Holy Wowsers- how long since my last blog post!?!

I never want to leave such a big gap again . . . so much has happened since my last post!

We'll look back to March- I skated my little heart out and finally passed my Minimum Skills after only being with the team for two and a half months :-) Unfortunately an hour after passing I took a turn for the worse and practically passed out :-( Huge sugar loss, teamed with tiredness, meant I was in a dizzy verge-of-vomming state where I couldn't feel my arms and hands. Thanks to the lovely Rollerfamily I had cake and juice passed to me from all sides, and big cosy jackets to get me warmed up again :-) That was on the Sunday session. On the following Tuesday session I took a massive hit, landing head first, resulting in potential minor concussion. Luckily that was towards the very end of the session, and it put a stop to me skating for the rest of the week. Exhaustion and injury=1- Traybake=0

Oh well, I achieved my goal of Passing my Minimum Skills, and before my birthday!! Hurray!

April was quite a quiet month for skating news- I came away from training with quite a few bruises, but nothing much more exciting than that. A bonus for the month was cracking the code of backwards crossovers- what a feeling!

Now we're in May and I've passed my WFTDA Rules Test- just waiting to find out which team I'm going to be assigned to . . .  Orange or Black? There's an Intraleague bout coming up, I'm hoping I'll be put onto a team before that so I can play, otherwise I'll be NSO-ing for the session.

I've had some pretty bruises since my last post, and I got myself some nice scuffed knuckles today. It's only fair that I share the beautiful images :-) (unfortunately bruises have a tendency to look quite tame in photo's- believe me that these ones were BLACK!)

Quite possibly the best Derby Bruise- it's a smily face!

After landing knees first and my knee pads slipping up

Hard work pays off

*cracks knuckles* *flexes hands* It's been a while since my last blog, but I can happily say I have clocked up somewhere in the region of 25-30 hours since then, and with it I've made some MASSIVE progression.

So last time I think I was still pretty much in the early stages of my SSRG adventure. I'd passed a few tests during my first ever training session, I'd bagged myself a 'badge of honour', and I'd learned some basics on walls. 

A month down the line and my badge of honour has made itself a permanent home on my hip, I was put in the 'fast group' during a laterals drill, and I've been learning how to hit people. Now I'm just three skills away from passing my minimum skills, then my paper test, and then . . . it's game on!

Last week we had a guest coach come to our CTRV training. BB Bombshell from the Tiger Bay Brawlers spent a good two hours filling our minds with Roller Derby 'stuff'. Man, she speaks fast, but she talks sense. I didn't have a clue what was going on half of the time, but my feet seemed to get the jist. We all picked up some extra skills, and I bagged my first few RD photo's! Woop!

The Infamous Ass Shot- thank you Mummy Traybake for the fantastic leotard!

BB Bombshell and me, AKA Traybake!

Playing with the Big Kids :-)

First Tuesday training session today and I absolutely loved it!

It was great to be able to skate with not only the Carbons, but some of the Irons and Steels, and TIL fellas too. I look forward to spending more time skating with these rollerpeeps, I find it an excellent way to learn when you're around people that are better than you, a little bit of inspiration.

Hopefully with time, everything will become second nature and I wont have to think to force myself to do things. Now that I have practice 2-4 times a week it wont take me too long to pick it all up. Slowly but surely, my derby stops are just happening rather than me forcing them to happen. I'm still over thinking on my plows and t-stops, I embarrass myself at how shocking they are :-( We practiced doing derby starts, which I have tried once or twice before and failed miserably at. I did an inner 'humph' when we were told to start practicing, but I actually really surprised myself at doing them quite well. Not bad for a newbie :-D We also practiced some wall techniques which is a new one on me, but I seemed to pick them up quite fast. Really enjoyed blocking the jammers coming through. Mel and I perfected the 'bony bum' wall, aint nobody getting through that! After that little drill I now realise there is LOADS to have to think about whilst playing derby! Just simple things like stepping, keeping moving, looking, shouting, turning, not grabbing, pushing, skating, stopping, starting, blocking, the list could quite possibly be endless.

