Oh come on! Where is everybody? How come I am the one starting the practice threads? And it's Wednesday already! GET OUT THERE AND SKATE!

Sunny Afternoon: Quite ice (at yet another new club) I spent my practice time doing a lot of backward stroking and glides, 3 Turns, Forward & Backward Mohawks and actually started getting the weight transfer almost right for the forward Mohawks. Worked some more on refining the forward stroking as well ‘cause I knew my coach would start with that

In first lesson, we started with forward stroking (surprise, surprise!), some backward edges, and 3-Turns. In second lesson (being considerably pooped from a long day and a productive skate) my coach took pity on me and had me do forward edges, inside and outside, and forward cross-overs, clockwise and counterclockwise. To my great pleasure, the clockwise XOs really came together tonight, almost better than CCW (which WERE my good ones!)

Frosty Morning: Ok, now where are my back XOs?

The first day of the winter season which will end (if I work hard enough) at Canadian Adult Nationals in March! - that's both exciting and SCARY! I have SO much to do before then

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

frosty morningHonestly this week skating was nothing to write home about. I didn't come home from the lesson excited. Nothing was great. It wasn't a bad lesson, it just wasn't good. I don't have any practice time anymore due to an extremely busy schedule so I skate about 1 hour a week. I finally got my skates in for sharpening, but now I'm worried because we "test" next week and it will be the first time I'm back on the skates. Of course without getting them sharpened I'm guaranteed to not be able to hold the left outside edge, so I guess I have to risk not being able to skate at all on sharpened blades, than not passing because I know I can't hold an edge.

I signed up for new classes. They are switching to USFSA and I signed up to be in Basic 7. I really hope they don't move me down to Basic 6, because while I don't have absolute mastery of everything there, I do have a good idea of how to do everything, and a better than beginning level of execution of everything. I don't like taking skating classes with the kids though- I feel like too much time is wasted and it's only 30 minutes to begin with. But for now, it's the only choice I have.


Don't even remember the other title, but I don't really have any positive skating news to report. Gotta have something positive. My two footed spins are looking great. (But I'm working on one footed spins now)

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

Frosty morning:
felt rather unmotivated and tired at practice last night, unseasonally hot weather = swimming pool ice. Doesn't entice me to do anything risking a fall.

Sunny afternoon:
even though I wasn't motivated, coach started working on a couple of moves for my program for the upcoming artistic competition (EEEK!) which was fun.

Amazingly she said my back sit spin is good enough to put in the program. I didn't think I had it low enough, but she says otherwise. That's a nice surprise.

And I might finally have understood what she has been trying to tell me for months about my turns before jumps. Suddenly I feel I have had a mental breakthrough (as opposed to breakdown) on this. I'll find out tomorrow morning.

I am going to a 7.00-8.00am session tomorrow morning. Which I am really looking forward to, even though it means an early start. Hopefully smooth ice with about 5 other skaters. What a blissful way to start the day! Shame about having to go to work afterwards.

Sunniest part of my afternoon was watching my 9 year old daughter learn edges and finally have a lesson on 2 foot spin. She has been wanting to learn that for so long, and she is so proud of herself. Now she feels like a real skater.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Sunny afternoon:

had another very enjoyable lesson today. Coach now has me doing the waltz 3 turns pattern but instead of just 3 turns we do loop jump on my good side and back double 3's on the other. I haven't been able to do back double 3's very well (needed for my interbronze moves test) but find it easier to do them when thinking about loop jump position!

Also tried same thing with flip jumps and 3 turns in waltz 3's pattern.
Ended with all single jumps followed by cherry (toe-loop ) and managed it up to Flip-toeloop.

Yesterday I took a group dance lesson with a coach that has recently joined the rink and am very tempted to take up dance again as she was excellent and I learnt a lot but I so want a partner to do ice dance with - where are all the men? My ultimate dream (in dance) is to do a partnered free dance. I'm not that keen on being lifted but would love to do footwork and turns etc and I love the fact that you can generate so much speed when there are two of you. Ah well dream on!

