The Heat is On.

For the first time, I had to drag my ass out to skate. The temp neared 100 today, and I just don't fare well in the heat. There is no AC in my home, so I spent the day in front of a fan with a pit bull panting beside me. I get depressed when I don't have a schedule, a routine, a purpose, which probably says something negative about me, but I'll pretend otherwise.

It had been two days since my last (awesome, bruise-filled, tear-up) night skating, which is close to a record for me. The only other time I think I took that much time off was when I fell on my tailbone. And maybe when I hit my head. That hurt. So, I lugged my sweaty self to the rink. Mood: Foul.

I took my sweet time suiting up, which takes a decent amount of time as it is. I took a phone call. I stretched. I got water from the fountain. I watched the basketball players miss shot after shot. Then I did a 5 minute endurance skate, and I use that word loosely. Endurance is relative, really. I only had half the rink and when you hit the middle there is some warping, so I wasn't going full-out. In fact I doubt I was even going half-out. But after a few minutes it felt so good to be out there! I am finding my feet, and some days little things just click into place. Like when I finally turned around. When my crossovers suddenly got a lot smoother. When I hit my stride one day and got going really fast...before falling on my tailbone and feeling like I could simultaneously pee myself or throw up. My skates are beginning to feel like a second skin.

At the end of my 5 minutes Koco and Laney-Dee showed up. Perfect timing. We did some suicides and some weaving and a few more endurance skates. The sweat was impressive.

But, somehow, somewhere in there between massive Poweraid consumption and catch-up on how much we hate Bele Chere, I began to feel better. As we stripped off out stinky knee gaskets and soaking wrist guards, I felt ok for the first time in a few days. Now I am back in front of the fan with italian ice and chocolate chip cookies because, damn, I deserve it.

Hit That Shit

Tonight was the night! HITTING! What we all have been waiting for! Wowyeswow!

But, first, the rink. A rain storm hit right before I went to Carrier, and the rink was full of tiny rivers. But, fear not! The three of us took towels and went to work dispersing the water. As we rung out wet towels the park guy came with a squeegee to assist. It was sans water in no time. Towels drying in the evening light, we stretched and did some warm up laps.

The washing of the rink.

There were four of us. Three played pivot, and/or blockers, and one played jammer. As the sun sagged behind the mountains we skated together, communicating with yells and light touches on arms. I was still hurting from the workout yesterday, and I could feel my thighs aching to catch up with my mind. The previous day we did exercises to strengthen our "core" while we waited for the Wednesday night hockey game to disperse. A ref called Icon was out with us and quizzed us on penalties and rules as we did planks and other fun stuff.

Tonight we worked together in a way we had yet to do. Pushing, slamming, falling. Our wheels skimmed off of each other as we humbled ourselves with new techniques. Icon called out penalties and gave us tips. He redrew the lines of the derby-sized track, as the rain had washed the chalk into little trails leading away from the main circle.

Icon drawing the lines

Sweaty shoulders met sweaty shoulders. I landed on my ass in the same place twice. It is numb now. Nicole's head bounced off the ground. We high-fived each other for good falls, nice blocks, and great ass usage.

I love how derby engages your mind. Look behind, watch to make sure you aren't out of bounds, try to anticipate where the jammer might go, watch your teammates, look for a hole in the pack, stay in bounds, keep forearms and elbows tucked, be in derby form, watch, watch, watch. My bones are jarred and my body aches, but I can't wait to get out there again. I'll be blocking in my dreams tonight, for sure.

The Summer of Derby

All I can think about is skating. Form, wheels, socks, laces, toe guards, form, form and form. And sporadically thrown in: Will it rain today and keep me from skating? I read the sky obsessively, and have a Firefox browser tab constantly open to weather.com.

Clouds rolling in at the rink.

One night I was running late but wanted to get out and skate some endurance exercises before dark. After I suited up, the rain began. Koco, Ima Killya and I laid down and did sit ups and back exercises under a heavy sky as the rain peppered our faces.

Rain on the rink

I can feel my legs getting stronger. But, as with most things worth having, the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. I head out to the rink most nights around 7 - 7:30. The sun is still hot at that point, so I and whomever is out that night, try to warm up without overheating. I sweat like a motherfucker. Around 8:30 the sun dips low and I finally feel like I can get a decent workout in. We do suicides (begin laying down, GO at full spread to the halfway mark on the rink, do a double-knee fall, get up, skate to the end of the rink, fall on all four, turn around and do single-knee falls on the way back, and a 180 at the end which usually ends with us laying on the dirty rink floor again -- but only because we can no longer stand.) Poison SueSMAC introduced me to endurance skates where you go full on for 5 minutes and I really think that is helping. The BRRG girls have been so kind and welcoming. I want to thank them by kicking ass at the tryouts.

I love it. I have never felt this way about a sport. Tonight my derby baby sister Mallory (Eve L. HeartbreakHer) attended an open scrimmage in Hendersonville. We were able to watch the BRRG in a practice bout. It was my first time watching roller derby since I began to skate myself. I think I am a very visual learner, and I learned so much during those two hours. Seeing their smooth crossovers, how they use the oval rink space, watching them HIT (can't wait), seeing all the falling (worried about lack of health insurance), and the competitive nature of the sport. I was sad when it ended.

