Waltz-8

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler Ice Cafe.  Good ice but a bit more crowded than usual; 14 people signed up and I think 12 actually on the ice.

I had 2nd lesson so I scribed circles and did my forward edges as warmup.

Today's lesson:

• back edges -- we did the BO edges twice as I was just a bit sloppy on managing the free leg/foot.  BI was pretty good.  I do need to do a better job of getting my weight more in the middle of the blade immediately after the initial push though.
• waltz-8 -- most of our time on this.  We ran it on my circle and then spent more time on the step forward and a little on the 3.  We especially worked the step forward on the L side (so, from an RBO). Ugh.  Danette had me try it on two feet to get a feel for how far I need to twist.  I *should* be feeling twist in my torso when I'm stepping forward and often I am not.  Also in the hips, but more on the torso.  Not a lot of progress.

Moves & Brackets

 My lesson with Holly on the Gilbert adult skate.  Good ice, about 8 skaters when I got on but probably 12 by the time I was done.  I warmed up with stroking, then perimeter XOs, power-3s, circle-8 and 5-step mohawk (I had to work around some people).

Today's lesson:

• perimeter XOs -- pretty good, actually.
• 5-step mohawk - a little rough still on the BO edge (up on my toe too much)
• circle-8 -- I got around! (barely)
• BXOs to BO edges -- pretty good, actually.
• brackets -- I was not able to make myself attempt these on my own on Monday.  So, Holly held my hand and we did some more, and then some varying levels of not holding my hand.  I did eventually get myself to do an LFOB although I fell right after. Still, it happened! Need to keep working this.

Patch Perseverance

 I skated the Chandler Ice Cafe for patch practice.  Nice ice, 8 skaters.

I warmed up with edges, FO8 and FI8.  I spent my time working first on FO3s, and then on the step forward from the waltz-8.

Not much in the way of progress, really.  Trying to get my 3s and step forward cleaner; not really a lot of progress.  Uck.

Perseverance

 I skated the 1:15 p.m. FS at Chandler for freestyle practice.  Beyoootiful ice and just me for the first 15-20 minutes, then CeCe and Alex joined.

I ran through Bronze moves as usual.  I'm really happy with my flow on the perimeter XOs and BXOs to BO edges -- I feel like I have decent speed and get a nice rip on my BXOs.  The power-3s are about the same as the were.  5-step is still a little uncontrolled.  I got around the circle-8 today so that was good.

After that I worked a bit on spins, and toe loop.  I tried working on brackets and I couldn't quite make myself try one.  I just chickened out.  I guess I need to try them on Wednesday with Holly without her holding my hand.  Eeep.

Photo-Bomb!

 I skated the 1 p.m. freestyle at Chandler for FS practice.  I ran through Bronze Moves as always -- they were about the same, although I did not make it around the circle-8.  Ugh.

Toward the end of the session, Jacqueline and Jaclyn were working on a piece Jacqueline is choreographing for a virtual choreography competition. It's very avant garde and cool.

The second or third time through I decided to go work on spins on the other end of the rink since they were just using one end of the rink (SO I THOUGHT!).

 

So I'm working, and I see they are starting again and Coach Tammy is videoing them. Suddenly they are heading for my end of the rink! My first thought was "OMG, I'm going to be in the shot!", so I DOVE for the ice to try to be out of the way. Then I start crawling over to the boards to try to stay out of the way... when suddenly they are finished on that end and Jaclyn is coming right at me and I realize... I am going to be in the shot. Oh well!

 

It really was pretty funny.  Coach Tammy showed me the video later and actually her mad video skilz kept me out of the frame until the end.

Off Day

 I skated the Ice Cafe at Chandler for my figures lesson with Danette.  I had second lesson so I had a chance to scribe some circles, but I didn't get time to warmup other than that.  Session was relatively crowded (12 skaters).

