roadskater.net

Location

Some of you that know me have heard me rave on and on about this new health club I've been going to, Lifetime Fitness. If you're in the Cary area, and you have not seen this place, it is worth going to - over in Regency Park in Cary. It has everything, sauna, whirlpools, swimming pools, water slides, a climbing wall, basketball, racquetball, extensive group fitness classes, excellent child care, a nice Cafe, and most of all, a _great_ vibe! (And no, I don't work for the club or get anything for saying this)

Location

I hope this is okay to post here, and if it needs to be moved somewhere or not posted, let me know. I thought I would just say Hi to those who haven't spoken to me, and let everyone know I went out after work today, braved the cold and decided hills be darned, I was going to skate on the road and start practicing.

I got my gear on and headed out the driveway. I was skating on smooth flat road and felt a little wobbly but managed to start gliding after awhile, then a car.

I love music maybe more than anything else, both playing it and listening to it. I always have something playing when I'm at my desk or reading or in a car, and there's an unplugged electric guitar leaning against the desk 18 inches from my right elbow right now, in case I hear something that I want to play along with. But I've never liked carrying music when I skate or run or ride a bike.

What a crazy day. After a meeting in the early morning, I came back to check on an order I was trying to fill for a company who needed several dozen Robin Safety Boy Emergency Scissors. Changes in shipping, locations, quantities and availability had me trying to juggle a combination of calls and emails.

What another satisfying, smooth and sufficiently challenging Tour de Lions event! We arrived for registration at 7.30am, grabbed some bananas and other carbs, plus coffee, all provided by the event and its volunteers. The weather was sunny but brisk at about 50 deg F.

Melanie recently asked on InlineNC yahoogroup. I think:

• K2 inline skates (rollerblades) are a great option,
• probably bigger wheels (90 or 100) for smoother roll over rough stuff, and/or
• a longer frame for point to point roadskating, or
• for tricks of course, shorter frame length makes arcs and spins easier.
• Salomon makes great inline skates and has seemed to support them well, but there were some frames a few years back with problems and I think the company has been sold so it may be wait and see time.
• Rollerblade is making some interesting inline skates but I note they still liked heavy kits when last I looked. The Problade boot looks pretty good if you get the kit with the box frame that's Mogema-ish rather than the earlier, thinner model we've seen bashed.

Those are my quick thoughts on that. i'll post this to rsn2 also.

We roadskaters have at times had social skates at Country Park and elsewhere (NYC Central Park in Manhattan, Philly, Miami, DC). These events are great fun but it is always hard for us to find a true sweep who doesn't mind being at the back. In Manhattan, I have fond memories of a man a bit older than even myself who rode his bike quite happily at the back of several hundred skaters. He was always smiling, wearing his Aqueduct tee, with his nice easy way.

 I've been knocking these rather trivial, large-scale thoughts around my head for some years now and wanted to write something about them. Last night, whilst watching 20/20, was the final straw! This post might complement KJG's questions in Monotony of Training.

I recently purchased a recumbent exercise bike to ride after my daughter goes to bed, as it is hard to get out as much as i would like with a 2.5 year old.  Its nothing fancy, a Proform XP110 from Sears.  I had a magnetic trainer for my road bike, but it's noisy and it just feels unnatural to be in that position on a normal road bike and not move for 30 minutes to an hour.