C'mon Amanda - keep up!

I got told off the other day by my uncle for not updating in so long. Sorry Uncle Pete - I'm fine, its just been a busy few weeks :)

Skating is going on the whole well. I seem to have spent all my time recently either at the rink or at work so can only apologise for not updating!

Mostly we have been concentrating on test things - Level 1 Field Moves is just waiting for the date to come through - I guess the next set of tests will have my name on it. I am feeling pretty okay about this - when I have quiet ice on the very odd times that I am at Lee Valley during the week, I do about 4-5 complete run-throughs of my test, from the moment I leave the examiner at the side to the moment I skate back to my coach after I have completed it, which takes five minutes almost to the second. Having done hour and a half ballet exams in my teens, I am hoping that this is not too stressful for me!

In my lessons we have been focussing on three main things:
Level 2 Field Moves: Yep - she is hoping that these don't take too long to get either. The only thing I am really having problems with is the backward cross-rolls. My backward inside and outside edges are coming along nicely, and the rest is not looking too bad either. The 3-turn exercise could do with some more speed behind it but hopefully it will all catch up and be ready at the same time.
Level 1 Compulsory Dances: That is, the Novice Foxtrot and the Rhythm Blues. Both of these are progressing quite nicely too - the runs are getting better, if not always perfect - the main gripe seems to be my knees not bending enough on them! D even video'd me for the first time yesterday - but then couldn't find it on her phone to show me. I don't want to see myself skating!!! These will be the next test to be submitted - possibly at the same time as Level 2 Field Moves but probably before.
Free Dance: This still terrifies me, but at least I look like I am skating it now! Keeping up with the music is another matter - the first 30 seconds are just about okay, the step sequence is too slow but hey, I'll get there. Even the blues choctaw is happening, much as I don't enjoy it yet!

Other things we've been looking at is Level 3 Field Moves (she has ambition, my coach - lol!) and I have started doing backward 3's a little more consistently. BO3's anyway - BI3's are somewhat harder. And yesterday when I was just playing around, I did my first double 3 on the barrier which was quite exciting!

Spinning was going well - and I was getting confident, they were centred and I was consistently getting 4-5 revs. Then stupidly about three weeks ago, I went skating when I was reeeeally tired. Promptly caught the back of my blade whilst spinning and fell on my front, with my fist between me and the ice. Its not very pleasant having your knuckles embedded in your sternum! I did get straight back up to do a spin, but I have somewhat lost my confidence spinning and it is not quite back to where it was yet. I will get there though . . .

However, I was excited last week when I did my first change of edge spiral!! It is a little change of edge but it definitely changes, and she has promptly put that in my free dance! Last night she gave me a few more hints for improving it - where my shoulders, arms, weight should be etc. I have been working on my spirals quite a bit - its my strong point from dancing, but I always have tended to do it very upright like a ballerina doing an arabesque. Especially this week, I have tried to get my upper body parallel to the ice, and rather pleasingly, my free leg has shot up about two foot higher in response. I can't do the change of edge with my leg that high yet though!!

No skating for me this weekend - I am off to Sussex to visit family (including the uncle who slapped my wrists through cyberspace!) so no ice for me for another five days! I am skating four days a week now, so that seems like aaaaages!! Oh well, I made up for it by skating for two and a half hours last night. And boy, are my legs telling me about it today . . . .