SwissAlpine 78K-My first ultra!

How it all started…

On late April 2014, i had a work trip to Paris. During the flight, one of my colleagues showed me an advertisement in the Finnair brochure about ‘the most difficult mountain marathon in Europe’, namely, the Swissalpine. As a newbie runner at that time who had experienced only one road marathon before (and barely finished it…) i was intrigued by the photos and the challenge of that marathon but at that time it still remained a dream. Few months passed and i gained a little more experience from local races and just like that, on a bright June summer eve i decided that the Swissalpine would be my running target for the summer of 2014. I registered for the C42 course (Basically, those are the first 42km of the 78K course) , booked the flight tickets and even planned a full trekking week before the marathon…After all, once you come to Switzerland, you want to taste every bite of mountain it offers you !

This marathon changed my whole perspective on running. Not only was it indeed the most difficult running course i had ever run but it was also the most beautiful and challenging. I found out that i enjoyed much more running on mountains rather than on city trails. But more importantly, i met so many inspiring people that taught me few things about endurance, determination and the trail running world. In particular i met Peter and his dad from the UK who ran the 78K course. After witnessing their excitement from running their first ultra , their determination to finish it despite the pain along the way and how happy and satisfied they were when they finished it, i already knew that next year i would come back to complete the whole 78K. And i did…

My training and injuries..

A year passed, during which i became better and better. I ran two more trail marathons in the UK and struggled throughout the Finnish winter to run even in the cold and snow ( luckily, the winter was not too freezing this year). I became stronger and increased my weekly distance week by week. Unfortunately, i also managed to get injured. First, it was a severe metatarsal joint pain in my left foot which forced me to take a break of about 5 weeks from running and once i started to recover i ran my first mini-ultra- the 53km NUTS Karhunkierros which left me with a severe ankle sprain , and another 6 weeks off running. I had to give up on few several races i was registered to or either just run them slow for fun. A month ago i visited Tromso, Norway, where i was supposed to run the Midnight sun marathon. Despite my sprain, i managed to run the half marathon instead of the full and also completed several fantastic hikes in the Lyngen Alps. I started running again about 4 weeks before the Swissalpine. At first, with a pain that forced to to take a break every 2-3km and rest but gradually i increased my distance and managed to run with a minor pain. It felt great to run again but i knew i was far from the fitness level i was supposed to be at that time. However, my priority was to reach the start line as healthy as i could. This meant i had to balance between running as much as i could and trying to avoid further damage to my feet. Ironically, my right foot (the ‘healthy’ one) started to hurt about 2 weeks before the race. I was not sure what was the problem and just assumed it was due to the stress my feet felt after not running for so long so i tried to cross-train as much as possible either by cycling or doing my group fitness exercises. In total, i managed to run about 250km before the race which was incredible considering the fact i couldn’t run properly for 3 months due to my injuries. However, my right foot was giving me trouble with pain in the inner part below my ankle while luckily my left foot was getting better and better. In addition, i was concerned because i hadn’t practiced mountain running so i tried to compensate by hill repeats near my home and forest trails but i knew it was not as nearly enough to be able to run on the Alps…

The week before the race…

As the race came closer and closer i obviously started to reduce the intensity of my trainings. I had to let my body recover and more importantly, to let my feet the proper rest. On the weekend before the race i had my last trail run to practice hills and the day after a recovery run. During the race week i only continued with my group exercises and cycled to work and back (about 16-20km per day). Two days before the race i arrived to Klosters , the same nice town where i was staying last year. I met my parents there who came to support me from Israel and we hiked a little bit for 2 days ( you can’t really rest when you’re on the Swiss Alps and the sun is shining..). Once you stay around Davos you’re entitled to a free transportation and access to cable cars all around the area. In fact, if i could afford it, i would spend there one month to just explore the mountains in the area.

I do believe i should have been tapering better. 3 days before the race my muscles were cramped and my right foot was painful until the very last moment before the race even when was just walking. It was not an excruciating pain, but yet, enough to make me feel uncomfortable so i was very much worried.

Race Gear

I had some serious concerns regarding the gear, especially the shoes. During the winter and early spring i ran most of the time with my Saucony peregrine 4 which are great shoes but i was a bit afraid to use them since they’re a bit small on my feet (I should have ordered one size bigger) and i got several times blisters while running with them. I recently bought the Altra superior 2 which are my favorite trail shoes but i knew they’re not suitable for more than 40km runs and after all my feet problems i knew i had to use a shoe that is highly cushioned. I read so many great reviews on the Hoka one one challenger ATR that i ordered a pair with the hope that they would be perfect for my first ultra. Unfortunately, they are not available in Finland so i had to order them online from the official website. They new shoes arrived very fast, just within 4 days but unfortunately, due to my swollen ankles , the shoes were not feeling comfortable enough and are probably not suitable for me. Moreover, due to their high profile, i was afraid to roll my ankle again so i knew i had to go for a low profile cushioned shoe. As a last resort i decided to try the Altra Lone peak 2 which received as well great reviews. I went to the only shop in Helsinki which sells them (4runners) but they only had the male version in my size. I also tried the Inov8 ultra 270 and even though they felt good, i still decided to go with the Altra since they felt so good on my feet despite the fact they were heavier.

