The Christmas miracles are gone...

Well, well, well... I've just got an e-mail from the park district, at 7 pm, that the in person activities are canceled... That would be the skating that I've just signed up for 2 days ago... I mean, what changed? Truthfully, the covid cases stopped falling, and there is this new strain looming on us. I understand... and I firstly wish that everybody would be healthy and safe. I'm just venting... Just to add to the venting... I've spent 2 hours registering because of the stupid system... and now we don't even get the money back, we are getting credit towards future activities.

The other miracle that fell short... the boots... the sole, inside the boot, is not smooth. It has bumps where the heal is attached and is hurting badly. It can be fixed, by grinding, but the shop works by appointment only, because of covid and they just didn't have availability to help me yet.

And the ice I've found on this other rink... is after an on ice figure skating camp. I don't understand how they bend the rules to be able to skate in a group, large group... Anyway... the ice is terribly chopped...

So yeah... I thought I'll file this in 2020, I don't want to start the new year with bad news. I want to keep up the hope that next year is gonna be a better one...

Breaking in new boots

I planned this post about breaking in the new boots as a diary, I wrote each day after I skated what I did and how the boots felt.

The new boots were heat molded on my foot in the boot shop. Then, the blades were installed using screws on the temporary, not round but oval, spaces in the blade frames, so you can move the blade to the left and right using that oval guidance.

The first feel, off ice, at home, was they were tight but very comfortable. Also I wasn't having any problem in bending the ankle. I wore them in the house, bend the knees and ankles, then I tighten the laces more and repeat several times... It all felt fantastic, except my surefeet insoles (that weren't put into the new boot in the store) were pocking in the soles of my feet. I thought as the boot is tight, there is not enough space for that insole, and I planned to put it in after the boot foam compressed a little. I removed them and put the manufacturer insole and it felt good, just some pressure under the heal.

The first day on ice, Saturday, when I stepped on ice... it felt that I was on rental skates. I felt absolutely no support. There are few things here.  It seems that that lovely comfy foam padding, needs time to compress, it doesn't mold by just heat molding and walking off ice... So when I was pressing into the boots I hadn't have immediate response. I pressed, but I've met no resistance, just soft foam... so I couldn't steer the blades. Secondly, the blades were not aligned properly. It is normal that even if they feel aligned off ice (they were aligned in the store), they need adjusting depending how they feel on ice.  Thirdly, the new boots are a hybrid, they have regularly tall front so they offer support for jumping (up to doubles), but they cut lower in the back, allowing for toe pointing for dance, so I need to adjust to that.  Anyway, I did mostly swizzles and stroking, some shy edges... I've also tried backward swizzles and I fell at the first one The very foamy tongue kept me more upright, so I needed to press way more, but also it felt that after the push, the tongue was bouncing back and pushing me, so I've had to maintain the pressure on it.  I've got off ice often to retie the boots. I've also took the boots off the foot to adjust a little the blade, unscrew a little the temporary screws and move them slightly left or right...  I was more off ice then on ice.

The second day on ice, Monday, the foam felt like it started to compress at points. I was able to tighten more, and had a lot more shoe lace left after I tied them. I also knew better what to expect... And I finally understood the rules of braking in the boots... slowly. Because if you force them, they'll form creases in the wrong places. Firstly, the boot needs to form on the foot, then, and only then, the ankle should be pressed more heavily. This second day I was able to stroke more freely, and do crossovers and chasses both forward and backward. I feel that these are doing a great job in softening the ankle foam. I've realized I have to much space in the toe area and it's gonna be impossible to tighten by hand in that area, so I stopped by the skate shop to have the boots heat molded again. I also mentioned to them that I feel some pain under the heel, like I have a bump. They didn't look at it, but said they can grind the bumps.

On the third day of skating, Tuesday,  I've realized that while the foam has compacted even more, I've  felt extra space in the boots. I've felt some space under the arch of the foot so I've put back in the insoles with arch support. Oh no... big pressure, something pocking in the sole of my foot, not only in heal and the arch, but in what seamed random spots. This day I would have been able to do a lot more on ice, I did a lot more, but just a little of everything because of the pain.  I also couldn't get on an outside edge of both feet, I know that I pronate on the right foot, and in the past I've had wedges inserted under the blade's frame, but the left foot was a mystery. So, I looked/felt inside of the boots and felt the sole uneven, I had a bump in the back of the arch of the foot, including on the outside side, that would explain why I couldn't get on outside edges! 

 I went again to the skate shop, that luckily is close by this new rink I'm skating on. The technician there, got weird... I mean this was another technician than the one I started working with. He said well, as I know you didn't choose what we first recommended (I'll come to this later), now you have too much space in your boot. We'll have to work with what we have.  He wanted firstly to try the foam insoles under the surefeet insoles. Maybe using both insoles it will both fill in the space and soften those bumps so I won't feel them and this better fit would also allow me to get on an outside edge.  I knew from adjusting the skiing boots, that that the top of the boot should maintain the round form, if you tighten too much, you'll collapse your arches, so at that point you have to fill in the space underneath so I was happy with their direction. I did try the boots in the shop for 1 minute and they definitely felt better. 

Wednesday I didn't skate but I wore the boots in the house, and I've got the pain back after like 10 minutes, and became unbearable after another 5 minutes. I called the shop and they said they didn't have any appointment until after holidays. I told them, look yesterday I had the appointment to grind, you choose not to, barely even looked at the bump. I have 3 more prepaid, nonrefundable skating days, quite far from my house, but close to the boot shop. After the holidays it's gonna be extra hard for me to drive so far for them to keep adjusting... They said to stop buy in the morning and they'll do their best. I wore the boot more in the house to identify more precisely where exactly I hurt. On the left boot I had a big pain spot in the middle of the foot, not really the arch. On the left foot I hurt on the outside of the sole, just under my heel, this was a terrible pain as it was bone pain. There were also spots on both feet that seemed random, depending on how I stayed in the boot, where I pressed.

So Thursday, before skating, I stopped by the skating shop again I went at 10.30, my  ice was at 1.30... I stayed in the shop all that time. They really had to take me in between clients, and they were truly busy. First chance they had they look at the boots and listen to me. the, between customers, they grounded (meaning sanded by hand) for probably 15 minutes total. I was the most concerned with the bone pain in the right foot, as a bone bruise it's hard to heal, so I would think they would have worked 10 minutes on the right boot, and 5 minutes on the left one. And off I went, skating... Firstly, the great news. Using both insoles fills in the space in boots very nicely. I started to feel I have control so I've even tried backward 3-turns and brackets (that are the most difficult turns I can do) successfully. Then the good news, the pain that bothered me the most, on the right foot bone, was gone. The bad news is that it moved towards the middle of the foot like on the left foot... and the pain in the left foot... still there, a little better but not manageable. Also the outside edge were nowhere to be found. So I had to go back for them to do more grinding and also to add wedges to aligned the blade.  Unfortunately, the next appointment available was next Tuesday and I still had nonrefundable skating time Saturday.

Saturday the fifth day on ice, I almost didn't want to go, as I had no new adjustments. I mostly went to make a video of the outside edges not happening, to show to the skate shop technician. When I've got there, I decided to try an adjustment, to switch the insoles, put the hard one with the arch support in first and the soft on on top to hopefully soften the pressure. And it did... for a while, but when the pain came back, it came back fully... Until I've got the pain I could skate very nicely, the boots felt snug. I still couldn't get on the outside edge.

I had some time to think and talk to some skating friends between Saturday and Tuesday. At first I was hopeful because with 10 minutes of grinding that left foot bone pain was gone. But then I looked again at the inside of the boot and saw that the very back part of the sole had 4 screws, to probably secure the heel of the boot to the sole, and that part, with the screws, was lower. It felt like a lot, towards an eight of an inch. That would mean, of course that immediately after that lower region, there was a risen region, the bump... That's exactly what I've felt in the right sole. So, the logic would be, that a whole eight of an inch should be grounded from where the low part of the sole of the boot ended, to the front of the boot, inside the boot. I just didn't see how that grind could be kept uniform, to keep that anatomic shape of the sole, and how would be grounded at the front of the boot. One of my skating friends knew exactly what I was talking about, she said don't let them grind, that is gonna make it worse, have them try to build up the low part of the heel. Another friend was shocked that I wasn't fitted in the first place with the surefeet insoles in.

Christmas Miracles!

I wish everybody Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As for my Christmas... it wasn't a white Christmas as I always wish for, but it made up with very nice gifts. The stars aligned and I've got nothing short but few Christmas miracles!

Firstly I've got the boots! They've arrived to the shop very late on the day before Christmas, but it was enough time for me to stop by and have them heat molded and my old blades transferred.  This is done by appointment only because of covid, so I've got very lucky. 

AND I've finally found ice for this last week of the year. This rink sells electronic punch cards of 5 sessions, and because I don't think I'll go there again any time soon I wanted to use all 5 sessions. I've scheduled 5 days for this week, well, last Saturday, this Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It's gonna be a good schedule for me to break in the boots.

AND I've got ice at my home rink for the whole months of January and February and first week of March. It was an adventure, I had to buy each slot separately, because their system is stupid, and it didn't recognizes my click for accepting the covid waiver if it was more then one item in the cart.

AND the covid cases are falling nicely in my area, that's why my home rink is opening, hopefully we won't have another spike after the holidays...

AND, the 5th day of Christmas (that would be today, December 29th) it snowed too!!!

Buying new boots and other adjustments

 I declare this to be the month of adjustments. I'm exhausted... the skating in itself is way easier that the scheduling of skating... At least it is not the month of bad news, as I complained about September... and October. 

