Okay so I am now staying with Andrew Astolos, a skater from Michigan who i've known since I started skating at big meets. He and his dad have been staying in this amazing beach appartment in Huntington Beach. He also happens to drive (with a full license even though he's younger than me - Michigan u get ur permit at 151/2) a Beamer 325 convertible. This house is the story though. From the garage, you walk into a semi-covered area with a glass table and chairs, a grill, and a jacuzzi. Inside, it is huge, but not upwise, more like long and narrow. There's great internet and it is literally 5 minutes from Huntington Main. Yesterday we got home, relaxed, ate some food, went on the internet and then just relaxed on one of the nicest beaches in the area for three hours, and then dragged ourselves off and went to beach training. Beach training was super hard and long but Wilma immediately noticed how my one-legged jumps are getting much more explosive. It was a great workout and at the end i went in the ocean again which was as nice as always.
This morning Wilma actually said she was happy with me! I was happy too. I am really getting strong enough to put into effect the technique i've been striving towards this whole time. I am going much faster for much longer as a result. I led at 9.4 for two laps after a workout of 13 laps at high nines, 9 laps at 9.6, 6 laps at 9.4, and 4 laps all out. i was not able to do all these of course, and nobody held the times perfectly, but I was super tired when I led the first two lap sprint. Both laps were at 9.4. This is pretty promising and I felt real good too during it. I have gone faster here but it was either from a good relay push or following. So, considering how slow the ice is, I think it is a real good sign.
Gonna go to the beach now and relax after a reallllly hard practice including tons of relays after the affore-mentioned workout and dryland after.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Yo yo yo,
I am really liking this family. It is tight, but it is homey! It is very close to the rink and everything is here that I could need. If only I could drive, it would be perfect. Jon and Jean love classical music so I feel good practicing. Jon also likes old jazz and he plays hawaiian music, which is cool.
I come home sept. 4th. Its official, thanks undescribabally much to my nanny, Lucette!! I do hope and wish and pray to return soon though. I need to because I still have so many technical problems and even if there is no one to train with, Wilma will fix them.
I just walked to Fresh n Easy, a non-union market which has a lot of good stuff. I got lots of fruit and smoothies to balance allll the carbs I am having. I realized almost everything I eat is packed with Carbs. Power Bars, Lasagna, Pasta, Cereal, Peanut Butter - everything.
Jon made these amaaaaazing hawaiian packages of good taste called Spam Musubi. It's Pork and Ham wrapped in rice and seaweed with teriyaki sauce and othe spices. I only had one, but I think more are on the menu for tonight. Man, it's a great change from my specialty: Microwavable Goods From Trader Joe's.
This morning was, well, not much different...incredibly hard, painful and tiring. I can hardly tell if I am improving because my legs are always so dead. That is normal though for this time of year, I think (and of course, ive definitely improved some with endurance, technique and speed even).
No way I am doing weights tonight. I will run and work my hamstrings. It has been brought to my attention that the Hamstring is actually a muscle!!! I never knew that! Wil says I have to work them out and get them as strong as my quads and gluts are now. SWo here i go. Seeya.
I am really liking this family. It is tight, but it is homey! It is very close to the rink and everything is here that I could need. If only I could drive, it would be perfect. Jon and Jean love classical music so I feel good practicing. Jon also likes old jazz and he plays hawaiian music, which is cool.
I come home sept. 4th. Its official, thanks undescribabally much to my nanny, Lucette!! I do hope and wish and pray to return soon though. I need to because I still have so many technical problems and even if there is no one to train with, Wilma will fix them.
I just walked to Fresh n Easy, a non-union market which has a lot of good stuff. I got lots of fruit and smoothies to balance allll the carbs I am having. I realized almost everything I eat is packed with Carbs. Power Bars, Lasagna, Pasta, Cereal, Peanut Butter - everything.
Jon made these amaaaaazing hawaiian packages of good taste called Spam Musubi. It's Pork and Ham wrapped in rice and seaweed with teriyaki sauce and othe spices. I only had one, but I think more are on the menu for tonight. Man, it's a great change from my specialty: Microwavable Goods From Trader Joe's.
This morning was, well, not much different...incredibly hard, painful and tiring. I can hardly tell if I am improving because my legs are always so dead. That is normal though for this time of year, I think (and of course, ive definitely improved some with endurance, technique and speed even).
