Since today is Mothering Sunday and (in the UK) Mothers' Day! The Skating Mothers are the type (unknown on these boards, of course!) that we all moan about....

Skating Mothers: Coach2 not happy with our step sequence, especially not the bit I've spent the last month working to perfect!

Mothers Who Skate: We did a not-bad Swing Dance and felt-pretty-good Rhythm Blues when relevant music came on. I think we are finally learning how to get down in the knees and push into the restart on that dance - I know we used never to and would get slower and slower. But we probably lean forward, which is a criticism we had of our free dance - we do tend to when we are trying to gain speed. SIGH.

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

Mothers Who Skate:

Ran through all the elements 'test-style' today [NISA Level 1 MIF]. Most went pretty well...
Edges - Felt a little odd today, and apparently my hip position is off, so I need to work on that. I'm blaming my freshly sharpened blades for the shakyness however - I'd got used to them really blunt.

Spirals - Felt better on my right foot today, about the same as usual on my left [my better foot].

Crossovers - Apparently I can do a two foot turn when I'm changing to backwards, so I can stop fretting about doing a mohawk with my ever-closed hips at speed.


Skating Mothers:
Landing Positions - CW were okay - CCW were appauling!! Couldn't open my glued-closed hips (as per usual), and I was travelling pretty much in a straight line rather than round the circle.

Mothers Who Skate...
Coach is gonna see next week if I could do my test this time around...

Falling Over:
On March 17th! Although I think the next date is more likely tbh.

[Mothers who Skate]
Jumps were nice and high today, lutz included (although, I have a sinking feeling that I might be flutzing ) Spins were also quite good...

For Wednesday, a friend is going to keep me accountable and is going to make me do my program Which will be nice because Wednesday is normally a day I tend to goof off... Gotta' get working hard for my test session on the 16th...coach is going to be not so happy with me if I don't pass...

Moves felt good today (minus screwing up my knee again)...CW back power 3s had a pointed toe and while they were a little slow, they felt better. Brackets were okay...not the best, but coach and I both know that that is not my strongest move...considering the fact that I whine and complain about how much I hate them

[Skating Mothers]
Banged my knee again...same one as last time...fell forward doing power circles and fell straight on my knee/dove...ugh...I blame the fact that I was going fast, probably leaning too far forward, and the ice was cruddy...

No one was in the music room today, so I didn't play my music. Had the 3rd session of the night all to myself, but got off 10 minutes early because I wasn't being productive and my knee was killing me...plus, I feel bad because if someone is on the ice, a board member needs to be there....and if it's just me, I don't want to be a waste of their time...

Skating Mothers: I didn't really feel like skating yesterday so when the session got crowded I left, but I really should have stayed. Trying not to look down so much and public sessions only reinforce that though.

No flips in practice today (tried one, was looking down to avoid a child sliding by on her knees ... gave up)

Same 2-rev camel.

Mothers who Skate: Once I did a forward scratch on the outside edge by accident so today I tried a change of edge scratch spin and did it. That was just for the heck of it. Had a good sit spin today and one not so good. Loops felt airy, this is a new development Practiced triple 3 turns. Can't do them on an axis though.

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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)

Snuck in one final skate on this mornings public session which was a nice bonus since I thought I wouldn't have time to skate again before I leave for Australia. Anyway, was very aware that the day before I fly would be a bad time to break a limb (not that there is a good time...) so used that as a nice excuse to avoid anything that scares me

Skating Mothers:
-Muddled the steps to the Rhythm Blues on the first attempt then bailed out of the closed chasses on the second...

Mothers Who Skate:
-Numerous run throughs of the Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango and Golden Skaters Waltz worked up a good sweat and felt good although the GSW wide step is still nowhere near wide enough.
-Did a heap of forward runs on a circle, over and over until they even felt fairly decent CW.

Skating Mother - played the music we are doing the Swing to in our show and I coudln't pull off a mohawk and realized I need to practice to the music more because I was too slow, although I pulled myself up to speed by the third pattern

Mother who Skates without much energy - Again bad weather, icy roads and I had a 4 hour bad weather drive last night so I did not want to drive to rink this am much less skate - but dd needs to have her second show solo choreographed before coach has baby. Worked on moves and feel like I deserve some credit just for going out there. Also managed to last through power class.

j

Skating Mother:
-Fell on two sit-change-sits...am blaming it on the ice.
-CW forward power circles are slow and they scare me. I am resolving to do two of those for every one of the CCWs I do.
-Back camels are sooo sloooooow (but I do think I'm getting a better position on them).


Mothers who Skate:
-Did 15 billion zillion camels. I think some of them were good
-Did a couple of really good, fast sit-change-sits.
-Ran through program once and then worked on it in pieces.
-Am starting to get the hang of back to forward double 3s.
-Jumps were good. The weird jump issues I had last week have disappeared
-It was warm outside yesterday. I love skating when it's warm.

Sounds like a good plan Starting slow is natural until you get used to them. Eventually they will start going faster and with more power...

Skating Mothers:
The salchow is acting up...AGAIN.... with a few days to go before Easterns!
Sitspin was off when doing my Bronze CM program.


