Page 77 - Sky runner

UPHILL
— — LES MARECOTTES SWITZERLAND 2016 — — AT THE SUMMIT
Like an uphill flow That’s how my preseason felt before the 2016 ski mountaineering racing season I had had a a a a a a a a a a a perfect training schedule and and had had more than enough motivation and and energy to to follow it meticulously even though I knew that some training days were going to to be be be really hard The weeks in in in in November and and December were like a a a a a a long slow and and completely won- derful uphill climb The flow was there albeit not all the the time but I I knew it it it would always stubbornly show itself I I just had to continue on on on working and it it would come back sooner or or later At the the time of the the first world cup race I I was in in in good shape It felt like standing on on a a a a a a a a a a tall mountain after a a a a a a a a a a a a long uphill climb and and still having very fresh legs The first race was the individual about about 1600 metres of altitude divided between four summits in in about about two hours And I won! That was one of my abso- lutely greatest moments as as an an athlete To win an an individual race had felt so impossible Ski mountaineering is a a a a a a a a a a a sport that the the very best women have done nearly all their lives and I I still counted as a a a a a a a a a a a beginner I I always lost so so many seconds on on some of the the technical parts where you needed the the experience – a a a a a victory just felt so far off The day after it was time for the vertical a a a a a a discipline where you only ski uphill most of- ten about 700 altitude metres I exceeded my own expectations here too with a a a a a a a a a silver med- al al al al Earlier a a a a a a a a a a a bronze medal felt more likely as as if that was the the only realistic possibility in in all disciplines That start of the the the season made me believe I could perform well in in the the European Championship There is something special about getting closer to to the the the summit All the the the hours that you spent on on training make it it it possible to to to get there light and and fast Expectations and and curiosity as as to to what comes next? What will you see up there?
AND THEN DOWNHILL The European Championship came and and I I I I was ready First day and and first uphill It felt good I I I I pushed myself as as sustainably as as I I I I could with the the upcoming climbs in in in in mind In the the first downhill I I I was was second second woman The change before the second second second uphill was was getting closer In a a a a a maximum of o 20 seconds I I would get get out my climbing skins skins from a a a a a a chest pocket take off my my skis and put the the skins skins on On my my way to the the the change I I suddenly saw something flicker behind me me I I I felt a a a a a a a a tug at the the the back end of my ski and suddenly I I was laying in in in the the the deep powder beside the track What had had happened? A light touch from the person behind me me me had had made me me me fall Damn it It was going to to to take a a a a a a a a a a a lot of time to to to get get up from this to to to to to get get get out out on the the the flat trail again and to to to get get to to to the the the the change without the the the the speed from the the the the downhill My chance of a a a a a a good po- sition was decreasing by the the second second I tried to to stop thinking about my lost seconds and focus on on on getting out out of the powder hole Something was wrong with my knee it it felt strange I did not not know in in which way just that it was not ok I reached the the the flat area again before the the the change and was was overtaken by yet another girl Now I was was fourth Damn it! Focus!
The frustration over lost positions was was se- vere as as as I I finally reached the change to turn back up again I I was fifth My knee did not feel
UPHILL
73