Derby Never Dies (but it gets real quiet)

YAWN. Nothing new under the sun. Started an Oval "regimen". Eventually I'll settle into Monday-Wednesday evenings, but probably just through June and July - got a decent practice schedule in August. This week there's a scrimmage on Friday so I only went once, next week is another scrimmage so I'll do the same. Then the Cincinnati bout, then derby gets even quieter than it is now!

The Oval is nice but it is hard to skate when it is so damn hot. I do a warm-up and stretch, then run through some pyramid 80-100s - building up in 30 second intervals to 2 minutes, then back down the same way. Takes 16 minutes so that's pretty good. Then I do a three-round four corners with two kinds of crunches, plank, and push-ups. Then it gets a little varied, maybe some skating around pretending to practice weaving (no cones), or ducking, squatting, stuff like that. Might try "10 Minutes of Hell" but I don't self-motivate very well (I need other people to push and measure myself against) and I actually hate skating in circles. I did skate 10 full minutes today but it certainly wasn't "hell" as it wasn't very fast. At least it wasn't too hot - last summer when I was doing that it was basically "stay alive for 10 minutes" because trying to skate that hard in that heat was ridiculous. If I can skate for at least 45 minutes, preferably an hour, it's a decent workout.

So, next weekend is Cinci, weekend after that is the league season end party and the team season end party! I just hope I remember the weekend.

WFTDA

WFTDA logo
Originally uploaded by lostrocket

Finally! After driving me crazy for a long time, we voted on whether or not to pursue an affiliation, nobody voted for OSDA and a shit ton of people voted for joining the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. I totally want that little pink patch on my ass. There are a lot of good arguments about the direction of the sport (basically, derby - at least women's derby - is going with WFTDA, and if you don't you're probably going to miss out on something) but my arguments are simple. They are goals. And those goals are to be ranked, to be nationally ranked, and some day to be HIGHLY ranked. I can control the competitive streak pretty well but it's still very vicious.

Not much in derby news right now! I will be going in to work soon and then heading to the Oval after that. Sometime tomorrow - I think - Hit Man comes back from Canada, I plan on picking some steaks up at Cub (No Name has some awesome coupons out right now) and treating him to a nice dinner. Unless he's so tired that even being treated is too much!

I might hit the mall today. I might hit the mall tomorrow. I might see Indiana Jones. I had a whole week and my apartment is still a total mess. Don't know as I'll ever get it clean again!

Where's the derby?

Whoa what a letdown. Derby season intensity: 9. Two bouts in a row ups intensity: 10. All of a sudden...derby is over intensity: 0.

What a weird week so far.

Sucktastic championship bout on Saturday night in which we got our asses phenomenally kicked. It was kind of a comedy of errors, jammer in the box, make up the points, get another jammer in the box, eventually stop being able to make up the points, lose by 20. It's kind of draining, and it was super depressing organizing the stats last night. Too depressing to face posting the summaries to MySpace, and then today I got too busy so I still haven't.

We tried the after party but basically felt it sucked, so we went home, got drunk, and had sex. Got to bed probably much earlier than if we had actually partied, which was nice as Hit Man got up at 6:30 to drive to Canada for his fishing trip, and I got up at 7:30 to take care of shit and be able to pick my mom up by 10. She was, of course, 20 minutes late getting ready, which kind of snowballed and we left the mall probably 20 minutes later than we should have and couldn't get on 35W anywhere. All the ramps are under construction!

Eventually we did make it and I got to the Target Center just in time to get my skates on and join the scrimmage. We skated in the street during the MN Lynx's season opening block party and it was a lot of fun, way more fun than sucktastic Saturday! It was great, but we didn't stick around for the game - more things to get done with Mom.

So Saturday and Sunday were busy, then on Monday all of a sudden my life is EMPTY. There is no derby practice and my boyfriend is out of town. It's not like I'd see him much on a Monday anyway, but I miss him because I COULD see him if I wanted, only I can't, because Canada stole him.

At least there is derby tomorrow! One hour of interleague practice followed by a hopefully no-more-than two hour meeting. Work starts summer hours this week; I don't generally do the summer hours because I just don't feel the benefit, but I do half-participate this week (no way am I putting in four ten-hour days, but I will do enough that I should be able to work no more than four hours on Friday) and will get some good skating in at the Roseville Oval on Friday.

And the Oval finally published June's schedule, so now I know when it's open late enough for me to hit it after work - so I'll probably be skating there on Mondays and Wednesdays, when I don't have a practice. On the weekends I can hit the trails up at Jay's - and maybe sometimes during the week, do the 6.5 mile circuit we did for the MS Walk but on WHEELS. Everybody tells me my body needs a break but in college I rollerbladed year round; if I'm not doing actual derby, hitting and all that, why can't I skate all summer? At the Oval I do mostly speed/endurance drills, and this summer I'll do some strength stuff too (four corners. I would have been too embarassed before but now, I'll just throw on a derby t-shirt and feel like I am awesome so why not!).

And derby isn't 100% over any way; Cincinnati bout is June 7. Then it really is kind of over for a long time - next bout won't be until late in August. RollerCon will break that up at the end of July, and we still have events, and hopefully some open scrimmaging.

We have so many events that I almost don't have time for a visit home until August or even September. I had tentatively marked down a weekend in July, 11-13, but we are scrimmaging at Bastille Days that weekend! It's French, I have to go. The next weekend Charm City is playing the Dairyland Dolls in Madison and I had wanted to go check that out but I guess making it up to my sister for skipping her graduation should take precedence. And at least a trip to VA is free, driving myself (though hopefully not alone, I am not the only Charm City fan I know!) to Madison is not.

ANY WAY. Not sleeping enough this week, I am going to try to get things wrapped up and have my lights out by nine. Wow.

Just keep skating.

Concentration
Originally uploaded by lostrocket

Because you don't have time for anything else!

This is an awesome shot from the April bout, courtesy of saint-n-swine. Concentrating? Pissed off? I have no idea. We won but BARELY, 63 over 61, and have to rematch for the championship in less than two weeks!

Before we can get to THAT, this weekend is our second TT bout in Sioux Falls. I'm carpooling down on Friday night, Hit Man is driving with a buddy on Saturday. Then I jump ship and ride back with him on Sunday. It's going to be a damn busy weekend.

This week was all derby. Starting Saturday with three practices - went to half an Oddball so I could scrimmage, then a full team practice, and what turned out to be a TT picnic with no practice. Then I went rollerblading along the trails, probably at least 6 miles total. Sunday morning was the MS Walk which I did with a derby group. I did skip the May Day Parade...by the end of the walk I was done. So I went back to Jay's and fell asleep while he finished painting the living room. Uhm, oops, but damn I couldn't stand anymore!

Monday practice. Tuesday MNRG scrimmage. Tonight THREE practices, again - 1 hour each TT and Banger Sisters, providing the bread for a 2 hour league practice sandwich.

At least there is no skating tomorrow - but errands and packing! On Friday we're leaving for Sioux Falls hopefully around 5:30 and not too much later. I found green and white checked laces online - I bet they would be cute with my skirt but it's too late to order and too much for shipping!

I do have to order new bearings from Vixen; and I might invest in some actual outdoor wheels instead of just skating on crappy indoors. And I'm eyeing a new pair of Flat-Outs. I made the mistake of practicing on the first pair and they died way too quickly. I switched to the Fugitives because they came with my skates, but I would try the Flat-Outs again.

Right now I don't have the money for anything (except the new bearings), so it's all wishful thinking in any case.