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.