figuresk8ergirl

[figuresk8ergirl]

21+ practice session

So I was off from work last Friday and the rink had it's first Adult Only practice session. 21+ only.

I'm 24 by the way.

So I thought, perfect! I won't be terrified of running into small children. And maybe some of the adults from my classes and/or at my skill level will be there!

Wrong.

I mean, not about the little kids. They weren't there. It was only adults. 8 of us, to be exact.

But I was the second to worst person there. And the worst was a really old pudgy lady who seemed to just be there hanging out with her friend.

I felt SO awkward and embarrassed to go out there and practice my little bit of stuff. Two foot spin. One foot spin (although even my two foot aren't consistent. I keep spread eagling my feet going in). Outside and inside 3 turns. Mohawks. The footwork sequence from Basic 8. And waltz jumps.

There was a really old couple there practicing axels. No big deal. And another couple ice dancing. Two singles ladies dominating the ice with what I guess were programs. And another lady just practicing her figures.

I skating to the far right side of the rink. I used one of the hockey circles to practice my crossovers. I suck at going clockwise. I really do. Even though, you know, I spin and jump clockwise. And I was trying to practice my mohawks and 3 turns moving. So I used that circle, but mostly just stayed in one corner of the rink....and somehow still managed to be in the way.

Those two singles blondes were really getting in my space. LOOK, I KNOW I'm just practice stuff 5 year olds are practicing, but I paid to be here too. You started out doing waltz jumps too. You had a hard time with inside 3 turns too. I'm sorry I wasn't privileged enough to take lessons from a young age, you don't know how sorry, but I wasn't, and I'm trying NOW. And someday, I KNOW I will be as good as you are. 

I thought maybe it was all in my head. I get paranoid and defensive and very self conscious. But my mom was on the bleachers watching me. And when I finished, I said, "Isn't it funny how an entire ice rink isn't enough space for 8 people?" and she said, "Those blondies kept cutting you off and you were just trying to stay in one little corner, I was about to go down there and give them a talking to!!" My mom is 69. lol.

Towards the end of the hour long practice session, I loosened up. I started really having fun with skating. I let go of (most of) my insecurities and had fun, which was a first. I mean, I always have fun skating. But it was different. I felt like I was dancing. I did fast crossovers and mohawks and 3 turns and tried to add in spins and jumps and footwork, the way you would in a program. I tried to find patterns to do things in, because at group lessons I only learn how to do things from a standstill. It was exhilarating.

I skated on the public session for a bit and actually had fun there too. I don't skate on public too often, as they turn off the regular lights and make it dim but with colored flashing lights and it bothers me. But I had fun moving to the music.

All in all, good practice session. You can bet your butt if they do another adult only session next Friday, I'll be there.

[figuresk8ergirl]

Rule #1 if figure skating

Don't leave your skates at home when you're going to your lesson. Especially when you live an hour away from the rink. Lesson learned today 5/31/14. The bruises on my ankles and on my butt from using rental skates confirm this. SO EMBARRASSING.

[figuresk8ergirl]

Adult Skating Videos

Ohmygosh guys. I'm in a bunch of Adult Skating groups on Facebook and I just found out that almost every single program from the U.S. National competition from this year is on Ice Network. I also thought you had to be subscribed to Ice Network to watch the videos, but apparently not.

I'm watching all the Bronze videos now, and can I just say, I will be watching every single Light Entertainment video on there!!!

YAY ADULT SKATING!!!!

I felt super awkward today at public skate. Too many people. Plus the Diamond Blade teen girls were there. They're all probably like, what on earth is that girl doing. I'm too shy for skating :-/ I love lessons, but practicing by myself makes me feel extremely self conscious. I stumble all over. Even just stroking around I still stumble sometimes, and I look drunk. lol.

Someday I'll be good. 6 months of skating and going strong!

[figuresk8ergirl]

The first skating injury

It wasn't mine though. lol. It was my husband's. He has been taking the group lessons with me this month. Our lesson began at 11:30am yesterday morning. Before, I had a nice chat with a lady over 40 who started lessons this month. I think she's awesome.

