It's an extreme sport that will leave you stronger, but totally blown away. It takes a while to learn it, but stick with it and your friends will by amazed at how you can fly on skates. You don't have to be competitive or worry about who is faster. In speed skating, you can always try for first place, but you can also just try to set a personal best time. Then after your race you can cheer on your team-mates and encourage them to win or set personal bests.
Speed skating is a blast.
You don't need no stinking brakes. You wear a skinsuit because cruise missiles don't have wrinkles. Suddenly, you become something you study in physics class. It's like sticking your head out of a car window going 35 mph without getting bugs in your teeth. At 35 mph, you'll be skating faster than your grandparents drive, except when they're late for bingo.