We are currently in our 5th week of the 12 week official newbie practice. Yesterday August 30th, we started Blocking & HITTING! Up to now, we have been doing drills like: roller girl position(skate low w/knees bent & arms in front of you, bent at elbows), cross overs, controlled drops, pace lines, falling & recovery, footwork, run on toe stops, booty blocking, pack skating, smearing & swiping, sprinting and various endurance drills. Not to mention SQUATS, lunges, sit-ups...all the things I HATE!!!
I can feel my body changing...I feel stronger, and that is great! But yesterday everything went up a BIG notch. We started to block & hit each other. First we learned the correct way without our skates on. Then we put it all together with skates. That's where the real fun began! Man, I hope my bum pad gets here soon....
Each newbie was paired up with a vet. My experience went something like this...
"When I hit you, you ABSORB it with your body. And counter block me, by shifting your weight into it" (the"it" being the vets hit). OKAY!?...When she hit me, she started low & then popped upward with her whole body-- like she was going through me. Basically, she rattled every tooth in my mouth & that rattle went upward into my head and ear & rattled my brain around. SERIOUSLY! I even bit the side of my tongue. I realized that I wasn't really ready after all...insert mouth guard, so I don't have to go to the dentist after this practice.... We repeated this blocking & hitting over and over again. Then we put our skates on & did it with wheels on our feet!
Today I went to a Body Pump class (after I put ice on my upper arms & took ibuprofen). The class uses weights to help build/strengthen your arms, legs & core muscles. Yesterday's practice made me realize that I need to get a lot stronger/tougher to do this! So I am adding extra workouts to see if this will help me. From here on out, it is full on contact & each practice will build from the last. This is the real deal moment for me. Someone asked me if roller derby was staged. Nope, it's the real deal. Any hits you see out there are REAL!
"This might not be for you, and that is okay". We were told this from the very beginning & now I get it. You just don't know how you're going to feel about being hit, until well-- you are hit! So here I am...getting my ass handed to me, wondering if I REALLY can do this, and yet I want to continue on. Because it's actually been FUN-- mixed in with some body pain. Yup, strange as that is...it fits with something else they told us from the very beginning, "Please...always have fun! This is the most important thing to remember". For now, I am still having "FUN!". So, I'm putting all my doubts aside and will see what the next practice brings...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Pancakes, Bout, Boot Camp and Orientation
This entry is to play catch up...I started this blog after months of derby stuff.
A SUMMARY:
While still not admitting that I wanted to SKATE on the team, I went to a BCB's fundraiser event. Basically, I went to check out the girls. To get a feel for what they were like. It was an all you can eat pancake breakfast held at The Urban Ecology Center in downtown Milwaukee (a very cool place! The UEC took over a neglected park in the city & turned it into this amazing space for kids & adults with tons of educational programs). While eating pancakes, Willie & I sat with a group of people we didn't know. We started to chat and we learned alot about the BCB's. These people were very open and friendly to us. So I ended up volunteering for the BCB's next bout.
The bout was the championship game on May 9, 2009, Maiden Milwaukee versus the Rushin' Rollettes, the Roulettes won. For volunteering I got a free ticket into the bout & I got a free BCB's t-shirt. My job was to make sure the fans (it looked like 1500 fans were there) didn't get onto the track and spill their beer all over. If they did I was there to clean it up. None of this happened, so I got to watch. I had no clue what the rules were. They flew around the track and made it look so easy! I WANTED to do that! So I ended up at a boot camp. The boot camp was the very next day on May 10, 2009. The BCB's offered boot camps from April through July once a month. These were not mandatory, but "highly encouraged" before the start of the official training on August 2, 2009.
When was the last time I had roller skates on my feet? A looong time ago...well over 20 years! I did roller blade about 10 years ago. (roller blades are made fun of--"we don't just have a pair we have QUADS!") I switched to ice skates when I moved to Alaska from Florida and from there onto hockey skates.
