Bronze Moves

 My lesson with Holly on the CCIC FS.  Better ice than in the past; about 8 skaters.  I had some time to warm up with stroking and a decent circle-8.

Today's lesson:

• BXOs to BO edges -- most of our lesson on these. Holly had me work on getting down in the knees more on the BXO and really pushing more.  We did an exercise just of BI edges (on two feet) down the rink (sort of like slaloms but wider stance) just to feel that push and transfer of weight.  Holly reminded me to look where I'm going on the BO edge :-) which also helps bring it around more.  Flow is a bit better on these, so yay.
• FO3s -- just a few on the crease.  The RFO3 is so bad.  I have such a hard time doing them if I wait any length of time.  Ugh.  I can do a beautiful one if Holly is holding my hand, otherwise I balk.  Grrr.  I'm such a chicken.

No lesson next week as Holly is out :-(.

FI8, Again

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult skate.  Good ice and about 6 skaters.  I warmed up with all my edges and scribed circles.

For today's lesson we continued to work on just the FI8, again largely focused on posture.  We did also spend a little time working on pushing harder and staying upright during and immediately after the push, not breaking at the waist.  Ugh.  Still so hard to fix this.  In my mind's eye I know what it should look like but it doesn't come out that way! Grr.

FI8

 My figures lesson with Danette on the 10:45 a.m. FS at Chandler.  Ice was a bit beat up and like 13 skaters, so it was pretty crowded with lots of people doing programs, dances, etc.  Ugh.

We started my lesson right away so no warmup and no scribed circles.

Today's lesson:

• forward edges -- meh.  I guess I'll blame it on no warmup but my FO edges really take some time to become decent.  Yuck.
• FI8 -- most of our lesson.  This is the figure I'm going to do at Sherwood.  Sometimes I make it around, sometimes I don't.  We worked a lot on posture and on getting me to plie' straight down for the push and then straight up again without breaking at the waist.  Ugh.  

I really need more practice time.  These sessions aren't conducive to good work though, between the beat up ice and, more importantly, the numbers of people and what they are doing.  Ugh.  I'm hopeful when school starts again (next week for some schools!) that things will be better.

Perimeter XOs & Power-3s

 My lesson with Holly on the 12:40 FS at CCIC.  I warmed up with stroking and had time to do a decent circle-8 (yay!). Ice about the same as last week (a bit rutted in places) and about 12 skaters.  

Today's lesson:

• perimeter XOs -- we worked through these a bit and actually made some progress.  I ran them once and did a much better job of staying on pattern on the FXO side.  We worked through the BXO side a bit more to get a bit more power and stay on one fit more.  A better push to the BI edge.  
• power-3s -- we actually worked the pattern for both R and L sides --eep.  We worked a bunch on the R side that we've previously given short shrift to.  The RFO3 is not so great, but the step forward! Ugh, it's really bad.  We worked on that a bit, then we went to work on the FO3s on the crease for a bit.  Mmmph.

Patch Perseverance

 No lesson with Danette this week due to schedule issues, but I was able to skate the 12:45 a.m. FS at Chandler for patch practice.  Ice was okay, but still a bit crowded.

I warmed up with just forward edges, then spent time on FI8 and also some work on just pushing harder.  Eeep.  It's coming along but still not too pleased with where I am vs. where I used to be.  Looking forward to getting a little more time in after I get off this project I'm on at work (sometime soon).

Slogging Through

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler 12:45 FS. Ugh.  Like 10 skaters and pretty chewed-up ice.  I had to start w/no warmup as Danette was overbooked.  Ugh.

Today's lesson:

• forward edges -- bleah.  We just did forward to focus on that.  The no warmup really showed as my first LFO was particularly crappy.
• push -- we spent a couple of minutes just working on my push, as I tend to break at the waist while pushing.  So we worked on bending the knees more and transferring the weight both more smoothly and quickly.  Maybe some progress.
• F8s -- bleah, again.  I'm not getting around on either FO8 or FI8.  Yes, the ice was crappy, but also it shouldn't be so on the edge as to matter.   I know I've had almost no real practice but still, it's very discouraging.

Entries for Sherwood just opened.  They are doing the figures competition differently than in the past; they've divided up the various figures into groups and you can do one figure from a particular group, and no more than 2 overall.  Unfortunately (?) the figures I can do are all in the same group, so, I need to decide which figure to do from the ones I have.  It will probably be FI8, but maybe BO8.  Right now it should be nothing! Geez.

A Whole New World

 I skated the 12:40 p.m. FS at the Coyotes Community Ice Center (CCIC) in Mesa for a lesson with Coach Holly.  Since Holly's no longer at AZ Ice Gilbert this is where her students will be skating for the foreseeable future.  Ice was not the best (there was hockey right before, and quick ice cut that didn't fill in the ruts.).  About 12 skaters I think?  A good crowd.

Wow, I had not skated freestyle in like a month.  Eeep!

Today's lesson:

• Perimeter XOs -- meh. Forward was okay (was off pattern a bit), back... yikes.  All that stuff I'd worked on about skating with speed and less on two feet was NOT present today.  We worked on it and it did improve though.
• 5-step mohawk -- actually, not that bad.  I still need to work on the BO edge to push back into it more and to get off the toe, but the mohawk wasn't bad.
• circle-8 -- actually okay.  The last (RFI) circle was a bit small, but I made it around.  The ice at CCIC is a bit harder, it seems to me, so the flow was better.
• waltz jump -- the first one had a weird landing.  The 3rd one was pretty nice -- good height and I actually controlled the landing :-)
• salchow -- meh.  First couple were bad.  The last one had a good entry/takeoff but I landed on two feet.  I need to get back to feeling that 'jump to the side' feeling that the good ones have.

After my lesson I skated another 15 minutes or so, then I had to get back to work.

It was nice to see so many folks skating.  I think we'll stick with this time slot for now.  Once school starts I'll need to move it back an hour or so.

Disturbing News

 I found out today that coach Holly was terminated at AZ Ice Gilbert as skating director and won't be allowed to coach there.  Good grief.

I don't know what to make of this but it's very sad and discouraging.  It looks like Holly may be able to coach at another rink, I'll update when/if that comes to pass.

Patching

 My figures lesson with Danette on the Chandler adult FS session.  Nice ice but a bit crowded -- I think 10 skaters?  People were running programs and it was just busy.

I scribed some circles and then it was time for lesson (I was running late).

Today's lesson:

• edges -- eep.  FO not so great (that LFO, esp. the first one, is really flat and slippery).  FI was better.  BO not bad once I remembered to keep the free foot in front.  BI was okay although first lobe is too small.
• FO8 -- really stinky.  Not making it around, push is weak, body position bad, just bad all around. 

It's what I expect from all this time off but really, I am supposed to compete in 7 weeks and this is just bad.  Yuck.