0:00:18.266,0:00:20.396
Do you know your country?

0:00:21.166,0:00:24.136
I have traveled[br]back and forth across Europe.

0:00:24.136,0:00:28.913
Regularly, at least three times a year, [br]I go on a trip abroad.

0:00:28.913,0:00:32.091
It seems that I know Europe as my home.

0:00:33.001,0:00:35.692
But can I say the same about Latvia?

0:00:35.692,0:00:38.863
Just like most of the people present,

0:00:38.863,0:00:41.040
I have been to Liepāja, Ventspils,

0:00:41.040,0:00:45.226
Daugavpils, Jelgava [br]and other Latvian cities,

0:00:45.660,0:00:48.571
but I'm usually in a rush when I do.

0:00:48.571,0:00:49.957
You go to a place,

0:00:49.957,0:00:53.597
do the necessary things,[br]and return to Riga.

0:00:53.597,0:00:56.172
In such a hurry, you don’t see much.

0:00:56.172,0:00:59.273
I haven't been very far away[br]in the countryside at all.

0:00:59.273,0:01:02.703
I don’t know what to see or explore there.

0:01:03.476,0:01:06.863
This year, Latvia[br]celebrates its centenary.

0:01:06.863,0:01:09.498
And this made me realize

0:01:09.498,0:01:12.668
that I don’t really know Latvia.

0:01:12.668,0:01:17.019
When exploring events [br]dedicated to the centenary,

0:01:17.019,0:01:19.877
I had an idea to organize one.

0:01:20.607,0:01:24.089
An event to get to know Latvia better -

0:01:24.089,0:01:27.595
its cities, people and nature -

0:01:27.595,0:01:30.959
not by driving a car or riding a bike

0:01:30.959,0:01:32.485
but on foot.

0:01:32.939,0:01:36.866
An event to get to know Latvia[br]without the rush.

0:01:37.203,0:01:39.710
Suddenly, I had this idea:

0:01:39.710,0:01:42.068
what if for the centenary of Latvia,

0:01:42.068,0:01:44.215
I would run around the Latvian border.

0:01:44.215,0:01:47.644
I'd get to know Latvia[br]closer and more in depth.

0:01:48.414,0:01:52.339
Inspired by the idea, [br]the same evening, I made the first step.

0:01:52.339,0:01:54.051
I got on my bike

0:01:54.051,0:01:57.943
and went to the closest gas station[br]to get a map of Latvia.

0:01:57.943,0:02:00.114
I put the map on the wall at home

0:02:00.114,0:02:05.347
and started exploring the small towns [br]and villages in the area

0:02:05.347,0:02:07.414
until I got to Alūksne,

0:02:07.414,0:02:09.603
the town of my childhood.

0:02:09.603,0:02:12.692
I’m ashamed to admit[br]that I never explored its vicinity.

0:02:13.642,0:02:16.305
Korneti, Pededze, Liepna -

0:02:16.305,0:02:19.554
seemingly familiar, but unseen.

0:02:20.434,0:02:25.620
I found out that the border[br]of Latvia is 1,836 kilometers long.

0:02:25.620,0:02:28.916
If you take the centenary[br]as a starting point,

0:02:29.936,0:02:32.974
it would be great [br]to run 100 kilometers a day.

0:02:32.974,0:02:37.941
If I would continue this way, [br]after 18 days, I would be back in Riga.

0:02:37.941,0:02:39.428
When I was planning this,

0:02:39.428,0:02:43.011
I had no idea how ambitious this was.

0:02:44.511,0:02:47.901
I forgot to mention[br]that I’m not a professional runner,

0:02:47.901,0:02:49.334
I’m an architect.

0:02:50.114,0:02:52.825
I spend my days at the computer.

0:02:52.825,0:02:54.318
I’m a maximalist,

0:02:54.318,0:02:57.376
and I want to make it everywhere[br]and manage everything.

0:02:57.376,0:02:59.226
Therefore, I don’t sleep much.

0:02:59.785,0:03:01.865
I constantly have the feeling

0:03:01.865,0:03:04.213
that I will miss something.

0:03:04.213,0:03:05.866
But I like to run.

0:03:05.866,0:03:07.867
I enjoy the process of running.