Frosty:
Backspin !!!! help!!!!!

All sunny afternoon for me!

Had a very productive Synchro practice - decided on the costume and ran through the program off ice. Went pretty well!

On ice, we worked trouble spots and I discovered that FIANLLY, I'm not the one with the trouble! I've never been able to say that about a practice before -- everything we did, I was doing as well as teh majority of the team, wa-hoo!!! We did the circle footwork and I'm comfortable with all of the steps (at normal speed, not necessarily at the speed with which we enter the circle in the program).

Then we worked the pairs spiral and I've lucked out in that my partner is the tallest person on the team and the one who who skated with Disney on Ice -- in other words, the one person on the team who I've never seen fall or trip over her feet. Talk about security! I know that the ice is slippery and anything can happen, but it's sure nice to really trust your partner! She and I ended up farthest away from the line we get into after the pairs spirals, but decided that was OK as it was much easier to push normally through the footwork to get there than it is to try and slow down (as we were doing previously). Never though I'd say that!!!!

Then we worked the spirals around the end of the rink. I wasn't having issues with the stepping around, just stepping around when flying at the boards. Got that straightened around, too.

I guess there's one Frosty Morning: My tango stop still sucks. Workin' on it!!!

Frosty Morning
Free skating teacher was ill so no lesson
My blades make a funny noise on my right back outside 3s - I am clearly not turning correctly.

Struggling to maintain speed on the bronze field moves Choctaws exercise. I'm ok on the left to right Choctaws but the right to left are tough - and I also lean a lot (and get stuck!) on the back three of that exercise too! On the right foot of course!

Tried to do the paso doble to music for fun and once again could not do the swing mohawk!!

No jumping and spinning today as I have to have to have to practise field moves! Test next month!!!! Argh!!! Scared!!! NISA cashed my cheque - no going back!!!

Sunny Afternoon
I think I've cracked the bronze field moves forward inside brackets. I know where my hips should be and when they are incorrect. And the bronze field moves double mohawk step was a lot better.

Ran through some dances for fun! 14 step and starlight waltz. 14 step is for next test but I have no idea if I'm doing it right as I taught myself and have had, I think, one lesson on it subsequently. But its fun - I think its my favourite compulsory.

Forward double threes felt a lot more in control. Thank goodness. And did the terrifying back double threes on my right foot - two whole circles of each without stopping or putting my free foot down - although the speed wasn't great! They are getting slowly better.

This is for last night...but I was too tired when I got home to write:

Frosty: too tired! did not really warm up to the ice until the session was almost over. Everything felt sluggish. Towards the end, things picked up. I was a bit upset because I missed my massage appointment (I forgot!); AND one of the big girls was horsin' around on the ice and almost knocked me down!!! I gave her the "what-for" mom speech and she apologized (she outweighs me by 75 pounds and it HURT where she whomped me in the hip!!!)

Sunny: Kicking my spins and was able to get about 2-3 centered revs before they start travelling....although on one, I left my leg out (towards the front) and kept on going until I ran out of steam. that one was about 12 revs and very centered. So, maybe it's to do with a shift of my body weight when I cross my leg???

Also, got the list of parts for the Nutcracker on Ice show....I'm a maid for the beginning party scene (cool) and an Iced Delight (in the Land of Sweets, which is cool, I think). I'm also an understudy for Herr Drosselmeyer!!!! Yay! I get to skate with a cape!!! Another evil part (even tho I'm understudy) !!!!

I can try for a snowflake next year <<<BIG HUGE HONKIN' SIGH OF DISAPPOINTMENT>>> (but I'm a big girl, I won't cry about it)

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

Frosty:
I really need to sort out my swing rolls and timing on the Novice Foxtrot. Yeah I know it's only the Novice Foxtrot, but untill I get that right I'm not going to be any good at any other dances.

Stamina.
I am going to have to improve this. In starting a free skate programme I've found out the hard way how unfit I am.

