In honor of this weekend's New Year's competition.

Performance: worked on the dress last night. Now when walking my foot does not hurt as much.

Plop: foot still a bit bruised and sore.

Performance:
-Spins seem to be working fine as of late, and I'm happy to say that the flying camel is working. It's not super strong or anything, but it's under control.
-Changed choreography for pairs program to make the program a little smoother.

Plop:
-Have done 3 runthroughs for my singles program since late October. Ugh and yikes. What's more, I have a new cut of music.
-Pairs lifts are very wonky as of late; loop lift has evaporated. Can't seem to get Loops aloft.
-Managed to drop Loops a few times last night. Oops and sorry!

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Plop: Haven't skated on my own since last Tuesday b/c I've been at Synchro Sectionals.

Performance: My team is going to Nationals!

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

Plop:
Got my skates sharpened this weekend and this was the first time on them with the new sharpening. I couldn't spin- except for backscratch .
Considering that I'm competing this weekend- uh well, this is a scary situation to be in. Never mind the fact that it was a little difficult negotiating the newly sharpened edges.
Competition jitters are starting to come- hardly slept last night.

Performance:
Jumps in the program runthrough (freeskate) were solid, except for the salchow, which I fell on . A friend observed that I had more height in my salchow than I usually do and maybe that's why.

All in all, we all know what's said about a bad week of practice before competition!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Plop:
Just about everything. I taught an hour of classes before my freestyle session, with an hour and a half in between, so I was starting tired. Then, I could have been the only person on the ice for the first half hour, but due to complications I can't go into here, I went and hid in the pro shop instead. By the time other skaters had arrived and I began skating, my feet were frozen blocks of ice, and I still was not really warmed up in time for my lesson. My FO threes were pathetic, I had no flow on F power crossovers, crossed the long axis at less than a 90' angle, and was forced to do the five step Mohawk, which I have not even attempted in months.

Performance:
My coach insisted that the five step was not as bad as I thought and that it actually could pass the Adult Bronze level, though not pre-juv. I really do not agree, but was glad to hear that it wasn't as bad as it felt.

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I certainly hope you're implying things can only get better! Actually, tonight's practice was a cross between Plop and Performance: I can do the entrance into the salchow, do the 3-turn, and sometimes it goes up and sometimes it doesn't, but at least I'm not freaking out and bailing out of it. I did it many, many times tonight so at least I feel better about that.

More Performance: My spiral was again above 90 degrees tonight. My coach had told me yesterday it was above 90 degrees and was about the best spiral he'd ever seen me do , so it was nice that it was still with me today. At least something is, LOL!

And more Plop: my coach can't come with me to the New Year's competition, and not only that, I miss my last two (previously) scheduled lessons with him this week. Only one more before the competition, and I do have another coach with me on Friday, but I'm not happy about it. It's not a happy feeling when you already feel behind and then you miss some lessons. Oh well, I'm sure it will all work out and I have plenty of friendly faces/folks to help make up for it!

Happy skating,
Pat

Did a joint lesson with both coaches today, so I could get a non-skating pair of eyes on my Tango.

Amazing how coach #2 can say basically the same thing as coach #1, but in slightly different words, and it sinks in. Coach #1 would probably be much wealthier if he had a nickel for every time he had wanted/suggested the same basic corrections that coach #2 mentioned, only in different words.

Coach #2 did notice some issues in the hold at the beginning of the promenade, where I wasn't 100% in foxtrot hold, concentrated on fixing that and it made the promenade SOOO much easier. Also some minor suggestions on the mohawk and then the same suggestion to be more aware of the hold when skating into the RFI3.

All in all a very good lesson...

but the real performance was my back cross-rolls. They were really rocking and rolling today... ready to graduate them up to the next level with more free leg elevation and better lean.

Wednesday is a whole pattern day, then next week coach #2 gets to pick apart the whole kit and kaboodle.

Blades need sharpening within the next week or so... otherwise, by test time (end of month) they will definitely be too dull for Reston ice.

Performance:

• SPEED!!! Someone timed me going around the rink once (this is an NHL size rink and it was 27.15 seconds!!! (Of course, if I didn't do this at a crowded public session, it would have been even faster!!!) MAN!!! I think I'm going to keep going until I get to about 25 second or less consistently. Hopefully by then my secondary coach will noticed!!!
• Also for fun, cshobe motivated me to try doing a BI hydroblade... ended up on my BUTT, but as it turns out, not too bad on my knee... the eventual wipe out on the ice is minimal at worst, since I'm already so low to the ground. GAWD I wish I had Jay around to show him that, but he was in a lesson... (though he did see the aftermath of my attempts go. He did noticed I was down sitting on the ice!!!)
• Spirals are higher now, thanks to empty sessions and the ability to watch my reflection on the glass!!! I can see how high my leg is and it's a slight improvement. Of course, I still need to get up higher to impress secondary coach.

