9-29-2007

10:38a
Week in Review
This week was a great skate week.

Tuesday we had a modified schedule for LTS because in between the first two classes was an exhibition- the Freeskate class wasn't cut short though, which is nice since we missed last week. The exhibition was really great. From a little girl in Basic 1 who was just adorable, to the little 4 year old at our rink who is better than I am, to a fantastic pairs routine at the end- everyone did really well.

Freestyle class went well. We spent first 10 minutes of class working on proper arm position for crossovers. Two days later my back between my shoulder blades STILL hurts. Apparently I haven't been using those muscles correctly! The hardest part is "relaxing" my shoulders- because holding my shoulders down requires all of my back muscles- there is nothing relaxing about it.

Next we worked on outside spirals. I think I might set a record for world's slowest spiral. But I'm holding the edge a little bit better, and the spiral isn't too pitiful- especially when I remember to hold my arms in an open position. My outside is definitely better than my inside, but both I have a tendency to hold my leg to the side of me instead of behind me. I think I've lost flexibility since last year though, because I don't seem to have the height on the leg I used to have.

Then we moved on to scratch spins. I did quite a few where I was able to completely cross my legs. If I could get a better fan position I think it would really help, because the best way I was able to cross was to start with my foot touching my shin and then slide it down, rather than trying to cross over at my ankles. I centered quite a few of them, but the uncentered ones weren't just bad, they were REALLY REALLY bad- like I traveled almost my entire height. OOPS. Also did a couple "good for me" backspins. I need to hold the edge before 3-turning a little bit longer.

Wednesday night skating also went really well. My half- hour practice went well. I wasn't centering my spins very well, but I was getting a good leg position. My jumps felt like I was actually jumping- especially my waltz jump which is really getting some height and travel- like a real jump. I'm sure it doesn't look impressive though. I worked on backward edges and mohawks for a bit. I'm still having boot issues. My heels are starting to slip- but if I tie my skates any tighter, I lose feeling in my feet completely, so I can barely stand up, much less skate. But now that my jumps are actually leaving the ice, loose heels makes me feel insecure on my landings. I haven't had as much problems with my laces loosening now that I started lacing them opposite way on the hooks- but it is harder to get them tight enough.

Then it was time to start my lesson. I still can't believe that I managed to schedule my lesson on the only hour of ice I have to pay for :( Oh well. Lesson went well. We spent 20 minutes on attitude spins, and a few laybacks. Apparently I was tilting my hips to the side, because Burton made me do the spin with a hula hoop- and keep the hula hoop up while spinning. This was a) very fun, and b)somewhat helpful because I figured out how to not tip my hips (otherwise the hoop falls and trips you). Then he made me use the hoop to lift my arms over my head to show how I need to stay in the center of the hoop regardless of where my hands are. I'm betting other people on the ice thought I was crazy. I did an okay job of keeping spinning while changing position- but I have a feeling my leg position looked HORRIBLE. Then we worked on waltz jumps. He says they are getting a lot better on the waltz jump, and that my strong check on the salchow is the only reason I'm not falling everytime- oops. So we worked on "placing" the landing of the jump before take off, which I think will end up helping my salchow quite a bit. Then we got chased off the ice by the zamboni.

Syncrho went well- we learned the straightline footwork sequence, which seems VERY fast. There is yet another mohawk, but luckily on the side I can do- and a backward lunge, which I cannot yet do. Add that to the list of things to work on. Then we spent about 10-15 minutes learning how to moon walk on the ice. I'm not doing very well with it, because I want to replicate the off ice moonwalk which has you picking in front of your foot, but to get the push on the ice, you have to dig your toepick in BEHIND your foot. It does seem like the people who got it could do it really well in just a few minutes, and then the couple of us who couldn't do it were totally lost. But then in the footwork, it seems like we are moving so fast that it completely gets lost in it. Hopefully as it cleans up you can tell what it is. At the end of the straightline footwork is a half-flip, which is also going much faster than I normally like jumping, but also has the added confusion of rotating the wrong way. So I go into it thinking "don't do a toe loop!", I turned the wrong way twice, but usually got it okay. I'm more concerned about the lunge and the moonwalking- and the mohawk from the beginning of the program.

We got our places further worked out, and I'm back on the lunge side of the lunge/spiral pass through (two weeks ago I was spiral side). I like this because a) my lunge is better than my weak side spiral and b) I'd rather get smacked in the face with a blade than be responsible for hitting someone else.

Synchro is going well though. I need to really pick up some power though. I'm on the end of a few pinwheels, and lead a line up the ice before our hinge passthrough- and right now I'm not making that! (The pinwheels are a bit easier to fake, it's more a matter of control)

Today edge class (it's called power edge but there is no emphasis on power, so i'll call it edge class) went well. We did some footwork exercises- alternating mohawks down the rink, then "flying" (not sure why they are called that, no jump) 3-turns down the rink, which is basically 3 turn step 3 turn with the turn all on the same foot as fast as you can. Then we worked on alternating crossovers (which is great since it's a bronze move), and basic edges. I really still need to work on my back inside edges. It amazes me though the youngsters who are in freestyle 3 or what not and can't remember which edge is inside and which is outside, and can't hold them barely at all. I may not be able to jump or spin like they can, but I have alright edges, and they are continually getting better :) I shouldn't compare myself to others though :(