Malofatranská 100 2022 (112km / 7100m+), Terchová

My first official 100k race

Long story short, I made it!

Short story long...

This year I really wanted to run the Nízkotatranska stíhačka race (entire) and repeat Živloplaz - this time within a real race. I did the virtual race last year and I really liked it there. But man thinks, and war and mysterious civil affiliations (hereinafter c.a.) change...

For obvious reasons, Julka did not organize Živloplaz this year, she devoted her time and energy where it was most needed - as a volunteer at the Ukrainian border - and I thank her for that.

NTS did not organize this year due to the incomprehensible interference of the mysterious c.a., Nufia (name like baby pacifiers, but no one knows anything about this c.a....) to the process of obtaining permission. So what now? Where am I going to die this summer? I was thinking that I would run both routes just like that, alone, on my own, self-supported, or with someone who would join, but I would miss the racing atmosphere, the hype at the aid stations, the company of other runners... even though the quiet grounding energy of solitary runs has some value too.

I hushed the idea of registering for MF100 in the bud, but that seed didn't give up, it persistently sprouted in my head and, as Rudo Pado once said:

"And listen, listen really carefully to intuition. If you feel that now is the time for any kind of change, sports performance, go for it. The Universe itself is speaking to us through intuition, and it has been here a little longer than we have."

You have to go and fulfill your dreams here and now, because who knows what will happen tomorrow, in a year, or two... So I registered and the seed in my head grew into pure joy in my heart. I began to rejoice. I remembered my MF50 from three years ago and the reminiscent optimism reliably kicked in 😂 I longed again for the beauty of Little Fatra, for climbing Rozsutec, for a beautiful green ridge with its views, for both Velky and Maly Kriváň and the descent to Lipovec. Curiosity was awakening as to what it looks like on the other part of the ridge - I have never been there, not even as a hiker. Of course, I also had doubts - is it even reasonable to choose one of the harderst 100k races in Slovakia as your debut? Of course, it's unreasonable 🙆 better not try it at home 😂 luckily, there was someone to blame for any (un)success:

1. If I win (understand - I reach the finish line within the time limit and in good health), Julka Batmendijnová and c.a. Nufia are to blame.

2. If I lose (DNF or something..), point no. 1. applies

But you know, I've run 100km once, I've even run for 24 hours, I've also done a few longer runs (Ultrapunk85, Prešporský Ultrapunk) but what's too much is not enough! Never mind, I started preparing responsibly. I adjusted the well-started training even more - I included big climbs, runs in the mountains, intervals up steep hills, ran with a fully packed west - just like in a race, fine-tuned the replenishment of energy, went running at night with my group. I would like to thank my man for creating such an environment at home that allowed me to train as I needed and at the same time he didn't break up with me yet 😂 💗 I also take this opportunity here to greet my running mates - Janka and Janko F., Karin, Katka and Martin, Zuzka K., Myška and Martin, Veronika and, last but not least, the Ultra-Goddess Majka, who didn't try to dissuade me from this insanity, even though she certainly gave herself a mighty facepalm and thought to herself when I revealed my idea to her 😂

I read all possible reports from different editions of the MF100 race that I found on the internet and start to look forward to it even more. The only thing that bothers me is that unusual beats would come and that some annoying song would settle in my head, which would torture me for the whole 112 km (I don't listen to music while running, so sometimes it happens that some annoying song settles in my head and it tortures me all the whole time). I carefully studied the rules, mandatory equipment and especially the route. I will have it uploaded in my watch, but I so like to look at maps 😁 to my delight, there will be no self-checks on the route, so I don't have to stress about looking for ticks or other markers. A few days before the event, Janko F. is giving me some good advice - after all, he completed the route twice. All that remained was to taper, rest, pack up and go.

So much in a nutshell for the introduction 😁 Well - like race, like blog!

