Thailand to host first-ever joint world Mountain & Trail Running Championships in 2021
Year: 2020
Beetroot soup with vegetable chips
Beetroot soup with vegetable chips
Soup of beetroot, parsnip, black beans and garlic with sour cream and vegetable chips.
45 min | 4 portions | Post-Run;
This recipe is cooked especially during quarantine. If you don’t have a quarantine on hand, you can make a pot for the moment when you are getting ready to train or when you invite your friends to visit.
The parsley flavor will be as strong as that of Anise and the beans will give it a pleasant consistency and the vegetable chips will make the soup crispy. Unexpected.
INGREDIENTS:
400 g parsnip
400 g beetroot
2 shallot
2 toe garlic
30 g unsalted butter or margarine
El aniseed
1 liter vegetable stock of tablet
800 g black beans tin of 400 g, drained
125 g sour cream
100 g Vegetable Chips
DESCRIPTION:
- Peel the parsnips and beets and cut into 2 cm pieces. Chop the shallots and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the butter in a (soup) pan and fry the shallot and aniseed for 3 minutes on low heat. Add the parsnip, beet and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
- Put the beans in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain. Remove the pan from the heat and puree the soup with the hand blender.
- Put back on the fire and add the beans. Heat for another 5 minutes on low heat. Season with pepper.
- Divide the soup over the bowls. Spoon 1 tbsp sour cream in each bowl and serve with the vegetable chips.
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Gazpacho Soup from Yellow Tomatoes
Gazpacho Soup from Yellow Tomatoes
Serves: 4-6;
Gazpacho! The chilled, raw tomato and vegetable soup from Andalusia, Spain. Ever had it? Love it? Hate it? I can’t say I’ve always loved it, but if you get it right, gazpacho can be so good.
At its best, gazpacho is super refreshing and bursting with fresh-from-the-garden summer flavors. At its worst, gazpacho tastes like chunky cold salsa or thin tomato juice, neither of which do I particularly enjoy.
I wanted a texture somewhere in between the two, and far superior flavor. The trick, I discovered, is to blend half of ingredients into creamy oblivion. Then, add the other half and blitz until they break into tiny pieces. You’ll end up with a delicious, rich base, with tiny pieces of tomatoes, cucumber and pepper adding intrigue.
INGREDIENTS:
900g/2lb large yellow tomatoes, halved;
½ cucumber, peeled deseeded and diced;
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced;
100g 3 ½ oz red cherry tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
3 large spring onions finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped;
2tbsp wine vinegar;
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling;
4 garlic cloves ;
½ tbsp sea salt flakes plus extra to taste ;
1/4 tsp pepper, plus extra to taste;
1/4 tsp sugar;
small handful basil leaves shredded, to garnish;
garlic croutons, to serve;
METOD:
- 1. Scoop out the seeds and juice from yellow tomatoes;
- 2. Pass the seeds and juice through a sieve set over a bowl. Chop the flesh and add to the bowl;
- 3. Set aside 4 tablespoons each of the cucumber and yellow pepper. Set aside all of the chopped cherry tomatoes;
- 5. Tip into a food processor. Process, craping down frequently, for 2 minutes, until very smooth. Pour back into the bowl;
- 6. Put the garlic into a mortar with the salt and crush with a pestle. Stir into the tomato mixture with the pepper and sugar. Chill for seceral hours until really cold;
- 7. Check the seasoning, adding more saltand pepper as necessary. Ladle intp chilled soup plates or bowls;
- 8. Top with the reserved yellow pepper, the cucumber and the cherry tomatoes;
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Best Gazpacho Tips
Don’t add bread
Traditional gazpacho blends in white bread for body, but I found that it diluted the flavor. I also didn’t enjoy straining the gazpacho through a fine sieve afterward. Blending up the produce with olive oil produces a rich, creamy emulsion that has plenty of body, no sieve required.
That means that this easy gazpacho recipe is gluten free and full of good-for-you fiber thanks to the unfiltered vegetables.
Blending options
If you’re in a hurry or want a totally smooth gazpacho, by all means, blend everything together at once (see the recipe notes for details on this shortcut).
I prefer my gazpacho with some texture. That’s why the recipe instructs you briefly blitz some of the ingredients into the soup instead of blending them all together at once.
If you love chunky gazpacho, you could just barely blend them into the soup.
Gazpacho needs time to chill
All good gazpachos need to spend a couple of hours in the refrigerator. This gives the flavors time to fully develop, and the soup time to chill completely.
Recommended garnishes
Chop and reserve some of the ingredients for garnishing the soup later (see steps 1 and 2). It’s an extra step, but it’s worth the trouble if you want the beautiful gazpacho you see here.
I was all googly-eyed over the food and plating in Madrid a couple of months ago, so I wanted to present Spanish gazpacho in its full glory.
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Romania’s National Running Records +50k
Romania’s National Running Records +50k
Evidence of Romania's National Running Records for competitions longer than 50 kilometers on the road, athletics track, or treadmill.
