Another tired skate . . .

. . . but still not a bad lesson! I am off work all of next week, which I am really excited about (followed by my stint as Maid of Honour a week on Saturday - yay!) and want to get some good skating in, when I am in a refreshed state, rather than dead on my feet! Hopefully when someone has been appointed to my old job and I don't have to cover that one as well, I won't be so tired . . .

Still, onto my lesson:
Mohawk Exercise: This is getting better - still not particularly fast, but my mohawks are stronger, more balanced and I am holding the exit edges so much better now.
3-turn exercise (level 3 FM's?): The forward outside 3-turns are not too bad - like the mohawks, I am holding the exit edge much longer now. The backward inside 3-turns to come back the other way are horrible though! Played around with these on the barrier afterwards and I managed one very wobbly one without holding on, but they are eeeeevil!
Forward & Backward Slaloming: Better, particularly the two foot turn from back to front. I think that the turning from back to front on two feet recently has helped me get my one wobbly BI3 (above) . . .
Forward & Backward Crossovers in Fig 8.: About 3 seconds slower than the last time I did it, but I am about 50 times more tired, so will take that! Doing the whole exercise now in 1 minute 3 seconds - D wants it in 40 seconds for my test. Sigh . . .
Step Sequence: We went over the step sequence we started last week (not repeating it here again!) and much to my surprise, I managed to muddle my way through it, including the backward crossroll and a very, very dodgy outside mohawk (which actually is ending on an inside edge at the moment!). Trying to get my free leg over hip height and pretty while doing a backward ouside edge is interesting as well . . .
Golden Skaters Waltz: First time doing it ever on the ice, and I think D was surprised (as well as myself) that it actually wasn't bad at all!!! Even the cross in front and then behind wasn't as bad as I feared it to be. Almost breezy! That wide step is just UGLY though . . .
Rhythm Blues: What with wedding things, work things and general "can't get my head of the pillow to skate at 7.00am" things, this was the one thing that I really worked on yesterday - my solo practice since last weeks lesson. And D said she was very happy with it and how much it has improved. Even saying "Even in a competition, that would be passable". I can't tell you how happy that made me :) It did make me laugh though - she gave me a sheet of the pattern with notes she had written on it for me - the first one I saw was on the cross-behinds where it said "Relax shoulders. Don't hold breath". They are almost at the feeling okay stage now though, which is great.
Forward Upright Spin: Did just one as an afterthought today. Did two revs (pathetic I know) but D told me that it would actually have spun if I hadn't lost my nerve after a couple. I think I might be finally getting there . . .

So all in all, it was actually a very enjoyable lesson. It's typical really - the days I feel absolutely great, I normally end up splatting somewhere, and the days I am tired, actually go really well. Maybe it's because I have less expectations of what I can do?