Class: Week 2

My lessons include one free public session a week and I went on Wednesday after work. I was so tired and weak that I felt like my legs weren't connected to my brain. 2 laps around the rink and I was gasping for breath. I couldn't do a simple waltz jump, mohawk or spin. I was really frustrated and nothing went right. So I was worried that I would feel the same way last night on the ice...but I felt good from the moment I stepped out onto the ice and it only got better from there!

It was a lot more challenging being in class 2 this week than it was being in class 1 last week. Ok, I am in class 2, lower than I thought I would be but I'm ok with that because there are a lot of challenging things to learn at that level as well and things all build off of the basic moves so I have to become good at those too. During class we did backward crossovers in both directions. Then we did this leg extension from a crossover. Not the easiest thing to do. I can do it on my right leg going backward, setting up for a spin but not forward in either direction, at least not well. I can pretty much pull all the things off that I'm learning but it's not pretty or smooth. Then we worked on pivots for the rest of class. I got those down pretty well. You just stand in place with a toe pick i the ice, then you shift your weight onto the other foot and go in a circle. Harder than it sounds at first. Everything looks so easy when the coach shows me...but it rarely is.

Marcy, the coach, had a private lesson with a little girl after us so she was occupied with her for a while (about an hour). John, an adult skater returning to the ice after 1 1/2 years, Kate a level 4 and me were still out there practicing and she came over to us. I told her I had the entry to the toe loop down but that I couldn't do the revolution in the air. She wanted to see it so I showed her. Turns out that it's not a toe loop, it's a flip jump. She liked the air I got on it, even though I didn't spin. It was pointed out that the flip jump is harder than a toe loop. She gave me some pointers on how to get the revolution. So many things to do with your body at once! I couldn't handle everything at once so I just concentrated on a couple things to see what I could do. I tried it and it worked! Well, I landed on two foot, but I did it. Marcy looked pleased but I could tell she was seeing all the things I did wrong too...which is good...I need to know what I did wrong or I won't get better. John had a look of amazement on his face. "I can't believe you just did that! That's crazy that you can do that!" Then this girl skated up and asked if I could do it again. I said, "I have no idea!" but I tried again and managed to land it again. John clapped and said, that's what happens when you doing something amazing, people want to see it again." Then the little girl chimed in, "Can you do it again?" I just laughed and did it again. It was so much fun!

So since what I thought was a toe loop wasn't, I wanted to know what a toe loop was so I could try that...it was supposed to be easier after all. It might be easier for some, but I didn't think so. After several tries, I managed to land it one footed. Again, not pretty, but I got it! Sadly, that was at the end of the practice session so I had to get off the ice.

I had so much fun!!! I love learning all these big things that sometimes I have trouble wanting to learn the little things. They're just not as fun. However, they are challenging and I don't like not being able to do something so I will continue to practice the little things as well....with the bigger stuff mixed in to keep it fun.