Winter running, Sochi Games a bit alike

We?ve seen plenty of great athletic plays the past two weeks. T.J. Oshie of Team USA connecting on shot after shot … Anna Fenninger of Austria skiing to victory in her cheetah-themed helmet … Viktor Ahn of Russia making his move to outrace three other speed-skaters.But for my money, the move I saw a runner make on the North Cambridge bike path was right up there with the best of them.I was walking by Russell Field to the Alewife Red Line MBTA station. A runner in a bright orange top jogged past me. He was going at a relaxed pace, so I had time to watch the move that would unfold.A puddle lay between us and the T station, one of the many giant pools of water that have spread out around these parts lately. Yet the runner didn?t flinch. Like a champion hurdler, he leaped over the puddle. “Nice jump!” I called out, but he was already going full speed toward the Route 16 overpass.Actually, when you think about it, winter running has a lot in common with the Sochi Games. Here are just a few examples.NARROW SPACES: Like the short track that Ahn navigated like an expert, winter runners have to deal with cramped confines. Last week, when my friend and I walked along Lynn Shore Drive, half the sidewalk was covered in ice and snow. One runner seemed to appreciate when we walked single-file.SLIPPERY SURFACES: Anyone who has watched figure skating knows how easy it is to lose one?s footing on the ice, even for the greatest athletes in their field. Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan fell twice in his men?s free skate, and still won a gold medal. I have not seen any runners fall lately, and maybe the warmer temperatures will melt most of the ice … but be careful out there!SNOW BECOMES SLUSH: First, it was the athletes in Sochi who had to compete in warm weather, as shown by the cross country skiers who went sleeveless. Now it?s happening in Massachusetts. Last week?s patch of ice or snowbank might have melted into a puddle at this point.As the runner who leaped over that puddle showed, these obstacles can certainly be hurdled as we jump into spring.