Be Aggressive

So, I came off stand down on Sunday. I'd coached a couple of the fresh meat open days before then but Sunday felt like my first opportunity in three weeks to really SKATE. If Sunday gave me my skate lust back, last night's scrimmage saw it develop back into a full-blown relationship after a period of absence.

I'm skating different. I know it's only been three weeks, and I've been active elsewhere (10k training is going spiffingly thanks for asking) but it's true. I'm hitting better, harder. I've had time to consider my goals, my focus, and my technique. I've managed to get lucky and have a gym that's offering 30-minute core exercise classes after work on my non-skate days, and I've grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Being away from derby felt weird, unfocused. Combined with the school holidays, I felt like my entire routine had been flipped up in the air. It was weirdly enjoyable to have that time away as could I focus on a lot of other things that I like doing, but to pad up and hit the track felt like a welcome home. It's been a good experience I think, to have to miss it so I can find out just how important it really is to me (extremely).

 One thing that's come out of these two trainings is the need for me to be a better blocker. I'm doing OK at frontal blocking, but my hits and knowing when to take them needs some work. Hurricane Hori, former Dead End Derby head coach and one of the best players I know, distilled it down for me during scrimmage last night thusly; "You're in the right place at the right time, just not doing the right thing. Get in there and hit the bitch". Well, when you put it like that, what choice do I have?

Almost immediately and I'm seeing a difference to my work rate in a jam. It's funny, in the past I've been a little intimidated about engaging at times, because I've been worried about my technique or my effectiveness. Hori's advice got me thinking that it's better to hit and be ineffective than to not hit and guarantee your ineffectiveness! Sounds like a really dumb idea, but for some reason I needed it spelled out to me. Focusing on not worrying about missing the target or screwing up or not having an effect made a huge difference. By the end of the night I felt I'd made a little revelation about how to play the game and my role. I like to think I landed a couple of bruises last night.

This is really just a yay, I'm back! post. There's a lot going on outside of derby (when isn't there?) but being able to train again feels like the best kind of vacation from the stress and hassle off the track.

Bruised, battered, buggered from having got home from training at 11:30 last night but definitely BACK and BLOODY HAPPY ABOUT IT.