Starting tomorrow's practice thread today!

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The Big Guy and I went to 10 am freestyle. Zamboni is broke so no cuts since noon yesterday.
We all stood staring at the snow, then went to breakfast.

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Great forum quotes:
On Falling: '...it doesn't matter, it's what you do AFTER you fall that's more important' ISK8NYC

little rant:
Just dowloaded May's schedules (public/freestyle) and BOTH daytime publics are GONE!!!! those were my cheapie skates....the manager said they were under-attended. So far, the afternoon public is still on but that puts a dent into my schedule. Man!

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

That bites! There was no open ice last week due to the Ice Show this past weekend. The week before I was traveling so I couldn't skate.

The good news is that my skating wasn't as bad as I feared it would be after having 2 weeks off. I'm testing Adult Pre-Bronze Moves & Free skate on Saturday. I'm soooooooooooo nervous. Hopefully, I will feel better as about it as the week goes on.

Slipping: As always before competition, our Willow Waltz. Ah well... it will either come back or it won't. As the coach said, you know the steps of all your dances now, it's about posture and extension and eye-line. Sigh.

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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!

Sliding: on my tushy all over the place yesterday. At one point, I was able to do a tiny axel-y type thing. I'm trying to get it back, but fall on every attempt! Sigh...

Slipping: spins, especially camel. I'm just having a really rotten spin week.

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Out of retirement and covered in bruises!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pr...62989&ref=name

Slipping V Sliding: Which is better?

I'll make a guess.

Slipping:
My right blades are almost doomed. All screws for the right front plate are now put in. If it persists to be wobbly, I'll have to find someone to plug and re-seal the boot, which means long time off the ice!
RO still feels bad.

Sliding:
I'm not falling enough, seriously. Can't remember when I fell except for waltz-backspin.

Slipping grasp:
Coach saw my prac said flip's better, axel prep looked good, just keep working. Adult skater said I improved from the last time she saw me.
Me? I say I don't feel like a good skater.

Suddenly feel like I don't deserve to be on the ice.

How appropriate this week's practice title is!

Monday
Slipping:
The ice was hard because of the city strike and the guys who are filling in not knowing how to get figure skating ice.
As soon as I got on the ice, I was slipping on the easiest of things. Time to get the blades sharpened again. Hadn't sharpened my blades since 3 week of March just before my competition in Toronto; Max Gould.
Tried Layback. Was too nervous to lean my head back in the spin because of my herniated discs in my upperback.

Sliding:
After coach took his stone to touch up my blades, I was able to grip the ice again but not all that great.
Camel spin is making progress and is near 2 revs even though I still have to fight gravity and keep my upper body from flying out of the circle. LOL Just a bit more practice and I'll have this back.
Forward Upright and corkscrew spins are easily getting 10+ revs.
Waltz
Waltz + Loop is making progress on the Waltz landing with free leg staying crossed in front causing me to get more and better rotation on the Loop. Just about had a clean landing on the Loop in the combo.
Salchow
Salchow + Loop was mostly happening but I still need to keep my freeleg in front a tad longer on the Salchow landing.
Toe Loop + Toe Loop
Flip from a LFO 3 for test has quick rotation and just a small touch down. Just need to get my landing knee to bend more in the landing and I will have a clean Flip
Spirals were OK

Rode my bike to skating and then after rode my bike half way across town to get my blades shapened at Brian's Custom Proshop here in Windsor.

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"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

All I can think about is that song "slip sliding away"......not sure who sings it....sr. moment

Ok, so I went to the ONLY public session today and it actually was not bad (trying to stay positive about things). There were mostly figure skaters practicing and one couple just skating around holding hands (teens) and one hockey boy about 8 years old who COULD SKATE!!!

I went through everything that I had to work on (hehehe except sit spins). Funny how it takes MOST of the session before I can manage to do a decent backspin. I don't know why. forget the loop tho. Still not doing the right thing with that. Worked on some toe-loops and they were nice. Then I worked with some skaters doing 3-turns. that was fun, as I miss teaching.

I think we will work on sit spins tomorrow night in lesson, my back still hurts and I don't know what to do about that. I can move it but I give up with that. guess I'll suck it up. It might be from all the sitting I've done these past 2 weeks, studying for my finals (which I passed).

I'm done with this semester, now I can get seriously back in shape.

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

Hi Skate@Delaware

So glad to know that you have passed your finals.

Now you have the rest of the summer, 3 months at least, to get in shape.

londonicechamp

Tuesday
Slipping:
It took me half of my session before I could get my skates dull enough to stop at all. Although I couldn't stop my favourite way to stop (one footed sideways show stop).
Because my blades were gripping a bit too much I didn't touch freeskating.

Sliding:
Junior Bronze Swing Dance - got half of the dance memorized now; forward part is easy. Now to work on the backward 4 count swing rolls. Backwards swing rolls have got me confused because I keep putting my freeleg in the wrong starting position. LOL Will change that soon.
Fiesta Tango - pretty darn good.
Power pulls forward and backwards.
Won't have to dull up the blades anymore that I could finally stop by the very end of the session. I really needed the sharpening too.

