The first race of the year. The one you look forward to every time. Except this year it felt like it came out of nowhere.Have I told you that lately I’ve been insanely busy and working more than before? 🤭 Yeah, I know, I always say that. The point is, on Saturday the start was at 15:30, and around 12:30 I stopped working, ate the classic slices of bread with butter and jam—more out of craving than any real need—and because my eyes were literally closing on me, I lay down for “just 15 minutes.”I fell asleep instantly. When I woke up around 14:15, I had this very clear feeling that I was good for nothing, my eyes were stinging and I couldn’t keep them open. But not going was never an option. I don’t do that. Plus, I had a team I was supposed to run with.Gerar is a unique competition, at least here, because you run the half marathon as a team of three. And that changes the whole dynamic. It’s no longer just about you, your pace, your condition. You have to match each other, communicate with glances, accept that sometimes one person is weaker and the others have to ease up. If one has a bad day, the others have to accept it. There’s no ego, no “come on, I can push through.” It’s about getting to the finish together.Outside, the wind would kick up now and then—the kind that seems to hit you straight in the face for no reason. I called an Uber around 14:55 and somehow got there at 15:12 😂, to the Rectorate building at Poli. In other years I’d show up an hour early and have time to chat with other athletes, but this time everything was rushed.A couple of words exchanged in the hallway, bags left in the lecture hall, I was already geared up, met up with the guys, they gave me my bib number, and we headed straight to the start. No time for a warm‑up. Just a few jokes, a few looks, and that was that.I knew I’d be the weak link. Again 😊I told them a few days earlier too: “5:30 min/km is the most I can hold, don’t have any expectations of me.” Fatigue and lack of sleep do some very strange things to your body. Even though in the last few weeks I’d managed better runs, now I could clearly feel I didn’t have more in me.The start had a really great vibe. Emotion, joy, people genuinely happy to be there. I was just hoping the guys wouldn’t take me out too fast at the beginning. Of course, that’s exactly what happened 😂I couldn’t wait to finish the first lap and get to the hydration point. I had this thirst like I’d eaten nothing but salty food for the past two days.We had to do six laps. I managed the first two okay—obviously below what I’d have wanted. Then I had a more “recovery” lap. When, on the second‑to‑last lap, I saw Hunor and his team had finished and were doing an easy extra lap, I told the guys we should do the same. And Gabi confirmed what I already felt: “the recovery lap will be the last lap” 😂It turned into a nice bit of chatter. That’s what Gerar really is for us. A chance to run together in an organized setting, with moments where we talk, crack jokes 🤭, but also those good moments when you’re simply running and enjoying being there.As for the organization—nothing but praise. What can you even say when everything is done perfectly? 🤭I was really happy to see friends from the running world, especially since I haven’t really been on social media much lately.February is going to be another tough month for me. From March on, I hope to come back strong, make some nice plans for this year, and settle back into a steadier rhythm. I’m also hoping the weather helps, because honestly, the cold is not my friend at all 🤭After the run we met up with the girls too and, as usual, ended up at a restaurant. Not necessarily to “celebrate,” but to sit at a table, eat something, and chat. That kind of hanging out that comes naturally after a race, when you’re tired, relaxed, and have nothing left to prove.I see Gabi and Valeria 2–3 times a year, usually at races. Bogdan—almost exclusively at Gerar, and sometimes there happens to be a Transfier too. We’re not the kind of group that meets weekly or goes out for beers just to go out. We’re connected by the sport and these specific moments, but when we do get together, it’s exactly as if no time has passed.And maybe that’s the best part. That running doesn’t mean only kilometers, times, and results, but also the people who keep showing up, even if rarely. A small but solid group that gathers around the sport every time and goes home with the same stories—maybe a bit more tired, but also with a bit more meaning.
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