Anything She Can Do I Need to Do Better?

Hello all, it's been a few weeks since I blogged, I've been busy busy busy like a bumble bee. Between school, derby, and other general life requirements, I haven't had a lot of time for myself, so I thought I'd blog today about a couple of things that have been on my mind after I get done with derby practice each week.
One of the things I've had a hard time doing is not to comparing myself to the other skaters in my session. Sure, I can spout on about how in theory I won't do it, but in reality, it's not that easy.  Humans naturally compare themselves to others, they compare themselves to their peers based on the clothes they are wearing, the money they make, the place they live, the job they have, so it's not surprising that it happens in derby. I love derby. I love going to practice and learning new things, however, it's really hard not to feel bad when some of the other girls are getting things right away and I'm not. The coaches are always telling us not to compare ourselves to the other girls because they may be at a different place than us, or have skills that help them progress faster that we may or may not be aware of. This is the case in my session, there are girls who've figure skated, played hockey, speed skated or just plain recreational roller skated for years. And those people pick skills up like a game of jacks. I'm supportive when they accomplish something but  can't help but feel a bit inadequate inside. Sometimes it's like I have tunnel vision, a time when I chuck "don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle' straight out the window. All I see is that she can do something that I can't and it really bothers me. Is it low self-esteem? Maybe, but I don't think so. I think everyone feels this way at some point when they are learning something new, we don't like to feel vulnerable and putting ourself out there with something like derby, can sometimes be really scary. I know I need to stop feeling this way, but it may take some time. I have to remember that I will get things eventually as long as I stick to it. I'm a firm believer that if you try you can succeed. Positive mantra. Positive mantra.

This has been on my mind for a while, this and how to relax my feet when I run on my toe stops. Stupid blisters that really really hurt! If you have any advice on how you try to stop comparing yourself to others or on top stop running, sound off below! :)

Until next time,
XOXOXOXO
~Emma

Derby and Stir-Crazy

Happy November, everyone! Hard to believe that an entire month has gone by since the start of my new rec league. Right now I'm feeling kind of stir-crazy. It may be the fact that I don't have a car and need to get the heck off campus right now, it may also be the fact that I had to miss derby this week because of a test, in fact I think it's definitely a combination of those two things. Overall I feel like I need to learn to manage my time better so I can go to every derby practice. Practice is my stress reliever, and on days like today I can really tell I'm not doing myself any favors by skipping.

The most important thing I've learned this week: manage time better so you don't have to miss derby, because missing derby means you will be stressed and irritable for the remainder of the week. Remember: body checking pedestrians to let out your inner rage is generally frowned upon in most societies.....

Food for thought (literally): Who came up the term "fun-sized"? They really need to re-evaluate their definition of entertainment.

Until next time, (when I'm in a better state of mind)

Emma
XOXOXOXO

The Derby Diet

In life, and even more importantly, in roller derby, your body is the most important tool in your toolbox. There are a lot of theories about what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, to keep our bodies at the maximum level of awesome that we need to play roller derby. There's a spectrum out there that goes from seriously hardcore to don't really care. I find myself to be in the middle but more towards the hardcore side. I try to eat healthy, I really do. Not only to keep myself at a good weight, but to give it the proper nutrition that it requires to do all the crazy stuff that derby skaters do. I am healthy, but I also understand and accept the fact that I really, really like chocolate. I like dessert, I like pie and cake and cookies and brownies, and that's not a bad thing. The key is to keeping myself in check, by eating right and rewarding myself on occasion with a dessert that I deem worthy enough to expend those calories on. So without further ado, I give you my advice for a roller derby diet:

1) Evaluate your diet
The diet you had before you started roller derby is probably not sufficient to support your body's growing needs. You are doing things you have never done before, with muscles you probably didn't know existed, AND you are doing it all on skates. Think about that and take that into account and change your diet to fit your body's new needs. You WILL be hungrier, you are expending way more energy than you ever have before, it's natural, so don't worry!

2) Eat something before and after practice
Before:
-Eat something with a mixture of simple and complex carbs so that the release of energy during your practice is slow and steady, enough to get you through to the end of practice. (i.e. bagels, toast, withe peanut butter...or Nutella, if you are a Nutella-lover like me)
-Eat some potassium---during exercise, potassium levels tend to lower, so eat something that is high in potassium like bananas, dried apricots, raisins, spinach, yogurt, avocados.
-Drink water....seriously, I cannot stress how important it is for you to stay hydrate (you should ideally start hydrating a few days before practice)
During Practice:
-Hydration, hydration, HYDRATION!!!!!!!
Hydration is so important, especially if you are practicing somewhere where it is humid, hot and does not have air conditioning. Just do it, okay? :)
-Have a sports drink handy---it's a good idea to drink both water and a sports drink to keep you hydrated and provides sodium and carbohydrates as well.
After Practice:
-Eat protein--your body is going to be in recovery mode and protein is the best thing you can give to your body to aid in muscular recovery and growth. Proteins like eggs, chicken, avocados, fish, hummus, beans are good.
-Eat carbs--after lots of aerobic exercise (endurance drills, anyone?) carbs need to be replenished! Foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, dried fruits and nuts, breads,  and pastas are chuck full of good carbs.
-Drink water---are we sensing a pattern here? Good! Your body needs water all the time! Drinking water after a workout replenishes fluids that you have lost during practice.

