In honor of the blinking clocks that greeted me this morning after a rain storm.

Electricity - had a good skate and stayed cool this weekend. Lutz loop loops doing well, taught a young skaterhow to do a camel-jump camel.

Power outage: My Harlicks are lemons. I've tried and tried, and now they are being widened. We'll see.....

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

Continuing from Friday's last LTS session lesson:

Electricity:
-Passed my adult basic 2s and 3s. Whee! On to 4s! (is that it for adult basics--pre-bronze follows basic 4??)
-got to skate a bit on Sunday's public session with DD and MIL.

Power outage:
-Still feeling unsteady since the layoff of vacation. I think it's a combination of my skates needing a sharpening plus not having my usual thrice-weekly workouts (30-35 min cardio + weights). I feel week and my stamina's not great.
-Most of yesterday's session was done with DD hanging on for dear life, so I didn't do much in the way of true practicing. Still, a good upper body workout pulling her around.
-Ended yesterday's session with a lovely face plant. See above regarding poor stamina. . .

From my (admittedly limited) understanding of what "Adult Basics" covers, I think after completing it, you need to move into one of the higher levels on the "regular" Basic Skills track - your instructor can tell you which one to sign up for. As far as I know, the Adult Basic Skills classes don't cover all of the elements in the standard Basic Skills track - I think the rationale behind the Adult Basics was to teach the basics to adults looking to skate recreationally, whereas the philosophy behind the general Basic Skills program is to give kids the background they need for freestyle, and ultimately, testing and competition.

Once you have "passed" the skills in Basic 8, you can move on to freestyle group lessons - at this point, many skaters (adults and kids) choose to supplement group instruction with private coaching, or just switch to privates altogether. While learning freestyle elements, your coach (if you are in privates) can also start working with you on Pre-Bronze moves, if you indicate to him/her that testing is your goal.

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

Yeah, what Debbie S. said! At my rink it works pretty much the same way. Once you've passed Adult 4 you move on to the Freestyle levels (1-6). Some stay in group lessons, some get a private coach, some do both. A lot depends on what your goals are.

Personally, I switched over to private lessons and dropped the group lessons. One of our adult ladies does group and private. A man that was in the class stayed and also took up private ice dance lessons.

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

Electricity:
I hit my sit-backsit-I spin at practically 90% today and similarly for the layback. Flying camel and combination spin was a little less steady but still generally a good spin day.

I did all my program run throughs one after another during lesson (footwork, artistic, freestyle) and didnt get nausea. So thats great too!

I also hit all my required elements!

I tried on all my skating dresses and they were finally looking decent (after quite a few modifications)

I am happy to be leaving for competition in this state

Power outage:
Really nothing much, just that if everything was 100% rather than 80-90% that would be better but I'm fairly happy today

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~
Tidesong

Electricity
Well what a difference a day makes. I had a good skate today. I don't want to jinx it but I think spending 3 hours yesterday doing edges helped. Inside edges felt less swingy. Willow waltz overall is still not good - the edge before the mohawk can be quite diagonal and flat. But I think its better. I do hate our narrow rink though - makes the first step forwards after the chasse impossible. I will have to try to get to a bigger rink this week.

I did 2 axels without a thud landing. I did a few more like it but not fully rotated. Is my axel on its way back...........

flying camels were good - so good that I felt adventurous and tried a flying camel into back sit. Didn't work but it was fun.

Hit every sit-change-sit too. Yay! So I went for a sit-change-sit-change-sit. Didn't work but nevermind.

Step sequence in my free dance was better - coach said yesterday the power I previously had at the beginning had gone but I think I found it again today.

And thankfully camel spins were better. Still not good but better.

One of the other skaters on the session landed her flip for the first time today. I heard her coach cheer and I had to look over. She did about 5 or 6 more too. It was really nice to see - they were so happy. I don't even really know or like this girl but it made me happy that she got that jump. I love it when people get new elements! Some people at my rink get really jealous or just criticise or do the usual 'oh but they skate every day/have been skating for years/didn't really do it properly actually/have been learning it for ages about time they got it!'. I don't like that attitude. If someone else gets something before you then all you can do is work hard to get it yourself. What is the point of wanting to take that element away from the other skater? If you wish they couldn't do it then that is like saying you want to win or be the best without the hard work but instead by taking other people's achievements away.

Sorry slight diversion. But it bothers me.

