Závist Trail Run
27. 12. 2017
The third Advent Sunday me and Robert ran in the Závist Trail Run. It was beautiful running weather with temperature around 0 °C. There was excellent coffee and goodies from the promoters. Mums welcomed us all. Each of us entered the race with his own ambitions. My goal was the tenth place and run faster than last year.Robert‘s goal was to race a times around 1:25 (about 20th place).
However after the start I was placed around the 12th position. Until in Závist we were wrestled for the 10th and 11th position.In Jarov I increased my speed and momentum focusing on the vision of the approaching finish line. As I ran down from Jarov to Zálep I out ran a limp guy in front of me and pursued the next racer. He resisted me and I finished in 9th place at time of 1:19:21.
Robert: At the outset I ran the race swiftly. On the track I was checking my pre-calculated time intervals to know how it was going. At first I ran a long straight so I hurried (about 3:45/km). The beginning of a run was euphoric. I had enough strength so I restrained myself to not over do it .The first run and the subsequent straight were not so swift, but I tried to keep at least some pace. Running down to the Károvské údolí (valley) which is steep, we had a morning warning from the promoters that there will be a lot of slipping on the stones and the moss ,so I needed to be careful.
Then I ran through ravine around Lhotský potok (brook). For me perhaps the most beautiful section of the route, but one of the most challenging. Undulating and muddy terrain ensured that energy was on the decrease quickly every step I took. A reward for this misery was a beautiful outlook: "Hadí vyhlídka (Snake Lookout)". Honestly I didn‘t delight with it much, but I did not miss the 3-second view of the Károvské údolí (valley);). The subsequent straight was slow (the goal for the coming season is clear: to improve my speed). At the beginning of the running down to Zbraslav one of the volunteers shouted at me: "Give yourself to it! Give yourself to it! TOP 20 in range!" This support gave me a lot of energy and running down quickly passed.
On the straight around the Zbraslav Mini Zoo, two guys ran around me. I was angry at myself again that I did not train enough through those intervals in the summer. At the refreshments I had a still 40 seconds time interval to my credit. After a few gulps of sweet hot tea and encouraged by from friend of Jirka, I powered-hike the longest climb on the track (Závist). After several meters, the first woman (Petra Kotlíková) ran around me and I suspected that it would be good to follow her because she had the upper hand in the hills. I also knew that the first woman is usually at the finish at about 1:25, which was my goal. So I plucked up the courage and ran the other two hills, keeping in close proximity of this lady.
In the last rocky and serpentine stage running down to the Jarovské údolí (valley) mouth, I was fully focused on the terrain and trying to run as fast as possible. This particular passage is one of the highlights of the local track. I checked time interval and knew that only 2.5 km was left to the finish. Since it was no longer worth saving spare energy, I ran at full speed to the finish. At the last straight stretch I ran alone, no longer with visual contact with the competitors before or behind me. Running to the finish was very fast, of course :) in order not to blame myself for any extra seconds. In the upshot I finished in the 18th position with a time of 1:25:29. I was satisfied!
We both enjoyed the race (Me and Robert) from the beginning to end. Even so no bigger crisis had come. After the race we cantered together and cheered along the track racers running to the finish. We also talked about the past and the coming season. The third year of Závist Trail Run was behind us. It was again a very nice racing Sunday.
Robert Sedlák and Alois Kuna / Kilpi Racing Team