Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I haven't posted an update from the beginning of March. The plan was to take a balanced approach to skating in both scheduling, goals/ expectations and even the actual skating effort. Also, I've still haven't finalized the blade adjustment, in the sense that it felt better, but I have hoped it could get even better, so the blades mount had only on temporarily screws so I would able to move the blade/add shims myself.  The first week of March I couldn't skate at all (work related), and the I've slowly deflated and skated on and off, mostly off.

The month of April... no skating! (including this first week of May). The first 2 weeks of April I had crazy work projects, then, as I was very tired, I've got a little cold. Plus one of my cats went through teeth surgery. What I find interesting is that, while I would have been able to skate at least once a week, I've chosen not to... Yes, I was tired and a little sick, but I also reasoned that skating just once a week my muscles are going to hurt. And looking back, I was also unmotivated because I didn't have a clear skating plan and the fact that I'm still not comfortable with the blade alignment.

The plan for the month of May?

The priority is to finish with the blade alignment. If you remember I had a bootfitter on the ice with me for an hour and he basically agreed with everything I was feeling. Then he moved the left blade forward, over the edge of the tip of the boot's sole, as I wasn't feeling stable on the rocker. Now I just have to figure out the balance between inside/outside edge, as I did on the right boot. I pronate (on both right and left sides), so it's not gonna be perfect. My "technique" is to move the blade towards inside, this helping to get on the outside edge, until the inside edge starts to suffer. Of course both the front of the blade and the heel have to be figured out, and they also have to "feel"straight. Then, if I still cannot go hold the outside edge, I add shims.  It is annoying because on ice, instead of skating, I have to run specific exercises that show the balance, then go out of the ice, take the boot off and adjust... then back on ice... 

The alignment on the right boot feels as good as it's gonna get. On the left I was feeling that my heel needs to be a little more "in", I was collapsing towards inside. It wasn't terrible, so I thought let's mostly skate, build muscles and have the alignment in the back of my mind. But it seems that it is holding me back mentally as I perceive it that I "cannot" skate, I'm just building muscles/ exercising. 

The plan is to hopefully progress with the blade alignment, and to skate as I used to skate, for progress, at least 3 times per week, to start with, though, realistically I cannot expect much progress even skating 3 times per week. But I don't think the "balanced" approach to skating worked for me. I am motivated if I have goals and work towards certain skating skills or tests. 

My last goals (3 years ago, before covid and the boots troubles) were Adult Gold Moves and Standard Tenfox. I think I should start working on this and maybe have a lesson to map out the Gold Moves.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Let's review last month. 

I was finally able to work on the blades alignment. It feels waaaay better! In the past I always felt my right foot more unstable, but on these new boots, the left foot balance was terrible, it ended up I was right to request the blade to be moved forward, you can read all about the alignment here. Now the left foot feels good, the right just OK. I still want to try some things so I'm still on temporary mount  (screws) for now.

And how did the actual skating go last month? Not bad... I was able to skate consistently twice a week. At the beginning of the month I was focused more on feeling the blade and building muscles, the last 2 weeks I decided to concentrate on reviewing skating skills. 

I made a list with what I though to be doable exercises. It included my warm up, edges and the moves in the field up to what I tested, so nothing too challenging. I am trying to hold back for three reasons. Firstly, I am still not 100% aligned and safe on these boots, secondly I am eager, after 2 years of skating cautiously on my old boots, to go fast and that goes against the first point, so against safety. The third point is, I am still building muscles and stamina, I do feel out of breath when I skate faster.  

I'll keep the same plan for this month. I was reviewing my blog and I've realized it took me exactly 2 years to find new boots. My skating feels like a comeback. I have to accept it is challenging, also my available time for skating is not the same as before. In the past my goal was training for progress, now I am committed to approach skating in a more balanced way. I feel I have to go methodically and slowish for a while, to build my balance, muscle, stamina. And I think it is a sensible, safe, challenging enough and rewarding enough plan, all things considering.

Adding to the balanced approach is the fact that I won't skate at all the fist week of March. I've decided I wanted to watch Shyncro Nationals, and I have to watch live as there is no replay and it runs at the same time as my own skating slot would be.

Christmas Miracles!

I wish everybody Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schedule adjustment (some rinks closed)

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

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

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

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

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

Skating update: settling in

I'm settling into the new skating schedule!

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

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

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

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

Mid month update

So there is good news and bad news...

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

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

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

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

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

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First time on ice after 3 months

Yesterday was my first time on ice. I reserved ice at a rink 45 minutes away from me, when they first announced they'll open. I thought I'll allow one hour for the drive and half hour for warming up (outdoors) and doing the paperwork (waiver and receipts) and putting on the skates. Guess what, I barely made in on time. The traffic got worst as I was driving and I saw some exists barricaded (protests related I would think). But I've made it...

