In honor of the pollen count.

Sneeze - me, all over the place. Hope it's just allergies and I can skate tonight.

Sweet scent - got to skate a bit on Saturday and worked on my dress.

Sneeze:
Well, since there were few/ no kiddies on the ice today, guess what Coach #2 and I worked on-- yeah, power 3's. The "fun" (inject sarcasm here) part is the transition from backward crossovers to the RFO 3- I will be pulling my hair out on that one.
Also worked on the 5 step mohawk. It was my favorite move and may become again once I get the concept of the f#$% pattern!

Sweet Scent:
My spins- now if they can only show up at test/competition time! Jumps were good too- even started to play with the flip!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Terri, we are in the same boat!

I just started power 3's at my lesson last night. Also worked on backward power perimeter. My coach gave me some good drills to do the pattern in a very small way first then increase the size.

Got to go will tell more.

__________________
Why are you skating so slowly? Get out of my way!

If you skate faster, it makes everything look better!

Sneeze: Went to skating last night and couldn't stay on my feet except for 1 double toe which just about killed me! Skating bag is in the trunk of the car my mom has a work so I cant start skating until 5 30 tonight instead of 4.

Sweet Scent: Actually got to skate last night though. I get to make up the time I was supposed to skate. I am starting back up with skills tonight after quitting them at the beginning of the season due to finacial problems.

Last night:
Sweet Scent: What happened to my 3-turns? All of a sudden they were flowy, easy, elegant....

Sneeze: What happened to my twizzles? Who stole them??

And then this morning:

Sweet Scent: Twizzles reappeared, but pretty awful. These are the BI ones that were my best ones last week.... I did manage to do them today, though. My FI ones were really good, and husband's are coming-along-nicely; we might put side-by-side twizzles into our free dance, just like real ice-dancers do!!!

Lesson went well - coach likes most of my choreography for my interp, thank heavens. I am still not quite sure about the twizzles, but I said to him that I'd like to keep them for now, we can always change them nearer the time. Ditto the change-edge 3, which went wrong both times I tried it to the music! Sigh..... I can do the thing quite beautifully when I'm not trying to pull on a Theraband at the same time, naturally.... but the band has really, really helped my cross-cuts, I managed very nearly a whole length of them!!!!

Sneeze: The aforementioned change-edge 3s. And my back cross-rolls weren't so great - they're fine if my coach holds my hands, or if I am in waltz hold with my husband, but not solo. They are coming, though.....

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

Sneeze: The whole left side of me was soaked last night after skating. I fell a lot. I had to skate on the little kid time so i had a lesson with a girl who my coach coaches who can't even do a one foot spin.... very annoying kid too.... i had to babysit her before......

Sweet Scent: Landed a double loop the 3rd time I tried it.... I just started them last night... landed 3 double toes.... did a sideways leaning spin! I haven't tried a layback yet....

Sweet Scent: Got surprised by coach who had us do whole pattern of Starlight Waltz to the music today. Several times. (THis was only my 3rd lesson on the Starlight.) And I managed to keep up most of the time.

Sneeze: The first time I rushed the last waltz-3 (LFO3) of the dance dreadfully and almost bopped my coach in the chin on the hold change. The following times I settled down and held the entry edge to the turn much longer (still may have rushed it a bit). Then on the subsequent repeats I had problems with the closed mohawk timing... rushing it. Don't think I'm consistently tracking coach correctly into the closed mohawk at full speed.

But IT WAS FUN!!!

Friday is Paso lesson day....

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

sneeze: the whole time!!!
my coach actually gave up on my loops, and said TEN MINUTES before the lesson was OVER,"im through with you!"

Well exuse me!


Can anyone tell me what i should do? Because this has been going on now for at least month.

I need advise!!

~your very kittie

Sweet Scent: This morning's practice and lesson at the crack of dawn. My coach was a sport to come in and teach me before he left for some R&R. He was on a jumping kick, though, had me doing combinations of all different jumps + toe loop. Even did a couple of salchow-toe loops. He did have a moment of insanity where he lamented my inability as of yet to do back 3-turns, having had the thought that I could do a salchow - back 3 - mohawk into another salchow! (Where's the smilie for laughing yourself so silly you fall over? )

Also sent in my application for the adult competition in Oberstdorf! We already made some changes to my program for this competition, so hopefully everything will work out.

Anyway, it was agood last lesson for a week. My other two coaches will be filling in, though! I only hope I survive!

kittie -Have you talked to your coach about his frustration with your loop problems? I can understand a coach getting a little frustrated over a student's long-standing problem with a particular skill, but not speaking that way to you.

Happy skating,
Pat

Your coach must be extremely impatient. He/She doesn't sound very nice.

Do you mean you have been working on loops for a month or that your coach has been like this for a month. If you mean you've been working on it for a month, then a month isnt that long in learning terms and people learn at different speeds. The loop is a difficult jump!!!

If you mean the latter...then...you're up a certain creek without a paddle.
I sent you a message with more detail. I didn't realise it was you Kittie! (Very dim today)

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http://www.yourphotoalbums.co.uk

Sweet -- started lessons again with a new coach. Today was my 6th time on the ice in 4 years (all in the last month). Like the new coach -- she gave me the new patterns for the adult silver moves test (back inside threes -- you're kidding right? I had passed pre-prelim moves regular track and adult bronze adult track). She was pleasantly suprized at my skating knowledge. She had me do a loop jump and then accused me of sandbagging her by not letting on to my skating ability. I quickly pointed out that my three turns BITE and that I have lost my flip and lutz and while my loop was sort of good, it is FAR from easy or consistent. Luckily when I did it for her, it was pretty text book, save the fact of barely any height. Heck, I'm just happy to leave the ice surface for a fleeting second.

Sneeze -- my spins are nowhere near...um...anything. 4 poor rotations on my back spin and I traveled as far as Mexico. Forward scratch. Let's see -- three rotations. Maybe. And those three turns. I freak OUT at the ones I don't like (basically anything backwards). I have a bad habit of falling on the back of my blades on these and OUCH.

Can't wait for my next practice and my next lesson. This is fun....why did I stop for so long?

Sneeze--no lesson today as coach decided to cancel since he was heading out on vacation today & didn't want to get up so early. I hate missing lessons! Sk8pics, you are lucky!

Sweet--went in this afternoon & worked on choreography for new program. It's coming along quite well, especially since I haven't done this before (my own choreography)--but I've made it so hard I can't quite do it all yet!! What's that about??

Kittie--do you have any other options as far a coach choices? I couldn't deal with a coach who gets that frustrated with me--especially saying so to your face, and walking off a lesson?? Very unprofessional, IMO. And, if it were me, it would be VERY detrimental to my confidence & motivation....I couldn't deal with it.

I too have struggled with that part of the move. One thing that helped me was to practice just the crossover and step forward over and over, and think about it almost like an Ina Bauer - step wide, not heel to heel. I also found recently that rotating fully before the step forward (as my coach had me trying) made it impossible, but I am able to begin the shoulder rotation and keep the movement smooth enough to be acceptable.

Sweet

Almost my entire lesson today! I actually did the FI alt threes entirely on my own and nailed on good turn on each foot. This is the biggest breakthrough I've had in at least a year. The FO alt threes are also improving. Now I'm working on keeping my hip open for the turn, and I'm getting very, very close to being able to check it properly and step forward without a toe touch first. Evem the Prelim power threes were better today. I was able to get the first three by doing only two intro steps. Now if I could only feel more comfortable and controlled on the threes, I could stop deliberately slowing myself down on the power portions of the move .

Sneeze
Spirals! I had to take so much time off them because of my hip problems that they have completely gone to pot. I am now just working on the pattern with an arched back and freeleg as high as I can get it. I try do the stretches three times every practice.

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Sneeze:
Didn't get home from work in time to skate a much-needed freestyle with Loops. Oh, well. I guess the 5 or so ( ) complete program runthroughs since the New Year's event will have to suffice for nationals. We've still got a couple of weeks ... but Loops is abandoning me next week!
And she lambasted me for working on my spins.
What was your lecture this time? "Well, most guys do maybe 2 spins per session and work mostly on jumps," or something inane like that? Well, this chap likes to spin and wants to get better. Grrrrr!

Sweet scent:
The few practice elements/passes we did in the public session were surprisingly good ... considering that both of us were seriously sleep deprived. We did a nice split twist. Well, I think it was nice; it could have looked like a train wreck for all I know. But it felt good.

The axel lift came back from the dead as well.

No comment on the side-by-side jump sequence. Toe pick!

And I did two decent forward crossovers ... but then I tripped on the 3rd one and gave up.

After Loops left, I skated so much better. Worked on flying camels and had a few good ones. Then worked more on spins (ha!), silver moves, and some of my singles program choreography.

After I got off the ice, an ice dancer whom I had frequently seen at this rink but had never spoken to (and whom I've not seen in a while) told me that my spins have much improved. Thank you, kind stranger!

__________________
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.

I feel the same way as you --I hate missing lessons, especially when I have a competition or a test coming up. I think my coach was willing because of the adult competition in Oberstdorf; I don't think he would have done it if I hadn't decided to go to the competition. And also at the time I hadn't heard from my backup coach, so that was a little more incentive for my coach to come in early. And I do appreciate it!