No way I am doing weights tonight. I will run and work my hamstrings. It has been brought to my attention that the Hamstring is actually a muscle!!! I never knew that! Wil says I have to work them out and get them as strong as my quads and gluts are now. SWo here i go. Seeya.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday Morning
Hey - hows life? Hope its good and everything
It is suuuper hot here, going into the mid nineties today. This morning was the first day back on the ice after a couple days off. Days off are needed but unfortunately they only make the first day back harder, well for most people, not Edin, who is really a machine disguised as an athlete. Normally, we don't have the hardest practice monday after the day off so we all figured after a rare two days off, it would definitely be relays and technique work. That's what made it all the more painful when Wil announced we were doing 15 second sprint intervals and 20 second/ 40-second-rest sprints and then 3 lap accels. I felt so awful in the grueling workout this morning, that I could hardly keep going. I felt almost like throwing up, but I think that is because I ate too late this morning, now that I live sooo close to the rink. I actually felt good technically at some points, but the endurance was just not there.
Tommaso is gone back to Italy and he lost his luggage on the way there!! That means his Custom Marchese skates as well as all his equipment!
- weights later, if I can get to the gym, and no stairs tomorrow, which comes at a great time, because it would be too hot to finish tomorrow for sure. We have more rest this week but higher intensity - though we were laughing this morning, as there was absolutely no extra rest any where to be found...though we searched and searched.
It is suuuper hot here, going into the mid nineties today. This morning was the first day back on the ice after a couple days off. Days off are needed but unfortunately they only make the first day back harder, well for most people, not Edin, who is really a machine disguised as an athlete. Normally, we don't have the hardest practice monday after the day off so we all figured after a rare two days off, it would definitely be relays and technique work. That's what made it all the more painful when Wil announced we were doing 15 second sprint intervals and 20 second/ 40-second-rest sprints and then 3 lap accels. I felt so awful in the grueling workout this morning, that I could hardly keep going. I felt almost like throwing up, but I think that is because I ate too late this morning, now that I live sooo close to the rink. I actually felt good technically at some points, but the endurance was just not there.
Tommaso is gone back to Italy and he lost his luggage on the way there!! That means his Custom Marchese skates as well as all his equipment!
- weights later, if I can get to the gym, and no stairs tomorrow, which comes at a great time, because it would be too hot to finish tomorrow for sure. We have more rest this week but higher intensity - though we were laughing this morning, as there was absolutely no extra rest any where to be found...though we searched and searched.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Hey sorry I haven't updated in so long. I have been staying wit "Ma" in The Holiday Inn this whole week on the fourth floor and the internet was super slow.
She has been pretty freaked out by the whole scene around here - haha - always sunny, the sky is blue and the people are always nice and happy.
Training is hard as ever, but I have been figuring a lot of stuff out technically. Its really amazing just how much technique is involved. I literally can work 3x as hard one day but have bad technique and another day I will go half a second faster a lap(that's a lot) hardly trying, but having figured something out technically. I actually believe that the amount of sleep I get the night before has a lot to do with my focus on technique. I need 8 hours at least or I lack focus and determination to pin point the little details that make it so much easier to fly.
I am now in the house of the Uyeharas, though Kyle Uyehara is not here (I am staying in his room). They are super nice - like Super nice. Real laid back and chill. The father, Jon is from Hawaii. He has already made me want to go there as soon as I get the chance. Kyle was one of Wilma's works that was forced to leave her for the Salt Lake City /National Team scene. He was on the National Junior team and he finished 8th in 08 at the Junior Worlds in Bolzano, Italy. In his room, there is a poster check for $250! It looks mighty fine.
She has been pretty freaked out by the whole scene around here - haha - always sunny, the sky is blue and the people are always nice and happy.
Training is hard as ever, but I have been figuring a lot of stuff out technically. Its really amazing just how much technique is involved. I literally can work 3x as hard one day but have bad technique and another day I will go half a second faster a lap(that's a lot) hardly trying, but having figured something out technically. I actually believe that the amount of sleep I get the night before has a lot to do with my focus on technique. I need 8 hours at least or I lack focus and determination to pin point the little details that make it so much easier to fly.
