tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16597343769129147182024-03-19T04:04:51.775-07:00Rookie on IceMy adventures as an adult figure skaterRookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-54952796939579923712008-11-20T22:01:00.000-08:002008-11-20T22:13:11.474-08:006 months later....I haven't updated this blog in 6 months!!!!! I've been going through a lot lately, I'm joining the Navy and will be an officer in the nurse corps. Leading up to that, I've spent a lot more time at the gym than I have at the rink. But here's the progress (if any)...<br /><br />Took a couple sessions of LTS classes. I don't know exactly what level I'm at, but somwhere between USFSA Freeskate 2 and 5.<br /><br /><strong>Jumps:</strong> Waltz is my best and I'm getting great height on it. It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was too scared to jump forward! Toeloops are good, Salchows on most days are good too. I have landed my loop and have landed a flip, though only ONCE. I'm still proud of it.<br /><br /><strong>Spirals:</strong> Went to the outdoor downtown rink a few nights ago and my husband noted remarkable improvment in my spiral. I haven't been stretching much, but getting going to the gym must be helping. (Total pounds lost in a year = 15, Down two dress sizes) I even did a catchfoot/bielmann type spiral that my husband said went above my head. COOL!<br /><br /><strong>Spins:</strong> Not much progress with theses. My blades are rather flat. But.....I did my first real scratch spin ever two nights ago!!!!! After numerous different instructors tried helping me with my spins, my husband (the physics genius) fixed it all. As I was entering my spin from BXOs and a LFO3, I kept my free leg straight as I hooked the spin and just slowly brought it in a crossed it over. Apparently I was bending my freeleg and just bringing it to the side of my skating leg like a stork and then attempting to cross. Not too pretty. I also have the problem of having a big butt so I have to <em>really</em> concentrate on not sticking out my booty in a spin. lol.... I think I need to hire my husband as my coach.<br /><br />And I'm still Coachless. But, I will be moving to Virginia in February, upgrading my blades, and continuing with lessons!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-49062532745359898722008-05-26T20:27:00.001-07:002008-05-26T20:36:24.095-07:00Eureka!I've have a hard time with some elements lately. My 3turns are getting to be <em>really</em> bad, and I can not center a spin, no matter how hard I try or what I fix. I've made sure my shoulders aren't dropping, I keep a good strong core, and make sure my free hip doesn't drop. Still, nothing worked. I couldn't find the sweet spot on my blade either and just made a traveling looping mess every time I spun.<br /><br />I asked a skating buddy about this, and she suggested that I get my skates sharpened. She also said one edge may be higher or lower than the other (which has happened to hers in the past). We made plans to get our skates sharpened. As embarressed as I was at the condition of the blades (inside edges were getting quite dull), I sucked it up and got them sharpened by someone who is very very reputable.<br /><br />Surely enough, edges on BOTH blades were VERY uneven. With the right blade worse than the left. The skate sharpener spent a significant amount of time correcting the problem, and the blades look great! I will be able to try it out tomorrow.<br /><br />Could the uneven edges be the root of my skating problems??? I'm not a fan of super sharp blades, but I have a feeling that my spins will significantly improve, my 3turns may come back for good, and jumps may even improve. I wish there was a rink open right now so I could try them out.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-37775192642278718532008-05-22T19:19:00.000-07:002008-05-22T19:31:23.781-07:00ProgressSo, I've been making some progress. No longer wiping out on the toe loops. However when I asked my husband how my toe loops were looking, he said "well, at least you didn't fall on your face" Yeah. Very reassuring.<br /><br /><br />I've been working on one foot spins and trying to get a scratch spin. I can get my leg up and slightly crossed over my skating leg, but then I lose it. LTS instructor told me to try lifing my hip on my free leg. Seems to make a bit of a difference. She reassured me that it will take time to achieve. (but I want it now!!!!) I've been attempting sit spins too, though it probably just looks like I'm trying to stick out my butt and place my free leg in front of me. At least it's a start.<br /><br /><br />Waltzes are getting much better, and it doesn't take me forever to warm up to them during each session. Still working on jumping more than just stepping. And arms. They're important when jumping. They shouldn't just flop around.