Merry Merry or Very Hairy Practices/Lessons 12/22-28 | Golden Skate

Merry Merry or Very Hairy Practices/Lessons 12/22-28

Cinderella on Ice

Bless you, Fairy Godmother, I'm Having a BALL!
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
For many, it's a holiday week, but we hope you'll still have many opportunities for some lovely time on the ice. Tell us all about your great (Merry Merry) or not-so-great (Very HairY) lessons and practices.

And Happy Holidays to all!
 

Cinderella on Ice

Bless you, Fairy Godmother, I'm Having a BALL!
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Merry Merry - today was my first skating practice in 6 days, and I was so excited, I was shivery all over (and not from the cold, either). I'm still struggling a bit with getting my new skates to feel comfortable all the time, so I tried a few new things with my Bunga (gel) pads, and after about 30 minutes of tying and retying, they finally felt good. I started out slowly, with some back spins and power storking, but then I felt like going all out and just jumped my heart out. I landed about 20 axels, and then started landing axel/axel combos, until one of the little girls I know there came up to me jumping up and down and clapping because she'd just heard I passed my gold test on the 10th. Wasn't that cute and sweet?

Very Hairy - the bad news was that the kids are off of school this week, so the rink was crowded to start, but by 8:15 they all cleared out and I had the whole ice to myself!

So Very Merry Merry - OK, so you know my New Year's Resolution is to put more "ham" into my act, and since I'm not one to wait until an arbitrary date to start something, I worked long and hard on my footwork and connecting moves, adding arm movements and "personality." It was so much fun and I worked up a good sweat. I was sorry when the clock showed 9:05 and I had to leave to go to work. But 90 minutes is a good amount of time on the ice.

My legs were pleasantly toasty afterwards, so I know I got in a good workout.

Tomorrow is my lesson and I'm eager to show my coach what I've done so far.
 

Mr.D

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Hmm...how fun, my first post on this forum!

Since I graduated college and started teaching at the beginning of the 02/03 school year, my time for skating pretty much went down to zero! I'm on winter break now, and I decided to get out on a public session this morning and see how badly my skills have eroded. So....

Merry merry - my jumps are still there! I'm surprised that, even though I'm not as lithe and fit as I used to be, I can still land everything up to my double salchow. My spirals are pretty nifty too...for a guy, at least.

very hairy - my spins, as usual. My spins were ALWAYS my weak point. Today, I couldn't center a spin to save my life. So I spent a bunch of time doing 2-foot and scratch spins to try and get the feeling back...but to no avail. My toe loops are also kind of wonky...for some reason, I'm not getting the timing of the pick/takeoff right, which is why I stopped at 2sals, before I killed myself with 2toes.

I was aching afterward, so it was a good workout. We'll see how tomorrow goes!
 

litto_mos

Spectator
Joined
Dec 20, 2003
:)

merry merry= i might get private lessons this winterbreak (since this is the only time i have rides)

VERY hAIRY= i prolly wont have rides after my winterbreak... boo!!
 

sk8er1964

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Welcome back, Mr. D! Aren't 2toes an absolute bear???? (Although mine are finally beginning to feel comfortable - only took 5 months :p.)

Merry Merry: My double sal and double toe are beginning to get secure - some of them are fully rotated and on one foot, others are fully rotated and on my back end :eek:. My flying sit is, well, flying right now. I like my new program for next year's AN.

Very hairy: No club ice. My coach is sick. Adult open skating is cancelled in favor of kid/beginner free-for-alls. Sigh. I love Christmas, but NOT at the rink.

Technical wise, I am having trouble with my combo spin. The flying camel is fine. The back sit is fine. However, when I jump to the forward sit the spin just grinds to a halt. Got a month to fix that before my first competition of the season.
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I'm taking time off of the ice these next two weeks, just too much to do and I am leaving on vacation for about 5 days after Christmas.

