DERBY LUV - Roller Derby Blog and Comic!

Roller Derby Workout Challenge - Tracking Sheet and Get a free chapter of "The Spark" book.

Hey Derbyluvvers!

I made myself a tracking sheet for the 8 week Roller Derby Workout Challenge. I'm sharing with all the other participants and challengers so we can all track it. Hope it helps everyone reach their goals. Enter your own version of info, your own fit test exercises - maybe some skate tests like #laps in 5 min, #laps in 20 mins, skills test type things to see if it helps in your skating too. I made this in Open Office scalc, which is free to use. You can also get a copy in Excel format, jsut message me for it!

And as you may know, I am an active member of the popular healthy-living website, SparkPeople.com. In an effort to help SparkPeople live out their mission of helping millions of people reach their goals and live healthier lives, I have joined a contest they're holding called "The Spark Free Chapter Challenge." If you have one minute to spare, I could use your help, because I REALLY want to win!

So here's the deal with the challenge…

Chris Downie, SparkPeople's CEO and founder, recently published a book called "The Spark" that offers a proven new approach to improving your health, transforming your life and reaching your goals (for example, real people have lost over 10 million pounds using their free online program)!

People like me who are helping them "Spread The Spark" through The Spark Free Chapter Challenge are encouraging our friends and family to download a FREE chapter of "The Spark" book. And for every person I can encourage to download the chapter, I will get an additional chance to win a $500 weekend getaway and other prizes, as well as something they offer called "SparkPoints," which also help motivate me to reach my goals.

All you have to do to help is download a free chapter from The Spark book. Nothing else. To do so, simply go to http://book.sparkpeople.com/book.asp?u=niacapps and click the button to download your free chapter.

If you would be willing to help me with this, I would truly appreciate it, and I also think you will enjoy reading this free chapter from "The Spark". I know I did! And if you join Sparkpeople.com, be sure to search the Spark Teams for roller derby, I am the Admin on 2 teams, Roller Derby Rockers and Roller Derby Queens. Good luck!

And there are things a-brewing in my world - more later. And Green Peas for Bruised Knees knit project #1 from Knockdown Knits book is in it's 3rd stage (knitting strap) so I will put it together, share and document what all happened when I was knitting it when it's done! I'll Julie/Julia knit all 30 projects and blog my way through it! ;)

Labels: roller derby workout, training

Roller Derby Workout

Well, I didn't get my Christmas stocking stuffer Roller Derby Workout DVD, so I just went and splurged on myself and ordered it. The new workout area I set up in my basement with P90X workouts printed up, a couple chairs to hold my towel and water, my new mat for floorwork and strap to use for body weight exercises for the upper body is awesome and I have a laptop and portable DVD I can use to hook up video in the basement, so off I go.

And if you are a derby girl or rollergirl in training, or fan that wants to win a trip to Los Angeles to train with Estro Jen and Go-Go Gidget (US and International, max airfare $800 USD covered) you should consider joining the Roller Derby Workout Challenge. All you need is Facebook and a willingness to get fit for roller derby - they aren't asking you to lose weight and be skinny (but it might work for that too) but to eat right and workout right to improve your roller derby game.

Check it out here. I joined, and my Roller Derby Workout DVD is on the way. Let's see what happens boys and girls. The first homework assignment is to post a fbook note and answer some questions. Here's mine:

Kick off is January 15. Until then it's gym, home gym, finish up that knitting, and keep doing what I am doing.

Labels: roller derby workout, training

Preparing for FCDG ROLLER DERBY - Nov 7, 2009

It will be the last game of London, Ontario's Forest City Derby Girls for the 2009 season. The Thames Fatales (that includes me, Nia Capps, Blocker, #74 on the line up) take on the Tri City Champs from Kitchener-Waterloo 2009 Season, the Vicious Dishes! It's a sort of re-match from the bout this summer when Tri-City Thunder beat the Thames Fatales on the Tri-City home turf, and the Thames look to make it up by returning that favor on Nov 7.

In the meantime, for me, I've spent the last few weeks practicing (except when I was sick), getting my gear situation improved (I am now sporting brand new 187 knee pads (my Old Pro-Tec street ones were just worn out after - 3 years!), and new Pro-tec street elbow and wrist guards. Oh, and don't forget about the Radar Mojo wheels 88A with aluminum hubs I got from Rollergirl.ca - these babies are awesome! I hope they are as good on a good arena floor as they are on our slippy concrete floor. Now it's just about actually performing this time around. There were little expectations for me last game as an alternate, but this time around, I have some shit to prove. I will do my best.

In prep, I'm heading out with some of my teammates to a scrimmage practice with the Smoke City Betties of The ToRD league tonight. Time to practice for real!

Unfortunately, it's a 2-3 hour drive to get to the 2 hour practice, add 2-3 hours home and put that all after a long work day and I'll be wiped out. Add a morning 7:30 departure to go right back to Toronto to a special meeting work day in our Toronto offices, and a nightmarishly over-promised Nia who is A) Making a Halloween Costume B) Baking cookies and cupcakes for a bake sale C) practicing roller derby D) getting a shirt found, bought and given to be lettered for the Nov 7 bout E) going to a doctor appointment and working full time this week - and note: I am doing F) ALL OF THE ABOVE - and what you have is a happy, stressed, tired, over worked, excited, ready to get to Saturday already Nia Capps.

But don't worry, derby luvvers, I'll make time for roller derby stuff too. I was just reading up on the WFTDA apprentice program - wondering if WFTDA is a goal for us in Forest City and if I could help out by being the person to drive it, the NSO and referee WFTDA accreditation requirements, the most recent WFTDA rankings for Canadian leagues (MTL Roller derby is 13th in North EAST, Hammer City (Hamilton) is not yet ranking in North Central), and trying to figure out how I can help FCDG promotion wise, as well as planning off-season web-site updates for Derby Luv and FCDG.

Well, until the weekend, I may be offline, but I wil be checking my email. Message me if you need advance tickets, Thames Fatales 2010 Calendars or merch, or need anything on Derby Luv!

Labels: bouts, FCDG, TCRG, training

Roller Derby Workout

I had always wondered when a league would think to do this.

I Love it. What a great merch idea!

http://rollerderbyworkout.com/ also available at Sin City Skates.

Rat City's Off-Skate offering:

http://sincityskates.com/images/merch/media/getsome_athletics.jp g

Labels: training

End of Season HOORAHS and Blues

November 7, 2009 will be the last game of the season for my team (FCDG's Thames Fatales). The first game fully on roster for me, (not just as alternate like last time) and we're going against the fast, wall-maker blockers and jammers of TCRG (Tri-City Roller Girls (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON). (Tickets are available in advance - check the website!)

At the Bounce This! game last month, I was so nervous and feeling surreal that I was almost out of it. I made it through my half-dozen jams I played to fill in for other players needing a break, and upon a calm, sober, reflection I feel oddly conflicted.

I can name about 4 good things that happened for me, and about 4 that were not so good, and the experience being fantastic - well it was NOT because I did anything fantastic or that I feel my team learned to trust me or that I played super well. It was just fantastic that I was playing and that we won. False fantasticism is my new word today.

So my goal for the next 3 weeks is to not miss a practice. To ask my team to help me be more effective in the next game by running plays with me. To practice with as many teammates as I can to get a feel for how we can work together. To ask my coach/captain for advice on how to hold the line and still be effective within the pack if my pivot asks me to hold the line, is that just what I am doing in that jam, and is that an okay thing to be? Just be The Line-Holder. I guess, if I am a good goddamn line holder, eh? LOL

And for personal prep I have new protective gear (187 Knees, Protec Street elbows and wrists) from Rollergirl.ca , Kwik 7 Bearings, and I am on RADAR MOJO's too. Man, the review for these wheels is going to have 4 stars, or two skirts up, or whatever my best rating will be. I absolutely love them - hope they are fast enough on the Western Fair Canada Building floor! I'll get a black shirt lettered in advance so I won' t have to worry, and I will be scrimmage practicing with some girls later in October to get a practice session in. What else can I do? Don't get injured, Hydrate, stretch, relax, and get my confidence up. Any suggestions anybody?

This weekend: Practice tonight, Yoga on Friday, A clothing swap/Epicure/jewelry party on Saturday followed by a recruitment Meet and Greet with the FCDG, Sat evening, and on Sunday? Well, say it with me: Zombieland and Halloween decorations. If you are in Toronto, go check out the Chicks Ahoy vs The Death Track Dolls on Saturday night. And for my American friends, some more bouts are around http://www.derbynewsnetwork.com/bouts.

Labels: FCDG, roller derby gear, TCRG, ToRD, training

Nia Capps is Back in Black Baby!

Guess what, guess what! I found out tonight that my offer to help the FCDG Thames Fatales at the BOUNCE THIS! bout on Saturday Oct 3 here in London, versus the Ottawa Rideau Valley Rollergirls (who beat us in July) was accepted!

I am on the roster!

Back in Black baby! WEEEEIAHHHWWWEEEEEEEESQUEEEEEE (note: spelling was made up by Switch hit Her, Vansterdamn, (night)Mare and Ashley in the car on the way home from practice - the I and AH is for you Switchy! (our home colors are Black and Green, hence my Back in Black theme (My Les Contrabanditas uniform was black and red)

So this is how it happened. The always tough-sounding but small-bodied president of our league, Sufferjet goes, "So Hey Nia, how do you feel about maybe playing for us on Saturday?" with a mischievious smile, and I say, "That's what I talked to Anya about last night, like you could put me in as a bench-warmer alternate, use me when someone needs a break, of if someone is injured or to fill holes when you need to change a line up.", I nervously just cover myself. And Suffer goes, "So, how do you feel about it?", a little louder this time. And I say, "I'd do it, if you asked!" and she said, "I put you on the roster already." I went, SWEET! OMG! Is this for real?

