Three Point Five

While the glow remains I hope to capture some of my impressions from the 2017 WiBoLT in this post.  This year has proven very busy outside of my running life and limited my ability to come here and share my life on the trail.  In the interest of time and to avoid a drawn out story I intend to concentrate on some things I learned along the way framing this story in a series of personal lessons.  In so doing I hope you will gain an appreciation of the WiBoLT and the Rheinsteig.

Let me start by introducing the WiBoLT (an acronym) or the Wiesbaden to Bonn Lauf Trail.  The WiBoLT represents Germany’s longest non-stop race.  The race starts at Schloss Biebrich in downtown Wiesbaden; traverses 320KM or 200 miles and 11700HM or 38385 feet of positive elevation change along the Rheinsteig Hiking Trail; ending at the Marktplatz in Bonn.  Start is typically on Wednesday evening at 1800 with the race closing on Sunday at 1200 in Bonn – a total of 90 hours.  Pacers and support outside of aid stations, of which there are ten, are not permitted.  The race course is not marked beyond those markings that establish the Rheinsteig.  2017 registration cost 185 Euro.  The WiBoLT is organized and directed by Michael Esser and supported by a crew of volunteers led largely by Ulrich Hansmann.  

(Pre-race Dinner and Beer.  There's never a bad time for Shiner!)

The first lesson.  Ultramarathoning is all about problem solving.  Participation in the WiBoLT sustained this principal from start to finish.  Obvious problems included:  the distance; sleep deprivation; food and fluid deprivation; navigation; my personality; other racers personalities; wildlife; race organizer’s lack of attention to detail in planning and providing promised supplies and services; blisters; many bowel movements; lack of toilet paper; unexpected cold weather; unexpected hot weather; sunburn; and hallucinations.  The list goes on and on.

The second lesson.  If it’s cheap – don’t expect much out of it.  I decided to use the German rail system to get to Wiesbaden.  The practicality of Die Bahn seemed ideal to get situated.  We found tickets from Stuttgart to Wiesbaden for 19 Euro.  What a great deal!  Not so much…  The train from Stuttgart was jam packed.  Die Bahn was on their game and ensured that we could appreciate the summer day we were enjoying by not using the air conditioner within the entire train.  No matter you say – open the windows!  That would have been great, but you can’t open the windows on German trains these days.  Well hell, you say, you sweat a bit in the ride to Wiesbaden.  Using the rail system was certainly efficient because Germans set their watches by their trains.  Not so much…  We were of course late at each connection along the way.  If it’s cheap – don’t expect much out of it particularly if it’s Die Bundes Bahn. 

The third lesson.  The 2017 WiBoLT was my first successful attempt at completing a 320KM run.  Georg Kirsch and I discussed the enormity of the idea of something like the WiBoLT as we sat in the starting area before the race.  He told me that he had just “checked out” until Monday…  on Wednesday afternoon.

Over the course of the WiBoLT I explored how I generally define time.  In my hectic work life I squeeze the most out of a busy day among projects, meetings and other "essential" activities.  Like many of you my work and non-running life demand significant amounts of commitment and “time”.  Things move rapidly, hectically and "very close to the edge".  The WiBoLT illuminated the “duration” aspect of time for me where time is defined as a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future.  Minutes, hours, days become insignificant.  Time, outside of meeting aid station cut offs and reaching the finish line becomes irrelevant.  In this continuum I found that it becomes much simpler to live in the present moment; to enter flow; to center and exist within what has the potential to become a very pleasant mental and physical state.  This "place" is one of key aspects of why I am so drawn to endurance running.

The fourth lesson.  Sleep is overrated when running an ultra.  Okay, I do like and need to sleep.  Science has shown that we require sleep to rest and recover both mentally and physically.  I hate to admit it, but you can, get on with far less sleep than that which you are accustomed to.  For how long I am uncertain, but from Wednesday morning when I rose at 0430 until I got in bed on Saturday night at 2330 I slept for a total of three and a half hours with the longest block of sleep occurring over 50 minutes while the others were nested in moments of ten to twenty minute naps out on the trail.  Sleep has been awfully good this past week and I can tell that sleep deprivation training is a concept I am going to approach with trepidation. 

In previous 100 and 135 mile events my approach to sleep was to avoid it.  Although these distances are long they represent twenty-four to forty-five hour periods and have been very manageable from a sleep deprivation perspective.  On a 200 mile course that continues non-stop over a ninety hour period I was in uncharted territory and had no experience using the twenty-minute nap as a method of rest.  Each time that I went down for a nap I set an alarm, but did not use it as I awoke because of the cold.  Similarly, each time I napped I awoke from a vivid dreamscape and fully refreshed.  I found that naps later in the race contributed less to my sense of freshness; requiring more frequent naps.  I think that I could have off set this “charge” by sleeping somewhat longer.

