Lift or Laugh 9th to 15th

flo · #1 01-09-2006, 10:11 AM

In honor of a wonderful pairs skating weekend.

Lift: Had a great weekend skating pairs with Rob. He's a very talented pairs partner and lots of fun!

Laugh: the only thing you can do when you splat two by two!

Skate@Delaware · #2 01-09-2006, 10:18 AM

Tonight we have our first (together) ice dance lesson!! So you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear how it went. But we (hubby and I) have been working on some things on our own.

And, he is contemplating the purchase of new boots and blades-leaning more towards dance boots & blades. He doesn't really see himself doing much jumping and only some spinning. He saw some of the prices and didn't flinch too much

The real thing will be getting a good fitter (not around here!) and mounting (really not around here!!!)

Kevin Callahan · #3 01-09-2006, 10:27 AM

lift: breaking in new skates

laugh: breaking in new skates.

Skate@Delaware · #4 01-09-2006, 07:42 PM

Lift: Ice Dance Class! Sort of makes up for the lack of Adult Skate (which now is filled with empty ice). Anywho-I had forgotten all the stuff previously learned, like scary progressives. And trying to do this stuff on freshly sharpened skates! The nice thing-we only have to share the ice with synchro!

Laugh: See above! And hubby and I trying to do swing rolls in Kilian.....him trying to keep up with me (yeah, i can go fast) and get on the right edges (talking about both of us).

jazzpants · #5 01-09-2006, 08:23 PM

Laugh:
Perimeter back crossovers are still being worked on... we're getting there...

Power 3's are having trouble on the first try. It's better on the second try but for some reason I have trouble on turning my waist, making it harder for me to push into the FO edge.

Lift:

5 step mohawks are getting better.
Perimeter forward crossovers are fine. Not much work to do on it.
Back crossovers to BO edge. Great, but for some reason the back crossovers on this move "is different" from the one I do for the perimeter back crossovers. Primary coach is like about it.
Forward spins, back spins and sit spins are good.
And the best for last.... OMG!!! I not only got a camel spin today, but a camel-sit too!!! It's 2 rev camel and 2 rev sit and kinda slow, but definitely a camel-sit. OMG!!! (I pray I can keep this one. I might need it for Sectionals.)

Debbie S · #6 01-09-2006, 08:45 PM

Congrats on the camel-sit, Jazzpants!

Lift: Worked on moves today in lesson and had another lesson on choreo for the program. I like the steps and transitions so far, and I was able to do a couple of backspins and loops "on demand" w/o practicing ahead of time - woohoo! As far as moves go, my coach says I've made the necessary improvements on the power 3's and they would probably pass. She also said I'm doing a better job extending underneath on the crossovers in the back perimeter stroking.

Laugh: My luck with loops and backspins ran out after 2 or 3 times - hmmm, maybe that's a clue as to how many times I should warm them up at competitions. I had my coach look at my 8-step for NYI and I've picked up some bad habits with my free leg, so we worked on that a bit - hopefully, it's fixed now and I won't look too silly at the comp. And I need to work more on extending my pushing foot on the first push in back crossovers, particularly on the back perimeter stroking.

Big Lift: I'm off to St. Louis tomorrow for U.S. Nats! Despite the absence of Michelle Kwan, I'm still looking forward to it. I just hope I don't end up with a Big Laugh next Monday after not skating for a week (with 3 weeks to prepare for NYI - eeek!).

Mrs Redboots · #7 01-10-2006, 09:05 AM

Lift: Actually, we didn't try any today, ran out of time. Did, however, work on our various drills, and our Swing Dance and Fiesta Tango in our lesson. Plus in early practice worked on our step sequence - I don't know if that is what we'll end up doing, but if we're asked for a straight line step sequence, we probably will.

Think we had a mini-breakthrough in the Swing Dance - got Husband to think of stepping to the side on his step-to-forward, as I do, and it put me in a much better place to do my Mohawk. Which was still a bit too rushed, but....

