With a focus on triathlons, the tri sista hood has not put skates on in nearly a year.
The Skate of the Union is an annual inline skate race – where East Coast and local amateur speed skaters…mix with the elite pro speed skaters. i.e. these folks move FAST. I had to agree with Jill. We’re untrained and unprepared. Perfect condition to step into this world of fast skaters.
I signed up for the half marathon – which meant 12 laps on a 1.1 mile track in Chantilly, VA. I started in the back of the pack and would spend the first lap making sure I didn’t tumble. Within the first 1/4 mile – I discovered a new group of skate friends for the day. Meet Team New Jersey. Team New Jersey – is a group of 3 young skaters (teenagers?), and 2 skaters closer to mid-life — draft buddies Rose and Barry. We skated lap after lap in a lovely draft pack. We changed leads every half mile, and everyone did their job pulling the pack along. What a delight – pack skating and a friendly vibe!
Somewhere around lap 6, we latched onto the tail end of a larger pack of skaters. At the end of this pack – was a tall man in a navy blue shirt. I HAD to draft him. He blocked ALL of the wind…and suddenly skating became effortless. All we (my new friends from New Jersey) needed to do — was to stay right behind the tall man in blue….
Reunited with Team TriSistaHood – Tami, Jill and I took off for a 40 minute run in the burbs of Chantilly. Being a Sunday morning – the roads are empty. Jill wanted to swim in a man-made pond filled with large lily pads in the middle of corporate America, but Tami and I restrained her.
We couldn’t lose any more time. Our thoughts had turned to food. It’s time for treats.