Power outage
A week of not really practising jumps may have helped my axel but my lutz went all funny. I fell over on the 1st one Got a bit better but I need to make sure it doesn't get neglected.

Double salchow - couldn't rotate any of them and only got 2 on one foot. Weird. Good axel day bad double salchow day. That never happens.

The 2 teachers on the ice today didn't have keys for the music box and neither did management (apparently - although I don't believe them - I think they just didn't want us to play our skating music - but it was patch ice!). There were only 3 of us skaters on the ice today and it would have been perfect for me to get some programme run throughs but I couldn't. Really a shame. Our rink is so silly.

Total Power Outage: Have some kind of coldy, fluey-type lurgy and can barely get out of bed, never mind skate. Grrrrrrrr...... especially as it means missing our couples lesson this week, and the Husband is going hiking with the Daughter next weekend, so he will be really stiff next week, and probably barely able to skate!

Just hope to goodness I'm back on the ice tomorrow!

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

Electricity:

Wheeee! I can do forward cross-strokes. Not like sort of do them. I can actually do the move. It's nice to have something I'm working on for silver come easily. Spent waaaay too much lesson time today trying to do a LBO 3 turn. I think I had a mental block. I did several after it was over. My LFI/RBO and RFO/LBI turns are better though, but controlling that axis is tough.

Electricity:

• Obvious one... BIG HUGE RELIEF to know that if I do my Bronze Moves it's b/c I WANT to do them, not b/c I HAVE to... (And I still did on Sunday afternoon and last night...well what little I can do with the Monday night crowds... b/c it's a good warmup routine! I also know that my coaches will put some of this stuff in future FS programs, so I better keep it fresh just in case.)
• I landed ONE flip!!! Barely!!! It stayed for 2 seconds and that's as long as it's willing to hold. But it's a clean landing!

Power outage:

• No Loops!!! GRRRR!!!
• Right lower back is hurting so it took a while for my lower back to warm up to the point where I can do really good sit spins! I really need to go see my chiro!

__________________
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!!!

Power Outage:
Spirals today could have been more stretched. The free leg is at hip level at least but I want it higher.

Electricity:
my coach introduced me to silver moves today. Even as I get ready to test Bronze MIF in December, we are anticipating the next level.
Loops: still growing. landed some, didn't land some.

After my lesson I was practicing back spins. Finally did one 3 revs. After I brushed out, I caught a glance from my coach. From accross the rink, she points to me with this look: and says aloud "I SAW THAT!" (whoo-hoo! another rare success sighting by my coach when it mattered!) way cool.
Also did a camel spin 2 revs. I held the enty edge a little longer instead of rushing it like I normally do. Also it felt more correct in that normally I feel a sensation of dragging backwards leading with the free leg behind. But today I felt more of a forward motion which felt more correct. So I know I had to be doing something right! I would love to do a beautiful catch-foot camel someday! they are my favorite spin.

Power Failure! OOPS! Toward the end of last Tuesday’s session I was rolling from a RBO to an RBI when I heard and felt something pop in my right ankle. It didn’t hurt then but the next morning it was VERY sore and weak. I went to the rink the next day and it felt swollen and painful in my skates so I told my coach I was going to pass. It didn’t feel much better Thursday so I missed a second day.

(On Saturday I got my skates sharpened and also had the blades reset on my new custom Jackson Elites.)

Absolutely Electric! After being off the ice for a week, everything came back together quickly and almost all my elements (so far) were working well: forward and backward glides, forward and backward sculling, stroking, and slaloms, all forward edges, back inside edges, and forward CCW cross-overs. Back outside edges were poor and on forward CW cross-overs, I wasn’t getting enough hip rotation to get my left foot over my right.

In the second hour I switched from my (old) Jackson Competitors to my brand new custom Elites and was surprised to find that within 10 minutes I was doing all my elements in my new boots! My coach commented that I was WAY faster in the Elites (probably because they are a heavier boot). I found they fit extremely well and only need to be bumped out in a couple of places. Being a custom boot and a better fit, I was able to lace them tighter than my old boots and had more lateral ankle support and only a slight decrease in knee-bend.

All in all, an EXCELLENT session!!!

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

I'm posting from a lesson forever and a day ago (Saturday), LOL!!

Electricity: Warmed up on some lovely ice -- two other skaters and me! Back crossovers are far less toe-pick-y than they were, woo-hoo! I'm even starting to hear a rip on the first push. Used to be I could only rip if I were just pumping backwards, so this is much better!! Skidding all over on FO edges -- need to get my blades sharpened, so I left my skates and will pick them up tonight before Synchro.

