I know what you're talking about and it is great that your coach is teaching you that! I didn't learn it until I was working on the brackets in the field for the Gold/Intermediate MIF and was having trouble getting control on the pushoff to the next lobe. My coach said that little change of edge before the pushoff was something they all used to learn in figures.

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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

Rain, first thing... congrats on the flip!!!

Trust me... I was a skeptic when my secondary coach told me after I got the loop that it would be significantly easy for me to get the flip... but guess what? Once my loop was steady, I got started on the flip with her and within a few minutes I got it landed. Now... it's far from consistent and at times I would lose the flip. But it's nice to know that I'm starting to get this flip jump to the point where it's no longer an "almost" flip! I OWNED the loop and flip now!!! (And after years of getting it for a day or two and then losing it for a year or two 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!!!

Tell me about it! But although I've lost more weight since I got new boots, they're still fitting okay. Think I need new laces, though.

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

Magical! Skate Canada posted the entry list for the Adult Championships yesterday and they have divided Pre Introductory Interpretive not just by age but also by skill level, which means rank beginners (like me!) are not competing against people with advanced skills in other disciplines. Pre Introductory Interpretive just became a REAL competition!!! That puts a whole new slant on next week's competition. Am I happy about it? It means I have a chance at the podium but it also mean I have to earn it on the ice!

Mythical Last I heard there was a major winter storm moving toward the east coast. I have my fingers crossed that all our east coast competitors get out ok.

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

I was in one of those interpretive groups last year, and skated really well for me, but it was extremely disheartening to look at the placements even knowing that everyone else had gold or silver tests in dance/skills/freeskate. Yes, I had a great skate and it felt good.
I haven't looked at the list other than my own group, I already know that I won't be first or second because those two ladies have beaten me every single time, so it's a race for third. I'm getting a wee bit nervous now.

onto skating:

Magical: I think I finally have my choreography finished.heh. Competition is in less than a week. But, the blank bits at least have something all I have to do is remember them.

Mythical: I had my last skate in my home arena this week. They're building a new one and with going away to CAN and skating at my big club, I won't be back in the old one unless I can chat up the rink guy to let me on one last time. I've been asking if I can drive the Zamboni before they close, but they don't trust my driving! I can't believe that I'm going to miss the chippy ice, weird rink, pissy stinky dressing rooms and the lack of heat, but yeah I will. Sigh. It was where it all began, my adult skating obsession.

This is for yesterday and today:

Magical:
I have my Bronze freestyle mojo back!
Have been going to another rink in my area to skate, because of hockey tournaments at my rink. The magical thing about this place is that there are quite a few adults at this rink and it's making me work harder.

Yesterday's program run throughs were okay, but nothing to write home about. However, today's runthrough was just plain magical and after skating it, I felt as if I had never been injured or not able to skate much because of work.

I will also start training a new colleague on Mnoday at work, so I hope to be back to my old training schedule soon!

Mythical:
Back crosstrokes- ugh!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Yes, in watching the tape the disparity was substantial. I can imagine the feeling of knowing you don't have snowball's chance in ... a warm place. I thought I was headed into that and it has really change my attitude - I am not sure to what!

You must love stress! I was feeling "late" by not having a full program six weeks ago. Of course, with the changes in the competition I am thinking about making some changes

With the terrible ice quality in Winnipeg rinks, I have been threatening to hijack the Zam and show them what figure skating ice is SUPPOSED to be! Unfortunately the rink maintenance man's office is right beside the Zamboni

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

OMG! That would freak me out, waiting until then to finish it...I know I would blank out for sure once I stepped out on the ice!
YAY!!!!!!
It was tooooo cold today for trampoline work

Slightly OT: I was at the rink today, while son was doing hockey (and believe it or not, we were actually EARLY and I didn't have to yell or cuss!); but I was working on my laptop listening to music...I'm toying with the idea of using some really sad music for spotlight next year (or at least artistic, but I want to use props so I'd like it to be spotlight). It's very saaaaaaad and moves me so much, I almost cry every time I hear it! I'm going to think about it for a month or so, then run it by my coach.....

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

What is it? I think music is incredibly important and can make or break a program. The right moves to the right music is a winner when all else is equal.
Programs that come to mind are Yagudin's "Winter", Kazakova & Dmitriev's "Sad Waltz" (their Oly winning short), and Weir's 2005 SP to "Rondo Cappricioso".

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Not schindler's list stuff is it?

When I whip around too soon, it usually means that my free leg is coming around too early, meaning that I need to hold it behind me longer. Do you practice this on a line from a T position? That's a really good way to practice the entrance.

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

I'm thinking of "The Blitz" and "Evacuating London" from the soundtrack of Chronicles of Narnia...those two songs get me soooo emotional (especially since I read the books)....and, being a mother myself, I got to thinking how horrible it must have been to pack your kids up and send them away for who-knows-how-long to who-knows-where during the Big One....and if you'd ever see them again..... ...I come from a HUGE military family and this really hits home. So, my take on this would be to dress 40-ish with some props (maybe push a pram)....I could pull this off since I already look like a mom!

I agree that your music has to become part of you...I have seen skaters who did not believe in their music. It's a great collaboration between skater, coach, and the music and if you can draw the audience and judges into feeling it with you, that's even better!

Yes, I have the HORRIBLE habit of rushing that edge and WHIPPING that free leg toooooo sooooon!!!! So, yes, I practice from the line in a T-position. Which does help a lot because they are better (not great but better)...they just go to he** when I add back crossovers (point A to point B) Coach wants me to feel that leg WAY behind me for a LONG time! Years of bad habits/teaching is so hard to undo!

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

Stretching and warming up the achillis tendon before practice works magic! Also not dry-jumping - at all - helps a great deal. I could actually walk semi-normal after a 2-hour practice today! It hurts now, but not as badly as it used to.

My programme is coming nicely along. And one girl of our A-group, that is the girls who compete at nationals, said I had really nice things in my programme.
I was like, who, me? You're talking to me? Really? Wow gee thanks COOOOL

The trainer had me practice my flip without jumping around, only jumping up. It's like... I do 10 times that approach and then 1 flip and then it's the best flip I've ever jumped, very very high compared to what I usually do. And then the next flip, I've already lost the feeling. I'm breaking sideways in the air apparently. I'm landing them anyway, but that's what's making me stop at the landing instead of glide it out, that's why I'm jumping forward instead of backward apparently. So I've gotta really focus on not dropping the right shoulder. I actually ended up doing 1,5 rotation in the air by accident (just cuz it went so high) when I got it clean but I just keep loosing the feeling of what it's supposed to be immediately... I'd like to really practice this but we only have 1 hour of ice time a week for the next 4 weeks and then a summer break for 4 months so I guess I've to keep this in mind for next season.

Also, practicing all those floor axels a week ago or so seems to have fixed my salchow somehow. Whee!

My toeloop is kind of feeling a little miserable right now. It's high, but that's all it is. The free leg is behind the landing leg from start to the end and it needs to go in front eventually from what I understand so ehm yeah well. Whenever I try to get the free leg in front though - for the toeloop-loop for example - I end up pre-rotating it and making it a toe waltz. Frustration!

Mythical: Flew into Calgary this morning, all settled into the host hotel, within walking distance of the venue for the Canadian Adult Championships (and Star Skate Championships). A few more skaters trickle in this afternoon and by Wednesday the hotel will be FULL of figure skaters (actually overflowing into an adjacent hotel). Tomorrow I have two hours on the competition venue. Going to be interesting to see if Olympic ice SEEMS bigger than NHL ice....

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

Magical: I landed my flip! Whee! I landed about 6 or 7 of them on Saturday. I don't think they were very pretty and I barely held the landing, but I landed them on one foot This is my favorite jump, and I'm SO glad to have it back.

Mythical: The last flips I tried didn't land on one foot (I think I was getting tired). Also, loop from a long edge isn't really happening yet.

Well done!

Mythical: No skating today - woke up with a very swimmy head, and after my shower, went straight back to bed and stayed there most of the day. Am off back there now to finish watching Mansfield Park.

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

Magical beasts: had a very interesting session today...it was good. Went over some details, such as "I'm not competing anymore till the rink closes to I have no pressure over me." So we worked on adding new stuff!

Mazurka! Which I realized was actually a sideways-bunny-hop (sort of) but not nearly so evil! So, after doing several, coach added some stuff in combination (and had to demo the 1/2 flip because I'd forgotten it)...

waltz jump; mazurka; 1/2 flip; toe-loop all done without any connecting steps!!!! Cool!!!

Backspin: good and I did 2 that were 3 revs and can tell which edge I'm on! I need to pay attention to stay down longer before raising up.

Discussed my ideas for spotlight. Extreme comedy or extremely emotional...I have the emotional music but have no ideas for comedy. Have to think that one over.

Mythical ones: spin sloooowly getting fixed but I vented my frustration. But, she gave me some "fixes" for it and they are finally working! I'm under orders to spin ONLY from the T-stop position. My free leg had been in a strange position, so i have to think about pointing the toe UP and bringing the leg more forward. It worked, as I did some spins that were almost as fast as the spins I used to have! I got dizzy!!!

My right heel hurt and I was COLD when I got off the ice! But, my blood sugar wasn't crazy, as I'd had oatmeal and peanut butter toast for breakfast and a banana and protein bar when I got off.

This week, I hit the gym and the weights, but cant start until Thursday, since I have to take Mom to the hospital for more tests (Monday) and back to the doctor for her follow-up visit (Wednesday).

