Bucharest International Half Marathon 2012

I consider myself to be a mountain runner and even though I train all year mostly on flat, because I live in Bucharest, my body constitution helps me to be a good mountain runner. In October last year I ran my first flat half marathon, in Bucharest, at Bucharest International Marathon one week after Piatra Craiului Marathon. That race was totally unexpected for me and ended up with a decent result. When I heard about the Bucharest International Half Marathon I decided to run here and made it one of my big events for the first part of the year. My training was build up for this event and a new PB on the half marathon distance.

My training went well after the surgery in November and except a 3 week injury (shin splints) everything was going well and on schedule for the half marathon. Not even the face that one week before the race I ran Hercules Marathon should have mattered because I was feeling strong. My goal for this race was to run 4min/km and that would have meant a time around 1h 25 min or even less. The week before the race was the first recent week in Romania when I was happy that the weather is not very sunny, but to my surprise on race day I woke up and the sky was clear and the temperature was close to 26 degrees at 9 in the morning. I decided not to wear a cap (probably my first and biggest mistake). I started the race somehow a bit faster than the average pace I wanted to run this race but managed to keep it up very good, finishing the first 10.5 km loop at 4:01 min/km together with Florin Totalca. I accelerated a bit after the start of the second loop (probably my second mistake of the day) and when I came out of the shade, on the boulevard to Unirea, the sun got to me and I started filling dizzy. I stopped for a moment to drink some water and at that moment I thought I will be fine, because the next kilometer was again very fast so my morale was up again. On the climb on Victoriei Boulevard I was Ana Rodean and calculated the time difference between us and I was again in my time for the race. After I turned on Victoriei something started feeling wrong again, my head was exploding and I started feeling dizzy again and my eyes saw the road in a blur. I knew something was very wrong and stopped again for some water and also to take my compression calves off because I just couldn`t stand anything on me at that moment even though all the race I pored water on my head and feet trying to prevent over heating. The part on Spaiul Unirii was a total hell for me as I was running and stopping to walk because I was feeling close to fainting !I was lucky on this part because I had Stefan Petre (Saty) following me on the bike and he talked to me and encouraged me no matter what so I had to continue no matter how. A big thank you to Saty! I didn`t even had power to lift my hand to take a energy gel from him. It seems that at kilometer 19th I was still with a good time, close to my performance at Bucharest International Half Marathon but the last 2.2 km was more than hell. I was mostly running (probably) or running very slow because the pace for this 2 km was 5:41/km . I can`t remember very much from this part, only that I met Gabi Solomon but couldn`t say anything to him. I reached the last straight line to the finish more dead than alive and that last meters felt like a total damnation for me as the finish line seemed so far away. I finished in a time of 1h 30 min and 3 seconds. I needed some time after the race to get my self up on my feet. Only after the race I realized that I had heatstroke and that was why my body reacted so bad this time. I need to thank all of those people who cheered for me on the race and I want to tell them I am sorry I didn`t respond but now you know why..

I have to thank my coach Emil Stanila who guided my steps this past months and also to Andra Ologu who is a great friend and she knows why! Now it is time to focus on mountain running and finishing my final paper for school. I want to get my revenge on the half marathon distance but I don`t know when and where this will happen but for sure it will!

RESULTS BUCHAREST INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON

The Way To RUN: Hercules Marathon 2012 !

After the awful week that ended up in failure at EcoMarathon, I really doubted myself and my capability to run a mountain marathon. I wanted to prove it to myself that Moeciu was only a bad moment in my life. I registered for Hercules Marathon with the sole idea to give it all my best, even though I trained very hard for the next weekend: Bucharest International Half Marathon.
So there I was on the road to Baile Herculane with Dan, Alex and Ana. I didn`t feel nervous but at the moment I reached the place where we took our bibs I started feeling pressure in my mind and body. The next morning I was ready to start and this time things didn`t feel bad in my mind and body, on the contrary I was feeling calm and strong. I started fast and I was in the second pack when the climb started. My objective was to be in the top 10 and not get beaten up by the mountain running legend Emanuela Brizio! All the race I felt strong and confident and ran most of the uphill parts. All the race I felt the pressure of Emanuela even though I knew she was some way behind. It was also really nice to ran and talk with Balan and Marius Roca. After 30 km I passed Marius and Balan was in front and I couldn`t see him anymore. I was alone and tried to run as hard as I could both downhill and uphill. 5km before the end, where the last downhill starts I saw Emanuela Brizio, around 2 min behind me and from that point I pushed very hard on the downhill even though my fingers were hurting very bad because of the socks that were destroyed during the race. In the last part of the downhill I was running and crying, something like a release of emotions that were inside me since EcoMarathon!
I finished the race with the time of 4 hours 42 mins and 31 seconds, 8th in the OPEN category and 5th in my age group, under 1 hours of my friend Ionut Zinca who won again with style and in front of Emanuela Brizio. Now I only hope to receover fast so I can run as good as I can at Bucharest International Half Marathon!
Also Daniel had a good race finishing 7th in the Half Marathonand Ana did good at her second attempt in a mountain competition. I am also very happy for my team mate Andreea Danila who took 3rd place in the  Half Marathon also.

See you out there!

Results Hercules Marathon 2012

FOR YOU ALL MOUNTAIN RUNNERS OUT THERE, I RECOMMEND RETEZAT TRAIL RACE , a race organized by some good friends: Lucian Almarii and Silviu Balan!The race promises to be very well organized with hard climbs and wonderful downhills!More info on the official web page: http://www.retezattrailrace.ro/ !