roller derby

Farm Report: 11.3.18

- Mel

much to do about candy corn

Science tells us why we can’t stop eating all that damn candy. Shut up and give me those mallowcreme pumpkins.

If you’re reading this from outside the metro Des Moines area, did you know that we weirdos celebrate trick-or-treating a day early? The tradition is called Beggar’s Night and historical lore tells us that it was to curb the the not-so-harmless tricks (like vandalism and breaking shit) that occurred the night of Halloween. I’m not sure how that logic works creating a “new” holiday the night before, but the costumed kids are adorable because they tell you jokes.

candy corn and pumpkins halloween candy gimme
Mmmmm… corn syrup.

winter tires are here again

The Changing of the Tires came so fast. Though I am exceptionally happy for my favoritest time of year (besides the fact that my car’s winter tires are seriously fug). I have been tossing around the idea of getting a fat bike this year to continue my biking obsession through winter here in Iowa (I have been riding my bike 4-5 times a week for the last couple months). There is a pretty large bike community in Des Moines – and I’ve seen a few Fat Bikes on the trails here – and, well, I just want to continue playing in the snow in as many ways as possible.

What’s the over/under on accumulation this year?

midwest shenanigans*

*Now with more road trips! Running has already taken me to random points in Iowa and beyond by way of road tripping for races and places to get additional elevation gain. Now with roller derby back in my life, I’m exploring back road towns and B-roads even more (and let me tell you, my performance tires are NOT happy). Last month, I took another trip to Dubuque (that there-and-back and also playing a derby bout was a little painful). Last weekend I was in Vinton. This weekend, I’m off to the Quad Cities. And then the following weekend, I might be playing in a mixer scrimmage in Milwaukee and visiting some of my favorite Brewcity skaters (and definitely going a day early so that I can go to Alt Brew in Madison on the way).

What gluten-free brewery or restaurant suggestions do you got for Milwaukee?

Weekly Therapy: CRAZY PANTS.

- Mel

the week:
Oh, hey! I took the last couple Fridays off from my weekly posts to focus on vacation and honeymooning and stuff. And let me tell you, there was NO time for scheduling posts in advance. I was thankful to have the weekend back after traveling to recover from the boat sways and all. the. laundry. Although I came back to a LOT of change at work, including getting a new manager my first day back, and then the office building catching fire a day later. I didn’t go back to work until Thursday.

This week has just been crazy pants. But at least I got to enjoy some of this beautiful weather Iowa is was having!

weekend:
Tell me how to work a 12-mile training run and a hair appointment into one morning? Because I’m not sure why I did that.

seven things, seven days:
1. Pretty sure that I sleep-shopped on Amazon this week.
2. I also finished the WORST book this week. No thanks to Book of the Month Club for that suggestion.
3. We Anchored Down for TRB XVIII!
4. Oh HEY, roller derby retiree finds running (sounds familiar!) {via Oiselle blog}
5. How to get stuff done after work (when all you want to do is watch TV) {via Elite Daily}
6. How to go Faux Pro (Marathon Edition) {via Running Starfish}
7. Willpower is a myth — and you should stop using it as your scapegoat. {via Nautilus}

Weekly Therapy: Hitting the Trails

- Mel

the week:
It felt nice to take a week off from, like, everything. But I got myself some new trail shoes and ready to take on some new adventures this Fall in Iowa.

weekend:
It’s TRAIL RUNNING SEASON!!! And Saturday is To Grandmother’s House We Go (I’m doing 10k distance).

Sunday, our community celebrates Beggar’s Night (or, Trick-or-Treating) and we’re participating in a friendly neighborhood Boos & Booze for the adults traveling around with their kiddos. We seriously picked the perfect neighborhood.

