Hyssnaloppet 2022 - Race Report

This year I applied for this race after the lousy performance during my last Backyard race that I finished after reaching the 100 miles distance and more than 12hrs of struggling with pain and energy loss issues.
This race was intended to be a nice race for me. Just to boost my running and enjoy the course.

 

I love this race. The course is really fantastic, hilly and quite speedy at the same time and the organisation is on top as always. I love when the locals are included at such event. They bring the whole thing on another lever despite their lack of understanding the sport.

 

Anyway, I decided the race very controlled. Maybe too much. But I have the idea of running the race at a certain pace that would allow me to finish the race slightly after my 3:30h best time on the course. I wanted to open the race slowly in order to warm up my legs and avoid stressing too much my sore ligaments just two weeks after the backyard ultra race.

 

I noticed that the heart rate was a bit higher but I was having fun. I left those fast runners run ahead and I never ever intended to chase any of those runners. Not one of them. I knew that the course is quite specific. It's technical at the beginning and much faster the last section. So if you have some juice left in your body the good practice is to push the last part and pass those tired fellow runners gaining some motivation as well in the process.

 

 

That did NOT happen!

 

After just 30k I noticed that my pace was not increasing despite me willing to run faster! I was getting slower and slower. My heart rate higher and a nasty pain-ish in my abductors was increasing. Well, it was not a pain but the range of motion was decreasing thus implementing the possibility for me to fall and injure myself. The only choice for me was to slow the pace and accept the fact that I would finish the race in more than 4hrs. And I did just that.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the course I managed to get distracted by some changes on the course and I did a wrong torn. That fail was a 20minute one. I ran down a fast downhill than climbed a hill trying to find the course markings. I was disorientated and was looking on a completely wrong direction! Ultimately, after a few minutes I decided to run back. That resulted in a faster pace climb that slowed me more and even my groin started to hurt.

 

 

At this point I just wanted to finish the race, take the medal, eat something, take a nice shower and go home. I was done!

 

Even if this race went like it did I decided that I needed to deal with my weaknesses. I needed to address the issues and work proactively in order to perform like I would like to and avoid pain and such level of struggle. I want to enjoy these races. The result is secondary but the ultimate experience in my case is much more important. It's that experience that feeds my passion for the sport and right now I'm fighting against this passion. It was an unfortunate and destructive trend created by me. I need a change. A positive change!

 

"The road to success is always under construction...."

 

Huge thanks for the amazing organisation of the race! Great people and fantastic fellow runners. Highly recommended race indeed! :)

 

Kind Regards,
Aramis