Apologies, but I got so overwhelmed with life over the last two weeks - i couldn't write a single letter.

Uni, trips, uni again, and after that: a puppy just bouncing into our lives - hell of a lot happened.

But no sidetracks, just the important things:

There was not much of running, just a little here and there; but a longer trip to the Bükk mountains made me forgot the choking threadmill of the weekdays.

38k, 1350 m D+ just within 8 hours - that was enough for that day, with a drive of 300k there-and-back again.

 And now, having a well-deserved holiday. Extended for myself for two total weeks. There's only 3 working days this week caused by the bank holiday on 23rd, Thursday. So I skipped the remaining 3 days; didn't even go back to Pécs at all.
First weekend of the holiday, for a starter, I grabbed my bike, got out from the city with train, and rode to the Börzsöny mountains for a short trip (32k w 1150 m D+). I run enough, to finish within 4 and a half hours from the start - only to got back on the saddle and rode back to Vác, to catch the train. (that's levels up to 50k on bike, and 32k on foot)




















Next morning, we were on our way to the Vértes mountains for a short little trip of another 32k. That trip was the first for me several years ago (exactly 11) and now i finished it for the 9th time, and with my best time overall: 5h40mins. I might add, that I never made a race out of this one.

Over the last week i registrated to a trip/race, or call it whatever, that ought to be one of the main events of this autumn for me - it's the 88k long Piros 85 (funny ol' world of names, is it?) That translates literally as 'Red 85', couse it's running on a course marked with red signs over the Pilis mountains. This edition's gonna be the 7th one for me, I did succeed  6 times already, and my PB is 11h 50mins from the year 2012.

So all my spare time over the bank holiday I tend to spend outdoors, in the woods - as much as possible. This autumn we've got this year is nice - not as colourful as it possibly could be -  but dry, warm, and sunny so far. The forecast says some cold, and rain, and wind for the next few days, and possible there'd be no more 20 degrees this year any more, but hell, that what autumn is for after all...

(a few pictures made during the first walks the little puppy managed to do with us - nice autumn, as i said. :) )

My best shots so far

I have to make something clear first. I do not run on tarmac on purpose. Never. That's sums up my first 10 rules easily. I never finished a single road race on foot. And as things going now, I don't see a chance of that ever happening.

Once, I did run 21k in the city, just to see how it goes.

Starting from the little ones.

Bests on dirt: 

100m: 12,6s

400m: 59,2s

800m: 2:32

12 mins: 3130m

My only ever 21k on tarmac: 1 hour 41 mins

And on trail:

Funrun from home: 4,75k/165 D+: 23m 35s

21k/790D+ : 2h 12m

33k/0D+, but on trail as well: 3h 30m

42k/2350D+ in winter (10cm snow, 8 degrees below zero): 6h 24m

50k/1345D+: 5h 55m

65k/2000D+: 9h 50m (also in winter, from Miskolc to Eger; crossing the Bükk mountains)

85k/3200D+: 11h 50m

100k/2800D+: 17h 30m

124k/6300D+: 24:36

160k/2100D+ 33h 15m

and the longest in one go: 206k/7300D+: 46h 15m, (over real savage terrain deep in the hills of: Zemplén, NE-Hungary.)

I wish I could throw away the clock...there are some who can, but I am not that good. For me, there must be some kind of record to conquer; as we count the distance, we do the same with the time.

These 'records' mainly made by walking. Few were a childplay,but others...well I really poured my blood into some of them. There's still, and always will be lot to learn, and to improve. I love nature, I love being out in the woods, enjoying the roads and trails and paths, spotting animals, be lost in admiration of the scenery,travelling to unknown parts of a(ny) country and mainly going great distances.
And I immediately knew that,back in 2003, when we set out for a hike with my schoolmates for the first time ever.

I'm not that runner person at all; I never become one of them - there's a million reason for that, but I'm not going into that now. I'm only running sometimes, mainly to develop better skills, stronger mind, and muscles to conquer greater goals, and longer distances. That is the thing to chase - the end, the border call it whatever: where the will-power fails to move on those legs- that's the thing I searching primarily. Not when one gives up - that's a different thing entirely.

