Winter Spartan Race Banská Bystrica 2020

Race no. 26

Length: 5,96km

Time: 2:08:27

When I attended my first winter Spartan in Dolní Morava in 2017, I thought I will never go to the winter race again. It was cold, the wind was blowing, my hands were freezing, I was struggling in the snow, and all the way I was disturbed by my runny nose. I do not like cold and winter, I like summer heat and stay near the water. So why did I decide to take part in another winter Spartan?

It was perhaps the same reason as three years ago - getting out of my comfort zone. But the race was completely different. While in Dolní Morava I fell into a meter deep snow and had my hands frozen, in Banská Bystrica I was dirty from the mud and I sweat my coat. Three years ago, I reached the finish line almost five hours later, and I wanted to beat this time by few hours.

Maroš Kudlík

23.01.2020, 02:04 (vor 1 Tag)

an mich

Winter Spartan Race Banská Bystrica 2020

Preteky č. 26

Dĺžka: 5,96km

Čas: 2:08:27

Keď som sa v roku 2017 zúčastnil svojho prvého zimného Spartanu na Dolní Morave, tak som si povedal, že už nikdy na zimné preteky nepôjdem. Bolo dosť chladno, fúkal nepríjemný vietor, ruky som mal premrznuté, boril som sa v snehu a do toho všetkého mi celú cestu znepríjemňoval soplík. Ja chlad a zimné obdobie nemám rád, skôr som veľmi teplomilný a mám rád letné horúčavy a pobyt pri vode. Prečo som sa vlastne rozhodol zúčastniť sa ďalšieho winter Spartanu?

Bol to možno rovnaký dôvod, ako pred tromi rokmi – výstup zo svojej komfortnej zóny. Preteky to však boli úplne rozdielne. Kým na Dolní Morave som zapadol do metrového snehu a mal som premrznuté ruky, v Banskej Bystrici som bol špinavý od blata a prepotil som aj kabát. Pred tromi rokmi som do cieľa vošiel takmer po piatich hodinách a tento čas som chcel jednoznačne prekonať.

Organizátori tento rok zvolili trasu cez centrum mesta a výstup na neďaleký Urpín. Mapu trasy zverejnili dopredu, čo mne osobne nejako nevadilo, teraz mi to skôr prišlo vhod, lebo som vedel, akú obuv mám zvoliť – uprednostnil som hrubú zimnú obuv pred bežeckou, keďže som vedel, že sa nebudeme brodiť potokom. Mestská  pasáž išla rýchlo, ani zámková dlažba v centre nebola zamrznutá, pri výstupe na kopec sa roztopené blato šmýkalo a nabaľovalo sa na topánky. Prekvapila ma nenáročnosť niektorých prekážok. Plate drag, ktorý patrí medzi moje neobľúbené bol vyslovene ľahký, nenatrápil som sa ani pri nosení vriec a ani neskôr pri Hercules hoist. Obával som sa Atlasu, keďže minulý rok vo Valči a na Lipne mi robil výrazné problémy a v Česku som si za neho prvýkrát odskákal aj 30 burpees. Zvládol som ho však dobre, viac mi robil problémy nerovný, blatistý terén, ako váha samotnej gule. Keď sme sa znova vrátili do mestskej časti, odskákal som si svoje tradičné burpees za Z-wall a aj za oštep, ktorý ma trochu zamrzel, lebo som ho hodil veľmi dobre no asi som papal veľa špenátu (alebo Edgar.powerdink) a tesne som prehodil terč.

Najkrajšia, prípadne najzaujímavejšia časť pretekov pre mňa bola pri Múzeu SNP. Bežali sme skrz pamätník, pietne miesto, z ktorého vyžarovala zvláštna energia poukazujúca na vtedajšie pochmúrne obdobie. Preto som bol aj rád, keď som sa na druhý deň mohol pozrieť aj do múzea na tamojšie expozície.

Do cieľa to bolo mestskými uličkami už len kúsok a na posledné metre dodal energiu pán s kravským zvoncom, ktorý povzbudzoval, zvonil pretekárom hádam bez prestávky. Výsledný čas niečo cez dve hodiny bol teda omnoho lepší s akým som rátal, ale bolo to dané ľahšími podmienkami.

Ďalšia zastávka: 7. - 8. marec Mallorca Sprint a Super

Winter Spartan Race Banská Bystrica 2020

Race no. 26

Length: 5,96km

Time: 2:08:27

When I attended my first winter Spartan in Dolní Morava in 2017, I thought I will never go to the winter race again. It was cold, the wind was blowing, my hands were freezing, I was struggling in the snow, and all the way I was disturbed by my runny nose. I do not like cold and winter, I like summer heat and stay near the water. So why did I decide to take part in another winter Spartan?

It was perhaps the same reason as three years ago - getting out of my comfort zone. But the race was completely different. While in Dolní Morava I fell into a meter deep snow and had my hands frozen, in Banská Bystrica I was dirty from the mud and I sweat my coat. Three years ago, I reached the finish line almost five hours later, and I wanted to beat this time by few hours.

This year the organizers chose a route through the city center and ascent to nearby hill, Urpín. The course map was published in advance, which somehow didn't bother me personally, because I knew what shoes to choose - I preferred thick winter shoes over running shoes, because I knew we should not run through the stream. The city passage was quick, even the pavement in the center was not frozen, but on the hill the molten mud slipped and packed on shoes. I was surprised that some obstacles were way too easy. Plate drag, which is not one of my favorites, was uncommonly easy, and I didn't struggle during sandbag carry or later at Hercules hoist. I was afraid of Atlas, because last year in Valča and Lipno caused me significant problems and in the Czech Republic I had to do 30 burpees.

But I managed it well, muddy terrain was more troublesome than the weight of the ball itself. When we got back to the city, I did my traditional burpees for the Z-wall and also for the spear throw, which was such a pity, because I threw it very well but I probably ate a lot of spinach (or Edgar.powerdink) and I threw the spear over the target.

The most beautiful or interesting part of the race for me was at the Museum of Slovak National Uprising. We ran through the memorial, a place from which a strange energy radiated pointing to the gloomy period of time.  

That is why I was also glad to see the expositions in the museum the next day.

The resulting time of just over two hours was much better than I expected, but it was due to lighter conditions.

Next stop: 7.-8. March, Mallorca Sprint and Super