On Friday afternoon, I get into the car, pick up Majka in RK and we roll towards Terchová. We are staying in pleasant Janina's cottage, where, as we later find out, several fellow runners are spending the night, for example Katka and Martin and their friend Zuzka. The inspection of mandatory equipment is really strict - they check all items in detail - in the end, who wants to have ITRA points must not screw up the mandatory equipment. No one knows why a pen was included in the mandatory equipment, though. I guess we were supposed to be signing autograph cards on the ridge 😂

The presentation in Terchovec is followed by an obligatory dinner, a visit to metal Jánošík statue and some small socializing at the accommodation. The night is hot and restless, it is about 50 degrees in the room - we have the window open and there is a strong wind blowing that does not help me fall sleep. It is raining. It's pouring. There is lightning and thunder. According to the forecast, after weeks of heat, a cold front is expected to arrive, rain and storm at night, cloudy and cold during the day. The heat wave will return again on Sunday. As long as they don't give us those unusual beats - thunder and lightning - for Saturday all is good. And the cold weather is perfect for running. I'm calm, I don't feel any nervousness, as if I'm not even supposed to run my first 100k. I just imagine myself roaming the mountains all day and all night and I'm really looking forward to it.

In the morning, Majka and I move to the starting point - under the metal statue of Jánošík, where the starting gate of the Slovak Ultra Trail is already standing. We greet fellow runners, Lenka Sent asks me which route I'm doing (33km, 53km, and 112km were offered), I say one hundred. She rolls her eyes and blurts out something about a terrible downhill to Trebostovo - I'd rather put that comment out of my head right away 😆 She runs 50k and ends up at the podium as a second woman finishing in a spectacular time. We still have a few minutes for some small talk and wish ourselves a pleasant run. At the stroke of six we set off into the fog and damp cold, up the tarmac to Vrátná dolina. All three routes start at the same time, so we are quite a colorful mass, rolling at dawn. After about three kilometers, we turn onto the green trail, towards Sokolie ridge. I know that this first ridge is about 14 km long and 1200 meters of an ascent. Quite nutritious warm up for breakfast, I suppose. In one of the climbs, Born To Trail Vašek catches up with me - he runs 50k. We exchange a few words and I let him in front of me. Everything is going well - despite the cold fog it's somewhat stuffy and I'd rather hold myself back so I don't blow up right at the beginning, there will still be plenty of time to get smashed. Despite this, I come to K1 in Vrátná at the 14th kilometer 10 minutes earlier than three years ago. During the descent to Vrátná, we meet Peťo K. and ultraphotojournalist Rišo P., who immortalized me in such a beautiful photo:

There is a cheerful atmosphere at the aid station, I fill up my water, have a watermelon, kofola and a salty biscuit and finally wake up. Our Liptov gang Maťa, Michal, Matúš and Roman come a few minutes after me - apparently they missed the turn to Vrátna and ran a good distance further along the ridge before they realized that they were going wrong way. Maťa, however, gets off to a good start later, pulls off the loss and finishes as the first woman on the 100km route.

I continue jogging to Chata na Grúni and start to feel good. I'm at the hut in a moment, and in the next I'm in Štefanova. I remember that in 2019 it took me an awfully long time to get there... Someone shouts at me on the road, I have to focus a little and find out that it is Martin, yes, that Martin Hatala, the winner of BBBU 2022 and many other races, who is waiting for his Katka - she is running her first official 50k and she will do it like a pro with a lot better time than I did three years ago 👏 Although... it's true that I set the bar pretty damn low 🙆Martin immortalized me in such a beautiful photo:

From Štefanová, the route continues to Sedlo Vrchpodžiar and from there with the green trail to Sedlo Medzirozsutce - we avoid Jánošíkove diery and crowds of tourists on the ladders. I've never gone this way before and I like it here, it's a pleasant climb through nice forest. The Liptov gang MMMR catches up with me again and we climb up to Veľký Rozsutec together, debating about races, running shoes and all sorts of things. On the way up, photographer Lukáš Budinský emerged from behind the rock and immortalized me like so:

And there, before the turn to Sedlo Medziholie, someone shouts motivation slogans at me from the top of the rock - I focus my gaze up into the fog and discover that it is Born To Trail Jožko with Aďka Jogošíková. Well, what a surprise 😍 I'm very happy to see them (BTW, Jožko, I kept my promise from Strážovská 50 and I have my nails polished 💅 but only those on my feet 😂), we hug, exchange a few words and I start off the thick run to Medziholie. Aďka informs us that Majka is a short distance ahead of us (about 20 minutes). So far, we're not doing bad at all 😁 However, Majka is running for third place today and will improve her time from two years ago by 5 - literally five (!!!) hours.

