ArOuNDtH3WorLd...

This year because of the tour to the US at the end of August I did not join the team until they came to the states. Last year I reported to Slovenia for preseason at the beginning of August and took part in all of the 2-a-days pre season practices and conditioning. Apart of the conditioning, is hiking up a mountain. 

I’m not sure what it is with Europeans, but after talking with other fellow European volleyers, there seems to be a common theme of hiking up a mountain. I took part in it last year and the total duration was about 40 minutes. After completing the task I have to say it is my least favorite conditioning activity. And this is coming from a person who has gone through 4 years of conditioning at a Division 1 college. But everything we did there involved some type of running activity and was usually over within 30 minutes, if it was over 30 minutes there were breaks in between. I with stood some pretty intense physical activities in my day but for some reason this mountain and I do not get along. 

It is basically a straight up incline for 40 minutes. It never flattens out even a tiny bit to give your calves and knees and butt muscles a rest to recover for the next incline, it just gets steeper. Pohorje is very popular in the city and there are many other people hiking up and down (usually holding ski poles for assistance, wise people) or biking down the mountain. As you start the climb and you pass people coming down you are feeling good and greet them, “Dobre eurtro, good day…Zdravo, hello”  but by about halfway you are bent over and using your hands to push off your legs just put your head down and go you don’t even acknowledge anyone else’s existence on the mountain. Yay fun times. 

Before the girls came to the states they did this hike and I thought I was in the clear, but lucky for me when we returned, the following Saturday was set aside for hike day. And this time we were not going to stop at 40 minutes, no what is the fun in that, let’s go all the way to the top! Yep the very top. The goal was to finish within one hour, I was third on the team and finished in 57 minutes…success!! 

I must say I felt pretty fantastic standing at the top of this mountain, 100 percent drenched in sweat at the end of the arduous climb but I will say I never want to do it again. I’ve been there done that, climbed that mountain, it’s checked off my list. 

Not to mention the view, once you get to the top it overlooks the entire city of Maribor which is a great site. It was a bit overcast since it was early in the morning so I didn’t get to capture the full essence of the gorgeous view but still captured some good moments with my camera that I insisted on carrying with me (I brought it by putting it in the back of my sports bra) 

That night I came down with a terrible stomach flu which lasted a total of 8 days, I’m going to go ahead and blame it on the mountain and complete dehydration. Yes it probably is my fault that I did not drink any water on this hike and probably did not rehydrate near enough afterwards for the amount of sweat I lost but still, I blame you Pohorje. :)

Good news, the 8 days of sickness are FINALLY over and I am back to my old self, and not planning on hiking up any more mountains any time soon! We kick off our season this weekend with our first match in the Middle European League playing Bratislava, Slovakia!! I can’t believe another season is upon us, off to the races! 

Gremo Nova KBM!! :)