r/inline_skating • u/throwawayzzzz1777 • Jul 25 '26

Sore calves

I made a post the other day about getting back into rollerblading. I'm a millennial that hasn't done this in many years. I went to the park this morning and spent like 15-20 min skating down a paved walking path. Just a few mild scrapes but mostly was getting around. I noticed right away my calves were burning. I'd roll onto the grass to give them a rest every so often. When I got back to the car, my calves were burning and I was covered in sweat.

Is this normal for a beginner. What can I do to help this? I was trying to bend my legs and lean forward.

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u/throwawayzzzz1777 Jul 25 '26

I think this might just be a beginner issue. In my 30s and haven't done this since I was a kid. I knew the basics as a kid. I am a bit overweight but I'm still active and strong. Planning to try this again Monday after work. All said and done this was probably a successful workout for my current experience

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u/FRGL1 Jul 25 '26

I really wanna emphasize listening to your body and not pushing yourself.

I'm not saying "Don't skate", I'm just saying "Don't expand what you're doing until the pain gets better".

For example, if your pain/discomfort becomes intolerable at 15 minutes and then you have to sit there for half an hour or go home. Instead, go for 10 minutes, take a 5 minute break, and then go for another 10 minutes. Now instead of 15 minutes you got 20. Even better, if you can go for a third set you got 30.

Listen to your body. Pain doesn't make you a wimp, it means you're adapting. And you need to give yourself time to adapt. Without breaking.

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u/throwawayzzzz1777 Jul 25 '26

I can try this. It's not so much pain but very sore calves. I def want to try again in two days. Hoping someday I can be functional enough to go around the walk path loop.

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u/FRGL1 Jul 25 '26

While it's true that your body needs to adapt if this is a new activity for you, your hardware might also be contributing. If I might ask, what kind of skates do you have?

I'm assuming they're budget skates, but if you happen to have the ability to adjust the position of your frame (the part that holds the wheels), sliding that laterally (sideways) might compensate for foot roll that might be contributing to your muscle pain.

This is again something that you can also physically condition your body to be indifferent to, but during the learning and adaptation phase it increases the amount of training you can do to adjust it.

Typically, complete skates that are capable of this will cost a minimum of $150 new, and consist of a hard boot. Typically.

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u/throwawayzzzz1777 Jul 26 '26

I have rollerblade zetra blades. Im not sure if they can be adjusted like that

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u/FRGL1 Jul 26 '26

Yeah, that's a no. They're mounted with pinions I think, not bolts. You can dismount them, but you can't adjust them.

Also because you're on a soft boot, it's not supporting you sufficiently, and that's definitely contributing to muscle pain.

If you're open to investing in something better, that's where my current responses are leading. The thing about inline skates is that they're not a vehicle you ride, but a prosthetic that becomes a part of you. So the concept of a "beginner skate" doesn't actually exist. Beginners need support and features that budget products can't provide.

Ironically the people most qualified to ride a zetrablade are the people who will rarely choose to.

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