Anyway, so we get on the ice. And another class totally took over one end of our section, so the coach had us stroke the opposite direction, which was about 3 strokes across. So we went one direction, came back. Then went out again, and came back, and my husband tried to stop, but well, he's in rental skates, and isn't so graceful or coordinated, and he fell HARD.

He stood up, was a little dizzy, and we walked him over to sit down. Then the Learn to Skate coordinator came over and looked at him and saw he was bleeding. My husband said, "I'm fine, really." And she was like, "No, you're gonna need stitches. Come with me." And I looked at his chin and YEP. A really deep laceration. It wasn't very long, but it was deep.

So she patched him up best as she could with his beard being in the way, and then I took him to an urgent care clinic. He got 4 stitches, which will cost us $350. And yes, we have insurance. THANKS OBAMA. Not.

It was pretty gnarly. But he was fine. When we started walking back to the medical area at the rink, he was like, "Go finish the lesson!" and I was like, "No, you're really going to the ER." lol. But after he got stitched up, he was ready to continue the day.

I have been waiting and dreading my first injury. I've never had any sort of injury in my life, and figure skating seems a pretty dangerous sport, so I assume it will happen eventually. Poor Justin. He was just so upset he fell while he was trying to stop, instead of doing something cool.

One thing the lady who is also taking lessons and I talked about was how they really should divide up the adults in the class. I have fun on the Thursday classes, but they don't divide us up at all, so Justin just had to jump into what everyone else was doing. And he kept up pretty well, but someone needs to watch his technique while he's learning so he doesn't learn it wrong. I learned how to spin while spread eagling my feet and it was SO HARD to stop doing that. I don't think they put forth as much effort in the adult classes as they do the kids which I think is silly since we're the ones paying out of our own pocket. I need to start taking regular private lessons. But first thing is first, Justin gets a private lesson to learn to stop and how to fall!

[figuresk8ergirl]

There are times I wish I was a little kid again. And that I lived close to a rink. And that my parents could afford lessons. I love Dancing With the Stars, of course I voted for Meryl! And I can't imagine how anyone on that show could just go back to normal life afterwards. After spending weeks consumed by dancing. When I was growing up, band camp was the best week of my whole year. I spent 8 hours a day playing my clarinet. I was good at it, I learned a ton, and I loved every second. When I'm on the ice, and I hear music, I just want to start jumping and spinning and dancing all over! But I don't know how to yet. And I feel silly. I love music. I love the idea of expressing myself and moving to the music instead of making it. I love that the USFSA allows lyrical music now. I can't wait to start skating programs. Even if I don't skate very many. I will always have the coolest music. I wish I could dance and skate all day every day. I wish I could go to band camp for figure skating! Screw work! Yay performing arts! Congrats Meryl and Maks! You guys are the best couple that has ever been on DWTS!!

[figuresk8ergirl]

I have been exercising regularly for the last couple of weeks. If not running, I'm doing ab exercises. I really want to get for for skating. I'm small, but not fit. I want to get serious and see improvement. So here is a before picture. I'll post an after in a month to see if there is any improvement.

[figuresk8ergirl]

I LOVE that dress.

Gracie Gold

[figuresk8ergirl]

Today's lesson.

The ice was super hard this morning and I loved it!!! I love hard ice, hate soft ice. I don't know why, and I don't know which one is supposed to be better. Today I felt like maybe it's time for my blades to be sharpened. I can't really explain why. I bought them in January and it's May now. I skate on them, sadly, for about an hour and a half per week. Which isn't much. But I think it's time for a sharpening. I'll ask the ladies in the shop next week what they think. So today there were a LOT of adults for once. And at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Very beginners, which included my very good sported husband; intermediate beginners, which included me and one other girl; and advanced beginners (?). I want to say we are all beginners because it is the Learn to Skate session. But there was a man and woman who I've never seen at the rink before and the coaches didn't know them. They were amazing. They MUST have been skating since they were little. They were working on axels, for goodness sake. Anyway, so first we stroked. Then we worked on forward crossovers, which to be honest I needed the practice on. It's too hard to stay on a circle during the practice ice. Then backward crossovers, which I feel are better than my forward crossovers now and that's just weird. Then the other mid level girl and I worked on the basic foot sequence pattern. We tried it both ways. Then we worked on waltz jumps again. We started trying them moving but I got a little confused because I'm a lefty and it's really hard for lefties to see something being done one way and try to do it our way. It shouldn't be, but it is. So she said to try a waltz jump from a standing position then toe tap, then another waltz jump. That felt fun. Lessons are always too short. I won't go into the long list of what I wish for but really....I crave more ice time. No videos today because my personal camera man is now in the class with me ;-)

[figuresk8ergirl]

I haven't been skating in 3 weeks.

