Zugspitz Ultratrail 2014

Southern Germany is one of those singularly amazing places in the world that has the potential to host an exceptional mountain ultramarathon.  Anchored in the village of Grainau and coursing around the Zugspitze Massive the Zugspitz Ultratrail (ZUT) is destined to become a classic among international alpine ultras.

Hosted by Plan B and sponsored by Salomon, 2014 saw the forth running of the ZUT.  From registration through post race activities the ZUT and Plan B are simply exceptional.  I highly recommend both participation in the ZUT (I’ll be back again!) and events hosted by Plan B.

713 runners started the ZUT under slightly cloudy skies at 0715 on 21 June.  Temperatures were cool, but bearable considering the alpine environment.  As the day progressed we were treated to ideal running conditions under mild sunny conditions.

The ZUT course traverses 100 kilometers (61 miles) and 5,400 meters (17,841 feet) of climb coursing over some of the most beautiful trails in the Alps.  The route travels over multiple ski slopes and some of the best single track trail I’ve run in Germany.  Yes, 5,400 meters (17,841 feet) of climb!  The crowning achievement is getting back down from Aid Station 10 with only about six kilometers left in the course.  Over the course route runners are treated to sweeping views of the Zugspitze Massive.  Spectacular trail carries you across the northwest face of the Zugspitze Mountain, the Gatterl, Scharnitzjoch, Ferchensee and the Osternfeldern.

As the old adage goes…  Pictures tell a thousand words.  I’ll let some of the impressions frame a bit of this report from here…

501 runners finished the ZUT within the allotted twenty-six hours.  Although, cut off times at each check point and the overall time limit are generous, the demands of this alpine ultra take their toll on the uninitiated.  I don’t recommend this race as a first 100KM or alpine event.  Plan B offers four races under the capstone of the ZUT.  These include the 100KM Ultratrail, 79KM Supertrail XL, 60KM Supertrail and 35.6KM Basetrail.  Each demands a certain level of ultra running and alpine experience.  None are for the uninitiated.

The top finishers put on an amazing show in 2014.  Twenty-eight year old Stephan Hugenschmidt of Radolfzell was the overall winner with a teeth gnashing finish in 10:35:50.  Among the women, forty year old Anne-Marie Flammersfeld dominated the finish in 13:53:21.  I walked away feeling way too good with a 22:15:03 finish.  Unique in corporately hosted and sponsored events the ZUT and Plan B have developed an “every racer is an important part of this event” attitude.  The final finishers were greeted and celebrated with as much hullabaloo as those at the top.  Celebration of all continued well after everyone had left Grainau on the Zugspitze Ultra Facebook and Web sites.     

As each day passes since my 2014 ZUT finish I yearn to get back out on the trail and run this amazing race again.  Plan B – Count me in for 2015!

Hexenstieg Ultra 2014 – Heaven and Hell

The lover of life’s not a sinner
The ending is just a beginning
The closer you get to the meaning
The sooner you’ll know that you’re dreaming
So it’s on and on and on, oh it’ on and on and on
It goes on and on and on, Heaven and Hell…
 

Black Sabbath – Ronnie James Dio

The Hexenstieg Ultra is the brain child of Michael Frenz (Der Hexer) and generally follows the course of the Hexenstieg (Witch’s Trail or in German the Harzer Hexenstieg) hiking trail.  The trail runs from Osterode through the Harz Mountains, over its highest peak, the Brocken, to Thale and back to Osterode.  For casual hikers the trail is approximately 100km in length ending in Thale.  For the Hexenstieg Ultra runners the trail turns around at Thale and courses back to Osterode for a total of 216km or 135 miles.

From Osterode to Clausthal-Zellerfeld the Hexenstieg courses along the Upper Harz Ponds.  The ponds are part of a cultural monument of the former mining industry of the Harz, known as the Upper Harz Water Regale.  The Regale is a system of dams, reservoirs, ditches and other structures, much of which were built from the 16th to 19th centuries to divert and store water that drove the water wheels of the mines in the Upper Harz region of Germany.  The Upper Harz Water Regale is one of the largest and most important historic mining water management systems in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  As you might imagine, a tremendous trail system that is the perfect setting for an ultra!

25 April 2014, marked the third annual Hexenstieg.  This ultra is designed to challenge runners with its distance over a broad mix of hiking trails, single track, and farm roads that traverse a wide range of terrain.  In addition to the distance and terrain the Upper Harz is known for its unstable and harsh weather conditions.  In April the weather can typically range from spring and summer temperatures to winter weather with snow, wind and rain.  Mother Nature smiled on the Hexenstieg runners in 2014 gracing us with mild temperatures, sunshine, several hours of light spring rain and wind and cool temperatures at night with lows around 3C.

Friday morning we started with forty runners.  Stefan Beckmann, Oliver Schoiber, and Michael Wagner led early and would dominate the race throughout the next thirty-plus hours.  Over the course of the event we lost eleven runners to various issues and at various distances, although thankfully there were no serious injuries or accidents.  Stefan and Oliver finished the race together for a tied first place in 31:39.  The women’s winner was Bianka Schwede who finished in 41:42.  Bianka’s amazing accomplishment is further highlighted by her women’s win of the Jurastieg Ultra (230KM) two weeks prior in 40:42! 

As the bit of Black Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell” highlights above my race was just that…  Heaven and Hell.  The Hexenstieg and Harz region are two of my favorite locales in Germany.  The Brocken and the surrounding environs are magical to travel through.  In my mind this area is much like what I imagine Tolkien’s Middle Earth to be like.  Running along the Upper Harz Water Regale you expect to bump into a group of Dwarves finishing up a days work below in the mines.

This year I started my race intentionally at a very slow pace.  216-plus kilometers are a long way to go in one running…  I spent most, if not all of the race running with Lutz Kalitzsch.  Lutz and I have known and raced with one another for several years.  Joining us over the next couple of days were Ulrich Faust, Andreas Rumpelt and a couple of others.  Unfortunately, Ulrich had a tough time with GI issues and was forced to drop about half way into the race.  Andreas was to finish with Lutz and I.  Although an ultra undertaking is a singularly personal experience and endeavor, it’s always nice to work through the inevitable challenges in a group.  We agreed to go the distance together and enjoyed many laughs, getting to know one another and the other emotions and challenges that go along with crossing Heaven and Hell.

Highpoints of my race included a number of different locations and experiences.  Jens Habich and his crew from Adrenalintours in Clausthal-Zellerfeld (First and last Aid Station) were simply fantastic.  The single track course near the Wolfswarte and the valley to the east of Quitschenberg is a trail runners paradise!  The Brocken!  One word:  Magical.  Ruebelad, the Gasthaus, Tannegrund – An alcohol free Hefeweizen never tasted better!  The “High Moor” that surrounds the area around the Oderteich is simply a dreamscape.

And yes…  There were low points.  The night, no moon, a headlamp and kilometers and kilometers to go…  The little arch of light that a headlamp makes in front of an ultra runner can hypnotically narrow your world and thoughts in the deep of the night.  The challenge at this point is to avoid any negative thoughts.  For me, the simplest negativity can lead to a rapid slide into a dark morass that is hard to get back out of particularly if sunrise is a long way off.  I also learned that I can’t allow myself to think about the finish until I’ve gone through the last aid station and am headed in.  To consider it any earlier leads to frustration.  Follow me for a minute…

“When I finish I’m going to take a shower and get that massage.  I’ll drink a beer and sleep…  There are only XXkm left until then – you got this.  Shit, how many kilometers are left?  My knee hurts…  If I could get a message now my knee would stop hurting and I could get something to eat.  And, go to sleep…  This sucks.  This is hell.  Why am I doing this?  I have nothing to prove to anyone.  Damn I’m cold…  I could drop at the next aid station and get back before everyone else to get a shower and something to eat.  (Stop!  Focus on your mantra.  Screw that mantra!  It’s stupid anyway.)  I’ve got to catch a train tomorrow morning at 1100 which means if I dropped now I could get at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep.  Damn I’m tired.  I wish these guys would stop talking to me…  I don’t want to talk.  Don’t they know I’m damn tired?  These guys don’t care if I drop at the next aid station; they’d be rid of me and I could sleep!  (What was your mantra?  I don’t remember.  It was stupid anyway…)”
  
DON’T CONSIDER THE FINISH until you’re headed there after the last aid station.  I was able to manage the time, distance and sleeplessness by breaking the race down into whichever current leg we were on, running aid station to aid station, breaking the event down into manageable portions.

And in the end.  After 46:45…  I applied a bit of sound advice from an old friend.  Nothing beats a Hefeweizen and a dribble of a fine spirit to crown the event.  

Race headquarters in 2014 was again located at Stefan Zirbus’ Hotel Harzer Hof in Osterode.  Stefan and his team bent over backwards to accommodate the wants and needs of the Hexenstieg event.  A big thanks for all of your support Stefan!  I hope to get back out to the Harzer Hof again in the not too distant future.

Race support was generated solely by race volunteers.  In this case they are all friends of the event, family members and friends of runners.  This group demonstrated the true nature of “volunteerism” as they too were connected with the event.  I appreciate each and everyone one of the supporters and could not have finished without them.  

I’ve written and said this before…  Each event I’ve run in that was hosted by Michael Frenz has been a challenging yet rewarding success.  As time and experience unfold each subsequent event gets better – the 2014 Hexenstieg Ultra was no exception.  Micha’s events are minimally supported.  Although you are outfitted with a GPS track, road book and map there are no specific route markings and the distance between aid stations can be very challenging.  I strongly recommend Micha’s events, but you should go into them knowing that you will be running on your previous training and experience.  It’s a very singular experience. 

The Hexenstieg Ultra 2014 was a super event.  Nothing failed on organization, volunteers, friends, challenges and fun.  Count me in for 2015!

Why We Run - Salomon Running

A taste of Thoreau and a tad of Sheehan...  Bernd Heinrich's commentary on Why We Run is peacefully wonderful...

JokerTrail 2014 – Stairway to Heaven

The race begins on a side street in the small town of Dossenheim approximately five kilometers north of Heidelberg on the edge of the Odenwald and ends at the same spot some fifty hilly kilometers later.  The course is a single large loop conjoined with a smaller loop that spurs off to the north of the main loop.  The course, per “Der Hexer’s” (Race Director Michael Frenz) standard procedure is an unmarked maze of hiking and farm paths and single track that flow through the Odenwald.  Navigation is accomplished via GPS and map.  Runners enjoy more than 2000 meters (6561 feet) of quad busting elevation change over the course of the trail.  Planned as a winter season opener conditions can vary from snow and ice to sunshine and moderate temperatures.  Did I mention that a Stairway to Heaven is included?

On 21 February approximately forty-eight runners and guests arrived in the village of Dossenheim at the Hotel Goldener Hirsch for check in, the race briefing and dinner.  We drove up from Stuttgart Friday evening after work to find the Goldener Hirsch filled with excited runners and a super meal.  You could tell from the outset that Michael had put together yet another fantastic event.  Race participants and guests were billeted in the Hotel Goldener Hirsch and Zum Heidelberger Tor which is a five minute walk from race headquarters.

Saturday morning we had breakfast in the Zum Heidelberg Tor and then casually walked to race headquarters for the start.  Start time in 2014 was scheduled for 0830 – easy day with nine and a half hours to complete the course!

At 0835 Micha completed the start count down and forty-eight of us took off to moderate temperatures and sunshine.  We would enjoy sunshine, wind and a bit of rain over the entire day.

The initial phase of the course took us from Dossenheim to Heidelberg.  You could characterize this portion of the course as relatively easy at least to the Himmelsleiter.  Surfaces were mixed tar, hard pack, cobble stone and forest trail.  We dropped down into Heidelberg along the Philosopher’s Walk and then briefly ran along the right side of the Neckar River until crossing just below the Karlstor.

 From the Karlstor we took a nice left hand turn and progressed up to the Heidelberg Castle.  Yeah!  I lived in the Heidelberg area for almost six years and never knew that there was an additional stairway to the Königsstuhl known as the Himmelsleiter, my Stairway to Heaven.  Starting at the Heidelberg Castle the Himmelsleiter includes more than 1200 stairs composed of uneven sandstone steps going up 270 meters (885 feet).  The stairway from the base near the Karlstor to the Königsstuhl is composed of a total 1,600 steps.  The Empire State Building has 1,576, but I digress!

 Traveling from the Königsstuhl to Ziegelhausen was a joy.  The course was composed of hiking trail and single track.  I got slightly misoriented traveling along the Lindenhang because of some downed trees – all good; we were going down hill.

At the base of the Lindenhang we arrived in Schlierbach to cross back across the Neckar into Ziegelhausen and the aid station at the Bäckerei Bernauer.  Again, Micha got this right.  Bäckerei Bernauer was staffed with motivated volunteers outfitted with a cornucopia of baked goods, fruit, coffee, tea, cola and water.  From Bäckerei Bernauer we traveled up hill again along single track and forest trails to the aid station at KM 28.  

 The aid station at KM 28 marked the start of the 14KM off-shoot loop that lies to the north of the main course.  This section of the course was composed of relatively easy trails and forest path characterized by a good amount of climbing.  I hit my low point of the day between Lepoldsgrund and Darmut when we left any generally established trails and moved straight up hill.  It was great to link up with Bianca Schwede and Thomas Lehmann near Darmut.  The three of us ran the remainder of the course together chatting and generally having a super time.

After completing the 14KM mini loop near the Dossenheimer Kopf we traveled up a slight incline to the Weissen Stein.  With six kilometers left to the finish we enjoyed the single track through the forest and brambles leading back into Dossenheim and the finish line at the Hotel Goldener Hirsch.  Inside the hotel we were greeted by applause, smiling faces, cake and coffee and a hot shower.  What more can you ask for?

This challenging trail event came at a cost of seven hours and twenty-five minutes which in my mind was worth every minute.  Events like the JokerTrail are among my favorites.  They are generally “by invitation only” and the running field is relatively small which makes them friendly and noncommercial.

Each event I’ve participated in that was hosted by Micha has been a success.  They each get better with the experience of the last.  Lack of any trail marking; complete reliance on your orientation skills; and complete self-sufficiency ensure that there are no “gimmy” runs at an event hosted Der Hexer.  Ensure that you are well conditioned because the race course will include challenging surprises, twists in navigation, and the occasional opportunity to get disoriented.  Truthfully, my kind of event!

The JokerTrail 2014 included forty-eight starters and forty-seven finishers.  Stefan Helbig and Michael Arend led the race completing in 5:35.  Bianca Schwede took the women’s win in 7:25!  The limited race support and aid stations (total of three and half) were super.  Race volunteers were composed of racer friends and family and made a huge difference over the course of the day for all of us.  My thanks to all of the volunteers!  Registration for the 2014 JokerTrail cost 95 Euro and included a race tee-shirt, overnight with breakfast in one of the two hotels, aid station support, race completion certificate, a hot shower and cake and coffee following the event. 

Michael Frenz (Der Hexer) put on a super event with the JokerTrail 2014.  Count me in if this race goes again in 2015!

Brocken-Challenge a Community Affair

Picking up from last year…

I have been planning to sign up for the 2015 Brocken-Challenge (BC) since 2 November 2013!  That should give you a pretty good idea of what a great event the BC is.  Before I get carried away with anticipation I should probably share a little about the 2014 BC and how we got to this point.

On 1 November 2013 the organization team of the BC represented by the Ausdauersport für Menschlichkeit e.V., Göttingen (ASFM) club opened an application window for the 2014 race.  The application process featured the requirement to write an e-mail describing why the applicant should gain an invitation to participate.  After this window closed all 355 applications were placed into a lottery to fill the 150 available runner spots.  Although obviously burdensome on the organizational team this process is much more fair and effective compared with the previous process of a 1 December midnight on-line application which in 2012 filled within ten minutes.

My 2012 lucky streak continued with the winning of a lottery slot to participate in the 2014 BC.  If the application process to run remains the same for the 2015 event I certainly plan on sending in an application for the lottery.  The way I see I’ve got a little less than a year to figure out what I should include in my application to run my seventh BC.

So you may be asking, “Why the excitement about this race?  Why do you keep going back year after year?”  Beyond jingles, banners or other mottos the ASFM truly embraces and fosters a sense of community.  In fact, in their description of the event they mention, “The event lives from a sense of spirit.  One which includes the ability to pursue an endurance sport we all enjoy in the pursuit of helping others that are less fortunate than ourselves.”

My interest and draw to this event goes beyond something that is only altruistic.  Although certainly central to my motivation, I embrace the spirit associated with the BC.  That spirit is one of kinship, endurance, courage, determination, patience and humility.  All of which you must have in order to successfully run the approximate 80KMs or 50 miles leading to a summit of northern Germany’s highest mountain, the Brocken. 

The 2014 Race

Winter weather conditions in Germany were unseasonably mild as compared to previous years.  There was little to no snow.  In fact the last snow fall of any consequence had occurred almost three weeks prior to the event.  Snow accumulation as of 21 January was dramatically different with 138cm on the ground in 2012 and 4cm in 2014.  All told the weather on race day was perfect for a winter run.  Temperatures were at or slightly above freezing.  Although the day started clear, clouds slowly moved in, but there was no rain throughout the day.  We did however experience a wonderful snow storm the last five or so kilometers up the Brocken and at its summit.  The 2014 BC course was largely snow and ice free until Jagdkopf (KM 53).  The course was covered in snow and ice starting at KM 60 through the finish line.

 

165 runners started at 0600 on 8 February with 159 finishing.  These figures reflect a new finisher record of 96.4%.  2014 also saw the previous women’s and men’s course records shattered.  Gabriele Kenkenberg of Kriftel set the new women’s record at 8:35 while Florian Reichert of Göttingen set the new men’s record at 6:44!  Finally a new single year donation record was set at 22,000 Euro benefiting five local and overseas beneficiaries.

2014 also saw me run a personal BC best in 10:11, an eighteen minute improvement over my 2011 time.  I think this PB was based on the weather and course conditions, the training leading up to this year’s BC and my close watch on what I took in for energy.  Like most folks my age I know that I could have trained more, but the demands of work and other responsibilities prevented me from doing so.

Personal highlights from the 2014 BC are similar to those I mentioned in 2013.  The food at breakfast and over the course of the BC is simply remarkable.  I know of no other race that offers such a smorgasbord of vegetarian and vegan food geared towards endurance athletes. Pre-race activities the evening prior to the BC are more like a class reunion rather than race check in and a briefing.  Breakfast starts at 0500 on Saturday and it also serves as an opportunity to get together with friends over a cup of coffee.  Running with old friends and acquaintances is always wonderful.  Meeting and making new friends over the course of a day like the BC is a gift.  Like 2012 I had planned to meet my Brocken Ramp partner Werner near the ramp, but that did not work out for a second year in a row.  The get together after completing the BC on the summit is fantastic.  It’s great to relax; eat; drink a Weissbier and socialize.  “Donny Please!”  I’ll be working on a new PB to get to the summit even earlier next year.  Werner and I were able to meet up in the Brockenwirt and chatted for the hour and half walk back to Schierke.  It’s always a pleasure to get caught up on the way down.  Like a class reunion, the spirit of the BC affords that feeling of “just having seen someone” when in fact you’ve not seen them in over a year.

   

Considering Running?

The BC is about charity.  It’s about community.  It’s about friendship.  And, it’s about enduring over a course known to be “Cold – Hard – Beautiful”.  The 80KM course is a physically challenging combination of roads, farm trail and single track leading up to the summit of Germany’s 1140m Brocken Mountain.  Aid stations at approximately every ten kilometers serviced by committed and very motivated volunteers make the race a perfect start for an ultra year.  This is no “gimme”.  North German Broadcasting (NDR) calls the Brocken-Challenge, “The hardest race of the North”.  You must train and train wisely to finish.  The BC will challenge you physically, mentally and perhaps even spiritually.  I’ll be back in 2015.  Hope to see you out there!

Jägerstein - The Hunt for the Golden Stag 2013

The Jägerstein-Ultralauf is a season ending winter ultramarathon that runs 70 KM from Fröttstädt to the Schneekopf over approximately 2200 meters of local roads, forest paths and single track located within the Thüringen National Park.  The course objective is to reach the Jägerstein or Hunter’s Stone located at the top of the Schneekopf.  The Jägerstein itself is a memorial that records the legend of Caspar Greiner, his pursuit of the golden deer, and the hunting accident that occurred in 1690.

Over the past couple of years I have generally ended my running season with the Albmarathon in late October.  Beyond that date there are only a couple of quality events that occur prior to the start of the New Year.  In 2012 when Gunter Rothe and Michael Frenz announced that they were developing a jointly organized event I had hoped to join in.  Work and other requirements kept me away from this “deep snow” event in 2012.  So, when they announced that they were going to bring the Jägerstein-Ultralauf back in 2013 I jumped at the opportunity to run. 

