Velvet: My primary practice rink is a bit small, and the sessions have been full of social skaters (having a good time going in circles, but pretty oblivious to those trying to work). So, I went to the larger rink to get some practice on doubles. It took a bit to adjust to the difference in entry patterns, but once I did, the doubles were high and landed. Also I had the chance to see Debbie S - there's been great progress!

Barbed wire: Back at the other rink's session (paid for the season) it was more of the same. Grr.

True, but in this case, I'm talking about just barely having enough strength to hold an edge...feeling like at any moment that your legs are gonna buckle from under you...and the only thing that's saving you from a fall on the hip *IS* your technique!!! (This WAS me!)

You go show those women how to ice dance Annabel!!!

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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!!!

Velvet:
First private lesson with my new jr pro on wednesday. She has helped me improve so much in ONE lesson. My group coach is great, but its impossible to teach as much as fast when he is teaching 7 girls aged 6-15 in 7 diffrent levels from landing singles to having never heard of a bunny hop. She taught me so much. I even did a waltz jump perfect on my own and like 10 holding her hands. Even my stroaking is more powerful and strong. I feel like its possible for me to become an excelent skater and coach someday. I can spin w/out getting dizzy because she taught me what to do with my eyes.

Barbed Wire:
Then right after the lesson there was ice cut. I went to get a diet coke in the cafe. Then after I went back on the ice. My blades felt funny so I did like 3 bunny hops. On the 4th I fell. Hard. On my knee. I skated off and then got ice. Or, rather, had my mom get ice because I was in pain and had left my guards on the boards. I went back out and did okay. Then when I took my skates off I saw that 2 screws were gone. We went to the front desk and the manager tried to put new screws in, but the holes were stripped. Thats why there are extra holes though. We left my skates so that my coach, who fixes these things, can fix it. I Had to use rentals thrursday because he didnt come in wednesday night. I couldnt even spin on the rentals. My half flips were ROTTEN and they are my fav jump. I may have saved my buddy from the same fate though because she was all "OMG! Mine are loose on MY right foot. i just though that was normal" and she got um tightened.

Sadly, it was me about three weeks ago, too! It was only one leg that wanted to buckle, but oh dear..... Now I am just wrestling with backache a lot of the time, and a sore bum the rest of it, but it does improve.

Skatepixie, I'm glad you weren't badly hurt in your fall. One of the things you need to keep as part of your basic equipment is a screwdriver, as screws do work loose periodically, and a quick check for any movement in your blades every time you put your skates on can can save some very nasty experiences. And they work loose so quickly too, dammit - I remember one occasion when I was in a drawn partners competition; had a great warm-up and then skated really badly in the competition. I had a great partner, too, so I was very apologetic, but then discovered, when I got off the ice, that one of my blades was wiggling like a 6-year-old's front tooth....

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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!

I miss skating. I've been off the ice since May. I'm missing the people and those darn backspins. Maybe next month I'll get back on the ice... Mel

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MEL
Absolute Skating

That was me after coming back the SECOND time from the sciatica... I think this was my one month period where I just took it easy and not push for the FS stuff... but I got it back!!!

Hi, Mel!!! Welcome back to the fold!!! We look forward to hearing about your backspins... I'm very close to getting mine (and am getting it usually when I'm near the barrier.)

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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!!!

I had a dream last night about backspins. Must have been triggered by the fact that I'm going to adult camp next week in Hillsborough and that coach and I worked on the blasted things this past Wednesday.

Anyway, I will have to try some of the things I dreamt about. I remember finding my sweet spot on my right foot and feeling the "shelf" over my right hip and remaining totally square--the result was a perfect backspin.

It would be soooo sweeeeet if this dream were to actually come true!!!

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All that glitters has a high refractive index.

Aww, thanks flo. And your double salchow isn't too shabby, either. I was probably being masochistic, but I wore my new skates to edge class Thursday. I figured it wouldn't be a problem since we weren't doing any jumps, or spins for that matter. That part was OK, but by the end of the hour (or really 50 minutes), my feet were killing me. Ugh! And I even put in ankle pads along the inside ankle bone.

Has anyone had SP-Teris heat-molded? The box says they are heat-moldable, but the fitter where I got the skates didn't suggest it to me.

