Get Fit: I’m an Inline Speed Skater

This post is part of my ongoing “Get Fit” series, an effort to lose a little weight/tone up, and save money by reducing the number of meals I eat out.

If you’re a regular reader of “Get Fit” you probably know that I’ve started inline speed skating again. This is a sport I took part in when I was a bit younger, but I’m now 30 and haven’t competed in about nine years.

I think I’m in shape, but that is completely different than being in “skating shape.” Inline speed skating is one of the most grueling things I’ve ever done, and nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever allowed me to take my body to the limit like skating has.

I’ve skated about 10 practices thus far and took part in a competition last weekend. The low amount of practices is the first thing I had going against me at the meet, but to further the chaos I also got a brand new skate setup hours before the meet began. In skating it’s important to be comfortable on your equipment – if not; you could be completely off your game.

Oh, and I should also mention that I went from 84 mm wheels to 110 mm wheels. The change in wheel size is like going from a Mini Cooper to a monster truck, and the speed is a lot faster. Click the photo to the left so you can get an idea of my old skates versus the new ones.

I did pretty well at the meet, and after my first race it was nice to hear my coach say something to the effect of, “Well, you certainly didn’t embarrass yourself.” I didn’t place, but what I did do was hang with guys that have been training and skating for quite a while. That felt good.

Now, what didn’t feel good was the time I got taken out by another skater (it happens and is normally by accident) which resulted in a nasty floor burn. Click the photo to the left to get the full “ouch” effect.

So, I’ve decided inline speed skating is my thing this year. I still plan to cycle this summer as it’s a perfect cross training sport for skating, but I’m going to spend a decent amount of time on my skates, both indoor and outdoor. There’s a national competition in July, which is where the best of the best compete, and I’d like to put myself into position to possibly place overall. It’s a pretty big goal because my division is pretty tough, but it might just be doable.

If last nights practice (3^rd time on my new skates) was any indication of things to come, I’m very excited. Not only did I have a blast, I was able to take myself past my pain threshold and gave the practice maximum effort. At one point during a relay event I rolled past the coach and said, “Tony, I’ve only got a few more laps in me.” He then quickly responded by saying, “This is where it starts Ryan.” He’s 100% correct, which is why I worked through the pain.

Thanks for reading about my adventure of trying to get in shape and save money by not eating out so much. I hope this series motivates you to continue getting fit or taking steps to do so.