Well, today i got some free ice time all to myself, and i mean all to myself, it seemed to take about 30 minutes to get all "adjusted." While i was fidgeting with my MP3 player, and then re-lacing my boots, etc. etc. i thought it would make a good forum. Once i get "everything" all lined up, i seem to eventuall settle in. However, there always seems to be a reason to stop, adjust, go get a tissue, etc. etc. So today, i truly was a "fidgeter."

What about the rest of you all?

You just described me! I have the ice to myself a lot, and so I waste tons of time this way... When there is at least one other person I try to look more disciplined! LOL

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--
Natalie

http://www.ILoveTaB.com

Most times I've had the ice to myself, I'm limited in the amount of ice time I have, so I have to make the ice time worth the amount I paid for it. That quickly makes me into a focuser!!! 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!!!

It generally depends on what kind of a skating week I am having. Sometimes I'm ultra focused, sometimes I don't get tons of stuff done.

I'm with Hannah. If I am alone on the ice, I tend to figit sometimes and other times, I am so darn focused.

If my coach is on the ice, I am more focused because she is always watching, even if she's not giving you a lesson.

If I am working towards a test, I am very focused.

Today was a "get off to get a kleenex, drink of water, rest my legs, go to the bathroom" kind of day. Couldn't focus and coach is out of town until WEdnesday.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Good topic.

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Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

Depends on my mindset going in. Some days I'm good and practice my skills right after another, some days I'm bad and do a lot more laps than I should.

Depends on my mood. If I'm truly alone, I fidget sometimes, if it's one of those days. If there is one other person, and they are better skater than I am, I am focused because I don't want to look like a total putz or wimp next to them. If the other skater is just learning, then I'm focused, but not as much for some reason. Guess I'm weird like that.

When i'm physically or mentally tired or exhausted, (like over an hour of training straight or several days in a row) i'll fidget and be more sociable... I've learned a long time ago it isn't a good idea to push it it when i'm tired cause that's when the worst injuries and falls happen

Usually when I have energy I'm pretty focused on the ice.

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Keep Evolving. "From this moment forward, every voice that told you - You Can't - , has been silenced." - Freedom Writers

The last time I had the ice to myself I was paying $100/hr for it. At that price I didn't waste a single minute! I was given "quiet ice" last month for free (only 3 skaters) and I made good use of that ice time as well.

I am more inclined to work hard and take frequent breaks during "regular sessions" when the ice is busier and I have more hours/week. By nature I don't seem to concentrate well if I go beyond 30 or 45 minutes without a break. But what the heck, I'm not 14 anymore!

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

Since I've cut back on the time spent skating per week, I've had to become more focused. I only fidget the first few minutes. I try to arrive earlier so I'm not wasting ice time by fidgeting. I have all my "stuff" ready and at the boards and I'm usually ready to go by the time the zamboni doors are closed. If I'm at adult-only skate sessions, then I'm a fidgeter, as those are my fun times for messing with my friends.

But I have a list of things to work on at each session so I'm a focused goal-oriented skater this year!

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

I always have limited time and need to have an agenda whenever I practice, so there's not much time for fidgeting! If I had long practice sessions every day, I'm sure I'd goof off much more. . .

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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

I can be either or, it depends on my mood. More of a focuser than a figiter, especially when I'm working towards something, but boy when I figit, do I figit!

Like others here, the emptier the ice, the more I figit! Stupid isn't it - with a clear rink you'd think I'd take the opportunity and make the most of it. I guess it's a confidence thing - I feel a bit pathetic skating on my own.

My worst thing is not figiting but talking. I really have to discipline myself not to keep disrupting others. It's okay when we're working on an element and giving each other feedback or something, but it's all to easy just to skate round yacking...

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

If there's only a few people on the ice, I'll forget things to do, so I'll take frequent breaks (not off ice, just wandering around really slowly) picking a new song on my ipod (850 songs and not ONE that I want to hear!) and trying to think up something to do. Then I'll finally think of something, try it twice, and then be back into pondering mode again.

Other times I can be really focused. When there's lots of people on the ice, I don't have this issue nearly as much.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Too right. I still don't approach the higher level skaters, friendly or not, because I'd feel terrible for interrupting what always looks like very focussed practice. Of course, the answer is to be as focussed as they are, and then one day I'll reach their level...

I do find that having other skaters around is more motivating than empty patch sessions though - I seem to get more done. I think it stops me from fixating on one element too much.

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"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

Well, this seemed to be a fun topic! Some days, i feel like i am totally on, and then, well, it can be slightly lonely being the only one out there! But, our silly new rink has the music access on the 2nd floor! So sometimes that has to do with it -- either they have nothing playing or something not my style!

Hope everyone eventually has a FOCUSED session! Blessings - Miraclegro

Yeah it depends for me, if its a normal weekly session and I'm just not up to it having rushed from work and all that then I might be fidgety. At this stage, where I obviously am not putting skating before work... its the other way around so I dont mind having some fidgety sessions although I do feel happy after a focused one where I really get in good practise and a good work out.
If I have ice to myself I'm defintely focused, because thats a really really rare thing and usually that makes me instantaneously deliriously happy

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~
Tidesong

I figured something out today...on busy sessions, I will purposefully keep busy and avoid stopping for long because I want to avoid socializing (did I mention that I hate people? Hehe not really, but I'm just very shy in person).

So for instance today I paused against the boards for a moment to rest, but hurried back to skating when I noticed a couple kids coming at me.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

Well most of the time I'm focused, but there are moments when I completely lose my mind, like when I come to the rink and find out there is a private ice time and I can't skate or when there are many people on the ice-I skate but I'm so angry with the lack of place that I'm not able to do anything(that's a major psychological problem )