"Amanda Likes To" meme

I rarely do Meme's. But putting off going to Sainsbury's on a cold, grey Saturday morning and I came across this one on little.red.boat which is really quite entertaining.

What you do is type in "[Your name] likes to" into Google, and then paste the results of the search. Some interesting things come up :)

1. Amanda likes to do it in her community. What exactly? You can get arrested for that kind of thing.
2. Amanda likes to dance. Well, I loved ballet - hence training for 11 years (and one of the reasons I now skate). However, I am not that keen on dancing on a night out - I tend to feel a bit stoopid. Unless I have had copious amounts of alcohol . . .
3. Amanda likes to escape reality from time to time. Undeniably true. I am one of the worlds worst daydreamers. Bus journeys to work are the worst. I have missed my stop at least twice . . . which is quite clever when you think that my stop is Euston bus depot.
4. Amanda likes to distract herself with silliness. I am blessed to have a best friend who shares the same silly sense of humour I do. One journey on a bus (not daydreaming this time) and we were in hysterics about something silly - prawns I think. Some sad humourless person sitting behind us said to their travelling companion "Those two are talking complete drivel".
5. Amanda likes to draw, paint, write comic books, read Jhonen Vasquez comics . . . got to the comic bit and lost you there I'm afraid. I do like to draw and paint though. I should practice more.
6. Amanda likes to listen to 80's music. I like any music really. Really quite eclectic mixture of things on my iPod, from Britney Spears to Metallica to Il Divo to Tchaikovsky. I can't say I get the same pleasure from the Compulsory Dance tracks on there though!
7. Amanda likes to torture him. Nah - can't say I'm really that hot on sado-masochism . . .
8. Amanda likes to get jiggy with it. Hehehehehehehe . . . .
9. Amanda likes to go running. Not strictly true, but was quite impressed on my first run a couple of weeks ago, where I managed to run a mile of a 1.5mile circuit. A year ago, I'd have collapsed at the first lamp-post. Maybe I'll learn to love it . . .
10. Amanda likes to sit in her pajamas and shop for shoes on the Internet while eating Nutella straight out of the jar. There are soooo many things right with this one. Pyjamas - snuggly. Shoes - essential. Internet - hellooo! Nutella out of the jar? Yes, I have subscribed to this filthy habit in the past, but now I'm a good girl :)

Well, that was fun. I really must go and get my shopping now. That, and I want to go and get some legwarmers from Primark. I LOVE that I do a sport where I can wear legwarmers! I've even ordered some leggings . . . gulp. I feel a skirt coming on . . .

Oh, and I tag all of you skaters who read this!!!!!

Getting my legs back . . .

Due to my coach having a family crisis, I didn't have a lesson this evening, so worked on getting my legs back to normal after their wobbly few days.

And it is getting better now - both yesterday and today I worked a lot on inside mohawks, after getting inspiration watching how the younger girls throw themselves into them. And on the whole, it is working - I started concentrating less on making them look pretty, and more on just doing them faster. After a while, they started happening faster (although I am sure still too slow for D, but give me time!) and I could start working a little more on the aesthetics again. Overall, quite pleased.

Worked on a fair few other elements as well - Russian stroking forward and back, crossrolls, edges (including starting to work tentatively on my backward edges for Level 2), 3turns, twizzles, spirals, a few spins and a few 3-jumps.

Ran through my dances - the long axis of Rhythm Blues feels really good now, but I am going comparitively so flippin' fast by the end of it, the cross behinds are really hairy! Dutch Waltz also felt quite nice, and Canasta Tango not too bad either.

Afterwards, I had a lovely chat with an adult skater who I have not had the pleasure to talk too before, but did get rather cold as a result! Still, it's always nice to meet new people :)

A "day off" skate

Took a day off in lieu today, which was nice. Such a beautiful day!

Today was also my first skate since my horrendous one last Tuesday. It was definitely a better one, but even though my outward symptoms of whatever I had last week have mostly passed, my stamina was rubbish, and by the time I got home and had some lunch, I fell asleep on the sofa for half an hour! Being a Monday morning though, the ice was lovely and quiet, although there was a bit of an incident where a lad had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher by paramedics, after hurting his back.

Also not helping is my weight. It is fantastic that I have lost over 3 stone now, but I don't think it is helping my skating in some respects, mostly that my centre of gravity is always shifting. I am wondering if that is impeding my progress a little on things like mohawks. Oh well - I am not going to stop losing weight just yet, so will just have to put up with it! Roll on the day that I get to my nine and a half stone goal . . .

Practiced a variety of things - did various mohawk, 3-turn and stroking drills. Ran through the Dutch Waltz, Canasta Tango and Rhythm Blues a few times - the tango is one of the things that notice my weight distrubition problems. The slip chasses have really started feeling like I am going to land on my backside when I do them. Sigh . . . .

Did some element stuff - I think that finally I am learning to "sit" down into my Ina Bauer, as they felt a little more secure and I can come up from them (albeit slightly inelegantly) more smoothly. Inside spreadeagles also felt a little better, although I am still not doing them at the speed D wants me to do.

