How can someone possibly end up in the race where you have
to run 230km? I guess it is probably not far from how I ended up on the start
line of the Al Andalus Ultimate Trail…
“Hey Jiri…do you want to run with us the Dubai
Marathon?” my new colleagues asked me in December 2008, just two months after I
moved to UAE. It was actually only the 10k race running along the full
marathon, but still…even though I was doing all kind of sports my whole life, I’ve
probably never run 10k in one go, not mentioning my experience with running
itself: “Running just like that? Just for fun? What is that?” So my obvious
answer was of course: “OK…why not!”J The race was in a month so I started to train a bit outside my house in the
desert doing 8k loop three times a week.
And somehow I liked it so I kept running even after the
race. And I kept running more, running faster, running further, running in the
night, running in the day, on the road, in the track…just for fun! More I was
running, more I was enjoying dashing though the moonlit desert, moving in the
rhythm of chillout music, washing away all the day stress, calming down and
filling myself with new fresh energy. I was free…I was out J
Also more I was running, easier it became and stronger I was,
so in the next years I did some more races with twice Dubai Marathon, Abu Dhabi
Adventure Challenge or Borneo 100k Ultramarathon as the highlights. And I was
daring for more! “Man!! This is actually gonna be mostly about running!!” my
friend Milan told me during one of the two pre-race rest days in Manzanil hotel
in Loja. “Man!! I’m afraid you are right!!” I admitted with laugh, but which
died out immediately…because he was damn right!
Al Andalus Ultimate Trail is an extreme race
where in five day stages you have to run in total 230km through Andalusian
foothills which are much bigger and steeper than you might think and when you add
Spanish summer temperatures way above 30°C you are facing a real challenge
comparable with legendary races like Marathon Des Sables! But because I’m not
the only one who likes challenges, 40 other runners stood on the start line of
the first stage on one nice sunny July morning.
Stage 1: 39km, 1330m elevation gain
I knew that this was a different race than 100km or even
100miles at once. AAUT was basically five separate marathons with rest between,
so the strategy had to be different also. And as I understood it, if you want
to post a good result you have to basically run as fast as you can run a
regular marathon, because you assume a complete recovery during the overnight
sleep! OK…a bit slower than that because there are hills…a lot of hills J
And I started just like that with fair pace, trying to
keep up with the lead and using my fast uphill walking the initial steep 10k
ascent to stay in sight of the top ones on 6th place. When I reached
the CheckPoint 1 on the top of the hill I felt great, so I just ran through the
CP without refilling water and started descending. I left behind Jose on 5th
and for a short while moved ahead of Tommy to 4th, just 20m behind
Victor on 3rd. Timo and Argi were somewhere in front.
But after around 10 minutes I felt that my strategy has one
major flaw…and it was running downhill!!! Qatar is flat and soft and together
with riding a bike a lot it somewhat simulates running uphill, so no problem
there. But I do absolutely nothing even close to substitute and train the
movement and muscles for running downhill!! So after those 10 minutes of pretty
steep down slope I started to feel my thighs and I knew that my chase was over.
If I wanted to stay in the race I had to reconsider my pace and ambitions! I
slowed down and soon lost all four front runners from sight completely, but I
was still running and moving forward.
After the CP2 at 20k another disturbance came…the
electrolyte. When running in such heat you have to drink something more that
water and keep refilling all the salts and minerals you lose by sweating to not
to cramp and run out of energy. The organizers gave us some super-concentrated
drops of electrolyte to put into our camel bags. But because it was so
concentrated it was very easy to overdose! The taste even in the right amount
was horrible so you can imagine how it tastes if there is too much! Exactly…you
get sick and you want to puke!
So the last 15km of the stage I was really not feeling well. Muscle pain, stomach sickness and the initial disappointment with my performance were swirling in my head when I was stumbling towards the finish. Running on the sun in almost 40°C was the smallest of issues. Of course that Jose closed on me about 3km from the finish, but just in the right moment the finish town popped into sight from behind the hill and gave me that extra push to get there 5th, 4 minutes in front of him and with time 3:51:29.
So the last 15km of the stage I was really not feeling well. Muscle pain, stomach sickness and the initial disappointment with my performance were swirling in my head when I was stumbling towards the finish. Running on the sun in almost 40°C was the smallest of issues. Of course that Jose closed on me about 3km from the finish, but just in the right moment the finish town popped into sight from behind the hill and gave me that extra push to get there 5th, 4 minutes in front of him and with time 3:51:29.
When drinking ice cold coke, cooling my feet in a
bucket of water, eating fresh water melon in the shade and watching the next
runners finishing I thought: “It was actually not that bad run! It had to be OK
if I finished 5th” And more I was thinking and pondering about it
when doing a self-massage to my sore legs I realized: “Man…what the hell you
want? You wanted to finish in Top 10 and when you are fifth you are not happy? With
such little training what more do you want? Everyone else things it is good
result, so it has to be! So let’s fight for it! Race is still long and anything
can happen…so let’s enjoy, race and have fun!” And trust me, once you tidy up
in your head (and throw away those damn drops), everything is much easier J
Stage 2: 48km, 1640m elevation gain
The second stage promised to have some single track sections
high in the mountains, which I was really looking forward to. The scenery so
far was amazing. Steep dry hills scattered with white rocks, ancient stone
cottages or villages on the slopes, occasional bunch of green trees breaking up
the silent image of wind playing in the yellow grassy meadows and winding road
cut into all of this. Breathtaking! But it was the road which soon started to
disturb the feeling of running peace. It was just too wide, too flat…too
boring! And when something gets boring, you start focus on something
else...like pain, tiredness, or distance from the finish…which makes the run
definitely less enjoyable!
That’s why I was hoping for the most technical trail
possible where you have to focus on every step, because every movement is
different from the previous one and I feel that all the coordination of legs,
arms and body balance is giving me energy instead of taking. I forget about
everything around and just enjoy the fly J
Unfortunately the really technical section in this stage was just one 5k crossing of a rocky ridge after CP2 at 20k. The four “PROs” were gone in front so it was again between me and Jose, who was just behind me. We are equal runners, only our strengths are the opposite. He is good downhill and slower uphill and me the opposite. So the technical uphill section let me open a gap and lose him from sight. The run down the goat path from the ridge top, jumping from boulder to boulder and taking sharp corners on the soft and super narrow dirt trail was I think the best section of the whole race!
Unfortunately the really technical section in this stage was just one 5k crossing of a rocky ridge after CP2 at 20k. The four “PROs” were gone in front so it was again between me and Jose, who was just behind me. We are equal runners, only our strengths are the opposite. He is good downhill and slower uphill and me the opposite. So the technical uphill section let me open a gap and lose him from sight. The run down the goat path from the ridge top, jumping from boulder to boulder and taking sharp corners on the soft and super narrow dirt trail was I think the best section of the whole race!
But it was short and soon it was changed again into
wide downhill forest dirt road cut into a mountain side. It was also already in
the second half of the stage so soon I was struggling a bit to keep decent pace
on the long way down to the valley.
“Wait a minute!! I haven’t seen any markings for a while!” I
realized and started looking around. I ran another two or three minutes and
when I haven’t seen any pink tapes hanging on the trees I turned back and ran
to the point where I saw them for the last time. Of course that the well marked
track went to the left and for some reason I turned right!! “No problem. It’s
just 10 minutes lost!” I tried to calm down and continued running. I tried to
focus more on the markings and keep my head up, but soon I was again heavily
stumbling down a steep forest road feeling and also watching pain in every
step. “Not again!!! There should be marking on this intersection!!” I said
helplessly. There wasn’t, so I had to go back again just to see well marked
turn few hundred meters backwards. On the third CP I got confirmation of what I
already knew. Jose didn’t get lost that many times and was ahead. How far? I
didn’t know. I didn’t see him!
The rest if the stage was long, mostly downhill, so I was
running slow and struggling. Close to the CP4 at 40km mark I lost couple of
minutes again on a wrong turn and ran out of water. “Great!!” I though while
walking back. “Jose has to be at least 20 minutes ahead now. That’s going to be
really hard to run him down on the next stages!! If I thought it is going to be
easy to keep ahead, I was terribly wrong!” But still, even with this defeatist
mood I kept moving as fast as I could.
And not giving up paid off again, because after two
kilometers I saw Jose few hundred meters down the road J Such a relief flooded me that
at the river crossing just in front of the CP4 I slowly took off my shoes,
stood for a while in the cold stream closing my eyes, sat down at the CP, had a
cold coke and relaxed with a cold towel around my neck. “The last section is a
steep uphill. It’s not going to be 20 minutes” I smiled.
