Transalps DAY3 Written on September 6, 2010, by andys.

Distance: 46.9km

Climb: 2252m

Descent 2130m

Time: 4hrs 39’40’’

Heart average: 143bpm (blatantly not trying hard enough!)

Heart max: 165bpm

ZipVit burnt: 2176kcal (quickly replaced by a large plate of ribs and chips at the finish)

Stage position: 1st

Overall position 1st (by approx 33mins)

A bit of a slog! We started by running up the (apparently world famous) Black Run of the Austrian World Cup ski, and believe me it is steep! After an hour or so grinding up tracks, paths and pistes we summited the first climb of the day and it felt pretty chilly, after all it was still only 8am (apparently Austrians like to get up early and send their kids to school at 730am). It was debateable as to whether we should get the gloves out of the packs, but that idea was quickly dismissed as it would take too long! Downhill for 12k or so along forestry tracks (a bit boring really!) and we hit the second drink stop, by this time having already run for over two hours. I’d reckoned on about 4hours for today, if we were going well, but that prediction was quickly revised as we worked our way up to the 2000m plateau that we’d then follow for the next 10k. And just as the going got good (i.e. rough rocks, snow and twisty paths around rocky outcrops) I started to suffer a bit of an energy bonk. The plan for today had always been to run it conservatively. With the lead we’ve already built up there’s no point in forcing ourselves to breaking points. So we effectively “cruised” (well Tom cruised whilst I dug deep into my well depleted reserves, refuelling as fast as possible on ZipVit gels and Energy Chews = sporty penny sweets). Relax and enjoy was what I was trying to do, but it was tough with nowt in the legs. We didn’t really need to, but Tom gave me a bit of a push along the ridge to the last food stop at 2200m. Looking back it looked like we only had a couple of minutes’ lead on the usual German chasing pair when we hit the ridge, but by the end they were no longer in sight. Tom must have done some pretty effective pushing! Then, the drop. 1300m straight down to the finish town of Neukirchen am Gro ßvenediger (a name I couldn’t remember as we descended, and now I know why). After 4hr39’40’’ I was glad the longest stage of the TA was in the bag. After 4hrs39’50’’ I was in a very well positioned village fountain cooling my blitzed legs. 9 minutes later I was ready to get out and that’s when Mathias and Christian rolled in. We’d had a tough day and run conservatively, so to come home with another 9 minute lead, taking us to a total of around 33 minutes, was comforting.

The plan will be similar for tomorrow ( bar not the bonking part I hope), just to run it steady and to break the back of the first half of this gruelling outing through the Alps.

Early night tonight…