Ice Skating and Skateboarding

Summer here in Sydney seems to be dragging on and on; which is fine with me, being a warm weather kind of guy. But now that the water at the beach is just a bit too cold for bodyboarding, I’ve taken up ice skating and skateboarding to get me through till next summer.

I go ice skating once a week for about an hour and a half. I used to ice skate when I was a teenager, so it’s fun getting back into the swing again. It took a couple of weeks to really feel comfortable on the ice again, during which time I managed to take out a cute figure skater by running straight into the back of her, and crashed into the barriers quite inelegantly several  times. I notice the fine balance muscles in my feet are getting quite a workout as they regain strength. After a session I feel a little tired, but then feel really energized after a quick rest.

When I’m not doing that, I ride my skate board about 3 or 4 times a week. I’m still learning so this is a bit scary, but I really enjoy it. I notice that my balance is much better when I crouch down, and this also makes pushing a lot easier for riding up hills and along flats. When I start going too fast, I jump off and run out to a stop. This is definitely working my gluts out; I can feel the burn the next day. But it’s a good burn. 🙂

My band has a gig this Saturday night, so I’m also hitting the drums quite a bit. The music we play isn’t really my cup of tea, so I tend to practise other songs than the ones we’re going to perform. I think I need to get me a new band.

When I’m not ice skating, skate boarding or drumming, I’m playing tennis about 4 times per week. So life is pretty good; I’m probably about 80-90% recovered physically. In many respects I’m probably way fitter and exercise significantly more than most 45 year old guys.

Late afternoons are still challenging and I don’t go out at night much, preferring to stay home and get to bed nice and early, around 10PM. My main symptoms now are a constant mild anxiety and tension in the head and teeth.

I’ve been exploring the Alexander Technique and noticing how much tension I habitually hold in my body, especially my neck and throat. I notice when I consciously relax my throat muscles while speaking, my voice is much deeper and more resonant. I suspect that’s my natural voice, and my normal slightly whiny voice is the result of years of holding tension. I don’t really expect the Alexander Technique to help with CFS, but I do think it’ll be handy in my future career as an actor/comedian.

I’m planning a long road trip later in the year; it’ll be the first holiday I’ve had in 6 years where I’ll actually feel well enough to really enjoy it. I feel pretty burned out with my current health-focused lifestyle to be honest so I’m looking forward to the break, but I’m also very grateful that I’m not lying in bed feeling comatose much of the time now.

I hope you’re on the road to recovery too. 🙂