On the day of the boot camp I needed quad skates (old school!). We drove to Sports Authority and I bought a pair of "Roller Derby" Magnum M1 men's skates, for like 60 bucks. I skated for the 1st time (on quad) skates outside in the driveway. Then I went to the Bootcamp. Huh, this should be interesting...I get to THE WAREHOUSE where the BCB's practice. I was soooooo nervous & trying to talk myself out of this. Willie said, "Just GO and see if you like it!".
Previous to the boot camp: you have to have all the safety gear(helmet, mouth guard, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards) to wear. The BCB's were great about letting us borrow their pads and SKATES. This way we didn't have the added expense of buying all the gear--before we knew for sure that this was really something we'd want to do after the boot camp experience. The mouth piece was the one exception for obvious reasons. So I bought that with the skates (they didn't have my size skates to borrow) on the same day as the boot camp.
Boot camp was in the warehouse that the BCB's practice in. It was 3 HOURS! Now realize, I have been a sack of potatoes for well over...well a loooong time! Boot camp scared the crap out of me! I arrived at the warehouse. There were boxes filled with gear for us to use. I found pads and a helmet (thanks Pound!) for me to use. I sat on the floor by the other "fresh meat" and I put on the gear and skates.
The track-- which is a concrete floor, has the red marks for the actual legal derby track marked on it. After we skate/warm up, it started... we hear the whistle blow & we do drill after drill with water breaks fit in. Drills like basic roller girl (RG) position=bend at knees & hips with shoulders back, crossovers, endurance, stops, falls, run on your toe stops & sprint until the whistle blows ,come to a complete stop, skating with others-- pair up with another skater & do whip/assist= you reach out w/your hand for her to grab & you pull her past you- then you switch. 3 Hours later it was over.
I SERIOUSLY could hardly move. My quadriceps were gone. I was shaky in my body, I felt like jello. I recommend that if anyone wants to go to a derby boot camp working out 1st would make it so much easier on your body! I went down the stairs to the parking lot, Willie was waiting for me. Thank God I didn't have to drive after that workout. He took one look at me and thought, she hated it! He asked me, "How was it?" I said, "it was the hardest thing I had ever done but, I LOVED IT!". The best part to me was the whip/assist part. I loved whipping my partner around. Even though I was completely out of shape & now physically wasted, I knew I wanted to TRY to do this!
Willie took me to Leon's Frozen Custard stand(a Milwaukee must do!) as a reward. When we got home I went right into the bathtub for a super hot bath(I should have used ice!) with mineral salts for hours. I couldn't walk right for days. Sitting down- I had to use my arms to lower my body down. I felt my quadriceps were torn. I was a mess for a good 3 weeks before my inner thighs/groin were not at the fore front of all my thoughts. Thigh pain was always on my mind. At one point, I questioned if I had actually really injured my poor body(is it because I am 40 that I feel this bad? Or, is it just because I'm so out of shape?). But finally all the pain & soreness and that ache-y feeling-- like I had the flu went away. I planned to work out before the official newbie training started. I didn't. Call me a glutton for punishment or I'm just an idiot!
Next up was the Newbie Orientation on July 8, 2009. This was a mandatory meeting where we found out how the official training would go. We learned about their mission statement, that they are a skater-owned and operated league. About the WFTDA skills test, the draft, cuts, team placement, roller derby & BCB's history-- they started in December 2005. What to expect being a roller girl, how to take care of yourself, ice therapy, build your hamstrings, squats!!!, safety equipment, buying new skates(leather or synthetic?), skater name registration, BCB's bylaws, attendance policy, code of conduct, participation agreements, medical & emergency contact information, proof of health insurance, And the 2 BIG ones: 1) This might not be for you, and that's okay! 2) Please...always have fun!
So there you have it! After the orientation I had 3 weeks and 3 days before the official training would begin. The orientation is when I truly felt committed to doing this. I started to skate outside in preparation (endurance) for the beginning of The BCB's Official Training...I quickly realized that my training was not enough! I'm getting in shape at the practices rather than already being in shape and learning the game, not the ideal way to go but that is what it is.
