HI Gang,

I have been playing at the rink this whole weekend. After this post, I gotta focus on work!  End of Quarter is just 3 weeks away!  Yikes!

First- I bit off more than I can chew with footwork class. We are learning the steps and moves to the Davis & White olympic long program. I am the oldest and worst skater in the class and don't know the majority of the steps/moves. Oh well, I guess THAT Is why I am in a class right?

The kids/teens have been great and pulling me aside and have been helping me/showing me stuff.

After 5 hours of practice I can now do a right forward bracket, right forward rocker and right forward counter with skill and ease.  I am thrilled!  

Unfortunately, I had back surgery many years ago and I have come to realize that my left side does not innervate as well as or as easily as my right side. When one watches my heart rate monitor, I have 112 beats per minute doing these moves on my right side. I switch to my left and it hops up 142 beats per minute from the strain & effort I have to put in to get the muscles to innervate. Had I not skated I would not know about this difference. I think I will talk to a personal trainer about this.

Anyway, because my left is less strong/coordinated, I could only achieve wobbly and slow brackets on my left side. I fell a lot!  Three times on Saturday and once on Sunday. Improve was made because I cut my falling by 2/3 rds!  Unfortunately, my left hip and palm of hand are very bruised.  

I dont remember falls hurting this much when I was in my teens. I guess that is the difference between almost 40 and teenagers.

So over the next two weekends there are try-outs for adult synchro teams in Dale City Va (the National Blades) and Richmond Va. ****line). I am going to try out for both. I dont expect to make it and it is unreasonable to have that expectation as I have been away from the rink for about 2 decades.  The month or two I have been skating isn't enough time to "get back."  Further, synchro teams do more "ice-dancing moves" (liek the brackets and rockers) that I never learned how to do as I was a freestyle/jumper.   I am just going to try-out for the teams to see WHAT I need to do and HOW FAR I need to come to not make a fool of myself next year.  If something miraculous happens and I DO make it, I will be delightfully surprised and happily join in.  But, to be reasonable, the latter would be an extremely long shot.

 

So- I am still here, I am still (relatively) undamaged. I am just away from the computer having fun!

 

Keep me in your prayers for that awful end of quarter push.

-Skinny

Who wonders just how many comebacks she has in her!

I enjoy your posts. I was also a figure skater in my youth and coached all through college. I've missed skating a ton and I went a few times during Christmas and it was wonderful.  I was a a syncro team and went to watch the syncro nationals last year in Colorado springs. I'd love to do an adult team! 

 

Good ode job for getting out there!

You are a synchro skater too!  Wow!

Can you please, please please tell me how to do a twizzle and forward power pulls?  My power pulls maintain speed but I can never use them to PICK UP speed if you know what i mean.

And twizzles..not a spin. not a three-turn. Where is my rocker? 

Yeah...I do not see try outs going well this year. But that is why I am in lessons!  ;)

 

Friend K-you GOT to get back to the rink as soon as you are able. I cant be the only addicted one on these boards.  It is crazy. I walk into the rink and my heart starts to race with eagerness. I even like the damp "ice" smell.

No one else here will get it.

 

 

"I'd love to do an adult team!"

 

Where do you live?  According to the ICELINE coach, the ISI has added groups so there is now 4 adult levels.  Apparently adults wanting to skate synchro (or just trying to find out WHAT their children see in the sport) is the new rage.  Synchro and ice dance keep those of us that just dont have doubles/triples (or axels) in us, ON the ice, in shape and in the sport.   Until I took that footwork class, I can honestly say I did not truly appreciate icedancing. I liked it. Thought it was pretty. But I did not realize exactly HOW difficult their "easy looking" sequences are.

The complexity and how far one has to think ahead to get the edges right is astounding.

 

Seriously...come out and play!