The fifth lesson.  Hallucinations are cool and they do occur while on an endurance event not only at night, as in my previous experience, but vividly during daylight hours.  I recall entering, and actually measuring some control over entry into a hallucination state after being on the WiBoLT course at about the thirty-six hour mark.  I experienced fascinating views of military vehicles, dwarfs, and wild animals.

The sixth lesson.  If you make the decision to quit an ultramarathon when feeling hungry, cold, tired, frustrated with the organization of the event, or tired of being with the people you’re running with, you will very likely make the wrong decision.  The key to this decision is to establish before the event.  Set those conditions and use them as a framework to finish the race.

At the aid station in Braubach (160KM or 100 miles) I was very tired and very hungry.  The aid station sucked as it was completely disorganized, contained no real food or drink and reflected a halfhearted approach to what I thought should have been a station that marked the halfway point of the race.  As I refilled my water bottles and thought about what I could eat that would keep me moving forward my planning shifted focus on how to exit.  I figured that I could sleep within the aid station and when I awoke in the morning I could find a bakery and eat a solid meal.  In order to further explore the feasibility of dropping at Braubach I asked if the regional train system could get me to Wiesbaden and how I could get my dropbag.  The race volunteers had been sympathetic to my questions to this point.  Abruptly, Ulrich Hansmann picked up on  where I was going with my questions and snapped on me.  He barked at me, “Stop talking about this bullshit and get your ass to Bonn!” and walked away.  Well, I thought… no pity from the volunteers, I’m going to take a brief nap and see how things are from there.  After twenty minutes of exquisite sleep I awoke cold, but in a much better state of mind.  I asked Frank Muller with whom I had paired up with to run the day prior if he was going back onto the course and he told me yes.  With limited factors to hang quitting on I also decided to head back out and see how far I could get.  Braubach was the last time I really considered dropping out of the race.  From here on it would take an injury or other problem that I could not work through to get me off the course.  Thanks again Ulrich – I needed that!

This lesson also highlights the ultra-truth that ultramarathons are more mental than they are physical.  It is matter of keeping that mental focus and flexibility that is key to success.

Running 320KM or 200 miles readjusts your interpretation of a “long run” and illustrates lesson seven.  Work colleagues, family and friends likely think that I have gone mad (I have a little, and am embracing it) when this idea comes up.  It is unhinging to think that the half-way point of a race is at the 100 mile mark.  This lesson highlights an additional ultra-truths.  At the end of the day or in the middle of the night for that matter, you can go further than you think.

Lesson eight.  For me – if going 160KM or beyond I will tape my darn feet.  My experiences with blisters have been episodic.  As a result I have not ever considered taping my feet before a race.  At the WiBoLT I learned this lesson twice.  At the aid station in Feldkirchen (231KM) I had, had enough of two or three blisters on each of my feet and decided to lance and mole skin them.  Ulrich helped me with the lancing and draining part and I mole skinned each area up very nicely.  By Rheinbrohl (255KM) I had developed new blisters directly adjacent to where I fixed the previous ones doubling my fun.  Tape your toes, heels and the balls of your feet!

Endurance events afford you the opportunity to meet old and new friends.  On the first evening of the WiBoLT I met up with Frank Mueller-Seidelmann and Michael Heinkelein.  We spent the next days together exploring the Rheinsteig and getting to know one another.  We got split up from Michael (he’s faster) and Frank and I spent the rest of the race working through its adventure together.  Lesson nine highlights that you can establish tremendous friendships while running something like the WiBoLT.

I owe a lot of my finish to Frank as he helped get me out of the aid station at Braubach and filled many hours talking with and getting to know me.  I hope that Frank and I can tackle another ultra adventure together.

The tenth and for me perhaps most important lesson.  Ultrarunning is hard, and seeks every opportunity to remind you of that fact.  It goes without saying that running a race like the WiBoLT requires a high level of physical fitness and preparation.  The physical part is tough – it’s the mental part that is hard.  At any point along a course like the Rheinsteig you can come up with very valid reasons to quit.  I learned that I must practice not allowing myself to blame anyone or anything for any of my current problems or conditions on the course.  When I slip into this hole I slide into a trap that can lead to an existential crisis.  I believe that the key is to actually take responsibility for my own journey, my thoughts and emotions.  The sooner I can embrace this view the quicker an event like the WiBoLT stops being hard.  On a very personal level this is where an ultra is won or lost.

(Life is a journey, not a destination. - Emerson)

A day or two after finishing the WiBoLT I am still considering the experience.  Michael and his team of volunteers put on one heck of an event.  Many thanks go out to he and this team of folks that shared our long hours, trials and tribulations.  Would I go back and run the WiBoLT again?  I’m still digesting that.  This past Sunday I would have told you “absolutely not”, but as I digest this thing that is the WiBoLT I am certain that I’ll be back.

A little something about sleep and a few other things...

