Ultra Trail de Montsant 2013 - 100k

Don't ask me how, but I finished another Ultra Trail and now I have the race points necessary to enter next years draw for the UTMB. Up to the 75km I went very well, but then the lights went out for a while and I was thinking about abandoning the race. A lengthy rest made me change my mind and walking the last 20k with a more and more complaining left knee I was able to finish in 19h04m. Somewhat faster than 2 years ago (see UTSM 2011 for different pictures and other details).

I made a video of the first part of the race and continued with the pictures below:

Video UTSM 2013


The race started just a few minutes after 9 am and I was determined to start easy this time. I did place myself in the first pack in order to not get caught up in any traffic jams in the early stages. At the first control, Albarca, after about 7k we did have to stop for a few minutes since scanning our chips with the LiveTrail system was not going fluid there. After drinking some water I continued to the first climb. Once again, taking it easy just walking up and running the almost flat parts. So far it was warm but cloudy with the sun peeking through the clouds from time to time.

Last part of the first uphill

Cornudella de Montsant

Once on the top we could enjoy a great part of the race that passes just along the edge of a mountain range and later on more on the crest, with a few easy climbs. And before we knew it the downhill onto the next timed control started. The last time I had a hard time on this steep stony trail, but this
time I went down easy and soon we were approaching Ulldemolins clocking about 2 hours for 18,6k, way faster than I expected. I took time to drink a lot of water since it was very humid and I was sweating quite heavily and also ate some pieces of banana.

Checkpoint in Ulldemolins

From there to the next checkpoint is a really nice up and down trail through a narrow valley. Two years ago I had a hard time here and walked, but this year I could run almost all 20k and after 5 hours I arrived in Margalef, where I quickly refilled my water reserves. Even though it was still partially cloudy it was warm and hydrating was crucial today.

Margalef checkpoint seen from above

I continued more easy, walking for a while and eating and drinking. On to the next checkpoint, La Bisbal de Falset, was only 5k and I took it easy and did this part in 50 minutes knowing that afterwards a long climb would start.

La Bisbal de Falset

The uphill has flatter runnable parts, but I still take it easy. After all we were only half way and I did not want to burn my self out. In the last part of the uphill to a point called Mas del Serrador a group formed and we continued together upto the highest point. We rested for 5 minutes and I talked to a runner called Victor exchanging experiences. The first part downhill is flat and I let the others go. Much to my suprise I catch up with them in the steeper part. I refill a bottle of water in a fountain near a small hermitage and from there onwards the downhill is on asphalt, which was more easy on the feet after many kilometers of stony trails.

After just over 8 hours I entered Cabacés, at 57k, where there was a lot to eat and drink. I took some more time here eating pasta and banana, drinking Coca Cola and refill my water reserves. Still,, afterwards, I think I did not drink enough here.

Checkpoint Cabacés

After a third call home I left this village enjoying the views under the late afternoon sun of the next village we had to go to high up the hills on the horizon. The first part went over wide rather easy trails, but I was getting tired and I did run, but slower with 30 second breaks every 5 minutes.

The last part goes uphill steeply, but is also very nice winding through the forest and once on top passing to the other side we can already see La Figuera being much more near now.

La Figuera

Cabacés far away now

After being on the move for 9 hours and 40 minutes I arrived in La Figuera. I did not rest here, and walked the flat part to save energy for the steep downhill to come.

Evening sun on cemetery La Figuera

The downhill to Vilella Baja is going quite ok and soon I am entering this small village though the last uphill to the checkpoint crossing a nice old stone bridge was taking a lot of energy out of me.

Vilella Baixa and behind Vilella Alta

I refill water here and struggle a bit with putting the waterbag back into my backpack. It was also time to put on the headlamp and the red backlight. And on we went. Just outside the village I tried to eat something and all of a sudden I had to throw up. I was not feeling too bad afterwards, but loosing all the liquids in my stomach was certainly not good. I could drink water, so I sipped small quantities often. Meanwhile walking onwards and entering Vilella Alta still feeling quite ok, eventhough the long and steep uphill leading up to the village was really draining for me. After the checkpoint I sat down for a while. The loss of liquids and lack of sugar was starting to take its toll. The next 5 kilometers to Escaladei I struggled a lot, walking slowed down to what felt like a crawl and the head was no longer in favor. Just before arriving at Escaladei, Victor catched up and I told him I was not at all feeling well and maybe had to abandon. He continued running at easy pace and I stumbled onwards and around 22h I phone home to explain how I was feeling and that I would take a long rest here to see how I recovered. Both my family and other runners cheered me up and encouraged me to take my time but continue. I had massage for my legs and after drinking and eating enough I continued my journey to the longest and at some part very steep uphill of the race.

One of the narrow passes in between rocks

During the uphill I walk along with Toni and Paco and while I could keep up in the beginning in the flatter part once on top my left knee starts to hurt a bit and every 5 minutes I have to run 20 meters to not fall behind. Since navigating here is a bit difficult at night, since it was rather misty here I forced myself to follow untill we started the downhill. The downhill to Morera de Montsant goes quite ok, but after a small break taking of my windjacket and just resting a bit I continued for the last 8km of several hills we had to go up and down approaching the finish. My left knee is slowing me down more and more but still I make it to improve on my time of 2 years ago and finish in 19h04m.

In the aftermath of the race I learned a lot, among others that have to learn to hydrate better and that going easy in the beginning will have to feel really easy otherwise I still run too fast.

Correbarri 2013 - 10k

Yes!!! Back under 39 minutes at least! 38m40. Far from last years best, but I am really happy with todays race. After all it was only a week ago I did over 42k in the mountains and it took me untill wednesday to rest and repair the soreness and get a comfortable easy training run in.