Velvet: Not a whole lot this week, I'm afraid, except that the swelling on my face has dissappeared and there was no bruising.

Barbed wire: My fitter has been away this week (good thing I called the store before driving 1 hour each way) so I couldn't try to fix my problem of still leaning too far inside on my left skate - and since the blades are mounted as far inside as they could possibly be and still be attached to the sole, I guess my next step is a special insole. I'm not spending the money for orthotics. And I was unable to get flo's skates sharpened.

After breaking in boots Tuesday and in the aforementioned edge class Thursday, I had show rehearsal yesterday, this morning, and I've got it tomorrow and Monday. Adding in practice on Tuesday, I'll be at the rink 6 days in a row! And next Friday is dress rehearsal, and Saturday is the show. And my new skates won't be broken in and (the blades) permanently mounted in time to wear them at the show. Waaaah!

No lesson this morning, as it's the British Solo Dance Championships in Nottingham today, and our coaches, among others, were up there with their entrants. Just as well, really, because my back was and is killing me. I did do some work with Robert, but had to get off the ice after about 20 minutes to stretch out. After which I was able to get back on and skate a bit, mostly plain stroking, forward and backward. Tried to do back chasses, which were horrible solo, so I grabbed Robert and did a lap of them with him - they're fine with a partner!

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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!

Velvet:
Worked on stroking and also consecutive forward edges (for Pre-Bronze Moves) in lesson and I heard my first "rip" on an edge, truly a rip rather than a scrape of a toe pick. HOW EXCITING!!! I went home and told my husband and tried to get him to understand why something like that would be so thrilling.

On Friday in show rehearsal, we finally worked out a big traffic problem and it's working much better right now. I just have to remind myself of where to put my shoulders (we're using props and it tends to distract me from where my shoulders need to be--e.g., on the circle during crossovers).

Barbed Wire:
Having trouble with the forward alternating 3 turns from Pre-Bronze moves. I can do each 3 turn (except LFI3), but what I can't figure out is how to stop two-footing it during the transition from one 3 turn to another. I think the rulebook says that a brief two-foot is okay for Pre-Bronze (not okay in Pre-Prelim), but I'd like to be able to skate it clean. I think my check after each 3 turn might not be strong enough.

Scheduling foul-up at the rink today meant that everyone had to miss some ice time. We showed up for show practice and it turned out to be cross-scheduled on the same ice as the freestyle session. While it was being sorted, the freestylers had to wait to get onto the ice. Then the show practice had to get off the ice. Then the hockey players lost some time because we were allowed to practice for 20 mins on their ice. I know these kind of foul-ups happen at every rink every once in a while but it was a bit annoying for everyone who showed up to skate this morning. Luckily everyone was civil and understanding about it. (The one plus is that I got to see some skaters working on Novice and Junior moves. They make it look so easy and just fly around the rink!)

Also took a dive sprawling onto my stomach and knees when I skated over a rut in the ice and had my weight too far forward to begin with.... but I'm not as bruised up as I thought I'd be.

Barbed wire:
My left ankle(the side i land my jumps on) has been killing me and i get sharp pain in it when i land jumps. then it gets so numb and throbbing with pain that i can hardly skate around the ice. i had a stress fracture about 7 months ago, wondering if that may be part of it....
I cant land a decent double lutz lately, or even a good 2 footed, or 1 footed under-rotated. i just totally lose it in the air and either fall or step out of it. i think it may have something to do with the ankle...

Velvet:
Despite my ankle problem, i landed the double flip this week. last weekend they were 1 footed but cheated, this weekend they are all the way around. i just need more speed going into it so i dont hop the landing. for some crazy reason, i can do really good double jumps from a complete standstill, but when i put a lot of speed into the jump, i fall all over the place. i have a ton of power behind my jumps, so i think thats why i do it better when im not moving. makes me wonder if i could ever do a triple jump from a complete standstill.....

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~Sk8Bunny~
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"I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"

Velvet? I think?

I say this tentatively because I'm still a little shocked myself... I passed out of Delta and am now a Freestyle 1 skater. (quarkiki pinches herself. Yep, I'm awake).

