| Feeling good |
[Apr. 13th, 2008|09:39 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  energetic | ] |
I haven't posted in a while because there were a world of changes, I started taking a footwork/dance class, had no time to practice and generally felt like a failure, but it's all starting to come together and I feel really good about my skating now.
I haven't tested, and don't know that I ever well, but I feel very confident on Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango and Rhythm Blues (except the end pattern but I'm getting there). When I started working on Dutch Waltz it seemed impossible to make it the length of the rink doing 2 swing rolls. Now it's a piece of cake. I have to ease off on Rhythm Blues because I think I could do 2 lengths of the rink to make all the moves nice. I really need to get everything perfect with the music.
My daughters are taking lessons now from a very nice coach. I've been asking her for pointers here and there and just that little bit of advice really helps me. In the regular dance class that I'm taking, even though its a large group, I very often feel like the instructor is coaching only me. Most of the other students are young and they already know everything, so she will make a special effort to explain moves in a way that is geared towards me.
We do a lot of footwork in the dance class and much of it is way beyond my ability, but it gives me something to work on, which I like. I've seen a huge improvement in my skating since I have been so challenged. I've been running in the mornings and doing kickboxing once a week so I hope I have better stamina as well.
Rink-wise, every week we see more skaters/coaches moving from our former rink, which is almost exclusively a hockey rink now. The rink we are at now is small and moldy. They have decided to remodel, yea, but they will be closing some time in May and will be closed for an undetermined amount of time. They want to widen the rink and raise the roof. That kind of work sounds like it could take a year. That puts us in a hard place. We already drive 1hr 15 minutes to get to this rink. There is another rink which is probably another 20 minutes away... but at almost 2 hrs each way, I'm not sure if we can manage that. I hate that every time we get started on a sport, they pull the rug out from under us. It has happened so many times I've come to expect it. |
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| So much to not know |
[Mar. 3rd, 2008|05:13 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  distressed | ] |
Dance class is challenging... and intimidating and goes against nature itself. The list of moves that I not only can't do but didn't know could be expected of me is daunting. Let's see, there are FO mohawks, back cross strokes, forward and backward power pulls, funky chasse things where while on a left outside edge doing progressives I'm supposed to bring my right foot behind and inside and then some how pick up my left foot. And then into a FO mohawk. This week we did swing rolls but at the apex of the half circle we are supposed to do a full turn and continue on. Oh, sure.
I like chasses and doing them in a hold. Maybe it was just the girl that I did them with was good enough that I didn't feel like a complete idiot.
The actual dances, I just don't get. Simple moves, I just can't remember for anything what I'm supposed to be doing.
A big problem is I haven't had any time to practice, so it's just a few minutes warm up time, a 30 minute group lesson then nothing until the next week. There's just been a lot going on. I think just some noodle time would help me immensely. |
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| It's been a long time |
[Feb. 2nd, 2008|02:18 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  excited | ] |
I started group dance lessons at a new rink today. Wow, what a sensory overload. I felt like I skipped from kindergarten to college.
I changed rinks because the rink I had been going to changed management and it was pretty clear that hockey was the only thing they were interested in. There were rarely any public sessions on the weekends, which is the only time I can skate, they changed the rules that lessons were not allowed during public sessions. Freestyle sessions were scheduled very early in the mornings and had to be paid for 8 weeks at a time, in advance. Miss a session, too bad.
The new rink is less everything. One rink, low ceiling, cold hard ice. Actually it looked more like most recreational rinks that I've seen. The other rink was just so big and nice. But their group lessons were at a better time. It's about an hour and 15 minutes away instead of just an hour to the big rink.
There is NO warm up time for the dance class, and I hadn't skated in weeks, so I felt like I was waddling out there as a pre-Alpha. The first 15 minutes are just edges. First move: power pulls. I could marginally do those, so feeling pretty good. But then the instructor wants twizzles, and she just saw one where you hold your free skate while doing them. Um, sure. Forward and backward swing rolls with emphasis on extension. Extension was never emphasized in any class or private lesson I took. Forward and back cross strokes, again with lots of extension. Must work on extension.
