Wow I have never known that rink to have bad ice, you dont know how lucky you are, hope it's ok soon.

Definitely YES! In fact, more like:



Good thing I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read that!

That's very unlike your rink! Hope it gets fixed soon.

As for me:

Trusting: We sent in our test papers for our Variation dance; hopefully will test on 29 October. Good runthroughs of everything we're working on - Husband's correction in the Willow has made a huge difference.

Fearful: Coach's Evil Exercises in my private lesson. Gliding straight on one foot while counter-rotating one's upper body? Sheessh......

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

I guess that goes to show how it is all relative, as I've never known that rink to have good ice.

Although to be fair, the other UK rinks I've been to are worse on average.

Trusting: Coach likes the FO power 3s, said she's seen worse pass. They just need some more time and smoothing out.

Fearful: BXOs to BO edges need work. Just wobbly and uncertain. I guess I'm trying to push them too much or something--never quite on the same part of the blade, etc--and the free leg is too far out to the side.

Trusting: Managed 6 revs, CCW, according to coach.
Fearful: CW spin and salchow so sucky (and CCW not suckier--in fact prep positions and spin position looked better CCW) that coach wants me to go CCW for a few weeks to see what happens. . . Oy!

Trusting: Prelim dances in good shape, ready for December testing. Coach handed me test sheet already signed; I just need to fill it out and send it in with the money.

__________________
"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Let's put it this way... we all waited 'til the guy drove away before BURSTING out in laughter!!!

BatikatII: BUMMER!!! Hope you get your ice back soon.

Fearful:
My technical program!!! Oh, dear! I think I'm gonna have to go back to my primary coach and say "I want my old footwork back b/c there's no way I can make that footwork he gave me look even remotely decent in 2.5 weeks' time for Skate SF."

I did another run thru and I chickened out of doing the lutz again on both runthrus!!!

Still need more speed in my transition... on BOTH the technical and the artistic programs!!!

Trusting:
The artistic program seems to be improving on the footwork... but I'll believe it when I see the results though.

__________________
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!!!

Trusting;
Skated and had lesson at a different rink today. Their ice was wonderful and the rink was nice and warm - can't think why I've never skated there before especially since they seem to have adults only sessions every lunchtime and huge amounts of patch ice.

Only drawback was not having full ice but as that was due to Dancing on Ice being there and I got watch T & D teaching a couple of celeb beginners I could live with the small ice surface.

Also did probably my best ever sit spin with a tracing to be proud of (why didn't I have my camera with me when I needed it!)

And landed my best ever Flip!

Just blah: Just a general blah day at the rink. Quite honestly after having a law school assignment due last night, I was a little tired from not getting as much sleep as normal the past few nights (and eating more bad food than usual the past few days doesn't help) and really tempted to sleep in, but I dragged my butt out of bed early and to the rink anyway. Thursdays I get a pretty hard gym workout in with my trainer/phys therapist, we're really working on strengthening/balancing out my leg muscle groups, so Fridays my legs are always still a little tired/sore. Back and abs are a little sore too. Nothing was really "bad," just a little sluggish but otherwise ok.

Still haven't landed the axel cleanly, BUT today by the end of my session, I was driving the knee up better and getting better height and that was helping to get over my right side more, so the landings were closer. Feels much more confident. I felt like if I were able to stay a little longer (versus having to mad dash to work), I would have gotten it.

Actually had really good height on the rest of my jumps today, even though my legs were a little on the sore side.

Spins were ick, wasn't really in the mood for doing many of them anyway.

This was my first blah/bad practice in weeks, but it still feels like I made some progress, so that's good.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Fearful I didn't skate synchro on Wednesday because of the achilles tendon issue, but decided I could do my 30 minute lesson yesterday. I don't think I could have done much more then that. I got there 20 minutes early, hoping to do some stroking, but it turns out instead I just relaced 6 times. So the Bungas are going away- they are just too thick, and cause some major pain, and now I need to order some Silipos. (I ended up skating with the right Bunga pad- since it only slightly pushes the tendon, and taping the left foot so I didn't get my skate cutting me. For some reason the left one caused some serious pain.)

