M-am gandit ca o sa fie un alt maraton, doar ca mai lung de data asta. Este a doua incercare a mea de a termina un maraton lung. Ce-i drept am reusit de data asta.
La inceput e de mentinut ca aproape toata saptamana o infectie mi-a afectat antrenamentele, defapt mi-a anulat 2 din ele. Pana sambata nici n-am reusit sa pedalez. Duminica dimineata pe la 7:30 impreuna cu Horatiu si Alin, amandoi iubitori de senzatii tari, si cu prietena mea ne-am dus spre Cluj. Drumul a trecut repede, am ajuns cu bine, am dat o fuga pana la inscriere, ne-am ridicat pachetul de start, repede o fuga pana in mall, dupa care m-am schimbat in costum de concurs. Eli de la Marossport m-a ajutat cu ceva geluri energizante, pe care nu le gasesti asa de usor oriunde, si mi-a dat un GPS-device prin care ma urmareau in timpul concursului. Repede am facut cateva miscari de incalzire si m-am aliniat la start pentru a porni cat mai din fata. Punctual, s-a dat si startul si lumea a pornit in forta, noroc cu masina politiei care mergea in fata, de data asta cu viteza decenta. Au oprit masini pe unde apareau, pe drumul principal, pe drumuri laterale, THANKS POLICE!! Dupa vre-un kilometru de asfalt s-a urcat brusc in padure, aici am avut ceva probleme cu cei din fata, ca era inghesuiala si trebuia sa cobor de pe bike. Dupa ce am urcat s-a dezlantuit iadul. A venit o urcare mai mult fals-plata, si fiecare rula in viteza. N-am avut ce face, n-am vrut sa raman in urma, am incercat sa-mi gasesc ritmul cu care puteam sa tin pasul. Spre norocul meu m-am adaptat repede si am inceput chiar sa depasesc oameni, fara ca sa depun un efort prea mare. Am mai fost si eu depasit, dar eu aveam cativa concurenti in tinta si pe ei vroiam sa-i las in urma sau macar sa-i ajung din urma. Urcarea asta mi-a placut cel mai mult, pentru incalzire a fost suficient. Spre norocul meu la coborari mai ajung din urma pe cativa concurenti iar la urcari am incercat sa ma tin cat mai aproape de ei. Undeva la kilometrul 20-25 l-am ajuns pe un concurent de la Tibiscus, prima data credeam ca e Pantani. A avut ceva probleme tehnice cred, si dupa ce a urcat pe bike a pornit sa recupereze locul pierdut. M-am tinut dupa el ca doar nu o sa las o sansa ca asta sa treaca pe langa mine, si imi simteam si picioarele capabile sa tine ritmul. Ma bucura si faptul ca nu eram in aceiasi categorie deci o sa ne ajutam, facand schimbul la trena. Dupa vreo 2 kilometrii am ajuns intr-un sat, pe numele Comsesti, mergeam cu viteza destul de mare, si dintr-o data o explozie ciudata. Nu-mi venea sa cred, anvelopa din spate s-a spart in lateral. Era un cauciuc nou, dar model vechi. Din pacate am optat pentru varianta asta din doua motive, model nou e scump, si ce aveam in dotare era prea folosit deja pentru terenul maratonului. A mai aparut inca o problema, mi-am lasat pompa in masina, da Murphy atotputernicule, trebuie tot timpul sa te arati, chiar si cand n-am pompa. Satenii au fost foarte ajutatori au sarit una doua, sa ma ajute, mi-au adus pompa dar din pacate cu valva de masina :(. Dar cum treceau concurentii, un prieten de a lui Radu Vadan mi-a aruncat pompa lui, deci am fost salvat. Repede am cerut un cutit, mi-am taiat camara veche, am scos valva si am lasat ce a ramas in anvelopa sa pot sa pun alta camera. Am uflat roata si am vazut ca iese putin camera pe gaura dar o sa ma tina pana la punctul de alimentare. Am pornit si lent, lent am ajuns la PA 2, vroiam sa abandonez ca doar am pierdut locuri bune. Cei de la PA mi-au zis ca ori ma intorc ori continui drumul ca doar sunt la cel mai indepartat punct al concursului. Sah, Mat! Am vrut sa abandonez, vroiam sa-mi las bicicleta, pur si simplu am pierdut prea mult. M-am hotarat, ma duc la urmatorul PA si o sa vad de acolo ce fac. Am mers incet dupa care am vazut ca roata nu se dezumfla si chiar se tine bine. Am ridicat ritmul, si am inceput sa revin in cursa, am depasit cativa concurenti, am inceput sa sper ca daca nu o sa fiu in top 10 macar sa termin in top 15. Ajuns la urmatorul PA, am alimentat cu apa si am continuat. Well dupa o ora de pedalat s-a rupt filmul si au inceput sa ma doare mainile de la arsuri m-am simtit putin ametit, dar am continuat. Cu gelurile eram foarte atent ca terminam apa foarte repede, si nu puteam sa inghit oricand un gel. La fiecare 50 de minute cate unul, am ajuns sa terminat 3 pliculete, ca restul nu-mi venea sa inghit. Am continuat traseul n-am mai vrut sa abandonez, vroiam doar sa termin. Soarel m-a stors de-a totului. Am oprit la umbra unui tufis si am stat intins un pic. Mi-am revenit, am continuat. Am mai avut urcarea infernala a traseuilui, incredibil de abrubt, WOW. Oare a fost cineva care a pedalat pe partea asta? Probabil. Trebuia sa ma opresc la o umbra, tot veneau oamenii si ma intrebau daca ma simt bine si sa cheme ajutor, am zis, vreau doar sa termin. Interesant a fost ca tot mai multi oameni ma recunosc, si ma-u strigat pe nume. Dupa 10 minute de odihna, am continuat si am inceput ultima coborare a traseului, frumos cum a descris si LEVI. Si asa am terminat in 5:32 un traseu de 72 de km si 2300 m diferenta de nivel, pe locul 21 la categoria mea si 53 overall. Nu sunt mandru de mine si de rezultat dar am invatat 2 chestii importante, sa iau mereu cu mine pompa, si urcarea pe bike Cyclocross style ca doar erau portiuni de push-bike.
