Test: MITF Preliminary - part 2

Here is again the link to the judging form.
And the videos of my tests, retry the first one, pass the second one

1. Forward and Backward Crossovers on circles (focus power) with a swing Mohawk when transferring from the second forward circle to the first backward circle.
I'll write a post about the crossovers technique soon and link it here.
I started from standing at the middle of on an end line with 2 strokes, then forward CCW crossovers on the hockey circle, then a left forward swing roll (not required) continued with forward CW to the right hockey circle, swing Mohawk, then CCW back crossovers, back swing roll (not required) before changing to the last circle of CW back crossovers, finish with a backward stroke holding the extension and step forward and stop. The circles have to be similar in size.
My challenges were
- making all 4 types of crossovers looking as they had the same power (they didn't), so I had to pull back on the stronger ones and obviously push as strongly as I could on the weaker ones
- figuring out where to start the swing rolls and finding a pace for the crossovers to get to finish at the point were I was starting the swing. I worked on this test for around a year, and as I did get stronger and faster I had to adjust the number of crossovers and the place were I started the swing rolls.
- the back swing roll I did just on the second test, coming with some speed after the CCW backward crossovers, at first I wasn't comfortable in stroking backwards and holding the extension forward before swinging.
- the swing Mohawk. The swing is all on an outside edge, but then the edge should be changed to inside for it to become the start of the Mohawk. I could do it at slow speed and using more space but on the tight space between the circles I always ended up getting on the inside edge as I was swinging the leg and that made it look wimpy. This is one of the skills on my "wish" list. After I injured my left hip I figured that the forward swing roll to the right was straining my left flexors and abductors so I stopped doing them. But it's time will come.
I've got passing score of 2.5 on both tests but I do think I was more confident at the second test.
2. Consecutive Outside and Inside Spirals (focus on extension and edge quality).
My straight spirals were pretty consistent on both legs at this point, BUT you need to do 5 consecutive and equal lobes of outside edge spirals on the length of the ring, then 5 more on an inside edge. And you need to keep the extension higher then the hip level for 4 seconds so you need to get on the edge and the leg up very quickly, otherwise you run out of space. My biggest problem proved to be getting out of the spiral quickly and in a controlled way. I was saying when I talked about the spiral technique here, that I wasn't used to square the hips and upper body, but stack the hips and twist the upper body. I think that is easier to hold the edges like that, but it's hard to change the lobes, you have to change the lobes square to the axis, there is no other way. By the second test I've gotten a little better.
Again I've got 2.5 on both tests, but I definitely improved the control on changing lobes on the second test.
3. Forward Power 3-Turns (focus on power)
That is a 3-turn step wide on an inside edge and pull into a back crossover, and step forward into the 3-turn and repeat. My RFO was way slower then the left one, but to be honest they were both slow. This is a power move so it needs to show speed. I also wasn't turning the 3-turns at the middle of the lobes on the first test, i was rushing. That wasn't even my biggest challenge. That was to step forward squared after the back crossover, perpendicularly to the axis. If I wasn't square at that point I couldn't control the next 3-turn.
On my first test I messed up a 3-turn, but either the judge didn't see it, either one mistake was allowed, she didn't comment on it. But still I've got just 2.4 for luck of power. I've got. 2.5 on the second test.
4. Alternative Forward 3-turns (focus on edge quality)I've got 2.5 on both tests.
I talked about outside and inside forward 3-turns technique here and here.The alternative outside 3-turns was the hardest move for me, more exactly the transition between the 3-turns. Theoretically you need to do a controlled 3-turn (figures style) leaving perpendicularly from the axis (forward outside edge) and returning perpendicularly to the axis (back inside edge) with a perfect balance and posture and then twist your blade on that spot from backwards to forward to start next 3-turn. But again, for this test the quality should be 2.5 out of 6. The judges don't expect perfection. And I saw kids testing and forcing the end of the 3 turn close to the axis but not on the axis into the next one, so that's what I set up to do. So, my trick was to snap the turn and really keep the free leg, hip and glutes tight and as I was approaching the axis, open the hips to be able to start the next turn. This move is not on any of the adult MITF tests, it is an award, wicked one...
5. Forward Circle 8 (focus on edge quality and continuous flow). I talked about it here. I've got 2.5 on both my tests. On the first test I was wobbly but I didn't actually put the foot down (as it appears in the video) and after the test the judge complimented me for the "exact" edges and that circle 8. Again, she either didn't see the wobble or it was "exact" for this level.
6. Alternating Backward Crossovers to Backward Outside Edges (focus on power and extension)
I've got 2.3 on my first test, again for "lack of power", and 2.5 on my second test but with the suggestion "more power needed". I'll talk about power in one of my next post, I have enough thoughts and feelings about it to fill a whole post! What I think helped me on this move the most in the second test, was a straighter posture (shoulders rolled back and lift from the waist up, core engaged) on the backward edge. On the first test I was off balance after the back edge so I couldn't push well into the crossover. I knew and I see in the video that on the LBO edge was not over my hip, I'm working now on back swing rolls and I'm close in finally correcting that.

