A trip to Austria (KAT 100 miles by UTMB)

Introduction

Well, it’s been a few days now since I got back from my recent trip to Austria to partake in a rather tough mountain jog in the stunning Alps and it’s time to jot down my thoughts. I can just about walk again and I’m catching up on my sleep. The KAT 100 by UTMB is a 100 mile foot race in the Austrian Alps, a total ascent of just under 10000 meters with a time limit of 48 hours. Sounds easy, finish in under 48 hours? I can do that…

Check the website for more details https://kat.utmb.world/

I managed to take a picture of the course profile, looks pointy!

Training for the big adventure 

Since the UTS 100k in May, (checkout my previous blog) I had a quick break and then knuckled down into my mountain training for the trip. The things I had learned in the UTS were imprinted in my mind and even then, I knew that they would help me out during the next race. I didn’t have a long time left but as long as I could build up steadily and stay injury free, I’d be ok. Following the same formula, my training consisted of a mix of bike, run and gym work. To be honest and looking back, I didn’t do that much running. I began to think I should be doing more, some guys manage 100+ mile weeks, that works for them I guess. Some are advocates of a shit load of volume and some are advocates of quality over quantity. I’m definitely the latter where running is concerned. But training is very personal, do what works for you. Anyway, over the weeks leading up, I did some quality hard sessions on the bike, increased my gym sessions and upped the weights I was lifting. Some chap who ran the entire length of the Pennine Way recently in a jolly quick time mentioned that he did lots of gym work and not too much running leading up to his effort so I thought, let’s give that a go. I still did my long runs over the weekends, alternating between the Lake District and Snowdonia. This meant alarm clocks at stupid o’clock every Saturday morning to drag my arse out to the mountains. All about sacrifices I kept telling myself. As you can see though, once I was out in the mountains, the views were worth it! 

As the weeks went by, the weekend volume increased, not necessarily in distance more in climbing totals. I became very adept at plotting routes that maximise the ascent without having to do lots of miles. Trying my best to replicate the course profile of the event, I also became quite handy at using my trekking poles, fine tuning the technique. That along with doing lots of gym work on the arms, should help me propel up the steep bits. I was also eating lots during the training sessions, extra gels and Haribos to train my gut to take extra carbs as a consequence, I always felt pretty good running the routes I’d picked. 

My cycling fitness got pretty good too. A good mixture of hill and interval sessions really complimented my running and as i wasn’t doing loads of running, I felt ready to train the following week without too much fatigue and soreness. I even noticed I could use the stairs without walking backwards! No need to dust off the mobility scooter this time👌

During the final few weeks, I did become a bit tired and one or two niggles crept in which made me flap a bit but thankfully nothing serious. I just kept reminding myself that it’ll all be worth it, last couple of weeks. I got to know Snowdonia very well during that time and that was a good thing on some visits as the weather was horrendous at times and I couldn’t see sod all! Mind you, even in the crap weather, Snowdon itself was always busy with others climbing to the summit. The last big training run before tapering was a good twenty ish miles with three ascents of Snowdon using a loop style course. It went very well and I felt I had done all I could in training so I was feeling fit and confident. At least I could tell myself with confidence that I had put the hard work in, let’s just go n see what happens.

Tapering, travelling and faffing 

 

The final week or so before my trip was the usual flapping and kit packing, just trying to keep myself occupied. I didn’t sleep particularly well either, but that’s just normal for me. Finally, the day to travel came. I was flying out a couple of days before the race so I could chill out and do a bit of the touristy thing, I’d booked a hire car and a nice place to stay that was only a couple of miles from the race start. The flight went smoothly and I landed in Salzburg Airport to a glorious, warm sunny day. I was stunned by the view of the mountains nearby, they made Snowdonia and the Lake District mountains look like speed bumps! Oh crap, I thought! 

Rather large lumps over there!

