trailplodder

Hoka Stinson Evo trail running shoe review

2013-06-11T16:56:00.000+03:00

I got a new pair of Hoka One One Stinson Evo - my favorite oversized trail running shoe. This seems to be the same model as my 2012 SE's, only with a new black/white/red color scheme. I've logged 1,320 miles on my old pair, including a marathon, a triathlon and several Alpine ultra trail races.

New Hoka One One Stinson Evos in the shoe box.

As before, you get an extra pair of OrthoLite 'Time To Fly' insoles (about a half thinner than the 2mm ones installed in the shoes) and normal laces in case you need/want to replace the 'QuickFit' speed laces. The thinner insoles don't seem to work for me, I get blisters right away with them. In races the normal laces might perform better than the speed laces, which may have to be retightened every now and then. Anyway thoughtful details like this help separate Hoka from other brands.

Extra insoles and laces.

The outsole provides decent traction as long as it lasts. After 500 miles or so, they might get quite slippery on special wet surfaces like mud or ice. Poles and/or crampons might be very helpful on slippery slopes, especially this year with record snow situation in the Alps. I've taken a couple of scary falls in my old Hokas and wouldn't wish the trend to continue.

The outsole looks the same as the old one, except new colors.

Despite the 2.2x oversized EVA midsole, these shoes are surprisingly light: about 360 grams for size US10.5. For some mysterious reason the right shoe weighs about 15g more. Although I would never have noticed this 4 per cent additional weight without scales, I'd like my shoes to be the same weight. I'm not an expert on quality control problems in China, but a factory audit might be in order for Hoka.

The cushioning is 26mm thick under forefoot and 32mm under heel (6mm drop). When running this high off the ground you may really feel like flying. Luckily Hokas are relatively stable and I've never twisted an ankle with them (knock on wood).

2.2X oversized EVA midsoles are massive but lightweight.

The wide Stinson Evo toebox is very comfy for me, no matter what sort of socks I decide to wear. I've never noticed any major issues with my toes. Every foot is different of course and your mileage might vary.

As always make sure to choose a big enough size. Ultra running shoes should be one full size larger than your street (walking) shoes. For example my normal shoe size is US9.5, and my running shoe size is US10.5. After hours of running, it's not uncommon to discover that your poor feet have swollen to fill all that extra space.

Hoka Stinson Evo is still my favorite trail running shoe.

In my opinion Stinson Evo remains the best shoe for ultra trail running. Hoka has some competitors, but they fail to produce the special 'flying' experience. The new Rapa Nui model is a little lighter (315g size US10.5), but it's not quite as comfortable with its narrow toebox and 'only' 1.5x oversized EVA.

In summary, the main benefits of Stinson Evo are smoother ride over rocky terrain and especially in downhills as well as quicker recovery for your legs. They also possibly help prevent/cure foot issues like plantar fasciitis, but that's mostly based on my personal experience only. Around 170€ they aren't cheap, but I think they're worth it because they will last long, and make your feet last long too.

Santalahti nature trail

2013-06-08T13:56:00.001+03:00

Santalahti is always a great holiday resort to visit. It's the only 5-star camping site in Southern Finland. The beach is excellent for a nice open water swim in the sea. We've enjoyed a warm sunny summer so far, so the water was suitable for a 1500-meter swim without a wetsuit.

This time I also wanted to tour the nature trail. The views were really fantastic. This 2.5-5 km trail would be suitable for tourist family hikers. It's clearly marked with white painted stripes and signs. There is a natural spring providing excellent drinking water.

Hard rocks smoothened by the Ice Age.

The trail is marked with white painted stripes and signs. You can't get lost.

Thirsty? You can drink crystal clear cold water from this spring.

A long trail run on a long summer day

2013-06-01T22:33:00.000+03:00

It's June 1st already. The weather has been sunny and warm lately. Let's go out and run!

We've got 18.5 hours of daily sunshine right now. Sunrise at 4am and sunset around 10:30pm.

The trail by the river is one of my favorites.

It's incredible how quickly all the green stuff grows along the trails after a cold winter.

There are some open fields with tractor tracks. These are very runnable when dry.

Past storms have caused big trees to fall on the trail. The trails have been cleared now.

My route went through a nature reserve with some really old forests.

The traditional Finnish legal concept of Everyman's Right allows free access to the land.

We have some hills, but they don't seem to be high enough when training for Alpine trail runs. For 1,000 meters of cumulative ascent and descent, I have to run the big hill 33 times up and down.

I knew there was a local low-key marathon race going on in the nearby forest of Paloheinä.

This is one of Kalevi's marathon friends finishing. He had dressed up for the occasion.

I went looking for my old running buddy Kalevi (70) there, who was going to finish his 1,600th marathon race today. We once travelled to Stockholm by boat just to participate in some nutty winter marathon. It wasn't a particularly easy race. That's when I began to understand the magnitude of what Kalevi is continuously accomplishing. He often runs several marathons in a week and also does ultras on the side.

Kalevi (left) celebrates with some cake after finishing his 1600th marathon today. RD on the right.

I congratulated Kalevi on his amazing achievement. He was very modest about it. Then we ate some delicious cake to celebrate.

What an amazing summer day with great runners!

Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

2013-05-24T19:44:00.002+03:00

Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell PhD and Howard Jacobson PhD aims to change the way we think about health and nutrition by taking a more wholistic view.

Dr. Campbell is 79-year-old biochemist, whose doctoral dissertation half a century ago was on the greater biological value of animal-based protein. Coming from a dairy farm, that was a natural choice for him.

Campbell's "slippery slope to heresy" began in the late 1970ies, when he discovered a connection between animal protein and cancer. Initially he naively expected to be praised for his scientific results, but soon realized that he had strayed beyond the paradigm of mainstream science.

Having tasted the forbidden fruit, he got hooked despite attacks and criticism. Campbell's magnum opus The China Study came out in 2005. (It's a lot of information to digest, so here's a convenient China Study cheat sheet.) Campbell starred in the 2011 documentary Forks Over Knives.

Whole is more like a biography of a nutritionist than one of those diet books with success stories and recipes. However there is nothing more convincing than experiencing the benefits of WFPB (Whole Foods Plant-Based) yourself. The following paragraph would be a great starting point:

"The ideal human diet looks like this: Consume plant-based foods in forms as close to their natural state as possible ("whole" foods). Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and whole grains. Avoid heavily processed foods and animal products. Stay away from added salt, oil and sugar. Aim to get 80 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 10 percent from fat, and 10 percent from protein."

For reductionists nutrition is just the sum of the effects of individual nutrients. This is why we count calories, pay attention to nutritional labels, wonder if we get enough protein at each meal, or add ketchup to our meal because it's a source of lycopene.

From a holistic point of view that doesn't make much sense. For example an apple may do more inside our bodies than all the known effects of its nutrients. However it's difficult to say what a particular apple will do for you, due to differences in nutrition content, individual absorption rates, and complex chemical interactions. Our bodies are much more intelligent than we think, taking and using what is needed in each case.

If WFPB could be sold as a pill, it sure would make a lot of money. Imagine a drug with the following effects:

prevents 95% of cancers
prevents heart attacks and strokes
reverses heart disease
prevents and reverses Type 2 diabetes
gets you to your ideal weight in a healthy and sustainable fashion
eliminates most migranes, acne, colds and flu, chronic pain and intestinal distress
improves energy
cures erectile dysfunction.

There would the also be following positive side-effects:

slows and possibly reverses global warming
reduces groundwater contamination
ends the need for deforestation
shuts down factory farms
reduces malnutrition.

That's quite a list! But you can't patent a diet recommendation.

T. Colin Campbell clearly believes in nutritional rather than genetic determinism. The former states that healthy nutrition can control our genes by turning on health genes and suppressing disease genes. Lately Angelina Jolie has strongly supported the latter. As Dr John McDougall comments, the potential harms of radical surgery outweigh the benefits. Improving your diet will always be easier, healthier, cheaper and smarter than chopping off body parts.

The bottom line is that the food you eat is the most powerful determinant of your health. Who knows, Whole might soon be known as the book that inspired the world to eat plant-based whole foods. There are some signs that we are moving in that direction anyway:

The power vegans are already on the rise.
Part-time veganism like Mark Bittman's VB6 (Vegan Before 6pm) has been a successful way to start for many.
Restaurants everywhere, including in China, are serving delicious plant-based options, which are more popular than ever.

Whole is a an honest health book by an honest healthy scientist.

A good day to win a marathon

2013-05-19T16:19:00.001+03:00

It was early Monday morning, April 17th, 1972. Olavi Suomalainen, a 25-year-old Finnish runner, wakes up in Boston and looks at the grey sky. "This is a good day to win a marathon", he announces cheerfully. Olavi's longest run so far has been 25 km.

Olavi Suomalainen wins Boston Marathon in April 1972.

A few hours later Mr. Suomalainen crossed the finish line of the 76th Boston Marathon with widespread arms in 2:15:39. He had just won the world's most prestigious marathon. Boston Globe reported: Finn takes lead at Lake St., breezes home. How was this possible?

Finland had won Boston seven times before already, the last four of them in a row from 1959-1962. After that there was a more quiet period without major victories. Interval training, the cornerstone of training in the 1960ies, seemed like the magic bullet at first, but then failed to produce further improvements.

Arthur Lydiard's new controversial training method helped Finnish distance runners get to the top of the world in the 1970ies. Lydiard replaced interval training with a huge aerobic base. At first most people were reluctant to believe in big mileage training followed by a short intense period to peak for a key race.

The real significance of Olavi Suomalainen's 1972 Boston Marathon victory was that it proved without a doubt to all Finnish runners and coaches that Lydiard's method was working for real. With this newfound confidence, Pekka Vasala won 1,500 meters Olympic gold in Munich. Lasse Viren won both 5,000 and 10,000 meters at 1972 and 1976 Olympics.

Mr. Suomalainen kisses the 1st official female Boston Marathon winner Nina Kuscsik.

Olavi Suomalainen returned to Boston in 1973 to take the third place, but was never quite able to repeat his magical 1972 performance. That winning time remains his marathon PB to this day. Unfortunate injuries prevented further victories. Suomalainen never became a big star or celebrity. He surely wasn't interested in fame. Any limelight would almost seem like a punishment for the shy, reserved and modest Finns.

In April 2012, Olavi Suomalainen visited Boston once more. He was recognized by the Boston Athletic Association at its Champion's Breakfast. The fastest Finnish participant finished with a net time of 3:26 - 2,608th position out of 21,616 runners. The previous year Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya had run the fastest marathon ever in Boston, 2:03:02. Many things had changed in four decades.

Olavi was invited to visit Boston once more in April 2012.

That was a good day to win a marathon, Olavi must have thought.

Mont Blanc 80km course preview

2013-05-14T13:03:00.000+03:00

Mont Blanc 80km is a new exciting ultra trail running event around Chamonix on June 28th with a generous 24-hour cutoff and epic 6,000 meters of cumulative ascent. The highest point is Col de Terrasse 2,643m.

Vallée du Trail is one of the best locations for trail running in Europe. We all know how crazy successful UTMB has become among mountain 100-milers. This newcomer will likely establish itself among the world's top 50-milers in a similar way. [Update: Mont Blanc 80km will be 2014 Skyrunning World Championship for ultra-distance.]

The 2013 race was quickly sold out already in October, but there may be a few cancelled spots available for registration right now if you are interested.

The famous Mont Blanc Marathon events will be held on the same weekend as follows:

Mont Blanc 80km (700 runners) on Friday 28 June, 4:00AM.
Mont Blanc Vertical Km (400 runners) on Friday 28 June, 4:00PM.
Mont Blanc Cross 23km (1,500 runners) on Saturday 29 June, 8:30AM.
Mont Blanc 10km (800 runners) on Saturday 29 June, 9:00AM.
Mont Blanc Mini Cross 0.8/2/3km on Saturday 29 June, 11:00AM.
Mont Blanc Marathon (2,000 runners), on Sunday June 30, 7:00AM.

Based on this course map, I took a few screenshots from Google Earth to better illustrate this scenic clockwise loop course. See you in Chamonix and happy training!

This is how the clockwise 80km loop would look like from the top of Mont Blanc (4,810m).

This is the view towards Mont Blanc (South), Chamonix in the center, starting route on the right, finish on the left.

This is the high route on the France/Swiss border towards Lac d'Emosson. The highest point is 2,643m.

Another view from the south side.

We will visit the town of Vallorcine at 45km, which I remember well from CCC 2012.

Before finishing, we climb up to 2,000m once more to see Mer de Glace, France's largest glacier.

