Choctaws are horrible

Ooops - not updated for a while.

Had a lesson with S - a different coach - last week, as my own coach was away. S is a very experienced coach, and an ice dancer to boot and it was really interesting to have a lesson with a different teacher. We worked on real basics - and after a warm up, it was all about taking forward crossovers, forward and backward open chasses and forward closed chasses and breaking them down to the minute detail. Pleasant change to have someone telling me to slow down for once, rather than "Shift yer bum!" being yelled after me round the ice rink :)

I am even considering adding an extra lesson at least once a fortnight. I already have upped my Wednesday lesson to 45 minutes and D only comes to Ally Pally once a week, so might ask S if she can fit me in for an extra half an hour every other week or so, in March.

Skated Saturday and this evening. Still working my mohawks to death - both the "cheated" one in my program, which I am getting used to two footing, and speeding up "proper" ones. I now practice them with three strokes going into them - not particularly fast, but getting so much faster!! Quite pleased with the progress.

Choctaws - specifically the Blues Choctaw in my program - however, are driving me insane. Any tips from readers would be gratefully received. I just can't seem to step onto that back outside edge consistently. The odd wobbly one, but mostly, I just step onto an inside edge. I think it might just be a question of confidence (as is so many things . . . sigh . . .) but finding them a little frustrating to say the least.

Spins going relatively well though I think - getting 4 revs now fairly consistently and not travelling quite so much!!!