Mothers Who Skate:
Had a extra lesson with Secondary Coach to prepare for Easterns and had a very strong first half of my freeskating program, with a sitspin that managed to behave!! Still feel ready to compete despite the little bugs here and there.
Also played a CD that I burned myself of music for practice, with music from Timbaland to the Eagles. Coaches were very appreciative of my alternative to the screaming meemmee, animal mating music that the teenagers tend to play!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Mothers who skate:

• my jumps were awesome

• my spins rock

• my solo is brilliant

Skating Mothers:

• nothing

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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

Mothers who skate:

The ice was superb this morning! Absolute glass, best it's been for ages.
Got some more choreography done in our free dance.

Skating mothers:

Have changed the choreography at the beginning of the step sequence so we are now doing the steps in hold. This is Not Good - or not yet, anyway, as Husband can't remember what he's supposed to do, and I can't do it with him hanging on me. But it will come!

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

Got going on Gold moves, power circles look good, forward double 3's are nice, strangely enough back inside double 3's are better than outside, there is a head issue on the outside. Love the slide chasse pattern working on keeping arms below waist the entire pattern and making sure foot slides forward not kicks, no widestepping either. Brackets are good last set LFI to RBO are most difficult but getting better.

Figures are doing well centers are being measure in inches instead of feet on the counters. Paragraphs I can actually make it all the way around and loops are loopy, still about 4" off direct center but shape of loop is good and circle size is correct.

Spinning is a slow process backspins/back camels are great forward camel only works from double 3 turn all other forwards spins are okay, but not great.

Starting exercise for Jr moves and Sr moves but still not enough quickness for quick rockers, inside edges for choctaws are appearing slowly.

So tired from all that....dances okay.

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

Mothers who skate:

Skated an empty freestyle session (just me and coach) this morning just after a zam. The ice was wonderful.
Most things felt good today.
Discussed music choices.

Skating mothers:
I can't center a scratch spin if my life depended on it. We won't even go into my sit spin attempts.

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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

Hot-Shot Moms on Skates: (LOL! Sorry for twisting your title!) The inner ear infection continues to drain my energy but I HAD to skate today to test my revised Freeskate choreography, a revision that I hoped would fix my jump problem temporarily - IT DID! My not-happening jumps will be BIG with a little practice.

I like the new choreography - easier to remember, better ice coverage, and adds a few extra elements.

Skating Mothers: The Interpretive program continues to languish while I have been fighting with the Free, but I am not worried about the Interp - I could ad-lib it in competition if I have to.

Bxxch By The Boards: I am SICK of being SICK! This is day #5 and I am getting cranky and miserable (honest, it is NOT my natural state!) Go see the Doc this afternoon and hopefully the antibiotics will give me my energy back so I can try the revised program to the music Thursday. Only 2.5 skating weeks to Nationals - I don't have TIME to be sick

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

Not So Hot Shot Mom on Skates: Back to basics as I just bought new Jackson Elite Plus boots and have to get them broken in. So far I only had two days on the ice with them. The first day I was in them, I have to laugh about because it was so sad because the boots were so rock hard I couldn't bend at all. I litterily looked like a new learn to skate skater but thankfully, that was on the Saturday CanSkate session on which I Program Assist. But the good news is that after having a certain spot punched out, I was able to skate with only the normal pain of breaking in boots pain on my second time out. At the start of that session, I just worked on stroking forwards and backwards. But with about 20 minutes left I started working on getting some jumps going. The waltz jump was popping up easily even though I didn't get all that much knee bend before taking off. My toe loop is now fixed and I'm again picking in properly. What a difference a decent pair of boots make! Just have to keep braking in my Jacksons more. Hopefully these boots will be broken in enough by next week to just concentrate on my loop, flip, lutz and maybe I'll get my backspin back so that I can put it on the back end of my forward scratch spin. Talking about spinning in these boots, the spins are very centered and practically start right from the three turn. That should be worth something GOE wise at Adult Canadians.

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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

Mothers who skate: An overall good skate yesterday.
- I landed my axel (after it was on vacation for three weeks... GRRR!! ) multiple times.
- My flying camel is actually flying now and not splatting.
- Moves are actually moving along nicely... in the right direction. 4/6 of my pre-juv moves are test/near test quality.
- My back-sit is low enough to pass!!! Yeah parallel.


Skating Moms:
- I need to decide if I want to buy or re-use a dress for my ice show next month.
- Power pulls sucked, as always. I can do them separate, but if I even get near the moves pattern, all goes down the drain. .
- Double salchow decided to take a vacation.


p.s. I LOVE SMILIES!!!

Mothers Who Skate:
Okay, so I landed a few loop, loop-loops and flips again....

Skating Mothers:
... for the first few minutes... then my jumps all went to HADES and nothing was landed clean afterwards (except for the loop, ironically... ) I didn't try a lutz either.

Mothers Who Skate:
So I went back onto spins and footwork. The footwork could be better but it's pretty decent for its purpose... And as for spins, I'd remembered to "let the edge do the work for me" and did a pretty decent (for me anyway) back-sit and camel.

