rollerblade well

Two weeks ago, we had a spring heat wave in Buffalo. We are talking 70+ degree days in MARCH! Brad busted out the rollerblading gear and we hit the streets! I think I did pretty well. We even met one friend out at a local park and bladed along the bike trails. Luckily P is a really patient guy, and didn’t mind going slow with Brad and I the first time around. I didn’t want to hold the boys back, so I told them to do a circuit without me, and I practiced on my own on slightly flatter surfaces. They actually ended up doing another circuit in addition to that one (3 total).

It work out for everyone. We all got exercise, sun, and fresh air, and the boys got some ‘man time’, ha ha!

we’re still going out as much as we can. Last week was a bust because of all the rain.

Today Brad was kind enough to let me use his wrist guards even though they’re years too big for me. Mine were lost in an unfortunate cat-urine battle last Monday. Wrist guards AND elbow guards. (I was so angry at Rocky for peeing on the welcome mat where my pads were that he was actually hiding under the table from me and from the squirt bottle)

Today was a short jaunt, but it was better than nothing! I’m still a little too tense when I skate, but the only thing that will help that is more practice. :)

I probably won’t keep up on ALL of my rollerblading excursions. Soon I plan to post a picture of myself in all my rollerblading glory. We’re talking knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guard…. AND a helmet, haha! Once in a while I’ll catch my reflection or my shadow and I think “oh, my goodness… I look like such a wuss/dork.” Especially since I’m blading on flat terrain, in a suburban neighborhood that doesn’t have too much traffic.

Better safe than sorry!! I don’t think I’ll ever go out without the wrist guards. Or elbow pads.

Anyway… today was good! I was home before DH, so I got ready and put my gear on. When he came home, I told him I would skate around for a while until he was ready. I went down and back on our section of the street. It was great. I’m learning to enjoy the breeze blowing in my face. Still I am a little tense and not completely confident. But going straight is going well. My turns are still super awkward, and don’t even get me going on the “declines” in the road. ;-)

The only thing I can do is keep on practicing! And DH is making rollerblading more fun than stressful this year. Or maybe it’s that I’m less stressed so I’m freaking out on him less. Either way, today we had a most enjoyable half hour of rollerblading fun after work. ow it’s off to yoga!

And it was pretty good! DH and I went roller blading around our neighborhood. I was a little rusty, but at the same time I did better than ever. Luckily the asphalt is really smooth in out neighborhood. There are a few “hills” (and by hills I mean extremely slight gradation that still freaks me out). The first time I went down the one decline (and just so we’re clear, the road goes down about six inches over 30 feet, haha!), I freaked and made DH skate in front of me so I could hold on to his back and go slow. The second time he ‘made’ me go down by myself… and it actually wasn’t that bad!

Lesson from the weekend? Skating faster is actually easier. :) Definitely not perfect, and I definitely freak out too much still. But I actually had a really good time on our 45 minute skate.

And got sunburned shoulders.

should be upon us at this point! It’s the last half of April, for goodness sake! But instead it has been in the 30s and snowing for the past two days.

I can’t complain too much. I would rather have un-seasonally cold weather than tornadoes.

One of the M-Crew members is holding his [24th] birthday party at a roller rink this weekend. It’ll be a great test for me. I hope I don’t get laughed at by 12 year olds.

for this lovely Buffalo winter, but come springtime, we’ll have a new neighborhood to blade around in. And a quiet neightborhood. We are in a “dead end” street, so no one can cut through trying to avoid traffic on the main roads. I’m already trying to mentally prepare myself that falling won’t hurt. That’s my big issue… fear of falling and of going too fast/losing control.

It may be starting from square one again, until I really get the hang of it. Should be fun!

SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER rusty.

We only went around once.

Roller blading is kind of a way of life now! We try to go out two or three times a week while the weather is still nice.

The inclines are still an issue. Control is as well. But I can handle going straight and going at a decent pace now. I am getting better with breaking.

WOOOHOOOO!

THis was THE BEST skate I’ve ever had!! I went out with a good attitude (ie I won’t be afraid of falling today!) and it showed. I had a ton of fun with my hubby… and I even made it down my “hills” (read: gradually sloping road). Now going down those hills by myself is HUGE! And I did it. :)