The class was huge, but there was another adult, so I stuck close to her and watched. She had beautiful extension. After 15 minutes, the basic classes left the ice so we got the whole rink. We were supposed to pair up and do the Dutch Waltz. My plan was to just stand on the side and watch what they were doing but the other adult said she would show me the dance. All basic, easy to do moves, but keeping up with what to do next was just too much. I was swinging left on inside edges when I was supposed to be swinging right on outside edges. Finally another coach came out and walked me through it.
It was the quickest 30 minutes of my life. Unfortunately I had to run home. I'm considering taking the freestyle class (which is right before and most of the girls take as well) just to be able to warm up before the dance class. And maybe next week I can stay for the public session and see if that is crazy busy.
Oh and my husband and I have signed up for ballroom dance classes. I'm amazed that they have ballroom in our teeny tiny little town. My husband and I haven't done anything together in forever, so that will be cool. I'm pretty sure it's a very casual class. We will be learning the Rumba for the first 4 weeks. It will be worth the price of admission just to see him try to move his body like that. |
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| End of an era? |
[Oct. 20th, 2007|03:05 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sad | ] |
I haven't posted in a while because there's been nothing to say. I only get to skate an hour/week and progress is slow, and while I can do most of the bronze and silver moves, the FI3/FO3 pattern in PB has been kicking my butt and I'm not even really comfortable with the BXO circles. I just don't get enough time in. I've also had to skip several weeks for band competitions.
This morning I spoke with our instructor. She said they are going to a new schedule and it may totally eliminate any reason for me to skate. Currently Saturday mornings are free from 8 am until 10:50. During that time is the FS class and all the LTS but as long as you stay out of the classes way, you can skate. It's an hour drive to the rink, so we've been leaving at 7am, getting to the rink and skating from 8-9. FS at 9. My older daughter has been in the class but half of the rink is empty so I use that, then LTS at 9:30 and if we wanted more time, open skating from 10-10:50. All that open time is being used by the instructors for private lessons.
NOW, they want to have a high FS session at 6:30-7:30 AM, LTS at 7:30, low FS at 8, FS class at 9, open skating from 9:30-10, then another high FS session. Not that I should mind paying for ice time, but its me and my 2 daughters skating and I just can't afford to pay for ice for all of us, plus private lessons. They won't get anyone enrolling in LTS at 7:30 in the morning. The mom's I've talked to over the years have thought 9:30 was too early.
So one more week, and I may be done for good. I'm not happy about it. Hopefully they will see the folly of their ways and go back to the regular schedule. |
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| Ouch |
[Jul. 28th, 2007|01:45 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | crushed | ] |
I hadn't skated in a week but had a lesson so I really sucked at everything we did except the FI3/FO3 pattern which was better than normal. It was near the end of the lesson, we were doing back crossover 8s on the hockey circles. We have doors which are normally closed right where the circles are closest to the wall. I normally rock on BXOs but not having skated in 2 weeks and not practicing that and having someone watch me... they really sucked. So L was telling me I needed to pick up my back foot sooner. I was gliding backwards watching here and messing with my feet and the wall came up faster than expected. No problem, I back into the wall all the time. I just threw out my hand to grab the wall, but the door was open so there was no wall. I flipped myself right out of the rink. My butt hit the pointing part of the door opening. I have a giant vertical bruise that exactly matches the door jam.
