A skater said today that she was going to go and create some magic.... I half-misheard her and thought for a moment she was going to create havoc....

Magic: Ran through everything, although a bit interrupted due to too many ankle-biters on Sunday patch.

Havoc: Aforesaid ankle-biters; no lessons (coaches on holiday). Still haven't got a start for the Canadian cha-cha.

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

Haha I love the title

Magic:
Good session Spent some time working on my MIF, signed off Passport, coach said she'd enter my into the level 1 test when the date came up. Worked for a bit on jumps too...they were okay

Havoc



I think there must be a competition or something coming up - lots of people on patch today, including some very good people I hadn't seen before...kept nearly crashing into them . It's really quite depressing sometimes, being one of the worst skaters there...but whatever, I love it


Somewhere in between:

Apparently my 'leggings' (old tracksuit tucked into leg warmers) aren't suitable to test in - so I've been instructed to get a skirt . I like the idea but I'm not quite sure I like the practicality of it...

Very magical:my axels were amazing yesterday and I'm finally getting the hang of my skills!!!

Havoc!!!!: my skills were rather interesting today..and I'm testing freestyle elements, solo, skills AND a dance on Thursday...starting to get nervous!!!! lol and because I'm testing so much, I've only been practicing test elements lately, so I haven't worked much on double loop and flip lately...

Magic Taught at my first birthday party today. Five of the kids couldn't skate and all but one eventually did really well on their own (both with and without the wall, but confident) and the last one eventually got over her fear and had fun, though she clung to a helper like crazy. But the birthday girl was in one of my very first snowplow classes and it was really neat to be there to help.

Havoc Gave hockey skates a try in preperation of Tuesdays lesson. I'm wearing a helmet for sure. I can "public skate" in them okay- even do teeny forward crossovers and very slow 3 turns, but backwards crossovers and any kind of actual skating and I fall down. I think the idea of getting us off our toes by putting us in hockey skates is a bad one. I think I put MORE of my weight onto the ball of my foot, because any weight on my heel and I start falling backwards. I tried a few two foot spins and after 2 revolutions one of my skates leans too far forward and there is no blade left. Guess that's a spinning on the toepick issue. I hit my knee once today- while working with the kids and one took me down- and that was not good. I have to find knee pads by Tuesday. Oh my god my knee! (see practice report from Sat.) The bruise is about 1.5" red and purple circle and a huge bump. It hurts so badly that I can't carry things upstairs. Even setting ice on it hurts.


Also- I'm ordering a blade Tuesday. I know I'm neurotic about this, but if you have a livejournal, vote in my poll and help me decide which one.
http://community.livejournal.com/ski...tes/42203.html

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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)

I think it's terrible! I would not do it, myself. Remember that hockey skaters are padded up all over, and you will not be. I've taught hockey basic skills, and a well padded adult can take a real pounding and feel no pain. Not so, a figure skating adult in hockey skates. I think it's an invitation to injury.

Speaking of which....

Havoc:
Not my own - a woman whose daughters I've taught decided to skate for herself about a month ago. This woman is 70 years old and had never skated before. I've been helping her just because I saw what she was doing and was afraid she would get hurt. She hasn't taken any lessons. Sure enough, today she fell and most likely broke her wrist (I have enough experience with that to be pretty sure). I had seen her earlier and told her, yet again, not to step ahead, but to pick her knees and feet straight up and down. I was happy to have been elsewhere when she fell. The injury side of coaching is really getting to me lately. I'm not afraid for myself, so much as for my students.

Magic:
Not really, but I guess knowing when to get off the ice belongs in this category. I was waiting for DD to finish up, and just skating around practicing odd things that are already pretty easy for me, when I lost my balance several times in just a few minutes. Hoping to have a real practice tomorrow, and hoping to be rested before then!

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TOTAL HAVOC

Our state championships technical comp on Saturday night.
I was so nervous, shaking so much I couldn't hold an attitude. Landed my first jump combo, flip/loop, ok, but then chickened on my lutz, held the entry too long (so it would've been a flip if I had landed it) fell. Managed to get up and pick up the program, but I really don't remember much about the rest of the program.

