Learning curve

July has been a slow albeit productive month for the Old Capitol City Roller Girls, who have been training quite hard, as if their was a bout in the near future.

August is slated to be a far busier month. Plans to make appearances at Iowa City's Ugly's Saloon, the NAPA store and the Wellman Skating Rink
are in negotiaitons. Far more concrete is the plan to take part in a scrimmage/exhibition in Cosgrove, Iowa (about a half-hour drive west of Iowa City), to meet and greet with fans. It is set for Sunday, August 30, with the time to be determined.

On a more personal front, during water breaks at practice, I have taken to staying on the track and sprinting solo for a few minutes. I push myself as hard as my lungs and legs will allow. This is a goal I have set for myself to improve my performance during away jams. Looking back over both my bouts with the Cedar Rapids Rollergirls and the Quad City Rollers in June, I still feel I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I was capable of. I'm pretty quick now --although still nowhere near the fleetness of the untouchable Ophelia Fracture-- and I think it I put my "balls to the wall," so to speak, I'd give the opposing team less time to react; less time to guess my trajectory.

I guess my hesitation harkens to a childhood fear I had of falling. As a track and cross country runner, I was quite lazy -- I only ran as hard as I had to win, often easing up towards the end of an apparent victory. But if I happened to run against a girl of equal of greater swiftness I can remember fully extending myself, really reaching for that finish line. There was this frantic moment where I noticed, during full flight, I couldn't even feel the ground beneath my feet as I pounded the earth. This sensation made me more reluctant to push myself to an effort beyond what was needed to win.

But roller derby is a completely different sport. You need to take those chances, dive for those holes. Tenacity and perseverance may make the difference in dashing through the pack, getting that final point.

I will never stop giving my all.