Once there and I entered with the mask on, one person took care of the paperwork by the entrance, took my temperature and escorted me to the bench near the rink. I put my skates on and got on ice. I've literally haven't touch anything, so they did a really great job on keeping the environment safe! They also asked us to keep the masks on while skating.

On ice there was a young skater with a coach and a teenager that laced up at the same time with me.

As I stepped on ice I got stuck? Like the blades wouldn't glide... and I almost tripped on my toe picks. I didn't panic as I remembered the advice to check the blades for rust after not using them for a long time. I made it to the hockey box and looked at the blades they seemed fine. I also remembered that I asked if the rink was cold, and they said no, that means the ice was soft. And it felt soft. Probably it was a combination of the blades needing few strokes to clean themselves and me needing to adjust to softer ice then I usually skate on, and after stroking easily twice around the rink I felt fine.

I've checked my "what exercises to do list" and did some swizzles forward - good, and backward - I was way too forward on my blade, hitting the toe picks... The kid was spinning and jumping between a blue line and the central line, and the other skater was doing twizzles on the other blue line. They were somehow in my way to go straight on the length of the rink, and  the short lines were all taken, so I didn't do the swizzles with breathing and the simple edges that were on my list.  I took a hockey circles and started forward circles 8.  They felt fine, but as payed attention to feeling the ice and my alignment, and I haven't payed attention to follow my tracing I realized I've made too many tracings so I couldn't really do "figures" style work. I was anyhow eager to try all my skills... So back circle 8. I had a mental hesitation about how to start it... the back push... I couldn't really remember, luckily my body did. First circle went around and as I started the second circle. Uups, I fell. Totally surprising! Luckily I've put my hip pad in, after I've initially forgotten... I did the back circle eight again twice, successfully, but I've realized that my balance going backward is not "muscle memory", I had to pay attention. I did the waltz 3-turns circles and they were fine but not very uniform. The exit edge for the 3-turns (going backward) felt short. I did some forward inside 3-turns and the exit edge (going backward) was short for sure. Half rink was empty and I did some crossovers on a circle, I found myself holding back on the forward ones as I didn't want to put too much extension or catch speed. On the backward ones I was on my toe pick scratching, a lot. Urggg. Everything going backwards needed adjustment...

Checking again my to do list I've started the next section with a little more "power" exercises. The slalom forward felt so satisfying, I've got the growl of approval from the ice. Backward I had to correct my posture, I was leaning forward, push my heels back, under me for better balance, but mostly I've realized I had to bend into my ankles more. Next on my list were the edge presses, I soo love these, I feel I get to work on posture, alignment, bending the knee and ankle, pressure into ice... I've already done the crossovers, I wasn't in the mood to do the power pulls, I went ahead to do the MITF exercise of crossovers on lobes holding the inside edge. I've felt I've got a quite good body lean and confidence in holding edge and I've caught some comfortable speed going forward, the kid cut my way, so I've slowed down at the end, and backward I was a little cautious, but not so scratchy as 5 minutes before. It didn't feel it was the right moment to go on the length of the rink again (isn't it funny how somehow when there are very few people on the rink, they don't move?). So I did some spins. The first one was way up on the toe pick, second one better but not great. I did a waltz jump, kind of perfect for the moment, so I've moved one keeping the good feeling on that.

Next on my list were the 3-turns (forward and backward, big, holding the edges, but not put on the big patter as for the MITF test). Yeiiii, they were there, waiting for me!!!  The dance dropped 3-turns felt off, I've realized the timing is off.

30 miutes have passed, my list was done up to "if there is more time" and the kid and the coach left. I had the length of the rink available so I went for the good old stroking with a little extension. Damn that left hip felt like a foreign body part, tensing immediately. I did chasses forward, backward, progressives, chasses again to get more flow. The mask was keeping my from breathing fully for these kind of "running" exercises. I slowed down and did few spins, better then before, and one very good back spin!

As I caught my breath I've realized I'm giddy! and relieved that all my skating work was not gone forever. Nobody's put any music, so I've went and ask permission, they said to use Bluetooth. But surprise.. the only music on my cell phone was ice dancing music. Oh well, I took it as a sign and went for it. Chasses again with (some) power and extension, went crazy with the swing rolls (damn the back extension to the left), dropped 3-turns hello, nice to see you again... and the Ten fox. I forgot to think about the existence of the outside mohawk, so I just did it. I took it afterward a little apart, it was fine.

The time was almost up, I wanted some speed so I thought I'll be safe and in control with the MITF crossovers pattern holding the inside edge. Then, I thought if I feel comfortable enough to do that with power, I should be able to do the power pulls, so I've done those too!

