SPARTATHLON-2017 - NOORA HONKALA

SPARTATHLON 2017

CHECK POINT - 0

7am. Start.
Acropolis – Athens

0.0km
Time: 00:00:00
Overall: –
Womens: –

Distance to Sparta: 246.0km

Personal “LIVE” feelings
6:10am Im feeling great! Breakfast eaten and fixing my hair. In couple of minutes its time to go for starting line.
6:55am Everyone is exited and ready! I am very relaxed and feeling GREAT.
7:00am Race has started!

CHECK POINT - 11

MEGARA

42.2km
Time: 10:39:07
Run time: 03:39:07
Overall: –
Womens: 3

Distance to Sparta: 204.6km

Average speed / 11:56km/h (5:12/km)

Personal “LIVE” feelings
Feeling very good! This is the best weather I have had in any races. 21°C cloudy and little breeze. My legs are solid and I feel strong! But its still early.

CHECK POINT - 22

HELLAS CAN

80.0km
Time: 14:15:53
Run time: 07:15:53
Overall: –
Womens: 4

Distance to Sparta: 166.8km

Average speed / 11:01km/h (5:27km/h)

Personal “LIVE” feelings
“My legs are feeling a bit tired, but its only normal at this stage.” I´l l take a few minutes longer stop here and run a bit slower pace for the next 10-15km. Its good time to catch some company on the way and chat a bit before the mountains are coming.

CHECK POINT - 26

ANCIENT CORINTH

93.0km
Time: 15:45:00
Run time: 08:45:00
Overall: –
Womens: 8
Distance to Sparta: 153.8km

Average speed / 10:62km/h (5:39km/h)

Personal “LIVE” feelings
Legs still feels tired and some reason I can’t get energy out there. I had to walk a bit… I hope I can keep my mental game on.

CHECK POINT - 29

ZEVGOLATIO

102.1km
Time: 16:47
Run time: 9:47:00
Overall: –
Womens: 10
Distance to Sparta: 144.7km

Average speed / 10:43km/h (5:45km/h)

Personal “LIVE” feelings
OMG Hardest leg ever in ANY of my races. I am having huge mental battle (crying) and I don’t know if I can Finnish. Never the less. My time is as planned and I have all the energy to go strong, but I feel that my mental game is just not there…

CHECK POINT - 32

HALKION VILLAGE

112.9km
Time: 18:23:00
Run time: 11:23:00
Overall: –
Womens: –
Distance to Sparta: 133.9km

Elev.Gain from last CP = 152m

Average speed / 9:92km/h (6:03km/h)

Personal “LIVE” feelings
Battling with my demons… I came here to run and run good, but mentally this is so hard.

CHECK POINT - 35

ANCIENT NEMEA

123.3km (DNF)
Time: 19:50:34
Run time: 12:50:34
Overall: 82
Womens: 14
Distance to Sparta: 123.5km (DNF)

Elev.Gain from last CP = 160m

Average speed / 00:00km/h

Personal “LIVE” feelings
Battle is over (DNF)!
Last 30+ km has been very hard and we decided not to risk future events!
I was able to keep the pace, but last 10km some hamstring tightness and most of all mentally I did not feel sound. We analysed and weighted everything and decided that, for injury risks and losing my joy of running this is the right thing to do for today.

This was very, very hard decision but I have to raise my arms and leave Spartathlon for those very strong and brave athletes!

Disappointed but I think sometimes one must learn from defeat.

Thank You all for support.
Ultra runner by heart Noora.

CHECK POINT - 40

MALANDRENI VILLAGE

139.8km
Time: 00:00:00
Run time: 00:00:00
Overall: –
Womens: –
Distance to Sparta: 107.0km

Average speed / 00:00km/h