So, my home rink announced it is opening  January 4th. That's great news, right? Only I've e-mailed the rink director to thank her for the news as I wanted to wish her happy holidays also. And she answered  let's wait and see if it's actually happening. The covid slowed down in my region, but... It seems that my home rink will wait a little more to see what's gonna happen as they set the registration very late, for December 29th. The problem is that the rink I skate now had the registration already... and I hadn't registered. And there are days that are already sold out. My activity is now not as much skating as it's betting on which rink it's gonna open.

I've already told you I've got no ice for the last week of December, as it got sold out at this rink I'm skating at now. I've called few rinks on Saturday and I found ice! But... I couldn't register... I needed to make an account, that takes up to two business days to get set (it is already two business days), then I need to purchase an electronic gift card, then I'll have to call to reserve spot by spot... if they'll still have some available, which I cannot see online.

I also found out that my club will, maybe, have a test session at the end of February... I wanted to wait to change the boots to after I test The Pre-Juvenile moves. But now the Christmas exhibition is done, and as I will not test in the immediate future, I've decided to buy new boots. 

So the new boots... Long story... I decided in something with low cut back to help with the toe pointing, they are considered a high intermediate boot: it is Riedell (like my old boots) Flaire. I went to the same shop from where I bought my first boots. They measured me again, came with the same size 5.5, and they had them in stock, only they felt too big, not in length but the toe box.  They also had in stock 5, the right foot felt good, but the left those were hitting/hurting my left toes (my right foot is smaller than my left).

The boot fitter recommended semi custom... $70 extra to have an in between size 5.25.   And I would have to wait up to 6 weeks for them to be manufactured. I wanted to think about it because it didn't make complete sense for me, it wasn't so much the 5.5 lenght bothering as those felt big around. The shop also had in stock size 6 narrow, even if I haven't measured narrow (I said long story). Well, those felt good, of course I need them in 5.5 and those were not in stock, but the boot fitter called the factory and they had them there. They are supposed to come in 2 business days so I've placed the order.

Only there is this general problem with mail delays, plus, there are the holidays... so... so... There is nothing to say after the so...

But wait, my skating this week needs adjusting too. I was hopping I'm gonna be in the process of breaking in the new boots, now I don't have a plan. Plus... I bought ice 2 hours later than my usual spot, as that was all I could find... and  it's throwing my whole day off. And I've got traffic both ways. But the worse part is that the ice was unbearably chopped. That it's the 3rd session without cutting the ice. I left early yesterday... I canceled my lesson today, I'm actually considering not going today. Yes, it was that bad...

Now, my actual skating... Each time after an ice show I've had a little drop in enthusiasm, like an awareness that the glamour (from the Christmas show) is gone, I have to go back to hard work. This time I have the extra problem that I don't really know what to work on. That is related with me waiting on the new boots and not knowing what ice I'll have. I don't feel comfortable jumping in my old boots... or going fast for higher dances. So I'm doing all the slow stuff, the new skills I've learner. It is just that I think I would need extra help on those from my coach, and, all the work on these slow but more difficult skills will be interrupted when I'll have the new boots to break in. I warm up with the Pre-Juvenile test and then I improvise... as I said I adjust...

The Nutcraker Exhibition Program

I'll start at the beginning. This exhibition was a series of solo numbers on Nutcracker music. It was organized as some kind of replacement to the beloved annual "Nutcracker on Ice" production that this rink puts on each year, for 45 years! The production follows closely the actual ballet, with a huge number of skaters, and this year, because of covid situation,  it was not possible to be put together.

I've told you how difficult my preparation was in the last few posts. As rinks, including this rink, have recently closed because of new covid restrictions, I thought that the exhibition will be canceled. I found out it will go on just two weeks before the show. I scrambled to fit my old Freestyle program on the Nutcracker music and to revive Freestyle elements that I don't regularly train.  This was also, only the second time I ever performed a solo program, the first time being when I tested for  Pre-Bronze  Freestyle, the same program on different music. I just added some intro steps because the Nutcracker music was a bit longer than my previous music. 

I had two worries. One, to hold the performance together, don't fall, don't be totally awkward... Two, and maybe even more important, I was worried that I won't be able to enjoy, being that the program was prepared in such a short time and it was not muscle memory and I knew I'll have to think a lot during the performance. But, while it wasn't perfect, I've done it better in practice, but I've also done it worse, I think the performance was a fair display of my current abilities. And I did enjoy it!

And here is the video

And here are the thoughts running in my head during each step...

It was the first and only time I had the music played on the rink's speakers, I've only trained the program with music playing in one earbud, from my cell phone. I prepared to be overwhelmed, but I was perfectly happy, maybe the fact that I love the music a lot, helped.

I started a little after the music started, just as I usually did in practice, that made me have to rush a little to keep the first swing roll on 3 or even 2 counts, while allowing 4 counts for the next one. Then, I did a dropped 3-turn into a back 3-turn. When I practiced without music I held those edges a little shorter, but I had no problems in following the music and waiting to turn it, then holding the exit edge to put the next edge on music. There is a little lean forward after the 3-turn, that's just my current technical ability, no surprise there. 

On the next two inside edges and the inside edge spread eagle I was able to let loose and really enjoy. I'm very happy to see in the video the improvement I made in the arm movement. The arms and especially the hands are way more fluid then in the old program.

I may have been so loose, that I've forgotten I have to slow down the 3-turns series. In the old program those were more toe picks turns, not 3-turns, they were done on a line, in front of the judges for the test, building to the hand pointing towards them (that was suppose to show confidence by interacting with the judges). On the Nutcracker waltzy music, I had to hold those turns longer, and being 3-turns they needed to go on a curve, that I actually liked. But... then, I had to be sure to control to finish facing  towards the spectators. The first 3-turn was rushed, I had to adjust on the second one, to the point that I felt that the third one was late. That made my arm gesture towards the spectators rushed, it looks like I'm dismissing something, but I haven't realized that during the performance. I feel if I would have worked with a coach, or at least filmed a practice, I could have made more out of this hand movement, and the next gliding element. The gliding element felt better then it looks. The skating knee should be more bent, so it would be clear it is not spiral (bad spiral), or more stretched... and the free leg should be more stretched... 

Next are a series of steps leading to a salcow jump and I had to control myself to do them slower than I would have enjoyed ( where the music was taking me). I had a hesitation on the first mohawk, is the "bad side", the harder one to control, but you cannot really see in in the video. Then, at some point I'm not on music... that was on purpose, as I learned from practice that if I let myself go on music there, I catch to much speed and excitement and I cannot do the salcow...

Ok... slacow was tiny, as the other two jumps yet to come. But, I'm training the jumps, basically... never. So I'm happy I was able to do it. Next is a matching 3-turn as with the one before the salcow and a gliding on a back edge, with extension, after which I've change the arm movement, from pushing away (that was originally choreographed), to a more balletic gesture. I've decided to do that just before the show, I've never trained it. And I'm mentioning it, so I can share the extent of how many thoughts I had to control for this performance. With more time to train, the majority of these thought become automatic gestures, body memory. I'm thinking now, that that dismissive arm movement could have been changed into a presenting one. I'll know better for the future...

Then, I have a chasse into a swing roll and two dropped 3-turns. When I practice I've tried different arm movements, both up, the inside up, the outside up... I haven't really had a plan for the show... I just didn't feel I had enough place in my mind to think about this too. But, I'm actually so very happy how they've turned out, they came from the inside, feeling and living the music. 

The Waltz jump is immediately after one of this 3-turns (counting as a difficult entrance)... it was ok. Immediately after it is a Forward spin from an inside 3-turn. That is not my regular entrance, and I'm happy that it felt way more comfortable then when I tested the program on the other piece of music.

A chasse goes into the more difficult direction crossovers  and into the spiral. I decided just before the performance, when I saw where the video camera is, to change the placement of the spiral, initially should have started exactly near the camera, going away from the camera... 

Then I had a half flip, oh, how tiny... and entrance into the scratch spin. The plan was to hear the music while I spin and if there is extra time to continue the spin with a back pivot. I didn't expect the spin to happen, as I couldn't make it happen in the warm up. I expected that I'll bail out of the spin and I was prepared to have to improvise. But... the spin happened! Unfortunately I forgot about the back pivot... I change the weight to the other leg, and did some kind of pose... I'm quite sure I would never ever be able to repeat that end thingy I did.

So, there is was, done and done. 

I ended up enjoying for the most part both the performance and the preparation... and I am so happy that it also brought joy to my family and friends. We are all ballet and Nutcracker lovers... and my performance was a nod to that...

And here is the video filmed from a little higher, through plexiglass, so not so clear, but this perspective catches the flow a little better.

Last minute preparations for the Nutcraker Exhibition Program

The ice rink that hosts this holiday exhibition of solo numbers on Nutcracker music, announced us that we will have half hour practice time on Saturday, a day before the show. That took off the pressure from my Friday practice, that I thought would be my last one.

On Friday I firstly did a 10 minutes warm up because that's what I would have the day of the show, then the program. It went reasonably well. Then I worked a lot on my back spin. Firstly isolated, to get the good muscle memory of the technique. Then I did it with added steps and it was going well. Then I did the program several times. I was able to do the spin each time. BUT... I had to slow down a lot to be sure I'll be in control, and I felt it really took away from the overall program flow and speed. So... I scratched it. I am happy I've got this opportunity to be motivated to train it. I definitely improved it, and I feel motivated to keep working at it in the future. I've ran the program several times more with a forward spin in the middle and a forward scratch spin at the end. I was surprised that I had to concentrate to put the proper steps before those spins, I was already getting used with the steps for the other spins. But, overall, I was felling good enough.

