I've always wanted to start one of these off!

Mouldy: Haven't been skating for two weeks due to revision. Very frustrating, but it should pay off sooner or later. Only 5 more exams to go!!!

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Fresh--I passed my pre-bronze FS test on Saturday. I could have skated some of the elements better, but I got useful feedback (both positive and constructive) from the judges. (Now this means I really have to whip my pathetic Bronze moves into shape!)

Mouldy--Summer cold has me pooped out. I took edge class Sunday but didn't have enough energy to make staying to practice on my own worthwhile. I'll be in Arizona this weekend and will miss my lesson and most of my practice time.

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100% mould here, really. Like sometimes when you see something REALLY mouldy with a different kind of mould growing on top of the first mould. I tried spraying some disinfectent on it, but I'm not sure whether the disinfectent or mould is stronger!

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Mika - Congrats!!!!!

Mikawendy--WOOHOO!! Congrats!

Hope you feel better-maybe the Arizone weather will cure you, if anything it will give you a chance to dry out from the humidity we've been under.

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

Fresh: Empty ice. Well, one other skater. I could go at will. And go I did. It was all fresh today. MIF went well with one exception. Two foot power pulls were awesome--I got lots of ice bite both forward and backwards. Crossovers were fast, if not completely accurate. 3-turn pattern is coming along. And, while working on transitions, I accidentally did a waltz jump. It felt so good, I did another. And another, for a total of five. Don't tell my doctor. (I go back Thursday) It's only been 20 weeks since I've done one. This was absolutely the best skate I've had since I was allowed back on the ice.

Mouldy: Back inside edges. Don't think I'm ever going to get them. And I only got to skate for an hour--I had to go to work. Gotta support the skating somehow.

You better stop that! I don't want to see you hurting your ankle again!!! Now that I've said that, I'm kinda a hippacrite (though at least I don't have *bones* at stake!):

Fresh: I was feeling frustrated and upset, looked at the clock and realized a public session was just starting. I took a nice big cough to remind myself that I'm sick and that ice skating would be a very bad idea. I decided I didn't care, declared myself mad, and went skating. It went pretty well, if not terribly exciting. It both cleared my mind and gave me time to think at the same time, and...

Mouldy: I don't think I'm going to bother competing any time soon. I started skating because I enjoyed it, and I feel like that's been seeping away recently, and my progress has slowed the more I try to push it. Case in point: my jumps were the worst they've been in 3 months today, and I have no idea why they've been getting steadily worse. Spins have been stale and non-improving for ages. A lot of basic moves are okay, some are better, but some are worse. *shrugs* I'm going to take some ISI tests next week, but I think that'll be it for a while.

Fresh: On the bright side, I realized that I still do and probably always will love skating - after all it's what I want to do whenever I'm feeling down or even when I'm just bored, and it always feels good to do.

Mouldy: I already know I'm insane for skating with the flu...now we'll just have to see how bad the consequences are...

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

I had a horrible skating session. Horrible. No, not cuz I was sick or injured. Because I had been at a HUGE party the day before and blithely thought I'd be fine to skate by 3:30 p.m. 2 words -- beer sweats. Legs like lead.

Mika -- congrats!

Mika - congratulations!

Fresh:
FO and FI threes were as they had been on Friday It's too soon for me to look for more progress, I'm just thrilled that I haven't backslid on them! Same goes for prelim power three pattern. Spiral stretches are more difficult at my Mon/Wed rink than at my Fri rink, because the wall is higher, but I did get through them twice today without undue pain.

Mouldy:
Still can't put more than one or two spirals into the pattern, and I know they are not high enough yet. The stretches alone are exhausting! One foot spin was absent today.

BTW - I like the Brittish spelling of "moldy"!

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Now, if only you could spell British! ;-) :-P

(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

It's funny: I always thought of the stuff that grows as mold, and the casts for forming shapes as moulds. I just figured out after seeing this post that indeed mold is the spelling for both in American, and mould is the spelling for both in British. Silly English!

