Friday 21 June 2013

Kick me baby one more time

Just wee bit of an update on recent developements. I took part in Tough Mudder. It's a 20 km obstacle course with such fun and frolics as swimming through water tank filled with ice cubes or getting zapped by some 10,000 V of electricity. Such fun, right?

Admittedly I was rather scared before it all started - you won't really know how bad it will get. I was reassured that in most runs there weren't any casualties, bar one or two. And that quite a lot of people finish it and can like walk slowly in a day or three. On the bright side you can test whether you are capable of jumping from a height or run through fire

Well, it was easier than I thought. The toughest challenge for me was jumping down from 4-5 metres into water. Mainly because I'm scared of heights. Luckily people yell at you and the whole thing happens rather quickly so I could only start freaking out mid-air. After that you're too busy fighting to get to the surface and trying to stay alive to really care. Did I mention that my legs were trembling for the next couple of minutes?

Another favourite of mine included jumping into a tank filled with water. And if the water wasn't cold enough - they filled it up with ice-cubes. It's quite an feeling when your body goes into a total shock, your heart tries to burst sucking all the blood from your limbs to key organs. Another fascinating strategy to stay alive. Then again you don't have too much time to think about it, as you have to dive into the water to swim under an obstacle to get to the other side.

Electric shocks weren't as bad a I thought really. Indeed once you get zapped your muscles spasm and you stand a good chance of falling down (and a lot of people did, face flat into the mud), however it doesn't hurt all that much - it's just plain weird. The one obstacle that I actually enjoyed was a wall, about 3 meters high, which you were supposed to get through. I managed all on my own, ahead of most people. Something I didn't know I'm capable of - for this thing alone I'm happy to have been there.

Monday 10 June 2013

Half marathon = Done

I've become a tralfamadorian:


A tralfamadorian feels like this:


That's all

I hope the feeling lasts forever, I'm gonna write the wise-stuff in an other post.

'Till then:

20. KH Olimpic marathon and half marathon relay

Nika's first ever half marathon

Distance: 21097,5 meters

number: 6497

02:29:13  
1. round 00:35:39 
2. round: 00:37:21 
3. round 00:38:15 
4. round: 00:37:59 

I have only one question left: Really? Will I really have to increase the distance from here during each and every Sunday run from now on???




Tuesday 28 May 2013

Zombie Run!

Well, I thought that must be fun. Like go somewhere, get into the forest and get chased by Zombies. Things didn't turn out exactly as planned, but hey... In principle 4 hour travel, 1 hour run and another 4 hours on the way back seems to be a bit excessive on the travelling part.

That and the organisation of the whole event which was generally lacking, I also expected something tad more challenging and currently it had a very amateurish vibe. Pleasant but not worth the actual hassle. On the upside - run was fun, zombies were cool and I got a nice face-job with glue, paint and pieces of paper. And a nice photo to add as well.

So for the posterity, here is me, myself & I doing a mad dash.

Sunday 26 May 2013

Catching up

OK, some serious catching up is needed here. All things are good and well and running still goes on. To be honest I think I'm hooked. Couple of weeks ago I did this:


I think it gave me quite a good idea on how I handle distance and allowed to break down the things into distinct phases:
  • 0-2 km - ok, what am I doing here. Shouldn't I just go back home like normal people?
  • 2-9 km - not so bad, I think I can carry on. Let's do it.
  • 9 km - ouch, pain. Why am I doing this. Let's have a sit-down, please?
  • 10-17 km - hey, this stuff is fantastic. Common! Next week I'm going for 50 km, then maybe 100. I could do this all day long!
  • 17-24 km - I'm good at this. I guess I'll do something very long here and then perhaps one more in the evening!
  • 25-30 km - paaaainnnnn. A! I can't feel my legs. How far away is the bloody 30 km.
On the upside - apart from my legs being extremely stiff for the rest of the day and some mild muscle pain over the next two days I seems to have taken it well. That bodes well for the future. On the downside it's hard to find enough time for routes like this one. It also highlighted the need to invest in a water-carrier or a back-pack as I spent quite a lot of time running parched like Gobi.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

About being absolutely amazing

I didn't mention one small thing... I ran 20 kilometres. It's like, well, a long distance. Really, really long. It took me some 2 hours and a bit and the big challenge on the way was to keep myself motivated, rather than stop over and read a book and watch movie. During such runs the challenge I seem to be facing is focus and some form of mental activity that's otherwise lacking. But well, that's what happens if you have attention span of a forgetful butterfly.

