Winter is not the best time to run on the street. Most leave parks and stadiums, and change from outdoor jogging to treadmills in gyms. But I really wanted to close my running season nicely, and then switch to other sports that are more common for the winter season. Therefore, the treadmill was not suitable for this.
There are several for the same supporters of running as I do in Ukraine winter raceswhose distance is close to half marathons:
- New Year Half Marathon "Yole" - Vyshgorod
- "Winter to Meet" - Kharkiv
- "Poltava winter" - Poltava
- "Zhytomyr Verticals" - Zhytomyr
- “Win Trail Ternopil” - Ternopil
Races in Vyshhorod and Poltava are held in late December, and all others - in early December. I did not consider the Poltava Winter Half Marathon at all, as in 2018 it was part of a series of running events organized by Nova Poshta. Usually I want to run the whole series, but I did not take part in any race of this series, so participation in "Poltava Winter" was not very interesting to me.
Initially, I focused on participating in the New Year's half marathon "Yol". But at the end of November it was clear that a real snowy winter awaits us. Since I have never had to take participation in winter races, so I had no idea what to expect and expect, and most importantly - how to train. Therefore, it was necessary to choose - to take part in the Kharkiv, Zhytomyr or Ternopil race. In the summer I already managed to run along the track “Ternopil Half Marathon” and appreciate the organization of the half marathon, so I decided to opt for “Win Trail Ternopil”.
Registration
Registration of participants took place on the site runstyle.net. The organizers set a limit of 80 people for a distance of 21 kilometers, so I did not hesitate for a long time to register in time. Participation in the race cost me 100 UAH, and additionally paid for the medal - it cost 110 UAH. Next, it was necessary to decide how to get to Ternopil. The easiest option is a train. No327 took me to Ternopil.
I did not seek housing because I knew that I would not be able to sleep at night, as I was a little worried, because it was the first winter half marathon in my practice. He took a book with him “What Do I Say When I Run” Murakami not to be bored and have fun twelve hours of free time.
This was to be my first winter half marathon, so I decided to bring my standard set of clothes for running and not invent something new. It included a T-shirt, pants, jacket, hat and mittens. Unfortunately, it was too late to mention the buff - it should also be taken with you, it's a pity I forgot.
Way to Ternopil
All the way from Kiev to Ternopil, he made a plan for 2019 races and slept. Because I had a good night's sleep because the next 30 hours did not fit into my plans. Arriving at the destination, the first thing to do was look for a warm and cozy place at the station where you could rest and read a book.
Before leaving for the starting town, I decided to walk around the station and look for other runners. Since in the company of comrades in the pursuit of running, the path should have been more interesting. Very soon I met Artem from Kyiv, who had already taken part in the race the day before "Zhytomyr verticals” for 23 kilometers. After the acquaintance, we went together to the starting point of the winter half marathon "Win Trail Ternopil" - after an interesting conversation, the road flashed almost imperceptibly. Excluding the organizers of the half marathon, we were among the first. While we were waiting for the start of the start numbers, I met Artem's friend Igor, who came from Lviv.
Starting Point "Win Trail Ternopil"
The starting town was well organized - it is located on a hill near the local location "Far Beach". Convenient storage rooms and tents were set up here, where the numbers of the participants were published. There was also a place for heating and a kitchen near the tents, where fragrant hot mulled wine and traditional Ukrainian borsch were prepared. If you climbed higher, you could see the hydration tent.
Tents for dressing were located a little distance from the paddlers. The launch pad was located at the foot of the hill and the finish line - at the very hill. The half marathon starter pack included a number, promotional brochures and a pack of pasta. After receiving our packages, we still had about one and a half hours to go. So it was decided to walk the race track to know what to expect from this half marathon.
The organizers have prepared enough interesting route for participantsin, as it had many ascents and descents in the atmosphere of a magical snow-covered forest. I immediately noticed a good marking of the route - everywhere there were signs with instructions on where to run, signal tapes. Therefore, it was impossible to get lost - this is a big plus. The track reminded me of the trail track "Didorivka XC Duathlon, MTB Race & Trail Run“ Only here was the greater distance and the snowy forest. Looking at the track, we went to get ready for the start and change our clothes.
Run
There was a start. All participants of the winter half marathon were expecting a 21-kilometer route - three circles of 7 kilometers each. Initially, I decided to run with Igor - so the two of us traveled 2 kilometers somewhere. Since my Runkeeper was showing me one mile in 9:48 minutes. So I decided to accelerate and keep the pace I needed - 7 minutes for one mile.
I already understand that I made two very serious mistakes. First, my approach to the half marathon “Win Trail Ternopil” was like a road race. Yes, there was snow, hills, more distance, but I wanted to run this half marathon, like the previous road races. The “Didorivka XC Duathlon, MTB Race & Trail Run” race was easy for me, so I thought that Ternopil winter half marathon will be simple. After all, the conditions are the same, only the distance is a little longer.
Secondly, I was not fully aware of the difficulties and preparation for such a distance. That is, I was aware of it, but too late. It was easy to overcome 6 miles at the start of the race - I managed 62 minutes, which is a pretty good result for me. After 8 miles it became not so easy. I overcame the ninth mile in 15 minutes and kept that pace until the end of the race. After running the first lap, I drank tea at the hydration station, on the second lap added lemon and banana.
There were no problems with my feet, as in the first half marathon in which I participated. Therefore, this time everything was following the usual scenario. At the ninth mile, I felt an increase in muscle pain above the knees, and as early as the tenth leg I didn't seem to have the strength to keep running. A little later, it got better. But since the “Win Trail Ternopil” track gave me the same as my track the first half marathon, I decided not to run on the result, but just to overcome the whole distance as it turns out.
Running through the third lap, it seemed that all the forces were exhausted, but volunteers with tea came to my aid. Two small asphalt sections of the route were very relevant on the first and second laps. All the rest of the route ran through forest paths, which then went up and down. Runners at the end of the circle expected a surprise - the rise. The first two times I overcame this climb easily, but in the third lap I almost had to climb on it, and also just because it was about to appear finish.
Borsch-party
Most jogging arrangements before the start arrange a so-called pasta party. At "Win Trail Ternopil", the organizers decided to stand out and have a borscht party after everyone had finished. After a grueling run of mini, it seemed like it was the most delicious borscht and burger sandwich in my life. And they were treated to aromatic mulled wine with spices and cookies.
Impressions of “Win Trail Ternopil”
One thing to say about Ternopil - this city can surprise. Like the summer half marathon “Ternopil Half Marathon”, the winter “Win Trail Ternopil” was organized flawlessly. This run has given me many new experiences and good emotions. At once it was possible to see that the organizers of the event are not only supporters of running, but also true professionals of their business.
Pros of "Win Trail Ternopil":
- high level of organization
- well marked track
- the circuit of the route is laid very high quality
- runners are well supported by both volunteers and spectators
- beginners can count on good support
Cons:
- not found.
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