Sometimes work takes me down to the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud in the west of Switzerland. Occasionally I get some time to swim the local lake Morat. The 22.8 km² pond is a heaven for some evening strokes. Quite and clear waters paired with some distinctive landmarks make open water swimming easy. This place beats every pool. Such a peaceful place!

I wrote the following text for slowtwitch. Go and check out all pics and stuff HERE!

It was symbolic. After a mere 38 undulating kilometres of technical and steep running, with a vertical ascent of 1,900 meters, the final 100 meters to the finish line were uphill as well. As the day was a fusion of running and 6 kilometers of swimming there was liquid waiting for every team that reached the village of Buttermere. Ice-cold cans of beer brought sleepy smiles on each finishers face. It was a lengthy day out in the clear waters and the sharp western fells of England’s most impressive scenery – the Lake District. To plant the SwimRun seed in the UK, no better place could have been chosen. The inaugural Breca SwimRun produced an authentic course and SwimRun racing that was never seen before. A pretty special skill set was required to be effective on these difficult 44 kilometers.

© Paul Mitchell of wildmanmitchell.com

“The course should be well marked. Some farmers might have taken down some of the flags but we should be OK. Read your map cautiously”, indicated race director Ben at the briefing an hour before the competition. Except for one section along the top of the infamous Honister Pass – where the sheep had taken to eating the red markings, it was very well marked. A mix of single trails and pure off-road running was on the agenda. Very little road running made sure that all teams had to be on top of their off-road running game. In a part of England where the sport of fell running is highly popular, the course demanded fearless running and the ability to handle the steepest up and downhill terrain. However a good slice of running was on striking and stony single footpaths, certain shares of the course tested the SwimRunners on off-trail running combined with river crossings and the search for yet another red flag that guided the teams of two to the next swim section. Throughout 17 successive legs past icy and crystal-clear waters the path was a humbling encounter with no easy part of the course.

© Paul Mitchell of wildmanmitchell.com

“This was a rough day out. Probably the best set of trails I have run in the UK, though!” said Hamish Cropper of the men’s winning Squad ‘Clapham Bruderwunderz’ was full of thrill after his finish with partner Alan Scott. The London based duo came 6th at last year’s ÖtillÖ SwimRun World champs and took the maiden win in the first race of this young sport in the UK. “We are both qualified for Kona in a few weeks. It was a very good day of training for the two of us. A good bit of time spent on the feet and a great day of strength work for our running and swimming form. A very hard but enjoyable day, though.” commented Alan while re-hydrating with some lager beside him shortly after the finish. A few minutes later German crew “The German Sparkle Party floating with HUUB” finalised the podium with its two teams taking 2nd and 3rd. In the women category it was team “Girls Wot Can” who won with an impressive time of 7:26.

© Paul Mitchell of wildmanmitchell.com

The unique vibe and the comradeship of SwimRun was apparent as racers were gathering at the finish line cheering each other on and sharing stories about what had happened out there. Not only the local sheep were astounded by people running with wetsuits through their home territory, also a course with these characteristics raised a lot of eyebrows among the competitors and took a new dimension to the sport of SwimRun. More competitors are more then welcome to test themselves along the ridges and fells of this beautiful part of the world next year.

It was a specific bucket list race for me. Seven years ago I ended my last triathlon in Roth. The Xterra get-together in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic was my coming back to competitive bathing, off-road biking and jogging.

Doing all the sports I love in one competition was intended to be a petite highpoint of my season. Succeeding a sweltering and lengthy Tour de Mont Blanc hiking outing with a friend, the race in Prachatice was a very good reason to travel to the Czech Republic go camping and stay active.

The day before the race I started to feel a bit vile. I got a head cold, felt drained and went to bed at 9pm. When I woke up 12 hours later I still felt like sXXX. The race started at 1pm so I had enough time to relax even more. I fell asleep again but the excitement to race woke me up 2 hours later. The very appealing old-school attitude that was surrounding this race paid into my conditions. I rushed to prepare my transition areas, got a bite to eat, had the chance to swiftly catch up with my club pals as well as Gines and made the start line on the shores of lake Køišanovický just on time for the Czech national anthem.

Then it was a go. I entirely was unable to picture how it feels to swim in a triathlon field. A quality group of racers anticipated a worthy fistfight that finished just soon after the first buoy. I never was able to catch a bigger group and just started to find a good pair of legs in the second loop. Even with a head cold swimming flew by and I arrived in the transition zone with the first females.