Test: MITF Preliminary - part 1

Here is a link to the judging form.

When I tested, the scores were given from 0 to 6, and for the Preliminary MITF test the passing average was 2.5. Now the scores are between -3 and +3, so the same range, but an element that is done as expected for this level would be scored 0. I tested this one first on June 2017, and got a "retry" (a nicer way of saying failed) for "lack of power" and I tried again and passed on October 2017. If you remember, I'm an adult testing standard quality test, for this specific reason, to get the power that kids get.

Firstly, let me tell you about the preparation for the tests and the tests days. As I was saying in my post about the Pre-Preliminary MITF test, at the point when I started to learn the moves for the Preliminary test, I was talking group classes and having my first private lessons with different coaches. Close to the point of the Preliminary test I took in June, I designated one coach in charge with the moves. She was specialized  in dance, not moves but extremely good coach. She is also the nicest person. She never once mentioned "power" in preparation, for either her inexperience in judges expectations, or for our similar soft personalities. For the second test I trained with a different coach, who pushed me the hardest on power. But, I'll fess up. We both knew perfectly well at that point that I didn't understand the power and I haven't got it. He coached me that I should display power trough a confident attitude.

Another thing that I'll fess up is that when I was preparing for it I thought this test is gonna be easy. I thought I already knew the elements in it. But I knew to do the elements separately, when I put them together, even not trying to show power, I've still got more speed that I was usually putting into those elements and that made me lose some of the control. Plus, as we know now, I really didn't have enough power required for that level. Looking back I don't think this test it's easy, I think it's a strange phase in a skater development, in the sense that you are still a beginner at this phase, not truly understanding how the moves work, but doing them somehow.

Funny thing, I had wardrobe troubles for both tests :) For the first test, the trouble was on practice the day before. In the summer I like to wear a tunic over leggings to the rink (I made myself the wrap tunic in the first video that follows). At the rink I'll put on a jacket over the tunic. Well, I forgot the jacket home. I was cold but I stayed and skated and I've got used with it. That gave me the idea to wear the same outfit for the test, instead of a leotard and nude tights and skirt (that I would have had to change into at the rink, and as somebody that never performed as a kid in any type of show, seamed very dressed up and made me self conscious). On the day of the test my coach couldn't be there and that surely didn't help. I felt like I didn't belong. I was also the only adult in the test session. I later wondered if my choice of a more comfortable costume also made me feel like not a legit skater...

The second test was in the fall, so I could drive in my leotard (that I also made) and nude tights with black leggings over, and the skirt in my bag. Guess what, I took with me the wrong skirt (I have a long skirt from the same fabric as the skating skirt). Luckily I had the wrap tunic in my skating bag and I took it over the leotard and nude tights. It was way shorter compared with the skirt I was planing to wear. And remember, I was self conscious, but I wanted to display confidence, and maybe it helped... You have to look the part to play the part. But lesson learned, now I check my bag numerous times before leaving for a test and I started to even take 2 outfits and tights with me, just in case... I'm now thinking I should throw in some treads and needles for emergencies...

