Trail Challenge for Beginners

When Thorsten lay in his hospital bed with a fractured pelvis, he was certain of one thing: the only way is up! However, he would never have imagined that four years later he would compete in the Walser Trail Challenge which covers an altitude difference of 1,100 metres from the valley to the summit.

Today, only a few days before this remarkable alpine running event, Thorsten still has a plate and six screws in his pelvis. Nevertheless, he bursts with energy and is absolutely determined to complete his first Trailrunning competition in a respectable fashion. Hana is also just about to embark on her first Trail Challenge in Kleinwalsertal. She is perhaps the more ambitious of the two rookies who have been selected by Sport Kessler to join the running team . Armed with fitness evaluations, running clothes and training plans, Hana and Thorsten started their five-month long targeted training programme for the Kanzelwand run in March.

Different Requirements, Same Goal

Hana has always been sporty because her health required her to be so. As a child, she tried to overcome her asthma through cross-country skiing. She then went on to live a hippy lifestyle in Canada and hiked across the vast national parks before love drew her to Leipzig. She wasn’t completely happy here due to problems of the heart and she decided to literally ran away from the situation. This initially involved 20 minute jogs each day followed by a move to the Allgäuer Alpen. It soon wasn’t enough for her to just hike up and down the mountainsides; she wanted to see more of the mountains in less time. She therefore started to jog on the mountain trails.

Thorsten, on the other hand, was never the jogging type. He enjoys mountain tours; he loves these mind-blowing insights into nature and the moments which compensate for all the other trials and tribulations of life. He is also fascinated by competitive running: the atmosphere, running in the mountains as part of a community and the training programme devised by Seppi Neuhauser.

Rigorously Tested and Declared Fit

Thorsten received a tailor-made training programme based on the results of his HRV test (heart rate variability measurement test). Interval training, gentle runs before breakfast and the Tagesschauprogramm (stretches, sit-ups etc. designed to be done whilst watching the news - Tageschau) are an integral part of the programme. He takes Seppis ‘ recommendations very seriously. These include walking up and downhill barefoot, eating regularly and ensuring that you ‘ease off the pressure’. This is written on the training plan with two smiley faces next to it. Thorsten makes no secret of the fact that he is not always able to incorporate these good intentions into his long working day at the Bärgunthütte. However, the fact that he now feels fitter and in better shape when he builds fences on the alp and drives the cattle motivates him considerably.

Seppis’ HRV test revealed that 28 year old Hana amazingly already had the biological age of 18 at the beginning of the training programme. She also ploughed on through the difficult phases of the strict training plan and was not deterred by the pain in her shins and the fact that she is also holding down a demanding job in catering.

You can really see that both rookies have been completely bitten by the trailrunning bug. They both head to the start of the Kanzelwand run during the Trail Challenge weekend. There are only 9 kilometres to the top. The first 300-metre climb to the Riezler Alp is definitely the toughest challenge for both of them. However, they have already have the greatest achievement under their belts: they have internalised the fact that the only way is up!

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