3) Consider your snack choices
Consider what you eat as snacks and how often you eat snacks. I'm not saying you have to give up junk food, but I'd advise you to take notice of your snack choices, make as Yoplait calls it a "swapportunity. I don't consider things like chips, candy and other junk food to be good snacks. Are they delicious? Heck yes! Are they high in fat/sodium/cholesterol? Yes. Do you often find yourself gorging on a bag of chips and having it take the whole bag to feel full? Yes. Junk food doesn't have the nutrients it takes to fill you up. Consider swapping for healthier choices like: apple slices and peanut butter, veggies and hummus or low-fat dressing, grapes, celery....really any vegetable or fruit. In the end, those chips are not doing you any favors, on the track or on your waistline....

4) Pick and choose your desserts
Dessert is wonderful. I love dessert. I love chocolate. I love baking. Love. Love. Love. People at practice ask me all the time how I'm so skinny, because I simply love food! My answer: I pick and choose my battles (or desserts....same thing really...;) )
Like I said, I like to bake, however I don't eat what I bake. That's my secret. If I'm baking something, I'll eat/taste one to make sure it came out okay and then I give the rest away to my friends and family. I don't keep any for myself (because seriously that is just inviting temptation).
I also pick and choose my desserts. I don't have dessert all that often, but when I do, I want to make sure it'll be worth it. There's nothing worse than sinking my fork into a delicious-looking piece of pie only to discover that it tastes like the crap.......so when I indulge, it had better be soooooo worth it.
*Tip*-I really like to buy those individually-wrapped chocolate squares....automatic portion control, people! :)

5) No soda
My former coach used to rail on us about soda whenever she saw one of us drinking any (both inside and outside of practice). And yes, this DOES include diet soda...it still has sugar in it, artificial though it may be, don't think that it isn't there. Soda will never do for you what water can do for you. Avoid the glare of death from your coach....soda is not worth that!!!!!

Hmmmmm......all this food has gotten me mighty peckish ;)

Until next time,

XOXO

Emma

A Whole New World...I Mean League....

Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Real life calls, you know? Anyway, I had my first derby practice with my new rec league. I was really nervous. Seriously, it was like my first day of high school all over again: didn't know anyone, wondering if I'd dressed right, and hoping to fit in and find a good group of friends like before. I found myself wondering if I'd been this nervous before my first ever derby practice back home....I hadn't been. I hadn't been as nervous before because I had already known a few people going in.
As we went through official business and then started doing drills, I found myself starting to compare the two leagues. I tried not to, but I did, I think it's only natural to do so, though hard to do it objectively. There were lots of differences and I noticed that I'd focus on the cons of being different than the pros of being different. Sure, things weren't exactly the way they were back home, but I can't really expect them to be. More than anything I miss my friends from my old league, after practicing together all summer, we bonded strong and fast. They became like my family, and I really miss my derby family. However, in terms of training I think I'll be better off where I am now. My new league seems more structured and scheduled and I'm excited to learn more and become stronger. I'm only in the first level right now, but I'm hoping to work up to level 2 very soon. Old league, new league, they have and will teach me different things and I'm grateful that I have the chance to experience the differences between them. I hope to make as good of friends here as I did there, I guess the only thing I can do is wait and see, right? :)
Talk to you guys soon!

XOXOXO, Emma ;)

Conflict Over...Whew....

The conflict is officially over! I tried to convince myself that I could live without derby, BUT WHO AM I KIDDING???!!! No one, least of all myself! I finally just realized that even though I may not have a lot of "college" friends, I went back to school for the learning, not the socializing. It's kind of daunting to think about having to start over in a new league just as I was getting semi-comfortable in my old league. I'm full of nerves and questions. Where do I go? Will anyone talk to me? What do I wear? What if I don't make any friends?...........need I digress further? I really just want to tell inner me to can it and take a chill pill, but I know I won't be able to stem the butterflies in my stomach as I step into unknown territory (what is this, Animal Kingdom?) Anyone have any advice on this? Thanks everyone, talk to you soon :)

~Emma

Derby v. Real Life: The Point of No Return

I am at a major point of conflict everyone. A precipice that every skater reaches at some point in their derby career. I'm of course talking about derby versus real life. The inevitable conflict that rears its ugly head after having been bitten by the derby bug.

I recently went back to school (yay!). The campus is nice, the professors are great, my apartment is wicked sweet (for being on-campus that is)....but not a lot going on in the friend department. Remember how I did the summer rec league session? Well, I made a TON of really great friends! However, I just moved, so they are  now several states away! I did some research online and found out that they do have a rec league near me that's going to be accepting new members in the next few weeks.

Great, right? Not great. Why, you ask? This is the point of conflict I mentioned earlier. I really want to do the rec league, the skater in me demands I do the rec league. I know that I will make friends on the rec league, I know I will. The issue here is that there's also an on-campus book club that I want to join too. There is the possibility that the book club meetings may be scheduled on the same days or times as rec league practice and I really want to have some friends on-campus to do things with (like studying, hanging out, eating, etc..)The question remains: which one should I do? If I could do both, I would, but unfortunately I won't be able to swing both on top of a full load of classes and studying.

