I closed my last blog post with these words: Next, I’m on to a race in Fiesch, up to the top of Eggishorn. Stay tuned to find out how I survive my highest altitude yet, and how much I enjoy dunking myself in glacial lakes in Bern.
I did not die, but I did feel like I became, to reference Paul Klee art I saw later in the trip at the Paul Klee Museum. 1) I had a great time at almost 10,000 feet and 2) I dunked in the glacial RIVER (the Aare River) three times. Technically I did swim in the lake at Interlaken.
Switzerland was such a special friendship trip. For the sake of focusing and word count, I’ll keep this blog to the race experience.
The Swiss Alps Vertical 10k had almost 6,000 feet of climbing to Eggishorn, overlooking the Aletsch Glacier. When I saw my two friends just a tenth or so from the finish, I yelled out I am going to run. They must have run too, because they still met me at the finish line. Low on oxygen and ecstatic, I cried in April’s arms with the glacier behind us as the enormity weighed on me.
The race started warm at 4,000 feet. Switzerland was experiencing another heat wave. I started in a Faster Bastards tee shirt from my partner, with gloves and a jacket in my running vest. A brief section of the race is on road, then you’re shot into the alpine forest.
Sandy pines and vibrant violet flowers fill my memory of the course. Grazing cows and chalets speckled the route. Every mile had about the same amount of climbing. We were quickly engulfed in quiet, and if you had other runners around, listened to each other’s heavy breathing. There is no accent to breath.
As the alpine forest began to open up, paragliders dotted the skyline. Near the mile 4.5 aid station, their jump station was prepped. Luckily, WOW is also easy to translate across languages.
This race also marked my first gondola ride. I could marvel at how high we climbed on the long descent. At packet pick-up, I mentioned to a Swiss woman how excited I was for the ride. She looked confused. My friend (who crushed the 100 miler!) and I then had to explain how tiny the mountains are in the United States, that we do not have many gondolas. What even is normal.
The race was hard, but never felt impossible. Just steady, consistent, 1,000 feet of climbing every mile. For other runners thinking about this race: it is not technical compared to what I experience on the East Coast (constant little rocks and roots). The route is steep, but relatively smooth. I felt steady on my feet without polls. Topo Mountain Racer 4 shoes were perfect for me. The course does get very rocky in the last half mile (my picture crawling above) because you are almost at the top of Eggishorn, but it is still much easier than say, Mount Adams in the Whites of New Hampshire.
I was the 18th woman out of 34. Average! I’m definitely going to look for more vertical races in the United States. Please send any my way if you have recommendations. I had so much fun, I went and ran up Niesen two days after the race.
Now! On to Baltimore Running Festival half marathon on Saturday. This race demolished me in 2011. I can’t wait to take it on with many years of vert in training behind me.
So as always, stay sweaty and glittery. None of us are free until all of us are free.
Books I’m thinking about / recently read:
- Wrong Heven Again by Ryan Eckes
- Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom
- Travesties by Tom Stoppard
