LIB, Can we be friends?

Coach decided that after my dance test that it was time to get moving on the next loop test. Loop test #2 has 130, a serpentine much like Figure 5 and that one is a piece of cake. Then there is 116, which is circle loop on backward outside edges. Not fantastic but not horrific, either. It needs some work for sure since it's not consistent. Little did I realize that there was ANOTHER figure on the test. Surprise, surprise! Time to roll on an inside back edge. 117, meet Sarah. Sarah, meet 117. We eyed each other warily but were willing to give it a go. OH, dear Lord. We have certainly located my remaining hugely deficient edge. I'd estimate about 8 desperate dash and swerve edge changes on that first go around the itty bitty circle. It's good to know that I can always be counted to entertain the crowd. I see a lot of quality time on Figure 4 and 117 in the near future. And up next, fun with the Balanciaga and City Blues. Can't wait for next week's lesson.

Fundraiser Time!

This is the first year our family will be participating in the annual Skate-A-Thon fundraiser.  It will be on Saturday, November 19th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Each of us will be skating the entire day.  It's a LONG time to skate but any skating is GOOD skating.  :)   I will be posting pictures on Facebook throughout the event.

All four of us will be skating together.  Ian, my 12 year old elementary boy, is working hard to make it out of Regionals this year in free skating and Lily, my 8 year old primary girl, is hoping to do the same.  Jason and I are preparing for team dance and competing in our individual figure divisions.

Sponsorships are done as a one time, flat rate donation.  Skaters may be sponsored individually or by family.  Money raised through sponsorship of a skater will help defray costs for travel to Regional and National events.  If you would like to come and skate a session with us, we also have free "Sponsor" discount passes.  This pass is good for only one session on Saturday.  We would LOVE to have people come skate with us.

If anyone would like to sponsor, funds may be sent via Paypal to slhallford@yahoo.com by November 18th.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

One year ago I started art skating

My First Post About Art Skating
And it was all I could do to stay upright and stroke with one foot at a time. Reading that thread really drives home how much work I have put in this year.

In that year, I have learned all the figures for the first 4 tests. I passed the first two in Septemberish. I learned the figures for the first circle loops test. I'll be taking the 3rd figure test and the first circle loop figure test this month.

I've learned the first 2 dances for the first solo dance test. And the first one for the second solo dance test.

I spent a month off skates with a cast for a badly sprained ankle. I've been knocked down in practice by another skater. I've hit the floor more times than I can count. 

I competed at two meets. They both taught me a lot. Most notably, that I skate significantly cleaner when I am really mad and need to prove something to myself. My daughter and I placed 3rd and 2nd in circle loops together at one of them. Our invitational and Regionals are looming ahead in the future for me and I am going to do the best I can at them.

I've learned the Mohawk turn and 3 turn is becoming a reality. I can skate backwards after working on it so much over the summer. I can shoot the duck and cannon ball and almost get up from STD with no hands. I can do a decent looking spiral and crosspulls and cross overs and I'm working on those first two upright spins.

Both my kids are art skating now as well as my husband.

I solemnly promise to come back to this post any time I feel bad about my progress. Hard work PAYS off.

Bradshaw meet, 12/19/2010

First the bad news, I skated like I just learned my figures in the Novice B event.  I had psyched myself all out in my head, I guess.  They delayed our event and the four of us ended up frozen standing around waiting for almost 20 minutes.  By the time we got to warmup, I could hardly feel my feet.  I actually forgot to finish my last circle and had to go back to finish it. I've never done that before, even in practice.  I ended up 4th place out of 4 skaters.  Phooey on that.

So, I was very frustrated and mad as hell at myself going into the Subloops event which they called before I even had a chance to skate my Novice B figures.  My head was definitely all freaked out over that.  Note to self:  Remember that they can't start the event without you and put it OUT of your mind and concentrate on what you are skating NOW.  I had to rush off the floor and change my skates and get back on the floor to warm up for the Subloop event.

My daughter and I both skated the Subloop event together.  That was actually really fun.  I wasn't sure if it would feel strange to be skating with her but it turned out to be very cool.  There were 6 skaters in the event, one of whom is in our club and who took first at the last meet.    Being the stubborn person that I am, I dug in my heels and really put out my best effort after the epic fail on my Novice B figures.  I am delighted to report that I placed second out of 6 and my daughter took third behind me.  I can't even begin to tell you what a thrill it was for both of us to go up and receive our medals together.

