Pissy mood when not working out...

Like SERIOUSLY - I become a freaking PISSY little freak if I don't work out... So after being a completly inpleasent person at work yesterday I grabbed myself to the gym and forced myself upon a 50 min boxing class and then 30 minutes with my fab PT Cai, with him I have sort of a hardcore upperbody/core program - since rollerderby gives me lots of the lowerbody workout...

I have to admitt I felt just amazingly much calmer afterwards all this crazy working out and feeling like I wanted to bite someones head of, and I cannot even blame it on PMS, or maybe I can.... So I went home, made dinner, had to think about three good things during the day and watch an episode of Veronica Marsh.

So note to SELF: You are not allowed to skip the gym/work out, because you become less pleasent to your surroundings, and we don't wanna ruin your reputation of being such a delightful lovley creature... And also you have a big challange coming up on the 3/3 - so you are all about getting fit for that. (Britta you better watch out)

I am so totally BOOKED the next two weeks it is not even close to funny - I am going to EROC, home for two days and then heading to Montpellier to coach at a bootcamp, back home just to head to Malmö to bout CCR... Yes... so I need to get some daily routines in, even when I am away.

Don't get me wrong, I love to travel, and I know it will all be great fun, but I wanna sit on a couch and eat pancakes and watch friends with a special someone, and havign to postpone it three weeks - is just not so great!

My work just got me a membership at SATS - plus I still have five more times left with my PT Cai... plus that I just discovered that all of Friskis and Svettis outdoor classes are free... so when I am no longer booked for traveling - be prepared to find me at a gym or at rollerderby practice...

Yay for the gym

EROC for the third time

So many things have happened the past two years... I had just lived in Europe for about a month when I was asked to come to the first EROC - and it has evolved so much... European derby that is... my German has just gotten a tad better and I've visited Berlin probably about 10 times the past two years... VIVA Berlin... I had a short time I really thougth I wanted to move there, I still might be harboring a secret dream about Berlin... but I love Stockholm and I am getting quite serious about Stockholm being my hometown.

Anna and Titty - my weekend hosts

I am staying with Titty Twista and her GF Anna and I'm psyked to get to spend some quality time with them, just chilling and talking... Maybe some drinks and good food! I've made so many good friends through derby, and I am truly thankful to this sport that has made such a great impact on my life! Last year I stayed with Rotation and Shevil and the year before with MasterBlaster, and I am truly excited to see them all! It will be quite amazing!

When I came to Europe we only had one WFTDA leauge - now we have several - we have so many that we can sit down and discuss at EROC. I am truly happy and excited that rollerderby is pushing forward and to be a part of this! An to all the people that are in derby that have challanged me to be a better player, coach, captain and person in general!

STRD finally got our WFTDA-patches

Scrimmage with Freshies

So we had four girls yesterday that got just passed their minimumskills - and now got to partake in scrimmage for the first time. We made sure that each line only had one girl, and I really tried to be peppy and verbally help the new girl that got to play when I was on track. All participants knew it was their first scrimmage - so we tried to work really hard on teamwork and bootyblocking - rather than big hits. We didn't wanna kill our newbies at their first scrimmage, it's confusing enought to just be oin track for them. And I was really impressed, they all did really well, and all of them got the opportunity to both block and to jam.

Sometimes it's frustrating to tone your game down, but at the same time you know it's good for the leauge in the long-run, so it's ok, plus it's so great to see when the new girls just progress, and progress, and progress... and soonish I hope to see them bout with our B-team. .

I thought i was gonna die...

So yesterday was another of my really busy days, work and all that regular things and I'm supposed to get a lot prepared for Stockholm Rollerderbys annual meeting on Saturday... I really do not have the time... Grrr...

Well, so I got a gymcard from work, and I'm really excited about that - so I decided to take a class right after work, and of course I left work too late and missed it. And decided to join Britta on a run with her gym, and OMFuckingG I thought I was gonna die. We ran and ran, there were intervals and most of all it was freaking negative twelve degrees outside...

I do admit - it felt FANTASTIC afterwards and I am happy I did it, but seriously I feel like I deserve a medal or something... I am not kidding, going running in this cold weather does not make you look sexy at all... Snot pouring out of your nose and breath freezing your lungs... Oh yeah... I miss running on the beach of Natal in Brazil!

And its getting warmer - but I do prefer snow over rain... I guess I am never happy...

Well, this is in Celsius... but still...

Athletic wear... why is it so hot..?

Is it odd that I get turned on by seeing the girl I like in an Addidas overall? Do I have some sort of perversion because I think girls in athletic wear is far hotter than any thing or bra? A girl that excels in sports is quite a turn on to me... and seriously, I love to buy athletic wear too... Yeah... I might have a problem... Help?

Last night: Shopping for free!

