Public Schmublic

. . . sigh . . . Another horrendous public session to contend with. If they weren't so cheap and such convenient times for me, I swear I would give them up altogether.

What did I have to contend with today? Some little goblin colliding with me, full contact, 'cos they were skating in the wrong direction. A family taking a picnic on the ice (to clarify, they could barely skate, but were going round clutching the barrier in one hand and coke / crisps / chocolate bar (please delete as appropriate) in the other). Two groups of kids practically having a full-out fight both on and off the ice. Clothing being chucked about on the ice. Picnicing family throwing fist sized snowballs around the ice. Blah, blah, blah . . . I won't carry on.

Actually, I will make one observation. The picnicing family had a little girl of around five years old with them and she had on her feet those double bladed skates. What exactly is the point of them? First of all they kept falling off her feet. Secondly, how can they be good for learning to skate? The kid just basically walks around on them rather than skate, and there is no way that edges can come into it - the basis of all skating movements! I mean, goodness - kids pick it up much quicker than adults generally anyway. Shouldn't they be kept for grown-ups instead?!

Back to me, and my practice was a little limited today.

I did lots of forward stroking and forward crossovers (at least, in the general skating direction). I am beginning to feel a really nice knee bend on my forward stroking now and it feels like I am really getting right down into the ice and feeling the power from it as well. My forward crossovers felt pretty good as well and I think I am managing to get a small push-under from it too.

Lots of 3-turn practice. I know I have to start doing these a way away from the barrier, but not possible today unless I wanted to risk my life! I am trying to remember what D said last week about pushing that free hip forward on the turn of the FI3's. It has been a bit of an adjustment to factor that in, but it is slowly getting there. I am also getting the knack of doing the prerotation and then keeping the arm and head in the same place after the turn so the arm is extended in front of me and my head looking along it. I think this helps with my general stability on these as well.

I did some mohawks at the barrier as well. I tried a very tentative one away from the barrier and it isn't so easy, is it?! I have been reading my Ice Skating: Steps To Success, and concentrating on what they call the "Light Switch" theory, especially on the mohawks, so you get a nice smooth and quick transfer of weight, with the body shifting smoothly above the changing feet.

Well, that's about it really. I am hoping that these horrendous public sessions are temporary and due to the summer holidays, ie. the little darlings not having to be up early for school the next day. Sunday's and Wednesday's are normally lovely and quiet.

The ice was really, really hard today as well - i did a few cross-rolls and was skidding about a bit, which I don't do up at Ally Pally. I know my blades need sharpening, but on experimental digs in the ice with my toepicks, it was as hard as rock! At least it is still fairly smooth down there . . .