All my hard work, all my good skating, and I totally sabotaged myself by being too nervous to skate well. Once again I let the fear win


A little magic
my daughter, who has come last in her previous 2 comps came 4th out of 5 this time. I was so pleased for her, as she really did try this time.

perhaps some Magic amongst the Havoc
despite my pathetic performance, I credit myself for enormous personal courage for getting out & skating there when I know I get so nervous.
I acknowledge my courage, and my determination to do it again.

In my daughter's weekly school newsletter was the quote: " courage is not always a roar. Sometimes it is the quite voice saying I will do better tomorrow".

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Havoc: Had two nasty splats this weekend. Got some new bruises. Had a really bad fall today on a salchow. I violated a basic rule of jumping: never abondon a jump in the middle of the air. It usally ends in disaster. My reconstructed axel take off has suddenly gone south.

Magic: Toe loops have been fairly consistent lately. The last week or so I've felt good confidence with them. Despite overall bad axels, managed a couple good ones. Only 3 or 4 people on a 2 hour session this afternoon.

It might be worth asking your coach whether any of their other pupils will have a dress or skirt you can borrow for the occasion. Failing that, go to a dancewear store (there's one in Covent Garden that's very good, if you can get into central London; if not google or use Yellow Pages for one in your area - I think there's one in Crouch End, but may well be dreaming) and buy a plain wrap practice-skirt. If you need "flesh" coloured tights (as in European flesh-coloured!) rather than black, the dancewear shop can supply them but they're quite expensive; if you don't want to shell out on a pair at this stage, you can get suitable ones in John Lewis.

Hey, you were there, you were competing, and that makes you a winner. Also your daughter - and coming Not Last is a huge deal. Well done, both of you!

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

At least you went out and did the best you could at that moment. Competing and testing are skills just as much as landing a jump. The only way I know to get better at those skills is to put yourself out there to be judged. Most people don't have the courage to get out on the ice, let alone compete. Give yourself more credit than you did. Consider this a learning experience.

Also congratulations to your daughter. My big goals at most competitions are to 1) Start with the music, 2) end with the music, 3) smile at least once and the one I have absolutely NO control over is 4) to get at least one not-last-place ordinal.

Thanks, I'll have to look into that.

Magic: I was at the rink and noticed I had a little spring in my step as I was doing my very light jogging. I tried a waltz jump, then a salchow on land instead of my little ones a did nice regular sized jumps. They didn't hurt, did a loop, flip and lutz all good nice height. Then I thought why not, did a bell axel or two then looked at my coach and tried a nice small axel, worked well, did 3 nice big axels with no pain. I am very happy especially since I didn't think my new hip would be able to take the landing until August or so.

Havoc:While the hip can take the weight of the jumps the deep edges with extension are a totally different issue. It is very difficult to hold the deep edge on the foxtrot #4 and I always list with partner, solo it is fine. I am very frustrated as I have worked very hard to get the big mohawk on the end pattern correct and I still struggle with this one section. I am very close to quitting dance at the end of the summer.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Magic:
We worked on twizzles, cross-over inside-edge (same lobe), and forward cross strokes. And they all worked! Well, kind of. I don't "generate power" on my inside edges or cross strokes and the twizzles were amazingly slow traveling down the side, but they welt decent. And there were not major technical issues brought up by my coach.

Havoc:
I was loose and wimpy again today. In my program run-thru, I fell out of all of my spins and stag jump. Not to mention forgetting the lst portion of my program.

Magic:
My test date of June 27 is all but set in stone. My coach is convinced that I'll be ready. My only concern is the camel (both solo and in the camel-sit). There was a reason I spent a long time in FS 5, and it wasn't because of the axel...

Havoc:
We worked on my axels again for the first time in about a month. Wow, they sucked, majorly. I am lacking a roll-up onto the toe pick and upper body control... I really need to work on my core. My coach assigned my 25 push-ups alternating days and 2 bent arm holds (that hurt really bad!). I guess I have to add crunches to that. It has been so long since I've seriously worked on my core or arms.

