Practice - July 15, 2010

Endurance Pyramids. Really? Ugh! So Everyone had to go around for so many laps, then do exercises in between... It was killer for me!! Again with the stamina... I didn't think it would be all that bad skating around for one or even five laps, until I realized I was last. That threw a mind trick at me, and a feeling of hopelessness. I kept slipping on the turns, and couldn't get the crossovers. I felt so heavy, like I was weighted down and just couldn't get ahead. Bummer. Its so hard to ditch the failure feeling.

I stuck with it though, even though I was slow. Something to work on I guess. I also didn't drink enough water and got nauseous. Ugh.

After that was fresh meat time with Bettie.. Yay! We practiced falls, baseball slides, moving in a pack (which was so fun, and even though we were going in slow motion, we took it very seriously of course!), walking on toe stops, and jumping over a line! (I fell hard, but I think I just didn't bend my knees enough.)

All in all, it was a productive practice. Luckily the fresh meat time took my mind off my horrible performance at doing laps. Next time, even if I'm slow, I hope not to be last. C'mon feet!!

Night Skate Fail - July 14, 2010

My fresh meat BFF and I decided to sneak in some extra skate time late at night. There is a new library in town with a new parking lot. Seemed perfect! Until we got there... No lights!

We figured we wouldn't stay more than 30 minutes. We parked at either end of the lot and left our car lights on so we could skate around. We took turns sweeping an area clean. The parking lot that looked so smooth was actually terrible for skating on! It was really bumpy and rocky despite our sweeping... and we were too afraid to try any of the moves from practice.

We decided to ditch the library and find another spot... Except my car battery was dead from leaving the lights on! (Her car started right up... apparently I have a crappy old battery. Now I know.) We called for the Calvary to give my car a jump, since neither of us had jumper cables (ugh!). Just when our friend arrived, so did the police!

The policeman wasn't upset with us, more worried that he didn't know we were down there. (since the library is near the police station too.) I think he was expecting to find some teens causing trouble, not two ladies roller skating... If only he had seen us cleaning the parking lot earlier on our skates!! Ha! He was fairly amused, and then gave us suggestions on parking lots that might be good!

After this late night fiasco, we decided skating wasn't in the cards for us. Instead, we ended the night with a slice of pie from the Local 24 hour diner.

So, not a total fail :)

Practice - July 11, 2010

The evening started with us Fresh Meat watching a great team scrimmage. Those girls worked hard, and I'm sure they were exhausted after a long workout right before, and the extreme heat in that gym...

Next, it was our turn and because it was a scrimmage night, we Freshies had the track to ourselves. It was definetly awesome to practice on the track, but my body just wasn't ready to cooperate...  Happily, the foot-rigging I did seemed to work... I had no foot pain!! Yay! But, we went from weaving on the track right into a two minute sprint (the length of one jam)... I started panting and trying to breathe through a stuffy nose. I opened my mouth to get air and my mouthguard came loose. Then the sharp pain in my lower back started....

I had a mental battle with myself.. Stop skating and stretch my back, or risk it going out on me. I reluctantly left the track and did some back stretching, only to get back out there and have trouble breathing again. Argh!!!

I enjoyed the pace lines, pace line weaving, hip whips, and finally some crossover training, which I think I actually understand! I just had so many difficulties that I couldn't complete the second two minute sprint and then practice was over.

I was so frustrated and angry with myself... I cried the whole ride home. It's kind of funny that last week I was the one doling out the encouragement, and this week it was me seeking reassuring words when it felt like I'd just "never be able to do it." Thank you to my friends for listening to my babbling, and for cheering me on despite it. Xoxo to you all.

So, I know that I need to work on endurance, gaining strength, stamina, and I need to pick up a stopwatch and a better mouthguard.... I've got to figure a way around these mostly technical difficulties so I can concentrate on trying to survive those two minutes!

Pain and Organization - July 11, 2010

I think I will be making an appointment with a podiatrist this week - yes, ALREADY! My right foot is starting to get unbearable, and not just with skating. Every shoe I own, including flip flops, rubs on this area of my foot... I won't be getting to a dr. before tonight's practice, so we'll see what I can rig up for this skate session! From doing some online research, I'm thinking this is a bone spur.... Owwww. :(

On a happier and less painful note, I got a small rolling luggage set from Target! It came with a tote that fits my skates, and skate accessories perfectly... A bag that holds all my little items (like my inhaler and hello kitty band-aids), and a larger suitcase that holds my pads, helmet, and whatever is left! Only about $20, thanks Ref Meat Kerry Lee for sharing the info! :) After seeing the other skaters with their rolling suitcases, and me lugging around giant awkward bags... All I can say is "duh." :)

I'm looking forward to practice tonight, even though it's quite the bodily beating! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my foot issue doesn't send me to the sidelines....

