On the long run...

A new beginning!

2009-11-16T22:25:00.001+01:00

Got a new X-ray and things are looking good!

Fracture is healing well and I am allowed to start putting weight on it again. Will slowly start with some indoor cycling, and will see how it goes from go from there.

I will also try to post here a bit more often again...

The end of the season...

2009-10-10T19:54:00.015+02:00

It has been silent here, but that doesn't mean I have been sitting still this summer. I just haven't taken the time to keep this blog up to date... Highlight of the year was of course the Swiss Alpine Marathon in July: 78 kilometres and 2260 meters elevation over beautiful alpine trails.

Also the Graubunden Marathon a month earlier was with almost 2700 meters of climbing a highlight.

Besides running, I have been doing quite a bit of cycling. Besides some shorter rounds around Zurich, I did a number of spectacular tours in the Alps, especially around Andermatt as it is so easy to reach by train (Furka - Nufenen-Gotthard, Susten - Grimsel - Furka, Oberalp - Lukmanier - Gotthard). Also the Albula-, Fluela-, Klausen- and Pragelpass are on the list.

Unfortunately, though, the Pragelpass will be the last one for this year... After a beautiful 100 km along the Zurichsee, through the Klontal and up to the pass, I had an unfortunate encounter with an approaching car that all of a sudden moved onto my side of the road. Without too much external damage to either myself or my bike, but a left shoulder that felt pretty sore, I was able to continue and cycle the last 80 km home. There the pain became unbearable and I decided to pay a visit to the emergency room. There my collarbone turned out to be broken...

It is a bit of a strange fracture, but it should heal by itself without a need for an operation. It will however take months before things are back to normal, so I will have to be patient... Just hope that the pain will get less soon, so that I can at least move around more or less normally again.

Zürich Marathon 2009

2009-04-26T20:46:00.001+02:00

I wake up and look at the alarm clock: 4:59. Another 15 minutes before the alarm will go off. I figure I won't be able to get much more sleep anyway and that I might as well just get up. Getting up so early seems a bit unnecessary when running a 'home' race, but I prefer to be able to take it very easy in the morning. Better to keep stress levels as low as possible. Start is at 8:30, and I want to be there an hour in advance. This means I will have to take a train at 7:00, and this way I will have enough time for a shower, porridge, coffee and tea, and to let my body wake up.
At the train station I see one other runner. We say hello, but as true Swiss :-) we stick to ourselves. It is a pretty cold and gray morning, but no rain or wind. Good running conditions... In Binz I see Markus waiting on the platform, but he doesn't see me and gets into the next compartment. At the train station we change into the train that will take us to Manegg, where the start will be. Somebody asks me if this is the train that will go to the start. I say that I am not sure, but that unless there is another marathon that morning, I guess a train completely filled with nervous people in shorts, sipping on bottles of sportsdrink probably is probably a save bet. Or that is what I think... I am not that ad-rem, and certainly not this morning...
The start is on the motorway, in front of the new Uetliberg tunnel. As you would expect, this isn't the most charming of places, but it is all well organised, and when I have found the row of toilets that doesn't have a huge line, I get a bit more relaxed. I change into my shorts and singlet, drop of my bag and walk to the start. There I am interviewed by somebody from Radio Zürisee, who wants to know what I had for breakfast and if this is my first marathon. I am very happy that I don't know anybody who listens to Radio Zürisee... At the start I meet Markus again and we have a brief chat about our plans for the day. Turns out we set ourselves the same ambitious goal of 2:59...
I have to go to the toilet again, but there is no way I will be able to make it to the toilets and back again, especially now everybody has started moving towards the start area. Okay, just try not to focus on it. Maybe it is just the nerves and the cold, and I will forget about it once we have started.
At exactly 8:30 the gun goes off, and we head for the tunnel. There is quite a lot of space around me and the tunnel is nice and wide, so things settle down pretty quickly. I feel surprisingly well and am very concentrated. The 3:00 pacemaker is maybe 50 meters in front of me. I am trying hard to get closer to him, but it doesn't work. The distance isn't getting any bigger either, though, so nothing to worry about. I somehow thought we would go back through the other tunnel, but all of a sudden the elites come racing past on the other side of the road. I also get to the turning point pretty soon after. They set up a drink station in the curve, which creates a little bit of chaos, but it is too early anyway, so I decide to skip it.
From here we go down about 70 meters, back to the start. Still plenty of space and no wind makes it all feel very easy. Soon I overtake the pacer. I see Markus is doing the same, and soon we are spit out of the tunnel. Here there are quite a lot of people cheering, which makes for a welcome change from the quietness in the tunnel. We keep following the motorway a bit longer and then head through the city towards the lake. From here we will follow the usual route, along the lake to Meilen. Things are going pretty well and although I am slowing down a bit, when I get to the half marathon point in 1:27 I am still well below schedule. Maybe at this point some alarm bells should have gone off, and I should have realised that I may be able to run 2:59, but that I am certainly not able to run 2:56... But things were going pretty well and although I am slowing down a bit, I am slowly getting closer to Markus. When I overtake him he looks tired to me. He has gone out too fast, I am thinking, but that's not going to happen to me...
In Meilen (27 km) Erich and Verena (from Velo-point in Glattbrug, where I had just bought my new racebike) are cheering me on. This brings back some energy, but I can feel the almost 30 km I have behind me now. In Meilen we make a little loop and then head back the same way, back to the city and the finish. The first runners have already past us some time ago, but it feels good going past the hundreds and hundreds of runners that are still on their way to the turnaround point. This optimism doesn't last very long, though, and soon my legs are starting to complain loudly. The marathon only starts at kilometer 32 they say, and that was certainly true this time. I am having more and more problems keeping even a 4:30 pace, and slowly the minutes I had to spare are disappearing.
Only five more kilometers, less than 25 minutes to go. I can see the finish, but it is on the other side of the lake! That can't be only five kilometers... And who is that yellow t-shirt next to me? It is Markus, who also looks tired but overtakes me easily. Luckily there soon is an drinking station. I drink some water and pour the rest over my legs, hoping that will help a bit against. It seems to help a bit, but when the 3 hour train comes past, there is no way I can keep up. There is the 40 kilometer mark. Only two very long kilometers to go. Then I spot Glauco, Aida, Paquita and Lukas along the side. My legs really don't want to go much further now, but I don't want to disappoint them and am able to wave back and at least try to look like it is all a lot of fun. Then it goes along Bürkliplatz to the finish, and then it is all over. The clock stands still at 3:01.31...
I meet meet Markus again, and I congratulate him with his fantastic time of 2:58.58... Slowly we make our way through the finish chute, get our medals, hand in our chip and pick up the t-shirt. With a bottle of water I sit down at a nearby fountain, and decide that I won't be getting up for a while. I try to have a chat with somebody sitting next to me but he only speaks French, so also this attempt at socializing fails... Soon Lukas and Paquita show up again with a bottle of coke. Exactly what I needed...
In hindsight I am of course more than happy with my time, especially given that my last flat road marathon was in Hoorn a bit less then a year ago, where I also struggled to get through the last kilometers, but finished in 3:23. But I feel that I have a time of 2:59 or maybe even a bit faster in me. Next time I should really try not to get carried away in the beginning. I should also take my eating and drinking more seriously. I really didn't drink much this time and I didn't take anything to eat with me. I was planning on taking some winegums, but I found out too late that my shorts didn't have a pocket...
So to summarise, I am more than happy, but there is also some obvious room for improvement. Whereas my initial plan was to run only one road marathon this year, I might do another one in September or October. Maybe Luzern or Amsterdam? But now it is time for the mountains!