Next point in plan is 24 kilometres this Sunday, hopefully will manage similarly to last time. It's not like I wasn't in pain the day after. Or two days after but by and large it was muscle pain that has gone away rather quickly. Obviously being the utter madman I have gone to jujitsu class the day after the long run and boy... it was a challenge. This time round I shall get a horse drawn carriage to carry me to work.

On more regular stuff - after a week of being a lazy bum and not running too much I'm back to the normal routine with short (5-6km) run in the week, when I focus on the speed and a long ones over a weekend day, when I focus on surviving. Ah, life saving tip - carry some water and energy bars. Last time I nearly plundered local Indian shop...

Wednesday 27 March 2013

I have been a gazelle. A limping one.

Sometime things are good, sometime less so. My running has been off for a while. As things are it started with a gentle twitch in my right leg. That wouldn't be a problem - usual Camino style suggests to just walk it off, stop the training and recover. So I did. Just kept on with cycling and martial arts.

Right... martial arts. The ones where you throw someone on the ground and then break their arms in three places followed by 17 different types of strangulations. Jujitsu. Thing it sometimes you get hurt. Actually you get hurt a lot. So I couldn't really run for a little bit.

And remember that guy that claimed not so long ago that he hates to run? Yeah. I was practical climbing up the walls with excess energy. Luckily I'm back on track. Taking it easy, just 3-4 km or so but my stamina is not gone.

Friday 8 March 2013

How to feel like a movie star

You already know an answer. Start preparing for a marathon. Do you remember the stories about unsuspecting person being dragged into events that they can't fully comprehend but play along? They struggle, they fight, have moments of weaknesses but due to persistence and stubbornness they finally win, get half a prince and a kingdom?

Today was the day when I actually had to really, really draw on persistence and willingness to keep on. Fair to say it wasn't the most amazing weeks on many fronts, but when I ran out from the office into typical London's miserable drizzle it was hard not to come back. All in all I did my allotted 6km, got soaking wet and frustrated and spent the next meeting in the office steadily dripping onto someone's project plan. Note to self - get a towel.

All in all things are progressing, I got a heart rate monitor which should tell me soon whether I'm fit, just stubborn or dead. Sunday should also be the day when I try to breach a bit longer distance. Following an advice from an apparently expert runner from my office - 10 km should be the goal. Oh, joy.

Thursday 7 March 2013

John Butler puts February on the scale

First of all, I would like to put down that I am sticking to training plans NOT 'cos I'm some kind of a miserable geek, but whenever I tried to run a bit more I ended up in pain with an injury. So I let the pros call the shots. I have spoken, uff, uff!

To demostrate my progress, January was like this:



In comparison, February was like this:



So this is the triangle of success.

(Should I mention John Butler Trio, I understand no jokes. Take these two videos as homework, I'm gonna hear the lesson for sure: you may have a gallows look in case you roll down too fast.)

And now - dear lawyer friends - some numbers and extraordinary statistics:



3,013 m (04.01.) --> 5,240 m (01.02.) -->10,600m (02.03.)
00:10:00 run + 00:20:00 walk --> 00:40:00 run --> 1:12:46 run

No comment! Should anybody worry about my health because of my huge flop on Sunday, I report, I'm back in business with 8,898 m.
From March gadget factor is incerasing as well.

And this I wish to send to Piotrek remembering camino and to emphasise how very happy I am that he has the suitable shoes:




Wednesday 6 March 2013

Of ... things past

I thought Piotrek appreciates our friendship because I'm such a wonderful person. (Aaand I didn't let him die at Arré.) But never mind. It's the Piotrek factor.

