AH Made It!

Just got word from my training buddy. She got the call from Surly! I'm so happy for her. She really worked hard for this. No call for me, and 8pm is fast approaching. Looks like I'll be cheering A on from the sidelines. 'Til next tryouts.

Congrats AH!

Number 36 Came to Roll

I was nervous the whole day, and then eerily calm. That’s when I know life’s about to bring it. I guess I could have been a good emergency room doctor, if it weren’t for all the blood and germs.

After everything, seeing everyone during Skills Nights, I knew that this tryout was a long shot. So I decided to just push it. Push myself. We geared up as we watched another group finish. Everyone seemed so casual from afar. When it was my group’s turn to hit the track, I entered with abandon and focused only on myself.

First off, warm up laps. Who knows, maybe no one was looking then, but I did my thing. Instead of just zipping around like some, I did rotations of every skill I knew we had to show, figure eights, low squats, slaloms. I even started mimicking the Gotham Girls who skated on the track with us. Mentally, I repeated, “look up, stay low.”

Next came the real deal. We were told to do figure eights, then sprint. I pumped those eights like I was Suzanne Somers QA-ing the latest thigh master. I actually zoomed by a bunch of girls. But it tired me out.

Sprint. Oh I did. And I took a digger. But I got right back up and kept going at full speed. “Pacing myself” was not in my game plan tonight. I wanted to go all out, while trying to maintain form, or nothing. I knew there was hardcore talent out there, so this was for me.

Next came one-legged glides on the corners. I swear, so many girls did the reverse of what Ariel demonstrated. Do I get points for listening and watching? Or did I zone out? They weren’t gorgeous glides be any means, but my left and right legs got decent air (for a semi-decent amount of time?) on each respective turn. I learned these skills for the first time this weekend. So I was psyched to get air at all.

And sprint!

Now slaloms. Again, a skill I tried for the first time this weekend. Genius AH put out shoes really close during one of our practices. It was the perfect distance. One side was exactly that far apart, the other much further apart. In between were cones to plow stop and T-stop.

We were told to just go. Go at a decent pace. I went first and totally missed the tight cones. I nailed every stop though! Plow stops too! That was a first. I rocked the far apart cones and kept circling through. I killed the tight cones every other time. If I was lower, I know I could have been better. I’m pretty sure I heard a “nice!” from one of the GGRD judges.

Now falls. One whistle, one knee fall. Two whistles, two knee fall. Three whistles, three point fall (baseball slide). Change directions after each fall. Easy enough directions, no? Apparently, no. Some girls seemed to be all over the place, doing the wrong falls, but I stayed focused, and didn’t copy other girls. I listened closely for the whistles and changed direction every time, and pushed myself to skate hard when I got up. I dropped my hand a few times, but I was up and going by people still down a few times too. I got another “nice” from a different set of judges…not sure who they were. Again, I was all me.

Final exercise was a two-minute sprint. Each judge picked a girl to count laps. I was panting from exhaustion. Others had better stamina or just didn’t go nuts like me. When the whistle blew I went off, my legs were already burning, but I pushed, trying hard to keep my form – “look up, stay low, crossover clean and push.” All was well for a few laps. Then girls got tired. Some fell. Others wobbled and flailed. This may have been happening all night, but it got to me then. I was at my breaking point. I totally had to zip through people and slow down to avoid others. Meanwhile, hardcores zoomed and zoomed around. At one point, a girl was literally leaning into me, pushing me off the track. I stayed upright; she apologized. And I tried to regain momentum, but the whistle was blown shortly thereafter.

I had to know, so I asked Ginger Snap, the girl counting my laps, how I did. She said, “8.5 laps.” You’re supposed to be able to do 5 laps in one minute and 20 laps in five minutes. I was smiling with glee anyway.

No matter what happens next, I have another goal to work on. No matter what, I set out and did.

I want to cry and laugh all at once.

No matter what, I’ll be back…eventually.

It takes work.

Did you catch the NY Times article? Last night was the Gotham Girls Roller Derby Championship. The NY Times ran a timely piece. Undefeated for the season Bronx Gridlock against reigning champions Queens of Pain. Bronx took the Golden Skate! These girls came out fighting and never let go of their lead, even after The Queens miraculous almost comeback. The Bronx girls, many of whom have been a great help to me at Skills Nights, embody what the sport is about for me. Relentless resolve, teamwork, and kickass skating. Bronx knew they had to work for it, and they worked it in every jam.

