Flying: Because we had no local ice today, I drove (some would call that flying) to the OSU rink's adult session from 11:15-12:15, and then flew downtown to the Dispatch Ice Haus for another public session starting at 12:30. Both sessions were very lightly attended, and I worked on mostly moves and speed. After nearly 3 hours of skating, I could tell my upper thighs were worked enough. Met two other adult skaters I know from the area and we chatted afterwards. Then I had to drive the 1-1/2 hours back home for a late "lunch" at 4 pm.

Falling: Oh, how I wish the price of new boots were falling, but I'm afraid it's going to be my account balance falling instead.

__________________
Bill Schneider

Flying: two good lessons this week One with new dance coach. I never thought I'd enjoy dance lessons with a lady coach but this one is so good that I don't mind. She is slowly fixing my crossovers to turn them into the much nicer looking progressives and has given me so many tips already on the patterns and body positioning for the dances. Did waste part of lesson chatting though so need to put a lid on that!

Fun lesson with Free coach too even though it was mainly on moves. He showed me some amazingly complicated steps which he tried to get me to repeat the length of the rink. They looked so fantastic when he demonstrated - I so want to be able to skate like that!!! Then we worked on my nemesis the interbronze field move number 4 (back outside 3's and mohawks on a circle). We got so carried away with working on these that he gave me about 8 minutes extra time - or perhaps it was to make up for all the time he has spent showing me piccies of his new extension! I felt like I had made a breakthrough on these back outside 3's by the end of the session. Must go write down all the tips. If I can make progress it might still be possible to test these before they change the system and that would save me ever having to be able to do change of edge spirals

falling: Flip is still AWOL - it almost showed up but not quite.

Falling:

Oh, dear.... Primary coach was MEAN today!!! I told him about what secondary coach had in mind for this ice dancing coach guy and he's NOT happy... I mentioned part of the thing she wanted Ice Dance Coach to do is to go into a Killian hold and make me skate fast with him. Of course, primary coach has PAIRS and ice dance background, says "And she doesn't think I can do that!!! Oh, *I* can do THAT!!! C'mon..." And before I even protest, he and I are already at full throttle speed and he wants me to then mohawk (still at speed) and do a bunch of back crossovers and then set up for a waltz jump and then a salchow and then a toe loop. In between instructions, I overheard primary coach telling a couple of skaters "No more Mister Nice Guy!!! *I'm* gonna make her SKATE FASTER!!!"

Needless to say, the midday "after coffee club" public session regulars were all going like the entire time I had this lesson!

Flying:
After I got off the ice, people were like to me and commented that I skated really strong and confident out there!!! OMG!!! (And all I was thinking thru out that whole lesson is "Please keep me in one piece in time for Christmas. I want to skate Christmas time. I don't want to be in a body cast coming to my in-laws home... )

Okay, FO spirals are coming along better. We're now trying to get me to do a REAL spiral and not a semi-spiral like I normally do... All I was thinking about was 1) you want me to lower myself THAT LOW!?!?! and 2) OMG!!! I'm gonna hit my head!!!

Primary coach reminds me in his backhanded compliment tone that "at least now I don't wear those God awful knee pads and am taking *some* risks..."

__________________
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!!!

Whoa~h! Hold on, Jazzpants, it's going to be a wild ride!

What do you mean by a "semi-spiral" by the way? Do you mean that your free leg isn't quite high enough or that your legs aren't completely straight?

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

If you think I was fast at Sectionals, that was NOTHING compared to what Jay wanted me to do today!!!

Free legs is not high enough and torso is not low enough. I have to learn to lower that torso a LOT more than I'm comfortable with. Jay had me low enough where I can actually see every little ruts, gauges, ice crystals and hockey spit (Alright! I was joking about the "hockey spit" part...) on the ice going past by me as I'm in my spiral position... OMG!!!

This is probably a good time for me to start getting out the video cam again... sorta doing a "before" and "after" thing...

But yes, I also have the problem where my legs aren't completely straight. And in secondary coach's case, she also wants the free foot turned out to the point where I would feel a strong pull all along from the calves to the inner thigh and hold this position while I'm ON ICE!!! Needless to say, if I do this a lot, I won't have ANY feelings to my free leg!!!