Schoenbuch Ultra-Trail

The third running of the Schoenbuch Ultra-Trail (SUT 100) was held 15 – 16 October 2016 in the Schoenbuch National Park.  Unlike previous years the weather held in Germany leading up to and during the 2016 SUT resulting in stunning race conditions.  Daytime temperatures were mild with Saturday evening nice and chilly.  Georg Kunzfeld set a new course record completing the 102 miles in 21:06 while Inge van Bergen came back again in 2016 to win the women’s title in 30:41.

(Photo Courtesy of Liviu) 

The 165 kilometer event is organized and directed by Andreas Loeffler with support from a super team of helpers made up of family members and friends from the small German village of Dettenhausen.  Andreas kicks off the SUT weekend the Friday evening prior to the race at the Sport Center in Dettenhausen with a race briefing and dinner.  More than anything else this pre-race get together is an intimate opportunity to see old friends and to meet new ones. 

The Saturday morning start(s) were relaxed.  Based on several runners requests Andreas organized two starts, one at 0700 and the other at 0800.  Seven runners started at 0700 with the remainder of the twenty-one runners going out at 0800.  Andreas warmed up the 0800 start with a fitting musical introduction through Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills”.

The SUT is an unmarked point-to-point route that loops around much of the Schoenbuch Forest.  The race is objectively 165KM or 102 miles long and must be accomplished within thirty hours.  The course is “objectively” this distance, but can be somewhat longer given your ability to navigate.  Elevation change over this course is approximately 4050 meters or 13.2K feet.  Beyond the distance the Schoenbuch Ultra Trail is challenging as it’s a trail event.  The trail courses through the forest, along refined and unrefined trail, over roots, rocks, abrupt climbs and descents, forest paths and over, through and under dead fall – a lot of dead fall (Andreas)!

As I mentioned, one of the great things about the SUT is that it is not marked.  Runners are afforded the opportunity to use a GPS, map, and compass.  I am relatively familiar with the Schoenbuch and its terrain as well as the course of the SUT, but would not want to run this course without a GPS that facilitates navigation.  Even while using my GPS and the correct GPS track I got misoriented both during the day and at night.  Have a GPS if you plan on running the SUT.

Seven aid stations (VPs) support the event and are generally evenly spread over the course of the SUT.  For a race of this distance the distribution and number of VPs forces runners to prepare and manage their own nutrition and hydration plans.  Support at each of the VPs was exceptional through the volunteers who were simply tremendous and the fare that was offered.  Pacers are authorized after VP 5.  I am not certain if any runners used pacers during the 2016 SUT.  Personally, I’m not a fan of pacing.  Dig deep cupcake, it’s your 100 miler!  

 (Photos Courtesy of Baumann)

Georg Kunzfled, Benedikt Wenzel and Jeremy Paxson broke away from the pack very early in the race with a blistering pace.  They dominated the race throughout the next twenty-plus hours.  Over the course of the event and its distance the running field spread out considerably.  Georg’s winning time was 21:06 and Claudia and Peer finished in 32:53.  Thankfully there was an enchanting harvest moon on 15 October as I spent a good deal of time trekking over the night course alone.

Highpoints of my race included running with a number of friends including Ramin, Jo, Jörg, Martin, Torsten, Tim, Inge, and Fons and meeting/running with Dieter, Ambrogio and Fredrik.  All of the VPs and their associated volunteers were fantastic, but special mention must go to Jürgen, his wife and Tim who hosted VPs 1 and 6.  Jürgen, himself an accomplished ultra-runner, catered to our every need and as always took some amazing photos.  I’ve been running in the Schoenbuch for more than eight years, but had no idea that there was so much new and unexplored single track.  Andreas – your SUT course improvements were phenomenal.  I’ll be back out there to explore them.  Oh – My compliments on the sock idea as a finisher gift.  Tee-shirts are cool, but the Wright Socks kick ass.

By and large I avoided any low points worth mentioning.  Any 100 miler is a test.  There is truth in the saying that “in a 100 mile race the physical is 90% while the mental stuff are the other 90%”.  My low point usually arrives in the early morning hours around 0300 or 0400.  Fortunately I was able to run with Dieter, Ambrogio, Fredrik and Torsten during this phase.  We shared a lot of laughs and kept one another moving forward.  I got to finish with Torsten who was on his way to complete his German Six Pack (six 100 milers in six weeks).  Damn Torsten... 

 (Photo Courtesy of Andy) 

The Schoenbuch Ultra Trail is a fantastic, friendly, challenging trail event.  I can’t think of a single thing I’d suggest changing.  Andreas - I hope you find the energy to host a fourth SUT in 2018!  Thanks again to you and everyone that organized, supported and ran this amazing event.