Looking back, I'm so happy I've had the plan to take it easy... and I figured out safely what I had to adjust. The first 30 minutes were spend almost "standing" no flow out of edges, just exercises for finding the balance and alignment. If I would have gone for my regular skating, I'm sure I would have gotten lots of off balance situations and erode my confidence.

I'll go back tomorrow! I cannot wait. I'll keep the same plan, start easy and build on it as I grow more comfortable.

Plan for the first time on ice

I really really want to take it slow as I start skating after more then two months break. I told you in my last post that I've red that other adults skaters had a pretty hard time coming back. They complain mostly about feeling stiff and wobbly and that they've lost skills. I think my biggest fear is... muscle pain or re injuring my hip.

At first I thought I'll go out there with absolutely no plan and just enjoy. But, I'll skate in a Freestyle session with kids that will just fly around me. I bet that will  get me excited to follow some things they are doing.

So I think it is better have a plan, like a list of exercises easy enough for the first time on ice. Before the break I was skating sometime on a studio rink, half size, and I found I had to skate differently than on the big rink, slower, more methodical. This re starting to skate is somehow the same.

Here are some drills/ exercises I can do in a relaxed manner
- skate in a public skate style
- swizzles forward/backward
- swizzles with breathing lifting the upper body
- easy edges F/B outside and inside
- hopefully the rest of the skaters will still be busy warming up and I will be able to use the middle for some figures style circle eights

And then, a little more power
- slalom B/F
- edge presses
- light crossovers on circles F/B
- power pulls

Then
- light 3-turns forward and backward
- dance dropped 3-turns
- some spins
- some jumps

If there is time
- MITF crossovers pattern
- MITF 5 step mowhok pattern
- chasses, progressives, swing rolls F/B on lobes (no extension)

And also a list of what NOT to focus on...
- no high extension as those were hurting my hip
- no knee bending so I don't get my quads sore
- no speed

Mid month update

This is the second week without skating... But let me finish telling you what two weeks ago happened. I approached that week with the intention on working on the training process. That's what I've done on Monday, read about it here. Then, the rest of the week was kind of blah...

On Monday, after the session I skated on my own, I also had my private lesson. I lately added a second lesson on Thursday and they were all focusing on the Ten Fox. But as I haven't registered for the test, I felt I could use half the time for dance, half for something else. On Thursday the week before, I had some instruction on figures, question about the Foxtrot mohawk, then dance. This Monday (2 weeks ago) I wanted my coach to see the new 3-turns (with the free foot kept out) from the Pre-Juvenile moves pattern. They were mostly ok. The first correction was to use the upper body twist more (watching to align one arm towards the center of the circle). The second correction was that on some of the back turns, I wasn't turning on the back of the blade. So, with the back at the side board, I was instructed to "feel" the blade as I was turning. That helped a lot. Then we worked on the Ten Fox, but I don't remember much, I think it was on the right track.

Tuesday I don't usually skate. With the training process in my mind I happened to come across an article about muscle recovery. I was reading and experimenting about that a lot last year, as I was having muscle pain often. And I've decided that, at least for now, it feels that I work hard enough on Mondays, that I would need the Tuesday to rest and allow the muscles to build. But this particular Tuesday I was having a meeting around the skating rink anyhow, and I would have been able to squeeze in an hour on the studio rink. I don't feel that I put that much effort when I'm in the studio. But the ice wasn't done... again. My plan was to do figures and the ice was really not usable for that. Of course I could have done other things, like jumps, but being that I plan my effort for the whole week and try to pace myself and rest the muscle, it's not easy to switch. They offered to do the ice then, but 15 minutes were gone already, they would have take 15 minutes more to do the ice and then the ice would have been wet, and I couldn't have seen my tracing for figures anyhow. They said I can stay longer, only, I couldn't, I had the meeting... I feel very conflicted about this "adult only, cheep ice". I'm trying to keep things in perspective... especially nowadays, how I would love to have that ice, or a frozen puddle in the backyard. But at that particular point in time, the perspective was different. I was trying to "train" using a process... It doesn't matter to me that ice slot is cheaper then usually. I arranged my work around that ice, and my sleep, because it is not so busy. But I put a big effort into it. And the staff, chooses to not have the ice done, because only one skater skated before (member of the staff, not on scheduled ice time and for free too), and it didn't make sense to redo the ice after just one skater. Well, then don't let unscheduled skaters on ice... I don't know... perspective changes by the day.

Wednesday I went to my regular session but I was upset about the previous day. I was trying to shake the negative emotions and try to think of training process. It didn't work. A friend was visiting from out of state and we talked for a while. The new virus was already making headlines so that may have unconsciously affecting my mood too. I've also knew I wouldn't be able to have a lesson the next day as I had another work meeting I had to do so I couldn't find any motivation to push the skating.