And here is the first test, June 2017- retry

And here is the pass test in November 2017.

I'll describe the 6 elements of this tests in my next post.

Skating technique: jumps - Half Flip

The Half Flip is part of ISI Freestyle 1 curriculum and was also part of my USFSA Pre-Bronze Freestyle Program. I don't think I'll have it in any other programs, so it won't get any attention from now on. I thought to better write the technique down, while I still remember it.

- Few strokes
- Forward Right Inside Mohawk (could be also entered with a Left Forward 3-turn) and check, so entering with the right hand forward, exiting with the left hand forward and the right arm and shoulder strongly kept back and riding on  a Back Left Inside edge
- Pick: bend the left knee and reach back with the right foot, don't bring the right foot high and don't hit the ice, but place the toe pick in the ace to anchor and draw yourself back, over the right foot
- Lift the left foot off the ice, ideally lifting the left knee (but I don't do it, I don't jump high enough to have time for this, or I don't jump high enough because I don't do this). This lifting of the left knee, would be necessary for the full rotation Flip. 
- Simultaneously with the pick you bring the right arm forward (meeting the left on the chest) so the upper body is square. My coach asked me at first to stop the jump here, without rotating, to get used to getting off ice, bringing the weight over the left foot, and getting some height. He was also asking to lift the rib cage, but not the shoulders. The rotations of the jumps is given by the entry edge, not by the upper body twist, but the upper body helps, and if not done right doesn't let the rotation happen. So it is important to be understood and I suspect in half jumps, it is the upper body that initiate the rotation as the beginners edges are not strong enough...
- Land forward on the Left toe pick and immediately push onto a right inside edge, checked with the left arm forward.

I don't remember much from when I learned the Half Flip in group classes. When I reviewed it recently I realized what a good tool it is to understand the things underlined, the check, reaching back and drawing your weight over the picking foot. I was struggling with these learning my full Flip Jump...

Here is the video of the Half Flip from November 2018

 

And here is the video from April 2019. I don't actually see much improvement. I do the check, it does seem I bend my knee a little more before I pick into the ice, but the draw back is not that strong, and I definitely don't bring the right hand forward. You can very well do the Half Flip without it, but that will be necessary for the full Flip. My coach didn't ask me to use the free leg (make that h-position in the air) to help the jump. Again, maybe it is not needed for a half jump. Now I'm eager to get to work on the full Flip, but I'll have to get Loop Jump first. I started to work on it again just for few weeks and for now is not coming around.

Troubles with blade sharpening and blade change

As I sharpened my blades last week, I remembered about the time I changed the blade, around a year ago. This post is gonna have both technical info and terribly frustrating comic-tragic recollection of the blade change process.

My first blades came with the boots. They were intermediate level boots and blades. They lasted me 7 years. Then, with repeated sharpening, they lost the front rocker on which you spin. I do Ice Dancing, MITF and Freestyle so I needed a blade to accommodate all. That excluded the dance blades because they have too small of a toe pick for jumping  and the front rocker is design for twizzles not spins. But I wanted a shorter back. There are synchro blades but I couldn't find anybody that actually skates on them to have some feedback. There are plenty of people that skate on Coronation Ace, and the feedback from everybody, including coaches is that is a good beginner- intermediate blade. And there is Coronation Dance, that is exactly Coronation Ace but cut at the back, so shorter.

