Early in the season, when things are still settling, it’s usually more about testing where you’re at than chasing anything big. For Bogdan, Chianti looks like one of those first real checkpoints – not a peak, but a clear sign. The kind of race that shows the work is there, the legs are ready, and the rest of the season has something solid to build on.
Chianti UTCC, 120km, 5200m+.
Coached by TrailRunning Academy.
10 questions. His raw answers. no polishing.
1. Q: When did it get dark for you? Your lowest point
A: Something happened to me around km 65, exactly like at CCC – that’s where I mentally broke. I felt like I had no energy and the desire to run had been gone for a while. Until km 75, when I saw Silviu and the team, I had a really tough fight with myself. Maybe I knew I was only halfway and it was going to get harder from there, even though I was eating well and didn’t have any real issues.
2. Q: Where did you lie to yourself that you’re “fine” but you weren’t?
A: To get past that critical point I had a lot of negotiations with myself. Then on the last part, which was supposed to be 15km of descent, my quads had “left the chat” a long time ago and I kept myself distracted from the pain with songs and prayers.
3. Q: What almost broke you?
A: The terrain, which in many places was much tougher than I expected. And the final descent.
4. Q: What saved you in that moment?
A: The thought that I run on much more technical terrain than this, and on the last descent suffering is part of the glory. Also, I was in the top 10 and I wouldn’t have wanted that taken away from me.
5. Q: What part of the race would people never see on Social Media?
A: On the internet everything is nice and glorious, but the moments of loneliness are the hardest, and also the most valuable. Those are the moments when you strip yourself of everything – sins and thoughts – and accept your condition. It’s the most beautiful feeling to be able to be honest with yourself, something that feels hardest to achieve in “normal” conditions.
6. Q: What actually worked (nutrition, pacing, gear)?
A: I ate more than I planned, and that was one of my fears, especially after CCC where I managed to vomit in 3 languages across the 3 countries we passed through. I drank enough water, actually more than I needed, since I went to the bathroom 4–5 times. But better hydrated than dehydrated. Having so many good and capable people at the support points helped a lot and gave me a big confidence boost.
7. Q: What completely didn’t?
A: I didn’t have anything I couldn’t control. Even the mental drifts I kept under control – maybe that’s why I had such a good race.
8. Q: Was this more mental or physical?
A: A very interesting mix of both. Mentally, from the start I had the distance in front of me – 120km that felt completely unfamiliar – but then I focused on time under effort and it became much easier. Physically, I had real issues in the last part, but that always happens to me in the first race of the year. After winter the body isn’t yet fully ready for trail.
9. Q: One thing you’d change if you ran it again next day?
A: I would take away some of the pressure I put on myself unnecessarily. But in the end, that pressure is a privilege – a certainty that shows me I’m a valuable runner and I can exceed expectations. I wouldn’t change anything, maybe just switch shoes at km 95 to something less aggressive 😅
10. Q: What’s the hard truth about running 120K+ that people don’t want to hear?
A: Whether you run 12 or 120, the feeling at the end is priceless. Every time I finish a journey like this I feel like I crown my training period with a race that helps me celebrate all the past suffering. The distance is just a number, the story after is worth the whole process.
BONUS Q: How wrecked are you right now, honestly?
A: I feel like a van full of riot police unloaded their anger on my legs. But I’ve had worse. Before I started training, the hardest part was post-race because my body had no preparation. With training and experience also comes the pleasure of enjoying the pain after – after all, I paid for this.