We also did variable-speed forward cross-rolls in Kilian hold, which was - er - interesting. I hate not being able to use my hips in cross-rolls.

Laugh: Coach most rude about my pushing, or lack thereof, the first time we did the Swing Dance. Better the second time. Fiesta pretty dire, but could have been a lot worse. Husband now saying he wants a different start and that it's me who likes our current start, which is so not true - it was all his idea! Ah well....

Back cross-cuts still awful - I can either do a length or so with little flow, or I can do about half a length with great flow. Cross-rolls could have been better, too. Back inside edges improving, but not how I want them yet. BI3s still sadly lacking, but at least they're turning now. No flow, though - nor on BO 3s either, alas. One day I'll find the right place to be on my blades, but that hasn't happened yet.

jazzpants · #8 01-10-2006, 12:53 PM

Well, it's considered to be a "Laugh" but I'm in no laughing mood...

Went back to the rink on Monday night. Probably shouldn't have... I have a slight pull on the left groin muscles.

I did this trying to do a loop and ended up pulling it as I fell. Nothing too serious, I was able to still skate, jump, spin, etc. after that fall, but I better be careful the rest of this week to do moves instead of spins and jumps. Good thing I only got the one lesson with secondary coach and I'll just rest the rest of this week and recover from this.

I guess this makes me Michelle Kwan, huh?

(I'll try finding some stretching exercises for the groin muscles.)

Mrs Redboots · #9 01-11-2006, 06:48 AM

Bad luck, Jazzpants; I hope you heal fast. Husband still moaning about what he has now learnt is his Achilles tendon, but I think it's at the stage where he is basically being very male about it, if you know what I mean!

Not many lifts this morning. We did have a good workout together, actually, now I come to think of it - we did our usual drills and then, just for fun, did a lap of inside chassés in waltz hold which was - different! Two of our up-and-coming skaters were working when we came in, and we noticed both how much they'd improved in recent weeks, especially the boy, and how good his posture was, so we really focussed on our own posture for at least part of the drills! It probably lapsed again by the end of them, I must confess.

Then we walked through the Swing Dance, really focussing on power and flow, which meant my Mohawk was most odd at the end, but tough.... And finally through the Fiesta, using the start Husband said was the one he "always" did (rubbish!), which I don't like because you start on your right foot, and that always puts me off. But got round - we were focussing on being more tango-ish on the easy section, and getting better curves. Not sure whether we did or not, though.

Then Husband had to go, and then we had a visit from The Guardian interviewing our elite skaters - will be in tomorrow, I believe.

Lesson, however, was not a bundle of laughs. Having trouble with my cross-cuts again - I think I need to take my Dyna-band in and work them using that (goes and puts Dyna-band in skate bag before I forget). I can't get them as flowy and edgy as I want them without lurching forwards and grinding to a halt. Back cross-rolls much better, but not quite there yet. Forward variable-speed cross-rolls gorgeous.... my current favourite exercise! Other exercises okay-ish to a greater or lesser extent. Mohawk improving.

But I am feeling really frustrated today because I so can't make my body do what I want it to - I can't sit over a back outside edge, for instance, and then have my weight right back on the blade to do a BO 3 without lurching forward on the turn. I'd so love to be able to do the sort of turns where it just looks as though your foot's turning under you and the rest of you isn't moving....

Actually, I started being frustrated right at the start of the session, when we were warming up - we always start by skating round as fast as we can in open Kilian hold, focussing on decent edges, knee-bend and extension, so we build up a fair old head of steam. Then we wanted to go straight into our drills, and I commented that I would not be able to do a 3-turn into waltz hold at that speed, which I really ought to be able to. Gratifyingly, the Husband said he wouldn't be able to either (which surprised me), but I do feel we ought to - our speed over the ice is horrendously slow most of the time...

Sigh.... frustration....

Skate@Delaware · #10 01-11-2006, 07:59 AM

This is for my practice yesterday, which I almost didn't go to but changed my mind at the last minute. Glad I did, as NO ONE was at the rink! Just before an exhibition??? Mad! I thought it would be full of kids practicing!

