Because I'm totally convinced (or at least, it's fun to pretend to be totally convinced!) that the Husband's flip jump is a mythical beast - he is forever saying he just landed a great one, with a running edge, but does he repeat it in front of either his coach or me? You guess!

Mythical beasts: Had our first lesson on the Free Dance today with Coach2; not a great success as we couldn't remember what we used to do in order to rejig it! However, we think we may have it more-or-less up to the step sequence, although she's turned us right round, so it might take some getting used to!

We spent ages trying to work out why I scrape on the STF in the Willow (during the man's Mohawk), when partnered, when I don't do it solo. And trying to get the placing of the RFO3 right. Sigh....

Magical: Hmmm.... let's see..... Oh, I got some reasonable LFI 3s (my weaker side) and even one BI3, sort of....

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

Mythical: passing Grade 6 when my coach practically promised me I would pass (well, he was going to pass me the lesson before, I needed to improve my 3 turns now he is saying I should do the 3 turns with my leg out not in...)

inside 3 turns. argh... they are very hard.

Magical: had a really great practice before last lesson and nailed the leg-in 3 turns. then started to learn leg-out 3 turns... landed 3 jump (or at least a half jump. whether it is a proper 3 jump I do not know.) also did some cool back xo's.

probably mythical for next week: spins. I will try to attempt a spin from a proper back xo entry instead of how we were taught from a 2 foot glide. keep yall fingers crossed!!!

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Magical:

I can now, just about, do 3 revs on my one foot spin! Which is the last remaining thing I need for my silver figure passport!

We got through the whole 90 minute club session without me having to stop what I was practising and go separate my kids.

Little one didn't want to get off the ice at the end.

Mythical:

Doing 3 revs in front of my coach next week, I strongly suspect

Totally #$@%# MYTHICAL! I should have skated yesterday (at my old home club) but I was absolutely, positively exhausted so I passed. I intended to skate at my rural club today and got there to find the parking lot more full than I have ever seen it! "Must be something going on..." I thought. There was - "ice show" day for the kiddies. (... Adult language removed for our more sensitive readers.....) It must have been one of those things posted on the bulletin board 'cause it wasn't in the original schedule and there was no email notification.... GRRRRRR! (That club is WAY expensive and I was thinking of not going back next year - now I have decided.)

Well, that leaves me 2 session before I depart for competition (maybe 3 if coach thinks I need to make up one of the missing sessions).

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

mythical:
I fell in my programme, and then messed up the rest of it. I've no idea why, but this used to happen when I was playing piano and on my driving tests as well. I was hoping it'd be more like dancing where I could snap out of mistakes I made, but apparently, not.
Well, just gotta skate clean from the start at the competition then.

magical:
only flip-loop combo's that I didn't land were at the end of the practice session, when I did about 10 run-throughs of my programme and my belly was already hurting from being too tired and my legs felt like lad. I underrotated my loop half there and my flip a quarter.
But I only need to do it once for the competition so.

Very magical:
we got 40 minutes of extra ice time because the zamboni driver wasn't there and nobody had the ice after us so... We just stayed on the ice till the zamboni driver chased us off, and even when he did he wasn't in a hurry to do it.

If you're ccw, let your left shoulder lead the rotation, and bring in your right arm/shoulder in right above your right leg, with your head right in the same direction your arm-shoulder-leg are sticking in (so you turn your head as you bring the rest in). Don't leave your arm or your head behind as you bring in your right leg.
Push the front bone of your rib cage (the one inbetween your breasts) sort of over your toepicks, while leaving the hips in place, and stick your head to the front (not your chin, the movement comes not from a change of position of the head compared to the neck but of the neck itself shoving itself forward, from the back of the neck, from the lower vertibrae of the neck).

Get deep on your knee before going into the spin and on the 3-turn as you go into the spin (the first revolution if you will) unbend the knee fast as you bring the leg-arm-shoulder-head forward, push your rib cage over your toepick basically and tense your belly muscles.
Voila, 3 revs minimum.

