Download as PDFHappy new trail running everyone. I have got a bib for the UTMB this year again. Today at 10 AM CET the results of the draw have been published. 
I was lucky, since i had a coefficient of 2 for this years draw. Since last year i took part, but only because i donated 2000 Euro for a solidarity bib. Hopefully you have made it through also. See you in August in Chamonix.
Download as PDFIn Germany Grainau the zugspitz trail running event took place again this year.
Three distances took place on the 22.6.2013.
There has been the Basetrail (35, 1900mD+), Supertrail (69km, 3100mD+) and Ultratrail. I have done the Ultra Trail and was able to do a late registration, just the evening before the race. There was no extra charge for that. Normally you would be charged an extra fee for not registering online before. 
The weather i call was “wellness weather”, not to warm, in the mountains pleasant cold and only very little rain. Just some days ago it was very hot. At 700m it was about 18 degrees. And around 10 degrees in 2000m. Sadly it was quite foggy in the mountains. So i was not able to see to much from the surroundings. But sometime the fog and the clouds thinned out a bit and i was able to get a glimpse through.
Most of the trails had been single trails through the mountains. Some have been also streets. Many of them could be passed easily. Some passages have been a bit dangerous, that should be passed with care and slowly. Downhill there have been quite often stairs, with big gaps. That made the way down difficult. Altogether it was a great trail.
I change clothes and shoes at the 54km checkpoint. That was a really good idea. My knee was hurting. And afterwards i got much better. Seems like the shoes before have been quite worn out. I ran with the new La Sportiva Crosslite afterwards. The give a good support and stability to the foot.
The trail got quite long. After the first two mountains and the checkpoint for bags, there had been a longer flat distance, where you could speed up again. Only little altitude differences. But then in the end you had to go up to 2000m again and about 10km down again. With a lot of slippery stairs.
Quite foggy in the mountains. If you have missed you connection to the runner in front of you, you might have been searching for the path. 
Altitude gain with a high gradient. Without trekking poles it was difficult to ascend and keep up with the others.
One rare moment, where you could have a great view of the mountains in the dusk.
I had difficulties to find the right way in the fog sometimes. I you have been able to follow others close behind, id has been difficult to find the right way on the top of the mountains.
At 2000m there had been some bigger snowfield. One of them all had to cross. You could try skiing there. For safety there was a rope installed, where most of the runners slipped down along. Some of them also sweared at that. Some really skied down without falling.
Muddy trails through snow and fog. It was cold, but not windy. Only sometimes it was slippery. But you could slip just down through a whole snow field, if not paying .
These signs glow in the dark. The have been set at major changes on the way. The track was very well marked. There had been arrows, ribbons and colored dots on the trail in short distances. 
Food was quite good. But drinks could have been better. There was something called “High Five”. That should have been and Iso drink, but it most of the time was very thin and tasted hardly more than water. I was glad i had my own Iso sachets with me.
Luckily i found the Outdoor-Physio. They not only massage you just right before or after the race, you can also ask them to tape you. Take a look at their homepage, where you can find them at the next race. They are really good.
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Here is my grading. Any comments appreciated.
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Being back from the Jura Mountains and the Vale de Travers had to say, i would like to go there again next year. Although it had not been a technical trail, the scenery is very nice and it is a wonderful places to run. You will go up to 1600m highest and there had been still some fields of snow. But the weather was very nice and temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees. There had been about 120 runners for the trail with 75km and about 3000m in height.
Paths have been a mixture of normal streets, trails and paths.
Here i have made some pictures during the race.
The start of the race is at the sport centrum at couvet. Many enthusiastic specators and supporters have been around.
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Here is my grading. Any comments appreciated.
Download as PDFIf your close to Valkenswaard (near Einhoven), you should have a look at Scarabee. The shop has a lot of trail running brands like salomon, north face. And they have everything to try out and are very helpful. And they know their stuff and can give you many tips and hints if you want. all i know of are trail runners themselves. Also they have a lot of shoes from Merrell, Fivefingers, La Sportiva. Everything you can think of. Also shipment if free if you order from Europe.
Download as PDFUTMB Official Video – The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®
Today i got my official confirmation letter. After that i had still to register for the race, but now i’m registered for the UTMB. I still have to send my doctors certificate and hopefully will complete this last task by the end of this week. I have kept my coefficient of two for the next year 2014.
For those who do not know what i’m talking about or just want to get an impression of the race:
All in all there have been so many runners trying to get a starting place. Every year there are more runners trying to get a race number. I have read about 10.000 runners trying to register. Not only UTMB, but for CCC, TDS and PTL altogether. But still there are a lot. So i thought, why not do it this year. I have put so many effort into preparation already until now. So, what will be the situation next year. So i decided to take the race this year.
Download as PDFDid not have made it. Still can buy a ticket for 2000 euros, by donating it. But i think i just will keep my registration until next year. To get a bigger chance for the next draw.
Currently going for about 50-70 km a week. Running in the snow or cold weather does not make much difference. I have bought some natural running shoes and are about to make some reviews.
I feel quite good and already can’t wait until the weather gets better to do some more running in the montains, since until now, here in switzerland it is still a lot of snow and even becoming more at 500m height and more.
Doing some running and trying to make some fast ones also. But i do not like running fast that much. So i try also to lose some weight. Some means about 5 Kilos.
That would also make a lot of differenc in terms of agility. Looking forward to reach this goal until April or May this year.
Download as PDFIn the meantime a had soem trouble with my knee running. But i have found some ways to get a better feeling of it. And now it seems like i understand better why it does hurt sometime. For the last four weeks this had last. In between i paused about a week or so, but also did some test while running in changing my pose. I also will do some bicycling, when it is getting warmer. This will strenghen upper legs without strain.
I prepare with about 30-60 km running a week until now. It is still quite cold outside (about 0 degress, sometimes snow). I use the time also to prepare and upgrade equipment and look for some tools in the meantime.
As for now there are:
I will come back later with some reports in using all this.
Download as PDFSo since today i have registered for the UTMB this year. Lets see if it will be possible to get a number for the start. Since so many competitors are trying to start in 2013, there has to be a draw. I have paid 50 Euro for the registration until now. You have to add an attest afterwards until may 2013 also, when you get a starting place. The results of the draw will be published on the 18th January 2013 at 10:00 (GMT+1). Until then you can only cross fingers. The fee altogether will be 160 Euro for the UTMB. You can still register until the 8th of January 2013.
You have to register here with your name and contact details. After setting up your account, you can chose you runs from a list of available one from a database. Search for yours and you should find it. Maybe under a different name if you can not find it directly. The database should be complete. If not, it is possible to add you run yourself. After that you need a credit card to directly commit the 50 Euro for the preregistration.
I did all that and now i have to wait until the 18.1.2013.
Download as PDFTomorrow starting from the 19.12.12 until the 8.1.13 the registration for the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) will be available. Then you can register and hope you will be assigned. There is a lottery for the 2300 places. At the 18.1.13 the result of the draw will be presented. Then you will have 11 days until the 28.11. to complete you registration for the utmb. A lot of dates and a lot of rules for this race. But this seems like necessary to be able to give everyone a fair possibility to get a ticket for the race.