Lift: New boots are in, but no one was in the pro shop so I wasn't able to go try them on. (sigh). Ran through elements of my program and it was relatively good, and my jumps were fair (esp. toe-loop).

Laughs: spinning on sharp blades!! What a hoot! Hopefully, they will be ground down enough for the exhibition on Sunday. I'm freaking out over which dress to wear.....basic black with mesh sleeves (turtleneck) or sparkly blue with straps....

(and no sleeves). Maybe I'll wear the blue one for lessons tonight and test it.

jazzpants · #11 01-11-2006, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs Redboots

Bad luck, Jazzpants; I hope you heal fast. Husband still moaning about what he has now learnt is his Achilles tendon, but I think it's at the stage where he is basically being very male about it, if you know what I mean!

I think I lucked out that it's very mild. Pain/tightness is pretty much almost gone, thanks to a lot of stretching and just plain keeping the muscles warm!!! I did the elliptical trainer last night and aside from the first couple of minutes of tightness, it was like there was no sprain. I'll still impose the "no jumps" rule 'til the weekend though, b/c the area still feels a bit weak and tender...

Lift:
I'm finally back with the secondary coach...

Laugh:
... and she didn't like what the Moves Guru taught me!!! Or rather what I *tried* to demonstrate what he taught me. (Turns out it was me! I didn't quite do what I intended to do.) Fixed a few things and the perimeter forward crossovers are... a bit better!!! We also worked on EXTENSION of the free leg, which right now... isn't happening consistently...

Will work on perimeter back crossovers next lesson, which she said "it wasn't too bad... but I can make it better!!!"

(GULP!!!

)

doubletoe · #12 01-11-2006, 04:30 PM

Jazzpants, congratulations on your camel-sit!

Sorry to hear about your groin pull. If it's the left leg, you should probably lay off reverse spins, but I would imagine waltz jumps and toeloops wouldn't bother it if you want to do a little jumping.

mikawendy · #13 01-11-2006, 06:38 PM

Lift--had a really good skate on Saturday--worked hard on moves--and was having a good spin day. Rob--it was fun to see you as you passed through town!

Laugh--well, I definitely wasn't laughing or skating on Sunday. I was in the car on the way to the rink when food poisoning struck. I retreated home to my bed. Luckily I wasn't on the freeway when I started feeling ill!!!!

jazzpants · #14 01-11-2006, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikawendy

Laugh--well, I definitely wasn't laughing or skating on Sunday. I was in the car on the way to the rink when food poisoning struck. I retreated home to my bed. Luckily I wasn't on the freeway when I started feeling ill!!!!

DOH!!! Get well soon!!! LOTS of brothy soups and bedrest for you!!!

flo · #15 01-11-2006, 07:38 PM

Mika, hope you 're better! I don't think it was dinner as we had the same thig.
Lift worked on a cammel jump back cammel,lutz loop and flip loop. Did a couple cammel jump cammel back sit. fun!

mikawendy · #16 01-11-2006, 10:26 PM

Thanks for the well wishes, jazzpants & flo! I'm feeling much better now but still not completely 100%. For the rest of my life I think I'll keep a few spare plastic bags in my glove compartment!

(I don't know what it was I ate. Maybe my lobster from the lobster mac'n'cheese was from a different lobster than yours, flo.)

I had some weird dreams Sunday night as a result. I dreamt I was at the rink, in my skates, ready to go on the ice for a competition or a test. The area around the ice (outside of the boards) was an elevated platform with gymnastics mats on it. To get to the ice to skate, I had to jump up onto the mats (and I wasn't wearing my guards). When I did it, someone commented on how I "stuck the landing." How bizarre. The last time I did gymnastics was in PE in elementary school.