I need to get un-lazy and actually watch my new videos-NYC Ballet workout! Been sitting on my desk at home for over a week.....

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

How exciting that you are at the site of your big Nationals competition now! Be sure to let us all know how it goes!
Just remember, the trick to transferring your program from an NHL size rink to an Olympic size rink is just to STAY AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALLS. The length of the rink is the same, but an Olympic sized rink is 7-1/2 feet wider on each side. That means if you skate as far out towards the sides as you normally do, you'll find yourself either not getting as far down the length of the rink or you'll find yourself behind your music.

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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 was teaching on Saturday morning and I demonstrated an opposite-direction spin, turned right around and did my normal CCW spin. Went SPLAT onto the ice and I think I may have damaged my left shoulder. It hurts to move that arm, especially to lift it over my shoulder. This morning, something 'clicked' when I went to fasten my bra and the pain was much less. If the Advil and heating pad doesn't help by the end of tomorrow, I'll go to the ortho for a check.

Good thing my afternoon skating rink was closed due to snow.
(Bad for my wallet, though.)

I did skate today, at a birthday party for a friend's daughter. I just helped out with getting the newbies going and I got to put her little one (<2 yo) on the ice for the first time! The ice was terrible - the season ends next week and the employees were saying a lot of workers had already gotten other jobs, so they went no-show.

The rentals at this rink were horrible! They were dull as anything, they had no hard steel edges left, and the blade 'tails' were all curved upward. You basically had a forward and backward rocker! I must have stoned five pairs of skates just to get the kids through the session.

I showed off a little, doing some PMITF and some spins. One of my DD's claims to have video'ed my sit spin. If I find it on the camera card, I'll post it if it's decent.

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My rink is a smaller rink... I don't really have to make adjustments because I've only ever skated in this smaller rink for practically my whole skating life (only got to skate once in a nice big one when i travelled to shenzhen last year for competition)

I usually put some tension in my whole arm and its really hard to control that (too much and i pop)!! Maybe it will work if its just the hand o.O

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~
Tidesong

Is that on Jane Austen's novel? I didn't watch it, I only read it, but Pride&Prejudige and Sense&Sensibility were better novels in my mind. They, by the way, have also been filmed quite well.

If your collarbone were broken, you'd be unable to lift it over your shoulder, so that's the good news. Try to get your hands on ointments containing diclofenac, it totally rescued me after my second fall of this kind (after the first one, I was unable to lift a coat with that arm for months and had to have physical therapy). Also see about beinwell salbe, a plant-based ointment that helps me too in this sort of things.

These are new adaptations of Mansfield Park and Persuasion (which we will miss because we're in France, but it has to be better than the version with Hugh Grant, right?) and an older one of Sense and Sensibility.

Hope to be back on the ice tomorrow - I'm feeling a lot better today. No skating, of course, as it's Monday.

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

LOL, here in the Netherlands, a reporter of a youth programme fastened herself to Hugh Grant with handcuffs. And she didn't have the key, so they he had to bring her along to the premiere! I never much liked Hugh Grant because of his arrogant attitude, but I thought he reacted really cool on that.

First he laughed about it, then he got tired of her and asked her to please p... off. Really politely! Then she said he had no keys and so he just took her with him onto the red carpet then. And afterwards he said apparently the Dutch security people were as lenient as our drug policy.

Here's how it went (at first it's in dutch but afterwards it's in english)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0KyLaT3oo

He didn't press charges by the way so she was released after a few hours at the police station. He felt that she was a really tough woman

OH NO!!! I hope it's better today. If it's any consolation, if you're able to move your arm but with pain something clicked, then you probably didn't break anything and you just got a bad sprain or a nasty bruise.

Sessy: That "reporter" is CRAZY!!! Thank goodness Hugh stayed calm and they got him out of those handcuffs! (I couldn't figure out at the end what she was saying since it was in German. I guess she was mentioning about her experience in jail and later on she was released or something?)

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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!!!

Actually that was in Dutch. And if you think she's crazy, don't come to the Netherlands. A LOT of the Dutch girls are kinda like her, and those who aren't, are wishing they were. It's become sort of a national sport to see who does the most daring thing and not end up in jail. Which, with the Dutch police is relatively easy. You get like 70 hours of working and studying for sexually abusing a toddler here so I mean seriously, nothing's gonna be done about this. The prosecutor's office is here in the Netherlands free NOT to prosecute whenever they feel a case is not amongs those that should be given priority so generally you can expect a fine.

A while ago there was this guy who wrote all kinds of police-insulting texts on the back of his car and then raced at the maximum speed that his car would yield past those speeding-ticket-photographing-machines, I'm not sure what they're called but when you go past a certain speed, you get photographed and you get a ticket automatically. Anyway he didn't do that once, he did it 6 times in 1 night with different texts.
I do believe he lost his driver's license for 6 months or something.