Another step up the ladder!

Today was the penultimate session of this set of lessons. Effectively we were tested today, allowing next week for people to retest on the things that they weren't so hot on today. So now I have passed level 4! Bring on those crossovers in level 5 . . .

Today I passed:

• One Foot Glide on a Curve - Outside Edges - occasionally on my weak side, I was on a slight inside edge, but when she told me to think of my weight going over my little toe it sorted itself out. Strong leg was very good
• Backward Skating and a Two Foot Glide - passed, and very good (apparently!)
• Skating Forward and Turning to Backward - not only carried on skating backward, but also stopped with a backward snowplough stop. Level 4 and 5 mixed together!
• Forward Chasses on a curve - apparently I already look like an ice dancer when I do these. I think it's cos of ballet - I automatically place my arms before I start. All those years at the barre!

So altogether a good test, and I was very pleased with the comments too.

I also got a chance to do something new today as well. When we were doing the backward skating to two foot glide, the coach told me to start working on a backward one foot glide. Wow these are scary! The first couple of times I tried them, I swear that there was a big magnet under the ice, attracting the blade on my free leg and not letting me lift it! Then everyone was doing the backward skate / two foot glide one at a time, only I was asked to do the one foot. And I managed it! I even got a "good" - but, I think it is going to take a while to get used to the feeling of doing these. At the moment, I am very unsure of where my weight should be. But nice to do something new!

I am very much looking forward to starting Level 5 after Christmas - two of the things - the backward one foot glide (which is a little dodgy at the moment), and the backward snowplough (not bad - using it a lot now!) I have covered, but it will be joined by two foot spin and forward crossovers.

Now all I have to do is look forward to skating at Somerset House in December. I am really quite excited about this with the big Christmas tree, the lights and the flaming torches around the rink. And I also feel a lot more confident now about helping out my workmates!