___

After Friday night's Skill Night debacle, where about eight girls from other state teams made their presences known, I met up with AH for practice up by her house on Saturday. We worked on slaloms and one leg glides -- the kind we're actually expected to do.

We met up again in the afternoon for a lesson with the Skate Guru. We weren't the only girls trying to get last minute derby tryout advice from him.

When I got there, he was finishing up with two girls. One was doing powerhouse slaloms across the park. As I put on my gear, Lezly came over and gushed about this girl, "the best he's ever seen." Comforting, for sure. It didn't stop there. I'm not sure if he realized I could hear him, but the girls asked he he had another class, and he mentioned that he did, with more derby wannabes...but don't worry. Basically, he was glad she was leaving so as to not intimidate us.

I don't intimidate easily. Sure this girl never skated on quads, but she plays competitive ice hockey. The skills overlap. I've been skating since October. Before that, I skated on roller blades...and that was to go forward and fast, no skill involved. I don't need the Guru's praise, I need his training. Same with the GGRD Skills Nights. The biggest takeaways are the lessons learned. From there, it's up to me to make things work. It takes dedication, which I have in excess, and practice, which I'm not afraid of.

I realize that Monday is a long shot, for this year, and I'm at peace with that. But I'll go and I'll try. I'll accept life's next adventure. And I'll be back next fall vying for a spot.

Skills Night: a blur

Skate around the track a few times doing figure eights (aka coke bottles or egg shells).

Sprint 1 lap.

Skate around the track a few times pushing with only your right leg.

Sprint 2 laps.

Skate around the track a few times using your left leg.

Sprint 3 laps.

Slalom around the track. Slalom!

Sprint…I’m not sure how many laps.

Oh wait, was the lift left leg out on one corner, hold right leg tucked on the other corner for a few laps before or after slalom? It was the first time picking up a leg was allowed is all I know.

Sprint…

And that was warm up.

I’m not sore. It is some kind of miracle. Or practice paid off. Or, more likely, the Tylenol I took was super duper extra strength. Or, even more likely, I sucked big time and didn’t push myself hard enough?

Off to practice with AH. There’s a lot to work on.

Tryout Time Locked!

Surly says:

Tryouts are Monday, November 19th, 2007.

You are in Group C.

Your time slot will be 7:45pm.

I’m freaking out like it’s a first date…and I’m 12. Heart-pounding nerves, excitement, self-doubt and a healthy dose of giddy pride. I made it this far! I prepped and primped. Sure I’d like more time to work my moves. Sure I realize I'm up against more experienced girls. Sure I’d like to be in AH’s group…if only to cheer her on. (I’m actually happy I don’t have to compete against my training partner.) But it’s do or be dateless to the winterball time.

Okay, that was a lame metaphor.

Bring it!

I hope I don’t throw up.

Thrown for a Loop

Another 6:30am wake-up to cold, gray rain that turns into a gorgeous New York day, leaving me tired, bitter, and jonesing for eight-wheel action.

Evidence of Abnormal Obsession
A coworker asked, "throwing a jammer?" I stared at him vacantly with visions of me checking some opposing girl somewhere far off in a hazy future. It took a minute, and the question repeated, for me to realize he was talking about my upcoming birthday party.

It Burns

I decided my ankles were unnaturally straight, shins ridiculously weak and quads an embarrassment to leg muscles everywhere. This is why my squat position isn’t squatty enough and my feet invert during my block stance.

I took corrective measures.

And now I should probably take a Tylenol before bed.

On a side note, I have some interesting bruising on my upper left thigh. Apparently Sunday's practice went better than I first assumed.

Confessions

I met up with AH in Manhattan before work on Friday. We started working on one foot glides. My bag of gear rested beside me during the hectic day. I have to admit, I had intense cravings to through on my skates and wheel about the office. These pangs were made worse after two hockey-playing coworkers showed me the proper form for single leg glides. I couldn’t wait to share with AH.

Saturday night, I skated down the street to Prospect Park for the first time in my quads. It was demoralizing. Every stick and crevice was a major obstacle. I skated for a bit, working on speed crossovers and glides.

Sunday morning I headed way up into Manhattan to a park near AH’s house. She raved about it on Friday, so I was stoked to check it out. I opted for taking my car since it would have been a 1.5-hour train trek. The park was amazing for skating. There’s a baseball diamond finished in super smooth cement. Unfortunately, some dude decked out in roller hockey swooped in and claimed it just as we finished putting our skates on. Across the way was another surface covered in the same smooth coating. Not sure what sort of court it was, but it worked just fine for our practice.

Pictures of practice below.