I made a Pro/Con list to help me figure this out:

Derby:
PROS:

• I make friends a lot faster in derby than I do in my everyday life, friends that I tend to like spending time with more than my non-derby friends.
• Derby feeds my skater soul and makes me happy.
• Keeps me physically active
• Makes me more confident
• I LOVE IT!

CONS:

• It's not on-campus and I don't have a car (too expensive to park)
• Dues
• Possibility of injury
• It's very likely I won't be making friends that go to school and that are on-campus 
• Pressure from unsupportive family members.

Book Club:

PROS:

• Instant on-campus friendships
• No pressure from unsupportive family members

CONS:

• Less skating time
• No derby friends to go skating with
• My skills won't improve-I want to make a team so badly and only skating during summer won't be enough.
• Buying the books (they can get pricey)
• Less happiness?

So there you go. It's a tough choice. My head says to do the book club, that it'll get me the on-campus friends that I want....but my heart tells me to do derby. What do I do? I need to think long and hard about this. If you have any sage advice that you want to share, sound off below! Thanks :)

Until Next Time..........Watch Emma Make A Decision

The Allure of Derby Wives

Of all the derby phenomenons that I'm fascinated by (and I'm fascinated by A LOT of them!) derby wifery is probably one of the ones that interests me the most. We live in an MTV world, chuck full of reality shows that showcase the heinous things females will do to each other, to the people they call "friends". Back-stabbing, superficiality, cat fights, gossip.....need I go on? Mean Girls, a great movie for when I'm in the mood to sit in my p-jams and crack open that jar of Nutella (yes, health nuts have cravings too!), however not a good movie to base your friendships off of. And although yes, it IS just a movie, I have seen plenty of those kinds of things happen in the real world. Really, it's no wonder that many women find themselves reluctant to form close female friendships. I myself tend to tread very cautiously, I've been hurt, betrayed, and let down when it really counted. However, I've found that this doesn't close me off to close female friendships, but rather makes me hunger for them that much more.Which is the exact reason that I love the concept of derby wives oh so much!

Derby is quirky, and so am I.....which is probably the reason that I've made more friends in the last two months than I have in my entire life! But I haven't felt that "love" connection, that instant connection with another skater that marks us as destined-to be-derby wives. The pressure to find one is coming from me, nobody else but me. Other people have wives, I want one too! (Sounds eerily similar to when I was six and told my parents I wanted a pony because my classmate had one.) But like when trying to find a significant other, the advice "It'll happen when you least expect it" or "You'll find it when you stop looking" are scraps of wisdom that I should really take to heart.

Now I've heard a lot of different things about derby wives. There seems to be general consensus that a derby wife is someone who has your back on and off the track, but everyone seems to have their own little quirks about derby wifery. Some think you should stick to having a derby wife on your own team or in your league, and some think derby wives should be on other leagues, states, or countries. Some are one-woman type of gals, while others have derby mistresses, multiple derby wives, extended families (the list goes on....). I'm a one-woman type of gal, always have been always will be. And I like the idea of my derby wife being on the same team as me, of seeing her at every practice, of learning together, laughing together, hip-checking together.... I've already had one skater ask me to be her derby wife, and though it was hard, I said no. It may be a bit awkward to say no, but don't say yes just so you can say you have a derby wife, wait it out until you meet the right person, it'll be worth it.

I read this great blog post by Elektra Q-Tion (http://elektraqtion.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-mystery-of-derby-wives.html), which inspired this post! So check her out, she is a derby goddess!

Until Next Time......Watch Emma Skate-While-Not-Trying-To-But-Kind-Of-Trying-To-Find-A-Derby-Wife

The Skater That Roars

On a normal day I tend to be a pretty quiet person. I also have trouble asserting myself. Unfortunately for me, I can't be that kind of person on the track. Track Me needs to LOUD, otherwise how are the other skaters on my team supposed to hear me? And if they can't hear me, how are we supposed to communicate effectively as a team? One of the things you may need to work on if you are the quiet sort like me, is your "track voice". The trainers on my league take this very seriously and have call out different things during drills. Because, now matter how well a person may know a play, if they can't communicate it quickly and effectively to their teammates on the track, it's pretty much worthless. Here are some of the things I have been doing to get better at being heard:

1) Talk in the shower
It's just you and your shower head. Go for it! Practice talking loud or even singing loud and USE YOUR DIAPHRAGM!

2) Go to a roller rink
Practice giving off your position to the skaters in front of you. Do this at practice too. A simple "INSIDE!", "OUTSIDE", or "MIDDLE!" should do the trick, plus your teammates will really appreciate it.

3) Record yourself
Get a small recorder, use an iPhone app, or a computer and record yourself saying things at the level of loudness you consider your "track voice" to be at. Play it back. How does it sound? Keep in mind, you may think it sounds loud enough, but when you have music playing, fans yelling and clapping, skate/wheel sounds, and other skaters yelling, you'll quickly be drowned out.

4) Ask a friend
Ask a friend to skate with you and whenever you go by them, call your position out to them. Have them let you know if they can't hear you.

5) Sing karaoke
I normally don't like to draw a lot of attention to myself, ergo I talk quietly. To get more comfortable being loud, grab some friends and pay a visit to your local karaoke joint. It'll get you comfortable talking in front of strangers, plus you'll probably end up having a blast!