AKA "Klädbytarkväll" (clothes exchanging night)... this was just sooo much fun! And it's so great for the environment, it saves you money and you totally update your wardrobe and your old clothes beome someones new cool clothes.

I think it's just a tad too small, I can't lift my arms

The concept is really easy and simple: Each person get to bring between one to ten items, clothes, shoes, acessories that they don't use anymore, but still think are great. I know we all have some items in our wardrobe that we really like, we just don't think it fit us, or something we bought on sale just to realize that it's just the wrong color. The clothes have to be clean and in nice condition, when you arrive to the "party" you put the clothes in a pile, and then it's just open for everyone to start looking through the things and grab whatever you think is amazing and cool...

Me, Amy and Kix being FAB

So I had about seven people turn up, and I think everyone left the switcheroo night feeling like they had something new, cool and fun with them. I got a awesome dress and sone shirts that will work amazing for work... and I had a great night with friends and we got to try all the clothes on...

We turned Kix into a VERY traditonal looking lesbian and then into a politican, and then we all decided we were Russian mailorder brides and I think we ended the dress-up with some Cabaret style clothes... I totally recommend doing this, it's environmental friendly, cheap, HILLERIOUS and you get to get rid of some clothes and gain some fun additons to your wardrobe!  

CABAREEEEEET... if you only kneeew...

An amazing weekend

Sometimes roads just end... Rudeass hitting the wall... 

This weekend was chill but quite awesome, it contained good company, good food, good friends, good movies and ice-skating... I woke up this morning and felt really relaxed and happy...

Saturday was mellow and I went to watch The Godfather on the big screen, and birthday present from Britta, and afterwards we made some version of a pasta carbonara. Before bed-time I swung by Minna and Maloonys move in party... Crash had made a very impressive vagina cake... I think it almost made me blush...

Weather on Sunday was stellar and the plan was to go to the movies all day (Gordfather II and III), but we played hookey and went for a walk and then ice-skating instead. I skipped derby practice, and I felt OK about it, and that my dear friends, does not happen very often. Life is supposed to be about fun and what you adore doing and the people you love in your life... It's about feeling appreciated and pushing yourself and the people around you to be the best they can be. 

Britta is fit for fight for some skating 

Crash is talented and yes - it made me blush

2013 practices have started again

Back in business... 2013 season has started

Friday we had scrimmage and that was kick-ass... like really awesome and fun, playing rollerderby makes me happy and skating is really kick-ass fun. Lot's of our B-team players are looking just fab... and of course the A-team girls are amazing as always. After practice we went for a beer and enjoyed each others company, and to be honest, sometimes it's really important to just hang out, outside practice... I like it! I love it!

 It's good to be back... even if I made some big decisions about how much time I will devote to derby this season...

I will not go to two derby related meetings the same week, and will neither go to more than two on-skate practices a week, and I will attend the practices that are targeted towards our more advanced skaters. I wanna reserve time for friends, family and otehr experiances... maybe even soem time to catch up on sleeping (I know crazy thought)

2013 here I come...

And it of course involves physical activity - and that is not only the kind of activity that happens on the derby track... I have signed up for Tough Viking... It's gonna be CRAZY! And we all know since Team Cruz, I am all of what a viking can be... otherwise Demanda wouldn't have invited me to play with them... it might also be the way I handle a big hammer... or my war-makeup...
I really don't know why I think this is gonna be a good idea, but I guess it will keep me motivated... also in mid-March me and this awesome girl Britta have a face-off challange. We still have not decided on the exact 8 challanges that we will face off against each other in... but I am quite sure it will be tough.. and I am planning on winning. I told my PT all about it yesterday, and then he made me do all those crazy exercises involving chins, inverted burpees and planks... Britta you are soooo going doooown...

I also have found a place where I can get my breakfast smoothie/juice and right now I'm drinking something that is warm and involves a banana and almondmilk... just can't be wrong... it taste so good, and I've decided that it's good for me! Beach 2013 and Tough Viking, you will NOT know what have hit you...

Rollerderby practice has also started, it is still really mellow with focus on our Fresh Meat that have their minimumskills test in 2 weeks. I haven't really had the time not the energy to focus much on our FM, I think I'm at the point in my derbycareer where I acctually mostly wanna focus on the highest level play possible within my leauge. Can't wait to do windsprints tonight... and some scrimmage... some scrimmage will be AWESOME!!

So my plan is two onskate practices a week, one session with my PT (crazy guy called Cai) and then at least one or two other off-skate activities... it might be ice-skating, playing rugby, Nordic Military Training or somethign in the line of that... I am getting a gympass to SATS and I know that Kim has a pass to there... adn she is about as work-out crazy as I am... so I think that is a good idea... I just don't like to work out by myself, it is just no fun at all! And yesterday I wore yellow to the gym to show of the last tad of my tan... yeah...

Snow and skating

I've had my first real serious derby break... I've done things I've never have had time for before, an it's been real fun!

It was à great birthday

I did not get a cake and I did forget my present in the cab... I still had a great birthday! I got to kiss a lovely woman and I got to have an amazing dinner with my family!

Making New Friends

Frederico and Johanna...

How to start rollerderby... I think 2013 is your year...

1. Get your own skates, skates don't have to be superfancy - but seriously, get a pair of rollerskates that you will be able to play derby with Riedell R3's and Sure Grip Rebels are both skates that will take you through the first year, maybe a little longer... I prefer R3's - that is what I started in, they are a little more narrow than the Rebels and mine have lasted forever. When I got new skates I kept my R3's for outdoor skating, and then Kix DeVille from Stockholm used them for her Fresh Meat period, and then CutYa from Crime City used them for almost a year... finally five years later they're mostly retired... but once in a while I bring them out and around to go for an outdoor spin...

2. Get your own gear, and spend some money on kneepads, when you start derby you will be spending lots of time falling, especially on your knees. So get big padded kneepads for the first year, if you later on decide to go with less padded kneepads, I don't care. But for the first year - get something fluffy to protect those knees. Other gear you kneed for derby is: elbowpads, wristguards, helmet and mouthguard. Most derbyshops offer some sort of rookiepackage - a deal where you can get the skates and pads for a good deal - uppgrade the kneepads... and here in Sweden, most leauges asks you to get non-marking toe-stops...

3. Now you can start skating... I recommend to find a parking garage, during the less busy hours (if you live in a country where there is snow/rain and no skating rinks) and just get used to being on skates. If it's summer, just go outdoors on smooth asphalt...  There are some instructional videos online of different quality that will help you with things like crossovers and stops... those are probably hte two first things you want to learn after you just just have learnd to propel yourself forward. Think about that you really want to bend your KNEES to find balance, NOT your torso. And learning to fall does not mean that you throw yourself on your knees, a friend of mine that skates in US - likes to call it controlled lowerings. Derby is alot about control - controlling your body on skates... and if you have ice-skated before... you are one of the lucky one that probably will pick this up in no-time... (hate you already)

4. Just wear your skates at home, one of the hardest things when you learn to sakte is to feel comfortble on your skates, and to find the balance. So why not just put those skates on when you are cleaning your apartment, I promise it makes it lots and lots of more fun! When I started I used to walk stairs in my apartment building, this might be a little on the dangerous side, and I think my neighbours might have feared for my life a few times. But bottom line is - that the more you wear your skates, the more you will get used to it and you will become more balanced...

5. Start working out - rollerderby is a fun sport and sometimes you forget that it is a demanding sport -and the more fit you are when you start - the faster you will learn, but also you are more likley not to get injured... I cannot say that I love off-skate, but I know it is a really important part of roller-derby - it will make me last longer as derby-player. Core is superimportant, it will make you able to take and give those hits, explosive legs will not hurt your blocking and jamming either... I just recommend any kind of working out, but running marathons are probably not really the best way to prepare to become a rollerderby girl, but crossfit is a better fit... no pun intended...

6. Find other girls and a few dudes that want to start rollerderby - and start practicing together in that garage, basement or park... or if you live in a city that already has rollerderby, get in touch with your local team and ask them how to join.

7. You are always welcome to ask me questions if you don't know anyone that does derby, I will try to do my best to help out! Or if YOU have any tips... please let me know and I will share it with the rest of the world!

8. Have fun - rollerderby is what you make it.

There is no time for resting!

So I went to Brazil for about 10 days - and of course I wasn't going to just sit around on my ass and do nothing... (even if the 7 books I brought sort of indicated that).

I acctually manged to get up and run six days out of the nine and the rest I went for really long walks. It was superduper awesome to run along the beach.  I did 30 push ups per day and 60 sit-ups after the runs... or sometime during the day... I hate to feel like I have to start allover again after a vacation. I also tried to surf, and I am not very talented in the area, but at least I did not drown and I have an urge to really do it again with some more focus. The hardest part is to get out there, and then to stay on the surfboard, and sit on the surfboard, and to catch the wave... well.. one day... one day... I WILL try again! An extra thanks to Frederico for the few but sort of helpful intructions, and letting me use his board. Oh, and also a shoot out to Johanna for the aimless discussions we had about everything and nothing sipping caprinas...

...well I did not work out on New Years Day since that day I spent feeling like I was ran over by a tank...

And what about my books?
 I have to be honest - I only had time to finish one, and that was the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It was quite an interesting book and I am suprised I have not read it before, there are parts of it that I really dislike, and there are parts that are quite amazing... but the book is very well written... 

And for Natal, Brazil: I am in love - I will for sure go back, the food was amazing, the people were great and the nature, the nature... just so breathtaking that words are not even ale to begin to explain...

On top of the beach outside Pipa

Beach of Ponta Negra my morning run strech...