Sihlbrugg - Sihlsprung - Sihlbrugg

2009-04-19T21:31:00.000+02:00

As a last longish run before the Zurich Marathon a week later, I decided to take the train to Sihlbrugg, about a 30 minute train journey away. The weather is absolutely gorgeous with temperatures in the 20s and not a single cloud to be seen.
Sihlbrugg is a tiny trainstation near, you guessed it, a bridge across the Sihl. From the station it goes up straight away up the Hirzel. With the lake on one side and the forest and the Sihl on the other I take it easy, trying to run as careful and efficient as possible, and to enjoy the scenery. Through a a couple of tiny old villages it then goes down back to the Sihl. The valley gets very narrow here, and according to the description, the water has to jump over the rocks (hence Sihlsprungg) to make its way to Zurich. It is pretty but really not that spectacular so I keep moving and cross the narrow bridge to the other side. From there it goes via a couple of nasty little climbs back to the station.

time: 1:41:27 | pace: 5:42 | heart rate: 138 | up/down: +419 / -415

New shoes, again...

2009-04-18T23:10:00.004+02:00

I guess I owe Brooks an apology...
Already some time ago I complained about the new Brooks Trance (the 8). I tried them on in the shop, expecting them to be the same as the 7. They weren't however, and I was disappointed about that. Instead I tried on a pair of Asics 2130, which I was told were very similar to the old Trance. I thought they felt pretty different though, but gave them a try anyway.
In the beginning I was pretty happy and liked how they felt. However soon I started to get problems with my calves, achilles tendons and the bottom of my feet. First I thought I should just try to get used to them, but when after about 250 km, and the Zurich marathon getting closer, things still hadn't improved, I decided to give the Trance another try. And surprise, surprise, I really liked them. I always think that, unlike the Asics, they feel a bit "boring", but in a good way. They feel how a shoe should feel, enough cushioning, but not too much. Enough stability, but not too much... The Asics (at least the 2130's) somehow didn't let my feet do what they wanted to do, and not surprisingly they started to rebel.
I have now done about 60 kilometers in my new Brooks, and from the start they have been great. I feel lighter and faster, and all the pains and aches are gone (at least most of them). I almost don't dare to say it, but I think I actually like them more than the 7's...
Zurich marathon, here I come!

A beautiful afternoon on the Zurichberg

2009-04-17T23:30:00.001+02:00

time: 1:10:25 | pace: 5:04 | heart rate: 137 | up/down: +301/-294

From the Uetliberg to the Zurichsee

2009-04-16T23:33:00.004+02:00

When I came home around 7 today I was tired, hungry and a bit unhappy that I hadn't been able to get more work done. And all of a sudden the beautiful weather had also disappeared again...
I thought I'd have a quick look at one of the DVD's I bought at the Banff Mountain Film Festival that I had been to the day before, which started with a film about Christian Stangl, who calls himself the skyrunner. He is known for climbing the seven summits (the highest mountains of all continents) in record times, including the Mount Everest in 16:42 and Kilimanjaro in 5:36.
Although he doesn't make a particularly sympathetic impression, the first shots in which you see him training by pulling a giant tractor tire is certainly impressive.
Then I all of sudden realise that instead of sitting inside and watch others sweat, I could also go out and do something myself. So I switch of the computer, put on my running shoes and head towards the Uetliberg. The first couple of minutes are hard work, but then I find my rythm and work my up in one of my fastest times yet. It is already getting a bit dark, so I take the horribly steep Lanternenweg down and keep going towards the lake. From there I take my usual route back home. In the last few kilometers I somehow manage to roll my ankle, but luckily nothing too serious.
Back home I take a shower, have something to eat and watch the rest of the DVD...

time: 1:12 | pace: 5:10 | heart rate: - | up/down: +494/-509

It is spring!

