Diary of a Derbalifer - Part 2

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My first week in the Derbalife challenge went off with a BIG start! In terms of working out I did not cut corners:

1. Ran a 5K on day 1 with all those other things I mentioned in Part 1;
2. Went to Derby practice twice (or was it thrice, not sure);
3. 2 bike rides with a minimum of 5 miles each times and pushing it hard;
4. Worked all day at our home bout so that kept me on my toes and running from 2:30 to 10:30 pm (ok so it was followed by a couple of beers);
5. Participated in the 1-mile sprint on skates for the Girl Scouts;
6. Went sailing so we could try out the spinnaker sail and had my heart rate up in the gazillion beats per minute (yes, it was a killer!)
7. Did the week 1 workouts daily (the balancing thing, the one leg stand-ups, the ice skates...)

And what's going on THIS week?

I started a cold. I've been a sick puppy. I went to derby practice but once! OK, kudos for staying beyond bootcamp and hitting the track with the league girls, and I did go sailing twice and swam with the luminescent fishies one night - but still. I'm a bit disappointed in myself.

I know, I know - I'm under the weather and this cold is seriously kicking my ass! But, I have been without energy. Today is the first day that I started feeling less like a zombie and more like a real'ish person. Kinda.

I have 2 days left to honor my promise to myself for this week.

p.s. As I'm writing this post I have the oven toasting up my new snack - Pita Chips. I'm a big snacker. So may as well make it on the healthy side with some homemade pita chips. Yumalicious! 

Diary of a Derbalifer - Part 1

Derbalife Link.

I witnessed some pretty awesome changes in derby pal Indy or, Angela after she completed the DerbaLIFE 6-week program. So many changes that to be totally honest: I couldn't recognize her! She slimmed down, she toned down all that didn't go down was her speed. Which went up.

So, I went ahead and dove right in. Monday was the day it started and as I watched messages inviting us to join just as I was watching my belly jello-up I just went ahead and did it. I did it. I did, I did!

So motivated to kick start my new me I laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement. But, running was obviously not enough to achieve the new me: I made it a cross-training extravaganza. Being that I live on Harbor Island, I have access to a wonderful bike-walk path. This path is exactly 1.5 miles, give or take. So from one tippy top end of the island to the other, or from the river paddle boat to the lighthouse and back I get to rejoice in a true 5k.

Again, as I mentioned the run wasn't enough for me, oh no sirree boppy! I mentioned the cross training. Every park bench I crossed on my way back from the paddle boat (to celebrate that I was accomplishing the 5k) I added a work-out. Push-ups, dips, leg lifts, and when the bench was occupied - lunges.

After this wonderful work-out, my husband and I went sailing for 3 hours, thankfully I got back just in time to load up my gear and race out downtown for 1 hour of derby.

Overdid it? I did indeed overdid it. I did, I did, I did overdid it!

Tuesday was a day of pain. Total excruciating pain. But I was wiser - I skipped out on derby that night. I'm not a total idiot, just a partial one. But some could beg to differ.

And now I am looking forward to my fitness profile and goal assessment with my new AWESOME coach On-Ya. Life is grand for a Derbalifer... life is grand.

p.s. I need an accountability partner (and a spellchecker for every time I write out that word)
p.p.s. as I was making a cheese quesadilla for breakfast I happened to spot an apple glaring out at me with the angry eye, so I generously handed the quesadilla to my husband and ate dry toast with apple slices
p.p.p.s. the quesadilla looked yumalicious, but my apple was better

Marr's Golden Rules to Derby Bootcamp

In celebration of my first 6 months of derby, I've come up with (cue for the trumpets: ta-ta-ta-taaaaa!) MY very own RULES to derby bootcamp! Tighten those skates, strap on your (no, not the strap-on bleeeeep! but the pads) cover your head with your helmet and sit back AND READ. Then follow the rules. I beg of you to:

-1-

STAY LOW

God gave you knees that bend, use them wisely and often. Stay low, bend down, and if your back doesn't hurt (that lower portion?) then chances are you're just not bent down low enough. And when in doubt for why a skill is just not working out for you: chances are, it's because you just aren't assuming the derby stance.

