5 on the dot--and derby with kids

Me and Suzi after my 25 laps

Yep! I did my 25 in 5! In exactly five, as my daughter and teammates cheered me on. There is a spot on the track where I always seem to pick up speed scary fast, and it makes me feel off balance. But if I lean forward into the speed, find the "imaginary circle" of the track the vets taught me about, and try to keep doing crossovers as continuously as possible to keep up momentum, I can get around the track so much faster and easier. The crossovers really are the thing!

One of our newest fresh meat girls, Melissa, skated her 25 laps in 6:12--an eight second improvement over her last try and a great beginner's time. We spent the rest of practice working on falls and stops. For left and right knee falls, I have gotten to where I can usually just touch, pop up, and keep going.

Here I am nursing my son Robert during a break. We've figured out how to navigate practice with the kids. After the first time we brought all three of them I said we'd never do it again. For a while, Suzi (5) and Ivey (almost 3) either went to Grandma's house or I went to practice alone. But then we borrowed my parents' portable DVD player so we could show them a movie during practice. Last night we didn't even turn it on, though. Suzi and Ivey played with Anne R. Ki's daughter while the daddies supervised. Sometimes they still do go to Grandma's, but they can come with us, enjoy themselves, and behave fairly well.

For Robert, our 15-month-old, our Ergo baby carrier is a lifesaver. Jordan straps the baby onto his back, and off he goes to help with whatever. Anne R. Ki and Flashpoint's husbands also carry their little guys this way. It's Ergos all around at derby practice! Jordan enjoys helping out with derby details, and I like to have him there. I want derby to be a family affair, something we can do together. I'll have to write another post later on why I think it's beneficial for kids to see their parents engaging in new, challenging athletic experiences.

There's a home bout Saturday night! Come see us and bring the family! Kids 12 and under are free!