At the end of training week number five for New York, I replaced the speed work with Üetliberglauf, the last in the 2011 ZüriLaufCup series. I already had my six results, it was not possible for me to advance in the overall ranking and I could not be passed either, so it was just for the sake of it.

Because I live rather close, I could run to the start; I was a bit late and had yet to collect my number, but that went smooth and I could join the crowd waiting for the start.

The weather was perfect and I looked like something stung me in the right eye:

I saw some people from afar and exchanged nods and thumbs up, and then we started. I had done the race in 2010 already and remembered especially some brutal climbs. Every flat or downhill bit was to be considered a little gift.

There was a small group I ran with for the first few kilometres. On the flat bits I would gain on them, in the uphill parts they would gain on me. Finally it was just one guy and me, and in the first longer steep uphill part, he went ahead and I had not the faintest chance to follow; never saw him again in that race.

I felt quite good overall, and the steepest bit was so gruel in my remembrance that the reality could not quite live up to it. After the halfway point, there was a longer downhill bit, and even though I felt quite fast, two guys caught up with me. I decided to stick to them, and together we passed a bunch of people (among them “red guy” from Hallwilerseelauf). Eventually I managed to get away from them again, and before the steepest bit of the way back, I saw that the leading woman was not too far away.

With maybe four kilometres to go, I caught up to her, breathing loud enough for her to glance back about five times. Sorry about that! I’m not a big fan of loud breathers myself, but I couldn’t help it. I passed her, and on the last downhill part there weren’t many people any more. Just before the end, I saw two guys close to each other and decided to try and get them.

Once I was with them, I tried to get away as quickly as possible, but that was a wee bit early for a strong finish and I almost blew up. Plus there was a chaos with walkers and people from the fun run all returning at the same time, but I managed to finish before the two.

I ended up 11th in my age group and with the third best result of my 2011 ZüriLaufCup races. As expected, that didn’t change my overall ranking, so I’m still number nine there.

I chatted a little bit with some people, but I got cold very soon and headed inside to get changed. I jogged home to cool down properly and was rather content with myself and the world. From now on, there was just one more hard workout on the plan (90 minutes marathon pace); other than that, the NYC taper would begin!

I forgot something extremely important in the race report about Pfäffikerseelauf. I have finally managed to win my virtual “Benjamin vs. The Women” race, by a full four seconds!

Too bad it was really virtual because the women started one hour before my wave. Doesn’t really count then, does it?

I started my New York marathon specific training two weeks ago. I follow a neat plan for triathletes that assumes you did train during all of the season and want to finish with a fall marathon (exactly for me thus). It’s just seven weeks, with three weeks build, one rest week, two weeks build and one taper. The magic (and lazy) thing about the plan is that the long long runs are at most two hours 15 minutes, but directly afterwards you hit the bike for about two hours – trains the lipid metabolism, spares the joints. And is more fun than only running.

There’s also a swim per week, which I replace by the freestyle training I do with the Academic Sports Association, and two to three core strength workouts. Overall about ten workouts with one rest day. It’s quite a bit more than what I train usually, but running always was a big part of my triathlon training and with all the strength training (which I usually skip) I’m not afraid I’ll get myself injured.

Having a goal like the NYC Marathon is even motivating enough to get me out of bed about twice a week for an early morning run, something I could only do if I was to meet somebody for running until now. The extra volume is quite visible in my weekly training hours:

So the rightmost yellow block is today’s easy run, the two columns left of it are weeks 1 and 2 of the plan. I skipped one run and one bike in week 2, that’s why the volume has gone down a little. But still, it’s more than before (where I got a bit lazy). Also, it’s not going to be my most social seven weeks as I’m every evening either training or super tired. I’ll have a life after New York again. (Actually, it’s not that bad.)

To top up week 1, I replaced the “fast” weekend run by Pfäffikerseelauf, a 12.3 km race around Lake Pfäffikon (which I did last year already) on Sunday. I went without much expectations, having quite some mileage in my legs already, and the excuse “I did it out of full training” was neatly prepared.

I did a longer warm up than I’ve ever done for a race, almost half an hour with drills and what not, but I guess that was a smart thing to do. It was again a warm day, and sweaty but ready I lined up for the start. I met Oli in the crowd and said hi, exchanged a few words about plans and even got a mention on his blog. Me, the pacemaker! ;)

The course was mostly flat with one climb shortly after half of the distance. I remember the I almost blew up there last year, but this year I wouldn’t be as surprised.

We started, rather fast as always, and I got ready for my legs to become leaden.

