Planning Your Practices

[Icicle]

What is the best way to use practice time? Do you usually cram everything into one session? Or do you reserve different sessions for moves, dance and freestyle?

I wonder if it's a good idea to devote the entire session to working on one spin or one jump? Or is it better to go over everything each time you skate even though you may not be happy with your performance?

Any thoughts?

[nicklaszlo]

I wonder if it's a good idea to devote the entire session to working on one spin or one jump? Or is it better to go over everything each time you skate even though you may not be happy with your performance?

Unless you skate many hours a day, spending an entire session on one skill may risk injury.  Also, usually after a while you start getting worse.

It would take me a lot more than one session to work on every skill, even briefly.

I always include stroking and moves.

[Doubletoe]

I agree that it is detrimental to spend an entire session practicing just one or two skills.  On the other hand, it's good to have a focus or priority for each practice.  Decide on one or two things to focus on and spend extra time working on those, but do a balanced practice otherwise.  For example, I always do a program run-through near the end of each freestyle session, but sometimes I'll work on axels first, other days I'll work on my flying camel first, and other days I'll work on other specific elements or sections of the program.  But I always spend the first 15 minutes of each session just warming up with stroking, turns and sections of connecting moves from my program.  The one day I don't run my program is my moves-in-the-field day, which is devoted solely to learning new moves-in-the-field (including a lesson).

[irenar5]

I usually stroke for a few min  then warm up with spins (scratch, sit, backspin).  I then do a few waltz jumps.
After that- MITF and various freestyle skills.  If I start doing footwork too early on, my shin muscles start to hurt, so I make sure that I am warm before doing any significant ankle work :-)

I usually run my program mid- session (after I warm up but before I am too tired).  At first I do sections of the program,  then run-throughs without jumps, then with jumps. 
I finish the session with more MITF and power stroking.

I would agree with everyone that focusing on one skill for too long is a road to injuries and bad habits. 

[sarahspins]

For me it depends on whether or not I have a lesson during that practice session (which impacts how I warm up - I will warm up spins and jumps sooner if I have a lesson than when I don't), and also if I am working on getting something ready to test.  Right now I anticipate testing my gold moves in about 2 1/2 months so I am spending a little more time on those than I had over the summer, so for a 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour session I will usually work on moves for the first 30 minutes, and then end with 10-15 working through what I consider to be the more challenging ones.  In between I work on spins, jumps, and if I feel up to it, my programs, and sometimes other MITF patterns (from higher tests).  Sometimes depending on who is at the rink I'll spend a fair amount of time goofing around with footwork and various things.

I don't always do things in the same order though.  While I was skating fewer (and shorter) sessions over the summer I'd often challenge myself to just go do a lap or two and then go right into a harder spin (like a layback, having only stretched off-ice, not doing any other on-ice spin warm up) and also saving moves for later in the session since time was limited.  Likewise I would sometimes go through my jumps "backwards" (starting with my "harder" jumps first rather than starting with easier ones - I'm only doing singles so relatively speaking they're all easy, but I usually do edge jumps first, then toe jumps, so I'd start with a flip instead of a salchow, for example) and I am getting to where I need less warm up time in general to feel comfortable doing absolutely anything - I really want that confidence when I finally get around to taking my freeskate tests.

[Icicle]

Thanks, everybody, great advice! I always feel like I haven't practiced enough. The session is over, and I still haven't tried this, and this, and this ...

[sarahspins]

Thanks, everybody, great advice! I always feel like I haven't practiced enough. The session is over, and I still haven't tried this, and this, and this ...

Do you keep any kind of training log?  Or even if you just keep a small notebook with you, you can write down those things at the end of a session so you can make sure to get to them next time

[littlerain]

I love this thread, and I thought I would revive it... I definitely have some issues focusing/remembering what I want to work on... Mostly I get distracted by other skaters!

I would love to hear your practice routines!

[cbskater]

I always get to the rink early & warm up off  ice first. Then on ice I warm up with some stroking, swizzles, slalom & crossovers. Then I work on moves and/or turns. Next I warm up spins & jumps. Then I will do a couple of program run throughs. I will work on small sections of the program that give me more trouble also. This will get compressed if I have a lesson halfway through the session or I will adjust my plans if the ice is more or less crowded than I thought it would be or if ARRGH!, we have really bad ice.

I keep a list of elements that I need to improve ( it's a long list  )in my pocket. If I practice everthing that I've planned on & am trying to think of what else to work on, I pull out my list to remind me what else I could do.

I find that I have a more productive practice if I take a few moments to organize my thoughts and/ or review my notes from recent lessons and plan out my practice session. Lately I've been working on consciously being in a positive frame of mind when I get on the ice. I am usually pretty good at putting negative stuff out of my mind & focusing on my skating.

[littlerain]

Great suggestions, thank you. Now I'll have to implant them in my brain, hot them down on paper, and in my phone so I can't possibly avoid it. LOL