On Saturday, at the exhibition rink, I was firstly hit by how different the ice felt. It is a colder rink, with harder ice, or put it differently, the rink I skate lately has very soft ice and is very warm. I honestly panicked a little, as I missed few salcows in a row (my edges slid as I jumped, I couldn't hook with the toe pick in the ice). Ready or not I started to ran the program, and I found myself hit with another bad surprise. I've got confused on where I faced when I started, so towards which end I should go at certain points. I also found myself  improvising again. We were just two skater on the rink so, I played a little bit to push the layout towards the ends. The program was designed more in the center, as I didn't have the power and speed to push it to the ends, but now, with the little extra speed I have, I found myself running close to the board towards the spectators. It wouldn't be a problem, it' s just that they, won't be able to see me. I'm reminding you, I'm allowed to invite just two spectators, but the show will be live streamed. I've settled into a pattern and I worked a little more on how much oomph, performance and excitement I'm able to actually control and not miss the elements. I finished the practice quite content that the content of the program is properly showcasing my current abilities, while allowing to enjoy performing it. And I felt excited for the next day.

On Sunday, the day of the actual show, I was instructed to arrived at the rink with no more the 20 minutes before my show time. I made it 25... to allow for the check in. That didn't take any time, just a temperature check. I was then sent to the second rink to warm up. I was supposed to have 10 minutes just before my performance, but I had 20. That may have ultimately not been an advantage because I skipped my short off ice warm up so I felt quite stiff on ice. The ice was also terribly chopped. I did  some warm up crossovers and power pulls. I did the forward spin and the scratch spin. Ups... the scratch spin totally disappeared on me. I've realized it was because of the dress. I wore a dance length circle skirt that, as I was starting to spin lifted, got into my peripheral vision and made me afraid to cross my leg. I've let it go and did the jumps, they went ok on the first try. So I let them be, and tried the scratch spin again... nope. I ran my program without music, then with music from my phone, twice. The scratch spin still hasn't happen... And I was all sweaty and worked up.

I moved to the main rink, where I was allowed another 5 minutes warm up. I skated softly around  the rink just to feel the ice, tried the scratched spin again. I became quite self aware of my skirt rising to the waist while spinning, and that the "whole world" will see my panties during the live video stream, as the camera man was at ice level. Before this, each show I was in, was filmed from above... I've tried the scratch spins several more times and it only got worse, at least my confidence did... It hit me that my spiral will have the most unflattering position as I would skate away the camera, and I quickly tried a different layout on ice so I would skate towards the camera while in the spiral position. And then I was like... I'm as ready as I will be, let's go!

I'll tell you now, I was happy with how the performance went. I'll go over it in detail when I'll have the video to share.

Exhibition program emergency

The exhibition on Nutcracker music is going to be Sunday. And, I'm... not ready...

From when I've written the last post, I've skated 3 time. My biggest worry was if my old program was gonna fit to the music, and I think it kind of does. But I've never really get to skate the program to the end, that's not encouraging.

These are the problems I've countered. I'm skating faster then when the program was created, and I tested it. My skating skills are improved... That's great! Also, I enjoy the music a lot and I'm able to interpret and project emotion in a natural manner. That's great too! What it's not great is that I haven't improved the jumps and spins, as I haven't worked on them much, and I cannot do them with the extra speed and emotion. So I will have to calm down and go a little slower.

Trying to skate the program on the music, I found myself tempted to add a step here and there. I have no experience in improvising, and it confuses me... enough to make me hesitate on the next steps. The conclusion is that I'll stay with the choreography.

I wanted to challenge myself a little and do a back spin. I wanted to put it at the end but I found myself all worked out and without the patience to concentrate on it. It is also a very slow spin for me and the end is on a crescent rhythm, it just doesn't work. The new idea is to put in in the middle of the program... The bigger problem is that I've messed with this spin's entrance so much, I ended up not able to enter the spin at all, at points.

I'll skate again on Friday. After the warm up I'll have to immediately work at the quality of the jumps and spins by themselves, not in the program, with special attention to the back spin. I'll also work on in from the steps. Then put everything on music. I'm thinking I might have the time to do the back spin, AND a simple forward spin immediately after in the middle of the program, then, at the end to do a scratch spin. Then, I'll work on the moves test, to clear my mind. Then I'll do the program again. If the back spin is not working I'll have the forward spin in the middle of the program and the scratch spin at the end. I'm rarely finding the scratch spin appropriate in programs 9to match the feeling of the music0, but, as I said this end of the music has a crescent feeling, so it works.

Hopefully, on Friday I'll have a clear plan on what I'll do for the actual exhibition. I mean I have to...

Working on MITF Pre-Juvenile and 5 minutes warm-up

 On the private lesson I've filled in my coach about the intention to test the moves and we ran all the test. We didn't have time to talk after, so I don't know his opinion if I'm ready or not to test. I've made some uncharacteristic mistakes. I think I've put a little more oomph into everything and that made me lose a little from the precision. Anyhow,  here are the corrections:

• Crossovers: Fill the corner when finishing the backward ones and take the back crossovers around the end of the rink. It is the second time it happens when I show him this move, that I put too much power when I start the back crossovers, and I'm getting more speed and bigger lobes than I'm used to, and I think I'ms getting afraid I'll run out of ice... I think this is a strong move, the speed and power are a plus, the cutting of the corner would be fine for the test. My problem here is, that I don't need that uncertainty and stress that I'll run off ice... I need this move smooth, to keep my cool for the rest of the test.
• 3-turns: I always get correction on 3-turns, but I did the pattern, without stumbles and with flow. Anyway here are the corrections I've got on the 3-turns: FO 3s Lift over hip, the free skate touches the skating skate, after turn, the skating skate and knee pushes into the free skate and knee. Don't extend the free leg so high, it destabilizing the exit edge. BI 3s Don't drop free hip, push hip under at turn, let the exit edge run. FI 3s After the turn the free skate pushes into the skating one. Turn on the ball, not middle of blade. BO 3s Hold the leading arm higher, turn  under it.
• Power pulls: were fine. Again I've put a little more knee bend and power then usually, and I've got off rhythm on the backward ones, but I've self corrected. Correction from the coach on the backward ones, alight and pull the  shoulders back over the edges
• Backward circle eight was fine, as it always is... But I've lost my focus and I made the last one bigger... 
• 5 step mohawk  we didn't have time for it, but it was good move for a long while.

I'll keep up the good work for this test. Each skating session, I'll start with the "5 minutes warmup" and continue immediately with the rest of the elements for this test to mimic what the conditions of the actual test.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I write a post with this title at the beginning of each month... it is supposed to be a monthly review. I find it fitting that is has "adjustment" in the title, as that seams to be the main skating related effort I put in these days.

I'm happy to report that the covid cases dropped in my area. We are still under heavy restrictions waiting to see what will be the impact of the Thanksgiving travel and gatherings. So my home rink is still closed, but there are still rinks open for practice ice. Last month I went  skating twice  a week to the rink where I used to take private lessons. Last week I even added a lesson.

I'm putting as much effort as I can into MITF Pre-Juvenile test preparation. I'm trying to test this for more then a year, from last summer, when something went wrong with the registration, then I've hurt my hip, then the winter holiday season slowed me down, then covid happened, then I've got to get back the skills and confidence, then I had blade problems, now, the test sessions are scarce and they fill out the moment they are announced. I want to be ready to test, so when a test is announced I can register immediately.

Lately I've started each skating session with the "5 minutes warm up" for the test that I've described in my last post,  and the test. Then I've worked on the test on the skills I've felt I needed improvement (mostly the 3-turns). Then I did something else (spins, the slow new skills I'm learning), then I went back to the 3-turns. I'll keep up the good work for this test, I'll continue starting with it each skating session.

What I'll add, is the Nutcracker exibition program. I stopped working at it two weeks ago, as the rink that organizes it closed, but it seams it's happening!  The rink did close, but then they allowed private rentals, including private lessons. For the exhibition, the skaters will be staggered, in 10 minutes intervals. Each skater should come fully dressed, skates on, 20 minutes in advance her skating time, warm up for 10 minutes on the second rink, then move on the big rink, do her number (2 minutes), then leave. Each skater can have 2 people with her, and the coach. The event will be live streamed. It sounded a little weird at first, then, I thought that it's gonna actually be sweet, like a private moment for each skater and very immediate family or friends.

Going back to the program... I'm gonna do my old pre-bronze freestyle program, the only program I ever had, on Nutcracker music. I want to challenge myself and add a back spin at the end. My back spin is consistent at this point, but I do it on a line and with a slow entrance. I've had mixed results when I've tried it from steps, with a shorter and faster entrance. I also want to finish the spin with the free leg inside, so I can do a back pivot after, and I keep forgetting that. I'm used to the landing position exit. The rest of the program elements should be fine, but I haven't practice the program from when I tested it, so I hesitate at points, it takes me a second to remember what comes next. And I have other challenges... Firstly, the music it's a little longer, the rhythm it's a little faster, so I think I'll have to add some moves to fill the program. To complicate things, the music doesn't have strong sections, but it's kind of one tone, so it doesn't help me structure the program and look for points to check my timing. I'll have to try it many many times and see what I can fit in and what not. And... at the rink where I skate now, it is complicated to put music, I'll have to try earbuds... I'm planning to skate 4 session until the exhibition and I'll do my best.

I also want a new dress and if you remember, I sew them myself. I had a dream of a silver gray lace and mesh ethereal one, but besides the fact I won't have the time to make it as it's a bit complicated, I also think it may not be a good fit for the occasion. I've also wished for a very simple, like stark simple, white dress. I hope I can make that. If not, I'll use the old gold dress. 