Figured out a way to make the BO 3's not so scary -- I just convince myself that I'm skating backwards, then doing a slide chasse (which is a move I LOVE). Suddenly my BO3s are my best turns! Coach doesn't mind me thinking whatever I need to think to get the turn, but always appreciates the way I can explain myself into making a simple turn a BIG PRODUCTION.

Then she helped me realize that my spin isn't working well because I'm taking my outside edge the wrong direction -- once I re-aimed it was a smidge better. Again, I need to stop thinking about the step onto the FO so much and just do it. GRRR!!! Wind up is good and spin is good, albeit slooow and with three revolutions because I'm not pushing hard enough into it, but that choctaw sucks rotten eggs. Which is funny, because I have actually found that unless I'm going into a spin, I really like choctaws and enjoy practicing them. In fact, I'd rather do a trillion choctaws than any three turns or back swing rolls (my current WORST nemesis). They just make my feet feel pretty and I LOVE anything that makes me feel pretty on the ice.

Worked a bit on half-flip, getting more pop by picking behind my left ear instead of exaclty straight back from my right hip. Surprised myself a couple of times, but to anyone watching, I'm sure it looks like I'm only jumping high enough to pass a sheet of paper under my blade...

Also managed one or two BO pivots. We're considering putting a pairs spiral in the Synchro program and, though I have a darned good position on my spiral, I'm one of the taller skaters (ha! I'm 5' 5") on the team and think I may end up as the "man" in this move, rats!

Power Outage: Back swing rolls and back cross rolls. Why? I HATE, HATE, HATE BO edges. Blah! I actually get so far as to get my foot properly crossed behind, then I move it before I set it down. I struggle from the BO edge to BO edge, though I'm OK in line for our synchro footwork -- just not secure enough to do it on my own yet. GRRRR!!!!

Electricity:
Forward and back power perim moves are on edges!! Felt every powerful today!!
Spins were good too. Loop is starting to show up sporadically. Salchow just plain felt nice and smooth.

Power Outage:
I hate, hate, HATE power threes!! I push going into the three, push on the undercut, but it sure doesn't feel like it!!
For some reason, toe loops were just not present today.

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Electricity: Got up early and went to an earlier "freestyle" than usual. The ice was BEAUTIFUL and there were only 5 of us on the ice -- all adults, 3 of us doing figures. Fantastic.

Got to work on my Bronze Moves finally feeling like I could use the whole ice and not crash into anyone and they are getting better!!

Working on some dances, too -- I would like to take the Paso and maybe the Starlight sometime in the next year and so getting back into that more -- feels good! yea!!

Power Outage: POWER 3s!!! If I could get away with slow-motion power 3s (just on the one side) on the test I would take it tomorrow! That damn step forward!! (note to self: It's getting better, it's getting better..." - maybe hypnosis is the next step!!)

Wish I had more time to really work on everything!

Too much to learn -- so little time!!!

__________________
Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Power outage:

• Secondary coach is out sick with somethin' I can barely figure out what she was saying on her VM to me b/c her voice sounds like CRUD!!!
• Body is still trying remember what a salchow is. I landed it clean and all, but the flow sure feels weird.
• The ditch is WORSE than last Saturday morning's test session!!!
• 19 people on my FS session and the majority of them are high FS skaters!!! (Axels or above.) Never mind we have our one adult pair skater going platter lifts!!! EEEEEK!!! SOOOOO relieved that I don't have to do those Bronze moves patterns today! With the ditch and 19 skaters on the ice (not including the coaches...) it's a MAD HOUSE this morning!!! YIKES!!!

Electricity:

• Spins are there after warmup up the hips some...
• Landed one loop cleanly (though quite unexpected!) and almost landed another one towards the end of the session. Also landed a couple of flips.
• More well wishes and congratulations from my fellow skaters!!! REALLY appreciate the well wishers, though the next words coming out of their mouths are "So when are you testing Bronze FS???" (For the record, depends on who you ask. If you ask me and my secondary coach, answer is "When I have a steady loop." If you ask my primary coach, answer is "SEPTEMBER!!!" )

__________________
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!!!

Ditto!

I hate 'em too!!! (Note: I didn't pass this particular move on my last test session!)

Three words that will help you guys get more power though... BEND KNEES DEEPLY!!! It will give you more stability to push harder!!!

