Oh J.F.K., how much I love you... Let me count the ways

Last night was my first practice at JFK and I think I am in love... I was so scared of the floor hearing it was so slick and scary. Although I wasn't scrimmaging last night, I enjoyed the slickness of it. I actually feel that it helped me push with my back leg in doing crossovers.

I think once I got over the initial shock of being on the floor that I feared, I was scared that my wheels may fall off... I am not really mechanically inclined and to put the bearings in and screw them on myself made me nervous that I had them on too loose. At least I didn't have them so tight that they wouldn't even rotate, right?

I honestly do not know the kinds of wheels I had on, but I will tell you that I saw them on quite a few people's skates last night. I believe they are Shadows (from Radar) but I don't know the durameter (and sadly the first thing I thought of upon hearing the word durameter was DURA MATTER which is in our brain and spinal column. Remember, I may not be a doctor but I play one on TV). However, I felt in control on the floor with these wheels.

Our first drill was as a league. We skated around the track and when May blew the whistle, we would do a knee drop. I have done this drill in the past at Roller Kingdom, and specifically remember doing a knee drop, stopping my momentum and fighting (especially after a few times doing it) to get back up. Last night, I was just able to drop my knee and continue skating and it appeared to occur with ease. I alternated knees each time (to the best of my ability to remember which knee I had used previously)... May had mentioned that this will work your core and I was easily fatigued in my lower back/upper bum area... But it was an awesome work out. You know how I know, because I can feel it in my right quad today.

Next we did the same kind of drill but with plow stops. Not as fun but a good drill none the less. I forgot that we did the shopping cart drill where someone would push you from behind while you were in your skater stance and then when the whistle blew you would switch to the pusher... I did this with Vicious and although, once again, it kicked my ass, I didn't give up and I just kept doing it!!! I believe after that, we were split up into fresh meat and veterans again.

Fresh meat drills consisted of (in no particular order, because I think I am forgetting one)T-stops, a pack drill with people falling back or moving forward through the pack (with which I need to practice keeping sticky wheels. I kept picking up my skates, but I think I was doing that to navigate the corners and to keep my piggies from falling asleep),sticky wheels, jumps, dolly hops (MY NEW FAVORITE)and I think that was it...

Then we had the scrimmage which was different than our normal ones but very effective. It worked well because SFOD and QCCB played specific line ups to prepare for the scrimmage and see what worked and what didn't. I believe it was very appropriate and an effective way to prepare.

I love being at JFK, it was awesome to skate there and, most importantly it was so close to my house that I could have done the dance of joy (like Balki from Perfect Strangers)... I only had ONE toll to pay and I was in Concord in under 20 minutes... J.F.K. I could kiss you!

I can't wait to go back there next week for practice!!!!!