Robert Hajnal
I was running on the treadmill today and I thought about the results, the Romanian national records for over d 50 kilometers or more on the track, the road or the treadmill. Not only am I interested for my general culture but in addition, I think about which record would be the most accessible and which would be the most difficult to break.
For shorter distances I don’t even think I could break a record that because it’s very difficult to run hard, over short distances. For longer distances other factors intervene and maybe I can compensate within the strategy.
Romania’s National Men’s Running Records
50 kilometres
Cristian Moșoiu - 3h:06:43 - 3:44/km;
6 hours
Iulian Filipov - 87,2- 4:08/km;
100 kilometres
Iulian Filipov - 6h59:04- 4:11/km;
12 hours
Florin Ioniță - 146,7- 4:55/km;
24 hours
Florin Ioniță - 244,496- 5:53/km;
48 hours
Daniel Trușcă - 370,121- 7:47/km;
| Romania’s National Men’s Running Records | |||
| WHO? | Time/Distance | Distance/Time | Pace/km |
| Cristian Mosoiu | 50km | 03:06:43 | 3:44/km |
| Iulian Filipov | 6 ore | 87,2 | 4:08/km |
| Iulian Filipov | 100km | 06:59:04 | 4:11/km |
| Florin Ioniță | 12 ore | 146,7 | 4:55/km |
| Florin Ioniță | 24ore | 244,496 | 05:53/km |
| Daniel Trușcă | 48 ore | 370,121 | 7:47/km |
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I think that for the men’s national records, the most accessible record to break is that of Florin Ioniță at 12 hours. Not only the average peace is quite high, but the record at 12 hours ran by him in the race was set when he also set the national record at 24 hours.
I think that the national record at 12 hours can be close to 150 kilometers and that it won’t last more than two years.
I also think that the 6-hour record can be improved, only if this distance will be run. Iulian Filipov managed the double in the race in Germany, setting the record of 6 hours and 100 kilometers. I think that in 6 hours solo race you can run 88.5 – 90 kilometers.
On the other hand, I think that Cristian Moșoiu’s result will last for some time. Especially since this is a very good result, it was made in Brasov and there are very rarely 50 kilometer competitions. I know only a handful of people who could break this record and they prefer to focus on marathons or shorter distances.
Romania’s National Records in Women’s Running
50 kilometres
Paula Todoran - 3h:28:08 - 4:10/km;
6 hours
Mariana Nenu - 72, 65- 4:57/km;
100 kilometres
-
12 hours
Mara Guler - 119,383- 6:02/km;
24 hours
Mara Guler - 229,233- 6:17/km;
48 hours
Gabriela Ianciu - 315- 9:09/km;
| Romania’s National Records in Women’s Running | |||
| Who? | Time/Distance | Distance/Time | Pace/km |
| Paula Todoran | 50km | 03:28:08 | 4:10/km |
| Mariana Nenu | 6 ore | 72, 65 | 4:57/km |
| Mara Guler | 100km | 09:10:51 | 05:31/km |
| Mara Guler | 12 ore | 125,915 | 5:43/km |
| Mara Guler | 24ore | 229,233 | 6:17/km |
| Gabriela Iaciu | 48 ore | 315 | 9:09/km |
I also think that certain records can be improved for women as well. Let me know in a comment what you think about the records and what record will be the first one to be broken and at what distance?
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Banana Bread – Run Fast. Eat Slow
Banana Bread – Run Fast. Eat Slow
Makes 1 loaf; Prep time: 30 minutes
We, runners, love our bananas – and for good reason. Bananas are a highly digestive source of energy that can quickly replenish depleted glycogen levels in our hardworking muscles. They’re also a fantastic natural source of electrolytes, including potassium and magnesium.
But before you go chowing down a Mom’s banana bread take a peek at the list of ingredients. The key to achieving sweet perfection with a lot less sugar is to use very, very ripe bananas.
Now Go put those long-forgotten brown-speckled bananas to good use.
What is spelt flour? Spelt is an ancient grain in the wheat family. It looks very similar to wheat in appearance. It has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor, similar to that of whole wheat flour. Spelt’s rise to the popular kid in the grain class is because it is very tasty and easy to work into existing recipes. Spelt flour does contain gluten, which makes it very easy to substitute it into “regular” wheat cookie, bread, etc. recipes that would typically call for all purpose flour. By adding spelt, you’ll get the flavor and nutritional benefits of the whole grain flour without screwing up the texture of your baked good.
INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups spelt flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temp
¼ cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups mashed bananas (3-4 very ripe)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
½ cup date pieces or golden raisins (optional)
METOD:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use cooking spray to grease a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan (or use butter).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter and sugar on low until combined. Add the eggs and continue to beat for 1 minute. Add the bananas and vanilla and beat just until combined.
