Somewhat lazy day...BUT with 2 firsts!

I woke up to the World Championships speed skating. Our proud little nation got 4 golds. Yet, we get maybe 4 skatable days per winter. Of course, indoor ice rinks are better spread than ski tunnels. Alpine though, we have at least as many venues indoors as ice skating.

So I watched that, and then the Biathlon from Russia. Awesome stuff, these super(wo)men gliding through the snow covered woods and back into the shooting stadium. Grandstands packed with people in warm clothing. Today, for the men it was worth hitting the targets. Sikora got it, the faster skiers left behind on the penalty loop.

The weather here : rain all day. Yippie. I had an hour of no-poles high-resistance skating, so the plan was to first jog and later today nordic blade. Yet, I wrote all of this blog. I've always wanted to have a blog, and now I have a reason for one. Inpsired by 6Q Biathlon , I'll admit. That's 1 First.

Before dinertime, I left on my easy chair, PC, and TV on my grocery getter bicycle, in running outfit.

My Salomon SpeedCross shoes before gave me a nasty strain in the middle lower foot, so I had not used them more than twice. And with that, still zero intensional off-road jogs. The local running store advized these new high-tec MySole inlays, with tall heel supports, and a cushion under the mid-foot. €19, I took the gamble. I'll say now, the strain oin this jog did not come.
In a bout 5mins, I arrived at the start of our local "MTB" loop in a recreational area. Can't call it a park. You need happy looking trees for that and these trees have looked miserable since I was a kid. Same for the soil. One little rain shower and it's a slippery mud fest. One week of sunlight, and it's grown over in sticky herbs. Today, of course, was the former condition.
I set out on a loop we figured out over a decade ago, some 5km over fast but slightly winding and bumpy trails. And some artificially formed fire roads. The trails were covered in tire tracks, but not a soul in sight. No runners either. And on a Sunday afternoon. This really must be pising weather then.

In advance, I decided to run up this tiny, but to our standard huge, grass hill, ca 4m tall, twice.
So I did, and I was fine. The trails were a challenge for the ankles, and I carefully walked the wooden bridges that have caught so many unsuspecting cyclist. Green tiny beings. have made a home of the wooden surface.

I managed to complete the lap (5.2-5.3km I suppose) non-stop, in 27:38. Good thing my First ever offroad jog was on this day, the conditions can only get faster, as am I. Next fall, hopefully I'll be up for running TO the course, and doing 2 laps for good measure.

This tiny workout is going to have to be the example for the rest of my year. Doing new and in some way fun workouts, to not make it too boring. Keep my motivation up.

On the easier sections, I thought about what it was for that I was running dow a miseably ugly dirt road in the pooring rain. Those athletes on TV, slicing thorugh the snowy landscapes. I tried that out of shape, and it was a no-go. At least, the way I envision it. Better work hard to get fit, and used to the breathing.

Already I'm satisfied of the tiny little step up I made today, although I hope my spirits will get me to Nordic Skate some more before bed.

Tomorrow I need to work at least the morning. Bad storms and lightning will be our part. No more skating at least tomorrow, I'm afraid. It would a good death though, struck by lighting making a connection through the hard steel pole tips ont he soaking streets...