Training Log Archive: redrider

Sierre-Zinal. Due to problems with my health during the past month(s) I was quite doubtful how to approach the race. I knew I couldn’t push myself anywhere near the wall, so I chose rather to be too defensive than too offensive. I was still hoping for the best and had made myself time goals based on 3,5h finishing time. I thought that 3:30-3:45 would be achievable, at least on a good day. Maybe 3:30 was a bit optimistic but 3:45 should have been possible if things had been normal. My strategy not to be arrogant at the start proved poor. I had planned to take it steady and relaxed at the first climb but after letting everyone pass me on the road, the climb turn out to be all but steady. It included several full stops and short accelerations every time it got steeper or more challenging. I didn’t want to waste energy in overtaking, so I just settled in to the pace of the line. I felt I could have gone faster and got a bit annoyed being stuck in there but decided not to care. When the path turned muddy and the gradient increased I realised that my shoe choice had also gone very wrong. I should have taken proper trail shoes!

I reached Beauregard at 4km (1146m) in 35min, 5min behind my estimation. I was feeling ok but slow. It was steeper than I had thought. I came to Ponchette at 7,5km (1870m) in 1h20min, 5-10min behind the schedule. But the worst was over and the path turned more runnable. I got to Chandolin at 11,8km (2000m) in 1h45min, 5-10min behind the schedule. Then Tignousa at 16km (2180m) in 2h15min, now 10-15min behind the schedule. Feeling all right but not able to push harder. Hotel Weisshorn at 19,8km (2387m) in 2h44min, 15-20min behind the schedule. The climb wasn’t that bad but I realised that I should have pushed harder if I wanted to nail my target. It became clear that I wasn't going to finish in 3,5 hours but I was still hoping to do 3:45. Based on the splits the descent to Zinal shouldn’t take more than an hour…

Barneuza at 26km (2210m) in 3h23min. There were some tourists on the way but otherwise it went well up to Barneuza. It was technical and rocky but not too steep or wet and I was in my element. I had been running alone for some time but suddenly I’m catching people. I’m totally going to make it in 3:45! But then comes the steepest decline, the path turns muddy, and I start to lose time. I’m just sliding while other runners come storming past. I don’t understand how they do that. Maybe they’ve got trail shoes.

Zinal 31km (1680m). Arrivée. Finally. 3h56min, 26min behind my optimistic goal and 11min behind the realistic one. I’m not over the moon but not too disappointed either. I mean it’s far slower what I had hoped for but on the other hand I wasn’t able to race or push myself at any point. I took myself around the course and had a lovely day out in the mountains without suffering too much. So, in a sense I’m happy. Maybe just a bit annoyed that I couldn’t get down faster. It was just technical, nothing to do with fitness. It’s stupid to lose so much time in descent! There was a guy who was just a bit behind me at Weisshorn but who finished in 3h47min. Frustrating.

Taken together, it was a great experience but I have to come back and give this race another shot once I’m fit enough to do it!

walk to take a look on the start and the first trails of tomorrow's course. too long to walk there. need to take a bus tomorrow. getting more and more nervous now.. don't know how to approach it. I mean, if I go racing, it might end very soon. and if I want to finish, I probably need to play it very safe...pheww...

am travel. pm easy jog around Montana with Tessa.

jogg till närmaste elljusspåret, tempolöpning runt slingan (2km), lite lätt jogg, sedan kortare intervaller 5x1min + 5x100m. kändes lite si och så... orkar springa 100m men inte så mycket mer. börjar bli lite orolig inför helgen nu...

tested some kayaks in Norrviken. cool! :) och det ända träning jag orkade med idag...

am 10x1min/1min intervals. heat unbearable already early in the morning.

easy run with Tuomas. helt slut efter att varit ute i solen största delen av dagen.