3s

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert, as usual.

Since I still don't have my freestyle boots back (it will probably be Monday) I warmed up with edges and FO8 and some 3s.

For our lesson today we worked just on 3s, yes, the whole lesson.  We were smart and worked mostly on the RFO3 (in retrospect we should have spent some time on FI3s).  After some work there was some real improvement -- turn was much less forced and had a nice quickness that I hadn't seen in a while.  So yay, it was a worthwhile investment!

I will not be able to compete at next year's sectionals, due to a schedule conflict.  JJ and I talked about this and I think the plan is to forgo working on a free skate (I'll still do dramatic, and come up with a light program) and instead spend that time working on Bronze moves.  Ugh, so much to do!

Power Pull Prep & Spins

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.

Today's lesson:

• power pull prep -- that's one description, I guess.   We worked on a drill of skating backwards with C-cuts and working to really get the weight over the skating side.  Ugh.  R side is not bad but the left is a challenge. I'm really having to bend my knees more for this!
• spins -- JJ gave me a drill to get me to enter the spin stronger, basically on the step forward from the windup to really put the weight over the L foot and then really scoop with the R foot so that it is always to the side and not back.  Yow.  It really made me realize how much my weight is usually NOT in the right place.  Eeep.

All in all I'm really feeling there's a lot of synergy between my power lessons and my freestyle lessons the last several weeks. It's pretty encouraging.

I mailed my freestyle skates off to Oregon at lunchtime to be worked on by Jim at NW Skate Authority so I will not have them back until 6/5.  I still have my patch skates so I won't be entirely off the ice.

BXOs & 3s

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  I warmed up with Bronze Moves.

Today's lesson:

• BXOs -- we worked on getting me to sit back on the blade more.  A couple of different exercises -- 1) push, back chassé, push.  Idea is to keep the weight in the same place and not shift back and forth. 2) alternating BXOs down the rink, emphasis on straightening that outside leg and really getting a push/rip from it.  JJ says on the perimeter BXOs the judges would like to hear that rip from more than one push :-).  R side is not bad, L side is weak.
• 3s -- just 5 minutes on these, working to hold that entrance longer and to keep the free hip lifted on the exit.  Ugh.  Still kind of up on the toe there.

3s

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  I warmed up with jumps and spins.

Today's lesson was just on 3s.  We spent a lot of time working to build my control going into and coming out of the 3.  The LFO3 was not so bad but then we went to the RFO3 and ugh.  So forced.  We did make some good progress though.  Basically I feel like I need some method/technique to calm me down without having to actually take mind-altering drugs, lol.

BXOs

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  Nice ice (well, a little bumpy in places) and just two or three of us for the session. I warmed up with stroking, spins and some salchows, which, sadly, were nowhere near as good as they were last night :-(.

Today's lesson was focused on BXOs and the BXO to BO edges pattern from Bronze moves.  We first focused on getting me to put my weight on the "outside" (pushing) foot.  JJ had me do alternating BXOs down the rink (again, as I told him, I worked with Holly on this last week), working to put my weight on that side as I push from it.  It got better.  After some time on that both down the rink and around the circle, we went on to work on the actual move.  I was having some trouble holding the LBO edge and JJ pointed out that I am picking my free foot up next to me instead of behind. So if I let the free leg come behind me and then pick it up I'm on a much better edge and it all goes better.  Progress!

Spins, 3s, Mohawks

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert as usual.  I warmed up with stroking and spins, and some perimeter XOs.

Today's lesson:

• spins -- about 10 minutes on these.  JJ says I keep thinking I'm in the wrong position after the hook, and I'm not.  I just need to saddle up and stick with it.  Grrr.
• 3s -- we reviewed the feedback on my power 3s from my test last year.  We worked an exercise where I did a 3 (we mostly worked on RFO3) then stepped forward and came around on the same circle and did another, holding the entrance longer.  We made some good progress on this (I need to practice this!!), I was able to hold the entrance much longer and was able to keep the free leg in better.  Still much more to do.
• mohawks -- just a few minutes on these at the end.  I can do a nice one (we just worked on RFI so I was cheating, I guess :-) ) when I try.

Spins, 5-Step Mohawk

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  This was a makeup lesson for last week due to my schedule being crazy then.

I warmed up with some Bronze moves and then some spins.