OMG! Then I was all, oh god, I don't have a uniform yet, or a numbered/lettered shirt, and though Suffer said I could drop a shirt at her house tomorrow and she'd do it for me, I have to go to Toronto for work tomorrow - but I did find a shirt at least. I'll use my Thames shirt for this first debut game, it's a little tight, but whatever. I'll wear a couple layers of hose as tights (found no leggings yet) and my black, white striped short shorts, that though will make me look HUGE, will not get in my way skating - because I am never going back to wearing a skirt again unless I have to. And my green laces and green-striped black knee socks will finish the uniform. Now wheels... the floor there is really slippy. We have to sugar coat it to try to make it sticky, but I am afraid I am going to slide out all night. Is there anything I can do in the way I skate, or to my existing wheels to make sure they can hold on? I know, MOVE YOUR FEET!

I am so nervous! What if I can't keep up? What if I have one shot, and I fuck up? All I can hear is Back Alley Sally screaming, "Nia, inside!" and then "FUUCKK!", as though my missed opportunity to nail a jammer onto her ass is just bout-ending crap. But I know she doesn't mean it, and that's just track frustration. Since it was in practice, I mean.

Instead, I am trying to push that out and hear Vansterdamn and Switch Hit Her, "Nia, you're big, but you're agile. You can totally skate. You'll do great!" and Anya Face saying in reply to my cautious, "I'm offering, not begging, so don't worry if you want me to wait til November." when she said, "Nia, you don't have to beg. I was begging you when you got hurt!". I am holding onto Sufferjet's, "Wow, way to be a wall Nia!" and "Good Job, Nia" I've heard lately.

I am proud to be asked/allowed to play this soon at my level with this great bunch of fun and welcoming rollergirls and fantastic women, I am hopeful that I'll make some good moves and blocks amidst the chaos, and I am determined to try my hardest to play smart, and to be effective.

I am a 'Dita for life, MTLRD, but I have been drowned in the Thames River, and I have risen from the muck and the mud, clawing my way out up onto the banks and onto London soil, and out into the world and onto my skates again, and I am now, a Thames Fatale.

Let me know if you want advance tickets to the bout, $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Saturday Oct 3, 2008, Doors at 7, wheels at 8 , children under 10 get in free. Derby luv to you all!

WOOT!

Labels: bouts, FCDG, Nia Capps, training

Whatever - I heart Roller Derby

I am probably the last person in roller derby world that should always talk about roller derby. I'm the first one to say I suck, first one to say I'm too old, too big, too slow... the first person around me to say, I don' t know if I should be playing roller derby. I don't track stats on teams, and I love new teams as much as I adore the top seeds in the WFTDA annual championships. I've never gone to B&T or RollerCon personally, and I have never skated on an All-Star or travel team. I've never tried banked track, and have not one image of me playing roller derby where I am jumping wildly in the air, and never got slammed into the penalty box. (Clean player to a fault as a rookie). I've lost my temper but never been ejected for fighting, and was never the last one standing at an after party. But, I want to promote roller derby to the masses. I love it. And I flip flop all the time and think I should just become a ref or give it up.

Why am I like that? Years of finding small things I loved and wanted to do - from drawing, to singing, to playing piano, then clarinet, and wanting to play drums - from my Southern US conservative Baptist, but non-religious family, I was always met with more force that told me it was nice, but useless, that it was more important that I was getting a full educational opportunity, that I could do anything, and should be sure I was able to support myself.

That's to be expected from my grandmother, who survived the depression by quitting school and working her way up from the old-time textile mill factory, into the business office, and to end up owning and operating a family florist business that even trucked fake flower arrangements to K-Mart and Roses of the time until her business burned down to the ground when I was 5, and she became a live flower florist for the rest of her years, as well as teaching a floral design course for our local college. Her only desire being my graduation for high school and university as the first woman in our family to do so.

And it was even a bit understandable from my mother, who was taught the same from my grandmother, became a nurse out of nursing school right out of high school in the 60's and was left by a cheating and terrible man that was my real father when I was little in the 80's so that she had to care for her two daughers on her own.

So I get it. But thereby goes the explanation of the little voice that I have that tells me there is no way I am good enough at anything I do that I find fun (roller derby, singing, dancing, cycling, drawing) that I should just quit. That I am wasting my time because I will gain nothing, no financial security, no education, no useful skills, and nothing that will help me support myself and my yet unborn children should tragendy strike my family someday and leave me to do so, that it's not worth it. The costs are outweighing the benefits. I am spending money and time and effort and pain for nothing. I also have the voice of that nurse that tells me the damage I am doing to my knees and ankles with the injuries I've incurred will gain strength and impede my functional health as a senior someday. Well, that's not a small thing is it?

Roller Derby came into my life at a time when I was just feeling like I deserved to be able to do something I would love to do again - skate - , and I lost my fear of my physical inadequacies, being 32 at that time and moving into the physical and sexual confidence that comes to a woman in her 30s, that gave me just enough fire to say, "I am not going to miss out on what I want because of my body not being model-sized, or because of my age, and I can do anything I want!" and was somewhere between, "this is tough!" and "Yay, I already know how to do that!" and somewhere between, "Get that camera away from me" and "I look pretty cute in that short derby skirt"

Because of what roller derby is, a massive sisterhood of women who usually don't like other women unless they love them, a team of non-team players, a grass-roots, skater-owned, all female, team-spirited, all encompassing and empowering sport of blood, sweat and tears... it owned me. My husband became a derby widow that still says sometimes it's tiring that all I talk about is roller derby, training for roller derby, how I am doing in roller derby, the website and roller derby.

Meanwhile, I feel like the season I got to play in Montreal was so long ago already. Months of being off-skate and not playing feels like years, the pain of injuries and bruises and scrapes just telling me that because of roller derby I no longer need to add piercings, tattoos or more scars to my body. The fact that I keep being willing to try again, to keep going, means that I'm doing something I care about.

I haven't gained a ton of what my family would call useful. I've spent more on gear, clothes, derbyluv.com, and training and transportation to training and bouts than I ever have or can hope to make from a few google ads on my blog and comic site. And I know 100% that most rollergirls I know have done more of that than a homebody like me can imagine. I haven't gained a physically impressive body, because genetically I am cursed with a body that will stay at it's happy fat, curvy size no matter how hard I push it. I haven't gotten money, fame, fortune, or even a new job because of roller derby. I'm not a travelling roller derby boot camp trainer, I wasn't on Rollergirls, I haven't played in any championship game of anything.

But you know what I gained as just a roller derby player? One of hundreds that goes with her derby fame being her name and photo in her local teams program and a facebook or myspace page? I gained a world of people that love something as much as I do. I got more Physical Activity to improve my health. I made a few Friends. I got Self-Confidence (maybe it's still low, but I have some!) Fitness (I may be big but I can do it!) Excitement. Derby Luv! And even got to express myself when I was on a creative and promotion committee.

Worth it?
Abso-freakin-lutely. I wouldn't change anything, other than my physical qualities that impede me and athletic capabilities if that were possible.

And with that said, I am going to keep training to try and be ready to play, though my ankle injury and calf pains are still present in my world, in the next home bout for FCDG, BOUNCE THIS! And let me know if you are interested in advance tickets to that bout here in London, ON on Oct 3, or in 2010 Thames Fatales Calendars that are hot off the presses for only $20, full of some of our loveliest and toughest Thames Fatales skaters, and your very own Nia Capps allowed to be in the team photo - though I was ankle wrapped and hobbling into the group shot.
More details, images and FCDG website updates coming soon!

And are you ready after all the TIFF buzz and CTV talk with Drew Barrymore for the WHIP IT! release? Oct 2, roller derby fans and players. Our perfect chance to get the rest of world into roller derby! Thanks, Drew!

Labels: roller skating, training, whip it

Nia Capps tries again - 35 and Back on Skate - and doing P90X

Hey Derby Luvvers! I know a long, very long-awaited DerbyLuv website change or comic re-start after a good test run, or something fun is needed around here, and I have something for you. Coming Soon, Derby Luv is going to start doing some specialize product reviews thanks to Rollergirl.ca and FCDG! First, we're reviewing RADAR MOJO Wheels with Aluminum Hubs (in green to match our team colors) first with a small, fast jammer, and then with me, a larger, slower blocker. We will try these on some different surfaces and come back to you. When we find the perfect set for me, I'm buying them, but we'll keep going!

Secondly, I turned 35 this weekend, and learned that I can no longer handle drinking for 11 hours, and that mixing shots of anything, beers and mixed drinks all night is a good way to lose a day because you have to sleep it off. But I had a great birthday party and only have to ask to untag about 3 photos on facebook, so it was lots of fun! I received a piece of artwork from our team bench manager, Neil aka Bad Pitt, our captain and president (Anya Face and SufferJet). I'll get you a photo. It's lovely and you can see his stuff at beepart.etsy.com

If anyone else knows me, and knows how often I offer HAM to people for doing me favors - like, "Hey, I'll totally owe you a Christmas Ham or something...." this one would be perfect for my ofice http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25003978 :)
But, they gave me one with a blue bird trailing a ribbon that just simply said HOPE. And I was told that they chose that piece because I have been working my ass off, and they want me to know there is always hope. - yeah, I wanted to cry but instead I rocked out all night. LOL Go roller girls!

I've had some friends tell me they are a little worried about me, that I am doing roller derby AND becoming a daily gym rat too, and when I got hurt at the gym and put myself out for 8 weeks... well it has been a wake up call. I started studying, and I was like, wait. If I am training 2-4 hours a day, and tracked what I was eating, well not 100% perfect, but only about 1400-1500 cals a day, why wasn't I, at 5'10", seeing results?

I think it's been two-fold. Insulin resistance from being a PCOS sufferer (I can bet almost everyone has heard of this by now, or knows someone that suffers from it - if not, you do now), mixed with too many carbs in the diet added to a low metabolism caused by years of starvation dieting yo yoing, and mix that with over-training/under feeding and you get me!

So, last week I started on Fat Shredder portion of the P90X diet (one serving of carbs per day only) as a test. My scale moved in a negative direction for the first time since June. I was tired, sure, from the adjustment, but less hungry. Today is my Day 1 of 90 and here's the plan:
P90X Workouts - at home in AM - 6 per week plus a rest day. A recovery week every 4 weeks. (Lean Program)
Roller Derby - team practice 2 1/2-3 hours 2 X per week (Mon and Thurs)
Roller Derby - Rookie/Skills Practice 1 1/2 hours 1 X week. (Tues)
BodyFlow - Tai Chi/Yoga/Pilates + meditation (1 X week) (FRI)
RPM Spin class - replaces any RD practice missed and on WED and Weekends if at gym (no ride/cancelled/etc) - Same muscles as RD and good feet speed training.
walking 1 time for errands per week (approx 5 Km)

Sundays will be my rest/at home yoga only days, and I will also have available 1 extra carb that day. But, no cake, cookies, chocolate, sweets, junk food, chips, crackers, or ice cream.

At the end of the 90 days, I will assess, and try Classic or Doubles program if I do not feel this has worked for me.

Diet: I am on Phase 1, which lasts 30 days, and is called Fat Shredder. I get: (per day)
5 Protein (lean proteins/chicken/turkey/tofu/soy/whey) But I eat 4 as I eat an additional dairy daily.
1 Carb (2 slices rye or wheat bread/1 bagel/1 potato/etc)
1 fat (olive oil, flaxseed oil, olives, canola oil, etc - healthy fats)
1 fruit
2 Vegetable (1 cup cooked, 2 cups leafy)
2 Dairy ( as a woman at 35 years old, I am getting 2 as a Calcium requirement (not 1) - but the extra replaces one protein).
1 snack - (1 1/2 oz skim mozz. cheese, celery and peanut butter (1 tBSP), yogurt, etc)
1 condiment (fat free dressing, bbq sauce, mustard, ketchup, etc)
1 protein drink recovery/1 protein bar (if desired)

Starting Details:
HT: 5'10"
WT: Unimportant to me - that's just gravity
Size: Women's 16-18 (16 top, 18 pants, some 16 pants fit)
BF%: 47% (this is what I am trying to change)
LBM: 128 lbs
BFM: 92 lbs

Before photo coming soon. My goals are to:
1) Reduce Body Fat - cause I think my percentage is dangerously high.
2) Improve derby skills, pass minimums with ease and with good overage numbers.
3) Play in at least one game in 2009 season (Sept 26, Oct 3, or Nov)
4) Make travel team in 2010 season (make it full season on permanent line up)
5) Lose 3 clothes sizes or so - to wear no larger than a 10-12 - weight is unimportant.
6) Be able to wear green lame leggings and a black pair of undies and tank top T as my uniform in 2010 - for 2009, I am hunting a shirt to get lettered..... LOL

So, expect a nice roll right now about training, product testing, and my derby challenges continuing as my ankle heals and I try to come back again, and in the winter off-season, I'll think about how to again improve DerbyLuv. Feedback is welcome!

PS - How are you spending the fall roller derby season?

Labels: P90X, Rollergirl.ca, training

SmartyPants, SmartyPants!

Hey Hey Derbyluvvers, well, there was nothing in derby I could do to tell you about these last 6 weeks, since I was off skate with this stupid, severe ankle sprain. At this point, I am pretty sure it is just a bad sprain and residual pain is from remodeling of torn ligaments. So with a new ankle support at the ready, I am back to skating this week.

Sad to hear Raven has knee injury - looks like injuries hit us all at some time or other.

But I am just too excited to worry about my healing injuries now. Did you know August 28 it my birthday? Yep, I'll be a whopping, scary, 35 years old this Friday, and on Saturday August 29, my friend is hosting a Hotdog BBQ Birthday BBQ party for me. If you're in London, grab some drinks for yourself and some side dishes or chips, and head on over. Facebook event has the details. start time is 5PM at 503 Pall Mall St.

But before I arrive to my own birthday party, I'll be at the London North Optimist Center Skating rink from 1-4 PM to train intermediate/advanced skills with SmartyPants of the TXRD and the Forest City Derby Girls. I'm off right now to get it on our webiste at http://www.forestcityderbygirls.com. It's open to a small maximum cap, but other leagues are welcome, contact FCDG or anyaface@gmail.com for more info.

Labels: event, FCDG, injuries, training

4 weeks to birthday, 8 weeks to bout, and healing a sprained ankle failing after 3 weeks

Hey Derby Luvvers! Guess what? It's another year when DerbyLuv, your's truly, Nia Capps, is NOT in Las Vegas for RollerCon fun. Don't worry, I'm always there in spirit and do have team members there, Miss Anya Face and CommieKaze are there from FCDG, and I am sure someone I know from MTLRD or Hammer City is there. For those that are taking a breather, reading this looking for me online to see if I am there, now you know! Twitter or Facebook message me news though, and you may be on Derbyluv.com!

I can't decide if I should aim for Blood and Thunder 2010 or just hang on and do RollerCon 2010 as my first west coast derby trip. But I think RollerCon will be it.... for now, I'm trying to heal this ankle up because I might be on roster for FCDG bout Sept 26 and Oct 3 if I can heal, get healthy and stay healthy. It's sore again today after stops and falls practice last night, and hurts again when I touch it. :( SUCKS! What's the best way to heal a severe sprain, fast!?

As for training, last night I learned I actually CAN do snowplow stops, and though I still seem to copy my legs with my arms and appear as though I am doing the chicken dance, I can actually do them now (though not a fast to stop, wheel screeching, thing). I can do perfect T stops and backwards toe stop/hockey stop combo.

I'm concerned about the 25 laps in 5 minutes, we don't have a regulation practice track and I haven't tried on healthy ankles lately. I'll have to plan a trip to the local rink and guesstimate a track size and try a 5 min speed and see what I come out with. In other news, Nia Capps, your friendly neighborhood rollergirl has her dream roller derby tattoo in her head. It's big and daring, but bloody perfect, if she can make the image in her head come to life with limited artisitc talents and find an appropriate body part it will fit on. I'll let you know how it turns out if I or my talented derby widow can bring it to life, or if I am looking for tattoo artists' help!

L8r sk8rs! have a fantastic RollerCon 2009!

Labels: injuries, Rollercon 2009, tattoo, training

New Minimum Skill Requirements in July from WFTDA

The NEW minimum skating skills from WFTDA were released recently. I finally had a chance tonight to read through the changes at DNN and then go look at the new requirements.

Even after playing a season in Montreal previously, I will need to test myself after a year off and now this darn injury. The New updates?

1) Instead of 5 laps/min, 20 laps/5 min, the speed and endurance requirement is now 25 laps in 5 minutes. We have to get faster to keep up with the faster and more competitive teams out there. Now I don't have a space to practice in on a regulation track, so how to know? I'll figure something out at the location rink to test myself! I used to be able to do about 22-23 before I was working out, let's see if I am fast enough!

2) Instead of just stops, the two required stops are the T-stop (got it) and the Plow Stop. That one is tough. Not everyone can plow stop from a brisk pace to a complete stop. I mean I can do it, but its not the floor squeaking, wheel breaking quick stop I want it to be. I just have never gotten it down pat 100% with 100% consistency. Ok, when my ankle lets me, I'll get it right now!

3) Hops: Now not just hopping one foot to the other and hops, now it's to hop over something with a minimum of 3 inches in height. I don't jump well, but can hop, and I think I can do a small 3 inches so I'm okay there. I am nervous though about increasing height requirements for jumps. I have never gotten over my bad mechanics on jumping and never gotten over my jumping onto/over things fear. If anyone has tips on getting air for someone air-challenged, heavy, big, tall, and wussy... let me know! LOL

4) Laterals - 3 in straightaway and two in turns - laterals from one side of track to the other. I think I have that one - have to test myself on turns on our skinny track. I know straights I am okay.

5) Hip whips.. hip whips... oh yeah,you mean steal momentum - got it. Ok there!

6) The 40-question skills test to give to your league's skaters. Love it. Standardized testing that is skill and game specific. 85% required to pass. I've studied, I think I can pass it!

All in all, it's a sign of the increasing competitiveness and athletic ability in the land of WFTDA that the minimum skills have now increased, and they will continue to do so. It's awesome. I'm willing to work harder to get into all-star status before I retire, so here I come WFTDA-world!

In other news, on day 19 (if you are on my facebook) you saw, I woke up to a stretch that hurt, did a circular range of motion on my ankle and POW it popped. All day achy, sore... not so bad though, no lump. Look down at 4 pm and UH OH, it's all swollen again. No skating for you. But it HAS to heal, I have to get it rehabbed and re-strengthened and back on skate, I HAVE to meet requirements and get to training because I finally am back on a roster for FCDG games in Sept and October as long as I get back to practice, heal, and stay un-injured! WOOT! I HAVE TO get better!