Magic:
I landed a few axels at speed. They didn't look pretty or had great technique, but I did land a few. Hopefully, I can land better ones on Friday, so we can move on to double sals again.

Creating Magic:
Started working on Baby Blues again since it looks like they will have the wrong judge at test day. After working on my Fiesta Tango and the Prelim Creative Dance all this time, the Baby Blues was really easy to do. All I have to do now is wip out the music and get with the beat of the Baby Blues getting it in my system and it will be an easy pass. That means at the end of May I will have finally pass the last of the prelim required dances. I may, if the opportunity comes in the future with the right level judge, test the Prelim Creative Dance as well but that will be just for fun. The Fiesta Tango is really coming together except I have one issue. I also danced my Creative Dance just in case I do get the right judge on test day.

I did the first hour just on the dances since that's what I'm testing at the end of the month. But after doing dance for the first hour, my freeskate elements were much much easier and consistant. Maybe, I won't leave ice dance until the end any more.

Creative Havoc: Forgetting to do the cross while going backwards before stepping forward on the Fiesta Tango. I don't know why I have no problem doing that cross when freeskating but when I ice dance I have a mental block. I know I can do the steps but it's going to take me more repetition to cement it in. Then there's the loop. Why is it that when I'm right next to the boards, I do a perfectly clean loops with a nice delay unwrapping the freeleg on the landing. Yet as soon as I get away from the boards, I can't seem to hold my freeleg up across the skating leg after take off never mind until I've fully landed. I attempted the loop from both the RI3 and the RI op Mo to RBx and somehow the freeleg gets too far out to the left in the air causing me to ether touch down with the free foot or land on two feet.

Ran out of time to play with the spiral sequence today or to work on the flip and lutz. Never touched the camel or back spin today either. Didn't get to play with change of edge on the forward upright or the sit.

Brigitte Laskowski

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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

Sorry to hear that! As a beginner at 56 and having been beat in my last competition by a 72 year old I love seeing "mature" people take up the sport.

I wonder why she doesn't get a coach?

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

Don't you dare! That edge is a b*gg*r at the best of times, and one of the main reasons I don't do the Foxtrot much (that and Coach2 suggests that I don't try partnering it with Husband just yet as - er - he finds the dance rather challenging still!).

As for us, today, the sixth last practice before the Mountain Cup:

Magic: Few people skating, and no ankle-biters (they don't do that session); we were able to run through everything.

Havoc: The only coach who was in doesn't have a music player, so although we were able to use the rink's, we had to use our own music - and I only have appallingly awful recreational dance music, except for the Canadian Cha-cha! Really rather cringe-making.... but better than nothing. Dutch Waltz horrendously out of time. And we made a nonsense of the spin exit and missed the "Torvill & Dean" steps afterwards, which are not a strong part of our free dance at the best of times. When we tried again, Husband b*gg*r*d up the backspin as "he was trying to stand more upright!" He does that on the day, I'll kill him!

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

Creating Magic:

• Working on crossovers!!! They are looking better. Hubby went to the primary coach's hair salon on Saturday and he (primary coach) did acknowledge that the crossovers are getting better. Must keep up with it until it's effortless and on "auto-pilot."
• A very good jump day! Loop, loop-loop, flip and lutz are still there!!!
• Good backspin, one foot spin day too.

Creating Havoc:

• Sit spins - I'm working on getting it down all the way down low to the ground now. I have to work on leg strength to go down more PLUS I have to work on leg strength keeping the free leg UP!!! Seems with my new "height" off the ground that I really have to lift that free leg so it would touch the ground!!!
• Camels: (Nuf said...)
• Am going to change interp program for this year. EWF was fun, but I'm realizing that EWF is more of a "show skater's" tune and I don't quite the skater's skills to do a "show skater's" tune... so I'm looking to see if I could find something that I can use with that new Frieda B dress that I just got! (Or another dress I have hanging in the closet...)

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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!!!

Creating havoc: okay, just when I think my jumps are really good, my coach takes them apart and makes me do them differently. Now he has me doing a sal from a mohawk - eek, I can barely do that! Have to grind to a halt before I can jump. Any tips?

