You realize you are about to hit the wall when your mind starts asking “why are you doing this?”. And at that point, you better have a good answer. On Day 1, I never had a clear answer in mind.
I woke up on Day 2, without appetite, and the promised rainy weather was there. My body ached as expected. I took a warm shower and did my stretching routine, all while listening to Bob Marley. I packed my luggage and called a cab to take me to the train station. The train station is also the starting point for Day 2. I was going to decide then and there whether to continue the race or to go home.
At the train station, I came across the person in charge of transporting the runners’ luggage. He recognized my beaten face from the day before and welcomed me with a smile. “Ready for more?” he asked while taking my luggage. At that point, I guess I had no other option but to keep going with the race. Let’s try to drink more water this time around, shall we?
The rest is history. I went on to finish the remaining three days of the competition. I came in position 192nd out of 256 participants who started the four-day individual race. I finished the 196 km course with a cumulative time of 24:20:57. Say what you want about the pace but the Balaton race is the single hardest physical challenge I have endured to this day.
All in all, the Balaton Szupermarathon was a great experience. The ambient was cheerful, the locals were welcoming and the course was scenic. I would recommend this race to someone wanting to make the jump from marathon to ultra.