I am dying here.

I want so badly to live closer to the rink. And yet that is so NOT the direction I really want to move. I wish they would just build a dang rink closer to home. But then I wouldn't have such nice coaches.

I dream of skating programs. Dancing With the Stars is one of my favorite tv shows and Meryl Davis is my absolute favorite dancer. When I watch that show I want to get up and do everything they're doing! On ice or off!

Saturday I'll be back on the ice. 

Maybe I'll eventually get consistent with something other than falling.

[figuresk8ergirl]

Because I read this, I decided to try inside 3 turns today, which I had never before tried or been taught. I fell so hard on my right...bottom. lol. It hurt SO bad. That was the most anything has hurt since I started skating in December. lol. I need to get some of those butt pads so I won't be so afraid of falling. I know being afraid of falling makes me even more likely to fall and less likely to achieve what I'm trying to do!

I finally got my right backward outside three turns!! Without cheating hehe. And I’ve done my first few jump combis. Not a big deal but I’m happy.

Things to practice:

Left outside three turn, right backward outside three turn, right mohawk

Waltz jump-ballet jump combi

Half flip, right inside...

[figuresk8ergirl]

Am I the only one who thinks falling while lunging is super fun? lol. It's just like, weeeeeeee!!!! And you just slide and it doesn't hurt.

[figuresk8ergirl]

Good luck with your skating! :) dreams are always gonna remain just dreams if you don't chase them. You'll progress as long as you keep trying :) - winterlovexx

Don’t know why I never saw this message, but thank you. As I came into my twenties, I decided you’re never too old to try something new, and when the opportunity to try skating came by, I grabbed it! This has been my dream since I was 5, and now, 20 years later, I have the means (somewhat) to make it happen. I may be practicing crossovers and waltz jumps now, but I’ll be at adult nationals someday!

[figuresk8ergirl]

And then I died of happiness because my new favorite skater skated to my favorite song. If I could skate a program, I would skate to this! I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS VIDEO NOW!!! Oooh, this, and Defying Gravity. Or No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. Or Popular. Or anything from Broadway :-)

[figuresk8ergirl]

Been wondering all day why my bottom hurts so bad. Then it finally hit me. I busted it twice on the ice yesterday.

[figuresk8ergirl]

My first Waltz Jump! Now if only I could do it moving.

So at today's group lesson, we worked on forward and backward crossovers. My backward is definitely getting better, but my right leg is obviously much stronger than my left.

Then we worked on the footwork sequence. Combination move: Forward crossovers (2) into forward inside Mohawk, cross behind, step into backward crossover (1) and step to forward inside edge.

For some reason the cross behind, though super difficult for me the first time I tried, is now much easier than mohawk. I feel like my mohawk isn't very good. Meh.

And then we went to the waltz jumps.

30 minutes goes by way too fast.

The ladies in the pro shop gave me the flyer for the summer show. It's called TV Land. Since I love old tv shows and their music, it actually sounds like a lot of fun to me. But I don't know if adults do it. lol. I may try and feel around for some more info on that.

Also, today was the first day I skated without a heavy jacket on. And once I was warmed up, the cool air rushing past felt amazing. Gosh, I love figure skating.

[figuresk8ergirl]

You're never too old to start!

Adult Figure Skating is a big deal!!!

Most don't start until they're in their 30s-40s

I saw you answer that other persons question so: I'm fourteen and 5'8" Am I too tall or too old to start figure skating?

No definitely not. Just work hard & you will be glad you started.

[figuresk8ergirl]

Yep

Winter Olympics