At the point I wanted to make the change I was ready to test MITF and dances so I wanted to time the replacement with the test times. I thought to change them a month before the tests... So I went to the skating store 2 months before that, that's a hour drive, to set everything, measure, order and pay. My previous blades where 9 2/3, so thirds increments of an inch. They aren't produced like that anymore, just in quarter of an inch increments. They didn't actually measured the boot, just looked at the size of the blade. I was called that they arrived and a month before the test I went to change them, only to find that they ordered the wrong size... 9 1/4 (closest to  9 2/3 is 9 1/2 or 9 3/4)... I couldn't change them, and I told them I'll change them after the first test, in a month. Now my blades needed a sharpening. They offered to sharpen them for free. I said my radius is 7/16. I didn't really know what it means but I knew is important to keep your radius the same. I didn't know what they did but I felt way more into the ice, I couldn't get the speed as easily. My forward circle 8 didn't come around anymore. My coach said that probably my regular sharpener was smoothing a little the sharp edges after sharpening and the shop didn't. But my power didn't really come back. I did pass my moves test but I struggled with confidence on moves and especially on dances.

After the test, here I went to change the blades. I had 9 2/3, they've ordered 9 1/2 but they were too small for my boots... I actually needed 9 3/4. And this was my 3 rd trip there. Seriously? why didn't you measure the first time when I was there, or the second time. WHY? They sharpened my old blades complementary again. On ice I couldn't even do crossovers, now I wasn't too into the ice, I felt on top of the ice no matter how much I pressed. My coach was around giving a lesson, he checked my blades and said they rolled the edges towards outside...

I went straight to my regular sharpener I told him all I felt on ice and in my head and heart. He confirmed the rolled edges but... surprise! he found that I had a different radius, a deeper one, 3/8 of an inch not my usual 7/16... so there was where my power went! Seriously WHY would a sharpener change the radius?

So now I understand the sharpening radius. Smaller radius (3/8 is smaller then 7/16 which  is smaller then 1/2) gives deeper bite in ice. So 3/8 gives deeper bite then 7/16 and 1/2. Beginner have 1/2 inches because they cannot control a deeper bite. The more skilled skaters need a deeper bite to help them hold those deep edges. So advanced skaters often use 3/8. But heavier adult need sometimes less bide because their weight helps with the pressure into the ice. And dance famously blades are sharpen with a deep bite, but that's not true... dance blades are narrower so, an small radius like 3/8 would give just an intermediate bite, like 7/16 on regular blades.
 
I considered to not ever go to that shop again, not even to install my new blades when they come, but actually is a well trusted and loved store in my skating community... Plus the install is complimentary. Maybe I could have ask for a refund, as my blades haven't had arrived just yet. But I still went to them for the blade installation... I wonder, was I a fool or I just haven't had a better option? Let's leave it at that... I'll write at some point about the blade installing and alignment.

So, to summarize all the knowledge I've got about blade sharpening:
- You would need a sharpening after about 40 hours of skating (that would depend of how hard is the ice and how hard you skate). I found this to be true for me. I followed for 3 cycles of skating between sharpening.
- You need a sharpening when you feel you are sliding around on let's say quick 3-turns and similar skills. This is how I decide my sharpening need lately.
- Don't wait until your blades are really blunt, because the adjustment to them being sharp is gonna be harder.
- Some sharpeners take a little of the sharp edge off with a hand stone for the same reason. Like I said in the previous post, if that is not done, I spend some time scraping around with all edges so I do that myself.
- Be especially careful on stopping with freshly sharpen edges. Also the spins won't work so well with sharp edges.
- Do know your radios and keep it the same. Sharpeners can measure the old radius but some don't, they just do for you what they do for other people. Also if the blade are very blunt before sharpening, the measurement can come as a bigger radius.
- What I've herd about radius recommendation is 1/2 inches for beginners, 7/16 for intermediary to advance, 3/4 for aggressive skaters, 1 for figures.
- The smaller the radius, the deeper the bite into the ice will be.
- So, if you feel you are too into the ice (as I felt when sharpen with 3/4) you go for a bigger radius (7/16 for me). And if you feel you are on top of the ice you go for a smaller radius.
- This need of different radius depends om how hard a skater presses into the ice (and it's related by how aggressive is the push and the weight of the person). So it is a personal choice, there is no rule, really...

