Mediaş Medieval Marathon 2010

trip report

"Felicitari Mihai, ca intotdeauna fruntas. ... si cate kg aveai la final?"

Linia de start MMM 2010

Someone rightly suggested that the name of the Medias Medieval Marathon should be changed to Mudieval. Except for snow, there was something for everyone: mud, sun, heavy winds, scary clouds, torrential rain and hailstone… Our friend and fellow mountain biker, Mihai Constantenec, tells his story of that day of extremes:

I finally manage to squeeze in somewhere in the back of the start line. Oh well… it wouldn’t be the first time. And here we go, I start overtaking many of the guys, but when I reach the mud, there are still many more before me. Not a surprise. So, I pick up the bike and start to run, hoping my biking shoes will find some grip in the slime. The effort takes its toll on me, but I finally reach the observatory and hop on the bike again. It goes pretty well, not too much mud. And then downhill…. speed! Ooops, it’s not going as well as I expected, I start skidding and decide to slow down a little, or I might eat some mud.

From here on end I keep on going – the marathon is 80 km long – I do pretty well on the climbs and relish in the descents. I overtake and am at the same time overtaken. Finally, in one of the check points I find out I’m the 18th. Many participants fall victims to the mud, but I survive, till finally the bad luck catches up with me too, and I find out I’ve got a flat tire. I take a deep breath and start to fix it. Contestants pass by, but I still think I can regain the lost time. Finally, I’m almost finished. And then, the valve breaks. I too start to deflate. More cyclists pass by, most of them are sympathetic. I do a patch up job, just to keep me to the finish line and decide to get going. Not so soon, though, one of the breaks comes loose so I need to tighten it back. I get on the bike eventually and hope the snake bite will elude me.

I get back in the saddle, re-find my rhythm, and my muscles start to respond once more. I get to another check point and find out I’m number 41 now. So, I push myself harder and I get into the flow. I feel good and really enjoy the ride. Still a lot to go, up and down, up and down, while dark clouds start to hover above us. We finally reach the Medias Citadel. Only now I notice it started to rain. Quite heavily. Then there’s lighting and I begin to contemplate my after life. Anyways, the rain washes away the mud and things get actually better. I don’t even bother to put on my rain cover, I just enjoy the sensation. Finally, the last climb, on the bike and off it. I have muscle cramps, the rain is pouring down on me, but I keep at it and finally reach the last descent. Everything is going just right. Speed, adrenaline, speed… I see the finish line and finally I cross it, the 23rd. There was mud, bad weather, hunger, muscle cramps and stomach pains, bike troubles – but in the end all I was left with was the joy of the ride.

And here are some photos from our local correspondent, Christi:

Laura

Felicitari Mihai, ca intotdeauna fruntas. … si cate kg aveai la final?

Horia Măruşcă

… şi cât era noroi din kilogramele alea?

Mihai

La sfarsitul concursului aveam 59,5 kg….. Fara noroi. 🙂

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