Happy endings - I just love them ;)

Like a movie (those where they marry, have children and are happy forever) my season is finished :):):)
My last race, my last km «on the field» were in Spain, Toledo, on Iberian Championships.

This is map from middle distance. Well, for sure it doesn't fit on the «happy ending» style because it was literaly a disaster! I dont know, but I think this time I was more woried with my running speed then with my orienteering technique. So I was absolutely «lost» on my goals for this race and when I thought «this map looks very very fast» I lost all the possibilitys of doing a good race.

But fortunately we had another race on the afternoon, and I was really motivated to do a good job. It was held on the historical city of Toledo,with many crowded and tricky streets. In my mind I had it clear «don't run too fast! otherwise you'll make mistakes». It worked quite well, but some hesitations and a bad route choice cost me some seconds. But in the end of race I was happy with my «orienteering speed». It seems that I had a clear lead with more then a minute to the other runners but well, then Ona Ràfols from Spain came and she beat me...by one second ;)
Besides looking frustrating (in fact it was a bit) I was happy with my race, with my speed, with my good recovery between races and well...you know...Toledo is a wonderfull city so you just have reasons to be happy :):):)

Next day we had long distance and I felt really motivated to do a good race. I started quite well, without big mistakes, but after crossing a hard green on the way to the 6th control I lost my direction and the sense of which hill is what...I didn't stop to check, and well, in fact I stopped...but too late, when I was on the path above. And obviously when I was running towards number 6 I saw Ona Ràfols who started 3min after me...
We ran most of the course together and in one hand it was good because we were pushing harder but in other hand I think we made mistakes because of running together. On the last part I had a bit more fuel on my body and I finished I was about 20seconds faster... Ona wons (1:03:06) I was second (1:05:45) and Alicia Gil Sanchez was third (1:11:01).

And coming back home, with all «training baggage» of the season packed, I had such a great smile! Finally I can say that this season I made a big step on the right direction and my motivation to keep walking like this is high :)

Planning your winter season?

The mercury is falling, the days are shortening and becoming crisper, you've flung the flip-flops to the back of the cupboard for another year and dug out the scarf and gloves. It can only mean one thing - winter is on the way.

For the skier and snowboarder it's the most exciting time of the year, as thoughts turn towards a prized two weeks in the mountains.

Fortunately in Portugal the sun shines all winter and we prepare one of the best orienteering races: NAOM! Problably sounds familiar;) This year it will take part in Crato, a small village in Alentejo, on the south warm and sunny part of the country.

Soft terrain, rich of stony details and some tricky streets for sprint night race are waitting for you!

Take a look at http://www.gd4caminhos.com/naom/2010/

II Trofeo Sierra Norte - Madrid

Last weekend I flought to Spain to re-start on orienteering game. Pine and stony forest, tricky areas on middle distance, sounded really nice but I was still praying to don't have pain on my tendon...so I was decided to run carefully.
My teory of «slow speed, no mistake» didn't work very well. In fact, when I started my race, my legs were a bit confused about the speed. After swimming and riding bike, running on the forest was pretty different and it was hard to find the «correct» speed. I always felt running very slow, so I was all the time pushing harder. Luckily I survived quite well with all the training of the previous months;) I still made some mistakes but I was fast enough to get the first place. Truly speaking I was surprised! And happy :)

1. Maria Sá COC (Barcelona) : 1:05:46
2. Ona Rafols COC (Barcelona) : 1:07:02
3. Esther Arias Enero P.GUARA (Huesca) : 1:16:34
4.Anna Serrallonga Arques GRIONS-GIR (Girona) :1:17:39
5. Alicia Gil Sanchez COLIVENC (Alicante) : 1:20:20

After some nice evening in Madrid, I felt really tired to run middle distance. In the other hand, running a bit slower seemed nice to avoid mistakes... yes, I felt tired, but I had the nice feeling of fighting all the time, against mistakes that could appear with my tiredness. In the end I was second,one minute and a half behind Ona Rafols.

1. Ona Rafols COC (Barcelona) : 31:22
2. Maria Sá COC (Barcelona) : 32:44
3. Alicia Gil Sanchez COLIVENC (Alicante): 37:07
4. Anna Serrallonga Arques GRIONS- GIR (Girona): 37:16
5. Esther Arias Enero P.GUARA (Huesca): 42:32

Article of Catalunya newspaper ;)

Working on...

My imune system is working on producing a big army for influenza virus that can appear easily on coming winter. Last tuesday I was vacinated for normal flu but unfortunately i've been suffering of unpleasant side effects like mialgias and asthenia...Boring! Hopefully I'll be protected for all winter for this kind of virus...we'll see!

My musculoskeletal system is working on recovery of my tendon and it seems to be working pretty hard :) yesterday I was on phisioterapeut and aparentely I'm cured of this small stress injury! Thanks God! But of course re-start running has to be slowly and carefully with a lot of stretching in end of training. Nutritional care seems to be really important too!!

Next weekend I'm flying to Madrid (Spain) to run national competition on nice spanish terrain. By the way it will be my first race with the catalunya colours! Next season I'll be running on COC (club orientacion de catalunya) colours in some spanish orienteering races. Tipical spanish pine forest and some stony areas are waitting for me, but of course I'll be there running carefuly because of my tendon, so it will be a great opportunity to run without mistakes :) I'll try;)

And finally my brain is also working on my final teses of my study. I'll make a review about the impact of gymnastics training on growth and maturation, nutritional behaviour and bone density of child gymnasts.

Also I've already started to learn the huge book «Harrison - Internal Medicine»... I think in the next 365 days it will be the «person» which i'll spent more time with:) I have to learn quite hard because november 2010 i'll have examnation wich will decides a big part of the direction of my future life as a doctor... so start slowly, life begining of running season, and then closer to the «competition» work harder ;)

Riding and swimming

All season went perfect when we talk about injuries...Unfortunately now, just in the end of season, i've got some stress injury on my left quadricipete tendon. Two years ago I had the same problem (a bit more serious) and now it seems to be back :( Last week was spent on the crazy ambience of the pediatrics emergency room where all child are forbiden to have a normal flu...all of them are suspected to have swine flu and so...the caos! My time for refresh brains on training didn't exist and only a few hours on phisioterapeut make me feel «on training».
Last weekend I started to swim and ride bike and today i'll make the experience to re-start running...i'm crossing my fingers for nice feelings :)

Bronze girls :)

This is a team! We trained together for THIS! This is the real feeling of belonging to a "family". This was a REAL relay. I am REALLY HAPPY!! :):):)
HEY SLASK! HEY SLASK! HEY SLASK!

(photos by picasaweb.google.pl/lublin.bno)

Salomon Mountain Race

Our lifes are printed of first times: our first steps, first words, first friends... And step by step we made our first choices. We choose our sports. We run our first orienteering races! :)

Last weekend I ran my first mountain race! This part of season has been great as I'm allowed to run more relaxed and I've been having great fun. So why not to try mountain races? 14km with 560m uphill seemed quite though but if you take it easy, enjoying the experience and the magnific views it looks very nice.

Uphills were though but I enjoyed it very much as I could run it all the time, on nice speed while I catch some runners ;) The worst was when going down, I was so terrible,that all that runners that I catched before pass me running down like wild horses!

In the end I finished 4th senior and 6th overall. I was very surprised with such nice result specially cause I was quite «close» from the podium, where most of the girls are from the national team and the winner is vice-european champion 2007. It tasted good to feel the wind on my face running on such a nice speed.

And all this last part of season is full of nice races. First I ran 10km on Barcelona, where I was 4th; them I ran 5km on my hometown, where I won and got my new PB. It's nice to finally realize about my shape!

Next weekend we're going to the moutains with the club and next wednesday i'll fly to Poland to fight on the last orienteering race this season with my club mates on Polish Champioship Relay!

Check results of Salomon Mountain Race here