For yesterday:-

Bank Holiday
Back on the ice after a week and a half off. I ran through my programme clean!!! Haven't done it for a couple of weeks so was expecting the worst. Instead I skated it clean and spot on with the timing. I guess that's because I had no expectations!

Bank Charges
Blades have just been sharpened so my camel was slower than usual. Jumps didn't feel as good as usual.


For Today:-

Bank Holiday
I've really got my change-foot sitspin going pretty consistantly now. I did several sit-change-sits and camel-sit-backsits for my coach and they were all good. I've finally found the place to spin on with the change-foot. Lutz and lutz-loop were good today too.

Bank Charges
Nothing really though I was still finding my camel a bit slow and although I skated my programme clean again, the timing wasn't as good as yesterday because I took too long coming out of a spin.

Nicki

For yesterday and this morning - all bank charges, overdrafts, mortgages and bills: I missed Pilates waiting for a phone call (by the time it came in, it was too late to get to Pilates 45 minutes away. As it's about tax returns, I couldn't afford to miss the call.)

Then didn't go to my cardio class deliberately, because coach was running a "kill drill" skating group Thursday evening and I wanted to survive . Showed up ready to go, along with the rest of the group, to find that a group of 150 ( ) teenagers had taken over the rink. So no kill drill either.

And DH has *just* phoned to say that there's been an urgent meeting called at work, so he's not going to be able to make our dance lesson at midday (he usually skates his lunch hour as he's only a few minutes away from the rink).

First thing... welcome back to the ice, Casey!!!

Bank Holiday

• Primary coach liked the forward perimeter crossovers and the back crossovers to BO edge!!!
• He had ONE thing about the backward perimeter crossovers that he didn't like... and it's not something that comes up consistently. But overall, he liked it. Lots of power!!! He also has noticed that I've been trying to make myself cross those legs BEHIND me now...
• Backspins are what they are... they start off on the BO edge at least and I can easily get 3 rev. on that edge. Unfortunately, they don't stay that way right when I start bringing in my legs though... But they become that way again when I do bring the free leg across!!!

Bank Charges

• Yeah, those choctaw on the power 3's are getting to me , but *sigh* they have power at least!!!
• My 5 step mohawks are currently THE THORN ON MY SIDE for the Bronze Moves test. My mohawks are started to get "hoppy" again and I don't want that!!! Never mind that I want nice extension too...
• No camels!

__________________
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!!!

Thanks for the encouragement... I know the blades are the right size.. since I'm using the same six-year-old boots, and these blades matched up perfectly in the holes from the old blades . (I also held the new blades up to the old to make sure they matched before even taking the old blades off.)

I skated yesterday and it was better but still-not-quite-right after the initial adjustment. I think it's just an alignment issue., possibly because these skates have been well-used (and are still holding up well. Who needs to spend $$ on new boots when you don't have to?).

Since that's my landing leg, it's possible the heel is slightly tweaked on the boot... so that's what we'll be looking at today. And if that's not the case, I'm going to see if the blade arrived slightly bent. I've heard Superman is not the only person who can bend steel.. I'm hoping that's not the case, though!

I have another adjustment session scheduled for just-before my lesson today.. and if that doesn't fix the problem, I'm going to the skate guy at the rink where my lesson is., for a second opinion. Hey, it works for body parts, why not skate blades?

Thanks again! It's true: misery DOES love company and because I know you've both survived this kind of thing too, it gives me hope that I will eventually graduate from Tiny Tot, back to an actual skater again!

Holiday: We, The Ice Club of Baltinore, are having our 75th Gala celebration (a spring show with lots more work) tomorrow. It's also one of our long time coaches, Mr. Olgilvie will be 90. He developed the first basic skills classes for the USFSA. All are welcome to join us. Rob and I will be skating. We got together for our first post nats practice last weekend.

Charges: Have had a miserable cold since Sunday. We need a smiley with a tissue!

__________________
Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Bank Holiday Well the problem on Wednesday was indeed dull edges. I had my skates sharpened and it was just a joy. One of the guys at the rink also taught me some dance holds and we practice stroking and swing rolls. It was a lot of fun, but it is very hard not to look down while I skate. I feel like I'm going kick him. The swing rolls were completely new to me, and I did okay, but I think I was mostly being supported by my partner.

