Um..where to begin. First, an apology for my 2 month absence. I'm no longer ice monitoring, so things are a bit different. I will catch you up on the folks at the rink and how they did at regionals...but for now, lets talk about this mess "Skating with the Stars".
First, the only two stars involved in this program are Johnny Weir and Dick Button, both of whom are judges. I'm still not sure how they conned Button into doing this. Of the "Stars", I've only heard of Johnny Mosely and Vince Neil before, and I have NO idea who these "world class" skaters are. I think ABC might have gone a little low budget on this.
The rink is a small circle...so it's clear we arent' going to see any real skating. If there was any doubt we weren't going to see real skating, the commentator Tanith Belbin filled us in on what is required for this night. A side by side two foot spin (or they can do a one foot) and an Asisted one foot glide (aka a Spiral). For reference sakes, I start teaching two foot spins to basic 2/3 students and the one foot spin is in basic 5. The Spiral is also a basic skills skill. Essentially, the skills they are asking these "Stars" to do are the same skills we teach 6-7 year olds to do in a 6 week once-a-week 45 minute class period. They have had 5 weeks one on one with pros and coaches and choreographers. Gotta say, I'm not impressed. At all.
Brandon Michael Smith and Keauna McLauglin.
Who is this kid? Someone from the Disney channel. Keauna is a us bronze medalist in pairs. Skills: Forward cross over, gliding on two feet, holding an edge, lifting a pretty girl, 3 revolution one foot spin from a two foot entrance. One back cross over. Assisted one foot glide (i.e. a spiral with the partner helping hold him up). Seriously? Button says "Impressive Start and Spiffy Personality". Button nailed him on his horrible spiral position. Lauriann Gibson, a choreographer whp has never skated says it was amazing. And Johnny calls it a "solid first effort". I thought it was tolerable. At least there was some energy to the performance. Technical Merit scores LG: 6, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores LG 7, JW: 7, DB: 6. Total :36. My scores. Technical 4, Artistic 5.
Sean Young and Dennis Petukhov
Ok...Sean Young...Blade Runner, right? That was a long time ago. And the blade runner puns are already old...older than she is even. Dennis is a US pairs silver medalist who competed in Torino. I don't remember him, so he must not have done well. Sean used a chair in practice. We use chairs with toddlers on their first day. I have 2 year olds who have been skating less than a month who don't use a chair. I have yet to see her actually skate. He's pulling her and she's gliding. This is like watching the end of the year recital at the rink, only less talented and less exciting. Seriously, no forward stroking, no cross overs, heck, I'm not even sure she even managed a swizzle. Dennis did all the work. Johnny was very nice to Sean, Lauriann is of course clueless to the world of skating. Button said she had stretched legs and pointed feet, but I didn't see it. I thought she looked sad and scared. Tanith calls the shoot the duck "beautiful". Technical Merit Scores: LG: 6, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores: LG: 7, JW: 5, DB: 6. Total: 34. My Scores: Technical 3, Artistic 4.
Do you remember back in the 80's when they did "Circus of the Stars" and stars "learned' how to do circusy stuff and then basically tried not to die while performing? So far, this is sadder than that ever was. Apparently though, Johnny Weir is going to skate tonight, so that will make this whole thing worth watching. Thank god.
Johnny Mosley and Brooke Castille
Johnny is an olympic gold medalist in skiing, brooke is the 2007 US champion in pairs. The practice video of Johnny and Brooke shows some potential...Johnny actually seems to be able to skate. Brooke is the highest caliber skater in the skating cast. Wow...ok so Johnny is actually skating and with some speed--doing cross overs even. Ooooh...he did a hop! So far, he has definitely done the best. He skated with way more power than the others have thusfar. Lauriann wants more "funk in the trunk". Button wants to see more ski technique and better posture. Johnny said he "terrorized the ice". Tanith does note that Johnny is carrying his weight in the partnership. He is actually skating, which is nice. Technical Scores: LG: 7, JW: 7, DB: 7. Artistic: LG: 6, JW: 6, DB: 7. Total: 40. My scores: Technical 5, Artistic 6.
Oh yay! A break in the crap. We get to see Johnny Weir Skate!!! A fantastic routine to Pokerface with great costuming and make up. Woohoo we get a USFS "Learn to Skate" Basic Skills plug.
Rebecca Budig and Fred Palascak
Rebecca is a soap opera "star" and Fred is a Sectional champion. Rebecca looks fantastic. I love her outfit. She looks very graceful. She's actually skating. Her crossovers are good and her spiral position was lovely as waas her spin. She even did backwards crossovers. She did really well. Dick Button called her elegant and complimented her posture, which I agree with entirely. He wants to see stronger stroking, flow and edges. Johnny thought it was very hot and that she looked like a real skater, which I agree with as well. Rebecca did compete as a child, so it makes a difference. Laurieann is still clueless. Tanith highlighted her flexibility and lifts. Scores: Technical Scores LG: 7, JW: 7, DB: 7. Artistic Scores: LJ: 8, JW: 8, DB: 8. Total: 45. My Scores: Technical 6, Artistic 7.
Vince Neil and Jennifer Wester
Vince skated as a child and won a competition. Jennifer won a Nebelhorn Trophy whatever that is. Jennifer's hair is a disaster, but of course so is Vince's. VInce is actually skating, but it's very slow, but at least he's doing crossovers and showing some ability to hold an edge. He also got almost 4 revolutions on his one foot spin, so that's fairly impressive, but for the most part he was pretty tentative and looked slightly drunk. Johnny wanted the rock star and so did I. Laurieann is clueless still...and wanted them to spot, which is NOT right. You don't spot when spinning as a skater. dumbass. Dick Button is giving him some credit, so that's nice of him. He wants more fearlessness. "Any man who is afraid to make a mistake will never make anything". Tanith was complimentary during her commentary. Scores: Technical LG: 6, JW:4, DB: 4. Artistic Scores: LG: 6, JW: 4, DB: 4. Total 28. My scores: Technical 5, Artistic 4. He was MUCH better than Sean Young and deserves a bit of credit for actually skating which Sean did not do at all.
Bethenny Frankel and Ethan Burgess
Bethenny is one of the housewives from one of the real houswives of some important city. Ethan is a bronze medalist at US championships and did the stunt skating for Blades of Glory. Bethenny is really scary looking. She's apparently skated before and is shown in warm up wearing a little warm up skirt. She's kind of obnoxious. Well...not kind of. She's very obnoxious. So far, she's doing very little work in the program. Ethan is doing all of the work and hs'es just a long for the ride, but at least she's skating a bit. I think I saw an almost-cross-over or two, but mostly she's just "marching" on the ice. I did see a 3-turn, which was the most difficult thing she did this eve. The program moved slowly though. Laurieann is an idiot. I think she needs to go away. Dick complimented her figure, but called her static and told her to work on her flow. Johnny called her body "sick", but that she needed to push harder and not have thsi as a part time project. Tanith complimented the lifts. Scores: Technical Scores: LG: 5, JW: 5, DB: 5. Artistic Scores: LG: 5, JW: 4, DB: 5. Total Score: 29. My Scores. Technical 5, Artistic 4.
I'm not going to vote. I'm not wasting my time, but if I were to vote, I'd vote for Johnny Mosley or Rebecca Budig. All of the other contestants were not good. I think Sean Young or Vince Neil will be the first to go home unless they have a lot of fans who will be voting, however, my guess is that ratings are going to be bad for this show as it for the most part stinks! Lauriann is a terrible judge. She has no concept of figure skating and therefore has no concept of how to judge. Again, Johnny Weir and Dick Button are the only redeeming factors in this show.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Spins are centered!
My spins are back! They are consistently centered and although they aren't very fast, they are centered and solid and I am very very pleased. THis is the best they have been since before I stopped skating back in 2000. I'm so glad to be finally making progress again.
Today i skated for 45 minutes this morning, walked a mile this afternoon, did some off-ice training outside and then skated again for an hour this afternoon. I'm really very happy with how it went. I just feel more like myself on the ice lately and i'm sure that having my skate situation all figured out is helping as well. I'm just really happy with how i'm skating, even if i'm embarassed if other people see me. I still feel fat and akward on the ice, but at least i'm skating better.
Robin got new skates today. So there's more drama of course. But her coach said "I only give my skaters 15 minutes to break in new skates". Really? 15 minutes? Seriously? 15 minutes to break in a new pair of skates to the point that you can jump and spin properly? I don't think so. Seriously I think Janice is wackadoodle. And that might be putting it nicely.
Today i skated for 45 minutes this morning, walked a mile this afternoon, did some off-ice training outside and then skated again for an hour this afternoon. I'm really very happy with how it went. I just feel more like myself on the ice lately and i'm sure that having my skate situation all figured out is helping as well. I'm just really happy with how i'm skating, even if i'm embarassed if other people see me. I still feel fat and akward on the ice, but at least i'm skating better.
Robin got new skates today. So there's more drama of course. But her coach said "I only give my skaters 15 minutes to break in new skates". Really? 15 minutes? Seriously? 15 minutes to break in a new pair of skates to the point that you can jump and spin properly? I don't think so. Seriously I think Janice is wackadoodle. And that might be putting it nicely.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Fewer 4 ams!
I'm going to be getting up at 4am less now that the class session is starting! Kensie and I are splitting the early days. This is great!
Afternoons here at the rinka re a complete madhouse though...it's like rush hour hits here about 2 hours befoer it hits anywhere else. The ice is full of kids, and while 15 might not sound like a lot of people when they are spinning and jumping and doing footwork it's a lot of traffic.
I only skated in the afternoon today, and noticed a difference in my energy level from my usual twice a day schedule. However, i'm really glad to have gotten to sleep late, so I'm definitely not complaining.
Robin however, is doing a lot of complaining and excuse making. While i'm sure a certain degree of her issue is her skates and her feet, I'm convinced that she is actually frightened of her double axel and the less she does it, the happier she is. Her inability to commit to her work really frustrates me, but the way her coach handles it frustrates me even more. I just can't believe that yelling and throwing guilt at a kid is going to make them skate harder. It makes them resent their skating and resent their coaches.
Afternoons here at the rinka re a complete madhouse though...it's like rush hour hits here about 2 hours befoer it hits anywhere else. The ice is full of kids, and while 15 might not sound like a lot of people when they are spinning and jumping and doing footwork it's a lot of traffic.
I only skated in the afternoon today, and noticed a difference in my energy level from my usual twice a day schedule. However, i'm really glad to have gotten to sleep late, so I'm definitely not complaining.
Robin however, is doing a lot of complaining and excuse making. While i'm sure a certain degree of her issue is her skates and her feet, I'm convinced that she is actually frightened of her double axel and the less she does it, the happier she is. Her inability to commit to her work really frustrates me, but the way her coach handles it frustrates me even more. I just can't believe that yelling and throwing guilt at a kid is going to make them skate harder. It makes them resent their skating and resent their coaches.
Friday, September 3, 2010
3 hours?