2009-04-05T18:46:00.001+02:00

time: 2:37 | pace: 5:23 | heart rate: 159 | up/down: +1068 / -1071

From Wittenberg along the Elbe

2009-04-05T18:43:00.003+02:00

Was in Wittenberg (Germany) for a workshop on so-called next generation sequencing. A method with tremendous possibilties. Although probably not so surprising at a workshop centered around a method, the great majority of talks were very methodological. Was very interesting nevertheless, and certainly worth going to.
Despite a serious lack of sleep I went for a run on Friday morning. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Sunny and cool... Wittenberg (or Lutherstad Wittenberg I should say) is a pretty little town in the middle of nowhere, so all in all a nice place to run. I went down the street, heading past the trainstation. From there I could go underneath the railway, and I started following the Elbe cycle path. The first few kilometers went along the road (I thought that the Swiss were good at staring...) and then I turned right towards the river. A beautiful path with the river on one side and some open fields on the other. When I turned back towards the road I passed a couple of roe deer, and then it went back to Wittenberg. Just in time for a shower, breakfast and the first talk of the day...

time: 1:03 | pace: 4:29 | heart rate: - | up/down: +16/-12

Along the Uetliberg to Wollishofen

2009-03-23T00:13:00.002+01:00

Took it easy today, but didn't really have a choice as my body didn't feel like going very fast anyway. Was really a bit of a struggle. Also still unhappy with my shoes. Thought I should give them some time, but after 130 km I should be used to them by now. Was however again a beautiful day and much warmer than yesterday, but along the lake it was really a bit too busy... Am looking forward to be able to go for a run in the mountains again...

time: 1:27 | pace: 5:08 | heart rate: 141 | up/down: +305/-332

Kerzerslauf

2009-03-21T23:35:00.003+01:00

Somehow I was quite nervous about this one. Am still struggling with my calves and achilles tendons and wasn't sure how they were going to hold up. Based on the 59 minutes that I had given as my expected time they had furthermore put me in the first starting group after the elite. This also made me worry a bit. Did I maybe underestimate how hilly the course was? Did I overestimate myself? The weather looked however beautiful. From inside that is... Outside it turned out to be bloody cold... Apparently it had again been freezing 5 degrees over night and now there was a horribly cold wind.
At the start things were all a bit hectic. Too many people in the changing rooms and waiting for the toilets and my start was getting close quite quickly. I really like races, but sometimes they really have a bit too many people. When I finally made it to the start without a proper warming up, it was already very full and I didn't really have a choice but find a place in the back of the pack. Although I know I said that I should stop starting too far in the back, I didn't have much choice this time. And I was anyway still a bit intimidated by being in this group...
The first couple of kilometers went through some open fields, straight against the wind. It was pretty full around me, and things were going a little bit too slow for my taste. But there would still be plenty of opportunity to make up for that later on, so I didn't try to worry too much and just relax. Also try to get too annoyed by the people that desperately want to overtake and come running past through the field next to the path. That takes just so much energy and is so inefficient. I usually can't hide a little smile when I pass them a couple kilometres later...
Although the field never really opened up for the first 5 km I found a good rythm and although I had some pain again, I didn't worry too much about it.
In the forest things also quickly got a bit warmer, and after a couple of ups and downs we ended up at the Aare. From there it went along a nice and quite narrow path along the water towards the main climb of the day to Golatten. I had read about this and was a bit scared. It did go pretty well however, and got up them without exhausting myself too much. I did expect it to be just one long climb, however, but instead it were a couple of shorter ones, and when I thought I had made it to the highest point, there was another one...
But then the fun started. After a couple of pretty flat kilometers we got to the last 2 kilometers which are all downhill. Was able to keep a good pace and able to make up quite a bit of time (splits last three kilometers were 3:48, 3:39 and 3:20) and was able to finish still feeling relatively strong in a time of 58:49. So I guess my estimate wasn't to bad...

time: 58:49 | pace: 3:55 | heart rate: - | up/down: +200/-194
Overall: 223 (of 3216) | M20: 93 (of 557)

Hungry?

2009-03-20T00:08:00.025+01:00

Like many, I have always had problems eating and drinking while running, especially towards to end when you start to get tired and you actually need it most. Especially during the first few longer trailruns I did in Australia I was really struggling to get (and keep...) some calories inside me. A bit too often I was running on empty for the last kilometers, and a bit too often I was throwing up after I had made it home (or to the train station...).

Soon it was clear that gels were simply not my thing, or at least so far I haven't found one that I was able to stomach. The one exception are maybe the High5 gels, which are probably the least bad of all. Unfortunately I don't think you can get them in Switzerland. In the beginning I also quite liked powerbar bars, but now just smelling them makes me sick.

So for quite a while now I have been trying to find a good alternative. I quickly found out that just taking sportsdrink with me is probably what works best for me. Half a liter has about the same number of calories, and you also get your liquids at the same time. Of course it is not as efficient as a gel, but just so much easier. And you also have to drink water when you have a gel, so in the end I don't really see a difference. Except the taste that is... Although some of them are really rather nasty as well, there are a couple that really don't taste too bad. At the moment my absolute favorite is the Sponser Long Endurance, with 5% protein. You have to get used to the protein a bit as it gives it a bit strange "soft" taste, but now I really quite like it. Apparently the little bit of protein that is in there increases endurance and reduces muscle damage. I don't really how it works, but I am now taking it with me in my handheld bottle on all runs over 1 to 1.5 hours. Unfortunately they are serving Powerbar sportsdring at the Zurich marathon, so I should probably start using that now.

In Australia I also started to take wine gum snakes with me (apparently with real fruit juice!) which were tasty and of course have plenty of calories. Unfortunately they can't really replace gels or sportsdrink as they don't contain any electrolytes and usually just contain fructose, which isn't ideal. But they do give energy and they taste good (so you actually eat them), and that is also worth something. I haven't come across snakes here (neiter in the supermarkt or in the wild...), but now I am a big fan of the Haribo mega roulette. You can get them everywhere, and they are easy to take with you. I also like how they are really quite tough and you can chew on them for quite a while. They also contain a bit of protein, which might also be a good thing.