I had felt "off"... unsettled, and unsafe somehow all morning, and this session didn't help.  It didn't help that Cydney was getting on the ice right after me and forgot to take her guards off and fell (she wasn't hurt).  It didn't help that Donna fell while working with Danette on something on the boards.  And it didn't help the session was crowded, there was a hockey guy zipping around at high speed, and the music was obnoxious (and I forgot my phone dongle, so I couldn't play anything).

Then in lesson, I was constantly on flats and not a good edge.  In patch blades, being on a flat is alarming because you skid!  They are so flat (ROH = 1.5"!) that you can just skid sideways easily on a flat.  Ugh.

Today's lesson:

• edges -- bleah.  Backward were okay, lots of flats on my FO.  Ugh.
• waltz-8 -- we agreed we really need to start spending more time on these to try to get them testable.  Ugh.  This was just not a good day.  My 3s were horrible, and every time I tried to step forward I was on a flat and couldn't bring it around to center.  Ugh.  Just ugh.

Not my best lesson...

Spins, Brackets, Toe Loop

 My lesson with Holly on the Gilbert adult skate.  Good ice, 9 skaters.  I warmed up running through all the Bronze moves.  Not bad -- I got around the circle-8 (barely). The rest of them were not bad, although the 5-step mohawk is still a bit scratchy.

Today's lesson:

• spins -- I did a really good spin right before my lesson, and then actually managed an even better one as we started.  Yay!.  The subsequent ones were not as good, so clearly I still need to work on consistency.
• FO brackets -- these are slowly improving.  Holly's still holding my back hand -- I should try without on Monday.  They are still too slow tempo-wise and I am not coming out of the turn quickly enough to settle back on the BI edge promptly.
• toe loops -- just a few minutes on these.  They were not good :-(.

I also played my proposed new free skate music for Holly.  She likes it, so that's good.  I'm not actually sure if I'll even be able to compete next year due to my school schedule -- we'll see.

Perseverance

 I skated the 1:15 FS at Chandler for FS practice.  Good ice, 4 skaters.

I ran the Bronze Moves, as usual.  I got around the circle-8!  Just barely, but still.  As of today I can consider myself fully vaccinated (2 weeks out from shot #2) so I need to get my butt back to the gym and get my core strength back.  Urph.  Other moves were pretty good also.

After that I did some spins that were actually... okay.  I video'd one and while I'm pleased that I def. got around 3 times.... I really need to look up.  And make the entrance prettier.  And bring that free leg in fully and promptly.  Still, it's so much improved from a couple of years ago!

Moves, Brackets, Spins

My lesson with Holly on the Gilbert adult skate.  Nice ice and 9 skaters.

I warmed up with stroking, perimeter XOs and power-3s.

Today's lesson:

• BXOs to BO edges -- these were really nice!
• circle-8 -- stillll not making it around.  Ugh.
• 5-step c-step -- a little rough the first time.  Holly said she wanted them 'lobier', especially on the R side, so we did them again and it was better.
• brackets -- some progress on these. Holly keeps reminding me to "bend & snap!" (obscure Legally Blonde reference).  We are just working on the FO ones, with Holly holding my trailing hand.  They are improving.
• spins -- just 5 minutes or so on these. I did a really good one and several that were almost as good!

All in all a pretty good lesson.

Patch Perseverance

 I skated the Chandler Ice Cafe for patch practice.  Actually I had intended to skate freestyle, but when I got to the rink... I had brought my patch skates!  So there it was. Nice ice, 9 skaters.

I warmed up with edges, then ran FO8.  FO8 was a bit rough the first time but improved, although for some reason my flow was... just adequate, not great. Then I ran BO8 on a random layout.  Eeep. Flow was really good, return to center was okay, but my circles... not so great.    Especially the LBO was a bit cut in on the return to center half.

After that I worked a little bit on waltz-8, and then specifically on the 3s and the step forward.

Not much progress today.  It didn't help that I was overly social.  Oh well.

Back 8s, Waltz 8

 My figures lesson with Danette on the 1:15 FS at Chandler.  We moved earlier in the week due to Fiesta Skate this week.  I had time to scribe circles and do forward edges as a warmup.

