World Trail Championships, Peneda-Geres National park , Portugal

“Change your thoughts and you change the world (Norman Vincent) “

This week while i was run-commuting from my favorite gym class i was wondering whether i could have done better on my race the previous weekend…but then i had to remind myself this chain of events during the last year:

• September 2015: I undergo a severe hamstring injury (most likely a muscle tear) just before finishing Nuuksio Classic trail marathon.

• September-November 2015- Going through a long depression period due to loss of running and struggling to maintain a cross-training routine.

• December 2015- Finishing Dorset ultra plus in the UK (my little Christmas miracle) with pretty much dysfunctional leg.

• February-April 2016- Suffering from hamstring tendonitis ( ‘too much too soon’ running …) . Once again, cross-training most of the time .

• May 2016- Gradually returning to running .

• June-July 2016- Although suffering from hydration and nutrition issues during races which leads to several DNFs, i manage to get stronger by running longer and spending more time on mountains.

• August 2016- Suffering from a weird hamstring pain and ankle pain (over training ? ) which forces me to stop running for 4 weeks and cross train. Then, against all odds, i finish the CCC and regain confidence in my legs again.

• October 2016- I represent Israel in the world trail championships in Portugal. How awesome is that ? And i actually reach the finish line after 15:40 !!

If anybody would tell me a year ago i’d be running among the best runners in the world (ok, at least the first km….) by the end of 2016 i’ d be saying it’s a bad joke!!

But what is more amazing, is that i still have not returned to full-time running while training.

Ever since the CCC i could not run more than 40-50km per week. This is mainly due to annoying mini-injuries: feet pain, lower back pain, just name it. Not sure if it was the way my body was trying to warn me from overtraining or it was just bad luck…but despite having to run all the time with a certain amount of pain i was happy!! Maybe it was because after all i’ve been going through this year, i’ve just learnt to appreciate those precious moments i’m running outdoors, but most of all i realized it was all a matter of perspective. Bad things happen, to everyone, but what matters is how one perceives them (hence the quote at the top ...) . Consequently, i decided to trust my body to tell me when i should rest, embrace with joy every moment i’m running and simply enjoy this beautiful autumn Moreover, i took this approach with everything in my life not just running, and suddenly i realized that once you smile to the world, the world smiles back at you.

I spent a wonderful week back at home in the middle of October. I was suffering from a pain on my left foot back then so i had to be careful with my running, and on top of that i was suffering from a severe allergy which ended in a sleepless night at the hospital with steroids pumped into my blood but mostly it was just the best week i could have asked for: Meeting my racing team-mates for the first time after so long, spending time on mountains with Mika my dog, with my family and friends and experiencing real summer ( After few years in Finland anybody would appreciate the sun more than ever...).

The road to the ‘world trail championships’ in Portugal started actually several months back, perhaps in June. I noticed a post in FB about the race and of course it was very hard for me to say ‘no’ to any race, but this time i thought it would be different and special going as a team and besides i’ve never been to Portugal, and running is a great excuse :)

Only later i realized that Daniel Argo, one of the most amazing runners i’ve ever met, had initiated this post thinking it would be a great way to promote trail running in Israel since unfortunately, there are not enough trail races and runners in Israel at the moment.

He managed to find 5 other enthusiastic runners including me who would love to go together and run on the mountains of Portugal (Trans Peneda Geres National Park) and after so many bureaucratic obstacles (especially from my side, since i’m in Finland most of the time while the rest are in Israel) .

The rest of the team succeeded to recruit several sponsors which helped us with the gear, flight tickets, insurance, etc. We were all very excited and happy to go together to Portugal. We were 6 altogether : Daniel, Haim and Ziv on the men’s team and me, Limor and Adi as the women’s team.

I must say , that i wouldn’t be able to participate in the race without this wonderful team. They did so much hard work in the past 5 months and on top of that they were so kind and nice to me during the whole time, especially Daniel and Adi that were all the time checking up on me and encouraging me. Few months back i told them to replace me when i felt so bad before the CCC…luckily they didn’t listen to me :)

Anyhow, the race was different from anything i experienced so far. I arrived on Thursday morning after a crazy sleepless night and already at the airport one of the organisers recognised me (apparently from my FB pic :) and explained me everything about the transfer to Braga where we were staying. I waited for a while to meet Johannes who came from London to race the 55km individual race (they ran in parallel to us ) which was such a nice surprise after we hadn’t seen for so long (since Dorset actually….)

The hotel complex was located on a mountain ridge overlooking Braga…what a magical place..plenty of cathedrals and with excellent mountain views…

Anyhow, it was nice and exciting to meet all the team. Me and Adi were sharing a room and luckily she turned out to be a very nice and convenient room partner. The food wasn’t great but nobody complained…we were too busy being extremely excited . The ceremony on the next day was such a special and exciting event…i felt almost as if i was in the olympic games…just standing there with my team , with the Israeli flag, seeing so many pro-runners i’ve only seen in pictures , and even meeting Meghan from iRunFar was so nice!! ( Apperatnly , my team mate Limor met her on her race in Morocco this year!). I wish i had told her how a huge inspiration she's for me..but thanks to Adi i got to have a pic with Caroline Chaverot….(I was too shy of course to approach her but luckily Adi, wasn’t…).

Race day

We had to wake up very early, around 2:30 a.m. since the race started at 5 a,m. but we had about 1 hour drive there…

We were all so, but so nervous on that dark early morning….but at the same time it was nice to see how excited we were all…it was the day we were waiting for so long. Daniel , who was slightly sick was so nervous he could barely speak to anyone, and during the bus drive to the start line each one of us was just quiet with his/hers own thoughts , fears and hopes.

We arrived to the start line just 20 min before the start so there was not much time for last moment preparations….i didn’t even have time to use the ‘normal’ toilets.... However, there were almost tears in my eyes as we were all standing in the start line, hugging and singing the Israeli hymn as prayer it would bring us safely to the finish line. This moment was so special to me , i’ll never ever forget it. Standing with my team in the start line, as part of them and not as individual is why i wanted to participate in this race! The fact all of us made it to the start line is already such a huge victory for so many reasons.

And so we started, with our head torches on. The first miles were easy and fast, and my legs felt good. Daniel , Haim and Adi overtook me after about 2km and i was fine with that. I knew i had to run ‘my’ race, and so i did. I think eventually this was the key to finishing this race. Anyhow, after about 6 km, i had my first breakdown when the technical long downhills started and i sipped down and hurt my arm. Honestly, i was expecting fast and easy trail but instead i had to jump over big rocks while crossing rivers ….oh well…it was fun after looking back:)

Although i wasn’t injured badly, it was enough to make me slightly frustrated , since unlike in other races, i was running alone….

However, i kept going until i reached the first water station (at 15 km). There, i felt already better and i knew i had only about 15 km to reach my crew in the first aid station. I was alone, but i felt good. My arm didn’t hurt anymore and i was feeling good monitoring my hydration and nutrition. The trail continued with few uphills and finally a long descent to the first check point .I didn’t look at my watch but i was nervous and scared all the time about reaching the station before 10am which was the cut-off time, so i tried to run as fast as i could the last downhill. Boy, i was such a happy runner when i reached the first check point and met my crew. They seemed to be as happy as i was to see them and they were extremely helpful…i didn’t even expect them to be so generous and helpful, simply amazing. Amir, Dan and Shiri saved my race….they encouraged me, told me how great i was, gave me food , water, anything i asked and didn't ask …i don’t think i could have asked for a better crew…

The second section of 24km was much harder! It started with a very long ascent which was very exhausting since it was extremely hot. I was so grateful for bringing my trekking poles with me…they were extremely helpful. In addition, just before the long uphill, i realized i was being overtaken by many fast runners…i was slightly confused but then i realized they were the 55km race runners..what a relief :) It was slightly annoying but also better since i had always someone to ‘push’ me further and i wasn’t running alone anymore.

On the second uphill i was so happy to bump into Haim. At first i was just happy to see a familiar face, but i was sad for him since he told me he was suffering from cramps in his quads. We were climbing together , however, at some point, i continued to run and opened a gap over him. I knew there was no point in being slower by running with him…i had to run my own race, and since he was fine but just slow i knew it was ok to go on. I managed to climb successfully the last uphill of this section which seemed endless and so hard…even one runner of the 55km asked me for water and i gave him my leftovers from the flasks. I already knew that proper hydration is the key to reach a finish line in a hot day (you sort of learn it after several DNFs...) , and luckily i had enough water and salts (Thanks Precision Hydration for the great tips and products which kept me properly hydrated ). When i reached the water station, i ate and drank to regain energy and i was extremely happy when i was told that i had only about 8 km of downhill till the next aid station. I 'had' my legs and i was happy going downhill even though my quads were also starting to hurt.. but i didn’t care…all was thinking about was reaching the next station.

When i finally reached it, i was again so happy to meet my crew. I was sad to hear that Limor disqualified since she didn’t make it on time to the first check point.

I also noticed Adi there being sitting and being treated by Dan. Apparently she sprained her ankle. I felt so bad for her since i already knew the feeling ….but luckily, she felt strong and continued further about 10 minutes before me.

Dan, the wonderful physiotherapist, gave me a small massage to relieve my quads which was extremely helpful and after eating and drinking soup i was ready to go. This time i felt already my ‘heavy’ legs as i left the station..but Dan and Shiri were so supportive and encouraging that i just left running as fast as i could…what would i do without them…:)

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The third section was definitely the hardest and seemed as longest for me. Although i was not running alone (but with the 55km runners ) , i was already tired and exhausted and my ‘walking’ periods were longer than they should have been. The last uphill was the hardest. It was just endless. literally. Every time i reached a peak i realized there’s another one just ahead..and so on. The last uphill and downhill were altogether about 7km but they seemed so long as if i was never about to reach the last aid station. At that time i was in pain..not the kind of pain that would make me stop, but i was slow, for sure. However, i was not weak. It was just muscle fatigue. How wonderful!!

The last descent seemed to be even more painful than the uphill as my quads were burning and i was so worried i would not reach the last station on time…

When i finally reached the last check point i met there to my surprise almost all my team. Amir and Limor were kind enough to come and help. Adi and Ziv were there as well. I assumed they just slowed down at that point but the good news were that Daniel had reached the finish line!! yeahhhh!!!

Since i reached the station just 15 min before the cut off time, it was dark already and i had no time to ask too many questions, i used the back of the tent as toilets (you just stop caring at that point ) , quickly refilled my pack and i was happy to hear i had only downhill till the finish line. I had 2 hours to reach it.

Now, this might seem easy, but i knew that those downhills are the worst (just as i remember from the CCC! ). They make the quads burn as hell….but what mattered the most was reaching the finish line on time...so , i turned on my head torch as it was dark already and ran as fast as i could. I was in pain but i was in a happy place. I gradually increased my pace till i reached Adi and Ziv.

Now, if i could go back in time i would stop and ask them how they were…but i didn’t. I assumed they were just slow and since i was so eager to reach the finish line and i was constantly afraid i wouldn’t reach it on time i just flew as fast as i could. Just like in any race, the last miles seem endless.

It was only 12km but at times it seemed as if i was so far from the finish line that i’d never see it…especially on the short uphill sections. The downhill was technical and it was dark, but i had no fear…just the fear of not reaching the finish line.

And just about as i wondering how long i’ve been running i reached a tarmac road…i was so happy!! Then, i heard the noise , the music…i was close. Finally!! I did it…

Just like in every race, i ran as fast as i could and when i saw the finish line …..what a feeling…i just sprinted towards it with joy and happiness…what a feeling!! It never gets old...only better: The moment that’s worth every suffering and pain along the way. Daniel immediately came to me and hugged me and congratulated me… he’s so amazing. It seems to me he was more concerned with the rest of the team than himself during the race …and to think that he was running so fast while he was still sick with a flue. Then, i noticed Shiri and Amir as well. They asked me about Adi and Ziv. I said i overtook them earlier and only then they told me that Ziv was feeling really sick and apparently Adi convinced him to go further when the reached the last check point even though he was in a very bad shape. I felt so horrible when i heard this….Danilel was saying there was nothing i could help them and yet, i felt so bad…i should have stopped and at least talk to them. Eventually, we found out that Ziv collapsed 2 km before the finish line and luckily, there were paramedics nearby who took care of him and he was taken to hospital. We were all very worried, but he was consciousness so we assumed he just got dehydrated. What a crazy night!! Eventually, Limor accompanied Ziv to the hospital while the rest of us drove back to the hotel. Since i didn’t drink and eat properly afterwards, i started feeling really sick on the way back and had to stop and throw up. Not the nicest experience but at least i felt much better afterwards and i was just happy to finish without injuries.

We were all so exhausted and tired the day after…i was so sad, i just wanted the whole adventure to start over and turn back time 2 days back…

Luckily, on the morning we were informed that Ziv is feeling good but he’s still in the hospital for check up . Later on, our ways separated. It was a half sad half happy farewell. Me and Johannes decided to head towards Porto for one more day before we leave which turned out to be a fantastic idea as the city was so lovely and romantically beautiful! We even met Daniel and Shiri on the next day which was a great opportunity to say a proper goodbye to my favorite team mates.

Reflecting back, this race was so different from all the other races i ran this year. Unlike the CCC which i started injured hoping to reach just the first aid station. This time , i knew that no matter what, i’ll have to run and do my best to reach the finish line. Furthermore, i was stressed and nervous of course since i wasn’t really training hard and i knew i’d have to be 10 times better than i was in the CCC to finish in time. All i wanted was to try my best and i feel so much gratitude for being able to run and just think about when do i reach the finish line and not where my body aches (except my muscles of course ..)

So much gratitude for sharing all this experience with my team… couldn’t have done it without them. They are and they will continue to inspire me more than any pro-runner out there.

I’m happy i can now finish difficult and strenuous mountain race while not facing anymore nausea and hydration issues but most importantly, despite my hamstring muscle being still so weak .

Besides, how often does one have the opportunity to meet and greet Bryon Powell and Meghan Hicks from iRunFar in the breakfast ?? :)

When i came back i had the notorious ‘problem’ of ‘when is my next race’…??

However, that problem was solved soon as i decided to run the Wicklow way 50 miler on 3rd of December. Yes, i know i’ve been racing enough this year…but ….the Wicklow is so much on my bucket list ever since ‘Mud, Sweat and Tears’ and besides, i’ll be sharing the whole adventure with Johanness…so it should be great!! Hopefully, i’ll manage to stay non-injured by then and enjoy some lovely winter runs here in Finland….

Last year, Dorset was such a sweet ending for a very rough year, so hopefully, the Wicklow will be the same this year.