About the Hungarian thing. Quote from Enrico Fermi the Nobel prize winner physicist:

"Do extra-terrestrial beings exist?  They are already here among us, they are called Hungarians."

Of things past

There is a very special reason for which I appreciate friendship with Nika. It's not really the fact that she dragged me into practical homelessness across the surface of Spain or inspired me to run like a maniac along the small streets of London. Not really. It's the Hungarian thing (and the fact that she's simply amazing).

I'll need you to take a breath as I'm just about to unleash my Hungarian on you. Lengyel, magyar — két jó barát, együtt harcol s issza borát. Right, still with me? The meaning is roughly: Pole, Hungarian — two good friends, together they battle and drink their booze. Amazingly we have the very same saying in Polish: Polak, Węgier dwa bratanki i do szabli i do szklanki. Both nations have a couple of varieties of this saying, mentioning horses, sabers, drinks and general things of joy.

That's about all Hungarian I know*. I did try to learn it in a relatively short bout of madness but abandoned all hope of ever getting it quite soon. It's a weird one, really. Highly logical but insanely alien. Based on the language alone you can make out that Hungarians aren't really from this 'hood. The lot above, under and to the right speak beautiful, understandable languages. The lot to the left speaks somewhat understandable language too. My theory is that Hungarian mother-ship crash-landed in the area some time in the 8th century and they stayed on. Or evolved from ants.

The saying came about in 1772 but the relationship dates back to 1370 when we shared a king - Louis I of Hungary. I'm not sure who took which part of the said king but he was generally liked and granted some interesting privileges to our nobility (which they kept on expanding until our state collapsed and got partitioned in the late XVIII** century). Quite a few times in our shared history both countries helped each other and we've always got some decent wine from down south. On a side note - since 2007 the 23rd March is named as a day of Polish-Hungarian friendship in both countries.

* Aside of: "Thank you" and "Three beers, please." Yes, precisely three and regardless of circumstances no less and no more. ** Roman numerals! How fancy it that!

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Of much excitement

Last week I got told off by Nika for running in trekking shoes. Well, that's my usual problem - just getting on with things and catching up on the fine details as they come. It's good I'm not doing parachute jumping, as I'm sure somewhere mid-flight I would start looking for a string to pull and prevent myself from splashing.

So, the shoes. Typically I would do some research online & get them off Amazon or any other decent retailer. However I got a glowing recommendation about one of local shops. And hey, they were good. After lots of grief I had with a couple of high street shops it was a big change. All in all most London shops try to get high margins so knowledge & quality is not something they look for in employees. Low salary is.

I popped in, told them what I'm up to, explained I have never ran before & that I'm not a lunatic. They didn't seem to believe it too much but having heard a bit of the story (Camino, plans to cycle through Amber Route, etc.) decided they're on. So the quest started - I tried 9 different pairs, each time going for a short run while one of the staff watched. And got my perfect shoes. Plus 25% discount. Ain't that great?

So, now off to my 5 km daily run

A moment later...Right, I thought this is going to be a huge change. As in between running with bricks tied to your feet and running in proper shoes. On this front it wasn't. However having reviewed my 6km (planned approach, go figure) performance there are changes:

  • Previously I was getting slower with each passing kilometer, by roughly 15 s per each. Currently I'm maintaining the same pace of 6:15 minutes per kilometer. Plus the last lap actually took only 5 min 45 s. That's the best result ever
  • My average pace increased by about 0,5 kmph
  • Both of above happened without me noticing
So yes, there's a difference, albeit subtle one. I'm sure also my joints will benefit as the overall feeling of running is much smoother.

Monday 4 March 2013

On current developements

Yesterday I ran 7.5 km. I know it might not be big on the marathon scale but if felt bloody amazing. This distance possibly is more than I ran in my life before. Total. Combined. And yet I was able to pull it off and honestly - felt quite great once I finished. Interestingly I did not plan on doing it, but I like "exploratory" running so much I just got carried away.

