Whipped!

Today's practice is awesome.

Today I skate at breakneck speeds! Well, okay, I'm pushed at faster speeds than I am used to skating. It's exhilarating in any case.

It's the warm up, and we are told to pack skate. Usually I just putter around the track at my own pace, but this time the new girls are told to try to keep up. I'm struggling, fighting and pushing, far behind the pack, trying to not get lapped when a voice close behind me yells, "Get low! Derby stance!". I peek behind me to see Angela ready to push.

I drop low and widen my stance as quickly as I can, and thank goodness I am properly braced when she makes contact. She does not, however, just shove me forward and let go. She holds on, skating faster and faster, pushing me along ahead of her. Eep! (I'm pretty sure real Derby players don't say Eep.) We quickly close the gap between me and the rest of the pack. At this point I'm actually breathlessly yelling, "Oh it's too fast! Eep!"

Then we meet wall of girls - the pack. Angela doesn't stop pushing a few feet short, which would be the sane thing to do. She keeps pushing. We are about to make contact with the pack. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be here. I am inches behind the other girls. What if I trip someone? What if I lose balance abruptly and the resulting arm windmill causes a mass pile-up? Aaugh!

"Aaugh!" I say this out loud. "Too close! Too fast! I gotta stop!" I veer off the track and let the panic subside. The whole thing is the most fun I've had in a long time, even considering the panic. Woohoo!

Okay. I knew those girls skated fast. These girls, though, really skate fast. I don't even think they are pushing very hard. I think this is just a regular steady pace for them.

All this is just the warm up! After this, the new girls split off. We have access to the other track today, so we work on some stops and crossovers. Then Vera announces we are going to try whips. Apparently, this is on the minimum skills test but tends to not be practiced with new girls. This is exciting.

We give and receive push-whips (push the person from behind,) and hip-whips (grab her by the hips and swing yourself around her.) We then practice arm whips, which is what you see in roller derby movies. Whips make me feel powerful somehow. Giving your momentum to another skater or taking her momentum, there's just something about it.

Way fun.

Today is awesome.

Okay I Lurve My Skates Again

I'm pleased and quite relieved to report that I seem to have figured out how to resolve the foot cramping issues with the new skates.

You must understand this is all relative. My feet still cramp throughout practice, especially if we are practicing quick feet or something where we are trying to remain stationary. Do my feet hurt? Yes. Do I need to stop periodically to circle my ankles? Yes. I am not, however, in miserable agony.

The trick for me is to make my skates feel all super snug without actually putting any pressure on the middle part of my foot.

Here's how my skates are set up:
The boots are laced normal at the toe, super loose through the middle, and crazy tight at the top. I'm talking they're really crazy super tight at the top, plus I pull the strap tight. Sometimes my toes fall asleep and I know that means I need to loosen them a bit.

I pulled out the insole that came in the boot, replacing it with the arch support kind I use in all my sneakers. Over top of that insole lies a second one. The second insole is a plain cheapy flat white job. It gives a bit extra padding, is soft and cushiony, and also can be replaced cheaply when the skates start to stink.

I bought a bunch of those heel cushions that are meant for women's pumps. They are supposed to keep that back part of a woman's shoe from rubbing and causing blisters. I line the heel of each skate with these. It allows the heel of my skate to grip my foot a bit. This helps a BUNCH, but isn't really sustainable. They don't stay in well. They sometimes wind up jammed into my toe by end of practice. I have to replace at least two every time I wear my skates, and they're not especially inexpensive. I have therefore ordered some little neoprene booties called Ezee Fit. They fit around the heel and ankle, providing some cushioning and also some traction against the heel of the skate. I have extremely high hopes for these.

The most important modification I made to my skates, however, is . . .

WEARING THEM.

I put them on around noon and wear them until night. I skate on the tile and walk on the carpet. I lean from one side to the other, plow stop and t stop, and generally try to put the same kinds of pressure on my feet and skates as I do at practice.

My feet and my skates have become acquainted, and are now forming a friendship.

Banked Track Watchin'

I'm selling T-shirts and such, and I am pleasantly surprised to learn the merch area is within view of the track! I can watch the bout. This is the first bout I've been to in years. It smells exactly how I remember a bout smelling. As promised, the ladies skate fast and turn left. They skate really fast. Really super fast. It's wonderful to be back.

