When I get passionate about something, I try to make it part of my life in as many aspects as possible. That’s what happened with running. At first, it was just an annual tradition to run the 10K at Tirana Marathon. Then I started participating in different races in different places. However, my first difficult run happened in Tirana, like this:
1. Tirana Marathon 2019: This was the third year I was participating in the 10K race. I got in for the first time in 2017 and finished with a time of 1:05, Pace 6:31. However, I was already about 20 kg overweight and I didn’t train properly. With great difficulty, I managed to finish it in 1:21, Pace 8:09. I suffered a deep disappointment from this experience and was very disappointed. After that we all know what happened and Tirana Marathon 2020 was not organized. Thanks to this experience, I was motivated to participate in Tirana Half-Marathon in the 21K race for the first time.
2. Right before my first 21K race, I participated in a 10K Trail Run, towards the Berizhdol Peak, in Lëpushë. It was my first time in a trail running race and I was really not prepared for that level of difficulty, moreover I was very close to Tirana Marathon. I started with an easy run until I encountered some steep mountain paths that I could not run through. The path was poorly marked and I lost my way several times. I continued to run some more and then decided to give up the race and enjoy the hike and views of Kelmendi. I joined a group that was also hiking and knew the trail to return to the village. The climb was 709 m, the distance 11.4 Km, which I did in 2:23.
3. The next experience takes us to Përmet, where for the first time (to my knowledge) an Obstacle Race was held in Albania. It was the end of June 2022. I had trained enough for a 5K race with 18 obstacles. As soon as the race started, I encountered a steep downhill with large rocks. From there, all the runners got stuck and we barely made it through that segment. Since I didn’t know the terrain, I was trying to manage my efforts so that after 5K I would still have the energy for the obstacles. Then came the surprise, the run lasted about 1.3 Km and then I reached the obstacles. At first I felt bad, I thought I had lost the route and had taken a shortcut. Confused, I started passing the obstacles. They were different, such as Rope Climbing, Balance Beam, Mud Lagoon, Sack Pulling and others. The obstacles were placed in several rows, one after the other in a field, which had no trees and the June sun was scorching even though it wasn’t 10:00 am yet. I passed all the obstacles successfully, for two of them I did the penalty by doing 15 burpees, although the judges did not seem to be taking that very seriously. The whole thing was 2.3 Km and lasted 39 minutes. Although I really like this type of race, I did not feel good at the end of it. This is because I had prepared quite a lot for this experience and it was not at all challenging from a fitness point of view.
4. The next challenge happened in Nairobi, Kenya. I had registered for a ‘Fun Run’ with the theme ‘Sweet Valentine’s Run’. The place was about 30 km from the center of Nairobi, in a guesthouse in the middle of nature. I had registered for the 8 km distance, but there were also groups for 21 km and 31 km. The atmosphere was very pleasant and I was very enthusiast. However, the enthusiasm did not last long, because after 5.5 km I realized that I had joined the wrong group that would do 31 Km. I took the way back alone, since I was the only one who got confused. Since 31 km is not a short distance, the entire route was on the side of the road and was somewhat dangerous. In the end, I did 11 km, in 1:19, at 2,107 meters above sea level.
5. Enkelana Half Marathon, Pogradec: After two years of waiting, I finally managed to participate in the half marathon in Pogradec, which was located on one of the most beautiful roads in Albania, from the village of Lin to Pogradec. The experience was unique, as it was a night race starting at 7:00 PM, bringing a magical atmosphere with the lights along the route. Although I had high expectations to set a personal best, I ended up with the slowest time up to that point, a time of 2:33, pace of 7:16. Factors that impacted my performance were insufficient training during the hot summer months, unplanned vacations and some bad diet choices. However, I turned this challenge into a pleasant trip, enjoying the weekend in the beautiful city of Pogradec and swimming in the lake before returning to Tirana.
Despite the difficulties I’ve encountered during these runs, each one has been a rich and reflective experience. I have learned the importance of physical, mental and spiritual preparation when facing the unexpected. Running has become an inseparable part of my life, not only for the races, but also for the connection it creates with myself, nature and the new places I discover along the way.
P.S.: Join Tirana Fun Run, every Sunday!
