Walker Tereza Ďurdiaková chose a step into the unknown for this year's preparation in the form of a concentration in Kenya. Lucie Nekulová asked her how Terca was doing in Kenya.

The winter training is behind us and the pedestrians are already impatiently waiting for the start of the new racing season. This year, the Czech representatives prepared for them in non-traditional destinations. Eliška Martínková went to Colombia (an interview with her was published on the ČAS website and an even more interesting interview about the conditions can be read on the website athletics.sk - conversation with M.Morvay), Vít Hlaváč traveled to South Africa together with the Slovaks and occasionally joined a strong German group regularly training there. In terms of walking, Tereza Ďurdiaková visited the most exotic destination and spent several weeks in Iten, Kenya.

Although Kenya is a mecca for runners, it is, unlike Colombia, a very new destination for walkers. Many athletes are interested in how Terca did in Kenya, so our elite athlete agreed to answer a few questions to Lucia Nekulova about her training in Kenya. There are:

1. Why did you decide on the concentration? in Kenya?

Kenya has attracted me for a long time. Even as a runner, I looked up to her. It is an unusual destination for me and I was tempted to try the modest living conditions. From Europe, we are used to sometimes unnecessary luxury and a hurried life. There are times when I get tired of it. When I have hard training, I need to rest a lot and I like peace and no stress around me.

2, How do you cope with the high altitude in Iten?

It's an appropriate question. Everyone thinks that there is a direct correlation between being at altitude and improving performance. But everyone reacts differently to height. Even after five weeks here, sometimes I can't catch my breath. A misjudged pace during a demanding training session will almost destroy you, and regeneration at altitude is subsequently relatively long. The fatigue seems deeper and sometimes you would like to run away down to the lowlands, or straight home :)

3, Howé there are tr for youéninkové conditions from the perspective of an elite walker? bthe reapers repeatedly praised the quantity clayof roads on trénink, for that they drove on the road on a special tréninnies. Howé is that there for you

There are a lot of dirt roads here, but also a lot of asphalt roads. It reminds me a little of the hilly terrain in the Tatras. On the long plain, you ride about 10 km to Moiben. You can hire a motorbike, of which there are many on every corner, and for 35 CZK you will be taken (without a helmet) to Moiben. If you want the motorcyclist to complete the entire training as a pacemaker with you, you will pay 300 CZK in conversion. The length of training doesn't matter either. For me, it was almost 4 hours long training for this amount. Otherwise, I also like to trot, so saving my legs on dirt roads is very convenient and pleasant. From the hotel we have free entry to the tartan stadium, which is 2,5 km away. For other visitors, it is practically impossible to get to the stadium and they have to travel to Eldoret. You can run to the stadium, or walk along the road, or you can catch a motorcyclist.

4, Where and how do you live? From socigeneralteathey are going is ví that you also moved with your partner... How many NoEchů is in place this winter? mdo you have a chance to meet?

At first I lived in so-called Kenyan conditions. One room, bed, things on the floor. But we missed the kitchen and overall we didn't like the chosen accommodation. For example, Jirka Homoláč had it much better and at the same time cheaper (10 euros/night). There was grass everywhere around the accommodation, a room where you could cook. There was a massage parlor in the compound and in general a lot of professional Kenyans lived there. In combination with food, our accommodation was quite expensive and there was no possibility to cook for ourselves. We had no contacts, so we decided to stay in a hotel that offers European standards. So we experienced 1/2 of the stay in Kenyan conditions and 2/2 of the stay we enjoy in the hotel. There are quite a few Czechs here and Iten is a relatively small village, so meeting each other is not a problem.

5, What is Kenyan like to you? diet?

Fortunately, I don't have to deal with anything at the hotel. We have food 4 times a day and it suits me perfectly. It is light and easy to digest. We also have typical Kenyan specialties (ugali, chapati, cabbage, rice, Nyama Chomu (roast beef or mutton). I miss the cheese, but it can be bought in the nearby city of Eldoret. You can probably buy almost everything there, including classic pizza, etc. I would probably she preferred to tune up before the race in her classic environment with her usual food, but for training the food is really light and diet.

6, Trédo you live alone or do you have a coas motrédating someonem? Czechs marathon runners často trénovali with Kenyans, how are you doing as a pedestrian?

During this period, I don't need to go to full fitness yet, so it's no problem to carry out most of the training sessions myself. But I had help for key trainings. I paid for a motorcycle, which cost me about 300 CZK, and the biker was with me for 4 hours. But Michal Stanovský helped me a lot. A marathon runner, also employed in Victoria and we fight together here in Kenya. For a few runs, I joined the Kenyan group, which took good care of me and someone was constantly checking how I was doing and whether the pace was okay.

7. How do Kenyans react?é on chgoat? In recent years, they are starting to reap success in the field of sports walking, but for most Kenyans it will probably be a big unknown.

