I PR'd at the Walk and Roll

Ok, that's athlete lingo for "personal record". I learned that from a serious athlete, an Ironman triathlete (check out the Ditch the Tiara blog!). Now honestly, it would have been hard not to given the situation last year (a scary path + me a relatively newbie skater + me hating outside skate obstacles = at least a 2 hour skate last year, and being the LAST skater back). Last year my PR was skating 10 miles, at all. And frankly, not being so traumatized that I'd VOW never to skate outside again.

This year was so different. I knew I could do it (I've skated 8 miles and 10 miles respectively over the last two weekends on the same much improved path as we skated today). I'm probably in better shape, generally and skatewise. I have a strategy (if not the best one) for dealing with going down hills. I have been working on silencing my negative "omg, omg, I know THAT will make me fall" voice. And I had a goal. My goal was to see if I could skate the Walk and Roll in one hour thirty minutes. That's a far cry from last year, and actually about a 15% improvement from what I estimated I skated last week.

Ok, my stomach has been bothering me the last few days (indigestion-y) type stuff. I couldn't really eat much breakfast either because I was anxious. So I had a banana, 2 bites of cheese and ham freezer breakfast thing, and a couple of spoonfuls for cereal (whole oat cereal, though). I knew I was in trouble when I was hungry when I got there at 8:20 (we didn't skate until 9:45). Luckily, all participants can get free water, propel and fruit. So yes, I ate another 3 bananas. I also drank a lot of water and took electrolyte water with me. And for the first time I wore a knee gasket on my right unstable knee (it's a tight neoprene tube, less structure than a brace, more structured than my knee).

I started off very slowly (really bad pavement at the start, and I don't like crowds when on roller skates, silly me), made it down the first hill without either falling, or walking down the grass. I think I thought, "wow, I can do this". Meaning, I can try to reach my goal. I CAN. So much better than, I can't.

The rest of the skate was great. With my slow start I actually hauled butt for a mile or two to catch up to other Derby Liters. And the successes came. I didn't fall at the two street crossings (I usually wait for an audience to fall). I didn't fall at all, actually. I heard other skaters telling me how to keep going. B, how to stroke powerfully up hill, Poppy how to consciously think of stepping when you're nervous to, Kristen talking with me on actions to engage those important (and large) glute muscles. I drank my electrolyte water, ate a few shot blocks, hung out with the most amazing Mia Bustya, and skated 10 miles in 1:35.

Now, trust me, this is not objectively fast. I passed the first roller blading speed skaters coming BACK at 3 miles, the first Derby Girls around 3.5, and the first Derby Liters around 4. They lapped me most figuratively. But that was ok, because my sense of personal accomplishment was based on my goal (AHHHH!!!). And I had a goal I had to work for, yet was achievable. And I came so close, I call it even.

Hurray! Now I feel like a truck ran over me, but that's another story. Half marathon in July, anyone? Seriously. Maybe.

Oh, and DL is still the top, non-corporate team. Personal and social cause accomplishment at the same time. Excellent.