__________________
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!!!

Jazz: You crack me up!

Flying: Today was a great day only because we had snow/sleet and freezing rain (remember I am in Texas so this is special!) I went to work since I have a 4 wheel drive and live close to my office but anticipated most would cancel for the day. Sure enough! The rescheduling calls came! I had the afternoon free for skating and called my coach for an additional lesson to concentrate pre bronze MIF. We had the ice with only 2 other skaters!

In tomorrow's lesson we will play my music selection to actually hear it in the rink. I selected from March of the Penguins but have 4 alternatives if it proves too fast, too slow, too bizarre a selection, too difficult to choreograph or anything else that can go wrong! My coach says I worry too much....lol ...I say I prepare well for anxiety states!

Falling: When I looked at the requirements and patterns of MIF prebronze I did not think it looked too hard. I can already do everything it requires. However, actually doing it today proved my naive assessment of it. I was surprised to learn that I do not control my 3 turns as well as I thought. Having to put them in a pattern, even a simple one, changed everything for me. I do appreciate that practice will help but geez!

Other falling thing was the silly bridge program practice for the Xmas recital. I am just baffled by the chaotic approach to preparing for this! Since they knew this was coming up at the end of LTS semester you would have thought they (coaches) would have coordinated and prepared. No such luck. Instead it is a mess! All the kids kind of skate when and how they want to with limited regard for the pattern the coaches are in some disagreement about. There are two sisters in this class who are significantly advanced from the rest of us. These girls announced that they will not be performing with us as this one is ...and I quote..."too stupid!" giggle. They are preparing for a local Christmas show at another rink and know there is a huge difference.

Only two more classes to make this thing happen! I have to continuously remind myself that it is a marketing thing for the rink, that the "audience" will be the skaters parents, that it will be over in one song..(on three different nights!) and that it is good experience for me. Otherwise, I am sure my controlling side would pop out! Since I am 44 and unable to do a full spilt on the ice, I am expected to skate to the middle of a circle of my tiny classmates who will be in full splits down on the ice and I am to do a one foot spin in the center and then raise my arms up in perfect timing to the music end.. Think I will just blend in? ...giggle. Working on emotionally detaching from my distress about this! It is hard to concentrate on this detachment as I am not done on detaching from the expectation that I can do a lunge followed by my dreaded toe loop! Dual detachments always get me. Somebody shoot me now!

....what she said! I don't do dance, but I can attest to the fact that Raye has killer footwork, most likely thanks in part to her doing dance. Her footwork sequences have turns in both directions and a nice bit of speed and ice coverage to them.

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

I believe 'ya... I've seen Raye skate at Skate SF a couple of years back and even then I was amazed at how smooth her footwork was... and wishing how much I would LOVE to have the smoothness and cleaniness (for lack of a better word) of her footwork.

(Jazzpants meow hello back at Raye... Much appreciated for the hugs and prayers!!!)

Well, folks. Primary and secondary coach are directly at odds over my direction in skating, so I told them "You two hash it out! I'm just the messenger and skater! YOU guys go and talk to each other and hash it out! I expect that at the end you two have a UNITED FRONT on the direction of my training and HOW you guys are gonna approach it!!!"

So we'll see in the end if I'm gonna get dragged around by Jay or by the new "hottie" ice dancer coach...

__________________
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!!!

... I cannot help but think of skating with Casey here. On one occasion, my coach referred to such speed as "wild abandon." he he he

Wow! That is nearly close to he** freezing over! (I say "close" since SpaMama hasn't been on the ice yet.)


Flying:
took a break from skating today, Coach is out of town. I still went to Kickboxing and Yoga. Can't wait for my off-ice class on Saturday. Will be practicing a lot this week for our holiday program next week. My goal is to work on being as entertaining as much as I can. I think there is a lot to be said for using this opportunity for working on performing, even though the skating itself isn't very technical. It really is all about the glitter.

