I talked about the elements of the Pre-Juvenile tests here, I explained the virtual testing process here, and I talked about the last weeks training for the test here. And here is the video:
The judges scores were mostly zeros, with some -1s balanced by +1s. I've got positive for the first move and the last. Mixed mostly 0s and some -1s for the 3-turns. I've got -1 for the power pulls from all 3 judges for minimal power... And I've got 0s for the back circle eight. That confirmed what I've felt myself, that the moves were correct but without having anything special, like power, extension. confidence.
But, for me this pass is very special, as I am an adult in my 40s that started skating as an adult, and testing standard track, as the kids test. I fought really hard for my little power and ability to hold extensions. I do plan my next moves test to be on adult track, adult gold. Then I may go back and test Juvenile standard to motivate myself to work on "power" . The juvenile test would have few moves that I would have missed, like the cross rolls, 8 step mohawk and the back power 3 turns. But firstly I have to have workable boots, only then I can get back to "work"....
Should I test the Pre-juvenile MITF? I felt I was ready, in fact I registered to take this test 2 years ago, and there was a problem with the registration and I changed clubs. Then, just as I put myself together to test, I've hurt my hip, ah.. the joy of adult skating... Then Covid hit, rinks closed, then open with restrictions like reduced schedule and coaches not being allowed on ice...Then, as I was starting to feel in shape to test again, I couldn't find a test session in the next two months and so I decided to change my boots (that was December), and as you know, that's not going well. I've got a pair of defective boots, I returned them, started to look for another pair, and while I did put the blade back on my old boot, it didn't feel right so I stopped skating for a month. That put me both in bad skating shape and in bad mood in general. The second pair of new boots I bought was defective too. I put the blade back on my old boot and adjusted the blade myself so I wouldn't take another month break. Actually it would have been more than a month as I wasn't sure what boot model to buy next.
While back on my old boots... I knew the right booth was collapsed towards inside as I pronate on that foot. I already had wedges to correct that, I added more. I was surprised that I need wedge on the left boot too. I think I collapsed that boot too when my hip was hurt. So I had some kind of alignment, not ideal. I felt I could do most of my old exercises but I didn't trust the boots to go fast, to push for new staff and progress... I started to get unmotivated, I've stopped the lessons. I was mostly skating around while talking to friends.
Then I found new boots. I was cautiously optimistic... But what if these are gonna have some problems? How will I motivate myself to continue? I decided to delay changing the blade on the new boots for two weeks and take advantage of the new possibility to record tests and submit it virtually. I talked about virtual testing here.
I recorded the test! Unfortunately my friend that recorded it didn't know the exercises and missed me from the viewfinder a little. That, combined with the fact that the new boots felt reasonably good, made me postpone the decision of sending the test to be judged. There is a period of 30 days from when a test is recorded to be sent in.
And then, the boots didn't go so well. It is the insole mostly... at least that is what I hope. I cannot lace my boots tight enough without proper arch support, if I try, I collapse my arch and my feet start to hurt, cramp and freeze. I started to get frustrated and unmotivated. So I went back to the thought of sending the test to be judged to hopefully pass and motivate me, or at least keep my mind occupied and distracted from still adjusting to the new boots for two week, while I'll get the results.
I've asked my coach (that I haven't seen from December) to watch it, and he agreed that it's a good effort and the video taping is not terrible. So I've sent the video to be judged! I should have the result in around two weeks... I'll share the video soon, I just want to edit it and take out the personal info that I needed to put in for the virtual test.
Testing used to be done in live test sessions offered by clubs more or less once a month. Test sessions are quite a big production, bringing lots of people together. During the pandemic the test sessions in my area were kept very small, and I know tests sessions weren't offered at all in other parts of the country... for a whole year. So, USFSA temporarily allows virtual testing.
Virtual testing, shortly, means that the skater skates the test on a regular session, in presence of a proctor, the test is filmed and the video is sent to the clubs that organizes the judging. The test can be recorder multiple times, but the video should be one take, without interruptions, and the video must not be edited. Reskating an eventual mistake is not allowed. It is not ideal...
I decided to record my test because I'm changing the boots and from my previous two experiences in trying to change the boots I know it is not sure they will work out. Even if they do, I don't know how long it will take me to be back in testing shape again. I'm afraid during this time, I may lose motivation to train for progress.
I know my skating skills for this test level are there. I also know the video may enhance some mistakes, and also, everything looks slower on video. I recorded myself by placing my phone on the boards and I was able see some things to adjust to be confident the test will look good on video. I haven't seen my coach from December, he teaches at a different rink and it would have been expensive and probably stressful for me to ask him to overview the video making. I just asked the rink director to be my proctor and film me. We decide to try it on Wednesday. The session is from 12 to 1.30. she comes in at work at 1. Well guess what, I couldn't make it in on Wednesday, car trouble. I kept hoping I can make it there at least by 12.45... nope, I called and cancelled. Friday she wasn't available so we postponed it for Monday. As she hasn't come by ice at 1, I went to look out for her. She said she's sent me an e-mail apologizing that she has too much on her plate and cannot film it and let's postpone for Wednesday. At this point I already had the appointment for the new boots postponed once, I just thought maybe it is not meant to be... I'm trying to test this level for two years now... and it is always something...
But, the rink director said a friend can film me and she'll watch the video when she has time, so she'll still be able to proctor. So we did that... Only nobody on ice was familiar with this test, or with the camera, so we lost a bit of time playing with that, and we only had the time to film it once. My friend that filmed said she lost the focus on me once, but unfortunately it was three times... And I couldn't record it again the appointment to change the boots was next day and I had already postponed it once.
After I filmed it I have 30 days to send it to be judged. For now, I'll put it out of my mind to concentrate on the new boots. If they'll work well I can test in few months in the new boots. If they don't... well that would be a way bigger issue than not testing this test.
Last month I was back on my old boots, and as they didn't feel very secure I wasn't able to skate for progress. I'm grateful that I was still able to enjoy skating in the form of social skating, you know... skating around while talking to people, with some skating exercises forced in. Meanwhile, I kept researching how boots from different manufacturer fit. I closed in into Harlick and SP Teri. Harlick boots would have to be ordered and would take two months, while I found a bootfiter that has many SP Teri boots in stock, so I went to check them out, and we have a winner! Hopefully...
Plans for this month? I'm really really happy I'm able to enjoy skating without getting frustrated that I don't progress, and I cannot even work for progress.