The fun is more than just the game itself. It's the crowd. Roller Derby is a grass roots sport. Everybody involved in Derby are here because we love it. The same is true of the fans. Everyone here either loves the sport, lives the sport, or loves someone who lives the sport. Some women here don full roller girl gear complete with fishnet stockings and unusual hair color. Some families populate the stands, children sitting on parents' shoulders. Some fans bear signs or shirts supporting their favorite players. Other people are here for the first time, asking questions about the rules of the game. There is even one giggling bachelorette party here. They have to bring in more bleachers to accommodate all the spectators.

The energy is electric.

The air of camaraderie and support is amplified by the presence of the banked track. Banked track leagues are more expensive and complicated to maintain than flat track leagues. There are a lot fewer of us around. In fact there are only a handful of banked leagues in the country. Everyone understands that support for any team is support for banked track as a whole, so even though we are rivals on the track, sisterhood shines through off the track. Most of the people coming to talk to us and buy merchandise are fans of and players from the other team. I'm enjoying meeting all these women.

Then Harmony gets hurt.

I don't see it, but I hear the screams.

She had been on the inside (lower part) of the track and there was a dogpile. Her foot turned around backwards and her ankle snapped. Most of the screams were from the teammates who saw it happen. Play stops for a while as the paramedics work on her.

Harmony is a rock star.

She is awake and talking to people as she is carried to the ambulance. She doesn't want anyone to worry. Steph goes with her to the hospital, and play resumes. Everyone is a bit shaken.

Later at the after party we learn she is going in for surgery so they can put all kinds of screws and pins in her leg. Both bones are broken through. Steph reports that Harmony is still a rock star. The only tears she sheds are when the doctors tell her how long it will be before she can skate again.

Wow.

Would I be that dedicated? If I were to sustain a major injury like that, would I be aching to return to the track? As it is, Harmony's injury has given me pause. She could've lost the use of her foot permanently. I knew, of course, that this is a full contact sport with possibility of injury, but seeing something like this in person is rather terrifying. I take care of two kids. Can I risk my health for this?

Proving he always knows me best, my husband asks me if the day's events were making me think of quitting. He doesn't say much, but let's me talk it out. I think on it. I sleep on it. I come to a conclusion.

I got a chipped tooth and a concussion in a car wreck. My mother in law broke both elbows riding a bicycle. My husband had a shoulder reconstructed due to football. My mom got frostbite waiting for the school bus. Anything you do has risk of injury.

Meanwhile, my blood pressure is up, I'm obese, and I am flirting with diabetes. I am facing serious health risks due to a sedentary lifestyle. I have found an activity that I love. I can't afford to let this go.

I'm in.

Banked Track Ballin'

Today I travel to my first bout with my new team.

I'm not playing, obviously. Melinda and I are selling merchandise. Luckily, the merch tables are located so we can clearly see the bout. I'm super excited to be contributing to the team that has taken in my slow ass, and am looking forward to socializing post-bout.

Here's the part where we talk about the banked track. Most modern derby leagues are flat track. My team is a banked track team. Currently, however, due to space requirements, we don't have a place to set up our track. We currently practice on a flat track and most of our bouts are flat track. It is a big deal when we get to play a banked track team.

Here's the awesomeness. Before the bout, Melinda and I are able to skate on the banked track for a while!!!

It's kind of terrifying. The bank is so much steeper win you're on it than when you're just watching. Merely climbing onto the track requires a couple of deep breaths and a steadying of nerves. From the ground, I throw a knee up onto the track and pull myself up. I stand.

Now what?

I'm standing on wheels at the top of what is now a crazy steep slope. I grip the railing. My knuckles whiten and I forget to breathe for a minute. Someone makes an extremely helpful suggestion: to get to the bottom, drop to my knees and slide down on my kneepads. Awesome!

Relief. I can relax.

Now what?

In order to actually skate on the bank, I'll have to somehow get back up to the top and start from there. Okay deep breath. Up on the toe stops. Bend my knees. Don't topple over backwards. Hold my breath. Run up the track on my toe stops until I can stretch out and reach the guard rail. Pull myself up from there.

Hmmmm. Now I'm back where I started. I'm at the top of the bank gripping the rail for dear life.

There's nothing to it but to do it. I let go and try to propel myself forward faster than gravity can pull me downward. I get a few feet before I hit the floor and slide to the bottom.

Okay. Try it again. And again. And again. I fall more times than I can count.

It. Is. AWESOME. I love it.

I am going to make it all the way around the track if I have to do it five feet at a time. That is about how it happens. Various teammates come by to offer support, tips and hints. I hope I'm not too much in their way. Eventually their warm ups take a more serious turn and I clear the track for them.  I watch in awe as they run drills that involve bouncing off the guardrail, getting off an back on the track, etc. I've never watched banked track from inside the track before. It is quite something to see. I am exhilarated.