Any tips on rehab are appreciated, I want to be back NOW!

Everyone else is packing for RollerCon and I am trying to heal and planning a potential last minute overnight roadtrip to Montreal to maybe see MTL and pick up the mother-in-law if Via Rail strikes. Otherwise, I'll be relaxing and trying to heal this ankle somehow....

I'll let you know tomorrow the final list of Canadian league bouts I've been sent for this weekend so you can check them out. Between that and WHIP IT movie trailer and Comic Con appearance excitement, my derby widow doesn't even want to go see a bout cause he's sick of roller derby. He says I talk about roller derby, training for roller derby, injuries, rules, skates, plans, recruiting and my day job and that's about it. I said, well, who has time for more than that? LOL Sorry honey, you're married to a rollergirl, I'll try to mix in some other sports, current events and other news sometimes!

Labels: injuries, minimum skill requirements, training, WFTDA

Eye of the Tiger

-Me finding my zen before the last game. Great pic by Kelly Castro

How do players get to that "special" place on the track during a game? You know what I mean . . . the place where your adrenalin amps you up, not makes you freeze. When you hit with vengeance and leave your opponents wincing in the pack as soon as the whistle blows.

I was the most timid player when I first started playing last year. I knew I had a wild animal in me ready to pounce, I just had no idea how to channel it when I needed to. My first few games where, for lack of a better word, terrifying. I moved like molasses and had about as much aggression as an elderly person eating jello. It was not until mid season last year that I had one game where it all came out. I blocked like mo-fo, screamed as I went for my pray and ended up earning my self a coaches choice badge for the game. Then, it (the aggression) went back into hiding - All I was left with was questions: How did I do that? Where did it go? How can I get back?

The rest of the season was pretty mediocre for me. I ended up banging my knee up pretty seriously and spent the remainder of the season petrified that I was going to seriously injure myself - Any derby player will agree that playing with an injury is a major distraction and can seriously take away from your game.

The off season came and I took it as my opportunity to research, train and amp up for a better year. I've talked about CrossFit before so I'll spare you - but it did help my game in more ways then I ever thought possible.

The last few games I've felt myself amping up during the game. It was not until the our game against Silicon Valley that the animal came out right away and has stayed. It's like I know how to provoke and use the adrenaline to my advantage now. Even looking at pictures from the last couple games, almost every shot of me is in motion with the most crazy look of determination on my face. Before I was all wide eyed and still, waiting for the action to come to me before I reacted.

I'm not sure what to attribute the change to. Before the last couple games I have listened to music that gets me super pumped and I visualize myself playing. It helps. I look at my teammates and think about all the stuff I want to do with them - plays, strategy, pack work.

Panda, one of my all time favorite players came and coached us one night last year. One thing she said kinda stuck with me - knowing you can do it. Being a little cocky. Sounds cheesy, but believing in yourself. Once I let that doubt in, especially during a game, it's going to feature into a cancer that completely enables every fear and weakness I have. So, fuck the fear.

I know what I can do and what I'm capable of. I know how to play with my teammates and believe in them. Why get scared? Why go through the agony of self-doubt?

Maybe the Little Engine the Could was on to something?

Hugs & Bruises,

Raven

Amazing photography by Adrian Valenzuela.

Labels: santa cruz derby girls, training

Training Montage continues

Sorry I am not able to post as much as I want to, folks. I still watch what's going on in the derby world, but add that to a crazy day job, and massive training I am doing... and you get... no time left over!

So here's what's been up for Nia Capps and FCDG since my last post.

We are 2 -0 against GTAR. We're planning a big Garage/Bake Sale for June 27, 2009 here in London, ON with roller girls, baked goods, retro furniture and garage sale stuff on sale, along with FCDG merch. Watch the website at www.forestcityderbygirls.com for info when I get it up this weekend.

The Garage and Bake sale are to raise funds towards the Thames Fatales travel out to Ottawa on July 11, 2009 to play the Rideau Valley Rollergirls. Bout info also coming soon.

As for me personally, I have been training like a mad woman and am actually seeing some improvements, I've seen it myself and noticed a few comments from our captain, president and my teammates that I'm coming back. I'm also really enjoying learning to be faster on my feet and not worrying so much about power low to high hits and being a power blocker that I was so slow to learn, and using my god-given child-bearing hips and giving them a reason to be big by utilizing feet and booty blocks to stop jammers, and learning more swoops than shoulder hits. I've also gotten improved endurance and speed lately too!

Off-skate I'm on bike a few days a week to work and back, and I'm happy to be a member of Goodlife Fitness. In the past two weeks I've tried my first ever spinning class at Quadspin.com in Toronto, led by spinning instructor and my work colleague, Rob McGarry. An awesome, sweaty, tough workout that was! he is great! My legs were so sore after (first -timer that I was) I even had to miss a skate practice! I've also this week tried my first BodyPump class at Goodlife Fitness. I also do BodyFlow and want to do BodyAttack and BodyCombat if I can find scheduling time. I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be, but I'm looking forward to building some new muscle and burning off the fat. Classes are way more fun to me than treadmills and ellipticals. I get so bored!

And derby girls, the fact that you play such an awesome sport is always a good conversation starter for new friends and instructors at the gym. My favorite is to say, "Hi!, I'm Tracy, aka Nia Capps, and if you see me with weird bruises, I want you to know I am not clumsy or abused, I play roller derby!" And of course I have to follow up with a description of what it is today and all about my own league.

So let's look at my current training schedule. Tell me if you think I should see further improvements coming fast over the next three months or if you see things I should change:
Monday: Roller Derby Practice - 2 hours
Tuesday: Bike to work and home (weather permitted (WP)) (40-45 minutes total)
1 Hour BodyPump class at Goodlife Fitness
Wednesday: SLEEP IN! hahaha
Bike to work and home (WP)
REST DAY if too tired OR
1 hour Body Attack (cardio) OR 1 hour BodyFlow (Yoga/Pilates)
Thursday: Roller Derby Practice - 2 hours (sometimes includes 15 mins Plyo)
Friday - Bike to work and home (WP)
1 hour BodyFlow (yoga)
Couch to 5K Run - progressive running program
Saturday - For June 20 (class schedule update coming) : Bike to gym ad home (40-45 mins)
1 hr BodyPump 9 AM
1 hr Body Attack 10:15 AM
1 hr BodyFloe 11:15 Am
I haven't made a Saturday like this before, but I was doing 1 hr of BodyFlow, 20 minutes Couch to 5K and Fit Flex weight training at Goodlife before. I think I can do it. I have a 15 min break between the weight and cardio where I can down a granola bar or banana for energy.

I may change this up and sometimes do the GoodLife Fitness Spinning RPM class, or do weights instead, or a run. OH! I should add a run to the days I can't bike when it rains... YEAH!

WHEN I AM APPROVED TO PLAY on Thames Fatales I'll replace the gym with : Saturday Roller Derby Practice 2 hours. May even be starting this soon if the league approves.

Sunday - Rest day - which includes walking and bike riding for errands and transport, as needed. Potential for another Boday Flow and BodyJam class if I just want to.

Add to this a twice - three times a week walk uphill and back carrying groceries for a family of 3 (half) at night and bike rides/walks on weekends for fun and errands.

Not too shabby, eh? recommendations? More weight training, less rest days? More running? Anything?

Hey, I'll take all the help I can get! Keep rollin' folks, and off-skate training is really helpful if you're having trouble with something! I'll be on vacation the week of July 29-July 3 as Mama Capps is visiting London from North Carolina. I'll be swimming and walking with her, instead of being in the gym. I will only miss one practice though! Mama Capps is retiring this year and I hope that means she'll be able to visit more and make it to a game I play in sometime soon!

Labels: training

Training Montage start now

So it's a rainy-freaking day here in the Forest City of London, ON. We arrive in the rain at our awesome practice space in the country and we mop. But raining = floor not drying.

So I say to a few people, "Hey, I saw a roller derby video on YouTube once of a team practicing by jogging in a pack, complete with jammers. And our coach and team captain, Anya, replies, "Grab your helmet, we're going outside!"

We proceed to get in a circle, warmup and then practice hip checks, low to high hits, full body checks, and variations of blocking, in twos in a large circle in wet grass. Then there were skate runs, superman falls, running sprints, jammers breaking walls, swoop weave lines, rolls and finally, on foot in wet grass, in the darkening night, in the middle of nowhere, we put out the cones and we did a jogging scrimmage.

I learned I would probably have been just as good at rugby or more likely, women's football than I am at derby, and then I said, "NO!" I now remember what it's like to hit hard, I've learned the right way, and all I have to do is put it to work on skates and I am going to be awesome!" Am I ready to hit the brutal travel team scrimmage practices on Saturdays? No, but as soon as I get my confidence on that tiny tack we use to practice on, I will.

In derby news, this weekend is the season opener of TOronto Roller Derby (ToRD), with the Gore Gore Rollergirls vs the Chicks Ahoy. That should be an awesome game! I won't make it, but I will be in Toronto tomorrow. Speaking of which, I have to be up in 5 hours.... good night derby luvvers. Have a great derby weekend!

Labels: ToRD, training

Why oh why am I slow?

Speed skating is how you go fast. On a derby track, pushing with both feet, using cross-overs all the time on that invisible oval (outside on the straights, close to the corners), and getting low are the tips we here. When we see girls pushing and taking full, long strides and doing quick runs on the corners, we know she's gonna fly.