I am now in the house of the Uyeharas, though Kyle Uyehara is not here (I am staying in his room). They are super nice - like Super nice. Real laid back and chill. The father, Jon is from Hawaii. He has already made me want to go there as soon as I get the chance. Kyle was one of Wilma's works that was forced to leave her for the Salt Lake City /National Team scene. He was on the National Junior team and he finished 8th in 08 at the Junior Worlds in Bolzano, Italy. In his room, there is a poster check for $250! It looks mighty fine.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
yesterday was possibly the most exciting day so far. I fiiiiiinally understood what the "tilting the hips under" phrase really means. I was able to do the exercises the day before, as I told you, and it was the same yesterday. I just can't believe I have never understood it before. I thought I was good at taking in advice and here, after 8 some odd years of doing this, I just now understand. It makes sense - so much sense but is almost impossible to explain...heck, it took me long enough to get myself! I can simply summarize by saying that it was a huge breakthrough which I really needed and it is super encouraging. I feel like I am on the right path for sure now. Too bad the ice session did not go better. I just cannot for the life of me skate well in the beginning of a session. Always, my skating improves throughout the session. I have also noticed that I generally like long distance a lot better than sprints, although sprinting is super exciting. I really hope I do not strip an edge tomorrow. For those who don't know, Stripping an edge is when the blade rolls over some sort of dirt and basically dulls the blade. The dirtier the ice is, the more strips happen, obviously and the less our edges hold up. This ice is incredibly dirty and we all are having trouble with our blades constantly. Its amazing how people from all over the world come here to Train with Wilma and there is absolutely no attractive feature of the rink we are training at.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday morning ice: Only an hour of ice fridays so its always short and sweet. We did a warm-up accel and then 4 laps pretty much all out with a one lap build, then 6 laps at 9.6 with a one lap build then 9 laps at 9.8 and then 13 at 10.2. I got better as the session went on which seems to be a pattern. I am always so stiff in the beginning of the sessions and though I become more fatigued by the end, maybe I relax and loosen up. I think also that the skates give a little by the end. Today I felt soooo good at the beginning of the 13 lapper - like I would have stayed at the front of the pack the whole time, but then my blade stripped about 5 laps into it. Soooo frustrating.
The dryland was great though. It was 5 times 5 minutes of pain basically with a minute rest in between. For skaters: 30 seconds of weight transfer, 30 secs of skate jumps, which means jumping from one lag to another in base position always having the other leg extended to the side and staying in one place. Then 30 seconds of in-and out two leg jumps, then scissor jumps, then cross jumps and then the same pattern again. The sun was so hot and I was sweating soooo much - it was awesome! I really love the feeling of completing one of those workouts. Although my leg muscles were killing by the end, all these exercises need a certain amount of flexibility and technique and I found it so hard last time we did this that I just stopped and ran instead. This time it started out just as hard but as I got hotter and hotter I became more and more flexible so that I could really do the weight transfer correctly and extremely low - great feeling and not one that I've experienced a lot before - maybe once before, but this was the best.
Yesterday at weights I got up to 165 lbs in squats with 6 reps. Thats a new high-water mark. It goes up by so much each time though - tomorrow I'll probably do more.
I am still so uncomfortable at high speeds but I am starting to be able to think a bit more while I am there. That is important because I think I have the strength to stick with these guys some of the time, I just need the technique and to learn how to use the strength. My legs are really getting bigger - I notice it all the time.
We are going to go to a beach somewhere and have a barbecue today. Laterrr
The dryland was great though. It was 5 times 5 minutes of pain basically with a minute rest in between. For skaters: 30 seconds of weight transfer, 30 secs of skate jumps, which means jumping from one lag to another in base position always having the other leg extended to the side and staying in one place. Then 30 seconds of in-and out two leg jumps, then scissor jumps, then cross jumps and then the same pattern again. The sun was so hot and I was sweating soooo much - it was awesome! I really love the feeling of completing one of those workouts. Although my leg muscles were killing by the end, all these exercises need a certain amount of flexibility and technique and I found it so hard last time we did this that I just stopped and ran instead. This time it started out just as hard but as I got hotter and hotter I became more and more flexible so that I could really do the weight transfer correctly and extremely low - great feeling and not one that I've experienced a lot before - maybe once before, but this was the best.
Yesterday at weights I got up to 165 lbs in squats with 6 reps. Thats a new high-water mark. It goes up by so much each time though - tomorrow I'll probably do more.
I am still so uncomfortable at high speeds but I am starting to be able to think a bit more while I am there. That is important because I think I have the strength to stick with these guys some of the time, I just need the technique and to learn how to use the strength. My legs are really getting bigger - I notice it all the time.
We are going to go to a beach somewhere and have a barbecue today. Laterrr
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
-Good Nap!
Okay so what popped into my head just now as I am bouncing around with a much better feeling, or vibe lets say, after a fruitful practice finally this morning is this: Success is measured by failure. I have been having so many bad practices now for maybe a week and a half. What that does is make success come sooo much easier, or rather the feeling of success and progress. I actually did not even have the GReAtest practice, in fact my blade stripped at around 5 after eight, only half way through and after that I skated terribly, not trusting my right skate at all. However before that I was actually skating somewhat! we were doing pure speed all practice, the tuesday norm., starting with 3 3lap accels, then 6x 1 lap build and 1 lap all out, the the same but with two laps all out. Then we did an all out relay with two even teams of four, which was super fun but would have been more fun without the strip. Then a nice easy cool down relay. In between, the elites talked with J.R. and Chris McClaughlin, another Cali skater who is not training right now, but has been sort of clinging around the outskirts of the club. J.R. made another adjustment to my right blade which I think helped. he advised to not fuss too much with the blades until the boots are broken in more and I get a better feel for the ankle area. He said the Best Feel boots are all about getting used to and breaking in the ankles - letting it mold around the ankle. He had a pair.
