Today was an EPIC DAY

Quote of the Day: 

 

That was what made the story epic:

the player, the hero, had to suffer

mightily en route to his final triumph. ~ Chad Harbach

 

 

What made today EPIC for me was that I ran outside today.  I ran 5K outside today.  Why is this EPIC you ask? Well, it has been 241 days since I last ran outside.  I also haven't run 5K since New Years Day.  241 days - 7 months and 26 days - 34 weeks and 3 days - 5,784 hours - 20,822,400 seconds - however you look at it, that's a very long time not to be able to run outside.  I hope it never happens again.

 

I have to give a shout out to my miracle workers who made this all possible - Mia my physiotherapist and Kevin at Ottawa Orthotic Lab who designed the best orthotics which have made running a pleasure again.  I'll forgive Kevin for videotaping me from behind while running which will forever be engrained on my brain.

 

How did this EPIC run go?  It started in front of the Parliament Buildings

 

and then went past the Chateaul Laurier Hotel (which is epic itself)

 

next I ran past the US Embassy

 

and across the bridge to Quebec where I could see the back of the Parliament Buildings

 

 

next up was the Museum of Civilization (or as we affectionately call it in Ottawa - The Museum of Mr. Harper)

 

 

and then across the Portage Bridge and past Victoria Island.

Have you ever visited Victoria Island?  It has a great history.

Victoria Island is situated in the Ottawa River, right at the border between Ontario and Quebec. Aboriginal travellers and other explorers depended on this ancient waterway for millennia as a vital transportation route. The island in particular is of immense historical value. When combined with neighbouring Chaudière Falls, the immediate area is of monumental national importance. Today the Pont du Portage Bridge that connects Gatineau with Ottawa, and Quebec with Ontario, crosses over the island. This bridge commemorates the historic portage trail that was used for centuries as a passageway over these very same geological formations. Because of its strategic location, people of the local Algonquin Nation used this island for thousands of years as a sacred place to meet, trade and celebrate.

Modern Developments

 

In more recent history, Victoria Island has been central to commerce and technology. Throughout the 1800s and well into the 1900s it played a pivotal role in the region’s historic lumber industry. It has been vital to the region’s urban growth and is the site of several heritage buildings. The island has one road on it known as Middle Street.

And one of the best parts of running outside is that people are happy (well, some of them).  Other runnings will smile at you and some will even wave.  I'm sure that people thought I was nuts because it was snowing and I was smiling.

Now while I am excited that I ran 5K I have to admit that a bottle of oxygen would have come in handy and I'm sure a bottle of Tylenol will be in order for the aches and pains I'll have tomorrow but come Sunday....you'll find me running around Barrhaven, hopefully enjoying the sunshine and spring temperatures.

I hope you all have an EPIC weekend.