Now now... I know what some of you may be thinking and that's not it. I decided when I started my derby odyssey I decided that I wasn't going to track my weight. I knew that my weight would probably go up, if anything - at least at the beginning - because I'd be building muscle.
Instead I decided to take all, and I mean ALL, of my measurements: upper arms, forearms, max chest, under chest, upper and lower belly, hips, upper thigh, lower thigh, and hips. I measured everything the weekend before my first practice.
It's now four full weeks later and I'm pleased to say that I've lost a total of 6.75 inches from everywhere. It's only a one month difference so I'm sure there is some margin of measuring error but I tried to take meticulous notes on where, exactly, to measure.
I've got a long way to go but it keeps me motivated to think about what I've accomplished so far, being the weight I am, and how much "easier" everything will be 75 pounds from now. That's like giving a ten year old a piggyback! I'm not measuring weight because I could really care less what that number is. It's much more about how I feel (yes, and how I look).
In other news, at open skate a bunch of us were practicing slides in preparation for our assessments this week. I didn't notice but my right kneepad was out of place. I did a rockstar slide with with Michele/Neon and only partially landed on my right knee pad. Ow.
Who needs ice packs when you have packages of shelled edamame in the freezer?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
POLL: Help me choose a derby name!
Edited to add potential skater numbers :-D
Hi everyone, I need some help! I've been thinking about derby names since I decided this was something I wanted to do back in September. After consulting with many people I've narrowed down my top choices but now I'm STUCK! Here is a little history behind each option:
Helen Carnate (Hell Incarnate)
#9050 °F (the approximate temperature at the center of the Earth)
Suggested by my husband. Slightly similar to Devlyn Carnate from the Bellingham Roller Betties but she's already given me permission if I want to register it.
Maid Amelia (Maid A Meal A Ya)
#2500 Cal
Also suggested by my husband. I can easily picture a photoshoot involving an oversized fork and knife and a napkin tucked in the front of my outfit. The risk is that people might not "get it" without explanation.
Em Sixteen (M-16)
#5.56 mm(the size of ammunition used in M-16's)
I was in the NH Army National Guard for 6 years and have been contemplating doing an army theme for a while. Lots of possibilities - I would totally attach a cheapie pair of plates to my old jungle boots for show (not for full skating).
Evelyn Syde (Evil Inside)
#486 DX (the last Intel CPU before Pentium processors)
Also suggested by my husband. There are lots of variations of Evil- Eve L.- but no Evelyn Syde. Kind of reminds me of Intel Inside which also represents my computer geeky side.
What do you think? Pretty please with sugar on top vote in my poll. It closes at 11:30pm on 2/4. :-D
Hi everyone, I need some help! I've been thinking about derby names since I decided this was something I wanted to do back in September. After consulting with many people I've narrowed down my top choices but now I'm STUCK! Here is a little history behind each option:
Helen Carnate (Hell Incarnate)
#9050 °F (the approximate temperature at the center of the Earth)
Suggested by my husband. Slightly similar to Devlyn Carnate from the Bellingham Roller Betties but she's already given me permission if I want to register it.
Maid Amelia (Maid A Meal A Ya)
#2500 Cal
Also suggested by my husband. I can easily picture a photoshoot involving an oversized fork and knife and a napkin tucked in the front of my outfit. The risk is that people might not "get it" without explanation.
Em Sixteen (M-16)
#5.56 mm(the size of ammunition used in M-16's)
I was in the NH Army National Guard for 6 years and have been contemplating doing an army theme for a while. Lots of possibilities - I would totally attach a cheapie pair of plates to my old jungle boots for show (not for full skating).
Evelyn Syde (Evil Inside)
#486 DX (the last Intel CPU before Pentium processors)
Also suggested by my husband. There are lots of variations of Evil- Eve L.- but no Evelyn Syde. Kind of reminds me of Intel Inside which also represents my computer geeky side.
What do you think? Pretty please with sugar on top vote in my poll. It closes at 11:30pm on 2/4. :-D
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Assessments and other musings...
Warning: I am going to ramble. There are a lot of derby-flavored things on my mind tonight so it will all come out in a likely incomprehensible order while I eat some beef stroganoff (YUM!).
