Well, Sunday was not Stupendous even though it was Thanksgiving Sunday. I played guitar and flute alright at church in the Worship Team but I couldn't play as much flute as we had planned and had to switch to guitar and sing because I was all stuffed up.

Sick: Yup, that's what Sunday was and today too. I woke up all stuffed up on Sunday with my chest and back in pain but got ready for church anyway because the worship team needed me. Usually, I play about 5 of the 7 songs with my flute. Flute requires you to use ever once of your lung compacity. I had very little on Sunday. Which brings me to skating. Since I was so congested and stuff, I ditched the idea of skating on the public session in Tecumseh where I can do as I please anywhere in the rink as long as I watch for others. I ran to one clinic and found that I would have had to wait a life time to be seen by a doctor. Then I went to another. This doc although knew figured out what has been plaging me. I have these sinuses that forever drip into my throat which then run into my chest. My Clarintins weren't helping me anymore. So he switched me to Reactin and put me on Zithromax. But that's not all. He said that I was/am suffering from Allergy and Exercise Induced Asthma and gave me a Beclomethasone (nose spray) and Salbutomol (Inhaler). I read the box from the SAlbutomol and it said sabutamol sulphate. Does that mean that the sabutamol has sulfa in it? I haven't taken it yet for two reasons. One, I'm allergic to sulfa and if it has sulfa in it, it would kill me. Second, if it doesn't have sulfa in it, I have to get the proper forms filled out and faxed on to Skate Canada because it's one of those drugs on the fence where in most cases it's a banned substance except for asthma. So is there sulfa in it?

I haven't taken the Beclomethasone either because I'm suspecting that it's the same as the Salbutomol. In the mean time, I'm still trying to beath here and suffering. My coach won't know about this until tomorrow at skating.

__________________
"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

Singer - ask your doc about albuteral. It's been around for ages (I use it before I skate my programs). It's so common, I would think it would be ok with Skate Canada.

Sick - My back. It hurts, and I do not like it one little bit. The doc gave me meds, stretches and exercises. I have a competition in two weeks, and I'm wondering if it's worth it to even bother trying to prepare. I'm thinking I should probably take a week or so off the ice. I'm pretty much ok when I skate, as long as I don't do a jarring jump landing. Can't do any sit spins, though, and camels are a bit sore too.

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

sk8er1964, Have you tried one of those therapy pools at one of the local gyms for your back? Just in case its a pulled muscle make sure to soak in the cool pool for a half hour first and then go stretch in the therapy pool. Wish, I could do that with the asthma thing.

singerskates

__________________
"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

singerskates, can you call your pharmacy on the sulfa question? I don't know how it works over there, but in the U.S., doctors generally have relatively little pharmacology training, and it can be appalling how things get prescribed -- I've seen people just handed a box from the doctor's drawer that was left there by the last drug company sales rep. without a second's thought about other drug interactions, allergies, etc.

-- wannask8

aww poor you!!!!!
Sorry to hear about the the sickness ! Better luck next time

Well, after sleeping until 1 pm today, I finally called the pharmacy that filled my perscription. It turns out that there isn't sulfa in it. I also told them the missing thing I was allergic to that I couldn't remember the last time I was there; the sulfa.

It took me until about 4:30 pm or so to get up the courage to take the asthma meds. It sort of helped but I have a long way to go before I'm feeling well enough to skate.

Phoned my coach to tell her the news about the cold, infection and
the asthma. My coach forbade to come to the rink to skate and to stay
home and rest today. She said if I did come to the rink today, that
she wouldn't coach me anymore. She knows I'm severely addicted to
skating because I told her about having the ovarian cyst surgery and
getting back on the ice a month and half later and then competing
just a little over 5 months after surgery where most ladies who have
the surgery, don't do anything but light walking for more than 6 to 8
months. She knows, I push myself beyond the beyond. She thinks I was
crazy for competing so soon. A month later in April I pulled off a
silver in my freeskate and a bronze in my interpretive FS. I've been
gaining and gaining in my skills this past month stuggling to
breathe. Now I just have to get over the cold and infection and get
use to my asthma meds. The preventative makes me feel a bit dizzy but
I noticed I could breathe a bit better through the nose and the
salbutomol opened up my lungs a bit but with the infection, it might
take until tomorrow before I don't have pain in my lungs. I'm hoping
I feel much better tomorrow so I can skate. It was hard to stay home
and not skate.

I slept until 1pm today. Everytime I tried to wake up, I'd fall back
asleep. I guess, struggling to breathe really takes it out of you.

Can't wait until the cold and infection are gone.