There would be great potential to make Kenyans good walkers. It is a source of income for them, if there was someone who would create large groups here, they would definitely go for it. Kenyans like to run together and solitary training is not for them. It would like to start with the children and create the same groups as on the run. There are a few walkers here, but unfortunately I didn't manage to meet them. Kenyans often join me and try a section with me. It's pretty fun. Everyone here is friendly and even I made Kenyan friends here. They are simply used to clustering in groups and spending time together.

8, In Kenya, you are without trenéra, letdid you go with the given tréwith a rough plan or just a rough idea and you adjust the plan according to possibilities and how you feel? Supervisionit's up to youas nsomeone about the techniqueséexecution of it?

Yes, I am here without a coach, because I am with him most of the year and here I feel that this concentration is more about rough work. I came here with a training plan, but it is not a dogma and we consult it daily over the phone. For example, after an intestinal virus, the plan simply had to be dug up and adjusted. Michal even films me on video and I send the videos to Ivoš via Whats App.

9, You often use in tréninku bike, you don't miss the secondary tréninkové resources? What kind of additional sports, strengthening, regeneration do you have?

We have a quite nice fitness center here, which is equipped with cycle trainers of a sufficient level and cardio machines. The gyms host group fitness classes, which are mainly for professional Kenyan runners, but hotel guests are welcome to join in at any time. I have to say that Kenyans don't have much of a stabilizing core :) But in their defense - the lessons are not easy at all... Before leaving for Kenya, I covered quite a bit of mileage, so I don't really need a bike here. In any case, it is possible to rent a beautiful MTB for 200 CZK/day or 5000 CZK/month in Iten, and the riding routes here are great. Otherwise, we have a 25m open swimming pool available at the hotel. Until the rainy season came, he was very good at swimming.

As far as regeneration is concerned, massages are enough for me, which are at the level of 10/10 points and cost from CZK 100 - CZK 300. We also have rehabilitation equipment and a physiotherapist in the hotel. A Finnish sauna is also available.

10, Kenya TV fulfilledé imagination? And what did you even go to Kenya with?éwas she

I flew here with the vision of a calm, stress-free preparation. I wanted to visit Kenya and see how they train here. It's a completely different world. Specifically, in Iten, the majority is dedicated only to running, and even then there is only one goal - to run and be the best.

11, You seem to like V Iten. Will you want to repeat your African stay in the future? In what naléyou know the advantages and disadvantages of the stay from the point of view of a pedestrian?

I would like to come back here in November and December, because Michal has the World Deaf Cross-Country Championships here, and it suits us to prepare together. It would be nice to follow up the high-altitude training with another stay, for example, in the Alps or another resort. From the point of view of pedestrians, there is no possibility to form large groups, but I am not used to them from the Czech Republic, so I do not look for them too much. Personally, one sparring session or even a really paid biker or a Kenyan driver in a crisis is enough for 86 CZK/training. Personally, I only miss the indoor pool and the longer opening hours of the local gym.

12, First race start tHe is waiting in Dudince, immediately noAvrat from Kenya. the journey is quite long, how did you manage the journey there and you are not afraid of fatigue from the challengeséhim traveling?

I'm honestly very afraid of fatigue, but those who are afraid are not allowed in the forest :). We already know that they changed our flight, so we will arrive in Vienna 5 hours later than originally planned. I always raced best around the 10th day after returning from the mountains, so this is a test and a premiere at the same time. I was surprised that the trip to Kenya was not nearly as difficult as I expected. You basically spend one night on the plane and you are there in the morning. You get two meals on the plane, watch a movie and the trip goes by quite pleasantly.

13, And finally one with a preview of TVérelease himétime Is the stay purely sporty, or do you sometimes have space for something elseé that africaé adventure?

In the end, I have to evaluate the stay as purely sports. But it was not planned. I originally wanted to go on a Safari trip, but I was feverish and had intestinal problems for a week. In the end, the Kenyan medicine, which I should have had from the beginning, solved it within a day. Well, a lesson learned for next time. But I had my hair braided here twice for a minimal amount of money and the afternoon spent with the Kenyan women was quite pleasant. The lady who braided my hair has a half marathon run of 1:09 and is currently preparing for a marathon in France.

Thank you very much and everyone certainly wishes you not only to fulfill the nomination criteria, but also to further improve the Czech record. Best in Poděbrady.  🍀

From March 26, 2023, the Masters Category World Championship will be held in Toruń, Poland. In total, more than 4000 male and female athletes from all over the world signed up for the competition. The walkers will compete in a 3000m indoor race (March 27 and 28.3), then a 10km race on the road (March 31.3).