No really, I've seen girls who had 1 or 2 revs get 4 and more after this.

And FOLLOW YOUR LEFT SHOULDER into the rotation (if you're ccw), do NOT leave it behind or pull it to the front. Let the left shoulder lead
(right if you're cw).


BTW, on a slippery floor you can practice this on socks.

But that's the scary bit - it makes you spin too fast.... at least, if you're me! I hate spinning because I end up with spots in front of my eyes for ages afterwards. And I prefer spinning CW, but don't actually like spinning in either direction!

No skating today, there never is on Mondays here, but what is fairly magical is that I've just received the provisional timetable for the Coupe de France and we're doing the Swing Dance to the UK standard Rocker Foxtrot tempo/music (which probably means we're the only couple in it, too bad), and neither of our classes is on the Sunday, so we can sleep through the time change! We'll already be an hour ahead of ourselves through crossing the Channel, two hours ahead is pushing it, slightly.

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

a bit of magic: for the first time in 2 years I finally did several backspins and got the free foot across! The trick seemed to be to practice FI-3 with the free leg crossing front and holding the spin position for a turn and then, well then I can't hold it any longer but it sort of woke my body up and told it where I needed to be to make it work.
mythical: would be my body position during these backspins - seems I really like watching my laces
Lyle

Magical:

• The loops and flip is still steady even at my weekend rink. Of course, it's not perfect and I still had a couple of botched attempts. I also did some loop-loops. Missed a few but landed some too! And I was a good girl and didn't attempt any lutz or flip-loops either! Of course, it was also b/c I ran out of time to practice and...
• Was playing around with back 3's again. RBO3 is still a BEAST, but came close on a few tries. LBO3's is always a pain but at least I can do them. And of course, I always keep up with my FO3's and FI3's as well. (I was working on RFI3 from a fast edge. I still freak out on those! And no, not setting up for a toe loop in the CCW direction either. It's a different set-up for a spin.)

Mythical:

• The rest of the jumps are okay but could be better. I better practice those a bit more too.
• Camel can spin but I can't get into position.
• Tried doing my catch-foot spiral that I haven't done in a long time. Needless to say, I need to get back into practicing them again!!!
• Worked on beginning footwork for Bronze FS program! The way primary coach tried to make it easier for me to do back cross steps now are actually HARDER for me to do!! (Though the rest of the beginning that I can do definitely is starting to have *attitude!!!* )

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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!!!

Magical creatures:
Yesterday was pleasant, although Sunday public sessions are crowded. It was nice to see they coned off the centre portion for private lessons, so there was some ice available for them.

Mythical beasts:
Normally Monday is wonderful, almost three hours of spacious rink. However I felt out of kilter today, no energy, or focus. To be fair, I had a virus a few days ago, and it left me a bit drained, so I can blame that The darkest hour is allegedly just before the dawn, so perhaps an improvement is imminent, I can but hope ...

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UK Passport (figure)
Bronze : PASSED 13-Oct-07 Woohoo
Silver: PASSED 08-Dec-07 Yippee
Gold: Backspin PASSED One Foot Spin ____ Toe Loop ____ Programme ____
The impossible is just a journey away ...

You can regulate the spin speed with the speed of the 3-turn (you can do spins from standstill too you know, making a 3-turn from standstill, so long as you bend the leg on the 3-turn) and by keeping your arms out.

You'll notice you're spinning really slowly, but when you follow the leading shoulder, the spin is way more stable. Then spinning fast is suddenly not scary anymore.

Magical Beasts: Presumably I'm now on the uphill side of my knee surgery (right knee was scoped last Thurs afternoon) so hopefully I should be able to get back on the ice within 4-8 weeks.

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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...

Mythical: My opportunity to skate this morning vanished because the University had scheduled my class' final exam at 8 am. No time to skate or to change afterwards, and still have time to administer the exam.