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Just to be a good sport, I won't go back and edit it out. It's the end of a long and very stressful day for me, and I've already taken my three Benadryls....yawn.

While I knew all the time that both were "mold" in the US, and both were "mould" in the UK, but always felt that the yukky stuff should be "mould"!

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Case, don't worry about skating badly when sick. But how sick were you? Almost well, just got over the worst or just starting the flu? Are you trying to get pnemonia? Doc's don't let you skate with pnemonia? And syc wards don't have figure skating rinks. Take care of yourself. Get under the covers. Sweat it out and eat that chicken soup!!!!!

If you skated when you were almost well and you took it easy not pushing too hard, you just helped to speed up your emume system. Otherwise, you're just like the rest of us CAS skaters who are as addicted as hell to skating and loose our heads especially when part of it is already gone from fever. ROTFLOL Just no doing like I've done this winter;skated injured, sick with heavy chest infection caused by cold and have asthma. Only I get to do that.

I'm off of the ice guys. Pinched nerves in neck, back, spine and shoulders. Lots of pain. No strength in arms and shoulders. Even have pain in feet. Getting tested soon. Doc will call with appointment soon. Going on comp.

Brigitte

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"It's not age that determines but the heart." "Skating is not just a sport for the young but it's a passion for the soul of the young at heart." Brigitte Laskowski

I am a nomadic adult skater who is a member of Windsor FSC (Skate Windsor) WOS SC again since Sept. 1st, 2008.

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The worst was Saturday, today doesn't feel any better or worse than yesterday. I'm not worried about skating badly while sick, I'm worried about the constant decline and failure to improve over the last couple months.

I can't say I didn't push myself too hard as I skated like I normally do, and I think I have a couple days left before I'm well again at the least. Surprisingly, I don't feel any worse now than this morning. I had a lot of extra coughing up funness and nose stuffiness during and right after skating, but that was it...

Oh man, that sounds bad. Make sure you keep us updated - I wish a speedy and full recovery for you in short order!

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

I witnessed this at the weekend, this is what the title is in honour of!

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Mouldy: I have just come home from my private lesson this morning and i dont know if its to do with being tired, or my exams just getting all ontop of me, or just my skates were slipping so much. Maybe i was just generally rubbish. I have to put them in for sharpening tonight. Must remember. My coach was very uplifting and supportive though. I think she sensed i was having a bad day. I did some really rubbish spirals. I dont know, I was just rubbish.

Fresh: It wasnt all mouldy though. I was doing some good jumps and i think my coach was pleased with my spins, in the end. My coach is so great, she's such a star. She pushs me, but knows when to stop. Always very chatty, helpful and supportive. She is just great. Anyway, Only 4 more exams left now too.. yay I cant wait to just get them all over with and then i can go back to concentrating on skating and have a nice long holiday before i start college. Also, im hoping to get down to the competition thats being held in Bracknell, if i dont go away. So, I guess its looking up if you think about it in the long run...

Hannah x

Casey- I really don't think the problem is with you as a skater. There is only so much you can learn on your own. The thing is that you have figured out a LOT on your own, and in a very short period of time. Now it's time for your head to catch up to your body a little bit, and that is why you are having a plateau. To get out of the plateau, you need to step it up and learn new and harder things. This will, in comparison, make the things you're struggling over now look easy. Since you are already familiar with everything you could teach yourself (hence the plateau), it wouldn't be a bad idea, if you can afford it, to get some lessons. If you are already taking lessons, try to add one or two extra ones, or at least make the ones you have longer- and ask your coach to show you something new to keep you challenged while you master the other things. You might also want to get yourself a program- it's not JUST for tests and competitions, it also builds up your endurance a lot, and develops your performing abilities. It's also much harder to perform elements as part of a program than on their own, and this will keep you very challenged for quite a while as you get full hang of it, and by then- get a new program!