"Why oh why am I slow?", I cried. This week I tried switching my wheels for my Blue demons from 2007 season for our concrete practice space. Let me tell you, wheels with miles on them outside doing T-Stops, plows, practicing and kms and kms of miles and miles around Montreal's Formula One Track, and then throwing them on a dusty concrete floor.... well, I wasn't THAT slow, I was at the back of the pack for a long time and just one or two pushes back, until I lost my steam and had to stop and breathe, but it was like I was sliding around the sharp corners of a squished track with tight corners, even hearing the skid of wheels.

I thought, "I must have a molasses curse on me!", because for my entire non-existent derby career I have been slow. Always just two or three pushes behind the pack in speed and endurance drills, working so extra hard that eventually I have to slow up and get lapped from exhaustion by women who are effortlessly pushing their skates along and flying past like they are super-heroes with some ability to float along the floor at super speeds.

Used to, I'd claim age, size, maybe bad wheel choices. Kudos to me for continuing to push and try to my limits and for continuing to train, but how come my brain knows all about how to do things and my body doesn't respond? How can I have good form, good skates, big pushes, and still be slower than absolutely everyone. As Charlotte Bruise-A-Lot in Montreal asked once, "Nia, you skate and push as hard as we do, I don't get why you are slower than us."

Is it all in my head, my natural academia state to be ahead, my natural physical state to follow? or are my feet just slow, my body ineffectively passing through the air around me?

My coach says not to worry. She says that when I master the midget track we practice on, and get my confidence and endurance for skating back ("It's only been a month, yo!", she said), I'll own and be one with the bout track, she said... and then I remember skating as a 'Dita in Hamilton with 9 players, and the few games I played, when I DID keep up and took my hits and gave some... and I know I'll be okay. Next stop, roster in London, and then the travel team. Someday, I'll be up against the 'Ditas to see if I can come back to surpass my Montreal teachers.

I haven't heard back from the weightloss management center yet about their contest, but I hope the derby gods send me someone that can help me figure out what the heck is wrong with me cause it sucks... A lot...to always be last.

Labels: training

30 days to change, 3 months to be ready, a year to save

This morning, on my walk from my city bus stop to my office, I once again stared into the windows of this new gym/weight management facility that I've been staring at every day for a couple weeks now. It's intimidating-looking with it open to the street (all windows) and an open concept gym with wood floors, punching bags, stability balls, cables, and very light on the equipment. I didn't get it. Was it pilates? Was it NIA? Was it personal training?

Well today, I saw a paper on the window, and it said they are looking for committed people to try out a regime for 2 months, and the biggest loser/winner will receive a 1 year unlimited membership and 1 month of private coaching for family member or friend.

As of now, I sent an email to the registration email address, and found them on Kijiji and forwarded my email to the contact person. You know how hard I've struggled with my training, strength, nutrition, endurance, and speed. I am a tough cookie, and I think if they can help me in such a short time, I'd be a poster child for them to advertise for others. I'm 35, fat, overweight, slow, and growing older. I work hard with little results. I even practice roller derby and don't see alot of change. So wish me luck and let's hope I am accepted into the challenge group!

What does it mean to me?
I have 3 months until September, when the roster will be finalized for the October home game in London. (prior to that I am a bit unlikely to be able to join the travel team). If I can make that (and do well) then I have a shot at making the travel team next year, at least.

And I have one year to save $1200-1500 plus spending money for RollerCon 2010. I've last minute shopped for cheapies, and My totals came to: Flight: $330.58 CDN (Expedia)
Hotel: at $40 weekday and $79 weekend nights at Imperial palace plus $5 per day resort fee $348/$179 if shared. The MVP pass alone is $250.21 and if I am going to Vegas alone, I want access to go where-ever... but if I was going with my friends, maybe the skater package would work. Add $40/day for food, another $40 for at least 3 of the days on booze, (unless I find $1 margaritas LOL) and shuttle/taxi costs, $15 insurance, spending money, etc.... It adds up as all you ladies know. So I'm making a committment to plan early to insure 2010 sees me in Vegas!

Labels: Rollercon 2009, training

I Heart CrossFit

Oh Cross training . . .

I can gladly say that making the decision to start incorporating CrossFit into my cross training has got to be one of my smartest moves yet.

Things CrossFit has made realize:

*I have next to no upper body strength - this is one of the pivotal reasons I joined. I have the body frame to build muscle, I would even say I look strong . . . but the truth is I can barely do a pull-up on my own and at this point can only manage a girl-pushup. So much of playing derby goes back to strength. Having a strong core, arms and legs is super necessary. I see players out there who are in phenomenal shape and it shows in their game play.

*With enough motivation I can wake up at 5:30 AM and drag myself to the gym. The last couple weeks on Friday mornings I have managed to wake up obscenely early and go work out. How am I doing this?? Good question. I hate waking up early, but something about accomplishing a kick-ass workout before I go to work at 8:30 AM leaves me holding my head high for the rest of the day.

*I am an athlete - before roller derby I didn't really have any team or competitive sports experience. I took to derby quickly and chucked it up to love of the game and decent skating abilities that carried over from childhood. CrossFit spends a lot of time going over Olympic style weight lifting mixed with rowing and other elements. This is a totally new thing for me. I have NEVER in my life lifted weights, let alone spent time analyzing the perfect body position of a dead lift, thruster, clean, etc. I'm not only learning how to do these things, but I'm also building strength and spending time with people who really enjoy the high caliber of training and intense work out.

*I can pick myself up - No really, this morning I reached a minor milestone by dead lifting my own body weight and then going ten pounds heaver.

*I want it - Going to a CrossFit class as a newbie is a little intimidating. Honestly if I had not just gone through the newbie process in derby I probably would have not even had the balls to show up. I kinda suck - most people are lifting crazy amounts of weight and (as you can see in the picture above) I'm not really able to lift that much . . . YET. I'm on my way.

So with that being said, I highly encourage anyone to take the extra time and cross train. Even if it's only once a week it will totally be worth it. Everything you attempt off the track will improve your skills on it.

Hugs n' Bruises

xoxo

Raven Von Kaos

Labels: Santa Cruz Rollergirls, training

2009 Derby Season News - FCDG - and my new hair!

Well folks, I am happily walking around with a new haircut, which no photo I took of it could really tell you how I feel about it or how cool it is.

Thanks to Saranda, a hair designer at the salon in Jackson Square Mall in Hamilton, ON, I am back to looking as young as I feel. Of course, she had the super-hot straightener and the wax to make it shine... but I can deal with it. Ignore my stupid smile (my derby widow made me do it), the hair that was blown out of place, and just check out the MTLRD, Contrabanditas and SmallMarketSports.com banners and the Alouettes pom pom on my wall.... Love it!

Ok anyway, here's my excitement for this weekend - apart from knowing lots of derby went on this weekend that I failed to talk about (sorry) - I just read up on the FCDG 2009 Season Schedule this afternoon on facebook, and am happy to hear that FCDG has consolidated into a single team as the Thames Fatales and is doing home and away games this year with teams from the Ontario region, plus Beast of the East in Montreal. It's a long season with the last confirmed date in November 2009, with lots of time to fit in other events and training, and I can only hope as fresh meat on an already 17-member roster, that I'll get to play. I hope so! If you're in London and you are into roller derby, please consider joining the league as a player, ref or volunteer!

I'd post the roster and the schedule here, but I'd like to get the permission of the FCDG first, so I'll just for now leave you with a link to the facebook group with the schedule posting for the Thames Fatales.

In the meantime, I move in T-39 days to London, ON and it's going to be very busy in March and April with both derby and non-derby stuff.

Beast of the East 2009 in Montreal is T-60 days away!

I started the couch to 5K running program at Week 1 last week. I hope to be running 5 K in 30 minutes by April 30, 2009. I hope to be skating at least 3 times in March, and 3 times per week starting in April. If I can't play, I'll be training, so WTF?!

And in other news, I am waiting for a roller derby DVD arrival to review for you, and I am working on figuring out how to manage Derbyluv this year. The blogging, the comics, the interviews.... I have a possible interviewer for rollergirls headed into Derby Luv soon with a jam-skating history and a possible new blogger from the UK. If you would like to become a roller derby blogger, contact me! Your league and region will thank you!

Labels: Derby Luv, FCDG, training

Gearing up for Season Two

As of the second week of January, SCRG is officially back in season.

It's odd how much more normal it all feels to me this year.

Last year practicing 3 nights a week seemed really grueling. Now I enjoy getting off work and going to practice.

Last year I did next to no cross training - this year I go to the gym on days I don't skate and only give myself one day off in the week. I cross train like a mo-fo. I do 45 minute interval runs on the treadmill and circuit train. I have a jump rope in my garage that taunts me into jumping every time I go down there.

Last year I would drink after practice, between games, pretty much whenever I could. This year I am turning a new leaf - I have not drank in 27 days. I plan on not drinking between games and probably won't even then - The best part of not drinking is you know you can always drive, you don't feel like ass then next day and I never have remorse of naughty drunken behavior from the night before.

I'm ready. I have never considered my self an athlete until now. My skill and endurance have improved - my awareness and knowledge of the game are in tune . . . I'm ready to kick ass.

Five weeks until our season opener against the LA Derby Dolls.

All the ingredients are there - I'm ready for showtime.

xoxo

Raven

Labels: LA Derby Dolls, Santa Cruz Rollergirls, training

OMG - January is over?!

OMG! January is over! I can't believe how time is flying. It's been over 4 months since I became a non-smoking rollergirl-to-be-again, and a month since I re-committed myself to training for 2009.