On the bike course it was just pure roughness. Virtuous trails were running around the local woodland. Step climbs and techy downhill’s. Such a great and reckless course. I entirely loved it. Only on the uphill, were I needed to push, I felt weak and flat. My pulse never went up and the high temperatures did not really help with my aching head. I decided to stop at T2 in the centre of Prachatice. As I race the Breca SwimRun this coming Saturday it was the only choice. The run would have totally bashed me out.

However this race is totally recommendable. A very good and authentic course with a splendid atmosphere amongst the racers. This course provides authentic and real triathlon style. A very good promotion for the sport! I definitely try to come back.

I was a bit frightened. My skinny pins haven’t seen a severe track workout or any tempo outing in the past couple of weeks. After the Engadin contest my swimming came back pretty pleasantly but the running practice was not the finest. The Swiss mounts brought a decent thrashing and the engine was not too willing while travelling on land.

Despite that, all my exercise effort is on the forthcoming SwimRun battles in Breca, the splendid ÖtillÖ and the season ending in Kosters. Consequently a 6k road competition looked like a true fitness assessment. A intolerable distance.

21:24 was the result after, not as much than 6.000 meters round town. I haven’t run that fast for a while but it felt okay. The pacing was decent as I was able to pick up during the closing kilometres. All good so far. At least a moral display that the fitness is there.

37 days until the start of ÖtillÖ.

In 2010, at a period when the minimalistic movement was at a peak, something entirely different and totally contrarian showed up on the constantly pulsating running bazaar. Frenchman’s Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, both former Salomon employees and gifted runners themselves, created a shoe brand called Hoka One One. As you pronounce “O-nay, O-nay”, these kicks are christened after the Maori language expression meaning “flying over the earth”. And exactly that was the phrase Nicolas used to describe this piece of pure “maximalism”. “It’s like flying!“ were the words Mermoud describes his construction. At the time his concept was something that went totally against everything that was seen before. People were not used to this style of shoe. Especially at the time the brand hit the market.

Efficient ride  – minimal weight

 In April 2013 Deckers Outdoor, the mother company for UGG, Teva and other footwear brands bought Hoka One One. Subsequently a lot of cash was invested in the expansion and marketing of this extra softened, widespread, stable and super-light running shoe. Still it feels strange to witness something that huge and chunky. My individual adoration for the minimalistic style to running shoes is not a top-secret. However I was pretty keen to check what it is all about. I already shaped an picture and an opinion in my head. I wanted to proof all my preconceptions. So what is it all about? The Hoka One One Huaka arrived and I had the chance to track a proper check-up.

Hoka Race-Lace System

Full Ground Contact Design

 The Huaka is one of the lightest produces in the current series. Only the Clifton is lighter . I desired to start sensitively and selected this model. My initial dash with the maximal style shouldn’t be to “max”. A “lightweight and fast ride” is what the product descriptions offers. When I unboxed the Huaka I was astonished. Everyone knows the weird feeling. You expect something bulky to be heavy. If you then experience something different it creates a stunning feeling. The RMAT midsole (“Engineered midsole volume which is up to 2.5 X the volume than standard running shoes”) in fact is massive. I have never had such a sole at any shoe. Last time I witnessed something like this must have been back in the raving days. As some of my elder readers will reminisce a footwear-product named “Buffallo” (Click HERE if you up for some reminder!). Well, we won’t go more into that for now.

Strategic Hi-Abrasion Rubber Zones

Ultra-Lightweight No Sew SpeedFrame Construction

 I hurried to understand how they really sense in motion. The lacing system was the first part that absolutely amazed me. Leave aside the simply old-school way of lacing up your running shoes. The Huaka comes with a permanent (and I guess tough to replace…) lacing structure. They named it ‘Race-lace’. The whole construct is a cord based system which depends on a tiny toggle. The usage is pretty fine and easy going. However you’ll receive an “old-school” shoelace with the shoe. The tongue of the shoe feels great as it is very thin and well-shaped. To access the shoe you need a bit of understanding. For me it was hard to get my big feet (US 13) into these kicks. I learnt that you have to press down the very back of the shoe and tuck myself in with a bit of force. Certainly no shoe you want to have for a fast triathlon changeover. With a bit of time for the lacing system it shouldn’t be too tricky to make more space for an easier entering.

2mm Heel to Toe Offset

 Then it’s a go. With a 2mm drop the Huaka feels pleasant straight from the start. As I usually run with low drop shoes it’s a well know feeling. Please be aware that, when not used to such a radical style, this could be different pressure to your muscles and tendons. The soul of the shoe is the massive sole that is composed of a material called RMAT, which is a blend of rubber and EVA. Raised sidewalls in mid and rear-foot part of the shoe support a fast gait cycle. And exactly that could be describes as the feeling that sticks out for me. While having a well softened shoe there is still a accurate feeling of moving reckless and effectual. Notwithstanding the “highness”, the shoe feels safe and proper during diverse speeds. Although I had certain strange encounters on technical trails, the Huaka is a harmless and dependable companion for any kind of road runs. I valued to take ‘em out for long runs on the cemented boulevards. The precision and the stunning reaction made the Huaka a great partner for longer beating on roads. From my knowledge the shoe shaped fewer tenderness and muscle exhaustion while on the street. Still on easy trails the Huaka was a solid partner. Overall the Huaka offers top-notch responsiveness joined with decisiveness in the cushioning you would not really expect from a shoe with such a sole.

