UNYP staff in 10 km running race

On Saturday, September 7^th the O2 Grand Prix Prague 2013 held a 10 km METRO Run in the evening. The race started at 7.30 at Příkopy and the route took in the historic center of Prague. With the nighttime city center atmosphere this race is very popular and runners themselves enjoy the beauty of the city.

Among the runners at the start there were also 6 UNYP representatives , namely David Novak, Aaron Johnson, Ota Pichl, Gabriela Pokorna, Maria Fazikova and Myroslava Bukovinska, who provided this interview on the race.

How did you prepare yourself for the METRO Run 10 km? 

Myroslava: I have been running already for several years but very irregularly. In the last 2 months I ran every 3-4 days and before the race I ran 10 km about 5 times.

David: For me it was for the first time in my life, so I started from zero by reading about the basics of long distance running. I started training about two weeks before the run but it was rather occasional and only distances under 7,5 km. On the day of the run, I ate only a light early lunch and tried to drink as much as possible during the day.

Ota: I used to run after work, about 3 times a week. My running “season” usually starts in May and I run regularly till the outside temperature falls to less than 10 degrees. 

Gabriela: I did not prepare myself at all, unfortunately.

How did you run the race? What was the atmosphere, organization and support of your team colleagues? 

Maria: I was very relaxed, listening to music and enjoying crossing the streets of Prague that I usually do not have a chance to cross on foot. I also met the winners who are Olympic winners as well, so we can say we ran the race with Olympic winners.

Aaron: The atmosphere was somewhat different than what I imagined.  There was an incredible crowd, and I was surprised by the sheer number of runners.  It took nearly 4 minutes just to get to the “start” point. The scenery was memorable.  Running over the bridge was nice, and I enjoyed seeing new things from a street view.  The best part for me came during the second half of the race.  After we passed under the bridge, between kilometer #6 and #7, the sun had set, and the sky was growing to such a deep, dark blue. With the cool evening breeze, and my favorite music cheering me on in my ears, running for that moment was nearly effortless.  Then I rounded the corner, and my legs started screaming for mercy.

David: For me it was one long pain. I don’t know if I started too fast or if it was just nerves and adrenaline but after the first two kilometers my lungs were on fire and it got only worse and worse later during the run. However the atmosphere of Prague at night combined with the music and all the people around cheering was simply awesome and very encouraging. I also knew that my colleagues were out there somewhere and I didn’t want to disappoint them.

What was your running time?

David: After I had reached the very bottom of my oxygen reserves and almost died in the last kilometer, I was very surprised to receive an e-mail with quite a decent time of 48 minutes 57 seconds. So in the end it was not as bad as I thought and I was very grateful for such a nice reward.

Myroslava: My real time is 58 minutes.

Maria: I ran 1 hour 10 minutes.

Ota: My time was 55 minutes.

Are you planning to run again next year or are you´ thinking of a longer race, like the marathon?

Maria: Yes, now when I started to train I would like to run a half marathon in April and also the 10km race next year, because of such a great atmosphere.

David: Yes, I will also try to fill more UNYP staff with enthusiasm to run this race again next year. We all manage certain projects in our jobs at UNYP, we lead other people and change things around us. This run is not different, it also needs some goals, a plan, resources etc. – it is just about ourselves.

Myroslava: Yes, maybe I will run next year, maybe a different race (e.g. Nike Run Prague), but not a longer run. I will try to improve my 10 km time. I think in general it was a great motivation and reason for me to start running more regularly and longer distances. I hope to keep up with my running routine.

Ota:  I hope that I will be able to run this amazing race next year again. It was my second 10km run this year and I really enjoyed it. I was not running for the best time to beat my best so I could enjoy the atmosphere, chat with people during the race, and enjoy the magnificent scenery of night Prague along the river, or the live music performances.

Gabriela: I would like to run it again next year and, of course, to achieve a better time.