ETA: oh, and congrats on the camel-sit, jazzpants! I'm still trying to improve my solo camel spin before I can think of adding a change of position to it. (oh yeah, and good luck to Rohene Ward tomorrow! I hope he does well enough in the short program that we get to see him on the regular TV broadcast!!!!!!)

tidesong · #17 01-12-2006, 12:46 AM

Lift: Started to work on choreo again
Laugh: Everything is underrotated

FrankR · #18 01-12-2006, 07:47 AM

Lift: Pretty good sessions so far this week! Usually, I'm pretty tight on these early morning (5:50am!!

) sessions. However, these last couple of days have been pretty good. I've been trying to slow myself down and calmly think about what I want to accomplish as I get out on the ice. I try to remind myself to take long, fluid strokes and let the edges run. As I practice elements I try to really visualize the key points that I need to remember as I go into them. It wasn't like I wasn't thinking at all before but before this week I think I would think of an element and then just barrel into it. Now I'm taking my time more and trying to keep my mind 100% active as I'm doing everything and it feels like it's making a world of difference. I've said it on another thread but I think I have doubletoe to thank for her "cue-word" suggestion.

All in all the elements are okay. Each of my program run-throughs has been clean or pretty close to it. I'm also starting to feel a little more confident with the choreography. The spins were better today than Tuesday. The sit with the sideways variation came together nicely today as did the flying camel. Hopefully that wasn't temporary.

Laugh: Well I guess the first part of this can be considered nervous laughter.

As I was warming up this morning, I did a few axels and they were okay. I then came around and did an axel/loop. It felt fine at first but then as I was riding the landing edge of the loop I felt a dull pain right in my hip-socket on my landing leg. I think I might have landed the axel a little stiff-legged and then muscled into the loop and I'm not sure if I jammed my hip a little. It smarted for a bit and it still feels funny now. Hopefully that'll go away by tomorrow morning.

Regarding the elements, the lutz combination has been feeling clunky lately. I'm using a new quick mohawk entrance rather than the usual back outside edge down the ice and I think I might be rushing the pick on the lutz and that's making that and every jump in that combination stick to the ice like a wad of chewing gum.

The axel/half-loop/salchow/loop combination in the beginning can be a little wild too. That needs some taming. I still need to work on the little finishing touches with the arms and the facial expressions. My moves coach/choreographer wants me to be flirty with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek during this program and right now I'm making the program too serious. Hopefully, that'll start to take shape as well. I also need to tighten up my final combination spin. At this point, I think I'm starting to run out of gas by the end of the program so that spin is a little loose right now.

Take care all,

Frank

Skate@Delaware · #19 01-12-2006, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzpants

We also worked on EXTENSION of the free leg, which right now... isn't happening consistently...

My extension is different between the left and right leg....maybe it's my hip thing-I don't know. It's frustrating!

Mika: Hope you feel better sooooon!! I travel with a carsick daughter so I have to keep bags handy. I feel like a stewardess sometimes "In the event of airsickness..."

Yesterday was club ice, which was fairly crowded with the little kids who don't pay attention to your program music, stand together chit-chatting, etc....and one snottly little girl I would have like to have run over

My coach tested me ISI Freestyle 1 and, barring the part of my routine where I "forgot" and left out the back edges (that was embarrassing-when I re-skated that part, little girls kept skating into my area and I had to dodge them, even though it was my music...) I did manage to pass.

I then skated my music for the exhibition on Sunday the regular way (without the ISI stuff) and the snot was again skating all over, not looking where she was going (this had been going on all evening with her) and I was landing my waltz jump I saw her skating backwards towards me I yelled EXCUSE ME!!! to her and scared the crap out of her!! YEAH!!! I told her as I skated by it was my program music and to skate away. Then I almost took out three girls but they moved in time-THAT was funny (these girls are my friends and I think they were "playing"). All-in-all, my program was very good, considering I didn't get to spiral (too many people)...and I have an ending pose.

My new boots are in and they fit nice-ordered new blades, which (darn my luck) are only 1/4" smaller than my existing ones. So, I will be selling my old boots/blades as soon as these are broken in....stay tuned.