A SUMMARY:
While still not admitting that I wanted to SKATE on the team, I went to a BCB's fundraiser event. Basically, I went to check out the girls. To get a feel for what they were like. It was an all you can eat pancake breakfast held at The Urban Ecology Center in downtown Milwaukee (a very cool place! The UEC took over a neglected park in the city & turned it into this amazing space for kids & adults with tons of educational programs). While eating pancakes, Willie & I sat with a group of people we didn't know. We started to chat and we learned alot about the BCB's. These people were very open and friendly to us. So I ended up volunteering for the BCB's next bout.
The bout was the championship game on May 9, 2009, Maiden Milwaukee versus the Rushin' Rollettes, the Roulettes won. For volunteering I got a free ticket into the bout & I got a free BCB's t-shirt. My job was to make sure the fans (it looked like 1500 fans were there) didn't get onto the track and spill their beer all over. If they did I was there to clean it up. None of this happened, so I got to watch. I had no clue what the rules were. They flew around the track and made it look so easy! I WANTED to do that! So I ended up at a boot camp. The boot camp was the very next day on May 10, 2009. The BCB's offered boot camps from April through July once a month. These were not mandatory, but "highly encouraged" before the start of the official training on August 2, 2009.
When was the last time I had roller skates on my feet? A looong time ago...well over 20 years! I did roller blade about 10 years ago. (roller blades are made fun of--"we don't just have a pair we have QUADS!") I switched to ice skates when I moved to Alaska from Florida and from there onto hockey skates.
On the day of the boot camp I needed quad skates (old school!). We drove to Sports Authority and I bought a pair of "Roller Derby" Magnum M1 men's skates, for like 60 bucks. I skated for the 1st time (on quad) skates outside in the driveway. Then I went to the Bootcamp. Huh, this should be interesting...I get to THE WAREHOUSE where the BCB's practice. I was soooooo nervous & trying to talk myself out of this. Willie said, "Just GO and see if you like it!".
Previous to the boot camp: you have to have all the safety gear(helmet, mouth guard, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards) to wear. The BCB's were great about letting us borrow their pads and SKATES. This way we didn't have the added expense of buying all the gear--before we knew for sure that this was really something we'd want to do after the boot camp experience. The mouth piece was the one exception for obvious reasons. So I bought that with the skates (they didn't have my size skates to borrow) on the same day as the boot camp.
Boot camp was in the warehouse that the BCB's practice in. It was 3 HOURS! Now realize, I have been a sack of potatoes for well over...well a loooong time! Boot camp scared the crap out of me! I arrived at the warehouse. There were boxes filled with gear for us to use. I found pads and a helmet (thanks Pound!) for me to use. I sat on the floor by the other "fresh meat" and I put on the gear and skates.
The track-- which is a concrete floor, has the red marks for the actual legal derby track marked on it. After we skate/warm up, it started... we hear the whistle blow & we do drill after drill with water breaks fit in. Drills like basic roller girl (RG) position=bend at knees & hips with shoulders back, crossovers, endurance, stops, falls, run on your toe stops & sprint until the whistle blows ,come to a complete stop, skating with others-- pair up with another skater & do whip/assist= you reach out w/your hand for her to grab & you pull her past you- then you switch. 3 Hours later it was over.
I SERIOUSLY could hardly move. My quadriceps were gone. I was shaky in my body, I felt like jello. I recommend that if anyone wants to go to a derby boot camp working out 1st would make it so much easier on your body! I went down the stairs to the parking lot, Willie was waiting for me. Thank God I didn't have to drive after that workout. He took one look at me and thought, she hated it! He asked me, "How was it?" I said, "it was the hardest thing I had ever done but, I LOVED IT!". The best part to me was the whip/assist part. I loved whipping my partner around. Even though I was completely out of shape & now physically wasted, I knew I wanted to TRY to do this!
Willie took me to Leon's Frozen Custard stand(a Milwaukee must do!) as a reward. When we got home I went right into the bathtub for a super hot bath(I should have used ice!) with mineral salts for hours. I couldn't walk right for days. Sitting down- I had to use my arms to lower my body down. I felt my quadriceps were torn. I was a mess for a good 3 weeks before my inner thighs/groin were not at the fore front of all my thoughts. Thigh pain was always on my mind. At one point, I questioned if I had actually really injured my poor body(is it because I am 40 that I feel this bad? Or, is it just because I'm so out of shape?). But finally all the pain & soreness and that ache-y feeling-- like I had the flu went away. I planned to work out before the official newbie training started. I didn't. Call me a glutton for punishment or I'm just an idiot!