After the usual faffing about in the airport, I eventually found my hire car and was a bit apprehensive about driving on the other side of the road, but I had done it before so I soon got used to it as I left Salzburg and was soon enjoying the stunning scenery and the breathtaking mountains. From what I’ve seen of it, Austria is a beautiful country by the way, an outdoor enthusiasts paradise. I couldn’t help thinking how beautiful it would look during the winter when it’s covered in snow. The wooden chalet type buildings in the hills covered in snow would look like a picture post card, a perfect setting for a pint of Gluhwein! I noticed all the ski lifts on the hill side too. Never fancied Skiing though, I’d definitely break something as I’m not particularly graceful. Eventually arriving at my accommodation, I was delighted to find I was in one of the wooden houses I’d seen during my drive. It was in a small village and had a great view of the surrounding countryside. I could also hear lots of cow bells coming from a few cows in the fields near the house. What a perfect setting I thought. I was gonna get very used to hearing and seeing those cows during my stay and during the race..to the point that I could hear them in my sleep and even when they weren’t even there! Kept reminding me of my fondness for Milka bars. 

The rest of the first day (Tuesday) I just relaxed and nipped to the local Spar shop for some provisions, I was gonna eat out for my evening meal but got a few things in for brekkie and lunch and of course, a couple of beers. An early night and I would go out and do a bit of exploring the next day.

In the morning, I was greeted by warm sunshine, blue sky and the cow bells. There was a mountain directly in front of my accommodation with a cable car to the summit, I was tempted to hike up there but thought better of it and took the easy option. I’ll be doing enough climbing over the next few days so don’t be daft! 

On arrival at the summit, I was greeted by the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. I just sat there on a few sections and looked around. I could have stayed there all day. I’d downloaded the route on my phone and watch so I began trying to plot the route on the actual view in front of me. I pretty much managed to visualise it, such was my 360 degree view. Some of the peaks looked very severe and I knew I was in for a hard few days work. But I was getting excited and couldn’t wait to get going.

I was beginning to get a bit nervous as the day before the race wore on. I managed to keep myself busy by visiting the start/finish area. It was getting busy with people setting everything up and I was tempted to chill out in the neighbouring bar to soak up the atmosphere (and a few pints) but that wasn’t a good idea. Returning to my accommodation, I packed my race kit at least three times..just to make sure. Bedtime came around and I wanted to get as much rest as possible, the race didn’t start until 18:00 the next day so at least I didn’t have to set an alarm. 

Race day…eeek!

After lunch, I got my kit together and headed off to the race HQ. As usual, I was convinced I’d left something behind despite checking everything another twenty times! First off was kit check, registration and race number collection. I have to say, kit check was rather half arsed, the chap doing the checking didn’t seem really arsed. I only showed him one piece of kit and that was enough “do you realise all the pissing about I’ve done to pack all the required stuff? At least you could check it properly!” I walked away with a scowl and headed to collect my race number. On a serious note, the kit check was piss poor. The terrain we would be racing on was serious stuff and I’d hate to imagine the world of shite someone would be in if something happened to them in the middle of nowhere without the correct kit. Anyway, after nearly using my belly as a pin cushion attempting to put my feckin race number on straight I was checked and ready to go. 

As usual, I arranged myself at the front of the race start just to avoid the initial melee and bottlenecks at the start of the race. Looking round, there was the usual pro looking guys n gals but I’ve come to learn that looks can be deceiving. It doesn’t matter how much your kit costs or how even your tan is. These things won’t make you run faster, hard work, training and dedication will do that and it’ll show if you haven’t prepared. The start of the race countdown began with a “10, 9…” some very loud, cheesy euro dance music and a cloud of smoke from a few smoke generators. We were off, some runners galloped away like it was a five k run, but again that’s normal. Some will regret that but some will be running to a plan so good luck to them. I knew I just had to look after me and balls to anyone else, obviously unless someone is in difficulty. It may seem a bit selfish, but on something like this, it’s hard enough looking after yourself never mind babysitting someone else. We’re all grown ups and had earned the right to start this race so a certain level of competency is required. But just to stress, I would never leave anyone in difficulty. 

Onwards and upwards, lots of times

We wasted no time in ticking off the mountains, the first few miles were a steady ascent of one of the largest climbs on the course. At least I’d get this one out of the way early. The sun was out, it was a gorgeous summers day and we had a good few hours left of daylight before the first night. I was trotting along nicely and admiring the stunning scenery, ticking off the first checkpoint by topping up with water and some rather nice watermelon. There was only about 140 ish runners on this race, so we soon started to thin out. Front runners disappearing ahead and the people behind gradually following suit. But that suits me fine, I much prefer my own company and run solo most of the time. I do talk to myself though, it helps me sort things out when things don’t go perfectly and I do shout at myself when I’m having a wobble! As during the Ultra Trail of Snowdonia recently, I studied the cut offs for each checkpoint and kept an eye on the time. As long as I didn’t do too much faffing, I would be able to bank enough time for later on in the race when I wasn’t as fresh and potentially needed sleep. Coming off the first mountain, it was a long descent down to the valley, a theme that was to be repeated throughout the race. It seemed a three mile climb followed by a similar length descent. On the way down, the light began to fade but it was still a very nice evening and I was having fun. I wondered what the view would be like from one of the peaks in the dark, I was looking forward to finding out. The cows made an appearance suddenly along the path in front, ringing the bells attached to their necks as they lumbered about. I first thought it might be some spectators but nope, it was the cows. Maybe they were fans of the race? They seemed quite docile so as I passed them I said my hellos.

Moving on further down the hill, it got darker. One or two runners passed me, but for most of the time, I was on my own. I had my trusty Haribos so I was fine, just needed to dig out my head torch as the light faded and the first night section was upon me. The next section was a nice flat part alongside a Lake so I could pick up the pace a little bit and because it was now dark, it was nice and cool which was welcome after how warm it was during the day. At the 50k mark, I reached the next checkpoint so I stopped a little bit longer to fuel up and have a swig of flat full fat coke, as before I knew of its rocket fuel properties and its the only time I’ll drink it, but needs must. Shite, I’d only done 50k so I had another 120k ish left to go! I decided to not think about the total I had left, rather I split it into three 50k’s. Tick each one off then I’ve only got a bit to go to finish. Mental strategies even at this stage. It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying the race, I was just conscious not to get overwhelmed by the distance left to cover. Leaving this checkpoint, I latched onto a small group of other racers and we chugged along together, ascending up the next lump. There was some conversation between us, but there was a slight difficulty regarding the language barrier and I gave up as I didn’t want it to descend into ‘asking each other the way to the beach in very loud voices!’ But it was nice to break up the solitude for a bit, just so my mind could focus on something else rather than ‘when’s bedtime?’ And so it continued throughout the first night, I was feeling good, eating and drinking well to keep going. Talking to myself regularly and before I knew it, I could see the first promise of a new day to the east. The night went well, no discomfort, I felt good and was keen to see the new day and what more adventures it would bring..

A lovely view of the mountains before the first night and passing them cows!

The next day started cloudy and cool, but soon warmed up during the morning to another very warm day, rather too warm for this shite I remember thinking during a low point of sleep deprivation and mild dehydration. I did notice though that I was still climbing and descending well, but I began noticing my feet were beginning to get a bit tender..oh not that again I thought. Foot issues made a balls up of my Ultra Trail of Snowdonia 100k race recently (see previous blog). I did finish it, but couldn’t run in the end due to trashed quads and macerated feet. To be honest, I was worried about this potential issue right at the start of the race. As I ticked off the hills and the checkpoints during the heat and humidity of the day, my feet began to get worse. I couldn’t wait to arrive at my next drop bag checkpoint at the 100k ish mark to rest, refuel and sort my feet out. Rather annoyingly, the checkpoint was blaring out some more of that ‘now that’s what I call complete shite 567’ but I had no choice but to stop and do some maintenance on my trotters (note to self, pack feckin ear plugs next time). 