Best trail running photo ever

2013-04-29T19:39:00.001+03:00

Kilian training above Montenvers, originally uploaded by Tristan Shu.

I think 'Kilian training above Montenvers' by Tristan Shu is the best trail running photo ever.

What makes it even more exciting for me is the fact that I'll be running the Mont-Blanc 80K there in 2 months! The scenic and technical course goes through Montenvers at France's largest glacier Mer de Glace before finishing in Chamonix.

At the moment there is still plenty of snow in this area. I hope the weather will turn sunny and warm so it will all clear by June 28th.

Happy trails!

Hoka Rapa Nui review

2013-04-27T10:44:00.001+03:00

Hoka One One shoes have worked well for my ultra trail running. Initially I used to be a little sceptic of the oversized concept, but now I'm a big fan. Even some hardcore minimalist peeps seem to prefer Hokas for their longer races at least. We ultrarunners tend to put our money where our feet are.

April is like Christmas to me. That's when the latest Hoka collection usually becomes available in Europe. Last year I got Stinson Evo, my favorite ultra trail shoe. Now I wanted to test Rapa Nui, the little brother. I felt like Forrest Gump, who's momma famously said: "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

The most obvious difference is the lower price: Rapa Nui costs 'only' 135€, while Stinson Evo tops at 170€. The shipment from France cost me 22€, so these shoes are not cheap. Are they worth it? As far as durability is concerned the answer is most probably yes, based on my Hoka 1000-mile wear test.

Rapa Nui shares five features in common with Stinson Evo:

Synthetic upper made of PU/polyester mesh/TPU.
Outsole with 4mm 'Hoka Grip' lugs.
OrthoLite 2mm 'Time To Fly' -insoles.
'Quick Fit' speed lacing system.
The heel strap and overall construction is similar.

The main five differences introduced by Rapa Nui are (compared to Stinson Evo):

Midsole 1.5x oversized HiR EVA (2.2x HiP EVA).
Cushioning thickness 21-26 mm (26-32 mm).
Heel to toe drop 5 mm (6 mm).
10% reduced weight (my US10.5 Rapa Nui is 315g, my US10.5 Stinson Evo is 350g.)
Rapa Nui lacks the 4 mm molded EVA footbed (that Stinson Evo has).

Ok, that sounds fine in theory, but how about actual running? I tested Rapa Nui on various surfaces:

Dirt path/road (quite smooth and hard): excellent, lighter and faster feeling than Stinson Evo.
Soft (mud, snow, sand) single trail: good grip, feels better than Stinson Evo.
Ice (very slippery conditions): ok if you slow down, poles would help (about the same as Stinson Evo).
Alpine trail (hilly and rocky): easier climbing uphill, not as super-comfy as Stinson Evo in downhill.
Asphalt/tarmac: obviously not meant for road races, but short passages are perfectly ok (Stinson Evo would be better on roads because it has more cushioning).
Wet (rain, puddles, streams): no major problems (about the same as Stinson Evo).

In cold/cool weather all Hokas are good with thick running socks. I haven't tested Rapa Nui in hot weather yet, but I guess it would be about the same as Stinson Evo. In summer all you can do is wear thinner socks and hope for the best. If blisters or other issues appear during ultras, changing dry socks might be a great idea.

Rapa Nui felt surprisingly stable. Certainly more stable than Stinson Evo. This is probably simply because your feet are closer to the ground. Hokas don't have any specific stability technology yet, but I've heard they are developing something new to be released in 2014. Apparently some over-pronators have requested it. I don't need it though, I'm good with current design as the sole is pretty wide and I generally tend to dislike all anti-stability shoes anyway.

The outsole design is different from my 2012 Stinson Evo. I think this new outsole would be better in gnarly conditions like those experienced in UTMB 2012. Butt-sliding down muddy slopes in pitch dark has never exactly been been my forte, so I welcome this improvement with open arms. Bravo Hoka!

With the new thinner midsole, Rapa Nui is recommended from short to mid distances, whereas Stinson Evo is designed from mid to ultra long distances. Having said that, we should keep in mind that Rapa Nui still sports 1.5 times midsole volume compared to your average trail running shoe. So I plan to use Rapa Nui in my next race: 80km du Mont Blanc. After that experience we will know more.

One thing I should mention is the mild smell that you may notice when you open the shoe box for the first time. Like with many other shoes manufactured in China, this may be caused by the formaldehyde-containing glue or some other toxic stuff they liberally use. If you suspect that you might have any problem with that, you may be interested in this information about shoe allergies.

I think it's fair to say that the Hoka toe box is pretty large, but amazingly some runners have commented online that it's still not wide or high enough for them. I'm afraid this is bad news for their toes: the new Rapa Nui toe box feels a bit tighter than that of Stinson Evo. I hope it won't harm anything, but I can feel the upper being closer to my toes than I would like. Naturally this is a very personal thing as every foot is different. The only piece of advice I can give is that if you are wondering which shoe size would fit you better, I'd err on the side of too big rather than too small.

Like Forrest Gump said: "Mama says they was magic shoes. They could take me anywhere." And that's all I have to say about that!

Except if you are wondering what Rapa Nui means. I think it has something to do with Easter Island. Who knows, these shoes might be great in a race there.

Paleo fad debunked

2013-04-07T12:54:00.001+03:00

This blog used to be titled Paleo Runner (as the url still shows). The main reason for it was that Google Trends showed skyrocketing interest in 'paleo'. With hindsight, the whole idea of recreating an authentic paleo lifestyle by pushing a shopping trolley down the aisles of the supermarket was rather silly to begin with. Sorry!

"Why not long to be aquatic, since life arose in the sea?", biology professor Marlene Zuk jokes in her new book Paleofantasy. "The catch is, if we want to go back to a healthier way of life, what exactly should we emulate?", she asks. Now that's a million dollar (and year) question.

"A growing movement seeks to reproduce the hunter-gatherer lifestyle: running barefoot, pondering polygamy, relying on a diet of meat. But even our ancestors never lived this way. And besides, modern humans have evolved", Zuk sums it up in recent article Paleomythic: How People Really Lived During the Stone Age.

Interestingly, Zuk also points out that "...Paleos are in direct opposition to a growing number of scientists and athletes who believe that running long distances can be healthy, and that humans have evolved doing just that."

The Meat Myth: humans have no known adaptations to meat consumption.

