Unless you live under a rock, you know that the Winter Olympics are on. Watching people ski and skate and do things on ice and snow I never tried.
Where I grew up we didn't have much in the way of winter sports. Lakes didn;t freeze over enough, no ski slopes to speak of, and no ice rinks. Just cold weather, some snow, a little ice, and not much to do with it. Mischief maybe...sometimes...alot!
So I ran instead.
Cross country in high school. Three years of it. I was kind of a bum my first few years of middle and high school. Anyway, cross country was kinda my sport. Mostly a Fall one and no ice required. Just open trails, hills, and whatever terrain the course threw at us.
I loved it. The wide open spaces and challenge of the hills. Grinding through long runs at practice when your lungs are burning and your legs want to quit but you keep going anyway. There's something about distance running that gets in your head. It's you against the course. You against yourself.
I did track and wrestling too. But cross country was my thing.
Lots of good memories from those days, also had some crap ones too. But that's how it goes with anything worth doing I guess.
I kept running long after high school. For my military fitness, but also recreational. Yeah, I am one of those weirdos that ran for the fun of it. Just me and the road and did it for years. But the body doesn't cooperate like it used to. Back injuries and ongoing health issues now. So, these days I'm more Joe Walker than Joe Jogger. I do still get out when I can. Just slower and shorter than before. And it is a walk!
As for the Winter Olympics, I like watching the biathlon. The sking and shooting combination makes sense to me. Also like the downhill skiing events. Those people are absolutely insane. Flying down a mountain at 80 miles per hour with nothing but some sticks strapped to their feet. Crazy bastards.
What is your favorite sport in the Winter Olympics? Did you do winter sports?
Thanks for reading,
Joe
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