Turning the tide.

It dawned on me that this is the longest consecutive period I have been able to skate since I started almost 3 years ago. The most recent ankle injury was healed enough to barely skate on it by last May. I was still struggling pretty ferociously with it at the invitational at the end of May and mostly had it under control by Regionals.

So, 10 months. A new record. I promised Ian I would help him read the dance diagram for the Siesta Tango today at practice. I realized that I was able to not only do the Mohawk turn on the corner but I could also count the steps at the same time for him while reading holding and reading the diagram.

It's time to "man up" so to speak. I have suspected for a few weeks that my stumbling block on my figure 7 is a lack of comfort changing direction with any kind of speed. I think the key here is to get myself used to turning and moving faster. It's a bit like how I got a handle on the Mohawk turns in figure 100 by learning an inside spread eagle in both directions.

So tomorrow is the day. Imagine all the trouble and fun I can get myself into working on those turn dances! That should be as much fun as hearing the shock of a snackbar parent last week when they saw me working on the third loop test backward serpentine trace. It's pretty awful right now but the only road to better leads right through the inevitable embarrassing period of the climb to reach something way outside your current skill level.

It's going to be some serious slow going getting started. But, it can't be any less hilarious than starting the Denver Shuffle. When I learned the cross in front cross behind steps I literally would skate the whole corner of the dance at speed then come to a complete halt going into the center, do those two steps and then speed back up. The comic relief quotient had to be off the chart.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow. :)