I accidentally skated for 3 hours today. It's so easy to skate longer when you're skating with a buddy and you're both working on stuff-- even if it's not the same stuff. Kensie and I both had lessons with Karen today and since no one was here to use the ice, she and i both skated for most of the entire session. It was great! It was fun to skate with another person and to work on synchro stuff that i've been struggling with alone. My lesson also really went well, which was a blessing. I feel like I finally have grown comfortable in my new skates and have figured out how to lace them comfortably and everything. SO...yay! now just to get my spins centered again... and that's even coming along!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Ice Drama
So this morning when I arrived at the rink there was major ice drama. The dehumidifier had been off all night and the ice surface was a disaster. Besides the fact that it was foggy and littered with candy, hair ties, garbage and other such junk, there were also humidity stalagmites forming on a whole section of the ice. It was not a safe ice surface and so we had to switch rinks and then call the ice guy so he had a heads up. By the afternoon sessions it was solved, but it was drama i was not prepared for.
As far as my own skating, things are improving every day. My spins are much much better today. I'm starting to center them more consistently, however its only when i do it coming out of a right outside 3 turn and then pushing to my entrance. When I try to do my entrance out of cross overs i am off center every time. I need to figure out why this is exactly. Otherwise, they are getting "back to normal" to some extent.
Robin was a terror today. Janice wasn't here today, therefore she didn't feel she had to work or listen or do anything that Janice had told me to do with her. It was very annoying. But at the end of the day, i'm not the kid's coach and therefore i just can't care that much.
As far as my own skating, things are improving every day. My spins are much much better today. I'm starting to center them more consistently, however its only when i do it coming out of a right outside 3 turn and then pushing to my entrance. When I try to do my entrance out of cross overs i am off center every time. I need to figure out why this is exactly. Otherwise, they are getting "back to normal" to some extent.
Robin was a terror today. Janice wasn't here today, therefore she didn't feel she had to work or listen or do anything that Janice had told me to do with her. It was very annoying. But at the end of the day, i'm not the kid's coach and therefore i just can't care that much.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What makes a skater "good"?
Is it talent? Flexibility? Skill? Practice? Coaching? Work ethic?
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know that there are alot of skaters who are "good" skaters that aren't olympic level or elite in the least, and I also know some high level skaters that I do not respect nor do I consider "good" for the sport in general. It's hard to draw a firm line, but there are some definite characteristics that make a skater "good" in my book.
1. Dedication to the sport. A good skater is dedicated to skating. To me this means that they skate numerous times in a week and consistently show up to practice. They are also dedicated to the sport overall and cheer on their country's teams and know about all aspects of the sport, not just the things they are personally interested in.
2. Skill. Yes, a certain amount of skill is necessary to be a "good" skater. But, for the most part, skill can be taught and learned. You can learn HOW to do the motions and while certain skills take longer to learn (axel), it's something that can be learned. However the degree to which those skills are practiced and executed is what separates a skater from a "good" skater and a "good" skater from a "great" one.
3. Natural abilty/grace/etc. There is an element of the sport that cannot be taught. Some skaters "have it" some don't. For some skaters, the skills come easily, for others they have to work much harder just to get the things that other skaters do instinctively. No amount of practice, teaching, and work will create a natural ability that just isn't there to begin with.
Is that all? I dont' know...but I do know these 3 elements are necessary for a skater to be a "good" skater by my defininition.
I'm not sure what the answer is, but I know that there are alot of skaters who are "good" skaters that aren't olympic level or elite in the least, and I also know some high level skaters that I do not respect nor do I consider "good" for the sport in general. It's hard to draw a firm line, but there are some definite characteristics that make a skater "good" in my book.
1. Dedication to the sport. A good skater is dedicated to skating. To me this means that they skate numerous times in a week and consistently show up to practice. They are also dedicated to the sport overall and cheer on their country's teams and know about all aspects of the sport, not just the things they are personally interested in.
2. Skill. Yes, a certain amount of skill is necessary to be a "good" skater. But, for the most part, skill can be taught and learned. You can learn HOW to do the motions and while certain skills take longer to learn (axel), it's something that can be learned. However the degree to which those skills are practiced and executed is what separates a skater from a "good" skater and a "good" skater from a "great" one.
3. Natural abilty/grace/etc. There is an element of the sport that cannot be taught. Some skaters "have it" some don't. For some skaters, the skills come easily, for others they have to work much harder just to get the things that other skaters do instinctively. No amount of practice, teaching, and work will create a natural ability that just isn't there to begin with.
Is that all? I dont' know...but I do know these 3 elements are necessary for a skater to be a "good" skater by my defininition.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Spinnnin and Stuff
Well, first of all, Robin landed her double axel beautifully and numerous times today. It was really awesome to watch it happen and she was so excited. I hope that this shows her that when she works harder she has better results and will encourage her to work more.
I'm finally settling into my skates. I still need to learn how to lace them so that they are tight enough to support me but loose enough that they don't hurt like holyhannahbanana. It's a balane i'm still struggling to find, so I'm working on it. I di dhowever manage to start spinning again today. It's still going to take some work to overcome the bad habits I developed in my other skates, but it's improving.
There is this new adult skater that's starting to skate here regularly and um...I don't like him. He skates really really fast and hogs the ice and I just really don't like it. There's a definite "attitude" about him and i don't like it...not at all. He makes me uncomfortable on the ice and there's just something i can't put my finger on.
But it was another day back at the rink, and it did feel good to skate. :)
I'm finally settling into my skates. I still need to learn how to lace them so that they are tight enough to support me but loose enough that they don't hurt like holyhannahbanana. It's a balane i'm still struggling to find, so I'm working on it. I di dhowever manage to start spinning again today. It's still going to take some work to overcome the bad habits I developed in my other skates, but it's improving.
There is this new adult skater that's starting to skate here regularly and um...I don't like him. He skates really really fast and hogs the ice and I just really don't like it. There's a definite "attitude" about him and i don't like it...not at all. He makes me uncomfortable on the ice and there's just something i can't put my finger on.
But it was another day back at the rink, and it did feel good to skate. :)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Skate woes fixed!
So, my new skates were still giving me issues but the "Skate guy" here at the rink finally fixed them for me today. He "punched" out the toe area of my right skate and adjusted the blade so I can get over on an outside edge. This should greatly help me get my spins back under control and help me from falling over on that inside edge on my right foot.
My lesson was pretty much a disaster. They all have been lately. I hope that once I get my skates all settled and my feet stop aching that everything will go more smoothly. I don't know if it will happen or not, but I'm really hoping., I'm starting to get to that "very frustrated with my skating" point and I don't want to be there.
Sam and Erin both test today. I hope they do well. Kensie also tests today...she's testing her senior moves again. I really hope she passes!
My lesson was pretty much a disaster. They all have been lately. I hope that once I get my skates all settled and my feet stop aching that everything will go more smoothly. I don't know if it will happen or not, but I'm really hoping., I'm starting to get to that "very frustrated with my skating" point and I don't want to be there.
Sam and Erin both test today. I hope they do well. Kensie also tests today...she's testing her senior moves again. I really hope she passes!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Robin almost got it...
She's almost got her double axel AND her triple salchow. She's so close. She's landed the double axel a couple of times...and it's been clean...she just has to get it consistent. I'm a little shocked she's gotten it because she doesn't seem to want it very much.
I was really glad to see Jill back at the rink this morning, but her mother...egads this woman! She was just so angry about the fact that a whole 50 minutes has been cut from the freestyle schedule on Saturdays to accomodate a Synchro team. Well...no one is here at 5:30 am...why not just get up earlier? Good grief. If i can drag my bottom out of bed, so can anyone else.
I'm really tired today and not quite feeling well...i can't put my finger on it, but i just don't feel quite right. I'll of course still skate during the afternoon session, but i'm tired...so tired. I can't wait until a sleep in day. Can not wait.
I was really glad to see Jill back at the rink this morning, but her mother...egads this woman! She was just so angry about the fact that a whole 50 minutes has been cut from the freestyle schedule on Saturdays to accomodate a Synchro team. Well...no one is here at 5:30 am...why not just get up earlier? Good grief. If i can drag my bottom out of bed, so can anyone else.
I'm really tired today and not quite feeling well...i can't put my finger on it, but i just don't feel quite right. I'll of course still skate during the afternoon session, but i'm tired...so tired. I can't wait until a sleep in day. Can not wait.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Inferior
When i'm on the ice with these kids i can't help but feel inferior. Long gone are the days when I could haul my 200 pound ass up off the ice and actually land an axel or a double salchow. Long gone are the days when I could skate at full speed for an hour and not get winded or tired.
I struggle. I mean I really struggle. I look at pictures and videos of myself skating and the struggle is so obvious. I look scared, I barely leave the ice when I jump, and my spins are a disaster of mis-balance and poor edge control. I'm slow...so slow and even when I feel like i'm going fast, i'm really going about half a mile an hour. It's so frustrating.
It's probably why I like skating by myself so much. When I'm here alone, there's no one watching me fail. I can be the skater I am in my mind instead of the one I am in actuality. The skater in my mind has beautiful deep edges, solid jumps, and beautiful spins. The skater I am in actuality is shaky, nervous, and really...just sad.
It's better with synchro because I dont' feel like I'm the worst skater on the team. I'm nowhere near the best skater, but I keep up and know what I'm doing for the most part. But when I'm out on the ice practicing my Moves in the Field or my Freestyle, I'm just...slow, old, fat, and akward. It gets really old feeling this way. Really old.
I struggle. I mean I really struggle. I look at pictures and videos of myself skating and the struggle is so obvious. I look scared, I barely leave the ice when I jump, and my spins are a disaster of mis-balance and poor edge control. I'm slow...so slow and even when I feel like i'm going fast, i'm really going about half a mile an hour. It's so frustrating.
It's probably why I like skating by myself so much. When I'm here alone, there's no one watching me fail. I can be the skater I am in my mind instead of the one I am in actuality. The skater in my mind has beautiful deep edges, solid jumps, and beautiful spins. The skater I am in actuality is shaky, nervous, and really...just sad.
It's better with synchro because I dont' feel like I'm the worst skater on the team. I'm nowhere near the best skater, but I keep up and know what I'm doing for the most part. But when I'm out on the ice practicing my Moves in the Field or my Freestyle, I'm just...slow, old, fat, and akward. It gets really old feeling this way. Really old.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Robin doesn't fly...
So, Robin is working on her double axel. She has been working on it very very seriously for a few weeks and it just isn't improving. She's not consistent in her take off and she falls every single time she attempts the jump. It's frustrating to watch her because in the back of my mind, I know that if she were more committed to skating and tried harder, she'd land it. She just really doesn't care. I wonder at this point if her continuing to skate is even a good idea. If she doesn't want to be here, i'm not sure she should be. Maybe a month or two as a "normal kid" would cure her and she'd be back and skating harder than ever.
Another rink rat that i'm growing more used to seeing is Tim. He used to only skate on saturday mornings at this rink and apparently during the week skated elsewhere, but now that school has started Tim is here morning and afternoon. He's 11 and the best skater at this rink bar none. This kid WILL be an olympian, i"m quite sure of it and i'm looking forward to the day when I can say "i knew him when....".
Roxy's mom fixed my skating dress for me today-- the one that i had made myself. It's much better now, but i fear the skirt is going to be too short and look bad, but oh well. It's not like i'll be skating in it all that much. I'm grateful for the help, as I had made a complete mess of the hem.