But again: giving up...weakness or rationality - the eternal question - You have to decide for Yourself. But do not give a flying fuck on other people's judgement, or prejudice: there are certain situations, where You have to decide, not them, You are there not them, that's Your battle to fight, not theirs.

September ends already...

We got sick – together with half of this country as well– it's took already two weeks from our September. The worst part, that the weather was brilliant at some point, mainly when the sickness got worst.
But recovering feels exquisite – and that appears in my endurance fortunately.

September of '14 was special in many ways, some of them like:
1., I'm hopefully starting my last year (two semesters) studying here in Hungary;
2., It sucks being sick in the best Indian Summer imaginable...
3., And last, but not least: I started to taking seriously my training.

It's bit of a cross training actually - and I won't tell You the reason of my training - with trail-running, hiking, riding, among other activities, that coming by.
More precisely, from now on, I keep counting my runs, rides and so on. I move regurarly before that aggreement with myself; the only difference that I did not feel the urge to write about it. It makes me count, prepare, and I inspire myself more efficiently; and as a side-project, to improve my expressivness in english.
Also, I shall post my best times (so far) to start with - I'll do a little search around, and post it here soon.

As the cold sets in, there's even less climbing, than it was during summer.
I shall focus on running ,when I'm in Pécs: that'd be Monday to Thursday.
The Misina looks like a terrific opportunity, as it's standing right above the city. My usual route (I'd say that with bit of a pride, as I did run up there a few times already) is from the hostel on Jakabhegyi Rd is 4,2k long, with a climb of 390m.I did my so-far best time on that route last week, that I took as a sign of getting recovered from my sickness. I clocked on the top (and throw myself to the ground in a shadow of a young pine tree) with a time of 29:45, and finished the whole set in 51:20, with a minute brake on the top, that I spent wryly gasping for air.
I did thought a week before, when I finished just within the 1 hour mark with the same circle– that it is possible to go way within an hour, even to do the upway within a half hour. And here it is, a week later already: done.

On Thursday I had things to do in the city, so I rode about 30k, mainly in urban environment – it was terrible again – i do hate riding in the city, bypassing cars, buses, and all those ignorant bastards there.
Friday I still didn't feel well: running nose, bit of a coughing; and a painful visit at my dentist – I only got on the bike at nightfall, and rode 13k with 250 D+ in 32 mins, which showed exactly that I'm not allright at all, yet.
The next day, as we couldn't go for the hike we wanted – and I spent most of the morning blameing silently the highest bidder,who could be responsible for our sickness -  I decided to go for a longer run, than usually.
The hills aroung Budapest are highly convenient, and one could put together a nice steep circle on wish. That, i did not want to. My goal was, to run a distance equal of a half-maraton, in trails strictly. I thought about a route, which ought to do for the task. Then set out 1,5 hours before nightfall;  my refreshment: a handful of dried cranberries. Started slowly, but steadily: I did take the first two climbs very well, and hit the 1 hour mark with 350D+, and 9,7k. Two hard climbs followed, and finally I finished the 21,3k with 790 D+ in 2:12. I was sufficiently pleased with my performance, although my technique, and pace surely could develop. In the light of that, I shall run the exact same circle 3 weeks from the 4th of October, to see is there any development to achieve.
Later that evening I felt some stiff muscles, mainly in my thigh. I took two pills of Mg, some 800 mg – hence the next day I woke up as nothing'd happened 12 hours earlier.
There was a long waited climbing with my good Friend, that the weather was strictly washing away on Sunday morning. But there was some improvement, so we headed to the nearest craig, which happened to be limestone. Slightly wet limestone. It was fun, but I wasn't myself again – it looks like there must be a weak day stuffed between each strong ones unfortunately.

And, that's the story of my last week - now heading back to the uni, there's a test waiting on Thursday,so there won't be lot of moving until the weekend comes – the Saturday morning gonna find us at the foothills of my beloved Bükk...