So we freshies have hit our 8-practice mark (yay us!). This means it's assessment time. I'm a little apprehenvises because I *want* to do well but I know there are a couple of things I still struggle with (balancing on my right foot, T-stopping with my left foot, getting off the ground in 3 seconds, etc). Transitions also fall into the "bane of my existence" category but that's a level 2 skill.
I'm trying to stay positive - "Do or do not. There is no try" and all that but I know that I'm going to run into some challenges. It's difficult to think positive while mentally/emotionally preparing yourself for the possibility that I might not pass on the first go. The competitive bitch in my wants to do EVERYTHING on the first try but it doesn't always work that way and I need to make sure I'm ok with that.
That being said, I double checked with Empress tonight and she said that she or Vicious will talk us through the results of the entire assessment afterward so that's really helpful for me. I feel like I've gotten a LOT of encouragement (thank you, by the way) but not all that much constructive criticism so I'm really looking forward to the "review" bit.
Pause. God I love this Beef Stroganoff recipe. Rachel Ray *actual* 30-minute meal that is fabulously easy and super yummy.
One of the toughest things for me to get used to/deal with is the fact that I currently feel like I'm going through life with one of those marshmallow-man snow suits little kids wear permanently bonded to my body. I wasn't always this size. In my head I feel like I should just be able to unzip this fat suit, step out, and everything will be fabulous. Yet another thing that doesn't quite work that way in practice.
I *know* this will help me lose weight and I *know* it will get better but, as usual, I'm impatient. I was describing trying to do crossovers to L-Train today. It quite literally feels like I have pillows welded to the insides of my legs. It's not that I have clunky knee pads or anything, it's literally that my legs get in the way. I can do them (crossovers) but they feel clunky and awkward.
Progress is being made though. I think I mentioned last post that the first time we had endurance week, I was a puddle of cooked spaghetti that couldn't get up off the ground, despite Bettie and Hazel's help. This week, it still takes me a bit to get up but I *can* get up so hooray for small victories. This was also another practice without substantial back pain. I don't think I've seen the last of it but I'm hoping that I'm doing something right.
Pause. Lick stroganoff plate before the cats get to it.
I am amazed on a nearly daily basis how many people are interested in roller derby. I was at an offsite work meeting today and we had to say one interesting thing about ourselves. While there are lots of interesting/quirky/weird things about me (saved for another blog or ask me on facebook) I decided to say that I am learning to play roller derby since, looking at me, it's something somewhat unexpected.
At lunch time, I had a group of about three or four people from the meeting sit with me and ask me non-stop questions about derby. One older woman said she used to love watching it in the 70's and 80's and had no idea people were still doing it. "I would love to see a game!" Insert pimping of our first home bout in April. I ended up explaining everything I knew about it from the basics of the game to how we get assessed for safety purposes. The people I was talking to couldn't get enough. The more I told them, the more interested they were.
Looking at it from a marketing perspective there is massive potential out there to not only increase our number of skaters and volunteers but to grow our fan base by miles. It has me thinking of what could be done to raise awareness of roller derby as a sport and then pull the multitudes of intrigued people into our lovely world and get them hopelessly hooked. I will have to ask the old stinky meat if we have any sort of "roller derby basics" flyer on hand at bouts for the uninitiated. If not, I would love to design/write something like that. I think that people will be more likely to come back if they knew what was going on during the bouts.
Again, I tend to get really wound up about ideas and get carried away. Derby just has me TOTALLY excited and I want to help other people get totally excited too. That was why I joined the PR Department. Since I can't stop talking about derby, I may as well put my mouth to good use!
I'm trying to stay positive - "Do or do not. There is no try" and all that but I know that I'm going to run into some challenges. It's difficult to think positive while mentally/emotionally preparing yourself for the possibility that I might not pass on the first go. The competitive bitch in my wants to do EVERYTHING on the first try but it doesn't always work that way and I need to make sure I'm ok with that.
That being said, I double checked with Empress tonight and she said that she or Vicious will talk us through the results of the entire assessment afterward so that's really helpful for me. I feel like I've gotten a LOT of encouragement (thank you, by the way) but not all that much constructive criticism so I'm really looking forward to the "review" bit.
