I’m back in the Inland Northwest. Trying to figure out my summer skating schedule and coaching options. Last summer I worked with coach John Saitta in Coeur d’Alene and so loved working with him. He is a great technician and has the ability to really explain how to get things to work when they aren’t working. Also he’s very patient and doesn’t buy into all the adult skating excuses! If coaches cater to our laundry list of aches and pains and excuses we would never make any progress!
While his current coaching schedule is full I was able to snag a lesson during a cancellation albeit I had to skate at O’Dark Thirty from 6:00 am to 8:00 am to get the lesson. A major chore for me.
Still on my new dance blades I wanted him to eval my spins and see if we should continue to work on moves in the field on them.
I’ve been off the ice for a few weeks enjoying my son’s wedding in Hawaii. Now were are back for a couple of weeks to tie up our loose ends in Arizona. I have 2 weeks of skating here left before heading northbound for the summer to Washington/Idaho.
Still working out the kinks in my new dance boots and dance blades. Having a terrible time with spins but the turns feel better already. Today I had my first partnering lesson in them. Happy to report no falls! The first video depicts my spinning problem.
The second video is my lesson with Vitali. Ice dance partnering. We worked on some drills and then picked the Foxtrot apart.
Yes .. they took FOREVER to get made. Almost a year.
New Harlick Custom Boots *Features (why)
* Low cut dance stay (allows better toe pointing for ice dancing)
* Higher heel (no idea .. but taller always sounds good to me!)
* Extra scallop for ankle flexibility (self explanatory)
* Comfy soft white pebble calf (self explanatory .. also this is my LAST pair of boots)
* Natural sole with chem glaze (I did not like the carbon graphite hard soles of my last pair)
New MK Dance Blades
* Shorter length blade (short tail for close steps and no more “click of death”)
* Toe pick designed for ice dancing not jumping (top pick very small - no reaching back for a toe jump) (bottom pick - I have no idea, but it’s harder to spin so far)
So after my first session on these pretty skates I think I will love them once I get used to balancing a spin and get more secure on my edges. Zero foot pain. First pair of boots that didn’t draw a little ankle blood on break in. I feel like they will improve my three turns and twizzles. I did do a nearly complete set of inside and outside edges of compulsory figures as well as double three turns on figure patterns. And I ran most of the Gold Moves in the Field (slowly) so I think I will be able to skate both dance and moves in the field with them.
I get too tired to skate more than one session normally, but this summer I may try skating multiple sessions in a row and changing my skates in between to get some regular Patch, Dance, Moves & Freestyle into each day I skate. Sounds like a diet that won’t succeed!
Had a laid back practice today. Lots of relaxed drills. My mind is looking forward now to my summertime skating. Moves in the field are a priority. I’ve been putting this Gold test off for years now.
I did some drills today. Some from my dance coach. Others from my MIF coach up North. I even tried a couple of ice dances and ran my solo free dance while someone else’s music was playing.. it almost fit!
I thought this week would be so fun .. no pressure. My first days back on the ice were anything but. My legs felt sore and stiff and my my joints .. UGH. I either need to quit complaining about all the aches and pains of being 62 and figure skating and ice dancing .. and start working to strengthen and stretch or just quit all together. That’s not an option.
Here’s a few days of practice ice. First one l did a little bit of freestyle too.
Check-Check-Check- … and Check (despite nerves that rival jumping out of a plane without a parachute)
Anyone who knows me - knows that I am a very nervous competitor. Without being graphic .. I literally get sick before nearly every competition and shake so bad I am sure the judges can see me knees knocking.
I’ve been learning how to ice dance for the past few years and tested a few pattern dances - from Pre Dance through Bronze leading into 2021. Then I decided I wanted to try a solo free dance for testing and or competition. My amazing coach Naomi Lang Strong has been working with me for a year on how to do a Twizzle, how to do a Counter turn, how to do a Chocktaw and how to skate like an ice dancer vs a free style skater. I am definitely not there yet .. not by a long shot, but I have found a new love of the discipline and I’ll probably stick with it.
My one event was the lowest level of ice dance. Bronze Solo Free Dance. Meaning … I dance alone (duh) and it’s a free dance .. vs a pattern dance like the Foxtrot or the Fourteen Step or European Waltz … You are free to just skate to the music, but you are supposed to incorporate edges, steps and turns that are used in ice dancing and you are supposed to execute them with proper body carriage, leg and arm extension and skate over your hips - in dance positions.
Fortunately at the lower levels .. and especially at the adult level you can just skate and there is not a lot of nit picking done on your elements. If I test this same program at the Adult Juvenille Solo Free Dance level .. they will point EVERYTHING out.
I totally botched up my Twizzles on the exits, my Counter had a sub curve, my Chocktaw fell apart and my Sit Spin would have been DQ under IJS for not being low enough .. but under the 6.0 system I managed to get first place and a gold medal.
I will post the professional video here in a few days when it arrives.
Back to the drawing board. Happy it’s over and proud that I didn’t give up.
I skated my last session today with a short and final lesson before heading to Spokane for my first competition in 6 years… Long time. Today went a little better than yesterday but I’m still feeling like I could use 3 more months!
So here I am - 10 days from a competition and in that dreaded place. Feeling not ready. Not by a long shot. Yes I will go - I will skate and barring no fall - I will pat myself on the back for taking a risk and putting myself “out there” again after 6 years.
I would love - just once to attend a test session or competition where I felt like “I’ve got this” or I am ready and have been ready for some time. Does anyone ever feel that way? I wonder. Perhaps it’s how show skaters feel after their days of competition are over. No more judges. Skating exhibition style and for the most part skating using the skills they can do in their sleep. (Thankfully none of those people read my blog or I would probably get a load a complaints for saying that!!!)
So I will just chock today up to nerves and old age. It was a strange session with interruptions due to someone taking a virtual MIF test on our dance session. And … there were 5-6 skaters on the ice which is unusual! I know .. I should not complain about 5-6 skaters on the ice.
My complaint is that I don’t see any good form or extension or expression during my skating right now. When I am out there .. I feel like I am trying but when I see the video .. whoa .. it looks more like someone walking through their program rather than skating it full out.
Today was one of those days .. nothing worked. I managed to get a complete run in but my skating was a disappointment today. Maybe Wednesday and Thursday will go better.j
WYSIWYG. I have 3 more practices and 1 more lesson before heading to Spokane for the 2022 PCAS event where I will skate in my first competition since 2016 - It’s been 6 years! I was 56 … now I am 62 … that is HUGE.
I was moderately happy with my run today even though I messed up my choreo a bit. I finished with the music .. I didn’t fall (well, at least not during my program run!) and eked out a 3 turn Twizzle during practice .. then promptly fell on the subsequent back crossover by the evil “click of death” … Ugh.
