TWO LTS CLASSES A WEEK

It's just not possible to get enough practice time where I live. I work, and the rinks are all far away, so the only way I can get enough practice time is to sign up for two LTS classes in two separate cities.

Coaches at one rink have put me in Freestyle 4, not because I'm qualified, but because I'm too good for Basic, and Freeskate 4 needs another skater in it to keep it open.

I'm Not Worthy

So, the other skaters (of about 13 y.o.) do their jumps, and the 3 of us do our footwork and spins together like a regular class. I've been skating at this rink for about 6 months, and they know what to expect when my body gets shoved onto their class roster.

However, I've been gone for so many months from LTS at my home rink (which is further away) that the coaches teaching adults have changes, and most don't know me. 

 

The LTS director--who knows me and was so happy to see me back--put me in Freeskate 3, with a coach who doesn't know me from anyone. And to my great sadness, I found all the adults who knew me from last year are now either coaching, or have an injury, or moved. So I'm now in a class with....'youts'

(Amusingly, the young adult skaters all know me. The coach, not at all)

So I work on my spins, and my alternating 3's, and my power threes, and my waltz 3's, and my waltz 8, and that's it.

The coach comes up to me and says, "Don't you want to jump?"

Man, I just shake my head, "Foot problems. I don't jump."

The coach looks at me seriously.

 "Then why did the skating director put you in Freestyle 3?"

 

 

Yeah, the only reason I can guess is she likes to mess with my mind!  This new coach will either get used to me, or I'll get moved around. It's not a problem, I'm just here for the ice time!

 

Master a Skill. Then STOP!!

I entered a spin first minute of the lesson

Anyway, immediately afterwards as I exited the spin, very nicely thankyouverymuch, I got dizzy, so, meh,  'issues'.

And my coach did this!

 I've learned this. The first time you do a skill, and you know it isn't luck that you did it successfully, you know that you did it successfully because you.actually.have.the.skill....Stop doing it for that lesson. Let the skill sink in until the next day. The reason? You want all the neurons in your brain to save that memory as something as something you can replicate--and if for some reason it doesn't work? You'll have the memory to replicate rather than just flailing around.

I can now officially pass Pre-Free.

For Freeskate 1 all I've got left is that pecky back 3...oh, and beginner back spins.

And that packier inside 3, that bitch.

Perfection in the spin...both ways!!

Have I ever told you my theory of 'sometimes you just need to stop skating for a couple of weeks, and you'll improve"? I can't explain it. My theory is that after a period of struggle your brain needs a week or so to grow othe connections between brain cells and you'll get better. Note that I said 'after a period of struggle'. You have to have that struggle--then the pause--and then it improves.

So, what kept me out of group was a. a tornado, b. a car wreck that blocked the road c. work trip and d. I got sick after I made it to the rink. I don't give up my skating for just any reason.

Group coach was glad to see me. I'd had a sharpening, so I was testing the ice with a couple of tentative spins.Coach stood off to the side, watching as I spun to the right. "Oh that's right you spin to the right and jump  to the left."

"I don't jump at all, I spin both ways. It's my only trick" I spun to the left, without thinking much about it.

"That was really nice." Coach looked down at the ice. "Both are very nicely centered, you're perfectly balanced on your rocker in both directions, your posture and exits are  great."

I blinked.

I had entered the spins with head up, eyes forward, stomach tight, and picked up my foot next to my leg without actually being conscious of the little 'bits' I had to put together, and had been working on for so long. Two easy rotations both direction. My brain had been working while I was 'off ice'.

That was great to hear. I felt a rush.

Praise me! Praise me! I am a GODDESS !!

"You know,"Group Coach said, "If you opened your right shoulder some more, you might be able to get a third rotation on the right spin."

Man, that third spin. I need a vacation to get that thing....maybe a trip to Europe or something....