Back Edges

Today's lesson was on my PSS time. The FS schedule was a little different due to a visiting "star" coach, so I skated 5:45 - 6:45 a.m. There was no one on the ice except me, Sonya and PSS-mate Mary!

Today's lesson:

• LFI3 -- we are continuing to plug away at these, and they are indeed slowly improving. Sonya today emphasized turning the head into the circle, not just the L arm. Then we worked on getting more down-up-down in the actual turn, and I did a couple where I actually felt that (like the R side). A definite improvement! I did a couple more to be sure.
  
• Back edges -- I'd wanted to work on these for a while, as I felt I was making some progress and wanted to solidify it. We worked on getting that initial push-off to be more "out" -- Sonya wants me to actually cross the "T" so to speak with the soon-to-be-skating foot. Also we worked on getting more tension in the arms (feeling like I'm pulled) and a more definite pass-through with the arms at the top of the lobe. And, of course, we worked on holding the free foot in front for the first half of the lobe. I've made some progress on this front, which surprised even me.
  
• Waltz-8 -- These are improving. On the L foot, Sonya reminded me to push the RBO edge "out" more -- it's too flat -- and to hold it longer, then to delay passing the arms through on the returning LFO edge until I'm almost back to center. On the R foot she had me work to delay the turn (place it better). These have gotten a lot better.
  
• Spins -- Finished up with these. I'm finally bringing the R hand around, but I'm tending to bring the R knee in but not the foot! Grrr. We definitely made some progress on these (I should hope so, since we've spent a lot of time on them in the last few weeks!).
  

After my lesson, I gave Sonya her Christmas present (Starbucks gift card) and she gave me a present, too! She's giving all her skaters jump ropes, it looks like -- something to help with my warmup, she said. I guess I'll have to start taking the warmup more seriously :-). I was rather pleased and surprised -- I don't remember coaches in Tucson giving presents, but this is the 2nd time a coach here has given me a gift (Lucy gave me a present at our last lesson).