In the beginning of the session, I was really having fun just skating fast!! I was a little out of control at times but at others, I was feelin cool and staying with the guys. We did some 9.2s and 9.1s which is fast for me. I am really finding that if you miss one push in the turn, you lose time and space. If my right entering the turn is good but the left gets shorted a bit, well then I end up going way wide out of the turn on two feet and losing ground. Then obviously if I miss the right but have a good left, which is rare, I will lose on the most powerful push in the turn. The first example is most often the case. I think its because if I really trust the left and it gives out on this horrible ice, I will take a painful trip into the boards. The pressure is so high at 9.1 and the margin for error so small!! It's crazy.
I did get a chance to talk to J.R. a little about Lakewood High.
The dryland was 4x 30 updowns each leg and then 4x 15 turn cable crossovers. J.R. was giving out lots of pointers to everybody and demonstrating how its done - he's still got it for sure. During the turncable, he told me to look up and immediately it got harder. He stressed working the core because then you can tense them and contract there instead of contracting the shoulders and neck which he said I do a lot of when I skate. From now on, i'll do the turn cable with a loose neck, looking up and swivel the head to make sure its loose. lol. He really is impressive how much he sees, which i guess really means that Wil is impressive. everything always comes back to her it seems which reminds me I have to e-mail her. Latrrr.
Okay so what popped into my head just now as I am bouncing around with a much better feeling, or vibe lets say, after a fruitful practice finally this morning is this: Success is measured by failure. I have been having so many bad practices now for maybe a week and a half. What that does is make success come sooo much easier, or rather the feeling of success and progress. I actually did not even have the GReAtest practice, in fact my blade stripped at around 5 after eight, only half way through and after that I skated terribly, not trusting my right skate at all. However before that I was actually skating somewhat! we were doing pure speed all practice, the tuesday norm., starting with 3 3lap accels, then 6x 1 lap build and 1 lap all out, the the same but with two laps all out. Then we did an all out relay with two even teams of four, which was super fun but would have been more fun without the strip. Then a nice easy cool down relay. In between, the elites talked with J.R. and Chris McClaughlin, another Cali skater who is not training right now, but has been sort of clinging around the outskirts of the club. J.R. made another adjustment to my right blade which I think helped. he advised to not fuss too much with the blades until the boots are broken in more and I get a better feel for the ankle area. He said the Best Feel boots are all about getting used to and breaking in the ankles - letting it mold around the ankle. He had a pair.
In the beginning of the session, I was really having fun just skating fast!! I was a little out of control at times but at others, I was feelin cool and staying with the guys. We did some 9.2s and 9.1s which is fast for me. I am really finding that if you miss one push in the turn, you lose time and space. If my right entering the turn is good but the left gets shorted a bit, well then I end up going way wide out of the turn on two feet and losing ground. Then obviously if I miss the right but have a good left, which is rare, I will lose on the most powerful push in the turn. The first example is most often the case. I think its because if I really trust the left and it gives out on this horrible ice, I will take a painful trip into the boards. The pressure is so high at 9.1 and the margin for error so small!! It's crazy.
I did get a chance to talk to J.R. a little about Lakewood High.
The dryland was 4x 30 updowns each leg and then 4x 15 turn cable crossovers. J.R. was giving out lots of pointers to everybody and demonstrating how its done - he's still got it for sure. During the turncable, he told me to look up and immediately it got harder. He stressed working the core because then you can tense them and contract there instead of contracting the shoulders and neck which he said I do a lot of when I skate. From now on, i'll do the turn cable with a loose neck, looking up and swivel the head to make sure its loose. lol. He really is impressive how much he sees, which i guess really means that Wil is impressive. everything always comes back to her it seems which reminds me I have to e-mail her. Latrrr.
Hey so fiiiiiinallllly, this morning's practice felt beneficial. With socks, I managed to get my skates on and off quicker than yesterday which was quicker than the day before. I got on the ice in time for the warm-up relay and I had sharpened very well yesterday so my blades felt good. Also, Tommasso re-adjusted my left blade after my skates were off yesterday. He noticed it was steering out of the turn and moved the front in. It seems to have helped and feels better. J.R. showed up a little into the session and was really handing out great tips to everybody, even Viktor. Him and another injured skater named Alex ran the show as Wilma is in Atl. for a week. It was awesome having J.R. coaching from the side. Though he didn't even get the skates on, he did do some turn cable after and was showing us up doing updowns. haha - he hasn't trained in I don't know how long and in jeans and flat shoes did the updowns better than anybody. Granted he didn't do all, I could tell his technique when he gets down is really special. I HAVE to sleep right now - my eyes are closing but I will write more later - I'm pretty satisfied after this morning - feeling like I wwas feeling before I got the new skates and got sick - more later - now, sleep.
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