Magical: I might be able to leave the office a bit early today to make the 4:30 pm session. Also, I'm getting nice emails about the photos I took of our skating competition on March 3rd. I've placed 164 pictures on Shutterfly for parents/skaters to view or purchase. Feels nice to be appreciated.

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Bill Schneider

Mythical Beast: Coach says it is all in my head that I cannot put my foot down for the step behind in the Cha cha. I know if I'm going to continue to learn dances I have to be able to do this. I did a couple of them and then I was back to cheating them. So frustrating. I've decided I'm not going to scratch my competition for this dance because I need a strong reason to work on this


Magical - Coach thinks passing the dance tests has given me new confidence, she basically had nothing to say about my Rhythm Blues other than "Don't you want to try to do the step behinds on both feet?"

I'm not afraid of my half flip anymore and I was doing the 3 turn toe taps that I took out of my program. I'll probably end up taking them out again when I have to compete, but it doesn't hurt to work on them.

j

Magical beasts - My one foot spin is back from its long sojourn. I thought it had left me for good.

Mythical beasts - Just finished getting the choreography for my program and let me say it is a major work in progress. Nothing went right. I balked at every one of my jumps, forgot the footwork, and was only half way through it when the music ended.

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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

Mythical: my lutz is gone again, I only landed 1 and even that was under-rotated.
Magical: for the first time since my anckle injury, I've been doing my flips exactly the way I did them before the injury AND they didn't hurt.

Magical:
-Worked on Silver Moves (woohoo for no more Bronze Moves!!) in my lesson - primarily the 8-step mohawk pattern, cross-rolls, and FO 3s to BI 3s.
-Got an eensy bit closer to getting the loop out of a mohawk and long edge (as opposed to RI 3-turn).

Mythical:
-Wasn't kicking through on waltz jumps, and had trouble not hunching over on the take-off.
-And - ouch - the muscles in my sides hurt from so much twisting and correcting of body alignment on outside mohawks and BI 3-turns.

Something magical I saw today at practice...

A high level free skater learning the Canasta...and man she looked like a dancer. Lots of times freeskaters look like freeskaters doing dance - but she was a natural. I couldn't resist going over to her and her coach (mine too) and joking "OH so THAT is what that dance looks like when skated on an edge!""

j

Magical beasts:

• Landed a couple of flips and loops, including JKo's Bronze guy, who seemed VERY HAPPY to see me finally landing it.
• Scratch and backspins were coming along better today.

Mythical ones:

• Couldn't land either one after the first few. I do land on the landing leg but it doesn't glide out. If anything, I get twisted around.
• Was playing around with some footwork and tried to do a flip out of it. Meh... I'll wait 'til I get my flip up to speed...
• Camel not quite in position.
• Ice was crap from the beginning. I suspect that they didn't bother to resurfacing the ice today.

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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!!!

Mythical beasts: Husband will shrug when he does something not quite right - today I caught him shrugging after the twizzles in his free programme and before the drag, and then again when he did a totally pants flip. I pointed out that he needed to act as though he though the judges were going to give him +3 on the GOE, even if he knew quite well it would be -3!

This led to a discussion about curtseys with another friend....

In our lesson, we are still struggling with the Willow, and the Canasta really isn't what it ought to be at this stage. Very Deep Sigh.

In private practice, my left foot change-of-edge from outside-to-inside wasn't working properly - my shoulders wouldn't move in the right place at the right time.

Magical beasts: Our warm-up is improving and improving, and we are really getting round the ice now! Four pushes is too easy.....

I almost managed to turn two relatively respectable BI3s!

I did an off-ice class with our trainer, and my core muscles are much stronger than I thought they were!

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

MAJOR Mythical beasts:

• Well, I guess it's too good to be true... towards the end of the lesson, I lost BOTH my loops and my flips. I got all twisted up on most of my landing and lost my timing again on the entry. Though I got some baby ones back towards the end of the session, I opted to abandon the effort for today (so I wouldn't push for it) and went to doing spins!!!