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"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

sliding - program runthrough, put in the new elements I've been working on and it comes together nicely. Jumps were on today. I did a few nice loops.

slipping - spins were bleah, coach complained my spiral hasn't improved in ages, so we worked on that a bit. I'm also looking really lame getting up from my lunge.

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It's all about the dress!

When do you test?

I should know this, but what's the spin elements for preliminary FS? sit, camel and backspin - do you do an upright? I failed the camel (and would still fail the camel )

Congrats, Skate@Delaware! How much longer till you finish your course (nursing, isn't it?)

Thanks! I like to hit the gym pretty intense over the summer and stay in shape. At my age, you have to keep on top of it instead of letting everything go because it's much harder getting it back. Since my injury I have had to fight twice as hard to get back in shape.

Yes, it's nursing. Once I'm accepting into the nursing program, it takes 2 years to complete the program. I only have core nursing to complete, as I already have all the other courses completed from a previous A.A.S. degree. I expect to get accepted either this fall or next spring (next spring is more probable tho). It might seem like I have tons of free time (like for skating) but I still dance and do other things as well...busy, busy, busy!!!

Slipping & Sliding:
Well, we did crossovers, and coach said it shows that I have been working on them, BUT she wants my feet closer.

Then it was change-foot spins and they are sloooowly coming along. Ha, Ha, I almost got all tangled up between the heel of my blade and my laces, she said I need to open up a bit more to prevent that from happening.

Waltz jump still need to keep from pre-rotating...keep it solid.

Hit back 3's tonight and they weren't as scary as last time. They were pretty good. So, did a FI3, then a back 3, mohawk, except I kept forgetting the mohawk (I was just so excited I could do the back 3).

Loop...what can I say? Still fighting that jump. Landing on the wrong foot. I am finally getting enough rotation, and usually enough height. Landing on the wrong foot. Old habits die hard. Stupid!!!!!!

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

I don't have my rulebook in front of me and it's been a while since any of my skaters tested this level, but if I remember, Preliminary freeskate elements include:

Jumps
1. Waltz jump
2. Salchow
3. Loop
4. Flip
5. One jump combo. consisting of a single toe loop and one of the jumps listed above (no turn or change of foot between jumps)

Spins
1. One-foot backspin (min. 3 revolutions) - entry optional
2. Sit spin - in recognizable sit position (min. of 3 revolutions)

Thanks. I went and looked, those are indeed the jumps plus a bunny hop and there are the 4 spins, forward, back, sit and camel. Since Skate Canada is surveying for LTAD in regards to creating a pre-preliminary test, I couldn't remember what was on the preliminary test.

Slipping:

Haven't been on the ice for a while so nothing to report.

Sliding:

It's given me a chance to recover from some injuries. Sometimes, downtime is good.

Paul Simon wrote and performed it. (From the file labeled: "Useless information stuck in my brain". Why can't I remember the important stuff.. like footwork sequences my coach comes up with?

Ahhh, I didn't realize you were in Canada. That would explain why you have the camel spin and bunny hop.

40 minutes more and I can go skate! Almost done with my work for the week.

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Don't feel too badly. Every skater has days when they feel that way. Sometimes, we aren't the best judges of our own skating. Listen to the great compliments you got, instead!

As for me...

Slipping:
-axel. It frustrates me. It wasn't bad - I just feel like I'm stuck on it.
-Still can't get rid of the dizzies fast enough in my program to get from my sit-backsit to my footwork. I'm sure I look like I'm trying to do footwork after I've had a little too much to drink!
-Camel-sit was slow. I need more oomph into the sit.
-I am nominating stag jump to replace the half loop as Most Awkward Jump Ever.

Sliding:
-Back camel. Hello!! Where has it been hiding all this time? Suddenly, I could do more than two revolutions, and with some speed!
-Other spins, including camel-back camel and flying camel, were good.
-lutz and lutz-loop were very strong.

Sliding
-In the past 3 days that I've really been back on the ice, I've had FOUR people tell me how much I've improved! First was my main coach on Monday. It was the end of my lesson and my first day jumping again. I didn't even feel like my lesson went that well, but she looked at me dead in the eye and went, "You know, Sarah, you're getting good. No, I mean, you're getting really good." Then she went to another coach and said, "Isn't Sarah getting good?" This was probably the best compliment I've ever gotten. Then, the next day, I was skating with my friend and SHE told me how much I'd improved, that my wrap was gone and that my double toe was absolutely beautiful. Then YESTERDAY, a man who I'd spoken to a couple of times came up to me and said, "I've been gone for a month, and you've really, really improved." Finally, a highly critical older skater came up to me and said, "You know, I think that time off actually helped you, your skating has gotten much better!"

It's like, I was off for around 2 weeks because of the hospital and aftermath, plus I was far from 100% for some time before that because I'd been feeling dizzy and faint. How could I have improved?!

Ok. Now for some actual skating. 2toes are feeling really nice. I'm also getting much better at using it in combo. I've been working 1toe+2toe, and now I can sometime land clean 2sal+2toes and 2toe+2toes.