Offset: 2mm, Heel: 27mm, Forefoot: 25mm

Great companion for longer road runs.

 Having experienced the Huaka as a lighter model, it would be exciting to see how his ultra-lightweight comrade, the Clifton, feels. It looks like the Huaka is a “pumped up” type of the Clifton. More than that there are a series of very fascinating shoes in the pipeline. While I saw some samples of road and track flats, Hoka One One looks to drive the market and their progress even further. Hoka One One will stay attention-grabbing and definitely will raise eyebrows with their altered approach to running shoe construction.

“Anything about that competition in Switzerland? How did it go?”

I guess I have to put pen to paper. Better late than never. Exercising and travelling cut the time in front of the keyboard pretty short. Kind of a good thing I guess. But now. Let’s get at it – Engadin SwimRun 2015. Tillbaka i den magiska dalen!

Pre-Race jogging along lake Silvaplana.

After last year’s uniquely positive memoirs round the first SwimRun race outside of Sweden, it was a no-brainer to head down south for yet another time. German Sparkle get-together slice four.

The Swiss region of Maloja is an incomparable place. Mats and Michael knew what they were doing when they decided to set up the competition just there. By this time, the 1,100 people town of Silvaplana as well as the people of the entire area have fully adopted this race. It appears that folks around there recognise the soul and elegance of multisport-racing. It’s vital to get a community behind such an event. That it worked out so fast says a lot about the faultless organisation and the competitors that know how to behave in such a natural setting.

GSP approaching the first swim. Amazing atmosphere well captured by Jakob Edholm.

We travelled down early to enjoy the valley and relax properly before the race. Not easy in such an setting. A gondola ride to the observation deck of the Corvatsch station (3,451 m) brought amazing views towards the Eastern Alps and lots of laughter with the Utö Troop. Race briefing was crowded. With the grow of the sport the starter field rose even more. Still a great atmosphere with the typical distinct briefing showcase. Just like last year the weather should be the highpoint. The vale was heated up and the H2O icy as usual. Overheating in a wetsuits and the hopping into 12 degree water is an experiment for the physique.

Race morning saw gorgeous sun. Fast-Starters got caught pretty early on and the field stretched out quicker than previous year. People do miscalculate the versatile course and the skill to run in a wetsuit. Although you can witness certain procedures in more practised racing crowds just like Utö early in the year, the Engadin race pulls plenty of first timers. With almost no races on the continent this is rather apparent. To see how well trained and experiences athletes in SwimRun is pretty interesting. Sometimes it reminded me on our first race last year. We learnt a lot. Not necessarily about the character of the sport but primarily how to function effective as a team. For me the beauty of SwimRunning is down to the team racing characteristic. Sure, the activity itself is incredible. The relentless variation of the two disciplines and the enjoyment to travel from point to point across astonishing environment is a blast. To do all of that with a friend, this is the essence of the sport. And also by far the major trial.

Nuff said. Stoke!

A solo person won’t be successful. This is pretty apparent. Not essentially the fittest mixture of two racer will be successful. It is the finest squad that gets through all the emotions, the difficulties and the fights of a 53 kilometre race. Leave your ego at home. It’s merely about the team. It is about the performance of two people. Some people in the endurance sport scene do not understand that from time to time. They will learn very fast in SwimRun. And precisely that is the beauty of this sport.

Prominent feature of Jakobs GSP picture on the offical race website.

So what did Fabian and I do? Well, another time we provided a team performance that could be easily described as faultless. We communicate a lot. We joke a lot and we grieve a lot. This is what makes it so special. There is no individual self-image. There is only the proper GSP-style. The finest style.

Final proofs after 47,5 km of running and 5,75 km of swimming:

• 7:02:18 hours of racing
• 33:55 Minutes behind the winning team
• 10th place overall and 8th man team
• Same ranking as last year
• 47 Minutes quicker on a lengthier course

A week in “the District”. Check my tumblr for more capital action.

