In light of a so-so practice this morning, this week will be about what's smooth and what's scratchy!

After a weekend on my feet and up a ladder (taking down the rink lights) my calves were REALLY stiff this morning and took a full half hour to loosen up.

Worked on a whole bunch of stuff this morning - a lot of backward edges (so-so), backward glides, RFO spiral (so-so), forward XO's both ways (not bad), and even went back to some to practice some forward edges (FO's were good, FI's were so-so).

Worked on my weakest turns (left foot and CCW) and noticed something strange..... I started hitting the LFO 3-Turns (with right foot lightly on the ice for balance) and they were SILENT, left no snow on the ice at all, and seemed ever so much smoother than my RFO-3's. When I looked at the tracing on the ice, they don't have a point like my RFO-3's but like a little tiny oblong loop. Actually had to sit down with a piece of paper to figure out what I was doing - I'd like all my 3's to be that smooth!

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

Smooth: Skated as a guest in Mika's rink's shows Saturday and Sunday. There were other soloists, and the kid and adult performance troups. It was really well done, and the adult number, which Mika was in was beautiful.

I'm happy I was able to do the show with only a few hours on my new skates. The program is also new (as in a work in progress) and will be my next year's interp number.

New skates are doing well so far. I'm getting use to the new design and have tried everything but doubles. There's a few differences with the dance boots, and it will just take practice to adjust. I haven't had a pair of boots that fit in over two years, so it's a nice change.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Smooth: Some of the kids were working on jumps the opposite way, asked me if I could do that (I always jump CCW). I showed them my CW waltz jump and CW toe loop, and they were impressed! These are kids doing doubles and triples, so it's really neat that they not only included me, a 50+ year old adult in their play, but liked what I did!

Scratchy: It's Monday, that says it all.

Smooth:
Practice for the Pro number on the show went very well, after a rocky start. So far, so good.

I'm soooo glad I started practicing a few months ago - we were flying on the ice during parts of the routine. I kept up with the leader and the person following me wasn't tailgating. Whew!

Rocky:
I foresee lots of toe steps in this routine - my favorite. How does one run on toepicks so quickly and smoothly?

Hit the click of death on back crossovers - the leader started earlier than I expected (she left out a move) and my foot was numb from standing in skates on the ice too long. Went down with a thump. No injury, got right back up and took my place in line again. Next few runthroughs were fine.

Wet and Wild:
The few guys we have skating are hilarious. It's mostly wild hockey players and one/two figure skaters. One of the funnier moves was having a 6'5" hockey guy climb the glass and imitate King Kong swatting planes. Quite a bit raunchy, too, can't repeat why - take my word for it, the routine would be rated "R" if they were left to their own devices. Good thing there were no parents/students watching the practice.

ETA: We're practicing on "dead ice" and the published schedule doesn't *really* show what the ice is being used for, so everyone's very curious about the "Ice Theatre" that's taken so much time.

Last year, one of the participating coaches kept interrupting the practices and trying to re-choreograph "his way." He wasted a lot of time arguing during practices and I really didn't like anything he put into the program. (Lunge circles with our faces in each other's backs? Yuuuuuuck!)

This year, he's sitting it out for some reason, but he came to the practice, pulled a chair up to the glass, and watched.
It was unnerving. Just hope he decides to stay on that side of the glass. *crosses fingers*

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Not posted for a while so a little catchup. I have started lessons with a different coach on a less crowded patch session and it seems to be going okay so far. Been going through the SkateUK1-10 levels + signed off the bronze passport (freestyle).

Currently working on the silly Salchow - keep jumping too soon, not letting the blade curve round enough and under rotating. Also need to get the free leg slightly higher on the backwards spiral. The teapot + spin are truly sorted!!

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Skate Free

Smooth: Had my first lesson today since I broke my foot - my friend suggested that since neither of us had had any coaching in a while (she was on a break) that maybe our coach would agree to doing it as a semi-private. I agreed although we skate a different levels, and it was fun! My coach can always find interesting stuff to work on. She started with that new Adult Pre-Bronze Move - neither of us needs to test it, but the coach wanted to try it on us because she is trying to learn what that move is all about and it was good for both of us because we have different strengths and weaknesses on our turns, etc., that needed to be worked out. Then we worked on some BI edges.

She wanted to know what we wanted to work on and I suggested working on the Foxtrot Mohawk - my friend is just learning it, I can do it pretty well, but since I broke my foot, everything is harder. She broke down the step and we worked on it and then we worked on the whole dance. My coach was able to make a dance that I have done for years and made it interesting, and my friend went from hardly knowing the dance to doing it very well!!

It was good to get my mind off the foot and onto working on some technique again, that is for sure.

Scratchy: The ice was crap again. Why can't they make it right every time? Oh well, maybe if I'd gotten there earlier it would have been better, but I kind of doubt it. Also their inability to turn on more lights (it's always kind of dim in there) is unbelievable to me!! I think they are causing more hazards for us akters! [gripe, gripe, gripe, gripe, gripe].

