The Winter Olympics started this week... and it is so exciting to me. I am so inspired by all those athletes that dedicate their life to becoming the best they can be. It makes me believe that anything is possible. It also makes my mesly daily runs seem possible. It is the motivation I need to push forward through this journey.
A few of the runs I had this week seemed a lot harder than usual. Not only was I low on energy, but my body was also sore. My left leg has had a few twinges lately, especially my knee and my lower calf muscle. I was also trying hard not to let my nerves get the best of me as the first race of the year was approaching.
Valentine's Day was spent at the Hypothermic 1/2 marathon in Edmonton. The wind chill over night was not pretty, but in the end it turned out to be such a beautiful day for a run. The hypothermic has to be one of the toughest 1/2 marathons I have ran so far. Races with that distantance in the snow could be compared to running in the sand on the beach... it kills the calves and hip flexors. To my surprise, I had a great run. As I crossed the finish line, not only was I smiling because I knew I had beat last year's time, but I was also flashing my red Canadian Olympic mits. Go Canada!
