Mid month update - regrouping

It is not really mid month, but I have new thoughts. I was telling you I had the flu and it kept me down for a good week and I still feel I'm not back, now, after two weeks...

But a good thing came out of it. As I couldn't do much physically while I was sick, my mind was available, clear and involved in what I was able to do. I skated just twice a week but with more intention that I was able to put in lately. Now, as I get back to my regular, busy life, I will be busy, surely overwhelmed at points, late skating... so I want to pay attention and find ways to get my whole attention to skating while I'm on ice. When I was doing yoga, it was something that we were instructed to do at the beginning of the class, allow yourself to be there.

That was the only good thing that came out of the flue. The biggest bad is that I still don't breath right, so I'm getting tired easier on ice and I felt tired during the ballet class too. I was also coughing more during the weekend. The best thing I can do is to not push, rest and allow myself to heal. I will have my lesson today, but I won't push for adding Tuesdays to my skating schedule. I will also not push for adding the second lesson on Thursday. On the other hand, whatever skating I'm able to do, I'm happy with. That would be the moves, because the Ten Fox took a break, I couldn't push it while sick and also I couldn't partner it and get my couch sick. But the moves progressed, the ones that ask for power I feel I have more control and then I allow myself to go faster. The 3-turns are good(ish) for a while now, so good, that my coach wants me to keep the free leg out now. At this point I like to bring the free foot at the ankle of the skating foot as I turn, it feels safer. But, surprise! I can do them with the foot out... It's truly a miracle! The miracle of perseverance...

As for Ice Dancing, I'm smitten with the Foxtrot. I had the excuse of not being able to skate out the Ten Fox so I worked on the Foxtrot instead. I still have to think about what I'm doing. Not necessarily the steps, but how the upper body is set to step into the next step. That is because many of the Foxtrot steps are cross rolls, so the upper body has to stay differently (almost opposite) then on the regular strokes. I'm also working on the new Mohawk, the closed Mohawk, the one where you place the free foot, behind the skating foot and hold the free leg extension hold coming out of  the turn. I feel I've got the idea at very slow speed. If I try to do in in the dance I panic. So I'll have to drill it a lot a low speed, and slowly increase the speed, just as I work on the dropped 3-turns.

The second bad thing coming out of me having been sick, is that I'm behind with my day to day life. I'm usually very busy, now I'm both behind and have some new things going on. I'm helping a lot the alley cats, more then before, if you are interested, read about it on my new blog: https://alleycatstales.blogspot.com/