Test: MITF Pre-Juvenile part 1

I skated 3 times last week and the hip was fine. My plan is to listen to my body, but ideally I would like to skate at least 4 times a week. I'm working mostly on MITF Pre-Juvenile that was ready for testing at the beginning of the summer but my registration didn't go trough for that session. I plan to test it as soon is revived, the moves are there, but again I'm lacking power.

I'll describe the elements of the test now, and when I'll take it, I'll describe how it all went.

This is a standard test. I've worked on it with pauses, for almost 2 years. I've got the moves rather quickly (like 6 months) but not the power that is asked at this level. And then I hurt my hip and I couldn't work on power...

Here is the judging form where there are drawings with the pattern for each move.

1. Forward and Backward Perimeter Power Stroking (focus on power, F: extension, B: edge quality)
- I do 4 intro strokes then 2 forward crossovers CCW. That is on half the hockey circle (that I will call a lobe) and brings me to the imaginary axis where I do an right inside edge for the first half of the lobe. The next half of the lobe would be a CW crossover. Then a new lobe with a left inside edge and again a CCW crossover.
- Important thing here is the power. Both the first stroke of the crossover and the second one, the under push, need to be pressed and pushed. Speed and lean into the circle will help the power.
- The inside edge need to start at the axis, stroking perpendicular to the axis and the blade should be placed on an inside edge. Update on Nov 2019 to press the inside edge (both forward and backward) and to use the energy from each stroke into the next stroke
- Extension and pointed toe are expected on each of the crossovers strokes and on the inside edge.
- The crossovers strokes are 1 beat each, the inside edge is 2 beats.
- After the last CCW crossover that ends at the axis the end pattern is another crossover and a stroke of 2 beats, right inside mohawk
- The backward line starts with 2 back crossovers CCW (1 beat each stroke) that brings me around at the axis (correction to square the upper body and arms), where a power inside edge is done hold for 2 beats (pull the shoulder and arm back). Then the weight is transferred for the CW back crossover.
- When I started working on this test I thought this was the easiest move from the test, but I've got so many corrections... Looking back is was all about the second stroke on both forward and backward crossovers being whimper and shorter. Of course to fix that I needed a strong alignment on the edge on the first stroke, allowing the upper body to move around the circle, hips under, lean, speed...
2. Forward Outside to Backward Inside 3-turns in the field (focus on edge quality)
- These are quite big lobes, bigger then what I was doing before. Of course I needed a bigger push and that was hard to control at first. 
- Important things are to turn the 3s at the top of the lobe, control the edges, start the lobe perpendicular to the axis, don't do 2 foot transitions
- Here are some corrections and tips, from the millions I've got: turn your head, align the upper body with the circle (at first I was pointing with the arm to the center of the circle to be sure I twisted enough), have the upper body parallel with the boards just before turning, feel the blade parallel to the boards before turning, free hip up, don't think of turning but thing of going back/ forward, count, look up (of course..). The latest tip was that the back shoulder turns the 3-turn... 
- I hurt my hip on a back inside 3-turn, but it wasn't the 3-turn, it was another skater that came with some speed way to close to me and spooked me. After that I was always extra cautions working on these to not be close to people, but how realistic is that? And you cannot work on alignment awareness, while twisting to see who is in your way...
- The hip hurt at different intensities for a year (and it still hurts occasionally). All the 3-turns on that hip (left), disintegrated at points because I wasn't committing in transferring the weight solid on that hip...
- Even without the hip trouble, when  started working at this test I thought these 4 lines of 3-turns were the hardest move of the test.
- Update Nov 2019 for the FO 3-turn. I've been recently asked to press the edge in and out of the 3-turn and  I couldn't do it at first. I was stroking, then releasing the pressure into ice, then press just before the turn, then releasing the pressure at the turn. To make myself hold the pressure I hold the extension longer (that I was asked anyhow to do), until the turn and that made it basically a Ice Dancing 3-turn. So, I've got corrected again, to bring the feet together, when closing to turn, with the skating foot still bent from the stroke, because it is more stable, the to rise o turn, while still pressing into the ice (whaaat? I was doing the opposite, I was releasing the pressure), then bend again. I'm wondering when I will finally understand correctly what I have to do?
3. Forward Inside to Backward Outside 3-turns
- Same (similar) as before...
- My worst 3-turn is the LFI one. The corrections I've got are to really turn my head before the turn and to not drop the right shoulder.
4. Forward and Backward Change of Edge Pulls (focus on power)
- Instructions I remember: set the edge first, press and fall into the edge/bend and pull up, hips underneath, on forward ones keep knees together, point the toe and direct it over the tracing of the circle, on the back inside that means pigeon toe. On the back ones the last piece of advice was to rotate the upper body from the shoulders not just the arms.
- My instructor doesn't feel terrible unhappy about these but I think the kids have more power and speed then me...
- I surely could have practice these more, if it wasn't for the quads burn... And don't get me started on the backward on the bad hip. I think I've aborted half of them...
5. Backward Circle Eight (focus on edge quality)
- These is the hardest move of the test in my coaches opinion. And I've learnt he's always right... So I started to get around the circles fairly quick... somehow.  And I've worked on it  a lot even when the hip was hurt because it didn't bother me. To be honest I still get corrections on this. 
- The first thing is the backward push, not straight back but at a 90 degrees. And there are 2 secrets: don't transfer the weight to the new foot until the push is completed and pigeon toe the new skating foot and lead with the heal.
- Then, for the edges there is the alignment and where your weight falls so you are over your skating hip, and keep the free hip up. There is also the lean, slightly towards the inside of the circle, but definitely not outside the circle because it's taking you of the edge. One tip was not to turn around at the middle but to lift over the hip, bring the free foot straight into the skating foot.
- Then, there is use oh head movement
- Then arms and foot coordination 
- The inside edge got more corrections. Firstly to push back not around and to look outside the circle immediately after the push, that was kind of scary somehow. Then to really keep the free foot over the tracing and at the middle of the circle to bring it straight into the other foot, without changing the hips position. Then, allow the upper body and hips to get square to the tracing of the circle.
6. Five step Mohawk sequence (focus on edge quality and extension)
- There is an inside mohawk, a back outside edge, step forward om an outside edge, and forward inside edge with the free foot forward.
- This requires even steps so an even count to 5. 
- The back edge should fall exactly at the middle of the lobe.
- I didn't get many correction on this. At some point I was making it quick and it looked stepped so my coach wanted more flow. But I've got the BIG correction: to look up! My continuous battle...