I used the hydration pack i bought few months back of Camelback- the Octane XCT . It’s a great pack but for my next ultra i’m probably gonna go for a vest because the pack is more suitable for hiking or self-unsupported long running since it bounces quite a lot on my back which is quite annoying. However, it can accommodate almost anything one can think to carry during a trail run so that’s a big advantage. In addition, i carried about 12 energy gels with me as i assumed i’d run probably 12 hours (in the best case) and would need one gel per hour. Since i can’t eat during races i decided not to take any energy bars with me this time.

The race day

The race began at 7:00 AM which meant a very early wake up (which i already knew from the previous year). I Had an early breakfast at 4:30 am and took the early train to Davos (full of runners , of course). Luckily, my parents were with me so they helped me with all the organization and preparations. I think i had never been more nervous in my life before a race. I felt quite similar before the Karhunkierros, but after all, this time i was supposed to run 80km on mountains and not 53km. One foot was still recovering from an acute ankle sprain while the other one was hurting just few days before the race even while walking. Besides, i only got used to running again in the 4 weeks before the race. The last thing i wanted was to get injured again and lose the ability to run for a long time. Unlike the previous race, i knew this time my health should be my first priority despite my eagerness to run this race. My plan was to run until Bergun, which makes it about 42km from the start line ( that is in fact, the C42 route i ran the previous year) and then if my feet continue to hurt i would stop, otherwise i would continue. Therefore, we arranged it so that my parents would meet me in Bergun (which is a charming town on its own) and then i’ll either finish and join them or continue. Unlike the Karhunkierros which had only 2 aid stations (which forced me to run for a long period without the possibility to stop or get help), this race is so well organised that there are enough aid stations for me to stop if anything happens. Later, i found out they even used a helicopter to evacuate injured runners from the trail!!

Anyway, i was standing on the start line wondering if i ever see it later today after 80km…there is nothing more i wanted than to complete it but will my feet allow it ?? As we started i reminded to myself to start as slow as possible, but that was not a problem in this case. The first 4-5 km pass through the city of Davos while plenty of people stand a side and cheer up the runners , just amazing considering it’s only 7am!! Unfortunately, i started feeling discomfort in my right foot shortly after we stared , but the pain was manageable so i just continued. I didn’t have my heart rate monitor with me but i bet my heart was racing from excitement at that time. However, funny thing happened once we left Davos and headed towards the mountain trails. The enchanting beauty of the Swiss Alps , the atmosphere, the wonderful Swiss people cheering up the runners and the familiar views from last year, they all had a magical effect on me and i gradually started to forget my worries and pain. This is the reason why i love running so much..sometimes it seems it can heal everything in life that hurts. I think i haven’t felt like this in a race since the Beachy Head marathon i ran on October last year. This feeling when you are just so happy to run, and enjoying every second of it, that you just know you’re gonna be just fine. So i continued slowly and safely as possible. I didn’t notice it at that time but i started to increase my speed probably since we were running together with the runners of the 30K course so they pushed me further.

I had the advantage of running already last year the first 42km, so i knew exactly what to expect and when. It was great! I met along the course a British girl whom i met on the train on my way to Klosters ( She lives in Dubai at the moment) and we both greeted each other and smiled. It was great to see someone familiar on the course. I was going so fast on the downhills i almost fell after about 25km, but luckily, one nice guy managed to grab me before i fell with my face down on the ground. I reached Fillisur (30km) after approximately 3 hours which meant a very good pace. At that point i still felt a slight pain while running downhills but since the pain didn’t get worse i assumed it would be OK to continue although i kept reminding myself i had the possibility to stop soon after 42km. I also started to fear i was going too fast, so i tried to keep a pace which would allow me to preserve my energy for later. I had never run such a long race so i had no idea how to manage my speed , especially on this course.