When we left the sunlit Utö island a couple of weeks ago we met Björn at the local dock playing with his dog. “Nope. Unfortunately not!” was his reply when I enquired about another get-together in Switzerland in a few months. Coincidentally he was not accurate and he will be wearing the bib with the number 1 in this year’s Engadin SwimRun meeting. Before heading over to the remarkable Engadin vale I chatted with one half of last year’s Engadin SwimRun winning team as he will be attacking the competition in union with fellow swede and SwimRun extraordinaire Lelle Moberg, present SwimRun World Champion.

Daniel Hansson on the left wont be able to race Saturdays Engadin SwimRun. Current World Champ Lelle Moberg on the right will be teaming up with Björn. Picture: Nadja Odenhage

Runssel: You and your companion Paul Krochak had a fruitful outing at last year’s Engadin SwimRun competition. This year you are back to preserve your title with 50% of the up-to-date ÖtillÖ winning team, Lelle Moberg. How did this mix come about?

Björn: Lelle contacted me just last week asking if I wanted to race Engadin SwimRun with him as his usual partner, Daniel Hansson, is injured unfortunately. I got a day off from the boss and did some last minute flight and accommodation bookings and managed to get all the logistics together, with A LOT of help from my sponsor HEAD swimming.

Runssel: As the course in Switzerland differs to your normal Swedish racing set-up, did you do something distinct in training to prepare for this?

Björn: As this was a last minute decision I have not trained as much specific mountain running as last year. Nevertheless I have run a LOT and done some lengthy sessions of open water swimming. Already I have done two SwimRun races this season. However, me and Lelle have not yet raced together. This will be the first time for us competing as a team.

Björn on the left leading the bunch out of Utö harbour. Picture: Nadja Odenhage

Runssel: Tell us a bit about the equipment you are going to use this Saturday?

Björn: I will race in the most recent HEAD SwimRun race suit. I will use ordinary hand paddles and the brand new HEAD pull-buoy. I will use two swim caps (one extra under the race swim cap). For shoes I’ll use the Inov8 x-talon 190.

Runssel: A drop-out rate of about 50% exhibited that a lot of teams underrated the conditions of an alpine race in this format. Besides overtaking Lelle and yourself, which vital tip would you give away to fellow competitors?

Björn: My tip for fellow competitors would be to go easy on the first climbs, you will need good legs for the second part of the competition. Talk with each other during the race, be open about how your body feels, if you need to go slower, communicate it to your partner. If you are the stronger team member, help you partner. Always stay positive! And don’t forget to lift your eyes from the ground in front of you. Have a look at the scenery, this is a truly spectacular course!

Lelle Moberg with partner Carolin Holmqvist crushing the competition at last years Engadin SwimRun.  Foto: JakobEdholm.com

Runssel: What is your preferred part of the course and why?

Björn: The two most rememberable parts from last year was the one where we were heading down to the striking Mountain lake for the first swim. The other one was swimming in the small lake above the turning point in St.Moritz, the 17 degree water felt like a warm bubbelbath!

Runssel: All the best for Saturday!

Björn exits the water during this years Utö SwimRun. Picture: Nadja Odenhage

With the freshest “All Out Charge” I got to test-drive yet another Merrell model. After my review of the “Bare Access 4” (Check it HERE) I was hyped to try a more thicker, further cushioned style out of Randy Merrell’s newest stock.

Besides advanced stability I immediately was astonished by the weight. Less then 600 grams is not very much for a pair of shoes with these qualities. The well-placed cushion combined with the stable fit of the shoe does create a secure feeling without being too clumsy. Once you get used to the uncommon impression of the so called “HyperWrap 360° fit system”, a semi-attached tongue system, the shoes delivers a natural, yet not barefoot like, feeling. The toe box might be a bit small but never gave me any problems. Overall it felt good and stress-free to use that shoe. Blisters were not seen despite me using it heavily in the first few days I got them.

Streets, Trails and whatever else that got under these things were dealt extremely satisfactorily. I do not want to overstress the description of an everyday training shoe but the “All Out Charge” is just about that. Style combined with flawless usage – Just what I want.

While travelling a fair bit, I enjoyed the nimbleness combined with the variety that this shoe overs. The sole is not to aggressive which could be a problem on wet technical trails but for all my running in the last few weeks it served to be absolutely amazing. A nice low stack height of 22/16mm is forming a nice drop of 6mm. This allows and nice sensitivity which I really liked. This brings you a confident feeling while doing trail-intervals as well as proper response on the road.

Working the “All Out Charge” around Bratislava

6mm Drop with 12mm Cush and a fairly low stack height of 27mm

The well designed M Select GRIP tunes outsole

I dig the little details

The so-called UniFly midsole offers protection as well as traction

Lovely placed Mesh upper

Light and sleek

Color coding: Spicy Orange paired with Lime Green

The inside

The outside