More to come on Wednesday I hope!

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

Scratchy: I can't seem to rotate all the way and land on one foot w/this lutz. I know it's totally mental/fear. I almost did it once today - then I got on the harness but somehow it felt more awkward, then I tried it and had a weird power fall.

Last lesson today with beloved coach before I move

Smooth: Almost have the sit spin back, loop is higher

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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)

Smooth
After taking two weeks off (and losing 5 pounds) with the flu, I got on the ice for the first time on Friday evening for just 45 minutes. Then yesterday (Sunday) I skated for 3 hours! I am surprised that I lasted so long!
AND I got my reverse sitspin back yesterday! I've always hated that RFI edge entrance, but as soon as I started doing them on the line, they started behaving!

Scratchy
I sure am rusty on those Intermediate MIF after shelving them for 4 months! Ugh. And today my hips and butt are definitely reminding me that they hadn't skated for awhile! :p

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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

Smooth:
My backscratch spin, my toeloop, salchow.

Scratchy:
It seemed for a bit this afternoon that I lost the loop mojo. I hope this won't happen on test day. Two runthroughs and still no clean program.
Found out that I will not be eligible for the newly formed high freestyle session on Wednesdays- it's only for skaters that have axel and above. Then again, if the ice is chewed up by then, what good would it be to skate on it.
Icedancer, I hear ya about the crappy ice- they never want to cut the ice at my rink when it needs cutting!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Hey doubletoe, glad to hear I'm not the only one who's been off since AN. I've skated a total of 5 minutes since I got back. I aggravated the heck out of the lace bite problem I'd been having and it still hasn't cleared up. I received acupuncture today in desperation for a solution (I hate needles). He told me to take another week off. Crap.

Glad you are feeling better...where did you have 5 pounds to lose?? You must have been pretty sick. I'm just getting fat not skating. No, the running alone is not enough.

Smooth:

• One foot spins, sit spins, back sit, backspin to a point. Did the ISI FS 3 spin for yuks. Wasn't so bad...
• Tried the loop. Seems to be okay when I wasn't tired.
• Footwork was okay.
• I managed to finally eek out some a teeny weeny RBO3's (my bad side.) My LBO3's are still there too! YAAAAY!!!!
• Spirals - At least I'm looking more like a plank! Now I have to curve the torso and lower it!!!

Scratch:

• Camel
• Flip jump sucked. I think I was getting tired then.
• This pose-pose thing that I'm supposed to do at the end of my footwork sequence in my program is very embarassing!!! Primary coach would NOT change it. He agreed with hubby in saying that I need to watch "Chorus Line" and "West Side Story" and not watch "The Bird Cage" with Robin Williams.

Doubletoe: Glad you're starting to feel better... at least well enough to do 45 minutes.
PattyP: Hope you'll find a solution for your lace bite problem.
Terri C: RATS!!! That SUCKS about the FS session!

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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!!!

Scratchy
backspins have gone on another holiday. The way I'm twizzling, my backspin needs its own passport.
In fact I didn't have a good spinning weekend at all.

Smooth
Jumps ! I'm doing lutzes again! This is my final element to come back after that 20+ year break. I still chicken out as often as I jump, and I still tense up too much to do them in front of my coach, but I am landing them. YAY!

Flips improving to the point that I can do flip/loop combination now. Not all the time of course, but getting it more often.

Scratchy
technical competition this weekend. I'm not competing, as they didn't offer an Adult division and I'm not skating Elementary (an Aussie test level). So I get to help at the rink on the night, as well as support my Darling Daughter.

Of course all the kids practising for the competition make the figure skating club session I go to on a Wednesday night way too scary and chaotic for me to practise. So I miss a skating session this week.

The good news is that this is the perfect opportunity to send my skates off for sharpening (separation anxiety already) so they'll be nice and sharp when I do skate on the weekend.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

I had a bad case of lace bite about two years ago, and someone mentioned that the problem might be broken-down tongue padding on my skates. After I sent them in for new foam, I was CURED!

This might not be so in your case, but it's something to check into.

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Bill Schneider

Scratchy - had to get up at 3:30 am for the 5:30 am ice in Des Moines. You know, I don't mind getting up at 4 - but 3:30 just seems like it's still the middle of the night

Smooth - Once I got on the ice, I was feeling okay. Went through my moves - very small crowd at that hour so I didn't have to dodge anyone. I think my power 3s on my bad side - that is my left ones are almost as good as my right ones were when I started. My good ones are pretty close to passing, I think. I still need to figure out intro steps and getting to the next side. The intros to a lot of these moves are really challenging for me because I still don't feel comfortable doing 3 turns in that direction. I'm kind of weird in that I spin ccw but I prefer to turn clockwise. So my mohawk or 3 turn is good, not depending on which leg, but which way I'm turning.

I did some magnificently cheated on both ends toe loops off my waltz jump. Why is that under smooth? Because for me to have enough flow coming out of my waltz jump and then to have enough guts to jump, albeit pre rotated is really quite an accomplishment and I'll take it!

j

Smooth: Compulsory dances are going well.