The new skates are still hurting, but I'm going to take them upstairs tonight and get them punched out a bit. I'm still having trouble with the pressure on the outside of my arches, but I think that's just because my arches are so high that the skate is hitting me in an odd way. I keep going out for half an hour at a time to try to make the skates feel better.
I've decided I'm really upset about not getting to test on Sunday. I'm ready to test these moves and be able to move on, and now i feel like i'm stuck here for another 2 months. I'm not happy about it. I'm ready to pass bronze and move on to silver...soon.
Another rink rat that i'm growing more used to seeing is Tim. He used to only skate on saturday mornings at this rink and apparently during the week skated elsewhere, but now that school has started Tim is here morning and afternoon. He's 11 and the best skater at this rink bar none. This kid WILL be an olympian, i"m quite sure of it and i'm looking forward to the day when I can say "i knew him when....".
Roxy's mom fixed my skating dress for me today-- the one that i had made myself. It's much better now, but i fear the skirt is going to be too short and look bad, but oh well. It's not like i'll be skating in it all that much. I'm grateful for the help, as I had made a complete mess of the hem.
The new skates are still hurting, but I'm going to take them upstairs tonight and get them punched out a bit. I'm still having trouble with the pressure on the outside of my arches, but I think that's just because my arches are so high that the skate is hitting me in an odd way. I keep going out for half an hour at a time to try to make the skates feel better.
I've decided I'm really upset about not getting to test on Sunday. I'm ready to test these moves and be able to move on, and now i feel like i'm stuck here for another 2 months. I'm not happy about it. I'm ready to pass bronze and move on to silver...soon.
Sharpening and such
So, today I learned how to sharpen rental skates. It's pretty mindlessly easy, but it's important that they all get sharpened before the start of Learn to Skate in September. I did 10 pair today. Janice is a bit overly excited about the fact that she's learned how to do this and has taught someone else. Of course, Janice is overly excited about just about everything, so I guess I shouldn't be suprised.
The new skates hurt my feet...of course they hurt my feet. I'm hoping that will get better over time as my feet get used to them, but for now...OW. I'm pretty unhappy with the aching in my arches specifically...but at least they don't hurt my toes anymore...there's just a lot of pressure in an odd spot on my arches. I've removed the factory insoles which has helped considerably, but now i'm unsure of what to do about the arches. I'm hoping it kind of fixes itself or that I get health insurance soon so I can just go to a podiatrist.
I had another lesson with Chloe today! She's such a joy to spend time with!
In fun rink news, school has started so all of the rink-rats have new schedules. I miss my usual kiddos that are here in the mornings.
The new skates hurt my feet...of course they hurt my feet. I'm hoping that will get better over time as my feet get used to them, but for now...OW. I'm pretty unhappy with the aching in my arches specifically...but at least they don't hurt my toes anymore...there's just a lot of pressure in an odd spot on my arches. I've removed the factory insoles which has helped considerably, but now i'm unsure of what to do about the arches. I'm hoping it kind of fixes itself or that I get health insurance soon so I can just go to a podiatrist.
I had another lesson with Chloe today! She's such a joy to spend time with!
In fun rink news, school has started so all of the rink-rats have new schedules. I miss my usual kiddos that are here in the mornings.
Monday, August 23, 2010
New Skates :(
So...I got new skates. They are Riedell 355's and I have my old Wilson Coronation Comet blades on them. They aren't the best skates in the world, but they are certainly a lot better than what I was skating in as far as the fit and the comfort level.
Tonight I met with the skate guy and he adjusted the blades for me, they are still not quite right, but they are definitely better than before. I'm feeling alot better about things when I don't have the searing awful pain in my foot, but there's the new pain of breaking in skates to deal with.
I guess the most amusing fun was that i skated for an hour with synchro in the new boots. Um ouch. But, synchro practice went really well. I totally nailed my back lunge and am getting stronger with the rest of the program. I'm slightly disappointed that we are going to have to be an Open Adult team instead of a Master's team and i'm REALLY disappointed that one of the skaters that gave me the most of a headache last season will be skating with us. I sincerely dislike being yelled at by pre-teens. It just doesn't seem right for a 12 year old to be bossing around adults on an adult team.
I do love the program we're doing though...i really like the music and the choreography thusfar.
Tonight I met with the skate guy and he adjusted the blades for me, they are still not quite right, but they are definitely better than before. I'm feeling alot better about things when I don't have the searing awful pain in my foot, but there's the new pain of breaking in skates to deal with.
I guess the most amusing fun was that i skated for an hour with synchro in the new boots. Um ouch. But, synchro practice went really well. I totally nailed my back lunge and am getting stronger with the rest of the program. I'm slightly disappointed that we are going to have to be an Open Adult team instead of a Master's team and i'm REALLY disappointed that one of the skaters that gave me the most of a headache last season will be skating with us. I sincerely dislike being yelled at by pre-teens. It just doesn't seem right for a 12 year old to be bossing around adults on an adult team.
I do love the program we're doing though...i really like the music and the choreography thusfar.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Coaches...
There are several different types of coaches here at the rink...besides the obvious "good" and "bad", but i prefer my own special categories.
The Ice Princesses: These were the little girls who skated as children and who could do no wrong and still feel like they deserve to be princesses even today. These are the ones who amuse me the most because of their sense of entitlement.
Nichole: she's only got a few students because she's so hard to deal with, but she'll announce to anyone who will listen that she's a "national level coach" and a "technical specialist" and therefore she doesn't understand why skaters aren't just flocking to her and fawning over her every breath. She's not very nice to other coaches, tries to steal students, and is generally a poopiehead.
Ellen: a former dancer and still a competitor, she's got princess syndrome to the highest degree. It's almost kind of sad how princessy she is. This is the type of coach who takes six weeks worth of pre-payment and then doesn't show up for the lessons. She also doesn't show up alot for classes...it's classy.
Pam: She's the old princess....the princess that is wayyyy past her prime but still likes to brag about how wonderful and special she is. She'll tell anyone who will listen that she's got the best resume at the rink and loves to tout her "off ice" skills.
Then we have the Russians:
Viktor: Viktor is the most expensive coach at the rink. He was a national champion and an olympian, so I guess he can charge whatever he wants. He's actually a good coach, but i'm not sure he's as good as he thinks he is...but heck, i'm not sure any of the coaches are as good as they think they are.
Oksana: If there was a sterotypical russian figure skating coach, Oksana would be it. She's beautiful, and talented, and meaner than a two headed snake. I think her students are scared of her, to be honest.
Then there are those that really aren't here that often...Anna, Mary, aand Parker. They aren't great, aren't awful, but just kind of "are".
Kensie is a newer coach and teaches Learn to Skate with me, and Karen of course is my coach and the coach of the synchro team.
And then of course there is the Manager...Janice...she has 4 "competitive" skaters. She's got high expectations, but low commitment level to meeting them. She's also a disorganized mess, but that's an amusing story for another day I suppose.
The Ice Princesses: These were the little girls who skated as children and who could do no wrong and still feel like they deserve to be princesses even today. These are the ones who amuse me the most because of their sense of entitlement.
Nichole: she's only got a few students because she's so hard to deal with, but she'll announce to anyone who will listen that she's a "national level coach" and a "technical specialist" and therefore she doesn't understand why skaters aren't just flocking to her and fawning over her every breath. She's not very nice to other coaches, tries to steal students, and is generally a poopiehead.
Ellen: a former dancer and still a competitor, she's got princess syndrome to the highest degree. It's almost kind of sad how princessy she is. This is the type of coach who takes six weeks worth of pre-payment and then doesn't show up for the lessons. She also doesn't show up alot for classes...it's classy.
Pam: She's the old princess....the princess that is wayyyy past her prime but still likes to brag about how wonderful and special she is. She'll tell anyone who will listen that she's got the best resume at the rink and loves to tout her "off ice" skills.
Then we have the Russians:
Viktor: Viktor is the most expensive coach at the rink. He was a national champion and an olympian, so I guess he can charge whatever he wants. He's actually a good coach, but i'm not sure he's as good as he thinks he is...but heck, i'm not sure any of the coaches are as good as they think they are.
Oksana: If there was a sterotypical russian figure skating coach, Oksana would be it. She's beautiful, and talented, and meaner than a two headed snake. I think her students are scared of her, to be honest.
Then there are those that really aren't here that often...Anna, Mary, aand Parker. They aren't great, aren't awful, but just kind of "are".
Kensie is a newer coach and teaches Learn to Skate with me, and Karen of course is my coach and the coach of the synchro team.
And then of course there is the Manager...Janice...she has 4 "competitive" skaters. She's got high expectations, but low commitment level to meeting them. She's also a disorganized mess, but that's an amusing story for another day I suppose.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Rink Rats
I feel like I should introduce you to my usual "rink rats"-- the kids who i see on a near-daily basis here at the rink.
I start almost every day spending time with Megan. She gets to the rink around 7:30 every morning and gets on the ice around 8. She's 11 years old and in the 5th grade and is very very sweet. She's an excellent skater and is landing most of her doubles consistently. She's a very polite child and her mother is often with her. Megan speaks fluent Japanese and has a very solid skating work ethic. She skates pre-juv.
Sam is probably my favorite of the kids...he's one of the only boys at the rink and is a really funny kid. He's 13 and entering 7th grade. He'll be competing pre-juv this season and is regualrly landing doubles and has a combination jump of 3 doubles in a row. I often call him my "little coach" because he likes to coach me on the ice and make me skate even when I'm not feeling it. He's also very...umm...expressive.
Roxy is probably my other favorite. She's very cute, very funny, and has a huge smile that just goes on and on forever. She's a good skater, but lacks the drive to improve even more. She's her on worst enemy on the ice. Her mom is one of the skater moms that has a firm grip on reality and realizes her child's limitations and shortcomings.
Robin..oh Robin. Of all the kids at the rink with the most potential to really go far, Robin is the one. She could be an olympic champion. She's 12 years old, is home schooled, and is a beautiful skater. But this child...she has no drive and no self discipline. She has all of the potential in the world, natural skating talent, natural grace, but she's so un-committed to the sport. I think her mother and her coach want her to succeed more than she wants it for herself and it really shows. She doesn't do her warm up, she doesn't skate unless her coach is here to make her, and she's very very very rude.
Tara is such a beautiful girl and a beautiful skater. She's got these long beautiful legs that make her jumps gigantic. She struggles with being graceful, as her limbs kind of get tangled up around each other, but when everything works in her favor, it's beautiful.
Michele is gone now...and it makes me sad. She taught classes with me and was working on her Senior Moves test. She didnt' pass. She is a very committed skater, but is now off to college and will likely not skate anymore. I'm hoping she misses skating and makes a commitment to keep going at least until she can pass her tests, but in the meantime, i'm going to miss her at the rink and during class sessions.
Carrie is another one of thse high potential skaters who doesn't have the work ethic to follow through on what she does. She got a level 3 spin at her last competition, which is pretty awesome, but I have to be honest that I'm suprised she did that well. She doesn't even seem to care at all.
Jilll is probably the most beautiful skater at the rink. She's graceful and talented and her jumps and spins are really developing into a quality that will be competitive on a national level. She's also one of the most polite self diciplined skaters here. She does everything she's supposed to do, follows the direction of her coaches and listens to all of the adults. Her largest downfall is her mother. She has one of *those* mothers...a pushy overbearing skate mom. Gah.
The other kid with a crazy mom is Sarah. Sarah is also a lovely skater and also skates on a synchro (not mine) team. But her mom...her mom is a braggart talking about how wonderful Sarah is and how special she is and how special her team is and as a person who sits here all day, i can assure you listening to Sarah's mom begins to feel like listening to nails on a chalkboard.
Finally, for this group at least, is Moica. Monica kind of just decided to start skating a year or so ago and suddenly has an axel. She's flat out amazing. She's only 10 but is already 5'8 and still growing and her jumps are enormous. She's a little princess, but her mom is NOT one of those over indulgent princess pampering types, so Monica doesn't get away with much. It's actually quite funny to watch the two of them together.
So...those are the usual suspects...more introductions to come as necessary, and a coaches' overview is coming soon.
I start almost every day spending time with Megan. She gets to the rink around 7:30 every morning and gets on the ice around 8. She's 11 years old and in the 5th grade and is very very sweet. She's an excellent skater and is landing most of her doubles consistently. She's a very polite child and her mother is often with her. Megan speaks fluent Japanese and has a very solid skating work ethic. She skates pre-juv.
Sam is probably my favorite of the kids...he's one of the only boys at the rink and is a really funny kid. He's 13 and entering 7th grade. He'll be competing pre-juv this season and is regualrly landing doubles and has a combination jump of 3 doubles in a row. I often call him my "little coach" because he likes to coach me on the ice and make me skate even when I'm not feeling it. He's also very...umm...expressive.
Roxy is probably my other favorite. She's very cute, very funny, and has a huge smile that just goes on and on forever. She's a good skater, but lacks the drive to improve even more. She's her on worst enemy on the ice. Her mom is one of the skater moms that has a firm grip on reality and realizes her child's limitations and shortcomings.
Robin..oh Robin. Of all the kids at the rink with the most potential to really go far, Robin is the one. She could be an olympic champion. She's 12 years old, is home schooled, and is a beautiful skater. But this child...she has no drive and no self discipline. She has all of the potential in the world, natural skating talent, natural grace, but she's so un-committed to the sport. I think her mother and her coach want her to succeed more than she wants it for herself and it really shows. She doesn't do her warm up, she doesn't skate unless her coach is here to make her, and she's very very very rude.
Tara is such a beautiful girl and a beautiful skater. She's got these long beautiful legs that make her jumps gigantic. She struggles with being graceful, as her limbs kind of get tangled up around each other, but when everything works in her favor, it's beautiful.
Michele is gone now...and it makes me sad. She taught classes with me and was working on her Senior Moves test. She didnt' pass. She is a very committed skater, but is now off to college and will likely not skate anymore. I'm hoping she misses skating and makes a commitment to keep going at least until she can pass her tests, but in the meantime, i'm going to miss her at the rink and during class sessions.
Carrie is another one of thse high potential skaters who doesn't have the work ethic to follow through on what she does. She got a level 3 spin at her last competition, which is pretty awesome, but I have to be honest that I'm suprised she did that well. She doesn't even seem to care at all.
Jilll is probably the most beautiful skater at the rink. She's graceful and talented and her jumps and spins are really developing into a quality that will be competitive on a national level. She's also one of the most polite self diciplined skaters here. She does everything she's supposed to do, follows the direction of her coaches and listens to all of the adults. Her largest downfall is her mother. She has one of *those* mothers...a pushy overbearing skate mom. Gah.
The other kid with a crazy mom is Sarah. Sarah is also a lovely skater and also skates on a synchro (not mine) team. But her mom...her mom is a braggart talking about how wonderful Sarah is and how special she is and how special her team is and as a person who sits here all day, i can assure you listening to Sarah's mom begins to feel like listening to nails on a chalkboard.
Finally, for this group at least, is Moica. Monica kind of just decided to start skating a year or so ago and suddenly has an axel. She's flat out amazing. She's only 10 but is already 5'8 and still growing and her jumps are enormous. She's a little princess, but her mom is NOT one of those over indulgent princess pampering types, so Monica doesn't get away with much. It's actually quite funny to watch the two of them together.
So...those are the usual suspects...more introductions to come as necessary, and a coaches' overview is coming soon.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Chloe
I have my first private student. Her name is Chloe and she is by far the most adorable child on the planet. She's 2 years old. She was in my Tot 1 class on Saturday mornings and she just loved everything so much that her Mom wanted to keep her skating during the break between classes, so I have a private student. She was so cute today on the ice. She had never been on the ice with kids doing jumps and spins and programs before so, she was very easily distracted and kept turning her head to watch everything going on instead of watching what we were doing, but she did great! We had a really good time during our lesson and she did really well. I'm trying to teach her how to swizzle, which is taking some patience, but her marching is great and when she's even just barely holding my hand she marches so fast that she's almost really stroking already, which is pretty awesome. Spending 30 minutes on the ice with Chloe made my whole day just wonderful.
Chloe before skating
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Working at the ice rink some more!
So another day another day at the rink. I got a new chair...it's lower than the stools i've been sitting on, so my hands have to reach way up to use the computer, but even so, it's wayyyyy more comfortable. It was 20bucks well spent.
I'm afraid i'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy new skates. My other ones are giving me so much trouble and i'm pulling to an inside edge on everything which is really not good when you're supposed to be nicely over your outside edge or spinning up on the flat. I can't get there...it takes so much work to get there and is so painful and in 2 weeks i start teaching again and will be on the ice for up to 4 hours at a time...i have to have skates that don't kill my feet. I'm not happy about this, BUT, i've managed to find a deal...brand new skates for $250. This is a huge deal...seriously huge, so i think i might just have to do it. Bah.
The freestyle schedule for fall came out today and unfortunately i'm going to hve to get here at 5:30 some mornings. 5:30!!!! OMFG! That's 30 minutes earlier than i get here now. Seriously...that's freaking insane. In-Sane. Crazy. I'm not happy about this. Not happy. I am however very happy to ahve a job and to be working, so i'll shut up about it...just a warning though "its too early" whining will commence soon. Just sayin :)
The good news is that it won't be every day because i'm teaching 12 hours of learn to skate each week so i only need 28 hours of ice monitor i'm not allowed to work more than 40...so i'll have to make some adjustments in my schedule. Basically, i set my schedule myself but i will be expected to be here mornings a few days a week...so we'll see. I'll figure it out tomorrow when we have our "coaches meeting".
I actually love love love what i'm doing right now...seriously. I get to hang out at the rink, watch my favorite sport, teach little ones how to skate, and i get free ice for myself. It's really a wonderful job and because i'm a member of the Professional Skater's Association, i'm going to be able to get health insurance. Insurance! How i have missed thee!!!
All in all, while it isn't what i went to 8 years of school to do, it's a job...and i like it...and there is ZERO stress and no long trips with obnoxious teenagers and the rude/obnoxious coaches that ARE here i don't have to really deal with all that much and my boss is a total ditz but a genuinely good person. I also dont' have to leave events early to get back to work for Sunday morning, although i do have to go to bed on Friday nights if i'm in town.
I'm rather content to tell the truth...and i'm getting lots of exercise. Yay. Seriously....Yay.
So..yeah...i'm sounding happier these days. There's much less stress in my life and i'm getting to spend a lot of time doing something i love. I might even have kids in a competition in January. Yay!
I'm afraid i'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy new skates. My other ones are giving me so much trouble and i'm pulling to an inside edge on everything which is really not good when you're supposed to be nicely over your outside edge or spinning up on the flat. I can't get there...it takes so much work to get there and is so painful and in 2 weeks i start teaching again and will be on the ice for up to 4 hours at a time...i have to have skates that don't kill my feet. I'm not happy about this, BUT, i've managed to find a deal...brand new skates for $250. This is a huge deal...seriously huge, so i think i might just have to do it. Bah.
The freestyle schedule for fall came out today and unfortunately i'm going to hve to get here at 5:30 some mornings. 5:30!!!! OMFG! That's 30 minutes earlier than i get here now. Seriously...that's freaking insane. In-Sane. Crazy. I'm not happy about this. Not happy. I am however very happy to ahve a job and to be working, so i'll shut up about it...just a warning though "its too early" whining will commence soon. Just sayin :)
The good news is that it won't be every day because i'm teaching 12 hours of learn to skate each week so i only need 28 hours of ice monitor i'm not allowed to work more than 40...so i'll have to make some adjustments in my schedule. Basically, i set my schedule myself but i will be expected to be here mornings a few days a week...so we'll see. I'll figure it out tomorrow when we have our "coaches meeting".
I actually love love love what i'm doing right now...seriously. I get to hang out at the rink, watch my favorite sport, teach little ones how to skate, and i get free ice for myself. It's really a wonderful job and because i'm a member of the Professional Skater's Association, i'm going to be able to get health insurance. Insurance! How i have missed thee!!!
All in all, while it isn't what i went to 8 years of school to do, it's a job...and i like it...and there is ZERO stress and no long trips with obnoxious teenagers and the rude/obnoxious coaches that ARE here i don't have to really deal with all that much and my boss is a total ditz but a genuinely good person. I also dont' have to leave events early to get back to work for Sunday morning, although i do have to go to bed on Friday nights if i'm in town.
I'm rather content to tell the truth...and i'm getting lots of exercise. Yay. Seriously....Yay.
So..yeah...i'm sounding happier these days. There's much less stress in my life and i'm getting to spend a lot of time doing something i love. I might even have kids in a competition in January. Yay!
But I don't wanna!!!!
I think i'm going to have to suck it up and buy new skates. I don't want to buy them. I'm angry that i need to, but i'm also going to be spending 4-6 hours a day on the ice 2-3 days a week starting in september and i can't see how i'm going to do it if putting skates on my feet is painful. As much as it really bothers me to have to do it, i'm going to have to buy new skates. This really really really makes me sad, but at least i'm working and making money and i don't have to pull $250 out of thin air. Of course, if anyone has just a random $250 laying around and they wanted to buy skates for me because they think i'm awesome, that would rock. However, i'm not holding my breath on that, so...yeah...new skates.
I don't want to break in new skates! gah!
I don't want to break in new skates! gah!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Six times!
Workin at the ice rink ice rink ice rink workin at the ice rink damn it's cold....
So...this morning I skated for 2 hours. I didn't mean to skate for 2 hours, but it happened and i'm rather glad it did. My skates feel much better after using huberds in them and shoving a hockey puck down into the toe overnight I could actually wear them :) I did my program six times today and it didn't suck, but it's not good. I videoed it, but can't get my dang camera card to download...growl.
I shouldn't have videoed it...i'ts depressing...my jumps barely leave the ice....like seriously....barely.
But everything is improving every single day.
well...almost everything...i'm tired....really tired...my body cant' quite adjust to the new schedule and to all the exercise and where 1300 calories a day was plenty when i was only skating once a week, now that i'm skating once a day? i'm freaking starving all the damn time.
gahhhhh.
So...this morning I skated for 2 hours. I didn't mean to skate for 2 hours, but it happened and i'm rather glad it did. My skates feel much better after using huberds in them and shoving a hockey puck down into the toe overnight I could actually wear them :) I did my program six times today and it didn't suck, but it's not good. I videoed it, but can't get my dang camera card to download...growl.
