Derby Wear - Socks, Tights, Legwarmers

I love tights. Even when I am not skating. I also love over the knee and thigh high socks.  I live in one of the coldest places in the country. I think we were ranked number 3 in the nation last year. So I am always looking for sites that have a large selection of tights and socks that I can layer under my skirts in the winter and wear to practice to protect my legs. I like the over the knee socks because I can wear them with my knee pads and protect my tights from the velcro on my pads.


I was just browsing on Pinterest tonight and came across this site http://www.sockdreams.com . It is by far the best I have ever seen. They have a VERY LARGE selection of socks, tights, and leg warmers. 


I wanted to share this with anyone who reads my blog and loves their leg wear.

Practicing Booty Blocks

At practice last Wednesday I got to participate in blocking and jamming drills for the first time since I had hurt my ribs.  I am definitely not as skilled as my teammates but they encouraged me every I was the jammer to get through the pack.  It was fun, encouraging, and exciting as I realized I was moving better. The work I had done on my foot work and endurance was showing . I left practice that night feeling like I was getting better and excited that I got to practice drills with my team.


Sunday I arrived at practice and the only other player that showed up was our practice leader. We don't officially have a coach yet. She wants to play so she leads practice but we don't call her coach.  As we skated to warm up, she talked to me about my abilities. She told me she didn't feel I was really ready to hit and be hit. Concerned that I would get hurt, she said she had some drills I could do on my own to practice blocking. This may have, in the past, taken the wind out of my sails. Crushing me to the point of giving up. But I know I have come a long way and I am realistic about my abilities. I am slower, weaker, less balanced and less agile than the rest. I want to get it right  and be able to kept up with my team. And not get too terribly hurt.


So for practice that night I got some really good one on one help from this wonderful teammate. We worked on Booty blocks and hitting with hip and shoulder. We practiced against the wall, then stationary as a pair, then on the track.  By the time we finished I felt like I had done squats for an hour. But I also felt like I had REALLY learned some new skills. I knew what muscles need work. What things I can practice while drills are going on that, for now, I will not participate in.


I am at the gym 4 days a week and try to make 3 out of 4 practices a week. I am improving all the time and I know with continued work I will pass the skills test someday and get to play. Until then, I will serve my team anyway I can.

Volunteering Can Pay For The Things You Need!

It’s Labor Day. Fall is here in our high valley.  Hockey season is upon us. That also means we will soon lose our practice space.  When they put down the ice, we will have to put up our skates till spring unless we can find another space.  We live in a small mountain town and that is a problem for us.  We are searching, asking, exploring and searching some more to find a practice space. Not giving up hope that we will find a home for the fall and winter months.

In the meantime, I am setting up my exercise routine for the cold seasons.  Walking and bike riding are quickly coming to an end. I have to find another way to get my workouts in.  We live on a very limited budget so purchasing a gym membership is out of the question.  I am not very good at working out at home. There are too many distractions that I have a hard time ignoring. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, baby, computer, etc, distract me and I am always putting it off, then everyone comes home and nightly activities begin.

I am lucky that I live in an area where volunteering in return for goods and services is available.  Volunteer at the Farmers Market and receive a bag of fresh produce. Volunteer at a public service meeting and receive a free dinner.  My favorite, volunteer 2 hours a week of childcare at a local fitness center and receive a full membership.  6 month commitment required. PERFECT! For the price of two hours of my time, and I can take my baby with me, I can get my workouts in if we lose our place to skate. As an added bonus, I can add a routine at the gym to the practice schedule I have now and hopefully improve my performance and skill level before we have to put up the skates.  I can practice some things in my garage this winter, so I won’t be packing away the skates, but keeping up the cardio workouts will now be possible

.

So if you have limited means check out your local fitness centers.  You may be surprised at what you have to do to get a discounted or free membership.

Fresh Meat Derby Packages. How Serious Are You?

I spent a lot of time yesterday reading blogs and websites about Roller Derby.  One issue I wish I was more informed on was skates when I purchased mine. In all my reading and searching I found the information I wish I had when I made my purchase of a Fresh Meat package.  I thought I was getting a deal, and I have to say I did with a coupon code I found for the site I bought from. At the time of my order I upgraded my knee pads because I could tell from the picture that the package came with rounded knee pads. I knew that flat ones were what the other girls were wearing at practice.


Now I will say that there are a lot of packages out there. Most are what I would say are MUCH better than what I got.  I bought a package that came with the most basic Riedell R3 skates.
 
This is what I got.


After three months, they look like this....

The biggest change are the wheels. That is what I really needed to be aware of when I bought them. I had no idea what I needed and now I have spent about $70 with the shipping included to upgrade my skates into something that really works for me.


The wheels that came with the skates are Radar Cayman.  I saw them for sale on a site yesterday for a $1 a wheel. The review said that these wheels are good for anything BUT skating.  They make good art projects and paperweights.So what they were telling me was that these wheels suck! Wish I had know that before. 


So now I am telling you, packages are good, but if they come with these wheels you will be very disappointed, no matter how serious you are about really joining a Roller Derby Team.  Upgrade, get the right equipment and you will be much happier. 

Wheels and Toe Stops

I didn't practice last night. So I didn't get to try out the stretches for my calves. Definitely going tonight. Not just because I missed last night, but because I got these in the mail today and I have to try them out.

My new Web Toe Stops


In the evolution of my skates, I have replaced my wheels and now my toe stops. From what I have researched, the round are better than the rectangular that came with my skates.

My skates, new wheels, old stops...

Now, new wheels, new toe stops....

I have had a problem with starting on my toes. I felt like I was going to fall over on my face. I had adjusted my old stops so that they were lower, but they still felt unstable. These are AWESOME! I have been wearing them around the house, because I couldn't wait to see what the felt like. Now to see what they are like at practice. Please don't tell my husband I was skating in the house.

All Derby Drills: Dynamic stretching: Calf Stretch

All Derby Drills: Dynamic stretching: Calf Stretch: Alternative names: -- Objective: "To increase flexibility in this very often-neglected area." (1) Typical length of drill: 1-2 mins Mater...

The Evolution of My Skates

What can I say, I love my skates!  They are my friend, if I take care of them, they'll take care of me. But when I purchased them, I was unsure of what I should get. I did my research, but being new to derby I was still a little confused about wheel type, toe stops, the sizing.  So I purchased a rookie package and upgraded only the knee pads. Mistake. We skate on cement surface that is an ice rink in the winter. Our constant skating has polished the surface and my wheels started sliding. This was a problem for me since I am already slower than everyone else.  


So at the beginning of this week I purchased some new wheels. Atom Poison is what I chose, and what a difference they make These wheels have a hardness of 84, much stickier than the stock wheels that came with my skates. I had my first practice with them last night. I thought my skates and I were working well together. I thought that new wheels would just solve my traction problem. I was shocked at how much better I was doing. Jumps, plow stops, t-stops and side  stepping became much easier to do. The upgrade my skates received made me love them even more. Can't wait till we can skate again.