Training rhythm

I'm trying to get (back) into a training rhythm. I've put "back" in parenthesis because while I was always looking for a training rhythm, looking back, I see that I've rarely gotten it. I feel I'm doing better from both  progress and  motivation points of view when I have the same routine, so a rhythm.

And last week, I've got it. On both Monday and Wednesday I've warmed up with different exercises then the ones I have in my MITF test, then, when I've got to do those I spent more time, and actually work on them. Then I did spins (scratch and back and whatever I remembered from sit spin) and jumps (bunny hop, waltz jump, salcow and tried to recall the toe loop and loop). Then I did the exercises for the Ice Dancing and the Ten-Fox. Everything I did was calm and settled into ice. There was no rushing.

On Thursday, I've had my weekly lesson with my main coach. My plan is to push the moves for testing but I was very hungry for some jumps and spins help. I was hoping to do both but we've got stuck on the Freestyle. On the scratch spin I'm on the right track. All I need at this point is more confidence and that will translate into more power into it. As I didn't work last month on the back spin, I want to get it back were it was first (consistent confident entrance from the inside 3-turn, crossed feet but no proper exit, and not holding the left leg out while centering, I sneak it in quickly) and then ask for more help from the coach. The sit spin got ripped apart. I was taught to enter a little lower in it and then do a C shape with my upper body. My coach wants a normal entrance and then a diagonal (like "chopping wood") movement of the free leg and he wants the back straight! I've barely gotten the sit spin when I stopped doing Freestyle few years ago. And I didn't do it since... How can I have muscle memory of it? I wouldn't have minded if it would have been the correct version. It's gonna take me a while to undo that. The good news is that I figured how to put 2 pads on the left hip and it covered every single bit of what touches the ice when I let myself fall from a sit spin. I don't won't to re injure the left hip... I felt I was doing some progress on the Salchow while working on my program but I was afraid to push it to much and make it unstable for the test. Now, that that passed, I want to continue on it. I still have to make myself wait after the 3-turn but I do it. What I learn now is to bring the free foot around not with the knees together but, as the coach put it, like I would hit a soccer ball. I'm starting to get it... And surprise! that is used in the Toe Loop. I'm used to pick a little laterally for the toe loop, a little cheated :( and that actually hurts my ankle. I don't hurt if I do pick straight back, as I should. For now I've done just the 3-turn, check and pick. My coach taught me to "draw back" on the Half Flip. I probably could very well do it on the Toe Loop but I'll wait for his supervision. The Loop used to be my favorite jump. I couldn't really get it completely rotated lately. My coach said the I'm not staying on the right side after I jump. I think this instruction gonna be enough help to keep my Freestyle time occupied for the next few weeks. I need on the next lessons to get hard into the moves and dance...

And on Friday, my beautiful rhythm started to disintegrate. My legs were tired and as much excited as I was to jump after the new instruction from a day before, I couldn't. Same for the sit spin... I started with the moves, but I didn't really got into them as I was looking ahead to jump and spin. I worked on the Scratch Spin and Back spin, a little on jumps. Then I started the Ice Dancing exercise, but the legs really didn't listen.

Then, during the weekend, I sharpen my blades. I love my sharpener, he is very consistent. I also had the first class of ballet after 2 weeks break. I expected to be tired but I was almost as tired as I was after the very first ballet class.

And here I was on ice again, on Monday. The soreness from ballet was not a problem. The blades were. My sharpener used to smooth the edges after he sharpened them. Not this time... So I spent all day just scrapping around the ice to blunt them a little. The jumps were the best thing. Spins were non existent. Edges for moves and dance were very slow and I had to be cautious to turn really at the correct points. That's what I should do anyhow, but now I was doing this while stressed not to fall... The blades are gonna be fine probably by the next session, but will my rhythm come back as soon as that?