Pause. God I love this Beef Stroganoff recipe. Rachel Ray *actual* 30-minute meal that is fabulously easy and super yummy.
One of the toughest things for me to get used to/deal with is the fact that I currently feel like I'm going through life with one of those marshmallow-man snow suits little kids wear permanently bonded to my body. I wasn't always this size. In my head I feel like I should just be able to unzip this fat suit, step out, and everything will be fabulous. Yet another thing that doesn't quite work that way in practice.
I *know* this will help me lose weight and I *know* it will get better but, as usual, I'm impatient. I was describing trying to do crossovers to L-Train today. It quite literally feels like I have pillows welded to the insides of my legs. It's not that I have clunky knee pads or anything, it's literally that my legs get in the way. I can do them (crossovers) but they feel clunky and awkward.
Progress is being made though. I think I mentioned last post that the first time we had endurance week, I was a puddle of cooked spaghetti that couldn't get up off the ground, despite Bettie and Hazel's help. This week, it still takes me a bit to get up but I *can* get up so hooray for small victories. This was also another practice without substantial back pain. I don't think I've seen the last of it but I'm hoping that I'm doing something right.
Pause. Lick stroganoff plate before the cats get to it.
At lunch time, I had a group of about three or four people from the meeting sit with me and ask me non-stop questions about derby. One older woman said she used to love watching it in the 70's and 80's and had no idea people were still doing it. "I would love to see a game!" Insert pimping of our first home bout in April. I ended up explaining everything I knew about it from the basics of the game to how we get assessed for safety purposes. The people I was talking to couldn't get enough. The more I told them, the more interested they were.
Looking at it from a marketing perspective there is massive potential out there to not only increase our number of skaters and volunteers but to grow our fan base by miles. It has me thinking of what could be done to raise awareness of roller derby as a sport and then pull the multitudes of intrigued people into our lovely world and get them hopelessly hooked. I will have to ask the old stinky meat if we have any sort of "roller derby basics" flyer on hand at bouts for the uninitiated. If not, I would love to design/write something like that. I think that people will be more likely to come back if they knew what was going on during the bouts.
Again, I tend to get really wound up about ideas and get carried away. Derby just has me TOTALLY excited and I want to help other people get totally excited too. That was why I joined the PR Department. Since I can't stop talking about derby, I may as well put my mouth to good use!
Monday, January 25, 2010
A bit of progress...
Today started the fourth week of derby practices. That means we've cycled back around to endurance training. On endurance weeks we spend the first 30 minutes or so of practice doing plyometrics - squats, lunges, mountain climbers, iron mikes, and all sorts of other hellish things that one day won't be quite so hellish.
We did a loooooong drill called "The Black Widow". If it sounds ominous, that's because it is. 30 minutes (apparently it's *supposed* to be 45) of non-stop skating. Things get mixed up - sprints, figure eights, sticky skates, squats,knee-touches - but you're going for 30 minutes. Correction: you *try* to go for 30 minutes.
I made the mistake of putting my Dr. Scholls arch support doohickeys back in my skates thinking they'd help my feet. They didn't. In fact, they made them cramp up faster than ever before. After only a few minutes of skating I had to stop, pull them out, and flex my feet until the cramps went away. The damage had been don't though as my feet were mostly cramped all night. I'm sitting here sipping chocolate milk and writing this and they're still somewhat cramped!
I ended up having to stop a few times during the drill. The good news is that it wasn't because of my back *small victory*. The bad news is that I had to stop. My goal for the next endurance week (three weeks from now) that I won't have to stop during the drill. I tried to concentrate on skating low but keeping my torso more upright to ease the back cramps I've been having. It seemed to work, although the three advil I took an hour before practice may have contributed as well.
The back thing I know will be ongoing until I get into better shape. My immediate stumbling block appears to be transitions. I can skate forward and I can sort of skate backward, but moving between the two is eluding me. I seem to be able to do them while standing still but as soon as I try them while rolling I just end up stopping myself. I guess I have my work in open skates cut out for me for a while!
