FUNdamentals

Today's lesson was on the 8:15 FS. I really should skate this session more often. Sonya and I had the ice to ourselves and it was freshly surfaced! Before my lesson I gave Sonya & Kelli copies of the judge's notes from my test for their reference -- I meant to do this a long time ago.

We started off (I was warming up) talking about our division of labor between Sonya and Kelli in terms of test prep. Since I've been working in my patch blades on figure stuff I'm going to continue that with Kelli. Kelli and I will continue working on figures and if we are able to work on waltz-8 before the test, so much the better. Personally I think it's going to be a while before I'm able to do 3-turns in those things. Still I am seeing some carryover improvements between patch and FS blades as far as edges and pushing so that's good.

Today's lesson:

• FO & FI edges -- yep, like I said in the title, FUNdamentals. Well, they are a little fun. FO edges I really need to think about keeping the free hip up (or, the skating hip *in*). FI edges are pretty good but Sonya pointed out that when I start the RFI edge I tend to move my arms a bit (on the LFI I stay nice and "set"), which is part of the problem with them not flowing as well. These are looking bigger and flowing better so that's all good.
• BO & BI edges -- BO edges are looking much better. BI edges I need to remember to set the skating foot perpendicular to the axis so I get a good strike and a bigger/deeper lobe. They are much better than they were.
• Waltz-8 -- so, back to these. The good news is that the 3s are getting placed further and further out. The bad news is I'm having a hard time checking them. So, after a few runs through the pattern we worked just on the FO3 for a bit, to improve the check and settle back down after the turn.

All in all a good lesson. After the lesson I worked on moves for the rest of the session. My 3-turn pattern was pretty wild and uncontrolled -- ugh. FXOs and BXOs are okayish. Spent some time just working on the FO3s on the circle. I have this fear of keeping the free leg close when I do them (so then it swings around afterward and makes it hard to check) so I worked on that with some success. I don't understand what's going on with these but I guess I will have to be a bit braver about that free leg. Grr.