I was saying this before. Progress in figure skating is very slow and the work very hard. It is also hard to keep motivated to keep going. That's why I test, I did the program, I do the ice show. And that's why I look for this training rhythm... to "just do it" as Nike add goes.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Last month was all about the Freestyle program. This was my first program. I approached it with a cautious excitement and in the end, I think it went better then I expected... I wasn't particularly good at picking up choreography before, and while I had the jump and spins, they weren't always consistent when I had to do them in the program. I wanted to test this program for the USFSA Pre-Bronze test as soon as possible so I'll go back to training the other things, the moves and Ice Dancing. So I tested and passed it so now I can move on and work on everything.

One thing worth  mentioning about last month, is that I think I figured out what was the main reason for felling tired... I was writing about this on my last month "monthly skating review" post. Surprise! Not enough sleep... To function as I want on ice it seems I really need my 8 hours of sleep per night. I can get away with 7, or the occasionally 6 for functioning in the day by day activities quite well, but not to be able to train hard on ice... Now I know.

My plan for this month:
MITF: I still warmed up with them and occasionally I worked those forward to backward 3-turns. As I feel physically better (from the hip injury) and more rested, I felt in control. One day I did all the moves in the order and intensity of the test and they felt really good. I really, really want to push these for testing. My rink has another test session at the end of June and then none until late fall.

Ice dancing: From my bronze dances I still have to test the Ten-Fox. I didn't work at it at all last month. I tried it on Monday and I think it was "not bad" as my coach says. But can I push is for testing at the same time as the moves? I don't know... But for me it is not so much about this dance, as about my overall skating level. I feel I am not fast and powerful enough for the next level Pre-Silver. I think I have to work consistently on the basic exercises (forward and backward stroking, chasses, progressives, swing rolls, dropped 3-turns with attention on alignment, lean, push, extension, blade lean, change of lobes). I don't think I can do this at the same time with pushing the moves... but I'll definitely try, we'll see were it goes.

Freestyle: The program will take a break. I'll still do it at least once a week so I won't forget it, but it's not gonna be a focus at all. I want to start working on the elements for the next level testing, the bronze.
Jumps: I need all the jumps up to the flip. I kind of had them few years ago, BUT kind of. The were all pre rotated and done from barely moving and they were all small. In fact even the jumps I used in the program are small. I tried this week the Toe Loop and the Loop. I felt some pressure on my left ankle (that was injured 4 years ago and made me stop Freestyle and start Ice Dancing) so I'll have to really listen to my body with the Toe Loop. I'll start with my main coach on the Loop and maybe just the pick for the Toe Loop, and I'll continue with the Salchow and Waltz Jump (I bet the coach will still want the Bunny Hop) and hopefully make them bigger. I'll add the Toe Loop and Flip as soon as I'm comfortable.
Spins: I'll continue working on the forward scratch spin, which is "not bad". But, when it will powerful enough, the coach said we can start the layback spin. That's my favorite spin, I want it! The back spin is consistent but shy. I need to learn how to exit from it. And I need to learn to do it as a chance foot spin, after the full speed forward spin. I can do the change, but at a small speed. The sit spin I "kind of" had 4 years ago and again 2 years ago. I know it will come back. I'm just worried not to hurt my left side around the hip. One of my bad falls was on the left sit bone, and it affected the hip, plus I still feel pain when I fall, more then on the other side. Plus I don't really like the sit spin, the look of it... The camel spin will be new for me, and I'm wondering if it's not gonna hurt the abductors (that was the initial hip injury).

This month I'll have practice for the Ice show for the adult number. I'm not too excited about it. I don't like the song. The theme is 90's. The song "I'm too sexy" from "Right said Fred". I fell we, the adults skaters, are not strong enough to "be sexy" and why would we even try in a family oriented Ice show?

What I'm exited about,  I'll start ballet again. It was a nice surprise to see that after I started to get the form of the exercises I felt that the exercises made me more powerful, I was able to concentrate on posture, hand movement and rhythm. And I actually feel happy after the class.