Clunky: Ahhh one of my freestyle coaches now teaches little kids instead because the rink shuffled the coaches assignments around!! We were all like "what??!! Nooo come back, Jeff!!!" He is the best jumping coach I've ever had!!

Ok, so on to skating. We did some crossovers with changes of direction to warm up. My good side was good, but I've noticed that my bad side has kind of gone downhill since I don't regularly practice forward x-overs anymore. And I seriously should!

Camels were so-so.

Smooth: I wore our last year's show dress to practice today just for the heck of it My coach Heather asked where my fishnet tights were Sit spins were really good today. I tried some back sits just out of curiosity and they weren't too bad. I did some good flip/toe combos with speed AND from a 3 turn instead of mohawk. Yay! We also did a couple attitude spirals and my coach was happy with mine.

Then I asked about inside axels, which I was taught over the summer. My coach didn't exactly remember how they're done but she said she skated with the guy who taught it to me in Disney on Ice. Hah! She said it was one of those "crazy" Russian jumps and I should ask around. I tried a couple anyways and I could land them fine. Though they probably looked a whole lot like loops.

So, after our lesson I went up to Jeff (who used to teach freestyle) and asked him about inside axels. He said that I was doing it almost right, except you don't actually cross your leg over like on regular jumps but leave it more to the side/back. Then, I asked him about private lessons because i really like the way he teaches. He gave me his # and said that we should definetly work something out. Yay, I've actually never take private lessons before.

So now i have a quick question:

About how much do private lessons usually cost? In the Chicago area if that matters. I'm sure it's gonna be fine, and plus I was going to take a European Elite class anyways, but I figured I could get a lot more for my money in private lessons.

Astar, i think it depends usually on the level of the coach and how long the lesson is for. By my school, for a 30 min private lesson, it costs i think from $20-$50.

Smooth: I have an almost flip jump. In the class today, she showed us the half flip, and that was so much easier than the waltz. I keep forgetting to jump when i try to do a waltz. But the flip, it was so much easier once i realized my shoulders are attached to my arms. So i did the half flip consistently, and so she told me to try a single flip. Almost there. I can't quite get the full rotation. I also want to thank everyone for the help earlier on the back 3's, as i managed a couple of them today.

clunky: with the MITF coach, she had us doing some crazy stuff, but i'm not sure what any of it was called. We did i guess inside edge foward crossovers as a way to describe them. Then we did this type of crossover where you put your foot behind and go on the outside edge. Those are impossible. But i managed to do a couple on the free ice after the class. We also had to do a crossover into a double 3 and then the other side. i could do the crossover part pretty well

I found out today that one person in my class just started skating 2 years ago. I mean completely started, as in he never put on a pair of skates until 2 years ago, and is already working on the axel and is almost landing it.

Smooth: I think I'm doing a waltz jump with better form, and my spins are becoming more centered, etc.

Clunky: Last week in general hasn't been that good. To start off, I recently had relatively fast spin maintained, but I traveled and whacked my head pretty hard into the boards. My hair(which is pretty thick), didn't save me either, due to it being flung out at the time. Luckily I was more dazed than anything, and I was able to get up. I haven't learned anything new this week. I still can't land any toe jumps, nor can I enter a spin without stopping. Of course most of the sessions that i can goto (which are public) have been crowded, and I don't like practicing much in them. Other than that nothing much else. I really hope I can land something better than a Waltz next week.

Smooth: My skating form has improved quite a bit. I can balance on an edge these days with a lot of variation in body position. I can hold some really difficult positions that look great in my opinion. Not quite flexible enough to do what some of the girls can with their legs, but my flexibility has come a long ways - two months ago I could just barely reach past my toes - now I can stand with my legs straight and put my palms flat on the floor directly in front of my feet. A group of teenage girls today asked me wear I bought the clothes I was wearing and wanted me to give them lessons and do interesting positions for pictures - I thought that was a great compliment to my beginner skating - certainly better than the kid with hockey skates who came up and asked me and another figure skater yesterday how far we could "shoot our ice", meaning how hard of a hockey stop we could do, when neither of us do them.

Clunky: I managed to pull off a shoot-the-duck today...it went crooked after a short distance but I recovered and stood up from it. The next 20 attempts resulted only in a sore butt. I've been putting more trust in how far back I can lean on the new blades. I found the limit today the hard way - another fall on to make the soreness even worse. Some woman today demanded that I stop skating clockwise because I "would crash into people", nevermind that I never have, stating that it wasn't allowed in public sessions. Of course I saw her working on backwards crossovers later in a clockwise direction

Sight for sore eyes: One of the guys who works at the rink came out on the ice today - he's been out a few times before but generally just skated around the rink a few times at a fast pace that I chase for fun. Today he busted out quite a few doubles and a couple triples, plus some fancy footwork to boot. I felt honored that he knows me by name when I come to the rink - I never suspected he was so good. I was told by a friend of his (a little kid that can do the axel and a couple doubles) that he can do even better triples, but there is a problem with one of his skates right now. It was great to watch, and especially to be on the ice at the same time.

