Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Then Again, Maybe Ice Skating Isn't For Me.

I lasted 10 minutes tonight. Ten minutes of locked knees, stiff hips, and in utter terror that I was going to fall again. You should see the bruises I have right now - from the ice skating birthday party a few weeks ago where I got kicked in the head and slashed on the calf with ice skates, to last week's three falls in 5 minutes** (one during which my skate must have made contact with my right inner calf which is every shade of the rainbow, heavy on the blues and purples) - if anyone saw me with shorts on right now they would think I had been in a horrible car accident.

Sigh.

Today at work I told my friend Ryan that I hoped I was getting better which each subsequent session at ice skating. Granted, it has been nearly 30 years since I did it with any regularity, but I know the basics. He took one look at my calf bruise and said, "Yeah, but there's the survivability factor."

He's got a point.

I know I am no longer one of those kids who can (and will) fall down every three minutes and have nary a bruise or sore muscle to show for it. When I fall, I fall hard and it shows. And the next day (and many days afterward), I feel it. There are other less jarring and much less damaging activities I am much better at - cycling, swimming, walking - and I think I am going to stick to my strong points for a while.

(** I would like to point out that these three falls happened *after* skating just fine for twenty minutes. Just saying.)

6 comments:

Megan said...

Oh man, I hear ya... I've had a few falls in hockey this season that have left me pretty stiff and sore - and that's with all my gear on!

Oh to be young and 4 feet tall again!

cpurl17 said...

You know how they say that you don't forget how to ride a bicycle? It doesn't apply to ice skating! I had lessons as a kid and, the last time I tried (years ago) I could barely stand up.

Hope the falls come fewer and far between!

kemtee said...

I keep telling people that exercise is bad for them, but nobody listens to me.

*sigh*

Beverly said...

When I was a kid I loved ice skating. Then I didn't do it for years. In my senior year of high school, I went ice skating again and it was a horrible failure. After half an hour of falling, I finally just lay down on the ice and refused to get up. I will never go again.

Lee said...

I was never brave enough to try, not that I had many opportunities in Texas. The nearest ice was 75 miles away...

Unknown said...

Skating is hard. Good for you for even trying!