Limber: I skated today!

Rink has ice now, and skate friend managed to schmooze up the rink manager for a couple unofficial (and FREE!) hours today. Officially, it's open Monday for freestyle, but thanks to skate friend I got in some early practice. It was just the two of us adults for the whole time.

Had oral surgery yesterday, so I took it very easy today. Still, I tasted blood occasionally. Probably not the best way to heal, but skating takes precedence!

Stiff: After skating only once since our rink closed at the end of March, most everything was rough. Double-three pattern for Gold Moves was bad, bad, bad. No style, rough threes, etc.

Some brackets are still around, but I didn't push those much in fear of ending up on the ice with even more blood. Spins were hit or miss, but I hit one that went on forever and that felt nice.

Pulled a back muscle coming out of a sit spin, but I have some wonderful pain-killing drugs for afterwards courtesy of the oral surgery. I'm feeling really good right now!

Overall, a very nice beginning.

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Bill Schneider

It's possible that some of these coaches aren't paying attention to you and just aren't being considerate. I know we have one coach at my rink who just doesn't seem to care, and it's very frustrating. However, it's also possible that the coaches are working on specific portions of the student's program, in which case the element they are working on needs to be done at the exact spot on the ice where it happens in the program. That could account for some of the instances where a coach directs a student to do something right where you are. Also, I don't know if this is common at other rinks, but at my rink, freestyle skaters are supposed to be given right of way over those doing dance or MIF, even if the freestyle skater isn't skating to her music. I don't think that is necessarily fair, but that's how it is at my rink, so we just have to put up with it if we're doing MIF and get interrupted (although if we're in a lesson at the time, we like to think people will be a little more courteous).

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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

Limber: Landed some axels and a few double salchows!! my flying camels were also really good today!

I also asked my dance coach to teach me the Rocker, since I have spent SOO much time on American because I keep failing it...I really needed a change of pace...so he taught it to me, and my rocker turns are NOT AS BAD AS HE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE!!!

Stiff: My skills were pretty bad today...lol but I haven't been practicing them too much...

Yay for Bill S!!!!

Today was mostly stiff for my lower back but limber on ice for most of my my moves!!!

Limber: Managed to whack out a few more not-so-crappy scratch spins. Then I got brave and tried a sit, buy my back hurt too much. So I tried a backspin from the "running" i.e. 3-turn approach and managed about 4-5 revs!!! it was scary and I bailed!

Then did some back 3's...and moved on to jumps. I am making slooooow progress here. Even my toe-loop which was so promising the other day!

Stiff: My jumps will go here-my salchow...I'm not "scooping" through as much as I should be and my scooping leg is bent (like almost 90 degrees). Really bad. Stinky bad. For the toe-loop-I'm not vaulting but waltzing around. Maybe I was tired...Saturdays are a long session and I put my jumps at the end of the session. Maybe I need to put them right after my warmup. For the loop, I'm getting good height and rotation but my free leg is not "up" and it's still tapping down first when I land.

By the time I got off the ice (30 minutes early) I once again had shoot pains from the top of my hip bones down to my thighs. I even stopped periodically to stretch. This is really frustrating. So, I'm doing bouts of heat and ice. Wishing I had something stronger than tylenol-like a muscle relaxer. But I can't take them.... Hopefully, it will get better and I will heal.

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

Terry, Sorry to hear you're having so much pain! Take care of yourself!

As for me, I skated today, another public session, my 5th time since I broke my ankle. It feels better and better, and I am able to skate a little faster each time without feeling like I'm going to kill myself. I also did some RFI mohawk, using the boards for some support, and they were okay. LFI mohawks are even a little better. And I did some RFO3's, again using the boards for a little support. But they didn't feel too bad. They were little, obviously, but still, the marks on the ice were there. Baby steps, baby steps...

Happy skating everyone.

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August 22, back on the ice!

