| Skating Journal 2002-2003 Season Part 1 |
 |
| October 10, 2002 Skating officialy begins for me October 20. Registration is on the 19th! I have been involved in getting the word out about registration and I really hope that there is a big turn out. I might skate as early as tomorrow since I am going to my homeland of Minnesota today for a wedding this weekend. I have to check my skates on the plane and I am VERY worried about that. I don't want them to lose them, but I guess if they do, I get a new pair!? The coach I had from last year will not be teaching at my rink this year, so I will have to get a new coach. I have some good options. I might even have two different coaches depending on how things go. I thought for awhile that due to work I would not be able to go to the Adult National Competition. I found out this week that there will be no conflict, so I will go ahead with my plan to compete at the Bronze Level this April in Ann Arbor. Last year I began the season only skating about every other day and worked into a more aggresive training schedule. This year I will be skating at least 6 days a week right away and through the AN competition. This is because I want to perform well at AN and have some other rather lofty goals for the 2002-2003 season. 2002-2003 Season Goals Spins: Much improved backspin, 100% consistency and smooth 10 rev min. Camel Camel - Sit Progress towards sit change sit Jumps: Axel - land and land consistently Land one double jump by season end (jump depends on which one coach pushes me towards) Testing: Pass Adult Silver Moves Pass Adult Gold Moves Competition: JH Invitational - participate AN - make to final round October 24, 2002 The ice is in and classes have begun. I have skated everyday so far and don't my muscles know it. Sunday I had my first ever Moves in the Field lesson. When I skated as a kid it was still during the time of figures. I think I will like Moves, but since I have never done them before, I am sure they will be challenging. Monday I had a lesson with my new Freestyle coach and it was great. We went over some basic skating skills and I really needed it. I just sort of dove into skating last year and never really took the time to go over any basics. He is detail oriented and I think he will make a huge improvement in my skating. Tuesday I spent my short time at the rink practicing Monday's lesson. I am really focused this year on improving the overall quality of my skating. Yesterday I was very tired, but instead of taking the day off, I worked on Moves again. I worked on my three turns in the field on a "patch". It was hard for me to stay consistent on the size of the arc and the placement of the turn, so I practiced them in an "8" pattern until I had the feel of the correct size and placement of the three turn. I think this really helped. Welp, I am off to the rink right now! November 19, 2002 I am still skating 6 days a week and mostly have fun. My rear was killing me on Friday and I have nice sized bruise on my arm, but I still love it! I am taking more private lessons this year - much to the dismay of my husband, and our pocketbook. I am working on many new things though. A sit change sit and a Camel change, however, I am struggling with the forward camel, so the back camel never gets a chance. I landed an Axel yesterday in the harness, I was hoping that this would transfer into my first unassisted Axel today, but only amounted to the afore mentioned bruise on the arm. At least Lori and I are going through this misery together, and I am sure we will party together when we finally have them as well. My new freestyle coach is fantastic. Since I learned as a child from a European coach, I am thrilled to have a European coach as an adult. He is so determined to improve my skating and he makes me want to please him. Although I am an adult, he does not take it any easier on me, but he can still be a good friend off the ice. I enjoy spending time with him and his wife. Last year I spent most of the time getting back skills I had as a kid. I think that muscle memory returned to me after some amount of practice. Now this year is a different story. I am learning things I was never taught or at least never mastered and the challenge of figure skating is certainly being felt. However, when these new skills are mastered I should feel mighty proud. Sometimes I have to stop and remember that I have already improved so much and that I will continue to improve with time. Today I even did an inside/outside spiral - a la Michelle Kwan. Well, maybe not as good as Michelle, but it was still an inside/outside sprial and it made up for all of the battering I took in axel practice! Must think positive... December 5, 2002 This is the time of the year when I start to become overwhelmed. UGGHHH! On top of it all I have this year end goal to land an axel or I owe the skating club $100! I think this was a bad bet to make because it just adds that much more pressure and stress on me - plus, we don't just have $100 to give up this time of the year. Well, I still have a chance, but I have to make time and money for a lesson if it is going to happen. Lori landed another Axel, but I still didn't see it - but it is giving her the emotional boost she needed to keep going at all of this. Slumps are a natural part of skating, but they are never fun to be in. Besides that I have started the choreography for my freeskate. I chose selections from the movie, The Milagro Beanfield War, which anyone who ever took Spanish in high school has seen, but very few others. The music is fabulous and Lori worked very hard with me to cut it just right. The choreography is difficult, but if I can eventually get it - it is going to be a great program. I am going to continue with the choreography today, however, I have a cold, so we'll see how far I get. I think that the goal of passing both my silver and gold level Moves in the Field is unrealistic. I think I am just going to shoot for passing silver, which should not be a problem, and then I will work on gold for the next year - unless, miraculously I find the time to master the gold moves before the end of March as well. However, I think I will be focusing more on the Adult National Competition this spring. Probably I should not focus so much energy on this competition, but this is what I am working towards this season. I think it will be exciting to train for such an important event as Adult Nationals. Skating in 3 hours!! |