WiBoLT 2016

On 25 May 2016 I found myself in Wiesbaden at Schloss Biebrich getting ready to take part in the 2016 WiBoLT, Germany’s longest non-stop foot race.  Sitting here three days later having only completed 231KM of the 320KM necessary to qualify as a WiBoLT finisher my thoughts are all over the map about the WiBoLT experience.  Yep, I DNFed and while in my personal “Pain Cave” on the course I decided not to attempt this event ever again, I am resting my tired bones and waiting a day or two before actually sending in my application for 2017.

Before we progress much further let me provide you with a bit of an introduction to the WiBoLT.  The WiBoLT or Wiesbaden Bonn Long Trail is a 320KM or 200 Mile foot race that courses over 11,700 meters or 38,385 feet of elevation change. The start occurs at Schloss Biebrich in Wiesbaden with the finish in Bonn.  The race course follows the renowned Rheinsteig hiking trail.  The Rheinsteig itself is made up of about 45 percent forest paths and trails, 35 percent graveled paths and 20 percent asphalt surfaced country lanes.  Michael Esser and a team of incredible volunteers host and manage a race event that spans the distance over almost four days of non-stop running.

Going into the 2016 WiBoLT I did not consider myself trained or ready to start.  Work and other responsibilities took priority over investing time in quality training.  My general thoughts on starting were that I had had good experiences at the Brocken-Challenge and Hexentanz and if worse came to worse I could gut through the tough parts and complete the gargantuan distance of 320KM.  In my thinking I failed to take into consideration the immense elevation change that plays itself out over the Rheinsteig.  More on that later…

On Wednesday afternoon I joined some 55 other WiBoLT starters at Schloss Biebrich.  The start area was simple, check in was easy and it was good to see some familiar faces.  After getting checked in I repacked my drop bag into the WiBoLT provided bag and turned it in.  From there we walked to a nearby hotel where a meal was served as part of pre-race events.  Many of the runners that were new to the WiBoLT asked about a race briefing with no real responses.  Not normal for a race of this nature, but I figured I ride with it and see what happened.

Shortly before 1800 Michael asked us to cross over to some steps that are located on a promenade adjacent to the Rhine River.  I believe that many of us thought that the race brief would occur at this point, which you could say did happen.  Michael welcomed us, told us that there were several new and important aid stations and indicated that it was important to stop at the aid stations – to get aid.  If you didn’t find or stop at the aid stations you couldn’t get any aid.  Logical…  At about 1805 he wished us luck and sent us on our way.  That was the brief, simple and to the point.  I like it!

So at 1800ish we took off way too quickly along the Rheinsteig.  Initally we remained in a relatively large group, but the first ten kilometers of the course stretch through portions of Wiesbaden and we slowly, but surely got split up by traffic lights and the different tempos runners were using early on.  From Wiesbaden we headed into the surrounding vineyards.  The weather was pleasant with mild temperatures and no rain.  At Schlangenbad we rolled into the first of many aid stations (VPs).  The fare was simple but adequate and the volunteers were exceptional as they were over the course of the entire event. From Schlangenbad we moved back into the hills that make up the Rheinsteig.  Over the course of an event like this I tend to seek out or develop a rhythm for the event.  Doing so helps me adjust mentally and physically.  The WiBoLT’s flow enabled a similar rhythmic approach.  We would transition through VPs at every 20 kilometers or so.  Our drop bags would be available at the Loreley and Feldkirchen with the opportunity to sleep at these two large VPs as well as at Oberkestert and Braubach.

While on the WiBoLT course Wednesday night was probably the hardest night for me.  Going into the evening the weather was mild with the moon rising very late.  In the every early morning hours on Thursday it began to ran and I was further challenged by the shift in my sleep schedule.  I was surprised to experience a couple of hallucinations this early in the race and link them to the darkness, lack of visibility because of the rain and my off kilter sleep schedule.  Shortly before dawn we were awash in a torrential downpour that soaked me to the bone.  Based on the weather forecast I had decided to stage my Gore-Tex jacket and trousers in my drop bag and pick them up a the Loreley for the rain that was forecast for Saturday.  Fortunately, the temperatures were mild and it was still early in the race so that I was able to maintain a good pace and remain pleasantly warm.  At this juncture I simply accepted the weather and embraced these early hallucinations and looked forward to sunrise.

Thursday morning arrived cool and foggy, but with the promise that the day was actually going to turn out to be pretty amazing.  As the profile suggests I spent much of the day climbing and descending over the course of the Rheinsteig.  Going long and hard like we were the up and down rhythm almost becomes a routine.  You learn to recognize that you are going to ascend and descend once or twice before passing by a Rhine riverside village to once again ascend back into the hills.  Because we were not trailing in the Alps those 11,700 meters of elevation change had to come form somewhere.  Instead of going HIGH we went MORE, much MORE…  

(Photo Courtesy of Lutz Kalitzsch)

The Loreley VP was phenomenal with our first opportunity to eat a full meal, shower and sleep.  I bunked with Lutz and Torsten and got two hours of sleep.  Getting back in gear to head back out on the course was a bit of challenge, but at this juncture we were well ahead of the cutoff timeline and eased back into the WiBoLT rhythm.  Our next significant stop was at Uschi’s Wanderstation where I had a bit of noodles and meat sauce and shut down for another hour of sleep.