As paleontologist Christina Warinner shows in the TED talk below, humans have no anatomical, physiological or genetic adaptations to meat consumption.

Modern broccoli and other cabbages are developed by humans from wild flowers.

Our ancestors sure did a good job adapting to a wide range of tough conditions. They lived through dramatic climate changes. Whatever they were able to eat, it was probably something quite different from our modern man-made foods. And it was probably a lot more challenging to raise a family than today.

Christina Warinner presents the following three take-away points for us:

Fresh foods.
Whole foods.
Diversity is key.

That's it: paleo diet unhyped. There are no books, recipes, movies, supplements, apparel, coaching, retreats, seminars or anything else to buy.

Point 1: eat fresh foods.

Point 2: eat whole foods.

Point 3: diversity is key.

Still not convinced? Rationalwiki has more about Paleo diet, stating it's indeed a fad diet and concluding: "Eating like a caveman is not likely to be the healthiest option."

13 weeks to prepare for 80km du Mont Blanc 2013

2013-03-28T11:10:00.000+02:00

Time flies. Only 13 weeks to prepare for 80km du Mont Blanc on 28 June 2013. It's going to be the hardest 50-miler ever. 7 peaks to climb with a total of 6,000 meters (19,685ft) vertical. 24 hours. Epic.

Here are some photos of the course I took last summer in Chamonix. Bon courage!

The Summit Seeker - ultra trail running book review

2013-03-24T12:36:00.001+02:00

The Summit Seeker - Memoirs of a Trail Running Nomad is a new running book by Vanessa Runs. It's a concise biography of a young woman who retired by age 30 and loves to run. I downloaded it from iTunes for mere 3.99€ and read it at once. There are not too many books written by runners. I enjoyed Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and was hoping for something similar, but different. I wasn't disappointed.

There may be more experienced or successful runners than Vanessa, but possibly few of them could write as well as she. The book was smooth and pleasant to read, just like her blog. No need for ghost writers in this case. Vanessa used to have a job as an editor, before she quit working. Still it's good to have someone else edit your book. This book was edited by Susan Fish, and she did a pretty good job, there were only a couple of typos.

Vanessa's father was a Babtist minister, so perhaps not surprisingly there's a lot of religious and spiritual stuff in the book. There's nothing wrong with that, but I was expecting tons of practical dietary advice like in Eat & Run by Scott Jurek. The author mentions having attended a nutrition school and having opened a nutrition practice of her own, but we only learn that she used to be fearful that there wouldn't be enough food. She is grateful for any food as she knows the value of it and what it means to be without. Like a trail hobbit, she likes to eat a second breakfast. (Yes, there's a whole chapter of hobbit lessons). She and her boyfriend Shacky also seem to love drinking beer and wine at ultras, which is something you certainly wouldn't find in say, Finding Ultra by Rich Roll.

The highlight of the book for me was the Grand Canyon R2R2R. Vanessa's crazy bunch was further enhanced with Gordy Ainsleigh, the legendary pioneer of modern ultra trail races. He also wrote the Foreword, which is almost worth the price of the book in itself. Long story short, he makes the point that ordinary people have fascinating lives, if you only could ever get them to tell the truth. The Summit Seeker is the fascinating truth about Vanessa.

The most useless chapter was 'On Ultrarunner Narcissism'. First I thought this is a joke, but Vanessa genuinely seems to suspect we ultra bums are egocentric. Actually it is a great joke, like worrying if hobos are vain! She even slaps our ugly mugs with "You're not as awesome as you think you are." Luckily she comes back to her senses on the chapter about excuses and makes a U-turn: "...instead of looking at you with admiration, people will look at you like you're insane." Coming from a triathlon background, I really wouldn't worry about us introverted nerds learning to blow our modest trumpet.

I wondered why the title is The Summit Seeker, as this book is not about mountaineering. Obviously Vanessa is not Kilian Jornet. Or who knows, maybe she will be! However there is the Chimera 100 race report, a real mountain ultra trail race which surely was a breakthrough performance for her. But ultimately this book is not about running either. It's about transformation. After all, the name Vanessa means 'butterfly'.

Perhaps Vanessa's bucket list now contains more mountain ultra trail races. Oops, I almost forgot she doesn't have a long-term plan or a bucket list. She pursues her whims as they come. I really do admire that attitude. It reminds me of something Nassim Nicholas Taleb wrote in Antifragile, but that's a different story.

The only problem is that the best ultra trail races have become so popular you cannot just show up and register a week before. Of course you are always free to organize your own events anywhere and anytime you like. And in a recent interview, she mentions wanting to run Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, Fuego y Aqua, Hardrock 100 and Angeles Crest 100 "someday".

There were not too many pages. I felt the author could have shared a lot more. Maybe she chose to save some of the stories for her next book. I'm already looking forward to reading it. Like she says at the end, her adventure has only just begun.

Vanessa has stayed hungry and foolish like a beginner, she has not lost her faith, and she does what she loves - exactly like Steve Jobs told us. I wonder why so few of us have the courage to follow this simple advice today. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

March trail

2013-03-17T15:41:00.000+02:00

It's March already with spring and sun, but we still have plenty of snow on our forest trails. This is my usual route, which I typically run several times a week. The temperatures are freezing cold, especially at night. Marching on!

A little uphill adds nice natural variety for training.

The thickness of snow is well visible here.

A frozen brook, a popular bird feeding spot.

The main forest paths like this are kept in good condition daily.

The single trails are frequently used as well.

This bridge makes crossing the road easy for hikers, bikers, skiers and runners.

Soccer players are training too.

The tower of the 1952 Olympic Stadium is hard to miss, but I guess the sign is helpful for tourists.

The statue of Paavo Nurmi, one of the most successful Finnish runners and businessmen.

Cycling from Helsinki to Costa Rica

2013-03-11T19:37:00.000+02:00

It's a long way from Helsinki to Costa Rica.

I've now cycled virtually over 6,000 miles (about 10,000 km) on my Cervelo P3 triathlon bike and Tacx Bushido wireless trainer. It equals roughly the flight distance from my hometown Helsinki to Costa Rica, a country I'd sure like to travel to in real life.

Yes, indoor cycling on a trainer isn't comparable to real outdoor activities. And as mentioned in my initial review, Tacx software is one of the buggiest and least user-friendly on Earth. But am I unhappy with my decision to buy Bushido two years ago? No way; this flawed machine has proved to be a rather wise investment.

