Non-whiny skate post!

Went to practice on Sunday for the first time in weeks months. I know part of it was from my knee injury; then bronchitis, and work & faire got busy & suddenly I didn't have time to get back on that horse... or those quads. Whatever.

Imagine my hesitation yesterday at practice. Most girls there had two bouts under their belt already. The last real hit I took left me limping for a few weeks thanks to owie swollen Knee Doom - not to mention the bruised tailbone! But I kept singing my version of the Dory song to myself: "Just keep skating, just keep skating, skating skating..."

Lo and behold, I hadn't lost any balance (w00t!) and what speed I could muster came relatively easily. (I will never be a fast skater and I'm OK with that; I just wanna be solid as a rock - OK, stopping before I bust into some Ashford & Simpson.) I need cardio contitioning but that was a given anyway. My cross-overs were about 50/50 (much like before) and once or twice I headed into corners a little too fast for my comfort and nearly wiped out, but I corrected in time to stay upright. My team captain said I looked really solid; she seemed pleased. A couple other skaters said I seemed pretty confident too. Best of all, meatpie said he watched me pretty closely and he didn't expect me to be that good. Since he'll blatantly tell me if I'm flatting or my ass looks big (or bigger than it really is, anyway), I think that's a compliment I can bank on.

I think I just need to get more comfortable falling properly - which will help me stop being scared to fall wrong. If we could include 15-20 minutes of falling drills into practices - or I will go practice with our newbies (we call our new Devils the Damned, modeled after Windy City Rollers' "Skater Tots") to get the right falls firmly into muscle memory.

I wasn't even sore last night - just a little when I got out of the car, but mostly I was just sweaty. A lot. I need to remind myself about the cathartic power of sweating and speed. It was under my own power - not like driving a speedy car or riding a rollercoaster - but the rush of wind on my face felt good.

After practice, I met with my staff. I will book appearances/interviews, and write the press releases & web stuff. I have one girl to distribute the info to our media sources and another to schedule skaters to attend interviews & appearances. I'm looking forward to seeing how this set up works. Just knowing I have willing, competent help is HUGE. I just have to be smart enough to remember to use them.

Next bout? It is all kinds of on.

Non-whiny skate post!

Went to practice on Sunday for the first time in weeks months. I know part of it was from my knee injury; then bronchitis, and work & faire got busy & suddenly I didn't have time to get back on that horse... or those quads. Whatever.

Imagine my hesitation yesterday at practice. Most girls there had two bouts under their belt already. The last real hit I took left me limping for a few weeks thanks to owie swollen Knee Doom - not to mention the bruised tailbone! But I kept singing my version of the Dory song to myself: "Just keep skating, just keep skating, skating skating..."

Lo and behold, I hadn't lost any balance (w00t!) and what speed I could muster came relatively easily. (I will never be a fast skater and I'm OK with that; I just wanna be solid as a rock - OK, stopping before I bust into some Ashford & Simpson.) I need cardio contitioning but that was a given anyway. My cross-overs were about 50/50 (much like before) and once or twice I headed into corners a little too fast for my comfort and nearly wiped out, but I corrected in time to stay upright. My team captain said I looked really solid; she seemed pleased. A couple other skaters said I seemed pretty confident too. Best of all, meatpie said he watched me pretty closely and he didn't expect me to be that good. Since he'll blatantly tell me if I'm flatting or my ass looks big (or bigger than it really is, anyway), I think that's a compliment I can bank on.

I think I just need to get more comfortable falling properly - which will help me stop being scared to fall wrong. If we could include 15-20 minutes of falling drills into practices - or I will go practice with our newbies (we call our new Devils the Damned, modeled after Windy City Rollers' "Skater Tots") to get the right falls firmly into muscle memory.

I wasn't even sore last night - just a little when I got out of the car, but mostly I was just sweaty. A lot. I need to remind myself about the cathartic power of sweating and speed. It was under my own power - not like driving a speedy car or riding a rollercoaster - but the rush of wind on my face felt good.

After practice, I met with my staff. I will book appearances/interviews, and write the press releases & web stuff. I have one girl to distribute the info to our media sources and another to schedule skaters to attend interviews & appearances. I'm looking forward to seeing how this set up works. Just knowing I have willing, competent help is HUGE. I just have to be smart enough to remember to use them.

Next bout? It is all kinds of on.

Non-whiny skate post!

