Derby

[commodorified]

Roller Derby Fresh Meat, Week 2 (for the three people who care, and for my own records):

Did not cry. Did not puke. Right leg seized up three times in that "oh crap, that's the bursitis" way that means that I have got to go and rest for a few minutes and until I do so nothing is going to make that leg a) hold my weight b) bend c) stop burning as if it were on fire.

My new motto is "I will fall when I have no other choice, and not one second before".

On the bright side, I'm, um, getting better at skating on only my left foot?

Went for pho after and ate it very cautiously. I'm not kidding about the puking: that level of pushing my limits plus leg pain plus the shock of falling a lot = rebellious abdominals and an overwhelming urge to hurl.

Carried my own gear up the stairs and spread it to dry. (Seriously, last week fairestcat carried my gear bag upstairs for me after practice and random laid all my gear out to dry and air because a) my spouses are the awesomest and b) ... I may have whimpered when I tried to grab my gear bag out of the car.

Also last week was Jack, Cola, and Percoset in the tub and this week is Tramadol and Gin in bed. So that's an improvement. (Yes, I know that's dangerous. I have a chronic, incurable, pain-causing condition. My physician knows I do this sort of thing occasionally, and she quite frankly prefers it to having me use the strength of opioid I'd need without the booze so PLEASE DO NOT LECTURE ME. As one of the Vorkosigan siblings says in Mirror Dance or thereabouts, I am a PROFESSIONAL of pain.

Things to work on when I am fresh and off skates so that I will become able to do them at the end of the practice without flopping like a carp: Planks. Planks with leg work. Pushups. Standing on one leg. Squats on one leg. Leg lifts.

Things to work on whenever I get some free time on skates: footwork. Footwork. Footwork. More footwork. Getting up from a fall or single or double knee-stop or a baseball slide faster. Transitions. Environmental awareness. Jumps.

Comments

[kalmn]

narcotics plus booze is the BESTEST. er, i try not to do it often either, but sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

[fajrdrako]

...I find it hard to believe that this is actually fun. But I'm glad to hear you survived.

[gale_storm]

Glad you made it through!!! If I were involved in that, they'd likely find me in a sobbing heap somewhere in a corner... :-S

[zarhooie]

GO YOU! Doing full contact sports with a chronic pain condition can be hard, but it's SO TOTALLY WORTH IT. I loved rugby practice, and games, and hitting people as hard as I could, then drinking them under the table afterwards. Keep playing hard. :)

FYI: tramadol + a SMALL swig of codeine cough syrup targets the pain really well, but doesn't make me loopy. Not sure if that'd help you or not, but maybe!

[commodorified]

I'm going to be reffing, actually, but it's still pretty ass-kicking. :-)

[zarhooie]

Reffing is a valid life choice. You do have a chance of getting checked sometime, I suppose. Still! Good for you. :)

[commodorified]

I'd like to try LoCo (low contact) at some point, maybe with ORD, but aside from health issues refs don't pay for dues or for fresh meat classes, so I feel like I owe the sport a minimum of a couple years of JUST officiating once I get through.

[geeksdoitbetter]

~claps~

i love roller derby!

almost as much as i love pho!

(which, is a fucking lot, let me tell you)

[leecetheartist]

Rob and I would love to come and watch Roller Derby when people we know are going to be there some time, how does one go about this? There are two clubs in Perth? Is there cross pollination or don't they mix? Which one do you go to or do you go to both?

[commodorified]

I'm skating with Rideau Valley Roller Girls: there's a
"Home" (they make an effort to move around the area covered) game schedule on their site.

If you want to come for free, we are chronically short of volunteers!

[leecetheartist]

I must have mixed you up with other people I know in Perth who roller derby! We're very unlikely to visit, alas!

[commodorified]

*sad* We do have team members in Perth, so I don't know if they're the ones you know.

Also, HOW DID I NOT KNOW that you lived in Perth?

We go through there semi-regularly en route to Toronto. There should be socialising!

As far as cross-pollination, I think there is a fair bit.

Currently a) Fresh Meat + NSOing for RVRG is the only thing ever in my world, cause Fresh Meat is completely kicking my ass, physically and mentally, plus RVRG are the ones taking on the hassle and expense of teaching me to skate and ref, so I feel like they're going to be entitled to all of my volunteering time and energy for awhile, but I'm hoping/planning to branch out and officiate for whoever needs me, later on.

[leecetheartist]

Er, Perth, Western Australia?

[commodorified]

... Perth, Ontario.

That explains why I didn't think of you as local, anyway :-)

[lasergirl]

I was waiting for the next roller derby update! This sounds extra-painful, but in a starting-to-get-the-hang-of-it-in-spite-of-body kind of way, which I think is good?? Yes??

I had to miss a week of practices last week and skated last night... I never get to the wanting/needing to puke phase, but I did have massive attacks of shin splints throughout the night..... also I reffed for an hour and have big almost-blisters again. I thought I'd cured this with new insoles.... now I need new skates. bah.

Looking forward to seeing you at the next bout!!! (just to confirm, Mo *does* have you on as a volunteer? because our coordinator is still looking for people and I wasn't sure if C. was coming with, and then if you were both volunteering or what? anyway hi!)

[commodorified]

They have us both for both bouts; are you on for Rochester as well? Want to share a room if so?

Everything else is getting better; I am probably making the bursitis worse, but fuckit. I only have to get through FM and then I can be more sensible.

[lasergirl]

Do you have room for me/want me to NSO in Rochester? I don't think I will be in any condition to skate unless I absolutely have to after doing a double header the day before, but you are welcome to put my name forward to the NSO coordinator if they need someone. I'm pretty sure my passport is up to date. Also I am hopefully not leaving for Nova Scotia until the 16th or later.... TBA as usual.

Sports Physiotherapy - preventative, not just cure :-)

[thorfinn]

Just IMO, find a sports physiotherapist, if you don't have one already. :-) Most medicos have the job of making you:

1. not dead
2. functional for normal life

After that, they need to move on to the next patient.

Sports physiotherapists are a whole other level of thing, and they provide lots of high grade advice about looking after your body so you can prevent injury and keep functioning at the level required for sport. And they don't tend to do silly things like tell you "don't do that sport then", which normal medicos often do.

Don't wait until you have an issue before you go looking for one, just IMO.

ETA: Woo, roller derby! I know quite a few people in leagues down here in .au, it seems massive amounts of fun. If I wasn't already doing silly amounts of swing dancing, I'd probably be looking into joining in somehow. As it is I just go watch a bout now and again. :-)

Re: Sports Physiotherapy - preventative, not just cure :-)

[commodorified]

My physiotherapist is excellent.

I appreciate your intentions, but please do not offer me unsolicited advice on my health or fitness.

My bad.

[thorfinn]

Oops. My apologies. I shall not do so in the future.

Re: My bad.

[commodorified]

Thanks.

I really do appreciate the kindly intent, but my medical situation is, how you say, intricate, and advice from anyone who isn't actively involved in my treatment is hugely unlikely to be of help.

Re: My bad.

[thorfinn]

Totally understandable. :-)