Hello Again

Every now and again my right brain goes on vacation. The quiet incessant voice that so often dictates my voiced emotions simply decides that its had enough and heads off to Maui for fun in the sun, leaving my left brain to fend for itself. The conversation looks like this:
LEFT BRAIN
"Hey right brain. I skated today and now I'm exhausted. Can you add some funny commentary to that?
RIGHT BRAIN
"Nope, I'm surfing."
LEFT BRAIN
"This whole being on a team thing doesn't feel as smooth as I thought it should. What's your take on that from an emotional standpoint?"
RIGHT BRAIN
"My emotional take is that you should shut up and get me a beer."
And so rather than leave my left brain to tackle blogging on its own we've all had to adjust to my right brain's schedule of proposed leisure, during which time my left brain (and the rest of me) remembered how very much I like my job and how satisfying I find analytical work to be.  It was really like six weeks of active meditation without angst.  Then, two weeks ago my right brain came home and has really just been lazing around until I got a little nudge yesterday from morganautumn.  

Thanks for that, btw
So,what have I been up to? Well...

Bouting

Jet City took a three week break beginning immediately after our  season championships.  I did not make the roster for champs, but I did win the prize for cheering (in my own mind anyway) and Carnies won their first bout of the season.  So what better way to begin a break than with more roller derby?
The B52's took on the Northwest Derby Company on Thursday, June 21st.  It was a bit of a bloodbath (we lost by >200 points).  I'm electing not to dwell on the experience.  Then, for my international roller derby debut, the Carnies packed up and headed to Abbotsford, BC for a bout against the Reign Valley Roller Vixens. 


Photo Credit:  Russ Desaulniers

It's funny how the brain works.  During the bout with the B52's I wasn't nervous - and maybe that's not surprising.  We were on our own floor, during our usual practice time.  I'm used to people hanging out and watching us at the Skate Deck.  Right before the bout in Canada I thought I might pass out.  The floor was slick - polished concrete in a hockey arena.  Even with all my grippiest wheels I felt like I was skating on glass.  That coupled with the fact that it was only the third time I'd ever played a full length bout and we only had ten people (although our opponents only had seven) left me wondering whether I was up to the task and spiraling into a deep worry.
Fortunately it must have shown on my face.  One of my teammates pulled me aside.
"You have to get out of your head.  I know.  It's hard.  I've been doing this for two years and I only just figured it out, but you have to quit thinking.  You have the skills to do this."
So I started breathing again and we played.  And I did know what I was doing.  And we won.

Cross Fit

I know that several months ago I said a lot of disparaging things about Cross Fit.  I'm very suspicious of new things.  Still, I had it in my mind that after I made a team I would NEED to begin to do some sort of strength training. Given my general inablity to stick to a strength program I thought that Cross Fit might just be worth a try.
Cross Fit is generally a lot of weight training with very heavy weights coupled with plyos and sprints.  Basically if it makes you want to barf, we do it at Cross Fit.  One of my good friends, Riley, has been going for about six months and did a lot of research into which gyms in our area have a good reputation.  She wound up at Stone Way Cross Fit which is neither on nor near Stone Way in Seattle (but apparently it used to be) and rather than do all that work for myself, I simply trusted that she was right and joined in.
At first it killed me.  I would barely be able to move the next day.  Still, I went throughout our leage break and now that I'm back on skates this week I can feel the difference.  My movements are more explosive.  It's easier to get up.  My recovery is faster.
Oh - and my right thigh now measures within an eigth of an inch of my left.  If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is. 

Being Awesome

I've been struggling with the mental transition of being on a team.  In some ways it feels like I can back off a little.  My roller derby pace from about November through June was set to burnout and I knew it.  The break was exactly what I needed and I've found my enthusiasm for the sport again.  I also realized that the relationship with my teammates was at the point where you know people well enough to have a conversation, but not well enough to be up to date on their daily business.  It's the awkward phase between, "so are you from around here?" and "how did the [thing] you were telling me about yesterday turn out?"  Assimilation takes time.
Finally, we had Bomber tryouts yesterday.  Evidently we're supposed to show for Bomber tryouts even if we're really only headed to B52s.  Fine by me.  I can neither confirm nor deny rumours that The Re-Animater Her is going to join Jet City - but I can tell you that she was there too.  I'm also happy to report that I retained both my soul and the use of my legs in spite of scrimmaging opposite her. 
<posted on 7.18.12>