Had another make up lesson this morning with secondary coach.

Gold:
Did forward stroking... not bad! Fast... just need to work on extending the free leg more with each stroke.

We worked on waltz jumps at faster speeds today. At the beginning of the session, I can do nice kick-thru waltz jumps but only at slower speeds. We reworked my entry so NOW it's actually kicking thru even at higher speeds... and I went from a decent kick thru waltz jump to ones that had, according to secondary coach, "nice height -- very light and floaty." I had eyewitnesses that has watched me skate over the years and one of them said "Yes, I did see your waltz jump? Are you working on an axel now???" (I haven't even worked on off-ice axels and I have no clue how to go about approaching that.)

No Pyrites!!! Very good lesson today!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

So, if we have defined cross-strokes and cross-rolls, what are CROSS CUTS? When I do my back XOs for the prebronze pattern, both coach and her hubby/dance buddy say, gee, you're doing cross-cuts there actually. (Which apparently is fine from a testing point of view.) I'm totally clueless.

From the last 2 weeks:
GOLD: Finally got the "pop" in the half-flip, after being coordinated enough to pull the picking & skating legs together properly at the proper times. A big "OH!" moment. Coach also helped me a lot on the waltz jump--essentially making sure I'm squared off before I take off and squared off on the landing--and just that tiny lesson has made a huge difference in how secure I feel. I'm probably still not getting much height, but still. It feels better.
-Most pb moves are test ready. Yay!
-Coach seemed to feel I could also do PB freestyle test (except for the one-footed spin). So hey, that's cool. If the 1-footed spin happens in the next week or so, great; if not, we'll do it later.
-Learned the hokey Hickory Hoedown from dance buddy. Definitely a goofy dance. Yee-ha!

PYRITE:
-PB 3-turn pattern is still inconsistent. Did a LOT of them down the long axis of the ice, on both sides, the other day, but they're still just. . . well. . . messy! I think they'll get there by testing time, though.
-Spins? Spins earned a "we'll spend a lot of time on these next lesson, because you're really not finding your center and I'm not sure you couldn't be a CCW spinner" (CW feels more natural, but I always manage to step away/get shoulders & arms away from my center rather than bringing them to the center). Spin & jump direction does need to be finalized sooner rather than later. . .

My coach uses the terms "cross-cuts" and "cross strokes" rather interchangeably to mean the move where you are skating backwards and put your free foot down in front of the skating foot on a back outside edge.

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

Gold:
On lesson today, I fell twice on my loop. Why is this gold? Because my loop was finally all the way around. I managed to land a couple fully rotated on one foot after that!
The sitspin is now in sitting position!

Pyrite:
It's great that I'm making progress on my nemisis elements for the Bronze free test, but the real test is doing them in program and that did not go well.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

pyrite:

The fall in competition yesterday left me all chafed and bruised all over. Even where the bruises didn't appear, it hurts. I took painkillers cuz it was just no fun anymore. Ohwell nothing serious though, I'm glad about that!

I think maybe he means you lift your leg on the crossovers? Cuz I know neither of my feet is actually really leaving the ice on my crossovers.

Not gold, not pyrite - just so so -- Went back to the line to practice back inside edges so I could remember how that is supposed to feel for my backward peremiter crossovers. Somewhere I'd gotten into the habit of shifting my weight from the foot on the inside edge. It was pretty easy to get back into it

Practiced most of my moves today on the line, or my mohawks on hockey circles, there were so many kids practicing show numbers it was pretty hard to stay on pattern so I thought this should be a day to work on technique more than pattern or power.

Gold - Did a bunch of waltz jumps WITHOUT skidding to slow down.

Next hour - Artistry in Motion - next week we test our choreographed program. I'm having my coach cut me the music to the right time because this is going to be a real christmas show number for me.

I had trouble doing all the elements will with the music so coach suggested I take some things out and simplify it. At first I thought I'd take out the waltz jump at the end since I don't really have time for it but I think I replace the half lutz with the waltz... she said my program had a lot of personality

pyrite - I managed to do a spiral and grab my foot but seeing myself do this in the glass I'm thinking it looks so ugly it's really not worth doing it. Although I suppose it's like learning the violin - beginnning attempts are not real pretty.

j

Gold:
In my lesson Friday, we worked on FO and FI three turns first, with the emphasis on the little half turn before stepping forward. I suddenly really got it, and said something descriptive, to which she replied "I couldn't have said it better myself". Now I know for sure I have the right coach, because she is working with me not just talking at me. Afterwards, my coach commented on how far I've come since starting lessons with her, and she was sooo right. I wasn't able to do FO threes at all when I started, and had decided it was due to foot/boot troubles that I had lost them. Well, same feet, same boots, and I'm doing them again. We spent the second half of the lesson on spins, where I actually got another full rev on a backspin and could feel how centered I was and how in control. To top it all off, I did two one foot spins from a T push, each of 5 or 6 revolutions and exited in control. Afterwards, I asked DH if he had seen them. He hadn't, and insisted I show him, so I did what turned out to be the best of them ever. I'm getting my freeleg into a very nice passe position, and really loving this spin.

Pyrite:
My blades desperately need to be sharpened, and I've resolved to get it done Monday, if possible. Hopefully, I will be back to normal by my next lesson on Friday.

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Gold - I skated in my first competition yesterday and accomplished my goals of a) staying on my feet and b) not vomiting.

Pyrite- Got my behind kicked in said competition. Even if I had skated cleanly (which I didn't), I would have had my behind kicked anyway. Am taking the experience as a wake-up call.

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

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

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

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

Visit my skating journal

Scarlett--got my butt kicked this week too!! To console myself I walked around looking at all the results sheets, thinking, "see, in every event someone has to come in last. And on *this* sheet, that's me!!"

I thought cross cuts were going backward, outside edge, place the new foot crossed in *front*, on an outside edge---and cross strokes would be placing the new foot *behind* on an outside edge. No?

I know there's a new thread, but this is from last week's skating, so I'll post here:

Gold:
Just got back last might from my first time at AN. I had a relatively clean skate in the initial round and a clean skate in the final round. I skated last in the final round of my event, so I really tried to focus on enjoying the program and giving it my all. I had a great time meeting so many people--badaxel, Stormy, Mel on Ice (though briefly), doubletoe, some of my skating friends from myspace, etc. I kept bumping into this one master's lady who was so friendly and encouraging. Thanks to flo, Mel on Ice, my friends from Delaware, and everyone else who threw stuff on the ice for me! :O) And if anyone on this forum knows Shawnna from Bronze Ladies II, please thank her for the rubber ducky--I didn't get a chance to say thanks to her.

Pyrite:
Camel-attitude spin was NOT cooperating last week. Also, I have been neglecting MIF something awful!!!

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

Thanks Phoenix...that really did help.

__________________
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

New skates.....cue moaning and groaning.

I have new blades as well, and right now, my spins are the most affected. I need to get used to the slightly shorter length, but I have been promised that I will soon not remember the difference. I have MK Professional Freestyle blades now, after many happy years with Coronation Aces. We'll see.

However, my new Gold Star boots are not bad at all. Not that much pain, I really liked the heated fit. Let's hope it stays that way. I was able to land all my singles, just slower and no combos. Not bad for one day.