We did a loooooong drill called "The Black Widow". If it sounds ominous, that's because it is. 30 minutes (apparently it's *supposed* to be 45) of non-stop skating. Things get mixed up - sprints, figure eights, sticky skates, squats,knee-touches - but you're going for 30 minutes. Correction: you *try* to go for 30 minutes.
I made the mistake of putting my Dr. Scholls arch support doohickeys back in my skates thinking they'd help my feet. They didn't. In fact, they made them cramp up faster than ever before. After only a few minutes of skating I had to stop, pull them out, and flex my feet until the cramps went away. The damage had been don't though as my feet were mostly cramped all night. I'm sitting here sipping chocolate milk and writing this and they're still somewhat cramped!
I ended up having to stop a few times during the drill. The good news is that it wasn't because of my back *small victory*. The bad news is that I had to stop. My goal for the next endurance week (three weeks from now) that I won't have to stop during the drill. I tried to concentrate on skating low but keeping my torso more upright to ease the back cramps I've been having. It seemed to work, although the three advil I took an hour before practice may have contributed as well.
The back thing I know will be ongoing until I get into better shape. My immediate stumbling block appears to be transitions. I can skate forward and I can sort of skate backward, but moving between the two is eluding me. I seem to be able to do them while standing still but as soon as I try them while rolling I just end up stopping myself. I guess I have my work in open skates cut out for me for a while!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Photo shoot!
I went to my very first NHRD photoshoot today. It is WAY too soon for me to get my photos done but I wanted to go A) To get to know some of the people on the league better than I could during practice) and B) To see what different people do and the process they go through before it's my turn.
After a snafu with the start time I made it to Manchester by about 11:30 which turned out to be way early. I ran into Trixie while I was buying something to drink in CVS next door to the studio where we were doing the shoot. She knew who I was which was nice - sometime I feel like I should wear my helmet with my name on it at all times for derby functions. :-P
We were let into the studio a bit early and I helped her get setup. Pixie showed up a bit later followed closely by Bettie and Vicious (the lovely hair and makeup artists). I designated myself as munchie go-fer but was glad I got to watch most of the shoot. Pixie, Tank'd, Tiara, Chicana, DKB, Roxie, StingHer, and Honey all had shots done. Everyone is so creative! I can't wait to see the new shots on the FABULOUS new website Trixie is working on. I'm hoping I'll be able to find a cool enough name (don't want to post my ideas until they're submitted) and a theme to go with it.
We went to Margaritas afterward for some noms and adult beverages. I had a taco salad which was nice despite being a bit heavy on the cilantro. Pixie had some extra seasoning in her salad in the form of a soggy, cilantro-covered receipt. I had a great time and really enjoyed the chance to get to known Trixie, Pixie, Bettie, Roxie, and DKB a bit better. Thanks for letting the freshie tag along!
In other news I went out and acquired a 65 cm inflatable exercise ball last night. I've got it all blown up now I just need to make some space in the living room. I think Trixie is going to send me some back exercises too. I'm frustrated that I'm having to drop out of some drills early because of my back and want to do what I can to make the issue go away - or at least get a little bit better.
Rules training and off-skates calisthenics this week. Butt... prepare to be kicked again!
After a snafu with the start time I made it to Manchester by about 11:30 which turned out to be way early. I ran into Trixie while I was buying something to drink in CVS next door to the studio where we were doing the shoot. She knew who I was which was nice - sometime I feel like I should wear my helmet with my name on it at all times for derby functions. :-P
We were let into the studio a bit early and I helped her get setup. Pixie showed up a bit later followed closely by Bettie and Vicious (the lovely hair and makeup artists). I designated myself as munchie go-fer but was glad I got to watch most of the shoot. Pixie, Tank'd, Tiara, Chicana, DKB, Roxie, StingHer, and Honey all had shots done. Everyone is so creative! I can't wait to see the new shots on the FABULOUS new website Trixie is working on. I'm hoping I'll be able to find a cool enough name (don't want to post my ideas until they're submitted) and a theme to go with it.
We went to Margaritas afterward for some noms and adult beverages. I had a taco salad which was nice despite being a bit heavy on the cilantro. Pixie had some extra seasoning in her salad in the form of a soggy, cilantro-covered receipt. I had a great time and really enjoyed the chance to get to known Trixie, Pixie, Bettie, Roxie, and DKB a bit better. Thanks for letting the freshie tag along!