Synchro coach has brought up the idea of doing twizzles (though I assume we wouldn't be doing real twizzles, but either consecutive 3s or else a 2 footed twizzle motion), so I asked my main coach to teach me them. She taught me the twizzle from the Argentine Tango- though she couldn't remember which one it was (outside?) HAHAHA Not a chance! I could sometimes do it on 2 feet, but even then I'd pause the motion and end up in a consecutive 3 turn. Then she had me really work on the counter rotation and round a corner at quite a bit of speed to work up the entry edge- and then I halted to a stop and she told me she knew I wasn't going to try the turn. Going that fast- no way! Anyhow, no successful attempts, but I think I have the upper body/leg preperation down, so it's something to work on.

Trusting
Did some backspins with my foot crossed. But I'm lacking the guts to just GO into it. We tried to speed up the spin, but then my foot doesn't cross. Either way, I'm consistently spinning now, and starting to get the idea of the exit. Worked a bit on my fwd-bck-fwd combo spin, which always spins, but the positions are never nice.

Did some crossrolls and I got great compliments on the forward ones (though I lack an underpush of the right side ) and got told my backward ones aren't as bad as I seem to think they are. That's promising- right?

Coach told me she thinks I'm really improving on everything we are working on- so that's a big compliment. She also told me she's just going to tape herself yelling, and have me put headphones on it and listen while I practice, because I apparently respond well to yelling. Then she told me she feels bad she's always yelling at me. I don't think it's yelling- more like spirited talking loudly. Yelling seems so negative, and she's not.

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Fearful

I haven't been on the ice since last Friday - Coach was at Regionals on Wed so I slept in and she was not happy to hear that.

Moves class- having trouble with back power pulls. Managed to do one inside and one outside edge on one foot. Hey it's a start.

Trusting - My waltz 3s were really good.

Went through my program in little bits at a time until I did it to music the last 5 minutes of my session. Think I'm going to ask coach next time to go over arm movements. I feel like I'm doing the same thing with my arms all the time.

j

You sound like my niece who attends Case Western Reserve Law School. Must be a tough curriculum!

__________________
Bill Schneider

Was that Slough? It is nice; we had a phase of skating their regularly, particularly when Husband was dancing with his Other Partner, who trains there.

Trusting: Good practice today. Another coach gave a quick eye to our Willow Waltz and gave us some tips.

Fearful: Sadly, we can't afford him regularly just now. Maybe if/when I get a job.... And our Willow is definitely fearful, alas....

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

Trusting: Backspin seems to finally be primarily consistent. Finally started getting camels to spin on a part of the blade that feels right and spin at least 3 times. Also found out from my primary coach that the attitude spin my secondary coach has me working on is really a layback !! (Just not a very good one since I don't have a lot of flexibility in my back, but still, now I can tell people, "I'm working on a layback!) Still getting one clean loop for every three except when I'm having a lesson. Also, did forward power pulls all the way down the rink, halfway on each foot, FINALLY. Home rink opens on Monday.

Fearful: Current use rink is SO COLD that yesterday and today I couldn't feel my foot above the heel by the time I took my skates off. Possibly this is why my loops are better at the rink my coach teaches at, where it's warmer?
Still HATE silver moves.

__________________
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

I go to Cleveland-Marshall. Actually...I find law school pretty easy...it's a lot of work but not hard [translation: I AM A HUGE NERD]. It's mostly my schedule that is hectic because I work full time and go to school part time. So M-Th I work 7:30am-4:30pm and then go to school from about 5-9:30pm. I have to squeeze in gym time during my lunch hour. Fridays I skate about 6:30-8am, then work 9am-6pm. It'll take me 4 yrs instead of 3, and I don't get to skate as much as I like--only about 4-5 hrs/week--but on the bright side, my company pays what's left of my tuition after scholarships. (I have plenty of student loans from undergrad and grad school already, don't need more).

My legs are now really sore from a combo of the gym yesterday and all the jumps I did today....

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Trusting:
I finally really felt like skating today, in spite of the fact that I'm coming down with a cold. FO threes are getting much better. My shoulders are really checking now. Did the BO eight in my lesson, and coach was quite happy with my push off into it. I've been doing a lot of work on those initial pushes, and Wed morning actually got all the way across the rink with just one push. Did Prelim power threes in lesson, but got interrupted so much by other skaters (public session & Jewish holiday), that I ended up just doing it at the ends, across instead of down the long axis. Also worked a little on Pre-Bronze three turn pattern, which my coach thinks is crazy to put on adults! I need to bend knees more and loosen up. It's passing, but not the way I want to pass! Did just a little on CW spinning, which I am sticking with this time. Backspin is already almost better than I was doing CCW after weeks, and weeks. I somehow have much better core body control and less trouble finding the spin spot when going CW. Even did some RBO threes. The confidence is returning at last, and I am really enjoying skating again.

