You mean you DON'T keep a bag of skating clothes in your car trunk at all times? Since I teach or skate pretty much every day, the skate bag's always packed and ready to go. If I wasn't planning to skate, but change my mind, the clothing bag is a handy impulse-helper! LOL
Based on what I've seen at the handful of test sessions I've observed, cheating the threes by jumping them is NOT common at the pre-juv or juv-MITF test level, but a lot of skaters add one or two to their freestyle program as connecting steps and footwork notes. It's more common in ISI because it's an uncaptured maneuver. (Which means it can be included in any level program.)

ETA: In the UK, I think a 3-jump is the name for what we US skaters call a waltz jump.


After teaching an hour-and-a-half tonight, I found myself with a less-than-crowded freestyle and a bit of free time.

Nightmare:
Every one of my MITF spiral patterns was interrupted by other skaters. At least I wasn't in danger, which was yesterday's situation.
Still, managed a few decent spirals - really have to work on the strong lowering of the leg as I change spirals. (A few ankle-weight sessions should help a bit.)

Flip: I'm not keeping my foot in front, which is part of the chickening out.
(Tip courtesy of an old skating friend who is a great coach.)

Dream:
Camels were great, even the crappy demo ones I did for my student. I'm still working on turning the free toe out/up.
My student hates camels and "can't do them" so I of course want her to relearn them my way. LOL

One of the teenage assistants remarked that my sit spin is lower than hers.
I think it was a compliment! (A bit back-handed though, donchathink?)

Half lutzes are overrotating. That's a good sign, I think, except I need a strong half-lutz!

__________________

Dream: Had a really good lesson this morning and my FI3 is back . It's a bit skiddy, for want of a better description, but it's there for the first time in weeks so I'll take skiddy and work on it! Coach also said my FO3s looked better than he had ever seen them, even the bad side was working today

Nightmare: Again, my back crossovers refuse to co-operate on the early morning session

Clare

Dream Today was LTS test days and my coach decided to go ahead and test me b/c if I had stayed in LTS I would have been in Freestyle 1. I passed Freestyle 1 AND Freestyle 2!!! YAY ME!

Anyhow, yesterday was the most awesome of skating days. I did ALL FOUR backward 3 turns! I did my backward inside edges with my head and arms in the right place each time. I was able to work on my backspin (although it still sucks) and it's getting better. I learned the waltz-8 pattern. I got complimented on my perimeter stroking pattern.

The funny part- during practice a woman came up to me and said "wow. you can do a backspin?" I wasn't sure what to say. My backspin involves starting with a 2 foot spin, and picking my free leg up while I wobble out 3 rotations or so. If I am wobbling along exactly on my sweet spot, I try to cross into an actual backspin position, otherwise, it's "storked". I was amazed another skater recognized what I was trying to do.

The inspiring- A new adult showed up at our rink. She was running through all of her singles, although I didnt' see her do an axel, she might have. Anyway- when she was starting she was just doing waltz jumps, and they were amazingly large and floaty. It was SO beautiful to see that in a waltz jump, it was like she never came down. My coach demonstrates waltz jumps that are big and powerful, but these were big and graceful- I'm so glad to see adults doing this sort of thing.


Bad Dream Well, not everything was perfect. I've worked so much on my inability to do my hands/head/feet on my backward inside edges, that I completely lost my coordination on my backward outside edges. We spent about 10 minutes working just on BO edges. These edges make me want to cry sometimes. They are just so hard to get right!

Boot problems- Well I fix one thing, another goes wrong. The gel pads are an incredible help and my ankles are no longer being shredded to pieces- but now for the first time, my ankle bones are starting to have too much pressure. The width at the metatarsal is better, but now my big and little toe are starting to have pressure spots rubbed. (I think I might get gelly-toes to fix that...I'm just wondering if it will add too much width, and I'll start losing feeling again.) Anyhow- I'm at the 6 month mark with these boots, and at one year I am getting either customs or split widths-at least. I hate getting rid of them before they aren't good anymore, especially since it's more discomfort than pain, but I think a years use is okay to try a new pair.

