Title kinda says it all… on Saturday I decided to try speed skating for the first time.

In my youth I played a lot of hockey, so I am pretty comfortable on the ice, but speed skates have only a single blade (hockey and figure skates have 2 blade-edges, kind shaped like an upside-down U) which makes it a lot less stable until you’re used to it.

Also more dangerous. A hockey skate can make light gashes, sure, but a speed skate is fundamentally a dagger on your foot. Dangerous.

I was on the ice for about 15 minutes, and that was enough for me to confirm that it wasn’t for me. Neat, I get, but gosh are those skates ever painful. I think I had a size too small. And holding the low tuck position is really hard… it’s almost like the sport is difficult or something.

I might try it again (with better fitting skates, natch), but I didn’t instantly take to it. Kinda like swimming? I’ll swim if I have an opportunity, but I won’t go out of my way to swim. I just feel like I’m drowning over long, horizontal distances. In this case I felt like I was falling, but slowly…

But I’m glad I tried it. Neat experience, and a lot of fun to see other people who took to it naturally and easily.

Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!