So I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday:)
 

icer

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Merry!: More time to skate! Work somewhat flexible with the holidays, and more public ice times! Good to practice the old stuff and work on the new stuff- forward spins going well, started working around a back spin (back pivots- TOUGH, back outside 3 turns, easier- no actual attempt at the spin yet). AND I've done some private lessons that have been VERY helpful (I didn't come up with the back spin idea on my own). And really looking forward to solidifying my goals for the next year.

Hairy!: Some of these sessions are CROWDED! Parties, school kids, where did all these people come from? Attempts at jumps more tentative than usual (wise, given the circumstances)... Forward inside 3 turn DOES get better, but still scary- problem is the ones that work are SO nice and easy I can't remember how I got them to happen. Have to work on keeping the attempts centered in my body, not in my worried head.
 

Mr.D

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Went to another public session today. I'm lucky in that they're really not all that crowded right now because lots of people are still working and holiday shopping.

Merry merry - I took apart my jumps and tweaked them so that they looked/felt better. I feel like I'm getting more height on all of my singles, and my toe loop feels a lot less weird. I worked on the axel for quite a while, trying to get more distance and more height, which worked..until...

Hairy - I got off on my timing of the axel takeoff, so now they're all weird. My free leg kickthrough is strange, so I feel off in the air, and as a result, I go *splat* when I land.

arggghh!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Cinderella on Ice

Bless you, Fairy Godmother, I'm Having a BALL!
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Oh, I just LOVE everyone's posts. It's so great to see activity here again.

Welcome, Mr. D. My toe loop also seemed strange after 30+ years off the ice, but then it came back with a vengeance (see below).

GREAT job, everyone else, on all the merry things. It's so inspirational to see everyone's progress.

Merry Merry (and not at all Contrary): I had such an awesome skating practice this morning that I am practically pinging off the walls in excitement. First of all, it's the first lesson of my "new" life after testing adult FS gold. Some people's coaches would give them a little down time to just sort of screw off and wallow in self-congratulations, but not mine. Nosiree!

We hit the ground running today, starting off with axels, the hardest jump that I can do. Sheesh! Usually we start out with pimpy stuff and work our way up, but because I had already been practicing about 40 minutes before we started my lesson, she knew I was all warmed up, and that's where we started. And she wasn't content to just watch me do nice strong high ones; she decided axel/toe loops and axel/loops were on the menu.

I thought she might be slacking off when she asked me to do a salchow, but I saw immediately where she was heading when she asked for a salchow/loop. Sure enough, after two run throughs, I found myself working on the take-off timing for the 2sal and then the jumps themselves. I badly cheat-landed two of them, but I was kind of hunched over and didn't get much height. Technically it was really a 1.5sal. So we left it, me with lots and lots of stuff to work on.

So then she asks to see my toe loop and then toe loop/loop, the clue phone began ringing. Oh by the way, she says, do you feel like attempting the 2toe? Wink wink! So, of course, I just HAD to try it, and I'll be darned, even though I have not done one in 32 years, I came darned close! In fact, I landed two of them, only slightly cheated, so they were more like a 1.82toe than a 2toe, but honestly, everyone int he rink said the height was good and I was straight up in the air. I was just SO excited. This used to be my favorite double jump, and it was like my brain had been doing them for years. So we left it there because it's good to end things on a good note so your brain smiles about them when you attempt them the next day.

So we moved on to the flying camel. I can do these well about 50% of the time, so the point was to figure out what I'm doing wrong when I'm not, and then not do that anymore (duh). They were really fun.

Anyway, I worked myself into a froth before she let me go. I swear, the lesson lasted at least 45 minutes (usually they are 30), perhaps because she was feeling bad about blowing me off last week.

When we were done, she tells me that next week we are going to revamp my gold level test program so that it is suitable for competition. Now I'm thinking that she means that she is going to simplify it because it is just jam-packed with stuff and I need more "time" to be artistic. Instead, she says, so think about where you want to put the 2toe, :eek: 2sal :eek: :eek: and flying camel, meaning that she is ramping up this baby BIG TIME :eek: and that I have only 4 months to get these elements under my belt and do them well, in competition to boot. Yeegads, I can't even begin to tell you how AMBITIOUS this is!

