Race 4
The Alto Sil
March 19th
Should have skipped this one. But being one of the 12 Alto Sil “ever-presents” I’d been given a free entry and next year is the 10th edition so I had to finish to qualify.
Kept just ahead of the backmarkers and squeezed inside the cut-offs although I was struggling at the end. A niggling knee problem was playing havoc with my descending which meant that I was forced to push it harder uphill to make up time. By the time I reached the big climb of “Peña Negra” near the end I was exhausted. It was a similar scenario to last year. Grabbed a stick by the river and doggedly plodded onwards and upwards. I think I registered the slowest time in this section of the race out of all the 437 finishers.
When I finally got back to the village they were already queuing for the paella. I was 6th from last and my time was almost identical to last year’s. But last year I’d lost half an hour when the unfortunate Jorge fell and head butted a rock.
I didn’t previously know Jorge, although for a funny reason it felt like I did at the time. In fact I only shared a few monosyllables with the poor fellow as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Happily this year we were able to share some kilometres and chat in less stressful circumstances. And as Jorge descended the dreaded firebreak this year I noticed that a helicopter was buzzing overhead just in case.
My finishing time was nearly 6 hours. The winner was an American who finished in 2:37. That is a really amazing time when you consider the 33k, the 2000m ascent and the technical terrain. Those in the know say that Jim Walmsley is the best thing since sliced toast. Trail running fans the world over drool at the prospect of a head-to-head between Big Jim “el chulo” and “the monster of rock” Kilian Jornet, undisputed skyrunning champion of the world. This would certainly be the ultimate contest of our sport.
USA v Europe,
Trail v Mountain,
Born to Run v Feet in the Clouds…
It is unlikely to happen quite yet … the American is a runner and Kilian is a mountaineer. Walmsley is preparing big races on the ultra circuit such as the Ultra trail du Mont-Blanc and the Hardrock 100 while Kilian is looking forward towards more specific challenges such as Billy Bland’s “unbeatable” Bob Graham Round record and the biggest madness of them all, a speed-climbing attempt on Everest.
All this lies ahead.
I trudge back to the car avoiding the massive queue for the post-race paella that snakes across the village square and tumbles downhill as far as the eye can see. At one point I’m forced to skip over a pair of exceptionally long legs. They belong to “El chulo” himself, the elite athlete-dude from Arizona, sitting on the floor supping a “litrona” of local lager from a plastic cup. He’s lean, he’s young, he’s the archetypal, free-spirited trail runner from the U S of A.
All that is lacking is the Krupicka Jesus-beard.
Big Jim Walmsley, remember the name.
https://www.facebook.com/Teamlogitrail/v...209805150/
(Facebook link WORTH VIEWING; Jim Walmslry reaching the top of Peña Negra. This man didn’t need a stick!).
Diary of a middle aged runner
