Post 1 of 2: Learn to Skate

I had two excellent lessons this week.  I'm very happy with myself.  Practice on the other hand, well I don't know how to handle that with my new lessons schedule.

First, LTS.  It is kind of refreshing to have a new LTS coach.  I really like Carson, but we'd kind of gotten into a rut with LTS, to the point I was thinking about not doing it anymore (which is crazy because the lessons are super cheap once you factor in the free ice time.)  So I'm glad to be working with Taylor for awhile.  I should tell the director this, and maybe she will rotate the coaches more often. 

Anyhow- Taylor started us on Tuesday with jumps.  Just a quick run through of the jumps we do, and then we worked on flip.  Unlike Carson, she prefers to do flip from a mohawk (which is how I was introduced to them in Detroit), so I went with that.  We started just with exercises on how to pick and pull in.  This was really useful to me because I tend to pull in on the right side, leaving myself in a very open position that can't rotate.  This helped me understand better how to pull in to the left of my picking foot.  (Not that I can do it when I'm skating at a speed, but still, good practice.) 

Next, we did the pick, pull in, and she wanted us to go to a backspin.  This was downright hysterical.  Taylor's main comment was "at least the two of your are smiling".  I kept thinking "We are smiling AT you, not with you." except the line doesn't work so well when you aren't laughing, so I didn't say it.   It was very clearly a "you have got to be crazy smile".  I managed to do a few backspins, but totally missing the point of the exercise- I'd have to pull my right leg around and pivot to get into it, which reinforces the open position you shouldn't have.  Finally it dawned on me- this is all about rocking back off the toe pick to start the spin, just like in a change foot spin.  I asked Taylor, and she said "yes! It is exactly the same thing."  To which I laughed and said, "Oh, well I can't do that either!" and just laughed.

Then after a few good efforts, she had me go ahead and jump.  When skating faster I'm about 30% for pulling in to the correct side.  Most of my jumps are between 1/2 and 3/4 rotated, so I have a long way to go on flips.

Then we moved onto spins.  We did all the usual spins, then she asked me if I had worked on camel yet.  I have, so I started doing those. And I have to tell you: I did a few spins that STRONGLY resembled camels.  I think I have moved on from the "bless her heart, she's trying a camel" stage.  I'm still falling inside, but I've figured out how to hit that sweet spot and actually spin (maybe a 60% success rate?) and then it is all about pulling the body up to hold the camel position.  I still feel more like a slash (/) than a camel, but Taylor tells me the position is decent and not nearly as tilted as I think it is.  Woo!

I was really happy to leave the lesson with a real smile, and not a sarcastic "okay, I'll try!" smile.

I hurt my shoulder (no idea how) earlier this week, so after lessons I went home not wanting to aggrevate it.  I probably should have stayed and practiced, but since it feels like my arm is trying to rip itself out of the socket, I didn't want to push too hard.  If I get focused on skating, I mostly don't feel it, but it needs to be in good enough condition that I can test.