I've done all this cycling as an extra cross-training, when I certainly wouldn't have been exercising otherwise. It hasn't taken anything away from my life thanks to a simple habit: whenever I feel compelled to surf on the net, watch a movie or play a computer game at home, I consider the possibility of doing so while cycling. This often works surprisingly well, as it paradoxally offers the opportunity to waste and save time and to exercise and relax/recover at the same time.

I've usually not even tried to use all the fancy features of the software, since I have other more fun/interesting things to attend to. I simply spin away at an appropriate effort level without thinking twice. If I really wanted to train seriously, I'd go out for a run. I just keep on cycling until I want or need to stop pedaling. There's no stress or anything like that. These are mostly 'junk miles' for sure, but I'm kind of happy to have cycled all the way to Costa Rica in two years - without leaving home!

Guess what I was doing while writing this? A bike trainer can be helpful for blogging too :)

Hoka 1000 mile wear test

2013-03-03T17:13:00.001+02:00

My first pair of Hokas: Bondi B. Fragile logo wings, but still flying high!

Hoka One One upset the minimalist running shoe scene in 2011. Co-founded by Nicolas Maermoud, the French guy who finished third in the 2007 UTMB, Hokas got me interested from day one as my goal was (and still is) to run UTMB.

The downside was they cost a fortune: 145-155€ + shipping from France. So I wanted to see if they would last 1000 miles and be a good investment compared to other shoes that cost 30% less, but last 300 miles. Long story short, the answer is yes.

My fav Hokas so far: Stinson EVO. Very comfy and reliable. Zero regrets.

My first Hokas were Bondi B in March 2011. They ended up working pretty well for me after getting used to them.

The main issue was that the size of this this model got mislabeled by a half size. Therefore some of those who mail-ordered this shoe, may have got a slightly small size. Maybe that's why I didn't initially love this model.

Eventually I finished Transgrancanaria 123 km in Bondi Bs, my longest ultra trail race so far. Now they've got 951 miles behind them. I wouldn't race in them anymore, but they still are good training shoes. I ran in deep snow (after an all-night blizzard) with them today, and they were alright in those challenging conditions.

Torn sole of Stinson EVO. The hard yellow rubber was finally broken by Finnish winter.

My favorite model is Stinson Evo, which I purchased in April 2012. I've succesfully finished many trail running races in them: Lidingö Ultra 50K, Trail del Monte Soglio, Trail Verbier St-Bernard, and CCC. I've also done a city marathon (Marathon de Paris) and an ironman-distance triathlon (Challenge Barcelona) with them.

Worn out heel cap of Stinson EVO.

I've now logged 1,002 miles with Stinson Evos, and counting. They are still very comfy and this is clearly the winner of my 1000 mile ultra test ride. However they are pretty well worn out, I've got to admit. The soles and the heels are a bit torn here and there and the speed laces were replaced a long time ago. By the way, Stinson Evos came with a thinner insole and an extra pair of laces in the box - now please tell me how many businesses would do something like that in this age of brainless cost-cutting? I thought so.

Stinson EVO: 1000 miles and counting! The winner of my ultra test ride.

Hokas are obviously not like other running shoes, but their most important advantage may be the unvisible one: they may be the most antifragile shoes on the planet! Just like us ultra trail runners, somehow they seem to get better under stress and in challenging conditions.

Actually Mafate may well be the most durable model of them all. Too bad my Mafates, which I bought in December 2011 for a reduced price, are also stiffer and heavier than the other models. Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. Shoes made of steel would last forever, but only Ironman would like them.

At the moment I've logged 675 miles with my Mafates without any major sign of wear or tear, but I'm not using them that much anymore. I'm pretty sure though that they will reach 1000 miles before I throw them away. I had to cut them a little to ease the discomfort on top of my foot. I may well keep on modifying and testing them, just for fun if not for anything else.

Mafate was the first Hoka shoe, and they were still learning and experimenting how to get it right. Nothing wrong with trial & error. A lot of runners must have liked their Mafates, or the company wouldn't have come this far.

Hoka Mafate: most durable but too stiff and uncomfortable.

My hoka story will definitely continue in 2013. I'm looking forward to testing the new Hoka Rapa Nui Comp - a lighter trail running shoe with a 5mm heel drop. More about that later, when I can figure out where to get a pair to try. Keep your Hokas moving!

Skiing holiday above the Arctic Circle

2013-02-25T13:27:00.001+02:00

My son had his annual skiing holiday week at school, so we decided to really go for it and fly a thousand kilometers up North. Kittilä Airport is located above the Arctic Circle. We took a bus to Ylläs ski resort to stay in one of the numerous chalets in the area. We used the excellent cross-country ski trail network daily and also went out to run, hike, kick sled and drag a pulk. The weather was mainly sunny, so it was an enjoyable internet-free vacation!

On top of Ylläs fell (718 meters) - the highest hill in the area.

Skiing through the forests of Lapland was scenic and exciting.

Pisten Bully 100 cross-country ski trail groomer in action.

A well-deserved cup of hot chocolate at Sun Cafe.

The trails were maintained in good condition and the sun was shining.

A view to the West, towards Sweden.

Due to bright moon and light pollution from chalets and roads Northern Lights were hard to see in the night sky. That couldn't stop us from trying though.

The information boards were difficult to read, but the main message was clear: beware of snow! There was an avalanche in a nearby freestyle off-piste slope a couple of days later.

Ylläs fell as seen from our chalet.

Nice sunset view.

Wooden bridges enabled cross-country skiers to cross roads safely.

Hiking in the forest. We had headlamps, but didn't really need them even after the sun went down.

In front of one of the snow-covered chalets.

We saw an eagle chasing a rabbit near this spot in a more remote area. Other than that, we didn't encounter any wildlife. Luckily the bears were sleeping.

One easy trick to prevent 15 leading causes of death

2013-02-15T11:37:00.001+02:00

I'm totally with Woody Allen who once famously said "I'm not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

All leading causes of death (except accidents) are foodborne illnesses. Focusing on the latest scientific studies, Michael Greger MD offers practical advice on how to feed ourselves to beat these top 15 killers.

This is a long video, but surely 55 minutes well spent, if it keeps you healthy and strong the next 50 years. The dude is funny too, and doesn't even try to sell you any supplements. Check out his excellent website NutritionFacts.org for more informative videos.

By the way, look out for Finland getting mentioned after 50:30.

