AL ANDALUS ULTIMATE TRAIL
The Al Andalus Ultimate Trail is probably the most influential race that I have done since I am running. When I talk about the Al Andalus, I don't mean only the race itself, but also the story leading up to it, including my reasons for wanting to take part. I would even describe the Al Andalus as a kind of metamorphosis in my life. But I will come to that later.
First, a few words about the event: The Al Andalus Ultimate Trail is a 5-stage and 234 km run in July at temperatures above 40 degrees with 7200 positive and negative metres of altitude. The run takes place in the province of Granada in Andalusia, on the heritage routes of Al Andalus, through the Sierras de Loja, de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama and through natural parks. The runners sleep in tents, each night in a different camp. The luggage for the five days must not weigh more than 10 kg, but it does not have to be carried along completely and will be brought to the campsites by the staff. Only the running backpack with the mandatory equipment is carried during the runs by the participants.
I took part in the 12th edition in July 2021, but the AAUT was already in my thoughts a few years before. Even if at the beginning it was still like a distant twinkling star that seemed unreachable to me. But how did I come to run this race?
When I started running in 2012, I quickly realised that I was fascinated by long runs through foreign places under extraordinary conditions. But it took me 9 years to participate in my first (longer) stage race - the AAUT - even though I had already done a few runs over 100km and smaller 3-stage races in Germany. Since I had also started writing my doctoral thesis on a part-time basis in 2012, my holidays consisted mainly in working and writing. I rarely had time for holidays during these infinitely long 8 years. One summer holiday, when I was sitting at my desk in despair and all my friends were on holiday, I swore that I would give myself the gift of a long trip through Andalusia after finishing this doctoral thesis. At that time, I didn't run ultras and I didn't know how long this thesis would drag on. I didn't think about running through Andalusia at that time. Again and again, I wanted to give up and throw everything away. Running gave me support in such moments and enabled me to find a certain balance. However, the runs then became longer and longer and the training more and more time-consuming, which of course slowed down the writing process. But I think that without running I wouldn't have had the stamina and the strength to write this thesis, because this work was a heavy burden on my shoulders that accompanied me day and night.
At the time I promised myself to do this trip to Andalusia, I was reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The story begins and ends in Andalusia, and Santiago's journey through the desert to his treasure in the pyramids inspired me a lot at this time. Also, regarding the long runs later, the book was an important source for me. Listening to your heart, following your path, making the impossible come true even when it seems impossible, being able to "turn into wind"... these messages from the Alchemist have had a great impact on my personal path. Probably because at a certain point I just didn't listen to my heart and I went through this work, which was no longer close to my heart after about three to four years (around 2015-2016) and despite it was just a torture. But I was halfway through and thought I just had to "finish" this project and continued.
In the year 2016, I ran my first ultra-races. The distances got longer and my heart just wanted to run, but that old weight was still on my shoulders. Around the same time, I discovered the AAUT. It was simply "my" run. Like Santiago in the Alchemist, I wanted to wander through the Sierras of Andalusia, following my heart and finding answers to all the questions I had about life. But this dream was still so far away for me, I still had to be patient.
And three years later, in October 2019, the time had finally come! My doctoral thesis was ready and could be submitted. I thought it would soon be over now. I received the first review from one of my two supervisors, and everything seemed great, because I had a summa cum laude. But that wasn't the case. I became a call from the dean of the university. My main supervisor, who had given me only positive feedback for the last 8 years, wrote a scathing review. To top it off, the Corona pandemic started shortly afterwards and nobody knew when the disputation could take place. And I was registered for the AAUT, which then also had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. When I was told in April that the disputation could take place in July and that I had to choose the topics, my supervisor's behaviour got even worse. He rejected all the topics I submitted. In the end, all that was left were topics that were completely foreign to me. And getting some books and literature was not so easy during the lockdown. On top of that, I moved house and had a lot of grief and problems. The disputation in July was the biggest humiliation I have experienced in my life so far. This for four hours, with lots of technical problems, because the disputation took place over Zoom. But I passed. And I didn't even care, I felt like I had been trampled flat. And it went on. In August, the paper was supposed to go to press. But again, I got the bad news that the one supervisor didn't want to give me permission to print. I was supposed to revise the thesis despite the magna cum laude I got in the end. I wanted to take legal action against this because I was fed up. My second supervisor saw it the same way and supported me. But fortunately, it didn't come that far. In October, I finally got the approval and in December 2020, the thesis was published. I couldn't be happy about it and still can't. Only a thick knot remained in my stomach.
