8th NajNaj21 Trail Halfmarathon

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(Edited)

Sunday, October the 4th 2020. The day of the 8th NajNaj21 Trail Halfmarathon.

The full name of this trail running event is Najlepši in najtežji polmaraton which means The most beautiful and the most difficult halfmarathon.

I totally agree with the most beautiful As for the most difficult ... It is difficult enough. 21 kilometers with around 1300 meters of climb (officially) make if demanding.

It was to be my third appearance at this event which is on the calendar in March. This year it was postponed to October, for obvious reasons. Instead of early spring, we got early autumn. Yet, the weather was probably the same - wet, windy, and not so cold.

Due to the situation, the organizers set up a special protocol with three groups for bib numbers pick up and for the start.

I was in the second group and was early for the bibs. I had ample time to write a prequel (NajNaj21) and catch an hour of sleep in the car. A great start.

The wave start with three groups was on at 10 am with fifteen-minute intervals. My group was ready at 10:15. It was rainy and around 10 degrees so I opted for a long-sleeved running shirt with short pants. There were five refreshment stations on the course and we didn't need any special backpacks with us. I carried my running belt with the phone to take pictures and the silicone cup for the beverages at the stations.

Let the photos help me walk you through the run.


10:13 pre-start

Designated starting places and masks.

I smuggled myself into the last row, no mask. I have health issues with them.


10:32 first real climb

When we came out of the woods after the start and started climbing on the ridge toward the church, the wind caught us. It wasn't uncomfortable.

Despite the clouds, the views were still beautiful.

This was probably one of the steepest climbs on the run. Or better said walk :)

Almost there.

The first refreshment station was huddled by the church's wall. Most of us skipped it. We greeted and thanked the volunteers in any case.


10:40 A view from the top

Three minutes later, going down the other side of the hill, the church is distant history.

And another climb begins.


10:58 Second refreshment station

This one is at the foot of the climb up the highest point of the trail.

The climb begins with a church. Yes, there are many churches around Slovenia. But that's another story.

The trail was marked extremely well. Little red flags in the ground are far better than tapes on the branches.


11:22 on the top

A view from the top of Tošč, with 1021 meters the highest point of the run.

Happy runners.

Another great view on the way down.


11:55 yet another hill

Going up another hill, this time Osolnik.

Throughout the day I've seen smiling faces everywhere.

And again, hills and valleys, farms and woods. I love this land.

Towards Osovnik.


12:11 next pit stop and the hill above

All the volunteers were extremely friendly and supportive. Thank you very much, my friends!

Since this part of the trail is the least demanding and equally beautiful I'll let the photos speak. Yes, there will be a church in the photos too.

12:19 an easy climb it was

Here the photos from the hardest part are missing. A slippery very steep downhill section covered with mud, grass, and branches. It was fun.

From this point all the way to the finish I stopped taking photos. I set myself the goal to finish in under three hours.


1:15 am - made the loop

2 hours, 59 minutes, and something. Strava tells me that net time was 2:47. Twelve minutes for stopping at the stations and talking with people, and for taking photos. There is still space for improvement, obviously. Yet I rather greet people who help us than spurt by without the word.

I cheered for fellow runners coming into the finish.

My Inov-8 X-Talon 212 were covered with mud. It's healing, they say.

It might be that these soles are not the most suited for such conditions. Then, nothing is.

After I changed into the civilian clothes I went into the inn to have lunch. It was well deserved, beer included. Cheers!


Some data

From the heart rate distribution chart it can be seen that this run wasn't just a walk in the park. Usually, I don't reach these levels.

The map of the run.

It was a great experience.

As for the result and some statistical insight, maybe some other time.


All the physical activity data that I display in my @exhaust and @actifit reports is gathered with the help of Coros Pace sports watch and displayed with Coros app.




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17 comments
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You have uploaded 536 running activities, and 65 of them have been of similar distances (within 10 percent)!
Here are your 5-fastest running activities of a similar distance:

Over these 65 similar activities, you have travelled approximately 412.10 kms at an average pace of roughly 6:08 min/km!
Your latest run was at a pace of approximately 7.932min/km!
Looks like you went a bit faster than usual this time! Nice work!
Have a !BEER for your troubles!

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You need to stake more BEER (24 staked BEER allows you to call BEER one time per day)

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Your current Rank (51) in the battle Arena of Holybread has granted you an Upvote of 11%

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I loved the tour even more because it was marked with red flags, the photos are great, I also liked the part that says, greet people and not pass by, that speaks very well of you, and the reward in food, accompanied of beer, what more could you ask for.
Greetings

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Thanks a lot for reading and viewing the story all the way to the end :)

!invest_vote

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Hiya, @lizanomadsoul here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Top 3 in Daily Travel Digest #992.

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hello dear friend @ ervin-lemark good afternoon
Excellent the images that you show us, it shows the difficulty of the test and the elevation of the roads. great shots
That dish looks delicious, without a doubt, after the effort, it was worth a beer. You are a good athlete and an excellent companion, few runners take the time to encourage others to reach the goal.
have a prosperous week.

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Wow, wow, wow. Stunning view and nice captures. The run seems to be difficult. The pair of shoes photographed are the witness :) You used them really well. I am amazed by the beauty of the landscape. Perfect weather for the half marathon I guess.

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Thank you.

Apart from some wind at open spots it really was perfect weather.

Have a great day.

!invest_vote

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