I shouldn't have videoed it...i'ts depressing...my jumps barely leave the ice....like seriously....barely.
But everything is improving every single day.
well...almost everything...i'm tired....really tired...my body cant' quite adjust to the new schedule and to all the exercise and where 1300 calories a day was plenty when i was only skating once a week, now that i'm skating once a day? i'm freaking starving all the damn time.
gahhhhh.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Adventures in Cornville
Cornville... that lovely place situated upon my right pinky toe...it's a lovely place...um...no i'ts not. I"ve treated it, i've babied it, and it still freaking hurts. I had my skate punched out and that helped a little, but gah...idk...its still bad. So, today i lodged a hockey puck down in it and tied it up to see if that would stretch it out. We'll see what that does. If THAT doesn't work, i'm going to have to go buy a pair of used skate boots that have a bigger toe box or something because i can't skate every day and teach and coach if i can't put skates on my feet. It will not work. We'll see how the hockey puck works....i'm hopeful.
There are two skaters skating right nwo that are clearly synchro skaters...one had on a Team USA jacket and a Miami university t-shirt so i'm pretty sure she's on the MIami synchro team, which is hella awesome. They are one of hte best synchro teams in the US...actually one of the best in the world, so i'm really enjoying watching these girls skate. I wanna talk to them but dont' want to sound like a geeky fangirl.
I'm kind of amused by just how crowded the rink is today...seriously it's like rush hour out there today. I'm really glad that i'm not skating this session.
I did skate this morning, but yeah...cornville.
I also walked a mile around the track this morning. That was good...except um...yeah my feet keep going numb in my tennis shoes, which sucked alot, but i figure it's just gonna take some getting used to.
All of this working and being at the rink is starting to bother me in regards to the amount of time i'm spending at home. As much as i love working again, I hate not being home . I miss my boyrfiend and I miss the time together and the regularity of chores and the relaxed routine. But, for now, i need the financial help...i need to be able to pay my phone bill and a few other things. I'm hoping to get some private students...that pays muuuuuuuch bettter and if i do get them, that will help too.
I do love being here. I love that my job is mindlessly easy...i mean really easy...i sit here. I take receipts. That's it. i do nothing else...and i can skate when i want. it's kinda cake. I dont' even care that it doesn't pay very much...it pays
There are two skaters skating right nwo that are clearly synchro skaters...one had on a Team USA jacket and a Miami university t-shirt so i'm pretty sure she's on the MIami synchro team, which is hella awesome. They are one of hte best synchro teams in the US...actually one of the best in the world, so i'm really enjoying watching these girls skate. I wanna talk to them but dont' want to sound like a geeky fangirl.
I'm kind of amused by just how crowded the rink is today...seriously it's like rush hour out there today. I'm really glad that i'm not skating this session.
I did skate this morning, but yeah...cornville.
I also walked a mile around the track this morning. That was good...except um...yeah my feet keep going numb in my tennis shoes, which sucked alot, but i figure it's just gonna take some getting used to.
All of this working and being at the rink is starting to bother me in regards to the amount of time i'm spending at home. As much as i love working again, I hate not being home . I miss my boyrfiend and I miss the time together and the regularity of chores and the relaxed routine. But, for now, i need the financial help...i need to be able to pay my phone bill and a few other things. I'm hoping to get some private students...that pays muuuuuuuch bettter and if i do get them, that will help too.
I do love being here. I love that my job is mindlessly easy...i mean really easy...i sit here. I take receipts. That's it. i do nothing else...and i can skate when i want. it's kinda cake. I dont' even care that it doesn't pay very much...it pays
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Synchro Practice :)
So last night was another synchro practice. It was rough, as we skated for an hour and a half solid with no break and the one break we thought we got we didn't get and the coach yelled at us for taking it even though she said "take a drink"...it was unclear at best. Anyway...practice went well. I again made it through the whole thing without dying, so that's a win,
Our program is kind of difficult and the person who happened to be to my left for most of it keeps breaking her grip on my hand. I hold on to her for dear life, but she gives up and lets go of me and I can't hold on anymore and the circle breaks and it seriously isn't all me. I'm trying to be uber patient because i know i'm not the best skater on the team either, but for cryin out loud i at least hold on to the person next to me.
Karen has me leading a couple of lines...this is a new thing for me as before she'd have moved me to make sure i wasn't in the lead. That means that she trusts my skating ability more than she used to. She still yells at me, but not as much and not for the same things. It feels pretty good that she'll let me be on the end of a line. That's kind of an earned position.
She put a backwards lunge in our program. This is not an easy move to do for anyone, but particularly not for someone who is old and a little less in shape. It's a hard move but i'm getting it. I worked on it during my practice time this morning and was able to do it well...well at least the getting down there part...,the getting up? yeah um...gotta work on that a bit more for sure. It was ummmm....yeah.
At the end of practice we did this circle thing a conditioning exercise...she made me do it twice. The second time my legs gave out, but i did manage to make it through most of it. It's frustrating to still have issues keeping up, but i do ok and i'm certainly not the slowest or the most akward, so that makes it better.
Anyway...just thinking about synchro...hoping my toe starts to play more nicely so i can practice again in the morning...tomorrow should be better...i'm giving it some time to breathe/heal a bit this afternoon. I might go upstairs and my skate punched some more, but we'll see how it is.
Our program is kind of difficult and the person who happened to be to my left for most of it keeps breaking her grip on my hand. I hold on to her for dear life, but she gives up and lets go of me and I can't hold on anymore and the circle breaks and it seriously isn't all me. I'm trying to be uber patient because i know i'm not the best skater on the team either, but for cryin out loud i at least hold on to the person next to me.
Karen has me leading a couple of lines...this is a new thing for me as before she'd have moved me to make sure i wasn't in the lead. That means that she trusts my skating ability more than she used to. She still yells at me, but not as much and not for the same things. It feels pretty good that she'll let me be on the end of a line. That's kind of an earned position.
She put a backwards lunge in our program. This is not an easy move to do for anyone, but particularly not for someone who is old and a little less in shape. It's a hard move but i'm getting it. I worked on it during my practice time this morning and was able to do it well...well at least the getting down there part...,the getting up? yeah um...gotta work on that a bit more for sure. It was ummmm....yeah.
At the end of practice we did this circle thing a conditioning exercise...she made me do it twice. The second time my legs gave out, but i did manage to make it through most of it. It's frustrating to still have issues keeping up, but i do ok and i'm certainly not the slowest or the most akward, so that makes it better.
Anyway...just thinking about synchro...hoping my toe starts to play more nicely so i can practice again in the morning...tomorrow should be better...i'm giving it some time to breathe/heal a bit this afternoon. I might go upstairs and my skate punched some more, but we'll see how it is.
Another morning at the rink....
It's hard for me to believe its 90 degrees outside when i'm in a fleece and under a banket. It's kinda funny.
So the weekend was really good. I slept alot...like probably more than i should have, but my body is still totally adjusting to this new schedule. I'm trying to learn how my body is adapting to the exercise. I'm not sure where the line between enough and too much is. How much is too much? How do you know the difference between just tired and exhausted in the muscle department? I want to push myself to develop endurance, but I don't want to push myself so much that i can't keep going. It's hard to figure out where my body is right now. I mean...i'm tired...really tired, but I did skate. I'm just wokring on figuring it out. I might need to actually discuss this with my coach or possibly a personal trainer. i guess i need to figure this out soon. Lol. I need a fitness routine that makes sense.
In the continuing adventures of the corn on my toe, it was better and then i skated for an hour and a half last night and now it's not bettter. Now it hurts like a mo. I dunno what to do about it, but i know i need to maybe get my skate punched a bit more to leave myself more room in that skate. I don't know, but i do know i don 't like the searing pain in my toe when i put my skate on...it sucks alot.
It amazes me how the rink is empty at 6am and now at 25 til 10 there are easily 25 skaters on the ice. These skaters could all be so much more productive if they'd spread out their practice times. I think the coaches have some responsibility in that
So the weekend was really good. I slept alot...like probably more than i should have, but my body is still totally adjusting to this new schedule. I'm trying to learn how my body is adapting to the exercise. I'm not sure where the line between enough and too much is. How much is too much? How do you know the difference between just tired and exhausted in the muscle department? I want to push myself to develop endurance, but I don't want to push myself so much that i can't keep going. It's hard to figure out where my body is right now. I mean...i'm tired...really tired, but I did skate. I'm just wokring on figuring it out. I might need to actually discuss this with my coach or possibly a personal trainer. i guess i need to figure this out soon. Lol. I need a fitness routine that makes sense.
In the continuing adventures of the corn on my toe, it was better and then i skated for an hour and a half last night and now it's not bettter. Now it hurts like a mo. I dunno what to do about it, but i know i need to maybe get my skate punched a bit more to leave myself more room in that skate. I don't know, but i do know i don 't like the searing pain in my toe when i put my skate on...it sucks alot.
It amazes me how the rink is empty at 6am and now at 25 til 10 there are easily 25 skaters on the ice. These skaters could all be so much more productive if they'd spread out their practice times. I think the coaches have some responsibility in that
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Ice monitoring is superfun!
Well...i'm going to be updating alot when i'm here at the rink...all i do is sit here and make sure people pay for ice. I've already caught some people sneaking on, so it's a good thing i'm here, but it's not very exciting when i'm actually doing the work.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Working at the ice rink ice rink ice rink....
So, it's week one of the new life schedule...and um...yeah my body does not like being awake at 4:30. However, there was some way positve stuff this morning. First, my commute took less than 45 minutes-- woo hoo. Second, i got to see the sun rise. Third...i got to skate on a completely empty rink by myself. It was so wonderful to just be able to close my eyes and skate...just skate. When i'm alone on the ice, i'm not old and fat and out of shape and "that damn lefty"...when i'm by myself? I'm just me...skating. It feels so good. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning when i can be alone again. Apparently, the kids don't really start arriving until 7 or 8...so the first hour or so of the session is nearly empty. This makes me very happy. So, basically, yeah I'm going to get paid to skate. I'm not sad about this.
I'm also amused by the number of kids who really believe they are going to be the next Michelle Kwan or Tara Lapinski or Evan Lysacheck. Seriously folks....out of the literal THOUSANDS (170,000 members of USFSA) of people who skate, 2 women and 2 men make it to that level every year. While many of these kids might have decent skating careers there might be 2-3 from our rink that even qualify on a national level at any point. I think the parents need a serious reality check and the kids need to either really focus on their skating or they need to acknowledge that they are a non-national level competitor. Some of these kids have zero work ethic and then wonder why their coaches get frustrated. Ah...oh well. It brings in money for the rink...the rink pays me...life is good.
I've got my fancy new employee id card for the park district now, so that means i can use all the facilities....which is awesome...so in my downtime between ice- monitor shifts, i'm going to try to use the gym facilities. In addition to skating, if i add some weights/resistance training, i think my weight loss will be accellerated and my skating will probably improve more quickcly which would be really nice. I just don't have the brute strength necessary to haul my ass off the ice for my jumps, so added strength would help.
I'm also going to be getting this fancy thing called a regular pay check. I've kind of forgotten what that is, but i'm kinda excited to be reminded.