It was rather dramatic, but I think really it hurt less than if I did the same thing on the ice. But it did shake me up more than expected. I was laughing, but I really didn't feel like skating any more so I went home. |
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| Still skating |
[Jul. 2nd, 2007|08:46 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | drained | ] |
I haven't posted in a while because every week I do the same thing. I've been working on the pre-bronze moves, the FI3/FO3 pattern makes me dizzy, and for some odd reason the RO3 on the waltz8 stinks every time, although I can do a RO3 at speed anywhere else on the rink and it's just fine. I think I'm over anticipating it. Gliding on one foot, left foot checked, waiting, waiting, wind up, twist. Wrong. I actually fell doing it on Saturday. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Watching how I skate compared to other skaters about at the same level I have to say I really SKATE the moves more than they do. Everyone has always said about me, in all pursuits, that I have one speed and that's full speed ahead. When I got off the ice Saturday, I had to sit between 2 chatting moms to take off my skates. They said, oh, you are doing so well. You're like a FS 3 or 4 now, right? I said, thanks but no. I'm not sure I'm even a FS1. But I think because I work on something besides jumps and spins I look like I'm doing more than the teen queens. |
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| Who knew? |
[May. 12th, 2007|02:30 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | energetic | ] |
I had a lesson last week and my edges were horrible and I was thinking I was just a loser and couldn't hold a simple front outside edge. My coach said I needed to sharpen my skates. I picked them up today, and wow, mama's got edge. Everything seemed so much easier today.
I didn't have a lesson today, but worked hard on the all the PB moves. One of the other coaches came over and told me that I was dropping my inside shoulder on back edges and to reach up and out. I rock on back edges now. I think I look better than any of the girls in FS1 & 2.
I really, really like the coach I have. She is a great skater and teacher and is always very positive and we have a lot of fun, although she is 1/2 my age. My kids have taken group lessons from this new coach and they've helped her with the tots classes. I really, really like her as well and she's closer to my age. Different styles entirely. The small correction she gave me on my back edges made a huge difference. I don't want to give up one for the other but they both have so much to offer.
A woman came up to me during the group lessons and asked me if I was taking lessons. She was happy to see someone her age. She signed up for her first group lesson last week, but has already been moved to pre-Alpha. I could totally see myself in her, and could see how far I've come. She could do FXOs but would catch a toe pick and was just a little unsure. I gave her the whole run down on what to expect. I hope she sticks with it.
I skated about 2 hours and was down to a tank top by the time we left. But I feel so energized when I get home, so I ran. Really ran. I'm not much of a runner. My husband can walk faster than I run, but today I really went out there and ran fast.
A mom of a little girl complimented me when I got of the ice and said I really was looking good. I don't know what I'm doing different, but I'll take the compliment. |
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| I need more work |
[Apr. 16th, 2007|09:09 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | chipper | ] |
I finally had a lesson so I could go over the PB MITF with a coach. I always knew L's speciality was MITF but she told me that she was the first person they filmed for the teaching videos when they started MITF.
I've been practicing all the patterns and thought I was doing really well. I knew my RFI 3 was a little shaky, etc, but overall thought she would say I looked pretty good. WRONG! Perimeter stroking... my concern was that I was maybe taking too many strokes and I find it impossible to do 4 XOs on the end, because I make a tighter corner. HER concern was that I just barely, barely hit a toepick at the end of the stroke. I didn't even notice it until she pointed it out. She's demonstrating and her extension with her back leg is higher than I can get when I'm trying to do a spiral.
Waltz 8. She wants it WAY bigger, like one loop the size of a hockey circle. Afterwards I practiced just hitting my 3 turn at a high rate of speed because I need a lot of momentum to carry me all the way around the circle.
3turn pattern. I was concerned about my FI3s but she pointed out that if I'm not careful I look like a helicopter going from the FI3 to FO3. Turn, check, arms down, turn, arms up, check. Got to work on the arms down.
I think they are testing in May but she said USFS dues are only good until May 31 so I should wait until the next test session so I can maybe get 2 test sessions on one fee. Makes sense. I really don't think she said that because I suck. I do have to remind her from time to time that this is ADULT PRE-BRONZE. The requirements say things like "Should show some indication of posture". I want to look good, but I'll never look like her. |
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| Exciting day |
[Apr. 1st, 2007|10:17 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  aggravated | ] |
I haven't posted because it's been pretty boring, short practices doing the same thing over and over. But yesterday, well, it made up for all that lack of excitement.