The last few kilometers before Bergun go up the mountain, which meant :power walking fast. This was good, since i knew i was fast enough before to compensate the slow walking pace and also by walking i’m giving my feet the opportunity to rest. After climbing 3km just about 1-2km before Bergun the downhills returned and so my stomach started to hurt. I hoped it wouldn’t last for long, i took a deep breath, and continued to Bergun as fast as i could. Once i finally reached Bergun i was so happy since i realized i ran the first 42km even faster than the previous year (in 10 minutes!!) which was just amazing, because i didn’t feel i was going too fast, and unlike the last year when i nearly fainted towards the end, this time i felt good, i felt i could continue…it was a rare feeling i had never felt before after running a marathon (obviously). I was really happy to see my parents there. Apparently, the went first to Fillisur (30km) to meet me there but since i hadn’t planned to be that fast, they missed me there…so they just went straight to Bergun. I was so happy to see them and refuel myself with energy drinks and bananas. I met again the British girl , and she said her muscles hurt so much she couldn’t go any longer. I felt very bad for her but she was very nice and encouraged me to go on. I must admit i was hesitating whether i should just stop. But somewhere deep inside i knew i couldn’t . It felt as if it was ‘my day’ to run, and despite the pain i had in my foot, i knew i just had to go on. Just like my hero Scott Jurek says :”sometimes you just do things”…

I rested for few minutes and then told my parents to wait for me in Davos, and that if anything happens on the way there, i would find my way there to meet them no mater what.

It was a lovely day, the sun was shining and it was even slightly warmer than i expected. This made this day even better since last year it was raining non-stop almost all the day which made it much harder for everyone. I was feeling quite good when i reached Bergun, but once i departed from there, it became more and more difficult to run for several reasons. First, the trail was constantly ascending. At first, at a very low elevation, so i didn’t even feel the burden but after about 50km it became more and more steep. Secondly, it was too hot at that time , i was dressed up too much at that time because i didn’t consider such high temperatures and i didn’t want to stop to remove my arm warmers because i assumed it would become colder at some point once i reach the highest part of the trail ( and luckily i was right :) . Lastly, and what i think was the most important factor affecting my speed was the lack of motivation once i saw almost all runners were walking right after i left Bergun (even the ones who were running the 42K and just started their race in Bergun). After already being tired after running 42km, you really need someone or something to push you further so that you won’t lose your momentum. Mentally, it was very difficult for me to run once i saw almost everyone turned to walking. Therefore, my approach was to try run/walk as much as i could. Perhaps because of the heat it became quite difficult, not much because of my feet or legs but it was just difficult for me to breath properly and i was gasping heavily. Surprisingly, once we started the vertical climb it was actually easier for me ( perhaps because i couldn’t run there even if i wanted :). I can’t explain why, but it was easier for me to climb and i felt good even when it seemed as the climb would never end..(perhaps all those climbs i hiked in Norway a month before were actually a good training :). Yes, i was tired, yes, my legs hurt, but on the other hand, it felt easier on my feet so in overall i was actually feeling better when climbing. In addition, the race organisers made sure there would be a refreshment point every few kilometers and they served anything from water, coke, sports drinks , bananas, energy bars to even energy gels. Although i had plenty of energy gels with me, once the climbing began i took them more frequently as they were served in few aid stations so i was feeling re-energized again. The most beautiful point was Keschhutte where we had a big refreshment station and the view was absolutely breathtaking! I was just enjoying the snow mountains overlooking the valley down that it seemed as if all the pain was gone. At that point, i already realized i was running over 55km, which meant only a bit more than 20 km to the finish line…hey, i can do this with just a little more push :) After another vertical climb we started to go downhill. The path was not too steep but i had to be careful so that i wouldn’t twist my ankle again or fall down and i managed to do so, although i was quite slow there but i didn’t quite care about that… i just wanted to get down safely with minimal injuries. Then, when i recognized we were approaching Sertig Dorfli i gradually increased my pace ( at that point i desperately needed to go for the toilets, so that was an extra booster :). Finally , we were out of the alpine trail and the path was easier to run on so i just started to run as fast as i could, reached another aid station, grabbed food, peed behind it and continued safely knowing i was left only with approximately 15km. The last part of the trail passes mainly through forest trail. Although the path was quite flat and easy to run on, my tiredness and the pain on my right foot kicked in so i was very slow. Moreover, since i tried to speed few times i fell down twice. Luckily, both were not too serious and i got help from fellow runners who passed by me ( that’s why trail runners are the best :).

When my watch showed 70km all i could think about was the finish line and when do i see Davos again. I was so slow and exhausted but who cares?, i was about to finish my first ultra… What was even more amazing was that i didn’t bonk..i was so afraid that at some point my legs would just stop..but they didn’t…they just kept running and never even once had i stopped and thought to quit. I had never run this far so it was all new to me to experience the load of 80km journey on the mountains. Anyway, when i finally saw the sign pointing out only 5km left, i was thrilled. Unfortunately, at that point, my iPod died, so i had to run without music (music is a huge booster for me ). Before the race i was joking with my mother wondering who would ‘die’ first: me or the iPod..luckily it was the iPod and not me. Finally, as any runner knows, the last few kilometers in any long distance race seem like forever….but when i saw Davos from above i started to speed up more and more and more…until i couldn’t actually believe but i saw the stadium and heard the loud music. That’s it, it was the moment i was dreaming about throughout the last 6 months!! When i entered the stadium it felt as if i died and reached heaven..i immediately recognized my parents who smiled and looked so happy ( even they couldn’t believe i would finish). My father was so excited he ran with me the final meters of the finish line. My parents later told me they were very worried since they saw almost all the runners who came before me where with bleeding knees, so they were sure i would return in a similar situation :)