Fearful:
This dratted cold that is looming!!! I do not need this on the weekend, when I have to be at work so long, and this weekend in particular, when I've arranged Sat night off so I could go to dinner at a new, very nice, expensive restaurant. Nothing like dinner out when you can't taste the food!

__________________

Ha, our "real" synchro team is prepping twizzles as well, and coach was having us do them in the same way--for example, RFO swing roll-change edge into RFI twizzle (I think that's the Argentine Tango twizzle--could be left foot too). Yeah, that change edge? NOT my strong point. I could just do the plain old RFI twizzle, once around at least, but not with the swing roll before it. Of course our newest member, who skated senior, demonstrated lots of these with great grace and ease. . .

I hope your Achilles starts feeling better!

__________________
"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Trusting
-Had a decent last practice before testing tomorrow. Moves were pretty good. I just need to remember to at least look like I'm confident.
-My coach was very reassuring after my program runthrough. She said it was easily, easily passable, and that the quality of my jumps and spins was superb. As long as I breathe, I can get through it.

Fearful
-Me! I'm terrified for tomorrow. I hate testing, I hate it I hate it I hate it.
-My right ankle is really sore. I mean, I know it will always be a problem after such a significant injury, but it's being particularly difficult right now. It gave out on me just doing a slide chasse in my footwork, then again doing something simple.

Well, testing is 7:15 am tomorrow morning! I'm doing pre-juv moves and (hopefully) freeskate. I'll let you guys know how it goes

__________________
Youtube Videos

Today

Fearful: Well I've done it. I've managed to make my landing foot's big toe all sore again. Yesterday after skating I took a shower and got lazy about taping up my big toes with my toe spacers (it's to relieve my hammer toe/bunion). My feet are now use to the toe spacers and so my toe didn't want to go back in the old position it use to be in before using the toe spacers. I skate, walk and sleep with the toe spacers. I have to buy myself some more epson salts and soak my feet a few times before next week when I skate again.

Right big toe caused me to limit my jumps.

Trusting:
Even though I was in pain, I knew that I couldn't make my toe worse so I went for as many jumps as I could before the pain took over to the point I couldn't stand it.

Waltz jump - good air for an Adult Bronze skater but trying to remember to land on the toe first.

Toe Loop - getting more air but sometimes I end up rotating too far.

Salchow - finally getting some deceit height on this jump. It's been forever since I could do better than almost walking it. It's funny because this was the jump that I was doing doubles with when I was getting my work place injury back in 2005. I guess I was nervous of popping up this jump subconsciencely before now since then.

Flip - getting even more air but still having trouble keeping my left leg wrapped around my landing leg after picking in and taking off but I have complete rotation.

Lutz - I sort of attempt them in my freeskate program but we haven't worked on them. I tend to delay and mess up the timing with this jump.

Loop - I've just about got this baby clean but not quite there. I'm still having an issue with keeping my leg crossed through to the landing and timing my arms coming in with the take off but I'm all the way around and landing on one foot most of the time. It's when I'm doing the loop in my program that I digress and do my old habits that I got after the 2005 injury. I also wasn't jumping as high as I was before getting my right big toe sore yesterday.

Sitspin - reg. position to broken duing lesson not sure how many revs they were but they were tighter and centered better than my coach's was. But after my lesson, I couldn't repeat the feat. Drat!

Forward Corkscrew Spin - getting faster yet

Skating Skills - 3's are getting a bit better especially my RFI3 that I do into my forward spins. It finally dawned on me that I need to keep my free foot behind my skating foot while doing the 3 turn. Dah!!! Once this clicked in after my coach had left, I tried doing my spins again and behold, I had more control of my spins again. Now if I can just get the gusts to do this with my clockwise 3's?!!

__________________
"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

Sending you calm nerves, quiet confidence and strong, clean edges!!!

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

Trusting
Had a really enjoyable session this morning. Saturday mornings are usually relaxed and social at our public session. Skated quite well too.

Haven't been able to do decent sit spins since switching to proflex boots in May, today Coach reminded me how to get my sit spin low, and suddenly I am getting them lower again, yay. Also helped me sort out my camel entry, hopefully that's going to improve again now.

