This was the second time I attended the “Fără Asfalt” triathlon as part of a relay team.
It takes place in the village called 2 Mai, on the Black Sea seaside, and it’s a really chill place since technically it is still off-season at the moment the race takes place.
Last year I did the bike part of the relay, this year I did bike + running.
It’s a 750 m swim in the sea, 32 km biking through the countryside, and 6 km running on the beach and surrounding area.
There was only one goal from my side: to get a better result on the biking part. Last year I didn’t have my bike and used one that was smaller compared to my height, which made it pretty uncomfortable when you had to turn while you continued to push and your knees hit the handlebar 😅. Kind of funny to see.
Actually, there was a second goal: finish the race, because I wasn’t too keen on running 6 km after biking.
Good news!
I improved the biking time. From 01:53:44 last year to 01:43:56 this year. The time is still shit compared to other guys, but progress has been made and I don’t care what you’re going to say.
Bad news!
I had to run those 6 km at the end. Fifty fucking minutes it took me. True that I walked in a lot of places, but the first leg on the beach killed me. It was so hot from the sun reflecting off the sea, and it’s not only sand—there are tons of rocks, and you have to be careful how and where you step.
During this first leg I had enough time to ask myself “Why am I here—just to suffer?!”
The second leg of the run was a bit higher on the coast, with hard terrain, a breeze from time to time, and it was much better.
The only consolation was the Pasta Party after the race and getting some sleep.
From 2 Mai we took a detour and visited Adamclisi to see Tropaeum Traiani and Civitas Tropaensium, moved on to Silistra and Turtucaia (Tutrakan), Ruse and back home to Bucharest.