Nightmare The ice show I had agreed to be in in April, well we don't have to use a "themed" routine anymore so I am taking it as a chance to do my freeskate- BUT WAIT- club members can do 2 routines. No thanks, one is enough. Somehow I got trumped on that, so I am also doing my spotlight. BUT I don't have a freeskate or a spotlight yet! So by late April I have to have learned and "perfected" 2 routines! EEK. (The freeskate will be to the little swans dance from swan lake, and the spotlight is either Gotta get a Gimmick or Stuff Like that There)

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

Wrapped up four consecutive days of skating. Multiple full run-throughs with music each day, except Sunday, which is just too crowded. I'm skating pretty clean programs. The elements are never as clean or crisp as I can do them when I have the music going and the pressure of the timing to fluster me, but I have come a long way from last year (oh I'll do a run through when I can do it right attitude).

Lutz/loop/toe is consistent, though sometimes eeked out during the program. Same with back camel/back sit and flip/toe. They are much stronger elements when I do them out of the program, but they've gotten much more consistent. My footwork is steadier and I'm managing my flying back sit, though it's slow and not technically perfect.

Hoping to skate with fewer little trips and more speed at my next competition!

Moves are going ok. I still can't really do the 8 step counterclockwise, but my cross strokes are coming along, even the back ones, getting less toe picky. My 3 turns are also improving, though the RFI/LBO ones drive me insane! Non-spiral leg straightline is still embarassing, but it's getting LESS embarassing.

Congrats on passing 1 AND 2, Jessi, that is awesome!!

Don't worry about the show - I'm sure you will do fine - you still have plenty of time to get routine(s) together!

DREAM: Got off work a little early yesterday to get in some practice time during the public session before our group lesson. Despite the fact that both of my (8 yr old) sons came along too (and they have this KNACK for skating up just as I get ready to go into a spin or jump ) managed to get some practice in before the group lesson. Group lesson went fine . . . and I got the coveted "nod of approval" from the coach after demonstrating the salchow for her!! YES!!

Oh, and the adults-only class will definitely be back next session - it starts 3/5. Won't the others be surprised to see my salchow?!

NIGHTMARE: DS' mental block on his change foot spin - I'm hoping his coach can do some sort of mind meld thing today to settle him down (he has a private at 5:00pm). Comp is in 10 days . . . ack!! He only has one other person in his Freestyle 3 group, so I guess the worst he can do is 2nd . . . but I know he would be a little embarrassed to nail his salchow and toeloop and fall out of the change foot spin. (on the plus side, he has become quite good at the forward spin - he is so busy thinking about the switch to the backspin that he forgets to be worried about the forward spins - too funny!).

Yay, jskater, yay jessi, yay everybody......

Nightmare: Had to have both couples lesson and solo lesson today as missed yesterday. In couples lesson, was told to push at Husband, not around him (this is in waltz hold, with him going backwards and me going forwards). Did so, kicked his blade, and ended up on the ice. I now have a bruised thigh, wrenched rib muscles and a sore upper arm. Sigh. To add insult to injury, coach said it was all my fault as I'd had my feet too far apart! By the time it was time for my solo lesson, I was so stiff I begged for only 15 minutes, rather than my usual 30.

Did I say I'd finished with those dance moves? Guess what we did today? No, not the cross-cuts (thankfully), but the cross-rolls as an exercise. Ages ago, I had this exercise with forward cross-rolls where I start slowly and speed up. So I did that, and it wasn't great as I was out of practice, so he made me try doing it backwards. Now, why couldn't I have done the wretched things like that yesterday????

And we worked on back crossovers, and I cannot get (clockwise) or keep (anti-clockwise) my weight over my inside hip.

Dream: Not a lot.... we did a nice swing dance, I suppose.

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

Not much to dream about at this morning's session - the 3 turn toe taps I was doing so well on Monday were not happening today..although I was getting off the ground for my waltz jumps which didn't happen on Monday.

I cannot get my foot behind me for the cha cha...

Lunge is coming back nicely...

Nightmare -- both my daughter and I are competing at Eastern Iowa Invitational in two weeks. She's doing Intermediate FS and testing her Novice moves...probably the same day and she ALWAYS freaks out two weeks before...so there were tears on the ice...but she did land her double toe which is her goal for the competition.

j

J, that's pretty cool though that you are going to be participating in the same comp - have you done that before?

DS is going to his first comp (ISI) Sat after next - our first experience with this side of skating . . . and I think I'm stressed enough for BOTH of us!! Trying to keep it to myself, though!!

Yea, I often will sign up for an adult comp if they offer one when my daughter competes - since we are going anyway. I still remember hearing them announce my name and hearing my daughter from the stands "GO MOMMY!" and the time she made a sign for our car "My mom is going to beat your mom at Winterfest"

j

How cute!

