Azuga Trail Race 2024, one of my best mountain runs so far

Back to Azuga! Trail running is not something matching very good my style and my training approach, but regardless, as years passed by I have developed a certain affinity for this hobby, and attended many events in the Romanian mountains, at most, in spite my proper training for this is nearly zero. In fact, my…

What does define a nation? Bucharest marathon vs. Oslo marathon

Norway is great, I can confirm this right now, after my third trip there! From many more that are about to come, but this is not the point of the article. The point is purely sports, mass-sports. What does this mean? Mainly… how healthy & how educated, in the end, is the population. The main…

Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2024 – the story of a mighty experience

Lavaredo Ultra Trail was on the wish list for quite long, and in 2024 the time for the participation came, as I was successfully extracted at the ballot. A procedure that becomes more frequent at such competitions, ones of the most popular in the world, with limited slots available. Being in the mountain side, it…

Running two (almost) mountain marathons in a span of 14 days

After MIUT, my confidence grew, and felt quite strong. Now, my next big goal is Lavaredo 50k, a famous trail mountain run, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, at the end of June. But it is 8k more than what I’ve did in Madeira, so I need to keep the momentum, and the strength. Already registered for Moieciu…

MIUT 2024 – the seven minute window for a big dream

Running thru Madeira developed as a big dream in my imagination, so in late October 2023, it came to a projected fruition. Once my subscription to MIUT 2024 was accepted. The queen race is the 115 kilometer one, that basically cuts the island in half, from Porto Moniz to Machico. Tempting, but too brutal for…

Talking to myself during the marathon. Episode 1

During a marathon, I talk a lot with my own self, mostly because of the challenges I face while running the 42.195 kilometers distance. You cannot keep your mind clear and disconnected, no mater how hard you try. Music, calculating the plan, always analyzing the streets, the hydration points, always help. But they are not…