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.