She’s a debutante, he’s a debutant. Joint trainings, similar motivation and the same huge effort. Magda Piskorska from Olivia Business Centre and Sławek Lamparski from Amazon talk about the running adventure in the Olivia Sports group, fears just before the start and the incredible story that gave wings on the route of the Amber Expo Half Marathon in Gdańsk.

Sławek, a successful half marathon?

Sławek: I ran another personal best – after a four-year break I managed to improve my result in the seventh half marathon in which I competed. I crossed the finish line in 1:23:57.

How long have you been running?

Slawek: It’s hard to say, because in the beginning it was my mom who made me run on the beach (laughs). She took care of her form, because the school my brother and I went to received a subsidy bonus for each success of the students. After a long break, I resumed training in 2013 to prepare for triathlon.

What happened on the route?

Sławek: I was running with a group that I knew from various competitions, but the pace was definitely set by competitors with experience in half marathons. They know how to do it, which can’t be said about the rookies, who paid for their lack of experience with the fact that they swelled up in the following kilometers.

Magda, how did you start? Did you have a plan, did you know what to do?

Magda: Not at all, what’s more, I borrowed a watch that I didn’t know how to use at all (laughs). I managed to finish with a time of 2.10 and 18 seconds.

The beginning of a new adventure or a return to the running paths?

Magda: I’ve always been active and liked to run in the woods recreationally. In February, I got injured while windsurfing, I completely tore my cruciate ligament, but I decided not to give up moving. I started training at City Fit under the guidance of a trainer who, like me, struggled with such an injury, so the plan he prepared was a support and strengthening for this leg. I took a risk, I took up the challenge of a half marathon, which I paid for with a lot of stress.

What were you afraid of?

Magda: Starting a half marathon is a serious matter. The day before, I couldn’t sleep, the distance seemed horrible to me. Thousands of thoughts of what might happen to the route. I tried to convince myself that it was fun. In the middle of the run I saw the 2.10 balloons, I got so much power that I stayed behind them.

How did it happen that you started training together?

Magda: The trainings took place as part of the Olivia Sports running group. Already at the first meeting, coaches Iwona and Piotr Suchenia divided us into two groups based on an 8-kilometer test, which showed who is light and fast, and who has more difficulty.

Slawek: It all really depended on the level of preparation that the participants had. The coach explained to us that the base was needed because there were 60 days left until the start. Without training facilities, it was difficult to get into this program, which I felt myself. I’ve been on a road bike for most of the season, and although I was prepared to breathe, my legs didn’t want to serve as they should. For the first two weeks I trained with some reserve, wanting to enter this cycle calmly.

Did everyone have the same training plan?

Magda: That was the assumption. In practice, I tried to systematically participate in trainings, adjusting to the level of effort that was planned for Tuesdays. During the week, I fought on my own, which in my case required excellent logistics.

What was your biggest problem?

Magda: I’m a mother of two preschool children, so you understand that in this situation, finding 40 minutes to run is a success.

Has running turned out to be an escape from your duties?

Magda: A huge one, which introduced a lot of balance and a feeling that the world does not revolve only around children. Running helps me a lot – I come out tired and nervous, and I come back cheerful, happy and with solutions to problems that seemed insurmountable. Medicine for body and soul (laughs)!

Sławek, is it the same with you?

Sławek: Yes, running has become important to me. I used to coach basketball, which I was very fond of. I absorbed knowledge from magazines and from friends, but after some time I felt that if I wanted to find myself in a team discipline, I should activate all the elements that are needed for it. On top of that, there were fears that I wouldn’t be able to develop athletically, physically and mentally, so when one day I saw my lecturer from college taking part in a triathlon, I felt I had to give it a try. It turned out that running is my strongest point!

Is Olivia’s group a help for a debutant?

Magda: During training, my group was a great support. If it hadn’t been for them, I probably would have quit at some point. As it usually happens, there would be an obstacle – maybe children, maybe just laziness, but so the workouts fit perfectly into my weekly schedule, keeping me in check and motivating me. On top of that, an incredible story happened to me at the start. On the route, a girl ran up to me – Magda from Sii, who said “hello neighbor”. We started talking and she, an experienced runner, created such an amazing atmosphere that I managed to survive the most difficult moment.

At what kilometer did the crisis appear?

Magda: Between the 12th and 15th kilometer, I had a thought about how far I still had to run.

Sławek: I was surprised by the problems I had with absorbing the gel. I bought a huge one and every time I tried to pull it in I gagged. From the 10th to the 11th kilometer I was fighting how to push it. I wanted to eat it whole – it didn’t work, so I threw it and stained the volunteer from whom I took a cup of water.

Magda: Great volunteers were really exposed to being hit by a cup or an uneaten gel. But they didn’t give up, for which we are grateful!

Slawek: In order to redeem myself, I feel that I have to become a volunteer!

Is the toilet on the route normal?

Magda: Yes, and there are queues for them.

Slawek: It’s a matter of nutrition before the start.

Have you changed your eating habits?

Magda: Just before the start they are very pleasant, you can finally eat carbohydrates, because that’s what the coach says. On Saturday I ate pasta with a clear conscience (laughs).

Slawek: In the last week before the half marathon, I tried to experiment and see how my body would react when I completely deprived it of sugar and ate my last meal no later than 7:00 p.m. I lost a kilo and a half, which certainly helped me get a better time.

Piotr Suchenia didn’t encourage people to conquer the poles?

Magda: He said that running a marathon at the pole is the cheapest option to explore it!

What are your startup plans? Will we see you in March at the start of the World Championships in Gdynia?

Slawek: I’m already enrolled!

Magda: Yes, if the Olivia Sports running group gathers and the trainings are on Tuesdays. For me, winter training is difficult – I have a sinus problem and when I breathe in cold air, I get sick immediately.

After the World Championships, will the challenge be a marathon?

Magda: Never in my life (laughs)! In the next half marathon I would like to go under 2 hours, Slawek, do you think it is possible?

Slawek: No problem, I think. I was surprised when I saw the result – my goal was to go under an hour and thirty minutes. The week before the race, I took part in a 5k parkrun where I ran so fast that I set my second fastest time. After calculations using various indicators, it turned out that I was able to do this personal best. And it worked! I have a few challenges in mind, so maybe I’ll stand at the start line of the marathon in Gdańsk and Warsaw. Time will tell!

Interviewed by: Dagmara Rybicka, Olivia Business Centre