<br /><br /><br />Salchows are inconsistent, and since starting the salchow jump, my LFO3 became very scratchy. I've seemed to have lost it completely!!!<br /><br /><br />Anyways, here is a montage of my practice video from today. Not stellar, but better than the last video I posted. I am even working on a spread eagle, since I apparently have great turnout. Turnout is great for some stuff (spread eagles, spirals, mohawks, Ina bauers...) but it REALLY sucks for 3turns!!!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cdiv"><embed name="FLVPlayer" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=" width="600" height="526" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="&p=5e44efbac252529d424c3b&skin_id=601&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" salign="LT" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="window" scale="noscale" quality="high"></embed></a><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5e44efbac252529d424c3b&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5e44efbac252529d424c3b&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"> <div style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px/20px verdana,arial,sans-serif; WIDTH: 600px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"></a></div><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5e44efbac252529d424c3b&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/5e44efbac252529d424c3b/601.gif" width="600" /></a><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5e44efbac252529d424c3b&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"><br /></a><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt2" target="_blank">Photo and video editing at <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a><div style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px/20px verdana,arial,sans-serif; WIDTH: 600px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5e44efbac252529d424c3b&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"></div></a>Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-9048752294472040432008-05-01T17:57:00.000-07:002008-05-01T18:18:10.866-07:00new video, Toe loops, and surprise SalchowI have a new video now of the jumps I'm working on. My waltz jump is improving dramatically - the ones in the video are a bit old. I'm using my arms a lot more when jumping. In class we were taught a toe loop, and I've been really hesistant about this jump. That's because of all the wipeouts I've had with it - hard nasty falls. I was making some progress the other day so I decided to video tape it. Then, one of my skate buddies showed me a Salchow. I tried it and voila!! I can do a salchow a heck of a lot better than a toe loop. It's cheated (not a full rotation) but it's a start. I even got one on video. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cdiv"><embed name="FLVPlayer" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=" width="600" height="526" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="window" allowfullscreen="true" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=5b2b402401b5c11157134c&skin_id=601&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com"></embed></a><br /><br /><div style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px/20px verdana,arial,sans-serif; WIDTH: 600px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5b2b402401b5c11157134c&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/5b2b402401b5c11157134c/601.gif" width="600" /></a><br /><br /><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt0" target="_blank">Make photo slide shows at <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=5b2b402401b5c11157134c&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"></a>Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-19883134680479983422008-04-23T22:31:00.001-07:002008-04-23T22:37:21.343-07:00Haven't posted in awhile...I realized it's been a month since I've posted anything. Well, I went on vacation for two weeks to VA and today was my first day back on the ice. I'm taking the Adult Advance class again and working on all sorts of stuff.<br /><br />Waltz Jumps: Finally got over my fear. Started with jumping over the hockey lines, then got more comfortable jumping on the circle. Now I can jump just about anywhere. It's still a bit flat footed, but I'm working on bringin the free leg up and getting a little more height on the jump. I'm pleased with the little bit of progress I'm making.<br /><br />Spins: After two weeks, my one foot spin has actually improved!!!! They don't travel as much, and I think I'm not on my toepick as much either. Attempted backspins in class today....what an unnatural feeling. Not successful with the back pivot, but had some success from a RFI 3-turn. Any tips are greatly appreciated!!!