The rink was had their annual competition which my younger daughter was competing in. Since we live so far away we just stayed between the lessons and the competition. My older daughter who helps with the tots class couldn't come so I substituted for her. Since they are all wearing helmets you can't tell if they are boys or girls and they probably can't hear a word anyone says. They certainly don't respond to any commands. I know my parents took me out skating on ponds as soon as I could walk, but I'm not sure there's any point to lessons for kids this small.
My daughter didn't compete until midafternoon so we were just hanging around. I hadn't thought about it but they still had public skating on the second rink so once that opened I thought I could get in some time.
I get out there and there was a group of around 10 teenagers, a couple adults, and a really old guy who apparently were having a hockey lesson. They old guy was barking out instructions. For the most part they would all start at goal half-circle and race as a group to the other goal circle, using the other skaters as obstacles. Since they were going so fast they have to start their hockey stops near the blue line in able to come to a stop inside the half circle. It was a nightmare.
I decided to go with the "Fried Green Tomatoes" defense. I may be older and slower but I have better insurance and am in good with the lawyers. I skated right in front of them, I practiced 3turns on the goal. One guy was practicing skating backwards on a circle. I skated backwards through him. I saw the hit coming. He didn't. I took him down hard. A fight broke out, at least 3 people were on the ice wrestling. Later there was a huge blood patch. It looked like more than blood, it looked like actual flesh, possibly scalp. I couldn't decide as that was now a really quiet spot on the ice if it was good place to practice Waltz 8 or not.
As bad as all that was, a little later, a girl that skates at the same time I do, who I found out because of the competition is a FS6, came out in her very nice, expensive, competition dress on and was skating with the leftovers from the hockey crowd. She would skate the length of the rink and dive into the ice and skid on her stomach a good 20'. If I was her mother I would have killed her just for that.
Then they started skating in chains. It was incredibly dangerous for them and the other people. I used my "Rollerblade" moves and started skating with a lot of elbow action, and random fist swings. Oh, I'm sorry, did I HIT you? I got off the ice to complain at one point, but I didn't know who to complain to. They never police the public sessions. I got back on, they were still doing the chains, but right then they had a pile up and people got hurt. In a way I was glad to see it but, really, people could have gotten seriously hurt. I think there were some injuries that they didn't want to admit to because some of them laid there a long time. I was so angry that the such a talented girl was the instigator of all this mayham. I think she should be banned from the rink. I did tell her coach that she was behaving badly.
My daughter finally competed. I thought she did a nice program, but she came in 3rd out of 3. I don't know if all skating competitions are the same but the results just come out as rankings, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, no scores, so you don't know how they compared. Like was it close or could she have gone out there and just stood there and did as well? When my kids were competiting in tumbling and trampoline they gave them a numeric score, so you could say to the kids, you aren't competing against the other people, you are competing against yourself, and as long as you score better than the last time, you know you are improving. My daughter has competed twice and came in last both times. I know she doesn't have any spark, but I'd like to know how she is doing with a number, not just that she came in last.
With all the chaos on the public skate, I didn't do much besides forward cross strokes - for 3 hours. I think I'm good with those, although really, really sore this morning. |
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| My head wasn't in the game |
[Mar. 10th, 2007|09:50 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  lethargic | ] |
I didn't get to skate last Saturday because I had dress rehearsal for an orchestra concert. I play oboe. The Wed-Fri before that I was out of town on business, came home for the concert, back on the road Mon-Wed to Vegas for more business. I work for local government. I don't normally travel.
So it's been a week, I hadn't gotten much rest, but I really wanted to skate today. I got on the ice and could only think of 2 things. Ice=slick and ice=cold. I don't know why those two facts finally made it to the forefront of my brain, but there they were. I was cold and I kept just about falling, for no good reason. I decided that the adrenelin I'd been using for the last few days had just about worn off and it was better to just lay off before I really hurt myself.
Oddly, the few things I did try, seemed to go better than normal. I just didn't have any enthusiasm for it. I'm going to have to study this phenomenon. Don't care about skating, skate well. Play music tipsy and/or sleepy, play well. Play full coherent and play badly. Maybe it's just the "I don't care what I look/sound like" factor.