Thursday, no skating.

Friday, rinks were starting to close for fear of the spreading the corona virus, not my rink. I went skating and there were many of the regulars skating, but the mood was gloomy. I kind of don't remember my skating...

Saturday and Sunday there were rumors of my rink keeping some session on, then off, then on, then it closed...

Last week I stayed mostly in the house, I did a quick trip to the grocery store, and I was lucky to be keep my appointment for spaying neutering at Anti Cruelty for 3 cats. It was their last day open. I had an appointment for this week for another 3 cats but that's gonna be postponed indefinitely...

Starting with last weekend, all my state is going into quarantine for 2 weeks, until April 7th...

Process oriented training day plan

Well, all the skating rinks are closed as part of the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. We also don't know for how long they'll stay closed. But I skated last week 3 times and I find I've made some progress about following a training process. I'm writing this so I won't forget where my thoughts were at. This is kind of a bookmark...

I usually skate on Mondays from 12 to 1.30, and I have half an hour private lesson after. I usually don't skate Saturdays and Sundays, and on Monday I feel way stiffer compared with the other skating days. So I always took the time to warm up longer. But I felt that this time, as I was thinking what I wanted, I got more out of it.

This is what I want:
1. pay attention to the body alignment
2. bring awareness to pressing into ice (something that it's not in my nature to do)
3. push myself to catch some speed (something that's against my nature...)

I feel that until now I've paid attention mostly to the body alignment. I generally start my sessions with forward/ backward slalom, forward and backward power stroking and edge presses and focus on alignment. The pressing into ice I used to notice if it was there or not, but not try to correct. I think I was thinking I'll pay attention to it during the rest of the session. But I don't feel I was successful. As I was working on more difficult skills I wasn't able to concentrate on the ice pressure. This Monday, I didn't feel I was "in the ice", so I've done the edge presses again, this time focusing on pressing. Better! I was then, able to take this awareness into most of the rest of the session. I've decided to continue with the moves (Pre-Juvenile level) starting with the many 3-turns that I now rework. That gave me the opportunity to keep working on both body alignment and ice pressure. I continued with the backward circle eight (alignment) and the forward/ backward power pulls  that I've done 3 times (pressure and alignment), then the 5 step mohawk where I surprised myself with more speed then I usually put in. That gave me the idea to do again the forward/ backward power stroking concentrating on speed. See, in dance I need that speed, but it's hard to get it concentrating on all the steps. It's a better plan to already have worked on the speed as a warm up, before starting to work on ice dancing. All this took like 45 minutes.

Then I had 45 minutes for dance. I started with forward/ backward stroking concentrating first in posture, extension then in ice pressing and speed. I feel speed is not comfortable if the posture is not there. Extension helps to hold the posture. The ice pressing is both in the ankle pressing at the push into each stroke, and in pressing into the skating foot while gliding and holding the extension. Next would be forward and backward chasses, progressives and swing rolls. I'll tell you that at this point I was kind of loosing my patience to "work" on things, especially because I knew that I wanted to work on 3-turns (as I always do), then on the Ten Fox. But I've gathered my will as my coach corrected on the previous lesson to stay on the skating hip while rising and rebending to change lobes going backwards, and I forgot to do it lately. I feel that skill holds back my dance 3-turn too, so I've "worked" on all those too. On the forward exercises I was also paying attention to press the outside edge at the end of the lobe, that I usually release too soon. Again, I feel this will help in many places, but on the entry edge of the dance 3-turn too. Then came the 3-turns, concentrating on the entry edge, lifting over the hip while rising AND pressing into the ice. Then concentrating on counting and holding the exit edge and keeping the weight on the skating side while rebending.

At this point, it wasn't much time left from the session, just like 10 minutes and I've still had to run the dance. I  was feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally. Also, I was having a lesson next, and I haven't done the dance yet... pressure. But I had a big surprise! I knew the dance it's gonna feel good after all these work, but I wasn't expected to feel that good. This is proof the process oriented training works! I writing this down for me to read it when I'll start skating again!

 I'll tell you about the rest of last week on my next post. There isn't gonna be new skating to tell you about anyway...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Last month I recovered from a flu and so I couldn't skate as much as I wanted. I skated 3 times a week. The last two weeks I added Thursday to the schedule and I added an half hour lesson to the one I take on Mondays. But... both these last two weeks I didn't skate on Friday. Something came up and it would have been a stretch to get to the skating rink.

Freestyle: I've done zero jumps and spins. As I was still congested after the flu, I was too out of breath to jump and not finding the balance for the spins. I'm feel excited to get to work on them again.

Figures: I've introduced figures in my training. Read about my reasons and the first lesson from two weeks ago, here. It seams I'm settling in practicing them around 20 minutes on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the very beginning of the sessions when the ice is clean.