0:03:07.867,0:03:09.253
The best times are

0:03:09.253,0:03:12.881
when I return from a run[br]with an empty head,

0:03:12.881,0:03:14.716
no redundant thoughts.

0:03:16.106,0:03:18.030
Usually, I run as long as it feels good.

0:03:18.034,0:03:21.882
It’s not like I have [br]a special training plan to follow.

0:03:21.882,0:03:24.171
Sometimes, I do get myself together

0:03:24.171,0:03:25.952
and get into a training rhythm,

0:03:25.952,0:03:28.592
stick to it for a maximum [br]of four, five weeks

0:03:28.592,0:03:32.457
before work and daily routines[br]get me off track again.

0:03:33.477,0:03:39.631
Before the project, the longest distance [br]I had run was 70 kilometers.

0:03:39.631,0:03:43.618
But now I wanted to run [br]100 kilometers a day

0:03:44.588,0:03:46.962
for 18 consecutive days -

0:03:48.242,0:03:49.984
quite an unrealistic plan.

0:03:51.264,0:03:55.793
I won’t deny that ambition[br]was one of the first milestones.

0:03:55.793,0:03:58.514
I thought it would satisfy me greatly

0:03:58.738,0:04:02.486
if society would talk about me[br]as "that inspiring guy."

0:04:03.386,0:04:06.248
I wanted to test [br]the limits of my abilities.

0:04:06.248,0:04:08.108
How does the body work?

0:04:08.108,0:04:10.382
Is pain just an impulse?

0:04:10.382,0:04:14.042
How far can you push[br]before everything goes wrong?

0:04:14.683,0:04:17.671
I wanted to break the stereotypes[br]about impossible things.

0:04:18.641,0:04:22.002
I started dedicating [br]more and more of my free time

0:04:22.002,0:04:25.462
to the realization of the project[br]"Run Around Latvia."

0:04:25.462,0:04:28.192
I was not shy to talk about my idea

0:04:28.192,0:04:31.302
or to listen to different[br]opinions from others.

0:04:31.312,0:04:34.183
The people closest to me[br]and recent acquaintances

0:04:34.474,0:04:36.879
joined in and helped with the project.

0:04:37.821,0:04:39.638
While preparing,

0:04:39.638,0:04:42.901
I went through [br]a vast amount of information

0:04:42.901,0:04:48.858
about my body, its specifics,[br]the risks, and possible complications.

0:04:49.598,0:04:52.808
Together with doctors[br]and physiotherapists,

0:04:52.808,0:04:56.068
we paid attention to the tiniest details

0:04:56.068,0:04:59.021
because the strain would be enormous.

0:04:59.021,0:05:02.477
Even the strongest joints [br]can become unstable.

0:05:03.807,0:05:06.722
Running is one thing, but it is not all:

0:05:07.532,0:05:09.012
What will I eat?

0:05:09.462,0:05:11.069
How will I regenerate?

0:05:11.719,0:05:13.159
Where will I sleep?

0:05:13.689,0:05:14.947
Who will drive?

0:05:15.647,0:05:17.454
Are doctors coming along?

0:05:17.454,0:05:19.252
Will everything be documented?

0:05:19.252,0:05:21.600
What will happen with the blood samples?

0:05:21.600,0:05:23.701
Will it be possible to follow the project

0:05:23.701,0:05:25.651
and see how it's taking place?

0:05:25.651,0:05:28.893
There were plenty of things[br]we had to take care of.

0:05:29.903,0:05:35.148
My main task was to run [br]and regenerate every evening

0:05:35.148,0:05:37.568
so that the next day I could do what?

0:05:37.568,0:05:38.898
Run again.

0:05:39.468,0:05:43.933
But to pull off this crazy idea, [br]I needed a team.

0:05:43.933,0:05:47.457
Friends to take care of me [br]when I'm not able to do it myself.

0:05:48.597,0:05:52.278
Multi-functional helpers - my drivers,

0:05:52.278,0:05:56.048
doctors, chefs, bloggers, photographers.

0:05:56.048,0:05:58.388
And if I would have forgotten anything,

0:05:58.388,0:06:00.695
those guys should be able to handle it.

0:06:01.875,0:06:05.313
To run around Latvia, I took a vacation.