Further on I didn't feel so good at my main and regular work either; power struggles and the scramble for political power were spreading more and more. I no longer saw any sense in my work because it not served the real cause but was just seen as a springboard for certain people who were only interested in their career and image. I asked myself more and more questions of an existential nature. What am I doing here? Was it all worth it? Where do I want to go in my life? So many questions and no answers.
And then finally came the big news at the end of April: The AAUT will take place in July 2021! After all these years, my dream of participating in this race was within reach. I was able to keep my promise and gave myself this trip through Andalusia, albeit under a different form as planned at the very beginning. For me, the AAUT was my personal journey to my treasure. I had 2 months of preparation left! Training, long runs, getting and testing equipment and sleeping gear, preparing dry food myself and packing were the order of the day for the next few weeks.
And then, finally after all these preparations, I started my trip to Andalucía at the beginning of July. The first destination was Loja at the Hotel El Mirador. Check-in took place there, and in the evening we had dinner together before we started our first stage the next day at 9am. 27 participants were ready at the starting line, and it was already over 30 degrees. Normally there are about 50-60 runners from all over the world to participate at the AAUT, but in the year 2021 there was a lower number of runners because of Corona. Just to mention, the AAUT was the first stage race held after Covid. I was very excited, but at the same time I was overwhelmed by all the impressions. The view of the Sierra in Loja was simply indescribable, and I was lucky enough to be part of this adventure. I was ready, so ready! And then the kick-off…
Stage 1
The first stage was 38 kilometres long with about 1170 positive metres of altitude, most of it during the first 11 kilometres. It ended in Alhama de Granada in a sports hall. Despite the anticipation, I didn't feel so comfortable during the first climb, the heat was unfamiliar, and I wasn't really into the race yet. I remember that a runner who had taken part in the AAUT many times before passed me and just told me that it would be better soon. And he was right. After the 11 km climb, I was at the first check point and I was feeling better. The whole AAUT crew is incredibly kind, uplifting and motivating. This run made me realise once again how important the organisation and the support on the course are. In any case, runners can feel that the organizers and the staff act with love and passion for this event.
It was 45 degrees and there was no shade in sight. Before the last checkpoint, we ran through a valley and I felt a bit unconfortable. And again, at that moment, the runner from before came and he pointed ahead and just said that the checkpoint wasn't far. And again, he was right. I sat for a while, cooled down and then I felt better again. Now there were only about 8 kilometres to go, and I managed to stop thinking about the heat and just ran forward. And then the first stage was done, and a bowl of cold water was waiting for my feet.
Our tents were in the sports hall, and it was so damn hot in there! Even hotter than outside. I took a shower and washed all my clothes thoroughly. As I noticed during the AAUT, this thorough cleaning decreased a bit more with each passing stage. We had a swimming pool at our disposal and could relax on the lawn and enjoy a massage. Sounds like luxury, doesn't it? And we even had Ice cream! But after all, I didn't sleep much, it simply was too hot.
Stage 2
The next day we started at 8:00 a.m. We went from Alhama de Granada to Játar. The route was 48km long with about 1440 metres of altitude. We were also passing the impressive gorges of Alhama de Granada. It was said that this route was particularly technical. After about 27 kilometres, in the village of Játar, the route entered the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y de Alhama. This checkpoint was decisive as the following route was very technical and you could not be picked up until the next checkpoint. Again, on this day I had a hard time at the beginning, it didn't go well. My thoughts were just negative and I didn't believe in myself. When I arrived at the first checkpoint, our supervising doctor asked me if there was a song that would motivate me. He wanted to play me this song because I told him that my head was not in the race and that I was not feeling good mentally. And this song existed, so he played it for me at almost every checkpoint to keep me motivated and to keep running. It was the song "The boy in the bubble" by Patti Smith. When I arrived in Játar, I decided to keep on running. I was sitting on a chair and the staff was listening to my song and was dancing. I was just laughing. Then I continued. But the next 10 kilometres were really tough! On this day it was also over 40 degrees and my progress was very slow, as it was indeed very technical in some places. According to my watch, the climb was almost over. But that was not the case. It was still going up and up. And I started to despair, because I didn't expect to be at the next checkpoint before the cut-off time. I began to panic a bit and just wanted to cry. So that was my big adventure in Andalusia. My personal journey to my treasure. Out at the second stage because I missed the cutoff-time. And then "The boy in the bubble" was playing again and something happened inside me. Like a lever had been flipped. I had two options: Keep crying and DNF or running and keep going. I didn't really think about it at all, it was my legs that suddenly got faster and faster. And then I saw it in front of me, 3 minutes before the cut-off time... Checkpoint 3! I made it. There were more runners sitting there to be taken back to the camp. The race director pulled up and the doctor asked if I was going to keep running. I just grinned and said "of course!". He told me that he was so sure that I will finish this race. I was feeling so good now, I was finally in and waking up! And I kept running because I wanted to be at Checkpoint 4 before the cutoff-time and then finally at the camp in Játar. And since I arrived at CP3 just in time, I didn't have much time left. The view was just magnificent. At the top you could see the lake Los Bermejales shimmering blue and you had a view of the whole area. I then got lost a bit just before the finish, I had missed turning right. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, I arrived in Jatar. I will never forget this impression. Those white houses, the streets and then the bar "Los Angeles" that I passed full of dust and sweat. It felt like this village was a big city, I walked and walked and somehow, I didn't arrive at my destination. But finally, the second stage was also done, and I was completely done after 8 hours in the heat and because of the stress of not arriving on time. We had cold water to take a shower and I also washed my clothes that day. But the thoroughness wore off a bit because I just wanted to get into my tent quickly and eat something. And sleep.
