Still Hurting

Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: gym 2 hrs

Got my forefoot x-rayed on Monday morning after I realised that there was no improvement. The good news is that the bones are okay. The radiography didn't show any sign of fatigue fracture. I would have been amazed if there was broken anything. I never had any kind of fracture so far.

The doctor agreed to set a cortisone injection after I told him that I already tried to cure it with ice, salves and diclofenac tablets. The bad news is that he set the injection at the wrong place. The most important point with cortisone is that it has to be placed exactly where the inflammation is. It seems to be a matter of millimetres. Of course it was my own fault. The patient has to tell the doctor where it is hurting. But sometimes this isn't easy. I think I will have to get another injection next week.

By the way: I have added an English sitemap to my website.

Doomed to Spectate

Friday: gym 2hrs
Saturday: rest
Sunday: rest (still injured)

It was a hard day for me as I was doomed to watch the bike race in the city of Bochum while some friends of mine were taking part. So I was glad there were more friends to meet beside the route to encourage those who did the race.

The hobby biker's route consisted of 4 laps with 15K each. The professionals rode later on the same route but did 12 laps. My hometown Bochum is quite hilly and there were even two special finishes for a climbing classification.

Before the pro race the teams were presented. This is team Davitamon-Lotto with its most famous rider Robbie Mc Ewen (far left) who won this year's sprint classification (green shirt) at the Tour de France. Seeing him live on stage one wonders how small and slim he actually is. But the Australian has the strongest legs within the peloton. He gives the impression that he always works hard to keep his image as a tough guy.

With the loss of Jan Ullrich now Jens Voigt of Team CSC is everybody's darling. He won a Tour de France stage this year and he recently won the Tour of Germany. He won a one-day-race yesterday and consequently he also won the race in Bochum today. Being interviewed before the race he argued: "I just have to steer my bike, everything else goes automatically." He was right once more.

There were thousands of spectators along the route and it was sort of a party with some sports to view every 20 minutes when the riders had done another lap. They were fast like hell and I counted that they cover two laps while I would be able to do one.

The bad news today is that my foot injury has not improved significantly. I think I will have to see the doctor this week to get the foot x-rayed.

Today's hyperlinks: Sparkassen-Giro Bochum Robbie McEwen Jens Voigt

Enforced Pause

Monday: gym, 2 hrs
Tuesday: hilly run, 16K, 300m, 1:31 hrs
Wednesday: rest (injured)
Thursday: gym, 2 hrs

Today's message is: If you feel you need a rest don't run even if your mate is a lovely blond lady waiting to run with you.

I couldn't resist on Tuesday although I knew that the run would worsen my new foot injury. So things came as they had to come. My right forefoot is swollen and I will have to rest for at least a week and next Sunday's bike race is to be cancelled.

The unlucky event happened when I bought my new mountain boots:

I tried on a pair which was far too small for my feet and very narrow. Obviously my forefoot got injured and a light inflammation developed when exercising later. Hopefully it will be cured within a week. (I took a photo of my feet but regarded it not to be presentable.)

This year's New York Marathon will be an experiment as I intend to run it without proper training. The month before the race I will spend 3 weeks walking at high altitude in Nepal. Without any running. I will just have time to do a couple of jogs after coming home and then it will be off again for NY. I hope staying at high altitude (4000-5500 m) will help to get fit enough to finish the marathon.

Back Home - Checking Mail

Friday: Bike Tour, 67K, 1086m, 3:20 hrs
Saturday: Rest (travel)
Sunday: Hilly Run, 16K, 300m, 1:27 hrs

Here I am back home again but there is still a small final photo gallery of my last bike tour around Mount Piesenstein near Oberstdorf in Alpine Germany. Dramatic countryside, but a cold and wet day.

I found an exciting letter in the mail:

Being a dedicated supporter of the London Marathon I have to admit that the New York City Marathon offers a much better service for their runners. Overseas runners are allowed to qualify for the entry. As a M50 veteran I only had to finish a half marathon within 1:40 hrs or a marathon within 3:30. In London qualification is open only to British residents and a M50 veteran has to run a marathon in less than 3:15.