Sunny
Blades need sharpening, but I am still able to pull off reasonable (if sometimes uncentred) spins, and flips and loops - though the loop has gone down hill a bit.
It sounds like a contradiction, but I'm falling on more flips and loops - because there getting more height, speed and rotation.

I am really, really enjoying working on the free skating programme, even though it's really hard. Coach has re-mixed the music because he wasn't quite satisfied with the previous version.

Bless him - I really appreciate that, in my mind it shows he doesn't have the attitude 'Oh well she's only a recreational adult skater'.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Awe, poor Delaware!

*** pats S.D. on the head ***

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

Sunny Afternoon:
Took it easy in my lesson yesterday morning and just "played" for the first time in a long time. Instead of working on all the elements that are in my program like we always do, I decided to have my coach show me how to do the cross-foot spin. Although I never actually got to the point where I was spinning, I got the idea of how to get into it and am now at the point where I can practice it on my own.

Frosty Morning:
Unfortunately, I didn't get my frosty morning on the ice today and I won't get one tomorrow morning, either. Our rink is closed for a major competition from today through the weekend. It feels so weird not to be able to skate!

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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

Sunny afternoon:

I haven't skated in about two weeks since I have been out of town, but went to the outdoor rink with my mom just for fun (I wasn't even wearing my skating stuff, just jeans, etc). Well, I was teaching my mom how to snow-plow stop, and I kepy saying "you have to COMMIT" to the stop!" Then she turned it around on me, and said, well you have have to COMMIT to that jump you are having trouble with...

I have had my flip on and off this summer, mostly off since I abort midway. It has been frustrating since it was my best jump as a kid, and I know I can do it, but I keep ckickening out. Well, today, I just went out there and did it -- I was so shocked! I did like ten in a row effortlessly, it felt amazing. I can't wait to suprise my coach (she is out of town at regionals with another skater) with this!

Now, I just need to have the same miracle with my lutz...

Frosty Morning:

Just have been off the ice for a while, and am looking forward to getting back to practice!

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--
Natalie

http://www.ILoveTaB.com

Frosty Morrning: Ive been off the ice for almost a week now because i sprianed my achelies (dont know how to spell it) and i tryed to go back on today but i had to get off within 5 minutes. Im just is such a bad mood over skating right now. I love it but just the people an poltics are getting to me.

Sunday Morning: My old coach is coming down next friday to give me a couple lessons if my ankle is heeled by then. Hopefully it will be ok with my current coach but i dont know we havent been on the best terms latley.

Rusty Blades: How is your home rink progressing? Have not heard you talk about it lately. Is it ready? When will it be cold enough? I am so jealous! I would freeze my pool but not even a slight chance in Texas!

Skittl: I wish the skating programs did have more adults as it is tough with the munchkins at times. Awesome that your rink is switching to USFSA though!

Skating on clouds...congrats to your daughter and her spinning ways!

Skate@Delaware: Congrats on your parts in the christmas show! I was hoping you would be the snowflake but an Iced delight sounds so delightful! (Wondering what the snowflake gets to do to make it such a sought after role?) Was told by my coach that last year's christmas show was unorganized disaster...egads....Now really worried!

double toe: I always have issues with abandonment when my rink closes especially on a weekend. I then seek outside the relationship from near by rinks...giggle.

Tabalie: Congrats on the flip!

Frosty Mornings: Well, I mentioned last weekend that I felt a slight strain in my ankle from all my off and on ice attempts at the salchow. I woke Monday morning to my entire right leg feeling twisted. Stayed out of the gym for three days but did go to bridge program last night. Seems to be doing better. Worried I will not be able to learn the loop jump or practice the salchow this week though.

Learned a strong lesson. (Note to self: When you are doing the jump wrong and you know it is wrong...quit throwing yourself up there a million times as if one more fling up would somehow correct it!) Not one of my brighter moments!