In other news I went out and acquired a 65 cm inflatable exercise ball last night. I've got it all blown up now I just need to make some space in the living room. I think Trixie is going to send me some back exercises too. I'm frustrated that I'm having to drop out of some drills early because of my back and want to do what I can to make the issue go away - or at least get a little bit better.
Rules training and off-skates calisthenics this week. Butt... prepare to be kicked again!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Six practices in...
After three weeks I am pleased to say that I am still in one piece, although not progressing as fast as I would like to be. We (the January class of freshies) have started to learn some "derby skills" like swoops, Johnny Rockets (the non-contact variety for us), hip whips, and pushes.
Tuesday evening was a great small-group practice as it was made optional due to snow. Me, FM Kiersten, and FM Jesenik represented the freshmeat and there was a nice selection of old stinky meat on hand to help out. We did our first pack skating and I finally think I'm getting the mechanics of "eight on the floor" - where you propel yourself without lifting your skates off the ground. We did a really fun drill where we lined up and hip whipped ourselves from the back of the pack to the front of the pack. I was a little timid at first and not really pulling on the person in front of me but I caught on after about three or four people.
My back continues to be my achilles heel (if that makes any sense). I feel like I have the mechanics of what we've learned so far down, or close to down but I can only sustain things like low pack skating for five minutes or so and then my lower back completely cramps up. Betty has said that is about lack of core strength (and the extra belly weight probably doesn't help) so after I finish writing this I'm off to clear a spot in the living room to do some crunches - there may be a big exercise ball purchase in my future.
If I understood correctly, after twelve practices the freshies are eligible to choose a derby name. I'm halfway there and to be honest, it feels like twelve practices (six weeks) would be early. I don't feel like I've done enough to earn one yet. I'm completely serious about derby - it's fantastic - and I plan to do it until I can't (and then ref or volunteer once I can't) but I don't fully *feel* like a derby girl yet. Maybe it will be better after I pass my level one assessment. Maybe it won't be until I don't have to drop out of a drill because it feels like my back is seizing up. I know that eventually I will feel like I'm getting there, I just don't quite yet.
I have been known to obsess over things I'm excited about. I have to remind myself that I'm new and people might not always want to hear my ideas for things. I feel like I should spend a bit more time with my ears open and my mouth closed but sometimes ideas leak out anyway. I work on little things on my own and file them away for a time when I feel comfortable asking the league or committee if they would find xxxxxx project or idea helpful. The last thing I want to be is the annoying new person who won't shut up. I just get really excited, that's all!
I will talk about roller derby to anyone who expresses the slightest interest. I've told at least five people (three of them complete strangers) about our next recruitment night. I get warm fuzzies when I'm able to put to rest some people's miconceptions or outdated ideas of what modern WFTDA derby is. "Do you skate around punching people in the face?" Nope. "You must have to really big and rough to do that!" Nope. Small and rough works too! I went to hang a Ball flyer in a salon in Milford and ended up writing the website and recruitment night information on a card for one of the stylists. It's infectious in a completely awesome way. We need a derby pandemic!
I find these days that even though practices are mentally tough for me (I'm very hard on myself when I don't perform where I *think* I should be) I have a great time and look forward to them every week with a mix of giddiness and a pinch of worry. I can't get on skates enough. I get frustrated when I try to go to a Saturday morning open skate and the parking lot is so full I can't get a space and can't skate. It sounds like I'm going to miss the Sunday open skate since I'm helping out with the photoshoot tomorrow and we're going out for beverages after.
Six practices in and I'm still loving derby and the lovely ladies of NHRD that make it so awesome! <3
Tuesday evening was a great small-group practice as it was made optional due to snow. Me, FM Kiersten, and FM Jesenik represented the freshmeat and there was a nice selection of old stinky meat on hand to help out. We did our first pack skating and I finally think I'm getting the mechanics of "eight on the floor" - where you propel yourself without lifting your skates off the ground. We did a really fun drill where we lined up and hip whipped ourselves from the back of the pack to the front of the pack. I was a little timid at first and not really pulling on the person in front of me but I caught on after about three or four people.
