Inline Skating
Many years ago I was a pretty good sprinter and used to belong to the
local athletic club. I'm not much of an exercise fiend but when I
started working from home, I did use to go for a walk most mornings.
That did improve my fitness quite a bit but I was still rather
heavier than I would like (I'm sure the excellent home cooking hasn't
helped but it sure is nice). I resolved to get
fitter and weigh less so I bought an exercise bicycle.
Now instead of sitting around watching television in the
winter evenings, I cycle around watching television in
the winter evenings. My weight didn't budge for a while but my
legs did become
rock hard. Finally my weight started to drop too.
In the warmer months I inline skate. I took it up a few years
ago. I thought it would be fun and it is.
So far I haven't fallen over (although I have draped myself over a few
gate posts) but I think my fear of falling over has inhibited my skill
progressing somewhat. Still, if you can't do something well,
learn to enjoy doing it badly. I'm a fiercesome sight in the
protective
gear. People avoid me. I think they find me intimidating in
all the gear . Once I stop to let them pass and say hello they
visibly
relax. The roads where I live are
unfortunately very rough and some of the pavements are hard to walk on
let
alone skate on.
I bought some new skates a few years back from Kates Skates . I have
received good service whenever I've purchased equipment from her and
have no hesitation in recommending her. They were Hypno Stealth skates
with detachable frames.
The boots are reasonably comfortable to walk in but as skates they
are very comfortable and soak up a lot of vibration from uneven
surfaces. I can skate for several hours without my feet
complaining
like they used to with my cheap skates (they're pictured at the top of
the page). They are also very
fast. The
precision frame and bearings let the wheels spin very freely allowing
me to skate faster and coast further. Click here
for a bigger picture with more information in a new window.
Clevedon seafront only has a narrow path so skating along it during
the day is largely impossible. The only solution is to get up
early in the morning and skate it when there's hardly anyone around.
I'm not a morning person so that's pretty hard for me but I try
to skate it once per year. Apart from one
section which is very rough, the surface is nice and smooth. On a
clear
and
sunny morning with no wind, it makes getting up early almost worthwhile.
Here's a bit of a crap picture of me with the gear on (except my
helmet).
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