AL ANDALUS ULTIMATE TRAIL 2023

I first took part in the Al Andalus Ultimate Trail in the year 2021(Al Andalus Ultimate Trail 2021), and this run changed my life in many ways. I just HAD to be there again in 2023. Where would my so called “Alchemist-journey” (reference to Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”) take me this time? 

I headed to Játar a few days before the race, totally psyched like a bouncy ball, and packed up all my stuff for the race. I was very excited to reunite with the runners, volunteers and medicals that I had already met in 2021. I would also see Eric and Michelle again, who have been organizing this extraordinary event with a lot of passion for many years. Physically as well as mentally, I felt fit and optimistic. In addition, my music playlist AAUT II was unbeatable. What could go wrong now?... As a reminder, the AAUT is a 234-kilometer run of 5 stages with temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees and little shade. For 4 days we will sleep in tents on different campsites. Can there anything go wrong? 

Sunday : time to check in at the Hotel El Mirador in Loja from 11-13h00. I was still in Játar and I was getting more and more nervous. I looked at the watch all the time and I kept thinking of new things that I still had to do... vacuuming, laundry, washing dishes. Had I lost my courage? Shortly before midday I drove to Loja and checked in. After I put my things in my hotel room, I quickly wanted to go back downstairs to greet the runners. Then the first surprise: I saw a runner, Sascha, in the hotel bar. I met him in 2021 and I was especially happy to see him again.  However, he was lying injured on the floor. He had a very unfortunate fall the day before the start during a run directly across from the hotel and had to be hospitalized. What a reunion! We were all very concerned and I was just so deeply sorry.

Then, in the evening we had the first big briefing before the race and a dinner all together at the hotel. Only a few hours left until the starting gun.

Stage 1 or "Right here, right now"

9:44. "One minute to the start" sounded from Eric's megaphone, that accompanied us through the whole race every morning anew. "50 seconds"... diez, nueve, ocho, siete, seis, cinco, cuatro, tres, dos, uno... (by the way, this is exactly how I memorized the numbers in spanish... with Eric's "megaphone voice”). And off we go! Hard to believe, AAUT 2023 is underway and I'm in again. Right here, right now! These words, taken from Fatboy Slim's song were my motto for this edition of the AAUT. Focusing, moving forward in the now and here, concentrating on the moment in the run and just run. That's what the song was supposed to remind me of. 

Small note in between: Reels were being made throughout the run. I don't know who chose the music for each Reel, but this song was playing in the background of a Reel where I was getting my stuff ready in front of my tent before the start of the 4th stage. Maybe this person has some unknown magical skills. (Link to the Reel: https://www.facebook.com/reel/597461389187834 ) 

The first stage is 39 km long in total and begins with an 11-kilometer climb and about 850 positive meters of altitude. Scenically, I like this stage particularly well, it is very desert and stony. During the day, we had 38 degrees, shade was rather a rarity. About every 10 kilometers there is a checkpoint where you are supplied with shade, ice cubes, water and elite (electrolytes). And at the last CP you are even spoiled with the miracle drink called Coca Cola. In addition, there is a great atmosphere, there are even some music and dancing. And of course you can get medical care if needed, but more about all that later. 

After running 30 kilometers I just washed down a cup of ice-cold Coke and felt like I was in paradise. Then I continued towards the finish line in Alhama de Granada. The route followed a paved road for a while before we passed a lot of olive trees and an olive farm. The impressive Sierra, which had to be conquered the next day, was approaching more and more.

During the last eight kilometers I felt a very strong sense of happiness and home. Just the right time and place! In April, I ran this section with my partner Mike, and I remembered that day and our time together. Throughout the race, memories of shared moments kept me motivated and smiling. Those memories became a kind of anchor. The sun was really pushing on the last few miles. I was already thinking about the shade, the footbath and the cup of Coke. Then I was in Alhama de Granada.