Which they simply didn’t! I felt very strong throughout the whole race, kept passing people and really enjoyed it. It was not my fastest race, but I felt almost as good as I did during Reusslauf (which was my best racing experience so far).

The climb went fine as well, and I was looking forward to the rolling hills after it. This was taken at about ten kilometres:

I could keep up something like a 3:45 min/km pace for the last four kilometres and had quite a strong finish. The guy just in front of me somehow stopped running a few metres before the end so I had the choice of passing him (and running into the scaffolding of the finish) or slowing down as well. Which I did, because had I been the guy, I would have thought that’s it’s mighty stupid to blast past somebody else one metre before the finish if you’re not even fighting for a podium spot or something.

It ended up being somebody of my age group, but I was in the top 10 of my age group anyway (a first!) and was happy to see that this was my second best ZüriLaufCup performance, improving my total by 48 points. I’m now 9th in the series for my age group, it’s impossible for me to pass anybody in front of me and I can’t be passed by anybody behind me in the last race, so I probably won’t even go. Unless I can squeeze it in my plan, of course, because it’s pretty Üetliberglauf and actually very close to my place.

This we ran:

I’m thinking of doing a half marathon at the end of next week as a final test (and breaking that stupid 1:24:24 barrier): Hallwilerseelauf (which I did last year). Viktor Röthlin does it as well, and he’s going to New York, so it must be a smart idea.

(Vik also says “don’t just copy the pros”. But it really fits into my plan!)

After a break of several weeks, the ZüriLaufCup series continued with the first of its four autumns races, Rütilauf, last Sunday. I decided to participate; it was my 8th ZLC race of this year, and because only the top six results count for the overall ranking, I would have to perform (relatively) better than in two other races to earn some points.

It was a very hot day, the hottest since decades for that exact date (or so I heard, but it seems credible). I had never done this race before, but public transportation was available until very close to the starting area so I didn’t plan a lot of extra time to get there.

After arriving, I put my bag in the changing rooms and headed for the start to “warm up” (even more) with about ten minutes to go. I was immediately soaking wet and started thinking about getting a sleeveless shirt for running. For next Summer, you know. (And only for races.)

With about five minutes to go, I joined the crowd before the starting line. I did have a look at the elevation profile before, but it was kind of hard to memorise:

I could keep in mind that after 4.5 km it’s “easy” for a bit and that there are some mean hills before the end. I could have also remembered “it’s just never flat”.

And off we were!

If you look closely, you spot fast Julie (with the red hair) and triathlete Filippo Neri (blue shirt, black short, no compression socks).

And if you look very closely, I’m there as well!

The course did a little loop back through the starting area before going out on a bigger loop. The path got very narrow early on and I was a bit annoyed that I hadn’t started further to the front because it was very hard to pass people, but being held back in the beginning of a race is usually a good thing as people tend to overpace after the start anyway.

For quite some time I kept passing people, but the course made sure I never found any kind of rhythm. It was blistering hot, and on the sections not covered by trees it was as if somebody was pushing me towards the ground. I took every drink and sponge I could get, but the two gulps of water were like the figurative (German) “drops on a hot stone”.

Quite soon I reached the position in the field where I was surrounded by people with my pace, so not much passing was going on any more. At one point I passed Jens, a guy I know from seeing him at ASVZ, the academic sports association, but I never could put much distance between him and myself.

After the turning point in the South with about three kilometres to go, I hit an all time low. Kilometre splits were skyrocketing, lots of people passed (among them Jens again), and I just couldn’t muster up any strength to go faster.

I’m not sure where this was taken, but probably around then:

This was either after just being passed by Jens or passing him for the first time.

The “pièce de resistance”, a mean climb just before the final stretch, was still waiting, and it was mean. The good thing was that I could pass Jens again as he resorted to power walking (which probably wasn’t much slower than my run shuffle). The last kilometre was not a prime example of a strong finish, but at least nobody else passed me. Very happy to get to stand in the shade I gulped down lots of water and drinks and tried to stop looking as if somebody had thrown me into a swimming pool.

I chatted with Julie who placed 3rd woman overall (which makes me 3rd in my virtual “me vs. the women” race) and met Oliver who recognised me from this blog (and I recognised him from his). Oli had blasted past me somewhere in the final ascent and placed 9th in our age group; I placed 10th, which sounds pretty cool, but I never felt like doing a strong race.