- Pour into the loaf pan and shake the pan to spread out the batter evenly. Sprinkle the top with coconut if using. Bake in the center of the oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (about 50-60 minutes).
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use a knife around the edges to loosen and to carefully remove the loaf.
This nutty, moist, not-too-sweet bread is perfect with your morning coffee or a great satisfying mid-afternoon snack to give you that energy boost to finish off the day.
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Why I Run. A Confession by Florin Alexandru
Why I Run. A Confession by Florin Alexandru
Running is magical from all points of view and I say this because initially I started running to consume the emotion – Florin Alexandru
I was frustrated, angry, “defeated”, disappointed with the way my life went.
But by deciding to go running again and again, I did myself a huge service because I started working on what was to become a work of art, my own behavior.
It was the period when I understood that this behavior of mine is a sum of habits built over time by a man without a presence in his own life.
It was like living another person’s life.
I was totally unaware of the effects of my actions, I did not assume my behavior and I was emotionally immature.
A child in the adult body.
So it was time to do the right thing.
I was after a severe depression in which the apogee was represented by the simple but strong thought in which I said to myself:
“Does it still make sense to live?”
And from there, from below, hope came out of nowhere:
“If emotions can hurt me in such a way, in the opposite direction, what could they offer me?”
From that moment everything started and I realized that I had made the decision to build a work of art from my own behavior.
I wanted my son to be proud of me.
I got to work right away and among the first information I found I was told that what I have to do is work, be quiet and play with what I do because I will succeed one day if I do “what must”!
A quote from Albert Eiinstein that said something like:
Success = Z + Y + X
Where Z is work, Y is silent and X is playing.
Well, I realized that all I have to do is do the right thing.
For the first time, I did a daily practice that included activities for each “body” of who I was: physical, rational, emotional, and spiritual.
For the spiritual I had made the decision after long searches to practice conscious breathing and meditation, for the emotional to develop my emotional intelligence, for the rational to learn something new every day, and for the physical to do sports, more precisely to run.
That’s how my most enduring and important habit, running, began.
At first I ran about 3 times a week, but after I started seriously, I ran 6 times a week with one day I didn’t run.
I turned running into the most beautiful way to develop my resilience, that is, to postpone my reward until the end of the task in which I was engaged.
And postponing the reward means doing the right thing.
At first it was 2 kilometers, then 3, then 4, then more than a year I ran 6 km.
It’s just that from a time of 6 minutes per kilometer, I started running with 4 minutes and 20 seconds.
Then I increased the distance to 10 kilometers.
And word for word when I was walking on Moldoveanu, a friend told me that there is a competition in Bran where mountain marathons are run and that they can run long distances, for example 50 kilometers.
Immediately after hearing about such a contest, I signed up, only there were problems because I had no other contests and I had to ask the organizers to let me participate in a 50 km Ultramarathon.
I didn’t even know I had chosen a 50-kilometer Ultramarathon for the first time, but it seemed like a good distance to run.
I ran it all and it was something of a dream, I couldn’t believe what had happened during the race.
My mind told me if I didn’t know how many times to give up, my physical body was suffering and urging me to stop, begging me not to torment him anymore.
Instead, the emotions were in the team with me and helped me moment by moment.
The picture is taken in a moment of ecstasy, a moment when, although everything was against me, I was in my heart and I enjoyed everything that was happening there.
An attitude that I repeat every time I run because this is the reason why I manage to cultivate my resilience and emotions are what help me every time.
In the meantime, I’ve learned what emotions can offer me if I’m on the other side of depression.
I learned to live beautifully and running was always there to help me.
I went for a run regardless of the weather, I enjoyed the moments of loneliness and I celebrated each run as an opportunity to do the right thing.
I let my body show me how to run, I managed to get to know my physical body, to connect with it every time I finished a run I received a gift in the form of a cocktail of hormones: serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine, etc.
Running is much more than it seems, it is a tool through which I offer myself education.
It is a tool for settling emotions, it is the moment when I sit with me now without any thought and on top of that, I breathe consciously, practice for the spiritual body.
Do you know of any other activity that will give you so many benefits at the same time?
Well, and if this happens on the mountain and you let the mountain be in you and you in the mountain managing to connect with it, everything is wonderful.
Feel God take you in his arms.
And when I think about it, it all started two miles away at a time when I needed to get the rage out of me.
I am grateful for everything I learned from running.
My behavior today?
A work of art through which I can build any habit I want because I know how to postpone my reward due to running.
Probably the best way to put your appetite in the nail and get used to completing any project.
And life is measured in completed and completed projects.
I also say that the first Ultra was in 2018, and in 2020 it was the first qualification at UTMB, ie the most famous Ultra in the world, a kind of Football Champions League, where a nice Romanian, Robert Hajnal managed to rank 2nd in 2018, an amazing performance for all of us, dream runners.
Come for a run, you just have to go out and you will see how much you will receive if you notice the gift sitting in the present.