Mallory and I spent the 45 minute ride home writing down everything we saw so we can incorporate moves and warm ups into our practices. I swear I was so excited I almost peed myself. I can't wait to be out with the big kids!

I am meeting amazing woman, sweating through knee gaskets, pads, and socks, getting healthy and in shape and having a blast. It works my mind and my body to the max. I didn't know exercise could be fun. My tailbone still aches from when I fell 2 weeks ago for absolutely no reason, and my head aches from time to time from when it bounced off the rink floor, reminding me that I have a responsibility to my body through all of this.

I am snapping laces, and my gear is finally looking like it is used for what it is designed. My beloved unicorn, argyle, and whale socks are wearing thin, so with more excitement than is deemed sane I hit Target for more. I own four sports bras now, which is a lifetime record. My toe guards and knee pads are lookin' loved, and I dream on skates. Poweraid is my new drink of choice, and I go through it like a teenage boy.

I apologize to the people I never see anymore. The first meeting Candy Korn said, "We're not saying it's a cult, but we will make you wear funny clothes, change your name and never see your real family again." I am determined to be a member, even if they don't know it yet.

With my new $2 socks (hearts, some stripes and, duh, argyle), I will head out to the rink tomorrow and work even harder. I have roughly one month until tryouts, and I need every minute.

Calves

After skating with naked calves the other night, I know I need my knee socks. And, how pretty they are...

Wearing 'Em In

They are beginning to look like real, derby girl skates! I keep breaking my laces and tying them higher and higher up. I think I need to just get new ones.

<3

Work (it)

Derby weaving drills featuring gatorade bottles and flip flops.

Have I mentioned that I friggin' love this?
I do.

Derby Friends

I think the thing I dislike the most about roller derby is that you can’t spit on the floor. How do you do a sport without spitting?

Luckily that is minor and overlookable.

I went out on the rink last Thursday, planning on getting a good hour in before a meeting I had to attend. It hit 95 degrees that day, but I figured it would be cooler at 6 pm. It wasn’t. That, combined with the fact that I had barely eaten all day made me quite pathetic on wheels. This was my first day of walking like an upright citizen once more, after hunching and stepping lightly using as few of my aching muscles as possible for about three days. This past post-boot camp week was hell. I wanted to keep skating but it really hurt, and I couldn’t even lift my foot do to a crossover. Last Thursday, I believe I lasted around 20 minutes, tops. But they say everything is for a reason, and perhaps my reason was to run into Mallory.

Mallory and her sister were just leaving the rink and we spoke for a moment about practicing together but neglected to exchange numbers. Much to my excitement, she found me on facebook and we decided to skate together on Saturday night. My first derby sister friend!

Upon reading my obnoxiously excited facebook posts about my newly formed derby obsession, a friend from undergrad messaged me. She used to skate with a woman on the BRRG, Maya Rulez. When I met Maya and brought up our mutual friend, she clapped her hands together exclaiming, “Dana and I were derby babies together!” When I skated with Mallory on Saturday, I kept thinking, someday we will talk about being derby babies! This was a very exciting prospect, mainly because, in my mind, when we are clapping our hands and remembering these weeks of hot summer night practices in Carrier Park, we will be formidable, in-shape bona-fucking-fide derby girls.

But we still have a way to go. My 20 minute practice on Thursday left me feeling lousy, out of shape, and down. I did all the self pep talks and took Friday off. Saturday, Mallory and I met at 7 and practiced everything we could remember. We compared boot camp experiences and I found I was not the only one about to pass out as the BRRG women skated circles around us. We practiced falling, getting up, skating fast, crossovers (she is the reigning queen) and taking breaks. It was one of the best times I have had out at Carrier. I get so bored and in my head when I practice alone.

And tonight, there were four! Delaney and Coco joined us and we had a hard, 1.5 hour workout. How fun is it to be goofy and learn from other beginner skaters! We critiqued each other (“Emily! DERBY STANCE!”); wove, and ran into, around water and gatorade bottles; compared equipment, spoke of our dream skates and how thankful we are for our knee gaskets. We tried out derby name ideas and traded tips. We were red faced and dripping sweat, turning left and right to call out the number of fingers Mallory’s boyfriend, Tensey, was holding up as he skated behind us (to practice focusing behind). We giggled and fell and slid I swear I had more fun than I have in some time.

Aside from getting into shape, I am unbelievably psyched to grow and work with a community of strong, awesome women. This weekend was a glimpse of what my summer is going to bring. Lots of sweat, bruises, and laughter. Red faces, empty water bottles, and broken laces.

I got home and was full of energy. I swept and mopped the house, cleaned the toilet, fed the dogs, did the dishes, took out the garbage and recycling and did a load of laundry. I felt content. Antioch instilled in me such a need for community, and everywhere I go I build one, person by person, friendship by friendship. This could be my best yet.

This post is dedicated to my best friend and the girl who inspired me every day to be a tough, bad ass lady. Bela, you are missed.