January Retrospect, with pictures:

bloody winter...

I'm starting to feel some sort of anxiety; i figured there's one thing I really want - and that's spring. 

Just started my last semester here in Pécs, only four course seperate me from graduation, which is nice. There's a three weeks traineeship included in my syllabus, and it's happening right now, and I find the first day very enjoyable. I won't talk about that much, actually I won't talk about it at all.

There were some issues with the running story of mine, as I probably  run too much suddenly out of thin air a month ago. But it's just some muscle strain by my right tibia, and it's justkind of annoying, not very painful fortunately.

Even so, I managed to run an avarage 30-35k every week in january, finished the month with 125k. That's not that much, but there were some harsh winter (it's still out there) and a shitload of exams as well.

One thing I figured about my running, that I'm getting kind of faster, at least compared to my pervious performance. Oh, got a new shoe as weel: it's the latest edition of the Asics Fujitrabuco. Frankly, it really please me feet after 500k in a Saucony ( which eventually overdid my pervious expectation by good deal, I have to tell.) - Asics shoes got some serious cushioning, that I am almost obsessed with :)

I registrated to MB Trail; which gonna happen this year at the 18th of April. 56k with 2700m  D+, crossing the entire Mátra mountains, with a comfy cut-off time of 10 hours.  I'm not really a race-person, but I had to give some shape to this running-thing. 

Today I commited the first run of the month, and also the my first half-marathon for this year. There's a truckload of snow in the higher areas of the Mecsek, that I wasn't entirely aware of. I didn't meet a single person, there were long kilometers without a single human trail in the snow, which is nice! 

I have to tell, it was all joy till the 15th km, after that I got kind of leery, and finally, my legs did not liked the downhill-run for 6k continously, loosing almost 500 meters straight away at the end.

To draw the lesson, I should eat more than 200 calories next time till midday, if I want to run that much again in one go. And I have to practice the downhills, as it happens sometimes, I really can smash my thighs on steep tracks. In turn, I'm satisfied with my uphill performance, not just today, but in the past month as well: can manage to find a comfy pace, around 7-7,5 mins/km, up to a steepness of 100-120 meters/kilometer. As it turned out, there's no problem with that pace even in 5k/500m D+. Unfortunately there's not much longer uphill tracks around me at the moment with that steepness, but very likely I wouldn't be able to hold onto that pace much longer than 40 mins.

Finally, here's some picture, that I captured on the fly today:

End of holiday depression...again...

Every 'two-weeks-of-resting-and-doing-practically-nothing' must come to an end. I knew that, when it started, at the 17th of Oct.

I worked a bit last week again, on thuesday-wednesday-thursday, only to make a bit-of-a side money for november. I rode to work and back every day, that's totalled up to nearly a 100k in 3 days, with some serious hill-climbing included.The shortest route from work to home ends in a jawdroppingly steep little street, with 15% avarage steepness for 500 m. The real climb starts 1.5 km earlier, makes us alltogether 2k with 200m D+ to climb, which is not that easy at all. Stunningly beautiful cardio-training, I tell You that.

A day rest, and 1st of November came - and with it, the Piros85 as well. I woke up at 4:30, drop in a coffee, and 5:15 cought me on the bus already on my way to the start at the 3rd district of Budapest.
I pre-arranged everything, so all I had to do, is to drop my bag to the truck and grab my itinerary for the trip. 88k with 3200m D+ were waiting for me for the 7th time in the last 8 years.

I started out strong, did three geocaches during the first 10k and reached the CP in the village of Dömös, by the Danube river at 10:40 with a time of 4:20 (29k w 1000mD+) That's a fast walking pace, my very own I'd say - I mean it's comfortable for me. I met a guy just before the village, and from there we gone together for the rest of the day. There came a major climb to Dobogókő, followed by a basically sloping 17k, the next major CP with soup, and restplace (54k with 2000m D+).  My time was 8:25, which was promising. There's a time, when one starts to count the minutes remaining till nightfall. I secretly wanted to reach the village of Nagykovácsi (66k) - and that we easily achived later on. That was the last warm place before the night, set in the parish of the Calvinistic community of the village. There're tea, and home-made chocolate and cheese from Erdély, and a warm place to sit down. The temperature started to drop rapidly as the night set in, but we had to carry on, as the remaining part was only 22k. Practically, we did not sit or rest much during the last 4 hours, thanks to the 3-4 degrees outside temperature.
The last few climbs were as easy as the first ones, that I mainly thanked to the constant pace we kept all day; we even outrun a couple of trail runners running walking strolling upway to the last hill before Budaörs, where we finally finished at 9:05 pm; with a total time of 14:40. For the seventh time, but only the third best time overall for me.

Bit of pain, bit of joy, bit of tiredness, but nothing that kicked me off my feet - am I bored of this? As a matter of fact, seventh time the same route might got me bored...

Following day (Sunday the 2nd) a half-maraton happened to be on trail, with a 1000m D+ together with my Darling, and Sophie, our puppy :)

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...

Back in business

Sooo, it's absolutely tipical: i did make a post about the rebirth of this blog, but after that: i didn't give a shite again for a year and a half.

Let me try this thing one more time:the news from september coming right up is a small kind of river novel:

Firstly: We got those bikes we're talking about for a while to all people around available: only a day between the two parcel, the landed in Budapest safe and sound. Mine got a nice bit of a tour across Europe, about 2500 miles from Liverpool to Germany, after for a short appereance in Denmark (???) just to get back again to the exact same warehouse in Germany. After kicked over to Austria, and in the end, to Hungary. All that within 8 working days.

For those, who wondering: these are two Viking bikes from the UK. You may wonder, why on earth we ordered them from a store 1300 miles from our home...The reason is prosaic as it looks: half the price compared to one brand new road bike available in Hungary.

But the road not as smooth as it looks like. There are some problems, sequentially:         with the front and rear derailleur - fortunately not in one bike - there was a slightly crooked front rim, and cogset, and alltogether a fucked up threaded rear hub. Also, there's a slight problem with the same model's chainset as well, which appears to be a bloody basic model - suggested to change it to something more durable, but reasonably priced model - maybe some kind of a Shimano  Tiagra or Sora model.


Essentially we've to change a half wheel in 'Lilla' (the given name of the girl's model - it's a Viking Girondelle btw); mainly because it doesn't make sense to change some basically outdated part to the same outdated part - so the new ought to be new in every way. So it would be a casette freehub for the rear wheel or nothing at all.

Thats gonna be roughly another 100 quid for Lilla to be rideable safely, which is maybe not that huge pile of money, but way enough to spend to a brand-new bike - which supposed to be able to ride out from it's own box...Damn.



The other one (this was the travelling kiddo across Europe) is going allright for now, needed only a slight adjusting on the derailleurs, which is totally basic for a bike after unboxing.

Summaraly we got two really good bikes build on lightweight aluminium frames what could be a decent starting point to built an awesome machine eventually. Until then, they roll way better than the old CzechSlovak frames did, lighter than those were, and holds more opportunity than those did. Last but not least, they look awesome - there's paint everywhere it's supposed to; with a nice polished finish (that wasn't a sure thing for the oldies)

Alltogether we're proud owners of two Vikings, that we have faith in to be a good partner for at least the next decade. For someone, who just got into road biking, these are a reasonable choice - i do not believe that it's wise to start out with a £1000 racemachine for the first bike.

Thats for now, i donwanna overdo this blogging thing already.
But one more thing: there'll be posts probably in english, and sometimes in hungarian as well. Sorry for that in advance.:)

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