<br /><br />Toeloop: Can walk through it no problem. When attempting to jump, I wipe out. Majorly. I'm talking about the kind of falls where you're all of a sudden on your A$$ on the ice and don't know how you got there. Yuck. Ouch. Maybe I should wait awhile before trying these again.<br /><br />Mazurka: Learned this today. Strange jump. Can't remember if it's a half revolution jump or more of a bunny hop. Needs more scissor motion.<br /><br />More to come later. I'll post about the ice show I'm watching this weekend too.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-2527353968293984112008-03-12T22:07:00.000-07:002008-03-12T22:11:49.135-07:00VIDEO!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cdiv"><embed name="FLVPlayer" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=" width="600" height="526" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="window" allowfullscreen="true" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=54186935b82c6a9111f661&skin_id=601&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com"></embed> </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=54186935b82c6a9111f661&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"></a><br />Video of progress. Yes I know I need to jump off my toepick on my waltz jump, and NOT bend my picking leg when doing half flips. But still, I'll pleased!!!!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-36299341617853999922008-03-08T18:08:00.001-08:002008-03-08T18:16:51.609-08:00Bitten by the Pre-Bronze BugWatched a test session this past weekend. Got to see the only adult testing MITF (Bronze level). Seeing that I could do some of the moves on the Bronze level, I am very confident that I can do Pre-Bronze.<br /><br />I've met two adult skaters who are also working on Pre-Bronze and I'm hooked. I think they're testing in a couple of months. If I can make major progress on my FI3s, and clean up my BI edges a bit, I can make it. I can swing $40 a month for lessons every other week. I must. It's an addiction!!!! And I have such confidence now.<br /><br />Now all I have to do is decide on a coach. I took a private lesson from my LTS instructor months ago, and haven't had a private lesson from her since then due to some emergent health issues and money. I think our schedules conflict, so I may need to switch instructors. I guess the most professional thing to do is approach old instructor about my plans and schedule needs, and if it doesn't fit, then go with a different new instructor that all my adult buddies take lessons from (and who has a very open schedule). I can totally do this. Any advice on switching instructors??Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-91087556756868780682008-03-05T21:22:00.001-08:002008-03-05T21:34:21.132-08:00Adult Advance, Week 2Tonight was week two of Adult Advance. We worked on a few things. Too bad the class isn't 45 minutes long. 30 minutes goes by too fast!!!<br /><br />Warmed up with some crossovers. CCW were good. CW sucked. Majorly. Very steppy and zero underpush. It's all about knee bend. But I suspect my blade may be off slightly too. I'm not to confident about my RFO edge.<br /><br />BXOs to landing position: Not much tweaking needed here, just more knee bend (as always!!!)<br /><br />Side toe hop: How can something so simple be so difficult??! I had more trouble with this more than anything. I think I fell while doing this too. Can't remember. Fell twice during class. It's just a simple hop side to side while being on the toepicks.<br /><br />Ballet Jump: Saw the instructor demonstrate a couple. Looked impossible. Then we tried it against the wall and it's actually a very easy jump! You start out on a RBO edge with the free leg extended behind. Bring the left arm slightly back. Pick with the Left foot, do a half rotation in the air (With the Left arm up, Right arm out, pointing the right foot), land on the Left toepick, then go onto a RFI edge. It looks like a ballet move in the air, hence the name Ballet Jump.<br /><br />Will be working on Waltz jumps (maybe?), spins, and maybe Mazurkas next week.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-40160105332038430422008-02-28T19:59:00.000-08:002008-02-28T20:13:49.478-08:00Adult Advance, Week 1So I finally got to take a group lesson!!! There are 4 people in the class, but only three showed up. We are all pretty much at the same level, so I was really relieved. I was afraid I'd be the worst by far!<br /><br />We first did a review of adult 4, mostly 3 turns. We worked on FO 3-turns on a circle. Irealized I was REALLY overrotating my 3-turns for pretty much the last 3 months ( doing 3turns on deep curving edges). Boy I felt dumb. But I am able to do them on the line and now RFO3s are easier than ever. It all takes practice. We learned how to "check" the 3-turn, and I just look like I'm doing stiff cheerleading moves. It needs to flow a lot better.