I'm used to bad sessions. I can usually tell myself a bad session is better than no session. But the last few sessions, NOTHING, and I mean nothing, has gone right. Those alternating outside 3's that were almost perfect...nope. It's like they've vanished. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but that back inside edge, I just cannot check it properly. I swing the circle too small and can't step out for the choctaw. I've tried going back to just working on single outside 3's on a hockey circle. I can't keep my edge on the tracing. I'm trying so hard, but I can't keep my arm in front, I can't keep my hip from dropping. I've tried. And then my back 3's, although the scraping is almost gone, are still too swingy, and I can't control it.
And getting to this other rink 3x a week is rough. No weekend sessions, so I'm trying to do it on weekdays and work later on other days to make up the hours. I can't keep this up. I'm going to have to skate on Sundays and only go twice during the week. But there aren't any freestyles. I'll have to go to a public session. ugh. I hate those. Crowded. Bratty hockey boys. Unstable little girls coming into the middle. I'll try it Sunday. I guess if it's awful, I'll only be able to skate twice a week until they bring back weekend freestyle.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Ice Dance 1
I've officially passed Ice Dance 1. Whatevs. I'm not terribly concerned with patches, although I thought it was cute that the patches for girls are pink and blue for boys. I may be feminist, but I still love pink. Coach said I'm close to passing Dance 2.
But I don't think I'll take this class again. The rink gave us such a small space. Honestly, it's ridiculous. We had one hockey circle. Imagine trying to do the Dutch Waltz in that small space. Coach basically kept saying, don't push.
Then he had me try part B of Dance 2. This needed to be fast to cover 4 of them on the entire circle. I joked, now I get to push?
I do, however, see more private lessons in my future. Perhaps someday dancing with him in a dance hold, but let's not get too excited. I'm going shopping today for some stretchy headbands. I'm hoping that will cut down on the sweat dripping down my face. It's so embarrassing. And if one more person points out I'm sweating, I'm gonna cut them with my skate blade.
But I don't think I'll take this class again. The rink gave us such a small space. Honestly, it's ridiculous. We had one hockey circle. Imagine trying to do the Dutch Waltz in that small space. Coach basically kept saying, don't push.
Then he had me try part B of Dance 2. This needed to be fast to cover 4 of them on the entire circle. I joked, now I get to push?
I do, however, see more private lessons in my future. Perhaps someday dancing with him in a dance hold, but let's not get too excited. I'm going shopping today for some stretchy headbands. I'm hoping that will cut down on the sweat dripping down my face. It's so embarrassing. And if one more person points out I'm sweating, I'm gonna cut them with my skate blade.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Posh Rink
Bit the bullet today and ventured way the heck across town to the posh rink for freestyle. My rink has unapologetically slashed their freestyle schedule. And no amount of complaining from me is changing anything. In fact, they've restricted it even more for even more hockey practice. *grumble*
But good news! My understanding of how their stickers and sticker books worked was incorrect. I knew a walkon was $15 per 30-minute session. So an hour was going to be 30 bucks. Ouch. I was told (and still have the email) that a block of 10 stickers was $120, which made an hour = $24. Still kind of ouch compared to my rink's cost of $10. Except I thought if I bought a pack of stickers, I had to reserve my spot in advance. My highschool rink worked like this. You bought X-number of stickers PER MONTH and reserved your spots in advance. If you couldn't make your session, your only option for a refund was to find another skater to take your place and pay you for the ice time. Otherwise, you were SOL.
This rink doesn't work like that. It's essentially walk on with your stickers. But a pack of 10 is only $75. That's half the price I was thinking. Still more expensive than my rink and nearly twice the distance driving, but it's worth it. They have a HUGE freestyle schedule with lots of time available.
Yay! And I was sharing the ice with Paul Wylie today. Can you beat that?
But good news! My understanding of how their stickers and sticker books worked was incorrect. I knew a walkon was $15 per 30-minute session. So an hour was going to be 30 bucks. Ouch. I was told (and still have the email) that a block of 10 stickers was $120, which made an hour = $24. Still kind of ouch compared to my rink's cost of $10. Except I thought if I bought a pack of stickers, I had to reserve my spot in advance. My highschool rink worked like this. You bought X-number of stickers PER MONTH and reserved your spots in advance. If you couldn't make your session, your only option for a refund was to find another skater to take your place and pay you for the ice time. Otherwise, you were SOL.
This rink doesn't work like that. It's essentially walk on with your stickers. But a pack of 10 is only $75. That's half the price I was thinking. Still more expensive than my rink and nearly twice the distance driving, but it's worth it. They have a HUGE freestyle schedule with lots of time available.
Yay! And I was sharing the ice with Paul Wylie today. Can you beat that?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Coaching
I get tired of coaches who lose patience with their students. Do you think I'm doing it wrong on purpose? Yesterday, at dance class, I was struggling with the Canasta Tango, that quick progressive into chasse. Apparently, I'm leaning too much into the circle. He says, lean outside the circle and demonstrates. Whoa. umm, ok, I'll try. But I can't do it right. About three times during the lesson, I hear him say, "you're still leaning into the circle which I keep telling you not to do."
Enough already. Coaches say they hate it when students say they can't do something. Well guess what? I can't do it. Yet. OK, so the "yet" is implied. I try to add it when I say it, but it's true. I can't do it yet. Your frustrated remarks about how you keep telling me one thing is NOT helping. Got it?
Enough already. Coaches say they hate it when students say they can't do something. Well guess what? I can't do it. Yet. OK, so the "yet" is implied. I try to add it when I say it, but it's true. I can't do it yet. Your frustrated remarks about how you keep telling me one thing is NOT helping. Got it?