dreamshark (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dreamshark) wrote2010-07-08 01:42 pm
dreamshark) wrote2010-07-08 01:42 pm
Entry tags:
Skating update
I haven't posted about skating for a long time because I was either on hiatus or slowly working my way back to my previous, not terribly impressive, level. I've been working on strength and balance (on and off the ice) and now that I'm finally back to skating twice a week I'm finally seeing some improvement. Rather than working on new moves I have been focusing on improving my form on the moves I can already do. I guess it's working, since in the last couple of weeks I've gotten compliments from more advanced skaters. I've been concentrating on bending knees more, changing altitude as I skate. I'm also focusing on posture, bending low in the knees and then using abs to raise myself up gracefully. Sometimes I follow the better skaters around trying to copy their posture. Although people will sometimes SAY "keep a flat back" that is not what the good skaters do. They basically lead with their chests, shoulders down and back gracefully arched. This seems to be the key to the arms also - arm gestures roll outward from the core. All of this fits with what I'm trying to do with my off-ice exercises - learn how to keep the abs strong but lower back relaxed. I've been trying to figure out how to integrate arm motions with my skating balance since I started, and it's finally starting to work.
I was the only student in my class on Monday, so I had the instructor (Beth, a substitute teacher that hasn't been working with me) assess my level. She seems to think that I am more than ready to start Moves in the Field, and was obviously surprised that I haven't tested for Gamma yet. Hmmm. Maybe I need to rethink my own assumptions about what I can and can't do. I don't think I have all the moves for the Gamma test yet, and there's another level after that before MIF.
From best to worst, here's where I seem to be at right now:
* Forward edges. Beth says all of my forward edges are "rock solid." I still get my arms mixed up on forward progressive inside edges, but she says that really doesn't matter because the edges are strong. I could use a little more work on keeping right arm back on Left-over-Right forward crossovers, but basically my forward crossovers are fine.
* Back crossovers. Right-over-Left are dynamite. I could use a little more speed, but I can get down low, leading with a strong left arm and left hip. Left over Right is not nearly so good, which I am well aware of. Again, I just can't get keep that right arm back. This move really scares me, and I can't bring myself to lean into it. However, Beth says I'm better on this one than I think I am: not perfect, but good enough for my level.
* Inside mohawks: L2R is really good. R2L is acceptable, although I am still hesitant to transfer weight to left foot and often end up with both feet on the ice at the transition. Beth didn't see me do the full sequence, following up the mohawk with a back edge on the other foot and then a step out to the front. I have a little trouble with the finishing moves on my good direction (L2R) because I have a hard time doing the step out from a LBO edge. I can do it, but hesitantly. Ironically, I am much better at finishing the R2L mohawk, because if there's one thing I can do it's step out to the front from a RBO edge! (I have a really hard time STAYING on that edge for longer than 3 seconds, but I'm great at stepping off it). In any case, I should be able to pass that part of the Gamma test.
* 3-turn (my nemesis). My basic problem with this turn is that I am not secure on either back inside edge, so I tend to fight the turn and lose my balance after I make it. I can actually do the RFO 3-turn pretty well now, although I can't hold the back edge after I turn and typically put my other foot down very quickly. Still, just about everybody who sees me do this turn tells me I have it. I need to start believing that. The left 3 turn is much worse. I am just terrified to do this turn, and almost invariably touch my right foot to the ice for balance as I make the turn. So as far as I am concerned, I can't do it. However, Beth tells me I basically have it. If I believed that, I might be able to do it. I wonder if hypnosis would help?
* Stops. My T-stops are fabulous, especially with right foot in front. However, I can't do the hockey stop AT ALL. Technically that's required for the Gamma test, but nobody seems to care about it very much. So I could probably pass the test without it if I nail the rest.