The checkpoint staff were great though as usual, very keen to help and top my water bottles up etc so a big pat on the back to them. Listening to that shite emanating from the stereo system must have tested one’s endurance to the limit..I’d have thrown the feckin thing in the bin ages ago! Anyway, finding a spot out of the sun, I slumped down and took my pack, shirt, shoes and socks off. I was again apprehensive about what might be lurking under my socks but needs must, I had to air my feet and try n dry them off. I had clean dry socks to put on when I was due to get going again, but no spare shoes. My shoes were wet so the problem with my feet would be back soon down the trail. They were indeed, blistered and macerated. I took a needle to the blisters to drain them and just left my feet in the sun while I faffed about getting changed and fed. To the casual passer by, I must have look like some nob tourist who’s been on a bender and got on the wrong bus to Benidorm with my top off and three tone tan, hobbling around barefoot! I eventually sorted myself out, got fed and watered and did as much as I could with my feet and with another rousing rendition of the stupid bastard Venga Boys, I said my goodbyes and left, feeling actually pretty good as I climbed up the next lump. This one looked particularly large so I took the opportunity to ring the missus to let her know how I was getting on. We chatted for a while, the sun was out all was well again, until I began heavy breathing as the climb got steeper. I said my goodbyes and got my poles out again and pushed on upwards to the summit. The climb was indeed a swine, it went on for ages and the warm sun made it that bit more difficult. Unfortunately though, this wasn’t the highest peak on the course, that would be the penultimate one, just when I needed it least. Eventually, reaching the summit, I had to sit down for a bit and took the chance to admire the view. The town where I had just come from looked rather small from up here! The clouds above had suddenly appeared from nowhere and I could see that it was raining, rather heavily off to the west. Stopping to see which way the clouds were headed, I could see they were heading straight over me, bringing that big lump of rain along with it. I had noticed the forecast earlier was for thunderstorms and showers, so this must have been the start of it. I didn’t fancy being out in the open on a mountain summit in a thunderstorm and as luck would have it, there was a cafe and toilet block next to a cable car housing. So I took the opportunity to rest there a while and let the storm pass. Perfect timing because the heavens opened and it pissed it down for about ten minutes. My feet were wet and sore enough as it was without getting a complete soaking. The rain didn’t help the humidity though and it was still warm and muggy. The next section was quite runnable along a kind of plateau but it was boggy in parts so my feet ended up soaking after a few more miles. It was becoming painful again to run but manageable and I was beginning to feel tired as the day wore on towards the evening of the second night. I knew though that I only had one more big climb to do and I would reach the next drop bag point where I could rest again and hopefully sort my feet, trouble was it was getting dark at the bottom of the climb and I was slowing down, not that I couldn’t run, it was just my sore feet this time. I was also thinking of the cut offs along the rest of the route. I did still have plenty of time, but if I slowed too much, that time bank wouldn’t last very long. I had visions of crossing the finish line similar to Jasmin Paris on her awesome dash to finish the Barkley Marathons recently, just in time before the cut off and collapsing in a heap on the floor! 

Not anywhere near as dramatic as this but you get the idea!

This was the penultimate peak and as mentioned, the longest climb on the course with up to 2100 meters plus. For a bit of perspective, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is 1085 meters at the summit. On the way up, night fell and I slowed a bit more, I had to stop a few times to rest as I was getting really knackered by this point. I just wanted to lie down somewhere but due to the recent rain, the ground was damp so that wouldn’t help. A couple of miles passed and I caught up to a couple of runners and tagged along for company to take my mind off the suffering and low point. Come on you tart, everyone else is knackered so just get on with it, my mood lifted somewhat as we trudged endlessly up this horrendous climb. I was still eating and drinking well so that was a plus. It was definitely the low point of the whole race, things seemed to conspire to come together all at once to test me. As we neared the summit, it got very misty and a bit windy. It made the atmosphere quite menacing in the beam of my head torch. We made a slight faux pas with the navigation in the confusion and muddled minds, there were very little reference points to tick off heading to the summit in the mist. Stopping to check the map and my watch, I worked out the correct line and was very pleased to see that I was correct and we hit the summit just as I thought. That really gave me a mental boost, not only had we avoided getting lost, we’d made it to the top of the peak. Downhill from here and into the final checkpoint where I could rest and possibly lie down for a bit. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to reach the bottom of the mountain and into the valley. The little group I had joined had slowed down a lot and we were doing lots of walking by now, conversation was sparce between us which tells a lot. The next section was a long tarmac road through a couple of villages to the checkpoint. I tried to jog here and there but it was too painful, I was hobbling and feeling rather beat up. By now it was daylight after the second night on the go, I knew that my time buffer was dwindling fast..I was delighted to eventually arrive at the final major checkpoint and was greeted by the marshals who offered assistance but I just headed straight over to a camp bed, took my shoes n socks off and lay down with a blanket over my head. I stayed there for at least an hour and the thought of DNF crossed my mind. But having learned from previous experiences, I didn’t make any rash decisions, after all the training and travelling I’d done to get here, I was not giving up without a fight! The other lads I was with were looking disheveled too so I drew a bit of comfort from that, small plusses I guess. I didn’t get any sleep, but it was nice to just lie down for half an hour and rest. Afterwards, I got fed, watered and my feet felt a bit better again. I was also conscious of the cut off time, I knew I had to get going now or never. It was nearly 12:00 lunchtime on the final day, I had to be at the finish line by 18:00 that afternoon or I would not successfully complete the race within 48 hours. I had six hours to complete fifteen miles, sounds easy eh? That’s what I thought at first, but I had to factor in my feet, fatigue, exhaustion and the terrain. There wasn’t any big nasty climbs left but a few lumps to get over between me and the finish. I also knew that the long descent to the finish wouldn’t be pretty either as going downhill can be more painful than going uphill when your feet are trashed. 