<br /><br />Then we worked on crossovers, emphasizing on the underpush. First done on the wall without gliding, and then on the circle. FXOs are feeling much more secure now. The key is to bend the knee (how often do we all hear that??!) and keep the feet closer together when crossing them. Voila! Nice smooth crossovers that don't look so steppy.<br /><br />Finally 2 minutes on spins. Hooray! I nailed my first spin from a pivot and it was CENTERED! I wish I could have gotten advice on my spin from BXO's, but that will have to wait for another lesson.<br /><br />The instructor is awesome. She has taught other adult "bridge" programs and really knows how to explain things step by step rather than just show something to us and have us mimic it. And she we was quite impressed on our level of skating, based on how long we've been skating (all less than a year).<br /><br />We will be working on content from the Basic 6-8 classes that were not covered in any of the Adult classes. this means.....the dreadful bunny hop, the Mazurka (???), Waltz jump, and then getting into Freestyle 1 stuff. I'm very excited about it. I just want to move through it quickly I need to be challenged.<br /><br />I stayed to practice at the public session, but actually got bored after 45 minutes. I can only do FO3s and FXOs for so long. *sigh* I did some very nice one foot spins on the clean ice, and spins got crappier as the ice turned to snow. I get to practice tomorrow and find out how much I retained from my lesson.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-1626758108417949722008-02-22T05:11:00.001-08:002008-02-22T05:12:45.249-08:00Weight LossSkating is really starting to pay off! I've been skating my butt off for the past week or two and I have lost 4 pounds!!! I just had to share the good news.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-35122141278168978502008-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:002008-02-20T21:02:09.694-08:00Lots of SkatingIt's been a long time since I've posted. I've been skating, working, and working out. Here's the stuff I'm working on...<br /><br /><strong>FXO's/BXO's...</strong>I can do alternating FXO's and alternating BXO's down the rink, so long as it's a daytime session. I feel that I'm getting a lot of speed with these, and BXO's seem to be easier this way.<br /><br /><strong>Mohawks:</strong> I'm working on these at speed espeically R to L inside mohawks. It's my goal to be really good at these before my skate class starts next Wednesday.<br /><br /><strong>One foot spins:</strong> They like to travel...a lot. I keep going up on the toepick, which causes my foot to be wobbily, which causes traveling. But tonight they improved a bit and I got some compliments on it. Cool! And for the record, I did a spin from backwards crossovers that was halfway decent.<br /><br /><strong>Waltz/Half flip:</strong> Ok...I did some waltz jumps against the wall and got some pointers from other skaters. My problem with waltz jumps is that I look down and don't jump off my left toepick. So I have to keep in mind to keep my chin up high and focus on jumping off the toe. This worked OK against the wall tonight. I did a couple of itsy bitsy half flips yesterday, but they took today off. No success there.<br /><br /><strong>Edges:</strong> I love how supportive my boots are now. I feel secure on my edges and really feel like I can skate these well.<br /><br /><strong>Forward 3-turns....</strong>I attempted the PB 3turn pattern with little success. My inside 3turns are definitley improving as long as I do them at speed.<br /><br /><strong>Spiral:</strong> Did a spiral yesterday and got my leg slightly above the hip.<br /><br />I also came accross a coworker tonight at the public session. She was very impressed!<br /><br />*************************************<br />My Rant:<br /><br />Only one local rink had a public skating session last Saturday since there was a huge high school hockey tournament. This tournament was going on for DAYS. I didn't know about it until I had cleaned 6 inches of snow off my car, drove through the slushy snowy mess and made it to the rink, only to turn around and go home. Stupid Hockey.