Week 17 - 'Twas The Week Before Sign Offs

So this week it was review week. This was when we have a run through of all the skills we've learnt over the last six weeks and where our coach could have a quick scan to see if she could give us any last minute advice.

First was skating stride, derby stance, track movement and sticky feet. This went relatively well, I'd like to think my skating stride is good, track movement was a little harder with such a crowded track but it went fine, sticky feet went well, but I started having issues during derby stance. I tend to skate in a constant squat position now, not necessarily as low as derby stance, but it means that I find it hard stretching out my legs when they start to ache as I'm not particularly confident in skating with straight legs. So, after warm ups, sticky feet and a few laps of derby stance, I was getting the usual burn mixed with a horrible pain in my right thigh. I tried to skate through it but my thigh just felt stiff and I knew I had to come off. I got off the track, went to stop with my right knee and my toe stop came right off! Gah! My coach retrieved my washer from the track and I skated off to get a spanner, which is actually really weird with just one toe stop!

After attaching my toe-stop and double checking the other one, we set out to do knee taps and falls, which I'm pretty confident with, even though I was getting paranoid about my toe stop. Next was crossovers and following the jammer line. I gave crossovers a good go and am kind of comfortable with them, even though I'm sure I'm not getting my foot all the way across. Then we did stops and here was where I started failing miserably. I kept wimping out of t-stops and I don't know why I even  bothered with plough stops. I swear, everyone managed to stop or at least roll to a stop. I just kept going! "Oops. Don't mind me. Coming through."

One foot glides were just as bad! One foot up, wobble, straight back down. Next was stepping. Sideways wasn't too bad, forwards wasn't too bad, backwards....well. I ended up moon walking on skates i.e. going nowhere! Just skating on the spot. Wahhh! Why is everything so hard?! (We were taught a good trick though. If you pretend your a dinosaur when going forwards or backwards, it actually really helps!)

Weaving was next and I managed to make it through the cones, nudged one of them but was told I was going just a little too slow for them. I really dislike weaving. It's one of those ones that you don't hear a lot of people complain about, but if I turn too sharply I fall backwards. I think it's because I try to lean the way I'm going but lean more to the back than to the side and my skate just escapes from under me.

The last skills were new to me as I'd missed the last week: lateral hops, focus, pace line and pack work. Lateral hops were terrifying. I'd been a little scared of jumping but this was hopping from one foot to the other while skating! I can understand why it's not the same as jumping and why people don't find it as scary. But I still found it terrifying and just did the tiniest baby steps from one foot to the other.
Focus was good although looking backwards is a big old stretch for the neck and trying to keep the same skating stride is a bit like patting your head and rubbing your stomach!  Pace Line was also good although it was a bit of a struggle to try and keep at the same speed as the others. Pack Work was great fun! I've never done it before but soon picked up how to inform the others where you wanted to go and how to recycle.

The evening was a bit of a roller coaster really. What started a little annoying, with a lost toe-stop, turned into getting pretty sad about the skills I couldn't do and then finished back up on a high with enjoying the skills I hadn't even learnt before! I know I'm not going to get signed off next week, but I am intrigued on what skills I'll pass!