I'm also amused by the number of kids who really believe they are going to be the next Michelle Kwan or Tara Lapinski or Evan Lysacheck. Seriously folks....out of the literal THOUSANDS (170,000 members of USFSA) of people who skate, 2 women and 2 men make it to that level every year. While many of these kids might have decent skating careers there might be 2-3 from our rink that even qualify on a national level at any point. I think the parents need a serious reality check and the kids need to either really focus on their skating or they need to acknowledge that they are a non-national level competitor. Some of these kids have zero work ethic and then wonder why their coaches get frustrated. Ah...oh well. It brings in money for the rink...the rink pays me...life is good.
I've got my fancy new employee id card for the park district now, so that means i can use all the facilities....which is awesome...so in my downtime between ice- monitor shifts, i'm going to try to use the gym facilities. In addition to skating, if i add some weights/resistance training, i think my weight loss will be accellerated and my skating will probably improve more quickcly which would be really nice. I just don't have the brute strength necessary to haul my ass off the ice for my jumps, so added strength would help.
I'm also going to be getting this fancy thing called a regular pay check. I've kind of forgotten what that is, but i'm kinda excited to be reminded.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Giving it another shot ;)
So, with much trepidation, i decided to try Sychro for another season. This time however, it's an ALL ADULT team (no obnoxious teenagers) and required an audition to join. I made the team, and have been going to practice. And wow, things are different this season. Most of the changes are with me...
1. I'm more physically fit and nearly 40 pounds lighter than last season. I can make it through a whole practice... a WHOLE practice without stopping, without being out of breath, and without needing to puke from exertion.
2. I'm a better skater. Last year when i started, it had been 9 years since i had last been on the ice. This year, i've been skating regularly and have been working on my skills so the things we're doing in synchro aren't as much of a challenge to me. In fact, i'm able to do things the other skaters can't (like an Ina Bauer and realy pretty spirals and even chochtaws). I even had a teammate last night tell me "you're really good".
3. I'm more confident. I feel good on the ice. We practice at the rink where i work, so it's my "home ice" and i feel like i know what i'm doing and that i can learn what i don't know. people on the team are looking to me for information and for help...they think i know what's going on. suddenly i'm not the worst/slowest/fattest skater on the team and am instead one of the ones the coach looks to for an example or for assistance.
but some of the changes are in my relationship with coach Karen. We've been spending more time together off ice and working together and she's my regular coach and suddenly she's getting it. She knows how to "coach" me now without making me crazy upset. She's also more patient this season so far...and more tolerant of folks who are struggling.
Last night we did calesthenics for 45 minutes...45 minutes! Running, lunges, spirals, jumping jacks, off-ice run throughs of the program. 45 minutes! I didn't stop, I didn't puke, I didn't die.
Then we practiced full speed for an hour...a whole hour-- with no water breaks. ANd i made it! I didn't have to stop and "breathe" or rest. I made it through the whole practice, even the 5 solid minutes of intense conditioning drills at the end (backwards cross overs full speed to the beat of music).... at the end of practice...after 45 minutes of calesthenics and an hour of practice...and i made it! I did it!
and omg today i'm sore. but it's that good "omg i did it sore" and i'm not nearly as sore as i was from practice 2 weeks ago.
I'm getting fit.
I'm losing weight.
I'm having fun.
Oh...and i'm working full time at the rink now.
Yay!
1. I'm more physically fit and nearly 40 pounds lighter than last season. I can make it through a whole practice... a WHOLE practice without stopping, without being out of breath, and without needing to puke from exertion.
2. I'm a better skater. Last year when i started, it had been 9 years since i had last been on the ice. This year, i've been skating regularly and have been working on my skills so the things we're doing in synchro aren't as much of a challenge to me. In fact, i'm able to do things the other skaters can't (like an Ina Bauer and realy pretty spirals and even chochtaws). I even had a teammate last night tell me "you're really good".
3. I'm more confident. I feel good on the ice. We practice at the rink where i work, so it's my "home ice" and i feel like i know what i'm doing and that i can learn what i don't know. people on the team are looking to me for information and for help...they think i know what's going on. suddenly i'm not the worst/slowest/fattest skater on the team and am instead one of the ones the coach looks to for an example or for assistance.
but some of the changes are in my relationship with coach Karen. We've been spending more time together off ice and working together and she's my regular coach and suddenly she's getting it. She knows how to "coach" me now without making me crazy upset. She's also more patient this season so far...and more tolerant of folks who are struggling.
Last night we did calesthenics for 45 minutes...45 minutes! Running, lunges, spirals, jumping jacks, off-ice run throughs of the program. 45 minutes! I didn't stop, I didn't puke, I didn't die.
Then we practiced full speed for an hour...a whole hour-- with no water breaks. ANd i made it! I didn't have to stop and "breathe" or rest. I made it through the whole practice, even the 5 solid minutes of intense conditioning drills at the end (backwards cross overs full speed to the beat of music).... at the end of practice...after 45 minutes of calesthenics and an hour of practice...and i made it! I did it!
and omg today i'm sore. but it's that good "omg i did it sore" and i'm not nearly as sore as i was from practice 2 weeks ago.
I'm getting fit.
I'm losing weight.
I'm having fun.
Oh...and i'm working full time at the rink now.
Yay!
Monday, June 7, 2010
My first ice show as a "coach"
So, we had 3 days of ice show this weekend at the Rink plus a day of dress rehearsal. Things have been a bit rocky what with schedules and people being places and things going well. I've had to deal with a few angry/annoyed parents, but overall, it was rather fun. My favorite part was getting to skate with the little synchro girls...
It was so much fun to skate with these little ones...all about 5 or 6 years old and all full of personality. They skated to "Baby Love" and did a great job in the show! So much fun!
It was so much fun to skate with these little ones...all about 5 or 6 years old and all full of personality. They skated to "Baby Love" and did a great job in the show! So much fun!
Monday, May 24, 2010
From Twitterland...
16:20 Sitting in the shade reading between skating sessions. My lesson went great until time to do my program. Calories burned, muscles sore. #
19:20 I spent 2 hours ice skating. 921 calories burned. #LoseIt #
21:36 I spent 1 hour ice skating. 460 calories burned. #LoseIt #
22:16 Yes, I did skate 3 hours and 45 minutes today. Burned more calories than I consumed. Finishing the day at -126 calories. #loseit
19:20 I spent 2 hours ice skating. 921 calories burned. #LoseIt #
21:36 I spent 1 hour ice skating. 460 calories burned. #LoseIt #
22:16 Yes, I did skate 3 hours and 45 minutes today. Burned more calories than I consumed. Finishing the day at -126 calories. #loseit
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Loving my tots!
The skating job is going well. Right now I'm working 2 days a week, which is better than "We might need you we might not". This session of classes is about to end though, so we'll see what I'm offered for the next session. I've been teaching "tots", which is a class of about 25 3-4 year olds who are learning the very basics of skating. They are beyond adorable and you have not lived until you've done the hokey pokey on ice with me! It's big fun! I'm trying to get some private students as well, as that's what really brings in the cashola. My coach is also starting a "Masters level" synchro team. This team would have corporate sponsorship, would have no teenagers, and would practice at the rink where I work. This might be more doable...I am considering it, but have yet to make a decision. The exercise is sooooo good for me, but the drama...not sure...
Monday, April 26, 2010
Another night teaching...
So I got to teach again tonight and it went really really well. Apparently the parents are so impressed with me that they have asked Janice to bring me on as a regular teacher, and she agreed! So I'll definitely be teaching every Monday at least and hopefully will add more classes as we progress along. I love teaching! It's so much fun to work with the little ones, learn fun games to play on the ice, and sing silly songs as we go along.
Yay for the Hokey Pokey!
Yay for the Hokey Pokey!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Well...I once said I thought I'd have made a career out of skating...
And now I'm going to have the chance to start. I'm starting to teach in the Learn to Skate program at the rink. Now...I have been a skater, and I have been a teacher, but I have never been a skating teacher, so this should be interesting to stay the least.
Tonight was my first night and I had so much fun. I'm helping to teach "tots". These are little ones aged 3-5 and they are just learning to skate. I love getting to work with them on how to march and how to move and how to play on the ice.
I'm sure there will be a lot to learn, but I'm so excited!
Tonight was my first night and I had so much fun. I'm helping to teach "tots". These are little ones aged 3-5 and they are just learning to skate. I love getting to work with them on how to march and how to move and how to play on the ice.
I'm sure there will be a lot to learn, but I'm so excited!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
We got 3rd! Yay.
Out of three...boo.
The program is so hard...takes so much work...takes so much energy...and there are stupid teenagers talking all the time.
We just watched the video of our performance as well as the other teams in our flight and i'm realizing a couple of things.
Our prgram is too fast. We look like we are frantic...we always seem to be one step behind and trying to catch up without ever quite getting there.
Our program is too difficult...it's choreographed to the best and fastest skaters rather than the least common denominator...so those of us who aren't as good are ALWAYS struggling.
Our program changes EVERY SINGLE WEEK at practice. We've been doing the program since October....six months of changes...it's never the same twice...and then the coach wonders why we get confused.
Teenagers should not be allowed to skate on the adult team. They should have to skate at their own level or not at all.
I appreciate how hard Karen works and all the effort she puts into the team...but gah..i'm just really glad this season is over.
The program is so hard...takes so much work...takes so much energy...and there are stupid teenagers talking all the time.
We just watched the video of our performance as well as the other teams in our flight and i'm realizing a couple of things.
Our prgram is too fast. We look like we are frantic...we always seem to be one step behind and trying to catch up without ever quite getting there.
Our program is too difficult...it's choreographed to the best and fastest skaters rather than the least common denominator...so those of us who aren't as good are ALWAYS struggling.
Our program changes EVERY SINGLE WEEK at practice. We've been doing the program since October....six months of changes...it's never the same twice...and then the coach wonders why we get confused.
Teenagers should not be allowed to skate on the adult team. They should have to skate at their own level or not at all.
I appreciate how hard Karen works and all the effort she puts into the team...but gah..i'm just really glad this season is over.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Almost ISI nationals!
I'm supposed to be meeting teh team bus at some god awful hour in the morning, but my coach hasn't told me where and i'm kinda pissed off about it. like seriously...the bus leaves rockford in less than 4 hours and i have no idea where i'm supposed to meet them. it's beginning to look like i'll be driving instead.
IF you live in ohio/northern kentucky and want to be thoroughly entertained, my team skates in the 2:00 group on saturday at the Goggin ice arena at Miami of Ohio. Come point fingers and laugh! This is Synchro nationals. it's kinda a big deal.
IF you live in ohio/northern kentucky and want to be thoroughly entertained, my team skates in the 2:00 group on saturday at the Goggin ice arena at Miami of Ohio. Come point fingers and laugh! This is Synchro nationals. it's kinda a big deal.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tweets from the road to Nationals
08:06 Sitting in Merrillville IN waiting for the team bus for ISI Synchro Championships!! #
09:00 I spent 20 minutes walking. 53 calories burned. #LoseIt #
11:30 Now driving through Indy. Oh the joys of a busride. #
12:00 Is watching the princess and the frog! Yay! #
13:33 Wow. We are staying at Hueston Woods state park. It is beautiful here!!! #
18:57 Off to the rink for practice. Competition at 2:20 tomorrow. #
20:14 I spent 20 minutes ice skating. 159 calories burned. #LoseIt #
20:49 Practice= epic fail. Epic. Like fail doesn't even describe it. Frantic crazy awful painful sad. #
21:21 I spent 15 minutes ice skating. 119 calories burned. #LoseIt
Practice was so bad...it was crazy. Everyone was frantic and nervous and pulling and doing weird stuff. The tension level was so high on the ice that no one really seemed to be comfortable doing anything on the ice. It was really a very scary practice...it felt...unsafe. Karen wasn't happy with us, i was quite sure, but well...between nerves and lack of experience and such varied skating levels...yeah...we're just a mess.