Next up was the Newbie Orientation on July 8, 2009. This was a mandatory meeting where we found out how the official training would go. We learned about their mission statement, that they are a skater-owned and operated league. About the WFTDA skills test, the draft, cuts, team placement, roller derby & BCB's history-- they started in December 2005. What to expect being a roller girl, how to take care of yourself, ice therapy, build your hamstrings, squats!!!, safety equipment, buying new skates(leather or synthetic?), skater name registration, BCB's bylaws, attendance policy, code of conduct, participation agreements, medical & emergency contact information, proof of health insurance, And the 2 BIG ones: 1) This might not be for you, and that's okay! 2) Please...always have fun!
So there you have it! After the orientation I had 3 weeks and 3 days before the official training would begin. The orientation is when I truly felt committed to doing this. I started to skate outside in preparation (endurance) for the beginning of The BCB's Official Training...I quickly realized that my training was not enough! I'm getting in shape at the practices rather than already being in shape and learning the game, not the ideal way to go but that is what it is.
Julie and Julia
I saw the movie Julie and Julia the other night. I think this would have been a much easier blog to do. Cooking my way through a year of french recipes, instead of getting into shape by trying out for a roller derby team. But, a year of that much butter is NOT the way that I should go. Maybe I should cook my way through the weight watchers cookbook...that would be better. But, I really don't like to cook...so I'll stick with this derby blog instead. Today the Julie and Julia thing made me think about what I learned last night. I learned that nation wide, in the derby, there are "derby wives". Yup, I guess you pair up with another roller girl (she could even be on a different team) and, I don't know...cook together? I think it's something about having each others back, sharing a bond of friendship, a relationship with the shared link of roller derby love. I'll have to get more info on this. All I know is that it is happening out there & I just heard about it...I'll keep ya posted...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
What's Roller Derby?
I took this out of the BCB's book they give out at the games.
The Objectives:
Each pack starts with: 1 pivot from each team (they have stripes on their helmets), and 3 blockers from each team. There is also 1 jammer from each team located behind the pack (they have stars on their helmets).
The whistle blows and the pack is off. Two whistles blow and the jammers start sprinting their way through the pack. The first jammer that gets past the pack (legally!) is your LEAD JAMMER.
When the jammer comes around again, they begin scoring points based on how many opposing players they pass (legally). The jam lasts a maximum of 2 minutes, but the lead jammer can call it off.
At the end of the game, the team with the most points WINS!
POSITIONS:
JAMMER: Tears through the pack & scores points by passing members of the opposing team. She wears the helmet with a star.
PIVOT: Sets the pace for the pack and is the last line of defense. She wears the helmet with a stripe.
BLOCKERS: Tries to stop the jammer and makes life difficult for the opposing team's blockers.
The Objectives:
Each pack starts with: 1 pivot from each team (they have stripes on their helmets), and 3 blockers from each team. There is also 1 jammer from each team located behind the pack (they have stars on their helmets).
The whistle blows and the pack is off. Two whistles blow and the jammers start sprinting their way through the pack. The first jammer that gets past the pack (legally!) is your LEAD JAMMER.
When the jammer comes around again, they begin scoring points based on how many opposing players they pass (legally). The jam lasts a maximum of 2 minutes, but the lead jammer can call it off.
At the end of the game, the team with the most points WINS!
POSITIONS:
JAMMER: Tears through the pack & scores points by passing members of the opposing team. She wears the helmet with a star.
PIVOT: Sets the pace for the pack and is the last line of defense. She wears the helmet with a stripe.
BLOCKERS: Tries to stop the jammer and makes life difficult for the opposing team's blockers.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Fresh Brew Orientation
I have had lots of questions. So, I will start to answer some of them here:
Freshbrew is what we are called. It's much nicer than what we were 1st called at the boot camps over the summer (I will get to the boot camp at another time) which was Fresh Meat. I assumed we would be referred to as fresh meat all the way until the next round of newbies 1 year from now. I don't know who changed it to Freshbrew, but that's so much nicer-- Thank you!