Organizare buna, semne-marcaje din belsug, puncturi de alimentare bine aprovizionate, vreme buna o duminica reusita.
Multumesc Horatiu si Alin pentru logistica, mersi Ioana pentru sustinere morala, mersi Eli pentru geluri, Gabor pentru filmari. A fost un concurs GREU.
I thought it would be another marathon, only the longer one this time. It is my second attempt to finish a long-distance marathon. Well, I did it at last.
First to mention, that almost all week an infection affected my training, I actually canceled 2 of them. Till Saturday I did not managed to pedal. Sunday morning at 7:30 with Horatiu and Alin, both sensation-hunters, and my girlfriend went to Cluj. The journey to Cluj passed quickly, we arrived safely and I ran to the registration tent, got a peek in to the mall, then I changed into race-costume. Eli from Marossport helped me with some energy gels, it's really hard to find some in this area, thenafter he gave me a GPS device, i was followed during the race. I did some warm-up exercises, after it I lined up to start. At eleven o'clock sharp, we had the start and the competitors started in force, luckyily that the police car went before, this time with decent speed. They stopped every car that appeared on the main road or side road, POLICE, THANKS! After one kilometer of asphalt the frontgroup has skyrocketed in the woods, where we had some problems with some guys in the front, it was crowded and had to get off the bike. After we got there the hell unleashed, and everybody ran at a high pace. I had to do the same, I wanted to stay behind them, I tried to find my rhythm and pace so I could keep up. Luckily, I quickly adapted and began to pass some riders without much effort. The climbing that came I liked most, it was enough for my warm up. Luckily on the descents i cought up on some competitors and then on climbings I tried to keep as close as possible to them. Somewhere at 20-25km I got behind a rider from Tibiscus, Pantani!! was my first thought, but it was one of his teammates. He had some technical problems I think, and after he got on the bike, we started to recover the positions he lost. I kept it after him, i had a good opportunity, and my legs felt able to keep the pace. The rider wasn't in my category, so we could help each other, sharing the trail. After about two km we reached a village, Comsesti, at very high speed, and suddenly a strange explosion. I couldn't believe it, my rear tire burst on the side. It was a new tire, but an old model. Unfortunately i opted for this for two reasons, the new model is expensive, and the one i had already was too used for this marathon. Then a small problem appeared, I left the pump in the car, so "Murphy Almighty", do you have to show yourself at any possible occasion, even when I forget my pump? The villagers were very helpful, and jumped in a second to help me, gave me a pump but unfortunately the valve did not match. But as riders went by, a friend of Radu Vadan threw me his pump, so I've been saved. Quickly I asked for a knife, I cut the old tube, I pulled the valve and put the new one inside right next to the old one, so it won't explode again. I inflated the wheel and saw that the rubber has a little cut on the sidewall, but the tube isn't gettin out so I continued till the closest feed point. I arrived slowly to CP 2, I just wanted to abandon. Most of the guys from CP2 told me that i could go back or continue the track because i was at the farest point of the race. Checkmate! I decided to go to the next CP and from there i'll see what im gonna do. I went slowly, but then I saw that the wheel does not deflate. I lifted the pace, and started back in the race, I passed some riders, I hoped that i will be in top 15 at the end of the race. Arrived at the next CP, I supplied myself with water and continued. Well after an hour of riding, the film broke and my hands started to burn and to hurt, I felt a little dizzy, but I continued. Till then, I took the gels very carefuly, but finished my water very quickly, and I could not swallow any gel after that hour. I went on, thenafter I've never wanted to abandon , I just wanted to finish. The sun squeezed everything out of me. I stopped in the shade of a bush and stretched a bit. I stood up, then I continued. I had a hellish last steep climb, WOW. Did someone, ride on this climb on the bike? probably! I had to stop in the shadow, many riders came and asked me if I felt good and should they call for help. I just wanted to finish.It was a bit akward that more and more people recognize me, and I call me by name. After 10 minutes of resting, I continued and started the final descent, beautiful as described and by LEVI. And so I finished in 5:32 a route of 72 km and 2300 m height difference, 21st in my category and 53 Overall. I'm not proud of myself and the result, but I learned two important things, next I'll take the pump with me, and managed to hop on the bike cyclocross style.
