Sore Body on a Calm Saturday

Speedskating is a very hard sport. It's that way for top athletes, and it certainly is hard when you first get back on the ice in the fall. I felt sore and tired the whole week after a short hour of some single laps at Amsterdam's Jaap Edenbaan.I suppose it didn't help that it was windy on Monday and that after eight years at the indoor rink in Milwaukee I'm not used to skating with wind. I could not believe the way my legs felt climbing the railroad bridge near Weesp on Wednesday morning (Tuesday morning I had taken it easy because of the icy conditions). So I was happy this morning with the calm conditions. There was some wind, and it was in my face most of the way out to Lage Vuursche, for example along the Loenderveense Plas, but it wasn't bad, although it still took some effort to keep the spedometer above 17 (required speed to get to the restaurant right at the 10 am opening time). It was mid- to high 30s, and on the way home the sun started pushing through the cloudcover to the point where we could detect our shadows on the ground. I was comfortable in a jacket (two more layers underneath), thick (though not yet the insulated) tights, balaclava, lobster gloves, and winter shoes (no covers). The investment in these SIDI winter shoes a few years ago is really paying off now. They already made winterriding in Milwaukee more feasible, but these days on the commute to Amsterdam, I really never have to worry about cold or wet feet. The ride back was friendly and easy, and the wind was at my back once again the last 11 miles along the Vecht river. It's a great privilege indeed to be able to do this almost every week.