Went to practice on Sunday for the first time in weeks months. I know part of it was from my knee injury; then bronchitis, and work & faire got busy & suddenly I didn't have time to get back on that horse... or those quads. Whatever.

Imagine my hesitation yesterday at practice. Most girls there had two bouts under their belt already. The last real hit I took left me limping for a few weeks thanks to owie swollen Knee Doom - not to mention the bruised tailbone! But I kept singing my version of the Dory song to myself: "Just keep skating, just keep skating, skating skating..."

Lo and behold, I hadn't lost any balance (w00t!) and what speed I could muster came relatively easily. (I will never be a fast skater and I'm OK with that; I just wanna be solid as a rock - OK, stopping before I bust into some Ashford & Simpson.) I need cardio contitioning but that was a given anyway. My cross-overs were about 50/50 (much like before) and once or twice I headed into corners a little too fast for my comfort and nearly wiped out, but I corrected in time to stay upright. My team captain said I looked really solid; she seemed pleased. A couple other skaters said I seemed pretty confident too. Best of all, meatpie said he watched me pretty closely and he didn't expect me to be that good. Since he'll blatantly tell me if I'm flatting or my ass looks big (or bigger than it really is, anyway), I think that's a compliment I can bank on.

I think I just need to get more comfortable falling properly - which will help me stop being scared to fall wrong. If we could include 15-20 minutes of falling drills into practices - or I will go practice with our newbies (we call our new Devils the Damned, modeled after Windy City Rollers' "Skater Tots") to get the right falls firmly into muscle memory.

I wasn't even sore last night - just a little when I got out of the car, but mostly I was just sweaty. A lot. I need to remind myself about the cathartic power of sweating and speed. It was under my own power - not like driving a speedy car or riding a rollercoaster - but the rush of wind on my face felt good.

After practice, I met with my staff. I will book appearances/interviews, and write the press releases & web stuff. I have one girl to distribute the info to our media sources and another to schedule skaters to attend interviews & appearances. I'm looking forward to seeing how this set up works. Just knowing I have willing, competent help is HUGE. I just have to be smart enough to remember to use them.

Next bout? It is all kinds of on.

Birthday Hugs!

To a kind and gentle soul, one of my Dangerous Damsels and a trusted friend...

Happiest of Birthdays to my beloved Blossom thebb73!!!

Birthday Hugs!

To a kind and gentle soul, one of my Dangerous Damsels and a trusted friend...

Happiest of Birthdays to my beloved Blossom thebb73!!!

Birthday Hugs!

To a kind and gentle soul, one of my Dangerous Damsels and a trusted friend...

Happiest of Birthdays to my beloved Blossom thebb73!!!

Voice Help

I'm significantly better than last week. I can produce audible sound without pain... and most of the time it sounds OK for conversational purposes, if a touch on the Brenda Vaccaro side (which isn't bad in and of itself... except I'm a soprano).

But it's not getting any better. The drainage is mostly gone but my voice still sounds... tired. Tried to go in and re-tape a VO today and I sounded a little puny to my own ears when I heard myself in the headphones.

I'm trying to keep conversation to a minimum, and I'm still downing hot tea as often as I can (considering it's Texas in July and I don't want to overheat). Any other tricks or suggestions from you voice folk out there?

Voice Help

I'm significantly better than last week. I can produce audible sound without pain... and most of the time it sounds OK for conversational purposes, if a touch on the Brenda Vaccaro side (which isn't bad in and of itself... except I'm a soprano).

But it's not getting any better. The drainage is mostly gone but my voice still sounds... tired. Tried to go in and re-tape a VO today and I sounded a little puny to my own ears when I heard myself in the headphones.

I'm trying to keep conversation to a minimum, and I'm still downing hot tea as often as I can (considering it's Texas in July and I don't want to overheat). Any other tricks or suggestions from you voice folk out there?

Voice Help

I'm significantly better than last week. I can produce audible sound without pain... and most of the time it sounds OK for conversational purposes, if a touch on the Brenda Vaccaro side (which isn't bad in and of itself... except I'm a soprano).

But it's not getting any better. The drainage is mostly gone but my voice still sounds... tired. Tried to go in and re-tape a VO today and I sounded a little puny to my own ears when I heard myself in the headphones.

I'm trying to keep conversation to a minimum, and I'm still downing hot tea as often as I can (considering it's Texas in July and I don't want to overheat). Any other tricks or suggestions from you voice folk out there?