But, being that I found new boots, and I'm feeling very anxious about breaking them in, and the possibility of them not fitting in the end. I thought I should try to put the Pre-Juvenile moves test together on my old boots, film it and submit it for virtual judging. It feels like a swan song... a last effort on unstable but familiar boots, before going into the unknown new boots. I videoed myself with the phone set on the boards and the test looked correct but timid. I'm thinking that the thought I'll test will give me motivation to work on that, well, to work on something, because as I said, lately I was mostly just skating around.
The rest of the month will be spent breaking in the new boots...
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.
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.
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!
From when I wrote the previous post, I skated Friday and Monday.
There were reasonable good skating days... I was complaining when I skated last month, how bad the ice was on Tuesdays and just a little better on Fridays, as on both days it was a hockey camp going on before. Still, on Fridays the ice was better then on Tuesdays. Maybe it was a different person cutting it. So, this Friday, the ice was as last month, not great, but not terrible. On Monday the ice was cut quite OK. Of course it has to be a "but"... It was so hot outside, that there were frozen drops on ice from water condensing from the ceiling, hundreds of drops... still it wasn't terrible.
There are 20 skaters allowed on ice, but there are never 20. I saw more like 15... I'm still annoyed by some skaters that take lessons and stay on a particular spot on ice near the boards, near their coaches, for the whole session. They block the use of the length of ice for MITF and Ice Dancing patterns. But, there were moments when the ice cleared... it was a waiting game but I was up for the game!
I mentioned that mid last month, I've had a fall that bothered my right hip. I was honestly overwhelmed by the possibility to have pain for 2 years, as I had when I injured my left hip. I also felt pain on both ankles... After I've fallen, I skipped a pre payed skating day, plus when I skated I took it easy. Also this month I skated just twice a week, so I had lots of time to rest and recover. And I think I'm fine.
Friday I started with moves as a warm up, no pressure. On the last lesson I had, I've had a meltdown on the forward to backward 3-turns. But I've got the correction that I wasn't lifting over the skating hip. I suspect I was cautious to use the hips as I felt the new pain, but also I was in a not good mood in general, I felt sluggish and I was not really getting mentally involved in skating. The 3-turns were definitely better, but as I started to get confident, I started to rush and I had few unbalances, so I moved along to Freestyle so I wouldn't risk a fall. I was very pleasantly surprised, for a change, that my spins finally felt comfortable (I was continuously dizzy from when I got back on ice after the quarantine). The Waltz and Salcow jumps felt great too. On the Half Lutz I started to not have to think about all the steps. On the toe loop I'm not feeling I incorporate the corrections from my coach (to feel I jump from the skating leg, not the toe pick), same on the Half Flip (to jump higher) so I dropped working on them quickly. But I felt progress on the Loop! Then I did some dance exercises and dances, but truthfully I was already tired.
During the weekend I saw an USFSA communicate that due to Covid social distancing rules and the impossibility to partnered at many rinks, USFSA will allow Pattern dances tested solo to count towards the standard partnered track (until the end of the year). That would be an option for my Ten Fox... On pattern dances I'm not really good at partnering. But I'm also not good at keeping up with the music (read here about training the previous dance, the Willow Waltz), and when I skate with my coach he takes care of that. I'm also probably not as fast as the young skaters, and I test standard, not adult track, so I need to display the power and speed like the average young skater. Again, when I test partnering with my coach, he helps me keep up the speed. But as I have the option to test solo, I'm considering it... mostly because I know it would take me loads of lessons, meaning twice a week, to get comfortable enough partnering so I can test. So I loaded Ten Fox music in my new phone.
Monday I started with the moves as well. They felt really good, including the 3-turns. (My club announced a test session on September 22, fingers crossed I'll build the consistency and courage to test them) Then I went into dance exercises but on Ten Fox rhythm. I put just one earbud in and on low volume, to still hear what is going on around me. Well, that's fast! I'm not used with that... Then I've made few attempts of the Ten Fox on music... nope, they were not on music. Of course I was disappointed, but all that got me quite tired so i moved on to figures so I could catch my breath. I did a little spinning and jumping without pushing. As I left the rink I've realized that I wasn't feeling actually disappointed. I was just eager to rest and go back and try again! That's gonna be Friday.
Both last Friday and this Monday I felt tired at the end of the skating session. Every single time I started to skate more in the past, I felt tired for a while, I needed to build up both power and stamina. And I did it trough skating... Starting with skating 3 times a week, and adding to it, until getting to (at some point) nine sessions (two were 45 minutes group classes, not intense, but still). Being that I skate only twice a week I feel I should (and I do have the time) to work out a little bit off ice. Few year ago, when my ankle was hurt, I used to do ankle exercises every day. Just before the quarantine I added to those some core exercises. I kept it simple and quick so I will do them daily, and I did. During the quarantine I kept adding to those, and it actually backfired. Firstly, the whole thing became too long so it became a chore. Secondly, I didn't have the knowledge to warm up before those strength exercise and to stretch after... so while my muscles were getting stronger, they were also cramping and I've felt stiffer. Luckily, during the quarantine, my ballet instructor offered zoom classes, one of them was yoga/pilates and that really hit the spot. That class is not offered anymore. So I feel that on the days I'm not skating I should use the old stepper for a warm up, do some strength exercises and some stretching, maybe alternating the group muscles in different days. That should help the skating.
I was writing at the beginning of the month, here, that I'm always surprised of how much more I enjoy skating when I just go and skate (without focusing on training and progress). And now, that I'm skating with the desire to test in my mind, I'm very surprised again of how less enjoyable skating becomes (the degree of it and also how quickly). To be clear, what I'm saying is that when I "train" I loose the enjoyment and also the motivation. Also, I'm wondering if I wouldn't make the same progress anyhow, without "pushing"...
I started private lessons knowing that I want to improve my skating. And the obvious process, was to do what everybody does, use the testing to structure and motivate the training. Somewhere along the way it seems to me that I've lost the "process" and I've lost sight on my goal to progress, and I've got hooked onto the goal of passing tests. And that, passing tests, wasn't even a goal to start with, that was just part of the "process"!
