First Practice of 2011! - Thursday, January 6

New season, new year... Time to make-it or break-it...
Welcome back, not-so-fresh-meat! :)

The off-season for me was a time of stressful and emotionally draining stuff going on with family and friends. It seems like it was the off-season for a year, not a couple of months! Needless to say, with all the stress, I gained weight instead of losing it. I hardly exercised at all. I went to as many open-skates as I could, and I would be sweating and panting within just a few minutes! I knew I would be in for it when the first practice hit....

Just after Christmas, I came down with what was probably the flu. It's still clinging to me, even now. I spent the two weeks before practice not moving from a chair, and just watching tv because I was sick! Not exactly good prep for the start of the season! Yikes!

Thursday, January 6th. 7pm. Roller Kingdom.
I'm running late. Freaking out and thinking about how I've blown the off-season and now have two months to pass my level 2 tests. Major sore throat and coughing going on from the plague that won't end.....
I get there and everyone is already doing jumping jacks with Nikki Roxx......

Hour one: punishment that I deserve with an intense workout by Nikki Roxx
Hours Two and Three: endurance skate practice

• My nemesis: shopping cart drills (push a partner around the track for three minutes, then let her pull you for three minutes/repeat)
• 25 in 5 (25 laps in 5 minutes)
• pace lines - sprint to the front
• knee drops/get up with running start

These were some of the drills we did during the endurance skate. Honestly, I think I did pretty good for being totally out of shape, and sick... I was able to do my crossovers on the turns without trouble! During the first hour, I felt confident in my skating, and strong. If not thwarted by a huge back/leg cramp, I totally would have been able to complete my 25 laps in 5 minutes (which is a level 2 requirement)!! I was able to sprint from the back to the front of a pace line, and even did crossovers while sprinting to the front! :)

About halfway through the skating portion of practice, my body started to physically give out. My back had a huge cramp that went down into the back of my leg. Then my legs started to get wobbly because I was so tired. It's always a dilemma to drop out of the drill and stretch, or suffer through it. I went as long as I could and then just skated around the outside of the circle... My goal at that point was to just keep moving, even though I was embarrassed. I didn't want to sit out. I wanted to prove myself worthy to be there, but I had to stop when I pushed past my limit... I didn't want to get hurt because I was too proud to take a break and let my body rest! Those shopping cart drills just kill me; I have to figure out a way to beat them!
 
 

Anyway, it felt good to be back, even though it was a bit torturous. haha. I knew we were all in it together, and I could see that I wasn't the only one having a rough time of it. We will all get back into the swing of things, and hopefully be stronger and faster each time! Plus, I missed all my new friends :)  Next practice is Monday... See you then!

xoxo
Atari

End of My First Season - October 29, 2010

My first season as a member of the New Hampshire Roller Derby League has come to an end! It didn't go out with too much of a figurative bang, as much as a literal one... My sprained knee is finally feeling SO much better... just in time for practices to end until January! (Its okay though, because I'm taking the next couple of months to regain some strength, and re-lose some pounds ;)  Hopefully both will help me be a better skater!)

So, there hasn't been too much to report since I got hurt. I was still attending as many practices as possible. It was super hard to just sit and watch, without being able to take part. I feel for anyone who has serious injuries, because at least I knew I'd eventally get to skate again. So, I sat, and I sat, and I sat.... and gimped around... and sat and sat. September went by, then October. As soon as the doctor gave me the go ahead to begin physical training, I started skating again  - slowly with my brace and knee pad duct taped to my knee!

Its been slow going, and I've obviously been hesitant to break myself further, but last night was the final skating party at the roller rink. It was just a free skate with music, lights, and food... A fun way to end the season. I put my skates on, and started skating...fast, and doing weaves. It was freeing, and I felt the breeze on my face as I was rolling around. It was so much fun! I didn't even remember that I had all that gear strapped to my knee. It never hurt me once!

I'm motivated to recover and continue on my derby journey. Its been a fun ride so far... despite all the falls, sweat, tears, pain, bruises and MRI's! Making new friends, learning how to become a better skater, getting serious exercise, participating in something greater than myself, and becoming a more confident person has far outweighed any of those negative things. I never thought I could do most of the things I've already accomplished. I know that I can do more, as long as I don't give up.... And I won't! Its way too much fun! :)

The new season begins in January 2011.
Until then, I'll be attending free-skate adult nights at Roller Kingdom in Tyngsboro, MA on Sunday nights...
Check it out HERE.

Stay tuned. :)

Practice - August 19, 2010

JFK Coliseum.... The bane of a skater's existence! It should be called Slip and Slide Stadium....

I had to make the splurge and get new wheels before practice... Just to see if it would make a difference in my performance, or if I really am THAT bad.

I'm happy to report it made a HUGE difference!! Still slippery (of course), but I was completing crossovers like nothing.... without thinking! It was a great feeling! One of my favorite drills was the "tree" (where some players form a moving non-contact pack, and some are in a moving pace line... The first person of the line races ahead to catch up to the pack and navigate their way through, finally ending at the back of the pace line.) Racing ahead to catch the pack felt awesome :) I was a little slow but I felt confident and I just knew to do my crossovers on the turns.... Because I wasn't sliding as much as I normally do, I was able to concentrate more on skating than trying not to fall.

