In honour of Worlds this past week and my shot at the Adult Championships next week, let's all shoot for the Gold!

GOLD: When one understands the problem it can be addressed and things start to fall into place. After 3 weeks of rapidly deteriorating skating, having my blood sugar back where it is supposed to be brought my skating back to where it should be! Aside from being a bit rusty (due to 3 weeks of physical impairment) EVERYTHING was back pretty much to where it had been. The Sit and Shoot the Duck were awfully rusty and the Toe Loop wasn’t the best (maybe 50%) but pretty much everything else was about 80%. There IS hope!

Now all I have to do is AVOID STRESS and watch my diet until after Nationals.

(Did you hear that coach? I have to AVOID STRESS!!!!)

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

Ha, it's too appropriate, your name for the thread. I was thinking today, as I practiced, how woefully less skilled I am than all those elite skaters I watched all weekend (obviously).

Gold: Coach started me on bronze moves two lessons ago. No problem filling the entire length with the four forward power XO moves. Back XOs are feeling a bit better, less scratchy & better edge change with the power push/pull.

Also-Ran: What IS it with 3-turns? I thought I'd made my peace with these ages ago, before I broke my ankle. Well, not so. Part of the reason coach didn't want me to take the PB moves was because of the 3-turns (Waltz 8 and 3-turn pattern). Yeah, and power 3s are no better. I don't know what it is. If I get my free leg under control, my shoulders go out of whack and I can't check any thing. If I get the shoulders fixed, my posture goes bad, I'm breaking at the waist etc. If that's good, oh, I'll trip on the toepicks or something.

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

Also Ran: Literally got caught with my pants down. I forgot to tie the draw strings on my pants and it felt a little drafty after a particular jump. My pants came down about 1/4 the way . Fortuneately I always wear compression shorts underneath so it wasn't much of a show. I've been skating for over 15 years and that was my first wardrobe malfunction. I don't think anybody noticed (I hope )

Gold: Toe loops and salchows have slowly been getting more consistent. I can't do one on demand, but if you give me a few tries I can get it. Scratch spins and back sits have been unusually better the last week or two.

If there wasn't a burst of flashes going off, you may have been spared.

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

Also didn't run: I couldn't skate today as I had - and still have - a bad earache and feel awful. Hope I can skate tomorrow, but don't hold your breath....

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

Poor you, definately no skating with that, your balance will be well messed up. Lots of rest.

Hope you are better soon.

Awwww!!!! Rest up! Hope you feel better tomorrow, Annabel!!!

Rusty Blades: Glad that you got your blood sugar under control. That will definitely kill anyone's skating, for sure...

Pardon me for being "cheeky" but....



(Yeah, you better get some pants that doesn't require draw strings to keep the pants up... Tee hee hee...LMAO!!!)

Also-Ran: Can't skate in the mornings to save my life. I tried to do my jump warm up and I couldn't get myself to do a simple loop... never mind a flip...to save my life. I opted to just do two runthrus of my artistic and called it the morning.

Gold: But I came back Monday night to just skate for fun and I had NO PROBLEM with my flips or loop (it was effortless!!!) I cranked out a few loop-loops in the process just to prove that I really can do this jump combo. SHEESH!!! I'm so NOT a morning person!!!

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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!!!

Gold: I'm jumping really well right now. Absolutely nailing my doubles and double-double combos. Of course they will all disappear by the time the competitions come around. Also made some major progress on the 3sal. Finally feel like this jump is within my grasp now. Not bad for 28! I just need to learn how to hold the landing because it's rotated and on one foot, I just can't hold it. It's not nearly such a scary jump as 2axel IMO.

Also-ran: I tried one too many of those triple sals and made the mistake of trying to bail beyond the point of no return. Now I have a nice purple kneecap to show for it. Scary how much power goes into rotating a triple. When it all goes where it's supposed to, it's reasonably benign, even with a fall on landing, but when it goes wrong it can be pretty scary (ask Mao Asada!).

2loop2loop, I am shocked you can manage that 3 sal at your age. We'll need to see a solid attempt at MC otherwise those spiffy Canadian fellow may give you a run for your money.

Arnica helps the bruise or you could try my favorite Valtoral ointment! (That's for the truly aged, like myself)

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Gold: Having just added a second axel to my program, I actually landed both of them in my program run-through this morning. I was proud of myself because I don't like doing jumps over 1 revolution early in the morning, especially my first early morning of the week (when I have to get up at 5:00am instead of 8:00 or 9:00).

Also Ran: Unfortunately, that second axel is in place of the double salchow, which I have had so much trouble with lately that I'm shelving it until after AN. And two of my three spins had incomplete revolutions. Arrghh.

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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

Gold: coach returned from two weeks in America (Dallas I think he went) so had first lesson for a while.

It went OK though he's started me on the level 5 field moves now that he can remember them properly and they are horrible.

Flip and loop still OK

Also ran: backspin and even sitspin have gone weird -ever since passing the test I've not been able to do them properly.

Gold: Went to a club session group lesson for the first time in ages (years probably) which was quite fun although it was me and three 9 year olds Got a couple of tips on the camel spin and it was useful practice.

Not sure what the parents thought - and don't really care.....

I could have gone in the next group up but rather enjoyed being as good as the kids for once whereas I think I'd have struggled with the higher group.