Well, there's "wild abandon" and then there's setting goals for the amount of speed that you want to build up to for the moment. I'm shooting for the latter, since I have a particular piece of music in mind that I'm hoping to skate fast for. (Don't worry! For those who have heard the piece that I'm doing, it's....ummmm, quite peppy!!! )

It's very close to freezing in our neck of the woods. At times the ice rink is WARMER than the outside. (Though DH disagreed with me on that point on that particular day.)

I know what you mean... and when I do work on a program, my goal is to entertain the skaters first. The coaches are there to worry about the rules and what the judges want according to the event I'm competing at.

__________________
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!!!

Shucks
Thanks for the kind words Mika - I am speechless

__________________
If you keep your eyes on God, you can walk on water.

TAKE THE HOTTIE !

__________________
If you keep your eyes on God, you can walk on water.

Allright, allright, thats enough from the peanut gallery!

Spamama

That's a first..... but you deserve all that Mika said, it's absolutely true. And, folks, for those who haven't seen her - the woman's a great ice dancer, too!

Jazzpants, I read your description of your lesson and I was I can so see your primary coach doing that to you......

S@D, so sorry to hear about your migraine, I do hope it passes soon. I have a nasty feeling one feels worse afterwards than during, almost - so washed out as to be unable to do anything.

As for me, today was very nearly all flying:

• Did waltz 3s round each other and I didn't scrape on the step to forward. Well, not every time, anyway.

• Did a pattern of the Willow Waltz and I actually held the entrance edge of the Mohawk for the required 3 beats.

• We managed a 2-revolution spin in Kilian hold.

• Suddenly "got" the right place on the blade to use when skating backwards. About time too, do I hear you all shout? I couldn't agree more! All the same, it was most pleasurable. Can only do it on plain vanilla edges, and possibly crossovers, so far, but it will come on chassés and, hopefully, inform my dance moves.

Falling:

• Still find it hard to get a good push on to a RBO edge when skating backwards in Kilian hold with Husband. And the LB edge is totally flat.

• Dance moves still pretty awful, but coming along.

• Husband's landing leg was sore today.

• Rink clock had been altered and is now correct - which we didn't know, so Husband got off the ice four minutes too early, and we could have had a whole nother runthrough of the Willow Waltz! Drats.

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

sk8pdx: Too funny! I think spamama is seriously considering the beginner adult class for this next semester! (Sometimes just announcing someone's intent works!) WTG on kickboxing and yoga! What a great attitude about it not being technical but about the glitter! Will have to remember that.

Flying: Just got my new undies crash pads! Will try it out today. (Can you say undies on here?..if a word is missing in this post..it was undies!)

Falling: My new undies add a look of about 30 additional pounds! eeek! But my fluffy butt will be safe!

One of the things I enjoy about skater is that we don't even pretend not to be vain
Lyle

Well, Dallas, you now officially have the "Ice Princess" look going for you now.....run with it!!!

Mrs. Redboots, I do feel more run-down after a migraine; this was the worst I've had in a long time...couldn't eat, barely drink which made it bad. My appetite is back so I should be picking up steam soon. Thanks for caring!!

I need to ask coach about those partnering moves-the waltz 3's sound sooooo interesting! After our try at stuff in killian position, and the positive comments from our resident ice dancers, we are ready for more practice and other moves! (already got hubby to do the partnered waltz jumps... could a pair spin be far behind? )

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

(I can understand the powers of having a hottie coach, trust me on it. )

C'mon, SpaMama!!! You know you want to do it!!! And I know I want to watch h*** frozen over!!! LOL!!!

Sk8pdx: Ditto on the WTG on kickboxing and yoga!!! I wish I had more time to do that than just my once a week reformer classes. I just have too much to do right now as is...

DallasSkater: If I end up with the Hottie coach, I have permission to wear the crash pads. Of course, it means I'm probably have a bottom bigger than J.Lo... (So much for looking nice for the hottie coach, but hey, if most of this guy's students wear crash pads, ummm... there's a reason! )

S@D: Pairs spin! Pairs spin!!! Pairs spin!!!

__________________
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!!!

FALLING!!!! Snow, that is. It's just starting to slow down & the current measurement for my city is 14.5". Needless to say, I didn't have my lesson this morning.

are you sure he doesn't read these boards???
A pairs spin would be sooooo cool (and could a death spiral be far behind????)

