We're running for the trails in our new KEEN trail runners, and we're sharing trail run reports from KEENers around the world – like this trail race log from Tim, a digital graphic designer in our KEEN EMEA office in the Netherlands (WTG Tim!).
My Trail Race
Location: Black Forest Ultra Trail Run in Kirchzarten, Germany
Distance: 19.5 kilometers
Shoes worn: KEEN Seek trail runners
Hydration: 250ml hydration flask with water
Race snacks:Energy bar and energy gummies
The Black Forest Ultra Trail Run was the first time I’d ever run farther than 10 kilometers!
KEEN sponsored the race, and we set up a booth there with our Seek trail running shoes to try out. The main route was 104K, but there were some shorter races, too. I ran the 19.5K course with a 920-meter climb in the German Black Forest. It was beautiful, of course, and nice that I could combine it with setting up the KEEN Expo. It was beautiful weather on the day of the run, which made the whole event perfect. I really enjoyed the scenery and seeing Seek trail runners being worn by other competitors was very cool!
My Training:
I trained a bit the last couple of months but very irregularly. The woods near my house don’t have a lot of elevation, so I could not train for that. Other than that, I go inline skating during the summer and picked up kickboxing recently.
Favorite Part:
The run itself went really well, and running at a higher speed through the forest was great.
Toughest Part:
It was a warm day, so running through the open fields felt quite warm. After having climbed for the first 8-9 kilometers, I was happy that the descent could begin.
Race profile of the 19K race from ultra-trailrun.de
Personal Takeaway:
What I learned is that I can listen to advice. I have the tendency to go a bit too fast in the beginning of a run. This results in struggling a bit midway and need to lower the pace to recover. I got a recommendation not to start too fast and not run the entire climb up. So, a little bit of tactical thinking on when to run and when to walk. It was great advice. Also, I want to train a bit better in advance. I hope next year I can attend again and sharpen my results a bit.
My Shoes:
I wear the Seek for my runs at home, and I think it’s really an amazing trail running shoe. It did well on the climb, and the descent went well, too. Lightweight, comfortable and to this day looks almost like new.
Other Gear:
I got my running outfit sponsored by the Black Forest Ultra Trail Run organization, so I got socks, shorts, and a t-shirt. All of very nice quality so a good upgrade from the clothing I wore to the event. I also wore a small hip pouch and had a trail running cap.
Pro Tips:
I skipped the last aid station because I thought it’s not so far to go so why waste time. Next time I won’t do that because my energy the last 2 kilometers was pretty much gone. There were some tough climbs at the end, so I was happy to arrive at the finish!
