Sk8 Nebraska: Day 1

At the end of day 1, team ironfeet has covered the first 58 miles of Nebraska! That's a Sk8 the State record! Everyone we met--on the road and off--was incredibly friendly. We got thumbs instead of fingers, and nothing but love and support whenever we stopped.

The day started at the Hebron Riverside Motel (the nice hotel in Hebron) where the proprietors gave us a sweet discount. We drove 15 miles to the Kansas line, then skated back to Hebron for lunch where we met Tony and Lonnie at Subway. They made foot-longs for everyone, took some pictures and sent us on our way.

After the first 25 miles, we stopped to freshen the camel backs and met some more folks who wanted to learn about the cause and donate. After that, the mercury started to rocket, peaking at 113 degrees. The skaters kept skating and knocked out another 14 miles before we stopped for some much-needed ice cream.

We decided to take a long break and plank some stuff in the Geneva park (you haven't lived until you've planked a tank!). Once we got back on the road, the pace slowed a bit, but the skaters were still averaging 12 miles per hour. We rolled into the York Super 8 around 6 and immediately jumped into the ridiculously cold indoor pool, where Dubbs gave her road clothes an old-fashioned pond washin'.


Some showers were had by all, then we hit the only buffet in York and filled up on egg rolls and crab rangoon. We're all toes-up in bed now, getting rested for tomorrow's trek. We plan to make it to Columbus, maybe a little further, depending on how day 2 is treating the skaters.


Running Tally Bonus Round!!
Dead frogs: 4
Banana peels: 2
Bugs inhaled: 1
Miles skated: 58

It begins!

Skinnerella here, on pins and needles waiting for the van to pull up outside my house. Tonight we will drive down to Hebron, Nebraska, about 12 miles north of the Kansas border. The lovely lady at the Riverside Motel called a few minutes ago and, though she had planned on waiting up for us to arrive, when I told her that it would be 2 am (if we make good time), she decided she would just leave our room unlocked for us.

Why the late start? Why, the love of our lives, roller derby, of course! Mo, PBR and Dubbs were in Cedar Rapids last night bouting on a team of 7 against the Cedar Rapids Roller Girls. And our 7 Roller Dames came away victorious! Tonight the intrepid trio of skaters is reffing and coaching a Korn Stalkers' bout, hence our late start. The skaters will hopefully sleep in the van, then get a solid 4 hours before we get up and get skating tomorrow. If not sleep, I'm hoping that bristling excitement, a banjo-heavy ipod mix and granola will be enough keep them going. What more does a person need?

Meet and Greet Us!

Saturday, July 30, 7 pm, Dalton's Office: that is where anyone who is anyone who is skating across a state this summer will be! Our good friends at Dalton's (who are also hosting our kick-ass homecoming block party) are opening their bar to us for a night of fundraising fun. We'll be selling our day-glow t-shirts, orange wristbands and showcasing the Vanilla skates that we will auction off later this summer--it's all the swag you'll need to skate across your own state!

We'll also have info on our route, future sk8 events, skating the final 5 miles with us and, of course, the EPIC afterparty! So please come down to learn more and show your support. Find this event on facebook HERE.http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=230370083647524

Free Comics @ Acme

We would like to thank the folks at Acme Comics and Collectibles for letting us set up an info table at Free Comic Book Day this past Saturday. We had a great time, met some lovely droids, storm troopers and Sith lords, and at the end of the day, Acme donated all of the funds raised from photo purchases to Sk8 the State for MS. Thanks again, Acme!

I swear, Libby talked to this droid for like an hour before she realized he was being remotely controlled by Darth Vader. Ooh, the Dark Side and their tricks!

How to Train to Skate a State

...or just be in better shape. The Sk8 the State training regimen will whip any body into better shape (seriously, I've got the man-arms to prove it). Most of the Sk8 team attends roller derby practice twice a week, which is a great full-body workout. In addition to that, every day we are doing 200 crunches, 200 squats and 100 push-ups, and also skating at least 40 miles per week outdoors.

I realize this sounds like a lot, but if you spread the activity over a full day and incorperate my patented Twizzlers-and-ice cream-based reward system, it goes by really fast (for obvious reasons, I'm going to get someone else to write the nutrition blog entry). I start my day with 10 push-ups on the side of my tub and 40 squats while I brush my teeth. Then after a healthy breakfast (Butterfingers and Mello Yello) I do a set of 50 crunches and 10 more push-ups.

Now, being that I'm a writer and not a "productive" member of society, it is easier for me to work crunches, squats and push-ups into my daily routine. What if, for example, you work in a law office? Well if you have a three-walled cubicle, the squats are easy; simply stand periodically and say: "Did a fax come in for me?" then bend at the knees, keeping your back straight, until you are in a position similar to sitting in a chair, stand again and say: "How about now? Did the fax come yet?" And repeat.

After just a few weeks, you'll notice a dramatic change in muscle tone and strength. And, if you follow the above procedure for working squats into your workday, your coworkers will stop asking you to lunch, which will help you shed some of those unwanted pounds.

Vanilla Skates and Bones Bearings Join the Sk8 the State Team

We're all on pins and needles waiting for our shipment of Vanilla Skates and Bones REDS bearings! You may remember, last year Vanilla sponsored the three skaters with brand new Brass Knuckles. Mo Payne, PBR and Dubbs not only sported those skates on the trek across South Dakota, but are still rocking them for roller derby. This year, most of us are going with the Vanilla Curves, which still have the custom b/d fit (narrow in the heel, wider in the toe) and some more cush and padding. These skates should make for a nice, comfy glide across Nebraska this year.

And what is going to keep our wheels rolling through the road dust and grit? Why, Bones REDS bearings, of course! Bones has offered to send each skater two sets of bearings to carry us across the state. I use REDS for derby and LOVE them! They roll just as smoothly as some ceramics I've tried and can withstand a ton of rough use (even if you aren't exactly diligent about cleaning and lubing your bearings regularly).

We couldn't be more thrilled to be working with these great sponsors! Our goal is to be able to give every cent donated directly to the National MS Society, which means that we need our gear, food and lodging and other such necessaries to be donated. Thanks to Vanilla and Bones, we're much closer to our goal! If you would like more info on becoming a sponsor or donating to the cause, you can comment here, look us up on facebook or email sk8thestate@hotmail.com.

Hugs and Kisses,
Amelia "Skinnerella" Saint