This week's practice

Once again, I am late in updating as had a practice at Lee Valley on Sunday and Ally Pally this evening. Oops . . .

Lee Valley I had a headache, so really tried to push through it and worked myself really hard. It worked - headache more or less went away. Ally Pally wasn't such a success today - it was really busy, I kept feeling like I was in everyone's way (including not concentrating and nearly skating into someones camel) and just couldn't get my brain into my feet!!!

However, I have managed to get quite a bit done over the two sessions. I have run through all my Level 1 Field Moves in one form or another (although not in sequence), managed to knock a second and a half off a large circle of BXO's (gone now from a paltry 23 seconds down to 18 seconds - so a fair improvement - the aim is to get it down to 10 seconds . . . gulp), various exercises like forward and backward Russian Stroking, one foot slaloming, changes of edge, etc.

I have worked a bit on my FXO's and forward progressives, to try and get the underpush. I am getting somewhere on my CCW ones, but CW needs to catch up. I presume it is the underpush - it feels like the ice is grabbing my blade and pulling it under.

I also did loads and LOADS of mohawks. And I think they are actually getting better. The change of foot is getting neater - well on the LFI mohawks anyway - and I am beginning to speed them up just a little. I know they won't be fast enough for D, but I am happy!

Otherwise, it was just bits like trying to get my head around BI3's, some twizzles (no, doubles still not happening), some spread eagles and some Ina Bauers. D was practicing with J (her dance partner) this evening at Ally Pally, and gave me a couple of pointers on Bauers and all of a sudden, something clicked! If I remember to push my leading hip right back and keep my leading arm pointing in the direction i want to travel, I travel in a much straighter line! Still struggling with the next bit she said - push over the front knee, but push the ankle back so my blade is on an outside edge, but it's just because it feels a little unnatural. But when has skating ever felt natural, come to that!

I have also managed to run through all my dances at least once, and since I have been working on my underpush, feel like they are more powerful. Of course, I could be imagining it . . .

Hopefully soon we will go through the Golden Skaters Waltz and Riverside Rhumba - I have just about committed them to memory, but want to go through them on the ice so they are committed to my feet, if that makes sense!