So I might not be drawing my pension just yet, however, I still think this stuff would be much much easier if I were 10 years younger Fortunately the Canadian in question is a II, whereas I am still a youthful I - but next year I move up

Gold: Did my program for the first time since Sectionals and it was clean! I need a thumbs-up icon. The spins could've been stronger, but I completed all the elements, including the axel, which was swapped with the lutz-loop. The program layout feels much, much better now that my axel isn't shoved into the corner. I also wanted to die even less than before, to which I credit my recent off-ice elliptical and weight machine exercising.

Also-Ran: Moves right-side spiral pattern still miserable. I miss dance. I had to stop until after ANs because of finances.

Also Ran:
I have decided that my Primary Coach is now the "salchow police" when it comes to my skating. I drove her crazy yesterday with my too snapping quickly free leg. She is also still preaching about the skating leg being in a 90 degree angle for a legitimate sitspin for my Bronze free test.

Gold:
Landed two nice Salchows for Secondary Coach with Primary Coach making the comment before I did them, "YOU BETTER DO THAT JUMP RIGHT!" Needless to say after two solid ones, I was laughing my butt off.
Almost fell on two loop jumps, BUT they were fully rotated.

Started again on flip today and fell on one, but Coach says I had the right idea. My feet got tangled up after I drew back.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Solid GOLD! Well it’s about @$#% time! After 3 weeks of totally washed-out skating I was back in form and most elements were back.

Coach was delayed and I wasn’t sure what the plan was so I skated my tail feathers off for half an hour - a real good sweat-raising workout! When coach arrived, she said “program run-throughs” !!! Sure, after exhausting myself??!!

Half way through the first Free skate, I got a cramp in my calf - second run-through was not bad. After a short breather, she had me run through the Interpretive - eh, so-so but pretty good considering I had already been skating hard for an hour!

All in all I guess I am ready to take my chances at Nationals a week from tomorrow. I fly out tomorrow morning to spend a few days with family before going on to competition. C.A.N. HERE WE COME!

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

Have a great trip with the family, and have a great time at CAN! I wish it were on icenetwork so those of us not attending could watch you and others skating there.

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Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Also Ran: Spins finally went south again. My loops are completely gone (probably because I don't get around to practicing them until after an hour or so on the ice when I'm wiped out).

Gold: Managed to keep my pants on . Toe loops were great. My rotational mojo is back . Reconstructed axel attempts are getting better and more consistent. The only thing I'm not doing is landing them. Details, details....

All goes to show how good dancing has been for your skating (G, D and R!).....! Seriously, congratulations and I hope we see this at the Mountain Cup.

Owww, poor you. Lots of arnica.

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

Well 2loop2loop some of us are rapidly approaching 3 territory. Of course it would be easier if you were umpteen but what a great challenge. I can't wait to see you skate after all the dancing you have been doing. Maybe you should join me in solo dance, I'll be doing pre gold, the Paso and the American Waltz.

Lets see those soft knee's!!

I take my adult gold fm tomorrow and if I pass I will be allowed to start working on my Jr moves again, finally!!

The long slow road to recovery, so far no bumps, of course no jumps, but I still manage to have an awful lot of fun!!

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Whee-! Fun with brackets! Have a great test!

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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

In all fairness, dancing has been good for my skating, but it has been terrible for my bank balance and my sleep patterns...

Forget it, you're on your own. I need someone to cling on to.

Would it make you feel better if I pointed out that I was talking MC age groups, which means you are rapidly approaching 4 territory...hmmm I guess not

*Joins Mrs R with the g, d and r*

Darling 2loop2loop, I am aware of a shift in US figure skating age groups that you might not know about, since MC works of US figure skating and has a sanction from them you might be surprised. You will stay a 1 and I will be a 3 for a looooong time. Of course it will have to pass the governing council, so we'll know in mid may.



With regards to sleep patterns, you're young you'll catch up on your sleep later.

Its much more fun to dance by yourself only 2 feet instead of 4.

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

[Gold]
Somehow, some way, my camel and camel/sit spins were completely centered today....no clue how that happened!!

Moves felt good....but, I am just sooooo done...April 26th can't come quick enough!!

[Also-Ran]
I haven't been on the ice since last Friday (due to easter and show practices, which I am not a part of), but it showed in my skating today (it didn't help that I didn't eat anything before I went out there.... ). I wasn't jumping on my jumps...

Brackets in the field are evil I have such issues with the BO....it just feels so awkward to me because I feel like I need to force the edge because my body is turning the wrong way! ugh!! At least I know they suck....I guess that's a small consolation....

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

I hadn't skated since last Saturday. Laziness, I suppose. Too bad I haven't taken advantage of so much extra ice time available during spring break.

Today's session began with perfect ice - soft enough to really press into for strong crossovers. I LOVE freshly Zammed ice.

Did a suprisingly good combination spin - for me.

Started with my usual turning-threes back spin , went into a forward sit that was nicely centered and fast, and it got faster once I straightened up.

Then I stepped once again into a backspin with lots of speed. Too much to control well though. I quickly jammed the free foot back to slow rotation, and managed to pull the muscle in the upper rear part of my left leg.

It hurt, but the realization of the 3-way combo spin being halfway good gave me satisfaction.

Still wish my backspins were stronger though.

Practiced brackets in the field, and, yes Kim, I HATE the BO brackets.

Fun thing about brackets though is that they lead naturally to other turns. I've been doing the RFO swing counter without too much difficulty.

T'was a good day.

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Bill Schneider