I've been talking to skating friends about this and also googling "process oriented versus goal oriented training" and it confirms what I feel, that in the long run, a process oriented training is more effective. But, wait, you still need to have goals! And you "have" to find ways to enjoy the process. And whoever red my older posts knows that I'm actively trying to find enjoyment because I've lost it at points, I think when I was training too hard. In the end, my research's conclusion is that training should be a combination of process and goal oriented approaches. Great!, but I haven't really found specific advice, something that I could apply and help me.
Trying to analyze here: my goal was and is, progress... to became a goodish (in my mind that is an intermediate level) figure skater, and NOT an adult figure skater. The difference in my eyes is that the adult skaters look more hesitant. I don't think this is unrealistic... The second goal would be to enjoy my time skating, and in my past experience, pushing for progress was going against the enjoyment and vice versa.
My approach, "process" was to train as the kids do and test as the kids do (standard track too, as the kids test)... Is this unrealistic? Obviously the kids have more energy, stronger bodies, they come back quicker from injury, they don't injure themselves so easily, they have less life responsibilities (maybe?), they have their skating friends that do the exact same thing, they have a support system from this skating friends community, they "play" with their friends, are in competition with their friends, are inspired and motivated by their friends. On the other hand, my injury hold me back big time, and I feel alone in my endeavor, while there are adult skaters, they all are very different from each other and myself.
I'm wondering if testing standard (that is part of my "process" now), may be unrealistic? Should I switch to adult track testing to make it more manageable, it would be easier to pass the tests, so maybe not motivate me so much, but would still be a process. I haven't tested in a while (I wasn't ready) and that makes me feel I'm not progressing. I
believe I AM progressing but I don't have that confirmation of progress
and that makes me not confident. I have to keep an eye on this.
I'm also looking forward to make the training "process" more automatic, in the sense that I would make a plan to do a certain number of a certain element and move on. At this point I feel I "judge" myself all the time in an effort to improve what it needs the most improvement. On the other hand I feel I've used a more automatic approach in the past and it felt boring and it hasn't allowed me much emotional involvement... that translates to me in enjoyment. But then again, judging myself gets me frustrated, that it's not any better.
So, after all this thinking and research, my conclusion is that there is no conclusion... I should keep an eye on balancing things, like I feel I was trying anyway, but it seems I've lost the awareness of it lately.
At the beginning of last month I felt somehow defeated that I haven't progressed on the Ten Fox as much as I expected in the previous month. I tried and did reset my mind to get back to work at it methodically instead of pushing. On the other hand I had other things on my mind, so I don't think I could have pushed the skating even if I wanted too. Then, I haven't felt good the last two weeks because of a bad cold/ flu... I skated just twice a week and I took it easy. I know it by now, but I'm always surprised of how much more I enjoy skating when I don't push for progress. I just go and skate... But then I don't progress much, so at some point I have to get back in pushing as I do want to progress, I want it badly... The deadline for the next test sessions is in few days, I think I'll miss it again. At least I hope I can get back into pushing.
I do feel some progress on the Ten Fox. The only technical correction I was still getting was to not scrape the 3-turns. I don't scrape them anymore at low speeds and I keep drilling them by adding more speed into the one step I take before the 3-turn, then adding more steps. I think it goes better, but in the dance, I still scrape them, though maybe not so badly. Then, I still need more power and confidence to test standard track. And of course, I need to be able to don't forget I have a partner, when dancing with my partner/ coach. I'm literally embarrassed at points on how I forget he exists and I go on my own, while he is right there, arm distance. But my coach says I'm very close to testing. I hope he's right because I'm really loosing my patience. As I couldn't skate with any power during my cold (I couldn't breath), my coach taught me the Fourteen Step and the Foxtrot. I feel motivated to finish already with the Ten Fox so I can get to work on them.
I worked very little at the MITF Pre-Juvenile exercises, and I haven't work at all on Freestyle. I just haven't had the time, skating just twice a week, one time being the lesson...
I had few weeks, during the last few months, when I skated four times a week: Monday, when I have my lesson too, Wednesday and Friday as I usually do, plus an extra lesson on Thursday and to be sure I'm warmed I skated on the studio rink before the lesson. It felt good... I would hope I could skate Monday trough Friday. On Tuesdays there is some really empty package ice time, while kids are still in school. That would give me lots of space o practice dance. I would have to be careful to take it easy on Wednesday so I can still skate on Thursday (not be too tired) as it is the only other day besides Monday when my coach is at my rink and I could have a lesson. I really like the pace of my skating when I have two lessons a week, as I was doing two years ago, before I hurt my hip, but of course, I need practice time on my own... For every half hour private lesson, my coach recommends two hours of practice on my own and it feels about right. But today is Tuesday and I'm not feeling up for skating, so hopefully I'll skate Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and add Tuesdays from the next week.
About my other activities, I was telling you that I help alley cats for few years now, but last year it got more intense. Toward the end of the year I figured out how to consistently work with one organization to get the friendly ones adopted. I still have to figure out how to consistently spay/ neuter those that are less friendly. And here is the blog I started to tell their story: https://alleycatstales.blogspot.com/
I will start by telling you that I don't understand how I ended up so busy during the holidays. My intention was to have some quiet time and I haven't made any commitments for Christmas days or New Year days. I suspect I felt that I'll have all this free time so I got into a deep cleaning, lots of cooking, going to few shows, meeting friends and stuff like that.
The skating schedule was as expected, not great. I did have my weekly private lessons, and the first weeks I added an extra lesson to hopefully get me ready to test the Ten Fox. The deadline was January 1st and I wasn't ready. I have to say I'm frustrated. My coach was asking me in November if I wanted to test in December, when I couldn't because I was busy skating in the Nutcracker on Ice. I felt ready to test, in the sense that my performance was good enough for this level. But the coach kept correcting things, the basic skills like not wide stepping when changing those lobes backwards, and the dropped 3-turns. Again, I thought they are good enough for my level, it is still a Bronze level dance, but of course I do agree they need improvement. This is firstly affecting my confidence, in the sense that the coach expected me to be ready in December and I wasn't able to.Then it's putting pressure on my regular life schedule because I try not to schedule other things close before those potential test days. I don't even know how to ask my coach about this to be sure he understands.