__________________
"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

Well figured I'd report on my practice today
Stupendous - My coach over booked herself so I'm now taking turns having lessons with another coach and my main coach. It's fun because they both focus on different parts of skating so I'm sure it'll be pretty good in the long run!
My sit spin got tons better...way lower. My camel had a few more rotations but my coach said that my arm positions were still off and I needed to keep my head up. My skating in general was quite powerful today...lots of strong pushes on power circles!
My Ten-Fox was pretty ok today, but I can't get the pattern right on the 2nd side.
Jumps in general were pretty good.
Sick - Well I just got spacers put between my teeth and they hurt TONS.
Not much practice on axels today...I did a few waltz jump-back spins that ended up being very cheated axels but that was all.
FLYING CAMELS...urgh sometime's they're wonderful but then other times I can't do anything right for them!
And there were lots and lots (well 6) of kids who were just off of Canskate though I don't know how because they can barely skate confidently...

Spacers are by far the worst episode of braces! Ergh, that constant feeling of having something stuck between your teeth. I was actually relieved to get the braces on.

Hope you get better soon singerskates, and stay away if your coach says so, it took me forever to find my coach!

Sick: I did water arobics Monday, and while I didn't notice it then, today I did, and my upper legs are really sore! Must have been something new that we did because I haven't been sore there before.

Stupendous: Monday was an ok day, worked on this that and what not, nothing spectacular. Today I had my coach, we worked on, forwards and backwards crossovers, power 3 turns, bunny hops, and one foot spins. Everything went pretty good, she complained when I told her about my not doing bunny hops as I thought I was doing them wrong so I didn't really play with them. We also talked a bit about entering an upcoming competition, and what I need to work on to actually compete in it. So it ought to be fun considering my memory!

Steven

__________________
"A sure sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." - Albert Einstein
"A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular." - Adlai Stevenson
"Got Edge?" - Steven J. Arness - Coachless, two years and counting.
"He who carves himself to suit others will soon whittle himself away."
"Sometimes you get what you want but loose what you have."

I do hope all the coldy ones are feeling better now.

Sick: Last night went relatively okay; we were a bit later getting on the ice than we meant to be, so stayed on to figure club. We had enormous problems with our back chasses in Kilian hold, we keep kicking each other.... Gack. But this morning, I don't know what happened to Robert but he was having a Bad Skate Day. We ran through all our dances, including our now Free, was Original Dance, and were reasonably okay when we started, except I messed up the beginning of the Canasta Tango so we had to start again, but his solo dances were dreadful. Oh well, I expect - hope - they'll have recovered by Sunday. They'd have need to!

In my lesson I discovered I was - not quite wimping out of my inside-outside changes of edge, but allowing myself to slow down before the crossover, in order to remain firmly in control. Deep sigh. Back inside edges were atrocious, back outside ones less so, and I actually gained momentum on my second side.

Stupendous: My friend laughed at my new Creative programme, even though it's not yet finished.

I was moaning to my coach about wimping out on turns and jumps and so on, and commented that as little as three months ago, at Bracknell, I was happy enough to be able to do a turn sequence in my free dance, never mind whether it covered the ice or not, I never noticed that it didn't. He said, "Yes, your skating's definitely gone up a level recently!"

All the same, while I'm delighted to hear it, it does make life more difficult when I want more flow in everything......

Edited to remove an appalling typo that I hope nobody else noticed!

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

Stupendous
Back on the ice for the first time in 5 months.
Terrified my feet would be in agony the minute I put my boots on, (my poor malformed feet were starting to recover but lately they've been growing extra knobs and bits on), dreading my first steps on the ice in case I just trip or freak out with how scary it is.
There were 5 of us on the ice - I knew everyone.
My feet were agony, or the right one was, but I grinned and beared it!
I tried an upright spin first (I skated around a bit first and I had a jog/stretch beforehand!) and it was ok. I felt a bit dizzy though.
Then I did a sit spin, and so far so good. The things I felt most insecure about were the entries or the take-offs into a jump. I tried a camel, and YIPEEDOODAA I could do it. I am so happy for my camel!
OK, next it had to be the backspin...or at least several inside 3 turns to GET to the backspin, failed/aborted/no good. Glad to see SOME things haven't changed. Back to laalaa land on the backspin.

I tried a few 3 jumps, a salchow and a small cherry!
Still hate the toe-loop.
Bottled out of trying the loop flip and lutz.
Maybe next time!

Sick
The backspin - what can I say?
Did I really expect it to be there after 5 months of solid neglect?

__________________
MEL
Absolute Skating

Stupendous
* Did an axel-loop for my coach on Monday! It's the first time he's seen me do it (it only happens occasionally).
* Fixed my flying camel takeoff.
* Started working on double loop again and came reasonably close a couple of times.

Sick
* Flying sit is frustrating right now! It's either REALLY good or REALLY bad; I know it's just temporary as it improves, but I hate falling out of it.
* So tired of adult gold MIF. But I'm going to try the test again in December.