World Masters Athletics TORUŇ website:  https://wmaci2023.com 

3.000m walk in the hall:

K a total of 3000 competitors are registered for the 147m walk, the most experienced fighter will present himself in the M 90-94 category! A total of 99 female competitors will be represented, nthe most experienced competitor will be the lady competing in the category W 85-89!  Hats off to their indomitability and ever competitive spirit.

Our walkers had to deal with a busy schedule at the beginning of the season, when they choose between the MČR in Dudince, the World Championship of Veterans and the beginning of league races. If Česká Atletika plans to link cooperation with masters athletes more in the future, it would be good to think about them when planning the schedule. These enthusiastic sportsmen and women certainly deserve it.

In the category W 45-49 will defend the Czech colors Ivana Vranková. In her category, 12 competitors will take part, the biggest favorites are to be found among the German competitors - the Briton Schröter will fight with Bianca Schenker, the French competitor Glwadys Brusseau and the Hungarian Valéria Bironé.

Our competitor should be placed roughly in the middle of the racing field.

In the category W 50-54 among the 11 women i Lenka Borovičková. Her indoor form has an upward trend, and she too should be placed roughly in the middle of the starting field. The biggest favorite is undoubtedly the French Sonia Demon.

In the category W 50-59 14 competitors will be presented, among them from Brno Lenka Slabáková and after Ivana Vranková another representative of Vyškov Orlík - Anička Málková. The clear favorite is again the German competitor, Nicole Best.

Among men in the M 55-59 category will fight for the best possible time Pepa Smol, who fine-tuned his form in the Canaries and will have strong rivals among the 15 competitors to compete with him and a place in the first half. The biggest favorite is the French competitor Philipe Bonnenau.

Among men in category M 70-74 18 competitors will start, among them Petr Adam and Jiří Janoušek will compete for the best possible performance. Here, the home competitor will be the biggest favorite to win the title Bodguslaw Seidel.

The last category, where our competitors will start, will be the competition M 80-84. He will strive for success among nine men Vaclav Dostalik and Třebíčský Stanislav Marek. The Lithuanian Raitis Lerme and the American Joel Dubow will most likely compete for the victory.

10km walk to the circuit:

In a 10km race in addition to our representatives, we will also see very interesting participation in other categories, when more than 300 hundreds of masters athletes will compete. The most experienced athletes will be the ladies in the W80 - 84 category, and for the men, the indomitable Ukrainian Ivan Pushkin will again be in the W90-94 category.

Right in the youngest category M 35-39 eight fighters will compete for the championship Jakub Jelonek known to us from the Prague clock thanks to P. Smol Rafal Sikora. Both very young veterans can run 10km under 43 minutes and the other men will hardly compete with them.

In the category W 40-44 will fight for a time under 60 minutes Martina Netolicka, the clear favorite of the race is the Kenyan Grace Wanjiru Njue, her biggest competitor will most likely be the Spaniard Marie Valero.

Eagle Ivana Vranková will start in the category W 45-49, where an exceptional pedestrian name appears, when Justyna Korzeniowska, who is now preparing under the guidance of her husband in South Africa with elite Polish pedestrians, will be among the twenty athletes at the start. However, they are definitely not among the favorites, they are favorites again British Schröter, Whitea Schenker, a Hungarian Valésays Bironé.

Lenka Borovičková will represent us in the category W 50-54 and it is definitely within her power to attack the bronze medal. This will also require a significant dose of luck, there are more women adepts for bronze and it will most likely be necessary to perform at the limit of Lenča's capabilities. The favorite is clear. She is France's Sonia Demon.

Among men a category above, M 55-59, will wear the national team jersey Josef Smola. He will consider it a success to place in the first half of the starting field, the clear favorite is the Frenchman Bonneau, two years younger, who this year covered 5000m in under 24min and managed 10km in an admirable 48min. In the begining the referee of international level - Emmanuel Tardi - should not be missing either.

We will have two representatives in the same age category. Brno Lenka Slabáková complement the eagles Anička Málková. Among the 12 competitors, the fight for gold will most likely take place between the German Sigute Brönnecke and the Hungarian Kata Bodorkos-Horváth.

Among the sixties M 60-64 will walk in Czech colors Miloš Nemec, Spaniard Miguel Garcia and Frenchman Jean-Marie Greaume will most likely fight for the gold.

In the same category of women, there will still be a novice among the pedestrians, from Uherskohradišť, at the start Libuše Vlachynská, which mainly goes to gather more experience. Janina Luniewska from home is the closest in the table to the championship title.

Peter Adam will fight among the twenty-three men of the category M 70-74. Great Britain's Ian Richards has the best recorded performance.

We will have two representatives among men M 80-84. Václav Dostalík and Standa Marek although they are not among the medal candidates, they will wear the national jersey with pride. German Wolf-Dieter Giese and Lithuanian Raitis Lerm are fighting for the gold.