And it was way less than that, because with the time 5:34:49
I finished 6th just two minutes behind Jose. The fight was still on!
Stage 3: 39km, 980m elevation gain
This was supposed to be a rest day, but for obvious reasons
it was not J The four leaders set up a fast pace right from the start. Jose stayed with them
and I was slowly falling behind worrying that like this I will have to speed up
too and leave my comfort pace. False alarm, because at 10k they started REALLY
running and immediately shook off Jose back to me J
And like this we were playing “Cat and Mouse” the rest of
the stage! I passed him on the uphill and he passed me back on the downhill.
Exciting, challenging, but also frustrating: “When I will finally get him out
of my sight for good!!” I’m sure we both thought. I felt my chance on the steep
section just after CP3 at 30km. I was usually walking up fast all steep hills,
because I was only a bit slower that other people running, but was saving more
energy. But when I started running uphill I was usually way faster than others.
There I did exactly that and quickly left Jose out of
sight. The following flat section on the ridge was a pure running pleasure in the
cool breeze surrounded by great views and bright colors of white stones, blue
sky and green trees. Unfortunately after every uphill comes downhill. All
pleasure was gone and I had to push myself through my downhill muscle pain to
feed my chances of staying ahead of Jose. “Man!! You are incredible!!” I said
desperately when he caught me just on the bottom of the hill.
I followed him keeping close behind and waiting for a chance
to attack for a win. It came 2km from the finish when we turned from the road onto
a narrow forest trail and it gave me wings. I leaped forward sprinting up the
grassy slope, jumping over big roots and running slalom between trees. That
energy I gained in the forest was enough to get me to the end of the stage
gaining another 2 minutes of my precious lead!
The winner took slightly over 3 hours to finish the
stage. It took 3:32:59 to me, but I was happy. Good time for a trail marathon,
good running, good race J
Stage 4: 67km, 2031m elevation gain
Shortly said: “The stage of truth”. For everyone! The four
leaders were within striking distance from each other. Jose was just 4 minutes
from me. Plenty to fight for. And if there was anything major to gain or lose,
it was going to happen there. Three big climbs and the last 20k on the shadeless
road in the biggest afternoon heat was promising a big challenge. To my
surprise I was not feeling more tired that after the first day. The opposite. I
felt great, relaxed and ready J
The initial off-trail run on the dry river bed
followed by a narrow and overgrown trail across a ridge up to CP1 at 10k was
fun. I almost kept pace with two escapees Argi and Victor trying to open a gap
on Tommy and Timo taking it easy. It was a long stage so everyone had different
strategies. My fifteen minutes of fame on the 3rd position ended
just after CP1 on an asphalt stretch where T&T train passed me and as a
present they brought Jose! Fortunately soon started a beautiful 10k forest path
full of sharp turns and steep slopes along the shores of a blue lake and I was able
to leave Jose behind.
On the top of the second hill at CP3 at 30k I filled my
camel bag with fresh water and ice, put on the music and moved on in a happy
pace overtaking people who started one hour earlier than me. I usually listen
to music only during training and during a race I run without to stay focused
on what is happening inside and around me. I tried to put on some music on the
Stage 3 and it was great. When there is no serious pain, fatigue or technical
track to follow, the music merges with my pace and creates a mood which feels
like a motor delivering speed though an escape to the void of trance beats. But
sometimes it is just not enough, because there is serious pain and fatigue!
Up to the half of the way to CP5 on the top of the
mountain ridge and through a cool forest valley it was beautiful running full
of energy and optimism. Even more joy confidence I got on the hard ascent to the
CP5 at 50k. “Yeah…another photographer!” I thought, rose my hand and smiled for
a picture. “Strange…I haven’t seen this guy yet! And his car looks familiar…WOW!!!
JAAAN…THAT’S YOU!!!” I screamed with joy when I recognized by brother who
managed to come to surprise me one day earlier than I was expecting! He ran a bit
with me, made some more photos and left me again to battle the rising heat.