MITF: The big change here is that I'm doing the backward 3-turn holding the free foot out, before I was bringing the free foot at the ankle when I turned and extended it after. I worked on them in isolation in cluster of two: forward 3-turns into backward 3 turns. I'm planing to start putting them on the pattern now, so 3 sets of two on the length of the rink. I think the rest of the moves I'm doing, those from the Pre-Juvenile, test are strong. I plan to start doing all these exercises with awareness on presentation, with entry steps and exit steps as I would do them when testing. I also plan to start working at the 5 minutes warm up, that's what I would have before the test. I don't want to do this as soon as I step on ice, as I remember it used to unsettle the whole skating session in the past. It made my rush and push too hard and then I felt tired.

Ice Dancing: it's definitely improving. The proof is that I finally got to partner the Ten Fox with my coach, on music. It could still use a little more work so I haven't registered to test. The 3-turns are stronger, but they are different in different days, I have bad days when I cannot really make them good, meaning they are still not reliable. Partnering is better. I added speed at the end pattern and that made me scared of the outside Mohawk, but it is happening now. I should start working on a 5 minutes warm up for dance, as soon as I step on ice, then do the dance so i would really mimic the test session.

Training process: Not being ready to test the Ten Fox got me disappointed and made me wonder if my goal of testing standard is appropriate, or I'm setting myself for failure. Then, I was questioning the training process. You can read my thought on process oriented training versus goal oriented training in the previous post. I feel that lately all I had in my mind was testing the Ten Fox and I've lost sight of the process. But I'm realizing I've never really figured out a training process... So, that's my goal now! Plus, of course, I want to test the Ten Fox...

Process oriented versus goal oriented training

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.

Skating Technique: Figures

I decided to add "figures" to my skating practice. I feel practicing them brings awareness on the body alignment for good edges, and also create body memory of that alignment. Mostly I feel they are easier on the body then the rest of the skating. I'm trying to skate 5 times a week Monday to Friday, but I know my body cannot take intense skating every day, so I can practice figures when I feel tired or when I want to preserve energy for the next day.

So I've spent a private lesson, with my regular coach that luckily teaches everything, on figures. He brought a scribe (like a big compass) to make a perfect circle mark on ice. Interestingly, when testing figures, you cannot use marks, not even the hockey marks and line that are on ice, lower levels can mark the center, that's it. But for practice, having a perfect circle drawn (scratched really), gives you the opportunity to start learning correctly. There are many rules for figures, but the lesson was 30 minutes, I don't think that would be enough to talk trough all the rules... So we jumped right into the forward circle eight, outside and inside edges. Besides, the rules are online, here: https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/Compulsory%20Figures%20Rules.pdf

 What I've learned in the lesson:
- 2 circles were drawn, tangent to each other, with a radius of 94 inches. In my calculations I would need 98, to follow the rule, that is that "the diameter of each circle should be approximately three times the height of the skater"
- The start push is very specific, very exact: from a perfect T position, with the ball of the skating foot exactly on the starting line. AND all the subsequent  pushes are like that... Plus they have to be on top of each other...
- You have to repeat a figure 3 times, and the tracing should be on top of each other (I know there is a few inches allowance, but I don't remember it now).
- On this first lesson I wasn't taught specifics about how I should hold my body. I'm already able to do the forward circle eight well, so we built into that. One correction I was given was to bring the free foot near the ankle of the skating foot as  soon as possible, so I'll have the hip position locked. Then I would change the upper body at the middle of the circle, and lift on the skating leg, leaning into the circle, to finish the circle.
- The forward eight outside and inside circles were not bad, the worst part was the push.
- I've also tried the waltz eight circles and that was quite bad. I couldn't keep the 3-turn on the circle, I went out of the circle. I'm sure I will need to work on the 3-turn too, I feel is more "delicately" done then the one in MITF.
- I've also tried the back circles and while I do them MITF style successfully, I was very off the circle, like a foot or two....

Mid month update

I'm posting another update because there is nothing new with my skating, I'm just... skating. I feel I'm finally back from the flu. I was feeling fine for two weeks now, but I just couldn't breath deeply. I've skated my usual days Monday, Wednesday, Friday, with a lesson on Monday. That is not enough to really improve on anything, is mostly maintaining and... some very slow progress.

Ice Dancing: The Ten Fox definitely improved lately, I've focused on it from last October I think. But, my coach was saying it and I agree... I need two lesson per week to push it to test. I think it would be fine for testing it as an adult, but the rest of the dances in this level I tested standard, and I still think I can test it standard. But I forget from one lesson to another some detail, so then, in the lesson I have to go again over things that theoretically I know and I can do, instead of working at new things. Also, I need to skate more then three times a week, as the kids at this level do, just if I want to test standard... I'm quick enough to feel of ice and to find the balancing points if I skate only three times a week.