Stage 3
On the third day we had to run 39 kilometres (920HM) from Játar to Jayena, through the natural park La Resinera. I was finally feeling well, my head was playing along and so were my legs. The landscape on this stage was "greener" than the others, with a lot of stones and gravel at the end. Shortly before the finish, something in the bushes stung or bit me. It really hurt, started to itch and swell up a bit. But I didn't see anything. I ran fast to the finish to have a look. There were little punctures, and to make it sound more spectacular, I called it "the snakebite". And that's how the story came about that I was bitten by a snake in Andalusia. This night, as in Játar, we spent in a campsite in the middle of nature. I had no idea that it would cool down immensely during the night. In the evening we had Paella and salad at the campsite. And also non-alcoholic beer. That was a really good change! No dry food. Even though I prepared all my own food from fresh ingredients, this food simply tasted so fresh. My food consisted of dried pasta with vegetables. Before going to bed, I prepared everything for the next, longest stage. And it was going to be very hot again! But not so during the night. I was totally freezing, and I wrapped myself in every cloth that was in my luggage. I had bought a new sleeping bag especially designed for warmer days. But as it cooled down so much that night, it could no longer withstand those temperatures. I had slept for about 3 hours. I also had to go to the toilet very often because I drank so much water in the evening. In the morning I was so tired before the start. And I did feel a bit queasy. But I was looking forward to this stage in particular, because I really like the long runs the best. And so it was. The fourth stage was simply amazing! It was definitely my favourite stage.
Stage 4
The motto of the fourth stage for me was "grilled burned burger". We ran from Jayena to Alhama de Granada, 68km with 1500 metres of altitude. First, we ran along the lake that I had already admired during the second stage, the lake Los Bermejales. There was also the 2nd checkpoint after 23km, before we went up in the blazing sun, without shade. The stretch from the lake Los Bermejales burned itself deep into my heart and I had incredibly intense experiences and emotions on the stretch to the village called Cacin. At first it was all uphill until the next CP, which went quite well. With my walking poles, I had found a good rhythm and was making good progress. I still had plenty of time until the cut-off time, not like on day 2. After that we ran through a barranco that I really liked. Maybe it was the sun. But I suddenly saw so clearly what I don't want in my life at all and why I love this kind of runs so much. In that Sierra I felt so free, liberated from a world marked by human norms, evaluations and judgments. I was in a world where none of these things mattered. Where there was the heat and the mountain. And me. Outside the conventions, rules and norms set by humans. What is normal here? What is considered desirable? Good or bad? It was just about being here in this beautiful and abstract sierra. Ice and a cold drink would maybe be "good" right now. And some sunscreen too. This kind of run is often described as extreme, as far above what is considered as being normal. But that was not the case for me at all. Of course, the heat, the many kilometers, the meters in altitude and the lack of sleep demand a lot from the body and mind. You find yourself in a rather extraordinary situation. And that’s the point. You are not used to be outside a certain comfort zone. But a life under stress and pressure every day, like in a hamster wheel, is not considered comfortable or desirable for me either. Why are people doing this? For power, image or money? And why did I put myself under such a stress and pressure in the past? Because I had certain visions, believed in changing the world a little bit and imposed certain values on myself? And do I really want to be trapped in a system where you are expected to function so that others can upgrade their careers and gain power? I don't care about power and career. And supporting others in their machinations is not something I want anymore. I just want to be here, in this moment. This is where my heart beats. And here it lies, my treasure.
