming nicely.

Fighting
-Starting working on the flip - I would much rather do a lutz. The flip is scary.

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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

Hugging

Ooh, Senior moves runthroughs are going so much better!! I haven't worked on them in ages until this week. But with the rule changes coming up, I'd really like to get them tested this spring or summer, so I had a lesson on them Tuesday. The scariest (as in terrifyingly bad) element for me is the double 3s to quick rockers, especially the inside 3s/outside rockers. But today they were fast and smooth, even resembling the rulebook pattern and everything! My coach told me to glue my free foot to my skating foot while doing the turns, and it made a huge difference. The circle pattern is still shaky, and the right-side spiral pattern is blech, but I am greatly encouraged.

I also worked on getting my backspins fast and centered and did some nice ones. I've been trying to improve my backspin and back sit, so I have been doing an open backspin, then dip down into a sit, and come up again and do a tight backspin. I can really feel what I'm doing wrong. Now to fix it!

Fighting

Why is my double sal so messed up? I thought they were supposed to get better when you get your axel. I can't even rotate it any more. My left shoulder pulls so far around I can't get off the ice, I just go up and pop every. single. one. Between moves and program training, I almost never work on double sals, but still.

Layback still travelling to points east and camel is shaky. Grr!

Looks like we got the same double salchow virus! Mine has been gone for about two weeks now (I had to single it at Sectionals last week) and yesterday my secondary coach diagnosed me with pre-rotating shoulders and head. She had me do salchow-loop-backspin as an exercise. It definitely helped. Then today my primary coach worked on it with me and got me back to landing fully rotated backwards on one foot (I just hunched my shoulders and reached down on the landing, but that's a separate problem). What got me there was thinking, "wind-up" on the LBI edge, so that I would sort of counter-rotate my shoulders just like I was doing a loop takeoff (left arm at 10:00, right arm at 4:00). I also used my free leg to pulled myself to the right side toward 4:00 on the takeoff edge, which helped a lot, too.

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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

Friday Night

Fighting
-everything


I might have a concussion! I was in a lesson, then all of a sudden i felt dizzy, my eyes started going all weird, my face started going pale. Then my coach told me I looked like I was going to faint so she told me to get off the ice. Then later my coach came up to me and said that I might have a concussion.

You are probably wondering how i would get this concussion, well on Tuesday, March 4th I hurt my back in trampoline and since then i haven't skated or done anything active. This was the first time skating since I hurt my back. Tomorrow my mom is taking me to the hospital to get it checked out. Hopefully in the end it's not a major problem and I won't have to stop skating for a while. It would if I had to because I have a test day coming up.

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2014 and 2018 Olympics here I come!

Skating, skating all day long, skating, skating all night long! May seem tiring to some people but not me, it's my life!!

Goals: Triple Loop, Novice Competitive, Sr.Silver Dances, Gold Artistic, and top 3 at Sectionals

My upper body check is fine after the turn, but when I bring the free leg through, all hell breaks loose. I think I'm letting my right hip lead the jump instead of jumping backwards off the inside edge, and my right leg goes too far out and makes it impossible to jump up instead of around. My free leg swing is really messed up. Once I get through Nationals and my Senior moves, I am going to ask for intensive double sal breakdowns.

I had that at first too, I even had a short time where I lutzed my flip before I got both. An other adult skater at our rink at the time had just "cured" of this so she explained about shoulders and about how you only cross behind to pick on the lutz, not the flip.

Fighting:
Still fighting thru the occasional mental glitch of mixing up footwork from my two programs...

Hugging:
My energy is coming back. Yup! I had the double whammy of both the time change AND Auntie Flo making her visit to me early this week. (Terri C... she's coming out East for 'ya now! )

Fighting:
Of course, I'm still fighting the program b/c primary coach had made a bit of minor change to my footwork. I was annoyed about the change, but I understand his reasoning behind the change and I trust his decision in the end.

But b/c of that, I had one false start to my runthru (b/c I forgotten parts of the footwork to it...) I just hope I can iron this out before AN, if not before my judges critique on Tuesday. (Our skating club is offering a judge's critique/showcase type of thing for all the adults who are competing at AN. Gotta put on the skating outfits and all but should be fun too! )

Hugging:
I landed the loop-loop and the flip on the second runthru again. (Why I can't land the flip on BOTH runthrus and specifically on the second one, I have NO CLUE!!!)

Fighting:
I did JUST a loop on the first runthru b/c, frankly I just want a nice easy clean program. I stumbled thru the flip on the first runthru.

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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!!!

Hugging Literally, because I hugged my coach at the end of my lesson, LOL. But seriously, it was a great lesson and session. We usually do a couple of pretty fast laps holding hands and I feel really comfortable now and we're going quite fast, hooray. Also skated on my own and did forward stroking, forward one foot glides, forward outside and inside edges. Then with a little help I did lots of back crossovers and even a figure 8 of back crossovers around the circles at the end of the rink. Also did two laps of the alternating back crossovers with outside edge in between. And did some alternating FO3's on a line, again holding my coach's hand but they got a lot better and felt really pretty good! I was putting my foot down in between each turn before stepping forward, but it was really great.

I was so tired afterwards. That was the hardest I've skated since I came back! I'm not sore today but still a bit tired.

Happy skating to everyone!

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August 22, back on the ice!