<br /><br />Anyways, I went to another local rink that I had never been to before. BIG mistake. I fell, not once, but TWICE in 30 seconds because of kids skating out of control. And when I mean fall, I mean these kids slammed into me. I happened to fall on my bad knee BOTH times while avoiding lacerating the kids with my blades, and as I was making my way off the ice, an adult nearly took me out. Sheesh! I told my husband about it, and he asked where I had gone. I told him and he said, "If I would have known you were going there, I would have been able to warn you" and he proceded to tell me about that area of town and how all the spoiled rich kids have no discipline and mommy and daddy let them do whatever they want. It makes me VERY happy to skate where I do, since most people there are respectful and try to stay out of people's way.<br /><br />OK, that's my rant.<br /><br />So...next week is the Adult Advance class and I'm all signed up and paid for. I can't wait!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-53607796876383740632008-01-26T21:56:00.000-08:002008-01-26T22:14:53.422-08:00Divine InterventionI was finally able to make it to the rink this week. Work kept conflicting. But I spent 2 hours skating today - and now I'm exhausted. I worked on a variety of things<br /><br /><strong>FXO's/BXO's:</strong> FXOs are much improved compared to my old skates. BXOs...I think I've regressed - just need more knee bend. CW better than CCW as usual. Great strides today.<br /><br /><strong>Mohawks:</strong> not too bad other than nearly stepping on my blades. That would have been a lovely faceplant.<br /><br /><strong>FO3s:</strong> I can't believe how easy these are now. L better than R. No longer need arms for LFO3. It's amazing that I could pretty much fold my arm with this and still make it work leading with my shoulders.<br /><br /><strong>FI3s:</strong> Happening, but slowly. R is lagging but becoming more consistent.<br /><br /><strong>Spins:</strong> I absolutely love being able to spin on one foot. Most are traveling at this point, but I did get a few really good centered spins. I just have to think to myself "be stiff as a board!" so that I don't travel. These are all from a t-stop or pivot. Attemping the wind up from BXOs, but definitely not happening at this point.<br /><br /><strong>Jumps:</strong> On the back burner until I get more instruction. I can do the dreadful bunny hop....<br /><br />So...I was feeling really bummed about not being able to afford private lessons at the moment, and bummed about my crazy insane inconsistent work schedule that has me working 12 hour days and nights in the same week, as well as mandatory on call shifts and blah blah blah that make it difficult to schedule lessons even if I had the money.<br /><br />Then I saw it...<br /><br />A flyer for the upcoming Learn to Skate session entitled "Adult Advance". It is for adult skaters who have passed Adult 4, held on Wedesday nights - 15 minute warmup, 30 minute class, then a 2 hour public skating session to follow. All for $50!!! And here's the best part: My work schedule may extremely variable...but have ALL Wednesday nights off, just for skating.<br /><br />I couldn't be more elated about this. My Hubby and I may not have a ton of extra money right now, but we have agreed I need to take this class. It must have been divine intervention. :) It's definitely put some excitement into my skating.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-26683478723193575342008-01-19T18:08:00.000-08:002008-01-19T18:16:13.427-08:00ProgressSo I've been skating in my new skates for the past week. I must say, I'm very impressed! I can actually spin on one foot now, and 3-turns are effortless. The boots are soooo stiff, but I'm glad to have the support. Now I just need the guts to attempt waltz jumps again. I can't believe how nice it is to have new boots and blades, but trusting them will come with practice.<br /><br />As for breaking in the new boots, I got them heat molded, and have laced and unlaced them many times to help soften the leather a bit. I leave the top hook undone to all for good knee bend. I tried lacing up all the way today, and felt like Frankenstein!! Anyone else have tips on breaking them in? The only problem I seem to have is the tongue on the boot shifts out of place and rubs against my skin, leading to blood spots on the socks. How do I keep that tongue centered and away from digging into my skin?Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-25762347249382457892008-01-11T16:48:00.000-08:002008-01-11T17:00:44.775-08:00Here they are!!!I picked up my skates today. They're all ready to go, heat-molded, and about to be sno-sealed. I tested them out for about 20 minutes on the ice, and for the most part, I'm very pleased! They offer great support and didn't make my feet hurt much. My toes are very happy not being squished in the boot. The only thing that bothered me was my super sharp blades. They should dull up to my liking in the next few sessions. I would on the outdoor rink with hard ice, but I'm afraid I'd ruin my blades! <div><br /><div></div><div>Here are some pics. My skates have an ENORMOUS toe-pick! And by some sort of miracle, I don't recall tripping over them, other than being on a nice LFO edge, catching the toe-pick and losing my edge. The first pic is of my pretty new Jackson Competitors. The second pic a comparison between my new skates (right) and old skates, Jackson Glacier recreation skates(left).