Jožko and Aďka immortalized us in this video:

Thick downhill I go carefully, I don't want to get smashed in the first third of the race. Even the Liptov gang got away from me. Anyway, according to the segment on Strava, I did it faster than in 2019. It is cold in Medziholie at the 27th km, completely wet fog and an amazing aid station K2 💓 I replenish my calories and fluids, drink a Coke and start to climb to Stoh. I am accompanied by Jožko Okuliar. On the way, the best presenter Ondrej from Turiec, walks around us with his buddy and makes a complimentary remark about my muddy legs. Some people just know how to shred those compliments 😅 We're at Stoh before we know it and off we go down to the other side. The trail is dry, surprisingly, after the overnight showers. I say it out loud that it's a good thing this trail is dry, but I'm blushing... it turns into a mud slide where people slip and fall like rotten pears. I was hooked too. But in a moment we are at Stohove sedlo and soon climbing Poludňový grúň. Under the ground, a silhouette shouts at me again from the fog - I focus a bit again, and it's Katka's Martin waiting for her here. It's a nice boost, such encouragement on the track.

There is also another photographer, Michal Kostka, and he immortalized me like this:

A beautiful section follows, a runnable ridge with a traverse to Chata pod Chlebom. There are zero point zero point zero zero zero views and a cold wind is blowing. I don't even take out my camera... my hair is dripping with precipitation mist. Hikers are scattered here and there, today there are no crowds and that's nice. Traversing to the cottage, however, we are already getting to leeward. We run to K3 at Chata pod Chlebom (35.km) in a good mood and I am pleased to see familiar faces, the top Slovak ultra-running elites, who today stand on the other side of the barricade - as volunteers they fulfill every wish that they see in our mortal eyes. Soňa brings me soup, I give her the female version of the soup ticket - today the tickets are divided into male and female (wet, smeared and unusable, vs. dry, clean and neat - guess which are which 😁). She refills my water bottles, pours Coke, everyone is oozing with amazing energy. This is the aid station hype I mentioned at the beginning. The soup is excellent, it warms the stomach. By the way, I catch up with the Liptov gang here again, but only MMR. Maťa was already whizzing somewhere ahead towards the podium. Resting at Chata pod Chlebom was very refreshing 💗we continue to the next section. I need to pop off the track behind Veľký Kriváň, so the Liptov gang will run away from me again. No problem, I'm enjoying the solitary run along the ridge, it's beautiful here, even for a while the fog reveals beautiful scenery. This is my only photo from the Krivánská part 😂

I swing over Malý Kriváň and run to Sedlo Priehyb. I remember how I wasn't looking good here three years ago... today I am looking good and I run, feeling good, there has been no crisis yet. I know that I still have a long traverse under Suchý and a long section through the fairytale forest to the Chata on Kľačianská Magura ahead of me. Today, however, I am here a little earlier than last time, the individual sections go by faster and it is not yet dark. At the turn in Sedle Priehyb, the Hoštákovci sit and navigate runners so that they don't forget to turn off the red track and not continue along the ridge over Suchý vrch. It's great to get to know the people you follow on Strava and social networks like this in person 😊 one warms up immediately.

The traverse leads below Suchý vrch hidden in the fog and above the wilderness, a kind of mysterious forest, who knows what is hidden in it. Behind Sedlo pod Suchým I run into the woods, and it is truly fabulous, full of lush ferns and rich green colors. I feel like I'm in Lord of the Rings 💕The pure joy of running. At K4 at Chata na Kľačianská Magura (km 48) I pass Ondro, refueling the energy needed for the last descent to Lipovec. That is, the last one - well, as for whom. In Lipovec is the finish of the 33km and 53km route, as well as K5 for the 100km route. I visualize that in Lipovec I will eat, replenish my water supply, wash my feet, change into dry and clean clothes that I had brought there in a dropbag, recharge my watch, soak up the finish atmosphere and continue on refreshed.

The run down to Lipovec is no easy task... one rolls down the stony slope and is awaited by three kilometers of seemingly endless meadows with an inclined plane, between Turčianske Kľačany and Lipovec. Today, however, it is going pretty well. I run across the meadow against the wind and I see a positive in it - it means that the wind will be at our backs at Martinky. Some Polish guy catches up with me and falls in line behind me. Wait a minute, what are we at the Tour de France? I jump over to the side track and let him tackle the wind like a man.

