So, from what we could work out, 567 men started, 135 dnf'd. 95 females started, 25 dnf'd . First male came in at 11.38: first female at 14.05.
My 24.23 finish gave me a measly 58th finishing position, 25th in my category.
To be honest, I wasn't that interested in my finishing position, as long as I got there. Taking part in this, was reward enough. So very very lucky.
Wednesday, 24 July 2019
Eiger ultra trail 2019
What a beautiful race !
The weather was good to us : although hot, not too humid. Just a few light showers towards the end of the race, luckily, nothing to make the rocks too slippery to run.
In between mountains, it was pretty runnable. But....those mountains were huge !! As the profile outlined. Nothing apart from plodding for me. I felt well looked after, with continuous monitoring from the live tracking system, and many race staff at strategic tricky points.
The checkpoints were numerous, although I found the food pretty repetitive after a short time. I stuck to drinking the race carb drink, flat coke , and water. Peanuts, crisps, and nut flapjack was the order of my intake at each point. I tucked into my own bars and jelly sweets whilst out on the course.
The encouragement from the race staff was well accepted and enthusiastic.
For me, highlights included running across a skywalk at the First cable car checkpoint; watching the sunrise over the mountain range ; sitting at a checkpoint located at a Swiss train station, while work was being carried out overnight on the carriages ; meeting and chatting to numerous lovely lovely people. Ultimately, making my way across the base of the north face of the Eiger, in the dark, past the Eiger train stop window, was the biggest buzz of all.
Insane, beautiful, glorious, exciting running.
Such an amazing opportunity, such an amazing race.
The weather was good to us : although hot, not too humid. Just a few light showers towards the end of the race, luckily, nothing to make the rocks too slippery to run.
In between mountains, it was pretty runnable. But....those mountains were huge !! As the profile outlined. Nothing apart from plodding for me. I felt well looked after, with continuous monitoring from the live tracking system, and many race staff at strategic tricky points.
The checkpoints were numerous, although I found the food pretty repetitive after a short time. I stuck to drinking the race carb drink, flat coke , and water. Peanuts, crisps, and nut flapjack was the order of my intake at each point. I tucked into my own bars and jelly sweets whilst out on the course.
The encouragement from the race staff was well accepted and enthusiastic.
For me, highlights included running across a skywalk at the First cable car checkpoint; watching the sunrise over the mountain range ; sitting at a checkpoint located at a Swiss train station, while work was being carried out overnight on the carriages ; meeting and chatting to numerous lovely lovely people. Ultimately, making my way across the base of the north face of the Eiger, in the dark, past the Eiger train stop window, was the biggest buzz of all.
Insane, beautiful, glorious, exciting running.
Such an amazing opportunity, such an amazing race.
Sunday, 21 July 2019
Massive thanks
Huge thanks for all the good vibes and support I've had for doing this race, there's been alot of love for this.
Especial thanks to the two girlies Roz and Caroline, for succumbing to the idea of travelling out here for race weekend, in the first place. It transpires they have spent practically the whole night watching runners lights come down along the Eiger, and watching my tracking dot. Then they still managed to wait at the finish line at four in the morning, to meet a very smelly and slightly disorientated runner. It would certainly not have been as fun if they hadn't been there : ladies, you're both brilliant. Race pics to come
What an amazing adventure
Especial thanks to the two girlies Roz and Caroline, for succumbing to the idea of travelling out here for race weekend, in the first place. It transpires they have spent practically the whole night watching runners lights come down along the Eiger, and watching my tracking dot. Then they still managed to wait at the finish line at four in the morning, to meet a very smelly and slightly disorientated runner. It would certainly not have been as fun if they hadn't been there : ladies, you're both brilliant. Race pics to come
What an amazing adventure
Saturday, 20 July 2019
Friday, 19 July 2019
Eiger trail surprise
The girlies have gone off on the eiger trail surprise event, a 12k race, through.... Er... A nice big mountain pass. Good luck ladies, looking good. A hot start for the race.
Thursday, 18 July 2019
Eiger.... Here we are....
This is it, what all the fuss is about, hopefully be running around here in a couple of days time!!!! The Eiger!!!!!
Wednesday, 17 July 2019
Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Eiger ultra trail 2019
After reading plenty of stories about climbing attempts on the Eiger, with all the obsession and mystery involved, I cannot believe we are going out there to explore.
The event is staging multiple race lengths, including a Trail Surprise race which good friend Roz is entering. The surprise being that the course length and profile is only released three days before the event. Good luck on that one, fair Rosalina.
My race starts the following day. The profile looks more like a child's zigzag drawing, than an actual achievable profile. The hardest part will be (getting to and then) leaving the half way checkpoint. To start the whole climbing again after that length of time out on the course, will be quite a play on your mind. If I can get past that point, I'll be pleased.
Have a done enough hillwork for this? Have I done enough squats at the gym, attended enough core training sessions, eaten enough protein bars....? My legs look as skinny as ever and my quads do not look much bigger than when I first started training for this.
I want to plod, and I want to complete, within the race limits.
Aaaaaahhhhhh....
The event is staging multiple race lengths, including a Trail Surprise race which good friend Roz is entering. The surprise being that the course length and profile is only released three days before the event. Good luck on that one, fair Rosalina.
My race starts the following day. The profile looks more like a child's zigzag drawing, than an actual achievable profile. The hardest part will be (getting to and then) leaving the half way checkpoint. To start the whole climbing again after that length of time out on the course, will be quite a play on your mind. If I can get past that point, I'll be pleased.
Have a done enough hillwork for this? Have I done enough squats at the gym, attended enough core training sessions, eaten enough protein bars....? My legs look as skinny as ever and my quads do not look much bigger than when I first started training for this.
I want to plod, and I want to complete, within the race limits.
Aaaaaahhhhhh....
Eiger ultra trail 2019
As the excitement of the lakeland trail race starts to ebb, it is replaced with this. Next week, I get to fly out to Switzerland with a couple of friends, to attempt the Eiger Ultra trail.
Oh. My. Word.
This trip has been months in the plotting and planning. I have wanted to see the Eiger for a long long time. Get to run there? You have got to be kidding, I cannot believe my luck.
This event looks so hard, to me, that I wasn't going to apply for it. But, dreams should be big. It is 100k with 6,700m overall elevation. That is an humungous amount of up.
Oh. My.
On the Ultra Trail World Tour series. It looks phenomenal, out of this world
Oh. My. Word.
This trip has been months in the plotting and planning. I have wanted to see the Eiger for a long long time. Get to run there? You have got to be kidding, I cannot believe my luck.
This event looks so hard, to me, that I wasn't going to apply for it. But, dreams should be big. It is 100k with 6,700m overall elevation. That is an humungous amount of up.
Oh. My.
On the Ultra Trail World Tour series. It looks phenomenal, out of this world
Wednesday, 3 July 2019
Lakeland trails 2019 100k - a few stats
Well, it was a really enjoyable event for me.
According to the website, a distance of around 100k, with approx 10,000 ft elevation, travelling over five mountain passes.
A little more than undulating.
And I seriously felt those passes.
140 competitors started at midnight, unfortunately 38 had to pull as the race unfolded. First male came in at twelve hours, three minutes : first female finisher sixteen hours and forty.
A finishing position of 65 suited me well, with a time of twenty hours and eight minutes.
Loved this, that's all I can say.
According to the website, a distance of around 100k, with approx 10,000 ft elevation, travelling over five mountain passes.
A little more than undulating.
And I seriously felt those passes.
140 competitors started at midnight, unfortunately 38 had to pull as the race unfolded. First male came in at twelve hours, three minutes : first female finisher sixteen hours and forty.
A finishing position of 65 suited me well, with a time of twenty hours and eight minutes.
Loved this, that's all I can say.
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