Stamp collecting!
I really don't want to admit defeat & give up. I'm enjoying the challenge of learning something completely new, but just wish it wasn't quite so painful!
Every adult I talk to, learnt to skate as kids & are back in the groove within minutes of starting again. I never, ever skated, so I'm starting completely from scratch, with the added handicap of being nearly 60 years old! It's tough.
Still aching, but it's easing. Probably O.K for work again on Monday. I'm not bothered about Royal Mail, but don't want to let my van buddy down.
The skate sessions I've been going to have become full of small children. Kids are totally unpredictable -half are on skates & the rest are siblings that their parents have brought along -they run around the hall, usually looking in the opposite direction to where they're running. They kick foam footballs about, throw soft play frisbees, swing foam wands around & scatter stuff all over the floor. The organisers are lovely people & believe in teaching kids to skate through play -but it's a nightmare if you're an unsteady adult just trying to master the basics. I'm trying to learn while desperately avoiding the obstacles. Apparently punching small children in the head's frowned upon, but I'd probably do more damage to myself by swinging a punch on skates anyway.
The people I bought the new boots from also run beginners sessions down in Dorset. They have a skate disco once a week, followed by an adult beginners hour where they assign a "skate marshal" to newbies. The Dorset one is later in the evening & about an hour's drive away, so about the same as reaching the Guildford session in the evening rush hour. Not trying to blame my own ineptitude on small
gits ...children, but maybe that would be a better environment to gain my confidence in. I'm not going to risk trying again before my Japanese holiday in about 10 days time, so will give next week's session a miss -but Tokyo has a purpose built roller rink & it's s-o-o tempting!
