Today is St Swithun's day, and as the old rhyme goes:
"St Swithun's day, if thou be fair, for forty days 'twill rain no more.
St Swithun's day, if thou should rain, for forty days it will remain."

Alas, it has been raining here in London!

Fair weather: Blissfully comfortable skates - why haven't I had them done any time these past two years, since I started having a problem????

Husband's new skates are comfortable, although he only put them on for the last 20 minutes. Still, he was able to attempt some jumps and spins and one dance in them.

Foul weather: New laces and comfortable skates meant I did them up too tightly and my feet went to sleep! And I had to relace several times, too. But you expect that.

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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!

Fair weather: I landed some pretty good axels the other day! They were a little cheated...but they were pretty good and my double salchows were pretty close!!

Foul: I failed my dance test for the third time Oh well...there's another test day coming up...hopefully this time things will work out

So I was competing again this weekend at a scant 8500 ft or almost 2600 meters, let me tell ya a 3.30 program is really long at that height. Anyway I actually did relatively well of the 5 skaters in the fs I managed 3rd, I won spins, and of course I did finish last in the compulsories since I didn't have an axel combo and everyone else did. What I found very amusing is the fact that I was extremely early with regards to my program, almost 20 seconds, who knows one day I might actually get powerful again...there is a glimmer of hope.

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

Fair weather: Passed prebronze moves and freestyle, yay! Waltz 8 actually got the best comments. No triangles, didn't step down (almost did). Back inside edges - barely held on...but they passed. Wasn't worried about the prebronze freestyle at all but had to laugh when I accidentally started doing clockwise back crossovers instead of counterclockwise (cuz I'd just done the scratch spin). Thought...what the heck am I doing! Better make 'em good, lol

Bronze moves next month - not taking bronze free at same time, need to redo program from ISI to USFSA.

Foul weather: Really nothing today YAY but my leg moved back and over during the lunge, whoops, and I have got to get more confident on those LFI three turns. They passed, but they weren't top notch. Apparently my arms were flapping during clockwise perimeter stroking, lol - must not flap arms!

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

Congratulations Looplover!

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

Even after 13 years of Catholic school, plus a Catholic college, I have to say I've never heard of St. Swithun!

Congrats Looplover on passing PB!!!!
Everyone seems to be doing well today - landing axels and winning comps!

Fair Weather:
-I landed the lutz!! Whee!!! I landed about 6 or 7 of them. They were all slow and there was no outflow at all on the landing, but I landed them on one foot!!!
-Did two sets of loop-loop and a flip-loop, too
-I also had a great spinning day - very strong camels and a couple decent attempts at laybacks.
-8-step mohawk was good, especially the ones I tried at the end of the session.
-Spirals were nice. The lights were out at one end of the rink, and I got glimpses of my spirals in the plexiglass. Left spiral is higher than I thought, though my knee was a little bent. RBO catch-foot spiral is pretty


Foul Weather:
-Camel-backspin combination is giving me trouble, and it's in my Silver program.
-Silver 3-turn pattern wasn't so hot, but I figured out how to stop the wobbly edge coming out of the back 3s.

CONGRATULATIONS LOOPLOVER!!!!!! I am soooo proud of you!!!

Congratulations looplover and welcome to the Peanut Gallery!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

congrats looplover! thats awesome!!!

Ahhh I thought of another fair weather...even though it hasn't happened yet...

But...tomorrow I'm going to a seminar with Marie France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and David Wilson

Congratulations Looplover! Way to go!

Congrats on your test, Looplover!
Congrats on your Lutz, Morgail!
And boy am I jealous, Jenna, LOL! I luuuuuv Dubreuil & Lauzon. . .

Foul
No solid double sals landed today. and two of my new three spin variations are still not doing what I need them to do. I also notice my left hamstring is gradually getting tighter again, a year after going to physical therapy to get it stretched out.

Fair
The axel is back!!!!!!!!!!!!! We haven't been on speaking terms ever since 3 months ago at Nationals, when the damned thing abandoned me for all three of my competitions. Then I just got mental over it. But today Daisies helped me adjust the setup. Then I added a dose of determination and I just started nailing them! Then I tried the axel from the landing of a loop jump and I nailed that one, too. Woo hoo!!
Also, I'm starting to get the hang of this new variation on a variation that I'm doing on my back sitspin. I have always had trouble on the back sit, so this is very encouraging.

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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

Congratulations!

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Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
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Haha, good for the Axel... Just wondering, when you say axel from landing of a loop, you mean stepping forward into the Axel after the loop? Actually I have tried Axel - Axel, but... why didn't I ever think of trying loop - Axel?

Also, just curious, what variation are you doing on the backsit? ;-)

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Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
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Congrats double toe I liked the axels I saw in your videos glad you have them back


Foul weather: I have been able to do alot of things but my right knee hurts now (I think my knee manages to handle my axel and double salchows ok because I'm doing right on them, but double toe and double loop once I start practising them because they aren't perfect yet they put more stress on my right knee while landing and it makes it worse and just dies) ... I think I must have done something a bit more major to it than I thought on that triple salchow attempt fall... so anyways coach recommends sports doctor and I have made appointment for thursday... sigh...

Fair weather: knee hurt... so we worked on crossovers in lesson (pcs pcs pcs lol) ... its funny but now I think I know how to do crossovers once I am already started doing them, but if you ask me to get three perfect crossovers from stand still... I"m not sure how I'm going to do them... does that make sense at all?

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~
Tidesong

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Hurray!

Thanks you guys!!

