It’s been almost a year since I last laced up my skates on a Wednesday evening, and bashed my teamies around Mellish Sports Hall. Life is very different now – I no longer hide my bruised arms under long sleeves at work, and most of my interactions are now through a laptop screen. Gone are the days of spending weekends in sweaty leisure centres up and down the country, replaced with solo (or occasionally paired) walks discovering every inch of the local neighbourhood. It’s been quite the ride, and quite the lifestyle change. 

Deep in the throes of lockdown 3, I have found myself increasingly drawn to articles on mental health and wellbeing to find my way through. One of the most commonly cited pieces of advice is to practice gratitude. It’s so good to know that we are part of a community where there is always something going on. 

 

NRD Workouts

Back in lockdown 1, when most people thought that this was going to be a tough “couple of weeks”, the NRD Fitties group started up a Saturday morning weekly workout. We were all keen not to let our buff bods slip so that when we got back to Champs we weren’t at any disadvantage. Various teammates drew on their crossfit/gym expertise and we soon had a veritable library of workouts to choose from. Although people’s enthusiasm for an early morning workout may have slipped over the course of the year and a lot of people have worked out their own routines, it’s awesome to know that if I start to feel *too* much like a slug I can just switch on the zoom for the next workout and feel uplifted. My niggling injuries feel much better, I lost my initial lockdown weight gain, and I get to see my friends faces – whats not to love!

For anyone who fancies a taking on one of our challenges, have a go at the “Sally up” squat video to work on leg strength and get prepped to get back to some crossovers!

 

Outdoor skating

Over the summer months there was a brief time where we were actually allowed to meet up outside. A few people braved the skate parks for the first time, and watching the videos of them improving throughout the year has been truly inspiring. Nottingham is not renowned for nice flat skate paths, but we found a few areas that were good, and managed to get in a good few weeks of skatey time. We toe-stopped our way over some pavements broken up by tree roots in the Meadows, managed to navigate the paths by the Trent without anyone falling in, and even did some pretty epic sunset/night time skates when it got dark and nobody wanted to go home. Great fun on 8 wheels, even without the bashy bits!

 

Crafternoons

What is better on a quiet weekend afternoon than getting your craft on and having a natter at the same time? This has been a genius idea, and so good for the soul to get your creative juices flowing. Everyone just works on whatever they fancy, the zoom is on in the background and people can swap ideas or ask others opinions. We have some super talented people in the League and it’s honestly a joy to see the things that people produce.

 

Social Media Fun

Something seemingly so small which has turned into an excellent way to find out random snippets of information has been the introduction of “Question of the week” into our Social group. When else would we have found out “Whats the naughtiest thing you did as a child”, “surprising celebrity crush”, “unpopular food opinion” or “if you could have an endless supply of one condiment from your bellybutton, what would you choose?”

 

Regular Chats 

Every Wednesday there is an online get together for an hour. Just a simple chat for anyone that fancies it. Sometimes there’s a game; Among Us, Would I Lie To You, quizzes, but sometimes it’s just really very good to talk.

 

When I started learning to skate with Nottingham Roller Derby, nine years ago, I never realised it would be any more than a little hobby. I’m so grateful for my team and these friends, I’m grateful for NRD, and I am grateful that I bleed green! 

By Rox N Roll