A participant's report: trail running camp with Jasmin Nunige

Have you ever wanted to know how top athletes prepare for the Swissalpine Davos, and how you could best approach it yourself? Those lines make me curious, and of course I want to know too. On the spur of the moment I sign up for the 3-day course at the Hotel Grischa. Five minutes later the first doubts creep in: what if all the other participants run much faster, better and further? I only started running three years ago, and so far I have only dared to try shorter trail races, so my doubts seem entirely justified…

Friday: we are four women between 35 and 63, with quite different running histories and experience. I am surprised there are only four of us (probably everyone else had even more doubts than I did), but of course that means we all benefit enormously. After a round of introductions we set off at an easy pace towards Stafelalp. On the first steep stretch we look at technical points and try to put them into practice right away. Jasmin runs at the back sometimes, at the front other times, and we ask her a thousand questions (yes, she can run uphill and talk at the same time). On the way down we get filmed, so we can look at our own technique. How it feels from the inside and how it looks from the outside can be very different, which is sobering but also instructive. We run back over the Schatzalp and round off the first day with a small snack.

Saturday: the second day is all about strength. After a short warm-up run we work on running drills, followed by hill intervals: 30 seconds up, then an easy jog back down. Two sets of five reps, manageable, I think, and in the group it is actually almost fun. Here too Jasmin gets her phone out, films us and keeps supporting us with useful tips. After lunch, and a long break by the Davosersee (far too cold for lowlanders), there is a session on mobility and stability in the Kurpark. We run barefoot, hop up the stairs on one leg, balance, work our core, and laugh about our coordination (or what is left of it).

Sunday: today is the long run, from Dürrboden over the Scalettapass to the Panoramaweg and then back via the Sertigtal. Conditions are perfect, and there are various options to cut the route short or run further. Everyone runs at their own pace, with or without poles, and we all get exactly what we came for. My doubts are gone. It was a wonderful weekend and I got so much out of it. Jasmin's huge skill and experience, and her open, easy-going manner, impressed me deeply. Thank you.

Many thanks to the author... I enjoyed the camp a lot too... see you again soon, Jasmin