Τρέχοντας ορεινά

(Το άρθρο δημοσιεύτηκε στην εφημερίδα «Ηπειρωτικός Αγώνας» στις 20/2/2014)

Στις 26 και 27 Ιουλίου θα γίνει φέτος ο τέταρτος ορεινός αγώνας δρόμου στο Ζαγόρι, το «The North Face Zagori Mountain Running 2014». Η διοργάνωση φιλοδοξεί να ξεπεράσει τα στενά όρια της Ελλάδας και να δελεάσει αθλητές και από άλλες χώρες, γειτονικές και μη.

 Τέσσερις μεγάλοι αγώνες (80χλμ, 42χλμ, 22χλμ και 10χλμ) καθώς και πολλάhappenings για τα μικρά αλλά και τα μεγαλύτερα παιδιά, είναι σίγουρο πως θα κάνουν την περιοχή του Ζαγορίου να ζωντανέψει με τα χρώματα και τις φωνές των ανθρώπων που λατρεύουν την φύση και τον αθλητισμό. Ο Γιάννης Παπαστύλος γράφει για το ορεινό τρέξιμο και έχει όλες τις λεπτομέρειες για το άθλημα, την ιστορία του και τις απαιτήσεις του.Καλό είναι να μάθουμε όλοι μας τι ακριβώς είναι το ορεινό τρέξιμο. Εξάλλου, με τόσα βουνά που μας περιτριγυρίζουν, πρέπει να αισθανόμαστε τυχεροί που έχουμε τόσους πολλούς και καλούς «στίβους» κοντά μας να μας αναμένουν.

  Το ορεινό τρέξιμο- mountain running ή trail running όπως είναι η διεθνής του ονομασία- δεν είναι κάτι το καινούργιο. Αγώνες ορεινού τρεξίματος αναφέρονται μέχρι και χίλια χρόνια πριν στη Σκωτία με σκοπό να βρεθεί ο γρηγορότερος ταχυδρόμος για να παραδίδει την αλληλογραφία του βασιλιά. Για να μην πούμε ότι στην ουσία ορεινός δρομέας ήταν και ο Φειδιππίδης που έτρεξε τη διαδρομή Αθήνα-Σπάρτη για να ζητήσει τη βοήθεια των Σπαρτιατών στη μάχη του Μαραθώνα.

  Καταρχήν, να διευκρινίσουμε ότι δεν πρέπει να υπάρχει σύγχυση μεταξύ του ορεινού τρεξίματος και της ορειβασίας. Το ορεινό τρέξιμο είναι αυτό ακριβώς που λέει η λέξη. Τρέξιμο. Η IAAF κατατάσσει το ορεινό τρέξιμο στην κατηγορία των Athletics μαζί με τον στίβο, τους αγώνες δρόμου, το βάδην, και το cross country τρέξιμο. Η μεγάλη και πραγματική διαφορά με τα υπόλοιπα αγωνίσματα δρόμου είναι η αντικειμενική αδυναμία του να υπάρχει ρεκόρ απόστασης, μιας και ο κάθε αγώνας είναι τόσο διαφορετικός από τον άλλο έτσι ώστε η απόσταση να αποτελεί τις περισσότερες φορές τον ελάχιστο παράγοντα δυσκολίας. Για να γίνει πιο σαφές αυτό, σκεφτείτε την διαφορά μεταξύ 44 χιλιομέτρων ανάβασης και κατάβασης στον Όλυμπο και 44 χιλιομέτρων στους λόφους και τα μονοπάτια γύρω γύρω από τα Γιάννενα. Ο στίβος, τελικά, είναι αυτός που καθορίζει την δυσκολία του αγώνα. Ο στίβος και οι καιρικές συνθήκες. Η βροχή, η λάσπη, το χιόνι, οι πέτρες, ο ήλιος και η σκόνη καθώς και οι απότομες ανηφόρες και κατηφόρες δεν αποτελούν εμπόδια στο άθλημα αυτό, αλλά μέρος της απόλαυσης.

