MEC North Vancouver - 15km 1:08:46

It was last running competition in this year organised by MEC. This time it was in North Vancouver and it  supposed to be on the trail.  It wasn´t and  our expectations disappeared after few meters of running. It wasn´t  flat course,  but still it was road and 7,5 km of running up and back :( 

I was sure I can´t run fast because I was struggling with my back. I was actually surprised, that during the run I felt sleepy :) This has never been good sign. Anyway, I was trying to keep an easy pace and technique. 

I finished on the 5th place. I think that we will have to wait until next season to run some real trail competitions :)

This was our successful Squamish crew :)

MEC - 1/2 marathon, Richmond, BC

Our first race in Canada was a half marathon organized by the MEC. Because the race was placed in Richmond we had to get up very early to managed start at 8.30 am. I really do not understand why running competitions here are starting so early: (Of course, we arrived about 10 minutes before the start. We ran to sign in for the race and still about 1 minute before the start we were fixing numbers on our T-shirts. No warm up before race of course :) Race started and we ran at breakneck speed. I was sure that I will not be able keep pace 4:07/Km :) and after 3rd km my pace settled on 4:30. Venca with his ligth legs and a smile on his face, which he kept until the end of the race won in really good time. For me the first 10km were ok, but then it broke and trail became endless . Nevertheless, I somehow finished as a 2nd woman with a time of 1:38. I did not expect any better time, because I haven´t been training much and  surface was gravel. Anyway, we all learned our lesson, that we are not going to race straight long flat profile trail anymore :)

Pilman - 5th place 5:05,12

It was last half ironman and last competition of the summer season. I wasn´t sure if I should race this time, because I felt exhausted after long season. At the end I have decided to go and socialize :) I had no idea that it´s National Championship, but it was competition, so I decided to enjoy this very last triathlon of the season. 
Swimming part was funny, because it was late summer and town had problem with very hot weather few weeks ago. It meant, that  in the mid part of the swimming course,  there was about 0,5 m of water, so we were walking :)
Cycling profile was tough as usual, I saw others girls ahead of me and I felt that I couldn´t go faster. I was so happy that I finished race and finally I can rest. 
I was very happy that I won Czech Tour of long triathlons and I am already looking forward for winter :)

ŽELEZNÝ DĚDEK - 2nd place

When you say " Železný dědek" every cyclist in the Czech would know what  you are talking about. It´s one of the most popular cycling race in the Czech. It´s organised by people from the team Česyk and one of them is my very good friend Marek Tupý.
Competition is placed in the village Soběhrdy and  popularity of these event is growing every year.
This year was my 2nd time I took part in and I was hoping for some good result, although it was after very long and difficult triathlon season. 
Race was for girls 50km long and I had recognized some of the faces from the last year. We started in the same time as category VIP, but from the beggining of the race it was just woman in the very first peloton. After an accident what happened to me last year I was still very affraid of downhill rides, so when downhill was comming I was always at the end of the peleton, but before climbing up I was the leader most of the time and I knew that I am stronger in the hills than other girls and it might be my advantage. I haven´t done many cycling races before, so I didn´t know the tactic, but I was hoping for escape in the finished line, which was placed on the top of the hill. 
I was first before finish line, but unfortunately one girl was stronger than me and she won by few second.

SLOVAKMAN - 3rd place 11:14,20

I would call it HELL :) Even now I can feel  dizziness with thought of Saturday's race , which was really a test of will.

When I did my first IM Moraviaman  few weeks ago my body dealt with it quite well, so I thought it would be a shame not to try another one.

Slovakman was the best option,  because it is part of the long distance Czech triathlon Cup. Perhaps only the weather forecast wasn´t not very favorable.

On Friday we arrived on the scene to Piestany , along with expedition HISPORT Team Ondra and Honza Oppolzer by our team car altogether with Jan Plzák .

The race started at 7 am and morning temperatures already hinted that it would be " hellish " race.

After swimming the first lap, I was first woman and with the  cheering in transition area I went on a cycle of 180 km long,  flat profile course built into 6 laps.

Competitiors behind me closed the gap I had after swimming, so I had no choice, but to keep their pace.

The sun was beginning to pick up its strength and I took one  bottle extra,  one for drinking and one for cooling my body down, but even this  was not enough for one 30 km lap .

Even though I prefer hilly profile course, cycling  part passed very quickly and I kept the same distance from Petˇka Krejčová , which motivated me for running part .

After transition , I felt that I was full of strength and that I'll still run with the expectation of a good time. This was a mistake . After the first steps, I rested in the sun in its full strength , and I knew that the entire run will be about survival . The Ironman motto  " never give up" , made me sick during the running part, but I kept to saying it to myself the whole the time.  Also, the words from Peti Krejčová "we can make it, keep going, we will finish it" and shouting all the HISPORT team helped me to finish the race . I left the idea of a good time at the very first round of course.

The total time of 11:14:20 is not exactly fast, but I won  over myself and  finished  as 3rd woman.

The biggest surprise of the race was my " triathlon brother " Oppolzer Jan. He finished with the permanent smile throughout the whole race behind the winner Peter Vabroušek in an unreal time 8:55:54. For the first time he broke border of 9hours.

Before beginning of this season, I would never thought, that I will be able to do 2 Ironmans, so I am super happy what I have achieved and of course I am hoping for more experience and fun next year.

ORAVAMAN 2013 - 3rd place 4:14,40

This race is one of my favorite and most extreme race I've ever done . The weather was perfect compare to last year and so it  increased participation of both,  women and men.

Tour races was again amazing, as well as the mood of people around the track and competitors no doubt.

After swimming part, I got out of the water as a 2nd woman . Because I did the race last year, I knew what to expect from the cycling part . This time I was convinced to use arrow bar and  the very first hill I regretted it. My bike was set for pose in arrow bar, so in the hills I basicly burn my legs. Virtually the entire run , I had cramps , which I could not get rid of. I had no choice so I just bit the bullet and run.

The result was not completely satisfaction, but I'm taking this race as a special event and I am always looking forward for next year.

Incredible performance has been performed by Lenka Zahradníková , blind girl (professional swimmer) and her tracer Jan Listinský who have mastered steep climb on a tandem bike and very hard run down and they had finished the race in great time.

Lena is a real motivation for all of us ! !

MORAVIAMAN 2013 - 1st place 10:36, 59

My first Ironaman took place in Otrokovice 22.6.2013.

I was expecting time around 11 hours  , but  goal was to finish and survive :) . The day before the race I decided, that I will eventually try to ride time trial special, which I borrowed from my friend. I was a little bit worried about back pain, as posed is very low and the neck and back might suffer little bit :). However, I decided to take a risk .

The race started with a swimming part. I felt very well, despite the fact, that I have been swimming just a little bit, but I was hoping that as a fromer swimmer some skills just never disappear :) . After a long transition, where I was changing into triathlon suits I started the 180 km long cycle track. I have never ride 180 km before, my longest ride was about 130km , so uncertainty and expectations were in place . Bike part was built in 4 laps slightly undulating profile and a small hill with a steep climb . The whole time we were accompanied by fairly strong wind which was small cycling challenge. In the final lap of the bike I was preparing for thought, that I will run a marathon which was unimaginable so far. I ran a marathon in Stromovka last year ( 3:17) . It was so hot throughout the course and the wind was noticeable compare to the bike part. Of course, the crisis came on me on the 30th km, but thanks to the encouragement of my friends , I ran the last lap and finished the race in time 10:36, 59. I won the race and became the National Champion in long distance triathlon.