I was in a real euphoria once finished. I truly felt at the top of the world in that moment of crossing the finish line, the moment i have been dreaming about almost every day for the last six months. The gruelling journey that seemed almost impossible just about 12 hours before had come to an happy end. It took few minutes until my body started to feel the pain of almost 11 hours of running (My official time was 10:51:26). I proudly collected my finisher t-shirt ( i think i could wear it forever :), then, i met few Israeli runners and it was nice to exchange memories. If i weren’t so tired, exhausted and hungry i would stay at the stadium for a longer period, but it started raining so we all went back to Klosters, tired but very happy to have a proper dinner and sleep. I was very surprised, but my feet were not in such a bad condition as i expected, and except for being a bit swollen they were in a better shape than i had expected. What was even more surprising was that i could even hike slowly the next day ( at least climbing was fine but downhills were painful). I was afraid i would have to spend the whole next day lying on the bed in the hotel, but luckily my feet and legs were functioning quite well considering the 80km run the day before. It all made me so happy and we spend the final day hiking and just walking around lake Davos enjoying our last moments together and reminiscing memories from the race. I only wish i could spend some few days more on the mountains but it was time to go back to Helsinki, a bit sad that this all journey has come to an end..but at least it’s a happy end. I think after finishing the previous race in the hospital with a severe sprain i really deserved a happy ending this time : )

Few thoughts and conclusions after the race

I tried to think so many times after the race what made it possible..how could i run so far when in fact i could barely run in the 3 months before the race due to my feet injuries…i had already somewhere accepted deep inside my mind the fact the my racing season for summer 2015 was doomed …so when i tried to figure out how i actually reached the finish line ( injury-free) i came up with few possible answers:

• My trainings before the injury- obviously i was over training during March-April, but also in the process of getting injured my legs got used to running almost 120km per week. Sometimes almost 60km over a weekend. Even though i thought i had lost the fitness i gained during the period i couldn’t run , i think at least my legs mostly remained strong.

• My cross training- This is perhaps the most important reason why i managed to keep a good level of fitness. After the first injury i could not run but i tried desperately to train in every other way. Cycling , indoor cycling, pool running/swimming and most importantly, my group fitness exercises which i did sometimes with pain but i could not give them up. I find it very boring to exercise alone at the gym and i enjoy a lot the group exercise which i tend to do at least 3 times a week. I think those exercises have helped me a lot to get stronger and kept my legs strong when i couldn’t run. After the sprain i was completely immobilised for almost 2 weeks..which was so difficult. As i aways say, not running sometimes hurts more than running. The sprain forced me to completely rest for about two weeks. Then, i could only cycle painless, so i cycled as much as i could (indoor and on the road bike). After about 3 weeks i started to go back to my group fitness exercises but it was quite painful yet. When i tried to run first after almost 4 weeks it was also almost impossible, but i was fortunate enough to be able to hike and climb mountains while i was in Norway. It was very painful on the downhills but it was all worth it.

• Finally, although our legs are the ones running , it is our mind that is the key player in ultra-running. In fact, it is well known that in very long races ( more that 50 miles) , it is our mind that keeps us running making sure that the legs keep moving. I think i wouldn’t be as determined to finish if i hadn’t been inspired by so many incredible runners such as Scott Jurek (after reading his book Eat & Run) , Anna Frost who just won one of the hardest races on planet: The hardrock 100 miles and so many others. I even took her advice and ‘looked up and faced the challenge “ and it seemed to work just fine.

• Before the race i was sure i’d never run again 80km, but surprisingly, i found i enjoyed it so much, i want to run more of those. I decided that from next year i won’t be running much road races but will focused mainly on trails and especially mountain ultra races. My dream is to run one day a 100miler , in particular, the Western states, so i want to try to run one of the qualifying races next year. It’s kinda strange feeling, but i feel now as if a marathon is just too short :) so yes, if i manage to stay injury-free ( my ankle is still not completely healed) i really hope to run at least 2 ultras next year.

• The Karhunkierros might have sprained my ankle but it also gave me strength to run 7 hours with a fresh sprain! No doubt, during this race i have learnt a lot about the mental toughness of running a long distance trail race.

• I should get a pacer for my next ultra :)

• The Swissalpine was a great choice for a first ultra. The spectators, volunteers and the the organizers were just amazing. Moreover, during the whole race i was almost never running completely alone which makes a huge difference compared with races where you run alone for a very long period. I think if it would be possible i would run it every year for the rest of my life :)