Most of it's #1-- I'm very careful, at my level, to watch out for people on lesson or learning their own patterns (and usually apologize if I do cut them off. But there have been some coaches who just don't seem to think! I wish I could excuse theor behavior and say it's #2, but most of the repeat offenders will have their student working on the same element alllllll over the rink, so I don't think it's program..


Today: Limber: My coach and I are very happy with my PB Freestyle elements, and with most of my PB MITF-- we ran through them both about 5-8 times the past two sessions
IMHO, I think, as a public session student, I should take the MITF test with a dozen hockey goons and birthday party kids. I'm convinced that empty ice will freak me out. In fact, I was finally able to figure out my waltz 8 because three little girls parked themselves right where I was not supposed to go-- and I turned at the right point because of them. Now I picture the kids in all of the "corners" of the 8.

Stiff: my whole body. I've been on the ice daily these past two weeks to prepare for the test, in addition to my regular daily gym visits and dance classes started up last week, so my poor body is starting to feel it. My hip is hurting again, my feet are a mess (pointe + skating... owwwww) and I'm operating on no sleep. I can't wait for this test to be over so that I can scatter the exercise a bit, because I'm starting to get too old for all of this stuff!

My waltz 8, CCW spin, and 3 turn pattern are inconsistent. I'm hoping they don't act up with nerves!

And my club is driving me crazy-- the officials promised a permission to test letter last last Friday, but haven't given me one yet... and the test is Wednesday.

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When asked what his "secret" to success was, Wayne Gretsky said: "Skate to where the puck is going and not to where it has been."
Is the figure skating version of this: Skate as if you're doing an axel and not just learning how to hop?

This for Friday night of skating

Limber: beatiful jumps and feels good to be back at my home rink

Stiff: my back is killing me, I have to crunch over to one side or it really hurts, and it's driving me insane!!!!

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2014 and 2018 Olympics here I come!

Skating, skating all day long, skating, skating all night long! May seem tiring to some people but not me, it's my life!!

Goals: Triple Loop, Novice Competitive, Sr.Silver Dances, Gold Artistic, and top 3 at Sectionals

Stiff: My entire body - two very nasty falls today. One on a loop, fell on my butt which should be painless but somehow got bottom of pelvic bone so sitting is not fun. One on the footwork of my new program, which requires me getting up on my toes fast in both directions three times. This particular move is scary and falling did NOT help that today. Stopped practicing it.

Kept trying to do the silver moves 3-turn pattern and kept changing into the FS4 footwork That wouldn't go over well on the test.

More whining: also was at least 25 years older than all skaters on the ice today and they rolled their eyes at me more than once

Stayed 45 minutes, left.

Had a "why am I going into major debt for this" moment.

Limber: But, I have a really good 8-step mohawk sequence! At least something went well this practice...

__________________
Revised Official 2010 Goals checklist
Skate __
New boots __
(lowering the bar for 2010 as I haven't skated in a year)

Stiff:

Father-In-Law died early morning on Sun. Sept. 9th, 2007 at the hospital after being in a nursing home for at least 5 years due to suffering from many stokes. I performed at his funeral on Tues. Sept. 11, 2007 singing and playing guitar as I choked down my emotions. The whole thing dampened my youngest (21 now) daughters 5 year anniversary (Sept. 9th) with her boyfriend and my husband's and my 24th wedding anniversary (Sept.10) not to mention that because we were emotionally drained, I post poned starting the fall/winter skating season until Friday. It was a really weird week.

My first attempts at spinning and jumping on Friday were lame. I couldn't get my body to jump or to enter spins. It took me a half session (had two one hour sessions in a row) just to do a itty bitty waltz jump and a mostly baked forward upright. I guess I was feeling quilty about skating.

My attempts with the pancake spin were hillarious. Most of the time, I couldn't get my hand to grab my freeleg up over my skating leg. And when I did get it there, I soon fell out. The only time I did get my leg up, I was too high in the sit and leaning too far forward in my spin and then caught my toe pick which quickly made me put my freeleg down in a hurry to save me from falling.