0:06:05.313,0:06:09.762
With friends, we created a schedule,[br]and they took turns helping me:

0:06:10.013,0:06:12.366
one friend for the first three days,

0:06:12.532,0:06:14.589
then for the next three,[br]another stepped in.

0:06:14.589,0:06:19.258
That way we'd not only[br]get fresh food supplies

0:06:19.382,0:06:21.501
but also an emotional boost.

0:06:22.011,0:06:24.390
After a symbolic group picture,

0:06:24.390,0:06:26.689
on May 18, 2017,

0:06:27.048,0:06:29.553
the run “Run Around Latvia” began.

0:06:30.188,0:06:33.166
Everyone could join [br]regardless of their age.

0:06:33.936,0:06:36.345
And people really joined.

0:06:37.375,0:06:38.717
Schoolchildren.

0:06:42.107,0:06:43.967
Students and seniors.

0:06:45.257,0:06:49.145
For some it was 500 meters, [br]for others five kilometers.

0:06:49.145,0:06:52.237
There were also some[br]who ran with me for the whole day.

0:06:55.749,0:06:58.497
Sports teachers planned their lessons.

0:06:59.327,0:07:02.463
Parents with children,[br]with baby carriages.

0:07:02.463,0:07:05.117
This great support boosted my confidence.

0:07:05.957,0:07:09.266
Even my dad, who doesn’t run, [br]joined me for the first meters.

0:07:11.154,0:07:13.077
In the rain,

0:07:13.712,0:07:16.281
in the sun, with great headwinds,

0:07:16.281,0:07:17.709
I continued running.

0:07:17.709,0:07:19.384
The team took care of me

0:07:19.384,0:07:22.496
by giving me water, peeling a banana,

0:07:24.696,0:07:27.476
or waking me up in the morning[br]and preparing meals.

0:07:28.496,0:07:30.405
But it wasn't just the running.

0:07:30.405,0:07:32.169
I had to recover.

0:07:32.169,0:07:35.607
The ice procedures worked best for this -

0:07:35.607,0:07:37.028
in cold water,

0:07:37.878,0:07:39.098
in ice baths,

0:07:39.858,0:07:41.778
sometimes even in piles of snow.

0:07:43.278,0:07:46.888
Doctors joined only four times[br]during the project.

0:07:46.888,0:07:51.378
But with most of the minor injuries,

0:07:51.591,0:07:54.181
swellings and other things,

0:07:54.481,0:07:56.517
I had to cope myself.

0:07:56.517,0:07:57.950
My shoes did not survive.

0:07:59.269,0:08:04.058
I continued running until I reached[br]the Freedom Monument.

0:08:10.909,0:08:15.274
Each of us is different [br]and our motivation is so different.

0:08:15.274,0:08:17.193
I have to admit that at the beginning,

0:08:17.193,0:08:18.986
I was motivated by ambition.

0:08:18.986,0:08:21.586
I wanted to be recognized,[br]already in the first days,

0:08:21.586,0:08:23.712
so I kept to the schedule,

0:08:23.712,0:08:27.211
and sometimes I had to run [br]more than 100 kilometers a day.

0:08:28.847,0:08:31.751
But at some point, the strain was too big.

0:08:31.751,0:08:35.423
My body was not ready [br]for such an experience.

0:08:35.424,0:08:37.934
I had to make a decision:

0:08:37.934,0:08:42.980
whether to continue running [br]according to the plan and risk my health,

0:08:42.980,0:08:46.139
or change the plan and run sensibly.

0:08:47.159,0:08:52.571
The distance I could complete in a day[br]was approximately 80 kilometers.

0:08:53.631,0:08:56.703
Then I put aside my ambition

0:08:56.703,0:09:00.148
because reaching the finish line[br]was more important than the schedule.

0:09:01.098,0:09:03.034
Every day had its routine.

0:09:03.994,0:09:05.496
Good morning!

0:09:05.496,0:09:07.126
It’s seven o’clock.

0:09:07.126,0:09:08.466
Time to get up.

0:09:09.059,0:09:11.219
I feel like I haven't had any sleep -

0:09:11.219,0:09:14.996
all night in cold sweat,[br]stiffness everywhere.

0:09:15.726,0:09:19.124
But the schedule is tight,[br]and I have to get up.

0:09:19.124,0:09:21.156
I get up slowly.

0:09:21.156,0:09:23.299
Jurčiks has already made breakfast.

0:09:23.299,0:09:26.018
My head is spinning;[br]I don’t know where my equipment is.

0:09:26.018,0:09:27.993
Where are the shoes, the running socks,

0:09:27.993,0:09:29.333
where are the tapes?

0:09:30.253,0:09:32.377
I slowly find everything I need

0:09:32.377,0:09:36.308
and start the physiological preparation[br]for the next 80 kilometers.

0:09:37.228,0:09:38.529
I would rather not.

0:09:38.529,0:09:41.555
Here under the blanket,[br]it feels so much better.

0:09:42.365,0:09:45.655
But slowly I start to find motivation [br]in all the small things.

0:09:46.475,0:09:47.689
My legs are taped.

0:09:47.689,0:09:50.759
Jurčiks' breakfast [br]has already given me energy.

0:09:50.759,0:09:54.089
Now I’m ready to run a marathon again.

0:09:54.089,0:09:57.938
Almost every day,[br]someone accompanied my running.

0:09:57.938,0:10:00.198
They enhance my willpower.

0:10:00.198,0:10:02.032
I have finished a marathon.

0:10:02.032,0:10:04.115
A warm lunch is already waiting for me.

0:10:04.115,0:10:05.058
I eat.

0:10:05.058,0:10:08.418
Just 12 more minutes of ice procedures.

0:10:08.418,0:10:10.312
It's cold and gives me chills.

0:10:11.052,0:10:14.661
But it's all worth it,[br]as I feel fresh afterwards

0:10:14.661,0:10:16.781
and ready for the next marathon.

0:10:17.871,0:10:19.343
The evening approaches.

0:10:20.253,0:10:21.432
75.

0:10:23.242,0:10:24.459
76.

0:10:26.875,0:10:28.422
77.

0:10:30.183,0:10:31.875
77 and a half.

0:10:32.545,0:10:34.094
Enough for today.

0:10:34.094,0:10:37.817
Feels like even 500 meters [br]could be too much.

0:10:38.767,0:10:40.863
I let go of my emotions and collapse.

0:10:41.933,0:10:43.880
My body is cold and weak.

0:10:44.770,0:10:46.190
I have no more energy.

0:10:47.300,0:10:50.302
I try to warm up in the car[br]with the heater on maximum,

0:10:50.302,0:10:52.260
but I'm still cold.

0:10:53.210,0:10:55.362
We dine together with the team.

0:10:55.362,0:10:57.800
Now it's time for physiotherapy[br]and ice procedures.

0:10:58.780,0:11:00.226
I want to sleep.

0:11:00.226,0:11:01.566
I'm sleepy.

0:11:02.636,0:11:06.521
Sometimes I fall asleep at the plate,[br]sometimes during physiotherapy.

0:11:07.431,0:11:09.292
The team doesn’t allow me to sleep,

0:11:09.302,0:11:11.702
as the evening routine[br]has not been completed yet.

0:11:11.702,0:11:13.901
Naurītis already shouts[br]the car is warming up

0:11:13.901,0:11:17.587
and we should go to the nearby river[br]to sit 12 minutes in the warm water.[br]

0:11:17.587,0:11:18.862
Cold water.

0:11:19.842,0:11:21.515
I fall asleep.

0:11:21.515,0:11:23.126
I want to sleep,

0:11:23.126,0:11:24.656
but the team doesn’t let me,

0:11:24.656,0:11:27.336
as I still have to record a diary entry.

0:11:28.436,0:11:30.985
At almost midnight, I fall asleep.

0:11:32.155,0:11:34.052
The alarm goes off.

0:11:34.052,0:11:35.854
Good morning! It is 7 o’clock.

0:11:35.854,0:11:37.174
Time to get up.

0:11:38.924,0:11:42.465
This routine put aside my ambition,

0:11:42.465,0:11:44.485
but awakened my determination.

0:11:45.725,0:11:47.862
You'd think I was not afraid.

0:11:49.102,0:11:52.628
I had promised people close to me[br]that I would run sensibly.

0:11:53.698,0:11:57.039
Before starting the run,[br]I called my parents and my sister.

0:11:57.039,0:12:00.707
I told them that I would be careful[br]and run within my limits.

0:12:01.527,0:12:04.728
Most important is that[br]my grandmother doesn't find out

0:12:04.728,0:12:06.268
how many kilometers I will run.

0:12:06.268,0:12:07.593
(Laughter)

0:12:08.928,0:12:12.496
I told her that it will be[br]something like a hike, a walk.

0:12:12.496,0:12:13.616
(Laughter)

0:12:13.986,0:12:16.033
I was contradicting myself.

0:12:16.033,0:12:18.650
I'm telling my family [br]that I will take care of myself

0:12:18.650,0:12:20.020
and everything will be okay,

0:12:20.020,0:12:24.417
but subconsciously I never [br]even considered the idea of quitting.

0:12:24.437,0:12:28.936
I will run, walk or limp,[br]but I will reach the finish line.

0:12:30.026,0:12:33.015
Soon I got to doubt my body.

0:12:33.015,0:12:35.175
Both of my heel cords were swollen.

0:12:35.175,0:12:38.115
I couldn't stretch the leg,[br]because it hurt badly.

0:12:38.115,0:12:40.641
After a couple of days,[br]the ankle joined in,

0:12:40.641,0:12:43.906
being huge and swollen.

0:12:45.116,0:12:47.191
My stomach was on strike as well.

0:12:47.191,0:12:49.517
I had never felt so bad before.

0:12:49.517,0:12:50.949
If it would continue this way,

0:12:50.949,0:12:52.949
I did not want to think[br]about the next day,

0:12:52.949,0:12:56.055
let alone three or four days ahead.

0:12:57.445,0:12:58.826
I was scared.

0:13:00.456,0:13:05.666
After the daily routine[br]and 80 kilometers completed,

0:13:05.666,0:13:08.013
I tried to pull myself together.

0:13:08.013,0:13:11.920
I sat down in the corner [br]to contact my loyal doctors,

0:13:11.920,0:13:14.370
to find a solution

0:13:14.370,0:13:17.200
on how to take the strain[br]off the aching points.

0:13:18.290,0:13:21.928
Harijs, Elita and Mārtiņš[br]were the only ones

0:13:21.928,0:13:24.968
who knew how bad it was becoming.

0:13:24.968,0:13:27.374
Fear that it may get worse every day

0:13:27.374,0:13:29.032
pushed me forward.

0:13:29.032,0:13:31.067
Because unless it's critical,

0:13:31.067,0:13:34.357
theoretically and practically,[br]I can continue running.

0:13:35.397,0:13:38.522
With every next day my body adapted.

0:13:38.522,0:13:40.721
It was paradoxical.

0:13:40.721,0:13:43.431
Pain and swelling decreased.

0:13:45.121,0:13:46.770
Only on the seventh day,

0:13:46.770,0:13:49.250
I got enough courage[br]to call my parents and my sister

0:13:49.250,0:13:52.577
to tell them how I really feel.

0:13:52.577,0:13:56.254
Meanwhile, my confidence had grown,[br]but the caution was still there

0:13:56.254,0:13:59.601
because it's very easy[br]to break the thin line.

0:13:59.601,0:14:02.382
And recovering after that [br]would not be possible.

0:14:04.312,0:14:06.632
To complete 100 kilometers a day,

0:14:06.632,0:14:08.027
I was looking for ways

0:14:08.027,0:14:11.077
of using my stubbornness to my advantage.

0:14:11.077,0:14:16.038
Firstly, I cut up the distance[br]in shorter parts.

0:14:16.098,0:14:18.677
I viewed every day like this:

0:14:18.677,0:14:21.417
I have to run 80 kilometers today.

0:14:21.417,0:14:25.064
Split in half, it's only two marathons.

0:14:25.064,0:14:29.282
And after the first marathon,[br]I will get a prize: a warm lunch.

0:14:30.382,0:14:32.854
So one marathon before lunch

0:14:32.854,0:14:34.974
and another one after.

0:14:34.974,0:14:36.621
Marathon split in half

0:14:36.621,0:14:40.409
gives you two stretches of 20 kilometers,[br]which theoretically is not much.

0:14:41.419,0:14:44.266
The first 10 kilometers [br]in the morning go by quickly

0:14:44.266,0:14:46.786
until all the muscles become well-oiled.

0:14:46.786,0:14:50.996
Completing a fiver [br]after 10 kilometers is also easy.

0:14:50.996,0:14:53.056
That gives you 15 kilometers.

0:14:53.056,0:14:56.068
Another 5 milestones,[br]and it's 20 kilometers.

0:14:56.708,0:14:58.973
When you go by car, you must have noticed

0:14:58.973,0:15:00.593
the milestones showing kilometers.

0:15:00.593,0:15:02.905
I had a special relationship with them.

0:15:03.935,0:15:06.873
I used them to count to five.

0:15:06.873,0:15:10.562
And the best feeling is when you [br]get lost in thought and miss one,

0:15:10.562,0:15:12.671
and instead of one kilometer you get two.

0:15:12.671,0:15:14.311
It's a great reward!

0:15:16.141,0:15:18.139
My stubbornness every day was boosted

0:15:18.139,0:15:20.569
by similarly stubborn people [br]running along with me.

0:15:20.569,0:15:22.771
For example, these three guys,

0:15:22.771,0:15:27.891
who were waiting at a bus stop[br]exactly five kilometers from their home,

0:15:27.901,0:15:29.908
so they could finish after a fiver.

0:15:31.418,0:15:32.990
These three good friends

0:15:32.990,0:15:36.639
told me about countryside parties[br]and other adventures

0:15:36.639,0:15:38.220
from when they were growing up.

0:15:38.220,0:15:40.235
Without noticing,[br]not just five kilometers

0:15:40.558,0:15:42.150
but a full 10 kilometers passed.

0:15:42.670,0:15:46.088
I told the guys they were crazy,[br]going for records,

0:15:46.088,0:15:48.687
as they had never ran[br]more than 10 kilometers.

0:15:49.837,0:15:52.197
I could not forbid it.[br]The guys were excited.

0:15:52.197,0:15:54.723
They told me they want more [br]and that they will run.

0:15:54.723,0:16:00.237
They ended up after 33 kilometers[br]on the Lithuanian border.

0:16:00.237,0:16:01.847
(Laughter)

0:16:02.498,0:16:05.656
(Αpplause)

0:16:10.350,0:16:16.054
After 21 days, 14 hours and 33 minutes,

0:16:16.669,0:16:18.449
I reached the Freedom Monument.

0:16:19.359,0:16:21.079
Yes, I know,

0:16:21.079,0:16:23.689
three days later than the initial plan.

0:16:24.639,0:16:27.195
But I would not change that for anything,

0:16:27.195,0:16:29.751
because I reached[br]the finish safe and sound,

0:16:29.751,0:16:33.482
without blisters, injuries or swellings.

0:16:34.712,0:16:39.678
My body had adapted to the strain[br]and was completely healthy.

0:16:39.678,0:16:44.280
With this run, I got to know Latvia[br]from a completely different viewpoint.

0:16:44.280,0:16:48.572
On one hand, it was my gift [br]to the centenary of Latvia.

0:16:48.572,0:16:51.231
On the other hand,[br]those were unforgettable emotions.

0:16:52.601,0:16:55.221
It was also the time [br]I got to know myself anew -

0:16:55.991,0:16:59.985
my ambition, my fear, my stubbornness.

0:17:01.195,0:17:03.501
The birthday of a country is once a year.

0:17:04.701,0:17:07.550
It's a good time [br]to think about your country.

0:17:08.910,0:17:11.731
It's also a good time[br]to think about oneself.

0:17:13.201,0:17:16.954
It can serve as a good starting point[br]for an idea or a goal.

0:17:16.954,0:17:19.407
For some it could be gymnastics,

0:17:19.407,0:17:20.937
for others swimming.

0:17:20.937,0:17:24.072
Someone would like[br]to learn to play the guitar,

0:17:24.072,0:17:26.781
someone else to start their own business.

0:17:28.212,0:17:30.720
But the best point[br]of reference is this day.

0:17:31.640,0:17:35.703
To get to know your country,[br]to get to know yourself.

0:17:36.633,0:17:41.585
You just have to figure out[br]what your first step will be.

0:17:43.048,0:17:44.233
Thank you.

0:17:44.233,0:17:46.033
(Applause)