"A trip as fuck this month, bro.. I hope
I haven't done some fucking stupid fuck up.."
Psychohygienic runs with my girls kept me in a somewhat normal state of mind, and when an announcement appeared on FB that the organizer of the Pohronský Inovec Marathon (which was canceled due to Covid measures on the original February date) would organize the Pohronský Inovec Marathon in the alternative date in March, with the addition that all the funds from the event will go to the MAGNA foundation - which, among other things, currently helps Ukrainians - my calves are immediately on fire and I welcome the vision of escaping into the world of normality with open arms. I wind up Majka and Maťa - she in turn winds up her Ondrašovska group.
On Saturday morning, we set of from Liptov in the direction of Nová Baňa in the number of 4 - me, Majka, Maťa and Mišo - he undertook to drive us all there, at least we will decrease our carbon footprint. The mood in the car is great and we are all looking forward to the event. I am especially looking forward to the spring temperatures, to have a great run and get to know another place in Slovakia. And of course all those meetings with fellow runners. That's so healing, mind you.... 😅
It's a pretty cold morning in Nová Baňa. Right at the parking lot, I meet the running moderator or moderating runner (depending on which event he is currently at) Ondro V. from Turiec (who, by the way - I will repeat myself - also puts Adela V. (a famous Slovak presenter) in his pocket with his presenting skills - I must admit this although I really like her very much). At the presentation, there is another bunch of acquaintances (Peťo, Lukáš, Soňa, Jérôme...), the atmosphere I was looking forward to. This is what I like about these races - no over-motivated individuals, everyone humble, down to earth, everyone wishes, encourages, supports everyone. Of course, the macaws, who are from another planet, go all out and win, but they still remain modest people who don't play for anything, at least that's how I see it. These macaws are also willing to take pictures with us - mortals, look:
 | From the left: Majo Priadka - winner of MPI and many many more races, Majka Kubová - fourth woman, myself, Maťa Bellušová - second woman, Mišo Húska - twenty-first man
I'm getting the poetic-lyrical-epic number 69, so I guess I'll have a good run with it today. It is still quite cold, so we are speculating on how to dress and what to pack with us. Those who went in shorts and a T-shirt right from the start did well. I'm shivering from the cold in my long sleeve at the start, but after 500 meters I throw it off, enjoying the uphill trot and finally the timidly warm rays of the sun.
 | Photo: Erika Jauschová
I don't track anything - neither kilometers nor time, I have no idea how many women are ahead of me or how many behind me - I don't want to deal with it, I just want to run my own race and pace and enjoy it. As always, actually. There is definitely Majka, Maťa, Soňa in front of me, I know that. I don't know about the others.
Before the start, Jérôme asked me what time I was guessing. I told him that I didn't know, about 5.5 - 6 hours. But he assured me that it was not possible, that I would definitely do it within 5 hours. Well, we will see. You never know what awaits you on such a route and what your body will surprise you with 😁 On the route, I was greeted by awakening nature, blooming lungwort everywhere, picturesque homesteads nestled among the hills and a pleasantly runnable trail with about two patches of snow/ice that were pleasantly cooling. Not like two weeks ago on my running adventure in Liptov (read here: Liptov running adventure)
 | Photo: me
According to the itinerary, there should be two proper check points with aid station, one secret check point and one self-check.
We pass the secret check point right after a few kilometers, which I immediately take advantage of and have a sip of Coke. Ľubka, pecking my card with her pincers, informs me that Majka is a little ahead of me and that I will catch up with her soon. Yeah, sure 😁 I don't trust her at all 😀 First of all - catching up with Majka is science fiction for me 😂 she must have been wrong, and secondly, I don't want to catch up with anyone.
I continue to climb through the forest and start running. I feel an influx of energy - either it's the Coke, or I have finally warmed up to the operating temperature, or the body asked for one of its intense ten-minute bursts it is used to from training. Or it's all together. Either way, as long as it goes, I go. And look, I'm really catching up with Majka. As it turns out, she's going uphill at half throttle after that virus she came down with a few weeks back. When she goes at half throttle, she goes roughly as fast as I do when I go at full throttle 😂 I'm doing fine now, however, and I pass her, but shout at her that she'll take me down anyway during downhill and that's what happened.
The slope of the hill soon reverses and she is snarling and rolling pass me like soaped lightning. In a little while, I don't even see her long blonde ponytail. I'd rather have a shot of glucose with a mint flavor, which btw is a complete top. This menthol flavor suits me, it brings energy and refreshment at the same time and leaves a pleasant taste in the mouth. You can find it in Dr.Max pharmacies. (note: this blog is NOT sponsored by mint flavored glucose from Dr.Max pharmacy. But it could be 😁)
 | Route
We run down through the forest and come to the meadows - there should be the self-check here somewhere - we are under Malý Inovec, right? I'm starting to feel pressured - what if I miss it? Won't notice it? Won't find it? And if so, will I be DSQ? I don't have one of those in my collection yet and I don't want to have it either... There are a lot of ribbons here, but the sign of self-check is nowhere to be found. I hope that Rado didn't hide the pincers somewhere like Olaf did on Pražská stovka 😆 (I only know from the story, I haven't been there yet, but my friend's friend's father's sister's horse's brother's friend was there, so it must be true). We have already gone around Malý Inovec and ran to Obycké luky, and the pincers are nowhere to be seen. And it didn't even seem to me that some runners who could be seen in the distance were clicking something somewhere. Then I got enlightened and got a great idea to look at the card with itinerary, where it was clearly written that the self-check would be at the 29th kilometer - from the opposite side of Malý Inovec. I'm relieved - I still have enough time for stress 😁
 | Profile
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The dirt road connects to the Záhradská dolina, where K1 Jaďová is supposed be at the 18th kilometer. Enjoying the spring, immersed in thoughts, on a short section I turn - or rather I forget to turn, but my watch immediately informs me that I'm off the route, and the girl and a guy, who were running behind me, shout that I'm off the track. So I cut it 10 meters through the greens and connect to the right path. Here I must point out that the entire route was excellently marked and it was impossible to get lost unless one was too busy admiring the surroundings or delving into one's thoughts.