Although I'm still cheating my three turns by the *smallest* amounts, my instructor and the skate director didn't think it would be beneficial for me to repeat the Delta class and actually think that the back edges in Freestyle 1 will help the turns. I agree there -- I've always thought it strange that you learn turns in ISI before you learn edges.

So it's on to Freestyle this fall or in skate camp next month if I can scrape up the moolah.

I think the back edges will be the most difficult element from that level. I can do the pivots, the spiral, and have a 3-4 revolution two foot spin (though not consistent). I haven't tried a waltz jump away from the boards yet. Perhaps if I'm thinkng about the waltz jump instead of the three turn setup I'll be able to do the turn?

Oh, learned a waltz eight (which would be better if I had the three turn, grrr...). Mohawk is good though. And my lobes are even.

Mikawendy - I am working on pre-bronze too. :-) I have a tip on the forward alternating 3's that my coach told, it didn't compute, and then I saw a little jumping bean doing it. After you do the turn and your holding that edge make sure the arm in back of you is pushed back and slightly open and that will make the transition easier. I do them on one foot but my transition isn't as smooth as it could be but for me that means making the turn bigger and then I'd have time to "prep" my body and flow into the edge rather than having to turn my body.

Velvet - my back edges are SHOCKING me they have been so much bigger!! Particularly my back insides they used to be so tiny and it was ridiculous now they're actually on a nice fat lobe. For reasons I don't understand on Sunday I did the backspin 4 times, yep, and i rotated between 3-5 times each time. I worked more on my spirals and the new trick I saw a little one do, a RBO into a 3 turn into a RFI, fun and scary but the forward parts very tiny so I need to work on speed into it.

Barbed wire - nothing too horrible, had a heck of time getting a complete Dutch waltz pattern, i really think dance and free style should be separate. My bottom was hurting a tad from all the spirals I've been doing. Still can't keep my leg straight on my waltz jump but REALLY TRIED to do it and came closer.

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Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

Me too. That's one of the things I really don't like about ISI. I did USFSA, and we learned crossovers along with forward edges in Basic 4, outside threes, mohawks, and back edges in Basic 5, and inside threes in Basic 6. I think that makes more sense.

I won't bother doing the whole week, but I competed on Saturday and had an excellent skate. There were three skaters in both of my groups and I placed second in Novice dance and third in Junior. I talked with a local judge afterward who was on my panel, and he said my novice dance looked "really, really nice" and my junior dances was "not bad" either, and that he can tell I've been wroking hard! Coming from him, that's incredibly high praise! That gave me the confidence boost I needed, since I compete both dances again this week.

Velvet: WOOHHOOO!!! Back on the ice after a month hiatus (excluding two synchro practices). Got a start on all the Senior Bronze dances today. Initially, my coach thought we would probably just do the 14-step and the Tenfox, but I don't find either very challenging, so he decided to get me going on the European, too. I test all three in two weeks! Special bonus of the day is that my three turns are getting better every time I get on the ice (they'd better be, if I plan on passing the European!!), and I feel much more confident about them.

Barbed Wire: My blades are in desperate need of a sharpening!

Sorry about the sciatica, Gary.

Congrats to sk8pics - keep up the good work!

I just came back from 3 weeks of camping during which I didn't skate at all. I usually do a lot of kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and swimming to balance the wicked meals & beer around the campfire, but this year we had so much rain that I'm sure I've gained at least 6 pounds. I'm not too worried though, because I know I can take it right off with the right diet and lots of skating and Nordic Track. I enjoyed the camping in spite of the wet weather, as I love just being on the lake and in the woods. We also have a lot of friends near where we camp, so the social life there is fun too.

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VERY CROWDED and the ice was totally crappy.

Velvet - Okay, actually came closer to doing the backspin RIGHT and worked on a new entrance to the loop. I'm proud I've gotten over my fear of the loop now I have to figure out how to pick off of my toe pick correctly, it's not a strenght issue I have VERY strong legs as do most skaters. Alternating 3's were better and waltz jumps were much springier but the landings were a tad wild.

Barbed wire - figured out I did NOT do backspin over week-end, I was actually spinning forward on an inside edge. :-) Still happy that I was spinning with my leg partially crossed. Back and bottom sore from too many spirals, need to stretch.

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Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter