NO UTMB in 2012!

Call it what you will... The luck of the draw? (Actually, yes - it was the luck of the draw). I won't be running the UTMB in 2012.

As of the 10th of January there were 10,000 runners preregistered for the 10th running of the UTMB. With only 2,300 slots open to amateur and non-affiliated runners the organizers hosted a lottery to determine who would participate this year. The results of the lottery were posted on 20 January and I was not among those selected to participate. The UTMB organizers offered a couple of choices to those not selected including: Participation in the Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (TDS) or withdrawal and a guaranteed slot in 2013.

After talking with a couple of people that have run the TDS and speaking with the wife I decided to go with the later choice and took a priority registration in 2013. Going into this decision I was concerned that we might not be in Europe in 2013, but have now set that aside as an obstacle and either way if all holds up and participation conditions do not prohibit it (The UTMB Organizers plan to post the new registration requirements including the requirement to have at least seven race points from a minimum of three races on 1 FEB 2012) I plan to run in 2013. This race is one of those that even with its extreme focus on professional runners and the commercial side of things, get's under your skin!

So... With the 2012 UTMB now behind me it's time to concentrate on getting qualified and enjoying several of the other races I've got planned for 2012. Let's go run!

Which Way Did He Go...?

Good training week this week topping out with 120KMs. Hope to keep this momentum going the next couple of weeks as we head into the Brocken-Challenge on 11 FEB 12.

Minimalism

Life can indeed be pretty simple...

There is NO APP for THIS!

New Years Run 2012

2012 has started with a bang!

Did a nice 10K this afternoon after returning from Switzerland where we celebrated the arrival of the New Year with friends. Temperatures were perfect for a nice short workout with no rain and a bit of sunshine every now and then. The snow we had a day or two ago is pretty much gone.

I'm still having a hard time convincing myself that I can become an afternoon runner again. I much prefer getting out first thing in the morning even though running in the afternoon has the advantage of running in daylight this time of year. The first two or three kilometers of today's run were just horrible as I felt like my gut was still full from lunch. Uggggghhh. It took getting out to about the halfway mark before I started getting into today's run. Once there things settled and all was good.

Nope, didn't see this nice fountain during today's run, but did see it two days ago while running from Tuebingen.

After a bit of research I've learned that this is the Schwabentreue Fountain located in the into the Naturpark Schönbuch near Weil i. Schönbuch. It was christened in 1940 by two sisters out of Stuttgart in memory of their brothers that were lost on the field of battle.

Schwaben Treue Brunnen - 1940
(For further information on this fountain see the link above; select Gebiet D)

Brocken-Challenge Training III

With what will likely be my last post for the year 2011 and the last opportunity to get in a good training run
in preparation for the Brocken-Challenge I decided to try a new route today. And what a route it turned out to be! I hitched a ride out to Tuebingen and started my training route where we had started the Tuebingen Nikolauslauf and headed into the Naturpark Schönbuch traveling north. What a great place to run! Trails are mixed surface: dirt, gravel, and very little hard ball. The terrain is amazing flowing largely through the forest over rolling hills. The perfect environment to do a little training for running in the Harz. Plans for 2012 include much more exploration of the Naturpark Schönbuch.

Widemann Denkmal

Perfect training conditions for preparation for running in the Nationalpark Harz on 11 February 2012.

All the best in 2012!!!

Salomon Running Season 2011

Super video from Salomon that wraps up the 2011 ultra racing season: