Ok, I am cheating - I'm setting this one up to end on a MONDAY so I don't have to start the next one Since tomorrow is Monday morning, my least favorite time of the week, and Friday is my favorite, let's try this!

Monday Morning: A good 1/2 hour of today’s session was pretty much wasted time when the young PA had her Jr. Starskate group lesson doing patterns that took up the whole ice! That pretty much shut down two private lessons and us few solo skaters. (If neither of the coaches say anything next week, I guess the old big mouth will!)

Still “Torture The Left Side Day” Worked mainly on everything left again with backwards as a break.

I need at least one forward-to-back turn that works at speed so I started playing with my RFO3's, doing them at a much faster speed and on a shallow edge (almost straight). The LFI Mohawk is coming nicely but I still can’t do it as fast as the 3 Turn. Looks like it will be a horse race for the F/B turn!

Friday Afternoon: I can already see my backward is going to be my best skating (again) - even though it isn’t yet as developed, it is smoother, more balanced, and will be stronger. But I WANT MY BACK CROSS-OVERS!!!!

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

I want your back crossovers!!
Monday:
Guys, I'm on the verge of going postal over Bronze moves! I'm doing everything short of killing myself (I bruised up my right knee yesterday) to get off the toepicks on the back crossovers. I fell on a Click of Death yesterday trying to do just that.

Friday:
Club ice is not as crowded as the weekday afternoon freestyle ice. Spins were not too bad.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

First day of my "skating week." Warm-up day.

Monday morning: CANNOT get back camel/back sit to be consistent. Am trying really hard, but still missing it far too often. Three months till my competition though, so I guess there's some hope.

I now understand what I get when I skip out on axel attempts a few sessions in a row. Took me over a dozen attempts to win back my cheated one foot landing. But I did get it back and managed three like that. Must remember to do tomorrow in prep for Wed FS lesson!

My right forward power pulls are a joke. Sloths are faster.

Friday afternoon:

Jumps for program were all present and accounted for, including lutz/loop/toe combo. Landed flip/toe as well.

Am able to control back sit portion of change sit spin with much more ease. Am so in control that I can now count my revs and do at least four.

Moves weren't too bad today, aside from lame power pulls. My back cross strokes aren't there yet, I really don't understand how to get the first one and I wind up doing this weird wiggle before figuring it out. But the forward ones are ok. Three turns have come along, though it was a bit crowded for that pattern. 8 Step could be alot worse. It's exists and that makes me happy at this point. Hoping to test next May. We'll see. But it seems that there might be a realistic chance of that happening.

You are not alone, Terri! I don't have to do a back crossovers pattern (thankfully!) for my Dance Moves, but I do have to do tidy back crossovers around the end of the rink. And mine are not pretty or tidy or very crossed!

Coach is telling me to keep my back arm low, to keep my posture a little more upright (i.e. not bending forwards - my knees need to be more bent), and reminding me all the time to keep my weight over my inside hip. He then said I wasn't pushing with my outside foot, but I don't see how I can if all my weight is on the other leg, but that's coaches for you..... He did try to make himself clearer when I queried this, but I'm still confused....

But seriously, if you're having toepick issues, think of keeping your upper body more upright and your back arm lower and - need I say it - your knees a tad more bent (yes, I know - mine don't either!).

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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!

Monday: coach let me bask in the glory for about 3 seconds then it was back to work! She says that now I'm officiallly a competitor (as if the ISI comps dont' count?) so I need to step it ALL up a notch. Note: I had my new boots on....so she had me go through all the moves...Man! talk about difficult! Even edges were hard because of the lack of flexibility in these boots! They will come in time. She ran down the whole list and nit-picked and raised the bar. So now I have even more things to work on and strive for....

My ankles are swollen in the front...and slightly bruised. This will pass.

Friday: I'm breaking in my new boots....which normally would be a Monday, but I did some nice backspins today (still only 2 revs) because I could actually "feel" which edge I was on!!! My waltz jump is great and I can land it without toepick scratchiness! Salchows are painful but ok. Did some nice spins this morning and my crossovers are better!!! Really helps having nice boots that fit well!

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

Hang in there Terri C! It is just one of those "Bad Ice Days" where everything is all messed up. I am confident you will do fine on your test coming up. Keep us posted and let us know how it goes. Glad to hear those spins are going well too!

Monday:
tis the season for crowded public sessions and so I couldn't practice jumps all that well.

Friday:
Picked up on the footwork in my holiday program. It just clicked today. Also I did practice loops today (because it still is pitifully small and I still could manage it in an over populated session). I noticed a different sensation on my right side. I can't articlulate it all but it was one of those "a-ha" moments. Just to add to the puzzle pieces of my loop and someday it will morph together into one big huge beautiful jump. I am also seeing better progress in both my camel and sit spins. overall a wonderful skating day today.

Monday: Was still in NY - no ice time at that time. Got boots "tweaked" at Klingbeil. Enjoyed my NY visit very much!




Friday (has to count today/Sunday): I think my rt. boot is making me psycho! He tightened up the heel, and now i feel more forward in the boot than before! Any suggestions? Anyway, ran through the Christmas show program and looking pretty good! Got my lutz-loop back! Need consistency! Lost my left back 3/mohawks after broken ankle. Got that back more strongly today! Emotional high! Now about that bi-polar sit spin! traveling on and on.....

Practice? MOnday to Friday? None taking the week off

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Tim David's Website

Monday:
Still no clean loop. Then again, I really didn't do any more than a couple.

Friday:

• Flip sorta came back from vacation. Geez, a FINE DAY *IT* went on vacation! (But glad that it's back again!) Out of 5 tries, I got 2 today.
• Played around with catch-foot spirals today for the first time in a LOOOOONG time. It's not that bad for a first try...
• Enjoying the moment that I no longer have to worry about testing and preparing for a test on a deadline. I definitely options now, as opposed to having to do something.

Monday again:
I am very undecided what I'm going to do after passing this Bronze FS test! I have no idea what to pursue and how I should structure my training now. Sure I want to get my Silver Moves started. Sure I want to get all my "almosts" to an "actual" one. Sure I want to start on a new technical program now that I've officiall retired "Yanni." But I also am considering ice dancing too! *sigh* Decisions, decisions...quite overwhelming!!! (And I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm now officially a Bronze lady!)

Friday again:
I have LOTS of time... and the right coaches, to help me make a decision!

Terri C: Sorry about you bashing your knee. Have hope! Your back crossovers should be there for you when your knee heals back up! (As it did for me when I bashed up my knees back in June too...)

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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!!!

Well, I am totally confused by this thread. The title is dated 11/4 to 11/12, but everyone seems to be reporting on only Mondays and Fridays. Do we have a smiley for scratching one's head? Is this our regular weekly practice thread? If so, then it is starting now and we haven't had a Monday yet, right? I am soooo confused. Someone help me out here, please.

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I think this week's thread concept is the typical work day week for most businesses, so if something is frustrating you, it's a "Monday!" If something is going well, it's in the "Friday" category. Got it now???

Of course, if you're a hairdresser, the thread should be "Tuesday or Saturday" thread! (Or if you're Thin-Ice, "Sunday or Thursday.") LOL!!!

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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!!!

OMG, I am so dense sometimes! Somehow I was thinking about the thread starting on a Monday. Guess that's what I get for doing too many things at once and not paying proper attention. All I could think was "How can they be reporting on Monday, when it's still Sunday?" Well, I'm skating tomorrow, so I will have some Mondays and Fridays to report on Monday .

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Monday: For our (and her) sins, coach has put DH and me in the Xmas Show... (group number for West Side Story - as her "most aged" currently available students, I think I'm cast as the godmother of one gang and DH as the godfather of the other...Zimmer frames to be parked at the rink entrance ), and we have a 30-sec spot to do by ourselves ...

Friday: ...so today we managed to kludge the entire program without falling and got to the end and survived...

Monday: Coach said "now do it like you're not beginners..." (but we are beginners, coach!)

Friday: ...But we managed to toe-scrape our way though it and not actually die.

Monday: Killian hold into a LFO 3turn (me) wasn't working at all...

Friday: ...so coach choreo'd a manageable work-around.

Monday: Now to fix the rest of the program, and make it look like we want to be there, and aren't really terrified out of our minds! .

Just remind me: why did I sign up for this?

ROFL! I knew it would be confusing!

The practice threads USED to start on Monday and run to the following Sunday, which was fine because I don't skate Mondays Somehow they got switched a few weeks ago and were starting on Sundays. I skate Sunday so I ended up starting most of the practice threads - that's why I decided to make this thread one day longer and get it back to Mondays - so others would have a chance to start them.

Because I have started so many, I was running out of witty titles Since most of us work Monday to Friday, Monday is our least favorite day of the week and Friday are normally great because we're looking forward to the weekend. It is about "mood" rather than what the calandar says.

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

Oh, I thought that the good things were Monday Morning because it was a bright new start for the week, and the dire things were those awful hours on Friday afternoon when it seems like the week will never end....

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

Trust the British to have it the other way around!

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

And yet you persisted!

Which is part of what confused me.

Work Monday to Friday? What's that? For the last 15 years of my "regular" job, I worked 12/3, with the 3 changing every quarter. DH works Sunday through Thursday.

This has all really been very amusing, and god knows, we can all use a bit of that lately!

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Terri, here are a few things to focus on:
1) Focus on middle of your blades, the part directly under your arch.
2) Focus on the side of each blade: the outside of the blade on the inside foot, and the inside of the blade on your outside foot.
3) Lean the upper body a little to the outside of the circle to balance out the way you're dropping your hip and leaning inside the circle from the waist down.
4) Keep the shoulder facign the inside of the circle pulled WAY back.
And of all of those things fail, get your blade sharpener to re-shape your rocker and shave off a little of your bottom toepick. It could be that your rocker has gone a little flat, so that your bottom pick is too close to the ice. My scraping on my back crossovers went away the day I mounted my new blades!

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

New program! New program!

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

Monday: Tonight was dance class.....which means KNEE BEND and I'm still breaking in my new boots (I did tell her I was)...so she says "You have to BEND on this dance!" (the cha-cha).... I can't because they are NEW!!!! The front of my ankles are all bruised and sore....

Friday: getting of the ice!!!! I limped all the way to the lobby...ow! ow! ow! and it felt so good to get the skates off! But I sort of remember the cha-cha now!!! cha-cha-ow!

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

Monday:
My left foot loves being barefoot in its boot, but my right foot seems to need a new bandage of some sort every time I skate. Today it was the Klingbeil label sewn into the inside ankle area. Of course, the blister on my big toe and the cuts along the top of the boot are still there too.

Friday:
Got in some good work on FI and FO threes and there is progress, but slower than I would like. I am also working on that T push, and today got 3/4 of the way across the rink on one. My goal is to make it all the way across with no lurch. CCW FXO's were still feeling good, though not so good as the CW ones.
BI edges down the continuous axis felt better than Fri when I first started them.
They scare me just a bit, since it was on a BI to BI edge transition that I broke my wrist.

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Monday Morning: As it is Tuesday, the rink was packed out! Why is it that so many people are there by about 07:15 on a Tuesday morning, but it's usually still almost empty at the same time on a Wednesday?

Husband has gone to Wales on business, so we have swapped our lessons round for the week - I am going to be totally confused all week about which day it is!

Level 3 dance moves: Pretty dire. Couldn't get any knee-bend

Changes-of-edge: Awful. No speed. Coach said no edges either!

Most things: Slow and clunky and where was my knee-bend? My knees didn't hurt, they just didn't want to bend!

Rink beastly cold - kept my gloves on right through my lesson, which is unheard-of for me! Usually they come off, if they have been worn at all, straight after the warm-up.

Friday afternoon:

Actually managed back one-footed slaloms (I can't possibly call them edge pulls - they weren't on an edge!) on my left foot. First time ever - and in my lesson, too, how unusual is that? I got the right-footed ones a few days ago, but first time the coach has seen them. Obviously, they aren't great, but at least I can do a few.

Learnt that in the 14-step there are three places on the end pattern where you must extend, basically on the left forward outside steps. Coach is making me do it at half-speed to get into the habit, "because if you don't extend now, you never will!"

After my lesson, realised that even my 2-footed slaloms are very flat! I think I counter-balance the wrong way. However, did make a little progress on the dance moves.

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

Monday: Scratch spin still not a scratch spin. I did manage to get into it twice on one foot (which made me spin WAAAYY faster than when I tap down). I liked how it felt, but couldn't duplicate it, grrr!!! I still manage 4-5 revolutions, but am not getting my foot crossed. Blech!!

Toe loop and salchow still not getting into the air. Well, the toe loop did once, when I tacked it on after a 1/2 loop, but I cuoldn't duplicate that, either.

Tango stop and RFI bracket are happening, but not at speed.

Friday: Skittl123 met me for coffee after my practice! Fun chatting!!!

I got the ice almost to myself, for 15 minutes, so I practiced moves like mad. Got so much done in that time! Perimiter stroking is back to four pushes a side without losing flow, forward power perimeter stroking (Russian stroking) is four lobes per side, three crossovers around the ends. Worked on backwards power stroking and that's about 6 lobes a side (I'd like to get that to four, but need to make the change of edge more explosive, I think). Tried back crossovers to BO edges, but forgot how that pattern actually worked, D'oh!

And the best part: I did the backwards power circles center ice and fast! (for me) I alternated sides and managed to get three patterns per side in before my legs turned to jelly. I started dead center and was out past the big hockey circle in six crossovers -- it usually takes me so many more... Woot!! Yay quark!! I've never really felt likeskating fast, but have the last week or so and it felt great to really push myself and the speed. I know it only happened because I was out there alone, but yay anyway!!!!

Monday morning: last time I ran through my program I ran out of music and the competition is saturday, yikes, nervous. Also did not receive my new dress from Seku and emailed them and did not get a response. lovely....

Friday afternoon: Loop is really consistent now! And did a picture perfect single flip this morning though not in the program. YAY

Monday Morning" I should be on my way to the rink, but I’m not. I have had a nasty headache all day, took something for it mid-afternoon but it hasn’t gone away so I am going to stay home in the quiet and dark. WHAT A WIMP! I have only missed two sessions since I started skating in January and that was when I sprained my ankle and couldn’t get my boot on for the pain. Today makes 3.

Friday Afternoon ??? Maybe I will work on my choreography - at least it's skating related.

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