On Friday the Thirteenth 2013 I left work around noon to travel to Fröttstädt to join up with forty-odd other runners at  the Rothe’s Icelandic Horse Hostel where we all were dining and overnighting.  I got into Fröttstädt just in time to find a bed and drop off my things, join in for the race briefing and have dinner.  Gunter and Sabine put together a great meal and evening for us.  They are both old hands at events of this nature having organized and run the ThüringenULTRA for years.  Michael is no Green Horn himself and delivered a well planned and detailed race briefing.

Friday evening we broke ourselves into two groups:  the fast group that would start at 0600 and the other fast group that would start at 0700.  I joined the fast group departing at 0600 as there were a number of people in this group that I know and had hoped to spend some time chatting with over the course of the race.  I was not to be disappointed.

Saturday morning came bright and early after spending most of the evening thinking I was working in a saw mill (a lot of snoring going on).  After a great breakfast again served by the team of Gunter and Sabine Rothe we lined up for our 0600 start. 

The initial kilometers of the Jägerstein course took us over familiar territory as we coursed out of Fröttstädt into the dark along the ThüringenULTRA race course.  Typical for an event of this nature we initially either ran individually or in small clusters of one or two people.  This would prove helpful and change a bit over the course of the day as the Jägerstein course is not marked.  You must either be very familiar with the route, run with a GPS or tag along with someone that possesses one of the two previous talents or devices.  After running through the hills around and above Friedrichroda our little groups had settled into a group of approximately ten runners and would remain this way for most of the rest of the day.

The Jägerstein-Ultra is designed primarily as a self-supported event.  There are two rest stops along the course of the route.  If you’re considering giving this winter ultra a go be prepared to support yourself for stretches of up to 25 kilometers.  This self-support should include enough to drink and to sustain your energy level over varying terrain.  The two stations that were in place were superior!  Gunter’s experience with the ThüringenULTRA and his personal preferences as an ultramarathoner support what I call “Broadband” support.  The spectrum goes from plain old water to salty and sweet food, as well as caffeinated sodas, beer and warm soup and tea.  I felt pretty good at the first stop and really only focused on restocking my sodium and staying warm with several coups of soup.  When we got to the second stop at Wegscheide just east of Oberhof (49KM) I was famished.  It was great to chow down on liverwurst sandwiches, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken broth, soda and cookies!

From a running/fast packing perspective the Jägerstein-Ultra is a lot of fun.  The kilometers and elevation change did not really test me physically or more critically mentally, until we got just below the Schneekopf Michael “The Hexer” Frenz was obviously at work again when he picked the route up to the Schneekopf.  This phase initially saw our track blocked by downed trees, which appeared to be no big deal as we could just go cross country, but it was all UP!  After coursing almost straight up we met our trail again to find that it was now going to course through “Hell”.  Hell was a snow covered path that coursed over streams, rocks and other obstacles to our objective on top of the Schneekopf.  It was not for the faint of spirit.  I was relieved that I was not in one of my renowned ultra funks and that it was not dark as we made our way up this trail.  My hat is off to those that did so after darkness fell.  This leg of the course was a gut check.  

After summiting onto the Schneekopf and rallying around the Jägerstein we were met by Dirk Bernkopf of Thüringer Allgemeine newspaper.  Dirk took several nice pictures of our group and provided a great rundown of the 2013 Jägerstein-Ultra.

From the Jägerstein we made our way over to the Waldhotel Schmücke.  Michael and Gunter organized rooms and meals for all of the participants.  I didn’t spend the night at the Waldhotel; instead I hitched a ride back to Fröttstädt as I wanted to get a very early start back home on Sunday.  I did stay for post race beers and a super meal.  Transportation back to Fröttstädt was provided via bus on Sunday morning.

In summary, the Jägerstein-Ultra is a well organized winter ultra event.  Gunter and Sabine’s logistics support for the event are superb.  The race course is challenging at 70KM with 2200 meters (7217 feet) in elevation.  The race field is small and very friendly.  Count me for the 2014 Jägerstein-Ultra!