Madrid trail running Championship 2009, by Andreas

*Panoramic view & profile of the Madrid trail running championship 2.009.

(18,3km D+1.250m)

Having had a previous session of practice of what we thought was the route of the course got me very confident with the thought of running a great race but theory is not always or more eloquently put NEVER the same as practice…But then again, I guess that’s what you get for starting with this type of sport… As Wildrunner had hurt his foot in one of the downhill’s from our hardcore training sessions the week before he followed the advice of his doctor and passed on this one to be sure that he can show his full potential in the upcoming  torture called Alpino Madrileño or more commonly known under the abbreviation MAM around here. So the team in the end was made up of me, “el guiri” and Mayayo of course, the padrino of all padrinos. What is important to mention however is that Mr Wildrunner might as well now change his name to Mr Wildcycler as he cycled 45km to help us take some photos and accompany us at the start only to a couple of hours later get on his bike to do the 45km back. If that is not the best of companionships, I don’t know what is…J

Also had the pleasure to meet many people, some new, some a few days old acquaintances. Federico, Zerolito, Carlos and all the others from group Tierra Trágame that we trained with the week before…So not only do I have to learn how to run, climb mountains, cross snow covered trails, run downhill in rocky environments, get beaten by half the time from people double my age but also I have some serious studying to do in learning all these new names of great people that I run into on a weekend basis.

 Just getting to Bustarviejo safe and sound with Mr. Carlos Sainz was an adventure in itself…Having a father with a great track record in rally competitions for sure helps but we got there and that’s all that counts really and looking at the bright side, I now know at least another five ways in Spanish of telling other drivers to move or getting out of the way.

As for the race I was quite worried for my foot as I was not sure if it would hold up properly but I need some official races under my belt so I decided to take it easy, at least in the downhillsJ

My first mistake was not to get in front at the start as we very early on got caught with lots of traffic running up the first trail. Getting to the cortafuegos I felt in great shape but a little preoccupied as it was here I twisted my foot one week before so I ended up looking like a little ballerina half walking half jumping down the hill but I got down and I only lost 10 minutes of time to Mayayo on them 900 meters… haha pathetic if you ask me but anyways, c´est la vie… 

As we must have run the route a little different in our training I ended up doing some miss calculations in terms of where to push it and so on, especially the running around the heli-pad which turned out to be a much longer uphill than expected but I got through that one as well in good spirits. I felt very strong in everything that was level or uphill. Much of the people I overtook in the uphill’s naturally flew passed me in the downhill’s but I remember one woman with a Tierra Tragame outfit more or less by my side all throughout the race and every time we made eye contact she called me the equivalent to little boy in spanish, the only issue I have with this is that I am most probably twice her weight and 45 cm taller but I always love them comments and I find them muy graciosos. 

Surviving the last and quite grueling downhill took its time but no problems in the end but even the blind people were giving me a run for my money to make it down first…As I was preparing for a last two kilometers of running in the village coming down as it was when we trained, I panicked a bit when I heard a man shouting at me, “only 300 meters to go” so I sprinted at my 21,3 km/h for what is was worth that last bit and I am sure that I gained at leeeeast 2 seconds on thatJ. 2 hours 52 in the end, not much to say about that really more than, at least I think I must have positioned myself pretty decent in the category for extranjeros haha… Mayayo being the mountain master that he is, of course did not disappoint anyone with a more than respectable time for crossing the finish line. 

To conclude I think it was a marvelous experience with lots of great people around as there always is and as I have now decided to give the MAM a chance with the other UltraOxigenos on the 21st of June I am full of excitement for what it will bring not only for me (apart from enormous pain and many sleepless nights) but our whole team. Congrats to all of you who finished in good shape in Bustarviejo, old as new mountain runners and Carlos, well done for hanging in there and fighting until the end. You will see that things will get easier from here on and a hell of a lot more fun of courseJ

All the best to you all

/Andreas

As UltraOxigeno has got some International flavor to it, I thought it might be time for the first little chronicle in english and where better to start then our visit to Bustarviejo and the third Fernando Herreros Memorial and also the playground for the Madrid trail running Championship.

