“Where do you guys swim in these competition?” Is the common question you get from outsiders when you tell them that you are competing in a Wintertriathlon. “There is no swimming. Running, Mountainbiking and lastly some Nordic skating!” That’s what you have to do to end a Wintertriathlon.

The closest chance to home to do so is the race in Oberstaufen. The picturesque town in Bavaria is well-known for the race and a small but fine crowd always shows up for the German championships.

It was a warm day today. I decided to wear a short-sleeve shirt for all three disciplines and never had to freeze. Quite crazy during a race that’s supposed to take part on snow solely. The conditions for the first two stages of the race where excellent. Nice and warm as the sun was up and shining bright. After two running laps (around 5k) and four loops on the bike (18k) it was a pretty tough infight throughout the melting snow to finish the 8k Nordic skating leg. No fun to slide around. Pure fighting. Especially when you have a poor skating technique like I do.

Overall a great and fun day. Wintertriathlon is a beautiful and honest multi-sport. Hope I get the chance to return to Oberstaufen next year.

Some pictures at tri2b.com / YouTube / YouTube 2 / YouTube 3 / TriMag

The Junior race during the early stages.

German Champs, Baby!

Winner of the junior race, Johannes Hinterseer, with the quote of the day: “I look like 14 but I’m actually 18!”

Representing!

There is always something new for me in this running game.

I was sure to never miss a start. In Ireland, the country of the notorious late race-start, I was always one of the first runners round the start line. Last Sunday I was the last. I trusted the watch in the changing room. Unfortunately this timepiece wasn’t set accurately. Unlucky.

Spring is here in South-Germany and I decided to jog the first race of the season, the “Weibertreulauf” in Weinsberg. Three race distances were on offer. I wanted to run the half-marathon as part of a long training day. The course is famous for it’s hilly course and so I wanted to get some fast vertical race kilometres in. The day started early as I jogged around a sun soaked and picturesque Weinsberger valley. Spring is here. Love it.

When I came back to get changed for the race I trusted the ancient clock in the changing room and when I jogged down to the start, the race had just begun. Even 30 seconds late is too late. I tried to catch up but the crowd was too huge and I couldn’t overtake on the narrow roads. I sprinted ’til the 1st kilometre mark and had to give up. Back at the race registration I asked to change to the 10k race that was supposed to start 1 hour later. No problem to do so.

I continued my jogging until the 10k race started. With already tired legs I found my rhythm pretty late but was happy with the solid legs on the uphill sections. I still miss the leg-turnover but was pleased with my flat 37 minutes time at the end.

Just a couple of hours before I write this lines my good friend Simone passed away. He lost the fight to cancer. Finally.

People have lost contact with Simone in the last couple of months, as it was very hard to get hold of him. Simo was one of the most committed runners, warmest and smartest human beings I have ever met. Not only the italian and irish running community, which he loved so much, will miss him.

His incredible will-power brought him back not only once. As the disease hit again and again even he couldn’t respond anymore.

I lost a friend. Running lost it’s biggest fan.

Run free “Sumo”.

Crewing for Simo at the 2010 100 km del Passatore

Skin-tight lyrica full-body suits. Bizarre huge sunglasses. Winter-hat’s with Norwegian flags. Faces full off skewer. One has to love that Nordic skating thingy.

After some gentle skidding around with skating skies I decided to actually “race” on them. Well. Kind of contesting I guess. As much as you can “race” after 8-times skating.

The Koasalauf in St.Johann, Austria is a huge one. I did not have a single clue that it is such a biggie. When I saw all the fit looking people beside me in the slopes I got pretty anxious. Close to 2000 people on skies looks like trouble. I was late at the start line and had to wait at the very back. Perhaps a good thing but the passing and uphill queening on the first couple of kilometres was a bit frustrating.

When I finally found my pace after 5 kilometers it was pure racing-pleasure. The final 2 kilometers was a bit of a suffer fest and I was more then staggered when the top guys from the 50k race flew by. Incredible.

Well, that was fun. Authentic fun. Cold fun.

Nicely snow covered ice instead of mud this year at the annual Cross-Duathlon in Murr. What a great and likeable smack-down to start the racing season. Runners, Triathletes, Duathletes and Mountainbikers – everyone’s there. A perfectly organized race that features a tough but fun course.

It’s always nice to travel to a race with a lot of friends and meeting even more in and around the transition zone. I only came back from Canada 30 hours before the start and was heavily jetlagged. While warming up I actually did not warm up at all. Freezing conditions, no ol’ dirty fahrrad riding since 4 weeks and an aching, tired body. Ain’t that tuff enough?

Timely enough everything sorted itself out during the first couple of strides. After running a bit more than 5k, mountain-biking around 18k and jogging 4ish k I was delighted with the outcome of the day – 01:15:01, 34th out of 197, no crashes!

No one said this race is easy-going and no one expects that from a course like this. It had everything. Thanks “Kamerakind” Fabse. Thanks Dirty Race!

Press: GER / ENG – Tri-Mag: GER / ENG – Triathlon.de: GER / ENG
Official Website / Results
Pictures / More Pictures / Bike Course Video / Another Bike Video
Blogs: Nils Frommhold / Drei8 / Bernd Weis / Felix Schuhmann / Marc Dülsen

Tune of the day: Classified “I Only Say It Cause It’s True”

“The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night.”
Haruki Murakami