09:00 I spent 20 minutes walking. 53 calories burned. #LoseIt #
11:30 Now driving through Indy. Oh the joys of a busride. #
12:00 Is watching the princess and the frog! Yay! #
13:33 Wow. We are staying at Hueston Woods state park. It is beautiful here!!! #
18:57 Off to the rink for practice. Competition at 2:20 tomorrow. #
20:14 I spent 20 minutes ice skating. 159 calories burned. #LoseIt #
20:49 Practice= epic fail. Epic. Like fail doesn't even describe it. Frantic crazy awful painful sad. #
21:21 I spent 15 minutes ice skating. 119 calories burned. #LoseIt
Practice was so bad...it was crazy. Everyone was frantic and nervous and pulling and doing weird stuff. The tension level was so high on the ice that no one really seemed to be comfortable doing anything on the ice. It was really a very scary practice...it felt...unsafe. Karen wasn't happy with us, i was quite sure, but well...between nerves and lack of experience and such varied skating levels...yeah...we're just a mess.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Almost over...
Skating is going well...almost over thank god. If you live near Oxford Ohio and want to come see my team skate, we skate at ISI Nationals on Saturday. I'm glad it's almost over. It's been good for me, but the drive to and from Rockford is taking its toll and I'm ready to never have to go to rockford again.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Prievew of tonight's long program...
A preview of tonight’s Long program…my predictions and such regarding the contenders:
Mirai Nagasu, USA: This girl has the most amazing spins. In the short program she spun so fast that she actually gave herself a nosebleed. That’s rather impressive. She does not however have a triple triple combo, and she has a tendency to cheat the landings of her jumps. To really have a chance to contend for the podium, she’d have to upgrade her difficulty level and her GOE for each element. Her layback spin should be in the USFSA manual as a textbook example of perfection. I don’t think she’ll medal. But if she’s around in 4 years…she’ll be hard to beat.
Mao Asada, Japan: The only woman in the competition who has a triple axel—impressive, but as I’ve said before jumps aren’t everything. She does have more of the whole package than others, but her spins are very slow—very slow. Her footwork is also a bit weak.. In order for her to beat Kim YuNa, she’s going to have to step up her spins. She has good base values for her elements, but needs to increase her GOE.
Kim Yu Na, Korea: Gotta love the James Bond program. This girl is a star and she knows it. Coached by Brian Orser of Canada. Her triple triple combination blows any one else’s jumps out of the water and her spins are beautiful. She’s fast…really fast. The speed of her skating and footwork is very impressive. Additionally, she has character and power on the ice…she doesn’t look terrified, but rather seems to really flirt with the audience. She plays to the audience even in the short program, where the other ladies seem to be trying to get a job done. She will most surely win the gold unless something goes terribly wrong. She set the world record for a short record score. She really is *that* good.
Joannie Rochette, Canada: Tear Jerker story—her mom died suddenly on SUNDAY and this woman somehow summons the courage to take the ice and not only does she make it through her program, she kicks ass and is sitting in 3rd place. You could feel the audience behind her, but her skate was beautiful. She’s got great jumps and spins and fantastic maturity. With an increase in Difficulty she could challenge for the gold, but as it stands, I think she will win the bronze if she can repeat her performance from the short. It would be a triumph should she be able to do so.
Rachel Flatt, USA: What a great short program! Full of energy and character. I really expected her to be much more nervous, but she did so well. She needs to not cheat her landings to prevent GOE deductions if she wants to make the podium, but otherwise, she’s really very skilled and could challenge for a medal with a clean free skate tonight.
Miki Ando, Japan: Overall, an odd program, but her jumps are not clean and she won’t have a chance at the podium unless she lands them cleanly. I’m surprised she’s ranked as highly as she is, but she’s only 9 points ahead of Rachel Flatt, so it’s not that big of a difference.
So, tonight, if they all skate cleanly, this is how it will shake down:
1. Kim YuNa
2. Mao Asada
3. Joannie Rochette
However, if all hell breaks loose and there are falls and upsets, this is how it could be
1. Mao Asada
2. Kim YuNa
3. Rachel Flatt
Let’s also take a moment for realism. There are 30 ladies in the short program, 24 in the long. The reality of the Figure Skating world is that there are fewer than 100 top level skaters on the planet at any time. There are probably 100 little girls at my own rink who think they are the next Michele Kwan, and honestly only one of them has the potential to compete on a national stage, much less internationally. It’s a tough sport—physically and emotionally and the fact that these teenage girls and young adult women even make it to the Olympic stage is nothing short of amazing. I wish that NBC would do more to show all of the programs or at least tell more of the stories of these athletes who work so hard...not just the ones that can medal.
Mirai Nagasu, USA: This girl has the most amazing spins. In the short program she spun so fast that she actually gave herself a nosebleed. That’s rather impressive. She does not however have a triple triple combo, and she has a tendency to cheat the landings of her jumps. To really have a chance to contend for the podium, she’d have to upgrade her difficulty level and her GOE for each element. Her layback spin should be in the USFSA manual as a textbook example of perfection. I don’t think she’ll medal. But if she’s around in 4 years…she’ll be hard to beat.
Mao Asada, Japan: The only woman in the competition who has a triple axel—impressive, but as I’ve said before jumps aren’t everything. She does have more of the whole package than others, but her spins are very slow—very slow. Her footwork is also a bit weak.. In order for her to beat Kim YuNa, she’s going to have to step up her spins. She has good base values for her elements, but needs to increase her GOE.
Kim Yu Na, Korea: Gotta love the James Bond program. This girl is a star and she knows it. Coached by Brian Orser of Canada. Her triple triple combination blows any one else’s jumps out of the water and her spins are beautiful. She’s fast…really fast. The speed of her skating and footwork is very impressive. Additionally, she has character and power on the ice…she doesn’t look terrified, but rather seems to really flirt with the audience. She plays to the audience even in the short program, where the other ladies seem to be trying to get a job done. She will most surely win the gold unless something goes terribly wrong. She set the world record for a short record score. She really is *that* good.
Joannie Rochette, Canada: Tear Jerker story—her mom died suddenly on SUNDAY and this woman somehow summons the courage to take the ice and not only does she make it through her program, she kicks ass and is sitting in 3rd place. You could feel the audience behind her, but her skate was beautiful. She’s got great jumps and spins and fantastic maturity. With an increase in Difficulty she could challenge for the gold, but as it stands, I think she will win the bronze if she can repeat her performance from the short. It would be a triumph should she be able to do so.
Rachel Flatt, USA: What a great short program! Full of energy and character. I really expected her to be much more nervous, but she did so well. She needs to not cheat her landings to prevent GOE deductions if she wants to make the podium, but otherwise, she’s really very skilled and could challenge for a medal with a clean free skate tonight.
Miki Ando, Japan: Overall, an odd program, but her jumps are not clean and she won’t have a chance at the podium unless she lands them cleanly. I’m surprised she’s ranked as highly as she is, but she’s only 9 points ahead of Rachel Flatt, so it’s not that big of a difference.
So, tonight, if they all skate cleanly, this is how it will shake down:
1. Kim YuNa
2. Mao Asada
3. Joannie Rochette
However, if all hell breaks loose and there are falls and upsets, this is how it could be
1. Mao Asada
2. Kim YuNa
3. Rachel Flatt
Let’s also take a moment for realism. There are 30 ladies in the short program, 24 in the long. The reality of the Figure Skating world is that there are fewer than 100 top level skaters on the planet at any time. There are probably 100 little girls at my own rink who think they are the next Michele Kwan, and honestly only one of them has the potential to compete on a national stage, much less internationally. It’s a tough sport—physically and emotionally and the fact that these teenage girls and young adult women even make it to the Olympic stage is nothing short of amazing. I wish that NBC would do more to show all of the programs or at least tell more of the stories of these athletes who work so hard...not just the ones that can medal.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Frustrated
I skated today...it was icky. I just feel so out of shape on the ice especially with all these kids around me. it's frustrating. I'm doing fine...I'm landing my jumps and making progress on my spins...even my damn back spin...I just get frustrated.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Olympic Commentary
So... Here are my comments about the figure skating I've seen thus far.
Pairs:
The pairs short program was VERY impressive. The CHinese team of Shen/Zhao performed nearly flawlessly and the program was beautiful. I was somewhat disturbed by the German team of Savchenko/Szolkowy and the send in the clowns number. But when we got to the long program? I was so disappointed. NO one seemed to have brought their a-game for the night. Pang/Tong skated beautifully, but they seem to not have the passion of the other chinese team.
I also don't understand why Synchronized skating isn't an olympic event...what we do is not that different from pairs and we have to keep 12-20 people in unison instead of just 2.
I was however, very pleased to see a no Russians/Soviets/Former Soviets on the podium. Their monopoly on pairs has lasted 42 years, and it was time for it to go. This is actually GOOD for figureskating.
The scoring:
Gee...thanks french judge. Due to the scoring mess at Salt Lake...we have a new convoluted scoring system. It's extremely hard to explain, but basically, they start with a base score for planned elements and then either add or subtract points based on the execution of said element. The subtraction makes sense, but I have yet to understand how they add. It's very confusing. There are not, however, any more ordinals. I DO Like that. But the new system places so much emphasis on the skill itself and very little on artistry or interpretation. So, if a skater can throw a quad-triple combo, they don't have to have any artistry. I think this is going to hurt the overall beauty of the sport. Plus, the quad is wicked dangerous as is the triple axel. Not sure that danger over artistry is what figure skating is supposed to be about. For example a landed quad-triple combo will net 13 points, but a well executed triple triple gets you 9. It encourages poor execution in favor of just getting it done.
And now, in preparation for tonight's Men's final, Here is where we stand as far as the scoring and such thusfar.
1. Plushenko: He should have stayed retired. He's such an ass on the ice. He has said more than once that he doesn't care about the artistry of the sport, he's just there to throw the biggest jumps as fast as he can as hard as he can and rack up the points so that artistry doesn't matter. And of course, that's exactly what he did in the short. He looked like he rolled out of bed, threw on a unitard and came to just throw a quad and show the world he's the best jumper there is. Yes, he is. BUt the rest of his skating is SO ugly. It's a shame.
2. Lysachek: I did not like his outfit. Black uni, black skates, black feathers, black gloves, black hair...it was just too much black. Evan is proof that you do NOT need a quad to be competitive. He's only .55 behind Plushenko and did not do a quad. WHat he DID do is have exceptional artistry, and excellent footwork and spins (still not Lambiel quality, but very good). His program was engaging...beautiful to watch and the choreography was actual choreography--not just steps between required elements. He did NOT allow Plushenko to slam dunk the competition like happened in Torino. I hope he does well tonight.
