LifeInLine - Trebisov 2009

After the Junior Championships were finished, we've slept in Jaszbereny, in a very pleasant student hostel (we = Peter, FT, SSz and me). Then next morning we started at about 7AM and drove 200+ km to Trebisov, Slovakia. The NESTLÉ LifeInLine Tour series' next stop was held there (you can use Google Translate to read the site, I use it myself, too. Sometimes you have to switch between Slovak or Czech as the source but it gives quite a good result.). I am quite envious the folks in those countries have a race series like that.

We arived there at about 10:30 so we had quite some time for registration and skating around on the closed roads. The track itself was 3.2km long, a 4 lane avenue, on one end a roundabout, the other end signed with a buoy. The finish area was about in the middle, there was chip timing. The asphalt was quite OK, but there were numerous cracks (all marked with yellow by the organisers), and you had to pass two pedestrian crossings, too, 2 * 5m of clinker blocks.
The town itself is - not pretty. Sorry, but that is the truth. There are concrete block type houses everywhere and you can feel that economy is not strong here only by looking around. But on the positive side, there were lots of trees and people were friendly.

Peter had a 1km race, a bunch start of 19 right at noon. The 7-9 year old girls and boys all raced together but results were given separately. He was a little bit embarrassed first to start in such a 'big' crowd but then I saw he turned more confident by the start. In fact there was some scrum when the gun was shot but he managed well. At the first turn he was 3rd, at the 2nd he was 2nd and finished 4 seconds behind a girl, who started really really well, avoiding the scrum. Anyway, it meant he earned gold in his own category \o/




Then there was a 3km race for 1o-13 year old ones, where FT and a (very strong and talented) guy from TDKE Tatabánya, FP started. They had 2 laps to cover, FT was leading all the way until the last turn where FP rocketed away from behind and won overall. Behind him came a guy and then FT as 3rd and a girl, all within 1 second.




The 5km race I did not see but FP's brother, FM finished 3rd.

Then we had some free time while the kid's ceremonies were held, and then while there was a 10km race. We met IR senior and his son, IR junior and made the sr forget about all the knee problems, sore muscles and enter the half-marathon :) I think he can finish a HM even when asleep so he only needed some kick-in-the-a**.

So off the HM went at 14:30, about 100 starters, in clear and sunny weather, I guess it was about 30C. I started 'fast' only to be able to find me a good group and try to draft in there. Well that was a plan. And nothing goes by the plan... I couldn't hold on to any of the groups, the IR family and FT were well ahead, while SSz was some places behind me.
After the first lap I felt I was goind to die :( It was hot, I had no strength in my legs, I was very tired and had 6 more laps to cover etc etc. Then SSz arrived from behind when 1.5 laps were gone, and I could get behind her and draft there for 2 laps, but lost contact with her after a turn and couldn't get back. So there I was again alone, half of the race still left. I saw IR jr fighting in the lead group and FT sitting comfortably somewhere in the middle of the main pack.
Then - deus ex machina - came EL from behind and I could hold on to him and spent the next 2.5 laps there. Once I tried to overtake him and lead a bit but we both had to realize that won't work. I was simply too weak. In the last half lap I even lost his draft and had to cover the last km alone but I was extremely happy to finish at last. I couldn't even say thank you to him but waved something thankful I think. So EL, here it is: Thank you very very much _o_

Bad news - EL is 65 this year. I was able to draft behind a 65yr old man. Call that a big step forward...
IR jr finished 3rd (36:42), 1st in his age category, IR sr 48th (42:37), FT 52nd (44:14), SSz 93rd (56:48) and me #95 (59:09). In the morning I would have been happy with 59:09, and now, some days gone, I am happy. But there I felt totally worn and eradicated. Results here (zeny - women, musi - men, detky - kids).

Organisers were nice, refreshments were fine and many, atmosphere was warm - everything fine. Except my performance :) Then we had a 450km drive home, went uneventful luckily.

Peter is already telling me we should go to the next stage in September. Well I can understand - what else does a kid need on the podium than a gold medal and 1/2 kg of chocolate? :)

You can find more photos here.