“Why pay the same amount of cash to travel to a close-by island when you could tour to the Alps and run real trails for the same money?” Toni gazed at me. He then began to grin. “Now you know why we come here for that race. I’m glad you came up!” Toni beamed.

I was in party mood when I first heard about the “Hammer Trail”. During the Transalpine Run after race party we chatted away. People from all around the world were ecstatic. Eight hardy days of trans-alp adventuring were behind us. It happened that during the competition we formed a little group consisting of Norwegians, Swedes and a solid Danish core. Every evening after the daily race routine it was time for cuisine and witty talks. When the dialogue turned into “must do races” that last night, the Danish only had one response – “Hammer Trail”.

My response was clear. I wanted to see what off-road jogging in Denmark is like. Andreas thankfully organised the numbers and I packed the car and some friends. We traversed Germany. Took a ferryboat from the German isle of Rügen and sailed over to the Danish atoll titled Bornholm – The home of the ill-famed Hammer, apparently.

After we ticked most of the holidaymaker boxes with some particularly delectable fish buffet in the local harbour and tiny tourism undertakings around our base town, it was time to check out the race venue. We timed it pretty accurate. Just minutes after we arrived at the venue Andreas was about to set of. He and Toni were in the 100 Miler that departed at around lunchtime. We shouted for the two and then went straight to the natural roadways to see what’s on the blackboard for the next day when we were supposed to compete.

When an intentional 30 Minutes jog turns out to be a 1-hour gallop you know something must be exceptional. “Now I’m really, really pumped. I want more. I just cannot wait for tomorrow”. Seb shook his head in disbelieve when we came back after running around the lighthouse and parts of the coastal section.

“Could you please decipher for me?” I questioned the two girls behind the startline to help me. The race director was standing on a chair in front of the 50k bunch. The Danish language is pretty hard to understand. Even more complicated when you are tense. “The path is well marked. There is a good bit of climbing in the first section. Support the runners that are still out there running the 100 miles. That’s all you need to know.” The Management Summary of the little speech must be OK. The Danish miss smirked and whished me luck. “Tak!”

Thomas and I were in the lead straight away. I did not turn my head but there were some other dudes in the back. We talked a bit as we ran past striking trails and landscape that was just beyond believe. I must have sounded like a little school kid on his first holiday spree. Everything is incredible. Everything is so impressive. And the sun. All, everything is just so wonderful. “Shut up and run!!!” should have been Thomas’ answer. He did not say anything.

And then I was on my own. I don’t remember when I moved away. I felt good and still told myself to relax. It is a long way and I’m not 100% sure what’s coming. I enjoyed. I try to appreciate everything and there was so much. The stunning trails led from one great section to the other. The trails along the coast and the scenery in the forest. All great. All so good. All #runhappy material!

It was a 25k loop that formed this 50k race. Once I arrived back in the venue my little crew was chilling in the sun. They were waiting for their race and chatting with Andreas who had already finished his race. He won it and was the first one to see me coming. We had a quick chat and I restored nutrition and drink. I was busy and eager to leave. So I passed the timing map and went back. This time the other way ‘round. Shortly when I left I ran towards the 2nd place dude. We clapped each other and went our ways.

My applaud must have been a bit better then his. When he passed me at around 35k I did not feel like clapping anymore. My liveliness levels were low and I just coasted along. I stayed with him and did a good job for the next 5k in doing so. And then this long uphill section came. It took him a bit less time to run it. I was gone and could not follow. He quickly was out of sight. Now my view was free again. As I was looking at the back of some black Fellcross shoes for quite a while I had the chance now to enjoy the magnificence of the nature again.

This section over the Hammer is very fine. So beautiful when you approach it from the lake – Not so after 48k. I hated it and my calves did not like it either. They started to cramp and I did not look forward to that long downhill from the top of the Hammer. Finally I made it. I made it with a smile and happy with 2nd place. I drank a bit. I ate a bit and then I slept in the warm midday sun. I then woke up to the smell of barbeque and beer. This smell should stay around me for quite a while now.

And as I opened yet another can of ice cold Tuborg I look over to my friend Toni. He came 2nd in the 100 Miler. He looks at his granite trophy and smiles: “It’s not the Alps, but it is very unique!”

Back from Denmark’s Bornholm isle I scripted a tiny piece of writing for Brooks. Just click on the image above to read what went down during the Hammer Trail jaunt last weekend.

There will be an English blog post in the next few days.

Ultimately a bit of text about my recent 10 days in France.

I’m not really sure when I was down there the last time. It must have been in 2006 before my last triathlon in Roth. The Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in south-eastern part of France is a trusted training destination for us since our local legend Gerd revealed and discovered the place. So this year I decided to go down again. We filled the car with tons of swim, run and bike gear and 8 hours later we arrived at our trailer in Agay.

As there was a good group of about 25 people down there we had a blast while training and eating. Such a great and productive time with very good people.