Plop:

• I could see that it's gonna be a LOOOOONG way from being able to do a decent camel spin for me!
• Forward power 3's could be faster still, but at least I'm seeing some improvements!!!

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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!!!

Performance: Good practice with husband, we got one or two issues sorted, and I think will hold up. Worked on our free dance a bit - wish we'd get the papers for it soon, or we'll have to start bringing it back up to competitive standard without having tested it, which will not please me. Worked on our pairs spin quite a bit, got the technique right but kept missing each other! And my solo spin is gradually getting better - for me, the secret is to remember to enter the 3-turn on a very deeply bent knee, then it works. Sometimes.

Then he left, and after a break I worked out with another friend, and we did a lot of aerobic skating, working on our Field Moves and some Dance Moves. In most things - especially anything involving turns - she's way better than me, but there are one or two steps I just have the edge (pardon the pun!).

Then stretched in the pros' room afterwards while drinking tea.

Plop: I think we have a fix for the step to forwards in the Fiesta Tango - but only if Husband gets the timing right! It worked beautifully round the hockey circle, and in the first pattern of the dance, but the 2nd pattern, he moved his arms far too soon, and I got most confused!

And there is one step in our Free Dance that he simply doesn't get right, and it's driving me insane. I think he's got it..... by George, he's got it (not!). But I do think it's coming. And there is another step our coach wants us to do which is totally and utterly impossible - my body doesn't *do* that... yet....

Clockwise back progressive runs. Stink. Whether with Husband in waltz hold or solo. Gack.

My fitness trainer friend says I must wait another month before doing my off-ice strength training with ankle weights on. Okay, but the weights are new, so I long to try them..... Hate off-ice work.... can't stretch properly, but she showed me some good stretches with a resistance band.

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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!

FINALLY had a lesson with my singles coach last night for the first time in six weeks. Rearranged a couple of the jumps in my FS program and did an almost-clean runthrough. This weekend I'll settle for almost-clean, as I have yet to do a completely clean runthrough.

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Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

Hi dbny

I hope things are now going well for you and your coach..try heating your boots a little before you go on the ice, when I do get to skate I generaly skate 3 or 4 45 minute sessions in a row and between ice cuts I change for fresh socks, it realy helps to keep some feeling in the toes.
Hope to meet you soon.....

PLOP: Have not been able to skate for 4 day's..( On the road again )
PLOP: Last time on the ice, scratch spin double sal staminar to finish the flipping number .

PERFORMANCE : Look out..New footwork..Im loving it.. ( Thanks to Liz manley) ( If I can stay on my feet )

Performance: Not much today. Was working on 5 step mohawks, making sure my feet on the FI mohawks are touching (well, more like just close together and tidy is good enough for now...)

Warming up stroking fast... secondary coach is watching...but doesn't say anything. (At least now she sees that I'm working hard on my power and speed.)

Plop: ME... onto a nice comfy SOFA!!! AHHHHH!!!!

starskate6.0: Liz Manley is doing your footwork!?!?! OMG!!!

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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!!!

Yes.. I only wish I was as good on my feet as she is..Learning new stuff every day..

Liz Manley on the freestyle, Elizabeth Hollett on the Interp. Iv learned a lot in the last year. When these girls teach, I listen

Wow, you too? My run-throughs yesterday and today were pathetic. I was slow, and my 5-rev sit spin and reasonably good camel-sit have disappeared. Tonight, my secondary coach and I worked on the loop, which was cheated in my run-through (and about 1 inch off the ice). I'm torn between increasing my practice time for the rest of the week or sticking to my schedule - I want to fix these problems but I don't want to exhaust myself, especially given my marathon class on Friday night (see my post in the Roll Call thread). My primary coach (who is also competing this weekend) tells me skating is all mental and that I'm well-trained on all of my elements.

On a positive note, the lobes in my power 3 pattern are bigger than they were a few weeks ago. The bad news is that I'm waaay too slow to be close to passing level. But since I'm the lowest-level skater moves-wise in the Bronze MIF competition this weekend, I have no expectations as far as that's concerned.

Performance: Fantastic lesson this morning. At my request, we worked on the Prelim Field Moves (I may or may not test these, but as my teacher wants me to work on posture and extension, I'd rather be doing something to work them, than just random exercises). Anyway, of the six exercises, three are already skated to passing standard! How cool is that??? And I am pretty sure I can get a fourth to passing standard by next week, since I just didn't quite know what was wanted, and now I do - not hard, just needs practice. I practically had them by the end of the session.