Good organization, plenty of signs and markings, well supplied feed zones, good weather and a successful Sunday.
Thanks Horatiu and Alin for the logistics , thanks Ioana for supporting me moraly, thanks Eli for the carbo-gels, Gabor for filming. It was a tough race.
I thought it would be another marathon, only the longer one this time. It is my second attempt to finish a long-distance marathon. Well, I did it at last.
First to mention, that almost all week an infection affected my training, I actually canceled 2 of them. Till Saturday I did not managed to pedal. Sunday morning at 7:30 with Horatiu and Alin, both sensation-hunters, and my girlfriend went to Cluj. The journey to Cluj passed quickly, we arrived safely and I ran to the registration tent, got a peek in to the mall, then I changed into race-costume. Eli from Marossport helped me with some energy gels, it's really hard to find some in this area, thenafter he gave me a GPS device, i was followed during the race. I did some warm-up exercises, after it I lined up to start. At eleven o'clock sharp, we had the start and the competitors started in force, luckyily that the police car went before, this time with decent speed. They stopped every car that appeared on the main road or side road, POLICE, THANKS! After one kilometer of asphalt the frontgroup has skyrocketed in the woods, where we had some problems with some guys in the front, it was crowded and had to get off the bike. After we got there the hell unleashed, and everybody ran at a high pace. I had to do the same, I wanted to stay behind them, I tried to find my rhythm and pace so I could keep up. Luckily, I quickly adapted and began to pass some riders without much effort. The climbing that came I liked most, it was enough for my warm up. Luckily on the descents i cought up on some competitors and then on climbings I tried to keep as close as possible to them. Somewhere at 20-25km I got behind a rider from Tibiscus, Pantani!! was my first thought, but it was one of his teammates. He had some technical problems I think, and after he got on the bike, we started to recover the positions he lost. I kept it after him, i had a good opportunity, and my legs felt able to keep the pace. The rider wasn't in my category, so we could help each other, sharing the trail. After about two km we reached a village, Comsesti, at very high speed, and suddenly a strange explosion. I couldn't believe it, my rear tire burst on the side. It was a new tire, but an old model. Unfortunately i opted for this for two reasons, the new model is expensive, and the one i had already was too used for this marathon. Then a small problem appeared, I left the pump in the car, so "Murphy Almighty", do you have to show yourself at any possible occasion, even when I forget my pump? The villagers were very helpful, and jumped in a second to help me, gave me a pump but unfortunately the valve did not match. But as riders went by, a friend of Radu Vadan threw me his pump, so I've been saved. Quickly I asked for a knife, I cut the old tube, I pulled the valve and put the new one inside right next to the old one, so it won't explode again. I inflated the wheel and saw that the rubber has a little cut on the sidewall, but the tube isn't gettin out so I continued till the closest feed point. I arrived slowly to CP 2, I just wanted to abandon. Most of the guys from CP2 told me that i could go back or continue the track because i was at the farest point of the race. Checkmate! I decided to go to the next CP and from there i'll see what im gonna do. I went slowly, but then I saw that the wheel does not deflate. I lifted the pace, and started back in the race, I passed some riders, I hoped that i will be in top 15 at the end of the race. Arrived at the next CP, I supplied myself with water and continued. Well after an hour of riding, the film broke and my hands started to burn and to hurt, I felt a little dizzy, but I continued. Till then, I took the gels very carefuly, but finished my water very quickly, and I could not swallow any gel after that hour. I went on, thenafter I've never wanted to abandon , I just wanted to finish. The sun squeezed everything out of me. I stopped in the shade of a bush and stretched a bit. I stood up, then I continued. I had a hellish last steep climb, WOW. Did someone, ride on this climb on the bike? probably! I had to stop in the shadow, many riders came and asked me if I felt good and should they call for help. I just wanted to finish.It was a bit akward that more and more people recognize me, and I call me by name. After 10 minutes of resting, I continued and started the final descent, beautiful as described and by LEVI. And so I finished in 5:32 a route of 72 km and 2300 m height difference, 21st in my category and 53 Overall. I'm not proud of myself and the result, but I learned two important things, next I'll take the pump with me, and managed to hop on the bike cyclocross style.
Good organization, plenty of signs and markings, well supplied feed zones, good weather and a successful Sunday.
Thanks Horatiu and Alin for the logistics , thanks Ioana for supporting me moraly, thanks Eli for the carbo-gels, Gabor for filming. It was a tough race.
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