Magic run

December 6, 2015running log3 min read

There is always something special when reaching the summit. Doesn’t matter if it’s a rocky peak in a high mountain range or a small mound in the city. The reward is there, always. You just need to reach for it.

Nice and warm sunset in December

The sun was setting early. It was just around 3 PM when my friend Krzysztof picked me up and we drove towards Lasek Wolski. Our plan was to have this afternoon a short (under 10km run). We’ve reached the parting in 15 minutes and departed quickly. Just one minute and we’ve descended into the woods. And just like with the touch of the magic wand, everything suddenly changed.

Into the wild

Krzysztof running down on a muddy path

The path was winding, with many turns, steps and slopes. We slowly climbed up. The forest around us was cold and damp. Everything was covered with autumn leaves. When I left home it was around 10C, so I decided to leave my jacket in the car. But during the ascent I was feeling a little bit chilly. But I assumed that after proper warmup, 10-15 minutes later, it should be better.

Running

After around 1,5 kilometer the path eased and we were running on the side of a small gorge. The trail was somehow maintained with occasional steps and crossings. But it wasn’t easy. We were running up and I was breathing heavily.

It was worth it!

The highest point of our run was the top of the Piłsudski’s Mound. Keeping the steady (but very slow) tempo, I’ve managed to run to the top. On the base of the mound, I’ve seen already some nice warm colors of the sky. But it was when we’ve reached the summit – the colors and the view just stunned me. The sun was already behind the horizon, but the warm mixture of orange and pink light was soaking the sky. The clouds were looking magnificent and in the far, far south we’ve seen foggy, sharp lines of Tatra Mountains.

Amazing colors of the sky, seen from the top of Piłsudski's Mound
Amazing colors of the sky, seen from the top of Piłsudski's Mound

This was a really nice experience. But we still had around 5km to cover. After this ascent, I’ve already felt quite weak. I assume, I just didn’t fuel my body correctly through the day. This is something I need to improve a lot.

The rest of the run was quite okay. We’ve run up & downs, long alley near the fence of the Cracow Zoological Garden (I think I’ve heard lion’s roar!). It was already getting darker and we’ve crossed last kilometers with the assistance of headlamp. We’ve finished 9,2km in 01:08:38. Not bad for around 200m of elevation gain, short picture break on top and shitty personal form ;-). Next time will be better!

See more about my run on Strava.

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