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A day in mud and toil – Chudy Wawrzyniec 2016

CHUDY WAWRZYNIEC 2016

…Slippery, icy slush poured into my shoe, and I felt it (along with the foot inside) slide over the mud in a completely uncontrolled way. I could only think one word (starting with „F”) before I fell into the big, brown puddle in the middle of the road… it’s cold, wet and pours on my head…  how about I laid there and not get up…

ABOUT THE RACE

I stumbled upon Chudy Wawrzyniec in 2015 while looking for a new challenge. I got attracted by an innovative form of the run, where you have a choice of the trail somewhere around the 42nd kilometer – whether you take a shorter route (50+ km) or the long one (80+ km). I didn’t know my capabilities yet so such a solution really appealed to me. At that time I finished the 53 km route on the hottest day of the year – I finished the route, but it felt like a burnt toast – „Chudy” scorched me.

Nevertheless, I liked Beskid Żywiecki very much and decided to come back and finish the 80+ route, so I marked a day in the calendar and I registered in the first possible moment for the next edition.

The race begins in the small village of Rajcza, leading through the peaks of the Beskidy Mountains and ending in Ujsoły (approx. 4 km from Rajcza). Route Profile, looking almost like EKG chart, fairly well illustrate what you will have to face on the trail. To overcome the 10 major peaks (6 on the „short” route), including the infamous Oszust – loamy and slippery climb, where – as the organizers advertise – „even the toughest will have to lean on their noses.” The last kilometers is a pleasant downhill completed with a short slalom between buildings and finish beyond the bridge in Ujsoły.

RACE REPORT

There’s a hustle in the kitchen. The kettle spits steam, fridge door are slamming, cutlery is clattering and soon a group of people sit down and eat – at 03:00 am! After that the whole bunch of colorful, tight clothes with strange backpacks and headlamps, move toward the Rajcza centre. On site there are already hundreds of similar weirdos – everyone stretch, trot and laugh merrily despite the very unsure weather. It’s foggy and it’s drizzling gently.

And then the countdown begins…3…2…1…Off they go vigorously! After all, the route cuts twice across the railroad on the first two kilometers. In fact never before did a train interrupt the race (at 4:00 am?), but the legend scares every year.

After a while we enter the red trail and the fun begins. First approach – on Rachowiec – is long but our legs are still fresh so it’s only a formality. Just after 5:00 am I notice a familiar ski lift construction – I’m on Rachowiec. I begin a downhill run on the wet, slippery grass, and I already know that today there will be no downhill racing  – I want to keep all the teeth up to the very end.

6:10 – bam! Kikula reached. Half an hour before the scheduled time. I eat an energy bar and whoosh further. I was supposed to start easily to keep strength for later. Yeah, sure! It run’s well so why holding back. Only something at the back of my head whispers  that this might not be the best idea …

The group is already pretty scattered. I constantly have someone in front me, but I can keep my own pace, not held by anyone. The Wielka Racza climb I remember very well from last year – is quite steep, but also short. The end is very distinctive, because the path leads through a glade, next to the line of trees and is filled with ferns. The end of the struggle set by the stone steps leading to the shelter.

stairs to Wielka Racza Shelter

In the shelter I quickly refill water and run along. 26 km in legs didn’t cause any trouble so far, especially that I remember about eating every 40-50 minutes. It’s still raining, fog everywhere and the scenery isn’t very appealing – especially that every now and then I have to wipe the steamy and wet glasses… On the other hand, I don’t want to drink as much. Last year I already drank 1,5 l water up to this place – now barely half that, and I forced myself to drink even that – it seems I absorb water through skin…

From Wielka Racza trail leads to Jaworzyna – the route goes orund the very top, so the only determinant of reaching this point are the digits on the clock that hit 1,159 m a.s.l. This is just a formality on the way to the Przegibek Pass and first refreshment point. It gets more and more muddy and water squelches in shoes for some time now.

To Przegibek I run without any major obstacles. In the shelter I refill water and spend a few minutes under a tent, gorging on sweet bunds and fruits, but most of all enjoying that finally it doesn’t rain on my head. Unfortunately it’s tiome to move on. I wipe the glasses and moisturizing continues…

Overheard on trail:

  • „You’re taking the short or the long route?”
  • „Short – I’m exhausted after work”

Here come the crisis … yes, I feel it well. Wielka Rycerzowa is perhaps the first serious challenge, probably because the you already have around 40 km in your legs and right now comes the muddy climb… At some points you need to get off the path to be able to climb, because the main approach slowly turns into a muddy slide. Nevermind that my Brooksy have trail sole – everything is filled with a thick layer of mud. Coming up to the top, where there is a split of routes, I wonder whether not to shorten this „fun” … but no! I came here to face the Oszust (ang. the Trickster, as it is called by the locals)! To the volunteers’ question „right of left?” I answer without hesitation „the right on – that’s what I came for” I twitched only slightly when I heard the warning „Watch it. There is no return when you’re alredy down there”… What did she mean?

I learned quickly. Downhill – no, descent – no, slide down the leaves and mud is so hard I wouldn’t even think about coming back the same way. Well, I have to press on forward. Only somehow I lack power. Additionally, the route marking tapes dissapeared. From that moment on the trail i marked by border posts and blue trail markings. I wade ahead, but time somehow slowed down. More and more often I look at my watch, and the kilometers don’t want to dissapear. Hips and thighs burn like hell. Here came the crisis. And the greatest challenge is still ahead. No matter how well you are watching your food and water – a crisis is something that sooner or later gets to everyone. Fortunately, every crisis comes to an end. I’m longing for this moment with… and all of a sudden, in front of me rises almost vertical wall… Do I really have to climb on it?! Holy Shit…

Świtkowa climb – a real challenge is still envelopped in  mist

„THIS IS ULTRAMARATHON. IT MUST HURT” (by Krzysztof Dołęgowski)

„130-meter test of characters” – This is the description of the point on the route profile 80+. More accurate would be „130-meter wall of cry”. Even more as this polace actually resembles a climbing wall. Step by step, I tread so intently, as if my life depended on it, and several times I had a death in my eyes when losing balance on the mud. Achilles tendons howl in pain with every step. Any protruding root or stone is a salvation. In the end, I climb to the top. These 130 m took me approx. 20 minutes. If this was was not the infamous Oszust, what would that one be like?

…EVEN THE TOUGHEST WILL HAVE TO LEAN ON THEIR NOSES...

… a nice, catchy phrase, but that’s it, right? Well… no… really any part of the body is useful here. It’s no use to even try climbing the main path – olny mud there … as if someone was deliberetaly pouring water over the trail for several nights in a row. Standing at the bottom of the Oszust you experience a vivid „deja vu” and all hope dies. Świtkowa takes away all your will to fight, and barely a moment later you get a replay.

Here I already step sideways, because I’m afraid that achilles tendons, strained to the limit, will just break and slap me in the face. Thighs burn and refuse to cooperate without help of hands. In agony I seek out anything that gives me the illusion of stability and laboriously climb to the top. This approach takes an eternity, but eventually ends. Worn out, I reach the peak at 11:00 sharp.

Oszust defeated (fot. fotomaraton.pl)

On the top I need to catch my breath. Only after a while I force myself to jog and gently run down the peak. These two climbs sucked out all my strength. It is 52-nd km (I could have already been at the finish line…) I feel another crisis coming closer. Although I have with me caffeine pills and painkillers, but it is only for extreme situations – I hate to silence the body signals …. does it rain harder? Yes, after a while it’s coming in buckets…

„THE TERRAIN IS GENTLE AND SHELTERED FROM SUN LIGHT. ALMOST NO STONES HERE, BUT THE MIDDAY HEAT MAY BE THE PROBLEM

… Sheltered from the sun light, but not protected against rain. Stones may not be there, but there’s more than enough mud … the midday heat?? You must be kidding … I’m all wet, cold and tormented by a giant crisi … and here’s the slide into the pool … F**k that, I don’t get up! I will just lie there, until someone finds me …

But in three kilometers there’s the Glinka Pass – Oasis with sandwiches, sweet buns and hot tea. Okay, maybe I’ll get up. I wade slowly forward, shuffling in puddles (I gave up avoiding them long time ago) and the rain washes the mud away – at least it does something useful. From post to post … I reach Glinka after a time that seemed like an eternity. A small tent in the parking lot at the street is not corresponding to my idea of a calm oasis – the one that kept me on my feet … but hey – at least they have hot tea…

No tea… I don’t know if it was my imagination or did someone actually let the nasty rumor about the hot tea. Pissed, I replenished the water, ate a bun with cheese, then a sweet bun, some fruits and cookies. I felt better. only 24 more kilometers. I divided this in my head into two  10-km segments. The first uphill, the other downhill. And these last 4 km don’t count.

IT CLEARS UP

Literally and figuratively. After eating my fill at the refreshment point the strength and desire to fight return. Although now another climb awaits and I have stiff legs, I know that this is the end – the last two climbs. I reached Hrubá Buczyna without any more adventures – Except for the very end, the whole approach was quite mild. I remember a run down over a very shaky ground though. For several kilometers you run through the wet, slippery boards, spread over wetlands – in such a weather it is neither fun nor safe. After a while, the road starts to climb up and is now dry. At The Trzy Kopce I got a black armband marked with a distance of 80 km and a nice volunteer (in a water-proof cape and NRC foil) confirmed which routes now to follow. Route marking tapes were now back.

It starts to clear up and for the first time the landscape around becomes visible. It’s nice that at least at the end Beskidy revealed their beauty. Hala Lipowska is really pretty. I waited a while more before I took off my rainproof jacket (I was afraid I’ll cool off again) and moved on – the last segment. Mildly and easily. Sometimes I even managed to speed up. I passed several runners and a large number of tourists. Some cheered, others tried to talk.

Passing one pair I oiverheard a girl saying to her boyfriend: „See? After 80 kilometers he looks better than you!” Oh, the boy had to say do really wrong…

The last five kilometers was already a countdown. Every kilometer was marked and on passing each mark new forces awakened im me. Running down the road I can already hear the noise at the finish line. I run between the buildings and see the colorful arrows pointing the route through the narrow streets down to the finish line. It’s amazing how much energy a man has left after 84-km run. I speed up (ie. for me it was speeding – probably from the side it looked like a granny’s trot) and look out for the bridge, meaning the end of the ordeal. There it is! Just over the bridge… and finish! Crossing the line I notice my time on a display – 11:41:48! But it’s not important anymore – I can finally eat and relax …

ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY

The 50+ route is a great choice for someone who’d like to try a trail ultra for the first time. It is a challenge, but achievable. The 80+ route on the other hand is a pure sadism. Yet without this sadism there wouldn’t be anything to tell. It’s not a route for breaking time records in my opinion, but it certainly gives opportunity to learn your limits and falls deeply in memory. What experience would it be witha a nicer weather!

A few words must be said about the organization of the event. The race office was organized in school in Ujsoły, right next to finish-line. Race packages were distributed very smoothly, despite the large queue just before the briefing. Race packs come with a surprise (as usual), but not for them we run and therefore I won’t advertise the content. Who was present – knows their worth.

The briefing itself was very substantive, but not without humor. All important information was pass on clearly and lucidly. Route marking was really good. I was a little afraid of the segment without additional mraking tapes, but the border posts (during the briefing organizers explained exactly how to read them) and the blue trail signs were perfectly sufficient. Key points were additionaly marked and it was really hard to get lost.

Refreshemnt points were well equipped. There was salty food and sweet food – everything in abundance. Only this tea at the Glinka Pass… maybe it was just a rumor and it was not planned at all, but I would welcome the tea in there with open hands.

To be fair, I have to point one thing – a vegan after-race meal. During registration, everyone marked the meal of their choice. Unfortunately, when I reached the finish line, it occured that the vegan version is over … OK, I could understand if I came at the very end, but I still had around 200 people running after me. Besides, the check box on the registration form should serve something, dit it not? Well, it’s a small nuisance in fact – I ate barley porridge with salad and it was OK… but it would be nice to eat the full meal after all the sweet bars and snacks on the way. And it stays in memory that somebody blew it, right?

DATA AND LOGISTICS

Disance: 84,3 KM
Total elevation gain: +3563/-3547 m
Calories burnt: 4397 kcal
Evarage pace: 8:20 min/km

Refreshment points:
1. Przegibek Pass 37,8 km  water, isotonic, bananas, oranges, watermelons, cookies, sweet buns, blueberries with cream, dried fruits
2. Glinka Pass, 60,5 km – water, isotonic, bananas, oranges, watermelons, cookies, sweet buns, sandwiches, dried sausages

  • Equipment:
    • shoes: Brooks Cascadia 11
    • clothes: Injinji fivefinger socks, CEP compression calf sleeves, Kalenji trail shorts, Brubeck 3DPro shirt, Buff, Dynafit Enduro 12 backpack
    • backpack: 0,55l bottle with isotonic, 3 0,5 l softflasks with water, NRC foil, Inov-8 rainproof jacket, Petzl NAO headlamp, hendkerchiefs, basic aid kit, phone, powerbank, map, trak profile, buff, Brubeck arm sleeves
  • Food (~3135 kcal):
    • Before start: semolina pudding with mixed dried fruit and nuts, coffee = ~350 kcal
    • during race: 4 sandwiches (peanut butter, cheese + avokado) (~950 kcal), bun with chees (~220 kcal) 5 energy bars (895 kcal), 1 ettix gel (96 kcal), 1 banana (~114 kcal), 2 small sweet buns (~210 kcal) = ~2485 kcal
    • after-race meal: pearl barley with salad = ~300 kcal
  • liquids (~340 kcal):
    • 2,5 l water (refilled at every refreshment point)
    • 1,5 l isotonic (refilled at every refreshment point) = ~340 kcal

STATISTICS

The race was attended by 797 contestants, of who 519 people defeated 50+ route, and 255 people chose 80+ route. The new 21 km distance (Little Rycerzowa) was completed by 105 participants. I finished the 80+ route at the 60th position OPEN (58/233 in M category) with the time of 11:41:48. Here are the results  for 80+ route.

The best results are as follows:

Men:
1. Žlabys Vaidas – 07:52:52
2. Maciejowski Maciej – 08:18:40
3. Bętkowski Piotr – 08:42:30

60. Marcin Suski – 11:41:48

Women:
1. Majer Ewa – 10:20:38
2. Matuła Ewelina  – 11:20:24
3. Kwiatkowska Kinga – 11:47:08

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