Monday night practice

Last night was ... interesting. Let's say interesting. :-)

Bones ran the practice, which means it was a killer. I love Bones, but I'm half-convinced she is trying to kill me. :-) Just kidding -- hard workouts are awesome, especially when you're finished and you can say, "Wow, I did all of that!"

I couldn't 100% keep up with everything, but I never dropped out. There was a drill where we were skating in a pace line and the front two girls would sprint and lap the pace line (and then lap it twice, then three times, then twice, then once). The theme of last night was "pyramids." Well, my sprinting last night sucked ass (I'm just never going to be the fastest girl in the league, plus my endurance is down thanks to the pneumonia and the resulting lack of exercise). So I never did manage to lap the pace line more than once, but I kept up with the pace line the entire time, so that's something.

I also had no trouble keeping up with the pack during the 30 laps in 6 minutes, so that was awesome. I even helped a new girl, Kimberly, who was having trouble. Later on, I was in a group with Kimberly (who is tall, slim and athletic) and Bones (small but tough as nails) for shopping carts. That's where everyone gets in a single-file line, in derby position, hands on the hips of the girl in front of you, and the person in back pushes everyone. Bones and Kimberly together probably weigh ... gosh, I don't know, but less than 250 pounds, for sure. It should not have been difficult for me to push them. At least, not as difficult as it was. I was *dying*. And then when I was pulling them ... oh sweet Jebus, I wanted to fall down.

I got through it, which, yay me.

Later, during our league meeting, Brick was giving a rundown on how a skate works, what you can adjust and how, etc. Kimberly handed Brick one of her skates to demonstrate on. I picked up the other one, and when I pick up a skate, the first thing I do is give the wheels a spin. I don't know why, but I do. Even before Brick said anything, I told Kimberly, "Oh, honey, your wheels are too tight." They wouldn't spin; I could barely get them to turn. I don't know who sold her those skates, but they really should have loosened the nuts for her. (Brick did.)

We were all amazed and impressed that Kimberly managed to keep up with the pack (with help but still!!!) and the rest of the drills, when her wheels were so tight. Basically, she was driving with the parking brake on.

That explains why it was so hard to push and pull her, and it also explains why I was able to outpace her in most of the drills. *That* won't be happening again anytime soon. Kim is going to *love* her skates next time she tries them, I'll bet!

Unfortunately, Brick had some bad news for us at the meeting. During practice, the owner of the warehouse where we practice came by to talk to her. He had found a renter who wanted to use the building as a warehouse. The thing about that is that it's usually done on a month-to-month basis: a grass-seed company might rent the warehouse for a few months, for example. But whereas we're paying $800 a month, the warehouse renter will pay quite a lot more than that (I don't know exactly how much). So our deal with the owner was always that if they found a regular renter, we had to be out in seven days.

So, we have to be out in seven days. That means we have to tear up our sport court, and move it, and find someplace to store all of our stuff: sport court, chairs, skates, pads, other equipment, etc. More importantly, though, it means we have to find a new place to practice, and the sooner the better. We can probably go back to the Linn County Fairgrounds, which is not ideal (the polished concrete floor is very slick) but is OK. But that -- in my opinion, and I do not in any way speak for the league -- is just a stopgap. We need our own space, so we can have a full practice schedule. I guess I got spoiled in the seven months practicing in the warehouse. I mean, it wasn't perfect by any means: no heat, no insulation, no plumbing, and God only knows how hot it would have gotten in the summer. But it was *ours*. We paid our $800 and we could have practices every single day if we wanted. Sigh.

I know it will work out. I hope it does, because honestly, derby is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. And I don't want to do it anywhere else. I'm a Sick Town girl, dammit!