Still eager to join the edges/dance class at the other rink, but now both my daughters are working as helpers at the current rink and I think the edges/dance class is the same time as the class they help with. I could leave them at the rink and they could do the free skate after their lessons. That just sort of feels weird. |
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| A new rink, a new experinece? |
[Feb. 25th, 2007|07:25 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | excited | ] |
Saturday I went to a different rink to look for a skating dress for my older daughter. The rink we skate is huge. Actually it's 2 rinks, both set up for real hockey games (ie bullet proof glass all the way around), bleachers, scoring booth, etc. I would say they probably have over 200 kids in the LTS program just on Saturdays. The pro shop is bigger than most stores at the mall. Workout room, locker rooms, the works. I don't know what the qualification for teaching skating is, but to be a measly little helper person you have to be at least FS4. I would say there are at least 3 or 4 people who have a shot at national level competition. If you want to be good, this obviously is the place to do it.
The rink we went to looking for a dress was more a neighborhood rink. I didn't even know it existed. It's probably 20 minutes away from my normal rink, that's 20 minutes further after already driving an hour and 15 minutes to get to the first rink. I couldn't believe what I saw there. It was maybe 10 adult women doing a dance class. They got to use the whole rink. Just 10 people! The rink I skate out could never stay in business with just 10 people on the ice. And they were really good. I couldn't take my eyes off them.
I intend to sign up for their dance class. It's really what I need. I want to be able to flow like they were doing. And learn how to use all the ice. It's only $65 for 8 weeks. What a bargain. I am going to feel like such a dunce getting started, but it will really push me.
We'll still get up at 6am to leave the house by 6:30 to get to the first rink a little before 8 where my 2 daughters will take their private lessons and freestyle classes, and I can practice, then we'll pack it up, drive 20 minutes and skate at the new rink. Then it will be nearly 2 hours home. But it is next door to a Krispy Kreme, so that makes it worth it! Okay, I won't stop every week, but we stopped Saturday and those hot donuts are heaven.
I think the dance rink's current session runs through March, so it will be a bit before I get to start... but then I think why not start in the middle? I have some conferences and big events coming up, so the end of March will be here before I know it. I can't wait.
Actual skating on Saturday, practice the PB 3 turn pattern. I am probably doing it way too fast, but I get so much power on the BXO that I'm really moving when I do the FI3. I can't decide if I need to slow it down, or the whole flow thing makes it better.
Can't wait, can't wait. |
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| Where, oh, where did my RFI3 go? |
[Feb. 18th, 2007|01:25 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | full | ] |
I think that skating skills are like eggs you pick up in a basket. A basket with a small hole in. As you are out gathering up new skills, the skills you picked up earlier are slowing dribbling out the hole. I thought I was the queeen of 3turns, forwards, backwards, inside, outside, I practiced them all... but my FI3s didn't seem strong enough when I started working on back, so I really worked them. But apparently along the way, the RFI3 fell out of my basket of skills. Just totally isn't there. So I had to spend a significant amount of time yesterday looking for it again.
Really, it's just that I drop my free foot immediately after doing a RFI3, which I probably always have, but doing a Waltz 8 it is really noticable, except I immediately push off which makes my 8 really fast on that side of the loop.
I talked to the person who wants to do a rink nearby. She said it's like watching grass grow, the process is so slow, but it is moving forward. Yeah. |
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| Ah sweet quiet |
[Feb. 11th, 2007|10:16 am] |
I sure appreciated the quiet ice I get before LTS. I just have to get up at 6am to drive an hour 15 to get on the ice by 8. Waltz 8 is getting some flow. I wasn't sure about the timing but later I heard 2 girls talking, one explaining to the other it was 123 turn23 changefoot23 changefoot23. I was trying do it more of a ooonnnneeee, twwoooooooo, threeeeeeeeee and that wasn't working. The PB 3 turn pattern had so much flow it was scaring me. Really, I didn't think I could do 3turns at that speed. It's been awhile since I've had a lesson and I don't know when I'll get another, but I'm going to tell her I want to test the next time they test. They had one at the beginning of January. Maybe April-ish?