I've lost 2-3 inches from my waistline, and 3 from my hips, and can jog again without shin pain.... so I'm ready to go back to skating if I can find some wood or concrete to put my wheels on under all this ice and snow! I'll know within a week if I get my new apartment in London, ON, and I'm waiting for some news from FCDG on particulars like, What minimum skill levels do I have to pass to play in April? What days are practices? How much are dues? You know, all that kinda need to know, but organizational info about a new league...

Hey I may already know roller derby, but I'll be a rookie in FCDG, so I'm getting to have a new derby experience this year! My previous rookie year was with MTLRD when we were all rookies together. I am so proud that I was part of the first season of MTLRD and that they are the first Canadian Roller Derby league to officially become a WFTDA league. If other Canadian teams want to join, what's holding them up? I'll see if I can find out!

Well, let's not dwell on me all damn day - you need to get to doing derby stuff, so here's the current Facebook Event listing for you - Yes, I know you are all on Facebook.... But PING.FM is the best for status updates everywhere at once!

Today, January 31 at 6:45pmOttawa's first ROLLER DERBY GAME!!!!!!!
Game at 7:30pm EST - The ByTown Blackhearts (Ottawa, ON) vs the Montreal Sexpos (MTLRD's B-Team - Montreal, QC)
I would so be going if I had a car! 6 hours drive, who cares?! I like those Ottawa girls, but I have to be all pro-MTLRD for this one, Let's GO Sexpos!

Tomorrow, February 1 at 12:00pmRoller Derby at the Coliseum!
Mad Rollin' Dolls in Madison, WI host the Quad Squad vs. Reservoir Dolls and The Chicago Outfit vs. Unholy Rollers The Mad Rollin' Dolls always put on good derby events!

Tomorrow, February 1 at 10:00amNorthern Brisbane Rollers INTAKE DAY
10 Am to 2 PM all Fresh Meat and Interested new rollergirls training day!

Tomorrow, February 1 at 2:00pmPublic Skate Ottawa Roller Derby is hosting a public skate on inlines or renting out quads to try tomorrow in Ottawa. Sounds like a fun day of skatin' to music.

Out in Western Canada, you can get tickets now to see Oil City versus the LA Derby Dolls in Feb! Visit Oil City for more info. I wish I could see this one!

Have a happy derby weekend, everybody, and please ....check out your local derby events tonight! Later! - Nia

Labels: FCDG, MTLRD, roller derby, roller skating, training, WFTDA, wrapup

Nia, what's going on in derby right now?

Well, derby luvvers, I apologize. After the GMDD clinic, I worked for two days, and stared at my arm bruises from Bully Julie's Blocking Drills (Did you see San Diego Derby Dolls in this article?) , then I was off to my hometown in North Carolina for US Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all my US rollergirls, and derby luvvers! I was evacuated from the local Wal-Mart (in Marion, NC) due to a bomb threat, and was flabbergasted of news about the Wal-Mart greeter trampled to death in NY, and the person shot at a Toys-R-US on Black Friday. I think from now on, I'm sticking to Canadian Boxing Day and Black Monday E-Commerce shopping.

I hope you didn't finish all your holiday shopping yet. Remember Derby Luv merch, even though it's from my cafe press store, is pretty hot and turns out well. Need a photo?

I watched a Heartland Havoc replay, Gotham Girls vs Windy City, on MAV TV on Thanksgiving night I think it was.. .or was it Friday? It was awesome to see a roller derby game on a big screen TV. But I wish the crowd had been bigger. I want to really push roller derby to the masses. I think everyone would love roller derby if we can get them to come out. More Marketing. That's what we need. What do you think? Comments are welcome!

Oh! And what does Derby Luv want for Christmas? Ummmmm.... Blood and Thunder Training Camp bloggers (are you going? Can you take a laptop and send me emails or blog from San Diego?) and a way to fundraise for the plane ticket - or a Xmas gift of an MVP pass! ~ to go to Rollercon 2009 so I can blog all about derby in Las Vegas. And a roommate or a free place to sleep.... I can't do it alone! But hey, if you know you are going (2008 MVP prices in effect for advance tickets now til Jan 1,2009 for RollerCon 2009 passes!), want to write, and are willing, contact me and I'll hook you up to blog from Las Vegas and I'll stay home for one more year.

But enough self-promotion - what's going on in Derby? Overseas, down under, games are going on - it's summer soon in Australia, right? - and here in Northeast North America, with championships over, nationals done, and holiday breaks on, the focus now is fund raising and RECRUITMENT! If you ever thought about becoming a roller girl, a ref, a roller guy, a volunteer.... look up your local roller derby league now. Maybe they are having a recruitment or fundraising event you can go to soon, or maybe you can get on a waiting list for winter boot camps, or find out where to skate for practice until try-outs.

I know where I am going in 2009 (as fresh meat, I have no idea what team or when I'll be in another game) in London, ON with the Forest City Derby Girls, but I need to get my RSC (Rollersports Canada) insurance renewed soon, and there's a lot of talk about that on the Canadian Yahoo Groups if you're interested. I think I'll have to do read up more on that. If I find out good info, I'll get back to you. Instead of wishing for a respository of good information for Canadian roller derby, I'll try to become one over the coming months. If I know it, you'll know it, and if you don't know, ask me, and I'll try to find out.

Training usually kicks off after Christmas for the spring season start-up in the Northeast and Eastern Canada particularly (Maybe Raven can speak to the West coast) so don't eat too many XMas goodies, and keep that gym training going to get ready for derby training in '09! I wish the snow had not started here, I was prepared to really skate train after the GMDD clinic, and now I'm stuck at home and in the gym. It's sad.

What else is going on? OSDA Championships. I've got the press release and info for you, watch for that post tonight - I need to get that written up first. Just make a note on the calendar that it is this weekend, Dec 6, in Mt. Laurel NJ at the International Sports Center.

And thanks to all of the girls at the GMDD clinic that checked out the Necklace I was wearing..... if you want one of those for Christmas for the derby girl in your life, hang in there and I'll tell you all about it soon.

I know this post was a little everywhere, but I wanted to let you know that even though I wasn't coherently into writing today, with a well thought-out article or cute link, that I am still with you and thinking roller derby.

Be patient with me, I'll get more info for you soon!

Labels: Blackberry and PC WallPaper, blood and thunder, Derby Luv, GMDD, Rollercon 2009, San Diego Derby Dolls, training, Twitter

GMDD Skills Clinic Recovery

Now that I am recovered from the derby weekend, with rest and hydration, I can more adequately tell you about it.

The Highlights:
A large turnout fit into the space GMDD had setup for the event nicely. GMDD hosted the event very well with easy registration and insurance USARS event coverage available at entrance, and lunches included with the registration fee. Good job and judos to GMDD for putting on the clinic and allowing us Canadians to come join in the fun.

Bonnie D Stroir and Bully Julie are experienced skaters, and experienced trainers, with a great breakdown of moves like a Slay Ride, ( you know the one! ), The Waitress (backwards whip resulting in block/whip combo) to get a jammer out from behind a wall, and backwards blocking to drop back in a pack. There were jamming drills too, and Bonnie demonstrated how a jammer can use patience, transitions, backwards skating, jumps and hops to not only mixup the blockers in the pack, but make her way through a wall, and please the crowd at the same time. A note here, as a jammer agility drill commenced where a pace line of jammers forms behind a pack of blockers and has each skater take a turn jamming through the pack of passive blocking while never letting her feet glide/stop - run, jump, hop, transition, run run run - Montreal jammers reeived the most cheers from onlookers. Seems Montreal has been working on that drill already and knew how to do it.

And one other thing, work with the rules. Ok, so sometimes a new rule release comes out and we look a new rule and go, HUH? That's lame! Why can't I do that? Instead of reacting like it's something you can't do, devise strategies to make that rule work FOR you.
Examples:
You can block anything on a person except their back. You can use your back, your torso, your hips to do that. So block your ass into their crotch, their thighs, your back into their "shelf" (yeah, their golden tickets) to off-balance them. Stop blocking where people are strongest, and go for the weaker points. Bashing into each other, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, is just butting heads and not getting anything done.

Jammer Example:
The Jammer can't get lead jammer if she goes out of bounds or gets a penalty on first pass, so if you're a jammer, be a blocker for 5 seconds and block the jammer you are racing out of bounds within 20 feet of the pack, and you just did double-duty and help yourself get lead jammer.

3 other notes:
You can hold your jammers hand and not do a whip if the placement is not right (wait for the corner), but be aware of the blockers. If you hold hands with your player for more than 3 seconds, making a wall a blocker or another jammer from opposing team cannot get through, it's multi-player blocking penalty. So be aware of where you are, and be sneaky to avoid a peanalty.

It's great to try to fit in the crowd-pleasing slay rides, waitress whips, and show-off stunts, but if you have to do it lame and boring with a booty block, or a regular whalop that isn't that low to the ground, and it's not pretty, or you fall? Who cares?!?! You get the job done, you do what you have to, and once in a while, on a good jam, you'll get to do something WOW. But it's going to be rare.

Don't give up.
If you have to work harder than other players in your league to get a new move, a hockey stop, to become more agile, then make yourself take time to work on it. At home, on the street, at the gym, at the rink, in your house, in the garage, or ask your trainers/coaches/captains for a little time in a practice to work on the thing you can't do on your own if you need to. But get the basics down 100% before adding the WOW moves. You'll never get to fancy moves that are in control, and effective, until you can stay up, stay stable, and time it right.

Take heart. Once you master the basic, you can get more creative and become the girl that makes the crowd go.. "Hey! Did you see that girl? That was awesome!"