Give me a sign that we may see ourselves on the mountain tired, but happy to do “the right thing.”
Florin Alexandru
Behavioral analyst, bestselling author and the only accredited Romanian Paul Eckman International.
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Bucovina Ultra Rocks and The Voice inside my head
Bucovina Ultra Rocks and The Voice inside my head
Bucovina Ultra Rocks is a 108 km ultramarathon with 6500 + elevation. The race has 5 climbs on the 3 highest peaks of Bucovina: Rarau (1651m), Pietrosul Bistriței (1791m), Giumalău (1858m). Read how I won the race in 13 hours 16, minutes running side by side with Cristi Manole, Cătălin Șorecău and the Voice in my head.
Reading time: 14 minutes;
Photos: Pixel ProSport, Bucovina Fotogenică, Suceava.Media;
Each of us has a background noise, a tone stuck between our ears, in the middle of our brain. If we’re lucky, the voice of consciousness is identical to our own. If not, we have another voice in our head directing us to various actions. In a competition, alongside the other competitors, you need to run with it, whether you want to or not.
It’s 6:30 p.m., the day of the competition. I’m in the upstairs room in the house of Costin, the race director. The window is open and I hear a dog whose full-time job seems to be barking. He doesn’t seem to take any breaks from it, in fact he works overtime. I’m down to the last minute with the race plan. The gels are in bags, the bags arranged in check-point order. I’m getting ready for a power nap. Sleep should last at least two hours.
I close the window to turn down the dog’s volume. Snail-padded, I lay in bed next to M., who after a long walk sleeps unrested with a pillow under her head and two others cuddled.
In 30 years I have learned to fall asleep: I create a scenario for myself – a day I would like to (re)live, a recollection of a memory or a re-enactment of it. I generally achieve a state of sleep in a short time, if I am not distracted by noise, heat or other thoughts or anxieties. If more than 30 minutes have passed and I fail the above, something is making me anxious. What would not let me fall asleep before a competition could be an incomplete plan, mistrust in my powers or the Voice producing other thoughts that I cannot control or be aware of.
It’s turning 8pm and I’m still tossing and turning. I have failed to gain a few hours of sleep. My resting pulse is (too) high. I feel more tired than I want to be before a contest.
A Voice has arisen in my head that does not belong to me. The Voice was telling me how hard the others trained and how focused they were for this contest. “Will you handle them?”, “Will you keep up?”, “Have you trained enough?”, “Have you trained too hard?”, “Have you been dedicated?”, “Have you had too many beers / too much wine?”.
It would have helped if there was a button to shut her up, a button to make me think about something else.
Usually the start has that power.
KM O - cu Cristi manole
Start- Rarău (I)
km 0 – km 14, 1H33MIN, 1200 (+)
I wish good luck to Cristi who has bib #2, high five and we set off 15 seconds ahead of everyone else on a 110 kilometre journey that would take 13 hours.
I have an anti-social attitude, I don’t get into a conversation with him while we run. He asks me a few questions in between running strides, but I give him all I’ve got: short, cutting answers.
Instead, I carry on a dialogue with the Voice in my head, which I keep trying to silence. I try to answer my doubts with the rhythm I impose.
I ran the first 7 kilometres with desire and fear.
I wanted to show myself that I could keep up the pace, that I was trained, that I knew the route and that I was willing to give it my best. That I have #1 on my chest and that I need to act like it, that it’s no coincidence that I have the highest ITRA score. I wanted to show that I’m better than everyone else, I wanted to shut the Voice in my head up.
I jump over a fence where the power’s on and I let Cristi know about it. Otherwise, I’m running and hydrating. I pay extra attention to the portions I remember being tepid.
I’m feeling a bit bloated from the risotto I had 2 hours before the start. For this, the first hour of the run I only drank water. Zero gels, zero calories ingested, over 800 calories burned. Atypical for my race plan. If I’d kept it up for another couple of hours like that, I’d have been in the minus.
After the first 7 kilometers, we reach the first CP and get caught up by #5, Cătălin Șorecău.
I reach for a 0.5l bottle of water, but the Voice makes me turn away – “But open the lid!” – in response to the volunteers not opening the lid of the water bottles at mile 7.
With 3-4 meters in front of the two, Cristi and Cătălin keep up the pace towards the first peak, Rarău I.
We reach the ski slope. The night light shows 3 runners, with 3 voices in their heads, with 3 different running styles. Cristi powerskiing with poles, Catalin runs at a light and steady pace, and I try to combine hiking with running.
I haven’t got my sticks out yet and can’t seem to find my rhythm. It’s shaping up to be a long evening where it won’t be as easy for me as most expect it to be.
It wasn’t even as easy as I expected it to be.
KM 21, CHEILE MOara DRACULUI
Rarău (I)- Slătioara
km 14 – km 27, 2H38MIN, 1560 (+)
The feeding points where everyone’s support team is waiting for us are battle sites. Whoever has planned this moment well, whoever knows what to do, whoever gets out of the ‘red zone’ first, gains precious seconds. These have as great a psychological impact on the opponent as the power to sprint up a climb.
