24H RUN TELEVIE SCHËTTER

24h - 130 kilometers - 850 euros raised. That is first visible as the "final result" after the 24h run. People often just ask and talk about the performance and the results. But what is behind these numbers? What do you think, feel and experience during such a run? 

First some facts: The Télévie Schëtter 24h run was my 4th run of this kind, the last 24h run took place in December 2022 and was therefore just four months ago. These are not official runs, but we - the ultra-runner Claude Stiefer and I - organize these runs on our own "just for fun" and then run them together. We combine this with collecting donations for various organizations. 

Such a 24h run has a completely different character than the (+)100km trail runs or stage runs I usually undertake. The goal is to run as many laps (of about 3km) as possible during 24h and to take few breaks. Our food, drinks and clothes are in a camper van in a car park, so we always can fill up our bottles, eat something or take a short rest. 

And exactly this is already a challenge for me. Knowing that I have the option of lying down in this warm camper at any time always takes a lot of mental strength, especially during the night when the tiredness gets stronger and the temperatures drop. And that happens at some point. I had to fight my tiredness and lack of sleep especially a lot this time. I had a very busy week and on Friday I got up at 8h00. We started at 18h00, so I was already on my feet for 10 hours. I didn't really rest before the run. Another runner, Guy, started together with us. He wanted to walk the 24 hours. Claude and Guy felt the same as me. They also had already been on their feet the whole day, but that didn't bother us, we were all looking forward to the start and the run.

How does it feel to run the same short lap repeatedly, especially at night? Unlike my Ultra trail runs, there are no varied landscapes and scenic viewpoints. And you don't run from A to B either. I try to concentrate only on the running itself and not perceive the "around me" as monotonous. I set myself certain "highlights", such as the cows in the barn or the heron that stood in the water all night. And conversations pass the time, of course. It's a mixture of distraction and focus. I don't focus on the hours left, but on the present moment and just keep moving. But it would be too easy if that always succeeded for 24 hours. The longer the run, the more "ups and downs" I experience. The challenge is to see these "downs" as temporary and not to get lost in them. And of course, I enjoy the "ups" and just enjoy those funny and fulfilling moments.

In December we ran 24 hours at -13 degrees, which pushed our bodies to certain limits. This time it wasn't so cold, but we had a heavy rain shower and a thunderstorm right after the first lap, so we were already wet at the beginning. Then during the night, it cooled down to 3 degrees and it was very humid. This also has an impact on performance, because when fatigue increases, so does the sensation of cold. And again, the temptation is to get into the warm camper. 

But Claude and I ran the whole night through, we only took a break of 20 minutes once. It wasn't until 6am that we decided to take a "power nap" of 10 minutes sitting down. However, we then woke up only after an hour and 20 minutes (still sitting). 

When we started again at 7am after our "powernap", the sun was just coming up and the sunrise was fantastic. Usually, a new day gives me new strength. But I was still very tired and took a while to get back into the run. The tiredness was even stronger. I had already been on my feet for 23 hours, was running for 12 hours and slept for one hour and 20 minutes. 

Just as we started, we were joined by other runners who accompanied us for a few laps or even until the end. This also provides variety and can motivate anew. But there is also the danger of running at a different rhythm and going "too fast" regarding the remaining hours. The important thing here is to find a good balance between "letting yourself be pulled along" and saving energy. And of course, our nice companions also adapted to our snail's pace. 

At some point I lost my sense of time. The last time I was consciously aware of was at 7 in the morning. We just kept running and walking. We had taken another break to eat something. At that point it became more and more difficult for me to run, and I walked more often. When we had almost 120 km, I was just tired and wanted to lie down. But this time only for 10 minutes, we told ourselves. And we did indeed fall asleep for only 10 minutes sitting down. Claude seemed fit again, but I had a real down. All I felt was an endless tiredness and the desire to sleep. I didn't want to move any more. Two more hours.

How do you motivate yourself to get up again in such a moment and even to run? I don't know exactly what I was thinking at that moment and what kept me going. I wrote to a friend telling her that I was really at a deep point, and we wrote for a while to each other. That distracted me at that moment and gave me an incredible amount of strength. Then I was very emotional. All kind of emotions took turns. I wanted to cry - from tiredness, from joy that it will soon be over, from pride that I'm still on my feet, because I missed my friends, because I made almost 130 km… And then I was just empty and drifting forward. Pleasantly empty and peaceful. The tiredness was also kind of gone now. At least I didn't feel it as such anymore. The end was within reach, only one hour to go. My feet hurt. But that didn't matter now. And then it started to rain again, really pouring down. At that moment I pulled my hood over my head and tried to suppress any form of anger and frustration. I felt so cold, and the wetness was very uncomfortable and painful all over my body. But I just concentrated on my movement one last time and blanked out everything around me. Soon it's done. 24 hours - 130 kilometers. A big smile on my face. It was a great feeling!

We crossed the finish line together with Guy, the other runner who walked the whole 24 hours and achieved 108km, as well as Claude’s brother who was running with us for hours. Claude and I were sure of one thing: now it's time to stop running 24-hour races for a while. Let's see who of us will come up with the idea of organizing a 24-hour race again next time. But now I'm concentrating on my training for the Al Andalus Ultimate Trail in July. Then it's back to running 234 km through my hot and beloved Andalusia for 5 days.