Colorado Skate Fitness, Imagine Charter School, 5753 Twilight Ave., Firestone, coloradoskatefitness.com
Instructor: If you know anything about roller derby you know that skaters often take on pseudonyms. They are sometimes satirical but often pun-ny (see what I did there). Brittany Strachan and Jessica Gravel are no exception with their skate names, Joanna Gruesome and Misty Molish, respectively. Strachan helped to start the Boulder skater derby team in 2011 where she met Gravel. In 2013 they left roller derby to teach skate fitness classes.
This is a classic example of people taking their passion for a sport and turning into something everyone can enjoy. Roller derby is a contact sport, so it can be difficult to keep playing after injury, and there is a time commitment that isn’t always feasible. Running into these challenges and not wanting to give up skating all together, Strachan and Gravel started their own skate fitness company.
“It’s so fun to be able to give people the opportunity to do this without having to commit to derby, just a fun community where they can get a workout,” says Strachan.
What is the workout? I can’t remember the last time I put on skates. Just putting them on and getting off the floor was a workout for me. Luckily, Strachan and Gravel were kind enough to supply me with knee pads, elbow pad, hand guards and the skates. I brought my own bike helmet. I’m pretty sure this made me look like a total amateur. They helped me get the basic moves, like rolling forward, stopping and going backwards.
The warm-up consisted of “walking” in skates — little steps in all different directions and burpees. You read that right: burpees, in skates. If you think burpees are hard, try them this way. They are logistically difficult and mentally taxing for a newbie. Trying not to fall was my supreme goal.
Small cones were set up around the gym for a circuit. I had to weave in and out of a series of cones, then balance on one foot, do a jump, then a 180, which put me back at the beginning again. By the time we switched directions I could turn my skates to go around the cones. It wasn’t smooth, but I did it. The one-leg skating was harder. Balance is key here, and figuring out how far to lean forward. The jumping wasn’t so bad. It was more of a little hop, but I felt like a boss anyways. I never got the 180, where you flip your feet so you’re rolling backwards. Fear of falling on my face limited my ability here, but I did try it every time.
We then did a partner skate, where one person held the other by the waist, pushing them forward while the other person did the circuit. It was good to have someone stabilize me while I focused on my feet. At one point we had everyone in a congo line with me at the front. I was so focused I didn’t even notice. The last exercise was partnered as well. One person was in the center of the gym doing pushups, donkey kicks, Russian twists or rolling bridges while the other person had to do 5 laps around the gym before switching — I apologize to my partner here, I was a slow skater. Then we stretched, while still in skates, another new experience for me.
What’s different? Everything was different about this workout for me, despite my having done many traditional exercises. It felt like I was trying to learn how to walk again. Moving in any direction was a challenge at first. I had to keep reminding myself to bend my knees. It’s so much harder when your center of gravity is high. I had this constant fear of falling, which is silly since I was covered in protective gear. As long as I fell forward I wouldn’t get injured.
I really wasn’t aware that I was working out. It felt more like I was trying to make it through an obstacle course then a traditional workout. “We are adding an element of distraction so you’re not thinking about working out. You’re just doing it and having fun, so you’re getting a really good workout, but you’re having a really good time too,” says Strachan.
Cost: Drop in classes are $17. You can register for the entire session for $119 or get a 5 class punch card for $79.
Level: “We cater to all levels, we can teach people how to skate if they’ve never been on skates before. We try to have all of our drills as ‘choose your own adventure.’ Any of our drills can be scaled to any skill level,” says Gravel. This is very true. I probably could have just skated in a circle the whole time if that’s what I wanted to do.
When: Classes are held in 8-week sessions. The current session goes until March 9 . You can drop in at any time during the session. Classes are usually on Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. There are some schedule changes, due to events at the school. Double check on their website, coloradoskatefitness.com.
They like to hold the sessions back-to-back. In summer, they hold classes at the Hartmann Inline Rink in Boulder.
What to prepare: If you don’t have all the gear, never fear. They bring spares with them so you don’t have to invest until you’re sure the class is right for you. All you need is some workout clothes. Preferably your legs should be covered — whether that’s shorts with long socks or crazy colored tights, that’s up to you.
Muscles worked: My inner thighs were burning the next day. I was in a kind of constant squat while skating, moving my legs side to side and front to back. I was so engrossed in getting the technique right, I didn’t even realize I was getting a thigh workout until the next morning. This is predominantly a lower body workout and a very good one at that.
What I loved: I felt like a kid again, like the first time you go to a roller rink. We didn’t do the limbo, but it was equally as fun. There is something very freeing about rolling around. As Joanna Gruesome says, “Everybody loves to skate.” Everyone was very supportive, reminding me to bend my legs and congratulating me when I did something right. They have a great community that focuses on adult skating, not something that is easy to find. “Seeing people do something they’ve never done before, it’s the best feeling, to see people smiling, laughing and having fun,” says Gravel.
What I didn’t like: I did end up falling. It only happened once though, which I was proud of. Once I did, I realized it wasn’t that bad and I didn’t need to freak out about it.
How I felt after the class: I was really excited, it brings out the child in you. The child that would go really fast and then stop against the wall of the rink. The child that had no fear and just enjoyed skating around with friends.
Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: quentin@dailycamera.com.
Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: quentin@dailycamera.com.
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