At kilometre 14 we have the first chance to show how well we can handle it.
We reach the summit of Rarau, all three of us, side by side. I have the trunk of Maria’s car waiting for me just as I had planned hours before. Cristi has the trunk of his wife’s car, and Catalin seems to be getting gels and flasks “out of the air” from his friends.
The voice takes my order and tells me: ‘electrolytes’, ‘orange juice’, ‘mineral water’, ‘run’.
It’s the first time the Voice has steered me towards something constructive, when he seems to realise it’s better for both of us to collaborate. At mile 14, she stops putting obstacles in my way and we start working together for the best outcome.
I follow his instructions and I’m first out of the checkpoint with my spirits and pulse up.
The first climb, the first check-point, the first descent – all are in check. I establish a baseline of pace and intensity that I try to maintain for the next few hours of running.
We run on the downhill with warm muscles. The soles of our running shoes don’t cope with the friction of the grass and the pace we’re trying to get into. The three of us each want to take advantage of a bump, a sharp turn to gain a small psychological advantage.
Get a little encouragement from the Voice.
Because of the pace and the night, I’ve managed to be as clumsy as a kid with his shoelaces untied. I stepped crooked, fell on my butt, slipped and sank ankle deep in mud. I’ve been through as many challenges as Ulysses in the Odyssey.
We reach the Devil’s Mill gorge, cross the jumping bridge, I grab a water bottle on the fly and pull out the number whose pins have snapped off and which I now hold to my chest.
A flat run through Slătioara follows. An optimal stretch where I can check the breathing of the other two runners. Cristi seems to be breathing a bit hard, but I can’t hear Cătălin – either because he’s very fit or because he’s too far back.
I get precise instructions: “Don’t turn your head, you look weak”.
Slătioara-Zugreni
km 27- 43, 4H37MIN, 2400 (+)
Blitzgrieg. That’s the word that characterised my attitude at the checkpoints. In Slătioara, as at the other checkpoints, I simply gave my number to be scanned, grabbed a bottle of water and stormed off. By the time the other two runners figured out what they were up to, I already had a 200 meter lead.
It worked, but each time they managed to pick up the pace and catch up with me.
“Unbelievable! It’s the first time you’ve run with two other runners from Romania, for so long, at an ultra” the Voice tells me, respectfully. I agree, and with admiration for Cătălin and Cristi, I take out my sticks for the most efficient effort.
Cătălin has managed to blow my neck out effortlessly on the descents, and Cristi is doing great on the climbs. This made the climb to Rarau II one that I stuck with Cristi. I pity Sorecau for not taking his sticks, but he has plenty of time to catch up.
Nutrition up to this point is working well, but not great. Every gel seems to fill me up and make me bloated, but I’m doing what every runner would do at a point like this: burp and get high. Cristi laughs, not just to himself, and tries to get into small talk with me again, but I’m too focused for small talk.
5 minutes later, karma hits me and I feel the first low of the race. My legs get soft, my arms no longer dig my poles into the ground well and I find it hard to maintain a running stride even on easy uphill stretches.
Cristi feels blood and takes the lead. Within 2 minutes he reaches the CP, feeds and goes. I’m 200 yards behind him. It seems like everything around me is running on fast forward, while I’m moving in replay.
I whistle for M to get out of the car and open the trunk for me to refuel. She checks online to see where I am while I tap on her window.
I drink a 3-sip Red Bull with the regulation electrolytes, grab my gels for the next section and head out. Forget the sticks. I come back for them after a few dozen yards and lose about 2 minutes.
I lose Cristi from my field of vision.
I don’t panic, because it’s not even 40 kilometres. A lot can still happen.
I maintain my cruising speed. I get a bold idea to stick a stick in. I try to shove it between my cheek and cheekbones and dissolve it with small gulps of water. But either the pace is too intense (about 04:30 min/km) or I don’t really need it, I throw up the stick and a few sips of Red Bull along with it.
For a moment, it occurs to me that Manole may have wandered off and that I’m ahead of him – I had time to think about that on the seemingly endless forester. I reach the CP in Zugreni though and the volunteers let me know I’m 20 seconds behind him.
“Start approaching him, keep doing what you’re doing. We support you.” Voice.
Pietrosul Bistriței, KM 50
Pietrosul Bistriței, KM 50
Zugreni-Rusca
km 43- 60, 6H47MIN, 3400 (+)
I’m on the toughest climb of the race, to the Pietrosul Bistriței. This climb is as steep as it looks from the profile. If you lean forward, you’re going to hit the ramp.
On the first stretch the sticks don’t make sense because you’re on all fours anyway. I use my hands as much as my feet. My watch beeps and I realise that the last kilometre was done in 24 minutes – my slowest kilometre ever.
