March 21, 2007

7:49p
A year in review
Skating went really well yesterday. I forgot my gel sleeves, so my feet were more comfortable in the boots, but my ankles less than comfortable. I think the sleeves push my feet just far enough forward to make them too small. Do they sell boots in 1/8 of a size? I don't need an entire half size. At the beginning of the lesson I ran through my program and was given a big thumbs up. I could perform now without making a fool of myself. BUT there is lots to work on, and I need to get timing down with the music so I can skate to it, rather than just with it on in the background. After program we ran through skills- I did ALL my back 3-turns- YAY. Also started working on brackets. I can do one- fwd to bwd, then I get stuck.

Anyhow- March 17th was my "1 year anniversary" of the day I first took a lesson. Because of all the downtime between skating (waiting for lessons to start in Kettering, waiting for them to start in Troy, moving to Iowa) I haven't really been skating for a year- but still I say I've made darn good progress for a year.

In this year I have done the following
-Completed USFSA Basic 3 and 4 (I skipped 1 and 2)
-Completed USFSA Adult 1 and 2
-Completed ISI Delta
-Completed USFSA Basic 7 and 8
-Completed USFSA Freestyle 1and 2

I have gone from struggling with FO 3 turns to being able to do all 8 turns fairly well. I have learned mohawks and choctaws and started learning brackets. My mohawks are getting better, my choctaws struggling.

My jumps are tiny and sad but I can do a waltz jump, toe loop, salchow, half flip, and half lutz. I've learned a loop, and cannot even pretend I can do one.

I have gone from not being able to do a full revolution of a 2 foot spin to being able to do more than 5 revolutions of a 1 foot spin, and have started working on a backspin. I can spin around a few times, but it isn't anything one would call a spin.

I have started preparing for my first test. I have learned the patterns for perimeter stroking, forward and backward edges and the waltz 8. I perform these more competently some days than others. Even these first few pieces of the prebronze moves in the field test are not yet ready.

I have moved from group lessons to private lessons. This change was based mostly on my need for "personal space" which I felt I did not get with a group of 8 girls who either do not understand the concept, or clearly need much less than I do. I also felt lots of time was wasted when an instructor was having to repeat themselves to be heard. I feel my progress has justified the expense of the lessons so far.

I have started to teach group lessons. In my first session I taught 2 snowplow sam 1 classes and an Adult 1 class. This session I teach snowplow sam 1 and snowplow sam 2/3. There are no beginning adults.

I have learned my first program, and will be performing in a month. I think that's a pretty successful year.