You can buy Radar Shadows at The Bruised Boutique! :)

The one thing I really need to focus on now is transitioning from front to back/back to front. I need better form, and I need to break my mental block of fear at the thought of turning at any rate of speed... I'll get there :)

This practice was a good one for me, but seemingly cursed for a bunch of other people. There were toxic paint fumes in the building making some people sick, and a slew of injuries. I hope all my skater sisters

feel better soon... Xoxo

It's unofficially official!! - August 15, 2010

I made it through enough practices to submit my rollergirl name for approval! Woooohoo! There is quite a process for earning a derby name... It has to be approved not only by the league but by a national roster. No two skaters can have the same name! The national list takes a while to let you know if your name has been accepted.... (months!)

Sooo, my unofficial/official rollergirl name is:

 Atari JoyKick

#2600!!!!!

See how I made the Atari Logo look like a JK for JoyKick... haha I'm such a genius ;)

It doesn't seem real, even though I'm allowed to put my name on my helmet (bye bye raw meat!). I mean, I'm still not a great skater and I haven't even had an assessment. I feel kind of weird about getting a derby name when I'm not sure I've earned it yet. But, according to the league I have... So I'll take it! :) Its an amazing feeling!

 

Yahooooo!!!


p.s. Okay, so why? WHY pick a name that really has nothing to do with derby? Well, anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm a video game freak, and the Atari 2600 started it all! I will never forget the day my sister brought the system home... first we popped all the bubble wrap, then we started playing games, and never stopped! One time my family even had a Pac-Man competition party. haha! The Atari 2600 represents my childhood, my competitive side, my fun side, and really just brings me tons of good memories.... I wish I had a working one now!

Soo, I had a list of about twenty five names to choose from. I kept narrowing it down, but I really didn't want to choose an arbitrary name that didn't represent anything about me. I mean, this is MY name and I just went with my gut. (PLUS this name had a great number to go with it - which is also part of choosing a derby name!) :)

Unfortunately, its tricky for others to pick a catchy nickname for me... I think I'll just remain Atari. ;)

Circus Atari!! SO FUN!! boing boing boing POP!

Practice - August 12, 2010

It's been a few weeks since I've remembered to write, but things have been going okay. Endurance and agility practices... Weaving in and out of cones, skating till your legs get wobbly, fall drills, stopping drills, etc etc... I had to miss a practice last week, and of course it was the first newbie contact practice (learning how to hit!!) I hope we do another one soon so I can try it!! :)

So, last night's practice was overall a disaster for me. I was disheartened, frustrated, angry with myself, angry about the slippery floor, angry at my weak back and lack of coordination.... Gah!!

We started out by doing suicide drills of falls, and I just couldn't seem to stop slipping clumsily all over the place. I couldn't get one transition (to turn around)... I'd try to t-stop and just keep going full speed. I was a frustrated mess. (Thank you to Tank'd Girl for spending some time with me on transitions... Like you said, I wish my body would cooperate with what my mind wants it to do!!)

We did "shopping cart drills" where you push your partner around the track and then switch places. Easy enough? Not when my lower back almost sent me to tears, and my legs were giving out. I kept looking around and nobody seemed to be struggling as hard as I was. I felt bad for my skater sister who got stuck with someone so clumsy and weak... Thanks to Bam for encouraging me anyway!

How can I strengthen my back? I had to drop out of a pace line - hip whip drill... I got knocked out of line near the end and I couldn't physically catch up. My back felt broken. I just don't get what I'm doing wrong... I never want to quit a drill, but that was the end for me. And where is the line between pushing yourself and taking a break so you don't injure yourself? I am having so much trouble figuring this all out.

Pyramid drills again last night too. That's where you skate laps in a group from 1 up to 5, and do exercises in between while the second group does their laps. Last time we did this drill, I admit I couldn't even complete it. I had to fake my way to the end because my entire group was done and I was still one and a half laps behind. It was so embarrassing, and I felt like I was holding everyone up.

This time, I deliberately focused on going as fast as I could. I did crossovers, and really concentrated on getting it right. Unfortunately, I was still last every time. I would take a turn and my wheels would slip out from under me. I would be going as fast as I possibly could and still be last. Will I ever get faster? At one point during a lap I felt myself questioning what I was doing there... I have never been an athlete... Maybe I'm not really cut out for this, and how could I ever make it onto a team???

Oh well, I kept going. And although I was last, I did complete every lap asked of me.... For which I felt proud and surprised that I had seen an improvement over the last time. Go me?

Thank you to everyone who was so encouraging to me last night, especially Sin D. and my fellow fresh-meats. I know I was pretty angry and frustrated but I took every word you said to heart and I love
skating with all of you! (even if I'm last.)

You know what's weird? As pissed off as I was, about twenty minutes after taking my skates off, I wanted nothing more than to put them back on and skate again!! Addicted? Hell yes :) I love roller skating!! See you at the next practice......

xoxo

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 :)