Who are these Roller Girls? They are from every walk of life. Stay at home mom's, professionals, lawyer's, artists, retail/business owners, waitress, massage therapist, journalist for the A.P., college students, etc... They have busy full lives going & are roller girls. Ages 21 and up. You have to be legal drinking age. All different skill levels, sizes & shapes. Our coach said, "what other sport out there can you be over 6 foot tall & 200 pounds and still be an athlete? As a women, you don't have to fit into a certain (body image) category with roller derby...". This is what sold me on doing this. I went to a fundraiser they had & met the ladies. They were a great group of women. They are athletes. They are about empowering women. They are about community service here in Milwaukee. In their own words, "The Brewcity Bruisers represent ladies of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, attitude and skill levels. It is our goal to promote women's strength & self esteem and to create a sense of camaraderie and friendship among our members that will also be extended to the community through support to local businesses, arts and charities". I think they are bad asses & very multi-dimensional!I hope I make the cut to skate with them!
What's the TEAM???? This is where I should have started. The League is the Brewcity Bruisers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are the umbrella that has 4 teams. The teams are the Crazy 8's, Maiden Milwaukee, Rushin' Rollettes, and the Shevil Knevils. Each team has 20 roller girls. So the league is 80 women. I don't know how many spots are open for us freshbrews, there are about 25 of us trying out. The draft will be on Sunday, October 11, 2009. On Sunday, October 18, (if I make the team)-- all league practices start with your team! The 1st bout is on January 16th. So, how long this blog will go is to be determined at the draft/cut.
The Brewcity Bruisers are part of The Women's Flat Track Derby Association-- "Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.". We have to pass the WFTDA Skills Tests to get onto a team. These are minimum skills required to be a roller girl, as to not hurt others or yourself. Like FALLING FORWARD & getting back up within 2 seconds. I need to work on this one!
One last note for now... we have to pick a derby name. So any suggestion would be great. I already have one that I am using, but it can be changed right up to the draft. Then you have to register your roller girl name (this is nation wide, you cannot have another girls name). I will keep the one I am currently using as a secret for 2 reasons. One, I might like your name better. Two, it is on a 1st come 1st serve basis to register your name. Someone could get the name before me if their team picks before the BCB's. (I have to 1st get on the team to register my name). That happens after you get drafted onto a team.
There is tons more to say, but I am fitting this blog in with the rest of my life. So to be continued... and with more photos...
I had a request for more photos. I love photos too. But, both of our digital cameras have been dropped. I do not have a working camera right now. Sorry! But when I get a new one I'll be sure to add lots of photos then.
Freshbrew is what we are called. It's much nicer than what we were 1st called at the boot camps over the summer (I will get to the boot camp at another time) which was Fresh Meat. I assumed we would be referred to as fresh meat all the way until the next round of newbies 1 year from now. I don't know who changed it to Freshbrew, but that's so much nicer-- Thank you!
Who are these Roller Girls? They are from every walk of life. Stay at home mom's, professionals, lawyer's, artists, retail/business owners, waitress, massage therapist, journalist for the A.P., college students, etc... They have busy full lives going & are roller girls. Ages 21 and up. You have to be legal drinking age. All different skill levels, sizes & shapes. Our coach said, "what other sport out there can you be over 6 foot tall & 200 pounds and still be an athlete? As a women, you don't have to fit into a certain (body image) category with roller derby...". This is what sold me on doing this. I went to a fundraiser they had & met the ladies. They were a great group of women. They are athletes. They are about empowering women. They are about community service here in Milwaukee. In their own words, "The Brewcity Bruisers represent ladies of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, attitude and skill levels. It is our goal to promote women's strength & self esteem and to create a sense of camaraderie and friendship among our members that will also be extended to the community through support to local businesses, arts and charities". I think they are bad asses & very multi-dimensional!I hope I make the cut to skate with them!