And then it came down the last 17k of the stage
and I came down with it! It was a bit hot, but the track was just a nice more
or less flat ridge road. I should have been flying, but no…not at all!! I don’t
know what claimed me, but I was walking a lot, feeling muscle pain in every
step...suffering…I even couldn’t hear the music in my ears! And it felt endless
to get to the last CP. “You are almost there…just last 8k to finish…and it’s
mostly downhill!” said the CP marshal thinking that he would encourage me. “NO…this
is exactly what I didn’t want to hear!!” and I prepared to die.
Stumbling down the steep hill reminded me the Borneo 100k
between kilometer 80 and 90…shouting, sighing, almost crying and moving slowly
and heavily step by step down. Only difference was that there it was in the
night, but otherwise everything was like copy & paste…including the very
end!
“It’s just a question of time when Jose catches me
again!!” I kept thinking even though I haven’t seen him since CP1. And there he
was of course!! Around 3k to the finish I saw that red hat devil running strong
downhill after me. “He got me this time” I was sure, so a bit resigned I got on
the top of a small hill, crossed a little 300m long depression and looked back
across my shoulder just to see Jose reaching the other side. “He looked faster…”
I didn’t finish the though when my subconscious racing mind took over and I
sprinted forward without thinking. “Only 3k to go…this is the chance…we’ll hide
behind the hill to attack his confidence…overcome pain possible…now or never!!”
quick instructions blazed through my head while dashing down though trees.
And the rest I knew from Borneo J Pain forgotten in a flood of
adrenaline, sudden absolute focus on the terrain and the route, draining power
from hidden emergency reserves, shouting “BE HERE!!!” when taking turn after
turn still not seeing the finish and finally jumping though the arc with the
fist high in the air!!! The last similarity was that I managed to outrun the
pursuers by several minutes on few kilometers. This time it was with total
7:04:34 by 8 precious minutes…but this time it was not completely over yet J
Stage 5: 37km, 1120m elevation gain
The last beautiful stage of one extraordinary race. I had on
the 5th position around 15 minutes lead over Jose, so I just
followed him closely behind to keep pressure. It was not needed, because just
before CP1 his knee gave up and he had to slow down. And then there was
basically nothing in front of me to worry about and I could just enjoy another
beautiful sunny day in the mountains running and thinking about all that
wonderful time and experience I went through in the last five days.
Before coming to Al Andalus I knew only the big names
like Marathon Des Sables or 4Deserts races. A lot of runners, strong competition,
famous, recognized, beautiful…but expensive, commercial and not that friendly.
I haven’t been to any yet, but my friend Milan told me this about Des Sables.
Before I thought that the recognition of the achievement in such race is what I
wanted, no matter that I would pay some excessive money and possibly face some bad
organizer behavior. After completing a very similar event like Al Andalus I had
to think about some comparisons and during my last kilometers running down
mountain through quarries and orchards back to Loja where we started, I think I
changed my perspective.
In Al Andalus for fair money you get everything you need. Flexible,
enthusiastic and friendly organizers arrange airport pickup, few nights in the
hotel, water and support on the trail, refreshment and recovery after the stage
and all the comfort and background at the overnight camp including some food,
tents, race baggage transport, showers and sometimes even pool! With such
service you can really focus just on why you actually came…focus on running. And
the race itself is a big challenge. Many hills, heat, long distances and no
annoying rest day after the “long” stage J Tough for sure and on the paper maybe even tougher
than its famous brothers!
So you feel well rested after the good night sleep,
you enjoy the race and running though stunning sceneries and when you come back
you go and chat with other competitors in super friendly and relaxed atmosphere,
share experience and tips and at the end of the day you go all together to have
a cold beer!! Isn’t that a runner’s paradise?
I guess it is very, but very close to that! I think that if
there is slightly more participants, but not too many to make it a mass event
to lose that friendly spirit and more real technical sections, this event would
be no brainer to come to every year!
So after 3:42:11, which made my total running time 23:46:08,
I was in the finish of 2012 Al Andalus Ultimate Trail. I finished 5th
out of 41 runners and was full of emotions and happiness! It felt great to see
my brother and father in the finish and all the other people cheering and
supporting the runners. But on the other hand I was happy that it is over. 5
day and 230km of running was just enough!! Definitely the best event I’ve done
so far and if I can, I’d like to come back one day. We’ll see!
Btw: Do I really want to go to Marathon Des Sables
still…when I now know that things can be done a different way too J
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