Today's lesson:

• back edges -- pretty good!  Nice flow. I did have a small issue when I started the BI edges, so we started them over.
• BO8 -- this was THE BEST I'VE EVER DONE.  Like, wow!  Great flow, good circle size, good circle size, decent tracing.  I was really happy!  
• BI8 -- Eeep.  Actually, pretty good flow and power.  We spent some time working on the RBI to have better posture, like the LBI.  It's so hard for me to keep the free foot/leg close on the RBI!  I really want to extend that leg and lean forward.  UGH.  We did make some good progress though.
• waltz-8 - ran through one circle each side, and then spent the remainder of our time working on the step forward as it's def. the biggest problem right now -- we just worked the R side step forward (so that's an LBO-RFO step forward). I need to turn my foot under me and it's not quite happening. Ugh.

Moves, Brackets, Salchows

 My lesson with Holly on the Gilbert adult skate.  Good ice, about 10 skaters initially but I think more like 12 by the end of the session.

I warmed up with stroking, perimeter XOs and power-3s.

Today's lesson:

• power-3s -- we ran these a couple of times.  I'm actually relatively pleased with them, except now the biggest issue for me is that I'm not really doing a crossover, i.e. I bring my feet together but it's not really a BXO.  Urph.  Still, I've made some progress and I still have some time, so we'll see.
• BXOs to BO edges -- actually, pretty good.
• circle-8 -- I actually made it around!  Barely, but still!  We'll see if this holds.
• 5-step mohawk -- a little rough, in places, but mostly okay.
• brackets -- Holly is still holding my hand, but just one hand, now, not two.  These are slowly coming along but I need to make them a bit smaller; I'm going too far out of the circle on the turn.
• waltz jump -- just one... but it was really nice!  Etsuko said it was the biggest she's ever seen me do.  Nice straight takeoff too.
• salchow -- mmph.  I had a really nice one yesterday but wasn't really happening today. Yuck.

Perseverance

 I skated the Chandler Ice Cafe for freestyle practice today.   Nice ice, 10 skaters.

I ran through Bronze Moves, they are about the same.  Didn't make it around the circle-8 (tried twice, the last time was closer).  Spent the last 10 minutes on fun stuff, did some okay spins, a nice Salchow and a pretty good waltz jump.

All My 8s

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler 1:15 FS.  There's no ice on Thursday for Chandler so we moved my lesson.  Despite the fact I had my vaccination this morning ("Fauci Ouchie" #2!) I was fine.  Nice ice and just 4 skaters.  I just had 5 minutes to scribe circles.

Today's lesson:

• edges -- FO were a bit... off.  Just not good edges, so we did them again.  The rest were pretty good.
• FO8 -- a little rough, just like w/edges.  Just not quite over my edge.  They did improve, though.
• FI8 -- just one circle each side.  Nice.
• BO8 -- just one circle each side.  Pretty good.
• BI8 -- just one circle each side.  We spent a little extra time on it; I need to turn into the circle more and stay that way. Eeep.
• waltz-8 -- meh.  3s were actually almost okay, but still need lots of improvement on the step forward.

After my lesson I had about 10 minutes so I worked on the BI8 some more.

Waltz-8, Schafer Push

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler Ice Cafe. I had time to scribe circles but not a warmup (my own fault).

Today's lesson:

• edges -- as always.  I still need to work on keeping my lobes the same size, esp. on FO and BI.  Eeep.  Pretty nice in general though.
• waltz-8 -- urp.  Threes are better, but I have no check after the RFO3.  Grr.  Most of our time on the step forward.  I think I just need to find a bit more time to practice.
• Schafer push -- I always wanted to learn this ... can you say you do figures if you can't do one? So Danette spent 5 minutes or so.  The basics are simple enough but I suspect it will take some work to do it with sufficient power AND good posture.

FYI here's what a Schafer push looks like.  AFAIK they were only used for BO loops as the regular BO edge stuff didn't start this way?