My back continues to be my achilles heel (if that makes any sense). I feel like I have the mechanics of what we've learned so far down, or close to down but I can only sustain things like low pack skating for five minutes or so and then my lower back completely cramps up. Betty has said that is about lack of core strength (and the extra belly weight probably doesn't help) so after I finish writing this I'm off to clear a spot in the living room to do some crunches - there may be a big exercise ball purchase in my future.
If I understood correctly, after twelve practices the freshies are eligible to choose a derby name. I'm halfway there and to be honest, it feels like twelve practices (six weeks) would be early. I don't feel like I've done enough to earn one yet. I'm completely serious about derby - it's fantastic - and I plan to do it until I can't (and then ref or volunteer once I can't) but I don't fully *feel* like a derby girl yet. Maybe it will be better after I pass my level one assessment. Maybe it won't be until I don't have to drop out of a drill because it feels like my back is seizing up. I know that eventually I will feel like I'm getting there, I just don't quite yet.
I have been known to obsess over things I'm excited about. I have to remind myself that I'm new and people might not always want to hear my ideas for things. I feel like I should spend a bit more time with my ears open and my mouth closed but sometimes ideas leak out anyway. I work on little things on my own and file them away for a time when I feel comfortable asking the league or committee if they would find xxxxxx project or idea helpful. The last thing I want to be is the annoying new person who won't shut up. I just get really excited, that's all!
I will talk about roller derby to anyone who expresses the slightest interest. I've told at least five people (three of them complete strangers) about our next recruitment night. I get warm fuzzies when I'm able to put to rest some people's miconceptions or outdated ideas of what modern WFTDA derby is. "Do you skate around punching people in the face?" Nope. "You must have to really big and rough to do that!" Nope. Small and rough works too! I went to hang a Ball flyer in a salon in Milford and ended up writing the website and recruitment night information on a card for one of the stylists. It's infectious in a completely awesome way. We need a derby pandemic!
I find these days that even though practices are mentally tough for me (I'm very hard on myself when I don't perform where I *think* I should be) I have a great time and look forward to them every week with a mix of giddiness and a pinch of worry. I can't get on skates enough. I get frustrated when I try to go to a Saturday morning open skate and the parking lot is so full I can't get a space and can't skate. It sounds like I'm going to miss the Sunday open skate since I'm helping out with the photoshoot tomorrow and we're going out for beverages after.
Six practices in and I'm still loving derby and the lovely ladies of NHRD that make it so awesome! <3
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sisterhood of the Travelling Booty Pants
I don't remember where I read it but whoever wrote it wasn't kidding when they said that you make insta-friends when you join a derby league! Every single member of NHRD I have met so far has been fabulous. They are unbelievably caring people doling out endless encouragement.
It started with (I think) Hazel and Bettie trying to help me up off the ground when I bailed during a drill at my very first practice. The hardcore (to me) calisthenics kicked my arse and skating afterward was like trying to push off with cooked spaghetti. I know *how* to get up off the floor, my legs just simply were not working. I tried pushing off of the two lovely ladies that had come to my rescue and STILL couldn't do it (totally embarrassing). Eventually I made it to a cone for stability and hauled myself up.
Everyone has been so friendly, social, and encouraging - even if the progress made is miniscule. They cheer you in your success and support you in your challenges. It's the most awesome team environment I think I have every been in. Basic Training had a similar feeling but everything felt a bit more restrained (we lived in fear of the Drill Sergeants' wrath).
My phone was vibrating what seemed like every two seconds today with all the Facebook friend requests, and NHRD ladies checking up on me after yesterdays relay festivities (Pulled muscle baaaaaad. Heating pad goooood! Think James Hetfield in the infamous Napster cartoon). My derby confidence level is not all that high yet and little setbacks like the pulled muscle don't help but everyone has been so amazingly awesome and encouraging.
While I know some of the derby girls better than others I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. I'm going to the Marketing meeting on Thursday so hopefully I'll get to know the folks in PR, Charities, and the Street Team a bit better. I'll get there... patience just isn't my strong suit. ;-)
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