I arrive at K5 two hours earlier than three years ago, despite the fact that I've been holding myself back at the Krivánská part. It's lively in Lipovci - a real ultra Ibiza party. Happy finishers of the 30k and 50k cheerfully debate and share their impressions of the race, beer is consumed and drunk en masse, the moderator announces the names of people passing through the finish gate into the microphone, everyone is happy and laughing. But it is said that Lipovec is a trap for 100k runners. Many are tempted by the comfort of the finish and wrap it up here, because they don't want to continue to the nightfall on the opposite ridge. However, I am sticking to my visualized plan, looking forward to my night part.

When I arrive, Lenka Sentkerestiová (now renamed to Lenka Sen Ker, or Lenka Senté 😂), who is enjoying the 50k podium laurels and is waiting for Monika, jumps on me together with Inka the volunteer. They bring me a dropbag, pour cola, refill water in the bottles, bring me hot pasta, and I can focus on the cleaning and technical matters in peace. Along the way, I say hello to Vašek, Vanda and Maťo, Ondro and other well-known fellow runners. It's amazing, I love it. I join the LM gang who are still here. Well, while I'm getting ready and eating, they're going away from me again.

Being on the topic of Lipovec, let's focus on the women's results on the 53-kilometer route with a 4,000-meter elevation gain. Ivka Lišková set a track record. Girls, how is this possible???

Lenka scolds me to go, so I go. Of course, I can already feel some of the fatigue in my legs, but I also feel that after each aid station feast they are like replaced for a while. I run out of Lipovec with quite a decent reserve of strength.

You have to take the asphalt road to Vrútky and from there take the blue trail to the legendary climb to Minčol. The sun is peeking out above the clouds for a moment, beating down on me and shines into my eyes. I put on a visor and sweat under a clean T-shirt. I miss the turn on the meadow behind Vrútky which makes me run 1km extra. Sure there were a million ribbons on that tree by the turn.. Well, I didn't notice them. The sun probably blinded me too much 🙈 it doesn't matter, I'm going back to the route, in the meantime Ondro and his mate have passed me and they are disappearing in the distance. I feel a heaviness in my stomach - I guess the pasta with sauce and olives didn't do me well, even though it was delicious, and I'm starting to have a little crisis. Behind the meadows, the inclined plane turns into a fairly decent roof. I'm climbing a steep forest road and remind myself to take a caffeine pill. Maybe it'll wake me up a bit. I'm having a hard time. You have to walk and wait for the crisis to pass. I walk and wait. I'm stopping. On my watch, I see the remaining distance to the destination is 50 km. I must not brag about this - I will set partial goals - the nearest one is the top of Minčol and the next one will be Chata Javorina on Martinské Hole. I hear the sound of the forest. The wind leans against the trees and makes eerie noises. I exchange the visor back for a headband. I walk on. It is still a daylight, and it will be for quite some time. I would like to run as much as possible before it gets dark. I finally see the outline of the famous cannon in the fog and soon I'm at the top of Minčol. There are no views. I do not stop here and continue further along the ridge.

The forest road has turned into a pleasant single trail through blueberry and sparse forest, it is beautiful here, even if there's this endless fog all around. This is what I'm here for 💗. The crisis is slowly passing, I can feel how the stomach is starting to work as it should. I am running among rhombuses, somewhere in the vicinity above me the transmitter on Krížava peeks out through the haze and I know that I will soon be at Chata Javorina, where K6 (66.km) is. I arrive and a guy greets me with a cheerful shout, another writes down my number, another offers me food and drinks, refills my water bottles. I have some soup, watermelon and something else to eat and a nice warm tea. Ondrej and his running mate are sitting at the table. I check the messages on my mobile phone, Zuzka M texts me, she tirelessly encourages me, it's wonderful to have such support even from a distance. Well thank you! She fought in Croatia a week ago on a 140 km track in significantly harder conditions and did not give up. She is a great inspiration to me. Although - during the entire route, I didn't even think that I would pack it somewhere. I was determined to persevere until the end.

I don't want to stay long at K6, it's getting quite cold. I put on a wind jacket and continue along the ridge. The clouds have parted, the fog has cleared, and the sun has set over the horizon. A magical moment. I was looking forward to this.

