PREastern Regional Playoffs: Part 1
I’ve got so much to say about my experience of Eastern Region Playoffs 2012, but it seems such a daunting task to summarise the entirety of the trip that I think I’m going to have to spread it out over a few posts. This first post is actually about Pre-Eastern’s and my preparation for what ...
Progress when you aren’t looking.
I’ve been learning a valuable lesson over the last few months about when progress is ACTUALLY made. I was working out A LOT. 6-7 days a week including on skates training. Week after week at the Dynamic Sports Academy I was getting small improvements in my weight lifting, but not really seeing any in my ...
Why I don’t like jogging.
I expressed the opinion recently that I don’t like jogging as a way of cross-training for derby. I realised after I had said it that I needed to give the full picture rather than just a throw away comment on someone’s facebook post. So here’s my story about jogging for derby fitness. Jogging used ...
Kamikaze Concussion
This week I had to face one of those ‘really tough choices’ that only come around once in a while. No, not whether to go to training or go to your best friend’s wedding (TRAINING!) but whether to play in a bout whilst having a suspected concussion. Last Sunday I got a knock to the ...
Dynamic Stretches
I’m going to run through our basic dynamic stretches. Many of these were taught to me by the lovely skaters at Auckland Roller Derby whilst I was there, so thanks a lot ARDL! The key when executing these movements is keeping control and gradually increasing the range of motion in the limbs and joints. I ...
Stretching v Stretching v Stretching: Part 1
Wow, stretching is a complex subject. It seems to be on par with Homeopathy regarding lack of proof that it has any effect in injury prevention. This post is going to be purely anecdotal because there are so many articles out there that offer conflicting advice that if I say ‘this is 100% what you ...
Getting fit and getting fit again.
I don’t know about you, but for me, getting fit is hugely rewarding and addictive. Week after week of progress, better times, higher numbers, larger weights, more reps. That kind of objective positive feedback can have you hooked. Especially once you start reaping the benefits on the track too. “hey, I skated every jam for ...
Crosstraining.
When I first started skating, it was the skating that I was doing to get myself fit and active. I’m sure it’s the same for 90% of derby players. Women’s involvement in sport in the UK is pretty dire. For example, at school, I had a whole year where the only curriculum exercise was going ...
My favourite Protein Shake Recipe
Since increasing my off-skates training schedule, I’ve become a bit of a fan of protein shakes. In an ideal world I would LOVE to get all my body’s protein requirements from delicious healthy meals but I just can’t afford it (and certainly not ethically sourced). So protein shakes have been bridging the gap as I ...