Getting a rink nearby had a bit of a setback. Because we are a poor town with no population they'd have to go into an existing building, and we have plenty of big empty former groceries/Walmarts/Lowes/etc, but miraculously after 10 years of just sitting there rotting, they are all taken? On further review, maybe that's true, maybe it isn't. Everyone still seems upbeat about the prospect. And then there's some funding some an unusual source that I probably shouldn't talk about, all legit, and definitely a big money making facility in our area, but hm, does shooting people and figure skating really have that much in common? |
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| I've been re-inspired |
[Feb. 3rd, 2007|03:22 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | jubilant | ] |
I found the USFS website where they not only have the patterns for adult MITF but actual videos of people doing them. I'm probably way behind the curve on finding that, but hallelujah, that helps a bunch. Even though I've been taking lessons from someone who supposedly specialized in MITF she has me doing patterns from Gold, and I've never heard of the pre-Bronze things.
I tried a waltz-8 for the first time. Needs some work, but doable. Also the pre-Bronze 3-turn pattern. I got it fairly easily, but it made me really dizzy. It was nice to feel like I had some competence again, and to know what I need to work on if I want to test.
Since my kids are getting free freestyle time now, we signed up for freestyle ice for the first time. I thought I hated public sessions. I will never, ever complain about them again. There were at least 30 high freestylers zooming around the ice at blazing speeds, mostly backwards, flipping and jumping. It was impossible to work on any sort of pattern. We had to cling to the edges to not get run over. Definitely better to be the best person in a public session than the worst person in a freestyle session.
We may get a rink. Not in my town, but in the one that I work in which is only 30 minutes away. Yippee! Right now, I drive a little over an hour to get to the rink. I was chatting with one of the skate coaches, and I said maybe we'd get a rink for other reasons, she said she wanted to open one. I work for county government, got her hooked up with tourism and economic development and it looks like it is going to happen. Unfortunately a semi-pro hockey team is part of the package. But maybe they will be like the semi-pro baseball team we have and really only be there during the season. If I could skate at lunch time, what a difference that would make. I mostly just wander around and aimlessly spend money at lunch now. And I figure since I hooked her up, she'll owe me forever and ever and I should get lots of free ice time. |
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| Still no lesson |
[Jan. 28th, 2007|03:44 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | bored | ] |
I was hoping to get a lesson, but now that there's a competition coming up at the rink, everyone needs the coaches to do their programs, and my coach is the skate director so when she decided they needed another Alpha class, she got stuck teaching it because she couldn't find another coach. I guess there's more money for the coaches in the private lessons.
Decided to work on my FI3s. I wanted to do them at speed and gracefully. An hour of nothing but FI3s has made them much, much better, which then made my FI3/BO3 so very much better. FO3/BI3s are starting to work.
I think I'm going to get a book or DVD with moves so I don't need a coach just to learn a new sequence. It's not what I want, but I have some control over what I'm learning. Then when I can get a coach I think the time will be more productive. |
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| Be careful of what you ask for |
[Jan. 20th, 2007|09:32 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | amused | ] |
I thought I was going to get a lesson today but L apparently forgot, which is fine. She gave my daughter a lesson and I said at least I needed a new move because there has to be more to footwork than 3 turns and mohawks. She took a few minutes to show me Choctaws. That's what she called them, anyway, and I'm sure that's what they were, but she was just flipping back to front, front to back, back to front in quick succession. Wow. Across the rink and back was about all I could take in my crude imitation of what she was doing. It was like real work.
My younger daugther was doing different jumps and I said I felt like I had a toe loop in me. Definite lesson next week so I think I'll be jumping. I was actually hoping to do that this week because my husband came along and could drive me home should I end up unconscience at any point.