When you walk slowly, the miles go by very slowly. I’m just under 6 hours and approaching the halfway point. Both in distance and time spent in effort.
The beauty of the sunrise is like a bandage on my ego wound. Cristi is at least 5 minutes ahead. The guy is really climbing well.
Doubts begin to creep into my mind. I no longer think it was a good idea to have done the recon just a few days ago. But the hydration and nutrition is working, I’m really craving a sandwich and a Coke.
I finish the climb, and the scenery at the summit is so beautiful, it can be used as an answer to the question “Why do you run hundreds of miles up a mountain?”. From this competition I will use the two photos to show why.
The hardest ascent is followed by the most spectacular descent. It looks like you’re in a video game simulation. You’re walking on moss-paved trails with pine trees. Muscularly, the effort seems non-existent. The only thing stopping me from “breaking” is the lack of glycogen and the heart that keeps beating wildly.
Chop another gel with maldodextrin and another gel with fruit. AMR 30 minutes to sandwich. Before that I try to consume something semi-solid (jelly from decathlon), which I put in my jaws and “quench” with water. It goes a long way and fuels my run.
I can hear the sheepdogs barking at Cristi. I know there’s a sore spot coming and I let it go. I pull out a stick as a safety measure. The dogs spot me and start barking at me. They’re not aggressive, just cautious. Angrier than them are the shepherds who are angry that we don’t close the gates. I hadn’t opened any gates, I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I also pass by the sheepfold, reach the village asphalt and am greeted by a volunteer with a vuvuzela. Before the check-point, I look around for Maria – my team, the head of logistics and the entire staff.
The first thing I do is squeeze her for information about Cristi:
Me: How long does he have?
M.: He’s been here for 3 minutes, but he’s sitting to eat and change.
Me: “Oh, he hasn’t left yet?”, I see Cristi coming back into CP;
Then I ask for the food I dreamed of on the last portion:
ME: I want a sandwich and a Coke + a can of unopened Coke to take with me!
M follows my instructions.
ME: fill the buff with ice, I’ll take the sunglasses too.
ALL ME: how much is in the back?
M.: he had 10 minutes on the last CP!
Cristi Manole pe Giumalău, pe locul 1
„LA VÂNĂTOARE”
Rusca - Valea Putnei
km 60-79, 8H59MIN, 4550 (+)
I leave the checkpoint with fresh legs and an eagerness to run. I head into the second half of the race. It’s time to pick up the pace and get closer to Cristi. The climbs are very varied, both steep and runnable.
“If you tackle them correctly, you’ll be able to get close to 1st place. If you don’t, 2nd place is good,” the Voice tells me, seemingly in a whisper. Was she tired too, or did she not want anyone to hear us?
The 5 minutes turn into 2 minutes, and all 3 of us – me, Cristi and Vocea – end up on the Giumalău. I fill a flask with water and put in 2 slices of watermelon. All in 35 seconds.
“He’s tired, he’s been in CP longer than you,” Vocea.
With effort, I shove my sticks in the gutter and overtake him. I’ve wanted this since mile 33. A minute after I pass him, I pull a slam and go hard.
I get up, shake off the dust and start to take the reins of the race. I run without looking back. Without seeing if he’s keeping up with me or if he’s struggling.
The descent ends and we hit a flat section. I can hear his breathing which sounds like he needs extra oxygen.
“If you push him now, you’ll weaken him on the next climbs” – those were the words that made me run as hard as I could.
We reach the Putna Valley. Maria has the car on the left side of the road, his wife is waiting for him on the opposite side. Another battleground.
Giumalău II, ultimul vârf îmi aduce locul 1
Toate pânzele sus către finish
Valea Putnei - Finish
km 79-110, 13H16MIN, 6450 (+)
Ice, Red Bull, and fresh legs made me able to run the next stretch to the last peak of the race. I had a pang of gratitude because I did my route reconnaissance and knew which stretches to speed up and which stretches to slack. Plus, I had the comfort of knowing “how much longer the climb would last”.
The voice smiles and tells me:
In 5 kilometres you’ve managed to gain at least 7 minutes. If you keep this pace, you have a good chance of winning! I was happy to cross the finish line first. All I had to do was hydrate and fuel up.
The clock tells me 12 hours into the race. I had passed the 100-kilometer mark. I can feel my right big toe tearing my sock, I’m afraid of blistering. My legs feel like two pieces of rock, and my quads feel like they have a thousand and one pins stuck in them. The heat makes the effort harder, and every running step requires extra strength.
But the smell of freshly mown hay and the green landscape of Bukovina make my life (easier). So does the fact that I’m running alongside competitors from shorter races. Cristi is out of sight, and that’s reassuring.
I reach the foot of the surprise climb – Runc. One of the sticks doesn’t open. I decide to powerhike up the climb, hands on knees. I walk 1.5 kilometres in about 30 minutes. The whole time the Voice said nothing.
Paul and Mateo’s support helps me through the weak moments on the climb when my legs go more sideways than forward.