The goal for this Nutcracker exhibition was to get joy and I'm determined to let it be a joyful process even if the choreography, the skating elements and the dress won't be perfect... 

The second part of this month should be mostly about moves. Plus, I'm gonna add it here as a goal, so I won't forget... I have to work on the loop jump consistently. I want eventually to be able to have Bronze Freestyle program and I need the loop jump for that.

Taking it easy

I'm taking it easy with my skating, not by choice, and I'm not happy about it. 

I've told you in my last post that my home rink closed and it is not easily doable for my life to go four  times a week to a 45 minutes away rink. I would have probably done it if I could have work towards testing the moves on December 15th. My skating was going well lately I think I could have put myself together for that test. But... I've asked last week-end and the registration was already full and closed. The registration usually opens 4 weeks before the test, and this December 15 one, filled in 3 weeks before the test, so in one week. I'll have to be prepared for the next test session to sign up when the registration opens.

Las two weeks, from skating four times a week, including a half hour private lesson, I've gone to skating Mondays and Fridays. However unhappy I am to drive so far, it seems I'm even more unhappy to skate twice a week. So I'm thinking, depending on how I feel on Mondays to add either Tuesdays and take a lesson, either Wednesday...

I'm still gonna start each skating session with the moves test. That is the "5 minutes warm up" and the test. The idea is to mimic the test conditions, when I'll have to do moves after warming them up for just 5 minutes. I am adjusting my 5 minutes warm up from what I had and described here. I used to feel the need to do the edge presses in order to wake up my alignment for  the 3-turns. Now I don't feel I need those anymore. I feel I need to warm up more at speed, to get the knees soft, at speed. This is what I have for now.  

• I still start with the slalom, but I may do just forward, to gain time, but also because while the backward slalom is useful for posture alignment, if there are skaters in my way, I cannot do it well anyhow.
• I think I'll do the whole forward line of the crossovers to inner edge (I used to do half and change to backwards).  I feel I can actually warm up with that and that change at the middle made me slow down.
• I'll stop the backward crossovers at half line and do the figure eight in the middle of the rink. I feel that the rink will be empty at that point.
• Then I'll do the edge pulls, full pattern
• Then, the 3-turns. My coach taught me to do 4 of the first pattern, then to go a little back so I can  do 4 of the next pattern on the same line. I used to loose time finding that places, but I'm getting better. Then the other line...
• I don't feel I need to warm up the 5 step Mohawk and I won't probably have time for it anyway

After I'll skate through the whole test, I'll work on what I feel like... These last few time that included 3-turns and the slow new things, double 3-turns, brackets, twizzles, power 3-turns, back cross rolls, the Foxtrot Mohawk and dropped 3-turns for the European Waltz, spins and the Tenfox. I'll have to add the jumps, at least those that I need in the exhibition on Nutcracker music that might or might not happen. The rink that organizes that exhibition is closed until December 4th, at which point they'll reconsider, so I'll know soon enough.

Schedule adjustment (some rinks closed)

As I expected we've got new restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. We are not in total quarantine mode but in the very next level of restrictions.The rinks fall in the category of gyms, and they are allowed to stay open and function at 25% capacity, though.. no group classes are allowed. Some rinks decided to stay open, but not my rink.... The rink where I was registered for the Christmas Nutcracker exhibition has closed too. 

The rink where I take private lessons will stay open, allowing 10 people on ice. The think is that that rink is farther away, so I really cannot make it there 4 times a week. Ideally I would like skate at least 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but that may also take too much time. Also my lesson is set on Tuesdays... I canceled the lessons for now, until I figure out my schedule, maybe somebody else wants that spot. And wait, next week is Thanksgiving, Thursday the rink is closed, and Wednesday is sold out. I am grateful I can still skate, but I'm so frustrated of how much time and effort it requires to get to skate. I've just bragged in the last post that I felt I've got a good pace and rhythm in my skating, now that rhythm will be gone as I cannot skate at uniformly distanced days. What is also taking away from my good rhythm is that my rink session are  an hour and a half and the rink that is open has one hour session. I have to organize differently.

The rink that my club uses for test sessions is also not closing, so the December 15 test session is still on. I would soo love to test the Pre-Juvenile MITF . Am I ready? I thinks so... but I haven't really worked on them with my coach in... forever.  December 15, so 3 weeks from now. Theoretically, I think I would have enough time to pull myself together. The 3-turns feel better now, after I resharpened the blades. The rest was OK already.

 If I wouldn't test in December I think  I will be tempted to take it easy, maybe skate just twice a week. Then, it would be the Christmas break, when the ice schedule is crazy different and in the past that always made me skate stiffer in January. What I'm getting at is that in January I may be even less prepared to test then now, in December. There is one more thing... if I wouldn't test I don't know on what I would use my private lessons on, I don't want dance for now as I cannot test partnered and I've got it in my head that the old boots are not holding my dance push into the ankle and the jumps'  landings... I'm not motivated to work on the moves for more than a month,  Also... I'm buying new boots and I would like to test on my old boots... or I'll have to wait few months until I'll break in the new ones.

I plan to skate today, Friday and Monday and work mostly on moves. If I feel confident I can have a lesson on Tuesday and decide together with my coach... to test or not to test... And that will determine the skating schedule.

Mid month update

My skating goes so well! Only good news in this post! Mmm wait... I'm pretty sure we will get another stay at home order soon...

Back to my skating... for now, I'm still skating Monday, Wednesday and Friday on my own at my rink and I'm having a lesson on Tuesday at another rink. I've missed one Friday and one lesson, but still, I feel I've got a good pace, a rhythm. The muscles feel good, the mask doesn't make it easy, but stamina is improving too.

Pre-Juvenile MITF: The only move that I was not 100% confident for testing was the 3-turns. And they count as two moves and two of the marks for the test, so they need to be confident. Looking back they started to get hesitant when my blades got very dull (I was skidding on some). Then, when the blades were too sharp and on a too deep radius, it was confusing. I wasn't sliding but whenever I wasn't perfectly align (and that is often, and that is ok because this is still a low level test) I would have a balance check and a scare. And a bad fall... yeap, on the bad hip... Also the backward circle eight hasn't gotten completely around on too sharp blades. Now, with the right sharpening, everything is back... The next testing session is December 15... And I'm very doubtful that that is gonna happen because of covid... So I'm not really pushing the moves but I do run them carefully, kind of eye-ing the testing. 

Ice Dancing: I've got it in my head that the boots are not supportive enough. When I push into my ankles, and in Ice Dancing you push on every step, I get no resistance, it's uncomfortable, so I don't feel I can go for speed and power. I do maintain the Ten Fox, but I'm not putting any heart into it. I'm not particularly attracted to this dance and there is no hope of testing partnered any time soon. I've considered testing solo but I'm late on few steps, so not on music, and I feel that I would need a little more power that I don't seam to be able to find. The Foxtrot and European Waltz also don't work without speed and power, the pattern just doesn't goes where it should go.  So I don't do much Ice dancing...

Slow new things: I'm spending most of my ice time on new things that I can do slowly, no power and speed needed. The forward inside brackets are getting really good. I'm not hesitating anymore on the outside ones. Twizzles... I couldn't work on them with too sharp blades, so I just started them again. They are confusing... The counter clockwise sometimes gets 2 full rotations, yeiii, the key word being sometimes. I'm not able to figure out what I do differently when they work. The clockwise ones stop invariably after one rotation. I feel I'm leaning outside the circle, I'm blocking myself with the right shoulder. Per my coach's request I've made a list with the new thing I wanted to learn. And I tried them on my own first... forward double 3-turns, backward power 3-turns, backward crossrolls that he explained to me and I'm ready for the next set of corrections. I'm also working on adding arm movement to some of the edges.

Exhibition program on Nutcraker music: This gives me so much joy, as I expected. The music is a little longer then my old Freestyle program so I added some moves from the Freedance program I was working on. This exhibition also me to work on Freestyle, the spins and jumps that I planed to put in the program. I decided that I'll run the program each time I'm on ice to be sure I build the stamina even if I don't put on the music. I've put the music just once... it's complicated... Anyhow, I'm trying to not allow this program to take over all the skating time, I just work on it on the last 15 minutes on ice. Now, the bad news... The exhibition is suppose to be on December 13th, so probably it's not gonna happen...

Power and Speed: I'm getting into the habit of trying to push myself at the end of the session, if I'm not too tired. If I'm tired, I do breathing kind of edge lunges and contractions. When I feel good, I do power stroking, forward and backward crossovers, forward and backward chasses.

Sewing: I've finally sewn some soakers (absorbent covers) for my blades. I haven't really felt I needed them before, because after wiping the blades after skating I was putting them on a towel in my skating bag. But now, we are not allowed with the skating bags in the building and I'm using the plastic guards to transport the skates and those keep the blades wet. I've also sewn a new skating skirt. From when I've hurt my left hip, I'm always wearing a hip pad so I like to have a skirt over the leggings to cover the pad. I used to wear mostly black leggings and I have made two black skirts. Lately I've got into heather grays, as they don't show the cat hair so badly... so I needed a gray skirt!

Skates update - I need new boots

It feels that I've finally got the sharpening right... I was on dull and then too sharp blades for a month a a half... I went to a figure skating store and they confirmed the radius I had now, was deeper than 7/16 I have used all the time before now. They said it was a little deeper then 3/8... that's deep... I'm more, relieved then anything else... It was really exhausting doubting myself, trying to control the deeper edge and not really knowing for sure what is wrong. As I was saying in the previous posts, on the previous, deeper edge, I've felt the blades went where they wanted. The solution for that would have theoretically been to press more into the ice, but that only made it worse. So I've lost the habit of pressing into the ice... I've also probably lost some stamina as I skated very casually for more then a month. Now, I'll have to spend some time  to get used to my new, old, sharpening radius... again...