Although I really like the Haribo winegums, I may now have a new favorite: Squeezy Energy Fruitgums. They have a similar amount of calories, but contain more complex carbohydrates, as well as sodium and potassium. So they really seem to combine the best of all worlds. I used them for the for the first time during the last hour of the Jungfrau Marathon, and there I was certainly happy with them. The only problem is that they are not so easy to find. So far the only shop that I have found is the Athleticum in Dietlikon (next to the Ikea) of all places...

Finally I want to mention the Ultra Gel Chips that I bought after the Sylvesterlauf. They really turned out to be a waste of money. Sure they are easy to digest, but they also consist mostly of air... Although a portion of 8 chips may contain a similar number of calories as a bag of Energy Fruit Gums or a gel, 8 chips is actually the whole bag. Try fitting that into the small pocket in your shorts...

Out of curiousity I put the different gels, gums and chips that I could find in the kitchen cupboard next to each other and made a direct comparison. Pretty interesting, especially when you compare them to the banana or white bread.

	Sponser Long Energy	Gu energy gel (Vanilla ean)	Powerbar Gel (Green apple)	Sponser Energy Plus Gel	Squeezy Energy Fruit Gums	Ultra Gel Chip	Haribo Mega Roulette	Ripe banana	White bread	Milk chocolate
	per 500ml	serving (32g)	serving (41g)	serving (30g)	bag (50g)	8 gel chips (48g)	roll with 13 pieces (58g)	100g	100g	100g
kcal	154	100	109	91	159	158	205	89	119	588
Protein (g)	2	0	0.1	0	4	2	4.5	1	4	9
Carbohydrates	36	25	27	23	34	36	46	23	18	55
Sugars	-	3	11	-	11	-	-	-	-	-
Fat	0	0	0	0	0	0.5	0.1	0.3	-	38

Magnesium (mg)	15	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Sodium (mg)	240	55	205	50	50	38	-	358	-	-
Potassium (mg)	30	40	-	66	50	-	-	-	-	-

Note that a "-" means that the amount wasn't indicated on the packaging and that it isn't the same as "0".

Werdinsel and back

2009-03-08T20:40:00.002+01:00

Finally made it outside today. A nice but rather uneventful run. Not unhappy but again very stiff and sore legs. Yes, I know, stretch...

time: 1:59 | pace: 4:47 | heart rate: 148 | up/down: +139/-148

Zurich - Sihlwald - Richterswil

2009-03-01T20:44:00.004+01:00

What do you do the day after a race and when you have just bought new shoes? I guess you should take it easy and go for a gentle run of an hour or so, and probably you shouldn't go run 35 kilometers with some pretty steep hills...
Did nevertheless have a lot of fun. The first few kilometers I still had to get used to my shoes, but than things were going pretty easy. At Sihlwald I had to leave the Sihl and make may way over the Horgerberg to Horgen. This was steep, snowy and slippery, but pretty nevertheless. Going down was a nightmare, though. One road going straight down towards the large, without a single curve. Was impossible to run down that without destroying something. With very sore thighs I made it down, and from there it went along the lake to Richterswil. But not before I had visited the Au peninsula (with a nice little hill and again a steep descent). And then when I thought it was just a few more kilometers, I had another hill to conquer. I am sure the ruin on top is tremendously interesting, but I was unfortunately not really in the mood to appreciate it much. By now my legs pretty much refused to do anything anymore, making the way down seem to last for ever.
And then, last but not least, when I could already see the station, I ended up in a carnaval band getting ready for their parade! And of course they all found me very funny... Just one word of advice: Don't try to be funny to somebody who has just been running for 35 kilometers, is hungry and thirsty and who's legs are killing him. Especially if you are drunk and wearing a ridiculous suite...

time: 2:58:37 | pace: 5:20| heart rate: 148 | up/down: +419 / -481

Bremgarter Reusslauf

2009-02-28T20:32:00.001+01:00

For many, including myself, this 11 kilometer race is their first of the year. Looking at the results of last year, I must admit I was a bit intimidated by the very fast times. Really quite few finish under 40 minutes, and I always thought that finishing 10 kilometers in less than that was not too bad...
The weather couldn't be better. Sunny and about 12 degrees, so for the first time this year it was possible to wear shorts and shirt. Furthermore, Bremgarten is actually (surprisingly) pretty. Some nice old houses and a castle, built around the river the Reuss. So on the whole things were looking good.
As always I started a bit too far behind... I thought that there weren't too many people in front of me at the start, but as soon as the gun had gone, the number of runners seemed to have quadrupled. As always this caused a little bit of stress, especially when we left the road and turned into a narrower and pretty muddy forest road. It opened up quite quickly however, and was able to keep overtaking people. Had suprising difficulties on the few small hills, which somehow seemed much higher than they really were. Maybe I should once do some speed sessions uphill, instead of just long runs...
Things were getting quite hard work and had a dry mouth, so tried to get some water at the second aid-station. Unfortunately that failed and the cup flew across the road. Another runner that I had been running with for the last few kilometers was however so friendly to shared his cup with me. This is really an extemely nice gesture. Will keep it in mind and next time I will try not to just throw my half full cup away...
Around kilometer 9 things went a bit wrong, however. Was now really getting pretty tired but was still able to keep a speed over 15 km/h. The course turned left, from the road back into the forest, when somebody behind me stepped on my heels and I flew to the ground. Don't know if I cut somebody of, but I don't think so. Was able to break my fall pretty well and didn't seem to have anything major luckily. The guy who gave me his water before helped me up, asked if I was okay and pointed at somebody in front of us who had caused all this.
I was a bit shaken but didn't loose too much time I think. It didn't make me feel any less tired though, and I was happy to reach the finish, a couple of seconds behind my two-time saviour. We shook hands and congratulated each other, and then made our way to the table with Rivella...
In the end not unhappy with my time, but a bit less happy with my rank. But I guess it just shows that the quality of the field in these well known but smaller runs is just so much higher compared to say a Sylvesterlauf, were at least half of the runners either runs for the first time in their or life or is wearing a Santa Claus costume. Lets see how things will go at the Kerzerslauf in three weeks.
The running season has started!

