111 km Swiss Canyon Trail: more than just a trail race

The Swiss Canyon Trail is over now, and what a race it was. At 113 kilometres and around 5,000 metres of elevation gain, it was the longest trail race of my career so far. After 13 hours and 29 minutes, I was thrilled with a strong 3rd place in a stacked international field. But this race was far more to me than numbers, placings or a hard competition. It was a journey that went far beneath the surface.

Beyond the kilometres: why physical preparation is only half the job

Physical preparation is certainly the foundation. Anyone who wants to finish a race like this cannot get around countless running kilometres, intensive strength training and specific uphill and downhill technique work. But all that physical strength counts for little if you neglect the mental side.

When you are out in the mountains for well over 100 kilometres at a stretch, which for me meant more than 13.5 hours of nonstop effort, mental strength and above all mental freshness become extremely important. That is exactly why I prepared for this side of the race just as much as for the physical kilometres.

My mental toolbox: breathwork and visualisation

To be fully present in the decisive moments, I work with two key pillars:

• Breathing exercises to channel my thoughts: through regular breathwork I have learnt to channel my thoughts on purpose. It helps me stay fully in the here and now and lets my mind settle even under strain.
• Targeted visualisation techniques: these mental images help me bring my focus straight back to the positive in tough stretches of a race. On technically demanding sections they let me concentrate fully on correct technique while keeping the ease I need.

Mental tapering: the secret to a fresh mind

Almost every athlete knows the concept of physical tapering, reducing training volume before the race, and does it as a matter of course. What almost nobody thinks about is mental tapering.

In the days before the Swiss Canyon Trail it was absolutely essential for me to keep the so-called “mental load” as small as possible. What good are the freshest legs if your mind is tired from everyday life, to-do lists and stress? Only the combination of physical rest and mental tapering let me stand at the start with a completely fresh, clear mind.

The reward: a race run in “flow”

I am firmly convinced that this holistic approach can improve your own performance enormously. A race then becomes noticeably easier, not only physically but above all mentally.

That is exactly the experience I got to have at the Swiss Canyon Trail: over the whole distance I never had a mental low, and there was not one moment when I asked myself what I was even doing there. Every single second I knew I was in exactly the right place, doing exactly the right thing. Time passed without me having to think much about it at all. I was simply in the flow and could focus completely on what mattered: running, fuelling, and doing what I love with all my heart.

A deep sense of gratitude

When you push yourself to your limits in the mountains for hours on end, a lot of things fall into perspective. A very deep sense of gratitude stayed with me throughout the race: gratitude for my own body, capable of such a performance. At the same time, my thoughts kept turning to all the people and MS patients for whom something like this is simply impossible because of their health. Knowing how valuable this health is, and how far from a given, gave me incredible strength on the harder stretches. (Race day was also World MS Day.)