Don't you just hate it when something works so wonderfully when you're in lesson, but when you try it on your own the next day, you body just refuses to do it?
That was my backspin today. No matter how hard or how often I tried, all I did was hit the toepick and fall off. It just refused to work. I mention this only because it worked so well yesterday, while in lesson. Today? Nothing. Oh well.
Being off from work for the week inbetween Christmas and New Years has advantages. I've skated three times this week; two times more than my average. Plus, I didn't have to ice monitor for any of the sessions.
The rink has announced a competition in February. Wouldn't it have been nice if they had given us more than 2 months preparation time? They knew when the competition was scheduled, how about posting it in late October/early November instead of the week before Christmas? I have decided against doing this competition. Why? Tired of coming in last.
If you've read my earlier blogs, my hair has been a number of colors, including blond. After a comment from my mentor in ASL, I have decided that maybe dark alburn/reddish brown isn't my color afterall. Plus, the upkeep is a bear. So, after New Years, I'm back to the salon for a darker, closer to my own really, really, really dark brown, not quite black hair color. I do miss my blond hair though, but not the damage it did.
Although I've been back at the gym and working out, having the week off is doing absolutely nothing for my eating plan. There's chocolate in this house and it has my name on it!!! Also, my abdominals are no stronger than they were two or three blogs ago. Hmmm..... wonder why....
Be that as it may (one of my favorite phrases, along with "Not for nothing, but..."), I am back at the rink tomorrow morning, so I should get some sleep.
Wishing you all the happiest and healthiest New Year. Thanks for reading!
P.S. I may post a photo next year, if I ever figure out how...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Highs and Lows
Before I start this, I must vent (well, maybe not MUST, but I will)...
If I see one more idiot on public transportation chewing like a cow, I think I just might scream long enough and loud enough to make the gum or food drop out of his/her mouth. Animals don't have lips so they cannot chew with their mouths closed. But, surprise, surprise!!! So many people chew like cows!! And it's really, really ugly.
I mention this for two reasons: 1) there's a girl in my class who chews like a cow 2) everyone on the uptown subway chews like a cow.
Vent over.
Last Wednesday, I had the absolute best session I've had in a very, very long time. One hit on the old inhaler and I was ready to go. (Sidebar: Doctor tells me I have chronic asthma; like COPD. Really???) I worked so hard, I was sweating by the time my lesson was over. But the best part? I didn't have first lesson. I hate having first lesson because it takes my body so damned long to warm up. It warms up faster if I'm wearing a heat pack on my back, but I haven't had a reason to do so yet. In case you hadn't heard, NYC is pretty warm this autumn.
Sorry, I'm babbling...
Anyway, Amy, best coach in the world, had another student, a child, so I had second lesson so the child could go home early. I warmed up by doing most of my Moves in the Field before the lesson. By the time it was my turn, I was ready to go. I flew through ALL of my moves. No, they weren't all perfect, but they were done. YEAH!!!
This was followed by jumps which went really well. My timing is still a bit off on a salchow jump; I'm spinning them a bit, but they have speed and height. More height than speed. The beauty of being 5'6" tall, I guess.
As for spins, well, I must admit I know why my spins aren't better: I have no abdominal muscle tone. I've been working out and doing ab work, but it doesn't seem to help. Amy made me laugh when she mentioned that my spins would be easier and faster if I had some ab muscles. Well, ain't that the truth!
Be that as it may, I did something I've never done before: 6 revolutions on a camel spin with speed. I probably could have done more, but I came out of the spin. Just imagine my surprise!! It was AWESOME!!
And still more good news: A new entrance on a back spin. After years (and I do mean years) of struggling with a back spin and watching YouTube videos, I thought I'd try a back spin from just a inside 3 turn (left foot. Go lefties!) and it actually worked. It's a bit easier from that entrance and coming along slowly.
Those were the highs. Here are the lows:
I missed Sunday thanks to an appearance of Miles, my migraine. Miles showed up in time for my final at school on Saturday and left Monday afternoon at 2:35. I'm trying to figure out what caused Miles to show up this time, and I've narrowed it down to a really bad, overly sweet cup of coffee that I purchased. (Sidebar: always put your own sweetener in your coffee. That crazy woman put Sweet-N-Low AND sugar in my coffee!!)
Also, skating stops for about 2 1/2 weeks. I could and will go to other rinks and other sessions, but it's annoying that now that I'm on a roll, my sessions discontinue for 2 1/2 weeks.
But it's all good. Everyday is a good day. Things are getting better for me. I am truly blessed.
In the meantime, have a great week.
If I see one more idiot on public transportation chewing like a cow, I think I just might scream long enough and loud enough to make the gum or food drop out of his/her mouth. Animals don't have lips so they cannot chew with their mouths closed. But, surprise, surprise!!! So many people chew like cows!! And it's really, really ugly.
I mention this for two reasons: 1) there's a girl in my class who chews like a cow 2) everyone on the uptown subway chews like a cow.
Vent over.
Last Wednesday, I had the absolute best session I've had in a very, very long time. One hit on the old inhaler and I was ready to go. (Sidebar: Doctor tells me I have chronic asthma; like COPD. Really???) I worked so hard, I was sweating by the time my lesson was over. But the best part? I didn't have first lesson. I hate having first lesson because it takes my body so damned long to warm up. It warms up faster if I'm wearing a heat pack on my back, but I haven't had a reason to do so yet. In case you hadn't heard, NYC is pretty warm this autumn.
Sorry, I'm babbling...
Anyway, Amy, best coach in the world, had another student, a child, so I had second lesson so the child could go home early. I warmed up by doing most of my Moves in the Field before the lesson. By the time it was my turn, I was ready to go. I flew through ALL of my moves. No, they weren't all perfect, but they were done. YEAH!!!
This was followed by jumps which went really well. My timing is still a bit off on a salchow jump; I'm spinning them a bit, but they have speed and height. More height than speed. The beauty of being 5'6" tall, I guess.
As for spins, well, I must admit I know why my spins aren't better: I have no abdominal muscle tone. I've been working out and doing ab work, but it doesn't seem to help. Amy made me laugh when she mentioned that my spins would be easier and faster if I had some ab muscles. Well, ain't that the truth!
Be that as it may, I did something I've never done before: 6 revolutions on a camel spin with speed. I probably could have done more, but I came out of the spin. Just imagine my surprise!! It was AWESOME!!
And still more good news: A new entrance on a back spin. After years (and I do mean years) of struggling with a back spin and watching YouTube videos, I thought I'd try a back spin from just a inside 3 turn (left foot. Go lefties!) and it actually worked. It's a bit easier from that entrance and coming along slowly.
Those were the highs. Here are the lows:
I missed Sunday thanks to an appearance of Miles, my migraine. Miles showed up in time for my final at school on Saturday and left Monday afternoon at 2:35. I'm trying to figure out what caused Miles to show up this time, and I've narrowed it down to a really bad, overly sweet cup of coffee that I purchased. (Sidebar: always put your own sweetener in your coffee. That crazy woman put Sweet-N-Low AND sugar in my coffee!!)
Also, skating stops for about 2 1/2 weeks. I could and will go to other rinks and other sessions, but it's annoying that now that I'm on a roll, my sessions discontinue for 2 1/2 weeks.
But it's all good. Everyday is a good day. Things are getting better for me. I am truly blessed.
In the meantime, have a great week.
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