(Photo Courtesy of Eva Gracka)

(Photo Courtesy of Eva Gracka)

After being on the course for more than thirty hours it seemed that my body and sleep rhythm had adjusted somewhat to the stress it was under.  Faced with light rain and only three hours of sleep so far I was surprised that I held things together much better than the first night.  Yes, I was tired, but I didn’t have to fight as hard as I did the first evening.  I didn’t go into the Pain Cave.

Friday morning found us in Braubach.  Weather conditions were relatively stable and I was holding things together for the most part.  Back on Wednesday evening I began to experience a knot or cramp in my left calf.  I tried stretching this tightness or cramp out to little or no avail.  Friday morning at the Rathaus VP in Braubach I rolled my leg on a bottle to massage it and try to loosen it up.  This condition would continue to worsen over the next day or so and was a big part of my decision to withdraw at Feldkirchen.

From Braubach we coursed to Lahnstein and the Ruppertsklamm.  Trailing into the Ruppertsklamm was incredible.  The pictures below simply don’t do this gorge justice.  It is worth a visit in and of itself.

 (Photo Courtesy of Lutz Kalitzsch)

The VP at the Lahnstein Hiking Shelter was great.  When I first saw it I didn’t think that it was for us as it appeared that a group of families were having a grill party.  They actually were and the party was for us.  It was nice to sit down next to fire and warm my tired bones and dry some of my stuff.

From Lanhstein we set out via Koblenz to the VP at Vallendar.  Our trip into town was one of two that we actually experienced over the course of the Rheinsteig.  The afternoon sun was incredible compared to the cold rain we’d been under for the last day or so.  Between the Shelter at Lahnstein and the VP at Vallendar I got in another 26 minute sleep period on a bench beside the Rheinsteig trail.  Heaven!  Sometimes it’s pretty amazing what a quick nap like this will give back to you.  I put my head down on my race pack was out and 26 minutes later awoke and was ready to go.  The rest and strength that I drew from this stop were critical to the next leg as it was to prove to be the most challenging.

Seeking to trek from Sayn to Rengsdorf was just down right hard.  This leg pushed me to the boundaries of my perceived mental and physical limits.  Terrain wise the move was not more difficult than any of the other legs of this course.  Course markings were present, but perhaps not always accurate.  The GPS track that I was using could be considered OK.  Somehow given the lay of the land, location of Rengsdorf and my quickly running out of water I got very mis-oriented and spent way too much time seeking the VP.  Rengsdorf rests at the top of a hill that parallels the Rheinsteig to the left.  As you move along the Rheinsteig you can see the lights of Rengsdorf above you. The course track does however take you away from Rengsdorf and you lose sight of the town’s lights leading you to think that you were lost.  The search for Rengsdorf and the VP would see us blow arriving at the VP before it closed which led to further issues…

As we finally arrived in Rengsdorf we followed the painted arrows that indicated VP and the specific location of the aid station.  This had been the case in many of the other towns and villages we had visited previously.  When we arrived at the “VP” we found the letters “V P” Xed out with follow on arrows leading across the street.  The term “VP” had been changed to read “VW” (Apparently a play on words considering the car manufacturer.).  In bad need of water and something to eat I called the Race Director.  He told me that the VP had closed at mid-night, but the VP team had left us enough drinks and food all should be good.  He was however unable to accurately explain where this cache was located.  Fortunately, another racer passed by with his wife.  After greeting them she indicated that she knew where the cache was and would take us there.

When we finally arrived at what was the VP in Rengsdorf we were treated to a limited supply of water, cola and some snacks.  Thankfully the wife of the runner mentioned above had enjoyed pizza earlier that evening.  She and her kids offered us their leftovers – an entire pizza.  Delicious! 

So after cramming down the treat of a left over cold pizza and refilling my water supplies we headed out into the night with about thirteen kilometers to go until the major VP at Feldkirchen and the 0600 cutoff time.

Travel over this leg of the course was nothing new.  We trekked up and down, across fields, and into the forest.  Initially no big deal, but like all good things, this too had to come to an end.  The guy I was running with found and could not get out of his dark place.  We had to stop repeatedly either to allow him to catch up or to let him set down and sleep for a few minutes.  After a short period a light approached us from behind.  This was the runner whose wife had provided us Pizza in Rengsdorf.  I was very surprised to see him as he had left well before me at Rengsdorf.  He told me that he too had decided to sit down for a “few minutes”, but was awoken much later by the cold. 

