I am heading to Switzerland to run the Eiger Ultra Trail E101 and the Swissalpine K78. I have run both these races before. Both were my major goals at the time. This time though I am going to run theses races to prepare myself for the UTMB.
The training has been all right so far. I have trained much more than last year and climbed much higher. The only problem is a slight knee pain that I have since last week. It's kind of weird as it happens when I started tapering. Hopefully it won't cause me any trouble this Saturday. And if it does, it will be a part of the suffering you always experience during an ultra. So there is nothing to be worried about.
My goal time for the Eiger is 22 hours. Last year I did it in 25:12. Considering the amount of training that I had, it should be possible. I have spent some time analysing the route and set time limits for every check point. Whatever happens I am going to give it all I've got. This is what ultra running is all about, pushing yourself to your limits, and then reach beyond that. It's about moving on when you think you cannot take the very next step.
A week after the Eiger, I will be at the start line of the Swissalpine K78. The race that means a lot to me. It was on that trail that I ran my first ever marathon (C42 in July 2012) and my first ultra. This time I will run it shortly after the Eiger. So that would be yet another new experience which I cannot wait for.
wow - this is a huge undertaking mamad! but one that i am confident that you will persevere through and rise above the challenge! #ultramode
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