I was working on boring front and back 3s, the choctaws and I figured I'd give rockers and brackets a shot on the little bit of ice I could find during the LTS lessons. I came off and a little girl asked me all sorts of questions. I turned to a woman standing there and said "She thinks I'm a coach!" The woman said that her daughter (not the girl I talked to) wanted her to get out on the ice and had pointed me out as another mom that was out there. I told her that I had started in the beginner classes and she should give it a shot. I think I may have convinced her! She said she noticed I was the ONLY adult out there.
Then I watched my oldest daughter take her group lesson. They are working on inside 3s. Some of the helper girls were so graceful doing FI3s, it made me realize just how much work mine need. I can do them and they are "correct". They just don't flow like those girls.
Another little girl asked me if I was going to be in a competition on Valentines Day. She said I could be in it if I could do a waltz jump. I showed her mine and she showed me hers. She landed on 2 feet and quickly picked up a foot. She said that was okay. I think it is so fun and great when the kids talk to me just like I am 10 like them. We were in Beta class together. I remember she tried to show me 3 turns and I thought, oh, no, I'll never be able to do that.
The rink I skate at is having a competition at the end of March. I'm seriously considering it. I think they group it by age so I know I'll be the only skater over 45. That has to be good for a gold medal, just by itself. |
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| I need a new move |
[Jan. 15th, 2007|09:44 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | bored | ] |
I am so sick of 3 turns. Front/back/inside/outside. All of them. I haven't posted in a while because that's all I've been doing. I thought I was going to have a lesson Saturday but it was the first week of LTS and my coach is the skate director so she was running around making sure everything was right for that. So no lesson.
We are going to try for a lesson this Saturday. I think I'm going to ask to work on jumps. At least that would be different. And I may go to a lesson every other week.
Icky story. I knew I had a mouse in my car. We live in the country so it always happens after they bring in the crops. A couple weeks ago, I put on my skates, which I keep in the car, and it felt like they had gravel in them. I took them off and they were full of mouse poop. YUCK! And it had eaten part of the insole on one of my skates. Saturday I noticed one of my gloves was full of holes. This mouse MUST DIE. But it was really funny that my older daughter and I keep our skates in the same bag and the poop was in both my skates and not at all in hers. I'm telling her it's because her feet stink too much.
I wore a skirt with skin colored tights and didn't die of embarrassment. Now I'm sort of into it. I bought a bathing suit skirted bottom at Target. $18 sure beats $50 when it's all the same thing. |
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| I feel pretty again |
[Dec. 17th, 2006|10:16 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | jubilant | ] |
When I first learned FO3s, and could glide down the ice doing them, I felt so graceful and like a RFS. But ever since I got started on these dang back 3s I felt like the biggest klutz on the ice. I'm still having problems with my FI3, but BO3s are great. BI3, not so much. I kept practicing the 3turn MITF pattern but just could not get the funky step out after the back XO to outside edge. Graceful has not been a word to describe my skating lately.
Had a lesson yesterday, and L didn't have a lot to say, although she did correct my arm position on the BXO to FO edge. I don't think she knew what to work on so we did front stroking, good. Back stroking... almost played body bowling with some stupid girls just standing near the edge. I told my coach to make sure I didn't run into anyone because I couldn't see where I was going, was going pretty fast and couldn't stop easily. I just saw the girls out of the corner of my eye. I crashed into the wall rather than take them down. Stupid girls.
Then she wanted me to do some mohawk pattern. She never tells me what the technical pattern names are, but forward stroking, mohawk, back crossovers, turn around, but all basically in a straight line. She, of course, demo'ed in at full speed with big sweeping motions. I could do it, but timidly.
After the the lesson I thought I'd give B3s a rest and work on blasting down the rink into a mohawk. Eventually I could do that pretty well, and BXOs came naturally and turning back forward has always been easy for me. I thought if I can do that why the heck can't I get it on the 3 pattern. I tried it a few more times and light bulbs starting going off. It's been because I've been practicing on end line of the rink, trying not to take up a lot of room. All these moves are meant to be SKATED. To use the rink. I did the 3 turn pattern down the length of the rink and it was beautiful and graceful and I wanted to do it over and over.