Bank Charges With a competition coming up this weekend adult skate turned into a high freestyle. It was tough to find space to practice basics with four or five girls flipping and spinning all over the ice. I was frustrated and mainly just did stroking (and the above mentioned dance) I can't imagine how the "hug the walls" trying to swizzle adults felt. (Actually I talked to one and was scared to try anything other than skating forward next to the wall, because everyone was zooming around) I got kind of annoyed because I was practicing three turns and as I was preparing to do one (from a stopped position, as is required in Basic 4) someone cut in front of me and I had to wait. And another girl comes zooming past me and shouts "if you want to stand do it by the wall." I was trying to make sure I didn't get knocked over, and I was only about 2 feet from the wall to begin with. Overall it was just a frustrating session.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Holiday: I'm mostly recovered from the nasty cold I got last week, which kept me off the ice over the weekend and made Tuesday's practice a wheeze-a-thon. My nose is still drippy and I cough more than I like but I got through the Interp program twice with no major mishaps. And all the costume pieces have finally arrived and fit (what it looks like is another story - but, hey, it's Interp! Funny is GOOD!) My coach still isn't happy with the "smoothness" of one section but I'm okay with it as long as I don't trip myself. For a change, this is an Interp program that I actually have to SKATE through rather than the tail-wagging acting jobs I've done before. But as Annabel says, who knows what the judges will like? It's fun and I'm happy with it.

Charges: The Free Skate program. I can't do it. Period. There's stuff in it I can't do consistently by itself in a practice. Turn on the music and it's hopeless. I decided I'm not going to worry about it, though. Life's too short.

One week till the Eurpean Grand Tour begins!!!!!


Oh, Saturday night is the club ice show. The adult group is the first number and the music is the uncut version of my Interp program. I get to test run the costume (with super-easy-for-me choreography and props) for comfort and warmth and then scramble over to the mic to play announcer for the rest of the evening. Multi-tasking at it's best.

Oh dear.... mine's still more of an acting job (even though it does have a double 3-turn in it!)... And Sunday morning.... we won't be able to have fun Saturday night!

Longing to see you again!

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

Bank Holiday WAHOO!! My custom Jackson Elites have landed at the pro shop! I don't have time to get them today so it will be after tomorrow's skating session. I HOPE they fit well. . . . .

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

Bank Holiday:

I managed a one-rev camel. I need a two rev camel to actually have it count for anything, but since I've gone three years with a zero revolution some-fall-over-thing, this is remarkable.

I'm drifting back to ice dance I think. I talked to my dance guy about starting back together for a couple of lessons later in the year. He's willing! considering the number of times I've toepicked, tripped and strangled him in the past, that was the best news.

Bank Charges:

Two more skating days left before the ice comes out, boo hoo.

YES!! *just focus on the shiny ball....* You want to be a dancer......it is your dream to be a dancer......you want nothing more in life than to be a dancer.......

Speak for yourself, woman! It's Interp! The more fun, I have Saturday night, the funnier the program will be on Sunday morning!!!

I get giddy enough in my most peculiar spin without being hungover to boot!

Actually, we probably won't go to the buffet, as we have non-skating friends joining us that day. But I have such a pretty white dress for the wedding..... and white hair spray and hair putty....

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

Major Bank Holiday::
I found out today that there will be afternoon freestyles offered at my rink this summer in addition to the morning sessions!! So, a re-try of Bronze moves (and to pass the darn thing) will be on tap this summer!
Finally, after nearly a month of waiting and angst, my competition dress arrived- that is a relief considering I compete a week from today! The pro shop manager is going to give the dress to primary coach, who will give it to me on Monday! Since I have a lesson with her then, I'll run the program in the dress!!

Some Bank Charges:
Doing the loop at the end is killing me! I've asked to move it, but coaches insist on keeping it there, because of COP. I've responded back that the GOE will be non- existant on that, but still no go.

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

Yay, Terri, that's great news about the afternoon sessions at your rink. And good luck at your upcoming competition. What does the new dress look like? Pics! Pics!

__________________
Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Bank Holiday In lesson today, my coach checked my two-foot forward glides - the right foot lead is pretty much gone (when I pay attention!), my backward two-foot glides (which were ok) and gave me some further direction on what I am doing wrong when my scallops fall apart. Generally she seemed to feel things were coming together for me and that we were on the verge of a whole bunch of new stuff (presumably when I get my backward edges). I expect that will be 3-turns.

Bank Charges Whether we get to the new stuff before “spring skating school” ends in 7 more sessions remains to be seen. It wouldn’t surprise me if I eat up the remaining sessions getting my backward scallops down and getting some confidence in stroking backward with some speed. When spring skating school ends on 24 May, I am off the ice (OH NO!!!) until 4 July and then skate 3 days a week with a new coach (OH NO!!!) for July and August, then off the ice again (OH NO!!!) until late September. Only seven more sessions (OH NO!!!) !!!!!

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

But CoP won't be used in Bronze, at least not for the foreseeable future. Now you have a comeback for your coaches!

Great news about the summer FS sessions!

Bank Holiday: As the other thread that Terri started indicates, I passed Bronze moves on Monday! I also did a reasonably good job with my program elements in practice Thursday.

Bank Charges: Forgot my music on Thursday so I couldn't do a real run-through. Started on Silver moves, with the FO-BI 3-turns. My coach (correctly) decided they would be the hardest thing on this test for me to learn, so she wanted to get me started on them early. The BI turns are going to be the bane of my existence, I can tell. And I can't seem to get the exit right on my backspin.

