stats of the week: run 32 km, cycled 62 km, hill walking 17 h / 3,600 am
stats of the previous week: run 36 km, cycled 45 km, gym 2 h
I took part at the Ultner Hoefelauf today, a hilly alpine valley run in South Tyrolia. The route turned out to be much tougher than I expected from studying the profile on the map. It summed up 500 altitude meters within the 17.9 km of distance. So that meant a good part of walking on the steep terrain for me. Anyway, I was happy to finish 2nd of the 5 runners in my age group and got a present at the award ceremony.
Sunday, 22 July 2018
Tuesday, 10 July 2018
Happily running again
stats of the week: run 48 km, cycled 36 km
Back to running and some hill work. Right at my door step there is an altitude difference of around 50 meters. So I try to run up and down several times to get prepared for the alps. In former years I used to run up to ten ascents. I have reached just 4 now and there are only 3 weeks to the race. I am still confident to get fit enough for Bozen. I still feel to be a runner, not a cyclist.
Some Maratona photos:
Back to running and some hill work. Right at my door step there is an altitude difference of around 50 meters. So I try to run up and down several times to get prepared for the alps. In former years I used to run up to ten ascents. I have reached just 4 now and there are only 3 weeks to the race. I am still confident to get fit enough for Bozen. I still feel to be a runner, not a cyclist.
Some Maratona photos:
(like every year I pushed up my bike along the cat's wall, still in protest about the introduction of this artificial obstacle)
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
End of cycling season
stats of the week: run 17 km, cycled 321 km
stats of the week before: run 28 km, cycled 167 km, gym 2 h
Although I have ordered a new bike I regard my this year's cycling season as closed now. I finished the middle distance at the Maratona dles Dolomites 20 minutes slower than last year. Nevertheless I am satisfied with my result. I still felt some tiredness from a long hill run midweek. Along the wonderful route around the Dolomites mountains I tried to enjoy my day and thought about to retire from this race after 10 participations now. One should know when one's time is over. I can feel this time has come.
Running is more important than cycling to me this year. I look forward very much to my next challenge, the Bozen Sky Marathon in South Tyrolia. It includes 2,800 meters of altitude difference. There is still some work to do to get fit for this day.
Photos: Cycling in the Kaiserwinkl, Austria
stats of the week before: run 28 km, cycled 167 km, gym 2 h
Although I have ordered a new bike I regard my this year's cycling season as closed now. I finished the middle distance at the Maratona dles Dolomites 20 minutes slower than last year. Nevertheless I am satisfied with my result. I still felt some tiredness from a long hill run midweek. Along the wonderful route around the Dolomites mountains I tried to enjoy my day and thought about to retire from this race after 10 participations now. One should know when one's time is over. I can feel this time has come.
Running is more important than cycling to me this year. I look forward very much to my next challenge, the Bozen Sky Marathon in South Tyrolia. It includes 2,800 meters of altitude difference. There is still some work to do to get fit for this day.
Photos: Cycling in the Kaiserwinkl, Austria
Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Cycling season close to its end
stats of the week: run 12 km, cycled 49 km
It was a lazy and boring week of recovery. The wound from last week's downthrow is still not closed but healed so far that I was able to restart cautious running. However, the next challenge is a cycling event again, the beloved Maratona dles Dolomites, that I will take part in for the 10th time in a row. Maybe last time, we'll see.
Well, after that cycling season will be finished and I will concentrate on running for the rest of the year. Three very special marathons are on schedule: Bozen Sky, Medoc and New York.
It was a lazy and boring week of recovery. The wound from last week's downthrow is still not closed but healed so far that I was able to restart cautious running. However, the next challenge is a cycling event again, the beloved Maratona dles Dolomites, that I will take part in for the 10th time in a row. Maybe last time, we'll see.
Well, after that cycling season will be finished and I will concentrate on running for the rest of the year. Three very special marathons are on schedule: Bozen Sky, Medoc and New York.
Sunday, 10 June 2018
Risk stops fun
stats of the week: run 31 km, cycled 64 km
I felt it's time to get back to running. So I chose a trail run in the nearby hills, a challenge of half marathon distance and 540 altitude meters. Still a bit of a risk after I didn't run a longer distance than 10 km since London.
The risk turned out to be a different one. I felt happy on the course, I have always enjoyed trails. So I increased the speed on the very last steep descent, flew into the very last bend before reaching the road to the finish. Alas, I reached the road, but in full length from knee to face. Shocked and full of pain I raced the final 400 meters to the finish line, still winning my small age group of 5 runners from 65 on.
I felt it's time to get back to running. So I chose a trail run in the nearby hills, a challenge of half marathon distance and 540 altitude meters. Still a bit of a risk after I didn't run a longer distance than 10 km since London.
The risk turned out to be a different one. I felt happy on the course, I have always enjoyed trails. So I increased the speed on the very last steep descent, flew into the very last bend before reaching the road to the finish. Alas, I reached the road, but in full length from knee to face. Shocked and full of pain I raced the final 400 meters to the finish line, still winning my small age group of 5 runners from 65 on.
Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Cycling the giant of the Provence
stats of the week: run 10 km, cycled 209 km
The Gran Fondo Mont Ventoux was a perfectly organised event for just 700 participants along a more than picturesque route. Every road crossing was blocked for us and food stations were great. We took in the legendary Mt Ventoux first and went down to Malaucene. Then there was a hilly loop around a green valley and a finally climb to Suzette to reach Beaumes de Venise and the finish line.
This great race should have deserved more cyclists. As it was Saturday and perfect weather there were more private cyclists on Mt Ventoux than those with a bib.
However it was a great day to remember. I was also happy with my performance although I was at the back of the pack. There were only 48 participants in my age group 60-66 and I finished 41st. There were also 27 cyclists of 67 years and more. Most of them were faster than me, too.
The Gran Fondo Mont Ventoux was a perfectly organised event for just 700 participants along a more than picturesque route. Every road crossing was blocked for us and food stations were great. We took in the legendary Mt Ventoux first and went down to Malaucene. Then there was a hilly loop around a green valley and a finally climb to Suzette to reach Beaumes de Venise and the finish line.
This great race should have deserved more cyclists. As it was Saturday and perfect weather there were more private cyclists on Mt Ventoux than those with a bib.
However it was a great day to remember. I was also happy with my performance although I was at the back of the pack. There were only 48 participants in my age group 60-66 and I finished 41st. There were also 27 cyclists of 67 years and more. Most of them were faster than me, too.
Tuesday, 29 May 2018
Rough roads, tough routes
stats of the week: run 10 km, cycled 367 km
Cycling in the Piemont is tough. The roads are rough and every village is situated on the top a hill. Roads always lead through these villages therefore you take in a lot of very steep hills en route. Our average speed did not exceed 20 km/h.
The good side is that is the landscape is more than beautiful, the coffee is great and very cheap and the ice cream is best of world.
Cycling in the Piemont is tough. The roads are rough and every village is situated on the top a hill. Roads always lead through these villages therefore you take in a lot of very steep hills en route. Our average speed did not exceed 20 km/h.
The good side is that is the landscape is more than beautiful, the coffee is great and very cheap and the ice cream is best of world.
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