JUT blogger day

Once again, it’s been a bit lengthy since my last blog post but once agin life has gotten in the way.  Since my last post, I was offered and accepted a full time job at a new hospital in the university of Colorado system.  I was already working on an as needed basis at one of their other hospitals and loving it.  I saw this as a unique and great opportunity to get to set up the rehab department in a brand new place and be part of building this new hospital community.  So there’s been that and there’s also been my dad.  Unfortunately, at the very end of April, he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. It was very shocking as he was not a smoker and he was at the time, still a very active man playing softball, golf and going to yoga.  There’s been so many ups and downs the last few months with him going through harsh chemo.  It’s a daily worry and stressor for me.   I even was very worried about leaving to go on our trip to Bosnia and Croatia because he was admitted to the hospital a few days before we were leaving.  He had a blood clot in his lung which they treated him for and he went back home so I felt better about leaving.  He was still very much on my mind while on the trip which was why it was so great to have this special Jahorina blogger day to attend.   It gave me a day to relax, get to know other people and learn more about a country I love so much.  So here’s my recap of the day.

had to leave this to go to Jahorina ;-)

Emir didn’t arrive until Wednesday evening so we had a 6 hour drive from the island to Jahorina. We did manage to get there before midnight and breakfast for the bloggers wasn’t scheduled until 9 so all in all it worked out well.





Breakfast was an impressive spread that included many of my favorite Bosnian dishes.  There were introductions, talks from the organizers and they outlined the itinerary for the day.  Then it was time to load up in the van and head out.  In total Bosnian fashion, we jammed all of us in probably an 8 person van including 3 people up front but that's what makes these adventures fun for me.  I love experiencing life the way the people in that country live it.

catching up with Sanja!

First stop was the ski lift that takes you to the top of Jahorina Mountain.  While I have rode this before, it's always an enjoyable time.  The views riding up and down the mountain are fantastic.  When we reached the top we saw there was some construction taking place.  Our host for the day, Mladen, explained how they were creating a lake and also some additional ski routes.  I like seeing how much work has been done on this mountain the last few years.  It's such a beautiful place with an awesome olympic history that I think many people would enjoy visiting so hopefully all these things will attract more visitors.

Next Stop was Ravna Planina.  On the itinerary it said something about zip lining but all I saw when we first got there was a gondola so I assumed something was lost in translation ;-).  And I didn't mind because they said there was a lake and restaurant at the top so I figured it was pretty.  Then Mladen came around asking if we wanted to zip line or ride the gondola or do both.  If you are going to offer me both then of course I will do both.  I love trying new things and I had never zip lined before so I was all for it.  The zip line was fairly short but for my first time, I really enjoyed it.  I was only slightly nervous after watching one of the other bloggers get stuck in the middle.  The person helping us get on the zip line explained how to hold our legs and feet so that wouldn't happen.  I did what he said and I actually flew past the landing platform but it was easy for them to help me to the spot to dismount.

After that, we loaded into the gondolas.  The views on the way up and down were awesome.  Up at the top was a lake and a restaurant with even better views.  Mladen explained how they would like to connect the ski slopes at Jahorina to this one at Ravna Planina for one huge, long ski run.  He also told us that there was night skiing there as well.   Our final activity was sitting down and having lunch together at the restaurant at the base of Ravna Planina.  It was a very nice place and the food was delicious.  It was nice to sit and chat with Mladen and some of the other bloggers, who as the day progressed spoke more and more English ;-).

lake at the top

After lunch we piled in the van to head to Sarajevo.  Mladen had plans for us to walk through the old part of town which Ive been to several times and it would be great for everyone to experience however the weather had other plans.  Instead we were dropped off where the race packet pick up was so we could collect our stuff. 

We had a little time to kill so myself and a few of the other bloggers went to this coffee shop that I had been to last year, so good.  After that, we walked to the new gondola that takes you up to Trebevic Mountain.  It actually originally opened in 1959 and was a source of great pride during the '84 Olympics.  Then during the war of the '90s, Trebevic Mountain was known as sniper alley and obviously the gondola didn't run and was destroyed.  It's taken a long time to get the gondola and Trebevic back up and running however I can totally understand the memories that this area must bring to people.  The re-done gondola is beautiful with the Bosnian flag on the cars which are all the colors of the '84 Olympics.  The view as you ride up, is just spectacular.  You can see so many of the cities special sights and all the surrounding mountains.  This was definitely my favorite part of the day.

walking in Sarajevo

one of the old gondola cars...those things hold a lot of bloggers

The last part of our day took place at Sunnyland.  Sunnyland is an amusement park up on Trebevic Mountain that opened a couple of years ago.  Our family has told us about it but we had yet to get the chance to go.  The highlight of the park is the alpine roller coaster which I rode twice ;-)  I had never been on a coaster where you basically drive it yourself so I did find that to be entertaining.  There was also play structures and courts for kids. 

We then had dinner together in the restaurant there called Oxygen.  It was super nice and the views were fantastic.  At the end of dinner, Emir showed up with his step sister Bjanka and her fiancé Dario.  It was so great to see them so at that point I said goodbye to Mladen and the fellow bloggers. 

view from Sunnyland

I want to thank Sanja and Mladen for hosting us bloggers on that day.  And to Dinko Bažulić for all the AMAZING pictures which are what helped to fill this blog post!  It was a lot of work that went into planning that day for us.  I truly enjoyed meeting the other bloggers and learning of their trail running experiences as they all came from other countries.  I also LOVED exploring the mountains and Sarajevo.  I understand more now of exactly what happened and why in the past, we as a family had not really gone up into those mountains.  The tons of mines, remnants of war and just the horrible memories.  That said, I am so glad to see this area being re-born.  There are new hotels and restaurants.  New places for activities.  It's such a beautiful area for locals and tourists alike to enjoy hiking/outdoor activities in the summer and great skiing in the winter as well as to see all the historical sights from the Olympics, it would be a shame for it to continue unused as it was.  I saw many people up on Trebevic that day which is a great sign that this is what people want and as more people come, I am sure they will continue to build and bring the mountains back to life :-)

sign of a very fulfilling day ;-)

JUT 2018

It's been a long time since I blogged, 6 months to be exact.  Other than Chicago marathon, I haven't run any other races.  I've also just been focused on getting adjusted to life here in Boulder.   We love it here but being new somewhere takes up more time.  I find I am always spending time figuring things out, like finding new doctors, sports teams etc.  There are also SO MANY things to do here, which we love but that leaves little time for things that I don't really need to do, for example blogging.  And lastly, I've been spending more time working and running.  Since the kids are both in school full time now, there's no reason for me not to pick up more shifts.  I enjoy my work and I found out being home alone on a regular basis wasn't all it's cracked up to be.  I've found that I am much happier being productive at work.  I'll enjoy a day or two off here or there during the week to get errands, chores and a nice relaxing mid day run done but my work definitely gives me a good sense of fulfillment that I need on a regular basis which I feel so lucky that I found a career that does that for me.  And on the running front, running here can be way more time consuming than back East.   There are so many amazing trails here that I just cannot resist.  But I am much slower than on flat, sea level trails so my runs tend to take much longer.  Even the "flat" bike path or roads take me longer.  I mean usually they are not nearly as flat as what I was used to plus there is the added altitude factor.  The moral of the story is, I just haven't had time to fit blogging in and to be honest, it was nice to have a little break.

So why? you might ask, am I writing this blog?  Well it's because one of my favorite events is back for it's 4th edition, the Jahorina Ultra Trail (see any familiar faces on the website???).  Emir and I have participated in 2 of the 3 past editions.  we had already committed to another race in 2015.  In 2016 we ran the 125K.  It was quite an adventure, nothing like any ultra we had ever run before.  It didn't go exactly as we would have hoped, but we still ran about 110K and had an experience that we will never forget.  Last year, 2017, we opted to run the two shorter distance races, one Saturday and one Sunday.  We had the best time!  We brought my sister and our two kids with us for the weekend and they loved it as well.  It's still up in the air what 2018 will bring, but you better believe we will be there!

One of the things I love most about the Jahorina races is how committed the race directors are to making this event a great experience for the participants.  Despite their best efforts, in 2016 some things happened that led to aid stations falling through and not the best conditions for runners safety.  You can read more specific details here in my race report.  However, Emir and I were asked for our input and feedback as were all the other runners.  The RDs were watching and listening all weekend long so they knew there were issues and wanted us who actually were out there on the course to give suggestions.  We were able to recognize these major changes as soon as the 2017 editions were announced.  We also then saw first hand at the 2017 races all the big and little changes that were made.  And we were asked again what we thought and if we would want them to make any other changes.  It's just so refreshing to see a race so committed to the runners' safety and their enjoyment of the event.

The other thing I love most about this race is that it's in Bosnia.  I've been traveling to Bosnia with Emir for 20 years now.  It's such a beautiful country filled with beautiful people and I love seeing as much of it as I can.  It also means so much to me as it's where my husband was born and it's a huge part of my children's history.  I started running in 2010 and ran my first ever marathon in 2011 in Croatia.  Ever since, I always wished Bosnia had running events.  I've realized how much deeper you can get to know a place when you explore it by running.  That's why when we saw the announcement about the first Jahorina, we were SO excited but also disappointed that we could not participate in that first edition especially since knowing Bosnia so well, we knew there was a good chance it might be the only edition.  Lucky for us, it was not the only edition and despite all the political barriers that lie in Bosnia, it's still going stronger and better than ever.  Running the 125K in 2016 gave me such an appreciation for life in parts of Bosnia that I had never explored.  I also had never been to Jahorina or the other mountains surrounding Sarajevo which are beautiful places with such a rich history.  Last year, we ran two of the shorter courses but we experienced parts of the mountains we had not seen the year before including running the ridge of Mount Trebevic and on the Olympic bobsled track which was a huge highlight.  The race also gave us an opportunity to bring our children and my sister with us for a weekend getaway.  Jahorina is just outside Sarajevo so we took the opportunity to show our family around this historic city.  It was also the first time Emir and I had been back to Sarajevo in at least 13 years.   This race is just another example of how running has enriched our lives and it makes me so happy that the RDs are so committed to keeping it going and making it the best they can.

Now for some details on this year's edition.  There are 4 distances to choose from : 104 km, 69 km, 34 km and 14 km.  With all the changes between 2016 to 2017, all of the courses now include amazing views, various olympic sites and well stocked aid stations.  The 3 longer distances have ITRA and UTMB points.  Don't let the short distance fool you, it is not easy!  It actually may have been more difficult than the 34 km race but it was worth it.  Some of the extras for doing any of the races are are gift vouchers for a panoramic sightseeing of Jahorina, a zip line flight on Ski centar "Ravna planina", and Alpine roller coaster ride at Sunnyland Trebević.  We took a ride on the ski lift last year and it was awesome.  Also I know most important is the beer and hot meal that is included after the races.  

This event has really evolved into something special.  It's a wonderful opportunity to explores places in Bosnia often missed by visitors.  It's also a top notch running event that is quickly becoming popular with runners from over 200 countries.  It's the perfect addition to any summer vacation trip.