Preliminary Test

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  I scribed circles and warmed up with forward edges.

For today's lesson, Danette decided to continue running through the Preliminary figures test:

• B edges -- pretty nice, actually.  I'm doing a better job on the BO edges of getting the free foot in front at the beginning.  The first push on the BI was also better.
• FO8 -- okay.  Posture was a little better, but still not making it around.  Urph.
• FI8 -- As usual, better than the FO8.  Still not making it around the circle but flow and posture is better.
• waltz-8 -- just 3 minutes or so on these.  Eeep.  No bueno.

3s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate. Nice ice, 7 skaters.  I scribed circles and then did all my edges as warmup.

Today's lesson was just FO3s.  We worked them on the wall, then on the circle.  There was some small improvement, by which I mostly mean that I am actually attempting them without forcing them (mostly).  I still need to convince myself to be on a better edge, bend the knee more beforehand, and really turn into the circle more with the upper body.  When I do those things, it's easy.  What a concept! 

B8s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate. Nice ice, 5 skaters. I scribed circles, but only got through the F edges as I was running a little late.

Today's lesson:

• B edges -- not bad, actually.  Good speed and flow.  We re-did the BI edges to work a bit more on being consistent with scooping the free leg to the front and not just next to the skating foot.  
• BO edges -- push was a bit improved (though still lacking).  Still working on upper body posture and leaning into the circle a bit more.
• BI edges -- we worked on starting the initial RBI more perpendicular to the long access and to make it a better edge, not so flat.  Some progress on this.  

BI Edges & FO8

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate. Good ice (a dry cut before, but okay) and just 4 skaters.  I warmed up with FO, FI, and BO edges -- no scribed circles as I forgot to bring my scribe.

Today's lesson:

• BI edges -- I didn't do these in warmup so we ran through them a bit.  Some work to be sure to bring the free foot in front on the push before bringing it back.
• FO8 -- most of our lesson, again, POSTURE.  Ugh.

3s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  Really nice ice but 9 skaters!  I warmed up with edges and scribed circles.

Today's lesson:

• 3s -- most of our lesson.  We worked on them on the wall and then on one of my circles.  The LFO3 is much better than the R.  Urph.  On the right my timing tends to be bad -- I'm forcing the 3 with my free hip and *then* coming 'up'.  We worked on getting the down-up-down so that the up is actually when the turn happens.  I can do it when I concentrate.  I'm still having a lot of issues with these though as I just don't want to twist into the circle appropriately.  Grr.
• BO8 -- 2 minutes on these.  Actually not bad though of course my push is still inadequate.  The position was okay though.

F8s

My lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  Ice was okay.  Scribed circles and warmed up with edges.

Today's lesson:

• FO8 --We worked just on posture at the boards a bit, then tried these on the circle.  Still pretty much the same issues w/push and crouching forward.
• FI8 -- as usual, somewhat better than FO.  The LFI is so much better!  Grr.
• 3s -- just a few of these at the end.  Meh.

Serpentines

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  I scribed circles and warmed up with edges.

Today's lesson:

• Serpentines! -- I wanted to work on something different and we had not tried these in forever, so I gave it a go.  I scribed an extra circle and we had at it.  The good news is that it wasn't much worse than everything else at this point.  The bad news is that it wasn't any better either.  I've never been able to do a whole circle and a half on one push but it's much worse now than it was a few years ago.  Geez.  I used to be worried about the change of edge taking too long, now I'm just trying to make it happen.  Frustrating.