The first stage ends at a sports complex, and our tents were in the hall with our luggage. I took a shower, washed out my clothes, and then we ate our great dried food together outside in the back of a truck. That day I even found my home-dried pasta bolognese dish eatable. But I will come back to that. The food and dried food issue will, in fact, soon give the run a bit of a turn.... 

There was also a pool bar where we ordered cerveza sin or con alcohol. After the briefing we went to the center of Alhama de Granada and ate something "real" in a bar.

Stage 2 or “Tarzan Boy” vs. Zombie

Get up and have breakfast. This means preparing a mixture of chocolate flakes, cornflakes, oatmeal, coconut flakes, almonds and milk powder with water. I still managed to get this breakfast meal all down. It sounds quite good, but when you have to eat it... OMG! That was actually the only day I managed to do that. 

Today will be a big day. 48 kilometers and 1440 vertical meters from Alhama de Granada to Játar through the Sierra Almijara are on the menu. First the route leads through the Tajos (gorges) of Alhama de Granada, then it goes on to Játar, passing several olive plantations. And the breathtaking mountains are getting closer and closer. Arriving in Játar, it first goes 4 kilometers uphill to the second checkpoint. Now the technical single trail through the nature park is coming up. This part is about 10km long, and there are about 800 meters of altitude to overcome on technical terrain. It is very energy-sapping, but also breathtakingly beautiful.

This stage has been very particular for me in two ways. First, Játar has been my second home for over a year, and I love living there. It was a run home, so to speak. Second, I struggled quite a lot on this stretch during the AAUT in 2021 and I thought the run was over for me there, but finally it wasn't. I was making very slow progress on the single track between checkpoint 2 and 3 at that time. I thought I wasn't able to make the cutoff time, I started crying and saw a big "Did not finish" in front of me. I had given up on myself. But then I suddenly felt an incredible strength in my legs, and I ran all the way to CP 3, arriving 3 minutes before the cutoff time. Since then, I have a strong feeling of respect for this part and invented the myth of the "Zombie in the Sierra of Játar" that eats runners.

I had to go up there again, and this time I had to be well prepared to meet "Zombie" again. My weapon: Tarzan. Let me explain… I chose a special memory from my life that I associate with something very positive and beautiful. It was a memory from my childhood of my father at a fairground. And of course, a certain song is related to this memory: "Tarzan Boy", a song by Baltimora from the 80s. Already sounds promising, doesn't it...? "Tarzan Boy" vs. El Zombie de Játar.

I enjoyed the route to Játar and was doing well, so this time, I didn't worry about cutoff times. I ended up at CP2 where two special people, Elaine and Arend, were waiting and taking care of us runners. I knew Elaine and Arend because they accompanied and supported me during my long training runs in Andalusia the previous summer. They both knew my story and the fear I had about this part of the trail. Elaine spoke encouragement to me and gave me a hug. Then I ran up, along with "Tarzan Boy." I slowed down and some runners passed me. I focused all my attention on the course, which was just beautiful. I was passing the place "Venta Lopez", where I already hiked with Mike too. I was smiling for a second and just moved forward.

Then I reached the mentioned place. This climb! The route seemed even steeper and more violent than the last time. I was overcome by the feeling of just stopping and not being able to go on. But I couldn't just stop here in the blazing sun and heat. No one could come for me here. What to do? Dying by crawling up the incline or dying by getting baked in the heat? Maybe crawling up is better after all? Tarzan Boy didn't stand a chance. Zombie was already nibbling on me. I wasn't thinking about anything at that moment, I just had to make it up here. I propped myself up on my walking sticks and slowly crawled up, paso a paso. I was still well in time, and finally I reached the top. Now it was downhill to checkpoint 3, where I gulped down a few cups of Coke.