A Small Magical Beast:

• I did do some loops at the beginning and one of those magical beasts was biggest loops yet. The ankle landed kinda funky but it was BIG!!! (Maybe that's why it landed funky on my ankle. Body is not used to it...)
• Welcome to our new Skating School Director, Shane Douglas!!! You guys that have done ISI comps probably knows him. He's one of the few skaters out there that CAN still do an axel... in BOTH directions!!! (Yup! ISI 10 guy!) Just about everyone so far gave him a thumbs-up!!!

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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!!!

Be careful not to jump when you're tired. You can twist your ankle or knee on the landing, or even pull a back muscle (I learned this the hard way!). Go for quality, not quantity. Also, program run-throughs are a great opportunity to practice how to recover from a missed element. My coach has me come up with a plan for how to recover from each element if I miss it, and I actually practice the recovery for each one so that if I miss it in a program run-through, I automatically do it. It has helped SO MUCH in competition!

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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

Mythical & Magical:
Outdoor rink closed for the season. Magical because I hate teaching groups there for reasons that I can't make public. Mythical because I will miss getting to skate there for free in the mornings and will miss the adult company on those sessions. Magical because I no longer have to get up early on weekdays for those same sessions. Did the Prelim BXO to BO edge pattern on Monday after not having done it for months, and it felt great and was on pattern.

Magical:
The BI Choctaw in the Prelim power threes is suddenly happening without that little touch down and after a good back XO. Coach told me it's in the timing, and to wait for it, and that's working for me! Also noticed how she stands up with free foot at instep of skating foot right before the turn, and that's significant for me too. FO threes are soooo close to being really controlled and checked. I have hope. I'm now getting at least 4 revs on every one foot spin (entered from pivot). Feeling more secure on tango stop, which I've been slowly cultivating because I love it and used to do it all the time on roller skates.

Mythical:
I seem to gain too much momentum to handle when entering a one foot spin from FO edge. I either have to keep my free leg closer, or work on spinning faster from a pivot. Still wimping out too often on FI threes.

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Magical: Good practice on Sunday, on my own while other synchro teams were practicing, and then with the synchro team.

Mythical: Several people were missing from synchro practice so it was confusing, as this was only my second 1/2 hr learning the drill. And I was mystified as to the meaning of "block" "egg beater" "pinwheel" "slice" and other terms--I had to ask what these strange expressions meant!!

Also am totally unprepared for my first (albeit really basic) comp on Saturday. I finally made it to the rink to a freestyle session (I don't often attend these) because I'm supposed to have prescribed music for this and hadn't yet heard it. . . it's, uh, rather goofy. (See frantic post from last night.) My sense of humor has returned so I think I could probably ham it up to this music if need be, but dh is going to play around with some music tonight. It's only 1 minute and only 4 moves required (can be repeated) so we'll see if I can pull something together.

this is for yesterday...I was tooooo tired to post last night and toooo busy today!

Magical: got a call after work (while I was returning home from shopping) from hubby, the rink director had called asking if I was available to sub for an instructor (she called it "trial by fire" who was out sick!!!! So, it was zip home, change, grab gear and zip to the rink and head out onto the ice with no idea what I was doing, really. March, march, march, gliiiiiide!!!! Lots of encouragement. Best I could do. Small classes (one in the first, two in the second). Not too bad, got to stay for the moves class!!!!

Mythical: tired!!!!! I had a full workout at the gym yesterday, my hip flexors were SORE from stretching them, then hitting the ice and doing moves! AND trying to do the 5-step mohawk sequence which feels SO akward going left I was still tired today when I got up (and sore, even though I soaked last night in salts).

Bottom line: I will fill-in when needed, and start teaching this fall!!!!! I'm soooo excited! I have wanted to do this for over a year! How I'm going to squeeze this in....I don't know but it will work out!

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