Was it really a bad practice?

I didn't have a great practice this morning. Typically, Tuesday is edge/turn/figure day, where I just focus on edges, posture, good turns and that kind of thing. It's not as physically demanding, which is nice coming off the weekend which nearly kills me and then Monday Lessons where I get pushed way out of my comfort zone.

But the ice show is this weekend, so my training schedule has taken a little hiccup. I'm cramming in Main Ice time, so I hit the big ice today.

Little changes to the training routine make a huge difference. Skating all-out on sore muscles hurt, and I was slow, and small in my movements. I knew I wasn't doing well, but I pushed on anyway. I nearly took myself out on a FO3, which was silly and frustrated me. I was scared to do spirals given that I was shaking a bit in the hamstrings.

A new skater was out there, and she was doing some pretty good crossrolls, forward and back, with some nice chasses and mohawks all around. I had to keep note of where she was, and I kept noticing that was all she did. No jumps, no spins, no spirals... it kind of confused me. I mean, she looked great, but she just had that one thing she was doing.

Well, I was still sucking. And I figured, if I'm sucking this hard at the things I'm good at, why not just go ahead and suck harder and do the things I'm bad at. So I turned to FI3/FO3 patterns and alternating mohawks, FO3's with tap toes, Toe Loops with a full on entry, and eventually I got up to doing the Spirals I'd been scared of earlier in the session. And I walked away not wholly pleased with how I'd done, but happy with the fact I'd done things I typically shy away from because I suck at them. And if Amazing Crossroll Person thought me slow and awkward, well, I was and I don't really care. I hate FI3's. I'm better at them, but I hate them.

It's too easy to spend an entire session focusing on the things we're good at. I once did Forward Crossrolls for an hour, and you bet they looked better the next day. But no one does a minute and a half of Forward Crossrolls in a program. When I was starting out, I'd spend half the session on Crossovers. I have great crossovers. But my mohawks and turns lagged behind, and now I'm paying the price. Looking awkward for a few months is a small price to pay for being fully rounded later on.

　

　

So, suck on, people. Because....