And yet, I just LOVE her for pushing me so hard and "making" me whip myself into shape.

Gosh, I love skating!!!
 

sk8er1964

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Re: ??

litto_mos said:
what is AN??

heh heh i dunno ..

Mr. D is correct. AN is the US Adult Nationals, which will be held next April in Lake Placid. CAN is Canada's Adult Nationals, which is going to be held for the first time next year (go Canada!!!).

Sorry for the confusion. I post on another site with oodles of adult skaters, so I am used to using that term. Here's a story for you - a fellow adult skater at my rink (who does not compete) mentioned that she was going to go watch nationals. Suprised, I said "you're going to Lake Placid?" . She looked at me funny, and said "No, I'm going to Atlanta." I forgot that there was another Nationals that people might be interested in! :laugh: :laugh:
 

Cinderella on Ice

Bless you, Fairy Godmother, I'm Having a BALL!
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Quick note to Sk8er1964 - did you get my email? I wasn't sure that I had your correct address. Will you be skating at mids in Cleveland? I'm waiting to hear from my coach if she thinks it a good idea for me to try competing there to prepare me for AN.

Loved your earlier Merry Merry post. That's awesome about your doubles. They've really come along, even the rear enders! My goal is to have two by April. I wonder if that's possible? Could you loan me a 2sal just so I could "feel" the motion? Gosh, that would be so helpful!
 

sk8er1964

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Cinder - as you were writing a quick note to me, I was emailing you ;) . You are welcome to my 2sal feeling, as long as you share it and don't keep it for a long term visit :D . All that I know about the doubles is that I am so glad that back ends slide on ice instead of sticking!
 

Mr.D

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
haha...I share the same sentiment about rear ends sliding rather than sticking. :laugh: Now Sk8er or Cinder...can I borrow a bit of confidence so i don't chicken out on rotating my 2toes?! I think that'll do it.
 

Cinderella on Ice

Bless you, Fairy Godmother, I'm Having a BALL!
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Mr. D - funny you should mention the confidence thing. In our private emails, Sk8er1964 and I were talking about jumping "fears." I was saying that about a month ago, I developed some irrational fears when doing my axels. I could do 3 or 4 and then all of a sudden I'd be "afraid" to do them. Even if I slowed way down on the speed going into them, I just couldn't bring myself to do another one. Then, as quickly as it came, it just suddenly lifted. That doesn't mean I always land them, but I'm not afraid to do them. How bizarre is that?

I seem to have tons of confidence on the doubles -- just not the right technique. So I'll loan you the confidence, if you'll teach me how to keep my legs together (oops, that didn't come out quite right, but you know what I mean). I learned to jump in the "olden days" when no one knew the secret was to cross your feet. Good thing I, too, have one of those teflon butts!
 

Figureskates

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Very merry: Spins are getting better, not cenetred but I think I finally have discovered the sweet spot on the skate.

Very hairy: Looks like when I go to AN in April, I will be a volunteer and spectator, not a competitor. Looks like I have gallstones which have been kicking up over the last 6 weeks. I see the doctor in early January to figure out what next. If I have the thing yanked, I will be in no shape to try to put a program together.....Oh well, another reminder of growing older.
 

Cinderella on Ice

Bless you, Fairy Godmother, I'm Having a BALL!
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Oh geeze, Figureskates, so sorry to hear about the gall stones. Hope everything works out well and that no major surgeries are involved. We'll look forward to seeing you at ANs in either case.

Awesome merry merry news on the spins. The sweet spot -- ahhh, life is good!
 

Figureskates

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Cinder, I will definitely be there since my club is host and I have a blast at the registration table. I can put faces to the names of the adults who post here.
 

singerskates

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
My Christmas ice is a huge Turkey. I mean, I have no ice available to me when I'm not working. So I litterally have to wait until my club has ice again to skate January 4th, 2004. That's next year. There is no ticket ice available do to hockey tournaments and then the days I do have off like everyone else there isn't any ice at all available. I'm going into no ice shock!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brigitte
 
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