4-Trails Stage 3: 12.07.2013 (Imst to Landeck, 33,6 km, 1844 HM)

Report / Review / Laufbericht

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Today was my day!

Today’s stage started at 08:00 o’clock in the morning, since stage three is the stage to get some rest: Just 33,6 km with an elevation gain of 1.800 and a likewise loss of elevation… :o) My legs felt good. I obviously recovered well despite being totally burned out the day before.

In Imst the start is neutralized, since there is a railway crossing a few kilometers away from the start. Like last year the train was just in time and arrived with me and a few hundred other runners. A few minutes break for us, the barrier went up again and we continued our journey.

Right behind the railway crossing the ascend begins with a slightly uneven profile. A few kilometers further on the real ascent starts, gaining height very fast amidst some spruce trees. Last year this ascent was much more uncomfortable, since many trees blocked our way and we had to crawl below or climb over those trees lying around.

Up to food stop one I had a good partner and we pushed us up the mountain. This time I refilled my rucksack with sufficient iso, since I forgot that last year and went dry before reaching food stop two. Additionally I gulped down one litre of water and went on afterwards. Inbetween the forest the air felt still crisp and the temperature was ideal for running. Forest roads came soon to an end and were replaced by excellent trails always gaining and losing a few meters of height.

Finally an open field was reached, which obviously is part of the Venet alp which was passed soon after. There we had approximately one kilometer of even forest road before the steep ascend to „Glanderspitze“ started. A small trough was right at hand there and so I enjoyed the fresh water, cooling my head and my arms.

The next few kilometers lead over a more or less exposed ridge. Fear of height was not tolerable up there and it was better to be really sure-footed. The 4-Trails never went up here before because expected thunderstorms made an exposure of the participants up there way to dangerous, since there are too few possibilities to leave the ridge once being up there. I was really happy to have the chance of being up there this year, since this part of stage three is the most beautiful part of the whole 4-Trails track. Great scenery, best and challenging trails, partly leading through areas of boulders… Great, great, great! Since all those kilometers on the rigde are above treeline, the panoramic view and visibility is just unbelievable!

The track moves up to more than one summit cross, and the top of the track is not reached with the first one…Without having the elevation profile in mind exactly – and no need to get it from my rucksack – I at least three times reached the Glanderspitze, just to see there were runners small like ants heading for a next, higher summit. ;o) So it was a further continous up and down, before finally reaching the real „Glanderspitze“ at a height of nearly 2.600 meters.

From there on the track dives down on steep and technical challenging trails which made my upper legs feeling like a fire burned inside them. With reaching food stop two the technical challenging part is over and is replaced by easily runnable but still steep trails and forest roads heading towards Landeck.

When Landeck is finally reached, 1.800 meters of elevation have been lossed nonstop… I still felt fresh today and was able to increase speed running down the stairs which lead to the finishing straight. This is unbelievable since I was totally exhausted yesterday… In 4:28 hours I ran from Imst to Landeck. Faster than last year and my best result of this year’s 4-Trails.

Together with all other runners I enjoyed the sunny weather, had a bath for my feet and legs in Landeck’s fountain, and had a big smile on my face, because this stage was just so awesome beautiful!

If you are interested, you may have a look at my heart-frequency-chart. And again: High intensity in heart-frequency seems to be impossible to reach…

Functional check:
Exhausted: less than last year
Aching muscles: slightly
Blisters: none
Toes: two blue; another due to unplanned collision with a stone
Walking: no problem
Stairs: no problem

Sebastian, Landeck

Please click here to view photos to this stage in my iCloud-Photo-Stream!