In short, if I could overcome my fear of back edges, I could pass the Gamma test! I hadn't really been planning to test at the end of this session (Aug 2) because after all this time I'd more or less given up the idea that I would ever be able to do a 3 turn. But maybe I should rethink this. Unfortunately, it's hard to practice back edges with a lot of other people on the ice, which is one reason I'm so lousy at them. But I'm starting a serious push to do so. I went to a 6pm open skate last night which was annoyingly cluttered with obnoxious hockey skaters racing and chasing each other, but I managed to get in a number of short backward skates. I can't do back progressive edges at all, but I can do back slaloms on 2 feet. I'm trying to work from the back slalom, lifting one foot just a little on each curve. Also just back stroking on the flat. I can do that, but I'm not balanced enough to swivel my head and look behind me, which is what makes it so hard to practice with other people around. I'm also working on simple back pumps to the right, focusing on arm position.
I was the only student in my class on Monday, so I had the instructor (Beth, a substitute teacher that hasn't been working with me) assess my level. She seems to think that I am more than ready to start Moves in the Field, and was obviously surprised that I haven't tested for Gamma yet. Hmmm. Maybe I need to rethink my own assumptions about what I can and can't do. I don't think I have all the moves for the Gamma test yet, and there's another level after that before MIF.
From best to worst, here's where I seem to be at right now:
* Forward edges. Beth says all of my forward edges are "rock solid." I still get my arms mixed up on forward progressive inside edges, but she says that really doesn't matter because the edges are strong. I could use a little more work on keeping right arm back on Left-over-Right forward crossovers, but basically my forward crossovers are fine.
* Back crossovers. Right-over-Left are dynamite. I could use a little more speed, but I can get down low, leading with a strong left arm and left hip. Left over Right is not nearly so good, which I am well aware of. Again, I just can't get keep that right arm back. This move really scares me, and I can't bring myself to lean into it. However, Beth says I'm better on this one than I think I am: not perfect, but good enough for my level.
* Inside mohawks: L2R is really good. R2L is acceptable, although I am still hesitant to transfer weight to left foot and often end up with both feet on the ice at the transition. Beth didn't see me do the full sequence, following up the mohawk with a back edge on the other foot and then a step out to the front. I have a little trouble with the finishing moves on my good direction (L2R) because I have a hard time doing the step out from a LBO edge. I can do it, but hesitantly. Ironically, I am much better at finishing the R2L mohawk, because if there's one thing I can do it's step out to the front from a RBO edge! (I have a really hard time STAYING on that edge for longer than 3 seconds, but I'm great at stepping off it). In any case, I should be able to pass that part of the Gamma test.
* 3-turn (my nemesis). My basic problem with this turn is that I am not secure on either back inside edge, so I tend to fight the turn and lose my balance after I make it. I can actually do the RFO 3-turn pretty well now, although I can't hold the back edge after I turn and typically put my other foot down very quickly. Still, just about everybody who sees me do this turn tells me I have it. I need to start believing that. The left 3 turn is much worse. I am just terrified to do this turn, and almost invariably touch my right foot to the ice for balance as I make the turn. So as far as I am concerned, I can't do it. However, Beth tells me I basically have it. If I believed that, I might be able to do it. I wonder if hypnosis would help?
* Stops. My T-stops are fabulous, especially with right foot in front. However, I can't do the hockey stop AT ALL. Technically that's required for the Gamma test, but nobody seems to care about it very much. So I could probably pass the test without it if I nail the rest.
In short, if I could overcome my fear of back edges, I could pass the Gamma test! I hadn't really been planning to test at the end of this session (Aug 2) because after all this time I'd more or less given up the idea that I would ever be able to do a 3 turn. But maybe I should rethink this. Unfortunately, it's hard to practice back edges with a lot of other people on the ice, which is one reason I'm so lousy at them. But I'm starting a serious push to do so. I went to a 6pm open skate last night which was annoyingly cluttered with obnoxious hockey skaters racing and chasing each other, but I managed to get in a number of short backward skates. I can't do back progressive edges at all, but I can do back slaloms on 2 feet. I'm trying to work from the back slalom, lifting one foot just a little on each curve. Also just back stroking on the flat. I can do that, but I'm not balanced enough to swivel my head and look behind me, which is what makes it so hard to practice with other people around. I'm also working on simple back pumps to the right, focusing on arm position.