Scratchy: Have very little to do when I'm alone on the ice.

Smooth: Coach has given me a workout routine to do when I'm alone on the ice (as in, not with Husband, not as in "only me" - I wish!).

Scratchy: Coaches have gone on holiday for a week, as has Trainer. Trainer was buying euros and didn't get in before I had to leave, so I didn't get my stretching session. Hope they all have a great time.

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

Scratchy: I have a strained/pulled hip flexor that has been really bothering me. Went to PT yesterday for it--after beating me up for 1/2 hour (YOWCH!!) my PT guy gave me exercises to do, including one that I'm supposed to do every hour! I'm already failing at that schedule, but I did do it several times throughout the day. I have to be kneeling on the floor to do it, so not the easiest thing to explain when at my office!

He said I could still skate, so long as the pain is minimal, and to skip anything that aggravates it--which removes choctaws & brackets from my repetoire for awhile.

Smooth: So yesterday did an experimental practice--skating hard but only 1/2 hour & nothing 'twisty', and my hip feels all right today, so I think that's going to be the way to go. I have today off anyway, so tomorrow I'll go for a full hour & see what happens. It will do me good to work on basics (stroking/edges/3 turns/twizzles) for a few weeks anyway.

Smooth: It wasn't really, but I'll count it as such after last week. I put my helmet on and cautiously went out for my lesson yesterday. The fiesta is still a mess, but could't expect much different after injuries and no practice for a week.

Rob

Thanks for the tip Bill!

Unfortunately mine started while breaking in new boots. Maybe I should try skating in my old boots until it completely clears up. I should also try to find a way to get extra padding in there. I used a gel pad to get through AN, but it isn't working anymore.

Smooth: The end pattern on the Rhythm Blues is really feeling good now that I'm finally doing it right. I also had airtime on the salchow, coach was really pleased.

Scratchy: The knee bend on the 1 foot spin entry just was not happening today - oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Scratchy: I was looooow on the magic skating fairy dust today.

For some reason (and this happens so randomly), I felt like I was right on the very front of my blade the entire time, as if my boots weren't on right. So EVERYTHING was scratchy!

Except for my scratch spin *lol*. I still can't get the whole stepping into the circle thing right from back crossovers. I know what I'm supposed to do, but I can't get my foot to go that way in my spinning direction-- CW.

But
Smooth: Wierdly enough, I can go into the prep and actually had a few revs on the scratch spin in my non-spinning direction. I think everyone on the ice must have thought I was crazy because I kept alternating between the two directions one after another, trying to figure out what's going on with my CW entry. I'm nearly tempted to use the CCW turn to pass Freestyle 1 (I think it's 3 revs that I have to do?) and then work on CW to actually get lots of revolutions, but I know that would be cheating.

Of course, I coooooould just change my spinning direction for good, but I get so many more revs CW (even though my jumps are CCW)!

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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?

Hi, Patty! No, I didn't have 5 lbs to lose and was really concerned that I was losing valuable skating muscle. The flu sure takes weight off fast, but I sure wouldn't recommend it!
I am so sorry to hear that this lacebite thing hasn't cleared up at all. I forget, do the tongues of your boots have a plastic strip on the outside to help prevent lacebite? And do your boots have a notch in the lace area? Both of these features can help lessen lacebite. I think it's possible to have your boots modified and it won't cost that much if you have it done somewhere like Willie's in West Hollywood. I'm actually going there this Friday to get one of my boots reinforced in the ankle. They do great work, are very reasonably priced and could probably make any modifications you like, including adding additional padding to the tongue and/or covering the inside of the tongue with leather (which one of the guys there told me he recently did last week for a customer). The number is 323-463-5011.

That's so exciting! Congratulations!!

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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 just scratched up my elbow and got blisters on my feet...

... From doing half-loops, toeloops and hydroblades on inner edges (for that sit spin!) on roller skates! Yeah baby! I'm back in the game!


SkatingonClouds, you rock!!!!!

Do you guys know the stuff PartyFeet? It's gelly/rubbery cushions (rubbery filled with gel) and they're sticky and re-washable and re-usable. They're sold in grocery stores and shoe stores here in the Netherlands and they're a pretty new thing but they ROCK. Except you need to get the ones for the foot cushion, not for the heel, since the heel ones are too small to use for skaters.

Anyway you can stuff them anywhere in your skates and you won't get blisters. Just do stuff them inbetween your socks/tights and the skates, because while you can put them on naked skin without any problems (they do stay on), it just feels like you've stuck your foot into a dead jellyfish or something. Really really icky and distracting, even though your foot doesn't slide with it or anything.

The pads are also only a few millimetres thick, so you barely notice them. I'm thinking you could probably use them for lacebite too.

No, I don't have either the plastic strip or notch.

Thanks doubletoe! I will give them a call. I'll try anything. At least I'm not skiing anymore. I think that's where I did the most damage to that area.