pondělí 26. srpna 2013

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 :)


neděle 18. srpna 2013

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.

sobota 3. srpna 2013

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.