And now that I'm done venting, I'm trying to look again on what could possibly not be ready. I'm thinking at my coach's latest corrections but I also tried to remember the issues I had before testing the Willow Waltz, and it all made sense. Then, after the steps and skills were considered appropriate for the level I was asked repeatedly for power, remember I test standard, so I need to look as the kids and teens do. I also was asked repeatedly to be aware of partnering, I cannot skate go on my own way, I have to follow my partner.I think this is exactly what is happening now. My coach didn't ask for power, but to go for it, and to be assertive, but basically it is the same thing. And I'm still not partnering at points... To add to these, we haven't yet skated the Ten Fox on music, just on counting. And looking back at the posts about the Willow Waltz I found a post with the title Searching for confidence to test the Willow Waltz and here is the link, where I was describing that my last worry was skating on music. On my last lesson I tried and succeed to be more assertive. On my next lesson my plan was to pay attention to partner. But I'll skate an hour on my own before my lesson so I"ll have the opportunity to try the dance on music on my own. I'll have to remember to put some Ten Fox music on my phone.
The plan for this month is obviously to keep working at the Ten Fox for testing, but with my newly found assertiveness I may be able to also finally work on the Pre-Juvenile MITF for testing. As for testing dates, there is one early February and one mid February.
I
skated 3 times last week and the hip was fine. My plan is to listen to
my body, but ideally I would like to skate at least 4 times a week. I'm
working mostly on MITF Pre-Juvenile that was ready for testing at the
beginning of the summer but my registration didn't go trough for that session. I plan
to test it as soon is revived, the moves are there, but again I'm
lacking power.
I'll describe the elements of the test now, and when I'll take it, I'll describe how it all went.
This is a standard test. I've worked on it with pauses, for almost 2 years. I've got the moves rather quickly (like 6 months) but not the power that is asked at this level. And then I hurt my hip and I couldn't work on power...
Here is the judging form where there are drawings with the pattern for each move. 1. Forward and Backward Perimeter Power Stroking (focus on power, F: extension, B: edge quality) - I do 4 intro strokes then 2 forward crossovers CCW. That is on half the hockey circle (that I will call a lobe) and brings me to the imaginary axis where I do an right inside edge for the first half of the lobe. The next half of the lobe would be a CW crossover. Then a new lobe with a left inside edge and again a CCW crossover. - Important thing here is the power. Both the first stroke of the crossover and the second one, the under push, need to be pressed and pushed. Speed and lean into the circle will help the power. - The inside edge need to start at the axis, stroking perpendicular to the axis and the blade should be placed on an inside edge. Update on Nov 2019 to press the inside edge (both forward and backward) and to use the energy from each stroke into the next stroke - Extension and pointed toe are expected on each of the crossovers strokes and on the inside edge. - The crossovers strokes are 1 beat each, the inside edge is 2 beats. - After the last CCW crossover that ends at the axis the end pattern is another crossover and a stroke of 2 beats, right inside mohawk - The backward line starts with 2 back crossovers CCW (1 beat each stroke) that brings me around at the axis (correction to square the upper body and arms), where a power inside edge is done hold for 2 beats (pull the shoulder and arm back). Then the weight is transferred for the CW back crossover. - When I started working on this test I thought this was the easiest move from the test, but I've got so many corrections... Looking back is was all about the second stroke on both forward and backward crossovers being whimper and shorter. Of course to fix that I needed a strong alignment on the edge on the first stroke, allowing the upper body to move around the circle, hips under, lean, speed... 2. Forward Outside to Backward Inside 3-turns in the field (focus on edge quality) - These are quite big lobes, bigger then what I was doing before. Of course I needed a bigger push and that was hard to control at first. - Important things are to turn the 3s at the top of the lobe, control the edges, start the lobe perpendicular to the axis, don't do 2 foot transitions - Here are some corrections and tips, from the millions I've got: turn your head, align the upper body with the circle (at first I was pointing with the arm to the center of the circle to be sure I twisted enough), have the upper body parallel with the boards just before turning, feel the blade parallel to the boards before turning, free hip up, don't think of turning but thing of going back/ forward, count, look up (of course..). The latest tip was that the back shoulder turns the 3-turn... - I hurt my hip on a back inside 3-turn, but it wasn't the 3-turn, it was another skater that came with some speed way to close to me and spooked me. After that I was always extra cautions working on these to not be close to people, but how realistic is that? And you cannot work on alignment awareness, while twisting to see who is in your way... - The hip hurt at different intensities for a year (and it still hurts occasionally). All the 3-turns on that hip (left), disintegrated at points because I wasn't committing in transferring the weight solid on that hip... - Even without the hip trouble, when started working at this test I thought these 4 lines of 3-turns were the hardest move of the test. - Update Nov 2019 for the FO 3-turn. I've been recently asked to press the edge in and out of the 3-turn and I couldn't do it at first. I was stroking, then releasing the pressure into ice, then press just before the turn, then releasing the pressure at the turn. To make myself hold the pressure I hold the extension longer (that I was asked anyhow to do), until the turn and that made it basically a Ice Dancing 3-turn. So, I've got corrected again, to bring the feet together, when closing to turn, with the skating foot still bent from the stroke, because it is more stable, the to rise o turn, while still pressing into the ice (whaaat? I was doing the opposite, I was releasing the pressure), then bend again. I'm wondering when I will finally understand correctly what I have to do? 3. Forward Inside to Backward Outside 3-turns - Same (similar) as before... - My worst 3-turn is the LFI one. The corrections I've got are to really turn my head before the turn and to not drop the right shoulder. 4. Forward and Backward Change of Edge Pulls (focus on power) - Instructions I remember: set the edge first, press and fall into the edge/bend and pull up, hips underneath, on forward ones keep knees together, point the toe and direct it over the tracing of the circle, on the back inside that means pigeon toe. On the back ones the last piece of advice was to rotate the upper body from the shoulders not just the arms. - My instructor doesn't feel terrible unhappy about these but I think the kids have more power and speed then me... - I surely could have practice these more, if it wasn't for the quads burn... And don't get me started on the backward on the bad hip. I think I've aborted half of them... 5. Backward Circle Eight (focus on edge quality) - These is the hardest move of the test in my coaches opinion. And I've learnt he's always right... So I started to get around the circles fairly quick... somehow. And I've worked on it a lot even when the hip was hurt because it didn't bother me. To be honest I still get corrections on this. - The first thing is the backward push, not straight back but at a 90 degrees. And there are 2 secrets: don't transfer the weight to the new foot until the push is completed and pigeon toe the new skating foot and lead with the heal. - Then, for the edges there is the alignment and where your weight falls so you are over your skating hip, and keep the free hip up. There is also the lean, slightly towards the inside of the circle, but definitely not outside the circle because it's taking you of the edge. One tip was not to turn around at the middle but to lift over the hip, bring the free foot straight into the skating foot. - Then, there is use oh head movement - Then arms and foot coordination - The inside edge got more corrections. Firstly to push back not around and to look outside the circle immediately after the push, that was kind of scary somehow. Then to really keep the free foot over the tracing and at the middle of the circle to bring it straight into the other foot, without changing the hips position. Then, allow the upper body and hips to get square to the tracing of the circle. 6. Five step Mohawk sequence (focus on edge quality and extension) - There is an inside mohawk, a back outside edge, step forward om an outside edge, and forward inside edge with the free foot forward. - This requires even steps so an even count to 5. - The back edge should fall exactly at the middle of the lobe. - I didn't get many correction on this. At some point I was making it quick and it looked stepped so my coach wanted more flow. But I've got the BIG correction: to look up! My continuous battle...