What's the TEAM???? This is where I should have started. The League is the Brewcity Bruisers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are the umbrella that has 4 teams. The teams are the Crazy 8's, Maiden Milwaukee, Rushin' Rollettes, and the Shevil Knevils. Each team has 20 roller girls. So the league is 80 women. I don't know how many spots are open for us freshbrews, there are about 25 of us trying out. The draft will be on Sunday, October 11, 2009. On Sunday, October 18, (if I make the team)-- all league practices start with your team! The 1st bout is on January 16th. So, how long this blog will go is to be determined at the draft/cut.
The Brewcity Bruisers are part of The Women's Flat Track Derby Association-- "Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.". We have to pass the WFTDA Skills Tests to get onto a team. These are minimum skills required to be a roller girl, as to not hurt others or yourself. Like FALLING FORWARD & getting back up within 2 seconds. I need to work on this one!
One last note for now... we have to pick a derby name. So any suggestion would be great. I already have one that I am using, but it can be changed right up to the draft. Then you have to register your roller girl name (this is nation wide, you cannot have another girls name). I will keep the one I am currently using as a secret for 2 reasons. One, I might like your name better. Two, it is on a 1st come 1st serve basis to register your name. Someone could get the name before me if their team picks before the BCB's. (I have to 1st get on the team to register my name). That happens after you get drafted onto a team.
There is tons more to say, but I am fitting this blog in with the rest of my life. So to be continued... and with more photos...
I had a request for more photos. I love photos too. But, both of our digital cameras have been dropped. I do not have a working camera right now. Sorry! But when I get a new one I'll be sure to add lots of photos then.
Yesterday's internet purchase...
I bought the "ass pad " (it's really called a Bumsaver) yesterday. Because at Sunday's practice 8/23, we started to do booty blocking (just what it says), smearing/swiping (you skate in front of the other rollergirl-- in a position like you are going to the toilet (sorry, but this is the only way to describe it). Our coach says, "like you are going to take a shit". And, smear/swipe your booty into the front of that rollergirls body. Yes, booty smearing/swiping. Then there is the shoulder to shoulder, side of your body, hip & leg push.? (i can't remember what this drill was called?) Basically, push as hard as you can against the other girl's shoulder, side of body, and leg (while skating forward around the track) until the strongest girl PUTS the other out of bounds.
In the course of these drills, I was pared with a much smaller girl. I found that she was small, but solid MUSCLE! We were engaged in the "PUT the other out of bounds" when our skate wheels locked into each other & she started to fall. In the process she elbowed me hard in my right breast. Then she caught herself by switching her balance to her other skate. I on the other hand, was PUT out of bounds by her. I landed on my ample booty hard... (this reminds me of 2 winters ago in Denali trying to learn how to play hockey at Speaks outside lake. When Oliver's grandmother put me down & I could hardly walk for 3 days after!)
We have been told REPEATLY by our coach, who has been teaching us to fall FORWARD with tons of drills, that falling on your booty is like, "damn, you are soooooo a beginner! Not good! You can get hurt falling backwards". We do falling drill after falling drill so it will become automatic to fall forward. Falling forward is good, we have all the pads for protection. Falling backwards can = injury!
Now I've fallen on my booty (which is BAD) and it hurts! Now I'm the most UN-COOL girl out there in pain! So, I think ASS PAD! Let's really be the most un-cool girl out there! No one wears one-- NO ONE! (Even the place I bought it from, Sin City Skates website has under the bumsaver description, "Pad yr ass if you must, but pls learn to slide forward when you're falling! SERIOUS protection that could help in the meantime."). It crossed my mind before I started this to have one, but again NO ONE wears one! I'm trying not to look like an "ass" out there, so I didn't get one. But again, the 40 thing...I really don't want to get hurt & I already look like an ass...So I decide I NEED a bumsaver. At least until I can learn to fall correctly, ie FORWARD ONLY!!!!! I will let you know when I get it in the mail & actually wear it to practice! This should be embarrassing!
PS. I am very sorry if I offend anyone with the curse words. I have thought about writing this PG, but this is how it is.... so I decided to just write...uncensored. I hope you are okay with that. If not, I am truly sorry if I offend!
