When surviving is winning

Much as I'd love to be able to say that roller derby brings only good things into my life, this would be a lie.  It does bring good things: there are markable improvements in fitness, lots of new friends, passing milestones and feeling good about yourself.  Good things that happen in derby can carry over into the rest of your life.

Unfortunately this also means that what's going on in your life can carry over into derby.  And life, as we know, does not always go smoothly.

Today I Am One!

I just had my derby birthday!  I joined the Dolly Rockit Rollers at the end of February 2014, barely able to stand on skates, but now it’s 365 days on and we just had a Minimum Skills test.

I’ve missed a few in the past due to my broken toe, then being on holiday, then an NSO fixture, and it didn’t really bother me because I knew I would never have passed everything anyway.  This time I was ready.  I was there, and I felt confident.

I passed everything

…except for two things.

Oh my gosh I DID IT!!!

I can't quite believe it.  I keep trying to give myself reasons why it didn't count, or didn't even happen, but the fact is... I did it.  I skated 25 laps in 5 minutes.

I made my laps.

Laps update

23 laps in 5 minutes

23 laps in 5 minutes!

23 laps in 5 minutes!!

23 laps in 5 minutes!!!

Watch yourself, min skills 25-in-5 , because I am ALL OVER YOUR ASS!!  

I totally screwed up my start, which lost me I reckon half a lap.  So I need to practise some toe-stop runs and sprint-starts.  I think all that's missing now is high-speed crossovers on the corners, so that I can increase power there instead of coasting round.  And those crossovers are coming, THEY ARE COMING.  I think I'm just going to have to pick a week and say that I'm going to go for those crossovers if it kills me, and risk falling over my own feet and splatting all over the track.  It's the only way.


Edit:  It WAS the only way.  My coach was yelling at me "Michelle, why aren't you doing any crossovers?" so I took a deep breath and did one, and then did another one, and then did some more.  They weren't the best crossovers ever, but I did not fall over at all and Pushed my personal best up to 23.5 laps.  I'm a'comin' for ya Minimum Skills!

EIGHTEEN AND A HALF LAPS!

First attempt, if you remember, scored me 15 laps and included a spectacular wipeout which I'm really quite proud of :)

Second attempt, one week later, was a fall-free 16 laps.  I assume the same speed, but with the focus I clearly didn't have the first time round, and no subsequent face plant.

Third attempt was EIGHTEEN AND A HALF.  (The half is important to me).  That's two and a half whole laps up from last time!!

This week felt a lot better.  Unlike last time, where it felt more fun-and-games, this time I was really working hard from start to finish.  I zoned out and wobbled once or twice as I got more tired, but corrected myself and pushed for more speed on the straights.  I also had some of the faster newbies to chase, which was a great boost, and the senior DollyRockits keeping count and yelling tips and encouragement.  All of this really helped.

I also think it was at least partly to do with my crossover prediction.  In last week's lesson I did manage to do a few crossovers, and although I didn't feel confident enough to attempt them at high speed yet, I positioned my legs and worked my feet as if I was going to step into a crossover, and when I got it right I felt the difference.  Less sliding of the wheels, and less loss of speed on the corners.  In fact there were several points where I thought to myself that I really should have stepped because I felt so stable.

This bodes well, and I am proud of myself, and very tired, and I going to go eat some crispy cakes now as a reward.

Laps

To graduate up to the next level of roller derby training, one of the requirements is to skate 25 laps in 5 minutes.

Until this week, I didn't realise just how many laps that is.

Actually I'm pretty pleased with myself, because on my first ever attempt I clocked 15 laps.  Considering that four weeks ago my roller skating technique looked and sounded like a nervous penguin wearing high-heeled shoes, or Bambi On Ice (you know, like this) I think this is a very respectable first try.  I even fell down (on my first lap, no less), skidding into a marvellous four-point-slide, but managed to control the landing and jump straight back up to skate on.  With all this in mind, what is that is that lap score, Scottie?

Damn straight :)