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.