Tuesday, 20 March 2018

Nightmare with blue sky

stats of the week: run 45 km

There are things that have to happen and they do happen.



I felt quite okay on the morning of the Syltlauf. And the sky was blue. However, it was cold. Very cold for mid March: 0°c. And a very strong wind from the East.

As I knew the route it was clear that the first half of the route is not too bad. The wind was from the right side. Fairly okay, but we again and again lost the straight way, blown to the left by strong blasts.

I spotted one of my age groupers and tried to keep his pace. It was exactly the pace I planned in my dreams. Too fast today. After only 14 K I had to let him go. At half way it was clear that the second part will become a nightmare of a run for me. Many runners quitted at half way where all the hotels are. Undoubtedly this year's conditions were by far the hardest of my 9 participations.

From 24 K on it was only walk and jog for me. From now on the wind came from the front.
I got passed by hundreds. Only at the final home stretch I took my very last power to overtake the winner of age group 75...

My very disappointing time of 3:23 h made me placed 4th in M65 surprisingly. Only 11 of the 29 pre-registered M65 runners started or made it within the limit of 4 hours.

I learnt what I already knew but didn't do. Only race when you are healthy.

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