Last weekend I participated in the marathon of dangers. It's a 43 km long trail run through the national park Koli, in Finland. Alltogether some 30:ish kilometers are made up of technical trails. Roots, rocks, slippery cliffs, mud, marsh, steep ascents and steep descents combined with 1160 meters of total elevation gain makes the course a challenge for any runner. This was the scene for my marathon debute. Intended to give me a better understanding of what the Transalpine would demand.
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| Waiting for my turn at the starting area. |
The previous month, September, didn't go well training wise. I overtrained in late August, had some regression in running times, cought a flu once, and cought a flu twice. At least I got to taper a lot! Lying at home battling the flu only a few days before the event wasn't fun though. Getting out of bed straight to the woods felt a bit scary. I was nervous at the start - would I hold together and finish - or would I break and bust out. Time to find out!
Off we go. Jogging slowly into the forest. I'm monitoring my heart rate with some anxiety. It's way above where I think it ought to be. So we are holding back. It's probably mostly adrenaline, but I don't want to risk it at this point. The field passes by during the first kilometers and I'm sure I'll be dead last. After roughly three kilometers we hit a gravel road. Smooth surface for two kilometers. Then we head back into the woods for the next ten kilometers. I take my first sips of sport drink at around 40 minutes. We are passed by more people on the next uphill. I prefer to walk the uphills. But foolishly I run the downhills. Running the downhills will get me into trouble later. But at the moment it feels just great to get up to some speed in between the slow uphills.
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| Climbing the Jauholanvaara hill, tailed by happy trail runners. |
The hills are puny compared to the Alps, yet they feel quite high and quite tough. The Jauholanvaara hill is the first longer climb, some 200 meters of altitude gain. Power walking up the hill. I pop the first energy pills. Our tail is growing, so we let some runners pass by. Soon after the 10 km mark the trail starts to slope downwards. After the descent we encounter a mudmarsh. It's wet and it's slippery like hell. We slow down even more, not to face plant in the gray grease. More than two hours has passed when we reach the lake crossing at roughly 16 km. We realise we won't make our unofficial target time of six hours. It doesn't matter much. Time flies by and it's (still) mostly a pleasure to be outside this crisp autumn day, with the nature cloured beutifullty in green, yellow and red.
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| My running buddy Gothoni enjoying the boat ride in the sun. |
After the lake crossing we hit the first service point. Loading up my water bladder takes forever. I fill my consumed 0,5l energy drink bottle with water and rehydration pills. Finally we are off again. I eat some pickles and sugar pills. Running feels great. But Gothoni, my running buddy, is getting more and more silent. I ask him how his doing. Mostly well apparently, but he is experiencing a slight low. Anyway he assures me all is good and we keep pounding the trail. Suddenly I realise he has been very quiet for a while now. When I turn around I see a girl trailing me. Gothoni is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he went to take a leak, I think to myself, and keep going. He'll catch up.
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| Pictures don't do steep technical trails justice. |
I climb the second hill Kolinvaara, this time I walk the entire bit even though it isn't that steep. I'm starting to feel the first 17 kms in my legs. I take som pictures from the hill top and decide to wait for Gothoni, again being passed by some runners. I wait for what feels like several minutes but he is still nowhere in sight. I should call him, but I can't be bothered to haul out the phone from my pack. I decide to call him at the 30 km mark if he hasn't showed up by then.
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| The route offers some beutiful scenery from hill tops. |
By now I'm waiting for the next distance mark. I pass the 20 km mark and am now closing in on the dreaded Ryläys hill. The climb is not very steep, but boy is it long. The mildly ascending terrain offers some spectacular lake views. My hand left hand looks wierd. It's swollen. I have to make a mental reminder to eat and drink. I don't think about much for the next five kilometers. Remember to fuel and where the hell is that 25 km mark. I encounter some really swampy and wet terrain and have to sacrifice my left foot. Now it's all soked and I'm expecting blisters. And it starts to rain.
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| At times the pools of muddy water are unavoidable. |
I pass the 25 km mark knowing I'm now soon going to encounter the highest point of the run at 323 meters on top of Ryläys hill. The elevation gain isn't that bad, but the trail gets even more complicated with big boulders and sloping slippery cliffs. The view is well worth the climb. But I'm more interested in encountering the 30 km mark. I'm passed by the leader of the ultra distance. He looked so much stronger than I feel. I'm also passed by the guy chasing the leader. I cheer them on. Those guys deserve respect, covering the 43 km trail twice in less than ten hours. The descent from Ryläys hill is a nightmare. It kills my quadriceps. I jitter forward and downward on shaky legs. Fearing a fall on those sharp rocks.
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| I pass a girl on the descent down the Ryläys hill. |
When I finally reach the 30 km mark I feel great, even though I really start to feel the fatigue. I know I have the strength left to finish the last 13 kms. Time to dig out that cell phone from my pack. I call Risberg, who couldn't participate because of illness, and give hime a report. I call Gothoni to ask him where the hell he is. He has DNF:d. His stomach stopped cooperating and just wouldn't get him any energy from what he drank and ate. This gets my mood down a bit, I had believed he would be right behind me and that I could wait for him to cath up at the service point at 31 kms. I call my wife. She cheers me on and starts to tell me about what our puppy did. I can't focus on that right now, so I carry on with the run - I actually run the flats.
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| Anticipating that sweet choclate bar in my pack. |
I run past the service point as I have plenty of drink left and they don't serve any snacks anyways. Now follows a good six kilometers on a rather smooth surfaced gravel road. Sweet. My feet already hurt so much it doesn't make a big difference anyway. But I'm grateful I don't have to look down in front of me all the time. The road is boring though and I'm starting to feel pain in my right knee. At this point I would rather stop than carry on, it isn't fun anymore. But it's a part of the deal. You have to take the pain with the pleasure. I have to limp down the downhills. But on the flats I can still run. And I do.
I have to dig deep down within to find the motivation to run. I meet the force deep inside. And there I find the strength of my will. So I use it. I run. I run along the lakeside road. Totatally focused on running. I zone out. Then I look up. I look into those two blue eyes I used to love. My ex girlfriend is there on the shore of lake Pielinen. Following the race. Standing less than two meters from where I pass by. I flinch. She flinches. And the moment has passed. I pass by, shaken out of focus. She is staring down the road in the other direction. Wierd. 500 kilometers from home, and I haven't seen her in six years. Life offers a suprise every now and then. I carry on.
The route turns back into technical terrain. I mistakenly believe this is the last ascent and start to press on hard. I pass a couple of runners on the uphill. WTF? After a good climb of 100 elevation meters the trail starts to bend downhill. And my knee is killing me. I have to ask a runner coming up from behind if this really is the right path, he assures me it is. So I limp down the hill - painfully slowly. Every step couses sharpish pain in my knee. But I know there is less than 5 kms left, so I press on.
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| The devilish race director planned this torturous last climb before the real last climb. This guy should be arrested. |
I get down to the harbor and now I can see the starting point of the last ascent. It's a 3 km long uphill, a good 200 meters of elevation gain ending in a really steep 50 meter uphill. I collect myself once again and powerwalk the uphill. I pass by the runners who passed me on the downhill limp. I run a flatter portion of the uphill. On the last steep bit there are some people cheering. Some guys tell me I look strong, yeah right. Salt striped face and no posture left to mention. But I run the last portion of the uphill. And cross the finish line. I've just finished my first marathon. And not the easiest one there is. My time: 7:07. Nothing to brag about. But I learned a few important lessons.
Take it easy on the downhills. Train strength. Train hills. Train technical trails. Postpone the Transalpine with at least one year. Enjoy the ride.