Together we shut the Voice up, confident that I was about to cross the finish line first.
Until the next competition.
Finish Bucovina Ultra Rocks cu Paul și Mateo
MEDALIA ȘI ÎMBRĂȚIȘAREA
OMT: Olympus Mythical Trail 2020
OMT: Olympus Mythical Trail 2020
Olympus Mythical Trail is an ultramarathon of 108 kilometers and 6800 difference + in Greece, in its 9th edition. The race record is set by Foltopoulos Moysis in 14h20min. The best Romanian ranking in men: Marius Vasilache, 2015, 1st place, 14h57min
I often feel the need to write. It’s almost like the need to run.
This lust is an outsourcing of feelings, an “emptying” of them to make room for other feelings to ensure a flow, not a blockage. More and more often lately, I just want to sit in front of the keyboard and let my fingers express my thoughts. I want that, but I fail to create a routine around this habit. I fail to create a routine around any habit besides running. But that’s another story.
The fact that I am gone to a new area, alone, under the pretext of a running competition, gives me the perfect opportunity to let myself be carried away by the wave of creation, “to sit in front of the screen and bleed”. Bleeding is stopped by good food and a carafe of water. I prefer it to be wine but …
It’s July 20, the year of the pandemic, and in exactly two weeks I will start the second ultramarathon of this year: Olympus Mythical Trail. An 108-kilometer ultramarathon at 9th edition that takes you on the paths of Zeus’ “garden”.
This contest was not on the list of competitions at the beginning of the year. Ergo, a very good friend of mine ran last year and was impressed by the competition and he told me only good things about it. After a few messages exchanged with Lazaros, the organizer, I told myself that if he is so determined to hold a contest in the middle of the pandemic then I can be just as determined to run it. The Organizers-Runners seem to be in a perfect symbiosis of satisfying the need for competitiveness.
Day 0
It started with a 12-hour ultra-road Bucharest – Thessaloniki. I allow myself to call it “ultra-road” because everything seems to be “ultra” these days. “Ultra shampoo” with “ultra-care”, “Ultra toothpaste” that “UltraBleaches”. The road would have passed quickly if it were not for the frequent stops of drivers.
The 12 hour bus ride could have been done in 9. This is just a reminder to me and the benefit of having a car. I’m not complaining, I’m just trying to take stock.
Without car:
Bus ride: 12 hours;
charged the phone and helped transported parcels – 1 hour;
expected at Tesaloniki bus station – 3 hours;
Drum – Thessaloniki – Litochoror – 2 hours;
espresso drinks: 2;
Total: 18 hours and 2 espressos;
By car 10 hours and 3 espressos, probably;
Arriving in Litochoro, Lazaros was kind enough to wait for me in the city center, to give me a mini tour of the place, to greet everyone who gets in our way, to show me the heights that have been watching for thousands of years, the places at his feet. “I seem to see the quiet face of Zeus laughing at us and our pandemic,” I said to myself.
We went to the place where I will be staying for the next few days, made a mini plan for the weekend that involves running and a lot of uphill running. Then I took the dose of sleep lost in the last hours. I wanted it to be an overdose, but the heat and the Moon (the puppy) woke me up.
I told myself that I had more time to discover the places, to discover the food, to sit in front of the laptop and open my thoughts.
Something tells me that it will be a unique experience because I left the country without expectations, without too much pressure on myself.But maybe more focused and trained than any other running competition.
Litochoro is the village-town of about 7,500 inhabitants, each with a unique story.
The place where I am staying was arranged by Lazaros before I arrived. It’s a two-bed room upstairs in Dimitris’ (Taki) house that has a daughter, Sellini, and a Labrador, Luna.
At first glance, the room where I stayed seems just a place where I can sleep and wait quietly for the day of the competition. It is equipped with a bathroom whose door does not close, a round table with 2 chairs, air fan in the ceiling and a large yard.
Seeing the things that were in the yard, I remembered the house I moved to in Brasov less than 2 months ago.
After returning from a short walk and a map orientation by Lazaros and a few friends, I sat down at the table with Taki in semi-darkness. That’s when I realized that the place is more than it seems at first glance.
Each house takes over the personality of the person living in it and you can get an impression of the personality of the hosts from the little things that keep them handy. Scattered blocks of pumice stone that looked like unfinished sculptures.
Even though the first thought was that Taki is a sculptor, from the first conversation in the garden, to the music of Miles Davis, he told me that he feels and sings blues. That’s when I realized that Taki and I had at least one thing in common.
He lives the blues like I live mountain running.
Our discussion started with the fact that music is his lifestyle and that the blues is lived before it is played. We talked about it, about the state of “flow” that music and running gives you, about how important it is to do what you like and to be a good person.
I realized that I am a good listener because I just enjoyed sitting and listening to him, telling me about his life and the values he guides his life.
