Category: Sports

Destination: Bobova Draha, Kutna Hora

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This past weekend, we decided to stay local.  We recently learned that our neighboring town, Kutna Hora, has a bobsled area (bobova draha).  So off we went to check it out.

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As it turns out, it wasn’t just a bobsled area.  It is a recreational area where one can also do Zorbing, dirt-bike riding, and rodeo bull riding.  There was also a jumping castle, a trampoline and a small playground for the kids to enjoy.

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I didn’t get to ride the bobsled.  I’m not really a fan of rides that resemble a roller coaster.  However, I had a lot of fun just watching my boys go on the ride.

Here they are patiently awaiting their turn to get on the lift.

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Before they went, my husband explained the rules to Jakub.

 

 

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Then off they went.

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A short wave for mama.

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This is how the lift looked like.  The height is pretty decent.  The whole course is said to be the second longest bobsled course in Europe.

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I wasn’t able to take pictures of the loops because it was on the other side of the hill.  But here is a photo of them in motion as they were going through the course.

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And here’s one more as they were already descending.

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Until finally, the ride was over.

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My husband took Jakub to the playground for a short break, but that only lasted a little while since he wanted more.

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So here they are again, getting ready to ascend and ride the bobsled course once again.

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As for me and Michaela?  Well, we decided to sit it out.  She was mostly sleeping and I was just relaxing.  What better way to spend the weekend.

Anyhow, I hope you had a good one!

For more information about the bobsled ride, please click here.

 

Czech the Cyclist

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If there is one thing that strike me as the best Czech past time, it is cycling. Now that the weather is definitely getting better, cyclists abound the streets of my little town. The cycling paths are not that well developed but people still go out and ride their bikes.

A Czech friend once told me that it is almost mandatory for every Czech child to know how to ride a bike. And these bikes come in all stages depending on the child’s age.

They start out with little plastic ones.
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Then as they get older, they have those that resemble a real bicycle but without pedals.

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And of course, your bike grows with you.

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As much as I would like to join the trend, I cannot ride a bicycle for now. Plus, I do not own a good bicycle…just yet.   All I can do is reminisce my biking days.

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But the good thing is, we may be able to save some money on my bicycle since I am a small person. Those bikes for teenagers may just fit me just fine. We’ll see.

“Utikej, Pani, Utikej”

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Two weeks ago, my running partner, a.k.a my son, decided to quit his job.  I used to be able to put him on the jogger and do a short run with him.  However, now that he is stronger and more active, that has become impossible.  I stopped doing it because the last few times I did, he wailed like a hyena and yelled, “pomoc! pomoc!”  (Czech word for “help!”).  He prefers being part of the action and that involves getting out of the stroller.   Hence, I can never have a decent run when he is with me.

Back when I used to do races, I ran with the pack.

However, due to the recent time change this past weekend, I am now able to do my outdoor runs.  This is because my husband is now available to take care of my son while there is still daylight.  Thus, I had my first post winter outdoor run today.    It was great!  But I know it will hurt tomorrow.

This was because I pushed too hard.  I wouldn’t have if not for the old guy who told me, “utikej, pani, utikej.”  (Czech for “run, lady, run”).  The thing was, there were 2 other runners in front of me.   The old guy probably thought I was one of them.  I may have looked like I was trying too hard because my tongue was out like a mad dog and I was sweating like a rapist.  Whatever it was, he decided to give me a boost of encouragement.    I intended to tell him that I was not running with them, but before I can translate my thoughts, I was already past him.   A few minutes later, when I reached home,  I was gasping for breath.  I knew I overdid it when my husband thought I was back so soon.  When asked how my run went, my answer was almost inaudible because I was still catching my breath.  Then he told me, “Oh honey, I forgot to tell you not to push too hard.”  But I did.  This will definitely hurt tomorrow.

I Can Skate….Finally

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So we did it. We finally took the trip out to Stara Lysa yesterday. It was great! The place was beautiful. Our friends brought us to an artificial lake which stretched out to almost 2km. Everything was frozen, so it was the perfect skating spot.

One of the areas that people converted into a hockey court.

Prior to going on the ice that day, we had lunch at our friend Hanka’s place and I had 2 glasses of wine.  It must be the wine, but when we went there, I felt braver than usual and immediately went on the ice with Hanka.  After skating hand in hand for about 1km, she finally let go of my hand and voila!  I skated by myself.

Jakub was very curious to see mommy skating.....those magic shoes.

Jakub himself had a lot of fun in the snow too.  His daddy was pulling him on a sled.

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Jakub with Majda on a sled.

Hanka’s husband Marek was kind enough to clear out a space for us.  So we had our own skating spot.

Now I know why Czech people love snow.  With good food, good friends, good wine and a perfect pair of skates, even sub zero temperatures can’t prevent them from enjoying the outdoors.

Pre-Valentine Surprise

Published on by Grace8 Comments

I am quite anxious to go skating tomorrow. Due to the extremely low temperatures, the lakes, ponds and some rivers in CZ are frozen. To take advantage of this natural phenomenon, we have planned on going to Stara Lysa to go skating with some friends.

I don’t own skates simply because I couldn’t skate. Prior to having Jakub, we used to go ice skating at the Pasadena Ice Skating rink with some friends.  All I can remember was I fell so many times.    If not for my husband’s presence I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.  I only managed to go through the rink a couple of times since Jiri was always holding my hand, or I was always holding the rails.

Back then, I looked like I knew what I was doing because Jiri was holding my hand.

The other day, my husband gave me a pre-valentine gift by buying me my own pair of skates and some winter sports gear. It is such a pleasant surprise.

Somebody's more eager than me to open my present.
My brand new skates
More winter snow gear for other snow related stuff. wink*, wink*

There will be no more rails  to hold come Saturday. I’m praying that my legs will hold me steady enough not to fall so many times. Otherwise, I may depreciate the value of these items long before I enjoy them.

They call it Fitness

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Ouch! I got muscle pains all over my body. These past 2 weeks I have started a new exercise regime. I do Tai Chi on Sundays and go to the gym twice during the week. The Tai Chi came about when a new friend invited me to try it. Man, it is so much harder than what it looks like. The routines are slow, but they require endurance. I am enjoying it because it is very challenging…very different from all I ever know.

The gym on the otherhand, came about as a New Year’s resolution. It is located very close to Kmochuv Island and I have been eyeing it for the longest time. Since me and my boys are big Kmochuv fans, we often times pass by it. Until one day, I decided to search it online and learned how it worked. It is quite small. It is twice the size of my office in the States. However, I love it because it is so worth the price. There are no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, you pay whenever you use the gym, and there is no time limit.

But if it was a gym in LA, nobody will go there. Not because it’s small, but because the people running it are not ripped. No pun intended, but they are quite heavy.  But really, here in the Czech Republic, it is rare to see people who are fat.   This explains why the people in the gym are not the regular LA buffs that I know.  Those who need to go there are the ones who need it.  😉  That’s fitness.