__________________
Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Er - not completely true; it's certainly being used for Bronze at the Mountain Cup & Oberstdorf this year. As, indeed, it was at O'dorf last year. I just wish they'd get their act together about non-ISU & solo dance... it shouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibility to organise scores for them!

Bank Charges: Serious panic this morning - the Mountain Cup starts next week. Yikes. Husband had his lesson and ran through his programme, first time getting himself way, way ahead of the music, and the second time on time until just before the end when he missed his loop jump, then repeated it, so ran out of music! Duh!

Bank Holiday: We did all our dances together, and the Dutch Waltz several times when the relevant music was playing. We did the Swing Dance to the Foxtrot, which is slow by our standards, but a little fast by USFSA standards. And we worked on our spin for awhile, and then ran through our free dance, but fluffed the lift, so had a couple of goes at that. Then we both ran through our respective solo programmes one more time - his free and my Interp - and then it was time to go home.

We have decided that we really need to work on speed & ice coverage, as the first part of our warm-up really focusses on that, and we are already seeing an improvement. Now we need to work on it in the waltz-hold part of our warm-up.

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

Debbie,
The way my coaches see it, is that the judges, although we are still judged on the 6.0 system, will have CoP in their head!

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

Bank Charges:

• I knew I OD'ed on my practice towards the end of the session when I can't even push and stay on a FI edge w/o feeling like I'm slipping. (Maybe it's b/c before I went ice skating I did an hour's pilates followed by 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer?
• No camels.
• Didn't try any jumps.

Bank Holiday:

• I think all Bronze moves are relatively stable, though I would like my 5 step mohawks to have a lot more polish and extension!!!
• All other spins are okay.
• This is funny... the reason why I was able to practice my Moves pattern was all thanks to this one ice guard who's known for spraying TONS of ice at skaters!!! He started spraying a small group of girls, then another group of kids...next thing I know I spot a small cluster of 15-20 kids huddled in this one spot at the end of the rink and they're all waiting for him to spray them. They kept bugging this guy to spray them some more and though he was tired, he obliged them and sprayed them. The good part about this is... I ended up with LOTS of room to practice my Bronze Moves pattern!!! So the kids get entertained by this ice guard and I get in my much needed practice! Thank you, Mr. Ice Guard!!!

__________________
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!!!

Yup! My primary coach is already thinking CoP. He jokes about CoP when I do my backspin and I fall into the inside edge from the BO edge that he hope that the judges think that's gonna be a Level 3 spin. (No such luck, unfortunately... I gotta get it on the BO edge and STAY THERE!!!)

__________________
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!!!

Bank Holiday:

• Bronze moves are stable, though I didn't get as much free space as I did yesterday. Mr. Ice Guard was not on ice guard duty at the time that I was practicing. But thankfully still enough space for me to practice my Bronze Moves.

Bank Charges:

• Still need more extension on 5 step mohawks.
• Still need some work on the choctaw on the power 3's.

Cute story: I was practicing perimeter back crossovers and noticed this little girl (about 5 years old blonde with face paint...cute little thing!!!) was skating forward and was trying to race against me (which of course, I thought was dangerous, so I slowed down some so she would get run over...) When I got to the end pattern to do back crossovers all the way around, she's still trying to catch up with me, so I slowed down a little and said "You wanna catch up with me? C'mon! Catch up with me!!!"

Of course, she goes "Yeah yeah! I'm gonna catch up with you! I'm gonna get you!!!" all smiling and giggling... like it was a game...as she tries to catch me as I was going around the end pattern doing back crossovers! Of course, I had to let her win in the end and let her catch me! And she goes "I GOTCHA! I GOTCHA!! I GOT YOU!!!" (Of course, she's very satisfied that she skated fast enough to catch me.)

__________________
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!!!

This is for last Friday:

Bank Holiday: The blade adjustment worked!!! I can actually hold a RO edge again!!!

And my coach was incredibly patient (again) and held my hands while I did FO and FI 3-turns, then held just one hand, then let me do them on my own (very slowly). I also managed a couple of waltz jumps and toe loops and even a waltz-jump/toe loop/toe loop. And I did a reasonable one-foot spin -- not a scratch or anything fancy -- but at least it was centered and had about 6 rotations. Didn't try a backspin.. and can't even imagine trying a camel ever again.. but I know by the end of the month I will be laughing at myself and all my timidity!

Bank Cheque: I'm scared to death to do a salchow! (It's never been my favorite jump.) I'm practicing them off-ice to remind my brain I can do this jump! My coach says we'll start on flips (my favorite) next week!

YAAAAAAY!!! And no, you're NOT a chicken!!! There's nothing like a bad blade alignment to throw everything else off!!!

You'll probably go thru a lot of changes in the blade alignment, so if your first blade alignment is the right one, you're very, VERY lucky!!! I went thru at least 3 or 4 of them on my last pair of purple skates before I got it to the point where I would say "Errr... I'll live with this one..." It was just a major problem!!! (This of course, took about a month to resolve, but it got resolved, thank goodness!!!)

__________________
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!!!