  Πολλοί αθλητές και ιδίως οι αθλητές αντοχής προσθέτουν στο προπονητικό τους πρόγραμμα ασκήσεις στο βουνό ή γενικά σε υψόμετρο γιατί τους βοηθά στο να βελτιώσουν πολύ το καρδιοαναπνευστικό τους σύστημα και τα επίπεδα αντοχής τους.

  Τι χρειάζεται κανείς για να ασχοληθεί με το ορεινό τρέξιμο; Στην ουσία, μόνο ένα ζευγάρι κατάλληλα αθλητικά παπούτσια. Από εκεί και πέρα, όπως λένε και οι Άγγλοι, ο ουρανός είναι το όριο. Οι αθλητικές εταιρείες έχουν καταλάβει προ πολλού την δυναμική του αθλήματος και παρουσιάζουν χρόνο με το χρόνο όλο και πιο λεπτομερείς συλλογές με ρούχα και αξεσουάρ που δεν θα αφήσουν κανένα ανικανοποίητο. Παπούτσια, κάλτσες, κολάν, τεχνικές μπλούζες, αδιάβροχα, αντιανεμικά, σκουφάκια, ρολόγια, καρδιοσυχνόμετρα και άλλα ων ουκ έστιν αριθμός, καθώς και παγούρια, ροφήματα και τροφές θα βοηθήσουν τον καθένα είτε να κάνει το χόμπι του είτε να προσπαθήσει να γίνει πρωταθλητής.

  Εμείς εδώ στα Γιάννενα, θεωρούμαστε προνομιούχοι στις τάξεις των ορεινών δρομέων. Ο λόγος είναι προφανής. Η πόλη μας περιτριγυρίζεται από βουνά και λόφους και η πρόσβαση σε κάποιο μονοπάτι για προπόνηση είναι πάρα πολύ εύκολη. Το δασάκι στο Φρόντζο βρίσκεται στην κυριολεξία μέσα στην πόλη. Στην ευρύτερη περιοχή διοργανώνονται τα τελευταία χρόνια πολλοί αγώνες, όπως οι ορεινοί αγώνες Λύγγου στη Ζίτσα, ο Άθλος Τζουμέρκων, Ο Δρόμος της Αρκούδας στο Μέτσοβο με διοργανωτή τον τεράστιο αθλητή τον Νίκο Καλοφύρη και φυσικά το κορυφαίο The North Face ZagoriMountain Running με διοργανωτή τον γιαννιώτη Βασίλη Τζουμάκα, ιδιοκτήτη των καταστημάτων Fifth Element στα Γιάννενα, με εξειδίκευση στον ορεινό αθλητισμό (τρέξιμο, σκι, snowboard, ορειβασία κ.α.). Οι αγώνες αυτοί εκτός του αθλητικού ενδιαφέροντος, προσελκύουν πολύ κόσμο στους ορεινούς όγκους της περιοχής μας, προσφέροντας προστιθέμενη αξία στα χωριά που θα φιλοξενήσουν τους αθλητές και τους συνοδούς τους.

  Αντί για επίλογο, αξίζει να αναφερθεί η παντελής έλλειψη κακώς εννοούμενου ανταγωνισμού. Βοηθά σε αυτό το γεγονός ότι τα έπαθλα των νικητών είναι ένα μετάλλιο και τα πολλά μπράβο των συναθλητών τους. Δεν είναι καθόλου σπάνια η εικόνα να τερματίζουν σε αγώνες, αθλητές ο ένας δίπλα στον άλλο, αγκαλιά, χωρίς να τους ενδιαφέρει αν είναι πρώτοι ή τελευταίοι. Ο αντίπαλος είναι το βουνό και ο συναθλητής σου πολλές φορές είναι αυτός που θα σε βγάλει από μια δύσκολη θέση. Η συχνότατη και καθολική παραδοχή του λόγου για τον οποίο ασχολούνται οι περισσότεροι με το ορεινό τρέξιμο μπορεί να συνοψιστεί στο: «Τρέχω για να κερδίσω τον εαυτό μου και κανέναν άλλο».