My thoughts were…  OK – three are better than one and we have until 0800 to get to Rengsdorf.  I was quickly corrected on this later point – we had to arrive at Feldkirchen for a 0600 cut off time and to add an additional challenge, a dense fog rolled in and one of the runner’s headlamp’s failed with no replacement batteries.  No mistakes could be made now if we were going to make the 0600 cutoff time.

The three of us pushed hard to cover the last five or so kilometers in order to come in before the cutoff time of 0600.  In the end – we made it at 0555.  The Feldkirchen Volunteer Team kicked into action and asked what they could provide us.  I told them that I wanted to get a shower, get dressed to go back, get a quick two hour nap eat and then head out.

I took a shower and headed into the quite space to get some sleep.  I set my alarm for an hour later, laid down and was immediately awoken by my alarm.  I don’t recall the last time I so easily turned off from being awake and going to sleep.  After waking up a bit I noticed that my left leg, my knee in particular, had swollen to about twice its normal size.  After a couple of quick sms exchanges with a couple of friends I decided to withdraw.  Doing so was pretty straightforward – really no doubt in my mind given the worsening condition of my leg.  I’m not certain what caused this injury, but decided that going on was not worth taking the risk of ruining the rest of my 2016 running season.  My leg remains painful and swollen.  I’ll probably pay the doctor a visit tomorrow.  More than anything I’m curious about what’s going on and the cause of this injury to avoid it in the future.  Run on another day…

My WiBoLT take-aways:

- 320KM is a damn long way. 
- 11,700 meters of elevation change are a whole butt load of elevation gain and loss.
- Combine the two and the WiBoLT is an ass kicker.  No kidding.
- Distance is what you make of it.  The earlier you acknowledge and appreciate that you are going to hurt and enter your personal dark space the earlier you can accept and work through it.
- Self-awareness; Patience; and the Ability to Embrace the Moment.

I DNFed the 2016 WiBoLT.  Are there questions about my DNF that remain?  Sure.  But not like previous DNFs.  I’m not sitting here doubting myself.  I know where I stand with this race and am good with that.  I had a great time at the WiBoLT.  Michael and his team put on an extraordinary event.  I’ll be back.  In fact, I think I mentioned above that I’m resting and waiting on applying.  I changed my mind...  This report is finished.  I’m switching over to work on my application for 2017!

You know that this report would not be complete without a quote from some obscure song.  Let me take you back the early morning hours of Thursday.  Ozzy joined me as I was in my pain cave and shared some inspiration…  

Howling in shadows
Living in a lunar spell
He finds his heaven
Spewing from the mouth of hell
Those that the beast is looking for
Listen in awe and you’ll hear him

Bark at the moon…

Hexenstieg Ultra 2015

2015 saw the fourth running of the Hexenstieg Ultra.  The Hexenstieg Ultra Race Director, Michael Frenz, has established a phenomenal event that generally follows the course of the Harzer Hexenstieg Hiking Trail.  The race course begins and ends in Osterode am Harz; traveling through the Harz National Park and Harz Mountains.  For the casual hiker this course ends in Thale.  For participants in the Hexenstieg Ultra, Thale marks the 112KM aid station and turn around point facilitating an actual course distance of 216KM or approximately 135 miles.  The race opens on Friday morning at 0600 and closes on Sunday morning at 0600 limiting the course cut off time to 48 hours.

So let’s step back for a minute…  A go at a distance of 216KM is a challenge; clearly an ultra-distance.  But dear reader, like a number of other uniquely challenging events, it is not the distance alone that makes the Hexenstieg Ultra one of a kind.  Adding to “the sweetness” of this ultra are a number of other dynamic factors.  In addition to the distance runners face 4,500 meters or 14,764 feet of elevation change including summiting the Brocken.  Late April weather conditions in the Harz are best described as dramatically unpredictable.  2015 conditions included sunshine, blue skies and mild temperatures on Friday, 24 April.  Friday night was cool and relatively clear.  Saturday and early Sunday morning included low temperatures, rain, sleet and snow and very high wind at elevation.  Harzer weather conditions were to come back to haunt me later in my 2015 attempt.  More on that later…  Oh, we can’t also lose sight of the distance between aid stations (sometimes up to 30KM) and the roughness of some of the trails (when there was a trail). 

As the old saying goes, no good plan survives initial contact…  In this case my plans going into the Hexenstieg 2015 did not survey my work issues three weeks prior to the event.  I had initially planned to take Thursday, 23 April off in order to leisurely travel to Osterode to take part in pre-race activities.  Instead, I faced either not starting at all or traveling after a full work day Thursday evening.  After talking with Micha and Lutz, my running partner, I decided to give the journey a go.  I finally got out of Stuttgart and into classic German traffic jams at 1800 Thursday evening.  The trip to Osterode took me until about 2215.  My reception by Coni, Stefan and Micha that evening was simply fantastic and a clear reminder why I prefer running these small, friendly venues.  Coni had my starter kit set up, Stefan offered me dinner and Micha provided a personal brief on the course and event.  I remain very appreciative for Lutz’s gracious attitude in our hotel room.  He allowed me to keep him awake until 2300 organizing my running kit and getting caught up with him.   