Skating Mothers:
Of course, I then said "Why not?" and tried for a camel-sit again and couldn't quite get enough speed or momentum on the camel to go into the sit.

Mothers Who Skate:
Of course I only tried it b/c I managed to do the camel to sit position on the Reeboks core training board thingie with no problem this past Saturday!!!

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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!!!

Hot Shot Skating Mama:
Had good runthroughs of both Bronze CM and Pre Bronze freeskating programs during another lesson with Secondary Coach today. She commented that this was the most prepared she has seen me for a competition in the three years she has coached me. Thing is, this week marks three years that I've been working with her.

Skating Mothers:
Can it be Friday morning already?

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Mothers who Skate:
-actually did two axels in the program for the 2nd time!!!
-actually ending with the music, thanks to slowing the music down so that it's really 2:10 and not 2:04
-layback seems mostly stable
-flying camel has great potential
-getting through the program without dying
-really SKATING my program, to the music and everything!
-being close to Easterns allows all of my friends and family to come and watch!

Skating Mothers:
-Pre-Easterns STRESS!!!!
-had to take out the camel from the camel-sit-back sit- variation combo spin
-being close to Easterns allows all of my friends and family to come and watch

Way to go badaxel! How many more days till competition?

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~
Tidesong

Mothers who Skate - just the title of the thread. Thanks for this, sorry it took me so long to say it. I've been thinking it for two days, though, if that counts. It is so validating to have a group of skaters recognize mothers who skate as a good thing. I have times when I think I'm just trying to regain my childhood, or that I delusionally believe I'm really still a teen. And I think most of the mothers who don't skate at our rink sort of think I'm crazy and sad for being out there with their daughters. (Or maybe that's just my insecurity talking). So you folks are just terrific - it's super to log onto the site and see the name of this thread.

Thanks, you made my week!

[Skating Mothers]

Ugh!! I hate it when there are 21 people on the ice, plus 7-8 coaches all giving lessons Tonight was one of those nights and I was so frustrated...I could hardly get anything in...went to do my program for the first time and didn't get to do my lutz because a coach was right there and when I said, "watch out" didn't move, footwork wasn't happening because of the number of little kids...and it was all little kids and only 6 of us were big "kids" ...I even switched to moves early and had issues with that too....Luckily, the crowd thinned out for the 2nd session...and luckily I am skating on campus tomorrow on a session that is pretty empty and a friend is going to hold me accountable for doing my program as long as I make her work on her jumps (up to double axel).

Other than that...it was all

[Mothers who Skate]
The second time I did my program, all was good. Flubbed up the camel spin, but did it right after the music went off and did it fine. Jumps were huge, even the lutz, although, I am getting further and further into the corner with my lutz so I need to work on moving it out a bit so that I don't eventually hit the wall... Hopefully, my program will be there on Friday when I have a lesson with coach...and coach is going to add more arms and stuff on Friday...

Moves were okay once I could get them in...brackets still were in the gutter, but at least they were a little better...and they were even better when coach gently reminded me to make them bigger CW Power 3s had a nice pointed toe most of the time, however, I need to take a look at the edge after the first one because I keep getting awfully close to the wall for my 2nd one. Didn't torture anyone with the metronome today, but that is on the agenda for tomorrow... but, I did scare the bejeebers out of two friends because I was coming straight at them as I was doing my back power circles and I yelled as I came by them (I was heading right between them)...luckily neither of them moved otherwise that would have been really bad....

I know that I've been MIA for the past two months (sorry about the PMs! I will get to them soon), but I've been travelling for work practically non-stop since November, and all of my weekend time was taken up by skating and running errands.

But I have a big
Skating Mother: Just pulled out of Eastern Sectionals. Last Thursday, I was in ballet class on pointe when I felt a pop/twinge right behind my achilles (that had been ruptured and repaired 2.5 years ago and that was finally starting to gain enough decent strength so as to not hold me back as much on my toe loops and CCW spins). Now I'm presenting a whole bunch of symptoms that could point to anything from achilles tendonitis (best case) to having partially reruptured that tendon (worst case). I'm seeing my surgeon on Thursday, but, reguardless, that skating this weekend is most definitely out. Tried to get on the ice on Saturday and I couldn't even 3-turn!

on a Mothers who Skate note, though, it was really nice when my coach called me this morning to tell me that people were asking about me at the rink and everyone sent their best wishes when she told them about my leg. It's nice to have a skating family! Plus, if this isn't a worst case injury, it simply means that I have time to improve my skating before the next competition. And if it is worst case, I'll have lots of free time to really focus on helping get our club active and vibrant.

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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?

... keeping EVERYTHING crossed for you Ember, hoping for the best possible outcome!

Mothers who Skate: (I think.) Started antibiotics for the ear infections yesterday. If they work as fast as last time, I should be back on the ice tomorrow - which I NEED since I only have TWO skating weeks until Nationals and my Free program is NOT polished!

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

Thanks! How many days? Umm... not enough and yet too many!!!! Only 4!!
Remind me again how this is FUN????