My Legs Are Tired

Been watching all the speed skating and other Olympics.  The speed skaters are pretty amazing. Loved watching Apolo Ohno in the last Olympics.

Borrowed from www.csmonitor.com.  Ohno at 2010 Olympics.

And those legs on both the speed and distance skaters.  They spend so much of their lives in a half squat while moving on a knife edge on slippery ice.  Major thigh muscles.  Beautifully defined muscles.
The Netherlands are dominating the ice tracks.  Makes total sense to me with so much history of the sport in that nation.

Monique Angermüller on clap skates and in a full body-covering suit in 2008,
wikipedia.com

Then there is the figure skating.  A different type of physical requirement.  The need for leg strength is critical but it is a completely different sport.  It reminds me of the acrobatic floor exercises only on a blade on ice.  With no padded mat.  So, yes, I consider it a sport.

Bench press 100+ while standing
on ice, on a knife.

Ouch!

Double ouch.

I am just pooped watching all this hard work.  And it is beautiful, enchanting and for me sensual.  I love hearing the sound of the blades cutting the ice and watching the graceful moves.  Congratulations to all those magnificent athletes now and in the past!