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.