Since no one has started it and Elvis has made the come back to eligible competition and training this week, I thought I'd start off the practice posts this week with yesterday's practice.

Well, we all know who Elvis is. And Mr. Hyde well that's Emmanuel Sandhu when he totally messes up.

Elvis:
Was able to make it to almost the end of my session before I was really pushing the limits of my leg.
Waltz jumps, still good.
Salchows, took a while to get going but then I slowed the process down and didn't really worry about getting off of the ground. Got that free leg to behave itself for a change. It got so easy to do the salchow from my RFI op mo that I didn't even have to try to jump. The jump did itself.
Dances are moving nice and fast. Looks like I'll be testing this year. yeah, I'll get the Canasta and Baby Blues rid of and get to move on to the junior bronze dances. Might even test the Fiesta but that might be pushing it.

Mr. Hyde:
Leg suddenly got really bad and even swing rolls and just plain stroking was a problem. Was in constant pain after skating the rest of the night even after massage, ice, Advils and everything.
Loops, didn't try them for obvious reasons.
Toe loops, picking leg not behaving and neither is the left arm. Bad body. LOL

Here's hoping most of you have more Elvis than Mr. Hyde to post.

Brigitte

__________________
"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

Mr. Hyde -

My stupid hip flexor. Took that week off the ice for vacation, and now after a week of skating my flexor feels almost as bad as it did when I started PT. I know it will improve, and I know how it will improve, but I just wish it would give me a break.

Elvis -

I've been wanting to try the harness for a while, for no real reason. I was complaining about my axel take-off (I have an annoying scrape), and since I couldn't train for my competition in two weeks, coach decided to put me in it. What fun. Plus, I got the feel of a BIG axel that I can hopefully translate to doing on the fly.

I haven't not been skating over the past few days, in fact, rather the reverse! We had an Australian friend visiting from Dublin, where she is on a year's work exchange, and where they have no ice, so we went as soon as she arrived on Friday, and then again yesterday and Sunday mornings. Which meant we've had good work-outs. The trouble is, I can't remember all the good things - at least one good run-through of my free dance, that I do remember - but only the Mr Hyde ones.

Which were, basically, a total inability to choreograph my OD the way I want it (I thought I would slow down enough if I put a teapot [shoot-the-duck] in it to be able to turn to backwards, but my teapot must have improved, because it doesn't slow down one scrap!), and an absolutely rotten practice of the Fiesta Tango yesterday - we simply can't do the end pattern together, although both of us can do it quite well solo! Robert better than me - but together, we seem to freeze up and cover about 6 inches of ice..... deep sigh!

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

Elvis: Rocker Foxtrot was better today. The beginning was almost a rocker. And I did one bit of the pattern from mid thru to the mohawk w/ my coach, to the music and didn't freeze up or nearly fall preparing for the mohawk.

Am starting to figure out the body memory for it... and if I remember to bring the free foot in a fraction of a beat before time for the mohawk, then everything is cool.

Before my lesson I was doing my "mandatory" rocker attempts and I was playing around with step combos and realized that an LBO3 out of a LFO rocker (or almost rocker) is really quite easy to do. Much easier for me than doing an LFI3-LBO3 combo. So then I was playing around slowly with other neat bits of footwork... just for fun.

Mr. Hyde: Nearly stumbling and skidding and almost twisting my "fixed" knee several times doing the Rocker foxtrot mohawk with my coach.

I had a pretty fearless practice and lesson today...it was great

Elvis
My waltz-8 is still there and steadily improving. We worked on pattern placement today, and I got it almost right, good enough to pass. The RFO threes which have been my problem from the start are now suddenly better than the LFO's and feel just great and very controlled. This has been a major hurdle for me.

We started the alt FI threes today with the empty glove and I did two of the patterns that way. Then my coach took her hand completely out of the glove and we each held one end while I did the pattern two more times. This is definite progress for me, at last. I was even able to do two consecutive FI threes on little tiny lobes without any spot at all.

I was able to improve the pre-pre spiral pattern right away, meaning it wasn't so good to start (never practice it, and not at all since I switched to the Cor Aces), but I didn't flinch at all and just went at it.

Mr. Hyde
LFI Mohawk is still stiff and clunky and not checked properly, but the RFI is pretty good, so I'm doing a few of those and then going to the LFI and trying to mirror the RFI's.

