Coming out to your parents. Ba-dum-tshh. (Or, for a more PC version: The ground.)
Every
time I announce that I’m going to the park to rollerblade, I hear that
joke from my husband. I keep telling him that it was lame the first
time, and it gets a thousand times lamer every time he says it.
But
I get it When someone says the word “rollerblading”, you’re
immediately brought back to the early 90’s, with it’s brightly colored
spandex, legs warmers, and scrunchies. And really happy people
rollerblading right along the beach. (True story: My brother and I got
our first pair of rollerblades for Christmas one year. I was maybe 9 or
10? We have an awesome pictures of the two of us in our basement, him
with his Oakland Raiders sweatshirt (we’re from NJ and were Giants fans.
I can’t explain the sweatshirt.) and me in my black leggings,
multi-colored neon striped button-up sweater, and half side ponytail
with scrunchie. This is why jeans and a t-shirt is my go-to these days.
I will never be embarrassed by jeans and a t-shirt. Also, I think there
were hockey sticks involved. Mine had a hot pink blade.)
What
all of those really happy people rollerblading at the beach don’t tell
you (besides the fact that rollerblading on a boardwalk is really bumpy
and not fun) is that rollerblading is hard work. Like,
muscles-that-you-didn’t-know-existed-in-your-legs-and-ass-will-be-really-sore-the-next-day
hard.
So
a few years ago, before I got back into running and was only walking
for exercise, I was looking for a more fast-paced exercise that would
get me outside on a nice summer day. So, I went to Target and bought a
pair of rollerblades (and the early 90’s memories came flooding back -
although I didn’t buy the neon-colored knee, elbow, and wrist pads this
time).
And
boy, did those cheap rollerblades from Target suck. They had so much
friction that it was almost impossible to use them for any distance.
The first time I tried them out, my sister was completely leaving me in
the dust in her rollerblades that she’s had since she was in high
school. I thought that I must be seriously out of shape. Halfway
around the path that we were on, we switched rollerblades (it’s kind of
awesome having more or less the same shoe size as your sister). And
that’s when I realized that it wasn’t me, it was the ‘blades. (Although
maybe it was partially me, since it took me more than 2 minutes to
figure out that something was wrong).
So,
then I went out and bought another pair. From Sports Authority. That
were slightly more expensive. But hey, I could actually, you know,
rollerblade on these ones.
I
don’t rollerblade all that often (because it takes more time to go to a
park, put on the rollerblades, and take off the rollerblades than it
does to just go running in my neighborhood), but whenever I want to get
outside and switch up my workout, I reach for my trusty blades. It’s
seriously a great workout. You feel like you’re really moving, but not
like you’re exerting so much energy that you’re going to keel over and
die. At the end, you’re sweaty enough that you feel like you got a
decent workout. And the next day - wow, all sorts of muscles are mad at
you!
So, what sage words of wisdom do I have for anyone looking to take up rollerblading? (And perhaps become a roller champion. Really love the music and the oooh’s and ahhh’s on this one.) I’m so glad that you asked:
- Get the right pair of rollerblades. Seriously. Put them on in the store. Make sure that they fit well, that the wheels move well, and that you feel comfortable in them. If you are more concerned about falling and hurting yourself than I am, invest in some elbow, wrist, or knee pads. Fun patterns and funky colors are optional, but always welcome.
- Add in some hills. Or wind. Rollerblading might seem like an easy breezy workout - I mean, you’re on wheels, so how hard can it be, right? Trust me, it’s hard on a flat surface. But if you really want a challenge, add in some uphill segments. Or some wind (which you obviously don’t have any control over, unless you or someone you know owns an industrial fan, but don’t dismiss a rollerblade workout just because it’s windy. Embrace the wind.).
- Add in some variety. It’s really easy to just coast sometimes when you’re on rollerblades. It’s kind of like biking - once you get some momentum going, sometimes you just want to go along for the ride. Which is all well and good, especially if you need to give yourself a little breather. But to get the most from your workout, try to keep your legs moving at all times. Add in some sprints to really get your heart rate up and some slower tempo sections to get some recovery time. Or, try spinning around and doing some backward blading for a while (I recommend you do this on a flat surface with nobody around!).
- Rotate your wheels. I learned the hard way that getting new wheels for your rollerblades is expensive and it’s difficult to figure out which are the right ones. Putting them on is kind of like trying to put together Ikea furniture. And if you don’t get the right ones, well then you’re SOL. (Yea, I know that I can take them to a skateboard shop and get them done, but I seriously am not cool enough to ever set foot in a skateboard shop). I think sometimes it’s easier and almost cheaper to just buy a new pair of blades than change the wheels. So, if you want to prolong the life of your rollerblades, make sure that you rotate your wheels every so often. After using your blades for a while, you’ll start to notice that some wheels will start to wear much faster than others (it’s the inside part of the front wheels, for me). By rotating your wheels, you’ll get more life out of them, and also a much smoother ride.
- Watch where you’re going. I will admit that I pretty much have no clue how to stop on rollerblades. I can slow down and eventually roll to a stop, but it takes a while. If I want to really stop, I need to either run into something that I can catch myself on (this is how I stop when I get back to my car!) or roll off into the grass. Neither is exactly graceful. The little stopper thing on the back of my right rollerblade has never been used. So it’s really important for me to keep my eyes forward, looking for any hazards in my path so that I can avoid them. I’m talking sticks, slippery leaves, cracks in the pavement, little children that like to randomly wander into the middle of the path and stop, bears, whatever. If you’re paying attention, it’s pretty easy to either step over or avoid most hazards. And if a little kid runs into your path at the last second and you can’t stop, it’s not your fault. Their parents should be keeping a closer eye on them.
So there you have it. Now go put on your parachute pants and matching jogging jacket, tease up your hair, grab your Walkman and lace up your blades!
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