Triathlon still is a stunningly hard-hitting sport. A day prior to the Ironman 70.3 race around the Kraichgau it is Bundesliga time.
Every year the first competition of the German premier league takes place in and around the Hardtsee. First the women’s field takes on the Sprint distance and subsequently the men battle it out during 750 meters of swimming, 20 kilometres of biking and a 5 kilometre run.
It is a flawless format to witness this sport. So good.

More snaps from the recent Regione Autònoma de Sardigna excursion.

Last Sundays 15th running of the fabled Zegama-Aizkorri Mendi Maratoiaren was nothing short of being spectacular. Yet again the striking Basque Country in the western Pyrenees presented one of the biggest spectacles mountain running has to offer.

Another year saw one more top-notch field that took on the renowned 42 kilometres through the Aizkorri national park. While Kilian Jornet won the race again and cemented his legend status, there were some surprises along the way. One was Swedish Ski-Mountaineer and mountain runner André Jonsson. On his first attempt he scored a 10th place in cold and unforgiving conditions. Remarkable.

Born, raised and based in a small Swedish ski resort close to the Norwegian border called Storlien (60 kilometres west of Åre), he impressed with a clever and fast run. I asked André some questions about his most recent excursion in the Basque Country.

Photo: skiandrun.fr

 RUNssel: A top 10 finish on your first Zegama shot is very impressive. How did the competition unfold for you? Did you had a special race tactic?

André Jonsson: I started pretty easy and then pushed harder after half way. Didn’t feel so strong uphill but had a good flow in the downhills and technical parts so I advanced there.

RUNssel: Did you train on the course before the race?

André: Just the last 5-6km the day before. I ran with Norwegian Eirik Haugsnes (Comment: By now Eirik raced this race four times) who gave me a lot of info on how the course would look like.

Photo: aritzgordo.com

RUNssel: Looking back, what was the roughest part of the day?

André: Definitely the ridge half way into the race. It was really cold up there, the hands were like bricks. While you were freezing you also had to focus on the technical terrain. But apparently that suited me. I advanced several positions there.

RUNssel: How would you describe the scramble through the wild crowds at Sancti Spiritu?

André: Just unbelievable, comparable with the Tour de France when they ascent Alpe d’Huez. Now I think I know how the cyclists are feeling.

Photo: Fjällmaraton

RUNssel: How did you get ready for the distinctive Zegama-Aizkorri course? Any key workouts?

André: No special training really. I just ended the ski season and still have a lot of snow at home. Just trying to find trails that are not covered with snow is a challenge these days.

RUNssel: Each year the right shoe is a point of discussion between the athletes. What shoe did you use during that murky excursion?

André: I ran the Inov-8 X-Talon 212 and they were just perfect.

Photo: tranatrail.se

RUNssel: You started your running season with a true highlight. What is next for you during the summer?

André: It will be the Ultra Skymarathon on Madeira island next weekend. Hopefully I will be recovered enough by then.

RUNssel: What is your preferred record at the moment?

André: Currently I’m listening to the Swedish band Rallypack’s album “Sod Off, God! We Believe In Our Rockband”. These days the band is called Lillasyster instead.

RUNssel: Thanks a lot a lot for taking the time to answer all the question. Best of luck for the upcoming season.

Just back from the second-largest isle in the Mediterranean Sea. Back with lots of upbeat vibes after remarkable days throughout the northern parts of the 24,090 km2 island. This is the first set of pictures. Track back for more throughout the next few days.

Annecy based off-road running connoisseurs, Salomon, created a key move towards the long avoided cemented boulevards. With the all-new S-LAB Sonic they absolutely impressed me.

With some elusive 220 grams it’s a treat to stride on the roads. The straight sensation joined by a comfy fit is well build – a shoe that needs speed.

However the performance is made for faster road runs I don’t know why Salomon assembled an 8 mm drop (24mm/16mm) in the sole design. Other then that this shoe is good and fast fun and an exciting addition to Salomon’s mountain based assortment.

All pictures (C) runssel

The second SwimRun encounter of the season is just around the corner. As we get our kit organized we just had some last easy strokes in the local pound to get equipment and machine arranged for our petite excursion to Belgium’s 38 km Amphiman this Saturday. We cannot wait for this one.

