Games Fever

We're on day 14 of the Olympic Games and there have been a few really exciting performances by the Canadians. Yesterday the women's curling team won gold, with the Canadian men following suit this morning. There were also two alpine skiers who placed first and second: pretty cool stuff.
Admittedly, I feel some sort of loyalty to the men's curling team in particular as they are, most of them, from my home town. Our little humble city has struck gold and it is super exciting. The chances for gold will continue on into the 2014 Paralympic Games starting on March 7th, when an alpine skier-guided by his brother- from our city will start his Paralympic experience. There have been some good athletes grown in this city; it makes you wonder what's in the water and why hasn't the country noticed? In a city of sixty thousand or so to have so many Olympians and Paralympians, there must be something going on; either that or we have nothing better to do but participate in sport. ;)
Watching the men's curling team win gold this morning also got me fired up about my own sporting future. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight, pardon the choice of words, of the whole picture when you are out on the ski trails four to five times a week with no one but you and your coach to notice. It's been a cold winter, this week being the first time we've skied in temperatures above minus 10 C. It's also easy to give up when you can't get to competitions because the resources just aren't there. It makes you question whether or not you should continue: will I be able to get to the next race?
That said, this week we've had four really good days out skiing. After about a week and a half of fighting off the worst case of the creeping crud I have ever had, getting back outside in the fresh air and working hard was a welcomed change. We eased back in with only a 4 K ski on Sunday and the other skis not exceeding 5 K, but we got a lot accomplished. Our two last trips out we skied one of the more challenging trail systems and even though it's only 5 K, it's uphill for at least half of it; if not more. Yesterday in particular, we moved at a quicker pace, there weren't any falls and our communication was excellent. Both times on that trail I made it down the steepest hill without falling which has never happened before. We're making progress and that encourages me.
With the last couple of good days out coupled with watching the Olympics, my desire for making the 2018 Games has been intensified.