I pre-purchased tickets for Diplo, who is here in Des Moines on Sunday night, but my attendance there depends on how well I can hang this Halloween.

seven things, seven days:
1. THE INDIANS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES!!!
2. …so are the Cubs, which I am also SUPER excited about! (But… Go Tribe!)
3. Really sad to read about my former derby league’s practice and game space closing. And always a bummer to lose another skating rink. 🙁
4. I signed up for a 100-mile Challenge in November with the Capital Striders. It’s a great idea to get people post-marathon to keep running, especially at this time of year when we all want to hibernate. 😉
5. Being yourself works {via HBR}
6. Not everyone is trying to lose weight – YES! This is one of the most irritating elements of having a gym membership, all the marketing received for weight-loss challenges. DO BETTER. Though this article focuses on the nutrition element, my feeling on this is the same.
7. Great performers make their personal lives a priority {via HBR}

Weekly Therapy: Be YOU tiful

- Mel

the week:
This week went by WAY too quickly and my nerves kind of got the better of me. I had many intentions that fell flat to feeling overwhelmed, and I’ll be using my evening to reset (and using some overtime to catch up with work tomorrow). We’re back up into the 80s again for temperatures (alongside its best friend 90% Humidity), so looks like summer is sticking around to make the rest of my long runs sticky and miserable.

Summer: please see the door, I would like to wear my scarves and coats and boots, kthxbai. And I’m kind of tired of the treadmill.

weekend:
I’m doing 108 sun salutations at LifeTime tomorrow morning, followed by my second short run of the week, working some overtime, and then resting for a LONG, LONELY 12-miler on Sunday.

Among all THAT, I’ll be watching MOAR ROLLER DERBY — Team United from Des Moines is playing in this weekend’s WFTDA playoff tournament in Madison.

seven things, seven days:
1. We checked out Luminarium Arboria this week in downtown Des Moines…
2. And then had dinner at the ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE restaurant: Magnolia Wine Kitchen. The food was excellent, too, with many gluten-free options!
3. What it feels like to be the last generation to remember life before the Internet. Oh, I remember!
4. How do you feel about getting older? Ehhhhh, not so good. {via Pacific Standard}
5. Why people quit their Fitbits — interestingly, no responses mentioned about the equipment constantly breaking requiring three separate replacements. But then again, nobody asked me.
6. I KNEW IT — The 5-second rule debunked (spoiler alert: don’t eat it!) {via NYT}
7. You take the good, you take the bad… And here’s why you ABSOLUTELY must do things you’re really bad at. {via INC}

Weekly Therapy: What makes something amazing is the possibility that it could destroy you.

- Mel

I heard this quote on a podcast this week… HOLY SHIT.

the week:
The biggest news of the week — I got the job! The offer officially came over this week and was announced to our department. The congratulations notes from various coworkers really meant so much, and I’m incredibly happy to have been placed on such an amazing team.

weekend:
Tonight is the kick-off party to Go Blog Social conference here in Des Moines. I decided to make a little staycation out of it, and booked myself a one night-stay at Hotel Renovo.

Then after the conference ends on Saturday, I will be attending my first Iowa-Iowa State party (wearing neither of those colors). Somehow I’ll muster enough energy to run 10 miles on Sunday.

seven things, seven days:
1. Do you watch Mistresses? What. The. Fuck.
2. There’s a thing called chuckwagon racing in Iowa — and now I have to see this IRL.
3. Des Moines had an earthquake. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (missed it)
4. WFTDA roller derby playoffs are in progress! Check in on Columbia D1 games here.
5. Learning to Love My Anxiety {via Pacific Standard}
6. IT’S TIME.
7. How to be perfectly unhappy. {courtesy of The Oatmeal — love forever}

Weekly Therapy: A fine wine, I’m 39.

- Mel

the week:
YOU GUYS. MY PINK CHAIRS WERE DELIVERED. The ones that I just ordered on Monday from Wayfair. On top of all my birthday surprises from the boyfriend (and my furbabies), this was seriously the BEST WEEK.

grumpy cat bday older

But if we’re being super serious, despite some of the shitty and sad stuff, this has really been a good year. And I’m happy that you are here to celebrate all these memories of my 30s with me.

weekend:
Hey, I’m volunteering at the 80/35 Invitational this weekend — a tournament hosted by Team United in Des Moines. You should come out and watch some roller derby!

Birthday week is coming to a close, but here’s the run-down of my week of surprises, aka:
seven things, seven days:
1. My boyfriend special-ordered a gluten-free carrot cake from Sweet Rewards (and even got some candles, so that I could make a wish).
2. An emerald necklace (from the cats, ahem)
3. A gift card to LifeSpa (boy, do I need a massage!)
4. WINE CLUB MEMBERSHIP to Plonk (ALL THE CABS!)
5. This hilarious t-shirt from Raygun
6. This hilarious t-shirt from Raygun (from the cats)
7. And this hilarious t-shirt from Raygun (he’s so silly that he individually gave me one each day, for the last 3 days. I love punny localized t-shirts!)

Bonus: My mom sent me flowers that arrived on my birthday.

Gasparilla Challenge: Training Week #10

- Mel

So… I’m kind of in a taper place now, with the race being two weekends away. I feel like I kind of called it in this round of training. Overall, I’m disappointed in my effort – and my knee was definitely giving me trouble again on my run Sunday (I iced it afterward and attempted to stay off it, despite having TOO MANY STEPS in my house). I plan to keep it mostly rested and not do any more long runs until after race day. I see a lot of spinning and yoga in my immediate future!

bad advice 30something therapy
Probably bad advice.

MONDAY: Rest Day.

TUESDAY: First travel team practice of the season (2 hours), and it was moderately intense. We worked on drills aimed at keeping us square and using (or not using) our partners/wall; the practice was book-ended by some fun team-building activities, so we could learn more about our teammates. I think I’ve played with everyone at some point in my derby tenure, but it’s always a good exercise to remember where everyone is at this moment and the individual struggles each has experienced. While most of us have our own goals, this type of exercise is really important for future goal-setting for the team overall.

WEDNESDAY: Joined up with my run//yoga//run//club and ran 3.23 miles at average 10:10 pace. I did not take total advantage of the amazing weather to run in shorts — I was definitely dressed too warm! Nonetheless, what an incredible night outdoors. Yoga, meanwhile, was SUPER sweaty and destroyed my confidence and energy. Namaste, n’at.

THURSDAY: [walked to/from work] Ended up working late and had to miss practice. Yeah, I’m that guy already.

FRIDAY: [walked to work] Date night — dinner at Poros and tickets to Cabaret! Did I work out in the morning like I intended to with my clothes all set out? NOPE.

SATURDAY: Date day! I probably got some bonus points for walking around Sewickley for a couple hours (though negated by all the chocolate, I’m sure).

SUNDAY: Long run day! Yes, I got my ass out of bed on a Sunday morning to join SCRR for 9 miles. I had 11 on my training plan, so I planned for my usual 1-mile warm-up to the marathon garage and 1 mile back home after the group run. I had a great pack on this run, despite being really unhappy about the course taking us up Penn past Children’s Hospital. Anyone in Pittsburgh knows that’s an awful incline. But one of the guys enjoyed singing, so that was a fun way to pass the time from the mid-point (“Ohhhhhhh, we’re halfway there…”) to the end of the run (we need some work on our lyrics for “I like big butts” and “Space Cowboy” though).

Mile 1 (1.13): 9:54 average pace
Group run (9.24 miles): 10:19 average pace [Splits: 10:12 (1) / 9:55 (2) / 11:26 (3) / 10:04 (4) / 10:31 (5) / 10:03 (6) / 10:09 (7) / 10:20 (8) / 10:06 (9)] Run home (1.14): 9:56 average pace

TOTAL CROSS-TRAINING WORKOUTS: 2 (2 hours of skating; 1 hot yoga session)
TOTAL RUNS: 2
LONGEST RUN: 11.51 miles
TOTAL WEEKLY MILES: 14.74 miles
TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 78.64 miles

Weekly Therapy: Pressure is a privilege.

- Mel

the week:
I’m having another not-so-great week of feeling REALLY lethargic and exhausted. I’m truly now feeling the pressure (and by extension, stress) to be and do All the Things and the associated downward spiral of thinking (and inaction). I wish I could just stop doing that to myself! I plan to use some of these Unconventional Productivity tips from zen habits to reset and refocus (and, hopefully, gain back some of my energy). It’s such a great list!