__________________

Elvis:
Back to skating! My exams are over and i can start skating again.

Mr Hyde:
I tried some jumps just to test them out coz my ankle doesn't hurt doing them on land. But on ice it still hurts on the landing. So no jumps still for a while. I am guessing at least two weeks to a month.

After not skating for so long, my spins were pretty off. I did do some decent ones so i guess i should be happy with that at least.

Backspins hurt too (coz its on my right leg) ... yikes. awful.

So i practised lots of crossovers, turns and some footwork. My left leg is really very weak, compared to my right... i could really use this time to build up footwork on my left.

I took a fall on one of my camels I just went into it and fell flat out on the ice. luckily no big harm and i got away with a small bruise on my knee, icing it as i type...

Elvis again:
I was worried that my ankle would be worse after the skating ( i was so excited i skated for 4 hours and then realized that its was a little long). But its not! So i'm very happy and looks like i can continue skating.

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~
Tidesong

Keep using those terrific exercises you mailed me a copy of. I've been doing the stretches and low-level strengthening exercises periodically and can already tell a difference in my hip muscles. A lot less pain and more strength. Mainly, my endurance before pain has improved.

Keep trying!!! It will get there!!!

And thanks for sending them to me!!!

Elvis: Every time I get an opportunity to skate, it's an Elvis time. Whether I did well or poorly. Just so I stayed vertical.

Had freshly sharpened blades, so took about 20 minutes to "warm" them up before I tried even the easiest element in my limited list.

My coach had a 15 minute slot that was open, so gave me a quick lesson on my 3-turns. Yep, quarkiki, I'm still working on them.

Coach started me out doing The Twist on the ice. For the youngsters, The Twist was a dance from the early 60's. She had me over-accentuate the hip movement so that I could apply it to the turn. I told her that guys never use our hips like that, and that I was more familiar with looking at girl's hips that rotating my own. After she stopped laughing, she had me try a turn with the extra hip movement. It worked well. I had to remember to check my turn quicker though, as I was getting around a lot faster.

Another small breakthrough in my quest for a 3-turn!!!

Well, Gary, since you started it....

Elvis: I can do KICK A** FO3s while being spotted. I mean good enough that another coach said "Wow!!" from across the ice. Surprised both me and my instructor, for sure. Left and right.

And I made a small breakthrough without being spotted, too! After doing ten beauties in a row while being spotted, I went out on my own and did three LFO3s where I did the turn, barely brushed my free foot and then picked it back up again while on the correct edge to finish. I'm so close I can smell it! Right just a tad behind as of now.

That's all I worked on for my 45 minute group lesson. Instructor says that when I learn this skill it will be textbook, she can tell that now. I laughed. Also says my mohawks are smooth as butter, too, though I think they're too slow. But done correctly at a snail's pace, apparently.

I'm taking a make-up lesson tonight and skating club ice Wednesday. Then I'll be testing Gamma on Saturday morning. They'll be testing at tonight's lesson, so I think I'll call it a practice test -- unless I pass, that is! I seem to be more awake on Tuesday nights and generally skate better than on Saturday mornings, but Tuesday night doesn't usually work well in my schedule. It was a Tuesday night, after all, when I actually did 2 LFO3s and felt brave enough to just try a FI3 and found them to be a little easier for me. Who knows?

Mr. Hyde:calf/Achilles tendon problem . Pain after skating and some during skating. Had to skip doing loop jumps because it's my right landing leg/driving leg.

Elvis: Saw a doc at a clinic about my calf/Achilles tendon problem on Monday. My doc has been to China recently and wasn't in the office, so. He said that I have an Achilles tendon sprain. He prescribed physiotherapy for me and sent me to this office that isn't covered by my husband's Greenshield coverage. When I found that out about the first place, I decided to try the Riverside Rehabilitation Centre where my husband went in the fall for his back. Turns out that some changes in my husband Chrysler contract took effect and at this clinic, I'm 100% covered unlimitedly. This means, I can make sure that the Achilles tendon gets everything it needs. I get my assessment tomorrow. After that I set my appointment times.

I wonder if they'll do the first treatment tomorrow too. If they do, I wonder how it will affect my skating? I wonder if my leg will be in shape so that I can do my loop, flip and backspin (that's right, backspin doesn't get held because my body senses pain)? I have 3 weeks left to skate and then I'm off of the ice until September.

