Ode to the Sunrise

After running to Eisenerzer Reichenstein and Gösseck, I am struggling to get motivated about new running plans. One of the signs of this problem is that I started to make plans on how I will improve myself in my side sport, climbing/bouldering. These thoughts in my head are indication of a lack of motivation for running. Nothing about running made my heart beat fast during these last weeks. 

On Monday 24th of August I was having these thoughts in my head. I was also thinking about this upcoming race on 12th of September: Stanzer Trail Run. A 47 km trail running race, with 1900 m of elevation gain. A race that I also participated last year, finished as second in my age group. I told the organizers that I will definitely run there next year too.

So as a "preparation" for this run, I had to do a long slow run, which would simulate the conditions, in around 30% less volume than the actual race. This formula is very famous between road marathon runners: as a final preparation step, they run a 30 km run. 

At least I had a reason to do a long run again. 

I thought about doing it on the next day, Tuesday (August 25), which I had off from the work. The weather was going to be sunny. Not the best conditions to cheer me up for a long run.

It can sound really weird, but normally extreme conditions bring my motivation higher, they psych me up. I need bad weather, and/or weird time of the day etc. to think that I actually am going to achieve something important. During winter under snow/rain I do a lot of hard training, and I actually enjoy them a lot.

What could be the most extreme condition on a nice late summer day? I know the answer. I was going to do this long run really early in the morning. Actually so early that I was going to need a headlamp.

This idea came to my mind when I was reading an article in a magazine about the charm of running in the complete darkness in the night.

I checked the sunrise time. 6:10 am. So if I start my run at 4:30, then I would enjoy a fair amount of darkness on the trails.

I actually have a long history with the early mornings before sunrise..

Since my childhood I always had an obsession with the night, and especially with the hours right before sunrise. I have always loved those magical moments, where the nature wakes up, where hope comes back again. Time for new surprises, encounters, laughs. I never forget that night in my childhood when I told my parents that I want to stay awake the whole night, until sunrise. They let me do it. But I could not make it until sunrise. I waited for some hours, watched TV (there was a political discussion about Iran, I remember it very clearly), and then gave up and went to sleep. 

When I wake up earlier than my normal routine to do something special (running on a race, catching a train/flight, expecting a guest), it makes my whole day. I have a nice feeling about it, and sometimes it lasts for a long time.

I had three unforgettable running experiences in the night. On one of them we started at 12 am, and finished at 4:30 am. I wrote a blog post about it (in Turkish).

Long story short, I like nights and those hours before sunrise.

So on Monday night I prepared all the necessary gear and went to sleep, excited like I was that kid again. And the next day at 4:20 am I was already lacing up my running shoes. Finally I was out there, doing the thing that I like the most, in the darkness, while observing the transition from darkness to light. I did not know how to make the time flow slower. I did not know how to enjoy darkness longer. Excited like a kid.

Flowing inside the darkness, seeing only some meters in front of me with the light of my headlamp.. Like dancing alone to my favorite song, while everyone is asleep. Beautiful.

Or maybe some animals were wide awake and watching me dance while running up and down between the trees.

Activity Report: Eisenerzer Reichenstein and Gösseck

Trail head: Präbichl Passhöhe

Getting to the trail head: By bus

End point of the run: Kammern im Liesingtal

Coming back to Leoben: By train

Weather condition: Sunny, cool in the morning in Präbichl, but later rather hot.

Food, water supply: I ate 3 Clif bars and 2 energy bars. There was 3 water source on the way (Hirnalm, Schardorf Parking station, Kammern)

Equipment and safety: Extra T-shirt, elastic band, Hansaplast, emergency blanket, Inreach mini, running poles, money, sun cream

I woke up at 5:30, and ate some low-density high-calories food. I rode to train station, from where the bus to Präbichl starts. At 6:35 the bus moves and then at 7:16 I'm at Präbichl Passhöhe. I made my equipment ready and started the run at 7:27.

I was planning to get to the Reichenstein's peak in one hour. I did it some minutes later than that. Especially because I didn't want to go from metal stairs, as there was a long queue there. So I took the normal way, which made the route longer.

I took some pictures on the top, and continued my way towards Hirnalm. Before Reichhals the trail has a lot of big stones, and early in the morning these stones were wet, which made it really hard to run. I was also feeling the effect of having too much elevation gain in a short amount of time, which somehow makes the decision making a bit hard. I could have used my poles in this section but I already packed them in my backpack, thinking that I'll not need them until ascent to the Gösseck. From Krumpenalm to Schardorf I felt the time passed fast, as it was for the first time that I could really "run" non-stop.

There was some short section of asphalt, from Hafning to Schardorf. Before parking station (hiking trail head for Gösseck) I crossed a golf center. Interesting transition from mountains to this kind of luxurious place. At the Schardorf parking station I refilled my water bladder, drank a lot of water, ate a Cliff bar, and started for the second and longest ascent of the day.

Uphill here consists of around 5.5 km, with around 1200 m of elevation gain. My plan was to do it in 90 minutes, as I was already tired. No need to run in a race tempo. In the middle of this section, where there was still around 600 elevation gain left until the peak, I felt really tired, had to stop again to eat and drink. The sun was also making the job harder for me. But as I got higher, the excitement of reaching to the peak was encouraging me to go on. 

Finally on the top. It took me around 95 minutes from parking station to here. I did not stop too long there, took some pictures and went on. from Gösseck to Kammern is around 9 km, with some very beautiful views. The way is through a plateau, which is also visible from Leoben. Then a 4 km way begins with around 1000 m of elevation loss. As my feet were already tired, this last downhill section was rather painful. In the rocky sections I was getting help from my poles.

When I reached Kammern, I had already finished my water, so I was very glad to drink from this cold water in the village's center.

I sat down there and recovered from more than 6 hours of almost non-stop motion, changed my t-shirt, and bought the ticket back to Leoben.

At 14:19 the train arrived, with which I arrived in Leoben around 14:43.

Notes regarding my new running poles: It was the first time I used these poles for running. Before this I used them for hiking, and they were doing a good job. But this time, using them for uphill running, and also in technical downhill sections, I got a lot of help from them.

In the bus on the way to Präbichl. The second peak of the day is visible.

First peak of the day. Already crowded with hikers.

The view of the second peak from the first one.

The second peak of the day

The view of the first peak from the second one.

Train station in Kammern, waiting for the train to Leoben. On the background the mountains which I ran are visible.