Your personal progress - Please share your updates! | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Your personal progress - Please share your updates!

skatingbeast

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 14, 2019
Country
United-States
What does your personal progress look like at the moment?
Have been very focused on jumps and spins and preparing for competition with my one coach. Moves were put on hold because of that. Making good progress with my ice dance coach but still getting used to skating in closed/waltz hold. I find I hold my breath for some reason.

Any elements or techniques you learned, improved or really struggled with?
Really proud of my toe loop! I started working with a new coach in January who is correcting my toe loop technique since my old coach had allowed me to do a toe-waltz for years. Lots of back outside pivots and then jumping.

What's the latest achievement you're proudest of?
Passing my preliminary dances in January after only 3 months of ice dance lessons. Pre-bronze dances are coming along!

What's the biggest frustration in your current skater life?
My skates! I'm going to set up an appointment with the main fitter in my area to get new skates (going to say bye to my Edeas) and to order new blades. My blades are super flat after my old coach ruined them with a bad sharpening so it will be great to have a rocker again.
 

mercybuckets

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
What does your personal progress look like at the moment?
Moving slowly forward, I started doing group lessons with our bridge program (there's 3-5 other adults and like 40 kids in my level) and that has really been pushing me to the next level. I'm one of the least experienced skaters, which has actually been really good because I feel like my peers are pushing me to improve in a way that wasn't happening in adult basic.

Any elements or techniques you learned, improved or really struggled with?
Ummm, I can do a clean waltz jump now so that's fun. I've just started one-foot spins, which I find easier than two-foot spins in a lot of ways because I only have to worry about the one foot. On the struggling side, I seem to have lost the ability to do inside three turns without toepicking a hundred times before a clean one. Also spirals and lunges remain issues (and are hard to practice at public skate).

What's the latest achievement you're proudest of?
Held a one-foot spin for almost 4 full rotations last week which is the best I've managed so far!

What's the biggest frustration in your current skater life?
Other than the omnipresent frustration with expenses and ice time scheduling, probably my struggles getting over my fear of speed. Forward crossovers are my nemesis because I'll do like three and then freak myself out because I speed up. It's easier when I'm practicing alone in the center circle on a Wednesday, but but even doing them in class with three other people stresses me out. I was doing better but I had a collision about a month ago (not bad, just bruises, hockey player was skating backwards, not looking where he was going and I was totally unprepared because he hit me from behind and I was in the center circle) which freaked me out all over again.
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
What's the biggest frustration in your current skater life?
Other than the omnipresent frustration with expenses and ice time scheduling, probably my struggles getting over my fear of speed. Forward crossovers are my nemesis because I'll do like three and then freak myself out because I speed up.
I know exactly what you mean, I have the same with forward crossovers! You speed up more and more which might sound amazing to skaters who struggle with this, but for me it's about control and I feel like I loose that because of that continuous speed-up!

I have recently figured out that it helps me to slow down if I put more weight onto the leg that is on the inside of whatever curve you're following.

I achieved that by bending the knee of that leg intentionally a bit more than you usually would, which makes you shift a bit of weight behind you (because my bum automatically sticks out a bit more^^ - I'm not talking about much btw, just a tiny wee bit - otherwise you'll fall onto your bum :)).

I think what happens is that instead of pressing into the usual, slightly shifted direction (=picking up more and more momentum), you slow yourself down by nearly leaning into the opposite direction.
I don't know if this makes sense of it that works for you, or if my working theory is correct, but maybe it's worth experimenting with weight distribution and pressure to see how it affects you!
 

Figuringitout

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
I posted earlier but think my phone deleted it so here it is again -

What does your personal progress look like at the moment?

I don't test or compete (although I am considering putting in for some NISA tests) but have all my single jumps up to Lutz consistent and am working on an axel which 1/4 UR. I have a good scratch, sit, cannonball and pancake spin. Camels, broken leg, backspin and tuck are decent positions but a bit on the slow side. Backsit is horrible and the less said about my back camel the better :laugh:

Any elements or techniques you learned, improved or really struggled with?

Any moves in the field. I just hate moves and never practice them.

What's the latest achievement you're proudest of?

Definitely my camel spin! Upright and sit (and their variations) came really quickly to me, but camels have been an arduous journey. My coach and I have really been focusing on them lately and they're finally looking good. I can now consistently get a good position, stability, and plenty of rotations. Now I'm focusing on speed and camel-sit combos.

What's the biggest frustration in your current skater life?

Ice time! I live about 2 hours from my nearest rink so if I want to skate it takes up 6 hours of my day (2hrs travel there, 2hr skate, 2hr travel home). I recently started skating 6am patch sessions as it worked better with my schedule but there's only me and one other adult skater there (who's been skating since she was little, and is insanely good). Unfortunately a select few teenage girls are a bit rude to me because I don't have any doubles and according to them I shouldn't be there :confused2:. I don't usually care what other people think - especially kids half my age - but it gets irritating putting up with their snotty comments and stink eyes first thing in the morning!

- Just to be clear, not everyone at patch is like that. Most are lovely, it's just two or three individuals who are a bit mean to the other skaters.
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
@Figuringitout: Sounds like these girls have something to compensate. It might not be their fancy doubles, but certainly something else, more important. ;) You have my genuine condolences and I'm crossing my fingers that these girls figure out what's wrong with them so they become more pleasant human beings to have around!
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
@mercybuckets & @Snorlax, some of that crossover problem might be leg strength. It used to happen to me, too. Then I did a million squats and planks, and now it doesn't. :)

@Figuringitout, can you report them to the skating director?
 

Figuringitout

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
@Figuringitout: Sounds like these girls have something to compensate. It might not be their fancy doubles, but certainly something else, more important. ;) You have my genuine condolences and I'm crossing my fingers that these girls figure out what's wrong with them so they become more pleasant human beings to have around!

Thanks Snorlax! It just seems to be one girl whos the main perpetrator - her two friends only join in when egged on by her. I put it down to teenage girl clique mentality which they'll hopefully grow out of.
 

Figuringitout

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
A friend of mine did a while back! She started patch when she got her loop jump and one foot spin. She skated on the session for about 20 mins before it got to her and she left. She reported it to both the reception and rink director.

I never saw her again after that so I'm not sure how it played out. Maybe I ought to report it again 🤔
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
People like that only antagonize people because they can get away with it, or at least because the consequences are mild enough not to be adequately deterrent. I think you should report it again. :)
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
@mercybuckets & @Snorlax, some of that crossover problem might be leg strength. It used to happen to me, too. Then I did a million squats and planks, and now it doesn't. :)

You're probably right! I've only done half a million of squats and planks so far :dbana: At least that's what it feels like.

It has helped tremendously already, but it's still a long road... :D I actually started weightlifting now, as the normal exercises + smaller weights aren't enough anymore. Deadlifts + Barbell squats olé!
 

Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
I competed at Adult Sectionals over the weekend and got a personal best score... however I missed my score goal thanks to a time violation :palmf:
 
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