</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154387564085177826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zkP66v_kf3rtoUmTZbeJsJ6d4NMFZczHhu5iPnvZ7kR79ZIdokkL9HkLadBDEyKpnMk_SaX_p5QyVMkIo2uduIgMyvvFIq8zCPz9Iqjx9aRkIeQSXbiWTWoEb8MpODRzwkiBUP_R7lqx/s400/DSC01112.JPG" border="0" /> <div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154387774538575346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeM1N9LgB1hGkRQnnIKPDUgphGAxiwLrFOubtEKNErIweUBD1vyY2imJtznJhKGuyHYa7mqGLETTxI4DIz-aDGbZ_B2hl-yNZFzHShzLmMB0AjZwbsG0B5sueWKyiahD6QRIuToUtSPY85/s400/DSC01113.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-13126264190377940662008-01-09T13:52:00.000-08:002008-01-09T13:56:02.533-08:00Merry Late Christmas!Holy Cow! It's been about a month since I've posted anything. I hope people still read this blog!<br /><br />I FINALLY got my skates! I tried the boots on today and they feel great!! Super stiff, but great! I'm quite pleased with the qualtiy of the skates. I'll post pics of my new Jackson Competitors in a few days. I left them at the rink so that the blades could be mounted, and then I'll have them once and for all on Friday.<br /><br />As for the past month, I've just been working on moves and dodging hockey munchkins on the ice. One just about nailed me and took me down...so, yeah I yelled at him to watch out.<br /><br />My forward 3 turns are very consistent, and somehow my RFI mohawks are improving too. As my blades get duller, I can actually spin. I can't wait to see what these new blades will do...Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-71010251542812061352007-12-12T20:27:00.001-08:002007-12-12T20:32:56.163-08:00Wednesday Night SkateSkated again tonight. I think I'll make Wednesday Night a regular thing. Worked on 3-turns extensively and I was able to do ALL of my forward 3-turns!!! Even the RFI3, which I was convinced i was going to snap my ankle on at some point.<br /><br />I skated with more speed and power and it felt great! Not so fun dodging the little hockey boys though. They skate so wrecklessly sometimes!<br /><br />I even tried some edge exercises I've seen other skaters do. I don't know what it is called, but say you're skating forward on your left foot, and your right foot is extended to the front. Then you do a slalom type move on the left foot going from outside edge to inside edge and repeat for the length of the rink. I can do it pretty well on the left, but not so much on the right yet.<br /><br />Overall skating is improving and I feel I am finally getting back to where I was prior to October. N0w if I can just get a hold of my coach, I can have another lesson!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-79989102469016039912007-12-06T15:12:00.000-08:002007-12-06T15:15:57.117-08:00LFI3 and backspinNot a lot of time to post...but, I actually did a few LFI3s last night! yaay!!! These have been so hard for me. The right side should come along soon. My forward spins are really inconsistent. I tried spinning on my right foot for a change and realized I was doing backspins! They felt really comfortable too. Not centered though. I thought backspins are supposed to be harder....I don't get it.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-36356967749793705482007-11-27T18:08:00.000-08:002007-11-27T18:23:50.268-08:00Thank you US Junior Nats!!!My Husband rocks! He works at the airport and happened to help a customer last night....get ready for this....One of the Spiteris from SP Teri. He came in town for the U.S. Junior Nationals, which is being held at my rink this week. My husband told him about me and my skating, so he already knew of me when I stopped by the SP Teri booth tonight. I told him I have unfortunately already ordered Jacksons which will be in next week. But I went ahead and had a fitting done. I learned a lot about skates and breakdown and propper fitting. He gave me some suggestions for my pronation, and they have a custom insole that can be added to the stock boots (ProTeris in this case).<br /><br />Here's the dilemma: I was fitted for a 6D in Jacksons, though the heel size was not taken into consideration. I have a narrower heel, and I'm afraid my Jacksons are going to fit well in the toes, but slip in the heel. For SP Teri's, I'm a 6B with a C ball. If I have a combination fit in one brand, does that mean I'd have a combination fit in another brand? I know that all boots (like street shoes) are different, but I'm sure there's some similarity in sizing. As for blades, he suggested a few, including the Coronation Ace. I've heard tons of good things about that blade from <a href="http://www.skatingforums.com/">www.skatingforums.com</a>.