Twizzles were terrible. Well, that's not true - my single twizzles are feeling better and better, but those confounded doubles are still eluding me. And spins eluded me as well today - I don't know if this is because I am still not 100% on the ice, or if it is because the ice was extremely hard today, but never mind. I know they are beginning to happen - I don't mind if they are slightly temperamental!

Then after my nap, I went up to Wood Green to do a little bit of shopping, buying a couple of tops that actually fit (rather swimming in my clothes now), some Egyptian cotton sheets that were reduced in Woolworths, and a few bits from TKMaxx, including a pair of Pineapple yoga pants to skate in. I find it hilarious that Pineapples sizing for Large is a UK 12-14! I can get them on, but they are a little tight around my rear! But another few weeks, and they will fit perfectly :)

Off colour

As D is off to France tomorrow for some competition, my lesson was brought forward to today.

I have been a bit off-colour the last few days, with symptoms of a headcold, and a dodgy throat (possibly hayfever?). I didn't give myself a hard time at Lee Valley on Sunday, but still like it today, and a feeling that I would get tired very quickly, so we abandoned the stop-watch timed things today. I just managed to keep it together for my lesson as well, before everything fell apart! We concentrated on elements today, rather than dances.

Forward Stroking: Pleased with these - good depth, and a good push off the inside edge.
Forward Edges: Good (and passable). Just need to try and get an extra metre on the first inside edge.
Backward Edges (from Level 2 FM's): Not done backward edges this size before and had a bit of support. Not too bad though, once I worked out where legs should be swinging back, bending, straightening etc. D has given me an exercise to work on increasing the power in my backwards push and I also need to push out more to the sides for each lobe.
FI Mohawk exercise: Better, maybe slightly faster. Fitting two in on a long axis, which I was actually quite impressed with, thinking it would be more like five!! We added arms as well today, which I always like dong - it tends to make me forget about the scary things I am doing with my feet!
FO Mohawk exercise: D clarifed the pattern on this today, and it feels like it will be better for that. I also need to check my shoulders on the mohawks. I will get these damn mohawks up to speed, even if it takes me five years!!!
Toe steps: Glad to say that since the last time we tried these, I can cross in front, do three backward toesteps and cross over in front again. Now I have to then do another three toesteps but turning at the same time. Slightly trickier!! Worked on these afterwards and they are getting there.
Ina Bauer: I find it so hard on these to remember everything at the same time. Main points are to keep my shoulders checked, weight over my front leg but not leaning in a strange way.
Inside Spreadeagle: Managed a couple of reasonable ones, amongst the slightly odd attempts. Got a bit frustrated with myself when D was trying to get me to go into it fast, but I just can't do it yet!! I prefer to build up my speed into it slowly I think, being the slightly fearful adult I am :)
Forward spin: Improvement on my entrance - as D said, I am stepping forward into it much more smoothly now and not like I am "going for a teabreak!". Only managed double revs today, but smooth, and a good exit I think.
Backward pivot turn: This is where things started going wrong - although I got the hang of these in practice afterwards, I fell right into a puddle trying these in my lesson, only having tried the forward variety before. Right on the still slightly bruised bit that I fell onto a couple of weeks ago when I fell off my Bauer. Ouch.

And then it was time to practice. Some bits went okay, as already mentioned, apart from the fact that the ice was horribly wet, and I had already fallen into a lake so was very soggy by this point. But things started going wrong - namely when I decided to try a few dances anyway, and my stamina was shot. Started tripping over my toepicks, which I never do, and nearly fell on my backside doing a Dutch Waltz!! I could understand it on the Rhythm Blues, but the Waltz has never given me that sort of problem before! And then I nearly fell over again doing a mohawk exercise, and very much annoyed and fed up by now I decided to get off.

So, all in all it wasn't a bad lesson considering I am not 100%, but the crappy practice afterwards and the general feeling of unease today put me in a bad mood and very negative state. Which is not like me at all.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Beginning to spin

Enjoyed my lesson this evening - was D's only pupil, so of course it overran somewhat, but I'm not complaining! A very tired coach though, having literally had no sleep since Monday, as she has been doing a photoshoot for Vogue at Ally Pally for the last two nights! And I mean ALL night . . . It's her last night tonight, so I am typing very quietly as she is sleeping in my absentee flatmates room for a couple of hours, before she has to head back up there for midnight. Luckily I only live about a mile away from the Palace.

