HP #2 - Getting another perspective
Usual disclaimer applies: this is an old event I'm recounting. See my first HP post for the full notes on these.
Background: I'd been skating for about three weeks by this point, which is roughly six hours total on the ice. I'd mostly just done forward stroking, forward lemons and two-foot turns by now. I'd done a little bit on backward lemons as well, partly self taught, because I wanted to get to grips with going backwards after the two foot turns.
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Ashley was at a conference this week so we had a stand in for the group lesson today. Jane introduced herself as the head coach for the rink. THE HEAD COACH!? She confessed that she was mostly locked up in the office making sure all the admin was in order. In the face of our quietly awed expressions, she skipped checking what we'd been doing for the last few weeks and ran us through everything we'd done so far from the beginning. In every exercise she would give pointers and we blitzed through about six or seven different skills in the half hour lesson, so I got a bunch of tips and improvements on everything I'd learned so far.
She was quietly upbeat about putting us through our paces and her awesomeness was enhanced by the nose stud she was sporting, which I was a huge fan of.
"Have you guys done any edge work yet?" she asked. Our bewildered looks must've answered for us.
"Okay, nice and easy, just push off on one foot and glide for a bit, then I want you to bend your skating knee." Using the edge of the blade was something I knew I'd done already but I hadn't thought of it as a specific exercise until now. We obligingly bent our knees and got to learn what it's like to ride the inside edge of the blade as we slowly spiralled inwards. We did a bit of outside edge as well, which I felt more comfortable with, although I was told I was mad for thinking so as it's the one everyone finds harder to begin with*. NEW THINGS! I was so excited; another thing for me to have a go at, even though I wasn't quite sure what it was all for at this point!
When the lesson finished, I turned to the other regular in the class and we were both exhausted from the whirlwind of exercises. We agreed it had been really interesting having someone different take a look at what we'd been doing and explain things in their own way, provided a great extra perspective.
I had a ton more to work on now... I felt another weekend skate visit coming on!
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* UPDATE - For more on edges, I now have a primer on them that you can read. It's definitely riveting reading and absolutely not for use in place of your prescription sleep medication. Please consult your doctor for side effects.
Background: I'd been skating for about three weeks by this point, which is roughly six hours total on the ice. I'd mostly just done forward stroking, forward lemons and two-foot turns by now. I'd done a little bit on backward lemons as well, partly self taught, because I wanted to get to grips with going backwards after the two foot turns.
-------------------------
Ashley was at a conference this week so we had a stand in for the group lesson today. Jane introduced herself as the head coach for the rink. THE HEAD COACH!? She confessed that she was mostly locked up in the office making sure all the admin was in order. In the face of our quietly awed expressions, she skipped checking what we'd been doing for the last few weeks and ran us through everything we'd done so far from the beginning. In every exercise she would give pointers and we blitzed through about six or seven different skills in the half hour lesson, so I got a bunch of tips and improvements on everything I'd learned so far.
She was quietly upbeat about putting us through our paces and her awesomeness was enhanced by the nose stud she was sporting, which I was a huge fan of.
"Have you guys done any edge work yet?" she asked. Our bewildered looks must've answered for us.
"Okay, nice and easy, just push off on one foot and glide for a bit, then I want you to bend your skating knee." Using the edge of the blade was something I knew I'd done already but I hadn't thought of it as a specific exercise until now. We obligingly bent our knees and got to learn what it's like to ride the inside edge of the blade as we slowly spiralled inwards. We did a bit of outside edge as well, which I felt more comfortable with, although I was told I was mad for thinking so as it's the one everyone finds harder to begin with*. NEW THINGS! I was so excited; another thing for me to have a go at, even though I wasn't quite sure what it was all for at this point!
When the lesson finished, I turned to the other regular in the class and we were both exhausted from the whirlwind of exercises. We agreed it had been really interesting having someone different take a look at what we'd been doing and explain things in their own way, provided a great extra perspective.
I had a ton more to work on now... I felt another weekend skate visit coming on!
-------------------------
* UPDATE - For more on edges, I now have a primer on them that you can read. It's definitely riveting reading and absolutely not for use in place of your prescription sleep medication. Please consult your doctor for side effects.
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