There were "only" about 17 kilometers ahead of me to Játar. It became about 2 kilometers more, because approx. 4 kilometers before checkpoint 4, I got lost, together with 2 other runners. I ran straight ahead at one point instead of turning left. The runner behind me, "Tarmac Tim" probably had full confidence in my sense of orientation and so he followed me in the wrong direction. When we were at the top of a hill and couldn't find any more markings, another runner, Maria, came towards us. We had to go back again. By standing in the blazing sun and heat, I started to burn a bit and I got pretty hot. It was time to reach CP 4 so I could cool down. Those miles to the CP just seemed like forever. Again, I just focused on the moment. It doesn’t make any sense to ask questions about how far away the CP actually is. I can't do magic to get there. If I want to reach the CP quickly, I have only one option: run fast to the CP! 

The last kilometers to the campsite also felt eternally long, especially the first three kilometers after the last CP, where there are once again some meters of altitude to overcome.

Then I finally reached Játar. I was so happy to see this familiar place. The route led practically to the plaza where I live. That really gave me a lot of energy again. Only one more kilometer to the finish line!

With my feet in the foot bath, I sat in the shade drinking Coke for a long time. Too long. Instead of showering, eating and going for a massage. From then on, I was somehow doing everything wrong that I could do wrong. Time was running out. Briefing and off we went together to the restaurant "Los Angeles", so I canceled the massage that I desperately needed. Drink, eat and recover in my tent might have been the better option. At the restaurant I ate some salad and meat. Somehow, that was all I could get down at that point. Carbohydrates? None. During the night, I kept waking up because I had a hole in my stomach and was hungry. I was desperately lacking carbohydrates. I hadn't drunk enough either. But I didn't want to wake everyone up by making myself something to eat in the middle of the night. I would need hot water. But I had none. I took a thermos flask with me so that I could prepare my dried food at night if necessary. In theory, I was well prepared, everything was in my luggage, which was in front of my tent.

Stage 3 or „I’m Miss Dy-na-mi-tee-tee”

I was in 13th place overall after the second stage, and from 13th place you have to start earlier in the slower group. I was happy about that. I crawled out of my tent and the sun was just coming up. I know that from a certain point you can see the Sierra Nevada in all its glory. I walked there to look at the sunrise and the Sierra. Then I had to eat, I needed food badly. But my stomach was a bit upset by now; it was a mixture of being very hungry and feeling like I couldn't eat. I then had the good idea to eat my dry food, still pasta Bolognese, an hour before the run. Better said to choke it down. Once again, I did everything right.

The third stage is considered to be the "easiest" with 39 kilometers and "only" 850 meters of altitude from Játar to Jayena. It leads through the nature park La Resinera. Actually, this route is very runnable, especially at the beginning. Actually. My abdominal muscles kept contracting, so that I had real stitches in the navel region, and especially running downhill  proved to be difficult. In addition, the pasta bolognese made itself noticeable. Every time I thought about the pasta, I felt sick. Never again would I eat that pasta! Good thing I only had this Pasta Bolognese with me as a dish. Besides the great flakes mix with milk powder. My legs also felt like plumb. I was running out of gas. Or I had filled up with gas at the wrong time. Anyway, I listened to my body that day and I walked quite a lot instead of running. After all, I wanted to be fitter for the long stage the next day, and my stomach was throwing a monkey wrench into my plans anyway.

From checkpoint 1 we went into the nature park. There, too, I had many memories of a hike I had done with Mike. Of our tour guide "Señor Perro", a dog who led us through the Resinera and later pissed all over the wheels of my car, with which we then drove through the water at the entrance to the park.

At CP2, after the longer climb, I then had to sit down. My stomach was still bothering me. Also here were special people, Duncan and Wanda, who took care of me very sweetly. I then walked on for a bit with another runner who had similar problems as me. I managed to run a bit at a time until CP 3 but continued to walk a lot. Just before the CP I met another runner, Anita, and we rested a bit together at the CP. The medical team was as always in a great mood and took care of us warmly. Hip hop music was playing and the song "Dy-na-mi-tee" by Ms. Dynamite was playing from the loudspeaker. My legs didn't feel like dynamite right now, but I had this song in my head the whole way and kept singing "I'm Miss Dy-na-mi-tee-teeee" to myself.

