ACK

We're getting closer and closer to final testing (September 6th and 8th). I'M SO NOT READY. After we pass testing, we start scrimmaging. Awhile ago, the coach said if we're not ready for it by that point, we'll have some one on one time to get us up there but now I'm wondering if that's going to happen. We seem to have lost some people yet again and I suspect the only reason I'm not getting pulled right now despite my complete and utter failure at pack skating is because they need more fresh meat skaters in the beginners scrimmages (well, that and the only way one learns to pack skate is to, well, practice skating in a pack.) But *flail* SO NOT READY.

1. I can't keep my feet down on the corners. I can sticky skate or I can stay with the pack. I can't do both. When I go skating this weekend, this is what I'm going to work on. If I have the energy tonight and can talk my roommate into it, I want to go to open skate and work on it after work today.

2. My speed blows. I'm getting closer! I can just almost keep up with the pack. However, my endurance blows as well, so I'm getting tired way before I should. Again though, it's something I'm very slowly improving on each time. (If I can pass on any advice to future derby girls, it's WORK OUT AT HOME BEFORE YOU GO TO RECRUITMENT. It's awful to feel like you're always holding people back.)

3. I feel pretty okay with blocking. I wasn't sure I would until last night we practiced drag blocking while skating around. I was with one of the Psycho Sisters and was able to successful drag block her, but she couldn't push me out. (Of course, this might be in part due to a probably 100 lb weight difference between us, BUT STILL. I might not be able to get my fat ass around the rink but at least I can push people out.) I think it helped that most of my experience drag blocking was with Itzel, who is pretty much an unmovable force when she wants to be. However, I only seem to get low right around the time when I feel like I'm going to get hit, so I'm going to be caught unaware at some point while skating.

This is my last weekend before school starts so I'm not sure how much skating I'll get in, but I know it needs to be A LOT. At the very least, I need to sticky skate until I feel like I'm going to vomit. One of the Psycho Sisters tried to show me how to sticky skate like I'm skiing, so I'm going to give that a try sometime this weekend to see if I can manage this. I have two weeks to catch up with the pack. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this...