The coveted trinket

It was late August 2013. Actually it was the very last day of a very hot summer. The holiday season was coming to an end. Summer time was full with mountain activities that kept the trail running community on its toes. There was still, though, this huge ultra-race event called «TeRA 2013» spanning 80 km across a very demanding and harsh terrain, situated around and over the Timfi mountain complex. A race that would be the capping stone of a great season. The Ultra was scheduled to start at 5:15 am and was planned to finish around midnight the same day. Seventy six ultra-runners stood ready and eager at the starting line and the spirits were high. I watched semi-jealously as these athletes got on their way, hitting the steep slope that awaited them just outside the picturesque village of Tsepelovo in the northern region of Ioannina prefecture. I started having wild thoughts about me being a contender the coming year, even though I knew that this was a ridiculous idea even for a dream.

Anyway, after losing sight even of the last of the runners, I started preparing for the task that was assigned to me. I took, with the help of Angela, all the participants drop bags, loaded them on a small van and proceeded to the central race station at the village of Papiggo. I arrived there, little after seven thirty and started, with the help of the local folks, to prepare and set up the station in order to be ready well before 10:30 am –the time that the first athlete was expected to arrive. Boiled potatoes, soup, pasta, watermelon, chocolate cakes, salt, isotonic drinks, Coke, and lots of fresh water were set on the two long tables under the shadow of the village church’s bell house. The drop bags were separated in tens and I asked a local teenager to help keep track of the arrival time of each participant, since our station was also a check point and had a time limit. The runners that would not be able to reach the central station under 10 hours (3.15pm) would be eliminated, and would not be allowed to go any further. I and Kostis (a runner-friend from Metsovo) were the ones to break the bad news to them.

Apart from being responsible for the organization and smooth operation of the central station, Kostis and myself, were also assigned the task to follow the last on-time runners and certify their safe passage from the Vikos gorge up until the village of Monodentri and the next and last time limit of 16 hours from the beginning of the race.

As expected the first athlete –Nikos Kalofiris – entered the little church’s grounds around 10:40 am. He was looking rather relaxed and not so tired, even though, he already had covered the first and most difficult part of the race. Climbing up the Avalos passage (2320m) then dropping dramatically near the monastery of Stomio and climbing again to reach the intimidating passage of Davalista and the Drakolimni Lake. Being the kind of person he is, he was not so concerned about himself but he was giving us advice on how to treat the upcoming runners. After Nikos, Yannis Papailias and Vasilis Tzoumakas (2^nd and 3^rd final) left the station we started receiving a steady stream of athletes. We helped them with their drop bags, filled their bottles with water, cheered them up and sent them on their way down the Vikos gorge. Time was flying by and without realizing it my clock notified me that there were only 15 minutes left to reach the time limit of 10 hours from the beginning of the race. I contacted the previous station and was informed that there were two last runners that passed their checkpoint and were heading our way. I knew that it would be a close call and I was hoping to skip the gruesome task of eliminating them from the rest of the race.

As it turned out those two came just in time and after a brief rest at the station they started off again. Kostis and I waited for a couple of minutes, just to be sure that everything was ok at the station and we attacked the trail following those two last men. After about half an hour I started realizing that the pace we were «running» (more like walking) would not get us to Monodentri in time to meet the final elimination limit. About half way between Papiggo and Monodentri we tried telling them that it would be impossible to be on time. We were losing a lot of time stopping now and then, for them to rest and catch their breath. That (I realized later) was a bad idea. Even though, one of them, being extremely tired from the race and the heat, came to terms with the idea that he would not go all the way, the other one exploded with curses and foul language for every and any one responsible for the race. I could certainly sympathize with him, but I could also put two and two together. The pace we were going would get him to the finish line next morning, jeopardizing his wellbeing. Anyway, to make a long story short, we were arguing, sometimes politely, sometimes angrily (from his part) all the way to Monodentri village. We missed the deadline by 50 minutes and the last safety party had left.