Sick: FAST LFO edge in figures position... better but no cigar!!!

Stupendous: I managed ONE good set of alt back crossovers... ones that my SECONDARY coach actually liked!!!

Roca & Sur are back again!!! When my coach told me to "MOVE IT! Get GOING!", Renee Roca was so funny -- she said "Yeah! Get going!" in this teasing tough coach tone and does this cute hand whipping gesture. I said "Yes, Ms. Roca!" back in the equally joking "I'm tired as hell... but I'll do whatever you tell me to!" tone.

I love being a WHUPPIN' POST!!!

__________________
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!!!

First day back on the ice didn't happen. I had my skates in the van but never took them out. I thought I'd see how I could handle the cold just sitting outside of the rink watching for a few minutes. My lungs weren't ready so the skates stayed in the van and I saved on Ticket Ice costs. I had to go to the rink anyway because we have our coaching fee payments due every month on the 15. So I watched the ticket ice and then most of the 1st club session before leaving to go home. I'm thinking I'll be OK by Friday to skate. Just wasn't ready today. I do feel more alert
and not dizzy or spaced out like yesterday from my asthma medication though.

Well, will you guys share with me what you did on the ice today because I didn't get to play? What was stupendous and what was sick?

Brigitte

__________________
"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

Interesting night... Somewhere between stupendous and sick, I think.

How on earth does anyone practice back edges on full ice? I can't get more than two lobes before some kids playing tag or someone doing laps or the ice dance couple go right through my pattern. I try really hard to stay out of the way, but I cannot think of a time when I could do more than 2 lobes, grrr...

I start a new session of lessons in Freestyle 1 this Saturday. Right now there are 6 skaters, 3 kids and 3 adults. I'd really like to improve what I'm doing so that I can start working on the Freestyle 2 stuff, too. What's holding me back the most is the edges and that's because they're harder than hard to practice. And the waltz jump (my idiot brain is holding me back on this one, LOL!)

I know that I'm ready to start working on a one-foot spin and my spirals would pass Freestyle 2 already. I'm really anxious to learn the dance step footwork, mostly.

It's not that I want to squeeze by on my edges -- I actually like doing them, but it seems the best place to practice them is actually in the lesson when we have room and we're all moving across the short axis of the rink.

Anyway...
Syncho is getting a little better. We still skate much faster than I like, but at least I know I'm not causing all of the issues. We've got some of our faster skaters at the heads of the lines and they have been sort of jumping the gun when it comes to moving in a line -- our choreographer finally realized that this is why the tail of the line is always scrambling to get into position. So now they're waiting a beat until we all get our arms back up and it's 100% better! And I'm also NOT the issue in the S pinwheel -- there's a crack-the-whip thing happening with the skaters on the ends of the S and that's why I feel like I'm being torn in two.

I'll make it! Eventually ......

Have you watched any video of your team practices yet? If not, have someone video for you.

singerskates--
If your doc or pharmacist hasn't gone over this already, you might also want to ask your pharmacist to show you the correct way to use the inhaler--some doctors prescribe them but don't instruct their patients about the right (and wrong ways) to use them. I haven't used one in a while, but I recalled that I had to exhale first and my doctor told me not to close my lips around the inhaler while I inhaled--the idea being to inhale rather than to suck on the medicine. I struggled with exercise/illness induced asthma for a while in high school, right during winter track season.


Sick--
I'm sick too, so I had to cancel my private lesson this week. I'm hoping I'll be feeling well enough to practice tomorrow night and go to my group FS lesson on Saturday! We have only 2 lessons left before the test and haven't started working on the toe loop or the backspin!!

Stupendous--
Took edge class on Sunday and it was marvelous as usual. Very difficult--for a second there during class, I thought I'd have to do a FO3 choctaw choctaw choctaw combination but luckily only the most advanced skater in the class had to do that one! But still, there was a really tough back stroking exercise that I had to do. It was like back cross rolls only instead of the foot progressing from in front to in back, the foot stroked and extended in back off ice and then came around front. I'm not sure what that is--back cross strokes? We also had to do a killer (but good) exercise around a circle--only the second push of a forward crossover. Deathly hard on the calf muscles!! The arm-free mohawk combo I had to do with arms so as to feel safe enough to do them!

Ska8er1964,

Boy, aren't was a pair. Take care of that back and definitely steer clear of sitspins for the time being. That is what I was doing when I initially hurt my back. Bummer! I hope you will get to compete in 2 weeks (less than that now). If you do, I'll be there to cheer you on!!!!

