Practice 2, aka OMG my league is amazing!

Practice 2.  We started out in JFK, our "home".  This is where we practice most of the year, and also where our home bouts are.  So it's a good place to be.  Everyone told me 2 important things to be warned about with JFK.  First, it's slippery.  So be careful.  And second, it's hot, so be naked (well, not naked, but be prepared).  So I prepped for both.  And I never should have!  I skated more comfortably on that floor, and felt comfortable going fast.  (Just gotta stop better).  And OMG!  I froze my ass off!

Just before heading out I got the e-mail about my skater sister.  They are there to make sure we don't die.  Or something like that.  It's our big sister.  She says BEND YOUR KNEES!  And I'm thrilled, I have a kick ass one!  Not that all the women on the league aren't kick ass, but she's awesome, and a red head. Thank goddess for S.S. Trixie!  I think we are going to have fun. 

We started out practice as normal, with warm-ups. This is good.  Getting the muscles loose is a good thing.  Having blood flowing... yup, that's wicked important.  Especially because we had a scrimmage against the awesome NutCrackers.  I had signed up to help with stats, and ended up being put on score keeping.  I think I did good, and I'm going to keep doing stats to learn more.  I really felt like I got a much better feel for the game, and had to pay much closer attention... and not just to one person, but many people and refs.  This is good... because I know that on the track, you can't be tunnel visioned... So woot!  And I did good I'm told.  Asked questions.  Learned.  Had fun...

And got major toe cramps and leg cramps!  Note to self:  No matter if you warmed up, an hour and a half on skates without movement in an ass freezing room is going to cramp you up.  And yup, it did.  But we WON!!  99 to 53.  YaY!  After scrimmage I should have taken the time to re-stretch and then warm up again.  I also should have taken my skates off while we were scrimmaging.  Lesson learned.

After scrimmage we did an agility line... First the whole team (half were away that night thank goodness!!!) gets into a line and starts to skate, arms length from the person in front of them.  Then the person in the back of the pack peels out and starts to weave in and out between the girls in front of her WHILE THEY ARE STILL SKATING!  At first I didn't know what was going on.  Then I figured it out, thanks to my awesome derby sister Sin D. Lap Her.  And then, omg, with 2 charlie horses it was my turn.  I wanted to cry.  I can't do that!  But I went.

I went, and I did it!  I screwed up a few times by going to fast or slow.  I was afraid.  I wanted to puke.  And I completed it!  All the way from front to back.  Between each and every sister.  That was my proudest moment of the whole night.  And then I sat down.  Hey, I can only be so much, and I pushed in a way I didn't think I could.  Then I worked on stops.  I'm getting the whole toe stop.  T-stop... working on it.  And I'm also forcing myself to skate in derby stance, no matter what.  Kness bent.  Ass out.  Arms in.  I can do it.


Goals for monday- live through practice.  Push harder.  Bend my knees.  Ass out more.  Stretch better. T-stops need to be mastered soon... a girl's gotta stop!  And start working on 2 sets of gear... my skates need to be re-laced and toe stops moved... and also I found out on Thursday that I have been wearing my mouth guard upside down.  I have never worn a mouth guard before.  I didn't know.  Wow I felt dumb.

What a great league I'm a part of.  :D

Yoga in a halmet?

Monday night was my first practice with the New Hampshire Roller Derby!  I don't remember the last time things just felt so right.  But OMG my mind is blown.  Sometimes I felt like even though I had never been there, I needed to know what to do.  I will... I'm a fast learner.


But what made me laugh the most was when someone told us what yoga pose we were doing.  In quads, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, and helmet (mouth guard was optional).  Yoga is supposed to be graceful.  I know someday I too will be graceful on my skates... but maggie + quads and gear + yoga = messy pretzel!

When I got there Hazel made me feel really welcome, and then Betty gave us fresh meat name tags for our helmets!  I'm told she stayed up forever the night before making them.  They are HAND DRAWN T-bone steaks with our names on it.  And she actually fit my full name in mine!  When I get my derby name I'm going to mount and frame that steak!

So anyways, we got into Roller Kingdom and started handing in info while putting on gear, then all of the sudden I looked up and people were skating, and someone yelled "practice has started, everyone should be skating!"  Wha?!?  you want me to get out there and skate with them?  Yes, I know.  I'm now official, that means get your ass out there and skate!

So skate we did, then yoga, then introductions (please don't give me a test!), then fresh meat and a few others went off to skate.  We did stops... derby stance (omg my bum!)... knee stops (falls)... rock star falls... plow stops... and swimming with our skates.  Then we got with the big girls again and skated in a line.  Supposed to be within arms reach of the person in front of you... yeah, that never worked for me.  I need to become more aware of my surroundings.  I tried.  Then we watched whips and then practiced some more before scrimmage.  And I think my night was made when Trixie remembered me (and my name!) and told me I was doing great.  God, these women are like rockstars!  Yes, I know, I will be too.  I just... wow, I can not believe I've joined this group of such strong, amazing, nice, and awesome women!

THAT was amazing!  Someday I AM going to be like that.

Then I had to scoot.  But more practice tomorrow.   This feels so right.  I'm sooooooo happy!

Oh and check out the team webpage!  I'm on it!!!!

Goals for tomorrow

A wise man told me that if I only fall down once then I didn't try hard enough.  Now, I don't really WANT to fall down, but I'd rather fall down with little man at the play ground than on the rink during my first night with the NHRD.  So tomorrow after errands we are taking skates and scooter and finding a good clean surface and skating.

Since I don't have ruler or anything, my goals for tomorrow is to not fall down all day (although I will be wearing confidence, aka, protective gear), but to start picking up speed, and also start to skate while picking up one foot!  And derby stance, because my back (upper butt?) is killing me!  If little man is not into the plan, I'll wear the skates while he plays on the playground and keep going from foot to foot balancing.

This is my last day to skate before APRIL 5!  Which is THE DAY!  So... here I go.  The more I skate, the sooner I'll be ready, the faster I'll learn, and the more bruises I can show off while prancing around the house.  The countdown begins!!