Current mood:

jubilant

I feel pretty again
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.