From Horná luka we connect to the blue trail to the Trebostovská dolina. Before entering the forest, I look behind me and see this:

We need to turn on our headlamps, it's pretty dark in the forest. the descent is very steep, rooty and stony first, and later the stretches are endlessly long... I remembered Lenka's comment about the Trebostovská dolina🙈 but never mind, I just have to set the cruise control and survive it. I watch the kilometers on my Garmin slowly add up and entertain myself with all kinds of math tasks. There are some runners in the distance ahead and behind me, I feel safe. Well, everything comes to an end one day, and so does Trebostovská dolina. At its mouth, we connect to the link to Valča, marked by reflectors on the trees. K7 in Valča (80.km) is located right next to some kind of village outdoor entertainment. The music is playing at full blast. the chatter of the reveling youth can be heard, which is in sharp contrast to the cozy, calm atmosphere of our aid station. I'm served broth, excellent herbal tea and Christmas cake with Nutella. You have to stuff yourself, because it is 22 kilometers to the next aid station in Vrícko and you have to return back up to the ridge. The volunteers are nice, helpful, I hereby greet Michal 😀 he escorts me into the night to the green trail that leads past the entertainment. He also tells me that the first girl, a certain Bellušová (our Liptov girl Maťa), when she was here, she didn't even eat, she just drank water and ran away. I listen with amazement - so Maťa will probably win today. Beautiful 😀 and Majka is tentatively third and that she was looking great. That doesn't surprise me at all 😀 she is always looking great.

I turn on the headlamp and accidentally blind someone. "... you have to shine with it into my eyes, for fuck sake??" Well, I'm sorry... 😂 I prefer to turn it off for now and only turn it on again when I'm in complete darkness. I feel a dose of energy again and so I trot up the green trail - another endless valley. I pass around two runners walking, we joke about where we are going this late at night. Well, we are going for a nice stroll in the countryside. I run. Fortunately, the endless valley passes by quite quickly. At the signpost, I turn right, where the green trail continues. A steep climb through the forest will bring me back to the ridge to Sedlo pod Hnilickou Kýčerou. I go alone, there is no one around me. I can't see any headlamps in front of me or behind me. Above me, a dark sky full of stars. However, I'm strangely calm, I'm not afraid, I guess I've already blended with this nature or something 😁. The light of my headlamp is reflecting in the grass and the pale leaves of the trees. For a while the wind blows, for a while it is quiet. I don't even want to put out a bear-bell, it would be barbaric to disturb this moment with some unnatural sound. An indistinct path looms in front of me, I check the red marker and follow along. I climb to Janková and it is very nice from there. I mean - I guess it's nice 😀 you can't see much in the dark. I run through Skalky - there are rocks strewn all around and the path winds between them. In Vríčanské sedlo, you have to turn down from the ridge, in the direction of Vrícko. Shortly after the turn, I catch up with the Liptov guys, but only Michal and Matúš. My guess is that Roman has caught up with Maťa and is running with her somewhere far in front. Later I learned that he packed it in in Valča. It's a shame, he was having a great run. The boys go with difficulties, but they fight bravely. I already want to be in Vrícko, so I'm rolling ("I'm rolling" equals, intertwining my legs, only a little faster than they do).

I get an SMS from Majka asking how I'm doing. So she's already at the finish line, great 😊 I text her that I'm 1km from Vrícko and congratulate her. On the last K8 in Vrícko at the 103rd km, I sit by the fire and eat something to give me energy for the last 9 km to the finish line - in about five kilometers you have to gain around 600 meters of altitude. I surely will make it 😀 oh, if I only knew what was ahead of me... From Vrícko, you have to go back up the same road for a short distance, about a kilometer. I meet Matúš and Michal, I tell them that they only have a short way to K9. It's getting lighter, the stars are fading, the darkness is fading.... After the signpost at Bak, I continue to the left, the sharp climb to the Kľacky waterfall begins. I bite into the steep road, but I don't like it at all. It's hard, I can't do it. I need to catch my breath. Without torture, I admit that this last hill took me apart mentally. There is no end to it, I don't have the strength anymore and I'm dragging myself like a zombie. I keep checking in the maps when I'll be up, my little dot is moving desperately slowly. I'm in tears... The only luck that the hill has is that I experienced a beautiful sunrise there. Otherwise, I would have cursed it forever 😂 It occurred to me in retrospect that I could have had one gel there. But a sugar-deprived brain cannot think constructively and tell the hand to reach into the backpack for some sugar. Hence the lesson that you need to sugar yourself continuously and all the time, because when the brain runs out of of sugar, it's already too late 😁