 | Photo: me
 | Photo: me
 | Photo: me
At Jaďová, the big Miki Kéri himself is pinching my card 😎 as always, the tables are prepared with feasts from all over the world - I eat bread with Nutella, jam sponge cake, coke and fill up my soft flask with water. The run continues along the asphalt road that connects to Hlavná. After about 1.5 kilometers, we turn into Osná dolina and the ascent begins, initially very gently, but gradually turning into a fairly decent steep hill. We climbed 450 meters in eight kilometers. Majka later called it "Snotty Hill" because it dragged like a snot, really, yeah, yeah... so I'm climbing up, checking here and there on the maps where I am and how far I've moved to the top of the climb. It's desperate... I'm moving slowly, inches by inches, and there's no end to it. I pass Majka again, and we are both passed by a long-legged girl who is running beautifully today.
We are approaching the 29th kilometer, so it is time to start stressing again and looking for that self-check. However, it is not necessary to stress at all, because the self-check is marked in such a way that I would not miss it even if I was reversing backwards with blinded eyes. So I happily click the card and shuffle off running down the forest. Here somewhere, the organizer promised kilos of mud on the sneakers, but fortunately nothing like that happened - there was some mud, yes, but apparently most of it managed to dry out quite nicely over the past few days. Majka overtakes me again, we run out of the forest into the sunshine and trot between the houses on Drozdov. Just before Veľká Lehota, we turn right and K2 Štambrk (33rd kilometer) is already waiting for us in the meadow by the dirt road - the tent can be seen from afar and the volunteers cheer us on with loud shouts. The mood there, as always, is great.
 | Photo: me
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 | Photo: Erika Jauschová
 | Photo: Erika Jauschová
I grab something to eat, drink a coke and forget to refill water for the rest of the trip. When I realize it somewhere on the hill above the aid station, I recalculate... there are still 9 km to the finish line. If I now use my tried-and-tested drinking regimen - a sip of water at every kilometer, it should be just about enough to get me to the finish line - I hope there is enough water for nine sips in those soft flasks. So I don't let the sight of dehydration distract me and keep on drinking - beep and sip.
We swing over the last few humps and run into the forest. The last descent awaits us - a steep, about three-kilometer rocky trail, covered with leaves, and a stream is supposed to flow down the path. I imagine it something like this when we ran down Račkova dolina in June 2020:
Fortunately, it was only a small drying trickle of water on a stretch of about 100 meters. So, the last pitfall of the route is over. This whole steep descent is going really well for me. I'm bouncing along quite confidently on the leaf-covered rocks and some gentleman hangs behind me - running a constant 20-30 meters behind me, blowing his nose off at regular intervals. I'm careful not to twist my ankle while hopping on the stones, that would be really bad luck, three kilometers before the finish line.
We finally emerge at the first houses, and what do I not see - the gentleman from behind me has decided to start ahead. So first he lets the lady drag him through the whole long steep forest and then he overtakes her? Well, no way! I'll turn on my little turbine and start off sprinting - I'll flip him off again and won't let him in front of me anymore. But at the same time, I thank him for ensuring that I didn't slack off completely in the last two kilometers to the finish line and spared some seconds. The last section led via center of Nová Baňa through to the school. The city is small and nice, I like it. People are already sitting on the terraces of pastry shops and cafes, you can smell barbecue and sweet scents in the air - it's clear that spring is here 😍
The school building, which is the place of start and finish, is already in sight, and I don't stop, I don't stop, I go, I go, I go! I wave to Maťa and Mišo across the road, who finished in 4:20 and 4:27 respectively (Maťa as the second woman), Majka, having finished 5 minutes ahead of me, is cheering me just before the finish line and is taking pictures, I send her air kisses to the lens and run to the finish - the finish was at the table where the organizers were sitting and marked my number and time. Rado scanned the card to make sure I didn't miss any check points, and it was done. The last gulp of water just hisses in me - I calculated it quite accurately. My time is 4:53 and I am supremely satisfied and happy that we all successfully reached the finish line.
  | Photo: Majka
The guy in orange T-shirt is Ondro V. from Turiec
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 | | Photo: Peter Cagáň |
It was a great run and I really enjoyed it. The sixth place among women was quite pleasing 😍 those trainings, besides being fun, probably really work. We relax for a while at the finish line, munch on baguettes and the atmosphere, and finally head home. It's been a beautiful day and I thank everyone for it. The psychohygienic effects will persist for a long time. 
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