I'm a Clyde skater! Well sort of! Put the RollerBlades on for the first time in 12 years (counted them). Man was I shakey for the first ten minutes. I had this crazy idea that I should try to do a 25 mile skate on SART. About 2 minutes into the ride, err I mean trip, I was thinking "forget it!". I headed back to the truck when something clicked and eventhough I wasn't back in form, I was skating again.

I think part of the problem was that I tried to start out on the Thompson Trail, it aint flat like Gina said it was. Lots of bumps and a ton of dogwalkers. At one point, I was just standing on the side of the trail some dogs were showing aggression as their owners tried to hold them back with leash. Geeze, this aint the place!

So I hopped skipped over to another section finding a somewhat empty parkinglot to do a few circles for some practice. I'm still shakey and stiff but it's a good sign that I can do the 25 miles with a little practice.

Gina came along on the hybrid for support so it's bike related!

Heck I did 4.5 miles today and only fell once at a park. Ya know, when you hit the ground at 240 lbs, everybody in the park knows it!

4.5 miles out on the first try after 12 years, I think I can do the 25 sumtime this summer!

Heck 4.5 miles is nothing man. We play on skates where I come from and the snow banks around the rink make great beer coolers!

Surprisingly for ice skating weight doesn't matter much. One competitor who started racing as a young kid and continued through to the masters age groups. Anyway he was under 5ft 5in tall and may have weighted up to 180lbs. He won about 26 US & North American, short & long track championships.

I was sort of kidding about the division question as I'd never really race. But that's good to know that it doesn't matter. Heck the little kid in your avatar woud smoke me now!

I did wonder about a difference in weight though. 12 years ago I used to race around with the neighborhood kids thinking I'd have a disadvantage with my weight but didn't seem to matter.

Just a suggestion, since you mentioned falling:

I used to skate vert, park and street on 'blades and even though the parking lot and MUP is a far less dangerous place, you're missing some equipment. Get some kneepads and wrist guards. While the appropriate way to fall on a bike involves tucking everything in, the correct way (as I learned it) on skates is to let your kneepads and wristguards take the impact.
You wouldn't want to get hurt and have to spend time off the bike, would you?

I don't have them but plan to get some protection. I actually should have been wearing a helmet too.

I find the helmet to be overkill when just doing speed/distance skating. I did start wearing one while street skating (curb/rail grinds, stair/gap jumps, etc.) after clonking my noggin while trying a 540 off a set of 3 stairs.

Really? I haven't done enough skating to weigh the differences, but nice to know. I was expecting a "no helmet bashing" while posting the vid.

+1 on the helmet. All it takes is one unlucky smack of your head on the ground to cause irreversible brain damage. I had a biking friend who worked at a residential home where at least 3 of the kids in there had severe disabilities due to hitting their head on the groud from either skate boarding or bike riding. You always think it will never happen to me which I am sure those families/kids were thinking the same thing.

The vibration from the skates on the black top or concrete kill my feet after a short distance. In a roller rink on the smooth surface I am fine. Then again being 240lbs has seomthing to do with that as well

I will end up wearing a helmet though.

I'm about the same weight and like the smooth surface too. The music covers up some of the rough surface noise in the video but it was pretty rough in some sections.I need to find some smooth surface to ride on, and soon.

You reminded me I gotta get a pair of skates. I had a great pair till # 1 son outgrew his and, as he'd become a size 13 like his dad, stole mine. Bought another great pair and #2 outgrew his, became a size 13 and stole them. There is no # 3 son so maybe I will be able to keep the next ones.

4.5 is pretty good for the first time since I haven't been on skates in 12 years and never even considered measuring the distance that I've covered on skates while currently wondering if I could ever do a 25miler. Besides, unlike other areas, hockey and other skating sports didn't exist (weren't heard of)here till I was over 30 y/o. We had no idea what hockey was growing up down here!

I actually like rollerskates more but the local shop didn't have my size on hand in the better model.

The kid in the avatar is now almost 6, he raced in 2 meets this winter and easily won the 2nd. meet. His little brother almost age 3 is just starting, he can inline (well it's more tricycle-line) on carpet but has trouble on smooth surfaces. At the races a kid 3 years & 3 months old was able to compete.

Now
Back to weight, an ice skating rink is always level, so with no hills weight isn't much of a factor. But your back is! I think that all long distance skaters must have very good backs to be able to train.

One friend ice skated the 118 mile tour/race in Holland a few years ago when the weather cooperated.
Several other friends inline race 26 to 83 mile races.

I'd be willing to race the 3 yo kid!

Never had back problems so I shuld be ok. I did notice the back muscles yesterday near the end of my first skate in 12 years but that would be expected. I know they are involved but woke up this morning without any stiffness. But then again, not pushing too hard or too far the first time out is smart.

Helmets are good to have. When skating you don't fall as much vertical distance as when biking, but skaters sometimes fall backwards and land on the back of their head.

I know a couple guys that travel to Georgia for some big races. They also doa loca cycling century (Amtrak) with the cyclists. They use the riders to slow them down on the downhills. I may be wrong but I think I remember them telling me they didn't allow skaters on the century this year.

But they are always looking for cyclists to do the trip with them, 100 miles.

Here is a link to my avatar racing #47. In some of the races you can see the little 3 year old. The 3 year old has been racing all winter. #47 started skating on Thanksgiving. Three of the boys were born in the same week.

https://www.grafaxezone.com/Gannon/ohio2010.wmv

Yeah, them little kids would smoke me!...I saw a bit of drafting there for a bit!

A friend of mine was describing some sort of competitive speed skating where guys in skin suits form pacelines and motor along at ludicrice speed for miles and miles. This seemed all well and good until he told me they basically are touching each other to stay in the draft and I thought a little bit about the position speed skaters use.

I think I'll stick to bikes... maybe the occasional sidewalk skate... solo.

I's seen that sort of a paceline on the trail we ride. Not many the last couple of years about 4 or 5 chicks all in skin tight uniforms, I mean SKIN tight! Now I might be willing to try that with them!

I'll be impressed when you do the Bear on skates...

I'm not sure which would scare me more, the uphill or the downhill! Both I guess!

The inliner's do a lot more touching, they skate closer together, they don't have razor blades on their feet!
Lot's of the smaller ice meets race in ability/performance groups. So a teenage girl and a master man are often in the same race.