Majka is asking how much more do I have to the finish. I write her back. Immediately, another text message arrives: "I'm sitting in a cellophane in a toilet". WTF? The image of Majka the flower in the toilet flashes before my eyes, like a carnation wrapped in cellophane in a vase. She probably meant aluminum foil 😂 but that's not funny. I will mobilize all my forces and push myself to the Saddle under the Rock. Just a downhill of four kilometers to Fačkovské sedlo, where the finish is. Hooray! Everything hurts now, but I try to trot down the steep forest path below Reváň, full of rocks and roots. Down below, I'm connecting to Cesta Hrdinov SNP, I'm looking at my watch - well I'll surely do it within 24 hours!!! Yes! Finally, there's the finish line, someone is taking pictures of me while crossing road No. 64 (he certainly immortalized me beautifully, but I don't have this photo available yet. When it's available, I'll upload it here right away), I cross the courtyard of the restaurant where Majka and I had a drinkof Coke last year during Ultrapunk 85 😀 and I'm here. They write down my number, I turn off my watch - the time is 23:55, I get a finisher's medal around my neck, pick up my stuff and go to look for Majka wrapped in cellophane in a "shithole". It was the only place where you could warm up on that surprisingly very cold morning.

In the bathroom, in one of the cubicles, Majka is sitting in aluminum foil, and in a narrow corridor, the Czech girl Klára is lying on the ground, napping wrapped in aluminum foil. I fold up in the next cubicle to change. This is how Tinka the organizer wrangles us and immortalizes us beautifully:

We are also spotted by Inka the volunteer, who is being helpful at the finish line, jumps around the finishers, brings soup, beer, tea, coffee, just an angel 💗 and puts us in her heated car, brings us soup, tea, coffee... Majka is arranging the pick-up - her Peťo will pick us up and take us to Terchová, where I have parked my car. While waiting for him, Ondro and his buddy, Matúš and Mišo and other runners come to finish. The sun rises higher and higher and finally warms the cold courtyard of the restaurant where the finish base camp is. Peťo arrives, we pack ourselves dirty and smelly into his cleaning car, say goodbye to everyone - goodbye, Malofatranská stovka! (note that I'm not saying farewell, but goodbye 😂 but it will probably take a year before I forget the hardships and the reminiscent optimism kicks in again). But no, there were no hardships. It was a beautiful day and an even more beautiful night spent in the mountains, they will remain in my heart forever. I thank everyone, the organizers, volunteers, fans (and haters), the universe, and congratulations to all the runners who reached the finish line of all three routes safely, I wish you a speedy recovery.

On the way to Terchová, I receive an SMS from Janko and Janka Fiľka, congratulating me, saying that they followed me during the race and are happy for me. It's beautiful. Majka gets into my car in Terchová - she says she won't let me go alone so I don't fall asleep behind the wheel. I unload her in RK and I'm sure I'm almost done and want to take a nap in the car, Majka and Peťo invite me up for coffee or to take a nap. I choose coffee and candy. This doping will last me all the way home 💗 I just have to climb the stairs to the third floor... ouch 😂

At night, pain in my legs, arms and butt wakes me up... The next day I check the apparatus - I have a lot of muscle pain, but no joints or tendons hurt. So I just need to let myself recover well 😉

THE HAPPY END

The Results: https://hiking.dennikn.sk/ultra/live/83/malofatranska_stovka2022.html?course=54

Web page of the event: https://www.mfstovka.eu/home

FB of the event: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275133165919326

or https://www.facebook.com/mfstovka

Link to a blog by Richard P.: https://preteky.vetroplachmagazin.sk/malofatranska-stovka-2022-ako-sa-mi-straasne-nechcelo-2275

Link to a blog by Majka: https://mariakubova.blogspot.com/

Link to a blog by Katka Hybka: https://ultragalakticka.blogspot.com/2022/07/mf50-akka-moje-prve-3-itra-body.html

Link to a beautiful video about MF100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLXsJzcgils