Well, today, when i should have gotten off the ice 10 minutes sooner, i stayed a little longer, and did my usual mohawk, mohawk, loop, in practice for my program, and i FELL, in a bad way. DOn't even know what happened. I think i gave a full rotation, i usually do, but i fell forward somehow, and hit my chin HARD. So hard that i chipped my top right back molar all the way in the back of my mouth! That's how hard my teeth hit together! And when i was getting off the ice to ask for ice for my chin, someone said my chin was bleeding.

Turned out - yeah,it needed 4 stitches. I can't believe it! I just busted my ankle in January, and i'm a good skater!

I was so embarrassed to go to work. I went right after i got my stitches. And i have just ordered my butt pads to work on my axel and doubles! and i just posted the other threat about what to wear! Now i don't know if i should even skate any! I need advice!

Oh no! You have had more bad luck in one season than most people have in years of skating!

If that thought gets you down, think about how bad your injuries might be if you raced motorcycles or did cliff diving! At least you are falling from just a few feet, but still...!

If a lifetime has both ups and downs, then the law of averages says it's time to buy a lottery ticket - your extreme bad luck on ice HAS to be offset by some good luck elsewhere!

I hope for a speedy recovery for you.

__________________
Bill Schneider

Thanks, Bill, i need humor right about now, btw, i really enjoy watching your videos. You have amazing edgework! You will pass gold MIF by tomorrow, if you haven't already!

OMG, Miraclegro, we have matching chins now, LOL! I banged my chin and had to get 4 stitches earlier this year! I didn't crack any teeth, as far as I know, but we can both be grateful that our teeth didn't cut through our bottom lip like Daisies' did when she had the chin bonk many years ago. Anyway, when I showed up at the rink with my bandaged chin, at least 5 other people--many of them national medalists and Olympians--had to show me THEIR "skaters' chins." I felt much better after that, LOL!

Just focus on not doing whatever it is you did, and know that it's very unlikely it will happen again (I've only had one bad chin bonk in almost 10 years of skating). Meanwhile, wear that Skater's Chin proudly, LOL!

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

OMG! I don't want a skater's chin! I am the one that does not want my boots marked up even if that means it makes you look like your a working it hard kind of skater!

Miraclegro: I am so sorry that happened to you! (((((((Miraclegro)))))))). I can only imagine that injury following such serious injury would indeed shake up the confidence level quite a bit. I hope the new crash pads offer a boost in confidence that you will continue with Bill's optimism. Soothing vibes are sent to you as you heal!

doubletoe: NOW you know why I get nervous about doing spirals!!! (But thinking about it, if I keep my chin up I probably would end up doing a belly flop than getting a split chin, so I'll keep my chin up!!! LOL!!! )

Miraclegro. I'm so sorry to hear about your chin! But now that you have it... wear it with pride and honor. (I did with my scarred knee this year and my shinner the previous year...)

__________________
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, Jazzpants, and everyone else,

I was thinking about my last post about protective gear, and all the bubblewrap in the world wouldn't have prevented this. I've been down some, today, especially less than 2 weeks prior to our Christmas show. This show is much bigger than my prior rink's (we are at the new rink) because they have sold tickets to EVERYONE in town. I was nervous before, and now i have visions of ambulances dancing in my head.

I need all the encouragement i can get. YOu guys are awesome!

Don't look at the smilie I have below, unless you are in good spirits and humor....

BTW: this is me after my lessons with my coaches:

__________________
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 landed on my chin and bit through my upper lip with my bottom teeth on a bad fall during a practice a few years ago. I had to have stitches and the following lesson my coach said "Congratulations! Now you're a REAL skater with the "chin tattoo" to prove it". She told me EVERY female pairs skater she knew when she competed had at least one of those.

Wear your "tattoo" with pride!!! (My coach also said if I try to show off where the stitches are/were, I would hold my head up high enough that that particular kind of fall would be VERY unlikely again.)

Well, as i was tossing and turning last night, i revisited my "rotation" of my loop. I remember rotating and then having my arms NOT by my side.

I have a bad habit of "scooping" and therefore lopsiding my body upon rotation, even though i have been working onbreaking that bad habit. Therefore, i became a human Zamboni when i went down. I actually replayed that last night in my sleep.