I'll also have to spend some time soon to get used to... new boots. I'm still skating on my fist pair of boots. They served me well for almost 10 years... They lasted so long because they were an intermediary model not a beginner model, that decided for because they've fit better, like way better. Now I've felt occasionally they didn't give me enough resistance when I pressed harder and also when I was landing jumps. But I have another reason for buying new boots... I want my old boots available to mount some wheels in the spring, or my old blade for outdoor skating, we'll see...

Meanwhile I've asked my coach to continue to teach me new things, that I can approach with the slower speed that it seams I'm comfortable with.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I'm not unhappy with how last month's skating went. It was a challenging month because my blades got very dull, then, they were sharpen too sharp... My coach sharpened them for the first time, as my old sharpener moved away. At first we thought he may have changed the radius, into a deeper one, but it seems they were just too sharp. I felt they went wherever they wanted, and if I pressed more I made it worse instead of better. Also, the left blade had uneven edges, the outside was higher, that made me feel off balance. He corrected that and also took a little off so they wouldn't be so sharp. They feel better but I'm still off... off balance, so afraid to go fast. It's either that I need more time adjusting from dullness, to too sharp, to present, or... it may still be a different radius than I used to skate on...

 But basically, I've skated cautiously the whole last month. I think there are two reasons why I, that I'm always on the hunt for progress, wasn't unhappy even without working for progress. One, I didn't have a goal to test... so while I still worked at the tests, I worked without pressure. Secondly, I had  few new things to work at, and that kept me interested. Also, these new things, I worked on with slow speed so the blades situation hasn't affected me that much. So I haven't got frustrated...

 I usually have a private lesson every week, but last month I missed two lessons, one week I haven't felt well, one week I had something else to do.

Freestyle. I was afraid to jump with dull blades. I just did a Waltz Jump here and there. And I'm realizing now as I'm writing, that I could have also done all the toe jumps Bunny Hops, Half Flip, Half Lutz and even Toe Loop because the entrance 3-turn is quite flat. I worked on the Forward spin (that I don't center as well as the Forward Scratch Spin) consistently, as I'm trying to learn to change positions. But, while the dull blades help spinning, they don't help entering the spins... so not much progress...

Ice Dancing requires deep edges and speed, that I couldn't do on dull blades, or uneven blades, so again, not much to report. I run trough the exercises and the Ten Fox mostly. I still work at the Foxtrot mohawk. I did once the Foxtrot and European Waltz but I just couldn't put enough speed into them. Interestingly, the rink where I take my private lessons allows partnering (with mask on and gloves), and the Ten Fox feels stronger partnered. Too bad I cannot test it anywhere partnered. There is no testing at this particular rink and none of the other rinks allows partnering. I haven't worked on solo Ten Fox on music, as it is an adventure (because of covid restrictions) in using the music player.

MITF. I warm up with them, but, with dull blades the 3-turns that I have not good technique on, were skidding. The power pulls lost their rip sound and confidence. The rest was fine. Back circle eight on dull blades was a dream... And then, it hasn't made it all around with the sharp blades...

Figures on dull blades worked well. I will have to ask my coach to see them, if they are good enough maybe to teach me the next ones. I don't think I want to test these. It would have to be a special request either at a test session, either for a judge to come especially for me.

New things: The new things I've learned from my coach are the Forward inside twizzzles and the Forward Brackets. But I've learned new exercises from another adult skater. She's french and I've known her for a long time from group classes, but she's moved back to France for awile. Now she's back and she's doing some very pretty exercises, MITF type, that she learned in France. Like back inside pulls, and backward change of edge after forward outside 3-turn. 

So, my skating time was somehow used fully.

For this month I firstly have to figure out my blades... I cannot really "work" on MITF or Ice Dancing when I feel off balance at speed.

What I know for sure... I'll have to work on Freestyle and my old Freestyle program. I've registered to a Christmas exhibition to the rink that used to organize the Nutcracker on Ice. As that wasn't safe this year, they'll organize 10 skater per hour on ice, each with a maximum of 5 guests. And everybody has to skates on Nutcracker music. I watch my old program on mute while playing the Nutcracker music and it seems to kind of fit. I think I can even use the intro steps from my new, under construction, Solo Free Dance program. This exhibition is December 13th.

In the Freestyle program I had a Waltz Jump, a Salcow and a half Flip, and I feel the other jumps I ca do, the Toe loop and the half Lutz wouldn't fit so well the waltzy feeling of the music, so I'm gonna keep the old jumps. For the spins I had a two foot spin and a Forward spin and I want to do the Forward spin instead of the two foot spin and the backward spin at the end. So I feel, the next month I will have to work consistently on Freestyle. Hopefully I'll build a habit and continue working on Freestyle. I want the Loop Jump, that I used to have, so it shouldn't be so hard to get, but it is! The main reason could be that I don't work at it consistently... I think put it on my Christmas list, maybe Santa will help...

More bad news

As the title says, I've got more bad news. I'll save the suspense and say right away, they are little things, some fixed already. BUT they do add up on top of the frustration with the covid cases on the rise and the political tension, and I feel quite irritated. I thought some venting would do me good!

Firstly, the thing that irritated me the most... I almost missed to register for ice for the whole next month! My home rink is part of the park district facilities and the web page and all activities registration goes trough the city, a big city... Do I need to say more? The web page is old and the registration is awkward... Everything goes on sale at the same time and you have to be there right that second, so your activity won't sell out. But as soon as the registration starts there is a queue... I was "let in" after 3 minutes.  Before the registration starts you can put everything on the wish list, but when registering you have to take activity by activity and move it to the cart. And for each one you have to click the name of the participant, then go back to the wish list. The wish list doesn't delete the activity you just put in the cart, so you have to keep track carefully of that. To complicate things, the cart, doesn't show the activity name, just the code... so if you missed up anything there is no way to fix it. Now, for this registration, it was something more... some kind of a glitch, that happened to other people, so don't think I'm crazy... at least not yet, because they drive me crazy... So, after everything was in the cart, you have 15 minutes to pay. But I couldn't pay... I've got an error message that the last two activities are "incomplete" and given the option to edit them or delete them. Of course I tried to edit them... but I couldn't find anything else I had to click or fill. While doing this, probably for 30 seconds... all the activities in the cart went "incomplete". I suspected everything sold out... I had to leave home, I was late already. I left crying :( When I arrived where I had to go, I checked the activities on my cellphone and they weren't sold out. So I registered on my phone, I mean the pain I went thought to click all those activities and boxes on the little screen and keep track on what I've already put in the cart... But miraculously I registered for everything I wanted. Well, wait... sort off... I've registered for everything I wanted from what they have offered for registration. But they've missed the first week of November. They covered 4 weeks, from the second week of November to the first week of December. So, I'll have to go thought all of it again and register for the first week of November.

My next irritation is that the ballet class I started to take two months ago at my rink, was moved to a later hour and another instructor. The time doesn't work for me, and I'm not eager to change the "style" of the class, as the new instructor is a yoga instructor not a ballet instructor. I grew found of my current instructor and our ballet classes, but I needed a couple a weeks to get accustom with her style. She hopes to maybe be able to offer some classes from January, in the weekends. To make it more sour, one of the ballet classes was canceled and a make up is offered on a time I cannot make, and probably they won't give me a refund (because of the city park district registration system I've just complained before).

The one thing that affected my skating the most is the blade sharpening. I've told you my regular sharpener moved away so I've trusted my coach to do them. I've dropped them on his porch and picked them up later. On the bag they were in it was a tag with my info and the blades info, the radius I had them sharpen on. So, after two weeks of not getting used with the sharpening, we figured he may have changed the radius... It seems my coach its not the snoopy kind, and he didn't look at the tag. He is such a trustworthy guy, both in character (not snoopy :))) and skating expertise. I take at least half the responsibility, because I haven't told him the radius...  I dropped them to him again, and he's gonna figure it out, I'm not worried. I hope that all this time I've spent skating on a different radius will help with my awareness of alignment... Because I had to be very cautious  of the alignment and where my weight is on the blade. The radius felt deeper than what I usually skate on, and that made me feel that the blades go wherever they wanted. The harder I pressed, the worse that feeling was, because they got more "into the ice". I'm curious to ask my coach what style of skating benefits of a deeper radius. 

I've fell a lot lately, because I couldn't control my blades. Some were quite big falls. I'll add to the bad news that I've put a hole in my new skating tights. I've caught the toe pick during one of the falls. The hole is quite high on the calf so I've got really scared of the possibility of how bad that fall could have been. But... luckily none of the falls hurt significantly. I wonder if that would qualify as good news? Well, surely is not bad news, and I'll take that!

So, that's all the bad news. Thanks for listening... I do feel better now!

Mid month update

It seems I lately have bad news to share each time I post... So here it goes: my sharpener moved away :( And I really, really didn't like any other sharpener I tried. They changed the radius, they left the edges rolled out... don't get me started.... The sharpener used to live 30 minutes away from me, and I used to drop my skates at his house on Sundays and have lunch/ dinner in that area, then pick them up. Now I kept postponing, because I'm trying to social distance as much as I can, and I didn't want to eat out, and I didn't really have any other business that way. And when I've finally couldn't take it anymore, to skate on dull blades, and I tried to call, the phone was disconnected. I asked around at my rink and I found that they moved away.

Now, there is some good news... my coach sharpens skates too, and I can give him the skates after I see him for my lesson, and pick them up later. He is a little farther away, but I trust him.