In the course of these drills, I was pared with a much smaller girl. I found that she was small, but solid MUSCLE! We were engaged in the "PUT the other out of bounds" when our skate wheels locked into each other & she started to fall. In the process she elbowed me hard in my right breast. Then she caught herself by switching her balance to her other skate. I on the other hand, was PUT out of bounds by her. I landed on my ample booty hard... (this reminds me of 2 winters ago in Denali trying to learn how to play hockey at Speaks outside lake. When Oliver's grandmother put me down & I could hardly walk for 3 days after!)
We have been told REPEATLY by our coach, who has been teaching us to fall FORWARD with tons of drills, that falling on your booty is like, "damn, you are soooooo a beginner! Not good! You can get hurt falling backwards". We do falling drill after falling drill so it will become automatic to fall forward. Falling forward is good, we have all the pads for protection. Falling backwards can = injury!
Now I've fallen on my booty (which is BAD) and it hurts! Now I'm the most UN-COOL girl out there in pain! So, I think ASS PAD! Let's really be the most un-cool girl out there! No one wears one-- NO ONE! (Even the place I bought it from, Sin City Skates website has under the bumsaver description, "Pad yr ass if you must, but pls learn to slide forward when you're falling! SERIOUS protection that could help in the meantime."). It crossed my mind before I started this to have one, but again NO ONE wears one! I'm trying not to look like an "ass" out there, so I didn't get one. But again, the 40 thing...I really don't want to get hurt & I already look like an ass...So I decide I NEED a bumsaver. At least until I can learn to fall correctly, ie FORWARD ONLY!!!!! I will let you know when I get it in the mail & actually wear it to practice! This should be embarrassing!
PS. I am very sorry if I offend anyone with the curse words. I have thought about writing this PG, but this is how it is.... so I decided to just write...uncensored. I hope you are okay with that. If not, I am truly sorry if I offend!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Today I bought an Ass Pad!!!!!
I should start at the beginning...
Willie & I moved from Denali Nat'l Park, Alaska to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the middle of January 2009. Willie's nephew Jamie mentioned that, "the roller girls in Milwaukee (sometimes) would stop into the bar he worked at & party together-- after they had just kicked the shit out of each other on the track..." This one little comment started it all. "They have roller derby in Milwaukee? I've never been to a bout before. Maybe I could volunteer to help them out? Maybe I'd make some new friends...I don't have any friends in Milwaukee yet. I wonder if I could SKATE?--No way! (thinking all of this to myself) What am I thinking that I could be a roller girl? You are 40 years old now. You are completely out of shape....Blah, Blah, Blah....I can't do this!!!! BUT,
when I turned 40 I made a promise to myself that I would TRY to grow more as a person in all ways-- Mental & Physical. And I think Roller Derby is the perfect fit for me being mental & trying to get more physical! So I told myself that I would 1st admit that I want to SKATE on the roller derby team & 2nd stop those thoughts in my head telling me that I am too old & out of shape to do this at 40. SO,
today I bought an ass pad!
Willie & I moved from Denali Nat'l Park, Alaska to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the middle of January 2009. Willie's nephew Jamie mentioned that, "the roller girls in Milwaukee (sometimes) would stop into the bar he worked at & party together-- after they had just kicked the shit out of each other on the track..." This one little comment started it all. "They have roller derby in Milwaukee? I've never been to a bout before. Maybe I could volunteer to help them out? Maybe I'd make some new friends...I don't have any friends in Milwaukee yet. I wonder if I could SKATE?--No way! (thinking all of this to myself) What am I thinking that I could be a roller girl? You are 40 years old now. You are completely out of shape....Blah, Blah, Blah....I can't do this!!!! BUT,
when I turned 40 I made a promise to myself that I would TRY to grow more as a person in all ways-- Mental & Physical. And I think Roller Derby is the perfect fit for me being mental & trying to get more physical! So I told myself that I would 1st admit that I want to SKATE on the roller derby team & 2nd stop those thoughts in my head telling me that I am too old & out of shape to do this at 40. SO,
today I bought an ass pad!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
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