I skated a bit today. I'm very limited at the moment because of my back. I did a few spins, and jumps just to make sure I didn't forget, then got off the ice. It's so much fun, even though it does hurt. I just need to touch base with the ice now and then.....no matter how stupid it may seem. The doctor has said that I can, as long as I take it easy, so that's what I've been doing. 1/2 hour a week. What the heck, the damage is done now anyhow, so I might as well play a bit before my surgery. (I'll be going in on December 4th for a fusion........it's been a long 2 years of trying everything conservative.....I'm at the end of the road, so fusion it is).

What level in your freestyle program would have jumps from waltz to lutz including jump combo's (flip/loop and so one) and all basic spins (forward, backspin, sit spin and camel) plus camel/sit? This is where most who have just passed the Canadian prelim test are at.

Brigitte

__________________
"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

Singer you dont' need a combo spin ie.. camel/sit.. OR a lutz to pass a canadian prelim test.. You know that!:-)

You know what? If I stand in the middle of the ice and wave my arms for the entire 2:40, I'll still medal (pewter - fourth out of four). So I'm leaning on competing anyway, because darn it! I don't want to scratch again because of injury (Midwestern Sectionals, Ann Arbor Spring Invitational were the last two). So, if nothing else, there's a good restaurant/bar at the rink where we can go and celebrate my "injury-medal". Isn't that the fun part of being an adult skater?

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

The socialising? Sure is! And it simply isn't the same if you aren't competing - I don't know why it's not, but it's not. You go out there and do the best you can, Skater1964, injured or not - you can't control what the judges do, and you can't control what the other skaters do; all you can do is skate the best you can on the day, and see what happens. If it's 4th out of 4 (we don't get 4th place medals in this country, which is a pain), so be it.

Anyway, having said that, skating is getting more frustrating than ever. Last night was Dance Club, which normally doesn't count as it's one of the things we train for, rather than train at. However, with a competition on Sunday, training was the name of the game last night. Robert was skating much better than he had on Wednesday, which frankly wouldn't be difficult, but I have reached a new level of awareness - so I know, for instance, that I'm not pushing quite as hard on the right ronde step in the Riverside Rhumba as I am on the left. I don't think it will matter, as I'm on the inside of the curve on the right, but it irritates me!

A high-level skater was very kind and gave us some constructive criticism, mainly reminding me to look up, and to try to keep our Canasta very Tango-ey. I hope we can....

We did two Swing Dances, and on the first I was pleased to find I could push into the 3-turn at the beginning. Whether I'll be able to at Oxford, when I'll be tired by the time we do it, is another matter.

As it's primarily a social dance session, Robert and I also had a go at the Foxtrot, but found it difficult to get the timing right for my Mohawk at the end of it. I'm not sure, and nor is he, what he's supposed to be doing while I'm doing it - I know it's a back run, but at which bit do I push on to which edge?

We'll get it sorted sooner or later..... it's fun to be able to do it with him. Once I can do the 14-step with him, which I hope to do soon, we'll really be getting somewhere.

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

I had a great lesson today. Quite surprising really since I spent half the night tossing and turning with severe pain in my face due to sinusitis! Also felt very hot and cold all the time. Getting hot at all at our rink is a miracle at the moment as it's absolutely freezing.

My coach handed me my test application form today for me to send off - EEEEEEK!, so I worked at that to begin with. I'm testing both Level 2 Elements and Free. I ran through my elements as they are in the test and my coach said I had no problems with them at all. Little does she know that when my nerves get going it'll be a miracle if I do a back spin!!! I ran through my programme twice and both times it went well and I felt comfortable with it, so I have no excuse really as far as this test goes.

After my lesson and a well earned cup of coffee I returned onto the ice to do our weekly jumps class. We worked on a few spins then all my jumps up to lutz. Needless to say I've had no problems landing my lutz cleanly ever since two-footing it at the British.

I managed a few decent parallel-sit spin combinations today too which was pleasing so I've come away a very happy skater, but a nervous one!!!

Nicki

Good luck, Nicki -- nice to have such positive reinforcement at your lesson.

As for me:

Sick: Only skating about fifteen minutes today.

Stupendous: Getting reacquainted with the same ice that whacked me upside the head and back so badly last week -- and not reinjuring myself. I was kind of anxious about it, especially because there was literally no one else around, but just focused on steady forward stroking while wearing my new Skatesafe crash pad spine protector, just in case (thanks for the tips, jazzpants!). My back is still rather stiff and sore, but things warmed up a bit and felt better after a few minutes. At the very end, I couldn't resist a minute of back stroking -- just a minute -- and it felt pretty fine!

It wasn't much, but I just didn't want to wait a long time to get back out there and have some humongous psychological hurdle to overcome. Five more weeks 'til recovery, according to the physical therapist . . ..

-- wannask8

Thanks very much Wannask8. I know I CAN do it but it's getting to grips with the nerves that's the hardest thing!!!

Nicki