A busier patch
It was a strange day today, weatherwise in ol' London Town - on the way to the rink the wind was blowing bitterly, right down my sinuses. When I got to the rink, it literally felt warm in comparison. Now that's just weird. Warming up by going into an ice rink!
It was my second patch session this evening, and somewhat busier than last week. I almost felt like I was going to be in the way for the first half hour, but as it started emptying I enjoyed it much more.
I mostly concentrated on 3-turns again this evening. Initially they were rubbish. Really, they were. Then I started thinking about the rotation coming from the waist and instead of my hips turning to catch up, I imagined it was just my foot catching up with the rest of my body. And it started to improve! I think I have a habit of trying to over-emphasize the turn with my hips which makes me lose my balance. Once I thought of just the foot catching up it was much easier, as my top half was already in the right place and the hips only turned when the foot did. I am coming out of the turn about a foot and a half now before putting my foot down which isn't brilliant, but improving slowly. And my LFO3's are catching up with the RFO3's.
I didn't do too much else today - some forward stroking, and at speed when the rink was emptier, some continuous curves on both inside and outside edges, and after my comment on Sunday, my much neglected forward crossovers. Surprisingly, these feel great now CCW - smooth, no hint of a toepick and fairly deep (though could be deeper). I am not half so confident doing these CW though so will need to work on these. I didn't do any backwards stuff as I found it difficult to get hold of a hockey circle today, so will try at the weekend.
One thing I tried at the barrier today was backward crossover technique. I notice that more experienced skaters don't really lift the free foot over the skating foot - rather gliding it across the ice in front of the skating foot. So I tried it - and found it easier than lifting it. I suppose I had better learn it the standard way though!
And that was about it. No skating now till the weekend, due to the Away Day I have to attend in Coventry tomorrow and thus missing my lesson - grrrrrr!!!! That means I have a maximum of four sessions to try and improve my 3-turns . . . maybe I'll take Monday off work to practice!
I think the healthy diet is working. I have only weighed myself once, as from previous experience I have a tendency to get obsessed by the scales and didn't want to get like that again. So I weighed myself on Sunday (classified information!) and won't weigh myself again for four weeks. However, I have to keep tightening the drawstring on my jogging pants that I wear skating! I will let you know how much I have (hopefully) lost in another 3 and a half weeks.
8 comments:
for my backwards crossovers, i also glide the crossing foot rather than lift it! i don't know why but it's definitely easier and I get more speed out of it.
I think it looks more graceful as well - it tends to look a bit clumpy when you lift the foot over (well, the ones I've seen anyway). Maybe it's because beginners lift it and only when they become more competent skaters they "glide" it, hence why they look more elegant
:-D
BXOs are taught pick up foot and cross because if you learn them the crosscut/gliding foot way, then most skaters never truly learn to get on a BO edge. Most good coaches will insist you do pick up foot and cross until they are confident you have secure BO edges. When I started with my current coach, he actually demoted me back to baby style BXOs for a good 6 months. I was mortified, but it really paid off.
3turn
I knew there must be a good reason for it somewhere! Thank you 3-turn
:-D
Hi,just wanted to say 'you NEVER lift your foot in a backward crossover !' ;-)
a list of things I have learned so far:
-skating forward (also on one leg)
- skating backwards (also on one leg)
-forward crossovers
-backward crossovers
-the one where you bend one knee and drag the other leg behind
-mohawk
-outside footed 3-turns
-inside footed 3-turns
- forward swift
-3-turn -toestep-toestep-3-turn
-bunnyhop or something like bunnyjump ?
-inside curves
-outside curves
This is upto level 3 for us,I'm now training also for level 4 ,so when we have tests (1st of may) I can try to get both levels.
Hi Skating_Mom! It seems here that yes, experienced skaters don't lift the free foot, but you do when you start, much as you do in forward crossovers.
Your list of things is growing! I haven't done lunges (the draggie thing), mohawks, inside 3-turns or bunny hops yet. Just started on the backward crossovers - tentatively!
Hi,
the teaching method seems to be different,because when we learned backward crossovers it was forbidden for us to lift that foot...funny how different skating levels and teaching is in different countries !
Good luck with your backward crossovers ,I read your 3-turns are improving,good for you!
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