I was absolutely shocked to find out my placement.  I figured I was done and ready to pack up and go home but my coach insisted I leave my skates on until the results were posted.

Lily did pretty well in her Primary figure event.  She tied for fourth and might have moved up a bit if she hadn't accidentally let her toe wheels hit the floor.  I missed when that happened but she mentioned it as soon as she came off the floor.  I think she's a lot like me and felt even more determined to do better in her second event.

I learned a lot today.  I think the most important part was not giving up after the Novice B event.  I could easily have let myself be defeated and sit and cry over it but getting up and going back out was the best thing I could have done.

S

Competition tomorrow

I had a good practice today.  I also realized that I hold my breath when I skate my figures and loops.  What is up with that?

Note to self for the meet tomorrow: DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH.  Apparently, it makes a big difference.  I made a conscious effort to take a deep breath before strike off and everything felt much smoother and seemed to take less effort to maintain.

I am going to do *my* best and let the chips fall where they may.  I forgot to ask how many people are skating in my events and of course the schedule doesn't have the numbers listed for any of the figure events.  Still, it doesn't really matter.  I'd just like my scores to be higher than last time.  Yes, I kept the sheets from the last meet.

I feel much more relaxed and ready today.

Oh yeah, and I finished the Christmas shopping on my way home from practice.  I don't know where everyone else was this morning, but NOBODY was at the stores.

Meet on Sunday

Well, my next meet is Sunday. I'm skating "subloops" and Novice B figures. 

I don't know exactly what my issue is but I'm having a horrible crisis of confidence and just feel really down about my skating this week. I had a much better practice this week but even still the specter of doubt is lurking about. I know I have practiced all I can and all I can expect of myself is to take what I have learned and do the best I can with it.

I did order my new figure plate and I'm excited about that. But I got sort of a strange response from people when they heard I was ordering a Roll Line Ring (which will consume all present money for me this year). Kind of that, well, that's an awfully nice plate and you're not that great a skater anyway. Nobody actually said anything like that to me but you know how faces can kind of give stuff like that away? 

I KNOW I should not let this get to me. I know that I am practicing consistently and working as hard as I can to learn things and improve what I can do. I know that there aren't any shortcuts and I love the process of working on things. I know that I am getting better and that I really don't completely suck at everything skating related anymore. When I started in April, I couldn't skate backwards or even make it reliably around the figure circles with one push. I can do figure 100 now (which is an ancient one they don't use for tests anymore and has two Mohawk turns in it).

I think I just feel alone. I have no peers. Nobody else who is really a beginner. The only other skaters that are remotely close to my age are people who have skated all their lives and can do all sorts of amazing things like spins and jumps that I can only imagine doing right now.

I actually feel kind of ashamed of this post. But I wanted to put it out there in case anyone else felt that way and needed to know that they weren't alone. 

And I am not giving up.

S

Today was golden

I had one of those rare practices where I skated everything right.  It was like 3 hours of uninterrupted goodness.  All my figures looked better.  My mohawk turns actually had pointed toes and cooperated in both directions. Score one for me since my coach wants to see that before FINALLY teaching me the proper way to do a 3 turn so I can start Figure 7.

A fellow skater actually took time out to compliment my 113 and how smooth and easy it looked.  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  (For the sake of the generosity of the kindness extended, I will overlook the fact that while my edges were pretty clean, I wasn't EXACTLY on the line where I should have been.)  A dad and his little girl came up to me and asked me about taking lessons.  LOL.  I was so flattered and promptly sent them over to my coach.  I so hope that I'll see his little girl at practice soon.  She was adorable in this giant tulle tutu and her little plastic skates.

I really needed a good skating day.  The last two weeks have been a bucket of suck with the exception of passing my tests.

Coach tells me that they actually have enough skaters to separate out the Novice B figures for the competition next weekend.  Super.  At least I don't have to skate against the 12 year olds now.  There are supposed to be 4 competitors in the event.  I'll probably be 4th but that's ok.  Somebody has to be last and maybe next time I won't be.  Unless I can skate like I did today.  I might have a chance if I can be more consistent.

The funniest part of the day:  Coach handing me two cents.  Then telling me to go skate my figures with them balanced on my outstretched hands.  Not a big deal, unless you drop the pennies which I'm sure would inevitably end up under your skate and pitch you into the floor.  Well, phooey on that.  I skated with them and kept those babies balanced.