I was ok after skating on Saturday dispite the fact that after StarSkate was over, I taught Canskate making the CanSkaters fall and get up more than 10 times in a row. Then I was on the ice to assist with Pre-PowerSkating, demonstrating and eventually giving personal attention to one of the skaters. But then I got stupid and went to the gym and worked out. It wasn't until being at church this morning running around setting up the stage, that I felt the tender muscles. It's sore right where the butt bones are on both cheeks, my right abductor and just above my right knee.

Limber:
On Friday's second session, things started to work. I got my sitspin working along with my upright and my catch footspin.

On Saturday, I did back to back programs although they weren't the same program or disciplines. I started off with my freeskate and did almost every element I had planned. Then with not more than 2 seconds in between, I ran through my creative dance. I was so tired at the end of the second program that I skated towards

I'd tell you more but my head is bopping up and down over the keyboard.

I'm physically waisted.

Good-night.

singerskates

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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.

http://eastcastlemusic.tripod.com

Singerskates Sports Music Editing

Limber: Camel spins are starting to center. (Finally) My flying camel is getting better which is a good thing. Finally got 6 revs that aren't ridiculously slow. I'm trying to improve my position and strength so that I can start combinations with it. I also started doing a death drop and it's working out better than my flying sit spin. Again, trying to improve height and air position. I want to be almost parallel to the ice when airbourne. Axel-double loop combination is starting to get solid. Double salchow is better than ever and that dreaded double toe is finally starting to look like a double toe instead of a toe axel. My skating side is finally starting to draw into my picking foot. Yay!!! I really hate toeloops. Starting my Choreography for my Gold level program. Hopefully, I'll pass all of my moves before January so I can perform it this year.


Stiff: Man my entire body is still very stiff. I'm trying to look better on ice and it's not working. My double flip and double lutz are completely gone. I keep popping them and landing forward so I'm only getting 1.5 revs. It's driving me nuts. Still haven't landed my double axel cleanly yet. ARRRGH!!!

Okay, I feel better now.

BlackManSkating

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Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

Stiff:

All over, but especially my arms and shoulder. I had a personal training session with Ballet Guy on Sat. and he worked me really hard. Says that he's impressed that I'm able to "hold my form" the entire time. (He says a lot of his clients can't hold their form all the way thru the exercise. I find it hard to believe...) But anyway... my shoulders and arms are still sore from Saturday.

I should count myself lucky this weekend though... given that I wasn't even working out at the gym Thursday or Friday b/c of my JOB!!! We had a MAJOR software release this weekend and well, I'm a HUGE part of the deployment process. Worked all weekend 'til about 10pm (luckily mostly from home...)

Limber:

I did find myself a break between one of those "hurry up and wait" stages to get in a one hour skating session. BTW: You know you have AOSS when your coworkers tell you to take a break by telling you that something "is fixed now! Go skating now!!!"

Anywho...

• Landed a bunch of loops and flips at speed today. (Of course, this won't last tomorrow or thru the run thru. )
• Back sit spin at the tail end of the public session was getting better. From what I saw on the Plexi-glass, it's starting to look to get close to a sit position now.

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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!!!

Jazz - you have to have more confidence in your abilities!!! You've got a self fullfilling prophesy if you think you won't be able to hang onto the loop and flip at speed. Believe - hey, I did it Monday, I can do it again!!

I concur!!!!!!

__________________
Proud to be one of the few black men out on the ice

Goals
Pass my Silver Moves Test
Finish Choreography for Silver Program
Land a Clean Double Toe and Double Lutz
Work on Double Axel and Rockers
Speed up back Camel

My condolences to you and your family. I hope time will help all of you feel better.

singerskates: I'm very sorry to hear about your FIL!

__________________
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!!!