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

I agree -- take the hottie (been there, done that -- fun!) .

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

I feel your pain. I went to Klingbeil this morning and got measured for new boots. Don's remark upon seeing my current boots: "These are beat!" LOL He "goosed" my current boots a bit, adding padding to the insoles for the heel spurs and lambswool to the tongues to stop the lace bite I'm getting. (I guess he actually "lambed" my boots, huh?)

On the way out west, I took a nice side trip to Aviator Sports in Brooklyn to give the adjustment a try and scope out the place. First time there - what a nice, clean place. The bathrooms smell like new vinyl, not who-knows-what. Public session ($8) had four woman on it (including me) all doing MITF and freestyle. Hallelujah!

Surprise, surprise, I met a fellow Board member: HelenC. Lovely skater - you have to see her "spotting backspin." (There's lots of technical ballet names for what she does that I don't know, but it is gorgeous to look at!) Don't know if the other skaters were Board members, it didn't come up, but they are both strong skaters as well.

Anyway, back on topic:

Flying:
I was at Aviator, I had to fly. The music was nice and quiet, then the attendant switched over to "Everybody Dance Now," which is a rocking tune, so I jumped right into it, skating to the music.

MITF - just fine and my feet don't hurt.
Spins - very good, especially the back spins.
Jumps - so-so, but I landed a flip today, very badly.

Falling:
Felt like "slow ice" so I really had to work for speed. (It might have been the result of not eating all day.)
MITF - I've gotten the forward outside spiral sequence down, just have to work on the inside spiral side.
Spins - The camels were sleeping, though most of my spins were good.
Jumps - I scraped every three turn! I'm due for a sharpening.

__________________

Well, he's not my coach YET!!! LOL!!! And I'm pretty sure from what I know about him that he will take the "Hottie coach" comment in good humor (and a bit of flattery too.)

(I really can't officially say that he's a "hottie" anyway since I've never met the guy. I'm really going by second hand knowledge of the person and both sources says that he's a hottie. I'm just a messenger of the reference to him, that's all! )

Crash pads usually don't go past my secondary coach for very long and she is allowing me to wear them with this particular coach. I figured that he knows his students are wearing them and he's okay with his students wearing them, since, you know... better safe than sorry.

Hey! Go for it!!! LOL!!!

__________________
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!!!

Flying:
I had the ice to myself for almost an hour for a whole $6! I guess the insane gusts of wind and weird pellet-y snow scared everyone else off. And, 40 minutes after I started skating, they decided to zam the ice. Just for me I felt like the Queen of the Ice Rink.
I did my Back X-Overs to BO Edges pattern without fear of decapitating anyone. I did spirals across the entire rink. I had far too much today.

Falling:
Nothing. Nothing can be bad when I get the entire ice to myself

Um, it's actually back crossovers to back outside edges (you are talking about the Bronze MITF, correct?). I figured it was probably a typo, but just wanted to make sure you knew that.

Flying: Had first lesson in 3 weeks (due to T-giving last week and coach not feeling well the week before) and showed my coach my flip. Since she hasn't seen it in a while, I wasn't sure if it had improved to the point where it is actually recognizable. Well, my coach confirmed that it is indeed a flip. Yippee! But I still have to speed up the takeoff (I'm too slow between the picking back and actually jumping) and be able to do the jump itself at speed in order to be able to put it in the program. Next item on the agenda: lutz exercises. I hadn't been practicing them much b/c of spending so much time trying to improve the loop (which my coach said is much better) and flip, so they are my homework for the next week.

Coach was also pleased with the progress on the 3-turns in the field, but my BI 3's still have a long way to go.


Falling: Due to traffic, I arrived at the rink about 5 minutes before the first FS session last night. I saw the parking lot filled with cars and a line of cars parked on the street outside the lot (reminded me of the Chessie Open). Apparently, there was some big high school hockey game that aftn and the parents and players were slow to leave. I noticed some parents about to get into cars next to each other so I sat and waited with my turn signal on, and they proceeded to stand outside their cars and have a conversation - sure, don't rush or anything, I'm not in any hurry.

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