30-something therapy pressure is privilege
Pause.

weekend:
We have tickets to Caberet tonight, and a midday date tomorrow for the Sewickley Chocolate Walk (The event sold out quickly, so I’m glad we jumped on tickets early!). We haven’t had a date night in such a long time, and we have two fun things to celebrate together. #blessed

And on Sunday, we’ll be positively gorging ourselves on terrible (but delicious!) football appetizers at home, while watching all the fun Super Bowl commercials. I’ll run at some point though, PROMISE.

seven things, seven days:
1. Did you pay attention to the Iowa Caucus this week? Coming from a state where we have primaries, the whole caucus system is fascinating, and I’ve enjoyed learning more about the process (since I’ve, admittedly, not paid attention to it in the past). I can honestly say that I’m currently coming from a place of being an undecided/uncommitted voter, so I’m definitely paying attention!
2. Knowing when it’s time to quit – that’s some kind of pressure for athletes, ya know? {via NPR}
3. Speaking of sports pressure: The mental strength of quarterbacks in Super Bowl 50 {via CNN}
4. Have you heard of yesiyoga.com? Well, I’m all about new yoga brands, so interested to see where this referral/social media blitz takes us. [Sign up, too, if you’re also intrigued!] 5. Appropriate (even if I hate use of the word “girl”): 18 things a roller derby girl can relate to {via Buzzfeed}
6. How to finally stop procrastinating (for real) {via FastCompany}
7. Oh. Maybe that’s it. Why your high-intensity feelings may be tiring you out {via HBR}

Gasparilla Challenge: Training Week #9

- Mel

I had a really rough week again; I won’t sugar coat it. My lack of motivation to do, anything really, hit a high, and I reached out to my local run buddies to hold me accountable for my weekend long run. Needless to say, I only completed one run from this week’s training program (my long run, for what it’s worth). I’m starting a February 1 Fitness Challenge too, to help get me back on track. With a full week of derby practices ahead of me, my race in less than three weeks, and preparing for a big life change (I know, #vaguebooking), I need to be SO CAREFUL of not burning out and keeping on a schedule. My training week definitely ended on a high note though!

MVP Blocker Heroes game SCRD

MONDAY: Two-hour roller derby practice, which included scrimmaging. I’m really tired and cranky this week, so I know that I’m PMS-ing super hard. Also, I’ve written about this before, but I generally feel pretty useless and lack any amount of energy the week before my cycle starts. It was tough to get into 100% mode at practice, and I was honestly really annoyed that it was a scrimmage practice. But, I showed up and gave my best.

TUESDAY: Rest Day. Needed to watch The Bachelor. Duh.

WEDNESDAY: Had to work late… really bummed to miss yoga.

THURSDAY: [walked to/from work] Since I missed yoga the night before, I packed my bag and mat for work – with the intent of doing a lunch hour yoga at the PNC YMCA downtown. Wouldn’t you know, despite my setting an alarm on my phone so that I wouldn’t get caught up in work and forget, that it never alerted me? And I ate right through the noon hour and COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT DOING YOGA. Until the afternoon, when I turned around for my purse and saw all my workout stuff.

This week is officially The Worst.

FRIDAY: Nothing. Absolutely, lazy nothing.

SATURDAY: With a friend’s help to MAKE SURE that I woke up for a morning group long run, I joined Steel City Road Runners for 9 miles (finished 8.89 miles at average 10:48 pace) in the morning. I also ran to the start location, so I got an extra mile for my “warm up.” This was the furthest out that I’ve taken on the river front trail (on the Allegheny), so it was exciting to get a change of scenery! We stuck with the 10:30 pacer, but we were really all over the place in terms of average pace. At a certain point, we crossed back into the city side of the river — running that LONG 40th Street skyward into Upper Lawrenceville (we were basically at a 12-minute pace there). It was rough.