Morning Scuffage

There’s nothing like starting your day early. Cold, crisp air. Cold, hard cement.

I met up with my derby-girl-in-training friend in Manhattan this morning. We practiced crossovers, walking on our toe stops, and throwing ourselves down onto the pavement.

Controlled falls are an important part of derby, and we figured if we could master them in the great outdoors, we’d rock them at tryouts. Scuffing up our shiny gear was an added bonus. Nothing says “I want this” like practice battle wounds.

It’s a Beautiful Day

Now! Now, it’s a beautiful day. When my alarm went off at 6:30am, way earlier than I normally get up, it was pouring. I was genuinely bummed to sleep in. Those who know me are shuddering from shock, I know. But seriously, I was prepped to head into Manhattan early am. A fellow skate guru alumnae / derby wannabe and I made plans to practice at least twice a week before work. Hopefully we make up the rainout.

Side note: I dusted off an old Billy Blanks TaeBo II: Get Ripped Basic Workout
DVD last night knowing that it targets a lot of the muscles used in derby – thighs, rear, abs, arms. I’ve decided to this daily in addition to some exercises the GGRD girls showed us at Skills Night, and practicing on wheels.

Anyone out there have advice or tips? Please share.

Marathon Weekend

Tens of thousands of extra people ran through New York this weekend, but I was completely focused on skating.

Saturday was my first outdoor lesson at Central Park. Only one other classmate showed up. It was nice to have the guru’s undivided attention and wisdom the whole session. I needed the attention; we focused on skating down hills. We then zipped back down to Mercer Playground for the “indoor” skills lesson. I was psyched to learn crossovers, but not very keen on skating backwards. It’s all mental; I know that skating backwards isn’t something I need to master right now. Crossovers though, I need to be able to do those in my sleep. (If I slept upright on wheels in a circular maze.)

Saturday night was Derby Double Header at Hunter College. The Brooklyn Bombshells demolished the Long Island Roller Rebels. And Manhattan Mayhem did pretty much the same with the Hub City Hellrazors.

I was back in Central Park on Sunday morning. The eruptions of applause from the Marathon fans were definitely an adrenaline boost. The skate was bittersweet; this was my last outdoor lesson (well, last for now). Same for today’s indoor lesson. Last and a little demoralizing. Two never before seen Amazon ladies joined our group. It was their second class and they were skating backwards like pros and managing crossovers just fine. Apparently, they have derby on the mind, too. I’m not sure if they have more lessons scheduled before tryouts, but I’m once again forced to realize how slim my chances are.

I have two weeks to work at it before another weekend skate marathon: November 16 – Skills Night; November 17 – GGRD Championships; November 18 – Rest, Pray, Stretch, Puke from Nerves and Get Over Myself; November 19 – Tryouts.

Working It Out

Okay. I flaked. I haven’t posted all the juicy details from last Friday’s Skills Night run by the Gotham Girls. Here are some highlights in hindsight:

The Girls: Bonnie Thunders, Kandy Kakes, Ginger Snap, Beyonsláy, Surly Temple all rocked. Nice but firm and super informative.

WannaBRollers: All the other girls there picking up skills were awesome too. I met lots of new people with great stories to tell.

Falling: Apparently I'm a natural at throwing myself down and getting right back up again. Fast. Thanks school of hard knocks.

Pain: I was more exhausted than anything else on Friday night. So exhausted that when I transferred to the F in Manhattan, I took it in the wrong direction. I got home around midnight. No dinner. No water. (Note to self: Eat energy bars on the way to next Skills Night, and bring water you dumbass.) Saturday brought the pain. I've tried to target my inner thighs and ass since pubescence. I now know how. (I couldn't put on pants without cringing until Tuesday.)

Competition: It'll take a miracle for a novice skater to win against most of these girls. A bunch are transplants from other states' derby leagues. Others have backgrounds in ice skating or, at least, have skated on quads frequently since grade schools days. I don't fall into any of those categories. But I refuse to give up (refer to Falling highlight above.)

Looks Are Deceiving (Proven Again): Life teaches this rather quickly. Derby hit it home again. All shapes, sizes, colors. These girls are badass. They are talented. They are serious. And they are welcoming to those who get that.

Since Friday, I've been working out more. I use to work out religiously. Since moving to NY, I've slacked in a major way, and it shows. I always complain of being tired. My core isn't tight. And holy shite, my endurance, something I was always proud of, is in a sad state. It's a big weekend. I have four skating lessons with the guru. I plan to use his time wisely. November 16th is the next Skills Night. And November 19th is the big day. Tryouts.

