UTMB 2019
The race went like it did for me... Still this race has it all. I love the UTMB and I would really love to race it again!
If you love trail running you just want to be there and try to do your best while enjoying the amazing views!. I ran 103k this year but the mountains got me this year! I was suffering from muscle pain after the first downhill! I took that one a little bit too hard and my quadriceps failed badly. It was a struggle on each downhill but the one to Courmayeur defined the outcome of the whole adventure...
It's hard to accept such development of the race after all the hard work, the dedication, the hours away from the family training hard for this race. Still, I feel blessed that I was there, I enjoyed the views, the whole atmosphere around and during the race, the fellow runners..... all of it and yes.... sometimes you need these experiences to shape your life and make you stronger! It's from the mistakes that we learn, it's a never ending process in life.
I need to learn to do things (like this race) smart, with patience and commitment. There is no workaround. A single fail in this race defines it all and it might (and usually does) end it too soon as well! I was confident with my fitness, I felt strong, I never felt stronger in my life.... BUT, the mountain won this battle! The mountain will always win if you don't respect it, there are unwritten rules you need to respect in races like these! I started the race like I did, I had huge expectations and definitely goals that maybe were not realistic for me. But if you never try you will never know, right?! Failing is learning! This fail was not cheap though! It hurts.... :/
I hope to be back someday even stronger and prove to myself that big things can happen if you work hard with proper mindset, dedication and love from the sport!
The moment where I understood that the race was over! ;)
Huge congrats to all the finishers! You rock guys! Respect! :D
See you out there! Run with a smile! ;) :D
