First Loop Lift

 We had a regular practice working a little bit on our sequences and change of edge pair spirals and I am happy to report we had our first successful on ice LOOP LIFT  with a turn!

Pairs Lesson....On and Off Ice

We had a lesson during a crowded session, but tried some new things and worked on the beginnings of our death spirals and did some off ice practice ..

Trying Out A New Camera

My hubby got a GoPro type fish-eye camera.  I borrowed it to see if it has any advantages over the iPhone.  I think the iPhone takes better video and audio.

Another harness lesson

 I was so tired today. The first thing I told my coach was I didn't want to work on the Axel  so course with it we were gone… The Axel.  She knows that the mental game is 90% of my problems.

More Axel Practice

On my own trying to practice the pieces of the Axel.

Snippets of Last Pairs Lesson

One of my readers actually asked me if I was still skating singles.  The answer is YES - but I have been focusing on pairs because I have so much to learn.

This video is of our last lesson.  Neither of us was too happy about how we skated.  No major breakthroughs on the Axel lift either.

First Axel On The Harness

I called it a "piñata Axel" .. because I feel like one strung up and waiting for someone to club me!
I'm

Progress on the Axel Lift

 We had a great practice today.  I was able to record half of our session before the battery died… I hate it when that happens!

I'm really liking the progress we're making on the unison of our side-by-side spins and our skating styles are so similar that are side-by-side jumps are looking good too  although we could use a little more complexity in our entry and we're still working out getting back together after each element that is the hardest part.

 In the lift department we are getting very close to a successful Waltz/Axel lift (they are the same lift, the only difference is that with the Axel lift the man makes 1 1/2 revolutions on the ice --  but first we need to get the lift all the way up and held on confidently .

Getting my "Norma Desmond" on

Today was our second day of practice this week, a milestone considering I have been gone so much lately. Sadly I am in a lot of pain while I'm skating and  I feel they will be much improvement after this mystery ailment goes away.

I did not label any elements on my video and if you use your imagination… Imagine there are no cuts or breaks in the video…  I just slapped on this music for fun and I have to say- I kind of like it. I can see all types of costuming possibilities. I'll have to show it to Hank and see what he thinks even though we had just decided that we were going to skate to music from the movie Pearl Harbor .  I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille !!

Pairs Practice and "Ice Follies"

 So I'm home after a nice birthday holiday in Sunriver Oregon with my husband golfing.

Back on the ice today… A little fatigued and… Still injured.   My injury is an unknown at this point. I'm pretty sure it stems from pair skating.   The injury is in my back muscle or it could be a bruised rib or it could be???

Without being too graphic; my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction ( implants ) rearranged my latissimus dorsi muscle… Disconnecting  a portion of it and pulling it through  my armpit and attaching it to my pectoral muscle.

Engaging either of these muscles creates  tension all the way around my chest to my back ....  It is described as wearing an "iron bra".  That's what it feels like anyway .  So naturally skating pairs requires many moves that pull on both my arms and add pressure into my armpits etc. I don't know  exactly when I did it, but I have either pulled or torn or bruised something and it won't go away. It's sensitive to the touch, it even hurts when I'm sleeping on the soft mattress. I haven't gotten diagnosed yet, but no matter what it is .....I'm sure the remedy is going to be PRICE. Otherwise known as protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation.  So far all I can provide is the ice ha ha.

 I knew my physical issues might limit my ability to do some of these pair  moves.  Hopefully it will not be something that I can't work around.  I'm having way too much fun skating with Hank and I don't mind a little bit of discomfort in exchange for the joy I get skating pairs .

....,  so add to that a clumsy fall today doing a throw loop jump. Then I got off the ice to put a Bunga pad in my hip and when I returned to the eyes I forgot to take off my skate guards.  Falling on my elbows be the pain in the other part of my body subside anyway.