Any tips on that NOT happening again? I have been working on keeping the right arm more to the side and higher, but i STILL tend to scoop. Gotta break that habit; can't do this again!

Husband has "skaters' chin", so you are not alone. Well done on diagnosing the problem.

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

18 stitches, stepping from back to forward in a program. Then-coach got it all on video and saved the tape! I don't take from her anymore and she told me a while ago that she still has the tape.

Yep, keep your chin up AND lift the toes of your skating foot inside your boot! That's the #1 anti-face-plant trick on forward spirals! (All I think about during forward spirals is my toes: Lift the ones on the ice and point the ones in the air!)

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

Wow! 18 stitches bluemoon! YOu must hold the record! Was it on your chin? I'll bet there was blood all over the place!

And for those afraid of forward spirals - i got a serious concussion years ago when i started working on mine. As a matter of fact, they thought i was dead. My eyes were open, and i was unconscious! I had hit the soft area right by my eye - the temporal lobe area. I looked awful and felt awful for weeks! For spirals, press down on that heel and look up!

As for my loop,....no one has offered me any tips

I went back to the rink today and skated some, "walking thru " jumps, and i did some slow spins and my camel. I had to make myself go back.

Oops, sorry, Miraclegro! So you say you "scoop" with your right side, and that's your takeoff/landing side? I know what my husband would say: "Well then, stop doing that," LOL! But here's what I do: I do a quick little mental check to make sure my shoulders are level and my chest is square with my hips right before takeoff. I actually tell myself "square" or "shoulders". Also, I think it might help that I keep my free foot resting gently on the ice until I take off, since that tends to make my hips stay square. (Of course you can't really do that if the loop is the second jump in a combination, though). And it might also help to do a no-rotation loop takeoff and landing just as an exercise (just jump in place, taking off and landing on the right foot and simulating the body positions, without doing the rotation).

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

Doubletoe,

Thanks. I have thought of that, also. I have worked on the arms, raising the rt. one a little higher to prevent dropping/scooping, but sometimes i STILL manage to do it!

Gotta think of something about when i bring those arms in!

Miraclegro, sorry to hear about your chin! And your fall on the spiral sounds like it was scary at the time. I have a friend who fell on a camel spin entry and landed on her chin and had to be taken for stitches.

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

(((((Miraclegro))))) If it's any consolation to you, the human chin is a very vulnerable spot, not just for skaters; hence the phrase "take it on the chin". There are loads of people walking around with that scar, and Dick Button even once referred to it as membership in "the camel club". My older DD got 3 stitches in the chin when she missed the landing on a simple waltz jump in warm up. I think you filled your quota of injuries for quite a while to come. Congrats on getting back out there!

__________________

Ouch Miraclegro!!! Glad to hear it wasn't worse than that (like concussion, etc.)

I've been taught to "scoop the loop"...is that wrong? Nice tip on the toes for spirals too

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

Got my stitches out Monday. The skin feels very thick there, it is weird. I think my rink and all the drama it has had lately has affected my concentration, possibly. It has major dysfunction and more stuff that i am cautious to discuss. This week i cried all night Monday night because of how bad things are, and was crying in my cereal Tuesday morning. I have been helping with Learnto Skate and the Christmas show, but i am distressed most of the time. Want to continue to help with LTS but a close friend who is a psychologist is telling me to get out. I've waited many years for a rink and we finally have one....and my heart is breaking.

If it makes you sad to think about leaving the rink, why would your psychologist friend think having you leave would be a good idea? Maybe you just need some time to just ENJOY skating. If you enjoy working with LTS -- and that makes you smile -- how can that be a bad thing? And don't worry about the loop for a while.. just do the things that make you feel good. Chances are they are not picking the next Olympic team at this year's Christmas show... ( ) so just have FUN!!! Do what makes YOU happy no matter what anyone says (including me!).

Best wishes for finding your personal joy!

Thin-Ice

Thanks for the upbeat advice. It's the constant drama and dysfunctional dynamics. I've not even slept well lately, but i'll hang in there for now. I love the kids.