Written by Stef Schuermans
For the past two months I have been looking for an excuse not to participate and the closer I was getting to the 24th of Jan the lamer these excuses became. One couch? Must be a throatinfection! A slight twitch in the shinbone? Probably a shinbone infection! What was the planned temperature again? Between -20 C and -30 degrees? Stef, grow a pair, they call this run Zamiec for a reason. (Zamiec = Blizzard in Polish)
I actually had a bad preparation and mentally I was full of doubt before I left to the base of the race. The big goal was to break my record in distance (63km 3200m D+) within 24 hours and to do this within 24 hours I needed to do at least 5 laps or 71km with 4050m D+. This had to be possible, for sure!
Due to living in Central-Poland I decided to get up at 5.00am and drive by car to Szczyrk (almost possible to pronounce correctly) and I arrived here at 10.30. I still had 2.5 hours before the start and to get my bib. At 13.00 I was ready at the starting line with 40 other `idiots` to run up and down a mountain for `a few hours`.
Picture credit to Jerzy Klemens
As you can see on the picture there was even a layer of fresh snow in the valley which meant that at the summit (805m higher) we would have constant snow. The problem was that one week before Zamiec it was +15 degrees which meant that under the snow there were a lot of patches of ice ... Interesting!
Going up was going smooth (but who ever complained during the first uphill). This would be one of the only times I would be able to go up in daylight and I was enjoying every single minut of it. Through the forrest the first 400 positive meters were overcome and from time to time we got a stunning view over the surrounding valleys. There was still snow coming down and it kept sticking to the trees around us. Beautiful!
Picture credit to Meska Strefa Facebook group
Picture credit to Meska Strefa Facebook group
Meter by meter we were moving up and arrived soon at the summit. After 1.27 I was there (no view) scanned my badge and turned around.
Picture credit to Edward Dudek
The downhil was a whole different story. Though I hoped to make proper speed the first three kilometres were broken due to one or another obstacle. The classical Beskidy rocks (10 cm diametre over the whole trail), a log over the road, another log, a huge piece of ice, ... And we are only talking about the first kilometres, after this there was a downhil that seemed extremely steep which was described as a dried out riverbed (ice is dry?) which seemed to be going on forever and steep, very steep. This is where I fell the first time.
For me this was impossible to run (XT Trails instead of Salomon Speedcross) and I struggled/crawled down very slowly. Even though it was only 200m it took me ages. After this another trail which was completely covered in ice. Another try to run brought me back to my sitting position of before. (300m after the previous time) and with the use of my poles (or Poles ;-) ) I got to the other side (after a few laps there was a trail next to this ice which would make it much easier).
Picture credit to Edward Dudek
Luckily there was a soft uphil after this and I was enjoying this. The running got some blood back to my hands and I got it a bit warmer again, finally!
After this another steep downhil which was basically falling down from one tree to another but could be done without falling with the use of my sticks.
When this part was over you could finally run till the end of the lap (careful for the ice!). Every lap I would fall at least once due to sudden ice instead of snow in these last 3km even though most dangerous places were marked with a sign (great organisation!)
Picture credit to Meska Strefa Facebook Group
After 2.37 I came back in from my first lap. Organisation did a great job and after a plate of spaghetti, 2 coffees (is there ever enough of this?), a bouillon, a banana and some elektrolytes I was out again. This whole stop took me 36 minutes but no issues, we had 24 hours!
Slowly it was getting dark and when arriving for the second time at the summit it was completely dark. The first lap I managed a 1.27 ascent but the second lap took me 1.50. The idea was to do the first lap in daylight and faster and after I would go slower knowing the course well.
Coming up, placing chip, turning around and down. Stones, over tree, under tree, fall, slide, fall, another fall, running the uphill to warm up (failed in this), bumping from tree to tree and arriving at the good runable place (where off course I would fall twice more) and arriving in the base after 6.5 hours.
The goal was to do 5 laps and I was completely on schedule. I decided to make a plan. I would eat well (two spaghetti`s, two banana`s, 4-5 coffees, a liter of elektrolytes, ...) and set out for lap 3. After lap 3 I would grab my clothes and some food and would take a break at the summit where there was a mountain cabin with a fireplace. Here I would take a 1-2 hour break with some sleep and would set down in lap 4 in daylight in the morning to finish lap 5 before the 24 hours were over...
I was a man with a plan and this was great. After 1.5 hours I left the base with extre warm clothes, 2 pairs of gloves instead of one and we ascended for the third time up to the summit of Sczcyrk. Alone in the dark I started to doubt about everything. Do I really want to go down once more and fall 3-4-5 times? Is this worth it? What if I break something (great organisation and awesome other people participating so wouldn`t be an issue),...
I walked slower than planned and arrived after 2 hours at the summit. In the last 45 minutes I was past by 2 men and a woman to which I attached my wagon and followed them up. Due to them I still got an `ok` time in the uphill...
400 meters before the summit (last place out of the wind) I stopped quickly to eat something and call home and read some texts of encouragement which made me feel ok.After standing here for 7-8 minutes 3 lights were coming in my direction (not the downhill trail). The 3 people I was walking with before returned to see if I was ok (thanks again). I should have told them I was going to make some calls ... My fault ...br/>
Arriving at the summit and down again! But being scared and affraid for 2 hours killed my confidence (read even more falls). I had enough of it and I had to mentally motivate myself to do 2-3 steps on the stepper part knowing I would probably fall (again).
1 hour and 50 minutes later (7km!!!) I arrived in the base. I had enough of it and I quit. Not to do another lap in the morning no, no, I just quit. I was mentally drained and didn`t want to fall a single time more ...(fell 11 times in total in 42.6km)
Endresult: 42.6km - 2430 D+ - 11u45 totaltime - coldest temperature lap 3 summit -24C valley -17C
But ... A few days later I came to the conclusion I had to do it differently. I should have had Jaktrax (or similar Inov 8 plates), should have had Speedcross 3 with new soles but mainly, I should have slept properly instead of getting up at 4 and drive 5 hours ...
Physically I was ok and had no issues but mentally I was drained for a week ...
Video of the first lap made by me of an even more frozen Stef
Next Zamiec 31st of Jan 2015. Goal, 7 laps (oh yes I come ambitious this time!)
My kit:
Shoes: XT Trails Salomon
Socks: Snowboardsocks Falke
Trousers: The North Face Apex Pants
Upper: short running shirt, 2 warm hoodies, 1 hard shell TNF (goretex)
Gloves: Black Diamond Polartec (and too cold)
Buff: Zamiec ( from organisation which is warmer than the standard buff)
Head