Jumps were okay, nothing spectacular but okay.

fearful
Flip still isn't how I want it to be, hoping that will be on it's way back now I'm remembering (trying to, anyway) to keep my shoulders and hips squarer.

trusting
also enjoyed judging skate school tests today. Busy, but enjoyable.
Feaful
hate it when coach uses 1/2 my 15 minute lesson getting me to work on stroking stuff. So, I'm lazy, we know this. Even more frustrating is that I know she is right, I do need to focus on basics more. Me, I just want to fly!

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

Trusting - got down enough in my sitspin that I ended up, er, sitting. It wasn't exactly a great example of the element, but it's the closest I've gotten yet.

Fearful - still too chicken to loop or flip

__________________
It's all about the dress!

This is for Thursday, I've been really busy lately (story of my life)

Once again, I was the only one on the freestyle session. I got a bit of a scare when I arrived (late) because they said they were going to zam, I said it wasn't necessary and I wanted to just go on out and not wait. But they didn't (whew).

Did crossovers on the center circle and once I warmed up they were ok. Much better in one direction than the other. I have HUGE muscular/balance issues that I'm trying to compensate/overcome since my surgery. It's downright depressing. You would think that the leg on my affected side would be the one giving me fits, but it's the OTHER FRICKIN' SIDE!!! Could someone possibly explain THAT to me? I give up!!!

Anyway, I was off-balanced for landing my jumps and could not figure out what was going on. i did some really nice toe-loops tho. I did stick some backspins and loops in (coach ordered me to work on loops EVERY practice). Blech. If I could just NOT put that darn free foot down when I landed my loop I'd be ok. Whatever.

Scratch spins absolutely did not happen! I could not spin at all! Not even a 2-foot spin! Kept toppling out of them...then I remembered that the day before my left ear had been hurting and I'm thinking that I might have some head congestion (altho I felt pretty clear).

So I worked on the ISI 3 steps and the waltz-8.

So, today is Saturday and I was going to jump on my trampoline, or actually work on the loop jump landing but its kind of crappy outside so I'll do it tomorrow.

I need to start skating another day per week. There is absolutely NO WAY I can progress just skating 2 hours per week. With my rink cutting sessions like they've done and the restrictions they've added for publics (no jumping or spinning) with the new management, it sucks. I could skate at Easton on sundays, they have a 2-hour freestyle session for $12. It's a hike tho but some of the other ladies at my rink might want to carpool. It's a thought. Maybe as it gets closer to competition time. I need to do something, tho cause right now my skating sucks.

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

First of all, Im proud to announce that I'll be skating quite a bit next week due to the fact I get the whole week off from work!! WHOOHOO!! Basicly it's because parents will be in Cancun for their 25th anniversary, so Im stick with my 12 yr old sibs and pretty much from 8-4 I have the whole house and freedom to myself. So I'll be taking part in lunch skate, so hooray for extra practice!! Also, it's offical Im going to Massage Therapy school for 6 months AND I found an apartment! In relation to skating, that would mean Im not going to be able to skate all that much. So I told coach that I choreographed 4 programmes and she was like . But I explained that when I come back to the ice in late summer/early fall, then I'll be all set to compete. So basicly Im getting a head start for next year. Okay onto practice notes.


Trusting: -([I]trumpet fanfare[I] JUMP OF THE DAY GOES TO...drum roll please.....LOOP! YAY! Basicly that jump rocked today. It was very consistant, got lots of height, I didn't use my arms at all going into it and it was just really nice to do. So hooray loop jump.
-Flip would have gotten jump of the day, but I had a slight double footed landing the first time I tried it. However the rest of them were very very nice. Im glad to have gotten that jump back.
-My 10 waltz jumps in a row warmup
-Axel attempts really weren't all that bad. But it's sooooooo close. I lifted my left knee and two footed it. There was one where I was very very close. Perhaps during my additional practice I can land it. Its like my sis and her standing back tuck...so close, but no cigar I guess.
-SPIN OF THE DAY GOES TO.....another drum roll....SIT SPIN!!! HOORAY! That spin was really behaving today. My leg was actually straightening and I was able to hold it straight for several revs. Other times I was able to successfully change into a back sit. So hooray sit spin
-Camel spins weren't all that bad today, got a few revs and tried not to go on my toe. So I nod in approval to that.
-I had a spectacular layback when running my artistic for the first time. I must have held the pos for at least 5 revs. Hey thats a big thing for me..
-Programmes: "Evolution"- During our off ice lesson, my coach helped me with the begining of it and the footwork part. Its alot of fun. I showed the whole thing to my coach off ice and she liked it
"Le Jazz Hot"- Coach also helped me start choreographing that one. Its very showy and sassy..hehe...love it:-)
"Slow Me Down"-Didn't work on..sorry
"Music Box"- That was spectacular! This is just about my first run through! I love it! Yes I choreographed it myself and this is the first I feel really great about. Yes I had to improvise alittle at points because of pacing...but thats okay. Its just so balletlike and floating and I absolutely adore the music. (sighs happily) I really think this will be good when I get it all together and perfect it. The music is slow and will require alot of doing and move and holding it...almost like posing. Which is great for the doll on a music box concept.