Mid month update

Starting with this week, my rink's schedule goes back to the regular schedule. I'll be able to skate  at a convenient time, three, four times a week.

I feel quite confused about my skating. There were recently few obstacles: the hip pain and some ugly politics in the skating organizations around me. And then, there is the old question: why do I skate, what do I want from skating? The easy out answer is that I enjoy it, and I have the time. BUT... it takes quite a lot of time, in fact all my free time. And I still want to progress in my skating skills so I cannot really reduce the skating time. But then again, the hard work towards progress leads often to frustration and loss of motivation and enjoyment.

Going skating today, I see no other way then to pick up where I left off: preparing to test the Pre-Jubvenile MITF and the Ten Fox pattern dance. I plan to ease up into skating, don't push too hard. I'm foremost afraid about the muscle pain and the hip pain... those would cut from the enjoyment and frustrate me immediately. So I need to warm up before skating, but also I will need to work consistently on my hip muscles. I did few sessions but I haven't kept up, but I really, really have to...

After I'll settle into a skating schedule I plan to look into the idea of skating for my personal enjoyment. This will take time away from the progress, but I feel it would balance my skating life.

Then, there is the question of displaying my skating (shows or competitions). I was planning to do a small competition (would have been my first one) in the summer, and I haven't. I still theoretically want to try out this idea of showing a program. I think there is joy in it, there is a time, a deadline that motivates, and there is music and dressing up. The idea of a new program it's very exciting to me. But this will also take away from the time that I need to work for progress.

The good thing is that I feel excited about going skating just writing about it!

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

The skating last month was unfocused. I skated every Monday on the regular rink ( adult figure skaters and hockey players together), and some Wednesdays an Fridays on the studio rink. Then, I gave up on Wednesday an Friday because the ice quality was so bad few times, that I couldn't work on anything.

MITF:
I've tried to run the Pre-Juvenile moves, that I was ready to test in June, every Monday, so I maintain them. They go reasonably well.

Ice Dancing:
The dance exercises and the pattern dances are near impossible to do with hockey players skating fast all around me. But I skated few exercises and the Ten-Fox occasionally, so they won't all disappear on me. I also didn't work with my coach on dance in months. I finally had a dance lesson today and the coach said that I "regressed" because I skated so little. Yeap... Well, it is what it is. We started with the basics, stroking, forward and backward chasses, progressives, swing rolls, dropped 3-turns and ran the dance twice. Things started to come back and I was actually relieved that it wasn't worse.

Freestyle:
In the studio rink I've worked on spins and jumps. And I had a lesson on jumps and spins few weeks ago. There was a glimpse of progress there, but again, skating so little I didn't get to work on them much.

High Level Pattern Dances:
I'm learning the Silver and Pre-Gold pattern dances even if I cannot do them. I learn the diagram on the computer or paper, watch some on youtube and then, try to lay the steps on ice. As I learned so many at the same time I started mixing some steps, but slowly some of them are clear. I had three lessons towards higher dances, again, not to do them myself but, but now that I know the steps, to understand where are the most difficult spots. My coach explained and I took notes first on the Starlight Waltz as I knew the its steps for a while. Then, it was the Kilian and Foxtrot, again, because I don't mix the steps on them. I'm already confident in my knowledge of the Fourteen Steps, European Waltz and American Waltz. That leaves the Silver Tango and Rocker Foxtrot from the silver dances and the Pass Double and the Blues from the pre golds. It is quite fun to learn them, and actually do some of the steps, but then also disappointing because there are steps that I cannot do.


Plans for this month... The first two weeks may not have much skating, but then the ice schedule goes back to fall schedule. So, at some point, I expect I can start picking up the skating from where it "regressed".  I feel good about this coming month.