I didn't get a chance to try it on F3 to B3 but I suspect that using more of the rink, making nice big lobes, and just trying to skate pretty will fix a lot of the problems I was having with them. Yeah for me!
The ex-skate director, who is close to my age, but sadly, still younger than me, commented on my Target skirt. She said she had been looking for something similiar. She said now I had to get rid of the stretchy pants under it. I took up the challenge and ordered 3 pairs of beige tights. What the hell. Maybe I can scare some kids off the ice by showing my legs.
I can't wait to go skating again. It won't be until next Saturday, but I'm thinking there won't be anyone at the rink that close to Christmas and I can really SKATE. |
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| I wore a skirt! |
[Dec. 2nd, 2006|05:56 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | happy | ] |
So I made a skirt and I thought it made me look fat, and I'm not, then just Wednesday I went in Target and they had the skirt I had been looking for, a black wrap skirt. It was in the athletic clothes. I wore it over my regular black pants, so it didn't feel like wearing a skirt. Now that I've done it and survived, I'm sure I'll be sportying all types of skating outfits.
Other than that, today was a waste. I had my daughter's skates in to be sharpened. Naturally the store didn't open until 45 minutes after the posted hours, so I let her use mine while I stared at the darkened room. Once I got the skates and she and I traded, it was time for the group lessons that take the whole rink. I got maybe 45 minutes of skating in on a totally packed rink. I needed to leave before my normal time because I play Celtic harp and this is my busy season, playing Christmas songs. We had to race home, change into formal wear and get back on the road.
Still RFI3 to LBO3 is starting to feel pretty good, so I worked on LFI3/RBO3. LFI3 was non-existant but towards the end I felt about LFI3/RBO3 like I did last week about RFI3/LB03. I thought that was a good sign. I have 4 of these combinations to work on. If next week I add RFO3/LBI3 to the maybe list, I should have LFO3/RBI3 in about 2 months.
Next week, LTS is having their Christmas show after the open skate, so it will probably be wall to wall with kids again. Ugh. |
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| Front to back, back to front |
[Nov. 26th, 2006|10:54 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | mellow | ] |
I used to feel fairly graceful on the ice, at least that the other adults standing around watching their kids would say, for a mom she looks like she's got it together. Now practicing all these back 3 turns, not so much. Even though I didn't have a "lesson" I asked for a quick 1 minute pointer on FI3s because they just die. She said to sit over the blade more.
Towards the end of 3 hours of whirling around on RFI3/LBO3 pattern I could at least move from front to back to front with some fluidity. Not that any of it was pretty or correct. At least it wasn't F3, stop, think about arms, push, sort of turn, think about falling, put foot down, skate back to line, stop, push, etc, gasp for breath at the side of rink. It's not the workout, which it is, it's the adrenelin rush as I realize I didn't die crossing the rink. When I get to skate there are like 50 little girls, either randomly skating and not paying attention or doing some serious skating and hoping people get out of their way. A higher level girl and I nearly crashed as I was 3 turning and she was jumping.
I stopped by the fabric store afterwards and bought material to make 2 skating skirts. One is wispy, basically black Christmas fabric that changes from red to green sparkles. I also bought some expensive beaded beige fabric. That will be more of a straight skirt. I thought that would look good with skin colored tights and a beige sweater I already have. I think I'll ease into wearing a skirt by wearing the wispy one over my normal black stretchy pants. Who knows if I'll actually wear the beige one. All the little girls wear skating outfits, but as the sole adult, I stick out the way it is. I'm not sure about the skirt.
Non skate, we put up our Christmas tree yesterday and I got the official word that my husband's 50 some relatives will NOT be coming to our house Christmas day. I love them all, but 13 years of readying the house for the onslaught and cleaning up afterwards, I think it's only fair for someone else to experience the joy. BIL and SIL with the new house are hosting this year. Huge sigh of relief as load of bricks have just been lifted from my shoulders. |
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