Pat

That wasn't a lecture! It was a reminder of a conversation from a week or so that someone had forgotten... something about not having enough ice time to work on stroking.

But yes, the axel lift was flying last night and the tango camel was whirling!

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

Sneeze - me all week. Have a horrible cold/allergies.

Sweet - ran through the program last night and actually put everything in!

sweet scent: Forward and Backward power perimeter coming well. Worked on drills for power 3's...starting to happen! flip, toe combo is getting such good run out I am ready to add loop to end.

sneeze: right knee having a few aches and pains. I hate my Wed public skate session....too many tots!! I am far too big(and old) to see these little ants on the ice!

__________________
Why are you skating so slowly? Get out of my way!

If you skate faster, it makes everything look better!

It was a lecture, and it was uncalled for and unnecessary.

__________________
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.

SWEET - I've been feeling very powerful on my edges. Independant upper body motion is the best I've ever had.

SNEEZE - My last day of regular ice skating is today. I'll get about 2-1/2 hours today, but then it's ice-out time in both my local arenas until September.

I'll get maybe a handfull of sessions at arenas that are farther away, but nothing regular.

SEMI-SWEET - Next week I'm going to get fit for a second pair of boots & have PikSkate inline frames mounted to them. It won't be the same, but it will help. I'll be able to use them 4-5 time a week on an inside sports floor.

thanks for all the wonderful advise!

I called my coach yesterday and it was all (well most) a misunderstanding.

my coach meant i wouldnt land a loop that lesson!

so I overreacted, and she said she didnt know I was frusterated.

she told me next time to just tell her how I feel and we'll move on.

also I think sometimes, because she's old enough to be my big sister (she's 22, Im 17) that sometimes I feel (subconsciously) that she doesnt have the right to boss me around.

but its all been straightened out. thank God!

I didnt mean to give the wrong impression about her either( I was very upset when I wrote yesterday), she really is a good coach and I've improved a lot under her coaching.

I think it was all just a trying day.

but all your messages.... I feel so loved and cared for! (sniff)

thanks for everything.

~kittie

P.S im going to try dance once a week and hopefully that will give us a break from each other for a bit. do you think $18 per half hour is too much for dance?

In my area $18 for a 1/2 hour lesson would be on the low side. What do you pay for freestyle lessons?

(ETA I still don't understand the walking off your lesson part...... )

I hear ya- my regular moves lesson time is Tuesdays at 4:30, which is crowded at my rink, because it's Learn to Skate night and you have all the clueless children out there. My coach just told me to run them over and they'll get the message. Yeah, right, tell that to the parents!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Maybe you should try to work on the forward power perimeter crossover excercise from the Bronze MIF test. (Can imagine NoVa rolling his eyes here )
Okay, okay, if it's any consolation to you, when I got bored with moves this morning, I went straight to spins. i really have to push myself to do the whole pattern on these and not slack off!

Spins were good today, by the way. (both coaches are on vacation )

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

Kittie, I think we all get very frustrated with our coaches, and our skating, and they get frustrated with us, too - after all, they're only human! I know I get incredibly frustrated with my coach at times....

However, yesterday it was myself I got frustrated in. Went down to dance club, which should have been most enjoyable - at one point, there were about five men and three women on the ice; one woman was having a lesson (one of the coaches acts as a professional partner, and you can pay for 15 minutes of his time just to partner you. I do, once in a blue moon, it's huge fun!) so wasn't available to be partnered, and the third one can't really skate, so all the men avoid her whenever possible. So that left me and all these men.... one of whom is a beginner, but I made him partner me through a Dutch Waltz which was very slow, but nothing wrong with it apart from that. Actually three more women did arrive during the course of the hour, so it wasn't as unbalanced as all that.

So anyway, the frustration arose that I'd been thinking about the Canadian Cha-cha, pursuant to a discussion on the Usenet group about this dance. I often have problems getting on a proper outside edge for the "double whammy" outside edge just before the 2-footed slalom. And there is a similar long edge in the Golden Skaters' Waltz (only a swing roll, not a double knee-bend job) which I find goes flat, too. I had hoped it was down to Husband but, alas, the same happened with another partner - and, worse still, I realised that I was flatting the first swing roll (left foot) of the Canasta Tango, too. Yikes... there's a mega-fault that I didn't even know about, obviously I'm at the wrong angle when being partnered.

We didn't skate this morning - it's our Latin dance class tonight (yuck), and we were both tired - but next time I get him on the ice, we are just going to practice edges & swing rolls in Kilian & reverse Kilian hold. And I'm going to make my coach do it in my private lesson, too, to see what is going wrong and how, if at all, I can correct it. It may well be something very simple... I do hope so!

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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!