Currently it seems like SwimRun competitions are cracking scenes all over the place. Already last year was a pretty hectic year for this diverse endurance sport combination, 2016 looks like the year that shoots this sport more than one step into the future. Up until now my cherished GSP-troop and I competed in the maiden SwimRun races in the UK (2015 Breca Buttermere) & Switzerland (2014 Engadin).

Honestly, it feels special to be in the midst of a growing scene and surrounded by a sound bunch of driven pioneers in our country and across mainland Europe. SwimRun fetched back a lot of vanished inspiration, not only to for myself but also to both of my associates Fabian and Knut. The simple base of the sport is something that we started to adore straight away. I still reminisce the first time Fabian and I doubtfully hopped into the cold waters of the French Rivera to exam what it feels to swim with shoes, paddles and pullbuoy. Also the first strides in wet soaked shoes are still evident. Seeing our friends, that were comically entertained by our actions, enjoying their first experiences with the sport is a great sentiment. Once we realised how much fun it is to race as pair of twos there was no stopping. Thankfully we are infected by Sweden’s prime endurance export.

Our superb friends at Swimrunshop.com made a start at yet another initial race realism. Convoyed by former SwimRun criticisers and friends Felix and Tim, the Über-Hobbit and yours truly ventured down to Spain as the Costa Brava region was home to Spain’s first ever SwimRun contest. Knut engraved an superb description on our team website. If you do not check it out you have the chance to win a date with Lil Kim. You better think twice valued reader!

There is only one thing I would like to add to everything that has been written and stated about Spain’s maiden SwimRun meeting. Although the organisers of the SwimRun Costabrava did an excellent job scouting and arranging the scenic course, I feel the must to reassure all participants, organisers and Marshalls to stay true to the fundamental procedures this sport laid out. Of course, I’m German and I might be regulation driven but when it comes to competing and particularly team racing in the nature, some things need to be understood and adhered to.

Stay with your partner all the time.

SwimRun is a crew game! There is a simple intention for that. It is not that you won’t get bored or lonesome out there, it is pretty much down to security. Simple. While we were roaming along the shoreline we came past more than a few teams from the shorter competitions. Prior I laid out that for us a big share of the splendour lies inside the team characteristic. That’s why I get bothered when teams split up. It absolutely makes no sense and it does not provoke your companion if you run away from him and leave him in the dust. Stay within the definite radius and support your partner. At all times. From my own knowledge I can tell you that coming back from a low is harsh. Occasionally you might never ever come back out of this nasty dark neighbourhood. Racing SwimRun races with great partner I ALWAYS came back and I ALWAYS came back tougher and more focussed. So do not leave your partner back and stay by his side. At all times. Watch him and share as much positivity as possible. Honestly, it is so simple. During the Costabrava race we passed some bizarre teams that clearly did not know what the goal of this sport is. I encourage all organisers to eliminate crews like this straight away. Talking about soul and integrity of such a young sport, a clear announcement has to be made early on. Competitors must respect and recognise this basic rule.

While it is not really life threatening to leave your partner behind on the run, there is a major risk of leaving your partner behind in the H2O. This was an matter that happened through the race and wasn’t highlighted. As the sea was rough and even for experienced open water swimmers like us a test, some fellow contenders were shipwrecked. This is an issue I cannot understand and a rule that has been set up by the ÖtillÖ originators for a cause. Pure security for yourself and your companion. The logistics are challenging enough so the co-ordinators simply cannot offer a boat for every team at every swim section. This is where a team comes into place as its own personal safety boat. In my opinion this is essential and, again, needs to be executed with race-exclusion by the organisers straight away.

Please don’t get me wrong by being negative on an issue like this, but this theme has been discussed during the aftermath of the Costa Brava race by our group of friends and I feel the requirement to write it down. The Costa Brava competition was a great start for SwimRun in Spain and the vast majority of the line-ups that competed did a great job guarding themselves and their partner but there were some incidents that made me think. Better get it right early on.

Stay safe and watch your partner. At all times.

Appreciate SwimRun and enjoy your season!