The Right Foot Show

Today's lesson:

• FXOs -- of course there was no escaping working on FXOs. Anna was emphasizing being more deliberate, longer extensions and quicker transitions. At one point she had me just hold the FO glide with extension, then hold the crossed-over FO edge (before placing the crossing foot on the ice). We worked especially on the CW "bad" direction, which was helpful. Anna said I need to think of these as the "right foot show" -- it's all about the right foot. The extension, the crossing, are all just window dressing. She also told me something that seemed new to me, or at least a new way of thinking about it -- I should be bending the skating knee while the free leg is crossing. In some ways it's a different way of talking about the push-under, but it seems to help.
  
• BXOs -- arrrgh! My CW "good" direction are getting fairly good. We spent a lot of time on the bad direction, because they are bad. Mostly we worked on feeling like the free leg (outside leg) is straightening as it's crossing, and to really be sitting on that inside leg/hip. We did get some noticeable improvement; hopefully it will still be with me next time I do these.
  
• BO edges -- I'm convinced if I don't stop double-pushing on these, Anna is going to inflict severe bodily harm. These weren't too bad, but I still need a better "set" on them.
  
• BI edges -- not too bad. Anna reminded me I need to not wide-step when stepping to the new foot; that's part of the reason I have trouble getting a good push since my feet are too far apart.
  
• BI3s -- back to these again! We worked them from LBI edge --> RBI edge -->turn, first doing a two-foot turn, then just holding the position, then attempting the turn. There's some small improvement, though I've not yet accomplished the turn. It's kind of hard to hold the setup into the turn, I tend to drop the free hip. Still, it's fun to work on and actually not scary.
  

My girlfriend was at the adult session today and watched my lesson. I asked her how I looked during my lesson -- am I having fun, or being tortured? "You're being tortured!" was the response... Hmm. I do find my lessons a lot of fun, actually, even if they don't appear that way. Of course I am very intense and focused and sweating up a storm, so I can understand why someone would think that.

Before my lesson, I got some feedback from Marge, a judge who often skates at adult session. She told me I'm tending to land my waltz jump (done from standing start) onto an *inside* edge, and that I'm not landing on the same circle as I started from (which is the same thing, I think). It was nice to actually get some feedback from her, it's very encouraging.