__________________
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!!!

Power Outage: Need SLEEP!!! - VERY tired - awakened by thunderstorms at 2 a.m.!

One of the senior coaches had commented to my coach about my reluctance to fall and how I manage to catch myself before going down so I took a spill on the CW cross-overs! Actually, there was a toe pick involved but we wont tell anybody that!

Almost Electric: Despite being tired today’s session went well. We did everything from the previous session (except back outside edges) in addition to making some substantial improvements in my CW cross-overs and starting on 3-TURNS!

Considering I could hardly keep my eyes open, I did better than I had any right to expect (though I did cut out 15 minutes early)!

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

Power Outage: No skating today (or Sunday); which is just as well, I've finally got my sewing machines back and need to get some sewing done and some projects finished. I just ordered more fabric for 2 new custom dresses. I need to get them mostly done before we get ice. Probably won't be able to skate for about 2 weeks because of my schedule....

Electricity: my off-ice stretching is going very well, really working on that tight hamstring is going very slow but it's going. Painful but the physical therapist said it would be. Time to break out my maxi-flex strap.

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

Electricity:

I wore my half-finished interp dress to practice yesterday and it felt great. The skirt length was fine (it's a dance dress) and, even though it's sleeveless, I really wasn't cold.

Power Outage:

During the run-through of my interp program, some people got in my way and I 2-footed my flip (which is my best jump!), plus, our sound system was acting up, so I really couldn't even hear my music.

After group lessons, our club held a farewell party for my coach, who is moving to Virgina Beach. One of my friends created a beautiful slideshow of pictures with very sappy music in the background and I don't think there was a dry adult skater eye in the house.

Just as she was getting in her car to leave the rink, we gave her a big adult skater group hug.

ETA - I hope this great testing streak continues, as one of my friends is taking her Pre-Bronze MIF & FS tests this Saturday!

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I've got mad salchow disease!

Blackout! NOTHING was working in the first hour today, nothing at all!

Let There Be Light! By the second hour and second lesson, everything came back! Ran through all the moves with my coach and she was happy with everything. Back outsides need some polish and 3-Turns are come-and-go but everything else was coming back together.

Only one more week of Summer Skate but I met my summer goals (all 8 edges) and a bit more (started 3-Turns and Brackets).

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

Moving to Virginia Beach huh? Will she be coaching here in the area?

Electricity:
Moves are getting better and the threes had more power today!!
Loop is still on it's way back- not quite here yet, but not totally gone either.

Power Outage:
Freestyle was too crowded today with beginners on lessons!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Power Outage:

-Fell on my *other* knee at public session yesterday. I wasn't even doing anything fancy, just being klutzy old me.

Electricity:
-Um, now I have matching knee bruises??

She going to try! And she's got at least 6 skaters here who will give her excellent recommendations!

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I've got mad salchow disease!

Electricity: We went skating this morning, although only for about 45 minutes, which was quite enough for me, I found! I was as stiff-legged as a dog scenting a potential rival at first - it all goes to show how quickly one gets out of training.

We spent most of our time working on the Fiesta Tango, which is coming along. Interestingly, we are now practising it faster than the music, and when the music actually played, it felt quite slow! We did at least one step to forward which worked perfectly, and another couple which weren't at all bad, but the rest were as ghastly as ever. Really we can't do much more with it now without a coachly pair of eyes to see whether I'm being pulled off-balance, thus causing the wide-step, or whether I am turning my shoulders too far, or not far enough, or......

So we decided the side pattern was being neglected and worked on that for a bit - we can do that quite well when we set our minds to it, but not all the time. Husband points out that the LFO edge on the restart is a bit shallow (he says his is when he solos it, too), and I think that's one of the things they really look at to see if you've mastered the dance or not, so we must work on that. We did Xavier's exercise for the cross-in-front/cross behind, which does help, every time, but the change-of edge wasn't as good as it could be - husband forgot to hold the swing forwards for quite long enough, so went away from me. That definitely was him not me!

So we left that for today and turned to our free dance. Did a good spin, despite the state of my sinuses (I wasn't too sure whether spinning would be a good idea or not!), and despite the fact that I realised, too late, that I was looking in quite the wrong direction! But we really do have to do something about the start of the step sequence - I've never liked those swings, and we do them badly, and I so can't do the turn at the end of them.... sigh....

Power Outage: Not much, just general lack of stamina today, but that's not too surprising, really. A good practice, although in one way I'd have liked longer than 45 minutes, but I don't really think my body would have!

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