Dream:
Other than the Waltz8, the other PP Moves were fine.
Have to remember to POINT my free foot toes down and make sure I can fit all the lobes on the edges.
PM Spiral pattern is coming along, but I still "clomp" my free foot down when switching feet !

eta: I can almost (but not quite) do a tango stop on one side, but only using the back outside edge behind the rocker. I keep skittering when I try to stop with the rocker and I can't get weight on the stopping foot. Bonus: my t-stops on that side are dead-on accurate. I'm going to try and do one-foot t-stops next - maybe that'll help the tango stops.

Nightmare:
Waltz8 timing was off completely this morning, but I didn't warm up before skating, so maybe that's why. 1-2-3-4-5-6...
No time for any freeskating, boo hoo. Had to go to work.

__________________

Dream-
For some reason, my moves were on today. Where oh where is a judge when you need one? Coach was pleased though.
Forward upright spin has finally reappeared.

Nightmare -
Salchows and lutz attempts could only be described as comical today.
For some reason, my boots just hurt today. I came off the ice and retied them but it didn't help. My left foot is still unhappy.

__________________
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

Nightmare: I was SOOO stiff today! The poor old muscles just didn’t want to move - even the off-ice warm-up and flexibility exercises didn’t help. Coach showed up and she was in worse shape than I was. Poor thing has a BAD cold.

Neither Good Nor Bad: Did more backwards, some FXOs, a bit of turns, and then ran through the back half of my program for coach before I sent her home to rest. Nothing gained, nothing lost.

{Off-topic Nightmare: I went off to do an equipment installation at one of our offices and heard the blizzard warnings for all of southern Manitoba. I wrapped up the installation as quickly as possible and headed for my shack in the hills in some UGLY driving conditions - they say it is going to get a lot worse before it blows over later tonight.}

P.S. Congratulations to everybody who passed ANYTHING!

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

Dream:

Getting more and more used to new boots and blades. I'm beginning to like them now.

Waltz / loop has stuck with me. Had one really good one today.

Straight line brackets are still mostly working. I wouldn't, say, put them in a program just yet! LOL! And, thank God my current music is such that straight line brackets would go very well.....or my coach, being evil, would put them in.

Tried, at my coach's suggestion, a catch foot camel today. This truly is a dream! I almost had it on the first try. I think it might be something I can do before the world ends.

Made progress on my "sit" spin. I've retained (amazing as that is) staying over the left side, and keeping my legs much, much closer. What happened today with the start of "folding" or bending at the hips and getting out front like you're supposed to be.

Nightmare:

The flippin' flip jump! One good one then many that didn't work. All my "breakthroughs" have evaporated again!

Back camel. Yikes. And to think this element is actually in my program.
I have absolutely NO push, as yet, into the back camel.....mind is totally blank, despite concerted efforts by coach to get me to understand.

Back inside threes. Actually I did do them today, but they are quite poor, and I'm more like the "bobbing drinking bird" than anything else!

Wow, that's wonderful!!

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

Dream: I tried my loop after 3 months of not being able to because of my tendonitis(which I still have unfortunately) and thankfully can still do it.

Nightmare: My free leg/foot, hikes up my right leg when I go up to jump, which is going to turn into a nasty leg wrap I think.

Anyone have any tips on not using my left foot to help me jump, so that it doesn't go all the way up to my thigh?(My lower left leg is like, parallel to the ice when I do it. Does that make sense?)

Dream: At last night's lesson, we did so well with our forward stroking and forward one-foot glides that our instructor introduced us to skating backwards and backwards one-foot glides. MUCH harder than going forward! By the end of a half hour of practicing, I could lift one foot briefly off the ice. I skittered in all directions in that brief moment. It's lovely that there's a thread in the forums on just this topic!

Nightmare: Constructing skating dress number two has been a real learning experience. I come from a background of sewing for various historical reproduction events (Victorian and earlier), and this is my first attempt at sewing lycra. Every step of the way, from cutting onwards, I've made the wrong decisions and had to figure out how to make it work. Oh well...I won't make the same mistakes on dress number three (which I will start as soon as I finish learning how do to things wrong on dress number two).

Skated at a new (to me) rink today because I've missed freestyle at my usual rink for a few days now and couldn't miss another day. Cute little rink, with a charming staff, but I almost felt clautrophobic on this tiny ice... I'm spoiled by olympic and hockey sized rinks! I don't think I'll go there regularly, but it'll be a nice option for when I can't get to my main rink for freestyle.

