…a hockey player. I wrote a post about this on my old blog, about how I spent six years playing competitive hockey. I would wake up at 5:30 in the morning to go to practices, I would spend my weekends riding the hockey bus with 18 other girls, going to various small towns all over Alberta and B.C. Summers would be spent at hockey camps, skating my face off from 6 in the morning until midnight. I would collapse into bed at night and every single bone and muscle in my body would ache, I dreamt of pucks and hockey sticks and coachs yelling at me to skate harder and faster. I would wake up in the morning and do it all over again. Yes, I used to be a hockey player.
I’m telling you this because last weekend I decided to go rollerblading. I had a huge blister on my foot from running the day before and it hurt to wear my running shoes, but I wanted to check out a park in Kamloops so I dug my rollerblades out of the depths of my closet and headed out there. I strapped on my rollerblades and headed out around the park. After about five minutes my hips start ACHING, full on aching-burn was running up and down my outer hips every time I pushed off. After about 10 minutes, I had to stop and sit down on a bench to rest.
This is why I’m putting emphasis on the fact that I USED to be a hockey player. Clearly, I’m not any more, my body couldn’t take it. What’s that you say? I can run for over two hours covering distances of over 10 miles yet I can’t rollerblade for more than 10 MINUTES without taking a break. Yup, that would be correct.
I can’t believe that a measly three years ago I used to spend 2-3 hours every. single. day on the ice. Skating. Moving my legs in the exact same motion that I did when I was rollerblading.
Oh wait, there was one difference, I was wearing about 50 pounds worth of equipment back then.
Yikes. Clearly those muscles have disappeared, along with my ability to do the butterfly, stop a puck or probably even turn a corner on skates. How sad!
So I’m vowing to get back out there on my rollerblades, at least once or twice a week and get those hip muscles back into skating form. I can’t imagine how it would feel if I ever tried to go back on the ice. There was a time when I wanted to play hockey forever, I never thought I’d say, “I used to be a hockey player.” I wonder if a time will come when I say, “I used to be a runner.” I sure hope not.
What’s something you used to be?
PS: Keaton. I know you’re out there. Leave a damn comment! (Keaton is my very good friend that I played hockey with, we spent countless hours together at the rink and hanging out at one of our houses through grades 10, 11 and 12. I saw her the other day and she told me that she reads the blog and sometimes she WANTS to leave a comment, but she never does, so let’s cheer her on to leave a comment this time around!)
KEATON. KEATON. KEATON!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I used to be a runner… now, two or three miles is a stretch for me. So at least you’ve got me there.
But my right arm is in GREAT shape. (The one I use for boozin…)
rollerblading is good cross training. believe it or not, it will make you a faster runner if you get on the blades a couple of days a week.
i used to be a musician. now i can’t play anything anymore. oh well. sometimes i try and play piano to entertain the kids, but that just makes me realize how bad i am now.
i used to be a volleyball player. I loved and hated it all at once. I still love it, but somehow don’t think i’d be that good if i got back on the court.
I think I did a ‘I used to be a runner’ post sometime this spring. I basically took the 3 years I spent in grad school off from running. Now that I’ve been running consistently for the last month or so, I am starting to feel like a runner again, but I’m not quite there yet. Then I remind myself – I spent the last 3 years becoming ‘not a runner’, so I can’t expect to get back to where I was in 30 days. I’m trying to be patient.
I bet roller blading will be an awesome cross training activity for you. I need to add some cross training to my exercise regimen.
Yeah, thats always a bit depressing when you realize that you were super good at something but no longer are. Isn’t that interesting though that although someone can be a very active individual, that doesn’t mean that they can do all types of physical activity. That happens to me all the time ! I figure I’m strong enough to do this or that but then I actually try it and I’m sweating like I first did when I started doing any exercise at all!
Blahh! But in any case, I think comments are the boom-diggity (yes, I made that up) so I think your friend Keaton should get on that!
i used to be a swimmer
i miss it soooooo much! i have no pool around me cept my lil apt complex pool…i gueess better than nothing?
Rollerblading how fun. We’re waiting for them to do street cleaning then we’re going to break out the rollerblades. Its not as easy as it seems that’s for sure.
I used to play softball and now I don’t, its the one thing I kept doing when i moved here. But I just got board i think….maybe some day I’ll pick it up again.
I used to be a competitive skier. I wasn’t great, but I loved the adrenaline as you whooshed through the gates…now I can barely call myself a skier.
I can totaly relate to this as I payed for 13 years (9 years of boys hockey) and also spent almost everyday on the ice and now only put the skates on a few times a year and roller blading a few weeks ago was killer!
How could I NOT leave a comment when you bring up the old hockey days? Really? I think you tricked me on this one! haha
It is hard to believe we used to spend pretty much EVERY day on the ice. And now I think about it and I have probably only been on the ice 3 times in the past 2 years! (I know that burning feeling you are talking about, I get it now too)
I now find myself saying I USED to be a hockey player when I have fully intended on playing again when I am healed up. I dont think I am ready to give it up yet.
Definately going to have to bust out the rollerblades this summer and try and get my legs and balance back.
I used to be a volleyball player. I’ve been thinking of signing up for the open gyms in town when fall rolls around. I’ve just been gone too long from a sport I looooove and am not too shabby at. I also used to be a scrapbooker. Would love to find some time this summer to work on my photo albums. I still have one for my friend’s wedding that was um…over a year ago. It’s half finished sitting in my closet. MUST. FINISH. THIS. SUMMER.
I used to be a tap/ballet/jazz dancer. When I was 12, I was in the adult class.
My claim to fame :O)
Rollerblading is so fun! I used to rollerblade before I ran, and I really enjoyed it. I haven’t really kept up with it though, so I’m sure my “rollerblading muscles” are worthless by now too.
Other than rollerblading and some soccer when I was little, the only other sport I’ve ever really been into is running. I know how you feel though- after not running for months on end, getting back into it is always really, really difficult. You’ll pick it up again pretty quickly though, and then you’ll have a whole new set of muscles to show off!
~Amanda
A dancer.
I started dancing when I was three (jazz, tap, ballet) and continued through to my freshman year in high school. Truth? I wish I hadn’t ever quit. Le sigh.
I used to be a soccer player!! I started playing when i was 7 and stayed on a league up untill grade 12. I knew I was going to be too busy with work, grad & school to fully commit myself to a team for that year… Biggest mistake putting it off, I never joined again… Stupid idea on my part. I should join a womans league down here!!! Would you join a team again Ambular?
XOX
I used to be a soccer player. I even played in college. Of course I haven’t really touched a ball since I graduated 3 years ago
Wow! How sad is it that we lose things so quickly? I SUCK at Rollerblading / Skating, I don’t have ANY BALANCE, but I actually decided recently that I want to go to NYC for Christmas/My Birthday and decided that I would practice skating/blading so I can go Ice Skating at Rockefeller Plaza. So we should update each other on our skaterific progress!
I used to be a Soccer player. still love EVERYTHING about the sport, but think my knees would go on strike if I tried to play competitively again. Once I settle a little more I’m looking for an adult rec league – that would be fun.
plus its a good workout.
I love that you have rollerblades!! what a fun cross training option
you’ll get back into soon enough!
I used to be a soccer player… was captain of my team my senior of high school! I also used to be a cheerleader and and an editor of my high school newspaper. Ahhh, the good ol’ days!
You should get back into hockey, it’s the best. I play ice hockey twice a week. It’s my two favorite times of the week. You can get back into shape for it!