MITF:
On the pre-Juvenile patterns, that I just maintained, not really work on them, from when I started to focus on the Ten Fox,  I saw how progress has sneaked in...
- On the first pattern, the power stroking, my coach kept adjusting the starting of the edges to be perpendicularly away from the axis, and the pressure into the ice. I finally got it in the backward side too...
- The 3 turns got stable and aster than I realized, but I was doing them by bringing the free foot at the ankle at the moment of the turn. My coach pushed me to do them with the foot extended (for the backward ones), despite my mumbling that that would make me unsure. He said, no, that would make you a better skater. How can I argue with that?
- The forward power pulls got good, sometimes really good. My coach was never happy with the backward ones and lately I'm doing them worse. I think I'm trying different things but it didn't come together yet. The correction that I doesn't seem to be able to apply is to not lean forward.
- The back circle eight was very consistent lately.
- The five step mohawk lobes were considered good long time ago, my coach haven't seen them in ages. I did get the correction to look up that I surely haven't succeed in apply yet. I'm trying...

Freestyle:
- The only jump I'm doing, maybe once a week are a couple of waltz jumps. I gave up working at the loop. But as I'm writing, I do realize I should keep jumping the salcow and the toe loop if I don't want to loose them, as I've lost the loop.
- I usually spin a little every time I'm on ice. I gave up on them while I had the flu and I was congested, and I just started them again this week. I'm maintaining the forward one foot spin, scratch spin and the backward upright spin, that's it.

Mid month update - regrouping

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

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

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

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

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

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

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/

Dropped 3-tuns, new corrections for Ice Dancing intermediate level

I've had few new (and old) corrections on yesterday private lesson.

Firstly, you know how I was saying in my last post, that I feel my skills for the Ten Fox are good enough for the level, and all I need is to put a little more power and pay attention to partnering? Actually, it seams that I scrape the 3-turn... badly. May coach showed me the tracing on ice (in the Ten Fox pattern) and it was soo bad. That would be a good reason to fail the test. When I do the dance on my own, I'm never able to find the tracing. When I do the 3-turns on their own, I can find the tracing and it looks correct more often then not. But in the dance, I do the 3-turn after steps harder then and outside stroke, plus I have more speed, so it is a more difficult set up. I have to fix this before thinking of testing.

Here is the post I wrote about the dropped 3-turns. I'll go over the mistakes I make often now, and what I should be doing correct them:
- good forward outside edge on the entry stroke. That would include a good push from underneath yourself, so re bend on the skating foot, but then flip it on the inside edge as you actually put the new foot down. This will make space for the new foot to be set on an outside edge. I am able to do this consistently, but I'm not doing it in the dance... the problem I think,  is rushing, getting overexcited or nervous, and actually stepping, not pushing from underneath.
 - maintain this outside edge, not flatten it. Well, firstly, if I don't set it on an outside edge to begin with, it's kind of impossible, at least for me, to fix it. But let's say I do that right. To maintain the edge I should keep on the back of the blade (and I often find myself forward, again probably from the bad push) and press into the ice keeping the knee out. Yes, I'm letting the knee fall in, then of course the edge will flatten. It's possible I do this even worse with the partner as I may worry I'll hit his knee with my knee. But even on my own, this is not a skill I do without really concentrating on it. Another reason I think I lean forward is that I know I have to get closer to my partner just before turning the 3-turn, so leaning forward does get my upper body closer. I have o get closer with all my body, including the lover body.
- rise over the skating hip, lifting the rib cage. I feel I'm not doing this good enough, but my coach says that what it's messing me up, is in fact that I re bend while still turning (rushing again), and that it is what takes me out of the alignment and making me lean outside the circle not inside as I should, and this is making me scrape.
- another mistake I make often, is allowing the left shoulder forward. I am conscientiously twisting my upper body, but the left shoulder block my, and I am not aware of it while doing it.
- of course I have to turn my head with the turn...
- the old mistake was that I was pushing back after the 3-turn while re bending. It seams I fixed that by re bending even sooner (joke on me), instead of after the 3-turn...

The second correction I've got it was about the back push, and that translates into all backward skating so I'm very excited about it. It will be one of my next posts.

Then we did partner Ten Fox again and again, and I still do all kind of mistakes. There is this expectation that the coach helps the student during the dances, including during the tests. But these things eventually need to be corrected. And I think I have enough corrections for a whole post, so again, I'll come back to it  in a new post soon.