Sunny Morning: Leg is improving daily and I am still able to practice spins, edges and just stroking which always needs work anyway. Will decide tomorrow if I am willing/able to attempt jumps. Skated at lunch time today. It does feel ok. Had a few one footed spins that were better centered off the toe. Some progress there! Practiced basics as well. I am planning on reviewing all basics at least 10 minutes of every practice as I noticed since I have not been doing simple T-stops often they are not as good as they used to be.

Yikes! Due to the nature of the salchow takeoff, it is not a jump that translates well to floor jumping. I would advise against it, in fact.

How's your waltz jump? The salchow is really the exact same jump except that you are facing the opposite direction as you start to take off. As you start taking off, you end up curving the edge so that you aren't completely backwards, but sort of facing 90-degrees to the side, which puts you just 1/4 turn short of a forward takeoff.
So the only difference between the salchow and waltz jump is that you need to sort of cross the free leg in front of the takeoff leg as you take off in order to end up facing the direction of travel once you've left the ice (on the waltz jump, you're already facing the direction of travel when you take off). So as soon as you've left the ice, you will be in the exact same position as the waltz jump: facing forward in the direction of travel.
By the way, I think a lot of errors on the salchow are because people don't realize that it's so much like a waltz jump. Even though you are "backward," you still need to get your weight onto the front of the foot before you take off, and you need to spring straight up off the toepick, not try to jump off the middle of your blade.

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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

Frosty Morning:

• My rink as of 12:30pm today!!! It was REALLY cold and we have our first rain storm of the season! And the rink started fogging up right towards the end of my lesson. Hey, it's matching what it looks like outside the rink!!! (You guys in SF Bay Area know what I'm talking about. Sunny California... WHERE!?!?! )
• No loops, but very close call.
• Didn't try flips or camels...

Sunny Afternoon:

• Waltz jump progress is glacially better... I am starting to kick thru a wee bit!
• Toe loops are ehhh... not perfect. Jay can live with what I have for now, since it's "not as bad" now.
• Working on kick thru on salchows now...
• Spins are pretty good this afternoon.

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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!!!

Doubletoe: Now you tell me! giggle. Yes, I noticed as of Monday morning that it indeed was not a good off ice jump! In fact for me it is not exactly a very friendly on ice jump! My waltz jump is just ok...I have a problem really kicking through. Sometimes I do a few bunny hops first to remind myself of that kick. I have a mean bunny hop! Thanks for the salchow tips. I need all the help I can get. Will see how the leg is holding up tomorrow as I have my private lesson as well as two LTS classes. If it feels good I will try thinking more what you have said in my attempts! I did land a few good ones last weekend but fear the days in between may contribute to a relapse! EEEEK!

Jazz: My most favorite thing about visiting SF is to watch that fog roll in and over!

Are you kidding?! I'm spending the whole weekend at the rink watching--and helping out--at the competition, ROFL!! But I'll be at my usual Sunday rink for 3 hours; that should give me a bit of a fix.

Happy to help with the salchow anytime! Hope your ankle is all better soon!

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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

Frosty Morning:
sit spin is still a challenge bringing the free foot around to the front and holding it there. I tried backward shoot-the-ducks to get a sense of balance and to get a feeling for where the sweet spot is. I am still cast forward at the waist. I haven't taken any videos of skating in a while to asses what changes I need to make. I am due for a whole lesson on sit spins. I am waiting for Coach to return from Regionals. Loops are still tucked away in the side pocket of my skate bag for now. Managed to avoid travesty during Moves practice when "The Click of Death" reared it's ugly head during alternating back XO's to Back edges.

Sunny Afternoon:
The puzzle pieces of my scratch spins are starting to finally gel together.
Ran through my technical program today actually ended on time for a change. I am working on a new program for our Holiday Show in December. It is helping with skating and moving faster down the ice as well as not tripping over myself in between jumps. Coach put in an attitude spin in this program. to work toward a nice layback spin someday. ...pretty!