Friday morning came much too early with the only saving grace being the great breakfast spread that Stefan and his team at the Hotel Harzer Hof provided for us.  I can’t say enough about Stefan and the Hotel Harzer Hof crew.  Annually, Stefan turns the Harzer Hof into the headquarters for the Hexenstieg Event days and all that comes with them.  Many thanks Stefan! 

After gathering in front of the hotel for a short final briefing and a couple of pictures we set out for a group run to the start of the Hexenstieg trail.  From the trail head Simon Gfeller and Michael Wagner led early and would dominate the race over the next thirty-plus hours.  Simone and Michael tied the finish with a new course record in 31:24.  Steffi Praher had am an amazing race finishing for the ladies in 41:55.  Lutz and I had planned a slow deliberate approach to the next couple of days.  Our investment in patience paid dividends for us over the long run.

Friday was simply amazing with blue skies and ideal running temperatures.  Watching the barometer and the weather over the course of the day it was hard to imagine anything but a wonderful event.

Lutz and I coursed over the route with few worries until we departed the Goetheweg to the west of the Brocken Mountain and got onto the track along the Eckar stream.  From here we were challenged by a good bit of deadfall and extremely wet surface conditions caused by snow melt.  My thinking at the time…  “It’s not an ultra unless you have wet, trashed feet!”  Passing the Eckartalsperre it was great to look south and know that the Brocken loomed out there.

Highpoints of my 2015 Hexenstieg included a number of different locations and experiences starting with the Brocken.  The Brocken is a magical mountain.  Yep, it takes some time to get there on foot, particularly if you leave the Goetheweg and head off in the opposite direction to the Eckartalsperre.  The approach to the summit up the old Kolonnenweg is in and of itself a gut check.  Upon finally arriving, Lutz introduced me to the Brocken Bahnhof Gastaette which was a real treat.  A bowl of pea stew never tasted better!

From the Brocken we traveled 26KM to Ruebeland and the aid station within the Gasthaus, Tannengrund another of my highlights.  It was here that I discovered the joy associated with drinking an alcohol free Hefeweissen in 2014.  I enjoyed the same again this year with some of the open faced sandwiches that were on hand for our culinary delight.  Evening and darkness were approaching as we left the warmth of the Tannengrund.  Our next aid station objective was the Hotel Bodeblick in Treseburg.

Unlike 2014 I was not hurting as badly as I had in the past when coursing to the Hotel Bodeblick.  The course travels 21KM from Ruebeland to Thale and the turnaround point.  This year I was more anxious than not to pass through Treseburg and close on Thale and an opportunity to reset for my approach to the second half. 

Die Sonne versinkt,                           The sun goes down,
der Himmel wird Pink.                        the sky turns pink.
Die Nacht beginnt,                             The night begins,
dein Leben macht wieder Sinn.          your life makes sense again.
-Seeed Molotov                                -Seeed Molotov

The aid station in Thale run by Gabi, Simone and Simone’s husband was phenomenal!  Here we had the opportunity to shower, switch out or take on additional gear/clothing, sleep and eat.  I took advantage of the station and did some preventative maintenance on my feet, changed tee-shirts and ate.  I did not sleep.  I also committed my largest mistake of the 2015 Hexenstieg by not picking up my Gore-Tex jacket and rain pants.  Looking back this was a distinctly amateur mistake having now hiked and run in the Harz for going on six years.

From the aid station at Thale Lutz and I headed up to the Hexentanzplatz enroute to the aid station at Treseburg.  Going back out we didn’t spend much time at the Hotel Bodeblick only enough to check in, grab a bite and a drink and we were on our way through the night to Hasselfelde.  Oh the night…  It’s funny what happens within the orb of light cast by a headlamp.  I can’t say that I experienced any hallucinations this first night, but do recall going deep within and very nearly, if not actually sleeping while we moved.

Saturday morning we arrived in Hasselfelde and instead of visiting the Total Gas Station we stopped at a bakery and had a fantastic breakfast – probably the best coffee I had all weekend!  From breakfast we faced another 20KM trek to Mandelholz and the Hotel Gruene Tanne.  We arrived in Mandelholz in time for lunch – my tanks definitely needed a fill up prior to the 19KM stretch to our second drop bag at Saint Andreasberg. 

The stretch between Mandelholz and Saint Andreasberg was one of the most challenging for me mentally.  The Wendeltreppe just to the west of the Rinderstall and just shy of the aid station was physically challenging, but not the cause of my difficulty.  Moving into Saint Andreasberg I was mentally spent and having sever motivation issues.  Adding to my difficulties was the fact that it had started raining and was not to stop doing so for much of the remainder of the race.