The bad news is really, that I skated the last two weeks on very dull blades... I slid around a lot. I had to be very careful on how much I leaned. I couldn't really skate confidently, or fast, I had to be cautious. I also pulled a little a muscle, lucky, just a little. And after sharpening I'll need time to adjust to the new grip of the blades on ice... 

Luckily, I have things that I just started learning, that I need to work on slowly anyway. And basically, these are all that are worth reporting as "worked" and improved.

The forward inside brackets got more comfortable. My coach started me on a straight line and with transitioning trough 3 body positions just before the turn, then I practice on a slight curve. As I could do that, He said to deepen the curve and try to "marry" the 3 positions/ alignment and go trough them faster. And I just started working on the forward outside ones, slow, going trough all 3 positions and a a very shallow curve. 

I work on the forward inside twizzle quite a lot.  I'm fascinated by them, but I also thought they can actually benefit from blunt blades, as I have to move on the middle of the blade. And drum rolls... on the right forward inside twizzle I'm starting to hit 2 rotations! On the left side, I'm still at one... As I said, I'm fascinated... on the right side, even if I hit 2 rotations more then occasionally, I cannot really pinpoint what I do different. I mean, here are few things on the ones that may make the twizzle work... I feel the entry edge is deeper, then the speed it's actually slower, but it could be just that I don't rush. I feel I'm aligned over the right hip, and the rib cage is lifted. I also feel I'm pressing into the ice. And I cannot replicate all this all the time, it really is hit or miss. And I don't feel ANY of these on the left side... so that's gonna be a long way to go.

More than that... Working on this left inside twizzle made me realize the back left outside edge is week. I control it fine when I do slow edges or in the back circle eight. It seems that when I add the leg extension I go off balance. I felt the right hip was not stacked, in other words it was not lifted enough, but also the upper body was too forward. I asked my coach to watch the forward inside 3-turn (that is my worse 3-turn from them all, including the backwards ones) to correct the back edge, and he actually said that the forward edge was the first problem. The free hip was too high and that made me lean outside the circle entering the 3-turn. So I put a lot of "slow" work into that too. 

After all this slow skating I'm looking forward to catch a little speed!

Skating technique: Forward Spin - change of position

I needed to include a spin in the Solo Free Dance program I was having choreographed. I can do a forward spin, a forward scratch spin and a forward back spin, that's it... The choreographer wanted a little bit more...

The idea was to have an interesting position, and we choose to bend the skating leg while having the free leg at the back of the skating leg knee. So not a sit position, but an intermediary one. 

Then we wanted to change the position maybe into a scratch spin, but I couldn't exit with enough speed from the fancy position to give the scratch a dignified speed. Then I've tried the scratch first and then to change the position into the fancy one... no go... I had too much speed, and I was too forward on my blade to be able to uncross the foot and place in at the back... I was rocking on the blade when I was changing.

So, what I can do... Is a regular forward spin, then change into the fancy position. 

But surprise... I had to work on centering the forward spin. I was lately only doing the scratch spin, and the intention of crossing the free foot made me push the free hip forward automatically. For the regular forward spin, I left the hip back, so I was not square. I also had to develop awareness of what spot on my blade I was spinning on, and to maintain it while changing the position.

I asked my regular coach to look at the forward spin, to see why I'm not centering, and, as always, he said to hold the entrance longer. Then he said the free foot was late coming from the back, it has to swing forward as I turn the 3-turn. The biggest issue was that "I didn't let the free side come around". As I knew, I left the free hip back, but it seems I left the free shoulder back to... So hopefully that will fix it.

When I center the forward spin, I can transition to the fancy position easily. I hope I get a chance to film it too see how it looks.

Program: Solo Free Dance part 2

I was telling you that lesson may not be allowed anymore on the ice I'm registered for... and it happened. And my Solo Free dance program is not done yet. Of course I could eventually ask the choreographer to come to another rink, though it may be more expensive, plus time consuming.

One of my main goals for having this program choreographed, was to learn new things, things that are not covered in Moves in the Field or Pattern Dances, both real skating skills but also pretty little tricks. And I have to say that my expectations were exceed! As skating skills I've started learning twizzles and brackets.  I'll also get to improve things I kind of know but haven't work on... like American Waltz 3-turn and the Willow Waltz Mohawk but on the other side... As tricks, I've learned some tap toes (that I was scared off), "chaines" (like ballet) turns, change of edge with hand movement and the step sequence... that combines things I know in a new way.

My second goal was to have something to skate for my own enjoyment... and this was not achieved, at least yet. The choreographer was still working on the steps and elements (counting the beats) but we haven't gotten to put put them on music. Skating on my own music that brought me so much joy with the previous program, will be postponed...  But it's even more then that, I've tried just the first part of the program on music, and I just couldn't feel the music for the American Waltz 3-turn, I've always felt I finished it early. I firstly thought I'm off balance when I turn and I cannot hold it, but I can hold just fine when I'm not on music. Anyway, at some point I've listened carefully the music at the desk, reading the lyrics while trying to identify the beats and marking where the skating elements are, on the beats. Well, well, the lyrics don't follow the beat count... For Ice Dancing there is actually a rule requiring to skate to the beat, not the melody/ lyrics. While I'm sure I can grow into skating my song to the beat, I'm wondering if I'll enjoy it, the music, or it will be just a counting and "working".

My third goal was to eventually test this for Juvenile Solo Free Dance test, the first level of Solos Free Dances. I'm thinking that if I'll see I won't be able to enjoy the process of working on this program (on music) I'll let go of it, work on the new things I've learned, and choose other music for another program.

Anyhow here are parts of choreography:

Left Forward Swing Roll, tap toes, Right Forward Swing Roll, Left Forward American waltz 3-turn, Right Back Chasse, hold the edge and make it a Right Back Outside 3-turn. Left Forward Inside Edge and Right Forward inside Twizzle. The idea here was to have slow steps into the Twizzle... and they are not slow, or if I make them slow I feel hesitant and have small lobes. I think eventually I'll be able to enter into the Twizzle with speed, right?

The next sequence goes into the spiral. After I exit from the twizzle I do CW Forward crossover into a waltz Mowhak, next part didn't fit to the music, so for now I'm thinking continue that with backward chasse, then, there are two European Waltz 3 turns, there is time for more steps, and the pretty change of edge that I do too slowly to be a good entrance into the spiral... so probably all this will be reworked.

The step sequence on lobes:
- Left Forward Inside Bracket
- across the axis... cross behind Right Back Outside edge, cross in front and continue with a Left Back Inside 3-turn
- Right Forward Mowhok/ barrel, so 3 edges, the third one is  Right Back Inside
- across the axis... Left Forward bunny hop, Left Forward Inside 3-turn, Left Chaines
- Right Forward cross roll, Left Forward cross 3-turn
- I may need one more lobe here, as I may be running short and anyhow the music asks for something nice here...

Then few steps into the spin....

So, I'll keep working on the elements and also on sequences without music for now...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

And... as in all my latest post, I have some bad news. I've got on e-mail from my rink, that lessons are not allowed anymore on the adult only ice... At this rink, my home rink, coaches were never allowed on ice after the rink reopened, they coach by the doors and bleachers (so more skaters could be on ice). For the adults only ice, the coach could signed up as a regular skater and be on ice, and as long as we socially distanced, we could do whatever we wanted. I've sent an e-mail asking for clarifications, I expect an answer just on Monday.

I shared that I was having choreographed a Solo Free Dance (on the adult ice). It is roughly put together, structured, but it is far from finished. If my choreographer is not allowed on ice anymore, the program will take a hit. I'm grateful the rink is open, and whenever I sign up for ice there are waivers and rules, and a reminder that it can be canceled at any time... So we'll see... I have a lot to say about the program. I'll make a separate post about it soon, that will be a good summery for me to use while working at it, very probably without the choreographer... The biggest news here is that I've learned to Twizzle! I've got one and a half revolution on the Right Forward Inside, just one revolution on the left side...

Anyhow, let me tell you about the rest of my skating during last month. Part of the time from my lessons with my regular coach were used to support the program. I needed to learn twizzles, and brackets, the forward inside ones. The rest of the time was used for Ice Dancing... the Ten Fox, partnered, and I've asked to work a little bit on dance exercises, because those make my skating evolve. I've felt I had a better control and I was faster on the exercises. On the Ten Fox I still hesitated on the spots that were harder for me, like the partnered 3-turned and partnered outside mowhawk. But... I picked up the corrections easier then before. I also occasionally work, on my own ,on Foxtrot and European Waltz, on the dances I concentrate on flow, and I also work on technique on the Closed Outside Mohawk for the Foxtrot and on the drop 2-turns for the European Waltz...

The Moves in the field took a little of a back sit in the sense that I just couldn't make myself work on the 3-turns anymore. Everything else from the Pre-Juvenile test goes very well. I had one day when the 3-turns worked very well, and I'm able to remember the feeling of soft knee, lean and the speed. I can do them... I think that when I think about testing them I get tense, I lose the soft knee... So, I think I'll ask my coach to start me on the double 3 turns, the forward ones, and hopefully working on those I'll improve the Pre-Juvenile ones too.

Freestyle... I cannot really work on jumps if my legs muscles are tired, and they are tired because I skate 3 days in a row (Monday trough Wednesday), then I have a rest day and skate again on Friday. I did a Waltz Jump here and there and lately I've started working on the Loop Jump, as my coach said that I have to build calf and ankle strength. Spins: I did work on the regular forward spin a lot, because I'll have it in my dance program.  I'm happy on how it's progressing and I'm happy that working at it made me improve the knowledge and awareness in spinning in general.