<br /><br />So....If the Jacksons don't fit right, I'm going to try and get a refund and go with SP Teri's. He said he'd keep my info for about a year. Whatever happens, I'm going with the boot that fits best! And maybe I can upgrade when necessary to SP Teris.<br /><br />I haven't skated for about a week due to work and rink schedule conflicts, but my last skate was amazing! I felt that I had so much power and control with alternating crossovers and edges - especially backwards edges. 3-turns are also happily coming back - both directions! And I did a few good spins. Mohawks are about the same. Still holding off on jumps until I'm out of these darn recreation skates. Sometimes I think skating is 90% Mental. If I think I can't get an element right...welll...I end up messing it up! If I skate with the attitude of "I can do this!" then, I can!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-8235253339392921732007-11-19T18:16:00.001-08:002007-11-19T18:22:55.731-08:00The BasicsFelt like skating today. Went to the outdoor rink. The ice feels really different - much harder. I worked on just the basics: Edges, crossovers, mohawks, and a few lousy FO3s. Ok, so maybe a couple of them were good. And crossovers felt really good! My spins have gone missing, though. It may seem crazy, but I think the sweet spot on my blades got sawed off when it was last sharpened.<br /><br />Skating outside is wonderful, but people walking by like to stop and stare...and I'm a bit bashful... But the weather was great, and nothing beats skating in mild fall weather during sundown.<br /><br />Two weeks and counting until I get my Competitors...Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-21107278935770012922007-11-17T13:06:00.001-08:002007-11-17T13:26:50.762-08:00Winter is Here!!!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjE2fgyk6hXARZoix-lzuFIZ20ZRs0WwEmV3S6IwgE-IUPl9iBByc5nmCDMaw3sw9ODTO_eNDyqFKccR5U-abxYQ_dHo535BZCRyEMnZPWrGWpRH5T1AUPh8pJd1PPhY2Jnx_OlUvSyIu/s1600-h/gallivan_center_ice_skating.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133923442992538066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjE2fgyk6hXARZoix-lzuFIZ20ZRs0WwEmV3S6IwgE-IUPl9iBByc5nmCDMaw3sw9ODTO_eNDyqFKccR5U-abxYQ_dHo535BZCRyEMnZPWrGWpRH5T1AUPh8pJd1PPhY2Jnx_OlUvSyIu/s400/gallivan_center_ice_skating.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> Image from </span><a href="http://www.utahvacations.org/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.utahvacations.org</span></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">Yesterday the Gallivan Center Rink opened up downtown. I dragged my husband along, and he just observed from the sidelines. It's a decent size rink for outdoors, but much smaller than the olympic sized rinks I'm used to. And there were SO many people! Everyone was having tons of fun. And the ice was all snow when I got on. I never knew it was possible to skate on snow. :)<br /><br />Then they zambonied the ice. And I have to say, the ice was fantastic! And many many people slipped and fell on their bums once they discovered the glossy ice. hehehee.....<br /><br />The weather was perfect, the sky clear, and no polluted inversion air. It was sweater weather, and although I could only do a single 3 turn and a couple of crossovers, and basic stroking (minus good extension due to the crowdedness) it was a blast!<br /></div>Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-49250174390724596612007-11-07T15:17:00.000-08:002007-11-07T15:20:37.637-08:00Update on New SkatesSo....because of my duck feet my skates won't be in until at least DECEMBER 2nd! It's a long time to wait, but it will be worth it. And as much as my skates are hurting my feet and hampering my progress, I WILL skate downtown once the outdoor rink opens up Nov. 16.<br /><br />As for skating, I haven't been to the rink lately. it's been a rough month and to finish it out on Halloween, my car and my husbands car were both wrecked and mine will take at least a month to fix. Back to skating: I am getting a bit better at my FI3s, as well as change of edges.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-60003364735795246512007-10-29T16:57:00.000-07:002007-10-29T17:28:44.336-07:00Ordered new skates!!!I had an official fitting at a local rink today. I have decided on Jackson Competitors since it's a good freestyle skate and will hold up to my extra weight. The fitter agreed with me. I found out that my right foot is smaller than my left foot, but only slightly. And I told the fitter I have wide feet. She measured them, and looked at what was available in the Competitor and said "you do have wide feet! - I measure you at an 'E' and the widest it comes in is a 'D'". No wonder my husband calls me "duck feet." So, I bought size 6D. I can have it punched out if needed. She said if it is too wide in the heel, then we can add padding/insoles whatever is needed. I'm so excited!!! They should be here in a couple of weeks, depending on if they are already made or not.