WIth that, I'll be posting the pictures up on my facebook over the next day or so, if you want to take a look. Thanks to Bonnie and Bully Julie, GMDD, Burlington/Essex Junction VT and to the Adirondack Ferry operators that didn't laugh at me for being excited about my first ever ferry ride crossing from VT to NY on the trip home. And special thanks to Big Tickets of HCRG for sharing her truck, TomTom, and the room with me even when I got tired, hungry, cranky and bitchy.

Labels: GMDD, San Diego Derby Dolls, training, Travel, wrapup

New England Regional Skills Clinic presented by GMDD

There are 6 more sleeps until the kick-off of the Green Mountain Derby Dames (GMDD) New England Regional Skills Clinic with Bonnie D. Stroir and Bully Julie of the San Diego Derby Dolls on Nov 22-23 in Burlington, Vermont. (actually the local is in Essex Junction, VT). You can still register for the inexpensive event ($55 registration includes a box lunch both days, and USARS insurance will be available for Canadian and newbie skaters.)

And about the Canadian Roller Derby skaters, there will be a full-fledged invasion of Canada into this event. There are MTLRD (Montreal) , HCRG (Hamilton, ON) and FCDG (London, ON) attendees I know of personally, and I believe there may be some others. I am excited to be heading out Friday for the two day event!!

So get your gear, book your hotel, and get your butt to Vermont next weekend! If you can't make it, just stop by here, Friday for the pre-trip, Saturday night for a day 1 write up, and Monday for full updates from the party, Day 2, and my road trip experiences.

Labels: FCDG, GMDD, HCRG, MTLRD, training, Travel

Another league splits.... can't we all just get along?

In my usual early week review of all things roller derby, I heard about the Central New York Roller Derby league that has split. Now we have the CNYRD and the Utica Roller Girls.

So let's look at the Pros and Cons of starting a new league, or splitting your league:

Pros:
-You can correct mistakes and use your past experiences to build a better organization
-You can direct your new league to be more go or more show (concentrate on development of athletics, or development of crowd-pleasing as you see fit)
-You can have control over where your dues are going and can use a communication style that fits you better.
-You can make your own rules and not go by the original league rules.
-If starting a new league, you get the automatic gratitude of your future new recruits when they fall in love with roller derby.
- You'll have more networking opportunities. Let's face it, be honest, we all want to be popular.
-You may have a higher position than you had before, so you may have more access to training and information than a basic skater.

Cons:
-If you are splitting: You dilute the talent pool if there is a league in your city already. Depending on your numbers of new recruits each year, you'll now have competition for those new skaters that could be super stars.
-You will have to compete for media coverage, promotion, sponsors and fans. With the economy being in a recession, people do not have as much money to spend on a family of 4 at $15 ticket prices with snacks and merch as often.
-You may have a lot of drama and gossip and fighting amongst the former league members, and the ones that come with you. Now, if you're into that kind of drama, more power to you. This also depends on the amicability of the split and the size of your city.
-You undermine roller derby to the fans and the original league to other roller derby leagues, which can hurt fan sales, fundarising, and future bout contractual agreeements.

-If it's a new league in a new city, it will be a LOT of work. Be prepared for it! And be aware that you will not make everyone happy all the time.
-If you're a new league: Getting sponsorship is hard.
- You will have to devote twice as much time to roller derby, because now you're a skater, as well as part of the business that has to run the business.
- You will need partners and other board members to help you. And you will have to trust each other.
- Leaders have to lead. So you will need to work harder, try harder, practice more, and inspire others with your greatness, or at least your commitment to greatness.

I am sure there are other issues, I couldn't list them all. And every city is different. But if you're thinking of splitting, or of creating your own league in a own with or without roller derby, it's important to do what's best for roller derby in your town. Roller Derby is bigger than a single skater.

Everyone can't be happy all the time, but if some people can be happy most of the time, and most people can be happy some of the time, and a few people are unhappy only some of the time, then that's probably as good as it's going to get.

Ok, I am talking about this because I miss roller derby and if starting a new league would fix my time issues and allow me to go back to full-time training and practice tomorrow, part of me would say, YEAH! do it! But the logical, derby luvver part of me says, no. There's already a lot of roller derby and some awesome leagues in my part of Ontario (ToRD, GTA, Hammer City, Tri-City, London (Forest City)) and it would be bad for roller derby. So I'll be patient for '09.

In the meantime, I have the GMDD skills clinic with Bonnie D Stroir and Bully Julie of San Diego in two weeks, and I am trying to arrange a practice with the Blue Ridge Rollergirls in NC for my annual US Thanksgiving trip home, and I am also waiting for a final trip approval for a business trip that will allow me to catch a practice with the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls in Denver in early December.

Keep your elbows down and skate hard!
Later,
Nia

PS - 47th day of no smoking - I'm making it! Over halfway through my 90 day challenge. And I am a non-smoker!

Labels: GTA Rollergirls, Hammer City, HCRG, practice space, rollergirls, team building, training, Travel

A really good read, and a hard time getting into roller derby, that is all worth it...

I just read an amazing article by a writer that tried out for the Minnesota Roller Girls. Wow. Not only a good read, but an amazing tale of heartbreak and pain, work and sweat for fresh meat girls with the dream of playing roller derby.

As a player that started out as one of the "Come one, Come All" girls, the last or next to last member to join Les Contrabanditas in Montreal in 2006, I didn't have the experience of having to train like a madwoman for months and then have to try out in front of a league and screaming coaches to see if I made the cut. And then being sent home because I sucked more than half the other girls, and am not worthy to play for the team.

If I had, I probably wouldn't have done it. Why? I was never into sports or doing anything in front of people I didn' t know before roller derby. I was too shy, too reserved, too scared... it was roller derby that made me willing to wear a short skirt, to skate in front of people and try to jump, fall, hit, move, skate faster, get up and sweat with confidence and even...glee. After Les Filles started up, and La Racaille, our 2008 recruitment in Montreal before I left was more organized, with training, boot camps, draft picks and all that, but I don't think we told any girls no, and I don't think anyone was turned away..."until next year's tryouts" except for those that were just learning to skate and could not safely stay up yet.

I am so hard on myself that I doubt I would make it onto a team like MN if I were to go to tryouts, even if I were to go after the next 8 months in the gym I am spending, after over a year playing and training in Montreal behind me, because I would have to compete against all these skaters that I would think were better than me, and that would probably be better than me, with the huge insurgence of true, hardcore, Olympic-gold, hyper-competitive athletes that are getting into roller derby.

And having never had that All-Star player, winning jammer, award-winning blocker experience, I have no personal grounds to build my rollergirl confidence. Roller derby still seems to welcome women of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, but I think I am correct in that we're hearing the first groans of a labor pain, that will birth a new era of today's roller derby, that will make it start feeling more and more like all the mainstream sports I never joined.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope that if I am right, I'll be happy for roller derby. I hope if it does, that we keep some grass roots, amateur-style, come one and all, we love roller derby leagues that maybe become the farm teams for all the high rollers. I could train on a farm team until I'm good enough for the big leagues., sure I could!

I heart roller derby.

Labels: media, MNRG, roller derby, training

Nia Capps - Can quit smoking? No way! Kryptonics Route 65s Wanted!

Well, I'm giving it a try. My last cigarette was crushed out at 5:55 AM EST this morning. Oddly, I think alot of symptoms from quitting are totally psychological. I have gone entire days without smoking when I was travelling and stuck in airports and what not, so there is no reason for me to even feel yucky on day 1. But I do. I've got a headache, an upset tummy, some blurred vision, dry mouth... you know, it's probably panic that I don' t have a smoke break coming up, and that there's no pack in my coat pocket.

But Derby Luvvers, it's time. 7 1/2 months from now I am moving to Mississauga, and I hope to join a new roller derby league (GTA Rollergirls, I think) since I miss roller derby SO much after leaving MTLRD in April, and I'm in training in the gym 5 days a week to be ready for the season, even though I'm not training with a league right now.

I'd rather be a roller derby player than a smoker, and I can't train hard enough if I'm a smoker and have asthma from it, so bye bye cigarettes. My best friends, my confidantes, my crutch, my vice, my coolness, my stink, my killers.... good bye.

Oh, Oh, and I've got a $35 Visa gift card to spend if anyone has some outdoor wheels (ie Kryptonics Route 65s, my dream) to sell, or that will do a split tender with me, so I can use that gift money to cover part of the costs. Rollergirl, Via Derby, FastGirl L'il Homewrecker in MTL? .... anybody?

Labels: training, wheels

Boot Camp in Savannah, GA, and RollerCon

Hey, if you're in the Savannah, GA area and wanted to get to know roller derby - Check out the boot camp! It's being offered by the Savannah Derby Devils.

For all of you current rollergirls, I bet you're still recovering from RollerCon 2008, right? I know a MTLRD ref, Tommy Toxic, that was marrying the MTL Roller Derby league he told me at the New Skidz vs HCRG game... but I haven't had anyone actually send me any RollerCon info to post, so sorry this year was quiet on that front. I did check out the forums from RollerCon 2008 and I saw that my friend Sour Cherry lost a skate - if you found it, let her know! And Penny Whistler of Toronto lost her camera Friday night. I can commiserate ladies, I just got my Street Drum Corps hoodie back after losing at the Beast of the East tournament after-party in April. My former leaguemate Iron Wrench found it, and my common-law derby wife Rue Bella (now a MTLRD cheerleader) kept it for me. After shelling out $35-45 (don't remember) on it a the Warped Tour 2007, I am happy to get it back. I wish them both luck with getting their gear back!