Skate@Deleware: Iced Delight sounds like a yummy coffee drink with chocolate in it. . Send us a photo of your costume. I imagine you will look delicious!

Jazzpants: ...Glacially....I like that word,

It's finished (for this year)! I put up flood lights (in addition to the 250 Christmas lights) and speakers last weekend (the amp/tape deck/CD changer is in the house & remote controlled - select your music from the middle of the ice! ) It looks great and sounds great! If we have a normal winter, I could start making ice in about a month's time.

I'm going to take a night picture with all the lights on when I get a chance - I'll post it.

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

oops! hit the wrong dang button!

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

Thanks!!!

The "flakes" get cool music and their piece is considered a spotlight piece. They also get way cool costumes (think slip dress with garland) and nice routine BUT their piece is really short.

Ice shows can really run away and become CHAOS ON ICE!!!!

If it's the same one as last year, it will be cool!!!! Fuschia with lots of stones, one shoulder strap and one gauntlet glove, asymetrical hem. We have used the costume twice before and it's nice.

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

For Last Night:

Sunny: layback spin was actually centered AND laid back so that I could see the ceiling. Considering that I get dizzy standing still and looking up, the fact I attempt laybacks on ice is a minor miracle; actually doing one that other people recognize as one is totally amazing.

I also had a nice half-hour of doing figures, with only one coach persisting in directing her skater to skate through my circles (the other coaches indulge me by having their skaters attempt to avoid me, just because they're happy to see someone still doing figures at all). We're waiting for the announcement of the figures for next year's Mountain Cup so I'm doing mostly the ones I can do. Oh, and the first basic outside eight I laid out had all three tracings within an inch of each other on there was one section where all three tracings made ONE LINE. Even my coach was impressed, although for as long as I've been doing the darned things, they should be that good all the time, I think.

Frosty: Left ankle is still painful on jump landings. I did attempt loops and flips and they really aren't any worse than they were pre-sprain but they still hurt.

Congrats on your parts in the holiday show, Skate@Del! Although you aren't a snowflake, the parts you have sound pretty "meaty".

Sunny:
I think I had a breakthrough last night on the change sit. I was actually able to spin for a couple of revs in the sit position and come up for a back scratch - unfortunately, I couldn't exit very well. In my lesson, we worked for a bit on the 3-turns in the field and my coach said my back 3's were coming along well. I just need to work on getting more power in the pushes to the BO and BI edges. My coach thinks the problem with RBO turns is that I am not aligned properly over the hip/edge, rather than a blade mounting issue.

Also skated at my regular weekday rink for the first time in over 3 months. It's finally open, albeit on a limited schedule. But no horrible highway traffic to deal with on the way to skating!


Frosty:
The ice was terrible. The end area on the Zam end was blocked off b/c there was no way anyone could skate on it w/o killing themselves. The rest of the ice had lots of ridges and bumps, and doing anything near the wall was a challenge (the ice slopes downward). Plus, the ice is not cold enough yet, so wherever you skated, you could hear cracking and crunching sounds underneath. Really freaky at first but I got used to it. Hopefully within a few weeks it will be back to normal.

After MIF, we worked on the flip. Grrr - turns out that I had been doing it incorrectly - I was bringing my free leg to the side rather than keeping it in front of me.

Still fighting with the camel.....

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

Sunny Afternoon:

Got to skate this morning at the 7 am session. This meant getting up early, but it also meant fresh ice (I was the first one out there) and a very, very small crowd. Only about 1/2 dozen people there for the first half hour.

Hip/hip flexor still feels pretty good.

Frosty Morning:

I need to schedule a lesson. I'm getting inconsistent on stuff that was never inconsistent.

I am, on and off, totally chicken to try any jumps. For some reason my BO/FO mohawk (in prep for a waltz jump) has gotten all wobbly and weird.

My spins still suck. I think I'll ask coach her opinion on finding a blade with a smaller rocker, whether it's a good idea or not (currently on an 8.5, the Comet).