Starting with this week, my rink's schedule goes back to the regular schedule. I'll be able to skate at a convenient time, three, four times a week.
I feel quite confused about my skating. There were recently few obstacles: the hip pain and some ugly politics in the skating organizations around me. And then, there is the old question: why do I skate, what do I want from skating? The easy out answer is that I enjoy it, and I have the time. BUT... it takes quite a lot of time, in fact all my free time. And I still want to progress in my skating skills so I cannot really reduce the skating time. But then again, the hard work towards progress leads often to frustration and loss of motivation and enjoyment.
Going skating today, I see no other way then to pick up where I left off: preparing to test the Pre-Jubvenile MITF and the Ten Fox pattern dance. I plan to ease up into skating, don't push too hard. I'm foremost afraid about the muscle pain and the hip pain... those would cut from the enjoyment and frustrate me immediately. So I need to warm up before skating, but also I will need to work consistently on my hip muscles. I did few sessions but I haven't kept up, but I really, really have to...
After I'll settle into a skating schedule I plan to look into the idea of skating for my personal enjoyment. This will take time away from the progress, but I feel it would balance my skating life.
Then, there is the question of displaying my skating (shows or competitions). I was planning to do a small competition (would have been my first one) in the summer, and I haven't. I still theoretically want to try out this idea of showing a program. I think there is joy in it, there is a time, a deadline that motivates, and there is music and dressing up. The idea of a new program it's very exciting to me. But this will also take away from the time that I need to work for progress.
The good thing is that I feel excited about going skating just writing about it!
As I wanted to get more involved in skating, I e-mailed and asked the test chair of my club if they need help. She also said she won't be there but one of the judges will act as a test chair. It was a very welcomed help, because there was a volunteer missing that day. I ended up helping for three hours and a half.
My job was that of a "runner". That is the person that picks up the forms from the judges, checks for the forms to be completely filled out, takes them to the office, makes copies and gives the result to the skaters. As I said, this was a very big session. The majority of the tests were double panel and some triple panel. That means that two, or three skaters were judged at the same time. There were lots of forms to be handled. And the judges don't always finish a form on the same time with the other judges judging the same test. So you have to keep that on the side until you have all the forms. It was somebody else that did this at this session. Also, she checked for the forms to be filled up and for eventual inaccuracies, like adding the scores and write the total and circling the result. If there is something missing it is given back to the judge, because nobody is allowed to write on that form, but the judge. My job was to take, usually 2 sets of forms, for 2 tests, to the office (that was at the other end of the building), copy them on colored paper, give the originals to the volunteer that processes, and give the result (the copies on colored papers) to the skater. A move test runs between 6 to 10 minutes. That was just enough to finish my job and start over. I occasionally got behind doing other stuff, or the forms were not all ready, and I've got worried that I'll mess up. But I've caught up immediately and all worked out well.
I've joined a club when I've decided to test. I haven't really knew what a club does, or how it is organized. And I haven't realized they needed volunteers help. I'm thinking that clubs don't to a good job in asking for help. On the other hand I'm probably the exception in not knowing, the parents of the skaters do know but they are probably too busy to get involved much.
Anyhow, it was an interesting and satisfying experience and I encourage anybody that gets a chance, to do it!
The test I was supposed to take this week-end, I'm not taking because of some registration trouble. I did mention last month about disagreeing with my club board. That makes the registration trouble feel personal, even if it may be not.
Lately I've got so much knowledge about how the skating world functions (rinks, clubs, judging, interests, volunteering) and I find a lot of it toxic. So clubs activity, tests, competitions and judging are all done by volunteers. And some of the things get done very late or never or not well. I find it frustrating that the biggest effort that the skating world puts, is to not get on the wrong foot with the others, instead of actually getting things done.
There are lots of winter movies that I love. One is Mystery Alaska. There is a scene when a lawyer describes the skaters in Alaska, "they skate to skate, they don't make a million bucks". I skate to skate. But there is no way to avoid interaction with the skating world and it may not be worth it for me. I'm using this moment, when I feel emotional detached from skating to analyze it. To be honest, I always felt that skating is missing something. So either I find it and I find a way to detached myself from the toxicity around me, either I let it go. And yes, I'm prepared to let it go if it's gonna come to it.
Skating takes lots of effort, time, preparation, money. Is it worth it? Is there something else that I could do instead?
I skate because I love how it feels. I love many things, but skating is a physical activity so I'll compare it with other physical activities I do. Skiing, yoga, ballet. Skiing I love even more then skating, but it is not a constant in my life as I don't live close to the mountains. Yoga I loved but I don't like the heat in general, and usually yoga is done in a warm room, also I felt I needed to do it at least 3 times a week to maintained the strength, and I used most of my time for skating. So I gave it up for fear of not hurting myself by overstretching. Ballet I love too, it has the same issue that would need more practice then the once a week I do. But if I would let skating go I could put that time and money into yoga, ballet and dance. Anyhow, what do they have all in common? They engage the body, the mind and do I dare to say the soul? The skiing is done in nature, that wakes up my spirit. Yoga is a spiritual activity. Ballet is art, art is expressing yourself. While skating has the programs with costume and music I feel they are even at high level missing true emotions. But whatever skating is for anybody else, I think I need to be able to put some soul, spirit, self expression into it in order to feel satisfied. I thought about this before but maybe not so clearly.