The principle is quite an easy one. Just get out there and see what's behind the corner. And behind the next one too. And carry on as long as you feel it's fun. There are only two recommendations I would make: try to run in a big circle, so you are close to home at the end or accept the fact that you'll need to run back in the end. That's what happened to me - wanted to run 3 km, but at the end of the three I was in the middle of nowhere and had to get home. So I ran back.

You might wonder why 7.5 km rather than six? Well, that's where the 2nd recommendation comes in. Carry a smartphone with full battery to handle GPS mode. Or you'll run randomly trying to find your way back and you'll cover some extra mileage. Don't get me wrong - it's still fun but you've got to have time for this so the best time to go a bit ga-ga with your running might be the weekend.

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Training plan - Basic stage II.

Okay, a few weeks ago I made myself a promise, that I translate all my posts from Hungarian and I do not post a new one until I'm done. So I lied to myself. But obviously I have to hurry up, 'cos I'm about to finish the 8th week of trainings.

Here is a post from 7th February, 2013: 

As a great progress, by the end of the 5th week I won the battle for 40 minutes non-stop jogging. This pays me 2 whole weeks extra. Very motivating! Also, I don't know what might be written in the stars, but this week was full of tiny little joyful suprises and success.

1. The very first training without walking.
2. New training shoes which deserve a separate post.
3. The very first registration of the year: Vivicitta City Run, Budapest
4. The very first training where pace starts with a digit 6.
5. The very first scaling where my weight is below 80 kg: 78 kg on 6th February, 2013.
6. A nice extra plan is shaping, but I won't say more bout this...

By this  "without a particular reason I decided to go for a little run" and return to my training plan of the basic stage.

I have enough time now to complete the 10K training program of runnersworld.com until starting to train for the half marathon. So I try it out.

This is how I plan February:


January on the scale

Okay, a few weeks ago I made myself a promise, that I translate all my posts from Hungarian and I do not post a new one until I'm done. So I lied to myself. But obviously I have to hurry up, 'cos I'm about to finish the 8th week of trainings.

Here is a post from 6th February, 2013:

Just to let you know it's not only bloggerblablabla, here I am to proove hard work is going on behind the curtains, thank you very much.

Remember replanning, I took off from nil. On exactly the 4th of January I got myself together and left off to the fresh air.



I would't bother pace results as I run and walk. And to make an excuse 'cos of the home made excel sheet, I have no gadgets of any kind (inc. phone, sport watch, pulse counter) to present very smart diagrams, maps and stuff. Yet.

What I am proud of:

1. Grim determination = regularity
I skipped only one training and truly because I had to take care of my children and decided not to take them on my back with me this time.
2. Progress
I stuck to the plan, ran when said, rest when said. Most of my colleagues would be able to create a beautiful sinuous diagram out of the results. I can't. I'm a lawyer.
3. MY HUSBAND'S POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Should have put it in the first place!
...and he is babysitting when needed... and he is interested about my trainings (or at least acting like that)... and he is supporting me... Heeey, it feels great! I assume he is waiting for the bombastic looking wife at the end of this story :)

What I would rather hide and forget:

1. Distance
Okay, now I am taking a deep breath and trying to imagine that the marathon is as long as my total January. distance. (Or, Pio, remember Arré???? Better not! That is the marathon distance. Not hiking. Running.)
2. Time
I must say I was faster when I was running pregnant. I will not be dissapointed. Everything will be juuuust fine, you'll see!
3. Weight
No changes on the scale from 81 kgs after a month. So I have started the 90 days diet.

Problem: my running shoes are not strong and brave enough to complete this mission. In tears though, I have to say byebye. They were my unselfish, devoted partners from the very beginning. Practically they don't have a sole anymore. Besides, they started to rip off the skin from my toes and a nasty bloodshot appeared on my little toe. Lovely, lovely first ever running shoes of mine. Rest in peace.

