#im not...fully recovered rn but i feel a bit better. hopefully this means that the worst's over <- finally could sleep last night which

[pendraegon]

looking at ur notes app after an episode...literally horrific.

[huffhitpass]

wow wow wow

ok so! i had my first practice today and it was incredible…i mean yeah today was the third time in my life that i was ever on skates and it was obvious once they stated warming up (with a 20 min conditioning drill that looked so fun omg) only to have me fumbling around at the center of the track till my first coach came in lmfao

1. There aren’t that many rookies right now (4 counting me) so i got quite a bit of attention which i so so much appreciate.

2. a nice boost of confidence was when each coach would ask how long I’d been on skates and being like wow ok well that’s better than you’d expect for 3 days after i did something. not that i did much

3. things we covered

eggshells

normal derby glides and stride (is that even what they’re called…?)

t stops

plow stops

standing still (which was the hardest thing that i don’t think i successfully fully did even once)

transitioning to and from my toe stops (which was super hard to do bc im borrowing skates rn and they’re def too small for me. my toes weren’t and still aren’t happy)

4. by the end of practice i wasn’t really falling and if I was falling it was no longer on my ass but on all fours or just my knees. but usually i was able to recover balance before falling. i just kept telling myself low & tight never upright and high. i think it helped. my butt still hurts though lol

5. i forgot some things about derby & sports in gen

lol the smell. as an ex derbae it kinda boggles my mind that i could forget such a…disctinct scent. it never bothered me and still doesn’t. honestly i quite liked how she smelled after playing. it was hot. and especially hotter when i saw her play to get that sweaty and smelly. BUT i digress! i put on the pads and was immediately hit upside the head with the familiar yet forgotten waft of skating pads

the vibe ive never heard of a derby pratice open to spectators so idk if this is just this team (my team! omg) or all derby teams but it’s just so nice to see a group of people work and move so fluidly and smoothly. it’s so obvious that they trust each other and that they love the game (can’t tell if they love each other yet). they’re just a well oiled machine and it’s so nice to see - the focus, the chill at water breaks and the intensity on the track. i loved it. it’s the one thing i miss when training for crossfit - that distinct feeling of working together with your teammates. i mean maybe it’s just a matter of me joining a crossfit team instead of competing in lifting solo…? idk. it just reminds me of the many ultimate and basketball practices i attended in my life. it’s great!

6. got the practice schedule and im a little nervous about it - 4 times a week. i was hoping to get to the box 4 times a week and have at least one rest day a week. im sure it’s nothing a little restrategizing can’t help but i get the feeling that somethings gonna have to give ya know…? bc i just don’t see myself waking up at 5:30am for a workout after getting home at 11:30pm from a practice the night before first ill just have a very honest look at my work schedule, training schedules, and friend needs/commitments to see what’s possible. might need to start meal prepping again (which isn’t the worst thing in the world)

7. im sooooooo fucking excited to learn and grow and hopefully eventually kick some ass!

8. i don’t think i want a nickname…but we’ll see. that’s the least of my concerns rn anyway