3. Takahashi: A very well done program, but overall again, unexciting. He did NOT do a quad, which I respect. And even without the quad he is only .6 behind Plushenko. HIs artistry does help quite a bit, but I'm still not all that excited about his skating. He did nothing that made me want to stop and look.
4. Oda: I did not see his program...and I rewound my DVR and couldn't find it...so I either missed it, or it wasn't that exciting and I can't even remember it. Either way...I'm not sure how he's in fourth especially over Lambiel and Weir. I don't think he will be on the podium tonight unless he can put together something memorable.
5. Lambiel: This is the guy that I wish would win the whole thing. I think the attempt of his quad is what messed him up the most. But this guy...his footwork and his spins are the best in the world. He skated to the William Tell Overature and I think I stopped breathing when he was going. He was just freaking amazing. HIs artistry and his ability to do the WHOLE of figure skating, not just throw jumps is what makes him amazing. I hope he does well tonight and at least makes it onto the podium.
6. Weir: God he's just so weird. I loved his outfit, but I wanted it for myself...it had a pink tassel. He is a beautiful skater, but he always feels a bit like Johnny Depp on skates to me. His program was very well done, and He is very entertaining. HIs jumps are weak, but the rest of his skating is solid and technically beautiful. Plus, I love how freaking flamboyant he is. He's such a girl! I love it!
As far as the non-contenders,
Amodio Florent: (currently in 11th): His program was beautiful. He had no deductions, but he also had no quad, which is unfortunate because his skating is very moving. He was really enjoyable to watch. The canadians were disappointing on their home ice...theoretically Patric Chan could medal, but it would take a perfectly executed quad and a great deal more passion than he showed. Brian Joubert was a huge disappointment and watching him actually give up on the ice and half-ass his program was an insult to the olympic spirit. Kevin vand der Perren's outfit was just freaking bizzarre--a skeleton outfit---in GLITTER! Weird. HIs foot work and spins were so weak...I mean REALLY weak...like...some of my spins might actually be better kind of weak. Jeremy Abbot, the US champion, was pretty disappointing. He singled his axel and doubled his lutz which completely destroyed his chances of even making the top 10. It's sad.
And then some other random comentary:
I HATE that many of the men are wearing gloves. I don't understand it. It's kind of silly looking.
One of the pairs teams...the girl didn't fix her hair...she just shoved it back in a messy bun/scrunchie thing. I mean come on, you're at the freaking olympics! Fix your hair.
I'm tired of people using "Zorba the Greek" as their music. Not an olympics goes by without at least 1 person using it.
Spin positions: There is a difference between "innovative" and just plain weird. Just because you CAN put your foot over your head and clean your ear with your toepick does not mean that it's a pretty position for spinning. Just saying.
Soooooo my opinion:
Best jumping: Plushenko
Best artistry: Lysachek
Best spins: Lambiel
Best footwork: Lambiel
Most "flair": Weir
So.... if I were to get my wish, it would be Lysacheck, Lambiel and Weir on the podium. But of course Plushenko will be there.
Pairs:
The pairs short program was VERY impressive. The CHinese team of Shen/Zhao performed nearly flawlessly and the program was beautiful. I was somewhat disturbed by the German team of Savchenko/Szolkowy and the send in the clowns number. But when we got to the long program? I was so disappointed. NO one seemed to have brought their a-game for the night. Pang/Tong skated beautifully, but they seem to not have the passion of the other chinese team.
I also don't understand why Synchronized skating isn't an olympic event...what we do is not that different from pairs and we have to keep 12-20 people in unison instead of just 2.
I was however, very pleased to see a no Russians/Soviets/Former Soviets on the podium. Their monopoly on pairs has lasted 42 years, and it was time for it to go. This is actually GOOD for figureskating.
The scoring:
Gee...thanks french judge. Due to the scoring mess at Salt Lake...we have a new convoluted scoring system. It's extremely hard to explain, but basically, they start with a base score for planned elements and then either add or subtract points based on the execution of said element. The subtraction makes sense, but I have yet to understand how they add. It's very confusing. There are not, however, any more ordinals. I DO Like that. But the new system places so much emphasis on the skill itself and very little on artistry or interpretation. So, if a skater can throw a quad-triple combo, they don't have to have any artistry. I think this is going to hurt the overall beauty of the sport. Plus, the quad is wicked dangerous as is the triple axel. Not sure that danger over artistry is what figure skating is supposed to be about. For example a landed quad-triple combo will net 13 points, but a well executed triple triple gets you 9. It encourages poor execution in favor of just getting it done.
And now, in preparation for tonight's Men's final, Here is where we stand as far as the scoring and such thusfar.
1. Plushenko: He should have stayed retired. He's such an ass on the ice. He has said more than once that he doesn't care about the artistry of the sport, he's just there to throw the biggest jumps as fast as he can as hard as he can and rack up the points so that artistry doesn't matter. And of course, that's exactly what he did in the short. He looked like he rolled out of bed, threw on a unitard and came to just throw a quad and show the world he's the best jumper there is. Yes, he is. BUt the rest of his skating is SO ugly. It's a shame.
2. Lysachek: I did not like his outfit. Black uni, black skates, black feathers, black gloves, black hair...it was just too much black. Evan is proof that you do NOT need a quad to be competitive. He's only .55 behind Plushenko and did not do a quad. WHat he DID do is have exceptional artistry, and excellent footwork and spins (still not Lambiel quality, but very good). His program was engaging...beautiful to watch and the choreography was actual choreography--not just steps between required elements. He did NOT allow Plushenko to slam dunk the competition like happened in Torino. I hope he does well tonight.
3. Takahashi: A very well done program, but overall again, unexciting. He did NOT do a quad, which I respect. And even without the quad he is only .6 behind Plushenko. HIs artistry does help quite a bit, but I'm still not all that excited about his skating. He did nothing that made me want to stop and look.
4. Oda: I did not see his program...and I rewound my DVR and couldn't find it...so I either missed it, or it wasn't that exciting and I can't even remember it. Either way...I'm not sure how he's in fourth especially over Lambiel and Weir. I don't think he will be on the podium tonight unless he can put together something memorable.
5. Lambiel: This is the guy that I wish would win the whole thing. I think the attempt of his quad is what messed him up the most. But this guy...his footwork and his spins are the best in the world. He skated to the William Tell Overature and I think I stopped breathing when he was going. He was just freaking amazing. HIs artistry and his ability to do the WHOLE of figure skating, not just throw jumps is what makes him amazing. I hope he does well tonight and at least makes it onto the podium.
6. Weir: God he's just so weird. I loved his outfit, but I wanted it for myself...it had a pink tassel. He is a beautiful skater, but he always feels a bit like Johnny Depp on skates to me. His program was very well done, and He is very entertaining. HIs jumps are weak, but the rest of his skating is solid and technically beautiful. Plus, I love how freaking flamboyant he is. He's such a girl! I love it!
As far as the non-contenders,
Amodio Florent: (currently in 11th): His program was beautiful. He had no deductions, but he also had no quad, which is unfortunate because his skating is very moving. He was really enjoyable to watch. The canadians were disappointing on their home ice...theoretically Patric Chan could medal, but it would take a perfectly executed quad and a great deal more passion than he showed. Brian Joubert was a huge disappointment and watching him actually give up on the ice and half-ass his program was an insult to the olympic spirit. Kevin vand der Perren's outfit was just freaking bizzarre--a skeleton outfit---in GLITTER! Weird. HIs foot work and spins were so weak...I mean REALLY weak...like...some of my spins might actually be better kind of weak. Jeremy Abbot, the US champion, was pretty disappointing. He singled his axel and doubled his lutz which completely destroyed his chances of even making the top 10. It's sad.
And then some other random comentary:
I HATE that many of the men are wearing gloves. I don't understand it. It's kind of silly looking.
One of the pairs teams...the girl didn't fix her hair...she just shoved it back in a messy bun/scrunchie thing. I mean come on, you're at the freaking olympics! Fix your hair.
I'm tired of people using "Zorba the Greek" as their music. Not an olympics goes by without at least 1 person using it.
Spin positions: There is a difference between "innovative" and just plain weird. Just because you CAN put your foot over your head and clean your ear with your toepick does not mean that it's a pretty position for spinning. Just saying.
Soooooo my opinion:
Best jumping: Plushenko
Best artistry: Lysachek
Best spins: Lambiel
Best footwork: Lambiel
Most "flair": Weir
So.... if I were to get my wish, it would be Lysacheck, Lambiel and Weir on the podium. But of course Plushenko will be there.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Midwestern Sectionals aka "Mids"
Mids was a disaster for me on so many levels. First, it was in IOWA...seriously Iowa. Cedar Rapids to be exact. I drove all the way out by myself, which was actually a very good thing because I really like to have the time alone to think or chat with folks on the phone. Our "official" practice was a nightmare though... I am not at the point where i can do our program again and again and again and again and again. I need a moment between to, oh I don't know, breathe? I finished practice pretty much feeling like I was hurting the team. I know I'm not the worst skater on the team, but sometimes it really feels like I am and it's terribly frustrating. I really don't like being yelled at by the teen members on the team...it doesn't make things easier for me. I just get more frustrated.
Early practice on Friday morning didn't go that well either. Again, i was struggling to keep up and my feet were killing me. I don't understand why my feet hurt so much, but I just have to keep fighting through it every time. There has to be a better way. We came back to the hotel to have breakfast (yay waffles) and then do the "hair and makeup thing". A friend of mine says we look like a group of figure-skating zombies. I tend to agree just a little bit.
Somehow...and i'm reallly not quite sure how, we managed to skate a fairly clean program (only one fall and it wasn't me) and we came in 4th! That was good enough for a pewter medal and if we had been a regular team instead of the "open" division it would have earned us a trip to Nationals. I'm shocked by the placement but very pleased. We got medals and everything! That was pretty awesome to be honest.
I guess the moral of Mids is that hard work does eventually pay off.
Here are pictures from Mids: http://picasaweb.google.com/beccaminister/Skating
Early practice on Friday morning didn't go that well either. Again, i was struggling to keep up and my feet were killing me. I don't understand why my feet hurt so much, but I just have to keep fighting through it every time. There has to be a better way. We came back to the hotel to have breakfast (yay waffles) and then do the "hair and makeup thing". A friend of mine says we look like a group of figure-skating zombies. I tend to agree just a little bit.
Somehow...and i'm reallly not quite sure how, we managed to skate a fairly clean program (only one fall and it wasn't me) and we came in 4th! That was good enough for a pewter medal and if we had been a regular team instead of the "open" division it would have earned us a trip to Nationals. I'm shocked by the placement but very pleased. We got medals and everything! That was pretty awesome to be honest.
I guess the moral of Mids is that hard work does eventually pay off.
Here are pictures from Mids: http://picasaweb.google.com/beccaminister/Skating
Monday, January 11, 2010
Testing Success!
I went to RFD to skate. I had my pre-bronze moves in the field test. I was annoyed that I had to take the pre-bronze moves because I had passed pre-bronze free skate like 10 years ago, but new USFSA rules prevent you from moving up in free skate levels if you haven't passed moves. So, I took the dang test and I passed! Now I can test bronze moves and bronze freestyle in March and then hopefully at least get to silver before fall.
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