Donnerstag, 8. Dezember 2016

Training start for 2017!


After recovering from my racing season 2016 and the car accident in the fall, I finally started my training for the next season. Since it took more time than I first assumed to fully recover from the accident and to get back in a kind of reasonable shape, I had to accept that another ultra would not happen in 2016. This makes my goal for 2017 quite clear: Collecting enough qualifying points for UTMB 2018! :)

So why not start with that right away in the new year? I signed up for Transgrancanaria because it gives me the possibility to get some sun, warmth and hopefully salt in my hair already in February. Furthermore, it is said to be a very beautiful and technical trail. And it gives me a lot of motivation to train hard during the dark and cold winter months. So I'm picking up training volume with some nice runs as well as some (to me) valuable cross-training (swimming, cycling and well, I just love the gym). 

So let's bank in that points! With 125km and a positive altitude gain of 8000m it will not be easy though so early in the season. ;)

Let's run!

Sonntag, 2. Oktober 2016

UTMB race review and end of season post


My most important race this year was the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. It should have been 170km around the Mont Blanc massif, through stunning mountain landscapes until the emotional finish in Chamonix. Unfortunately, I could not finish the race (which was only my third DNF ever) but the emotions I lived through during the start, the first night and basically the whole 26 hours of racing were just amazing. I am a bit lazy, so here's a copy of my facebook post (which I wrote the day after my race so sorry for being over emotionally):

"DNF at Ultra-Trail to Mont Blanc :( I quit the race after almost 26 hours of racing in Champex-Lac. I did 125.9km with 7300hm climbing but then it was game over. Already on the first few kilometers, I had some problems (stomach pain) which luckily receded after the first two hours. By the time I reached Contamines (after around 4 hours), it was night and I felt better and better. The atmosphere at the start of the race was super emotional and the time between nightfall and sunrise was an amazing experience. The headlamps of the other runners winding up the mountains, the stars above us, it's hard to describe how amazing it was. I was feeling great, constantly moving forward in the ranking. The turning point was the downhill to Courmayeur at the half point of the race just after sunrise. It was so steep that my hip started hurting. I arrived at Courmayeur (km 80) exactly on the minute of my time plan but had to take a 40min break. After the break I felt better and went back on the course in the heat of the day (it was later 34 degrees). I moved slowly but constantly and was still confident that I would finish the race strongly. The muscles in my upper legs started hardening up a few hours later on the climb up to Grand Col de Ferret. When I finally reached the top (km 100) I was not sure how I should get down again. I fought my way down hobbling, trying to absorb as much weight with my walking poles. I needed 2 hours for the 10km-descend. Once I was down in La Fouly I was desperate, how should I be able to do the other descends in the race? I really wanted to finish, no matter what. Even if I had to walk the last 60 kilometers. So I decided to march on knowing that my mum would wait at the next aid station 14km later in Champex-Lac. I still hoped that a massage would loosen up my muscles. It felt like the longest 14km of my life...It was mostly going downhill in the beginning and since my muscles were so hardened up I couldn't properly walk down. I hobbling down with mini strides and in great pain. The other runners and spectators were constantly encouraging me. One woman even hugged me when she saw I was crying. Then the climb up to Champex-Lac begun (450hm) and it was in that climb that I came to the conclusion that I was over for me. I barely made it up there being completely exhausted. Every time there were a few meters of downhill I started crying, not knowing how to get down there (I went a few times backwards). When I finally reached the checkpoint - it felt like after eternity - my mum and dad tried to cheer me up, to give me courage to walk the remaining 45 kilometers to the finish. They knew how badly I wanted to reach that finish line. It was not that I was to lazy to make this long hike or that I didn't wanted to handle the pain, I even had plenty of time (another 20 hours until cut-off time). But it was just impossible. There would have been another three mountains to climb and especially to descend again. Another 2500hm descend, I realized it was just impossible. I would not be able to go all this down backwards. Up there are no roads, no possibility to get me down other than with a helicopter. So there was only one possible decision. I did train a lot in the last months, I was super prepared, was drinking a lot in the heat, taking salt tablets, eating. I don't understand why my muscles completely shut down. Therefore I am disappointed, sad and every muscle in body hurts. No matter what, I will try to remember the good experiences like the start, the running in the night, all the cheering, the devoted volunteers and spectators and the companionship between us runners. Sorry for that super long report but I am still suffering under sleep deprivation and over emotionality. Thank you for all your support here in Chamonix, on whatsapp, facebook, Instagram! I am not done with UTMB yet. I will be back and next time I will make it all the way: 170km, 10'000hm+."

Five weeks passed since that day. Already two days after my race I was planning on coming back in 2017. I planned to get the necessary qualification points at Morenic Trail, a 115km trail race in Northern Italy which also was my first trail three years ago. So good memories there. So I focused on my recovery for three weeks and started to feel better. My goal for Morenic Trail was just a finish to get the points  to be able to get into the lottery for UTMB. Well, luck was not on my side so two weeks before the race I got hit by a car while cycling. The participation at Morenic Trail was therefore not possible anymore. Luckily, I recovered well from the accident. I just started building up again and how can I say, I still want to participate in UTMB 2017! There are not many races which offer three qualification points from now until end of December but I have lied my eyes on two of them:
  • Sätila Trail, 120km, November, Sweden
  • Kleiner Kobalt, 80km, December, Germany
I am not sure I can participate in any of them. First I have to slowly build up my fitness again, going to physio etc. And then I also need to get a spot because the race in Germany is actually booked out already... Let's see if I can make it work, otherwise UTMB needs to wait for 2018. I'm sure I will find some other adventure for next year!

Montag, 20. Juni 2016

Vertical della Croce & Trail de l'Absinthe





The last two weekends I spent doing trail races as hard trainings for the UTMB. One week ago I was in Tesserete in the Italian part of Switzerland doing my first vertical. Vertical means that the race is short but super steep. In the case of the Vertical della Croce it was 850m of altitude gain on 4.5km distance. It was super hard because I was running/walking/crawling for over 50mins at my limit. The last ridge was so steep that I had to climb up on all fours in some parts. The view at the top was a reward for the effort though and I was really happy about finishing as 5th female. 

This weekend I went into the other direction, Val de Travers in the French part of Switzerland. There I participated in the Trail de l'Absinthe, a 75km race with around 3000m of altitude gain. The views would have probably been great too if the weather was better. Due to the ongoing rain in the last weeks, the trails and forest paths were super muddy. The conditions made the race way harder than I had expected. I didn't have my best day either so I fought against stomach pains and cramps after km 50. Looking at the bright side that made me listen to my coach who had given me the order to "not destroy myself". So I didn't push too hard and tried to see the last 25km as a nice long training (well, it was not that nice obviously). I was relieved when I got to the finish line. I even made it there as 5th female and 2nd in my age group. My little brother finished the race too, 75km being the longest he distance ever ran. We are getting ready for our races in Chamonix in August!


Freitag, 29. April 2016

Zurich Marathon in 3:21:37


Last Sunday was one of the days were I realised how much I love running. Normally, I don't like to run on the roads, I prefer to run on trails in the woods or the mountains. On Sunday, nothing like this counted. I just ran.

I signed up for this marathon about two months before race day, thinking to have plenty of time to prepare. My plan was to run a new personal best time which should not be to hard since I have barely run a flat marathon on its own (without the 3.8k swim and the 180k bike ride of an Ironman). My coach prepared a detailed training plan telling me when to do intervals and long runs. But as it goes, other things were on my mind the last few weeks so I skipped quite a lot of training sessions. So two weeks before the race, we decided to just run it as a long slow training run. The instruction was to run slow and steady, a pace which I could hold for about 80k.

On race day, the weather was - let's say - unusual. It was cold, there was rain, hail and snow involved. I mean, it was in the end of April so... Anyway, the weather was how it was. Some of the pro athletes pulled out and the ones who tried to run the qualifying time for the Olympics had no chance in these conditions.

Before the start I was really cold and regretted that I did not put on some more clothes. Once we started running, it was okay though. I tried to run a swift but easy pace which was just under 5min/km. I felt relaxed. During the shower of hail the road got very slippery which slowed me down a bit. Anyway, I tried to run steady and once we were out on the long stretch to Meilen, I was picking up the pace. I just felt so unbelievably good that I had to run faster. All the time I thought that at some point, I would blow up because I did not do all the long runs you should do before a marathon. So I just waited for this moment.

In the meantime, I had passed the half marathon mark in 1:42 and was still feeling good. And I had fun! Now I was on the fast lane and I kept overtaking other runners. I was able to further pick up the pace and kilometer by kilometer I was coming closer to the finish. I waiting for the point where I would blow up. Km 30 passed, nothing. I was still happy. I was counting every kilometer down. Shortly after, my legs started to become a bit heavier, but I could keep up the pace. At the 37km mark I thought "shit, now it hurts" but I just kept pushing and running as fast as I possibly could. By now I had realised that I could stay well under 3:30 hours. So I just ran.

I crossed the finish line in 3:21:37 which is the fastest time I ever ran on this distance. I was super happy especially because I had never imagined I could do this on this very day. Looking back, my race strategy was probably just perfect for the shape I was in, running negative splits from the beginning to the end. Next time, I prepare properly! ;)




Samstag, 9. Januar 2016

Kepler Challenge, New Zealand


One month ago, when I was still travelling, I ran one of the most famous trail races in New Zealand. I had followed a strict training plan for the last three months before the race to get as fit as possible for the 60k of the Kepler Challenge. On race day, I woke up at 4 am. None of my two alarms was needed. After a small brekkie, I joined another competitor who also stayed at the hostel and we drove together to the start of the Kepler track. It was cold and windy.

My strategy was to start conservative for the first 30k which included most of the climbs and downhills of the race (the mountain part) and then run fast for the last rather flat 30k back to the finish (the forest part).

Without prior warning, the pistol went off at 6 am and the race began. And it was fast! I tried not to get too excited and went my own pace on the first 5 flat kilometres. Since I knew the climb up to Mt. Luxmore Hut from my training, I knew how fast I could go up there. I reached the checkpoint after 1:40 hours, only 9 mins faster than in training. I was not sure if I was running too conservative. After a super quick gear check (we had to carry 2 long sleeve thermal shirts, 1 thermal long pants, a hat and pair of gloves, rain jacket and pants and an emergency blanket), I continued the climb up to the ridge.


Up on the ridge, the wind blew very strong. Combined with some rain and hail, it was quite harsh up there. The next few kilometres were a constant up and down along the mountain ridge. I went down fast, but on the uphills, my legs already felt tired and I had to walk most of the time. For one second, I was not 100% concentrated and boom, I was lying on the ground with bloody knees. Just moments later I was running again, annoyed by my own mistake. 

Suddenly, a roaring helicopter was above us, filming us. Luckily, it was on a downhill so he got a good shot of me (which actually made it into the event movie). Shortly after, the long downhill to Iris Burn hut began. Finally, I was able to benefit of my strengths so I was overtaking a lot of runners on the technical part of the downhill.


When I arrived at the hut, I knew that my planned time of 6:30 was not achievable anymore. However, I knew a good result was still possible with a fast pace on the second half of the race. According to that plan, I ran the next 15k quite fast. And then I blew up. As beautiful as the first half of the race in the mountains had been, as boring was the second half in the beech forest. I was bored and tired and I had no energy left. I just wanted it to be over.

4k before the finish, on an uphill section, I saw another girl below me. I didn’t know on which place I was running but I knew I didn’t want to be overtaken so close to the end. So I started running all out in the hope to keep her at distance. It felt like the longest 4k in my life and I was just relieved that it was over when I crossed the finish line after 6:47 hours just a minute before the other girl. Instantly, I was escorted to the medic to get my knees looked after.

Shortly after I learnt that I had finished the race as 6th female. On that day, I was quite disappointed with my time, had I hoped before to run considerably faster. But after a good night’s sleep I was happy with my result. I had given it all I had on that day. It was a good end for an awesome year.

Hard facts:
60k running
2000m climbing
6:47h race time
6th female/138
56th overall/429