Well, if you have a funny anecdote to share about RollerCon, you can always post it here. Just email me and I'll add your permission to post on Derby Luv. Or just send me the text and any photos to post!

Later, Derby Luvvers!

Nia

Labels: rollercon 2008, training

San Diego means whale's vagina

I found the missing blog....

Boy, am I ever exhausted!

I just got back from San Diego on Monday, and I am still trying to get back to my normal self. Derby overload! Derby overload!!!

Alright, so it all started Tuesday, Feb 19th on Jess Bandit, Ashley Thudd, and my trek to California, while sadly leaving a snowstorm behind. hah! We travelled the whole day an eventually reached San Diego that night. We were greeted by ACDG's Diesel and Estro Jen, where they were nice enough to drive us all the way to Long Beach to crash at Estro's place. Thanks again ladies, you're great!

Wednesday involved some touristy goodness involving Jess Bandit and myself checking out the wax museum, Chuck Norris' star, and getting stranded in Beverly Hills. I even managed to spill some Vitamin Water on some dude's fancy shoes in BV, and thank goodness he was a good sport about it. Luckily, Diesel and Estro came to our rescue and brought the getaway vehicle outta BH, heading to their practice.

ACDG let us tag along at their practice. I enjoyed how the importance or reason why we were doing the exercise was explained to us throughout their practice. That is always important, and should be done all of them time. The gals were great, and the night ended with the art of drinking PBR's at a cute little bar in LA. Thanks ladies! So for a good time, call ACDG.

SAN DIEGO!!

After an early evening of drinking a beer or two, we still had to trek over to San Diego bright an early for the Blood and Thunder Training Camp at the San Diego Derby Dolls' Dollhouse. But that's what derby stamina is all about my friends.

First, I'd like to acknowledge what a great space SDDD has found. They have room for a stretching space, banked track, flat track, and office space. So jealous!

I am too lazy to go into detail about all of the workshop details, but I certainly learned a lot from trainers like AZRD's Coach Pauly, Tampa's Shirley Insane, SDDD's Bonnie D.Stroir, TXRD's Cherry Chainsaw, LADD's Tara Armov, B&T's Black Dahlia, Renegade's Mayhemily, and SDDD's Bully Julie. The first day I overdid myself, and did amost every workshop from 10am to 10pm, including B&T allstar team tryouts at night. By early evening I was exhausted, and if my feet could talk, they'd be screaming bloody murder. I forgot about the fact that I was still breaking in my new skaters, so my feet were blister-tastic. Putting my health aside, attending all of the workshops was such a great learning experience, and helped me realize that there is still SO much I need to learn in a sport that is constantly changing and evolving. ..And there were still three more days!

Thursday night ended with allstar team tryouts, when everyone was exhausted from a long-filled derby day. The skaters came from rookie backgrounds, to some of the most experienced gals around. It was fun to skate with everybody, and see all of the different levels working together.

Chosen by Coach Pauly, the Allstar team was:

Miss Fortune
Georgia W. Tush
Miss Mel Mangles
Demanda Riot
Miss E Vil
Muffin
Viagra Falls
Goodie Two Skates
So Sue Mi
Crazy Train
Ivanna Spankin
Trish the Dish
Switchblade Siouxie
Killbox
Jane Ire
Juju

Estro Jen, Diesel, Lulu Cthulu, and Chrissy Cruiser were also chosen to play on the SDDD team.

Ya! I made the team! It was exciting to be on a team with so much talent, experience, and such great ladies. Although at this point, not only did I realize that I had to participate in all of the workshops and bring back the information to my league. But also, focus and prepare to play a bout the Saturday night. Ahhh!

The next day, I was done. Everything was sore, and I was exhausted. I took the day much easier by participating in fewer workshops, and trying to re-cap everything I had learned the day before. One of the only camp issues also began Friday (maybe the day before as well, I just didn't notice), was that some workshops were getting canceled, or changed. However, I think B&T did a great job replacing workshops, and filling up the gaps. That night, I had an all-star practice and it was a lot of fun preparing a team to play against a team that works well together, and that has been playing together for a long time. One point that was really stressed, was the fact that a good derby player should be able to play with anyone at anytime. So very true!

Saturday was a write off for me. At this point during the camp, I was so tired and I don't think my brain could take anymore workshop info. I mostly chilled, and prepared for the big game. The classes shrunk a lot by the end of the day, and most people were resting or heading over to the game.

[I just found this blog..and I'm going to end it short and sweet, because I'm lazy]

I was nervous, because I didn't want to feel like the dud of the team. I also hadn't been in a bout in front of so many people since last summer! My body felt like crud, but we did a warm up with Mayhemily that made me feel like a million bucks. San Diego's Hard Corps and Diego Rollers started off the double head with DR coming out victorious after a close game.

You want to know what is amazing? Having the most stacked team EVER! That my friends, is amazing. The bout began, and the San Diego Allstars started off with a strong fight. Team Blood and Thunder did win the game, but SD did certainly not make it easy for the BT's. I can't remember the final score, i feel like it was 80 somethin to 130ish?

The next day, my gals and I had to leave early because of a crummy flight change. We got to the airport, and our flight was overbooked by 16 people. What the shit? How does that even happen? Nonetheless, being the opportunist that I am, I went to go find out what kind of deals they were offering. Jess Bandit and I agreed to fly out the next morning and in return we received a free round trip plane ticket, that night's hotel and meals paid for, and FIRST CLASS seats the next morning. A let me tell you, once you fly first class, it is hard to go back. They offered us drinks before we even lifted, omelettes with fruit and croissants, and a hot towel. We were stuck in Burlington overnight waiting for the bus back to Montreal, but it was all for the greater good.

In the end, B&T was a blast. The first year is always a trial and error run, but overall I took home some much from the trainers and other skaters. It was nice to have so much information in a small environment and small numbers in the classes, compared to all the vices and distractions in Fabulous Las Vegas. I would highly recommend the Blood and Thunder Training camp if they decide to run it next year. Props go out to Blood and Thunder and the San Diego Derby Dolls for organizing and hosting such a great event!

Next stop, Las Vegas!

Georgia W Tush

p.s. i refused to spell check and grammar check this extremely long entry.

Labels: ACDG, blood and thunder, San Diego Derby Dolls, training

Roller Derby Geek Syndrome

Trash 'N Smash, a teammate of mine (and co-captain) and Georgia (my team captain) and I have been having a conversation lately, because unlike these two rollergirl extraordinaires, I am not an all-star player yet. So I said, hey, so how is it you guys are popping out with new moves in practices that we haven't practiced together? Where are you practicing outside of our league and team practice time? Roller Rink free skates, or what?

And the response from Trash 'N Smash was cute, she helped me out alot with some advice, but then said, since I suffer, like her and Georgia, from the Roller Derby Geek Syndrome, I can always get back to reading and watching roller derby training info, and try what I read about, and "play" with my body to teach it how to do new things.

She's right, I was in a rut. I didn't take a break in our off season and I skated every week outside to train endurance and speed. I have improved my endurance, but I was in a rut of doing the same practice days/times, same drills, same way with the same people so much, that only a kick in the ass from my team captains got me to wake up and see that there is still more derby to learn... I think seasoned roller girls can still learn new stuff from everywhere, so my focus is going to change a bit.

To start off, I'm going to be checking out how the TXRD ladies do it by watching their WebCasted bout this Saturday. I heard about it from Eric who does their blog, and the information is on the TXRD blog. It'll put you back $10 as a pay per view event, but come on, live webcasts of the TXRD? I am going to be doing that, I think.

Roller Derby Geek Syndrome sufferers are often researching roller derby online when they aren't skating, right?

So if you've been playing a while and realize that the leaps and bounds of new moves you learned in your first season have slowed and you're just going through the motions, make sure you realize that you can still do more, keep trying new things!

Labels: training

2010/01/11

Roller Derby Workout Challenge - Tracking Sheet and Get a free chapter of "The Spark" book.

2010/01/09

Roller Derby Workout

2009/10/28

Preparing for FCDG ROLLER DERBY - Nov 7, 2009

2009/10/21

Roller Derby Workout

2009/10/15

End of Season HOORAHS and Blues

2009/09/29

Nia Capps is Back in Black Baby!

2009/09/15

Whatever - I heart Roller Derby

2009/08/31

Nia Capps tries again - 35 and Back on Skate - and doing P90X

2009/08/23

SmartyPants, SmartyPants!

2009/07/29

4 weeks to birthday, 8 weeks to bout, and healing a sprained ankle failing after 3 weeks

2009/07/23

New Minimum Skill Requirements in July from WFTDA

2009/06/30

Eye of the Tiger

2009/06/18

Training Montage continues

2009/05/28

Training Montage start now

2009/05/26

Why oh why am I slow?

2009/05/25

30 days to change, 3 months to be ready, a year to save

2009/02/27

I Heart CrossFit

2009/02/22

2009 Derby Season News - FCDG - and my new hair!

2009/02/06

Gearing up for Season Two

2009/01/31

OMG - January is over?!

2008/12/02

Nia, what's going on in derby right now?

2008/11/25

GMDD Skills Clinic Recovery

2008/11/16

New England Regional Skills Clinic presented by GMDD

2008/11/10

Another league splits.... can't we all just get along?

2008/10/07

A really good read, and a hard time getting into roller derby, that is all worth it...

2008/09/24

Nia Capps - Can quit smoking? No way! Kryptonics Route 65s Wanted!

2008/08/08

Boot Camp in Savannah, GA, and RollerCon

2008/03/05

San Diego means whale's vagina

2008/02/13

Roller Derby Geek Syndrome

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