-2-

LOOK

Look behind you, around you, not just ahead of you. The action is behind you. Its all about what's coming up - the jammer passing you, the blocker getting ready to catch up and *ouch* slam into you. Use that neck of yours and turn around. Practice doing laps where you are constantly looking behind you. And, then look behind you from the other side. Get used to it - the more you practice looking behind you the more you'll actually enlarge your perception width.

-3-

SHARE

Come on, share with Sugar Bear! And I'm not talking about your candy bar or your Pacifico, although THAT would actually be nice... Share the info. Tell your teammates what's going on. Even if you are looking behind you, there are things you may not notice, "Jammer - coming up!" "On your inside!" You get the drill, don't ever assume others know what you know. And it'll make you a better teammate - others will know they can rely on you and they'll (hopefully) want to play with you more.

-4-

GET UP!

We all fall down. All of us. It's not if you fall that matters, its what you do after you fall. Your team relies on you and needs you. Every player on the track is actually indispensable to each other. If you fall and stay down, then you are letting your team down. And every time you let your team down, they slowly learn to not count on you. And that sucks. You may still be in bootcamp (like me) so now is the time to make it a habit. Get the fuck up. Fast. Quick. If you're hurt, then get off the track - the least you can do is not become an obstacle.

-5-

HURRY!

Derby is a sport. And most sports involve speed. Hurrying isn't solely about how fast you can skate but how fast you react. And as long as you're still in bootcamp, this often means how quickly you respond to your coaches commands. I know, "command" sounds harsh and military'ish. But, it is called bootcamp for a reason after all. Practice time is so limited, add up those wasted minutes it takes everybody to get on track and in a pace line when asked, and those minutes quickly build up to hours. Hours of wasted time waiting... Again. Take everything you do in bootcamp to build positive habits. A positive habit is easier to keep up than to undo a bad one. (Yeah, trust me, I've got the flailing arms to prove you I am so friggin right here!)

-6-

OWN IT

I so wanted to stick to a pretty number like 5 or 3. But I could NOT end this without talking about the primary rule to learning anything in life. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for what YOU learn. And that - is golden enough, I don't need to explain it.

Simple enough? These are my rules and I'll see you at the track!

Two Sisters Face Off

Ever seen bees buzzing around anything sweet? Let me tell you… When the San Diego Derby Dolls (The Swarm) meet face to face with its sister league the Los Angeles Derby Dolls (Tough Cookies) you will witness firsthand what we’re talking about!

On September 24 The Swarm will face off with Tough Cookies in Wyland Hall, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This rematch has been long-awaited since San Diego narrowly lost the championship bout to this Los Angeles team last year, as well as the year before.

"This is the most anticipated game of the year,” PT Bruiser said. “To come so close two years in a row, only to lose to the Cookies, makes me want this win that much more."

The on-going sibling rivalry started when an LA Derby Doll, Bonnie D. Stroir, created a sister Derby Doll league here in San Diego in 2005. Since then the Dolls have fought over trophies and titles determined by very close calls.

“The Swarm bested the Cookies in the 2009 regular season match up, only to be defeated in the championship game by one point,” Bruiser said. “Deja vu in 2010 as The Swarm spoiled the Tough Cookies undefeated record in regular season, but couldn’t quite crumble the Cookies who once again took home the trophy.”

Tickets are available at www.derbydolls.com or at the door if they don’t sell out. General admission/standing room is $15; bleacher seating is $20. Military, seniors and children 6-12 are $13. Children under 6 are free. The doors open at 6 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m. Parking is $9 in cash. This is an all-ages family event with a full bar for those over 21. There will be raffle prizes, half-time entertainment, food, vendors and 1,500 screaming fans.