Fair weather: I think the mohawk sequence in bronze moves won't be as daunting as I expected it to be. Mohawks and I are friends.

Foul weather: It takes me forever to remember moves patterns...I'm like that person in your aerobics class who goes right instead of left. I swear my brain seems to shut down when having to remember a bunch of these things at once. So I kept stepping wrong or not pushing or not going back to the axis today - but today was first time doing them, so I hope to at least solidly know them by next week's lesson!

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

That was my favorite move on the Bronze test.. they feel so dance-y and smooth and fun... once you get are comfortable with them and do them at the same power and rhythm on both sides. My coach now has me do the 5-step mohawks as part of my warm up.

On the Bronze moves test, the five step was my favorite as well.

Fair Weather
Getting more comfortable with both freeskate and compulsory moves programs. Finally remembered how to center a scratch spin.
Also, getting the feel of a low sitspin.

Foul
Now if I can stay in the low position without bailing out of or falling out of the sitspin, I'll be one happy woman!
Primary Coach is having to take some time off from teaching to deal with home repair issues. No worries though, Secondary coach already had me booked for twice a week in preparation for next month's comp in NC.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

I hate all of you!!!! Pout



j

On the Bronze MIF test, I liked the forward perimeter stroking and alt BO edge glides. The 5-step I found tricky - the judges liked my extension, but steps 3 and 4 were sometimes a struggle to get on edges. I passed it the first time I tested, and the third (and final) time - the second time I tested, the judges were dance (in addition to MIF and FS) judges, since the club I tested at is dance-heavy, and only 1 of the judges passed me on that move. Dance judges tend to be picky about dance-like moves, like the 5-step and 8-step, etc. In addition to edge issues, I also got comments about timing.

Congratulations on your tests, looplover. Have you been practicing the Bronze moves? If you're just starting them, a month is a bit quick to be taking the test. In some ways, the Bronze moves are easier than Pre-Bronze, b/c you're able to use more speed and flow, but doing them the way the judges expect is much harder. Most people take at least 6 months, if not a year or more, to get through the test, unless they previously tested those moves (or figures) as a kid, or skate almost 24/7.

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

Fair Weather - Almost private ice this morning, only one other person skating. One of my loops actually had air time this morning, that's a first.

Foul - Put on my program music, and blew the change foot spin, grrrr. Oh well, I will just keep working on it.....

Looplover - congrats!!!!

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

looplover: CONGRATULATIONS on your Pre-Bronze tests!!!

Re: 5 step mohawks
I'll join you on the "I hate 5 step mohawks team" too, Joelle!!! FI mohawks and I were mortal enemies at one time, in fact! I still remember referring to FI mohawks as the "dreaded mohawks" and to this day I'm still working on making it into FI mohawks that ice dancers should be doing them. (Okay... "FI mohawks that neither of my coaches would not make snide comments about" is more like it... )

However, I will add that after many years, the 5 step mohawks and I finally made peace with each other (enough to get all 2.5's on that moves I think... I have to go back to my test notes to see.) and I'm actually looking more smooth doing them as warmups now than I was doing the test just a few months ago.

My best ones are the same as Debbie S: forward perimeter and back crossovers to BO edge glide. The weird part is that I expected on my third try that the forward perimeter crossovers to be strong in the 2.6 and possible 2.7 and instead the back crossovers to BO edge glide was the best of the bunch! Who knows... maybe Debbie and I have the same closed hip setup or somethin'. LOL!!!!

Now the one move on that Bronze Moves test that REALLY SUCKS (and I'm sure most of you that have taken the Bronze Moves tests would agree) was the FORWARD POWER 3's!!! THAT MOVE SUCKS BIG TIME!!! I doubt I can even get them to passing standard now... (I think I got 2.4 from all the judges on that move. GRRRRR!!! But hey, it's an improvement from 2.0 and 2.1's!!! )

NOW to get the FO mohawks! That's my new "dreaded mohawks" at the moment...

Keeping on the thread's topic...

Foul Weather: EVERYTHING! I walk into the Oakland rink, only to find that the Olympic patch is all ripped up and the public session is held on the small NHL rink. Not that much of an issue right? It wasn't until I realized that public session was from 1-4pm and I got there about 2:30pm expecting to run into the beginning of a Zamboni run, only to find that when I step on the ice that b/c of the shortened hours that they were NOT gonna do an ice cut!!! GRRRR!!! Should have stayed with YB!!! GRRRRR!!! It wasn't a good session for me jumps and spins wise!!! I tried to land one of my loops clean and ended up taking a "big girl splat" instead. Don't worry! I'm fine!!! Thank goodness I have ample amounts of "natural padding" to land on! I tried to do a camel spin and almost fell on my face on some kid's gouge...

Fair Weather: The hot tub I was soaking in after the session at the nearby Oakland branch of my gym! Ahhhhhh!!!!

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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!!!

Looplover- congrats on your tests!

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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)

Fair Weather:

-I landed my flip and lutz today!! I started out with my standard two foot and then I got sent back to the blue line. Did a flip and then immediately landed on my backside which had my coach jumping up and down. Followed that up with 4 clean ones which made the crazy man say ok now try a lutz which I did and landed clean and with flow... I just stood there and stared for a minute while the crazy man (coach) just clapped and laughed and said yes you landed it.

-Managed a decent camel spin.

-Harry Potter book gets released this weekend (ok not skating related but still)

Foul:
Can we start an I hate toe-loops club (or cherry flips(??)for those across the pond)?

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Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal