It BURNS!!!

I am still committed to my more time outdoors this spring and summer (and hopefully fall too). Doing pretty well at it too. Played Ultimate Frisbee a few times now, a Sunday and two Thursdays (even though we've had to move Thursday nights to Sugarhouse Park because of a league of grown up kickball players. And while I would LOVE to go off on the fact that an organized group of adults is playing kickball, it looks kind of fun, oh well...they still took my damn ultimate field! The bastards!!!) And I would have played more if it hadn't rained and SNOWED on the Sunday before last. Yes, it snowed! And you should know by now from reading here at Flamingo's Roost that I, Flamingo, am NOT in any way, shape or form a fan of snow that does not fall in the mountains far, far, far away from where I may have to walk, drive, live, breath or think about!

Anyhow, Roommate, Friend (from here on out I'll refer to him as Nurse) and I have started to go rollerblading on Monday nights. Now, to point this out in no uncertain terms, I am out of shape. I have little to no endurance in this or any athletic-ish activity. I am trying to get better, running more at ultimate (which I did Sunday and thought I would die...but I didn't...so HA!) and trying to blade just a little farther each time we go...stuff like that. One draw back to summer activities, my yoga attendance suffers because all of my outdoors stuff seems to fall on the same days as yoga.

So, last night, Roommate, Nurse and I went rollerblading. Now, I believe, but I wouldn't wager any vital body parts on it or anything, that the sidewalk/ring thing around the park is roughly one mile around. So, about half-way through the first lap, my legs (calves specifically) hurt and were burning like I thought was not possible. Oh yeah, I thought I was going to DIE! And I'm not one to keep my thoughts of my imminent death to myself. Just ask Roommate or Nurse, I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you how much I bitch and complain. And yet, even though a near death experience occurs pretty much every time I do physical activities, I keep going back and trying again. So YAY for me! (hell, if you're not being your own cheerleader in life, who will be?)

I did survive the night, just to alleviate your fears of this being a post-mortem post. I survived in spite of the burning calves and a near crash which surely would have been fatal that was cause by Nurse trying to mount me from behind while flying along at neck-breaking speeds around the concrete oval of the park. And I only had to grab onto Roommate's jacket and "tag-a-long" for like 1/8 of a lap, there!

Now, I did fully expect to be somewhat sore. After all, it only the third time I've been in nearly 6 or 7 months. Especially after the calf burning sensations of last night, I really knew I'd be sore and probably a little rubber-legged today. But I so underestimated the degree of stiff and sore I'd experience. Yes, my calves are sore, and a bit rubbery at times (thank the gods I haven't fallen down). But I failed to realize that my back and my arms were used in the rollerblading process as well. And hell yeah, my back and arms are stiff and somewhat sore. But repetition and burning-ish pain lead to endurance, right? Please tell me I'm right...for the love of the gods, please tell me I'm right... Yeah, I know, I'm a big pussy, but oh well, I'm me and me is who I will always be!