I work on figures whenever I'm tired, mostly on the restart, the push of the edges. I'm trying to go slower, because if I'm fast I cannot restart with precision, but I cannot go to slow either. I need just enough speed to make it around, then I pivot the skating foot into the push for the next circle, on the exact mark from the previous push...

And I've started ballet again. It is not my former ballet class, that was Saturday morning at 40 minutes driving distance, that class hasn't started again after the quarantine. There are newly offered ballet classes at my rinks studio and there is an adult one, once a week ( mask on and social distanced). It is different then the one I used to take... it is only 45 minutes long, I don't feel I'm warming up, and it's faster paced... I liked it enough to sign up for the second session.

Other off ice exercises... not much... and I really really should work on core strength and hip strength, I need it...

The plan for next month is to keep up what I was doing this month... work a little bit on everything and choose each time on ice to work on something in detail.

Skating technique: Twizzles

Twizzles! I've tried them twice in the group class environment few year ago and... they seemed quite impossible. I mentioned to my coach that I wanted to learn them, and he seemed to brush off the idea. It kind of gave me the vibe that he thought they are over my ability at that point, being that I'm working on Pre-Juvenile moves and they are required on Intermediate moves.

But I needed  twizzles for my solo free dance program. The requirement is a minimum one revolution twizzle...That is very different from the 2.5 revolution required in the Intermediate moves test... It should be achievable.

The definition of the twizzle in the USFSA Rulebook is: "A traveling turn on one foot with one or more rotations, which is quickly rotated with a continuous uninterrupted) action. The weight remains on the skating foot with the free foot in any position during the turn, and then placed beside the skating foot to skate the next step. 
A series of checked three-turns is not acceptable, as this does not constitute a continuous action. If the traveling action stops during the execution, the twizzle becomes a solo spin (pirouette). The four different types of entry edges for twizzles are: (1) forward inside (FI); (2) forward outside (FO); (3)
backward inside (BI); (4) backward outside (BO)"

I first try twizzles in group classes, then I've got instruction from my regular coach, not much, just to start me, then, after a week both him and the new choreographer/coach kept adding. Here it goes for a Right Inside Forward Twizzle, for left side it's all reversed:

- In the group classes we haven't really got much instruction, it was monkey see monkey does approach. I was doing something on my right foot (CCW rotation that is my comfortable skating direction) and I was getting stuck on the left, on CW rotation. So I remember being told to not check the 3-turn but to allow/ more force... the left shoulder to stay forward)
- I also remember hearing the "biggest tip about twizzles at the skating seminar about moves" and that was to practice the 2 foot spin from early on not only CCW andbut also CW, so the upper body gets used to keep going and not check out of the rotation, for CW...

- Here is my regular coach instruction: intro step, to get some speed in and set the next edge is an Left Inside Forward Edge. I keep the right ankle near the left ankle for stability. At the end of this edge the upper body faces slightly towards the right side, and the left hand is in front. My regular coach said that he likes his students to start more square, so the upper body won't destabilize the entry. All other coaches actually instructed to use this left hand forward twist...
- Right Inside Forward Edge on a bent knee, allowing the upper body right side to go towards the left, to square the upper body over the hips and help the rotation
- Just before the turn (that is like a Right Inside Forward 3-turn), you rise on your knee and you don't rebend... as for the 3-turns. The twizzles can be done on a straight leg or a slightly bent one, but they shouldn't bounce up and down as the 3-turns

(This was all the instruction I was given on the first lesson about twizzles. I had troubles at first to feel the entry edge with a bent knee and get high on the knee and not rebent after the turn, so I needed few days of practice just to get some body awareness and memory of that). This twizzles are usually practice using the length of the rink alternatively on right foot and left, finishing forward and using the upper body twist from the exit from the previous twizzle to start the next. I haven't really got the hang of that, so I practiced on foot, then the other. I did turn forward but I was feeling that I'm falling off the edge.)

- The next instruction came from the choreographer/coach and it was to fell after starting the twizzle that I've stacked myself/ lift over/ align over the right side hip.
- Also, they are not done on a straight line, but on a curve... and she asked me to try them on a small circle. I immediately felt few that haven't fall to the inside when I finished.

(I was so excited at this point, only to see that in choreography she was exiting the twizzle bacward, so she did 1.5 rotations. I asked if one rotation isn't enough for the test, she said that as per rules yes, but sh thinks I can do the 1.5 one. I thought thanks for the vote of confidence, but that's not gonna happen any time soon... I mean is the same exit as for the backward spin, and I haven't progressed on that at all, I'm just hopping, I'm not pulling out of it.)
So I practiced staidly on the next two weeks worth of sessions without really seeing any more improvement, though definitely getting more comfortable and fast with the entrance and all the motion. looked at how other skaters trained twizzles, on the long axis and they seamed to do 2 rotations and still finishing forward. So, even if I put my foot down, I allowed/ forced myself to continue turning...
I usually ask my coach for new correction when I feel stuck on something, or I feel i incorporated the previews corrections/ instructions he's given me. I haven"t asked now, I think because it felt hopeless not stuck. But he did ask to see them... and gave me new instruction...)

- While the first forward to backward turn is on the ball of the foot, when you are on the back edge you settle on the middle of the blade, and you stay there, for all next rotations. You do not rock back and forth on the blade as for 3-turns...
- After the first inside edge, you don't bring the free foot in from lateral, but from the back. I don't understand this one exactly. I feel it has to do with the foot throwing the alignment off balance.
- Also, for the RFI twizzle, push the right shoulder forward to continue the rotation, not stop it like for checking out of the 3-turns, but also push the right hip forward.

(I hit some that he liked, but I personally wasn't too enthused. I usually ask questions, now I had nothing... I think i was so sure in my mind that it's gonna take a long long time, that I unconscionably didn't bother to think on what I need to improve... I did mentioned that that exit backward after 1.5 rotations seems impossible to me (backward spin exit), and I think I'll get 2 turns and exit forward before I'll be able to do that 1.5 and exit backward and that I try to get the 2 rotations even if I put the free foot down. He said that the backward exit is not the pulled backward spin exit but feels more like a jump exit, and that the 2 rotation with the free foot down is a good idea... that gave me hope... but not much honestly. I also didn't want to obsess with the twizzle and the free dance, all related with the free dance is something to give me joy and be a reward and a distraction for when I feel frustrated and unmotivated by working to hard on moves and pattern dances

But... just before the free dance choreography lesson I've had some extra time. I've already finished working on everything else I planned to and I've already also worked on twizzles, like just go trough them few times on the length of the rink. So I started to work at them again, this time one at a time and on a circle. I also tried to feel my body alignment. And I've realized that after the first turn, so when I've got backwards I was leaning outside the circle, so, of course, turning forward I was not stable. I thought I'll do few quick and tight double 3-turns so I can feel my upper body lean into the circle. After few of those, for RFI twizzle I've tried to push the the right shoulder and hip forward, then tried to pull the left shoulder back... to keep the rotation going...

And you know what? Yes, it worked! I've got few 1.5 RFI twizzles! Then I gave them a break, then I've tried again. They worked again, well not every single one, but enough to get the feeling of them. I was even able to show them to my choreographer!

What I would add, is that they felt slower then when I first tried to do them, making me think that at first I was "spinning" them, probably also forcing the entrance. Also, they happened when I put them on a circle, never on a straight line. Now, I have to get the left side... )

I've got the Twizzle on last Friday, and I couldn't wait to try them again and see if I still have them. And I do! I was even able to include them in the program,  from almost a stop but still....

Skating update: settling in

I'm settling into the new skating schedule!

I was complaining in my last post that I'm tired to the point of inefficient when not having a break  day after a skating day. I skate Monday, Wednesday on my own and  Tuesday I have my lesson at another rink. I wasn't seeing other option... I mean I need the lesson, I've tried in the summer to get a longer lesson every other week, and it didn't go that well. But if I'm tired after Monday I'm not efficient in the lesson on Tuesday. Well, this week, my energy during the lesson was better!  The worst was Wednesday, as it was the third consecutive day of skating and my muscles were really slow. And have I said yet that this noon ice is on hour and a half? I know... it's great... more ice... The problem is that being tired could lead to falls and injury. But again, this week I felt better, very tired after, but able to keep in control during skating.

Ice is available when it's available... and during the school year it is not available during the week-end. This noon adult only session is available only Monday, Wednesday, Friday. From Monday to Thursday there is a 1.45pm Freestyle session that I also like, in the sense that it is not crowded. Theoretically I could do Monday noon skate, Tuesday lesson at another rink, Wednesday break, Thursday FS practice ice, Friday noon skate. But, FS it's only an hour, and I'm used to that hour and a half for the adult skate. It's unbelievable how different it feels to go from an hour and a half to an hour... I have the feeling that I cannot fit everything, all the exercises, in and then I rush, I tense and that could lead  to falls... I'm very very happy I'm settling in!

The skating goes well too. I used to always start with the Moves, the logic was that that they are warm up exercises, but also that I prepare them for test, and you test them while having just a 5 minute warm up. Lately, the 3turns were quite a mess, and after I had 2 lessons just about them, and I haven't gotten any major correction, I've realized, I just lost my patience... I have to give them a break. So, the last 2 weeks I started with the other moves for warm up, then I moved into Ice dancing exercises and dance. And this week lesson was the Ten Fox, and I'm happy to report it didn't feel that bad. When I was working at it before the quarantine I was, again, so bored by it... I just couldn't gather myself to squeeze more out of me. It didn't inspire me... now, it seems a little fresher. At some point, after I was warmed up so in possession of a nice soft knee, well, two soft knees, I gave the 3-turns a chance, and...drum roll, they were there! So, before, when they didn't work, was it boredom, or I was high and locked in knees because I started with them? Probably both... Meanwhile Freestyle took a back seat. I cannot really jump when I'm tired. I do a waltz jump here and there, but I'm working at the forward spin change of position for the dance program, that's something. I also work on twizzles for the dance program, oh how slow they are... And when I feel really really tired, I do Figures.