Let the legs of all our representatives go, the technique is exactly as it should be and let the joy of the achievements be surpassed only by meeting foreign athletes. 🍀

Author of the article: Lucie Nekulová

In quick succession, the walkers will have to contend with both domestic championships at 35km and 20km, and walkers of the MASTERS category at the same time with the World Championship.

DUDINCE - MČR 35km walk // TORUŇ MS MASTERS 3.000m 10km walk // OLOMOUC MČR 20km walk.

It seems that the ugly gray, cold and disgusting Czech winter will finally ring its bell and spring will come next, and with it, in very quick succession, three peaks of the spring walking season. Two of them are national championships: at 35 km traditionally in Dudince, at 20 km traditionally (every other year) in Olomouc and the third is the World Championship of the MASTERS category in Torun, Poland. This is a very big bite even for the best and most experienced walkers, and it will be very interesting to see how anyone can cope with this demanding program and, therefore, who has prepared in the winter. And that's not to mention a smaller pacifier (only for someone) in the form of the 1st round of the league walking race, which is scheduled for 2.4 without any sense of timing. in Rumburk........

Below is a summary of what awaits us in a short time in chronological order, not in order of importance, because, logically, something different is important for everyone. Someone wants to be the World Champion, someone the Champion of the Republic and someone is a domestic patriot and it will be enough for them to be the Champion of Rumburka.......... and it's a shame that someone didn't think about the term calendar and it wouldn't necessarily be the World Champion , just use your brain and think..........

DUDINCE - MČR 35km walk - Dudinská 50ka, 25.3 2023:

All information about the race is given at  www.dudinska50.sk 

Favorites for the national titles in the 35km walk they are quite clear and there is no doubt about it at all Tereza Durďiaková in women, Vít Hlaváč in men.

For applications to the MČR for 35 km, it is necessary to use the registration system on the website https://online.atletika.cz/prihlaska/Account/LogOn?id=65730&idGroup=1

WORLD MASTERS Athletics TORUŇ - World Championship 3.000m walk in the hall 27.-28.3 and 23km walk circuit 10: 

All information about the World Championship in Toruń, Poland is given at  www.wmaci2023.com 

OLOMOUC - MČR 20km walk + MČR MASTERS 10km walk - Olomouc dvacítka, 15.4 2023:

All information about the race is given at  www.atletikaolomouc.cz

Favorites of the MČR 20km walk they are also very easy to find and though Eliška Martínková in women and again Vít Hlaváč in men, the duo of young people Zajíček and Morávek can have a chance for the title only in the event of an injury to Hlaváč (which, of course, we don't wish for him) or in his absence........

For applications to the MČR for 20 km, it is necessary to use the registration system on the website https://online.atletika.cz/Propozice/propozice/65729

We wish all competitors a successful start to the 2023 spring season.

Pedestrian tables for indoor walking CR 2023 / Leistungen Gehen in der Halle Tschechien 2023

Lucka Nekulová prepared the 2023 indoor walking tables for you:

The indoor tables will be supplemented with the results of the MS Masters in Toruń. In case of discrepancies, please send comments by email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need to have Javascript enabled. and it will be fixed. If any competitor started in races not listed in the tables, please send the results to the same e-mail. Thanks and have a nice sports day

Pedestrian tables for indoor walking CR 2023 in .pdf / Leistungen Gehen in der Halle Tschechien 2023 in .pdf

Pedestrian tables for indoor walking CR 2023 in .xlsx / Leistungen Gehen in der Halle Tschechien 2023 in .xlsx

Malaga, Colombia, Kenya, Lanzarote - these are all the current destinations of Czech pedestrians for the finish of winter preparations for the spring part of the racing season.

It doesn't matter if you are eighteen or sixty, everyone wants to reach their maximum, everyone wants to succeed in their competitions, at the World Championships, European Championships, national championships, regional races........and that is why Czech pedestrians are diligently finishing their winter preparations in various world destinations (each according to their own wishes, from which we bring a few photos and news.

COLOMBIA - Eliška Martínková / coach Kateřina Cermáková:

In the Colombian city of Chia (over 2m above sea level) on 500. as part of her training stay, Eliška Martínková competed. She crossed the finish line of the 25.2 km race in third place in 20:1:40.

Results of the National Championship of Colombia.pdf / Ergebnisse National Meisterschaften Kolumbien.pdf

 KENYA - Tereza Ďurdiaková:

Tereza Ďurdiaková ventured a bit "into the unknown" for pedestrians, but as is well known, luck wishes to the brave and prepared...

 Lanzarote - Club La Santa : Josef Smola / fitness trainer Jaroslav Mojžíš:

European Championships in Athletics 1978 - Prague, Strahov

VIDEO - Honza Dzurňák with starting number 62 on the legendary historic 50km route Prague - Poděbrady. It used to be a royal pedestrian discipline and an experience that is nowhere to be found today!!!