Spoiler: the trick is to eat only plants! This may be way too simple and easy for many sceptical people to accept. Just give it a try for a while, ok?

The psychology of life and other ultra endurance events

2013-02-11T13:58:00.000+02:00

One of the most interesting books I read last year was Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. This is quite an epic work. In the world of non-fiction literature, reading TFAS surely is an achievement equal to, say, finishing UTMB.

Thinking affects everything in our lives. Just like drivers, 90% of thinkers believe they are better than average. Here is a simple illustrative puzzle I picked up from the book: A bat and ball cost $1.10. The bat costs one dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? A number will easily come to your mind. If your answer is 10 cents, that's the most intuitive answer. It's also the wrong answer. (The correct answer can be found under the video below.)

Kahneman suggests our mind is like a psychodrama with two fictional characters: System 1 and System 2. The former is our fast-thinking experiencing self, continuously generating intuitions, and feelings. The latter is our slow-thinking remembering self, who we often think we are. Although the confident System 2 believes to be in control, the automatic System 1 is the secret agent making the preliminary choices for us. You may not be aware that you are fond of something only because it unconsciously reminds you of something dear.

"Odd as it may seem, I am my remembering self, and the experiencing self, who does my living, is like a stranger to me."

Our fast side is also a machine for jumping to conclusions. As marketers know, if something repeatedly draws our attention, we are more likely to accept it. Then it's the job of our rational mind to come up with sufficient reasons for doing what we have already decided to do.

Following in the footsteps of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Kahneman shows how we constantly fool ourselves, possibly never really figuring out what's going on. It's almost like watching a live documentary about your life, starring yourself, while the unconscious director in your mind is busy setting up the next scene of the show.

Creating this narrative requires energy. Our nervous system consumes vast quantities of glucose. We are hard wired to find the least demanding course of action. In the economy of daily living, effort is a cost we are trying to cut down.

"Laziness is built deep into our nature."

Trying to fight this natural tendency will only lead to 'ego-depletion', a state where people succumb more easily to the urge to stop or at least slow down. Quitting is usually due to a loss of motivation, which may happen way before any real physical exhaustion. The problem is that to keep going requires self-control, and the exertion of self-control depletes you even more. This is good to keep in mind in case you find yourself thinking about a DNF in your next race.

Our choices are rarely rational. In scientific tests people have been exposed to two unpleasant experiences. Both involve similar max pain levels at the worst moment. One of these is much longer and thus involves considerably greater amount of total pain, but it ends gradually. The other one is short with way lower amounts of total pain, but it ends abruptly in the middle of quite intense pain.
When these people later chose which episode to repeat, they picked up the longer event. The duration of the procedure had no effect whatsoever on the ratings of total pain.

"We believe that duration is important, but our memory tells us it is not."

Also lowering the peak intensity of the pain would seem more attractive than minimizing the duration.
This may explain the growing popularity of ultra endurance events, which often have a relaxed atmosphere, pleasant surroundings and sufficiently generous time limits for even us amateur athletes to finish.

You'll surely remember this book the next time you're running around Mont Blanc, possibly suffering most of the weekend - and probably occasionally contemplating what the heck are you doing there. Why on earth did you decide to do it, and what were the benefits again? Maybe you were just another victim of the planning fallacy: our forecasts tend to be unrealistically close to best-case scenarios.

"The illusion that we understand the past fosters overconfidence in our ability to predict the future."

Here's an interesting thought experiment from the book. It's about a vacation, but it could be also applied to your next ultra endurance event. Let's suppose your trip would be very successful and enjoyable, but at the end all material evidence like photos, results and souvenirs will be destroyed and all memories of it ever happening will be totally wiped out. Now how would this affect your plans, relative to a normally memorable experience?

Many people will say they would not bother to go at all, revealing that they truly care a lot more about their remembering self and than about their experiencing self. Many say there's no way they would send themselves to climb mountains or trek through the jungle under those circumstances. These experiences seem to gain value mostly from the expectation that the whole experience and especially the joy of reaching the goal will be presentable and memorable.

"Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance."

Life is a challenging ultra endurance event with many traps. There is the trap of confusing experience and memory. Happiness is a complex concept: are you happy in your life or about your life? There is the danger of thinking about future as anticipated memories. Your best bet is probably Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous flow, the 'time flies' state you may experience during a challenging trail run for instance.

Finishing your next race may not bring you any long-lasting happiness. Even PR's may not be that important. People like to adopt lifetime goals like running a 3-hour marathon that they strive to achieve, but not necessarily to exceed. They are likely to reduce their efforts when they have reached goal. The aversion to the failure of not reaching the goal is much stronger than the desire to exceed it.

People who appear equally fortunate vary greatly in how happy they are. The same situation may be good for some people and bad for others. For example climate is not scientifically an important determinant of well-being. According to Kahneman, the Scandinavian countries are probably the happiest in the world, although the amount of sunshine in Northern Europe is minimal. This is the focusing illusion: nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it. As soon as you get something you dream about, you stop focusing on it and start taking it for granted.

Knowing this won't stop us dreaming about living in a better climate. However whether or not the individual is actually happier after the move to the sunnier area, he will report himself happier. When asked about it, the person's thoughts will focus on the nice climate and he'll truly believe for a moment that it's making him feel much better. In reality things may be otherwise. If we are wrong about our present state of well-being, we certainly are as clueless about the happiness of others, or about our future.

The new word miswanting appropriately describes bad choices that arise from our errors of affective forecasting. We are so prone to exaggerate the effect of changed circumstances (significant purchases etc) on our happiness, that this 'miswanting' has almost become our new lifestyle. However goals can really make a large difference. If you have seriously set yourself the goal of running around Mont Blanc, then that's an important project for you. Our concept of well-being should include both what we want to achieve in life and how satisfied we feel in the present.

"We must accept the complexities of a hybrid view, in which the well-being of both selves is considered."

Here's one of the best Kahneman videos: 'The Riddle of Experience vs. Memory'. Perhaps something for your System 2 to think about while your System 1 enjoys a long run?

The correct answer for the problem above is 5 cents. Since "endings are very important" I'll finish with another favorite quote from the book. There is a lot more good stuff in there to be discovered, so buy it fast and absorb it slowly. It might change the way you think about your life.

"If you were allowed one wish for your child, seriously consider wishing him or her optimism."