Having had a previous session of practice of what we thought was the route of the course got me very confident with the thought of running a great race but theory is not always or more eloquently put NEVER the same as practice…

But then again, I guess that’s what you get for starting with this type of sport. As Wildrunner had hurt his foot in one of the downhill’s from our hardcore training sessions the week before he followed the advice of his doctor and passed on this one to be sure that he can show his full potential in the upcoming  torture called Maratón Alpino Madrileño or more commonly known under the abbreviation MAM around here. So the team in the end was made up of me, “el guiri” and Mayayo of course, the padrino of all padrinos.

What is important to mention however is that Mr Wildrunner might as well now change his name to Mr Wildcycler as he cycled 45km to help us take some photos and accompany us at the start only to a couple of hours later get on his bike to do the 45km back. If that is not the best of companionships, I don’t know what is…

Equipo Ultraoxígeno at "Memorial Fernando Gª Herreros" 09

Also had the pleasure to meet many people, some new, some a few days old acquaintances. Federico, Zerolito, Carlos and all the others from group Tierra Trágame that we trained with the week before. So not only do I have to learn how to run, climb mountains, cross snow covered trails, run downhill in rocky environments, get beaten by half the time from people double my age but also I have some serious studying to do in learning all these new names of great people that I run into on a weekend basis.

 Just getting to Bustarviejo safe and sound with Mr. Carlos Sainz was an adventure in itself. Having a father with a great track record in rally competitions for sure helps but we got there and that’s all that counts really and looking at the bright side, I now know at least another five ways in Spanish of telling other drivers to move or getting out of the way.

As for the race I was quite worried for my foot as I was not sure if it would hold up properly but I need some official races under my belt so I decided to take it easy, at least in the downhills. 

My first mistake was not to get in front at the start as we very early on got caught with lots of traffic running up the first trail. Getting to the cortafuegos I felt in great shape but a little preoccupied as it was here I twisted my foot one week before so I ended up looking like a little ballerina half walking half jumping down the hill but I got down and I only lost 10 minutes of time to Mayayo on them 900 meters. Haha! Pathetic if you ask me but anyways, c´est la vie… 

Reaching Cabeza Arcón (1.521m) after the first climb

As we must have run the route a little different in our training I ended up doing some miscalculations in terms of where to push it and so on, especially the running around the heli-pad which turned out to be a much longer uphill than expected but I got through that one as well in good spirits. I felt very strong in everything that was level or uphill. Much of the people I overtook in the uphill’s naturally flew passed me in the downhill’s but I remember one woman with a Tierra Tragame outfit more or less by my side all throughout the race and every time we made eye contact she called me the equivalent to little boy in spanish. The only issue I have with this is that I am most probably twice her weight and 45 cm taller but I always love them comments and I find them muy graciosos. 

Surviving the last and quite grueling downhill took its time but no problems in the end. Yet, even the blind people were giving me a run for my money to make it down first. As I was preparing for a last two km. of running in the village coming down as it was when we trained, I panicked a bit when I heard a man shouting at me, “only 300 meters to go” so I sprinted at my 21,3 km/h for what is was worth that last bit and I am sure that I gained at leeeeast 2 seconds on that.

2 hours 52 in the end, not much to say about that really more than, at least I think I must have positioned myself pretty decent in the category for extranjeros haha…

Mayayo being the mountain master that he is, of course did not disappoint anyone, with a more than respectable time for crossing the finish line. 

You say "impossible". I saw the finish line.

To conclude I think it was a marvelous experience with lots of great people around as there always is and as I have now decided to give the MAM a chance with the other UltraOxigenos on the 21st of June I am full of excitement for what it will bring not only for me (apart from enormous pain and many sleepless nights) but our whole team. Congrats to all of you who finished in good shape in Bustarviejo, old as new mountain runners and Carlos, well done for hanging in there and fighting until the end. You will see that things will get easier from here on and a hell of a lot more fun of courseJ

All the best to you all

Official video of the Madrid trail running championship 2.009

/Andreas