Tomáš Dlabaja

Last collection of this year´s medals were passed at two last championships, which were held near Prag last weekend. On Saturday it was a competition of standard 3-member teams and on Sunday it was a "club championship" and every team consisted of 7 members (4 men and 3 women).

We ran in quite fast and easy terrain with many vegetation details. In comparison with for example swedish or finish relay championship is every leg quite short about 40-45 minutes as at WOC.


Saturday course

The relay race in men's category is alway big battle of about 10 strong teams. This year´s race brought interesting battle till last seconds. Our club "Zabovresky Brno" had 2 minute lead after 2 legs before my start, so it looked quite clear. And it looked even clearer when I looked at my the course, which didnt indicate any problem at all. What a big shock was for me to see Jan Prochazka (a club Praga Praha) punching 10th control few seconds ahead of me. Two minutes lead disappear quickly and unexpectedly although I ran almost a perfect race. A "forking" of the courses shuffled placings quite markedly this weekend. Our team got shorter legs and advantage in the beginning of the race and now the balange were coming back. I continued with Jan till 16th control, where I didnt notice a flag behind trees and lost almost 1 minute unnecessarily. The gold medal flew away and moreover I was catched by another runner Pavel Kubat (junior world champion of this year) of a club OK 99 Hradec Kralove. Luckily I was able to make about a half minute lead till spectator control and I again felt quite "self-confident". But afterwards I made another big mistake and was catched by Pavel again. Luckily he looked quite tired, so I got the lead quite easily again. But then I made a stupid mistake again on the second last control and gifted him and OK 99 silver medals. What a thrilling race! Unfortunately I didnt manage a situation, where the clear victory unexpectedly changed to a big battle.

1. SK Praga........................ 129.38
2. OK 99 Hradec Králové......... 130.30 + 0.52
3. SK Žabovřesky Brno........... 130.40 + 1.02
4. TJ Slavia Hradec Králové .... 133.15 + 3.37
5. OOB TJ Turnov................ 133.18 + 3.40


Sunday course

The Club Championship is probably more prestigious than relay (and just one step behind swedish 25manna ) (and I must reveal that one of the best czech club - TJ Turnov is coming there this year!!!) The race was very tight and exciting. Six teams fought for medals very long time and in the end there were only 3 seconds between two best ones. The race were full of changes again because of the forking. And 3 minute slower time could still meant an errorless race. I ran 5th of 7 legs and stared 6th with unpleasant loss to the best teams. Today I was very lucky with my forking and despite some mistakes I catched almost all runners and change over on second place. But two more legs went on. Our team were defending silver medal and we were in the game again. But in the end we finished 4th. Praga Praha was golden again and OK 99 again silver.


So close, so far. Jan Prochazka and Pavel Kubat fighting for the gold! (Photo by Petr Kadeřávek

1. PGP 1 SK Praga...................... 291.43
2. PHK 1 OK 99 Hradec Králové ...... 291.46 + 0.03
3. SJC 1 Sportcentrum Jičín.......... 294.01 + 2.18
4. ZBM 1 SK Žabovřesky Brno ........ 295.47 + 4.04
5. LPU 1 OK Lokomotiva Pardubice... 295.54 + 4.11


But that was not the end of weekend´s racing!

Pavel Hradec (a young national team runner) inspired us to participate in RUN-UP (upstairs running).

Pavel is pretty good at it and finished already two times second in the czech league. And on Sunday afternoon he participated in the Czech Championship and we tried an Open class. It meant just 10 floors for us, but 26 floors for him in the qualification and again in the final. How he could survive it after such orienteering weekend, I have no idea. I died already in 3rd floor! Pavel finished 6th this time, but this is still amazing result after orienteering championship. The winner is going to run "EMPIRE STATE BUILDING RUN UP" in New York. But what was even more interesting for all championship runners? It was a drawing lots about a new car! And Pavel became a winner..., not But one his friend did it!!! That I call a cool prize!


Big events in the Czech Republic are over, but our national team is going to run World Cup in France and Switzerland. And I must say it will not be a promenade. You can compere our relay championship and the terrain which is waiting for us...


Training camp of swiss team in September


Or high training level of french team

God help us!

Závěr letních prázdnin po MS jsem strávil řádným odstraňováním svých největších slabin. Vždy mi dělaly problém velká vedra a tak jsem pár dní trénoval s tím nejodolnějším tvorem vůbec.


Poté přišel na řadu druhý hendikep. Kontroly ve vodě, silná stránka mého velkého sprintového soupeře Jana Mrázka. Cíleně jsem zvolil teplé středomořské vody, abych ještě vyšperkoval teplotní odolnost a zabil tak dvě mouchy jednou ranou.
...to by mohl být i dobrý trénink na můj oblíbený vodní příkop na steeplu

A než jsem se nadál, byl tu první zářijový víkend a první závody. Jsem měl takovou chuť běhat, že mi bylo úplně jedno co. Takže na sprintu v Janských Lázních jsem popadl první mapu, co mi přišla do ruky a běžel hledat kontroly. A už tak dlouhý sprint jsem si trochu prodloužil. Ale pod heslem - "je potřeba dohnat tréninkové kilometry, co jsem zameškal" jsem si řek, že to vlastně ani neva.

Celá mapa
Bohužel obě ze svých map H21C i H21E jsem někde vytratil, na obrázku je trať D21A a velmi hezký prostor na sprint Janské Lázné

Odpoledne po sprintu nás čekaly štafety. A vlastně první štafety pro ZBM letos vůbec, když jsme ty první pořádali. Úkol zněl jasně: protlačit co nejvíc týmů na MČR štafet. Běželo se ve fyzicky hodně náročném terénu na mapě Kazabrud. A když si vzpomenu, jak bolely při závodě nohy mě, je mi jasné, jak to bolelo některé z našich občasných běžců. Plán tedy příliš nevyšel. Z osmi štafet postoupily čtyři. Bitva o vítězství se strhla ve smečce vlků - Bet, Vojta Král, Pavel Kubát, Mráz, Žokej a Eda Šmehlík.
Celá mapa

V neděli znova štafety. Fyzicky opět velmi náročné. ZBM staví jeden silný tým. Rozbíhá Milouš Nykodým, pokračuji já a finišuje Adam Chromý. Prvnímu úseku vévodí mládí. A protože jízda na velbloudech vám moc síly nedodá, bál jsem se, že tomu bude tak i na druhém úseku. Takže jsem spíš utíkal před hanbou K mému velkému údivu ale přibíhám s velkým náskokem a tak jsem Chrobákovi nechtěně asi sebral ono kouzlo štafet.
[/align]Celá mapa

Mládí řádí a já na bedně už skoro nejstarší...