Just ace

I was back on skates on Sunday night! Although I was on probation by my physio to take it easy and test out the strained medial ligament in my right knee, I was just so happy to be back on skates with my team mates. I put my knee through it paces with transitions, weaving, carving etc and it responded PAIN FREE!

I even joined the awesome Team Zebra who were timing themselves on how quick they could skate 10 laps of the track. I scored 2:19 which I was really pleased with considering it was my first training session of the year and I had a bung knee. Even better I got some compliments from the herd about how my form has improved by how I was getting down nice and low in the derby stance :)

Either side of my first training session I went to the physio about getting my injured knee fixed. It had slowly improved the last few weeks before I got to the physio that I was able to move my knee quite freely but all it took was her to poke the injured area and I was down on my knee's. It was the medial ligament in my knee again. While my knee was getting poked and zapped by the physio I would take the time to picture myself bossing it on the derby track fulfilling my potential. It's funny the things you do for love and what you'll put your body through. I suppose you need to be a little crazy to begin with to partake in this sport :)

On a sidenote I'm also seeing more benefits of what boxing brings to derby for me. Although I may have accidently given my boxing partner a black eye already (and I don't intend to bring that over to derby), I've been amazed with the confidence I've gained over the last few weeks. I've struggled with the footwork and technique side of it but I keep working on it and turning up to the classes that I've finally begun to notice the improvements. It's reward for not giving up and I can't wait to experience that same feeling when I step out for my first derby bout. I've had quite a bit of hesitancy of getting stuck into sports sometimes from fear of getting myself knocked out. It's a fear I've had to face with boxing. I've had to fend off hits to the face and I'm still standing up with no concussion. It made more sense to me last night at derby training when I copped an accidental forearm to my jaw when my team mate tried to carve me. Sure it wasn't hard but I didn't freak out when the contact came. I'm not saying I'm going to go into every scrimmage session trying to get my jaw broken but I've seen how sometimes the slighest bit of hesitation or delay on the track can make the difference between winning or losing. It's time for me to 'toughen up princess' and start using what I've got to my advantage.

While I may have been on the sidelines again, time certainly didn't stand still in the derby world. It has been great reading about my derby friend's achievements on and off track fitness wise smashing their personal records and becoming better skaters. It's helped me a lot with the non skating exercise I'm doing at the gym especially when I start to feel tired and want to quit the gym session. I think to myself 'there's a derby skater out there working their arse off. If I stop now, they're going to nail my arse to the floor on the derby track' and you know what I've never quitted a gym session early since I started thinking like that :)

The good news doesn't stop, I've got the opportunity of a derby lifetime. I'm travelling up the F3 the next two Sunday's to join in on some NRDL training sessions. Jilla is teaching the tenderiser's (which is about my level) blocking 101. I've mentioned before that my blocking technique is rubbish and it's something that I've wanted to work on especially as I'll be scrimmaging this year. Cherry's done a lot to help me out with blocking and now I get the chance to also learn from another skater who is one of the best in the business like Cherry. It's been well documentated that NRDL have the 'Newcastle effect' on me and that training session last year and all those social skates have played a big part along with my own league in getting me where I am today with derby. I'm looking forward to making the most of these two sessions and no matter how many times I'll get pummelled to the ground over those two Sunday's I doubt you'll be able to wipe the smile off of my face :)

No matter how good or bad this year goes for me on the derby track I want to make it my year and just go for it. Why can't it be Friday night already!!!