XOs & 3-Turn Pattern

Today's lesson was a reschedule from Monday. I was on the ice at 6:10 and the lesson was at 6:30. The session was quite lightly attended, just 4 skaters (most of them adults!) and 2 coaches.

Today's lesson:

• FXOs -- these are about where I left them last, which I consider a victory of sorts. Form is good but they don't look confident and need more flow and power. They are slooooow.
  
• BXOs -- ugh. The first time through the pattern the first circle was amazingly good! Unfortunately it went down hill from there. On the bad side (that would be CCW) they are pretty stinky -- we worked on them extensively but I'm having a hard time getting the trailing foot to cut across like I do on the other side. I also need to not rush them!
• 3-turn pattern -- about 10 minutes on these. Three big issues -- 1) I need to step to a better FO edge after the FI3, 2) need to straighten the outside leg (lock the knee!) on the first part of the power-push, and 3) I need to fix a bad habit that showed up of putting my foot down after the BXO, before I step forward. These are actually improving and don't feel quite so frantic -- but the BXOs, here as elsewhere, are pretty stinky.

Altogether some good work done. I'm mostly over my jet lag, thank goodness, but I really need to get more ice time in to make some improvements. I think the 3-turn pattern and the FXOs could really improve with more practice. I'm most pessimistic about the BXOs right now. Sonya has found time for a couple extra lessons for me between now and the test date, so that should help.