time: 42:26 | pace: 3:56| heart rate: - | up/down: +30 / -29 | rank: 215/1692 (overall), 79/361 (men 30)

New shoes

2009-02-27T21:48:00.003+01:00

The fact that I am getting close to 800 kilometers on my road running shoes, together with the strange pain in my right foot and left knee of the last week (although the latter is actually not so strange as it is probably related to a small accident in the Tiefschnee last week...), meant that it was time for a new pair of shoes. I naively thought that that was going to be easy as I have been very happy with the two pairs of Brooks Trance 7 that I have been running on most of last year, and from what I had read the 8 was going to be very similar, except for the biodegradable midsole and recycled laces... So I thought I could just go to the one store in Zurich that I know sells them straight from uni and walk out with a new pair. Not...
Unfortunately things turned out to be a bit more difficult. Although the Trance 8 look a bit better than my greenish yellow 7s, and also feel a bit lighter, they actually seem to have changed the fit quite dramatically. What I always liked about them was how they really hugged my forefoot, which is also why I didn't like the cheaper Adrenalines. The Trance is (maybe too) expensive, but I was happy to pay a little more as they had given me so little problems. I guess I am a real Swiss when it comes to running shoes (why change when something works as things might just get worse :-) ). To my surprise the new model turned out to have got much more mesh which makes it feels very loose and floppy, but at the same time my big toe was almost touching the front. So it was immidiately clear, no more Brooks for me ...
Why do they do that??? Why does everything always have to change? Just like with tootbrushes and razors, running shoe companies appear to have this urge to bring out a new model every six months that is different and more expensive, but not nessecarily better. It is fine if a company wants to produce a new model once in while, but why change an existing model so much that it doesn't really resemble the previous model anymore but give it the same name?
The actually remarkable helpful man that was helping me suggested the Asics GT-2130 to me. According to him they were most similar to the Trance 7. Tried them on and from the fit they felt perfect, nice and tight around the foot but plenty of space in front. They clearly do have a bit more cushioning and support than the Trance, but maybe that isn't a bad thing. Looking forward to my first run on them, but tomorrow it is time to get my Racer ST's out again for the 11 kilometers of the Bremgarten-Reuss Lauf, my first race of the year. And the best thing, the course should be SNOWFREE!

To Kilchberg and back

2009-02-22T22:58:00.003+01:00

And again it had been snowing all night... During the day it was however dry and not too cold, so a good time for a longer and not too hard run. Headed of towards Triemli and then went along the foot of the Uetliberg towards Leimbach and Adliswil. Normally I love this part. After a steep climb it goes up and down a bit, but not too much, along a wide forest path. But today things were different. There still was a lot of wet and slushy snow, on top of a layer of ice. Great... I struggled along with tired and heavy legs, and was happy when I could go down towards the Sihl.
After a couple of kilometers I then left the Sihl behind me, and after another not too hard climb, arrived in Kilchberg. From there it went along the lake, through Wollishoven and back home. Despite a relatively high pace and low heartrate I was actually pretty exhausted, so no sign that the altitude training of the last week had had any effect. But maybe the six days of skiing have also taken there toll... What is slightly more worrying is the strange pain that has developped in my right heel. Let see how that is going to develop...

time: 2:02:30 | pace: 5:28 | heart rate: 139 | up/down: +535/-555

Churwalden to Lenzerheide via Lenz in the snow

2009-02-17T23:25:00.004+01:00

A whole week of skiing is great, but I guess it is not nessecarily the best for your running performance. Although you certainly train your leg muscles (at least I do, with my still slightly limited technique...), the risk of twisting an ankle or knee is not absent (for the same reason...). Nevertheless, I came through the first three days of without major accidents, and in fact made some substantial progress. Conditions had been perfect with lots of snow and beatiful weather, so everyday we had been able to cover over 10 km in elevation! So when on Tuesday it was snowing like crazy nobody really minded a rest day.
I had of course brought my runners, and (a bit naively) thought that this might make a nice day for a run. Decided on a route from Churwalden to Lenz, and then back to Lenzerheide, where Barbara and I would meet at the swimmingpool. It started of pretty much straight away with the steepest climb, over slippery paths with plenty of fresh snow. I could also feel the difference in altitude (at least I hoped that was the explanation...), and very slowly I worked my way out of the valley, heading towards Parpan. From there I tried following the Winterwanderwegen to Lenzerheide, but couldn't avoid following the main road a couple of times. There wasn't a big difference though, as it was slowly getting covered by snow, and soon all cars and busses had to use snowchains if they wanted to get around safely.

In Lenzerheide I made a quick refuelling stop at the local supermarket, where I realised that I had pretty big lumps of ice hanging from my eyebrowes, and which were now slowly starting to melt. After a banana I went back into the cold, armed with a bottle of Isostar and my new secret weapon, a Haribo Roulette.