 I am just behind the "blue" guy in the middle

On the left, the only green shirt

After a few colder days, today was still somewhat cloudy but warming up in just a running-shirt was no problem. Probably this race has the nicest warmup area, running up and down a boulevard along the beach and see rays of sunlight play with the clouds and sea, eventhough the sun itself was not to be seen yet. After the normal preparations we gathered in our boxes and had to wait a while since the arch over the startline had lost air, but this problem was soon fixed and we were shot away.
I started fast in spite of having a sensitive left achilles tendon and tried to just run high pace and not bounce too much, which worked fine. The fast start was to see if any other runners ran for the same neighbourhood Gracia and wether or not I could repeat a first place like last year, but already in the first meters it was clear this year faster runners had come down from Gracia and thus after a 7m20 on the 2k and 11m09 on the 3k I relaxed and tried to stay under the 4 minutes per kilometer. I passed the half-way point just under 19 minutes and continued the pace just under 4 minutes. The first half is very flat, but just before the 5k the course goes slightly uphill and just after it passes through Parc de la Ciutadella which is somewhat irregular and then around the 7k mark we went up a bridge. Around the 9k mark there is another slight uphill and there I did slow down a bit, to quickly pick up speed again and push for the finishline. This time I did sprint a bit more, though not top speed because of the achilles tendon. The people from running.es made nice pictures at the finish.

I forgot to smile...

Maratò Montsec

The first test after the UTMB early drop-out was a mountain marathon in the Montsec area, north of Lleida.

I completed this race in about 7 hours ( I misclicked my stopwatch at the start and GPS tracking was done upto half an hour before finishing untill my phone was out of battery so I will have to wait for the official race results to know a more exact time ). Still I am very happy with that since it was by far the toughest mountain marathon I have done. Ofcourse this is my opinion and other runners may have different thoughts. In general I think I can say this is the most regular race I have run so far. I still went out way too fast, and I passed the first half marathon in 2h25m, so the second in 4h35m. But there was a huge difference in runnability between the first and second half and at least I ran just about every runnable part of the track and did not have mayor breakdowns in energy nor did I cramp up, but more about that at the end, let's go back to the preparations and the start of the race.

The race started in the middle of the small town Àger, just behind the church, at 8 o'clock in the morning. It was the first time this race was organized and expectations were high. After getting up early and bringing my luggage to the car I left parked just outside the camping of the village and having some bananas for breakfast I went back up to the town center where some 130 marathon- and 55 ultra-runners waited for the 8 count of the church bells to chime us into motion. The first kilometer we winded through the narrow streets of the village, which was fun, though a bit crowded. Once outside the village the road gave us enough space to spread out and find a good pace. The first 9 kilometers were rather flat and muddy and like always I probably went too fast here, but my "10k" legs seem to have a hard time avoid that.

After drinking water and eating water melon, and having my first ratio of my Chia and natural sirup brew the first uphill starts.

The way up is a very narrow trail through the misty morning, but nevertheless enjoyable.

At some point we get out of the mist and the views were absolutely spectacular. But no time to stop and enjoy really, luckily there were more views up ahead.

After the first climb we went back down into the mist. The first part of the downhill was very slippery, but I kept my balance and soon we were on a more runnable part with a group of some 10 runners crashing down and heading for "Congost de Mont-Rebei".

The congost is also spectacular and here I let the group go to make fotos and some video of the surroundings.

At the end of the congost we cross a hanging bridge that really moves quite a lot when you cross it. At the other end the second control was set up, but I forgot to take a picture there. We are almost half way here and with 2 hours and 15 minutes or so I am still going too fast.

The next part is beautiful, but hard. Going through a very humid forest with a narrow stony trail, up and down and up and down. I slow down here and take it easy on the downhills.

Getting to Alsamora, around 30k into the race, to quite a while, but all in all I am feeling quite well.

Alsamora

The photographer photographed

At the 3rd control in the middle of the village I took some more time to refill water, eat fruit and nuts and drink some Coca Cola, the only "none natural" substance I would take in the event. So far my stomach was feeling very much ok.

After Alsamora we ran over a flat stony path and then we started the last long uphill. Here I went along climbing with Joan Llopart and we have a good chat will walking up.

At the top I took a short break at control 4 and then went downhill into the clouds back to Àger. At this point the ultra-runners took a left eventhough most of the runners were on the marathon course when I passed.

At some point here I, and a few other runners, missed a right turn and did about 2 extra kilometers before deciding to turn back and find the trail markers, since it was too long since we had seen the last ones. So close to the end it does not really bother me, and after losing 20 minutes we were back on the right trail and soon could see Àger in the valley below. The last downhill is really steep and I think that somehow I did not drink enough water for quite a while since here I was feeling very sluggish. Still, I kept running and finally arrived at the finish on the campsite after 7 hours 1 minute and 36 seconds, happy to have finished and to have picked this race because of its scenery!!!

Many thanks to all the volunteers and the organization!!!

After finishing I was happy to have parked the car here and have all my things nearby. I first charged my mobile phone and called home to inform about my whereabouts and well-being and then drank a lot of water and some really cold really good beer. Then I went for the showers, which were great too and then finished of with eating pasta and a few other things preparing for the trip back to Barcelona.

I will try to edit a video of the really shaky footage I took with my GoPro camera, but that will take a few days.

... a few days later, the video is edited, I will put some comments and links about the steps in Miscellaneous .  Video on Youtube or Video on Vimeo . I am not sure which is the best web to see them so I tried both.

... on the Nutrition and Hydration page I explain about the Chia and syrups mixture I experimented with during this race.