These are some tips that have worked for me. Let me know if you have any of your own!

Until next time.....Watch Emma ROAR!

Eating Out With Your Teammates

So it's the fourth week of practice, and people have been kind of starting to get to know each other.  Man, it feels like we haven't really practiced that much at all! Having gotten to know a few girls on my league very well, we do a lot of things together: we skate together, we laugh together, we joke together, and we EAT together. I try and skate a lot during the week, and more often than not, a few of my girls usually tag along, which then leads to eating dinner at this restaurant or that restaurant. Now don't get me wrong, I love skating and chatting with my teammates, that's what I go for, but I've been  noticing a little weight gain since I've been eating out so much and not necessarily making the smartest choices. So since I haven't blogged about food for a while, I thought I'd tag team food and derby in this one.....so without further ado, here are my tips for attempting to eat somewhat healthy while out to eat after practice:

1) Don't eat the appetizers
I know, I know, appetizers are delicious!But they also tend to be very caloric and fill you up way before your meal even gets to the table. I have a really bad habit about this. We always order onion rings and things like that, which I then proceed to eat until I have no room for my actual main meal. Resist temptation!

2)  Order a salad
Now this method isn't always as golden as it seems. It really depends on what is IN the salad that makes the difference. Look at the ingredients and make sure the salad isn't full of things like heavy ranch dressing, bacon, croutons, beans, cheese, etc....Ask for light dressing options as well. A nice salad full of leafy greens and veggies is the way to go!

3) Ask to swap chips/fries for a side salad
I freely admit that I have not been good about this. And I know fries are seriously good, but this is one easy swap that'll really make a difference. Get in those greens and cut the fat and calories!

4) Eat slowly
It's a proven fact that you'll eat less and feel fuller if you let your stomach have time to process that it's being filled with food. Plus, as and added bonus, more chat time with your friends! :)

5) Drink water
Do it. You won't feel the need to stuff yourself like a Thanksgiving turkey, plus, if you've been skating for a few hours previously, you probably need it anyway.

6) Don't order dessert or share if you must
I love dessert, LOVE IT! But it's also a step in the meal where I could potentially put away 500-600 extra calories on a piece of chocolate cake or pie. If you really want some dessert, then split it with a friend. It'll save you money to split and it'll help keep you in check.

Now again, these are just tips that I've thought up and that have been very effective when I'm in the mindset to be good about it. I'm not saying you have to follow these tips or that you can't have anything deep fried or delicious. I'm just saying that if you (like me) have noticed a little added extra poundage, take these tips into consideration.
Until Next Time......Watch Emma Eat (Healthy!) :)

The Ugly Green-Eyed Monster Inside

With a few practices under my belt it was only a matter of time before that ugly green-eyed monster reared it's head to sound off in my brain. Before practice started, the vets would tell us again and again not to compare ourselves to other skaters. I was confident that I could resist temptation, very sure of myself. That was all find and dandy until I actually got to practice. It was (and still is) impossibly hard not to compare myself to the other skaters around me, not to feel that flash of envy as another smoothly executes the drills while I'm falling all over the place trying to properly perform a four point fall or T-stop. Thankfully the vets have been super helpful with this and so has some of my favorite derby blogs! Their advice comes down to about 3 things:
1) There are many unknowns.... 
Meaning that you probably don't know their whole story. You don't know if they've done any other sports that might influence the pace at which they learn, already been in derby for X amount of time, have a relative who plays roller derby, etc... For example, a few weeks ago I was skating at my favorite local roller rink, when I saw this girl in derby gear rocking at crossovers, backwards skating, transitions....and I found myself thinking "Gosh, look at her, she's so good, I'll never be like that...." After going up and talking to her, I found out she'd just moved up from Nebraska where she'd been on a team for 5 years! So of course I wouldn't be as good as her, it's not right to compare a skater of 2 months to a skater with 5 years of skating experience.
2) People learn things at different speeds and are better at some things than others.
I remember when I was in elementary school and there was a boy who was super good at math, he was the one who was always done with tests before everyone else and argued with the teacher about wanting to do equations his way. He was great at math.....but horrible at English, something I excelled at. So while it might have taken me a long time to learn something in math, I could pick English up quick! The same thing applies to skating!

3) Use this for your own advantage!
Those people who seem to be good at everything in derby may seem annoying at times, but try to avoid thinking that and instead use those people to your advantage. Are they good at crossovers? Transitions? Do you need to work on those? Ask them how they do it! More likely than not they will be happy to help you. Use all the energy you'd spend hating on/envying them and instead put it into the skills you'd like to improve on, you'll see a big difference.

It's a bit disheartening to see other  newbies picking up things faster than we (me) are, but believe me, there are other skaters out there that are probably thinking the same thing about you. A few times I've bemoaned to some of my  derby friends about how I feel like I'm not learning as fast as I should be, only for them reveal that they feel like I'm doing so much better than them even though I've been skating for less time than they have. The moral of the story is to just concentrate on getting yourself to where you want to be, don't focus on anyone else. And tell that green-eyed monster to take a hike (or a hip-check) :)

Until Next Time....Watch Emma Rock It!

First Derby Practice EVER!

There many "firsts" that we experience throughout our lives, like first word, first step, first day of school, first...well you get the picture. Last Saturday I experienced my first derby practice EVER! And man it was something that I'll never forget. For our first practice we mainly did WFTDA testing to determine whether or not we'd be a Level 1'er or a Level 2'er (Level 1'er all the way, he he). We did pace line drills, weaving drills, falls, stops, skating backwards, 27/5, just basic WFTDA skills.  Now I am a new skater, like really new, so there were probably about three or four of those things that I actually knew how to do, which is fine, that's why I'm in level one, so I can learn. Now that I'm no longer a derby practice virgin. Here's some tips that I wish I'd thought of beforehand or amazingly remembered to do.

1) Know the place and time and BE ON TIME
This one seems like a no-brainer, but just imagine how it would look to the trainers were you to roll (pun intended) in fifteen minutes into testing. Not good. Not good at all. You'll be nicknamed "late girl" for the rest of the session. Just kidding :). But seriously,  make a good first impression, you only get one chance!

2) Dress appropriately
If the trainers want you in specific shirt colors for drills and stuff, wear those colors! If your practice space doesn't have air conditioning, dress in layers! Don't wear your tutus or heavy shirts, or makeup, etc...It's practice so you want to be comfortable. Practice won't be fun if you're passing out from the heat!

3) Drink water. DO IT.
In fact, start hydrating a few days early. On average women should be drinking at least 2.2 L of water per day (I think for men it's around 3 L), but you should be drinking a lot more since you're at practice and you are sweating it all out. Bring a big bottle (I got a 48 oz) and set it somewhere where it's easy to reach). Hydration is very important as it keeps you at the top of your game.

4) Be positive
No one likes a Debbie Downer, so be encouraging to the other girls, cheer for them, give them a high-five  when they do something cool. Be excited to be there! You may not know how to do many of the skills they test on, but be amenable to coaching, and don't let it bother you, you'll learn, that's what you're there for!

5) Be social...after practice
I have trouble following this one because I love to talk. You can chat a bit during practice, but it's really a time for everyone to focus and chatter can sometimes take away from that or waste the trainers time if they can't get everyone to quiet down. And if your teammates are going out after practice, go with them! Even if you don't drink, are dieting, or whatever, bonding is important, especially in those first few weeks. Get to know your teammates, because you might end up on a team with them one day!

6) Don't be nervous
I know, I know...easier said than done. I was nervous, but thankfully I knew one or two people already so it made it easier. If you are the nervous type, try and carpool with someone, it'll make it easier going in with someone and can ease the tension of meeting a whole new group of people. If you don't know anyone, just relax, there are probably many many people as fresh and new as you are, and derby people are pretty friendly, so don't worry.

7) Be fearless
Put yourself out there, skate fast, fall hard. Don't give up. If you fall, get right back up! You may have some resignations about certain things, but leave those fears off the track and in your car. Try your best!

Oh and bring duck tape, you'll need that to tape your name and number on your helmet! That's all I can think of for now! I'll add on if something else pops up. Shout out if you have any add-ins!

Until next time....Watch Emma Play Derby! :)

Emma on Roller Derby Names

With my rec session starting up, I feel like I can finally give some more serious thought to what my derby name is going to be, instead of feeling like a daydreaming school girl about it. To be perfectly honest I am really having a tough time. People have told me that it'll "just come to me" but it seems like it's taking forever, and Emma wants her derby name! So if anyone has any suggestions for derby names for me then I'd be so grateful! Comment below if you have something!

Since I seem to have some form of derby name block, I think I'll stop thinking about it so hard and maybe that'll make it easier. In fact, as I've been thinking more and more about my own derby name, I've also been thinking about how there are some skaters out there who would prefer not to use derby names to make the sport more legit. Now it's true, everyone has their own opinions.....so here's mine :)

When I fell in love with roller derby, I fell hard...really hard....like annoy-the-crap-out-of-everyone-I-know-because-I-can't-stop-talking-about-roller-derby kind of hard. I fell in love with roller derby for many reasons but the main reasons were mainly that it was an athletic sport, but it was also edgy, feminine, and full of glitter. A sport where skaters were more than just teammates that you see once a week for practice, they were a tight-knit bunch of ladies who would do just about anything for one of their own...all while sporting fabulous derby names and awesome knee socks and tights (seriously, my knee sock/tight collection has almost tripled since I started roller derby).

People want the sport to be more legitimate. I get that. People want roller derby in the Olympics, on a major sports network, etc...I get that. And some people feel that we need to drop the derby names, the makeup, the glitter, the boutfits, and just be more.....normal. I however, do not. I think it's great that people are invested in making derby more popular. It's skyrocketing in popularity as I type. But there's a fine line between the quest for "legitimacy" and becoming like every other sports team out there. I was first attracted to roller derby BECAUSE it's slightly off-kilter, it's not like any other sport out there. In the uptight world that I live in, I oftentimes feel that I cannot express myself, and be the weird, creative, and spunky person that I know I am on the inside, but with roller derby, I can.  I worry that if we were to drop the boutfits, the glitter, the names, the glorious insanity, in the quest for legitimacy, we would lose everything that make derby so unique and so different and we'd end up like every other sport out there. And I would lose that special place in my life where I feel like it's totally okay to just be me. When I skate, I feel like I've come home, I feel like I've found the place where I belong in the slightly abnormal, glitter-filled world that is roller derby. So all in all, don't change to fit the mold, you'll just end up erasing the parts that make you different, the parts that truly make you sparkle.