My coldest ultra trail race

2013-01-25T17:43:00.000+02:00

Vasaloppet 90K in Sweden is the coldest ultra trail race I've done. It's the oldest, longest and biggest cross country ski event in the world.

In 1987 it was also the coldest: -33˚C (28˚F) as measured at the start in Sälen. It was quite an experience to be one of those 16,000 skiers freezing in long lines, waiting for the 8:30am gun. It was difficult to breathe in the cold air.

The start was delayed. A few buses full of competitors had died along the road there, and we had to wait about 30 minutes until they arrived. This is Sweden for you: we'll start all together, or not at all.

I remember my toes and fingers were pretty deeply frozen as everyone was desperately running around or hopping up and down. After the start there was a huge uphill, and chaotic queues quickly formed. I suppose the infamous ultra what am I doing here moment occured to many then, if not earlier.

The first Vasaloppet was held in 1922, when a Swedish newspaperman wanted to retrace the classic route from Sälen to Mora, made by young nobleman Gustav Vasa four centuries earlier, in 1520.

Gustav had been escaping from King Christian II. This mighty King of Kalmar Union (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) had just invited the Swedish aristocracy to 'a party' in Stockholm, only to have them all (including Gustav's parents) massacred.

Gustav had failed to convince the men in Mora to start a rebellion against the evil king, and he was headed towards Norway. However he was soon caught in Sälen by two quick Mora brothers on skis, who told him that people had changed their minds after learning about the new taxes. The Swedish people would fight for their freedom.

Three years later Gustav I was crowned King of Sweden. In those days Finland was a part of the Kingdom as well.

In 1972 Sports Illustrated had described Vasaloppet "One of the most bizarre, most foolish, most excruciating most exalted human events of our time." I knew right away that I had to do this crazy ski race! Much like the Hawaii Ironman (which I did the next year), this was a race you simply had to finish, at least once in a lifetime.

After a couple of hours the sun came up and the temperature warmed up to tolerable levels. After about each mila (Swedish mile, which is 10km) there was an aid station serving hot Ekström's blåbärssoppa, a blueberry soup actually made of bilberries, which grow abundantly in Scandinavia.

Everything was going well, except my skis: they seemed to slide more backwards than forwards. I had them rewaxed at every service point, but the ever-changing snow composition made wax selection too challenging for me.

Long story short, Anders Larsson won in 4:20, and I finished way later in 9:40. Somehow I must have felt a touch frustrated, as upon returning home I immediately cut my skis in pieces and burned them in a fireplace.

I have never done any classic style skiing since, but I've adopted the freestyle skating technique that doesn't require constant waxing. Later on I once skated 100 km as a fun training challenge by myself, and it felt a lot easier than Vasaloppet. The record-low temperatures in 1987 are the most probable reason for that.

Nowadays Vasaloppet week includes several shorter events as well. There are also American, Japanese and Chinese sister skiing races of Vasaloppet. In the summer there are VasaStafetten relay running race and CykelVasan, a popular mountain bike event. Heja Sverige!

Ultra Trail Bucket List

2013-01-22T12:36:00.000+02:00

Please click the UTBL-tab above this post to view my Ultra Trail Bucket List. Six ultra trail running races: two done, two scheduled this year, the last two later on.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

2013-01-18T12:32:00.000+02:00

Nooooooooooooo! Yes, that's a no with 13 o's.

The suspense is over. I just lost in the UTMB 2013 lottery. I was listed as refusé.

Now let's put on the positive hat. 13 reasons why this is a good thing.

I'll have twice the chance of winning the 2014 draw.
I have more time to train and prepare for it too.
The points acquired are valid for two years, so I can reuse my 2012 points.
I've dreamed of doing this race since 2007, so one more year is not such a big deal.
Who knows the weather might be bad again in 2013?
In that case the weather would most certainly be excellent in 2014.
They might increase the number of required points (currently 7), which would favor runners like me who have a lot more than that.
I'll be a more experienced trail runner in 2014, possibly also fitter and wiser.
I won't have to race twice in Chamonix in 2013 (I've entered 80km du Mont Blanc in June).
Trail running gear in 2014 might be a lot more advanced.
Suunto Ambit GPS might allow me to track a long trail race like UTMB accurately by 2014.
Some of my friends might be doing the 2014 UTMB as well.
I can spend the money budgeted for this on something potentially more fun than plodding around the Mont Blanc massif in a weekend with thousands of ultratrailheads.

Congratulations to those 2300 UTMB 2013 runners as well as those doing the CCC, TDS or PTL. You lucky bastards! See you on the trails.

Age-graded marathon PR discovered!

2013-01-07T21:29:00.001+02:00

I was already pretty happy with my Stockholm Marathon 2010 result of 3:06:26. After all it still is my best time of the decade. But yesterday I happened to check out my marathon results at a local running magazine website, and this performance was listed as my PR. Having run three 2-hours-and-change marathons back in the day, I was dumbfounded initially. Then I was super-stoked to realize that my age-graded time was indeed a stunning 2:52:52!

Out of this world - what's not to love about that number: 2-52-52! My Achievement Percentile was 73.37%, which I understand is Regional Class, although honestly I fail to fully grasp how that figure was generated.

Age-graded calculator can add glimmer to your old results.

I don't have a competitive bone in me and couldn't care less about my results. I don't run to win anything, and certainly not for fame or money. Just run, be the opposite of Lance, and reduce worry with a restroom plan. Like The Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes, "I run because it always takes me where I want to go".

Clueless about achieving a PR soon at Stockholm Marathon 2010.

Having said that, the majority of marathon runners are not spring chickens, and you just may have to beat your friend's time to win a bet, or maybe you'd just like to add some glimmer to your old results. So if you'll get interested, the age-graded calculator I used is always at your service.

2012 training/racing review

2013-01-04T11:28:00.000+02:00

Trailplodder's 2012 highlight was finishing Trail Verbier St-Bernard 110 km - my 3rd start there!

2012 was a good year of racing for Trailplodder. I turned 50, but thanks to my new high-carb/low-fat plant-based diet (quite a change from my previous paleo low-carb/high-fat diet) I stayed 100% healthy (not even those ubiquitous flus) and definitely recovered quicker.

The only downside is that all that water in fruits and veggies can make you feel colder in winter, but that can actually be a huge advantage in warm/hot weather. That's a great tip to keep in mind with global warming - or global weirding as some choose to call it.