January replanning from nil - Basic stage


Okay, a few weeks ago I made myself a promise, that I translate all my posts from Hungarian and I do not post a new one until I'm done. So I lied to myself. But obviously I have to hurry up, 'cos I'm about to finish the 8th week of trainings.

Here is a post from the 2nd February, 2013:

Staring at the photos of New Years Eve Drinking, on which I parade still in pregnant clothes, I knew I must give up on my pride.
New Years Eve Drinking
I gotta go back to where I've started in 2010. I will rehash the training program I learned to run with. It came up to all my expectations at the time when I couldn't even run around the block and House MD could run me down limping. (and Piotrek :P)

I plan not to care about anything else but Groundwork until 18th, March which is my 32nd birthday. And by Groundwork I mean, I will do all the basic training it takes to be able to build upon in the long run.

Looking at my January results I think this was a smart idea. I made my own 4 x 40 minutes training plan from that particular beginner's course and I am in the middle of it. No pain, I started to shape up and I looove it.

This is how the schedule of the first 8 weeks looks like:



I'm running the 5th week now. It was yesterday to run the Cooper tests I have already mentioned.  I feel that I could do a lot more, but I don't want to risk it.

Besides, I r-e-a-l-l-y have to loose some weight because it is too much to carry around. Zoli Grandpa - who happened to be a family doctor - used to say that overweight is like a backpack full of bricks what we carry on our back even to the toilet. Who wants to rest there with a backpack??? Like it or not, it's a must to start a diet or something. In January I tried not to eat any bread, pasta, cakes at all. I failed. I say the most probable cause of this is that nowadays I bake the bread at home. And that smell... I also tried to skip dinner and eat a yoghurt instead. I failed. It always ended up in a messy night stuffing just after I had to get up to one of the kids. Now we are doing the 5th day of the 90 days diet. It's plural coa Rali decided to be in on a racket and I'm soooo happy about it. Yesterday it was Fruits Day to survive and we laughed at and with eachother so much. ("Hey, is sausage considered to be a fuit?") So the day went a lot less horrible than expected...

This is for now. (However, I'm the greatest in making schedules but sticking to them....)

Great annual plan

Okay, a few weeks ago I made myself a promise, that I translate all my posts from Hungarian and I do not post a new one until I'm done. So I lied to myself. But obviously I have to hurry up, 'cos I'm about to finish the 8th week of trainings.

Here is a post from the 3rd February, 2013:

It's great to be a blogger, 'cos it is less probable that I'm gonna "make an ass of my mouth", or so they say it in Hungarian. For example, today for sure the bad devil in me would have won when deciding to jog or not: I mean, going outside in the whirling snow and windstorm? You bet!

Nevertheless, just to motivate myself somehow, I did not turn to the Rákospatak ("Crabcreek" - more a small channel not too far from our house) as I usually do, but I followed the road straight to see how close will I make it to the Városliget ("City Park) where I wish to do my so called long runs later. To my greatest surprise I reached it. And ran back home.  Aaand I wasn't even tired.

Well, this experience gives me the chills, so I'm gonna take the opportunity right here and now to block in what big-big-training-schedule I have in my head.

Very unfortunate, but no personal trainer rang and begged me to be honoured by having me as an ew challenge. By this, I'm trying to get all info from the internet. I gotta say, I haven't read as much as for the last week since college.




1st JANUARY - 17th MARCH: Basic trainings

No races planned at this stage.

18th MARCH - 9th JUNE: 12 weeks HALF MARATHON TRAININGS

Races:
Vivicitta - 21st April: 10K
K&H Olimpic Marathon and Half Marathon - 9th June.: 1st half marathon

24th JUNE- 10th NOVEMBER:  20 weeks MARATHON TRAININGS

Races:
Nike Budapest Half Marathon - 8th September.: 2nd half marathon
Athens International Marathon - November 10.

This is my plan for now.