I sincerely needed a good run, though, and the camaraderie of my fellow runners. While I felt awful and tired and sore (that will happen after not running for a week!), I’m so glad that I got out there. My IT band was giving me a little trouble on my left leg for the last 4 miles, so I spent a good amount of time foam rolling my legs and doing some yoga stretches in the evening.

SUNDAY: I was having a little bit of knee soreness today — my quads were also SCREAMING at me and I was feeling generally exhausted and cranky… but it’s BOUT DAY! Despite the nag, I didn’t feel sore or hurt while skating at all (Monday morning is another story, though). Our Heroes vs. Villains game was INTENSE! (I was on Team Hero.) I had FIVE PENALTIES – probably the most I’ve ever had in a game (and they were all something different); and since we were a little short roster, we were all playing basically every other jam. The game of roller derby is an hour long, with two 30-minute halves and a half time. For as apathetic as I felt about playing before the game, I felt the complete opposite when I was on the track. I had an awesome game. And the other team picked me as the game MVP Blocker (aka: Most Tenacious Blocker)!

Boutfit Penalty board SCRD Heroes game
Crazy Cat Pants Boutfit and Game Day penalty board (whoops!)

Man, it was so hard not to be outside running in the 50-degree weather, though. Yes, the spark is back!

TOTAL CROSS-TRAINING WORKOUTS: 2 (both skating)
TOTAL RUNS: 1 (better than nothing, I guess!)
TOTAL WEEKLY MILES: 9.89 miles
TOTAL TRAINING MILES: 63.90 miles

Sunday Lately for this 30-Something: Week 57

- Mel

Blogger Tribe_Sunday LatelySunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe (lead by Angelica, Meghan, Nicole, and Katy). Every Sunday morning, the Tribe shares a small glimpse into the last week — and I’m sharing along, too. Every week, a new theme is released for all of us to post and share links through one of the host’s post. I’m so happy that I found this amazing community of bloggers! And look forward to all that I can learn from them. All are welcome, so if you’re a blogger looking for his or her Tribe, click through and join us in the Blogger Tribe Facebook group.

Sunday Lately, week 57

This week’s themes: Doing, Appreciating, Designing, Humming, Expecting.

Doing: Prepping for BOUT DAY! For a long time, I had a very specific game day ritual (and order of things). After being gone for a season, I wonder what new little quirks and superstitions I’ve picked up. This morning, I’ll also be doing things like cleaning my wheels and bearings (the rink we skate in is SUPER dusty). Also, picking out a Boutfit — what the heck am I going to wear???

Appreciating: We had a contractor come out this weekend to repair some random drywalling and replace trim around our windows in the attic bedroom. This guy worked THE ENTIRE DAY, and didn’t leave until after 6pm. He basically finished everything, and has to come back one more day only to paint the attic. And holy crap, I cannot express how much I appreciate his work ethic!

Designing: I’m currently designing my February plan/challenge around the theme of RELAX. Boy howdy (do city girls say that?), my stress is at a critical mass right now. But I have an action plan to, hopefully, keep my anxiety at bay this month.

Humming: THIS song is my Bout Day theme song. {Explicit lyrics warning!}

I’m a huge old school hip-hop fan (but especially Missy Elliott), and I even have my own lyrics to the chorus that I hum and sing to myself that pertain to roller derby and game day. 😉

Expecting: I have some serious false assumptions about time. Mainly, the amount of time it takes me to do or complete something. This expectation frequently prevents me from using my time wisely. For example, I *really* wanted a hard-boiled egg on my salad and peeling eggs is on my Things That Are Basically The Worst list, despite having 6 minutes left on the oven for my Quinoa patty to finish. I basically had to out-loud yell at myself: JUST PEEL THE EFFIN’ EGG. But with the real swears. It took less than two minutes, by the way.

This same line of thinking has prevented me from doing a lot of my strength and core workouts. I KNOW that I can do this certain HIIT body workout and it only takes TWELVE STUPID MINUTES of my life, but I decide that I don’t have enough of those minutes on this particular day. I’m expecting everything to take MUCH longer than it does, and holy wow, did I have a bitch-slap moment because of that darn egg.

I hope you have a lovely Sunday! (I’m making egg salad now.)