The ladies take a break. The track is free for me to keep trying. Up the track, skate, slide down. I'm getting better! The amount of distance I can skate between falls keeps increasing. I never make it all the way around, but I do make it over halfway! I go the length of a straightaway, down the curve, and back up the next straightaway before I lose momentum and slide down. Whee!

Jamie has hung around to supervise Melinda and I. We can't really be skating by ourselves. I'm sure she'd rather be getting something to eat, and I am grateful to her. I'm even more grateful when she suggests I hold onto her hips while she takes me around the track. Up, down, and around she pulls me around the track twice at what feels like a breathtaking speed to me.

Thanks Jamie!

I would live to keep going, but recognize I am holding her up. I reluctantly remove my skates and gear, go get some dinner, and prepare to sell T-shirts. It is the most fun day!

Oh, and there's also a bout and an after party!

I Don't Lurve My New Skates So Much

I kind of hate my skates.

I'm so miserable. We shopped and shopped and researched and spent an ungodly amount of money. My skates are Wickeds. A lot of girls wait and save for a year or more before spending this kind of cash on skates. A brand new girl really has no business being on a set of these, but we got them and they're beautiful.

The thing is, they HURT. Bad.

Ten seconds into skating, my feet cramp something fierce. Throughout practice, my feet scream with a pain that takes my breath away.

I fear the skates may be too big. The next size down swished my toes, but my heels slip a little in these. I'm certain this contributes to the pain, as my poor toes keep gripping the bottom of the skates for dear life. Every time I pick up my foot, I feel like the skate will fall off. My foot's effort to keep the skate on is killing me.

I feel like crying. Is it really possible I bought skates that don't fit? I've already scuffed them so they can't be returned. Such a waste. I can never tell my husband. He is more excited about the skates than I ever was. He is so happy to have found and bought them for me. How can I ever tell him they don't work, that I want my old crappy skates back?

Some of the girls look at my skates for me. They are not too big. Whew! Cramping is a common problem in new boots. Not only do the skates need to break in, but your feet have to get used to the new skates. In my case, in particular, my previous boots were high top. I'm having to get used to not having the extra secure feeling of laces up my ankles. This leads me to lace my skates too tight, which causes -you guessed it - foot cramps.

The girls offer lots of advice about different lacing styles, insoles and padding that will help in the short term. The real fix, though, is to just give it time. I've just gotta take my potassium and ibuprofen and suck it up.

I'm so relieved that the skates aren't too big.

I Lurve My New Skates!

New skates = new wheels. Specifically, I got hard wheels. It is awesome!

I really really thought that buying new gear was kinda silly. I am a beginner, so how much difference would better gear make?

Answer: a lot of difference.

I haven't had the girls out on the track yet. I've been skating around my kitchen and garage, but see now how much extra effort I was putting I to just propelling myself forward. I can watermelon around without feeling like my hips are getting sucked out of their joints.

I can even (gasp) T-stop! A bit. On one leg. If I am going very slowly. T even sometimes makes that cool grinding noise.

I can't wait to get these bad boys out on the track. I'm ready to be a rock star.

New Skates!

I got new skates! They're so pretty.

Bumpin' and Jumpin'

Angela is instructing us today, and wields a copy of the minimum skills test. We go down the list, and I'm pleased to find we've already covered much of it. One thing we haven't covered is hitting each other.

Those of you unfamiliar with derby might be picturing elbows to the face and knees to the back. Those of you who know derby, however, know that there are very specific kinds of hits that are allowed. Anything else is a penalty.

The hits we are to learn today are hip checks and shoulder checks. It us what it sounds like it is. A hip check involves skating beside someone, and bumping their hip with yours. Remember that sing and dance, "Doing the Butt?" Probably not. Anyhow, it's like that. Shoulder checks are when you bump the other girl's arm or rib cage with your shoulder, being careful to not touch her with your elbow. Angela shows us how to do them, then tells us to try it out.

Whaaaa?

I'm genuinely shocked. I, for one, can barely stay on my skates. I can't imagine trying to bump someone! It's quite scary and also thrilling. What if I knock someone down? That's silly, of course. Knocking people down or away is part of the whole gig. I take a breath and I start skating alongside Christie. This by itself is a bit intimidating for me. Im not used to skating right beside someone like this. What if my skates hit her skates? What if i start to lose balance and i take her down with me? What if she loses balance and I roll over her? So far so good, though. We bump each other. We do this a few times. We both fall a few times, as often just due to falling as due to the bumps.