There, I also met my first mini- skating primadonna. Actually, she looked eerily like that little girl from the Ice Princess movie, and did say "Uhm, Excuse me, you're in my way," in that same tone. I was just waiting for her to say "Uhm, like, you're squishing me!"

Nightmare: The ice was so hard (and the echo in so loud) in this rink that I heard every little scrape-- even things that I thought were clean, like my bxos, were so conspicuously loud on this ice.

Ever since I got my blades sharpened, I've felt like I'm a bit too forward on my boot. Probably my imagination, but I do feel the teeniest bit off-balance now, and that just threw me off on the littlest things, like mohawks, and my waltz jump landing, always before the only nice thing about my jump, has become too toepicky-draggy.

Dreams: After multiple bruising whacks and a few little pricks right above my inside right ankle, I actually managed about 3 revs each on 2 scratch spins. So far with the odds, I'll have a truly ugly leg well before I can consistently scratch spin.

Thanks to the very hard ice and being so aware of my toepick, I managed to really focus on getting UP on my toe on the waltz jump instead of jumping practically from the flat of my blade. My arms and body placement were probably not very pretty, but I did feel a major difference in the reee-each and height of the jump. And it proved to give me more height on the half-loop-ish thing that I've been learning. so, yay for hard ice.

__________________
When asked what his "secret" to success was, Wayne Gretsky said: "Skate to where the puck is going and not to where it has been."
Is the figure skating version of this: Skate as if you're doing an axel and not just learning how to hop?

Um, no...because I would also have to keep my skates in there...and although I have a van, it would get very crowded fast (I have some emergency stuff, boots and a camping heater, my archery gear, hockey gear, etc.).....I hate to skate in cold skates. Besides, I live 8 miles from the rink and mom is 6 miles beyond that....

Nightmare: I think I was too tired from all my workouts today for skating...gym (which was a kick-butt session) then an archery session at home. Worked on backspins, backpspin-hops for a while then loops. Fell onto my knee (and hip again) during one ill-fated loop. It's swollen and will be a pretty bruise!!! Spun a bit, then tried some crappy sit-spins. I can get into the position if I'm not moving...the second I start moving, I can't....serious mental block. I was even padded up...

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

Dreams:
It is as if I had an epiphany in the night, woke up and said, "I am going to land my loop today!" and I DID! like 10 times!!! Everything just sort of *clicked* at todays practice. I am getting all of my weight onto the right side. the rbo edge is still a little shallow and the landing is cheated but I am landing on 1 foot instead of giving up and two-footing my landings. Metaphorically speaking, I feel like a 1 year old who has gone from a crawling loop to one who has taken her first step. Finally I am seeing some progress after about a year of going at a snails pace. I have to thank some of my pairs friends at practice last saturday who helped "coach" me a little on my RFI 3 entrance into the loop. (too pre-rotated...). It really made a difference. Oh, and I can't forget Casey who kept nudging me to keep going even when I wanted to give up... It has all really paid off. I am delighted.

No nightmares for me... I'm on cloud 9!
yippeeeee~sk8pdx

Congratulations on your loop, Sk8pdx!

All in all, it's been a very "loopy" week for a bunch of y'all!

__________________
Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Yes, quite a "loopy" week! First me, then Skate@Deleware and now Sk8pdx!!! WOO HOO!!!



Skate@Delaware and Sk8pdx!!! Congrats on landing your first loops!!! (And Sk8pdx, I hope you are rewarding yourself with those chocolate covered strawberries and champagne.)

__________________
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!!!

Nightmare:
There's never enough time to skate after work anymore. Too many work deadlines and skating student lessons.

Felt dizzy while spinning, but I got in a few good scratch and back scratch spins. Didn't have time to try any sits or camels. (Too bad - the ice was really good!)

Dream:
My student asked about the different turns that we have in skating. I explained and demonstrated 3-turns, rockers, counters and brackets along with mohawks and choctaws. I think she wants to pursue ice dancing, so that means I'll be passing her along to a different coach. Dance is not my thing at all, given my crappy footwork.

__________________

Nah, if I can do it, anyone can.

And I want to join in your congrats to all! It's so encouraging to hear!

Nightmare:
couldn't get to sleep now for the seconde night in a row so I took a sleeping pill and made myself go to the early FS. Now my rear hurts from tripping over my toepick! Some weeks I'm just not meant to skate early!
Lyle