Today's lesson:

• spins -- from a standing start.  I did a couple that were okay.  I don't know what to say about these other than that my summary/translation is that I need to relax and not force things, and then do the other things I already know I'm supposed to do.
• 5-step mohawk -- urph.  After running these once we concentrated on the LFI mohawk since it's the worst.  Working on having more control and opening the hip more.  I can do a really great one on the wall!  But on the ice, not so much.  

Spins, Moves

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert. I warmed up with the first 4 Bronze Moves.

Today's lesson:

• spins -- both standing start and windup.  JJ told me to think about the back of the blade continuing around after the 3 and this did seem to help.  I did get a couple that were kind of okay.
• edges -- we worked just a bit on skating deep FI edges.  I need to bend my knees more and get into a better rhythm.
• backspin prep -- we worked on doing an FI3 and toe-tap (similar to the chainé turns in my dramatic).  Meh.
• perimeter XOs -- I ran this and then we worked a bit on the crossovers, esp. the BXOs.  JJ said right now I should probably focus more on getting more power and a better push and leave worrying about the scratchiness to later.  He has a point...

Spins

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert, as usual.  3 skaters and 3 coaches!  Ice was a little bumpy though.

Today's lesson was just spins.  It's my major point of frustration after PCAS and we really haven't worked on them much so it was overdue.

We started by doing an exercise that was just LFO3 -> back 2-foot turn.  Ugh.  I had not done any back two foot turns for a long, long time -- since I was working on back-3s with Lynne.  So they were pretty rusty and bit scary.

After some time on that we went ahead and did a bunch of spins from the windup.   JJ wanted me to look to the left more on the step forward, and of course the usual things also applied (bending the knee on the step forward, holding the free leg back, arms out, don't rush).  I did a couple that were 2 revs or so but I'm always getting WAY up on my toe.  Grrr.

Basics

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  I warmed up with stroking and edges and then did some spins.

Today's lesson:

• FXOs -- my CW one are really crappy.  The CCW ones are not too bad; if only they looked like that when I'm doing MITF! :-(
• BXOs -- ugh.  Can't bend in these boots yet and trying to get myself to really fix these... not fun.
• 3s -- just on the circle.  LFO3 are sort of okay.  The RFO3s are really bad.  Like, I really can't do them without forcing them, anymore.  I'm not sure how they got this bad (neglect, I guess) but I'm not happy.  Yuck.

Basics

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.

I am still having a hard time getting used to these boots, though it's getting better.  I'll be really glad to get past this.  I warmed up with stroking and edges and some FXOs.

For today's lesson we just went back and worked on some basics:

• change of edge -- FOI and FIO.  Actually these are really easy, which again makes me suspect that the blade alignment was not so great before and is better now.
• FXOs -- not too bad.  On the harder side I need to work on pushing to the side, not back.
• back swizzles  -- hadn't done these in a long time.  JJ had me get going fast and then lift the free foot (so a BO edge) which was okay.
• 3s -- just a quick one at the end of the session.  It was okay.

I don't remember my boot adjustment being like this last time, but it was a long time ago so maybe I've blocked the memories :-).  I just need more time in them and life is really busy right now so it's difficult.

New Boots Still!

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert as usual.  I love this session, it's not crowded and the ice is usually not too beat up.

This was only my second time in my new boots so I'm still a little "Bambi on ice"... JJ took a few moments to look at my boots and the blade install/alignment.  Alignment looks really good.  He says they are set a smidge back from the front of the boot, which is not usual practice, but shouldn't matter.

We kept it simple, starting with forward stroking and then some backward stroking and swizzles.  I feel like I am back on my heels more in these boots (probably because I need to lean into the tongue more) which is a bit disturbing.

All in all not the most productive lesson, but we did get a chance to catch up my PT status and also some evaluation of my performance at PCAS so it's all good.

Jumps & Spins

My lesson with JJ on the Gilbert 8:15 FS.  Nice session, just two skaters and two coaches.

Today's lesson:

• toe loop -- not so great at first.  JJ had me go back and do a couple of waltz jumps, then we went back into them.  After a bit I was doing much better at waiting and bringing it around.  Still two-footing the landing (argh!) but that's a psychological thing -- I know I could have landed it, the position was correct.
• salchow -- I was rushing these, but managed to fix that so yay me!  Much better.  Still not much spring, though.
• spins -- these were pretty bad.  I am bringing in my arms in too soon (rushing).  We kind of fixed that and they were better, though not great.