Forward Stroking: Broken down even more today, into two distinct knee bends before the push. Feels good actually.
Inside Mohawk exercise: Getting smoother, and slightly faster. Almost beginning to enjoy it!
Outside Mohawk exercise: Not so good - D pointed out though that I shouldn't be trying to do it in a straight line, and showed me the pattern, whereupon it did actually get a little easier.
Alternating FO3's: Feels a bit odd as haven't done FO3's keeping the leg extended behind, but think I will like this exercise. Literally, FO3 and then step from backward to forward straight into another FO3 on the other foot. In a line down the rink.
Choctaw: Another new move. And although it felt vaguely horrific, not as horrific as I thought it would be. Apart from the fact that she wants me to raise my free leg way above hip level as I come out on the BO edge. Hmmmm . . . I think she said it was a Blues Choctaw that she showed me, as well.
FXO's & BXO's in fig. 8: Managed to knock another load of seconds off this today - just need to get the whole lot 14 seconds faster now, so D is happy!
Twizzles: These are driving me nuts. Still haven't managed one double one yet, but D did remind me that I only started learning even single ones a few weeks ago! Still, I find this infuriating. I can feel myself looking down while I do them, which really can't help.
Ina Bauer: I guess these are heading in the right direction, but still find it hard. I think the problem is that I can get in the right position, but not straight away. Time to start doing those exercises for my backside I think . . .
Spreadeagle: One of them wasn't too bad. We also did one with bent knees which was quite fun - again, can't half feel it in my bum!
Forward spin: Was thrilled with these today. Just about managed 3 revs! After going nowhere with them for a couple of weeks, all of them bar one worked in a fashion, and I was even getting a stable exit! I need to get the change from the RBI edge stepping onto a LFO edge on the entry smoother though.
Spiral: Having announced that I did one of these in an attitude position yesterday, she made me do one "normal" spiral on a straight edge, and then pull up into an attitude while going onto an inside edge for the second half. Feels quite stable - leg needs to be higher.
Canasta Tango: Some corrections on the pattern - I need to remember to push out from my line of direction sometimes, rather than trying to go with it. Did it through to music - not too bad - I just tend to lose a little bit of speed on the crossroll on the short axis, so we worked on foot placement for it. I also need to make sure my foot is parallel to the ice when I do the open chasse at the beginning of the pattern and get my knees bending at the right time before pushing into the swingroll. I love doing all these nitty gritty bits - and she said I would hate it! Oh well, there's still time :)

So quite a productive lesson - off to read my copy of iSkate now! We also talked briefly about coaching awards as well, as I would love one day to be able to do things like the SkateUK group lessons. At the moment, I could become a Programme Assistant (if D was my mentor) and help. Once I have NISA Level 1, I can do my Level 1 coaching, which would make me an Assistant Coach. I wouldn't be able to do Level 2 coaching till I had my own Level 6 NISA tests though, but one step at a time! At the moment, I'd just love to be able to teach SkateUK!!

Fear lifts a little more

I had a good practice up at Ally Pally this evening. It was quite busy, but quietened down significantly in the last half hour which is always good.

Ran through my usual stuff, which I won't bore you with today, as I have a lesson tomorrow evening, and will probably go into it in my usual minute detail :)

Did a couple of spirals - they are beginning to feel stronger, but they do tend to fall onto my inside edge right at the end. I also tried one in an attitude position, which D wants to put into my free dance, and it actually felt okay! However, as it is about 12 years since I tried to maintain a proper attitude, I got a little bit of cramp in my hip :) It was always one of my favourite positions when I was dancing though, so I am fairly confident that I can get it to look nice.

I spent quite a lot of time doing "tricks" actually - my Ina Bauer is getting a little better, as I found that bending my front knee more helps a little (when doesn't it?!!!). I also did a lot of 3-jumps, near the barrier but not using it. And they really went okay! Okay, so I probably was only jumping about half an inch of the ice, but recently, it really does feel like some of the overall fear is lifting a bit. At this rate, I'll become positively kamikaze in a few months!!!

Ran through my Rhythm Blues a few times - the closed chasses are not going well at the moment, so did some slower nearer the barrier to work on foot placement. The rest is feeling quite good though - a lot smoother and faster. Probably why the closed chasses feel so hairy :)

What a lovely weekend!

Well, apart from being rained on while waiting to go into Lee Valley Ice rink yesterday (typically), wasn't it a beautiful weekend?!

I had quite a good practice session, only slightly dampened by a higher percentage than normal of numpties who thought skating against the flow was a fantastic idea.

Practiced everything I should, including forward perimeter stroking, forward crossrolls, forward and backward Russian stroking, BXO's, FI mohawk exercise, landing positions and bauers.

I spent aaages today doing 3-turns. Just 3-turns!! I've been getting into a nasty habit of putting my foot down as soon as I turn, so wanted to practice lots of FO3's, holding the BO edge on the exit. Satisfied with how they went.

I tried a couple of tentative spins. Most of the time, I do the entrance and then as my foot catches the 3turn (is this the "hook"?) , my weight falls forward. However, for the first time in practice, I did manage to get a couple of revolutions out of just one :) Very slow and wobbly, but its a start!

And at the beginning of the session, when I had warmed up very quickly, and the rink was still empty, I even got a few runthroughs of the Dutch Waltz, and the Rhythm Blues especially, trying very hard to remember all the nitty gritty corrections we did in my lesson! The RB does feel soooo much stronger now.