I got up from the table impatiently for tomorrow when I will do my first run and take part to a mini-concert in Taki’s garden where a friend of his will come to visit and sing.
Do you need a running coach?
Train with robert hajnal 2nd place at 2018 utmb
Robert Hajnal
Sunt om de munte și am o viziune clară despre ce vreau să fac în viața mea. Îmi imaginez o lume în care fiecare om face sport și își pune pe primul loc sănătatea.
Locul 2 UTMB in 2018, 862 ITRA points.
Magnesium – Supplement for runners
Magnesium – Supplement for runners
Robert Hajnal
- February 5, 2020
- 10:33 am
- No Comments
Last winter, before the „Running School” Workshop in Cluj, Viorica gave me a magnesium oil as a gift. About 2 years before at Apuseni Ultra, Toma spoke to me for almost an hour about the benefits of magnesium and how it enriches its water with this mineral.
I didn’t really know much about magnesium but I knew that due to the lack of magnesium you can get muscle cramps. To prevent this, we consume before the more serious competitions (Marathon 7500, CiucasX3) Magne B6.
I was doing a kind of pre-competitive loading. Now I realize that he was not doing much because he only has 100mg of magnesium although the recommended daily dose is 420mg.
If you have the patience to read the article for another 3 minutes, you will also know how you can add extra magnesium to your body and why it is good to do so!
Do you need a running coach?
Let me apply to you everything I learned: workouts, nutrition, plans.
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals present in the body where about 24 grams of magnesium is found. About 49% is stored in the bones and about the same in the intracellular space, ie inside the cell.
About 1% of the total magnesium is found in the blood.
Magnesium is needed and intervenes in over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, relaxes muscles, and helps regenerate nerves. You don’t have the “nerves” caused by your wife or girlfriend, but those that make your muscles work better.
Very few people consume it in sufficient proportions because it is no longer found in such high concentrations in the fruits and vegetables we eat. Although the recommended daily dose is only 420mg / day for men and 320mg / day for women; it is very rare to have too much magnesium in the body so do not worry that you will exceed this level.
!!! When consuming magnesium, be careful when installing therapeutic effects before laxatives. Let me explain.
Although there are many supplements or foods rich in magnesium, it is not absorbed 100% of what is written on the label. If a product has 200mg of magnesium, a maximum of 40mg of magnesium can be absorbed.
The absorption rate is very low. And the difference reaches the intestines and produces diarrhea !!
SIGNS THAT YOU NEED MORE MAGNESIUM:
A magnesium deficiency can cause cramps, excessive fatigue, low strength, interrupted sleep, a weakened immune system, depression, and even fatal heart arrhythmias during intense training.
- Low energy;
- Insomnia;
- Constipation;
- Frequent headaches;
- Cramps;
- Low bone density;
- High pulse;
- Type II diabetes;
- Variable Heart Rate;
- Noise sensitivity, depression, and anxiety;
MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS
You’ve probably heard that the Epsom salt bath makes you feel more relaxed, lowers muscle tension, and gets rid of calcium ions accumulated in muscle tissue during workouts. This is because Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate, which is the active component that produces all these effects.
But concentrated magnesium chloride is even more effective than Epsom salt.
Why is pure magnesium so effective for recovery? As you read this article, you stored magnesium in your muscles and bones. This mineral is essential in hundreds of reactions.
Several important studies have shown that magnesium has a lactic acid attenuating effect, lowering the pulse and producing carbon dioxide during heavy exercise and improving cardiovascular efficiency.
Moreover, magnesium supplementation can increase your testosterone level and muscle strength by up to 30%.
Seeds, nuts, cereals, vegetables can be sources of magnesium but active people who consume these foods may be deficient in magnesium because intense sports activity can impoverish the body of this mineral.
Unfortunately, an oral supplement may not fully compensate for this deficiency. From personal experience, the amount of magnesium taken orally should be limited to about 1000 mg/day in several doses.
Unfortunately, magnesium is not easily absorbed and more of it causes diarrhea.
Even if the use of magnesium (for example that of magnesium citrate powder) is certainly helpful, a better idea for providing the dose of magnesium necessary for the proper functioning of the body is the local use of magnesium oil.
To speed up recovery you can apply up to 12 magnesium puffs before or after training on tired muscles after showering with hot water and your pores are still open.
MY ROUTINE WITH MAGNESIUM
Knowing all these things I do now after long runs, more demanding workouts, or competitions?
- Daily, after the shower I apply up to 12 puffs of magnesium oil on my feet; (100mg of magnesium) – Thank you Viorica!
- After demanding training or competitions I take a marine magnesium pill; (330mg magnesium) – Thanks Tei pharmacy!
- When I bathe in the bathtub I add magnesium chloride; (500mg magnesium) – Thanks Thomas;
- Consume foods rich in magnesium (nuts, seeds);
It is important to keep track of the number of magnesium supplements you take orally, otherwise, you will spend a lot of time on the toilet. I also tell from personal experience.
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