Corrections Jan 2020
- I worked on these for half hour on the next two sessions I was on ice. I went trough all the corrections, and I found the one mistake that ruined it even when everything else was right. This is the LFO 3-turn, so I have to twist the upper body towards the left. Well, I do, but I'm also pushing the left shoulder forward, so I'm blocking the twisting...
- Then on my next lesson, the coach said that even if I'm twisting toward the left, I'm still not aligned over the left hip, I should think of pushing the left hip forward (until now he was saying butt in)
- I was saying that holding the 3-turn entry edge on an outside edge was a problem mostly in the solo pattern dance. I realized that I wasn't finishing the previous lobe correctly, I wasn't twisting while rising towards the inside of the next circle, as I was explaining here. I should finish the previous lobe with the right hand forward and left shoulder back, ready for the 3-turm. I finish sometimes square and sometimes with the left hand forwards, that also means the left shoulder forward and that is a problem even when I do the 3-turn on its own, setting it like this in the pattern is doubling the same mistake!
- But I'm able to correct these, so I need to practice them enough to became body memory. And the dance was already better.... 

And here is a video with my dropped 3-turns done in a circle, both directions

Update from end of January: The dropped 3-turn definitely got better, I would even dare to say good, when I do them slowly. When I go faster into them I still skid, but not as badly as before. I was complaining to my coach about maybe feeling scared when having more speed and he asked if I felt is the velocity that scares me or the quickness. Good question... I wasn't differentiating between the two, and I thought is the velocity, but now I find it's actually the quickness. And it's not even fear, it's more that I'm not quick enough to find the right alignment over the hip when I go faster. So, as my coach says, I need to drill it, for that alignment (that I have when moving slower, because I have the time to think about it) to became muscle memory. I also feel confused about the timing of it, I'm so busy aligning I'm waiting to feel that alignment and there is just no way I can also think about putting it on a count. Back to work then...

Corrections 2023:

- twist the upper body while rising (I was stroking, rising then twisting) and bring the free hip along, don't leave it back. And I figured the stroke-rise and twist is a continuous move. I also figured that with a deeper knee bend in the stroking I have more flow/ inertia into the rise and twist

- let the foot turn  (don't stop it) and don't turn it yourself. I was stroking, stalling and then force the foot to turn, as I can see in the 1st 3 in the video

- Note from my own observation to check with my coach... Today I suddenly scraped the 3s (they were fine for a while now), and I think it is because my muscles were tired and as I stroke the outside edge I leaned forward, so when I raised and twisted I didn't have more space to go forward on the blade ti turn cleanly...

Skating technique: Intermediary skating skills (power, press, alignment, lean)

I usually have my private lessons on Monday and I get to skate before the lesson, so I'm warmed up already. I cannot skate next Monday so I asked for an extra lesson this week. It was on the first hour of the "Freestyle practice ice" so i had to start with a warm up with my coach watching and obviously helping and correcting.

After slalom forward and backward I did the forward outside edge presses. First the forward outside. My coach said that the hip is sticking out. That is the hip inside the circle. I am supposed to lean into the circle, with the shoulders parallel with the ice, but the rest of the body being a straight line. Like here. I tried and tried again and we ended at the boards looking into the glass and modeling my body to achieve the hip in, so the straight body line, the lean into the circle. This lean should be achieved on all edges forward, backward, outside, inside and it is always the same visual of not having the hip inside the circle sticking out. Another way I was asked to not stick the hip out was to feel, to make a hollow, that somehow doesn't work for me. I was even allowed to look down, at the hip... blasphemy! I've learned that the hip that is mentioned in the skating instruction is lower then I thought of it. That may make a difference in trying to align it. One other words I remember I've red about this hip in, were to push with the hip from inside the circle into the hip from the outside of the circle. Whaaat? No, actually that made sense when I've tried it, that's why I'm mentioning it here. To add to that is to make a hollow under arm of the arm towards the inside of the circle. That is to help the lean but I suspect also to not drop that shoulder. And also, on all the edges the upper body should be align over the circle.

After this anatomy (or contortion) lesson, I did the crossovers to inner edges from the PreJuvenile MITF test as my next warm up. My coach said to press into the ankle, so ice, the inside edge on both forward and backward. Not to just glide there. Use each step energy into the next step. We've run this 3 times. But it seams the coach was happy seeing that I was able to incorporate some of these corrections (that I've heard many times before), so he decided to continue with all this concept of power in skating. I mentioned the concept of power in skating many times, like here. The first step in building power in your skating is the correct push, (from underneath you, and pressing into the ice, that I described before (forward and backward)

So  we've continued with the rest of the MITF test exercises. Next were the power pulls. There, the biggest correction today was on the backward ones to align the upper body over the circle (the edge) so on the back outside edges pull the opposite shoulder back to lead with it, and on the back inside edges, the same side shoulder. Obviously on the power pulls you press into the ice. The 3-turns had less corrections then usual! But the focus was the same, the same alignment over the circle and lean into the circle. And then it was mentioned probably the biggest component of power on ice, the speed. I have to put more speed into the 3Turns. But generally, speed goes hand in hand with feeling confident in the edges, lean, alignment, press into the ice. You cannot have speed without having the others, and I think when all these "others" work, the speed increases automatically.