The aid station at Saint Andreasberg afforded me an opportunity to again maintain my feet, eat and restock from my second drop bag.  Lutz and I did not remain long in order to work through the remaining 41KMs left on the course.  The rain, exhaustion and cold really began to take a toll on me at this point.  With our pace I was unable to gain or retain any warmth.  I cursed myself for not packing or wearing my Gore-Tex kit.  While transiting the alternate route around the Oderteich I told Lutz that I would either need to drop from the race or dramatically increase our pace.  He told me to take off on my own, which although unhappy about leaving Lutz, I did.

The approach up the Bruchberg and Wolfswarter provided me the ideal opportunity to gain some heat as it was steep and rough, following the course of a creek bed.  My movement to the Wolfswarter was relatively uneventful until I arrived at the summit.  Lovely Harzer weather brought in very strong winds which were pushing sleet and snow almost horizontally.  The hiking stamp station on the Wolfswarter was one of our check points and required either a stamp or a photo of the stamp station.  In 2014 we searched to no end to locate the stamp station.  With the weather closing in and getting worse I decided to simply take a picture of the Wolfswarter summit and move back down as quickly as I could.  Picture taken I began my decent down the Oberer Bruchbergweg to the next aid station at Altenau.  The transit down the Oberer Bruchbergweg was eerie as about half way through the fog moved in and rapidly reduced my scope of vision.

Rolling into Altenau and the self-serve aid station at the Hotel Sachsenross I was filled with a bit of trepidation knowing what awaited me over the course and the night itself.  Locating the Sachsenross was no issue.  In 2014 Lutz, Andreas and I spent literally hours wondering around Altenau attempting to locate the street that took us to the 7Km long old rail line that runs between Altenau and Clausthal-Zellerfeld.  As I left the aid station I was keenly focused on staying on track to avoid 2014’s frustration.  Although I initially missed the sharp left hand turn in Altenau (ran 100 meters past it), I quickly doubled back, found the right path and headed out.

The old rail line is known within Hexenstieg circles as the “Bahndamms das grauens” or “Rail Line of Misery”.  The path is seven kilometers of almost straight going with an ever so slight incline.  On any other day it represents an easy run between the two towns.  After completing nearly 195KM of movement it represents a significant physical and mental challenge.  As I began my movement along it significant fog began to move in closing my visible world in around me even tighter.  Going over things in my mind…  I had not slept in a darn long time, I was cold, and now I could not see anything but my feet in front of me.  “What to do?”  MUSIC!  I’d carried by IPod with me the entire time and not yet used it.  I was alone, in the fog and coursing over the Hexenstieg through the night.  Not much of a better opportunity to “Turn on, Tune in and Drop out”!  I can’t say that my music shortened the transit along the “Bahndamms das grauens”, but it sure did make it more interesting.  And I can tell you that Timothy Leary would have approved of my state of mind. 

I didn’t stay long at Jens’ in Clausthal-Zellerfeld.  I saw Jens, Micha and a couple of other race supporters, but no runners.  I had a cup of coffee, dumped my trash and headed out to finish up the last 14KM of the race.  The going was foggy and slow getting to Buntenbock because of the fog.  I stopped for a BIO call just prior to the village and saw someone coming down off of the ridge line I’d just left.  When they got down to where I was standing we greeted one another and much to my surprise it was Lutz!  Our reunion was perfectly timed to head into Freiheit and Osterode together.

My 2015 take-aways...  (These are presented now after having had the opportunity to consider the Hexenstieg experience for a couple of weeks.  Just long enough not to have the pain and bad memories escape me.)  Do the Hexenstieg in 2016!  I know, I told myself, Lutz and a couple of others that I would take a break from the Hexenstieg.  However, 2016 marks the fifth anniversary AND the Hexenstieg is simply an amazing adventure.  Don’t ever consider the finish of an endurance event until you have one aid station between you and it.  I was able to manage time, distance and exhaustion by breaking the race down into the current aid station leg I was on.  Nutrition!  Nutrition!  Nutrition!  Food is fuel; you’ve got to have it to keep going physically and for me it is essential to my positive motivational wellbeing.  In an endurance event like the Hexenstieg you require both early, consistently and over the long haul.  Before attempting one of Michael Frenz’s or a similar event that includes a course that is not marked, know and understand your GPS.  Lutz and I discovered some quality features associated with our GPS that ensured we didn’t stray too far off of the race course.  Weather happens – it is neither good nor bad, it just is.  Waste little time and energy lamenting about this and instead focus on aspects within your control such as suitable clothing and gear.

The 2015 Hexenstieg was a phenomenal event!  It represents one of Europe’s toughest endurance events with a small, familiar starting field, super organization and volunteer support.  Count me in for 2016!