Third time lucky? Nah luck doesn't have anything to do with it. I'm ready to kick arse.

I spent the past few weeks strengthening my ankles before I got back on my skates. I took a bit longer because I wanted to make sure this time round my ankles could cope with the demands of roller derby as I was sick of breaking down every few months because I injured my ankles yet again. While I was off skates I still stayed involved with our league. I was helping with scrimmage practise by timing the jams and starting and finishing the jams. I enjoy doing it because it gives me a chance to hear the ref's and the calls they make plus I get to watch the scrimmage practise and what they're doing right and wrong. Mind you two weeks before I got back on skates I was so desperate to do something at training instead of sitting down the entire session that I asked if I could do off skate training hehe

Last Friday night we had our latest fresh meat intake kick off. There were lots of new faces and some I've met over the last couple of weeks and months. It was a good turn out hopefully we see a few more over the next few weeks. It was also the night I got back on skates after a month off injured and re-strengthening. The cool thing was I wasn't nervous at all or scared like I had been since I started in January. I was smiling most of the night and had a great time, although having a month off got rid of whatever fitness levels I may have had so I almost hurled during the night but it was all good. I eased slowly into it and got no pain in my ankle so I just went for it and skated like I never stopped skating for a month. I use Interceptors and for some annoying reason they sound like best chirping when I skate. Poor Scott had enough of listening so he suggested I try one of his 96A wheels. I've never gone higher than 93A's but I thought what the hell and tried them. After a few steps I got the hang of them and they were absolutely brilliant. Yeah they were a bit more slippery to skate on but my gosh I didn't have to work as hard to roll. I fell in love with them and asked Scott if he could make me a set in red (of course). Now that I've got a taste for harder wheels I want to try some other ones while I'm waiting for Scott to make those. If anyone could recommend something in the 96A rating with a bit of grip and aluminium hubs I'm all ears. Back to Friday night, here's some pics courtesty of Spank photography

I hit Skatel last Saturday and got about an hour of skating in. I managed to do crossovers while holding onto the rail so I was pleased as punch because I still can't do the bloody things yet. Last Sunday night fresh meat officially kicked off, since I flunked the last one I get to do it all again. I won't lie not being able to scrimmage or do more advanced skating drills sucks but I've turned the disappointment into motivation. This is the third time I'm starting fresh meat, I started in January with WSR but got injured (surprise) and then switched over to H*A*R*D, flunked that so now I'm back again. The major difference this time is that I believe I'll pass, the other two times I was skating with fear in my head so I never really pushed myself. In the second hour we didn't have off skate training because Mick was sick so us freshies and old tough meat (who are repeating) were left to our own devices. I used the time to practise on my skating technique, carves, single knee taps, looking behind me while skating and crossovers. I even raced Sarah and the cool thing was my 93A's beat her 97A's :) With the crossovers I made progress, I could finally get my right foot in front of my left foot while skating around the bends but dammit I can't get it that bit further to make it a crossover. I don't how much of an impact having big legs has with doing crossovers but it's annoying the hell out of me that I can't do them yet. I'm determined to do them so expect a lot of anger and swearing over the coming weeks :P

Ideally I want to try playing pivot, jammer and blocker. Right now I've got my heart set on becoming a kick arse blocker because I believe that where my strengths lie. My two favourite blockers are Atomic Cherry and Godjilla Sold Separately

I love their playing styles and I reckon I could learn so much from them. I look up to them (or in Cherry's case I look down because I'm taller than her :P) The cool thing is I get trained by Cherry so I love training sessions plus the Skatel sessions because I learn a lot. I do my best to try not to act like a little fangirl :) I love watching scrimmage practise on Sunday night because Cherry is like a lion, while some might be skating around in a frenzy, she's cool as fuck but then she pounces for an accurate hit whether it's to knock the opposition on their arse or to make way for her jammer to get through. While I'm at it I love watching Fifi Box-her scrimmage. She's an awesome jammer the kind that'll annoy most blockers because she's so agile but her blocking work often goes un-noticed. She's not the biggest built but she's a giant killer, she'll take on people twice her size and she knocked a few of them down.

Until next time...