Plop: The other two exercises! One is back swing rolls, but for free skating they have to be full semi-circles, almost figures-style. I am having awful trouble with my left shoulder, and with stepping down into the re-sit with my feet close enough together on one side. The other is back cross-cuts, which are still a disaster area for me - I can go just over half the length of the rink (an improvement) but run out of "oomph". My teacher is trying to show me how to get a decent under-push on them by having me do them like he teaches the babies - very fast, not worrying about edges, just push, push.... this works, a bit, but I still ended up changing feet on the spot, which made both of us laugh & my teacher cough ("Oh, don't make me laugh!")

Then we worked on back 3s, which I still can't do properly - he made me start them from scratch, but it's the lifting my toes as I turn I find so difficult. He said to think that one's free leg is attached to one's skating leg so both come up together - velcro on one's trousers, anybody? And the baby Mohawk exercise - it wouldn't be so bad if they were open Mohawks, but they aren't, they're inside closed, which I find quite the worst. Yet they're supposed to be easier.....

In practice with Husband we got some good work done - our horrible runs round the circle went well, and our clockwise runs in waltz hold were a lot better today. Free dance coming-along-nicely, but I want to get those papers in before we have to start bringing it back up for competition. Fiesta tango we made the mistake of doing a run-through without warming up the Mohawk, and I bottled out... I probably could have done it, but panicked. So we then warmed up the Mohawk and went through it again, rather more slowly! It's coming.... then his Lordship had to go to work....

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

Performance:
Did 6 program runthroughs this morning, 5 back to back. Of course, I didn't include all my elements; I was trying to get a feel for my new music.
And a local judge and a coach gave me some tips/advice on choreography/poses/positions. That was really nice.

Plop:
Fell hard on a flying camel and wrenched my back. I currently have no feeling in my midback. Hey, my first back injury of the year!
I kinda need a functioning back for the pairs event. Grrr.

Thank goodness I have my chiropractor on speed dial.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Plop - went to practice last night for my lesson. I'm back with primary coach, and am alternating weeks so another skater can get some lessons.
Major ouch. Foot still not happy. Did a couple of run-throughs, and they were rather sad. Going to try again tonight, and then give the tootsies a rest for two days and skate Sat. am before the event. It's a pain (ha ha) because I also walk to work!

Performance: I asked my coach last night if he felt it was worrth it for me to go to Germany - we think it is, and will decide later if we'll keep this program.
Working on the dress tonight.

Loops, how's your dress?

Nova, sorry to hear about your back pain and hope it is ok by Saturday!

Plop: Hit the back of my right ankle with a metal door while running in to work on Tuesday, scraping up some skin. Another part of the ankle is bruised from my skates. Ow, ow. I managed to skate yesterday and today with a big bandaid and a piece of foam cushion to protect the bruised area, but it still hurts.

Performance: Hmm.... well, I'm proud of my thrifty dress, which I got used for about $20 on Ebay and decorated myself with gold crystals!! My coach finally realized how unlikely I was to do a flying camel in the program and that I was always running out of time, so she took out the flying camel and a dreaded back spin in my program. Now I should be able to finish on time- whee!

Flo, thanks for asking about my dress. It's gorgeous, maybe a bit longer than I'd prefer in the back but I can't wait to skate in it. I'll bring your "sample dresses" on Saturday to give back to you.

Nova: yikes! NOT a good time to blow out your back again.

I finally feel like I'm making progress with my program; I still don't expect a clean program on Saturday but now I feel like I have a chance to skate it respectably at least. And that'll do for now.

__________________
Where are those knives when I need them?
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I need a detachable left foot!

Loops - looking forward to your program. I love the music, and had a great time skating to it. I skated to it at Nationals in 2001, actually I think it was my last fs program. I did the quals with one dress, and was not thrilled with the photos, and then borrowed one from a friend (Debbie's coach) while there and skated in that for the finals. It was perfect.

Nova, hope your feeling better soon.

Skatingatty - it's not the dress - it's you in the dress!

Oh goody, does this mean that I will not need my laces and duct tape??

Spins came back, sort of yesterday. Did a 99% clean runthrough of the free and learned that it's hard to emote programs when you're trying to stay out of lesson's way while running through the interp!

__________________
Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Uh, no, this was a different program.

And the doc says I should be able to move again by next week.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

No, it's never a good time. I have 4 or 5 doctor's appointments between now and Saturday, so keep those fingers crossed.

Ironically, I told my boss yesterday that I was finally off all drugs/medications and was planning to just 'live thru any pain that may be thrown my way.' HA! Today, I'm on 3 different meds. (My sincerest apologies to my liver.)

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Oh no! Well, I have a few pain killers in mind that we can use this weekend if we have to.