NY cares for overseas runners and tries hard to attract foreign runners to the race. These efforts result in a rate of 40% overseas runners. Compare the overseas rate of the London Marathon! 2006 it was exactly 7.5 %. But maybe this is just the reason why I love the London: It is a British race.

Moreover NY has a fun run with free breakfast on Saturday, a free pasta party and after race party, a free certificate and a free result list. There is online entry possible and online acceptance information availabe. On race day there is online tracking and a free email service with split times every 5K. Injured runners can postpone their start for as many years as they like. One can get the impression that runners are treated like clients in NY and like suppliants in London. I wonder that - since there is an institution like the 5 Major Marathons - a benchmark should be launched which they all will have to fulfil.

Rest and Rain

Tuesday: Bike Tour, 65K, 3:10 hrs
Wednesday: nearly rest, Bike Stroll, 15K
Thursday: rest, gym at the hotel, 1:30 hrs

Shoreline restaurant in historic building
at Swiss banks of Lake Constance

I don't want to peculate that I spent 3 days at my sisters home. Conveniently she lives in Eriskirch near Lake Constance which is a popular holiday area and one of the most popular biking routes in Europe. I was happy to do two bike tours on Monday and Tuesday. If you like have a look at the small photo gallery of Monday's tour.

On Wednesday I moved to Oberstdorf, a touristic center in the Allgäu which is - for me - the most beautiful part of Germany. Unfortunately the place is also the one with the most rainfall. What it is proving right now. I booked a Klettersteig Tour for Saturday and already cancelled it again. Tomorrow I will be travelling home and my Summer in the Alps will be over.

Did some shopping on the way and bought a pair of heavy mountain boots suitable for very big heights and very low temperature. Luckily I found a shop in Kempten storing them. In flat Northern Germany where I live it is impossible to buy proper equipment for climbing. This buy is part of my preparation for the next trip: The Summer in the Alps will be followed by the Autumn in the Himalayas. Start will be on Sept 28. So it is 8 weeks at home now. I wonder if Angelika will be able to stand this.

Swiss Alpine Marathon

The Swiss Alpine Marathon at Davos has been a classic running event since 1986. The main distances are 78K and 42K, framed by other competitions with shorter routes, a separate team event and walks.

Davos is a famous center for skiing. It might be pretty when covered with deep snow but in summer it is just an ugly town surrounded by steep hills which are artificially designed for winter sports. There is no obvious reason why Davos has the same price level as London City. It is comprehensible that the town has to set up big events to draw visitors in summer.

However, once you leave the town and enter the neighboured valleys you easily recognise that Engadin is one of the most beautiful areas of the Alps: steep georges, green alps, rocky tops.


The marathon is a perfectly organised event with every comfort you can think of. The photo shows the start of the 78K race at 8am in Davos. The strong little lady wearing the green shirt and black shorts is Lizzy Hawker from England. She not only won the race 37 minutes ahead of the second lady, Lizzy smashed the course record by 15 minutes and finished after 6:30:12 with just 4 men ahead of her .

It was my first visit to an ultra distance race. This special species of runner seems to suffer from distinctive self-confidence what is not always likeable. But seeing them approaching the finish line one is tempted to try the long distance oneself.

The start of the 42K race takes place in the beautiful village of Bergün (1365m) at 11.30 am. The 78K runners have already covered around 35K when they reach Bergün and from here on the routes of both races are mostly the same.

The next section is a long and arduous ascent to Kesch Hut at 2638m.

High at Kesch Hut it is foggy, wet and very cold.
I am happy about the immediate steep descent of 300m...

... into a lonely valley called Val Funtauna.

Then it is another steep ascent to ...

Scaletta pass at 2606m ...

... and steeply down again to the alm Dürrboden at 2007m.

Finally a very long valley back to Davos.

It seems I have lost some weight en route.

London Marathon 2007

August 1 always is the start of the new Flora London Marathon season. Did you notice that I sent out the first 2007 newsletter last week?

english version / german version

To subscribe the newsletter please refer to
www.london-marathon.info .