Heading to the rink today, taking a chance with the out-of-school kids (inservice day today and Friday, no school on Monday).

Skate@Delaware · #20 01-12-2006, 01:19 PM

Lift: Rink was practically EMPTY! Not even the regulars (except one) were there! Only two other people were there so that made a total of 5!!! And, we now have occasional control of the CD box again.

Adult skate is back again!! Supposedly, they are contracted to have it for the season (Sept-April) so he can't just eliminate it. I mentioned the problem with letting persons of all ages onto the ice, so he will mention it to his staff if I will spread the word to the other adult skaters-I will! YAY!

Laugh: backspins!! still feel weird and progress is very slow. But, I have 1/2 revolution on bad days (assuming I don't fall out of them) and 1 full rev on good days (whoopie!). Ran through my program at the end of the session (bad idea) and it was scritch-scratch (hey, I was tired!). No sit spins today either.

Comment of the day: "Wanna know why they are letting us skate in the exhibition? We make everyone else look really good!"

Not said by my daugher, that's for sure, but by the other adult skater on the session (an older fart)...

but it still hurt my feelings. Must seek revenge!!!

flo · #21 01-12-2006, 01:32 PM

Lift I was called by the local news for an interview for tonight's ladies short with Kimmie (know her and her parents). I met the tv folks at the rink and ....film at 5:30 and 6. Channel 11.

jazzpants · #22 01-12-2006, 02:47 PM

Another reason for having a spare plastic bag in the car. LOL!!!

(I keep a plastic for throwing out garbage in the car at times...)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skate@Delaware

My extension is different between the left and right leg....maybe it's my hip thing-I don't know. It's frustrating!

And unfortunately, the only way to get around it is to just practice the weaker leg more until it becomes the same. (Or in my case, practice it 'til my calves are sore when I get off the ice...

)

flo: So lucky you!!!

Mrs Redboots · #23 01-12-2006, 03:38 PM

Lift: Finally made it to dance club tonight, first time for ages. Ice was pretty good, too, better than it usually is. Had fun.

Laugh: Too few men, and husband went off and danced the Blues solo, so I didn't get a chance to have a go. Nor did we have time for a Fiesta Tango.

My foxtrot is awful. So is my 14-step!

batikat · #24 01-13-2006, 08:21 AM

Well, despite my original and wonderful coach being gone and my new coach away for 3 weeks, I dragged myself to the rink to practice and go to group jumps class

laugh: Loop jump was horrible - refused to show up for most of the session and definitly vanished when being watched - why does it have to be so shy????

Lift: at the end of the session I practiced Flip jumps - only recently started working seriously on these and was therefore thrilled that after a few shaky tries I then managed to land 6 in a row on one foot and properly rotated

. I did them along the red line so I could check I'd rotated fully for the landing and I had!!! So Friday 13th has been lucky for my flip - I wonder if it will stay now, or be as temperamental as my loop.

That reminds me - NickiT - I owe you for the class tickets!!!!!

I'll see you Saturday!

NickiT · #25 01-13-2006, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by batikat

That reminds me - NickiT - I owe you for the class tickets!!!!!

I'll see you Saturday!

Hmmm...I noticed you disappeared without paying! I'll get ya tomorrow

!!

Lift
I did some really nice camel spins today. I even managed a good one in our class in front of my coach! All my jumps were spot on today.

Laugh
That was what my coach was trying not to do when I ran through all six Bronze field moves exercises. I've not done them since late spring last year, what with preparing for the Opens in June, six weeks of school holidays and then falling and breaking my wrist. So today I did them for the first time in a long while and they felt like torture! First side - double outside threes were scrapey but I managed a whole side without a foot down. Second side - double inside threes felt better, as did double back outside threes. I managed some good double back insides on my right foot but struggled on my left, and the serpentine step sequence completely went to pot. Choctaws were there and I managed a few brackets.

I spent much of the session forcing myself to work on them and of course they did start to feel more comfortable, but I guess I really must do them each and every time I skate to really get them going well.

Nicki

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