This is crazy fun. Once we've gone through both types of checks a few times, Angela asks what else we want to work on.

Christie says, "If it's on that piece of paper, I want to try it." I think this is very well put.

I'd like to take a moment to say how great it is to be learning along with someone like Christie. I personally tend toward negativity, and am frequently intimidated by or am afraid of new activities. If you've been reading along with my adventures here, you've probably picked up on that. Christie, however, is a go-er. She is upbeat and enthusiastic about all of this, and always goes for it. Her energy reminds me that although this is hard work, it's also fun.

Angela consults the list and asks if we've done jumps. Nope, I am certain we have not. Once again, scary.

The skills test involves jumping 3" off the floor WHILE SKATING. Actually, once I think about it, I realize it's probably easier to jump on skates if you're moving rather than if you're standing still. I watch Angela do it, then I give it a shot. I roll forward slowly, slowly, then . . . Hop!

I did it! I wobbled a bit on re-entry, but I did not fall! I do it a couple more times. Hop! Hop! Yippee!

Can I really be the same girl who so recently struggled just to propel myself forward without falling? Here I am, bumping and jumping!

Second Week Roller Skating

Today there are two other new girls. Melinda has been skating for a few weeks now and is preparing to take something called the Minimum Skills Test. The other girl, Sandy, is skating with us for the first time. Sandy is athletic. (I am not.) Sandy is slender and tall. (I am not.) Sandy is taking to the drills quickly and naturally. (I am not.) Do I hate Sandy?

Nope.

Sandy does the most beautiful thing. She asks questions. She asks about our current drill, about derby in general, about the rules of the game. This is beautiful because every time she asks a question, we pause. I get to kneel on a chair under the pretense of getting a drink. Really I am taking the weight off my aching feet and wobbling legs. I kneel, sip, circle my ankles, and listen through a haze of exhaustion and pain as Angela explains the game to Sandy.

Angela is our New Girl instructor today. She is on crutches due to a knee injury. Today is extra awesome partly because she is awesome and partly because the new girls have our own track today.

We go through it all again, except this time I'm sore and achy from last practice. We do knee drops, T-stops, plow stops. We practice skating in the dreaded Derby Stance. We also start talking crossovers, which Sandy can - of course - already do.

Crossovers are that thing that in my mind always separates the people who can actually skate from piddlers like myself. If you've been to a rink, you've seen it. Someone skates around a corner. They pick up their outside foot and set it down on front of the inside foot. Crossing it over, as it were At this time, my best strategy for skating around corners is to hold my breath, tense my body, keep my wheels on the floor, and hope I can make it all the way around before I need to push again. Apparently this does not cut it in roller derby.

I try to do a crossover. I start skating. I hesitantly pick one skate up in preparation of crossing it over the other skate.
BAM!! Right on the butt.
I get up, start skating again, try to pick up one foot.
BAM!!
Up, skate, foot,
BAM!!
BAM!!
BAM!!

Half of these falls are not on my nice friendly kneepads, but on my sore bruised butt. I'm definitely going to feel that later.

Angela has some great suggestions. She has me stand in one spot and just try crossing one skate over the other. I pick up my skate.
BAM!!
We have identified the problem definitively. I cannot lift a foot for even a moment without the other skate leaving the floor and my butt landing on said floor. This is kind of a big deal. I keep at this exercise for a while and eventually can lift one skate and put it . . . Kind of forward. It is not in front of the other skate and is most certainly not crossed over. This, however, is my victory for the day.

Angela gives me homework. To build my legs, I will stand in one spot and drop to my knees and back up over and over. To get used to crossing over, I will wear my skates on the carpet and practice stationary crosses.

Once again, I can barely move at the end of practice. I can't wait until the next one.

Suck it Up Time

I arrive at practice and take my customary hour or so to gear up. I head to the new girls, and I'm dying. My hip is still killing me from my recent fall. I can do this, though.

What are we doing today? Knee drops.

Shit.

Skating hurts a bit, dropping to my knees hurts a bit. Getting up is murder. I clench my teeth to hold in the yell every time.

The bad part isn't the pain. It's pretty bad, but what is worse is what it does to me. Instead of jumping in to take my turn, I hang around the periphery. I'm actively trying to get passes over some. I just have to give my hip some rest.

We work on stops. T-stops, yay! No more knee drops.

Except now I'm legitimately falling a lot, which presents the same issue with getting up.

Now it's plow stops. The movement itself puts such extreme pressure on my aching hip.

I look around, and I know no one of these women would let a sore hip slow them down.

I suppose it's time to stop whining and suck it up.