Stay away from the boards! I can't do any spins at all, and I can't even try now because of the new skates. When I get a coach, I'm going to look specifically for one who can focus on spins I think.

How are you entering a spin now?

Try the toe loop. A kid explained it to me today, and I went through the motions without actually jumping, it doesn't seem too hard. Do an RFI 3-turn - this will put you on a right back outside edge. Then jab the ice with the left foot toepick to take off, spin around and land on the right foot, using the toepick to land just like with the waltz jump. Let me know how it goes - this is what I plan to work on when my skates are ready to jump, and I have relearned the waltz on them.

i feel for you, i really do. In october, i got a concussion from falling on i think foward crossovers. either that or a spin, i don't really remember what happened. don't ask me how that happened either. i think i kinda just spaced out and didn't realize i fell until i was on the ice. even if you don't think you got a concussion, if you felt dazed, you should have at least taken the rest of the day off, and at least gone easy the next day. And i hope if you notice yourself feel out of sorts, that you'll stop right away, cause you don't want to mess around with head injuries. One good one and you'll never be able to skate again.

And maybe you will be able to land something better than a waltz next week. In my group class yesterday, we learned the flip jump, and i find it much easier to do that then the waltz for some reason. it seems more natural. By the end of the session actually, i had progressed from the half flip to an almost single flip. So keep at it, maybe you'll find another jump is easier for you.

Smooth: I was the only person on the ice yesterday morning. Had the entire sheet to myself and the ice was in pretty good condition, too. I worked on stroking exercises (forward preliminary power stroking, swing rolls, cross rolls, edge patterns) since I didn't have to change my direction or duck out of the way for other skaters. My feet felt really underneath me today and, since I could see my tracings really well, I spent some time working on edge quality and power. I'm still creating some snow on my FO swing rolls, I thin I may be using my naturally open hips to keep the edge instead of really leaning into the edge on the last 1/8 or so of the roll. Grr!

Worked hard on forward crossovers for a while. CCW are feeling much deeper in the knees and I feel like I'm finally REALLY using the second push. CW are much improved, but not as good as CCW yet. Practiced backwards pumping as my spot has moved a bit on the Synchro team and everything I was doing going forward before is now going backwards. Got some very consistent and loud rips on the pushes on both sides, yay!

I am grateful that, for al of my fears, I have never been one to skate dragging my toepicks. Out on the ice, all by myself and with no music was a great opportunity for me to hear myself skate. And I was sort of surprised. Only pushing sounds and stepping, woo hoo! I didn't really exect that of myself!!

Clunky: Worked on 3-turns, all sorts. I can do these darn things, but am too much of a weenie to do them completely on one foot. Argh! I don't think I'm going to get much braver and go for broke as I get more and more pregnant, but I keep plugging away and working on them. Unbelievably, my RBI is currently closest to correct.

Also worked on my one-foot spin. I'm having a hard time getting the entrance edge. Then I only get a couple of revolutions when (if) I pop into the spin. Ah, well -- my dream is a lay-over camel spin -- no one says I have to get that in my 30's, LOL!!!

Clunky: Our free dance. There is a bit that I was having problems with and I think it's because of miscommunication between Husband and self - I was putting an edge in that he wasn't.... it will sort itself in the end now that we know what was wrong.

Smooth: On one run-through of the free dance I actually managed to push hard enough into the cross-roll 3! Coach finally said it was okay. RFO 3 nice and flowy, but he wants that to be a X-roll, too.... of course, I got it wrong as I'm not used to crossing it..... The rest of the lesson we worked on the Fiesta Tango up to, but not including (we ran out of time) the Mohawk. Coach pleased with our progress so far, but of course, that's the easy bit! After our lesson, we worked on the Swing Dance, and I actually managed to do a Mohawk in it without scraping! Still problems with positioning - again, coach needs to look. We also did a Willow when someone put a waltz on, and we've never done it so well! Much, much more flowy than we've ever managed so far. Long way to go, though, but it might even get somewhere!

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

Clunky: My scratch spin. First attempt with the new boots. Can't do them any of them right! Sit spins were okay though. And I hate the BIG crowd of weekend rugrats!!!

Smooth: My Bronze moves are better. And oh, I was on the ice with a really good lady ice dancer with gorgeous edges and all... Later on I found out (thru someone she knows) that she was part of an ice dance pairs and was competing in the OLYMPICS (as in Salt Lakes 2002!!!) Darn it I didn't get her name... or what country she represented. I only know that she used to skate at my weekend rink a lot when she was younger and was competing with her husband and they have since retired since he's "getting too old for this."