One piece of bad news... it wouldn't be skating if there wouldn't be some difficulties... Now we have to keep with the mask on, all the time, even while skating... I did that for the first week I skated after the quarantine and it felt awful, but each time was a little better. And at that point, just back on ice after 3 months, I was skating very slow. When I go fast now, I have to stop a little to catch my breath, but with each session it's a little easier. It is what it is...

Mid month update

So there is good news and bad news...

The good news first. My 3 times a week ice sessions on my home rink are fine! They are "adult figure skaters only" reintroduced just this month, and I was worried of how many and what level of adults will show up. Firstly, just 12 are allowed on ice to start with, then up to now, while the spots were claimed, not all skaters showed up. In fact we were just 5 to 7 skaters on ice. Then, there were rumors that some high level skaters signed up, and my worry was that they weren't aware this ice doesn't have  the rules of the "practice freestyle ice". The rules are that everybody has to be respectful, nobody has priority. Anyhow, there was a strong skater but she was taking a lesson on the phone, so she was by the boards most of the time. Then there was a high level ice dancer taking a lesson (not partnered) but on the last half hour of the 1.5 hour session. The others skaters, including me, were already tired, chatting mostly, so, so far so good. Also, a hockey player did show up, be was redirected towards another session.

The next good news is that I felt at points that I found a kind of a rhythm for my "training"...

Now, the bad news is that some of my adults skating friends shown up, and we've taken time to catch up, so I haven't use all the ice time...I was afraid to not be rude, especially in this time of isolation. That broke my rhythm...

Also, I skate Monday, Wednesday and Friday on my own and I have Tuesday a private lesson at another rink. Last week, Monday was labor day, the rink was closed so I skated Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, so a day less. I felt a little tired on Wednesday and I've got worried the about this week, and next weeks. Well, I am tired on Tuesday after Monday and on Wednesday after Tuesday... My muscles in general were tired, and I felt some pain in my hips. Ideally, at this point, after the quarantine break, and then skating just twice a week the last two months, I should have a rest day after a skating day, so I should skate 3 times a week. And add to that when I feel stronger. Before the quarantine I was skating 5 sessions a week, 2 on Mondays, Tuesday off, then Wednesday, Tuesday (when I was taking it easier on a session on the studio rink) and Friday. There is no ice around on Saturday and Sunday. I don't know what to do... bear trough the muscle building or ask my coach if he can teach me on Monday or Wednesday...

The last news is good and bad. I'm excited to have the Solo Free Dance program choreographed, but I'm afraid it's gonna take time and energy away from the other aspects of my skating... I think, for now, I shouldn't allow it. I don't know how long is gonna take me to learn the twizzle I need for the program, so I think I should work on it, and on the spins different positions that I need for the program, consistently, and that, realistically, doesn't take too much time, but I shouldn't put too much time into the rest of the program. I will prioritize everything else, and I'll allow the program to be there for my enjoyment, as a treat, after I worked on the other things.

Program: Solo Free Dance

I'm having a solo free dance program choreographed. I had only one program, freestyle adult pre-bronze, in my whole skating career, and it was a really good and motivating experience. I enjoyed both the process and the final result. It also made me work hard at the elements included in the program. So it was a win win, for both my goals of improving my skating and enjoying my skating. The only negative was that it did take time away from the other "training" I was doing (moves and pattern dances). I was actively looking for a period of time when the "training" was slowing down anyway to have a program choreographed. That would have been the summer... But the choreographer I worked with before was out of town. I have found somebody else that it actually specialized in ice dance, and I wanted a solo free dance program to test anyway. So I went for it. It's the first level for solo ice dancing Juvenile.

I will say the "but" here, and be done with any negativity and enjoy the process. "But" the summer is gone,  and my old ice is back, uncrowded ice that fits my weekly schedule, so it would be ideal for "training" for progress and tests.

And now, let the fun begin... I had the first day of choreography and we went through all the elements required to be included:
- One edge element not to exceed 7 seconds. I demonstrated all my spirals and the best looking and most comfortable is the right forward inside
- One dance spin. I can do forward and backward upward spins. Combinations are not allowed at this level, and the forward spin is more stable then the backward spin.The choreographer suggested I do some change of position, because that is allowed. I'm super excited, because I've never done that before! She gave me some positions to work on and then we'll see which ones I can successfully combine with a classic or scratch forward spin.
- One step sequence. The choreographer suggested a midline and she gave me some steps to try, they may stay or may change... But what I have up to now is a LFO 3-turn into a wide power step LF mohawk that she was excited I made it look choctaw-ish, stay on the exit edge and continue with a RBI 3-turn, LF step and RFI 3-turn...
- One twizzle. I've never learned twizzles, so I'm excited again that I'll have something new to work on. And... I'm also not excited because they seem hard!

We didn't put anything on music, but we've also listen to the music and the choreographer pointed where the elements will be. From next week we'll start to fill in the steps, on music. I think... I will, of course fill you in....

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

If you remember, I wasn't happy with my skating 2 months ago. I had to prepay ice for a whole month and I bought 3 sessions per week, but the slots that I've paid for, haven't worked for me. Tuesdays sessions were after a hockey camp and the ice was terrible to the point of unsafe. Fridays were better. Saturdays I was tired after Fridays. After the first week, I ended up skating only once or twice per week. I also got disappointed that I couldn't stick with my plan.

Last month I bought ice only Mondays and Fridays and I added an occasional Tuesday lesson at another rink. Did I have one, or did I have 2 lessons? I don't even remember. It wasn't a productive month, being that I skated only twice a week, but as I knew I coudn't expect much, at least I didn't get frustrated.

I worked mostly on MITF, trying to get closer to test the Pre Juvenile ones. I think the only thing I miss is the confidence in 3-turns. I can do them fine few session in a row, and then I don't... On the last lesson, the coach corrected my alignment, and asked me to add more speed. The speed really makes them flow. And speed is confidence.

For Ice dancing I've ran my exercises, but I haven't had corrections from my coach in ages, I don't really work on them, I mostly observe the flow and the posture. I've tried to listed to Ten Fox music (that's the dance I work on now) in just one earbud, while doing these exercises, to at least work on timing. And that worked. Even the Ten Foxed kind of worked once or twice. But I felt it asked for more speed then I was comfortable to put on the quite crowded sessions. Plus dance at speed is the thing that gets me the most tired, so I've done more then nothing but not much.

I did Freestyle consistently, but again not much as I was afraid to not aggravate the last injury, the right hip. The jumps are fine, I'm just not making them bigger at this point. I saw in the last jump lesson that I can make them bigger, so I'm not gonna worry about that now. I've hesitated to work on the loop jump because it is on the right hip, but the few I've done haven't hurt, so maybe I could have worked more on those.  I've definitely felt pain on the back spin, so I've scratched that... Meanwhile, the scratch spin is finally comfortable (I was getting dizzy after the quarantine).

I did the Figures from the first test whenever I felt tired. The forward outside and inside circles look good, I'm working at the restart of the each circle, the marks of the push have to be on top of each other... they are getting closer... Then, on the waltz eight circles, the back push after the 3-turn and the forward stroke after the back edge need to start on the same exact spots. I'll have to ask my coach if you can mark with a marker those spots to be more visible. I don't even see those spots. You need to look down for those marks without getting out of alignment.

So, last month, while I haven't skated enough to improve anything, I think I skated enough and consistently enough to consolidate the old skills.

This month I bought ice for Mondays, Wednesdays (finally they had ice on Wednesdays), Fridays at my rink, to skate on my own, and I'll have each Tuesday a lesson at another rink. The adult only ice will start only from the second week, and I'm holding my breath to be the same that it used to be, safe... But it may be not. There may be too many newcomers and they may give it a different pace. I've heard a high level freestyler signed for this ice. This is not Freestyle ice, so nobody has priority, not the lessons, not the jumps, you don't have to spin in the middle or not use the lutz corner, the music has to be in a public skate style, nobody can run their program time after time... This is ice meant for adults with a wide variety of skills, to enjoy while feeling safe (from being ran down), and being respectful to each other. But will the new people know?

Another issue that may arise is hip pain. I have an old injury at the left hip and a new one at the right... While they feel mostly fine, I'm worried if I will be able to handle skating 3 days in a row (Monday, Tuesday with my coach and Wednesday). This week was I skated like that and I have to say I felt a little pain the hips, more like tiredness but.... I'm definitely gonna be watching out.

And just one more development. I saved another kitten! He is at the point when he starts eating on his own, so while there was a couple of nights that I woke up to feed him, he should be fine from now on, and soon on his way because I've already found a home for him!

I find my self, again, not sure how to plan next month. I was writing in the last post that I hope I'll be able to "train" for progress, but after how this first days of September went, I'm not so sure I can. The problem is, that if I make it my plan to train, and then I cannot stick to the plan, I get disappointed, discouraged... Also, if I approach the skating session pushing to train, while the ice is crowded, or there are several strong skaters on ice, the ice is bad, I'm tired or I feel pain, I cannot train, and I ask for injuries... I was looking before the pandemic at having a process oriented training instead of goal oriented (passing tests) training. I thought that setting my expectations to test on a certain date, and then seeing I wasn't, made me frustrated. But what I'm seeing now is that I actually cannot plan the "process".

So, for now, the plan is to "let it be". I'll add the song on the skating play list, maybe that'll help?