A W E S O M E

Lower back and right butt cheek...ow. Love it!

More tomorrow. Just got home. Must hydrate and shower.

What I Had for Breakfast

Rubbery boiling plastic. Yum.

Apparently you're supposed to boil the mouth guard and shape it before use. You probably should boil it in a small pot. My guard morphed into melted blob while I was trying to dig it out. Prying it apart probably contributed to the creases and crevices it now sports.

Well, it has character now, right?

I should have packed my things last night.

And I'm Off

Helmet?
Check.
Pads?
Check.
Mouth Guard?
Check.
Astoria, Queens...GGRD...here I come!*

*After a full day at work and an hour train ride and, the email says, a 15-minute walk to "big brick building with signs that say CIGARS on it"...so I should probably get to work early so I can leave early...so I should probably take Lola to the park in the morning for a while since I probably won't by able to make the trek back and forth at lunch...so I guess I should get up around 6am.

Woohoo. Skills Night!
Yeah! Coffee.

POW

Exhausted. Am I too old for this? I've been bitching about my age a lot lately, but I never really take it to heart. I feel, and definitely look, like a young whippersnapper. Generally.

It's Wednesday and am exhausted. I haven't even laced up since Saturday's lessons. Which, by the way, were brutal. No scraps or bruises. On the outside that is. Mentally, I'm torn up. To sum it up best, the Guru gave me one enthusiastic, "Nice. That's it. Finally." Yes, he said, "finally." And this didn't happen until two hours and fifty-five minutes into my three-hour session. Nice, indeed.

It wasn't even a click-that's-it moment. He had been telling use to remember POW (Privates Over Wheels) to keep our form in check. Towards the end of Saturday, everyone was sort of falling off their game...basically joining me in suckassville. He stopped us all and said something like "think POW and now replace 'Privates' with what you've got." I don't know about everyone else, but I certainly chanted "Pussy Over Wheels" a few times. It worked. Except it was the last run of the day and I'm almost certain it was luck.

Friday is Skill Night with the Gotham Girls. I must commit POW to mind and body or risk complete humiliation.

Obstacles

Got home late last night, so, after scrounging up some dinner and taking care of Lola, all there really was to do was skate. I worked on hopping while in motion. It’ll come in handy when trying to avoid downed ladies. I focused on getting over the bedroom door’s threshold.*

After I few solid two-footed lands, I was feeling quite full of myself. Apparently Lola was feeling quite full of herself, too, and decided to participate in my obstacle training.

I wonder how often I’ll need to dodge vomit during jams?


*Also know as a raised saddle, and definitely not called a door jam. Certainly not this Door Jam. Thanks for the research assist JE.

Making Due

I've run out of shampoo. Food. Dog food. The clean laundry is still in the basket. I just swept up enough fur to stuff a baby's ski jacket. And I drove to work this morning rather than trying to figure out where to park for street cleaning.

When the hubby's away, a girl's got to play. Or, alternatively, she can sit still and watch her clean, well-organized and well-stocked world come tumbling down.

And so we have Club351, my personal indoor skating rink until the neighbors bang down the door. I've managed to get comfortable with a few of the WFTDA Minimum Skill Requirements. Yup, under "Balance/Agility," I think I have the forward, backward and side to side stepping down. Plus, I'm twirling like a toddler on crack.

Go figure. When you take the arm chair and ottoman out of the living room, it's actually quit spacious. There even is a nice straightaway through the French doors deep into the bedroom.

I would have taken more pictures to show you, but the camera batteries are dead and refusing resuscitation. If the husband was here, he would have figured it out and cheered me on.

Starting From Scratch

Yesterday was my first set of skating lessons. I headed to Mercer Playground early in the morning, and not once did I think, "What I am doing?"

My plan is to take skating lessons, survive the two remaining Gotham Girls Roller Derby Skills Nights and tryout for a shot-in-the-dark spot on a team. I have no grand illusions that I'll actually make it, but having this mission right now is -- yes I'll say it -- keeping me grounded.

I learned a few things yesterday. For one, my teacher extraordinaire, The Skate Guru, is the real deal. He lives and breathes skating. He's über-cool. He loves his purple.

Quad skating is as ridiculously hard. I wasted my first outdoor lesson comfortably balanced on my inline skates. That mistake will not happen again. I'll be in My Demons for my remaining indoor and outdoor skills lessons, both of which are taught outdoors because of the expanding dearth of indoor rinks in New York.

To learn something new, to learn something properly, you have to force yourself to unlearn what you think you already know. And if you fall, you have to get right back up and roll on.