I feel that I really haven't made any progress since leaving my old coach almost two years ago. It was so disheartening! Even with my new coach, whom I like a lot, I haven't been able to drum up the enthusiasm to practice enough, and have been thinking fairly often about quitting.

I didn't skate at all last week, but did ski a half day. I skated for myself one morning this week, and noticed F power pulls on R foot were happening rather well, but nothing else seemed to be working. Today I went to the rink where I have my lessons, not knowing for sure if I had one scheduled or not. As soon as I stepped onto the ice, everything felt right. The hardness of the ice was perfect, and the other skaters felt that too. At first I couldn't spin, then I remembered my coach telling me to stay down on a bent knee, and then I hit every one I tried. I asked DH to spot me on my FI and FO threes, as I can always do good ones with just a tiny spot. I've been trying to figure out what does it for about 3 years, and today I cracked it. Reaching for that spotting hand puts me on the front of the blade and even moves my leading shoulder in just enough to initiate the turn. Now all I have to do is imagine reaching, and I can do the turns!!! I did have a lesson, and everything went amazingly well. I asked to work on Prelim power 3's, and my coach changed the step forward in such a way that I can do it! I really do believe that my old coach was just wrong about it. Finally, I asked my coach to look at my power pulls, and did the best F right and left ever, with a great rhythm and I could even hear the rip on every edge change . My coach said she had nothing to add to either the B or F. OMG. How did this happen? Did the skiing have something to do with it? I've been almost manic since my lesson, really flying high, because I've been so down about my skating for soooo long.

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Congrats on your great skating day! It's always nice when things come together like that. Hopefully, it will spread to others on this board!

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Woo Hoo! I love those moments.

Hope those ideas of quitting have gone right out of your head now!

What a great day! Hold onto that feeling - it doesn't come very often, but makes all the rest worthwhile .

The joy of those breakthrough moments ... am I allowed to feel a tad jealous ... ?

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UK Passport (figure)
Bronze : PASSED 13-Oct-07 Woohoo
Silver: PASSED 08-Dec-07 Yippee
Gold: Backspin PASSED One Foot Spin ____ Toe Loop ____ Programme ____
The impossible is just a journey away ...

Congrats! Maybe skiing is a good off-ice exercise for you, or you were just stuck in a rut. Glad you had a great lesson.

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Yes, but only if you believe you will soon have one of your own!

I was definitely stuck in a rut, but I'm really wondering if the skiing had something to do with my progress, particularly on the F power pulls. I also noticed that unweighting is used in parallel turns on skis, and maybe because the movement is so exaggerated compared to that in skating, it also helped. Any skiers/skaters who think this could be it?

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I dont know if skiing helps or not - but last week my coach taught me the F and B power pulls and when I did them for the 1st time he asked me if I was good at mogul skiing. I though he was teasing me that they looked bad, but he said they were much better than he expected. So maybe skiing does improve this exercise? either way - congrats! that is awesome

Not at all. Moguls take a lot of quick turns and up and down knee action. I used to love them, but that's a pounding I know my knees can never take again. Power pulls likewise require very quick turns and knee action, hence your coach's question. Congrats on nailing them the first time!

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Sounds like your day was awesome. It's nice to have those days to remind us why we should keep skating. Maybe I should take skiing more seriously to improve my skating. Althoguh I'm a better skater than skier. When I took a ski lesson, my instructor said that since i skate, skiing should be easier for me. Right after that, I fell flat on my face.

I fell twice skiing last week, and couldn't get up by myself either time .

My former coach had a young student whose father wanted him to have figure skating lessons to improve his skiing, which he was serious about. It did the job, so I know it works in that direction at least.

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That sort of day is one of the main motivations to continue skating!

I had one last week, when everything seemed to work in our lesson, and our Fiesta Tango suddenly improved dramatically.

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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!

Congratulations!

Today while I was teaching the tots, I realized that my formerly wimpy hockey stops had suddenly become impressively decisive. That proves to me that my one half day of skiing is what has suddenly improved my skating. Wish I could go again this week!

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dbny: You need to go skiing more often!!!

Congrats on your progress!!! I'm glad you're getting a lot more power now!!! (AND I look forward to seeing them the next time I visit 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!!!