I know this post was pretty deep, I'll post about food next time, for something a bit more light-hearted! :)

Until next time.....Watch Emma Try to Pick A Derby Name!

Woot for Derby Friends!

Hi everyone! I've been having a very good week this week, mostly because I recently met some derby girls at a roller rink that I've started to become friends with. Being that I am a complete newbie to roller derby and given the fact that my rec session won't be starting up for a while, I thought I'd get some skate time in by going to a local roller rink. The group of girls I've met are great, there are a few newbies like me, so we can learn things together, and then there are a few trying to make it to boot camp that are more experienced and  fun to learn from.

Obviously once you make it to boot camp and hopefully get drafted, your team will become like your family and you'll share close bonds of friendship. However, for those girls (like me) who aren't quite there yet, and are still waiting on their rec session to start, I highly recommend going out and meeting some other derby girls. Hang out at the local roller rinks, try and find out where they hang out, pluck up your courage and try to talk to them. It's really great to have some girls you can call up to go skating with or just hang out with and talk derby. Who knows, you might meet someone who's looking to join the same league that you are, and at least for me, knowing at least one person when starting something new really boosts my confidence. The message of the day, as cliche as it might seem, is to just be yourself and to put yourself out there. In my experience, derby girls are very accepting, but tend to be very honest and direct with their words and feelings and often don't care for pretenses.

And finally, if you are like me, who tends to be the one who asks friends to go out rather than being invited to go out, having one of my new derby friends invite me to go skating was possibly the highlight of my week!

That's all for now! Comment below if you have anything to add!

Until next time,

Watch Emma Skate....and Make New Friends!

Unsupportive People, Roller Derby, and You

Hello everyone. Today I thought I would talk about a topic that has been on my  mind for quite some time: unsupportive people (family members, boyfriends/girlfriends, etc...) and roller derby. Though it varies for everyone, at least in my case, I have one VERY unsupportive family member, a regular Negative Nancy (I shall refer to them as Nancy from here on out in this post). When I told Nancy that I was interested in skating and doing derby eventually, she seemed fine with it, but as the months went on, and it was clear that my derby obsession wasn't just a passing fancy, she got very antagonistic whenever I would mention anything having to do with roller skating or roller derby and would quickly try to change the subject or simply sit and be huffy while rolling her eyes until I was finished. She never outwardly says that she hates derby, but I can feel it in her actions, and her downright disregard for something she knows is important to me.

I find myself avoiding having conversations with her because it's hard not to talk about derby and skating when that's what I am interested in and doing with a lot of my time right now. I so badly want to talk about skating but whenever she is in the room I find myself staying silent for I know she will become rude if I mention it. I try explaining to her that roller derby, while dangerous, will be good for me and about all of the amazing women that I have met as a result of my interest in derby, but she doesn't seem to care. I realize she's probably just worried about my safety, but I get so sad when she shuts me down. I try hard not to let her get to me, but since she is someone I am very close to, it's hard to ignore it when she is so unsupportive of my hobby. Does anyone else seem to be in a similar situation? Comment below with any advice or tidbits! Thanks for listening guys! :)

Until next time,

Watch Emma Skate......and Skate!

You Like Roller Derby, Really?

Hello everyone! Since I've been posting about food for the last few posts I thought I'd write about roller derby this time. I thought I would write about something that frequently happens to me and probably to a lot of derby or wannabe-derby girls out there.

Roller derby is a sport that I've recently gotten interested in and because I've acquired what many vets call "derby rabies" where I want to talk about derby/skating with everyone and tell them how fascinating and awesome it is. Immediately after I stop talking, they get this weird look on their face and say something along the lines of, "You're such a nice girl, why would you want to play roller derby?" Now I know most of them either haven't seen roller derby since the 1970s or have never seen it period, but I can't help but feel offended when people say things like that. Because roller derby is a full-contact sport, many people automatically assume all derby girls are crass, tattooed, uber-confident, athletic, etc... but that isn't true at all. And while there certainly are those types of women in roller derby, there are many other types of women in roller derby too.

I try not to take offense, I really try. I think sometimes they just wonder why I'm attracted to roller derby in the first place. I'm sort of middle of the spectrum when it comes to thing, I'm not introverted but I'm not extroverted either, nor am I super athletic or super non-athletic. One of the great things about derby is that there is no definite "type" of person who plays, there are opportunities for every type of body and size.  I've met some derby girls who are the quietest, most unassuming people, but once they get on the track they skate like nobody's business. It's obvious that women who are confident and athletic are drawn to the sport, but that doesn't explain why there's a whole spectrum of women donning skates in hopes of making it through rookie training. I think the reason women tend to be attracted to derby is because they see those confident derby girls and want that confidence. They see roller derby as a way to become empowered, become the self-confident, fit, outgoing women that they've always wanted to be. And that's really what roller derby is all about in the end: self-confidence, athleticism, teamwork, friendship and whole bunch of other awesome stuff. And in terms of the whole "nice" aspect, I also find that to be false as well. As I said before, there's a whole spectrum of people involved in roller derby, but based on my experience, the derby girls I've met have been some of the nicest, most helpful, and honest people that I've had the pleasure of meeting. So to me, "nice" doesn't even begin to cover it. Skaters treat each other like family, and are there for each other in good times and bad, I'd call it a blessing to have people like that in my life. So when people say things like that to me, I simply reply, "I like roller derby for the same reason you like golf/fishing/tennis, etc...it's fun, it makes me feel confident and empowered, and most of all, it makes me happy."