Truly fun and loads of great impressions once again. This place does not get old. Until next year!

Stunning times in the south of France coming to an end. Just filling my bags with loads of sweat and dirt drenched gear after 9 training days with a great bunch of friends.

More writing and more pictures to follow once I’m back on home-soil. Check my Instagram for more visual content and see Strava for some exercise related information.

Stammi bene Minima!

Italian mountain mafia Scarpa should be well recognized by now. Hiking, Climbing, Trekking… Essentially everything that includes mountains and rocks is Scarpa’s home turf. The business history is pretty remarkable and you will find a great novel on their website. An irish found shoemaker based in Italy looks like a noteworthy mixture to me.

I understand I’m a bit obsessed with the history of shoe companies but lets get straight at it, at least this time. Let’s have a closer look at the Parisotto family’s latest trail running installment. Lets witness the most minimal shoe in their running portfolio, the Minima.

If you ever had the chance to experience a Scarpa shoe you know where the relatively high price range comes from. The whole make of the shoes is special and ambiances value. The robustness of the shoes is recognized and treasured. I know people who have Scarpa hiking boots that are older then their (school) children. As I empty the shoebox I’m not surprised to find the same consciousness of craftsmanship with the Minima. The upper consists of a microfiber arrangement, thermo-welded on a 3D mesh base, which is well created, and quality is evident.

As the sun is still out I rush to take some photographs of the clean kicks. I lace ‘em up and take ‘em on my local test trail. The immediate feeling when I step into the Minima is the pretty wide cut of the shoe. For me that is a great feature and appreciated. People with thinner feet could have a problem or might take the shoe a size smaller.

My opening tarmac section feels good. But immediately you get the feeling of a true lightweight and as the name states, a minimal shoe. The cushion is something you need to get used to. It feels pretty rigid and there is not much guard as the used rubber is reasonably stiff. Another feature that I instantly appreciate is the 6mm drop. That makes me happy and I bounce straight into the first off-road part.

The Vibram sole feels good and as I roll along the first single track I know that off-piste is the way to go. Now the hard sole and the „Compression molded EVA“ material for a better fit makes sense. The sensation for the ground is solid and enjoyable. I cruise on and I am fascinated by the “low to the ground” sensitivity that is more then evident. Mud sections and a bunch of leafy curves seem to be no problem with the sole. Solid ground feeling supports a natural stride and the spaced lugs do also make sense and protect the feet.

The sun is setting but I appreciate jogging along with the Minima and extend my loop. I try to find the drawback with these shoes. I continue my test jogs and continue to be happy with the minimal feeling of that shoe and the hard sole. The only problem – the sludge and dirt doesn’t wash itself off automatically to enjoy the look.

Grazie!

There is not much to judge about a head sweatband really.

Buff’s Headband Pro comes in with the characteristic and already presented TK Design.

The simple band keeps your skull nice, comfy and stylish. Faultless for autumn and winter weather.

Some words about the all-new “Anton Krupickas Signature Collection by Buff” from my pal Fabse who ran the kit during the recent Rome Marathon. Thanks for the guest post!

I gratefully got my hands on a set of singlet and shorts of the recently released Anton Krupicka signature series. The Spanish Headwear specialists from Buff teamed up with the Nebraska-born trailing powerhorse and the result was an apparel series, which also includes the usual headbands, hats and neckwarmers.

The eye-catcher of the set is the top with its bright green-yellowish batik-style color – apart from the fact that the set includes a top at all. The chest-print shows a sketch of Toni’s treasured Flatirons mountain range including a view of the bearded himself, which is the unique feature of the signature series and designed by Anton himself. Apart from the flashy colors, the garment is very minimalistic – just as you would expect from an ultra-lightweight focused nerd like Mr. Krupicka. The tank top is made from 100% polyester 4-way stretch with very low-profile seams. The shorts are classic running shorts (100% Polyester) with integrated inner pants, elastic waistband (14% Elastane), but no pockets.

I wore the set for the first time in a race, which I usually would not do or recommend. But after I tried it for a few minutes the day before at my warm-up run, I was sure it would not be a hassle.

The top:
The very lightweight material makes for a very comfortable feel. Especially for warm conditions, this piece would be the weapon of choice. For me the biggest Plus was the soft material. Even though I tend to get sore skin quite quickly in singlets, this one was a positive surprise: no chafing at all. Muy bien amigos.

The shorts:
Same thing for the chafing. The very soft material is also found in the inner pants as well as the outer shorts. Thumbs up! Apart from that, not much to say here. Pretty solid running shorts with a comfy feel. I personally would appreciate at least a little pocket as I prefer to have my hands free. But I guess the minimalistic approach has no room for that.

Overall a great outcome of the Spanish-American cuadrilla. The colours are a matter of taste but the facts speak for themselves.

Vamos a correr.