32. Neujahrsberglauf Falkenstein 2011: 11,5km – 40:09 min (1st place)

January 8, 2011

“The same procedure as every year”: For me it was the 15th time I participated in this race (it’s an annual race). After I won the 11,5km in 2009 and won the 20,7km last year this year it was the 11,5 km distance that fitted better into my training schedule. Because of the warm conditions the last days the race took place on a road course (usually it’s a nice forrest loop). Nevertheless it’s a lot of climbing and the altitude difference from the lowest point (at km 1) to the highest point (at km 3,5) is almost 200meters.

The race went like in 2009. It was a clear wire-to-wire race and after 3km the last sounds in my back became silent, signaling that the last competitor couldn’t keep up with the pace. For me it’s kind of a pity because some 10 years ago the competition was much tougher and there were more good runners. But never mind, since I had a high volume week with training in the altitude chamber in my legs it was ok to pick my own pace. Furthermore I realised that there are some small changes in my running style already but I need to refine time to get more relaxed at a higher pace.

Full results here.