Until next time....Watch Emma Skate...and be Happy :)

A Bad Romance: Your Second Stomach (for Desserts only) and You

Happy Tuesday! Let's get real here people....Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" isn't about a guy and some abusive relationship....it's about CAKE, and the abusive relationship with all things delicious. Seriously, that music video made about zero sense to me anyway and would be way more relatable to the average person were it to have been Lady Gaga holding a gigantic slice of four-layer triple chocolate cake (but that's just me). Anyhoo, since I'm kind of on a health kick right now, as demonstrated by my post last week, I thought I'd delve into the food issue a bit more. Now if you are like me, and have a second stomach when it comes to dessert, finding yummies that won't exponentially expand your waistline is a toughie. I don't really subscribe to the whole "have some fruit for dessert, it's healthy and delicious" idea. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fruit, I could practically write a sonnet about my love of strawberries and apples, but for dessert, I'm usually looking for something of the chocolate/ feel-really-really-guilty-after-eating-it variety. So, I will now share with you some of my favorite recipes for "healthier" desserts. 

1) Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits

Parfaits are super great because you can put practically anything in them that you have and there are many lovely variations to try. 

My personal favorite combo:

~Chobani Plain/Non-fat Greek Yogurt (or other low-fat/non-fat yogurt)

~Blueberries (full of antioxidants!)

~Granola

~Small chunks of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao).

This one is so versatile that you could switch out the blueberries for whichever fruit you wanted!

2) Frozen Chocolate-Dipped Bananas

Let me just say that I am not usually a big fan of bananas, I only buy them because they are super good for you and packed full of awesome nutrients. That being said, I've found that this is a good way to make them taste absolutely scrumptious! 

Ingredients:

~Bananas (or other fruit of your choice)

~Chocolate (I usually go with some good quality dark at least 70% cacao)

~Nuts, Sprinkles or other toppings (optional)

Break chocolate up into chunks and put in a microwave-safe container. Microwave in 30 second increments and stir in between. Finish heating when almost all the chocolate is melted, but not all the way, then stir. Now work quickly and dunk half the banana in the chocolate. If desired, then roll in nuts or sprinkles. Place into the freezer for about 30-45 minutes or until banana is frozen through...then enjoy! You can do this to a bunch of other fruits if you want to as well!

4) Frozen Grapes

Ingredients:

~Grapes

This one is so easy it's not even funny. Simply take as many grapes as you would like, put them in a freezer-safe container and wait until frozen through. Yes, it IS that simple. They taste like little mini slushies and are completely guilt-free (plus they help lower cholesterol!).

5) Cranberry-Chocolate Nut Bites.

Ingredients:

~Chocolate 

~Your choice of nuts and dried berries (I like almonds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries or craisins)

This one is relatively simple as well and highly versatile too! Melt some chocolate of your choice as in the recipe for the frozen bananas. Lay out some parchment or wax paper. Put a small dollop of the chocolate down on the paper, then quickly place desired nuts and berries on top of the chocolate layer. Finish off by covering the nuts and berries with another small dollop of the chocolate. Repeat this process for however many you would like to make. Wait for them to dry.....and YUM!

That's all I've got for now! I hope this helps you enjoy dessert in a somewhat healthier manner! 

Now, Watch Emma Skate....And Make Healthy Desserts!

The Gym, Desserts, and You....

Happy Saturday all, I hope you are all doing well! As I mentioned in my first post, I won't post about roller derby all the time, so I thought I'd address something that feeds into derby. When I first considered doing roller derby, I knew I was going to have to get in better shape. And for me, like many other people, it was difficult getting started. Getting in shape isn't only about going to the gym a couple times a week, it also involves some lifestyle changes as well.

First off, let's talk about the gym. For those of us not lucky enough to have a home gym, getting a gym membership is oftentimes the best option since it's usually pretty cheap and opens up a lot of opportunities to try out different classes and equipment. For me, the hardest part is getting myself to the gym, I'm great once I get there, but just the physical act of changing my clothes, getting my gear together and hauling myself to the gym is a task in and of itself. Part of the reason I'm so in love with gym memberships is that I get the opportunity to try new things: Zumba, yoga, aqua workouts, Bosu fitness, weights, etc..it's great help in keeping the body proportionate (i.e.  not having quads of steel but floppy noodle arms on top, which is bad for balance). I'd also recommend getting a personal trainer if you aren't quite sure what you should be doing in terms of a workout. Now, that being said, let's touch on lifestyle choices....