Spins still having an issue with my blade placement. Can't get in the right spot on my blade after the snap. Don't know if its the blade or me. Or maybe I just need a sharpening. Frustrating.

Tried the suggestions for a show stop, and couldn't really do it. Hard to push the foot out, I keep catching it. I guess that's what the practice is all about.


Magic: Moves are going well. Endurance is up. Loop jump is a jump. Even if small and cheated, I'm landing it on one foot!!

As you step down onto the LBI takeoff edge, bend your left knee immediately and deeply (don't step down onto a straight leg and then bend the knee). Also, try to feel tension in your right arm and leg as you hold them back at 5:00, then scoop and spring up off the toe.

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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

It wouldn't have made any difference unless the coach was right beside her when it happened. I've worked with her enough for free that I could see she wasn't getting it. Wish I had told her to quit.

You, BTW, are not a beginner at 56. Even though many years have gone by, you were a skater as a kid, and that does make a big difference. I can always tell if someone has skated before. Even roller blading makes a big difference.

Not Quite Magic:
Had a lesson today with "substitute" coach. It might have been magic except that I was too tired. We did threes on the line, which, once again, are improving ever so slightly. FO waltz threes were a bit better than last week. We did F and B cross strokes. Positive comments on both, and then I was asked to push my free shoulder back to deepen the BO edges. This worked better on my L than R, but it was fun and new to me. It may explain why I have always found the circle exercise (3 crosses, complete circle, continue in opposite direction, etc.) so difficult on the B cross strokes. Will try it next time there is empty ice.

Havoc:
Sooo tired, and still so much to do before leaving tomorrow afternoon for Chicago. Felt very stiff on the ice today, maybe because of the weather - cold and wet!

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Creating Magic:
My flip attempts on lesson today. Coach was pleased. I feel like I now have "licence" to go for it.
Sitspin is getting lower!

Creating Havoc:
The camel spin is going to be havoc for awhile. My free leg is looking like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant, according to Secondary Coach.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Havoc: Last night's sleep ..... what sleep? Woke up every hour or two and TIRED this morning!

(Almost) Magic: I found just how far I can push a 5/16 RoH on hard ice (and the ice was REALLY hard this morning!) - can't quite get the edge of the boot on the ice before the edge starts to skid but still WAY deep outside edge. Made myself dizzy doing FAST FXO's on a 8 foot circle - LOL!

Upright spins are starting to come back (after they vanished during my 2-week mega-cold)

Back edges continue to improve - almost got CW BXO's, almost!

Havoc: My it's amazing how fast something vanishes if you don't practice it! FI edges STUNK!

Havoc: The rest of the day at work!

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

Magic:
landed a clean 2lutz today
a coach came up to me just to tell me that I have really improved in my skating lately and that overall my skating looks really great
i-spins were fast and centered
moves weren't too bad

havoc:
I was really tired during my whole lesson because I skated longer than normal before it so I didn't have much energy to do doubles
pre juv moves test tomorrow. im so nervous

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good luck! i doubt you'll need at, as your videos look great, but still, good luck!

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Youtube Videos

Good luck!!! We'll be pulling for you to do well. Let us know how it goes as soon as you can!

Havoc!:
- My apparent inability to do the Rhythm Blues or the Golden Skaters' Waltz without completely mixing the two up and creating a whole new dance! This morning I forgot to wide step in the GSW then threw a forward run into the RB where there isn't one. Dear me.
-FI3s which were starting to get better have disappeared again.

Magic :
-I love the Dutch Waltz, I really do and I finally seem to be gaining control over my creeping shoulder as well as actually cracking the timing at last, which really was what I was struggling with. So, I'm happy with that.
-Back outside edges which, given my terror of all things backwards, is nothing short of a miracle. As usual, my easily fooled brain is quite happy doing these as long as I am holding my coach's finger so he is now going to make me do them on Friday holding a hockey stick in front of me as his theory is that I will think I'm being helped because I'm holding on to something. We'll see...