The City Park





Monday 25 February 2013

The day I died

I thought I'll wait for Nika to get another note in, but things have been happening and I think it should report on the recent developments. I nearly died. The usual thing happens - I'm running and running and all things go fine until I feel a stab of pain. Fab, I think. Here goes the hard and the future. I shall die as a relatively young and moderately handsome inept runner. I kept running thinking how to arrange necessary ceremonies, distribute rather insignificant early possessions and find a respectable home for the cat when I realised it might not be a heart attack. Just a side crampie.

Other than that things are going relatively well. I can run up to 4.5 km before my body realises that things ain't very comfortable and perhaps we should have a bit of a repose. Honestly - I find this quite amazing. I do an awful lot of cycling and martial arts but I never was a runner. I think that within this week I intentionally ran more than in my whole life altogether. What is more surprising - I'm enjoying it and chances are I'll keep doing this even when I'm through this whole crazy marathon thing.

On a bit of unrelated note - we'll be getting setting up some chartiable targets, I've had a brief look around and it seem relatively easy to set up. So within a week or two I'll put a new note advising on how you can part with your money and support something worthwhile and give us this nice buzzy feel that we're doing a good thing

Wednesday 20 February 2013

It seems a bit personal

Or such is my feeling and impression. I'll skip the sad parts of my life as a blob (yes, I was a round one) and will get to a confession. I don't like running. Really. I never liked it. I won't event run to catch a bus. The idea that got me sold to Camino, which I mentioned in earlir posts, was the utter lack of running. Yst here I am - gasping my way through the decrepit streets of suburban London. All thanks to some Hungarian lady (don't trust Hungarians!).

Admittedly Nika sent me a plan on how to start the training. I did not follow it at all. Possibly I would have, but regular lifestyle doesn't quite work if you have a partner, a cat, a job and all the things you never consider being a young & em... a careless person.

So I admit. I ran. I ran like a gazelle. A very old, wounded, sick, three-legged gazelle. But it counts! On the upside I seem to be able to maintain this sickly tempo for about 20-30 minutes. This is as much time as I had over the past few days. I plan to up the ante next week or so as it seems that cycling to work throughout the last year actually gave me some stamina!

Monday 11 February 2013

A bad example how to get back into shape: fumbling in autumn

No matter how hard I had been waiting for the birth of Csinszka, the same elephant left the hospital with the tiny little difference of carrying a meek baby. Like if she was stolen or something. The awful truth is that people keep asking whether I was expecting the next one. Even if they knew the baby is a couple of months old (really... I don’t understand people...)

I gotta say: this really bothers me. Even if it’s „just baby mom’s fat”, even if it’s „just 15-20 kilos”.

I got so depressed that as soon as I finished with breast feeding my girl, I hurried out on the street and trotted 5km every second day. For a week. Though I haven’t jogged a centimeter since April - instead going through a long-long pregnancy and giving birth to a child of 4020 gramms - I jumped slam jam in the middle of the previous routine, just where I’ve left off. Seriously, I do not understand myself either. Gradation: nil. Reasonableness: nil. This happened in autumn. A typical example of how to destroy my ankles, knees and hips and fall into deeper streams of exasperation.

This attempt ended in a great miserable gluttony of Christmas cakes.

Never ever do the same!

Tuesday 5 February 2013

How to set yourself huge goals in less than a second?



Nothing is more simple than that: meet Piotrek and consider it done! 

Everybody wants a friend, a pally like him. Never let’s you down. Never says no. Tolerates you at all times. Should you come up with some mad idea, he is in.

Our friendship is quite rhapsodical. In 2005/2006 both of us lived in Maribor for a couple of month to enrich the drunk horde of international students. We lived on the same corridor and and along with some other fellows we spent days and nights together. Then – as usual – we travelled home and chatted fewer and fewer times.

Once upon a day in the fall of 2007 I was travelling on a crowded bus no.7 (the nastiest beast of Budapest) when the idea popped in my head: I walk camino de santiago. A repeatedly told story is that I was searching for a fellow-traveler for months pointless, when Piotrek found me one day at work on skype. He asked what’s up and so I told: I want to ask him to come with me. Just a little walk of 900 km in Spain. He said okay in less than 3 minutes. So we walked, journey was fab, Pio aquired the best ever fellow-traveller award. Then – as usual – we travelled home and chatted fewer and fewer times. Again.

Five years went by. Two weeks ago I fretted and fumed, thinking about a thousand things at the same time, including my belly, running and so on. And suddenly - as if I were on that bus no 7. - marathon came to me. But who would take me seriously? Piotrek. I wrote him an e-mail of three lines asking to be the friend again who does not let me down. He said okay in a day. That’s the way it goes... But he asked back where to run.
Let’s show off and be „very stylish”. Let it be a marathon in Marathon.


277 days to go.

I’m totally  excited!

Kövesd a blogomat magyar nyelven!

The very short sport history of mine



Before 2008 I was not a jogger. I used to avoid all kinds of excercise. Okay, I love to snowboard, but using some of my muscles for a week once a year I wouldn’t call regular sporting. I went to school, then to college, then started working, I used to party, eat, drink, smoke, but a lot. As you can imagine, I wasn’t fit or thin at all. My original relationship to running goes something like this: in high school I used to ask my PE teacher to give me an F straight away but let me skip the agony of a Cooper test (12 minutes nonstop running).

During the summer of 2008 Piotrek from Poland and me, two erasmus buddies walked the camino from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Finisterra. No matter how I count, this is 900 km in 30 days. I didn’t do much physical preparation before the trip, however, it brought a great big change in my life, namely: I had to realize that it’s awesome to be fit and trained. (Little extra info: despite my sanctified irradiation, I smoked 2 packs a day still...)

My lovely husband and me got married in 2009. (Most certainly he didn’t know he is entering a bad mess with me...) Our little boy, Xavér was born the same year, so I left all gained theoretical aim and knowledge on regular exercise in Spain.

In August 2010 the big question started buzzing me: what to do with 8 kilos of baby mom’s fat. While I was sitting on the coach at home, horizontally challenged,  trying to figure out what to do, Piotrek sauntered El Camino del Norte, this time without my amusing company.


the gorgeous Margaret Island of Budapest

 
On 8th August, 2010 – having no better idea – I started jogging for my first 5 kilometers. I’ve accomplished my first ever round on Margaret Island on 19th September, 2010 with 00:33:45. (This is the most popular jogging route of Budapest, so called „the pudding”, ’cos of the special gummy material of the path – 5300 m – 1/8 of the marathon). Anybody who feels running 5 km is like hiking the Everest (I felt like that myself) and wishes to do the challenge, you all find the training plan that taught me to jog here.

the pudding
In 2011 my plan was to train myself up to 10 km for my own amusment. With irregular and very few trainings I’ve made it on 2nd October, 2011 in 1:14:59. Also, 5 days before that I smoked my last cigarette. (All former smokers know that this is the real thing.) Now that was the moment when I’ve promised myself I’m gonna take jogging more seriously and I’m gonna push it to a regular basis, no matter what.

Besides, I made this big resolution that in 2012 I try out how it feels to participate in a race and I run the half marathon. But life tricked me again, because at the beginning of the year we got the great news that our second baby, a girl is on the way. So came intoxicationg happiness and the urge of eating chocolates, pizza and doughnuts for not two but six. Ohohhit’s no good! As soon as my doc gave me greenlight in the second semester, I started very easy jogging. Then a great deep breath and I found myself registering for the Midicitta. This is a 6200 m run in the sessions of Vivicitta Run for the City of Budapest every spring. Under medical supervision I ran as much as I felt comfortable. On Fool’s Day, 1st April, 2012 we’ve accomplished the distance with Csinszka in my belly. Time: 00:43:46. Rank: 705 and 705.5. The race was fabulous and unforgettable.

On 10th September 2012 our cutey girl was born. And what about me? Deep deep fall in my physical status and again: 16 kilos of baby mom’s fat.

Kövesd a blogomat magyar nyelven!

Saturday 2 February 2013

Two mad people

So, a bit of an introductory note... Once upon a time there were two mad people. And they walked through Spain. One of them developed this into a chronic condition and repeated the feat. The other didn't fall much behind and kept on having ideas. So this is how this blog started - the next big idea is a Marathon. Because heck, why not.

So a bit about us: Pio (as Nika calls me) - Polish guy, currently living in London though known to occupy Krakow, parts of Slovenia and disturbingly frequently seen in Northern Spain. Or India. Apart from tendency to wander and travel he cooks (a lot) and trains martial arts. One has to mention an unabated fondness of wine. Few years ago he got asked by Nika whether he would spend couple of weeks with her walking Camino de Santiago. If you haven't heard about this one the principle is simple. Go to French/Spanish border, pack whatever you need into a single back-pack of no more than 10kg, turn west and walk until you reach the ocean. Some 900km they say. And so they walked. Two years later he left everything in Krakow and did it again, this time along Northern coast of Spain (Camino del Norte) and moved to London, carrying all his earthly belongings contained in neat suitcase, where he's been since.

Nika - known mainly as Nika. Undoubtedly Hungarian in origin. Prone to have bucket lists and ideas beyond regular's person comprehension. Apart from that she's a keen singer, yet frequently picks somewhat unusual spots to indulge in her vocal inclinations. Currently living in Budapest, a mother of two and a wife of one. Or so Pio has been told. They havent met for a while and given what they tend to get into suggest they possibly shouldn't too often.

So the plan for this year is to run Marathon, in Greece where once upon a time some brave Greek fellow did just the same thing. Pio's reason is simple. It makes no sense but is doable. And perhaps he might manage to organise some small charity money from it and donate to something worthwhile. Nika does the bucket list and plans to get fit. Plus charity of course.

Stay tuned, we will soon get to the nitty gritty detail, because someone ought to run. Pronto, really pronto.

Some thoughts to begin with


 Darling-the-baby-is-crying, what-would-you-like-to-be-on-haloween, don’t-forget-your-lunchbox, at-what-time-will-you-finish-today, I’m-going-to-the-market-today, who’s-picking-him-up-from-nursery, gosh-she-blew-the-carrot-juice, stop-running-around-with-no-shoes-on, ooo-she-pooped, she-must-be-teething, what-did-you-eat-for-lunch-today-baby, how-was-work-today-darling… And even this overweight…
I thought I wish to be slim again. I thought I have to get some time for myself. I thought I have to pick something from my Bucket List again. I thought about a marathon. 10.11.2013 – MARATHON-ATHENS INTERNATIONAL MARATHON RUN. This blog is all about the way getting there.
 
The most important in my life is My lil’ family: Rali, my husband (oh, what a handsome man), Xavér, my 4 years old little scallywag and Csinszka the four months old fairy of mine. I live the ordinary life of Hungarian baby moms full of little miracles and I gotta say I really do enjoy this!

However, I do have my ordinary baby mom problems as well. I guess it’s included in the package. I never have enough time for myself,  I’m being exhausted all the time, I feel myself locked up in the house now and then. And let’s not forget about the same old story of „bloodyhellimreallyfat” ’cos – for the record – I have a life belt of 16 kg extra since my little girl was born.

On my standard list of new year resolutions I had utterly interesting stuff like loosing weight, regular sporting activities, but Piotrek popped in again and from my annual plans suddenly a 42.195 m run emerged. Same old…same old… I definitely plan to write more about the Piotrek-phenomenon.

I consider myself to be a „panic-machine”, though, I’m a tough girl, better than a mule. Also, I become fond of giant challenges. This is how running the marathon got on my bucket list. At this very moment I’m still a hobby-jogger. At this very moment I have no idea how to runa marathon. I have no idea what kind of physical challenge I’m about to face here; what is it to train five times a week for this distance and my only race-experience is a 6.2 km city run from the days of my pregnancy. I do not understand runners’ language and I have no clue about running theory, runners’ clothes and gadgets’.

I know only one thing: I'm  gonna run it this year. How I’m gonna do it, how I'm gonna afford it, I guess it will come all along the way…

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