I soon left the main road and ran for several cold but beautiful kilometers to Lenz. After a short loop through the small village it was time to head back to Lenzerheide. On my way there I soon overtook Barbara, who had taken the bus to Lenz and was walking back. This did mean that I got to the sportcenter before her and I had to add a few more small loops so I didn't have to sit still to long. Things in the swimmingpool were a bit hectic, with a few too many hyperactive kids screaming around. The warm shower was however more than welcome, and being in the outside pool while it is snowing and skiers are coming past with gloves, hats etc. is of course something you don't experience everyday.
Was afterwards a bit dissapointed about the elevation difference I had covered. It certainly felt like much more, but I guess the not so optimal conditions were at least partly to blame. But although I certainly enjoyed myself, now it is enough with this running in the snow...

time: 2:57:14 | pace: 6:54 | heart rate: - | up/down: +607/-389

27 km and a lot of snow

2009-02-08T14:19:00.003+01:00

After yesterdays track workout, it was time today for something a bit more scenic and adventurous. In the evening I had planned a route of a bit over 25 kilometers up the Uetliberg, along the ridge and then, instead of going down on the side of the lake, down on the other side. From there I would go towards Birmensdorf and Utikon, and then again over (a lower part) of the Uetliberg towards Albisrieden and then home.
When I woke op this morning I surprised to see it was snowing again. Although the last days had been beautiful in Zurich, at least some of the snow that they have been having in the mountains now seemed to have reached the flatter parts of the country. Most of the snow seemed to melt away straightaway, however, so I thought it couldn't be so bad and saw no reason to change my plans.
Working my way up the Uetliberg it became clear quite quickly that a few hundred meters in elevation makes quite a difference, an soon I was going through ten to twenty centimeters of fresh snow. Was however beautiful, and despite the fact that I could feel I hadn't been doing much hill running lately and my calves were already starting to hurt (didn't say I should stretch more?), it was great. Of course I made it to the trainstation on the top just after a train had arrived. I always hate that stretch. People in fur coats pulling up their suitcases blocking the road, staring at you like you are the strangest thing they have seen in a long time. But maybe it is just the climb of 450 meters that makes things all a bit worse than they really are... It is only a short stretch anyway and within no-time you have the snow-covered tracks for your self again. Than, sooner than expected, I got to the point where I was supposed to turn right and head down. No sign of a path however, just a field with 30 cm of snow... I hesitated for a moment, but then I decided to ignore the snow getting into my shoes and to simply have some fun.
I was expecting the snow to disappear soon after making it down again, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It actually looked like they got more snow on this side, and so I kept on going through quiet snowy forests towards Birmensdorf. There I had some problems finding the route, and when after a little detour I had finally found where I had to go up, my legs had enough of it all. With burning calves I made my way up, where I was slowly able to get into a rhythm again, although also the second climb back up the side of the Uetliberg was very hard work. From there it was then all downhill towards Albisrieden, and then along the road towards Triemli and home. Was able to speed up a little bit again, but was very happy to get home.

time: 2:36:00 | pace: 5:47 | heart rate: 149 | up/down: +952 / -944

10k on the track

2009-02-07T20:28:00.004+01:00

Today I tried something different: 10k 0n the track. It was grey, rainy and about 5 degrees, so the conditions were perfect for a miserable 25 laps... Was aiming for a 3:50 pace, which should take me to the finish in 38:20. Had no idea however if that would maybe be way too fast (I have actually never run exactly 10 flat kilometers), or to slow (would you be much faster than on the road?). Anyway, thought I'd give it try and put on my Brooks Racers and the new Killers album and of I went.
Started of a bit too fast, but then quickly found the planned 3:50 pace. All went actually quite easy, but didn't dare too speed up as I didn't really know what to expect. One of the problems was that there was no way I was going to keep track of how many laps I had done, but I hoped that my Forerunner would be accurate enough to tell me when I had the 25 laps behind me. However, when I passed the start/finish it said 9.8 km... So either I had done 25 laps and the GPS was 200 meters behind, or I still had one lap to go and the GPS was 200m ahead. I decided to be on the safe side, and after 10.2 km and 39:16 I crossed the finish.
At home I checked how many laps I did, and they were indeed 25! So in the end I hadn't been going as fast I thought, which probably also explains why it was going better than I thought... Next time I will just go as fast as I can, and see where it all ends...

time: 39:16 | pace: 3:52 | heart rate: 172 | up/down: +0 / -0

Interval training at Irchel

2009-02-04T00:26:00.004+01:00

Todays ASVZ marathon training was a bit different from normal, and for a very sad reason. One of the running trainers and coordinaters at the ASVZ had died that Monday from a heart infarct, at the age of 30. Apparently it had happened during a run with a friend, when she stopped to tie here shoe laces. Although I had never met her, in cases like this that doesn't really matter. Listening to those that did know here, it was clear that she was a special person who will be missed by many.
Then it was time to get out into the cold dark night for an adjusted training session. Slowly we made our way down the Zurichberg towards Irchel. There those that felt like it, did an interval workout involving five laps of 1100 meter, with the first 410 meters downhill fast, the next 150 recovery, then 220 full speed uphill, and then again 320 meters easy (and that thus five times). I find these short, fast stretches extremely hard, especially mentally. I tend to focus too much on how much it is hurting, and wonder why I don't just stop as it would make things so much easier. I really have to work on that. Nevertheless I am not unhappy and was able to keep up reasonably well with some of the faster ones.

Summary
Fast, downhill (410m): 1:20 | 1:16 | 1:16 | 1:16 | 1:14
Recovery (150m): 0:51 | 0:49 | 0:47 | 0:48 | 0:47
Fast, uphill (220m): 0:47 | 0:53 | 0:51 | 0:49 | 0:50
Recovery (320m): 2:00 | 1:56 | 2:00 | 2:05 | -

Tuesday on the Zurichberg

2009-02-03T21:36:00.004+01:00

It was Tuesday, so time for our usual lunchtime run. Probably partly because of the beautiful weather we were with six today. Lets hope this positive trend is going to hold on. It would be great if more people to joined on a regular basis, both fast and a bit less fast...
Was planning to take it easy today, but somehow it ended up to be quite hard work. Maybe it were the icy tracks that slowed us down, but I think I will blame the week I spent on sea level. Just hope things go a bit better tomorrow...

time: 41:34 | pace: 4:53 | heart rate: 155 | up/down: +186.8 / -177.2

Malmo from all possible sides

2009-02-01T22:00:00.002+01:00

Didn't feel like another speed session around the park, and the 17 kilometer of a couple of days ago were too fast for a long, slow run. So I settled on going for about 25 kilometer with a pace of 5:00. Would also allow me to see a bit more of Malmo, and increase my mileage a bit to compensate for the fact that I have only been running twice a week for the last couple of weeks now. Not good...
That afternoon we had been exploring a relatively new area around the harbour that looked nice, so that's where I headed. After some GPS problems (didn't want to wait until I got a proper lock on the satelites because it was so bloody cold, so the first kilometers it was all over the place...), I headed towards the Turning Torso and then around it along the water. I hadn't really planned anything beforehand, but I was following a cyclist who was looking like he knew what he was doing, so what could go wrong... Unfortunately, after a kilometer or so the cyclist decided he didn't want to cycle across a dark construction site, against a freezing wind that seemed to come straight from the arctic, and he turned around... When he passed me, you could see he was surprised to see somebody else in the middle of nowhere.
I decided to keep going, and after a big empty parking area and some warehouses I made it back to the road, fortunately without encountering any overactive security guards. My Swedish is insufficient to buy a bus ticket, let alone to explain explain what I was doing there. I am sure that during the day this is a very lively area, but not on Sunday evening, that is for sure...
After another little detour which seemed to take me even deeper into nowhere, I turned around and headed past the train station. From there I kept following some bigger roads, but again managed to see all the less attractive parts of Malmo, at least on Sunday evening. Despite the fact that my calves were starting to hurt quite bit a bit now (note to self: STRETCH!), I was nevertheless still able to keep a good pace. Then all of a sudden I was in the park where I had been before, and thus almost home... Although tempting, I decided to keep going and headed in the direction of the sea. At least that is what I thought. It took longer than expected, but finally I made it there. From there the way back was easy, but as I started to worry that I would be back a bit too late, I forgot to relax and things got quite hard work. I did manage to mess it up a little bit more and was all of a sudden at train station again, but from there it went home with a nice end sprint through the main shopping street.

time: 2:02:35 | pace: 5:01 | heart rate: 142 | up/down: +64.3 / -70.0

17 km around Malmo

2009-01-29T13:12:00.003+01:00

Barbara had her second Swedish class, so I went for a longer run. It always difficult to plan a nice route in a city you don't know, so I decided to keep it easy and just stick to the big roads. The first few kilometers were a bit annoying, with a bit too many traffic lights that all just switched to red when I approached. However then followed a path through the park, which brought be to the "beach". No idea whether there really was a beach as it was too dark to see very far beyond the perfectly straight cycle path, though. In fact, not even sure if there was a sea... From there it went through a slightly rundown industrial area back towards the city. Although the roads were big, they weren't busy and mostly they had a nice cycle path running alongside. So all was good, until I got to big fence, blocking any further progress. Didn't really understand the sign, but it was clear that due to construction work you couldn't go any further, and the map made it clear that the alternative route involved a detour of several kilometers. This wasn't really an option, so I decided to keep going. At first things were looking good and the soft surface was actually quite nice. However, then any sign of a path disappeared, and all that was left was mud, covered with tracks of very big trucks. Obviously not ideal for running, so I had to switch to a careful walk, finding my way through the mud, trying not to slip or twist my ankle. Finally made it back to the road, and from there on it was a few more easy kilometers back to the start. Except for the traffic lights and the construction site slowing me down, I was mostly able to keep a good pace of about 4:30 min/km.

Time: 1:18:22 | Pace: 4:41 min/km | Heart rate: 155 bpm | Up/Down: +10.4/-23.8 m

My first run in Malmo

2009-01-27T17:58:00.004+01:00

After a rather lazy (but nice) day exploring Malmo, I went for a run in the evening. Went to the nearby park and ended up running 4 laps around it. In between a gentle warming-up and cooling-down, I was able to keep a nice constant pace between 4:00 and 4:05. Will now have to try to find a nice route for my long run.

time: 49:13 | pace: 4:17 | heart rate: 161 | up: / down: +31.5 / -30.8

ASVZ marathon training

2009-01-22T11:31:00.002+01:00

After forgetting (!) to go running on Tuesday, it was yesterday again time for the ASVZ Marathon Trainung at Fluntern. On todays program was 8 times 800 meter, with every repeat 10 seconds faster, and three minutes recovery. This is a pretty interesting excercise, and especially the kind of thing why I have started going to these trainings. On your own you just want to run, fast when you feel good, slow when you don't. On the Zurichberg things started to get very icy and slippery, so we had to go down to Stettbach for a quiet stretch of road.

Deciding how fast to do the first 800 meter is crucial given that this will determine how fast you will have to do the last 800 meters (70 seconds...). So pacing yourselve and holding back in the first few repeats is essential. Started of with 4:00, which across 830 meter (as measured by gps) comes down to a pace of 4:50 min/km, finishing in 2:50 (3:25 min/km). Especially in the beginning I had to slow down towards the end to not be too fast, but more towards the end it became hard work. Was able to go full speed on the last repition. Looking at my pace then I can't help but think that I should be able to go faster, but I guess a combination of getting tired and a turningpoint that got more and more slippery is at least partly to blame.

All in all a nice evening...

To Kilchberg and back

2009-01-17T20:37:00.009+01:00

When I finally got myself into my runners and out on the street, I couldn't really decide where to go and how long to go. So I started of along the Sihl, and then chose the roads that weren't too dark... In the end quite some busy roads, but didn't really mind, and a nice hill going from Adliswil to Kilchberg. So on the whole quite happy...

By the way, on the way back I listened to a Point of Inquiry podcast, discussing the links between atheism, skepticism and science-fiction, and the question why so many science fiction writers are atheists. Was actually pretty interesting and they dicussed several books that I should check out. Unfortunately I wasn't really able to make notes, so I might have to listen to it again.

Time: 1:34:37 | Pace: 4:46 min/km | Heart rate: 149 bpm | Up: / Down: +120 / -120 m

Zurich - Zug

2009-01-11T23:20:00.001+01:00

Home - Adliswil

2009-01-11T22:54:00.000+01:00

Sylvesterlauf 2008

2008-12-14T14:36:00.004+01:00

My finisher clip:

Distance: 8.6 | Time: 32:38 | Pace: 3:47 | Rank: 65 of 1331 (AK1) / 150 of 4410 (overall)

Jungrau Marathon 2008

2008-09-10T14:03:00.000+02:00

(I previously posted this race report on the Australian coolrunning forum)

It is Monday, two days after the big day and I don't feel like doing some work yet, so time for a quick race report...

As usual for me, the last two weeks were spent worrying about all the pains and aches I all of a sudden had in my ankles and calves. And is that a cold coming up? Also waited too long with replacing my old shoes and had only done about 20k's on my new shoes. And finally, there was the weather forecast which predicted clouds, rain and cold... So all in all, enough to worry about... On the other hand, up until two weeks ago things had been going extremely well. Did a couple of 25-30 long runs with up to 1500 meters up and down without much problems. The few months that I have now been living in Switzerland have certainly improved my hill running capabilities!

Took it very easy on Friday and in the afternoon took the train to Interlaken, where Barbara and I had booked a room for two nights. In the evening I went to pick up chip and bip and had some more pasta. Was starting to feel worse and worse and went to bed very early...

The next morning the weather was beautiful: sunny but cool and a spectacular view of the Jungfrau, the mountain that we would see from a lot closer later that day. Wasn't completely sure what time to aim for and was a bit worried about starting of too fast with 1500 of the 1800 meters gain in elevation being in the last 16 kilometers... Decided that a sub 5 hour should be feasible and if everything went very well, 4:30 should be possible...

Started near the 5h pacer, thinking that I should be able to quickly work my way up to the 4:30 pacer if things were going well. This wasn't all that easy, though. Too many people and I wasn't feeling too fit either. I should really stop being so conservative at the start and start a bit further ahead. It is nice to keep overtaking people, but it also takes a lot of energy... After 10k I started to find my rhythm and I was now on my 4:30 schedule. We had by now left the pretty city of Interlaken and were heading towards Lauterbrunnen, following the river and the railway line. The great thing about this race is that it roughly follows a railway all the way to the finish, and spectators can take the train from start to finish and get off a couple of times along the way.

Got to the half marathon marker in 1:46 in place 800, exactly on schedule, but still nervous about the climb that was yet to come. Running through Lauterbrunnen was amazing. The whole village (and then some) was out cheering, playing music, waving flags etc.

After the last few fast and flat kilometers it then goes up to Wengen. Having learned at 6 Foot this year that there is really no point in trying to run up these sorts of hills, I pretty much immediately switched to a brisk power walk. Some others were trying to run up, but almost everybody had to give that up pretty soon. To my great surprise I was going up quite a bit faster than almost everybody else around me and I kept overtaking both walkers and runners. And unlike the few that were still trying to keep running all the way, I was able to accelerate as soon as it got a bit less steep.

I kept this mix of running and walking up until Wengen, another beautiful little village, and again one big party. A truly fantastic experience... Here I met Barbara as planned who has brought with her my jacket, just in case the weather would be turning bad as the last stretch is very exposed and goes above 2000m. In Wengen it was however still very sunny, and although the clouds were coming down, it didn't look too bad at all. Was now ahead of schedule and had climbed to 483rd position and, most importantly, was still feeling pretty strong.

The next 8km were a bit less steep and I was able to run most of it, and I was able to make up a few more places. When I get to Wixi, at kilometer 38 I had been going for 3:40 and was 341st, well within the strictly enforced time limit of 5:35. The calves had gotten pretty sore by now, and more and more people were falling victim to the dreaded cramps. The worst was however still to come...

In the last 3-4 kilometers the narrow and very rocky path climbs another 400 meters, and in the distance you could see a long line of runners slowly disappearing into the clouds. Here the path is mostly too narrow to overtake others, but at this stage most people don't really care about that anymore. Was still able to gain a few places though, but was mainly happy just to keep moving. After what felt like forever I finally heard the sound of bagpipes coming through the clouds, which meant I was approaching the highest point. From there it goes down about 100 meters towards the finish. This sudden change was almost too much for my legs and I almost got cramp. I am able to slow down just in time, but all around me I see people going down. I very carefully speed up a bit again and work my way towards the finish in 4:20 as 318th.

We are by now really in the clouds and I am getting cold quickly. Am obviously very tired but not exhausted and after a hot shower and some soup I soon feeling relatively good again. Did however have the most horrible chaffing in places where I have never had chaffing before... No idea what went wrong... The train ride down takes for ever in and overly full train, and I am very happy to find an empty seat. After a quick drink in Grindelwald we then make our way back to Interlaken for some food and the award ceremony. We are both however very tired and decide to skip the coolrunners party (!) and make our way back to our B&B in the pouring rain.

All in all it was really a fantastic experience and I can recommend it to anyone who happens to be on this side of the world around this time of the year. Don't forget to register in time though, as starting places are limited!

time: 42.98 | pace: 6:04 | heart rate: - | up/down: +1,871.4 / -347.1
rank: men: 318 (3298), M20: 139 (927), overall: 380 (4049)