Besides FOOD, which I will touch on in a moment, getting the proper amount of sleep and drinking water can make a huge difference. Water is just good for you all around and keeps the body going, so drink some! And sleep....you know that feeling, the one where you wake up in the morning and are SO hungry that you feel like you'll never be full no matter how much you eat??? Yeah, that's because of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation messes with your leptin levels (leptin is an appetite-suppressing hormone), which causes you to feel hungrier when you wake up. Do your leptin levels a favor and get those 8+ hours!

And finally, FOOD! The whole diet/eat better thing is really just a mind game with yourself. It's about being motivated and having the self-control to say no to that delicious-looking chocolate chip cookie. It's about making smart choices. It can sometimes be the simplest things, like switching out beef in a recipe for a leaner meat like chicken, pork or even tofu. Eating more fruits and veggies and cutting down on the carbs. Those little changes can make a big difference. Now, if you are a dessert-lover like me, and you really need something sweet to round out your meal, here are some of my recommendations: Skinny Cow ice cream, those deliciously chocolate cones are only 120 lovely calories each! Dove dark chocolate, I love these little guys because they satisfy the chocolate-craving and they're healthy too (they have antioxidants and supposedly support memory health), plus they have those fab little sayings on the inside that make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Hershey's kisses work too (plus the wrappers are recyclable). Now, to you snack lovers, I have some sage advice for you as well. With snacks, it's all about making your mind think you're eating more than you actually are. This means finding snacks that let you eat a lot of them for relatively little calories. I've also found that Quaker Rice Cakes, hot air popcorn, and goldfish snack crackers work well in this scenario. Fruits and veggies are always a winner in my book, but try adding some peanut butter, Nutella, hummus, or dressing to spice them up a bit.

I hope this advice works for you, it sure has for me! Sound off in the comment section if you have any comments, questions or other diet/exercise tricks you'd like to share! :)

Till next time, Watch Emma Skate.....and Get Fit!

Hello, World! It's Great to Meet You!

Hello, world! It's great to meet you! Welcome to Watch Emma Skate, where you will get to hear about my experiences entering the world of roller derby as well as all the other majestical things that I do in my daily life. What other majestical things, you ask? Well, food. I love food, no I adore food! I love cooking and baking and even more so do I enjoy making healthy, delicious recipes for my friends and family. So you'll get to read about some of those little yummies as well. Since the majority of this blog will have to do with roller derby and roller skating, I figured I would start off with a post that every person looking to start skating should read about: GEAR.

The #1 thing a person should have if they are serious about skating is protective gear. Please do not be overconfident that you will not fall down, because you will, and it will hurt, and that is what protective gear is for. There are some staples that you should acquire before you start skating:

1) Knee Pads
Knee pads are arguably the most important piece of protective gear you will invest in, so don't be stingy, you only have one pair of knees, so protect them well! There are a number of different brands such as Scabs, Triple 8, but 187 Pros that are reportedly very popular and durable. These tend to run from around $70-$90.

2) Elbow Pads
Like all other padding, elbow pads MUST fit properly. Some good brands for these are Protec, Triple 8, Scabs and 187. These typically fun around $20-$30.

3) Wrist Guards
Wrist guards take a lot of abuse: falling, sweating, clapping high-fiving, they take it all. Protec, Triple 8, and 187 are good brands to choose from. Wrist guards will typically run around $16-$20.

4) Helmet
Just like when riding a bike, you must protect your head! Only a standard bike helmet will NOT cut it for roller derby. Buy a dedicated skateboard/hockey helmet! Some good brands for this are Triple 8 and Protec. I have a Triple 8 that I use for roller skating, as well as for biking.

5) Mouth Guards
There are a bunch of different options for these including the standard boil-and-bite that you can purchase from any sporting goods store, the gel mouth guards, and the fitted mouth guards that can be made by your dentist. All of these vary in things like durability and insurance so think hard before you commit to one simply because it may be the cheapest. The boil-and-bites and gels run around $8-$13 and the fitted ones are obviously more expensive.

6) Skates
Really? You need roller skates to play roller derby? Yes, yes you do. Not roller blades, roller skates! If you are just starting out, your local rink probably rents out skates. But if you are like me and aren't a big fan of feet funk, then investing in your own pair of skates might be for you. New skates will typically start from around $150 upwards depending on the brand of skate you choose and the different wheels, bearings, and plates that come with them. Riedells, Antiks, and Sure-Grips are the big names that come to mind right now, but again, personal preference and budget definitely be a part of that decision. If you don't have big budget, buying second hand is always an option. Check with your local roller derby league, there are always girls looking to sell or get rid of old gear.

There are number of other things like shin guards, butt pads, knee gaskets and a bunch of other goodies that you can invest in, but make sure you get these things first!

Wherever you are, there are bound to be some great local derby stores with friendly employees who will be thrilled to help you get started. I would highly recommend visiting such places and getting properly fitted for all your gear instead of blindly buying them off the internet. Not only will this insure that you get the right gear in the right sizes that you need, many of the employees themselves are or were roller derby girls/boys themselves and can be a great resource for advice as well.

I hope this has helped! The first thing I did when I started skating was invest in some good gear, because, not only was I safer, I felt safer. I wasn't as afraid of falling, which let's face it, happens a lot. It just makes the whole learning process a lot easier when you have gear that you can trust. If you have any questions, suggestions or things that you could like to add, sound off below!

Thanks for reading, until next time.....Watch Emma Skate...with Protective Gear! :)