<br /><br /><br />As for skating in my current skates, I'm not going to jump in them, but I will practice MITF. I have been very hesitant about jumping in my skates because they don't offer enough support, and the toepicks are so small that they are useless. I can always go back to jumping. Lately my skates have been cramping my feet within 10 minutes on the ice. So, I think MITF is a good option - especially my FI3s, FO3s, and crossovers. I even printed the Pre-Bronze MITF patterns so that I can work on them.<br /><br />One very cool thing to look forward to: November 16. The outdoor rink in downtown SLC opens! yay for outdoor skating!!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-65305077558347026302007-10-26T08:04:00.000-07:002007-10-26T08:11:54.340-07:00Wednesday SkateGot back on the ice this past Wednesday. Very slow to warm up, and my boots definitely don't feel right. They are way too big! But I dealt with it. Worked a lot on edges at first to warm up, as well as some crossovers. Then some mohawks. These still feel the same. My 3-turns took a while to come back, and FO3s are SO much easier than FI3s (which need A LOT of work).<br /><br />I then attempted some jumps. Waltz jumps are still resulting in being glued to the ice. I did observe some other skaters doing waltz jumps with good height and noticed they really bring that free leg up so they fly in the air. That's what I need to do! So I practiced quite a few bunny hops (evil, yes, but they help with swinging the leg through and getting height on jumps). I actually did a few really good bunny hops, except I think I bent my free leg too much. Oh well. I'm getting the concept of the "swing through and jump."<br /><br />I then tried some half-flips. Not happening yet, but I did work a lot on jamming the toepick into the ice and jumping straight up (no rotation). This is to help gain height on the jump so I can make the half rotation. Doing this seemed to help out a lot. It may take a few more sessions until I'm up to attempting full jumps.<br /><br />Spins: I did a couple of one foot spins, albeit very wimpy. But my balance is back! There is no way I can get a one foot spin yet from BXO's (which was taught in my lesson), but I'm getting there from a pivot. I've got to start somewhere, right?<br /><br />So it was a semi-productive skate, and I didn't lose as much skill as I thought I would. Hopefully I'll make it to the rink this weekend.Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-33355874211443371942007-10-22T12:35:00.000-07:002007-10-22T12:39:50.735-07:00Break's OverOk, so I was pregnant until I miscarried this weekend. It was a very devastating experience, but I'm doing much better now. So I'm returning to the ice this week - maybe Wednesday. I never looked at skates when I was out of town since I was in baby mode. So now I get to look around town and hope there are some good skate fitters around.<br /><br />I've been thinking about my waltz jumps and and I seem to have a hard time actually jumping off the left foot. It seems like my foot is glued to the ice!!! Is this just a mental thing?? I think I may be holding back and thinking about the jump too much. Any suggestions on how to get past that mental block??Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1659734376912914718.post-35690264323363483862007-10-18T16:41:00.000-07:002007-10-18T16:47:04.693-07:00Taking a looooong break...So I'm taking a much longer break than anticipated. I found out about a week and a half ago that I'm pregnant! According to an ultrasound done yesterday, I'm just barely 5 weeks.<br /><br />I've been debating whether to skate or not (no jumps or spins or anything...just skating around), but I've already recognized balance changes and due to a slight complication I've decided to NOT skate. It was somewhat hard to come to that decision, but I can always come back to skating. In fact, my husband and I discussed this very topic. Skating will be my way of getting back into shape after the baby arrives, and we'll invest in new skates then too, since my feet may change.<br /><br />I'll still read up on the blogs and post on skatingforums.com, and maybe post here occasionally too. Wish us luck in this new adventure!Rookie on Icehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03225775053537176136noreply@blogger.com4