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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!!!

Should you see her again, do tell her about all the adult competitions that are now open to her and her husband! It's always lovely to have some really, really good dancers about the place to provide inspiration to us clunky ones!

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

Smooth...I've now got my right foot caught up to my left. I'm doing one-legged skating the length of the rink. Getting a nice crunchy sound as it carves the turns.

Clunky....(THUNK-y) the right foot still isn't as hot as I think it is. Yesterday I was practicing swing-rolls during the public skate and allowed the outer boot sole to contact the ice enough that the blade released from a RFO edge. I thunked my hip bad enough that I needed to ice it last night, and it still is sore today. Unfortunately I had pretty much done the same hip in just two weeks ago. The bruise was just beginning to fade a bit.

Smooth:
Body feels well rested and injuries have abated, so I feel alive again. Was starting to fret about my spins, but they're in fine working order.
Skated 11:30am-2:45pm today and had some nice flying camels, sit spins, back sits, sit/back camels, camel/back sits, and camel/sits (for once).
Though Loops had to work today, I found another female pair skater (she's in Bronze class IV and is 5'7" or 5'8") and did some stroking exercises and on-ice axel and loop lifts, as well as press and platter lifts off-ice. It was interesting to "cheat" on my partner and experience different techniques with a different partner (oops, did I just write that? ). Loops is still the best.
(Oh, that "other woman" will be at the New Year's event--she wants to meet you, Loops!)
In addition, I have Thursday (Inauguration Day) and Friday off, so maybe I can finally practice my singles program? That also means that I can have a singles lesson on Thursday and then a pairs lesson on Friday. Hurray, no singles/pair conflict this week!

Chunky:
Am petrified to even attempt the axel. And I was learning the double flip last week, but now I feel like a big ol' scaredy cat. I'm afraid of sustaining another injury, especially since the New Year's event is coming up. Fragility ... ugh.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Does that mean you would be free to go to the parade and watch my daughter march in it since I don't have the day off and couldn't go with the band?

For today:
Today I skated pain free for the first time in three months!! I have a corn that is on my right pinky toe that had been very painful.

Had a steady, centered scratch spin on the first try!
During lesson, the same old stuff, segments of my freeskate program, followed by a runthrough. It wasn't bad, but I still rush the ending of the program- gotta stop doing that.

After lesson, worked on spins some, then on to my interp. I'm working on feeling the music as well as skating to it. Then worked on segments of that program!

All in all, a good day on the ice!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

It's not fair, there aren't any other male pairs skaters around so I can't experiment like that.

No sympathy from me on not practicing your singles program; someone who skates 90 minutes or more (without a partner) at least one morning a week has no excuse for not doing his program. As for conflict, I blame that on the singles coach! After all, the pair lessons have been on the same day since long before she decided to change your lesson schedule.

No singles lesson for me this week; my coach just flew back from nationals yesterday so wasn't at the rink last night. Ugh, how many weeks is that now... at least three since I've had my regular lesson.

__________________
Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

No sympathy for the devil, eh?
The only time I get to skate in the morning (i.e., freestyles) is when the pairs lesson gets canceled! That's happened, oh, 3 times in the past 12 weeks.
Remember, I'm skating pairs Sunday afternoon, Wed. evening (but maybe not this week?!), and Fri. mornings and only skating by myself on Monday nights in a public session.
But I don't really care about the singles program. No matter how much I practice, it never gets any better. So

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Mmm, I seem to remember that someone's been skating 90 minutes in the morning at least once a week lately? Someone whose coach asks him to do a program runthrough at the end of the 90 minutes? She's evil, I like that in a person.

__________________
Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

Huh? That's not me. I told you that I would like to skate on Monday mornings, but I'm sure as heck not getting up at 5am--especially when I go to bed at 1 or 2AM!

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

She's more of a task master. But she also realizes that I do an ungodly amount of exercise per week and that a 2 minute program shouldn't kill me. Also, I tend to take a long time to get warmed up, so it's not a grossly wrong idea for me to attempt the program after all that skating.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

NoVa,
Love ya, but you better thank God that your coach doesn't include a program runthrough every lesson- mine does! And, with me doing Interp at New Year
s sometimes it's TWO program runthroughs!! So, stop bellyaching!!
Remember- you did it in Philly- you can do it again!!!!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

My coach knows better than to 'make me' do things. I've got a 2:10 silver singles program and 2:40 silver pairs program. That's aplenty, thank you very much.
And what exactly did I do in Philly? I rechoreographed my program mid-stream. I certainly don't want to mimic that again.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.