With these thoughts in my head, I continued walking towards Cacin. When I ran down to this village, it was incredibly hot. I was running on asphalt, and I felt like the sun was beating down on me and I would melt like a piece of ice in a few seconds. When I arrived in Cacin, it was completely silent. The melody of an Ennio Morricone film even came into my head and I just felt like the last cowboy left on earth in an abandoned village. Apart from dust and white houses, there was nothing. Until suddenly a person in a pink T-shirt jumped out from behind a house and said something about Coke. At first, I wasn't sure if it was a hallucination. But the man was real, he belonged to the staff and around the corner was the next checkpoint, which I didn't expect for another 3 kilometres. And there was indeed Coke and Fanta Lemon. There was another runner right behind me and we sat there together and enjoyed the shade, the ice, the drinks and the little break.
Then we went straight on, with no more shade. Almost 40 kilometres were now done and there were still about 28 to go. We then had to cross a small river. I took off my shoes and socks. The current was a bit stronger, so we tried to cross the river together. We did it! And we got a little cooling as well. And on we went. The only thing left to do was to move on to the next aid station. Up and up it went. I ran the following kilometres together with the other runner. We continued to climb through thorny bushes until we reached the top of an olive plantation. Then we continued along the road. It was still incredibly hot, and we took turns walking and running. Running a few metres to the next tree or bend, then walking again, then running a few metres again. And then we came to the last checkpoint at kilometre 60. 7-8 remained. These last kilometres were mostly downhill, but they seemed quite long. The area was very dry and bushy. Then suddenly Alhama de Granada was in sight. Another 3-4 kilometres. I felt like I was lying on a barbecue and really sizzling like a hamburger. Now only 2 more kilometres along a lake to the campsite. After 10 hours, and 68 km, finally the finish line! Wow, what a stage!
Now just the last stage back to Loja. And then it's over. I felt an incredible calm, peace, joy, but also sadness at the same time. Of course, I was looking forward to a shower, food and a bed. And to rest. But at the same time, I couldn't imagine leaving all this again. I had everything that fulfilled me. I didn't need any more. In the evening we had dinner together, pasta and non-alcoholic beer. But I wasn't that hungry and took some more pasta to my tent and prepared everything for the last stage. In the meantime, my running clothes were just lying on top of the tent. I didn't wash them anymore. Somehow that didn't play an important role to me. I slept well, with an extra blanket brought by the staff so that I wouldn't freeze again.
Stage 5
Now it was time to run the last 42 kilometres and 1000 metres of altitude from Alhama de Granada to Loja. It was the same route as stage 1, but the other way round. Up to checkpoint 2 I ran with another runner and the time flew by incredibly fast. There was so much to chat about and the 20km were already over. I then ran on alone. And then suddenly I saw all the last years of my life pass in review. And now I was here, in Andalusia, redeeming my gift. I had nearly finished the AAUT that had been buzzing around in my head for about 5 years. Of course, I finally wanted to arrive in Loja and cross the finish line, but I didn't want it to end. I then slowed down and just wanted to capture the moment. Being here as long as possible. Then I was overcome with very strong emotions, and tears just ran down my face. But they weren't tears of sadness. It was just a kind of overwhelming and fulfillment. And like everything was being flushed out of me and relieving me. I then remembered a passage from the Alchemist. Santiago listens to his heart whispering in his ear that he must pay attention to the place where he begins to cry. For in that place his heart too will be, and there his treasure lies buried. I realised that all this represented more than a "dream run" that I wanted to take part in. There is something magical and deeply fulfilling about this area, this place. And I also somehow knew that major changes were coming in my life. That I would leave my job in September was already clear to me and set in motion. But it went beyond that change. At that time, I didn't know in any way how I would classify what I had experienced and what it meant and how it would influence my future.
I caught myself and began to run the last 11 kilometres downhill, what was also a challenge after 224 kilometres in my legs. But I didn't care how my legs felt. I just ran and was so happy. And then I crossed the road in Loja to the Hotel El Mirador straight to the finish line. I had actually made it! All these impressions were so massive, but at that moment I was just happy on my chair with coke, chips and all the great people I met during this run.
As for the organizers and all the volunteers, all I can say is that these people make it possible to have such intense, unforgettable and memorable experiences in the first place. Such an adventure under these conditions could also be quite different if the care, organisation and security were not so impeccable. Not to forget the unbelievably positive energy, motivation and friendliness that these people spend to the runners.
In the evening, there was a gala dinner before it was time to return to "normal" life the next day. My heart started to feel very heavy. And the next few weeks were also incredibly hard for me. Leaving Andalusia and integrating myself back into everyday life didn't really work out for me. My heart was still there. And, I didn't want to go back to the old life. The AAUT showed me something very important and gave me a very significant ability: to look at the world with my heart. And I found and opened my treasure.
And so, of course, this experience was to have an aftermath. After two weeks, I signed up for another 220km stage run in Andalusia in December. I had to go back again and find out what made my heart beat so strongly there. But that's the next story.