Anita Arnót

The love of sports has accompanied me since childhood, I started playing sports and running competitively at the age of nine, which was an internal motivation. I started competing in shorter distance races in my hometown of Szentes, and I have lived in the Székesfehérvár area since then. Back then, I tested myself in the 100-meter dash and the 400-meter dash during my elementary school years. Later, as time passed and I grew up, I started competing in longer distances. I started the classic half-marathon many times and after a while I felt that I wanted to test myself in even longer distances. Of course, every race adds something to a person, and when we celebrate each other's achievements together with thousands of runners, it gives me even more motivation and encouragement to achieve the goals I want and set for myself. Since everyone runs for different goals, everyone is instinctively driven by the desire to achieve their goal, either as a team or individually.

Running for me means that I am free. It provides an experience that gives me even more energy day by day. It has an excellent motivational effect and gives me a sense of achievement that I can run longer and longer distances, as it has become not just a hobby, but a part of my lifestyle. In 2022, an acquaintance of mine recruited running companions for the Ultrabalat running race. At that time, I already had many, many kilometers in my legs to start this long-distance race, so we adjusted the training sessions to the time of the race with the coach I met then and since then Csaba writes the 5 training sessions a week, which include both short-distance and long runs. The remaining 2 days would be rest days, of which one day I usually do circuit training exercises, which also include squats and bodyweight exercises, which is an essential part of the preparation.

I use a lot of energy during training, so I need a product that can provide me with the energy deficit that develops during strong training stimuli. I have been using Hammer Nutrition products for some time now. I started reading about the benefits of the products on the official website and on social media. That is why I bring Hammer Bar bars in various flavors and Hammer Nutrition gels with me to every race I start. Not only can they effectively support my preparations, but during long-distance races I always feel safe when I take a Hammer Bar bar out of my running vest and consume it along the way, thus ensuring my continuous energy level. Of course, during training as well as during races, it is necessary to take care of my hydration, so Heed can provide me with the quality fluid replacement that is necessary during my exhausting long-distance training sessions, as well as during ultra-distance races, when I get thirsty on the run. Recently, when we started the Ultrabalaton with the 3-person relay, everyone completed a given stage based on the stage schedule. I ran a total of 52 kilometers. We managed to run each stage with an average pace of 5:00-4:50. With this result, we finished 2nd in the 3-person team results list. I am sure that not only the preparation helped us with this, but also the products of Hammer Nutrition. After this race, I had no doubt that I had become a lover of ultradistances. I also felt mentally that I could run alone and at the same time an ultradistance race. We had a hot summer last year, training was still a priority for me and I felt I had to keep going. I didn’t hesitate much to start another challenging ultradistance race in the scorching heat.

You have to prepare differently for each new competition, as you have to tune in not only physically, but also mentally to the competition. At a given competition, if it is nearby, it is worth going for a course inspection. After all, if you have to count on an increase in altitude at a given competition, the training stimulus needs to be chosen for this. Therefore, my journey led me to the Magas-Bakony, to a wonderful village, Lókút, where I first started the announced competition with a course inspection. Knowing that I would test myself beforehand, I tried to run the deeper and higher points of the course with its 2000-meter increase in altitude. On the day of the competition, I was already aware of the pace I had to choose in order to perform successfully. As always, I brought Hammer Nutrition products with me, which provide me with the most important thing, namely, that I would have the necessary amount of energy during the journey. I finally managed to achieve first place in the individual women's category in the 56-kilometer race. I then competed in several races in 2024, including the Celtic 63 and the Korinthos 80 races.

I chose each race because as a runner my goal is to gain new experiences and to be able to run longer distances. The last race of the year I ran was the ISOPOL SUPER6 and ISOPOL VESZPRÉM6 OPEN Ultramarathon. The 6-hour run took place on a 400-meter record track, where the goal was to run as many kilometers as possible.
I was very happy when I managed to stand on the top step of the podium in the V6 competition, thus qualifying myself among the elite runners of the SUPER6 to be held next year.

I feel like every opportunity is a new challenge for me, which is important to stay motivated and have goals. I believe that no matter what sport someone excels in, they usually do it because they enjoy the activity. In addition, sports have a community-building power that can inspire others to try it too.

In my personal opinion, I feel that a new world opens up inside a person if they believe in what they are doing, and although running may seem monotonous, it still gives them strength and endurance, and if we dare to be brave enough and dream big, then a path will lead to the goal. This is not a sandcastle that can be washed away by water, but everything builds on each other, so let's dare to try, because running always teaches us something new, even if it doesn't seem so at first to someone who is just starting out.