Second Practice - July 6, 2010

It was a night of tears, pain, self-doubt, success, and stats training...

I have to start by saying how proud I am of my fellow newbies! We endured a night of quick-paced athletics that I don't think is normally on our daily rosters... Followed by practicing falls, which is a constant up and down on unsure legs and toe stops. It wasn't easy, and I am proud to stand/fall/skate with all of you!

One of the more experienced girls said, "The hardest part of derby isn't skating." Humbling thought to keep in mind....

So, as for me... The exercising session on sneakers made me want to die. Running forwards and backwards, jumping jacks, planks, mountain climbers... I was nearly wheezing when it was over.. Couldn't catch my breath and to me it felt like I was the only one having so much trouble. I was too busy trying to breathe to notice if anyone else actually was as bad off as me...

I did enjoy how much time we Fresh Meat got to spend working just by ourselves this time. Thank you to Vicious and Dee for patience and helpful tips! (And for laughing with me when I completely forgot what I was doing and fell randomly into a heap a few times.. haha!)

On my first attempt at getting up from a one-knee fall, I, for some reason, used my weak left leg... I felt a weird sensation and then pain. I'm pretty sure I pulled something in my upper leg. I'm having issues with my right skate rubbing on a bone in my foot too, and thanks to some of the girls for suggesting I change my lacing. It still hurt but wasn't as bad! I did okay for the remainder of the time. I did, at least, remember to boil and mold my mouthguard beforehand, so I could actually concentrate on skating and not my mouth!

At one point I looked over at the experienced women skating in their huge mega-endurance drills. Then I looked back at the raw chickens in our little corrall, fumbling and working on toe-stops. I started to fill with despair, thinking that I couldn't possibly reach the other side... I could never do what they are doing...

I had to force myself to look away, and get back to what was the reality of the moment. I did not look over at the other girls again. I cheered for my fellow Fresh Meat, and did my best. I had to stop comparing myself to the more experienced people, be they oldies or newbies, and focus on myself. If someone did better than me, instead of hating my inabilities, I concentrated on watching their movements so I could learn from their successes.

I can only do my best, and push myself to do better. It's only been two practices... I can't expect to go from couch to athlete in two days! Athleticism doesn't come naturally to me, but I promise... I'm not giving up.... no matter what!

Oh yeah, and then we learned about penalty tracking, score keeping, and position tracking.... (Thanks for the tutorial Helen! It was actually really interesting!) ;)

First Practice - July 1, 2010

Three months. That's how long I was waiting to get to that first practice. From recruitment night in April, until July first. I thought the day would never come. Three months re-learning how to roller skate (my childhood passion), three months sucking as much information out of any roller skater I could find. I wanted a leg up before that July first mark.....


Backtrack: I am completely out of shape. I gained 65 lbs. with my pregnancy four years ago... Lost 60, gained back 30 and climbing... I have never been athletically inclined, and it's like a joke for anyone who knows me to see me doing anything physical. I can't run, dance, swim well, play sports, couldn't do a cartwheel even as a kid and months of gymnastics lessons..... But I could always skate.


Day of... Sick to my stomach. Terrified that I wouldn't be good enough, or physically able to do anything asked of me. Feeling like an outsider and an intruder on some secret cool-kids club, I threw myself into it. I gave it my all. I was confident I could do at least a little bit (like skating forward, and possibly stopping - eventually), but how could I keep up with these pros?


Stepping onto the track was an amazing high. There I was. It was real. I was on the track, in the midst of  those women I had been admiring for so many months!


I fell on my ass. I got back up. I didn't know to boil my mouthguard before hand, so it didn't fit... It made my mouth bleed, it made me drool... I wiped it off and kept going. Endurance training was literally breaking my already weakened back. I held back tears, and with the encouragement of amazing women I didn't give up. I practiced falls, stops, pace lines, and played capture the flag with the group. I was at the bottom of a five girl pile-up... I smashed my head and my body... I got up and did it again. I skated with a picture of raw chicken on my head to alert everyone that there was a student driver..... I didn't care.


At the end of a torturous eternity "just two more minutes!" I had done it. I looked around. I was alive. My newbie friends were alive. We had all been so scared, and we all felt so proud. It was in the air. The team patted us on the back and told us "good job."  My body ached, my ass hurt, my mouth was bleeding, and I can't wait to do it all again :)