Sunday Skate - Bruised, Battered, Brilliant.

After my experience today in a Sunday afternoon social skating session I reckon I'll have to add 'injuries' to my list of topic categories for this blog.  Injuries are, after all, a fundamental aspect of skating in all its forms. Coming to terms with them (or, even better, avoiding them) is a key consideration in the compleat skater's development.

Take today.  I went down for my regular sunday session at the Thebarton Ice Arena with two grandsons.  They're taking weekly lessons which gives them also a free public session each week, so I've been taking them on a Sunday arvo.  Suits my agenda well as, with all the inline skating I'm doing, I need to get on the ice at least weekly to keep my 'ice legs'.  Another topic category?

Anyways, we rock up and notice that the car park which exists beneath the building has had all its nested parking defined since our last visit with bright painted markings dividing each parking bay into three spaces.  And, amazingly, there are three cars in almost all of the parking bays rather than the usual two.  Meaning, even though there's a zillion people there today (thanks, winter olympics, for bringing all these people to the ice, I'll even forgive you crowding out my usually quiet Sunday afternoon session), they can all can park their car on site.  Including us.

So we park our car and head inside.

Usually we have a friend or younger one with us when we've come so it was a pleasant change for me to just skate, and not be having to keep an eye out for the needs of a beginner (much as I love teaching and supporting, I also enjoy just skating).  So, the boys did their thing and I did mine.

Which as usual starts slow.  As the muscles warm up and the ice sense returns, everything speeds up.  A bit over an hour later, I'm pushing it fairly quickly, forwards, backwards, through the crowds.  And I go over three times in the one lap.  Haven't done that for a long long time.

I go over three different ways, doing three different things, all to the sound of 'California Dreaming'.  By the last fall I'm feeling a bit shaken and stirred, so I get my breath on the side of the rink before continuing on at lesser speeds for the rest of the session.  I'd managed to bang up three different spots on the same leg, from the glutious maximum down to the bony bit next to the knee cap.  Sadly, I don't think I'll bruise (things usually hurt less if it bruises visibly), so I'll have a little reminder of my sunday skate for at least a week or three.  Every time I get up.  Sigh.

But it was worth it.  Confident at speed on the ice.  Great time with the boys.  Good workout.  Brilliant.