Laughs
Day 8: The excitement is building!
After yesterday’s crash, Till opted for a leisurely training run. In addition, it was snowing quite heavily, making the snow rather sticky and his average pace quite slow.
In the afternoon we went to pick up the bibs in Pontresina. Pontresina is a small town in the Engadin valley with a population of 2,000-odd people. Pontresina is also the cradle of cross-country in the Engadin and location of the half marathon finish.
The whole town is in Engadin-Ski-Marathon-mood and buzzing, with music, tents and food-stalls everywhere. The excitement was palpable. Organization of bib pick up was flawless and smooth — one could be forgiven for thinking that 14,000 starters could overwhelm a small town but the guys in Pontresina are pros and have this all down to a ‘t’.
Day 8: Training Summary
Till:
Distance: 9 miles (14.4 km)
Pace: 8:05 Minute/Mile (5:50 Minute/km)
Elevation Gain: 98ft (30m)
Damage: no new injuries; old injuries are healing, the thumb is taped
Lessons learned: fresh snow is really sticky — we may need to wax pre-race
