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

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

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

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

Taking it easy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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...

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Last month went like this: the two weeks in the middle were great, the first and last week of the month not so much. The problem with these two not so good weeks was that th rink a different schedule, so I've got to skate less and I also lost my rhythm.

MITF: The skating that I did, went almost entirely towards the moves and the coach agreed that I am ready to test, well, unless I have a bad day. So I'm registered to test at the end of this month.

And talking about bad days, this last week I really didn't skate too well. I'm trying to find explanations on why, so I don't get discouraged... Firstly, mid month the coach didn't ask about more power so I thought I'll take the opportunity to work on perfecting things, mainly the alignment. Then, I was tired. I think the combination of the two (not purposely pushing so letting go of some speed, but then pushing even less than I thought I was, because I was tired), made my skating hesitant. Also, maybe I'm getting a little bored with these moves. I had few runs that went really well so in my mind, I think I've got them. But I have to still stick with them for a full month for the test.

Just 2 posts ago I talked about power in figure skating. And this last week was such an awareness. My coach's approach for progress in skating is to work on precision and then to work on speed. Of course with more speed you lose from the precision, so then you need to start working on it again, and so forth. That doesn't mean to totally let go of the speed... I think this last week I made the mistake of letting go of too much from the speed. But the edges are hold better at speed. I'm very curious to check this theory this week.

One thing worth mentioning, is that my coach made me work on the 5 minutes warm up that I'll do on the test day. The elements in the test are around 10 minutes, so there is no time to time to do all of them and there is no time to warm-up. My first tries were around 7 minutes, so I needed to cut a lot. Now I've got it down to 5 minutes but I still play with the order I do them. My coach said to consider that on the test day the other skaters probably will follow the test order so it may be better to do the same. So on the test day I'll have to warm up of ice. Then, on ice, I'll have to use some of the elements as a warm up, in the sense that I shouldn't try to do them well but just get used with the ice. The power crossovers are one like that, but I do just one line, first half forward, second half backward. I do the next line edge presses, 2 outside forward, 2-4 backward outside, the rest of the space backward inside.  These allow me to work on my alignment. I need them... Then I do the 3 turns, but just one of each. If I have problems with one of them I have time to do it again. Next would be the power pulls, back circle 8 and 5 step mowhak.

Ice Dancing: I did occasionally some warm up lines of chasses, progressives, swing rolls and the Ten Fox (the last of the Bronze dances I have to test) so I don't totally forget it. Some days it actually went good. Some days... you know... not. What I found myself drown to, were the dropped 3-turn for the European Waltz that I'll start working on after I finish with this Ten Fox. The Pre-Silver dances are way more interesting. Harder too, of course. But if my interest is high I work harder too.

Freestyle: I let it go again... I did some spins (forward and backward) and a Waltz Jump here and there. And I've run my program just once.

As for the plan for the next month, I do have to keep the moves a priority. The ice schedule will change middle of the month, and as the kids will be on vacation there is no way to know which sessions will be crowded and which not. So, I cannot count on that ice, I'll have to be really for the test by the middle of the month. 

Skating technique: edges - Forward Edge Presses and my Warm up

Edges - part 5.

I plan to use the section "skating technique" as a journal. I'll start with what I know, but I will keep updating as I learn more. Disclaimer: this is my understanding of the technique, it may be or not the correct technique.

Edge presses is an exercise I do every single time I'm on ice, part of my warm up.
My warm up:
-As soon as I step on ice I do forward slalom, trying to get into ice and to get awareness of edges. Then, I do backward slalom. Here I look for finding the right posture when going backwards. I don't find it instantly, as going forward, so I have to work for it. I also pay attention where my weight falls on the blade (should be on the front side of the arch of your foot).
-Then I do stroking, usually just forward, but thinking of it, I should add backward.
-Then, forward and backward alternating crossovers with an inside edge on the alternating lobe. That's part of the Pre-Juvenile MITF test i'm working on. But i do them as warm up, I don't "work" on them. When I work on them I think of "attack", more knee bend, more lean, I count the crossover push 1, with special attention to hold the under push 2, and hold the inside edge for 3,4.
- Lately I do the power pulls from the same test in the warm up, and I work again on them later.
- And then I do the edge presses.

Edge presses (I consider them and advanced-beginner skills) are a prep exercise for the more advanced  Deep Edges. In fact, the inside deep edge the ice dancers do in the video linked in that post, is the edge press I do. Here is my Forward Outside Edge Press.

You start with few strokes to get some speed.
For the Forward Outside Edge Press you start with the chest towards the inside of the circle, so opposite arm and leg like the deep edges, not like the basic edges. For the Forward Inside Edge Press you start with the back at the inside of the circle, so opposite arm and leg, like the deep edges and like basic edges. During the lobe, the upper body is square and perpendicular with the circle line. I heard it described as the hip bones are a car headlights that travels on a curve. At the end of the lobe, the upper body will be align again as as the beginning of the lobe, but on the other side.This opposition of arms and legs gives the body a controlled twist, that helps changing from a lobe to next lobe that goes in the opposite direction. I described more of this transition in the Deep Edges post.  This is used  a lot in Ice Dancing as you change the directions with every single step.
After the initial push, you bring the free foot at the ankle, and keep both legs bent. This gives a stable position, where you can concentrate in achieving a good posture, good ankle press into the ice, and you can practice to lean towards the inside of the circle. Then, as you feel more stable, you'll go faster. Bigger speed will allow you to lean more so you'll get deeper edges and lobes.