I was using the testing process to motivate myself. I theoretically can
register now to test somewhere else in about a month so it shouldn't
bother me that I'm not testing now. Practically is not that simple, or
maybe I'm making it complicated. The membership with USFSA expires at
the end of the month, so I'll have to register probably directly with
them as I'm not keen to join another club. It is gonna be a little more
expensive, like an equivalent of 3 private lessons. It is not a tragedy.
The problem is that the summer ice schedule is different and I usually have difficulty adjusting, I'm usually loosing my skating rhythm. I don't need that before a test. But the bigger problem is that I may have lost the respect for the testing
process. I'll have to answer myself that. But if I don't test how will I
track my progress? Also I fell the coaches, my coach included are used
to work following the testing levels.
I've asked myself before, what is the technical level needed as a foundation that would provide enough skills to express yourself. There was a learning period in skiing, yoga, and only then it became satisfying. I'm still very much a very beginner in ballet. And I'm somehow enjoy it even if I don't have the technique figured out. In skating I put way more emphasis on progress, is it too much? I asked myself this before also, and my answer was that I haven't reached my potential yet, I'm not happy with the level I'm at and I'm willing to put in the work, time and money for progress.
It seams that the main new thing in the equation of the positives and negatives aspects of the skating is the toxicity I felt in the skating world. How sad would be for that to stop me doing something I love. To add to that would be the question if giving up skating would free up time, money and the schedule constraints for activities that would make me happier.
My car broke down and because I don't test, I canceled my lesson that for the summer is at a further away rink. I could still skate at my home rink. But there is an exposition I want to see down town and then a free concert with Yo-Yo Ma. Even without having having to test I would have chosen to skate as it takes that commitment to progress. Well, not today...
These last 2 weeks were again, just ok... The reason is the same, I'm tired, I don't get enough sleep. It seems that in order to skate well, I would need uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep. And I'm registered to test the Pre-Juvenile MITF next week-end.
The good news is that I've had a good skating day each week. That keeps me confident. But that's what I've used those 2 days for, to keep my confidence up. Instead, I should have organized and get myself together for the test. I was planing at the end of last month to slow down and rework some technique and alignment and that didn't go that well. Now was the time to put together everything, see what levels of precision and power I can do at the same time, kind of marrying them. So that's my problem right now. Sometimes when I get more power I lose my balance and put the foot down. That's an automatic negative score... But then again, I cannot pull back too much from the power as it is a requirement of the test.
The other 2 days I skated on my own each week were hang in there days. I think it was still better then not skating at all. On a somehow positive note, those tired days accentuated my weakest skills, so in a way it pinpointed were I needed extra work and corrections from my coach.
On the private lesson days I choose to skate just the half hour lesson, no warm up. By warm up I mean working on my own for half hour before the lesson. And that's because on the lessons on the weeks before I was tired from my half hour working on my own. I think it was a good decision.
On my lesson 2 weeks ago, my coach wanted a full performance of the test starting with pretending I look at the judges for the nod to start, the lifting of the arms and en engaging the posture, the confident intro steps and the powerful ending steps. We worked on these before but he gave me extra feedback on how he wants me to display power after each move. Also he pointed 2 spots where he suggested I take a deep breath. And one feels almost sneaky. I used to go to my starting point, assume the posture, lift the hand and then look at the judges. He said, to skate casually at the starting point, look at the judges, and when I have their attention, assume the posture, lift the arms and take a breath... It makes such a difference. He also wants me to put in an ending pose after my t-stop when I finish each move, so I can take a breath right there. If you red my post about my first MITF test, these intro and ending "presentation" used to stress me so much. Now I can actually use them in my benefit.
On my lesson last week he said to stop after each move for corrections. And that gave me some of that test organizing that I was seeking. I've realized a while ago that I need same key words/ reminders to help at a certain point in a dance. My choreographer for the Freestyle program actually said he was using them himself and suggested places in the programs and words to use. Not to many, or it will stop being useful. So I've got some "reminders" for each move now:
1. Power crossovers (reminder for backward, posture- push hips underneath).
2.3. The 3-turns were rushed, and on the backwards one I'm turning often before the middle of the lobe. I told my coach that it was a crowded sessions and I was eager to turn so I won't bump into somebody, and you know, fall and hurt my hip. He said excuses, excuses... But with what feedback he gave me I was able to choose one instruction/ thought that helps. On all of them I have to really look at the boards to be parallel with them. This also help my posture be erect. For RFO is to let the left shoulder get back. For LFI is to turn my head to the right.
4. The power pulls, on all of them fall into the edges and lift up. Forward were fine (coach says hips forward but I would rather remember core engaged), backward there was always somebody in my way. I wouldn't say I'm worried about them, but I don't remember when was the last time I did them without obstacles, so really do them. Reminder: shoulders back.
5. On the back circle eight I'm just chocking when the coach is watching. Actually my theory is that the ice is more chopped then I'm used on my regular sessions. Also, the coach is coaching me trough it, so I feel I'm letting go on the balance and concentration as I try to hear him and incorporate what he is saying. Excuses? I don't think so, because when I do it on my own, is fine! Reminder: posture (and look up). I feel that if I'm erect the push is good, and the alignments is good.
6. On the last move he always wants something more, like flow, power, look, up, sell it, but there is no specific instruction, But to be honest is the last one and I'm probably giving up a little. So, I cannot do the at at the test. Reminder: don't give up.
The very bad news is that the schedule at my rink changes this coming week and while there are few practice sessions I don't know which of them will be less crowded. On a crowded one I don't think I can do much good. And my lesson is at another rink. So yeah, ready or not.. here I come...
I test both MITF and Ice Dancing at the standard requirements, as kids test them. My goal was to get to skate likeas the kids do. I didn't know the name for "it", I just knew that adult skaters looked shy and kids were going for "it". This "it" is called power.
As I said in the previous posts, I tested Preliminary MITF first on June 2017, and got a "retry" and I tried again and passed on October 2017. The only
reason given for the retry was "lack of power" on 2 elements. There are adult versions of the tests with
slightly different elements and requirements. The biggest difference is the power expected. So were the
standard test requires "power", the adult test requires "flow".
I've tried
very hard to figure out what "power" means. Ballet dancers famously
require lots of power to be able to do what they do, but then, they have
to look gracious, like it's actually easy. In skating, while learning the power concept, the instructions are to be aggressive, attack, push, sell it, pretend to be (overly) confident. When preparing to take again MITF test that I didn't pass, I was telling my coach that I literally don't understand the concept.