The medical team asked us all kinds of questions. I call them the "P-questions." No, they were not philosophical questions, but pee- and poo-questions. I must have looked at Dr. Johnny funny because he said to me: "I have to ask these questions". After all, I had these stomach problems, and especially under such extreme conditions, you must be very careful. The docs just do a super job the whole week. They are there for us runners around the clock, care for our feet, listen to us, treat our complaints, give us encouragement and are always in a good mood. Although they also stand in the heat for hours. They do everything so that we get to the finish line, and in doing so they always have to assess what condition we are in, whether we are healthy and can continue running.

And I was able to continue running. I was fine except for those stitches in my belly and the queasy feeling in my stomach. Now there was one last climb before the route became flatter and curvier. The end of the stage consists of a somewhat rocky downhill. Then a last short uphill through thorny and shaggy bushes about 1.5 kilometers before the finish at the campsite El Bacal in Jayena. When I finished the third stage, I sat again for a while on a bench, my feet in a water bath and drank Coke. I still couldn't eat the chips and fruit. I started to fall into a very weird state, I completely turned back into myself, which felt very peaceful. I was in my world, in the here and now. Everything else was far away from me. This state was then followed by 5 very emotional minutes. Michelle looked at me with wide eyes and asked "Are you in pain?" I shook my head and continued to cry. "Is it just one of these moments?" she continued to ask. I nodded and tried to stop crying. I felt like the last crybaby. After all, there was nothing to cry about. But somehow everything was so overwhelming and there were so many impressions, special situations and moments on the last stages that triggered an emotional explosion in me.

I took a shower and went for a massage. I explained my abdominal problems to the awesome physiotherapists. These two people also deserve great praise for their bone work every day. After the treatment, all my cramps in the abdominal region were gone. I suddenly had a huge appetite and pounced on a large pack of chips, which I practically ate by myself. They tasted just great! In the evening we had salad and Paella. Real food, not dry food. And non-alcoholic beer. The evening meal was a real banquet. I took some bread with me so I would have something for breakfast the next day. With my bouillon soup, I'm sure it will taste better than my flakes with powdered milk and water. I slept pretty well that night. And this time I didn't freeze like in 2021. At least I did something right: I had my "hot bed" (a warm sleeping bag) with me!

Stage 4 or The “Barranco of knowledge"

Like every morning I crawled out of my tent, it was still dark outside. Today we started a little earlier, because today was THE day. The day of the long stage. 67 kilometers and 1300 meters of altitude from Jayena to Alhama de Granada, running in the blazing sun from kilometer 21. There will be shade only at the checkpoints. I love the route of the 4th stage. It leads through some shady pine trees along the lake Los Bermejales, which you could already see shimmering blue from certain points during Stages 2 and 3. The lake is even described in a magazine (GEO) as a hidden pearl in Spain. Unfortunately, the water level has decreased continuously in recent years. 

I ate my piece of bread, which I took the evening before, with bouillon soup. It was not much. I choked down another half  of an "emergency frangipane". For a few years now, I always carry  this little cake with almonds called Frangipane for "emergencies" during my runs, because this little cake has ultra-many calories and I usually always get it down. I packed up my backpack and my stuff. In the process, Eric filmed me, and the aforementioned Reel with the song "Right here, right now" by Fatboy Slim was created.

The fourth stage was again a very special stage for me. When I participated in the AAUT in 2021, I had a profound experience between CP3 and CP4. I became aware of so many things in my life and found quite a few answers to questions I had been asking myself for a long time. Since then, I call this Barranco, located just before the village of Cacin and CP 4, the "Barranco of Knowledge". I wanted to go back to exactly this place and consciously experience and contemplate it.