I grabbed tons of UTMB points by finishing Transgrancanaria 123K, Trail del Monte Soglio 63K, Trail Verbier St-Bernard 110K as well as the epic trail journey Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (CCC).

I ran a marathon in Paris and a 50K around Lidingö island in Stockholm. And I finished Challenge Barcelona, a full ironman-distance triathlon along the scenic Maresme Coast in Catalonia.

I ran only 2,425 km (1,506 miles) in 2012. Even if I add the 387 km of walking, it's still only 54 km/week. This was because I wanted the hamstring that was torn in 2011 to heal and to get rid of my 2011 plantar fasciitis. The pain has now reduced to tolerable levels, although Leadville 100 founder Ken Chlouber probably hit the nail on the head when he said "Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone."

Normally I run about twice more in a year. For example in 2008 I ran more than a marathon as my long training run once every single week of the year. Last year my long runs were typically close to a half-marathon.

With 7,785 km cycling (mostly on wireless Taxc Bushido trainer) and 260 km swimming I totaled 10,862 km (6,750 miles) in 2012. In addition to that I used some EMS (Electronic Muscle Stimulation) to prepare my quads for those Alpine downhills.

What's planned for 2013? More running training and longer long runs. Focusing on three key ultra trail running races in the summer: 80km du Mont Blanc, Eiger Ultra Trail (101K) and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB 168K).

The last one depends on the results of the lottery in two weeks. They say there's about 30% chance of winning. Let's hope for the best.

I'd like to finish with another Ken Chlouber quote: "You are better than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can." Have a great 2013 everyone and see you on the trails!

A New Year's wish

2012-12-30T12:15:00.003+02:00

Many things on our planet didn't quite work out as it was planned in 2012:

global (or European) economic recovery,
Facebook IPO,
UTMB 2012 (100 miles around Mont Blanc was reduced to a 100K around Chamonix due to bad weather),
Lance Armstrong's Ironman Hawaii triathlon race,
New York City Marathon, or even
the predicted end of the world on December 21st.

However hope remains key. Everything will pass, including bad things. We just have to keep on adjusting ourselves to the changing conditions. Through our efforts things will gradually get better. We must take action and seek for improvement continually.

So in that spirit, hear goes Trailplodder's New Year's wish for 2013: May UTMB be organized in a similar fashion to La Misión Race in Patagonia:

race course is 100 miles / about 160 km,
the max time allowed is 76 hours (3 days 4 hours), allowing the participants to walk or rest as necessary,
there will be no major changes to the course during the event,
the race will not be suspended for any reason (highest mountain passes may have to be regulated temporarily until a storm passes),
the race organization understands that the mountain weather is unpredictable, and is prepared and able to continue the event in bad weather.

Happy New Year, see you on the trails! And good luck for the UTMB lottery - if you're not in yet, there's still time. It's currently about a 30% chance of winning, which is a lot better than for example with Hardrock 100!

A Fine Line - Summits Of My Life movie review

2012-12-18T18:19:00.000+02:00

A Fine Line is the first documentary film in the Summits Of My Life project by Kilian Jornet and Sébastien Montaz. It was released today. I downloaded and watched it right away after some minor technical issues (the simple solution was to add '.mp4' to the end of the file name for it to play on iMac).

The movie is about the fine line between life and death. What drives an athlete like Kilian Jornet to take calculated risks on the mountains day after day? Kilian's mother Núria and sister Naila tell their personal views. A wide range of Kilian's friends from FC Barcelona defender Carles Puyol to trail runner Anna Frost are featured as well for a more comprehensive picture.

The film starts with Kilian's VO2 max test, mixed with Alpine running in deep snow. We are shown some trail running clips from Transvulcania 2012. Then there are some spectacular shots from Aosta Valley, where Kilian displays some of his his skiing and poses on top of Gran Paradiso (4,061m).

The film is completely free of any unnecessary hype. It doesn't try to strengthen Kilian's superstar status, but rather prove that he is just a human being (some of Kilian's competitors have seriously doubted that). For example there is a clip of a spectacular ski fail. Also a psychologist explains in layman terms what goes on in Kilian's mind, who has spent most of his life in the Pyrenees above 2,000 meters.

Summit of My Life - Premiere from Summits of My Life on Vimeo.

Kilian has already won all the races in his bucket list, so he is nowadays mostly motivated by his personal mountain projects. One of those was Les Contamines-Mont Blanc-Mont Maudit-Champex 63 km traverse (+7,800m). As Kilian's mom states proudly in the film, that is a feat no-one has ever done before.

The best part comes at the end, when Kilian's Courmayeur-Mont Blanc-Chamonix 42 km traverse via Innominata Ridge is covered. He set a new record of in 8h 42min 57s. It's a beautiful day with great views from the air.

The film is dedicated to the memory of Stéphane Brosse (20.11.1972-17.6.2012). One of Kilian's closest friends, he is featured frequently in the film. His tragic death beside Kilian shadows the overall mood of this slightly sad but mainly inspiring movie.

A Fine Line is only 52 minutes long, but it's packed with fantastic footage for mountain lovers. I wouldn't mind if it were a bit longer, but it's well worth the download price (6.95€), and you will probably watch it again and again over the years. The editing is great, the music is good, the video quality is excellent and the camera work is amazing.

After seeing this film everyone will understand and remember Stéphane Brosse's last piece of advice: "There is happiness everywhere, we just need to see it".

Eiger Ultra Trail 2013

2012-12-14T22:03:00.001+02:00

I have registered for a new exciting race in Switzerland: Eiger Ultra Trail on 20 July 2013. So it will be just three weeks after my 80km du Mont Blanc attempt. Nice!

The 101 km course climbs 6,685 meters clockwise, starting and finishing in Grindelwald. It's located in Bernese Oberland near Interlaken. This is a very scenic and nice area, I've been there before. The trails there are very tough for a flatlander like me.

Eiger Ultra Trail 101 km course.

E101 has a 28-hour cutoff. It starts 5am on Saturday, so you have to finish by 9am on Sunday. Finishers will be rewarded by 3 glorious UTMB points (only 1 point for E51 finishers).

The course profile looks pretty steep, it seems to be going either straight up or straight down all the time. The highest peak is Faulhorn at 2,680 meters.

There will be many famous participants like Oscar Perez (Tor des Geants 2012 winner), Julia Böttger (winner of Canadien Death Race 2012). Ueli Steck, Eiger North Face (3,970m) Speed Record (2h47min) holder, is the Ambassador of the event.