Went swimming yesterday and soaked in the hot tub and streatched in the hot tub. It sure made a difference but I still woke up with a stiff right lower leg. I'll see what the physio guy says about the hot tub and swimming tomorrow. I skate tomorrow too.

Brigitte

__________________
"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

You are so welcome! I am glad they are working for you. Now that I've been back a week+, things are getting better again. I was hoping it wouldn't take as long this time, but I will have to wait to see what the PT will be adding onto my exercises this week to see how I can handle those!

Elvis: I was on a business trip to Mt Pleasant, a college town in central Michigan. I found out that there was a club session at 5:00 yesterday. I called one of the club officers and was welcomed to skate on their session. They welcomed me with open arms and were very nice, even letting me run my program even though their own skaters were also preparing for competition. Talked to a couple of their kids and a few pros, all who were terrific. The one thing that cracks me up is when a kid sees an adult landing an axel and goes "WOW"! Adults aren't supposed to be able to do those things, right? LOL!!

So, if anyone is lurking from the MPFSC - thanks a bunch! (I plan on dropping them a note of thanks.)

Elvis, Elvis all the way today! Well, sort of. I wasn't best pleased to find that Mr Redboots wasn't going to skate this morning, after all - I had thought he was, and heaven knows, we need the practice. But we are going to Lynne's rink this evening (Lynne, if you see this, save him a Foxtrot), and so he didn't have time to skate twice. I wasn't sure about energy levels, so didn't hurry in.

Found a deserted rink! No, that's not quite true, the elite dancers were just finishing. But by the time I got my lesson well under way, it was just me and my coach. Ran through my free dance twice; hope I can do it as well on Sunday is all I have to say - it wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible, either. If I skate it that well on Sunday I'll be content. Anyway, we then left that, and started work properly on this wretched OD that Batikat and her friend have talked me into.

Actually, it went very well. He likes the music, although he agrees it's not the best ever for me. He dumbed down all my bright ideas, and has added in some impossibilities of his own! But basically we are concentrating on very simple steps, quite fast, and with lots and lots of upper body movement and expression. And he worked a way to get me to backwards after the teapot without putting on the brakes too obviously!

And, of course, having the rink to myself meant that we could run through it again and again and again, which was great.

And finally, after my lesson, he dance the Prelim Waltz with me, as I'd frightened myself silly with the fall last week, so I wanted to do it with a pro as I knew I'd be safe! And I was..... so that's all right.

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

There is nothing like being in an empty rink with just you and your coach!

Gary, what did I say yesterday about staying vertical???? You need to listen better, Gary!!!

The mighty FI3's caught me offguard and I toepicked halfway through a turn. Oops!!! Down he went. Plop!!! Fortunately, I kept my head off the ice, but NSAIDs are in order today. Not bruised, but sore.

Also made some headway on the lunge. For some it's so easy, but I can't get down low enough. The coach rightly figured that I was putting too much of my weight on my skating leg and wanted me to try going down more centered from my body. I got lower, but slightly pulled a hamstring in the process. More NSAIDs.

Progress hurts.

Took some time off to rest my foot and now I'm back skating, still not doing any jumping or spinning just ice dance.


Elvis - ran through the dutch waltz, at speed, one WHOLE pattern!! Woo hoo.

Hyde - need to stop twisting my upper body and get the timing on my swing rolls right.!!

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

For the first time this year we made it to Alexandra Palace in North London for their Moves class and dance club. The coach was away, so the class was taken by one of the senior skaters, and, I gather, was a revision of all that had been learnt so far. We did several moves - inside edges with crossovers at the top of the lobe, changes of edge (as if I hadn't already done them that day!), forwards cross-rolls, backwards cross-rolls, power-3s (I think - isn't that the one where you do a 3-turn then widestep into a crossover?), continuous FI3s (with a crossover in between, as is done here), and a similar sequence with FI Mohawks, which I could sort of do until I realised my posture had collapsed! :mad:

Dance club was fun, as usual - nothing significant to note except that I made a mess of the Fiesta Tango again, and also that Robert danced the Prelim Waltz with Tashakat and she slipped at exactly the same point of the dance where I had a crashing fall last week. Luckily she didn't fall, but I decided it was Proof Positive that my fall last week had been Robert's fault, not mine!

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

Had my first lesson in weeks today ( i think maybe 2 months... hmm can't keep track of time)
Did the ISI fs7 footwork. I just can't get the LBI choctaw?rocker?(the one that ends up on the LFI edge in any case) I have zero speed coming out of it.
Did spins but got really dizzy when i got to the layback. I felt sick like throwing up. Luckily the lesson was ending and i told my coach that maybe we could just stop here for today.
After that i rested a while and practised some more turns and stuff and got slightly dizzy on them too. ugghh. Anyway i felt slightly better without spinning. Really don't know whats wrong with me today.

__________________
~
Tidesong

Elvis
Helped out at Mommy & Me again, and again was rewarded with an hour of dead ice to myself, which I was able to use this time! I started by running through the pre-pre moves as if I were actually testing, trying to feel like I was being watched and judged. It worked somewhat, because I did feel quite a bit of tension and did feel a bit shaky, but I was able to do everything to passing standards, except for the spirals (don't know for sure) and except for putting my foot down briefly on the return to center once in the waltz-8. Assuming I had to reskate it, I did, and got it right. I didn't miss one after that.

Mr. Hyde
I did have passing spirals, but I have let them go completely to pot because I thought the waltz-8 situation was so hopeless and I had a bit of back trouble. I really worked them yesterday. I have to get my leg up there much faster. Also, on Mon, my coach had me do my worse one first, so I am struggling with that change. The spirals will be my focus for practice today.

__________________

Tuesday night make-up class: Pretty much an Elvis night. 3-turns, though not getting tremendously better, didn't deteriorate. Then, because three of us in the class have been in the same level since September, our instructor gave us some "enrichment" activities. She was going to show us a two-foot spin when another coach swung by and said "Why not one-foot?" So we tried one foot spins. And, by golly, when I got a successful one happening I made two or two and a half revolutions each time. I was successful about 50% of the time. I don't think that's too bad for someone who has never tried to spin before!

We were practicing that when the instructor said "I bet you'd really like arabesques! C'mere!" and she showed me a forward spiral with the adamant warning that my weight MUST NOT BE ON THE FRONT OF THE BLADE or I'll catch the toepick. So I tried a couple, which were pronounced "Oh, my!" and "Beautiful!" For once the ballet training helped me out here and it was pretty easy to get the spiral hip height without too much lean. On the wall I was able to get a position where my foot just above my instructor's head when she was standing near me. The she said she couldn't wait to see that on the ice.

Actually, this may belong in the funny sayings thread, but she told me that "You do everything so gracefully that it's really hard to notice that you're doing it wrong!" Well, at least if I look good doing it....

Then last night was a Mr. Hyde night. I was sore from driving all day to and from a customer site and my legs were (and still are) quite stiff from my new jogging habit. Spurred on my Gary's Lean Mean thread I've started running a mile every morning. I know, it's not a lot -- yet. But it's getting better -- Tuesday I though I was going to die, yesterday was easier and this morning was so much easier that I added another 1/8 of a mile. Then I've walked an additional 15 minutes. I think that by the time I get up to 2 1/2 miles I'll be running for 30 minutes. I just can't stand exercise machines -- I get bored. I prefer aerobics classes, but there's none near me. So I decided to try this. Three mornings in a row so far and, though I wake up stiff, by the time I get a block or two under my belt I'm warm. This is also forcing me to stretch more and warm up better before I skate. So it's a good thing!

Anyway, I was, quite simply, exhausted and practice was pretty depressing last night. No 3-turns. So I practiced backwards glides and found, oddly, that I'm more comfortable gliding back on my right than left. Got my mohawks to be pretty even on both sides. I just have to remember to tell myself "In front" in place of the mohawk or I'll do a FI closed instead of a FI open. I also guess that it's a good thing that they are interchangeable at this point.

So... testing Saturday. In previous tests I have stepped up my performace level during the test, so maybe the adrenaline will cause FO3s to happen?

Hey Annabel - I am beginning to have second thoughts about this OD myself. I love the music but it is so fast - there is no 'thinking time' so the whole thing needs to run on automatic and the only way to do that is to practice, practice and we only have 5 weeks or so - help!!!!! I haven't finished the choreography of mine yet but having said previously that my coach enjoys choreography, I have had quite a bit of input into this one putting in some of my favourite moves. Next year we should know the rhythm a lot earlier and have more time to prepare.

Mr Hyde : not being able to remember the steps to my OD and not being able to do them quick enough.

ELVIS: The bits I could remember! Like the first 10 seconds - downhill all the way after that

Don't you dare! You talked me into doing it, so you have to do it too!

At least you don't have three other competitions between now and then, the way I do! I don't count the World Challenge, though, as it's only CDs. But I have to get my free programme down to its short version for the Mountain Cup, and then back up to it's long version for Bracknell, and if a certain judge is going to be judging it, I'm stuffed anyway, as he doesn't like it!

Mine is in the "rough" stage - I could perform it if I had to, but it wouldn't be good! I don't quite know the music well enough, and how long I have to finish certain moves. It's coming, though.

May I suggest we keep the same rhythm for next year so that we can do it this year as a "Work in progress", and have it much better next?

Didn't skate last night or this morning - very tired again. May go down this afternoon, though.

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

WEDNESDAY

Adult Course: coach was away so someone else taught us ..... getting me to demonstrate!! I'm feeling a BIT better about skating but still feel very wobbly

Moves Class: good fun and made me think! Still wobbly but didn't feel TOO awful ... it was nice to see Annabel and Robert there

Dance Club: first time I've ever stayed and it was quite good fun (if a bit late). I'd forgotten a lot of the 'baby' dances which was a bit embarrassing I was also a bit depressed at NOT being able (ie not feeling up to) the dances that I used to be able to do (ie Rocker). I had a go at the Foxtrot solo but wimped on the mohawk! The Prelim (British) Waltz wasn't bad with Robert but our pattern was a bit out at the end which meant that we ended up coming out of the corner flat and I couldn't get round the three turn without a huge scrape ...... Annabel, it's definitely his fault

Unfortunately on the way home I hit a brick or something which has damaged the underneath side of my car and had to get the RAC (recovery service) out to be taken home! What made me later than ever was that I was a 'priority' as a lone female which meant that the waiting time was ONLY ......... 90 minutes!!!! I eventually got home at 1.30am, slept for 3 hours and ended up with a 1.5 hour walk + train ride into work!!

Skate well everyone

L xx

__________________

The best whisper is a click

I've not been skating much, therefore not posting.
I went today and discovered the lutz wouldn't work.
The backspin is still the pits, but the camel is still Elvis!

No skating till Tuesday.

If you are interested in buying tickets for Worlds 2004, click here: Worlds 2004 in Dortmund - click here - tickets for sale!

__________________
MEL
Absolute Skating

Mr. Hyde: Well, I had the problem assessed and it turns out to be an Achilles Tendon strain/sprain. You pick. As a result, the physiotherapist/doctor told me to lay off of the jumps. I am receiving Tens treatments and am doing the bike. For what reason, I'm doing the bike I don't know but the time I'm on it is not even close to what I do at the gym. I'm also on this thing for balance to get the smaller muscles of my feet to gain strength that has the underneath looking like a bowling ball and the top is a small table top not much bigger than my feet. Elvis: The doc is happy that I've been swimming and using the therapy pool and hot tub at the gym.

Sort of both Mr. Hyde: & Elvis: Because I'm not allowed to jump for the next few weeks, I've changed my strategy for testing and I will not test my FS or interpretive programs but I will tests my dances instead. Only problem with my dances right now is that my right leg isn't co-operating and is messing up the timing of some of my steps. Plus, some of the right footed steps aren't very deep as a result of my tendon, calf and knee being a mess.

Major Mr. Hyde: The doc also wants me to have bunion surgery. Yikes, when do I have time for that. I heard it can keep you off of your feet for months. I have an on your feet job. No desk job. I'm really going to have to find a desk job now. I need to get the cash up for the August when I have to register for next fall/winter skating. Plus, I have my 20th wedding anniversary in Sept. My eldest daughter starts university. My current job really sucks because of the low pay and sudden low hours.

Ok, enough of my pity party.

Elvis: Here's hoping you all have a great day and a great skate!

Brigitte

__________________
"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

Whoa Singerskates....Is your bunion really that bad? Does it cause you pain? My daughter has an awful one, but as long as it doesn't cause pain we are ignoring it for now.

Elvis: I only get to skate once or twice a week these days, so any time on the ice is Elvis! I only had time to run through 4 dances in my 1/2 hour on Wedneday. It felt good!

Mr. Hyde: Last Saturday my spins took a vacation. No matter how hard I tried, they were just awful