I had my car brought to Monodentri by a friend so I took both those men and drove them back to Tsepelovo. On the way there I kept hearing the «angry» one telling me the same things I heard all through the gorge. Call it intuition, call it a desperate try to stop his nagging, I turned my head and told him that, even though, they did not finish the race, I would ask the race director to award those two with the medal reserved for the finishers, in order to reward them for their great effort. Magically, that was it. No more nagging, no more foul language, no more bitterness. We reached Tsepelovo at about 9:30pm, had a great dinner, celebrated with the others and watched the last of the participants cross the finishing line.

Next morning, I kept my promise. I got two medals, located the «angry» one and awarded him his trophy. And then it hit me. That little piece of inexpensive memorabilia is magically turned into Jason’s Golden Fleece to the eyes of all of us hard breathing race participants. This is what we want. This is what we sweat about. Whether it’s a 100 miler or a 5k race. Not for the medal itself. But what it represents. It is the shining proof that you managed to beat your worst adversary. That little voice inside your head telling you to stop, telling you that you are too tired, too thirsty, too hungry, too disoriented. That small piece of metal or wood is worth 100 times its weight in gold to our minds.

So, dear race organizers, pretty please, with sugar on top, make sure that you have enough medals for your participants. Racers can do without technical shirts, brand bags, stickers and leaflets. But they, we, can’t do without our small personal treasure. The race participant medal.

Should kids be allowed to run ultras?

Well, that’s a big question! And who am I to answer it? I’m neither a doctor nor a trainer. I can use common sense though. I am pretty good at common-sensing.

I happen to know a friend whose child is, for the lack of a better phrase, a very promising,next generation, ironman. He runs 10K trail races all the times, he runs 30k MTB races, he swims long distances and he is only 11 years old. He makes those efforts look, well, effortless. He outruns many grown-ups and trained ones, I might add. He is an outstanding athlete. Should he be considered as a role model for other children? In my opinion, no.

Let’s step back a little bit and talk semantics. What is an ultra? By definition, an ultra-marathon is any race bigger than the classic 42K marathon. A marathon race is considered to be one of the more popular track and field events worldwide and one of the most difficult and demanding ones. So, an ultra tops the scale in difficulty. If anyone googles “Marathon preparation – training – racing” (let alone ultras) they will come up with virtually, millions of articles on training technics, schedules, intervals, food, supplements, water, electrolytes, rest, yoga, strict diets, pace and thousands of other staff that would make a normal person go bananas if they were to consider training for their first marathon without professional help.

So, this person gets psyched and starts training vigorously, for his first marathon. He counts 16 weeks back from the race day and begins a daily program that would insure him a decent finish. He runs at least 40k a week and does a long run every Sunday that varies from 90 to 200 minutes. He has frequent sport massages and does yoga once or twice a week. He takes every precaution not to go down with any kind of illness that would cause him to loose precious training time.  He watches and measures everything he eats and takes food supplements to prevent injuries and fatigue. He writes down a race plan and memorizes, over the weeks, all the things he has to remember during the race; when to eat, when to drink, what to drink and how much, what his pace will be etc.

Now, picture this person; and put in his place your son or daughter age 12. Do any of the above actions make sense to you if you consider them being done by your 12 year old child? To me they don’t. For sure, a kid loves track and field training. Especially, if they are among friends. To make them undergo such a demanding procedure like the training for an ultra,  would be heartless.

Children’s mentality is a serious if not forbidding drawback in such an endeavour. They love to play and hate rules. They go all out from the very first moment and are too busy having fun than listening to their bodies, telling them when they get tired. They hate schedules and have wild and free spirits. They eat when they are hungry and drink when they are thirsty.

An ultra is, eventually, a race of the mind and not the body. So, to try and make a child grow faster than he/she has to, just to run a race is, at least pointless.