Getting Better

I'm not gonna lie to you, derby is hard work. For the first several minutes of each practice I am unsteady and unbalanced. I have to continuously remind myself to get into derby stance: bend knees, straighten my back, and get low! It's a lot to remember and it definitely feels unnatural at first, but once I've done a few laps I start to feel more comfortable in it and I am confident that in time it won't be something I have to think about, it will just naturally be how I move.

Tonight we got to pair up with the more experienced skaters to work on a few skills. I find it really helpful to have the one-on-one time with the other girls who all have different ways of explaining how to do a certain move. It's interesting to hear their thought processes because not everyone thinks the same way and sometimes the things they tell you just click and it makes it so much easier to understand how to do a certain move (even if I still can't actually DO the move, at least I am figuring out HOW TO do it).

I feel like we also did a lot of squats tonight, but maybe that was just because we did them in between our sidestepping which also involves a lot of thigh muscle use. I am definitely getting better at them. The first day we did squats I was so wobbly on my skates that I opted to do them on my toe stops, which gave me some more balance initially, but was much more difficult to hold (since I also wasn't getting low enough). Today, after 2 weeks of derby-ing, I am much more stable and steady on my skates. I can squat with the rest of the girls, without feeling wobbly. Sure my thighs burn while we do it, but that's the point.

I did fall a few times tonight, while practicing stops mostly. I landed on my elbow a couple of times and am going to have a nasty bruise. It's been a week since I ordered my gear, and I can't wait for it to get here!! I am so excited to have it all. I feel like it will give me magic super powers or something! Like I'll strap on the knee pads and elbow pads, buckle up the pink helmet and put in the magic mouth guard and all of a sudden I'll be the best derby girl ever! HA! I do know that it will give me more confidence and make me push myself to try more things because it'll take away most of the fear of injury. I won't have the gear for tomorrow's practice because even if it does get delivered, I won't be home to get it before practice. But hopefully I will have it for Thursday's practice. I'm so looking forward to it!!!