It just happened that I was just
talking with a skating friend and she was saying that the skating culture sometimes develops
aggressive personalities. And I've recently been bothered by few episodes of aggressive behavior on ice. And I'm wondering if it's partly because of
the words used to ask for power. I'm still trying to figure out what power means, and I don't think is aggressiveness.
They may not be the best words to describe it, but I think power in skating is controlled speed (holding the extensions and tension in the body and the speed will all
increase while one progresses in skills). And I think it comes from 2 different places. The first one is technique, that gives the control:
- alignment over edges. Knowing the points of balance going forward (back of your foot arch) and backward (front part of your foot arch). And how to lean to maintain the edges.
- posture and core engagement
- pressures into ice. Not once I heard about pressing into ice ore bend your ankles as a beginner. I heard bend your knees. You actually use the knee as a piston to push into the ice and the ankle to grab and hold that pressure.
- edges: correct lean of the body and speed that maintain the edges
- tension in the whole body helped by holding the extensions and pointing the toes
-my coach's advice on how to work on things to progress is to approach it from 2 sides and go back and forth between them
1. work on technique at comfortable speed
2. do the same elements with more speed over your comfort level
The second one is speed (exuberant speed - the love for skating) I feel seeing power in skating is like seeing a wild horse running. I definitely don't see them being aggressive.
On the other hand sports are competitions and one needs to be aggressive or assertive to compete, but that's another story. Maybe the teaching to compete should be separated from the teaching of skating technique.
I was invited to join our club board for the next 3 seasons. The voting would have been next month but it would have been a formality. I accepted and then removed my interest. I've got to read lots of the club documents and participated in a introductory meeting. I didn't like what I saw. The club was historically a social ice dancing club and it's run by the same people. They run it in a friendly manner, holding one board meeting per year and not checking on each other and not updating their scope and mission. The think is that now, from the 200 members of the club, 150 are junior members (under 18) interested in testing, 30 members are parents and coaches and 20 are the good old ice dancers. The club offers 5 testing sessions per year (far from enough) but has an ice dance session each week, that losses big money. Practically the junior members sponsor the ice dance sessions... Because the treasurer was on vacation, nobody was able to explain the financial statements to me. It looks like they never analyze them as a board. They don't know how much money they are losing... Plus there is a total luck of transparency in everything related to the club. And they didn't even seem to realize that this is not how things should be done. And they seemed set to continue doing them as they always did them... Well, I lost lots of time, energy and it seems I upset few people.
With the idea that I'll be involved with the board I helped with the last testing session. There were many interesting things catching my attention but I'll mention just 2. I saw 3 Pre-juvenile MITF tests (the ones that I'm gonna test next) and I guessed right that 2 passed and one didn't. The one that didn't did everything right but with no power. It looked not confident. I think that's gonna help me for my test.
The second thing worth mentioning is that I've met the judges. There wasn't a long discussion, but as I mentioned I wanted to be more involved in the skating world (like volunteering for that test sessions), one of them said that there is a big need for judges and I should become a trial judge. There were two trial judges present at that sessions and 3 judges. I don't totally understand the process quite yet but the idea is that you are registered with the USFSA to be a trial judge and you go and judge tests that then get send by the test chair together with copies from the real judges test forms to a judge that is your mentor. The mentor judge explains the trial judge the right ways of judging and keeps track of the trial judge progress. There are many requirements to be completed (classes, numbers of test sessions attended, numbers of tests judged, percentage of tests judged similarly with the real judge and more...).
And the most important thing, my skating! Skating... is good. I'm working almost exclusively at Pre-juvenile MITF. It's kind of decided that I'll test on end of June, but today my coach will sign the application, that will make it real.
MITF: Last month I skated Monday, Wednesday, Friday on my own and I had my lessons on Thursday. The plan was to push the MITF to hopefully have Pre-Juvenile ready for testing for June. And that's what I did. Each day I started with the moves and I stayed with them as long as the ice wasn't too crowded and I wasn't too tired. And every single minute in my lessons was about the moves. A miracle has happen! My coach doesn't ask for more power at this point. He still adjusted the inside edge after the back crossovers, I'm missing something there. The 3-turns are quite ok. The backward power pulls on one of the sides (the hurt hip one) is not on committed edges. He readjusted the initial push on the circle eight and the inside circle hips alignment. On the 5 step Mohawk he keeps asking to look up. And he adds new corrections (over what's necessary for this test). Like on the intro steps that are not judged, to hold the extension on the Mohawk second edge, bring feet together at ankle and start with a power wide step. I said, "You never asked me that before", he said "Because you couldn't do it before". As we put in new corrections I mess up some things but there is still enough time until the test to be able to bring everything back together.
Then I did Freestyle, spins and jumps:
- Forward Scratch Spin, I'm trying to put more oomph into it. I had during last year a handful of them that felt quite fantastic, but I wasn't be able to identify what made them better and repeat that. Now I'm starting to get it. Firstly it cannot be done without a strong pressed entrance edge. But then, it's all in the swipe of the free leg around, it's the confidence (tension, stretch, speed) of it and also I try to stop the foot more forward then latterly (as my coach instructed).
- the Back Spin was getting consistent few months ago, but as I stopped working at it consistently when I worked intensely at my Freestyle program, it stopped being consistent. I think I'm also going into it faster then before. So, when I don't abort at the entrance, it goes quite well, but then again, I cannot try the entrance 2 times in a program to get it right. The last instruction from my coach was few moths ago and was just to keep at it and don't go fast. But I really think it's time for updated instruction.
- The Sit Spin... I enter it just 2 out of 3 tries, then from those entered I get into the position on 1 out of 3 (basically I don't bring the free foot forward enough). And those that happen, are far away from a sitting position. But some days are better then others, so there is definitely hope.
- Waltz Jump. I'm trying to do it from entering with more speed and make it higher. I'll do it in the ice show, 2 or 3 in a row...
- Salchow I do just a couple here and there because my left ankle still feels tight
- the Loop. I've worked on it last time last summer, but just in the group lessons, and it was going consistently 3/4 rotated, occasionally fully rotated. Now it's between 1/2 and 3/4. I've realized recently that before jumping I had my weight on both feet, so maybe working on keeping the weight on the right foot and hip will help...