Even though the relative placing was better than my ZLC average, I didn’t get any points for the overall cup because compared to the time of the age group winner, it was my second worst performance of the year. Fine, the age group winner (last year’s dominator Christian Kreienbühl) was about 10% faster than the second place and likely ruined points for everybody, but still.

In the overall cup standing I lost one place because Adrian Brennwald (world champion in Double and Triple Ironman) finally did his 6th race. One guy improved by five points, but that doesn’t change the overall standing, so now I’m placed 7th. 

The main question until the end of the season will be whether the people with less than six races who are faster than me (e.g., Dani) will race enough to get to six races or not, because I will only improve marginally (if at all).

This weekend I’ll probably do the next ZLC race, Türlerseelauf, on Saturday; on Sunday I’ll to Tägi Tri sprint triathlon where I did my first triathlon ever one year ago. And then it’s all about preparing for NYC marathon!

The race pic from Wylandlauf is here! I have no idea at what point this was taken. It was either not very late in the race or I had seen the photographer and tried to keep a decent posture.

Special guest: the cycling tan line on the thigh.

Time to catch up with race reports! Goal: have them all written before doing the next race. Which will probably take place next week. And there’s much to do: this one here, Zytturm Triathlon Zug, Gigathlon, 5150 Zurich… let’s go then!

Wylandlauf was my 7th race of the ZüriLaufCup series this year, i.e., I was about to produce a void result because only the six best races count towards the total. It is also the second longest race of the series (not taking Zurich Marathon into account) but at 14.85 km still not really long.

I did the race last year already, a rather cold and wet memory, and finished in 1:01:36. The weather was not very promising, but at least it was not raining when I arrived. I had missed a train connection, but because of a bike race my start was delayed by 15 minutes, which gave me enough time to warm up.

During warm-up, I bumped into Beni from the Tuesday intervals group, his brother, and Julie who were about to end their warm-up. Because they hadn’t heard of the delay yet.

It was still not raining when I joined the crowd in front of the starting line, but it was rather cool – ideal conditions. The elevation profile of the course looks like this:

Flat for three kilometres, hills for the next three, flat for another three, hills for two, flat until the end. Or, seen from above:

My goal was to run a sub 4 min/km average, beat the hour and maybe “place within the women”. You know, my secret personal race against the women. We started and there was some pushing and pulling as the road became more narrow after the first left turn:

Oh, and if you look very closely, you can see me:

In front of the yellow giant, wearing a white shirt. (The giant is “Interval Beni”, by the way. Former handball player.) And behind Beni in the green shirt is Julie.

The crowd started to thin out a little (still around the first kilometre here):

And again, some zooming reveals me:

The surface was rather dry with a few puddles here and there, but so much better than last year where it was more mud wrestling than anything else. I ran the first three kilometres with a pace of 3:45; after this, the hills started. I was behind the leading two women, Luzia Schmid and Maja Luder-Gautschi – the same two who won Flughafenlauf a few weeks earlier. This time I didn’t even manage to get close, I just saw them go further and further away, so the “Benj vs. The Women” race was lonely.

Of course there were other runners around, but still.

I tried to keep a steady pace over the hilly part, didn’t pass many people and was not passed by many. Towards the end of the hills, just before the long descent, people starting cheering whenever I passed, but it didn’t take me long to find out that some celebrity of sort must be running behind me. The “celebrity” finally passed; turns out it was the third woman, Olivia Kurtz. She had been third at Flughafenlauf already, but didn’t manage to pass me there.

I never caught up to her again but didn’t lose sight of her either. The last flat bit went well: it’s a very varied part of the course with a lot of turns, paths, streets and forest bits. Until you’re back on the final stretch. About 1.8 kilometres just straight. I remembered 2010 when I really hated that section and thought about three times too early “Finally! Done!” Just to find out I wasn’t.

I managed to pass two or three guys on the straight bit and finished strong; just five seconds behind Olivia, with 55:57. Goals: check. Beni and Julie arrived a few minutes later and everybody was rather happy with their performances. (And in addition, I was happy that there was no rain for all of the race.)

We stayed for the award ceremony because Julie finished second in her age group:

Just behind Olivia.

I scored another 870 points for the overall cup and voided the result from Dietikon, gaining 138 points:

This is still a flattering overall standing for me, but again, there are a few very strong runners not having six results yet. And there are still four races to go, starting in September with Rütilauf. We’ll see how that one turns out!

And I also got the race pic from Flughafenlauf (see race report); I think this was taken towards the end of the race (see not-so-happy face).

The race pic from Männedörfler Waldlauf has arrived. Form looks almost decent, if I may say so.