I have seen people try to work for extended periods of time without a coach- in fact I see it pretty much everyday because the public session here is right before my freestyle. These people have not only not improved in months, they haven't kept up the skills they had a few months ago- they always come and go. Once something degenerates- it only goes downhill from there. If we could all keep progressing without more or less constant instruction and observation from a professional, we would. Or at least *I* would- there are so many Chanel bags and Jimmy Choo shoes I could buy WEEKLY with what I pay for lessons. If you keep struggling and not progressing you are going to start to get really frustrated and will deteriorate your skills more and more, so you need to find a remedy for it. If you can't afford a regular coach, at least try and get one every now and then. It not only helps you progress, it gives you someone to answer to if you DON'T, and trust me- that's all the motivation you need.

I will reply to your pm ASAP. I just felt it was important to reply to this right now.

Casey-- what stardust skies said........ it's really not possible to continue improving without an external set of eyes helping to point out all the millions of little things that are errors that we never see. You probably have lots of small habits that are technique flaws, which will only let you get so far--and then you'll be stuck until those have been corrected. Or until a certain set of muscles has been developed. Or lots of other things a coach can see and help fix.

Also there's the motivation factor--so true!! I am a hugely motivated skater, I work my *ss off day after day, I don't go on vacations, I don't buy new clothes, I don't do much at all besides skate. But believe me, while most days I do it for me, there are also days (probably the critical ones) when it's totally for my coach. Whether he'll even be there or not, it's the thought of him watching me from the boards & me wanting to show improvement or thinking he'd be disappointed in me, that gets me out on the ice.

Even if you sign up for a round of group classes, I think you'd be challenged & you'd get some help for the problems. Think about it!

Oh, meanwhile, FRESH: program is reasonably comfortable for competition on Saturday. Twizzles are very consistent on one foot, & maybe 75% now on the other, which is a huge improvement over last week! Also we started on the Blues last night, which I think I'm going to enjoy. Best part was when coach demonstrated the corner section into the choctaw through the restart (former elite competitor here--I think the Blues was one of his compulsories at the Olympics); me standing there watching with my mouth hanging open.....then he stops & flourishes an arm toward me & the corner: "Now, your turn!"

MOULDY: dress will come back from being altered on Friday morning. If it fits now, I get to wear it for my competition! If not, I've just bought myself a very expensive ill fitting test dress!

Mouldy: been having foot problems - residue from the killer boots. I have an appointment next week to see what I can do.

Fresh: making plans to go to the Chicago Pairs camp next month. A skater's partner has given up pairs, so I'm subbing. Should be lots of fun.

WOW!!! Phoenix! Getting right down to the wire on that skating dress, huh? I hope for all the trouble you went thru you will get to wear that beautiful dress. (And of course, we want pictures!!!)

Fresh:

Started rehearsals for the ensemble numbers for the new Fire & Ice skating show. MAN! It's gonna look REALLY good when it finally comes together!!! And there are a few surprises as far as elite skaters are concerned. (There is one confirmed elite skater on our show... I can't tell 'ya about it until the website for the show is updated.)

Nice clean ice + have kneepads = time to practice my program ending!!! Program ending kinks are worked out and I managed to do the ending okay. Best part is that the knees didn't take as much of the beating!!! (Thank you, SkatingSafe.com pads!!!)

Mouldy:

My lower back is KILLING ME!!! Muscles on lower back and legs are really sore. Serves me right for attempting to push myself further on the public session AFTER the show rehearsal...

RFI3: Faster, but STILL not at full speed!!! If I get on a fast enough edge, it's more difficult for me to push on the ankles to do a RFI3. Luckily, I did make some progress and the speed is okay... just not at the full speed that my coach wants it to go. Same thing with this RFI mohawk. And it's not that I can't do the FI mohawk now... it's doing it with the arm position that my coach wants me to do with. (If I was doing them like I was doing my 5 step mohawk, I don't have as much of a problem.)

Was so tired last night that I also didn't attempt the Chinese spiral. My lower back was aching enough to say "Enough is enough!" I'm taking it easy today!!!

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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!!!

Stardust skies, phoenix: Thanks for your concern, but I do have a private coach, and have for the last 4 or 5 months since discovering how worthless the group classes at my rink were (too many little kids who needed help more, and too short of a time for the lessons).

I used to see my coach for a half hour every week, until I moved here. Now I'm an hour's drive from the old rink, so I see my coach there for 1 hour every 2 weeks instead. I would love to add in more frequent lessons with a coach at a closer rink, and have my eyes set on at least one coach that I think I would work well with, but at this time I simply can't afford anything more. I'm surviving on a quarter of the income I was making 6 months ago, have split my rent in live pretty minimally - skating is my biggest expense every month as it is. Anyways I'm not sure that coaching is the problem here, since though I've reduced the frequency of the lessons, I've not changed the total amount of lesson time every month.

Also, it's not a plateau, it's a downhill grade! However, I'm confident I'll be able to regain the lost skill in time, I just think I need to change my focus.

__________________
Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Mouldy: driving back & forth to the rink on Sunday caused my lower back to spasm and it didn't kick in until Monday morning <<OUCH>> but I'm not skating until next week so I've got time to heal.....

Fresh: skating on Sunday was fun skating with friends and my family, although some things gave me problems (my spin is on vacation as I think I'm pitching too far forward onto my toes again); my crossovers were good, as were my waltz jumps (much higher, my landing kneebend was deeper (echoes of "bend that knee") AND my son (nine years old) showed off his waltz jump in hockey skates!!!! I swear he'll convert to figure skating soon (I'll keep trying!)

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

Mouldy I:

My skates stink. My entire skating bag stinks. I rival the hockey guys.

Mouldy II:
I'm jumping heavy. Technique is good and it looks fine on video but I feel in my body that I have no lift, I am working to just get through it. I think because we're going through a heat wave (see stinky bag) that I'm just fatigued from the heat. No a/c at home or in the car.

Fresh I:

Going to the rink and staying cold is such a treat. I never thought I'd be happy to be in a cold rink.

Fresh II:

Coach changed my program around and took out the "challenge" skill because I just could not get it. I got a new "challenge" item later in the program that is I think within my reach.


Casey, I think I'm feeling like you. I'm stale, have been skating non-stop for a while. I take a big lesson once a week, and sometimes work on just one thing in that time so I can go weeks without having something looked at. I can't remember the last time I had a dance lesson for instance . I am thinking now I need to have the 15 minute lesson twice a week so that everything gets looked at more often. Just need to find a coach that can do that

I jumped off the healing ankle and landed on the healthy one. The first one was unplanned--just kind of happened. They were all low, short, and gentle, no real risk involved. And I go see him in a couple of days. And, I hope to never break a bone again!

Exercising while sick is ok, as long as all the symptoms are above the neck. Once it goes into your chest, you need to rest and call a doctor.

Fresh: I'm feeling pretty good about all my field moves!!! They're all coming along pretty well, and I think they're all relatively decent (this is my prelim mitf, fyi perhaps a bit lame, but... yeah). I'm *hoping* I *may* be able to test them near the end of this month... let's see if coach approves that or not
I also did an AMAZING 1 foot spin. I know, patheretic, but I suck at spinning, and it's taken me FOREVER to get it. I did a PERFECT one with a PERFECTLY CENTERED SPIRAL as the tracing, and believe me, I was ecstatic Not all were quite that good, but they were mostly ok, and I think I'm getting the idea now.

Mouldy: I think I strained/pulled a muscle slightly... my posterior muscle, if you must know Anyone know what I should do to help it heal? My mother says that going into a hot tub will help a bit, and I'll be doing that but... anyone?
Also, my skates are still cutting up the back of my heel. Do bunga pads help with that?

Fresh:
Today's lesson on moves was just that! I was especially pleased with my power threes- TWO patterns without bailing out of the first LFO three, and no putting the foot down on the choctaw going into the RFO three! I skated quite well, considering the difficult circumstances I'm under right now.

Mouldy:
Yesterday my mother was admitted to the hospital where I work. Later on that evening, she was transferred into ICU. She looks awful for the most part and this is making me wonder if this will be a difficult summer.

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