I ran at a pace quite comfortable to me until the 2nd CP at the lake Los Bermejales. After a short refreshment I took the first long climb in attack. Dawn, what a climb again! And no shade at all.  But already after 7 kilometers you can cool down at CP 3, drink water and take some electrolytes. The sun was really blazing, and there were no escape possibilities in the barranco. The next possibility to cool down was 10 kilometers further in Cacin. I had lots of ice cubes in my buff scarf, which I tied with two knots and attached it on my race number belt right on my groin. My legs stayed really cool this way, so I didn't overheat. I can only recommend this trick because it really helped. I also put my buff towel with the ice cubes on my head so that it didn't get too hot on it.

I really enjoyed this stretch, and I was also very aware of the area around me, compared to 2021. At a very specific point, you can have a view of Játar and the Sierra, which we ran through on day 2. This is home! And this is the spot where so many things became clear to me at that time. This time I took a lot of pictures of this place, which has such a meaning for me. The last time I arrived at Cacin, I felt like I was in a western movie and the song "L' Arena" by Ennio Morricone was playing in my head. I remembered everything so clearly again, the streets, the houses, the song. But I felt different this time. Clearer. 

Then I reached CP 4. I saw Eric and told him: "You are crazy, guys! Your run is just crazy!". I had been dreaming about a sparkling water for hours, and since the CP was right next to a bar, I wanted to get a sparkling water. No sooner had I expressed this hour-long dream, than Eric was already at the bar and came back with a cool sparkling water. This was an absolute highlight! I don't know if Eric is aware of what exactly he was doing at that point, but he was the genie in a bottle at that moment. Then there was another surprise: the route had to be shortened, about 5 kilometers. Actually, it's "only" 5 kilometers difference, but when you have to run 67 kilometers in the blazing heat without shade and you already have 3 days, 194 kilometers and almost 5000 meters of altitude behind you, it sounds like a salvation. I continued running and the next surprise was already waiting for me, but this time a less pleasant one.

After CP4, we had to run on a paved road for a while before it started to go uphill again. Suddenly my phone rang. I ignored it, but it rang another time. Maybe it was someone from the organization. But it was my dad. I had a strange feeling about it, so I answered it. My father asked where I was and what I was doing. His voice sounded different, worried and sad. "I'm in the middle of my race right now, it's pretty hot out here, but I'm fine". Pause. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought your race was on Monday. I'll hang up then," he replied, still in that strange voice. "Yes, the race started on Monday, it goes until Friday. But what's going on?". Now I wanted to know. He hesitated for a while, then all I heard was "...is dead". I couldn't really understand him, and he repeated his sentence again. My father just told me that my godmother had died and asked if I would be at the funeral on Tuesday.

The situation seemed so surreal to me. I had to truly concentrate to understand his words and answer him reasonably. I was in a completely different world right now, and his world was so far away from me. I promised my father that I would be at the funeral on Tuesday. I hung up and kept running. My head was empty. My father's voice still echoed a little. And then the climb began. Somehow, though, it felt good to hear his voice, even if the reason wasn't pretty.

From CP 5 the uphill continues, it is a nasty one through olive groves.  I ran this part with "Tarmac Tim". Together we looked for the markings, because I often overlooked them in the middle of the olive trees. We didn't want to get lost one more time, and his confidence in my sense of orientation had certainly suffered a bit. The climb seemed to have no end, it seemed to me that we had been running past the same olive trees for hours. Then we reached the road. Finally flat. But this part to CP 6 was quite hard. Running on a paved road at 35-40 degrees (or more) is also a big challenge.

I kept looking back to see if Tim was still there. Somehow that gave me a certain security. Even though we were running at some distance, I had the impression that someone was accompanying me. Already seeing a person provided diversion. Another distraction were the purple thistles. Already during my first edition I had marveled at this extraordinary tall plant, with this full purple color and thorns. There were also some horses. When you reach CP 6, it feels like a real relief. The volunteers were standing by with cooling spray, ice cubes, water and Coke. 