2lutzes are off a strong outside edge.

Spins feel faster and more secure. I did a back sit that literally, did not move. I looked at the centering and couldn't believe it. It was seriously ONE circle. Laybacks feel infinitely better.

Oh I also worked on 3 of the Novice moves. We worked on the slow rocker choctaws (needs work--i can't generate much power on the step under/crossroll). We also did the counters which I quite like so far. I did take a funny fall on those, though. Coach told me to get down in my knee more when stepping from the BO counter to the forward crossroll. Fell right on my butt. TOO much knee bend. Also worked the spiral sequence which wasn't tragic but needs work. All of that still goes in sliding, though, because I like working on them.

Slipping
-Axels have been kind of funky.
-I seem to have developed a mental block on solo double loops. It used to be my favorite jump and now I find myself popping two for every one I attempt.
-Was doing a lot of unnecessary falling--sitting down on jumps that were perfectly straight and clean.
-Right ankle has flared up again. It doesn't bother me TOO much while jumping (although I'm also not working on 2axels again just yet), but a flying camel attempt left me on the ice, dizzy with pain.
-Wont be restesting Intermediate again until June 20th I planned on May 16th, but coach said no after the hospital. Also had to withdraw from competition, which would've been this Saturday. I feel like I could still have gone for Int moves on thr 16th, but nope. Oh well. Minor setback.

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Youtube Videos

This kind of thing always puzzles me too, but it is a very real phenomenon. Sometimes you just need a break for your brain & body to put it all together the right way. I had a similar thing happen today.

Sliding:
After a week of no practice at all, and about 4 hrs sleep last night, I got on the ice today to teach for an hour before my dance lesson, and immediately felt very into the ice. I went right into F stroking and FXO's, which usually require warm up first, and directly into F power stroking from there with no stop - very unusual for me. Then I taught the bunny hop to an adult skater, for whom I had to demo quite a few times. Had to demo CCW one foot spins in a lesson with a teenager, and they were all very good. I even explained while spinning. In my ice dance lesson, we did the Dutch Waltz twice, and I got "very good" both times and a compliment on having a firm kilian hold, then the Canasta Tango twice with more "very goods". The Rhythm Blues needed a bit of work, and when I said that of course, since I had done it much less, my coach reminded me that we had hardly worked on the Canasta Tango, and said it came to me naturally . Nothing I have ever done in skating has come to me naturally. I said that at last I felt that I was skating, and my coach told me that another coach (also ice dancer) had commented to him last week about how much better I had gotten. Bolstered by all this positive input, I suggested we try the Fiesta Tango, which I know, but fear. I got a "not so bad for the first time" on the end pattern, which is the hard part.

Slipping:
"Not so bad for the first time" really means I am a total chicken on the mohawk and can't check it myself, and that I need to get way lower in the knees on the B progressives.

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Not sure which is supposed to be good, slipping or sliding? Both sound kind of bad unless you're on a sled. . .

Anyhow:
-Good practice & lesson yesterday, although my spin lesson had to be cancelled. We worked on FS again--backspin is (amazingly and unexpectedly) coming along. Salchow just needed a tweak (I was jutting my skating hip out and thus locking things up), toe loop went OK and waltz-toe is getting there.
-Fiesta Tango just needs some more power through the end pattern, I think. Dance buddy's suggestion from last week regarding where I was looking during the mohawk works like a CHARM!! MUCH steadier.
-I still don't "get" the intro steps and end patterns on Swing. Not all clear on where the lobes are going and such, even though i have the dang pattern right in front of my face!
-Coach hadn't heard anything yet about moves changes & dates of implementation (I told her all the stuff I'd read here, including the apparent changes being implemented in Sept 2010, not 2009). . . she said, "well, if things are going to change [because nothing had been confirmed for her], let's shoot for testing Silver moves at the end of the summer." I replied, "Geez, I don't think that's very realistic." She said, nothing lost by trying. True, I suppose. Back 3s are coming along, fwd cross strokes too, but my slaloms have ZERO power and slow to a crawl, back cross strokes are jerky and hesitant, and we haven't even started the 8-step.

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"Go wash an elephant if you wanna do something big." -Baby Gramps

Did show practice and some choreography was done. We have some interesting moves, nothing real low level but AT our level! I shudder to think that in past shows I've been in, many times we ended up doing waist-trains around the rink.

Had my 2nd week of group "academy" classes. We did back edges, and mine were really bad. I need to work on them more. Again, touched on the canasta tango. Then it was spinning, and tonight was not a spinning night. Worked a bit on backspins, but the group instructor's advice was nothing my body wanted to do so I just plucked along.

The best part was the last-jumps! We did waltz jumps and this instructor explained a few things about the waltz jump, then we did some more. From there we moved on to the toe-loop then he explained the difference between the toe-waltz and the toe-loop. Very interesting! Would have been nice to have had more time, but the session had ended at that point. He did comment that I had nice "spring" on both my waltz and toe-loop. That was nice to hear. I'm hoping that my toe-loop is more of a toe-loop and not a toe-waltz! I'll have to video it and analyze it.

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