Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Wrong Turns

I've had two good pre-dawn skating sessions in a row this week. My Junior Moves are coming along. My coach told me this morning that I keep leaning back too much on the rockers and choctaws. I heard her, and thought I adjusted accordingly. However, she finally held my hand and repositioned my shoulders in the inside rocker and again for the choctaws. I felt the difference then; sometimes you have to have your muscles put in the proper position. I had to laugh, as I thought I had been extended my arms. Instead my shoulders have been creeping up to my ears and raising my arms up! I wonder when that habit started, probably after years of occassional skating during grad school. This has gradually caused me to lean back a bit during forward stroking since I'm still gracefully arching my back.

It's weird as I'm turning through the rockers now and I catch my hands out of the corner of my eye. I keep thinking to lift my arms higher as I must look like a hockey player with my arms down. I guess that's how it started. Apparently, it looks way better and shows the nice arched back position. It's made the rockers smoother too.

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