At the end of the session everyone went in for a scrimmage, but seeing as I'm still yet to learn contact stuff, Mallory and Maid took me to one side and showed me some hits. We did full body checks and hits, starting with just lateralling in and leaning. Once I'd practiced that back and forth a few times, I had to go in for some hits. A good bit of advice Mal gave me was to stop over thinking. This is so true. I found that when I thought too much about going in, I either chickened out, or messed up. I think I managed to get some good hits in there though, and could have quite happily gone on practicing but we only managed about 10 minutes before we were kicked out, but they were a worthwhile 10.

I was about to say I'm looking forward to Sundays practice, but it's cancelled . . . NOOOOOOOOOO! Looks like I'm going to have to make the most of Chesterfield practice and Thursdays Skate Central visit instead :-) Efforts levels at 100% ! ! !

Bellyflopping is not a WFTDA approved fall

Ahhhh, skate day returns. However, it didn't run as smoothly as I had hoped.

Before practice last week I was told to get there for 2.30, which I did, just, no thanks to the football traffic! This week I was under the impression that training would be the same time. Luckily I had decided to 'get there early' for 2pm to catch up with folks before training began at '2.30'. To my utter horror I arrived at 1.55 to find everyone getting ready and skating around. F*********CK!! Turns out Sunday training is 2-4, not 2.30- 4 as I had once been told :-/

I don't think I've ever got ready for training so fast in my life. Luckily I didn't miss any of the warm up, phew! We did some good warm up stuff, sticky skating, derby stance and squats. We then went into our 25 laps (25 and a half for me this week!) We then paired off and practiced stops; my plow stops still mightily suck (but got better by the end of the session), t-stops still a bit weak, but my transition stops are coming along very nicely :-D We then went into practicing laterals, hopping infront of each other then plow stopping. This all went swimmingly.

We then got into some pack work. The back three skaters had to do a knee dip, get back up then work their way through the pack until breaking free at the front. I made a good few attempts at getting through, but kept tripping up. The final attempt at getting through was pretty impressive (in my head). I saw a gap, made the leap, got through, got hit, got my feet tangled, and did a pretty hefty bellyflop.

Miss D shouted (in jest!) whilst laughing 'BECKY KIRBY, BELLY FLOPPING IS NOT A WFTDA APPROVED FALL'. Totally my bad, sprawled out like a tiger skin rug, I felt like a total tit for not falling properly. I was very angry at myself. Anyway, despite this, I was punished for not falling properly. I had an immediate burn and welt on my hip, and I was winded, big time. I got up and skated into the middle for some time out.

Mmm, Rink Rash . . but this photo doesn't do it justice :-(

Once feeling back to normal we got into pacelines, and double pacelines. That was great fun, apart from I kept getting grabbed on my ouchy hip :-(  We weaved from the back to the front, then front to back. All very enjoyable. I do love a good pace line!

After all this we worked on some blocking and hitting, but seeing as though I have only done about 5 (very basic!) minutes of this I had to sit it out :-(  In the end I pootled around the outside, and practiced my jumps and transitions. I was gutted at having to miss out, but hopefully I can get some help and then next time I can join in. 

At the end we played a bit of endless jammer, and I got to be the Jammer, woop! I was jamming for Team Orange, and I pulled that star panty onto my helmet with pride! The aim; my girls had to aid me through the pack, whether pushing or whipping, I wasn't allowed to do a thing. I was a bit miffed at not being able to do a lap after breaking through though, I quite wanted to try and score some points! 

After all that, we were pretty much done. I'm not sure if I made any progress today, but I learnt a bunch of stuff. I also incurred two Track Cut majors . . . oops! But in my defence, I had no idea what I'd done wrong. 

Things learnt today:

Belly flopping is NOT a WFTDA approved fall

When you fall think small

When knocked out of bounds, come back in BEHIND the person that knocked you out (I always knew this, but didn't realise I'd done the opposite, hence getting the majors)

I'm looking forward to Tuesday practice now, I wonder what's in store!? I'm looking forward to getting up to speed with hitting etc, I felt kind of left behind not being able to join in with that today. Hopefully I can work on that soon, and then I can really get into it all.

My seat on the SSRG Rollercoaster

In the past 24 hours I've literally had my life turned around, in a flippin marvellous way!

On my way to the cinema last night I had a message from Miss D, the SSRG Captain, to ask if I was planning on going out later on. As I was on my way to the cinema I thought I'd be honest and tell her so, but said that I would be up for meeting up afterwards if other folks were going out too. After not getting a response I realised it wasn't a question but more a 'you will come out tonight' statement. I found out later what her motives were . . . 

Anyway, once the cinema finished, I made a quick walk up to the bars and found everyone in the Bowery. After a few drinks, and fun chats, and nearly pissing my pants on the walk between bars, I ended up getting stuck into a conversation on where my skating was heading. I've picked a name, I've picked a number, I'm apparently 'dedicated to the team without being creepy', but no-one could understand why I was skating with Chesterfield when I lived in Sheffield. I explained about the whole 'No room at the SSRG Inn' thing, and in a very whirlwind-like way it was stated that there needed to be something done about this. Miss D invited me to come along to practice today, and on me saying 'yes, yes I definitely do want to come to practice' she quietened everyone down and made the announcement in front of the others that SSRG had a new member :D

I was in shock, but a happy kind of shock, the kind of shock I imagine you get from being proposed to. It felt amazing!

After not being able to get to sleep last night for all the excitement, I managed to get about 5 hours before the nerves kicked in. You see, not only was today going to be my first training session with SSRG, we were also having our Minimum Skills tested!!! 

I got to training in fine time, got changed and headed out to start skating. The next two hours went by in a blur. There were some things I knew I just sucked at, but that means room for improvement. By the end of the session I was pooped, but, I had managed to tick off some of my minimum skills! woohoo! I've passed on:

• Pacing
• Receiving inside and outside whips
• Giving inside whips
• Sticky skating
• Speed and endurance
• Crossovers 
• Skating posture
• AND MY 25 LAPS IN 5 MINUTES!!!

I haven't been that knackered in years, and I definitely didn't take enough to drink, so next practice I need to remember the liquids! Anyway, to document this momentous occasion, here's a shot of me after practice, avec player number and happy happy face!

Got loads more to work on at practices now, and on Thursdays at Skate Central. For now, I think it's fair to say, I need a good hot bath, some soup and sarnies, and sleep. 

Here's starts my SSRG Adventure . . . and I can't friggin wait to get stuck in!

Forwards to backwards, and back again

Tonight I learnt transitions

Forwards to backwards, then used my toe stops to stop. 

Once I got confident doing that I went forwards, to backwards, then back to forwards again.

Now I can do them I feel unstoppable!!!

Next stop, backwards skating and linking EVERYTHING together!!! :D !!!

Whipping good fun!

I'll keep tonight's Practice blog short and sweet.

Now that we start a little later, it means it's not such a mad rush to get out of work, get home and leave again. Needless to say, we still rocked up at the same time as every other week.

Skates on, (laced up nicely now that I've put longer laces in) padded up, gumguard in and off we went. After a wee skate around, we got into stretches, some exercises, some tai bo moves, along with stepping to some music. Unfortunately it wasn't MC Hammer, so we couldn't practice our 'Hammer Slides'.

After our little warm up we practiced plow stops (look forward, LOOK FORWARD), and then got into some lateral turns. Thankfully my larking around at Skate Central is beginning to pay off, because I seemed to be a lot better at these tonight than I was before christmas. We practiced with just one or two down each side of the gym, then cranked it up to 2-3 with the cones a bit closer together. I can't say that they were perfect every time, but I got some real belters in that made a pretty impressive barking sound. So cool in fact that I made the 'ooohff, did you HEAR that!?!' face.

After these we practiced WHIPS!!! Ahh, so much fun. I was giving whips first time round and once I got my stance sorted (after I nearly decked it on the first whip) I was not too shoddy. Then it was my turn to be whipped . . . WOW!!! So much fun! Paul gave the best whips by far, and even snuck in a little waitress style whip too when no-one was watching :-D

After all the excitement we played stuck in the mud, and did a few clockwise laps for good measure. My clockwise crossovers are coming along nicely, and with a little more practice they'll be just as good as my anti's.

Roll on 5pm tomorrow when Skate Central opens their doors and I can get some more practice in :-)