That's all we had time for!  Tomorrow I am skating at Ice Café and then off to SoCal for the competition.

Toe Loop & Spins

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert. I'd not skated this session for a long time (Tuesdays I don't usually skate in the a.m.); it was okay.

I filled JJ in on how Sunday went and then we spent a little time on toe loop.  I really just need to be patient and bend those knees on the draw in and let it come around.  Grrr.

We spent of the lesson on spins.  Ugh.  I am so frustrated.  They just stink so badly.  We didn't make much progress.

Program Work, Off Day

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  A pretty quiet session, just me and Ms. Kodi and Emma, and later Toni and one of her students.

I warmed up with stroking and then some jumps but just felt really clunky and off.  Not sure why, just not moving well.

For my lesson we spent some time working through my off-day issue (I fell on a waltz jump!  I can't remember the last time that happened!) and worked a bit on toe loop.  I did run my dramatic program (JJ had not seen it) and it went more or less okay; just a couple of seconds late at the end.

I'm not sure what my issue was today and I hope it's better tomorrow...

Program Prep

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  I'd not skated this session in a while; there were 6 skaters and 3 coaches so a lot busier than yesterday.

I warmed up with elements from the program (after I warmed up jumps etc.), then ran my program.  It went more or less okay but was a bit rough; spin and salchow not so great.

Next we worked on salchow a bit, then ran the program again.  This runthrough was really good!  I was really happy with it, though there were some small glitches here and there.  We made a small change -- after the lunge-3 I'll just do a push, 2 BXOs and then push back in a landing position before I step forward for the salchow.  I think this will help me set up the salchow better; right now I'm tending to just push onto the LFO and sit and think :-(.  So we worked that through and a few other places, then ran the program again.  This last runthough (just as we ran out of time) was almost as good as the 2nd one.  I'd be pretty happy with either in competition (thought I would still like a better salchow).

Figures lesson next today, then taking a day off from skating tomorrow for the trip.  Hope to have some warmup ice time on Saturday in LA somewhere, then competition Sunday.

Program Work

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.

I warmed up with stroking and then warmed up some jumps and spins, then ran my free skate.  It was okay; I ended on time, but the spin and the salchow were pretty yucky.

We spent most of our time working on some specific chunks of the free skate -- the mohawk/cross into the spin, then a little time on the salchow (needs more work!) and then more time on the BXOs into the spiral.

I'm feeling somewhat better about this program but still not happy with the spin and salchow.  One more lesson tomorrow!

Program Prep

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.

Before my lesson, JJ had me arrive at 7:30 to do off-ice.  We started with jumping rope.  Yow.  He wants to get up to doing 10 jumps on each foot.  I'm going to need to work up to that.... next we worked on using the ladder to work on jumps.  First I just hopped on one foot down the length of the ladder and then returned on the opposite foot.  Next we worked on jumping from two feet and landing on the R foot in landing position (like a standing waltz jump).  Then we worked on jumping from the L foot and landing (like salchow).  From there we went on to work on the plastic spinner, first on the R foot (like backspin) and crossing the foot over, then on the L foot.

After all that it was time to get skates on and get on the ice.  I warmed up a bit and then we started our lesson.  We spent some time on the toe loop, then we worked on various pieces of the free skate, then ran it with music.  Ugh, not so great.  JJ decided to take one of the mohawk/cross moves out, so instead of R-L-R it will just be L-R.  We finished up working on the salchow/end of the program.  Still rough; I get in a weird mode in the program and rush things so it's not so good.

All in all we accomplished a lot but still feeling kind of rough with this program.  MidWinter is in a week and a half :-(.

Program Work

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.

We spent this lesson working on program prep/review.  We spent a lot of time working on jumps, then ran the program and worked on the FO mohawk in the beginning and then ran some pieces of the program in isolation.  I am finishing behind the music :-( and really struggling with the mohawk/cross.  We worked on those a bit also but not a lot of improvement.

Free Skate

My lesson with JJ on the 8:15 FS at Gilbert.  I warmed up with jumps and a runthrough of my dramatic program (less than stellar).

We spent this lesson working on the free skate, and ran it several times.  The mohawk-cross is still a problem area for me.  We worked a bit on that and on arms for a few spots -- into the moonwalk, in the spiral, and in the opening sequence.

In general it just feels a little rough.  I think the choreo is good, I just need to be more confident and execute better.  Bleah.