Im on my last legs here…

 I just can’t turn the corner on these dances.  One pattern looks about as good as I can do it, but two patterns I make too many mistakes.

Monday

Thursday

Short Practice Alone and Lesson Next Day

 My Christmas Program!  Ha ha.  Actually this was a practice dance session when NOTHING went well and I decided to do a Waltz jump and a spin and get the heck off the ice before I broke something!

Today I had my lesson after warming up alone for 20 min.  Wish I could just be done with these Silver Dances.

Dedicated to Coach Tony Howard

Today the skating world lost a treasure.  Tony Howard.  Tony .. or Coach Tony as I called him back in 1968 when I started skating.  Tony was my coach throughout my 3 years of childhood skating in Corte Madera, CA at Raydine's Ice Rink.  Tony taught me all the basics through single jumps as well as figures done on "patch" at O'Dark Thirty before our freestyle sessions.  He was firm but patient but would call you out for skating too stiffly or not pushing enough or extending your free leg .. all the way across the ice.  

After returning to the ice at age 52 and on a visit to the Bay Area in 2014 I was able to arrange a "reunion" of sorts at the rink in Oakland where, much to my surprise he was still coaching a few days a week in his 80's  We sat and chatted and reminisced about my brief childhood years of skating and afterwards he said .."well did you bring your skates?"  and he proceeded to give me an impromptu lesson from the boards.  I wish I had that video!  

After that we exchanged letters and Christmas cards several times and I really cherish them.  He was an artist too and asked me if he had ever drawn me one of his "Micky Mouse" drawings.  I couldn't remember if he had so he drew me a new one and sent it with a letter.  My heart melted.

Thank you Coach Tony for the gifts you gave so many on and off the ice.  We will never forget you.

Gobble Gobble - Pre Thanksgiving Turkey Trot!

Last skate before the holiday.  I left company at home to squeeze this lesson in.  Coach wants to start trying to record the American Waltz next week until we get one that will pass.  

I am so sick of these dances now - the music just irritates me now!  I’m not sure I can do this dance much better than I am doing it right now.  I can clearly see how my feet still are not together on each new stroke and my leg is a bit swingy.  I’m really trying… 

Two Patterns Are Better Than One

Monday.  Everyones favorite day of the week!  

I try my best to rally for 7:00 am ice time and lesson.  Getting up at 6:00 and racing out of the house with NO COFFEE to get to the rink in time is so hard (for me) I know many skaters are ok with it and accept it as a part of the sport but for me - my joints don't really wake up until 10:00!

So the plan now is to try and put a target date for testing these dances (retesting the American Waltz which I failed the first time) and to start practicing full patterns during the lesson instead of just 1 pattern.  You can really see how fatigue and stiff knees shows up in my skating posture, extension and knee action.  

Trying to make some healthy changes but it will take time.

Monday - Monday

 I can’t seem to stay motivated to keep up the posting.  Probably because I’m so frustrated with getting back on the ice after a long summer off - new blades - sore knee.

Whatever the case.  I’m a week behind so here’s another montage of last weeks progress or lack thereof.

Summer is OVER - Back to Skating - Big Changes

Catching up on 3 vids.  

#1 was my first day back on the ice with a short lesson on my OLD blades.  MK Dance.  (They are for sale)

#2 was my first day skating on my new blades.  MK Dynasty. So far I love them.  They are the same length as the MK Dance blade (short in back) but they have a bottom toe pick that I can use while solo spinning.  I could not get centered on the MK Dance blades.  They also have a substantial top toe pick.  Not as meaty as the MK Phantoms I have on FS skates but honestly - at 65 I’m not jumping much and these could handle anything I want or need to do.

#3 was my first dance lesson on the new blades with Vitali.  One hour lesson.   When I edited the video on my phone I didn’t notice my foot placement on the dances.

They are far from perfect BUT  right out of the gate I see much less wide stepping than before.  Is this from the new boot/blade combo or just because I’m trying harder to fix what failed my dance test?  🤔 

My stamina is very low from not skating and as you can see I put on a good 15lbs this summer and on our 3 week Mediterranean cruise.  

 

A Mid-Summers Day Lesson

 Home for a couple of days before a trip to Cabo ~  Grabbed an impromptu lesson with Vitali.  Had rubber legs for the first 30 minutes but the lesson went ok, considering I haven’t skated in a month!

July 115º - No problem!

 Down in the valley for a few appointments from the White Mountains of Arizona where it’s much cooler.  It’s been over 110ª every day reaching 113-115 at our house.

Skating is a great way to beat the heat!  I didn’t skate great today and it was really early in the morning for me .. 7:00 am.

Summer Lesson w/Vitali

 In town for a few days and was able to snag a lesson with Vitali.  I don’t want to forget the steps of these dances being gone so long.