Those were the good things and now for...

Fearful: Heh well I actually fell quite alot today on some really stupid things. First of all I was doing a layback, accidently looked up at the lights, fell and kicked the boards making it sound worse than it was.

When doing my ten waltz jumps...I more or less crashed into the boards.
Tripped over my toe picks...twice. The first time, I can't really remember, but the second I was more or less stroking around to 'We Will Rock You' and you know stomping and clapping to the beat and well stomp, stomp, crash... I felt like such a dork. Now my knees hurt really really bad.
When doing into a spin, fell off of my edge....right in front of my coach too.
When running through footwork, this elite boy was sort of coming in my direction...I sort of got distracted and down I went.
Scratch spins weren't really on today. I mean they weren't bad, but not as good as they normally are. They just weren't centering as good and holding onto the spin was alittle troubling.


That was it for fearful..pretty much just really dumb falls that shouldn't have happened. So overall very good practice, Im so glad about my 'Music Box' programme. Right after doing the run through I was like 'I love it' with a big smile. Normally Im like 'ughh I should have done this' 'Take that move out' or 'oh why am I not going with the music'. But this one it's just like 'Very nice, hold the moves alittle longer, fill in with a couple more grace elements, and it'll be awesome'. Okay Im done! Stay tuned next week

__________________
[i]Beauty May Be in the Eye of the Beholder
But passion is in the heart of a skater.[/I]

Well this practice story starts with me waking up at 10:30 pm. Yes I went to bed at 9 because I had gotten up at 4 and was planning to get up at 4 the next morning to get to Omaha at 8:30 and it's a 3 hour drive. Dance lesson and to meet my daughter - it's 3 hours for her too. So I wake up and realize I'd left my skates in my locker at the rink. I jump out of bed and look at the rink schedule in hopes that it's still open because often there's a hockey game until midnight and Lord knows I've driven down to the rink several times when my daughter has made the same mistake. Nope. No hockey game. Rink is closed. Rink doesn't open till 7 this morning.

Skating session in Omaha is over at 10 am. Normally I wouldn't even bother but I was brining stuff for my daughter and looking forward to seeing her. She took the 8:30-9:30 lesson. I just get to the rink about 9:30 and they are nice enough to only charge me $5 for a half an hour. There's like a a thousand kids on the ice and the ice is horrible.

Very frustrating lesson. This coach is very good but very exacting and very into details and I just find that frustrating and discouraging. But usually I get a very quick fix with her so I guess it's worth it.

We just worked on dance stroking and here's the picky part, bend before you change feet, that's so hard for me to remember and even do....extend, straighten and bring leg back at the same time, rebend BEFORE you put the other foot down then push...She said if it makes me feel any better she makes all her pre-gold and gold dancers work on this too. Then we worked on chasses and trying to get better edges. Then we did it to music and the edges went out the window.

Very discouraging.

j

Fearful
You think I'd know this by now:
too much red wine the night before and spins do not mix !
Don't look down at your spin tracings before you stop spinning

Camel spin position is rather lame, apparently body is not anywhere near low enough and free leg is way too low. Sigh, I'll get it back one day.

Trusting
Another enjoyable practise, though rather chaotic (public session).
Overall I am really happy with my skating this weekend. Gives me hope for further improvement and progress.

__________________
Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !

Trusting: Ice and lesson both better than last week!

Fearful: How are you supposed to know where your partner is going when they don't go where you expect?

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