Back circle 8, you've guessed, we've insisted on the exact same points... On the inside ones I'm leaning out of the circle as I bring the foot in at the top of the lobe,  then I'm twisting too much facing inside the circle  (that would be not align over the circle) and that's slows me down. I worked at this alignment over the circle when skating backwards mostly trough backward edge presses, that I'm realizing I've never described, but I will soon...

I'm very happy with this lesson. It made me feel that I'm on track to getting the power.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

I started last month with not much of a plan, but a "laissez-faire" attitude (the economic concept of free market translated as "let it happen"). I work on Ice Dance, Moves in the Field and Freestyle and I used to prioritize only one at a time so I can push it for progress and test. Now, I skate less time then before because I don't have enough energy (physical from my hip still not being 100% after the injury and emotional even) so I cannot push for progress on any of those. So I let them all be, progress or not, and try to enjoy the process. In a way I also wanted to experiment and see what happens if I don't push. And I think I've got confirmation that progress doesn't happen unless I push. So I have to be ready, at some point to start pushing again. But not this month... I think this month will go more or less like last month. Here is how last month has gone:

Ice Dancing: The private lesson went towards Ice Dancing, I think I took just 3 lessons. I'm getting more and more comfortable, with the basic steps exercises and the Ten-Fox. I didn't prioritize Ice dancing in my training for close to a year now, from when I tested the Willow Waltz. Whenever I want to work on Ice Dancing I need to do it when the ice is emptier so I have a better chance to hold the pattern, so I have to prioritize at least from that point of view. And I'm doing this now.

MITF: I still do them but without trying to add power. I hope I do maintain them because I certainly don't improve.

Freestyle: I started taking group lessons for Freestyle. I've had 3 lessons. And we did a review of spins and jumps (scratch spin, back scratch, waltz jump, salcow, and toe loop), that was most welcome. We didn't get yet to my targets, the sit spin and the loop jump. I feel it would be beneficial to work a little more on freestyle, but then again as I'm taking more time for Ice Dancing, I do not have more time for Freestyle.

Falls and Injuries: In my almost 10 years of skating I've never caught a toe pick. But I've caught one today. I was late to the group class and I joined  as they were just finishing the warm up with bunny hops. The first line, on the easy leg, was fine, but on the second line, on the harder leg... toe pick. I really blame it on not being warm up, I just didn't jump high enough... And I splashed on ice in a "superman" position, and slid... Yeah, it was a good one. I have scratches and a big blue bruise on my left knee, the side where my hip is still hurting and I had an ankle injury few year ago. It seems it is my favorite side to injure. I think I'm fine, but I'll know for sure just in few days.

Off ice: I said I have to do off ice strengthening exercises... I'm not doing them regularly...  I'm also not warming up before I get on ice, because I'm always late. So, I hope I'll do better. At least the ballet class is on again and I feel that helps with strengthening. I also did some stretching after few of the skating sessions and that seemed to help.

The kittens are doing fine, but they still take soo much time and energy.

The Skating for my own enjoyment saga: Because I don't push for progress I don't get frustrated. So at least I have that. On the other hand I don't think I'm really consciously enjoying. I'm comparing this enjoyment with the feeling of being present in yoga and with the feeling I get sometimes at ballet (not always), and that is again a feeling of being disconnected from the regular day and connected with the music and feeling lighter both body and soul. I've had another lesson with the new coach that helps just with this. On the first lesson we established some concepts of  musicality and soul involvement but we also did 3 clear exercises that I can practice. We polished some things from the first lesson when and did 3 new exercises. It's all I wanted from these lessons, my only disappointment is again, that I don't have more time to practice them. I firstly need to "get" the movement before I can incorporate soul and music into them.

NEXT MONTH, as I said, I expect it's gonna be the same and... more.

The Nutcracker on Ice: I'm gonna have 2 rehearsals this month, the first one this coming week. I'm very very excited.

Skating training: My main coach pushes the Ice Dancing, that it's covered. I don't feel I have to work much harder on my own. Most of the work it's happening during the lessons, especially now that we started partner the Ten-Fox. The Freestyle I plan to keep at the same intensity... On the MITF I plan to train the 5 minutes warm up for the test, but not on the first 5 minutes on ice. I feel that was throwing my whole session of. And I'm thinking at this point that is the thing that I'm least confident about the test day, go figure, the warm up...