Yesterday Asha noticed my inability to properly climb a hill and suggested we work on that today.  She mentioned the technique on the Saturday ride but I obviously did not pick it up.

While going up a hill I tend to do long pushes like I would do on a flat surface.  That is not a great technique for up a hill; a lot of energy goes into trying to glide up the hill.  Asha has a very quick cadence she wants to see and it does not include a glide.  Short quick steps.  This is harder than it sounds, or like anything else, is going to take some practice and then maybe it will be easier.

We practiced this going up the Goodwill Bridge.  Sprint a little, stop, talk about how I am still gliding instead of sprinting.  Up some more.  Inwardly I am groaning because hills still intimidate me and she is driving us higher and higher.

Continue reading “More Training with Asha” →

I do not normally eat breakfast.  I know it is supposed to be an important meal, but I rarely want food in the mornings.  I will eat a banana, or a granola bar, but it is very rare that I sit down to a breakfast.

Thinking back to my torture session on Saturday, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to get a nice breakfast in before working one on one with Asha.

I learned something.  Australian bacon is better than American bacon.

Continue reading “Training with Asha” →

Monday around 5PM, after the Great Wheel Adventure, I got a text from Nikki asking if I was planning to go on the skate tonight with the local Brisbane group?  Having no idea what she was talking about, I asked if it was designed to finish the job at killing me through exertion?

Continue reading “Plans for the Evening” →

I wanted a new place to wander around so I headed for South Bank.  Have to give the place-namerer of Brisbane credit, this one is accurate:

Continue reading “South Bank” →

After they were done with their Sunday skate, I met some of the skaters at a bar that overlooks the river.

Continue reading “Relaxing at the River” →

I spent Saturday evening stretching out my legs.  I had some doubt about them being skate-ready by Sunday though.

Sunday morning it was clear that my legs needed more time.  My legs were not cramping or knotting up when I bent my knees, but felt about like they did on Saturday just before I started getting cramping.  Sunday’s skate was going to be shorter in distance, but more difficult in terms of going up an down a lot of hills.  I decided I was not going to skate.

Continue reading “No-Skate Sunday” →

We stopped for lunch around noon.  We were in a little shopping mall of sorts that had a lot of different types of food available.  It was not mall food, there were just a lot of independent eateries around.

A handful of us went into a place that was part indoor part outdoor.  We were sitting at a table more or less outside.  I set my helmet down in a planter I was sitting next to.  20 minutes later when I looked at my helmet it was covered in ants.  My wrist guards were in the helmet, so those were covered in ants too.  Was surprising how many ants were interested in my helmet.

Continue reading “Skate Day, Part 4, a Rescue” →

We skated on a bit to take a little break in a park.  Bathroom, water, skate removal to rest the feet, skate talk, etc.  I sure needed that.

Continue reading “Skate Day, Part 3, Conservation” →

The first place Asha had us practice the stepping plow stop was tricky.  It was stepped slope where the flat areas were covered with those bumpy plates you see at crosswalks.  I do not know what they are called, typically yellow, bunch of raised circles on them.

Was an interesting challenge primarily because we all sucked at it, but it also became a little more technical with those flat sections with the bumps.  You had to do the plow stop until you got to those plates, then quickly scissor over them to prevent falling on your face, then immediately on the other side of it go back into the stepping plow stop.  Trying to do this, with a skill you are learning, and still maintain control of your speed, is difficult.

Continue reading “Skate Day, Part 2” →

I do not have a whole lot of photos from the day.  I was more worried about not dying on the terrain.

We started out early; 7am.  I figured I would head out a little bit early since I was not exactly sure how to get to the meeting point.  I had planned to scout it out the night before, but that was the day I did all the walking, my ankle was hurting, and I wanted to avoid making it worse.

I left my room around 6:30 and headed to the elevator.  The elevator stopped on the way down to pick up two more people; both of whom had inline skates and all the gear that goes with it.  Perfect, somebody to show me where to go.

Continue reading “Skate Day, Part 1, a Fall” →