Former defenseman Ladislav Smid sweated profusely during his ten-year career in the National Hockey League (NHL), but perhaps not as profusely as he did last Sunday when he ran his first half marathon.
The player, who played for the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, remained in good form even after his last game at the Bettman Circuit in 2015-2016. He has played the last five seasons of his ice hockey career in the Czech Republic and has now walked 13 miles through the streets of Edmonton; According to NHL.com, it took him exactly 1 hour 26 minutes 36 seconds to complete his grueling mission.
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“I checked my phone on a Sunday night about a month and a half ago and an ad for the marathon popped up. “I told myself I should try something like this to challenge myself personally,” he explained to the same source, saying he appreciates the public’s encouragement. I exercise regularly, but didn’t do it specifically for that. I occasionally run, ride my bike and keep in good physical shape.
pain
Obviously, pulling off that feat of arms wasn’t easy for the current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings in Junior League West. To be honest, he was keen to finish his run despite the support of his close guard.
Thanks @Edm_Marathon that you have me!!! Congratulations to all the runners and walkers who took part today and a big thank you to all the people who cheered us on and made this amazing event possible. I had an amazing experience running my first half marathon!!!💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/jIggiG3Y7X
– Ladi Smid (@LadiSmid) August 20, 2023
“The course took place in front of my house, the children were waiting for me there with posters and it was exciting. The first half went smoothly. In the second run, I thought I was a little too slow when I saw the marathon runners, real top runners, pass me, he said. I started to cramp in the last 2-3km, but I could still see the people in front of me and my competitive team took over. I tried to catch up with as many people as possible. I kept the pace but I wasn’t feeling very well. […] Those kilometers were really difficult.
At some point, either in a year or more, Smid will give himself a more imposing mandate.
“I’m going to get some rest because I’m super tired, but running a full marathon is on my list,” he admitted.