The last push

Putting myself together and leaving the checkpoint I was treated to one last blast of the horrendous so called music, it followed me for a good half mile or so before it faded satisfactorily. It was me on my own again, I did feel better generally but I couldn’t run anymore, each footstep was awful. I knew I was in for a battle, physically and mentally. Heading up the first climb, I was getting passed by other racers. I quickly worked out that they were on the 100k race as they seemed a lot more spritely than me and offered me encouragement as they passed which was comforting. This did help my mood somewhat but I was labouring badly and kept having to stop as my breathing rate increased alarmingly quickly, probably due to sheer fatigue. It also began to rain heavily, but I knew it wouldn’t last long and didn’t really notice it in the fog of my mental struggles. Reaching the top, the rain stopped and the sun came out once again which was welcome. I knew I only had a bit to go now in the grand scheme of things so I began forcing myself to jog when I could. It was really frustrating to know I could run but the pain in my feet was too much. I had to grow a pair and just grit my teeth. A few very large expletives were released into the mountains at regular intervals along with regular breaks to just get my breath back. The time was rushing along way too quick and I began to regularly check the time on my watch. As suspected, the long descent down into the town and the finish line was painful too. I was getting worried now about whether I would make it or not, but I could now see the town and the finish line way below in the valley. Sitting down for the last time, I took in the beautiful views as I realised I could make it, I didn’t have much time left, but I could make it and this adventure would be something I would cherish and never forget and no feckin way was I doing it again! I couldn’t cope with a DNF here and I had made it!

The last few miles went a bit too slowly for comfort but I did relax and took in the atmosphere and the scale of what I’d achieved. There were lots of people milling about in the bars and cafes along the final half mile or so who gave me a good cheer as I passed by, a big smile appearing on my face. Finally entering the finish gantry, I was cheered across the finish line in a cloud of smoke and bubbles (don’t ask) to finish in a time of 47 hours and 35 mins ish. I was completely exhausted and I’d promised myself earlier that if I crossed the line, I would lie down on the floor there and then. I did just that! 

Spot the difference between the two images? I didn’t even notice the bell! 

After a few minutes, I slowly stood up and hobbled out of the way to rest and inspect my feet. They were awful, worst I’ve seen. I hobbled to my car and fell asleep. 

The foot issue is something I’m gonna have to get a grip of as I do not want to go through that suffering again. But, apart from that, Austria is a beautiful country and the race was fantastic. What a challenge and I’m so chuffed to think back to what I’ve done. Very pleased and proud and the medal has taken its place on my medal hanger. Which itself is becoming quite populated after all my adventures. This was definitely the hardest thing I’ve done and once again, I’ve learned something more about myself for future events. Over 50% of the starters didn’t make it to the finish and I was pleased to see that I was the only Brit to compete and finish, I’ll take that 👌

The dust has now settled and my feet are getting better, I’ve caught up on my sleep and I’m doing some light training again, nowt structured until September when I will once again begin prep for another go at the winter Montane Spine Challenger North this coming January. As some of you know if you’ve read one of my previous blogs, I DNF’d on that one a couple of years ago. I just can’t keep away from those events and I’m determined to make amends. Check out the link for details and maybe indulge in some dot watching post Christmas, which is a sport in itself! https://www.thespinerace.com/race/montane-winter-spine/montane-winter-spine-challenger-north/

I’m also planning other adventures for next year, I’ve collected plenty of running stones for the UTMB so I’m going to enter the ballot for the CCC in 2025. Don’t think I could put myself through another event similar to this one again, so the CCC will do https://montblanc.utmb.world/races/CCC

Finally, thanks for taking the time out to read my blog, hopefully you’ve enjoyed it and it’s not put you off dipping your toes in the sport (no pun intended). By the way, if you’re ever in Austria, they also do a splendid lager that you must try.

Cheers!