It is hard to describe how such a heat makes you feel. You can't escape this heat because there is no shade, and you just must keep going. I think this is the big challenge of this race. The distances and the elevation gain are already very demanding, but you must be able to withstand this intense heat for a very long time on a demanding terrain. Sometimes you feel like you're running on the spot, especially on certain stretches. Even the shade of an olive tree or a small gust of wind can become an "aha" experience.

Now there are still 8 kilometers to the finish line. And they just got long! This part, which usually appears so short to me when I train there, just didn't want to end. How could that be? I'm always up in 5-10 minutes! My fixed point was the restaurant "El Ventorro", but I couldn't see this restaurant, even though I knew I was approaching it. Then I finally reached the road, now straight to the Campsite El Motor in Alhama de Granada. Done! 

In the evening I went for a massage, where the physio team took care of my abdominal muscles once again. Afterwards we had dinner, pasta and salad. I enjoyed the food but I was also really tired. I had completed the long stage! So many impressions. A long journey into one's deep inner self, a confrontation with oneself, but also a journey through beautiful and merciless landscapes. Nevertheless, I lay awake almost the whole night.

Stage 5 or “The boy in the bubble” Part II

After three hours of sleep, I crawled out of my tent again as usual. Now the huge challenge called "breakfast" was still to come. I prepared myself some bouillon soup. A runner, Stella, with whom I was sitting at the table, offered me a cappuccino, which I got down. Bouillon and cappuccino, better than nothing. And even a bite of "emergency frangipane" was possible. Then Eric's voice sounded again in the megaphone: "15 minutes to the start. 15 minutes." I was running late and getting a little hectic. And then this! I must have pressed the start button on my GPS watch by mistake, so my watch was in start mode all night. I only had 20% battery left. "Two minutes." I just managed to pack my things and be at the start in time.

The last stage is 42 kilometers long with 970 meters of altitude. It is the same route as the first day, just the other way from Alhama de Granada to Loja. This means that the AAUT ends with an 11-kilometer downhill (about 850 meters of altitude). There were several clouds in the sky, so it was cooler compared to the previous days. The views were just gorgeous - the fog, the clouds and the Sierra of Loja. And the joy of hopefully being a finisher of the AAUT 2023 soon. At the last checkpoint, a pleasant surprise awaited me. But for this, I have to go back briefly to the second stage in 2021. When I was not feeling so well during the second stage in 2021, Dr. James asked me if there was a song that would motivate me to continue. I spontaneously answered him "The boy in the bubble by Patti Smith". And every time I got to a CP, he played that song for me. After I hit the "Zombie in the Sierra of Játar" and reached the CP 3 minutes before the cutoff time, Dr. James played me that song again and told me that was my finisher song.

And now, in 2023, 11 kilometers before the finish line of the AAUT, Dr. James and Dr. Johnny surprised me with "The boy in the bubble". We started dancing, Eric filmed our dance and named it "Ultradancing". (Link zum Reel: https://www.facebook.com/reel/607914771195327). Also, this very situation reflects the spirit of the AAUT. The people there are wholehearted, friendships and lasting connections are formed.

This song is more than just a "finisher song" to me. The song became representative of courage and the power to accomplish and rise above my own inner limits, doubts and fears. After the 2021 edition, it became the song that always accompanied me in the background during very important decisions. Like when I decided to buy the house in Andalusia. The song was always with me. All this here is my "bubble", my world where I find peace. 

The last 11 kilometers I literally flew down the road, my head began to pound, because it was getting hotter and hotter. But that didn't stop me from continuing to run at this pace. And then the Hotel El Mirador appeared. Just crossing the street and I will finally receive a new finisher shirt. This was handed to me by Michelle, along with my finisher medal. My “Alchemist-journey” was over. Where did it lead me?

No idea. To lovely and great people, a bit further to myself. To the certainty of being in the right place. Right here, right now.