Why not?
I've always wanted to.
Last Thursday I sucked up my courage, donned my best thermal socks and drove my mini-van down to the oval while my husband tucked our three kids in bed. I opened the club-house door, stepped inside and asked the first spandex-clad athlete on my right, "Do you know who I talk to if I'm new and want to learn to speed skate?"
That's what the president of the speed skating association said I should do when I e-mailed her the week before. It was a bit scary and my voice was a little shaky and it's hard to know where to look in a room full of people with muscular spandex-clad thighs.
But I did it.
That guy I asked didn't know who I should talk to but the women next to him did. She went to get him for me. He found me a loaner pair of 800-dollar speedskates for me and pointed me in the direction of the coach of the 30-years and older group. We're called "Masters."
As I got my bearings on those strange lengths of steel, the coach gave me pointers and shouted "You're fantastic!" at me.
I kind of thought I might like it. I did. I skated for an hour, going faster and faster and faster around that ice.
I felt just like this:
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You know I will, too.
Betsy is a woman of resolve.
All my best wishes for a fantastic 2011,
XOXOX
Betsy
p.s. Note to moms who are knee-deep in babies and toddlers and school-children: Betsy takes times for herself. You should to. Because you're awesome. And you work really hard. I know you do.
p.p.s. Note to moms who feel like they are underneath a heap of babies and can't get up for air: It gets easier, I swear on the Olympic gold medal I won in my head on the drive back home.
p.p.p.s. No, I didn't wear a spandex unitard. I wore my yoga suit with hardly any sparkle-glue on it.
Hey, good for you! I have never wanted to speed skate, but I want to read about your adventures doing so. Good luck with the half-marathon!
ReplyDeleteWay to go! It's important to go out there and do things as individuals, rather than as fish with numerous lampreys stuck to them. It makes life much less boring and frustrating.
ReplyDeleteKudos! Good luck with your half marathon.
Go girl! Looking forward to hearing more about your success.
ReplyDeleteI think that's pretty awesome that you are learning to speed skate. It's never occurred to me that that is something you can sign up to learn. Which is a bit dumb of me I suppose because how else would we have speed skaters?
ReplyDeleteGo Betsy! You are so awesome! My daughter is learning to skate and after only 3 lessons she can skate better than me. Maybe one day she'll speed skate too. So cool.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! You go, Betsy!
ReplyDeleteNow that is nothing but inspirational! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteOh my god, that sounds like SO MUCH FUN. You rock those insanely expensive skates, Honest!
ReplyDeleteIf I sent you some sparkle glue, would you decorate your yoga suit? Pretty please?!
ReplyDeleteThankss for posting this
ReplyDelete