- the program I did just once a week and without music. I wanted to present it at my rink competition but it seems to be lots of obstacles. The competition is ISI and even if I was tested in my group classes up to FS4, it seems that I have to be re tested and put into the system, starting with Alpha! Alpha trough Delta is pass/retry, but then they need a score for each element. The coaches run the tests and I understand that if they coach you day by day they can fill up the papers. My regular coach is not registered with ISI so he cannot test me. So whoever would test me, would need to see the elements, at least from Fs1 and up. And I think it would take few sessions to get trough everything. Also, the rink asks the coach who enters a student in the competition, to make themselves available for judging. I think it's hard to ask somebody that's not my permanent coach to ruin their weekend, unless I find a coach that already has students in the competition willing to enter me too... The other thing is that the competition is mid June and my MITF test would be a week away towards the end of June and I'm afraid not to get distracted in preparation for the test. And the deadline to enter the competition is May 5...
Ice Dancing I did rarely, at the end, with tired legs. My coach said to not let it go completely, but I'm worrying that I do more harm then good.
The ice show rehearsals go as I expected, unexciting. I think I've outgrown this shows.
The ballet goes so well. It is funny how I'm fighting the turn out (that I do have) because I'm used to keep my feet parallel from skating.
For next month: This first week of the month is weird with the ice show taking over the ice time. But for the rest of the month, the plan is the same: push the moves, keep working at Freestyle and don't let go of Ice Dancing.
Here is again the link to the judging form.
And the videos of my tests, retry the first one, pass the second one
1. Forward and Backward Crossovers on circles (focus power) with a swing Mohawk when transferring from the second forward circle to the first backward circle.
I'll write a post about the crossovers technique soon and link it here.
I
started from standing at the middle of on an end line with 2 strokes,
then forward CCW crossovers on the hockey circle, then a left forward
swing roll (not required) continued with forward CW to the right hockey
circle, swing Mohawk, then CCW back crossovers, back swing roll (not
required) before changing to the last circle of CW back crossovers,
finish with a backward stroke holding the extension and step forward and
stop. The circles have to be similar in size.
My challenges were
-
making all 4 types of crossovers looking as they had the same power
(they didn't), so I had to pull back on the stronger ones and obviously
push as strongly as I could on the weaker ones
- figuring out
where to start the swing rolls and finding a pace for the crossovers to
get to finish at the point were I was starting the swing. I worked on
this test for around a year, and as I did get stronger and faster I had
to adjust the number of crossovers and the place were I started the
swing rolls.
- the back swing roll I did just on the second test,
coming with some speed after the CCW backward crossovers, at first I
wasn't comfortable in stroking backwards and holding the extension
forward before swinging.
- the swing Mohawk. The swing is all on
an outside edge, but then the edge should be changed to inside for it to
become the start of the Mohawk. I could do it at slow speed and using
more space but on the tight space between the circles I always ended up
getting on the inside edge as I was swinging the leg and that made it
look wimpy. This is one of the skills on my "wish" list. After I injured
my left hip I figured that the forward swing roll to the right was
straining my left flexors and abductors so I stopped doing them. But
it's time will come.
I've got passing score of 2.5 on both tests but I do think I was more confident at the second test. 2. Consecutive Outside and Inside Spirals (focus on extension and edge quality).
My
straight spirals were pretty consistent on both legs at this point, BUT
you need to do 5 consecutive and equal lobes of outside edge spirals on
the length of the ring, then 5 more on an inside edge. And you need to
keep the extension higher then the hip level for 4 seconds so you need
to get on the edge and the leg up very quickly, otherwise you run out of
space. My biggest problem proved to be getting out of the spiral
quickly and in a controlled way. I was saying when I talked about the
spiral technique here,
that I wasn't used to square the hips and upper body, but stack the
hips and twist the upper body. I think that is easier to hold the edges
like that, but it's hard to change the lobes, you have to change the
lobes square to the axis, there is no other way. By the second test
I've gotten a little better.
Again I've got 2.5 on both tests, but I definitely improved the control on changing lobes on the second test. 3. Forward Power 3-Turns(focus on power)
That
is a 3-turn step wide on an inside edge and pull into a back crossover,
and step forward into the 3-turn and repeat. My RFO was way slower then
the left one, but to be honest they were both slow. This is a power
move so it needs to show speed. I also wasn't turning the 3-turns at the middle of the lobes on the first test, i was rushing. That wasn't even my biggest challenge.
That was to step forward squared after the back crossover,
perpendicularly to the axis. If I wasn't square at that point I couldn't
control the next 3-turn.
On my first test I messed up a 3-turn, but
either the judge didn't see it, either one mistake was allowed, she
didn't comment on it. But still I've got just 2.4 for luck of power.
I've got. 2.5 on the second test. 4. Alternative Forward 3-turns (focus on edge quality)I've got 2.5 on both tests.
I talked about outside and inside forward 3-turns technique here and here.The alternative outside 3-turns was the hardest move for me, more exactly the transition between the 3-turns. Theoretically you need to do a controlled 3-turn (figures style) leaving perpendicularly from the axis (forward outside edge) and returning perpendicularly to the axis (back inside edge) with a perfect balance and posture and then twist your blade on that spot from backwards to forward to start next 3-turn. But again, for this test the quality should be 2.5 out of 6. The judges don't expect perfection. And I saw kids testing and forcing the end of the 3 turn close to the axis but not on the axis into the next one, so that's what I set up to do. So, my trick was to snap the turn and really keep the free leg, hip and glutes tight and as I was approaching the axis, open the hips to be able to start the next turn. This move is not on any of the adult MITF tests, it is an award, wicked one... 5. Forward Circle 8 (focus on edge quality and continuous flow). I talked about it here. I've got 2.5 on both my tests. On the first test I was wobbly but I didn't actually put the foot down (as it appears in the video) and after the test the judge complimented me for the "exact" edges and that circle 8. Again, she either didn't see the wobble or it was "exact" for this level. 6. Alternating Backward Crossovers to Backward Outside Edges (focus on power and extension)
I've got 2.3 on my first test, again for "lack of power", and 2.5 on my second test but with the suggestion "more power needed". I'll talk about power in one of my next post, I have enough thoughts and feelings about it to fill a whole post! What I think helped me on this move the most in the second test, was a straighter posture (shoulders rolled back and lift from the waist up, core engaged) on the backward edge. On the first test I was off balance after the back edge so I couldn't push well into the crossover. I knew and I see in the video that on the LBO edge was not over my hip, I'm working now on back swing rolls and I'm close in finally correcting that.
