"Let's do crossovers," Class Coach said. I silently groaned. I wanted to work on backward edges or turns. Class Coach is a miracle worker when it comes to turns. (And by miracle worker I mean she has me actually practicing them.) But crossovers? Blech.
I can do crossovers. I've been doing them long enough that at this point I want to be working on them with Dmytri. I want him to help me make them beautiful - extension, edges, power.
"Michelle!" Class Coach pointed at me. "I want you working on power."
I love her.
I got the forward ones going pretty fast and with something resembling rhythm. Class Coach said I had good extension. (I also had sweat dripping down my back.) Next up: backward. Class Coach wanted me to skate backward on my right foot on an outside edge while extending my left foot and holding it out in front of me on the ice. (Note: even though both skates were on the ice, all my weight was on the right leg.) Hold that for three counts, cross, then skate only on my left inside edge (my right leg crossed under, skate off the ice) for three counts. Repeat.
Does that make any sense at all?
I could do the crossing part and holding the inside edge with no problem, but for some reason I couldn't get the extension part. Over and over I tried. Over and over I failed.
"You don't have to be able to do this," Class Coach said reassuringly. "Your backward crossovers are good. This would just give them more power."
"I want power," I declared, determinedly wiping sweat off my forehead.
Class Coach demonstrated. "These are how your backward crossovers look now," she said skating in big circle. I'm fairly certain my backward crossovers don't look that good, but hey, I'll take the compliment. "This is how they would look with more power."
BIG. SWEEPING. BEAUTIFUL. BACKWARD CROSSOVERS.
I want those.
I stayed and practiced the power exercise on the ridiculously busy public session. Busy in a the-only-safe-place-is-the-hockey-bench sort of way. I was able to figure it out going counterclockwise, but there was no way I could work on it clockwise. Too many people.
I wonder what we can add power to next weekend...
I can do crossovers. I've been doing them long enough that at this point I want to be working on them with Dmytri. I want him to help me make them beautiful - extension, edges, power.
"Michelle!" Class Coach pointed at me. "I want you working on power."
I love her.
I got the forward ones going pretty fast and with something resembling rhythm. Class Coach said I had good extension. (I also had sweat dripping down my back.) Next up: backward. Class Coach wanted me to skate backward on my right foot on an outside edge while extending my left foot and holding it out in front of me on the ice. (Note: even though both skates were on the ice, all my weight was on the right leg.) Hold that for three counts, cross, then skate only on my left inside edge (my right leg crossed under, skate off the ice) for three counts. Repeat.
Does that make any sense at all?
I could do the crossing part and holding the inside edge with no problem, but for some reason I couldn't get the extension part. Over and over I tried. Over and over I failed.
"You don't have to be able to do this," Class Coach said reassuringly. "Your backward crossovers are good. This would just give them more power."
"I want power," I declared, determinedly wiping sweat off my forehead.
Class Coach demonstrated. "These are how your backward crossovers look now," she said skating in big circle. I'm fairly certain my backward crossovers don't look that good, but hey, I'll take the compliment. "This is how they would look with more power."
BIG. SWEEPING. BEAUTIFUL. BACKWARD CROSSOVERS.
I want those.
I stayed and practiced the power exercise on the ridiculously busy public session. Busy in a the-only-safe-place-is-the-hockey-bench sort of way. I was able to figure it out going counterclockwise, but there was no way I could work on it clockwise. Too many people.
I wonder what we can add power to next weekend...
Mer: The way I practice back xc's in a Public is to do a serpentine pattern around the red hockey face off dots. If I gauge the traffic correctly I can usually get pop off a left FO3 and then in at least one back xc on each side before stepping around to skate forward, or taking a back inside or outside edge, creating the lobe needed to dodge someone.
ReplyDeleteThe best, however, is to go to a morning or early afternoon public session. At my rink there will be maybe a half dozen skaters tops during those times. You can then practice back elements to your heart's delight. I'm going to try to get stuff done so I can get out of the lab either today or tomorrow for a quiet session ahead of next Thursday's lesson.
You're so right about those early afternoon sessions. I sometimes sneak out for a lunch time session. There are about five - eight of us on the ice and we all know what each other is working on so we are able to maximize the use of the ice. I love it!
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