Vienna City Marathon 2019

6th April, 15:00 - Rathaus

WOW... And I mean the big WOW! As I enter Vienna's City Hall, my head rises and my sight gets lost in the high ceiling,  gold archways and crystals chandeliers. Where other cities gather runners in dusty fairs, Vienna chose its magnificent City-all to host the legendary pre-race pasta party. That's what I call appetizer :)

That's where I finally meet "Mihh", inside a vast and sparkling room, at a little standing table and while eating a plate of tortellini drown in tomato sauce. Mihnea has been living for six years in Vienna now and he has become the Romanian Ambassador for the Vienna City Marathon (VCM), that he finished a few times already. But before all, he's my brother-in-law (or brother-in-run as we call each other's) and the person whose adventures inspired me and made me start running. I probably wouldn't be here today without him!

🏃

- So Mihh, can you tell us a few words about you and what you are doing in Vienna?

- Hi Alex, I started running around since I was little and I don't want to stop now that I'm a grown-up :)) I am working in Vienna as a software engineer, and use my spare time to train and promote running. My life goal is to travel the world and promote the diversity of each marathon I encounter during my journey

- What kind of runner are you and where do you like to run?

- I am an "All-rounder", meaning that I don't mind running on asphalt, tartan track, land, sand or on muddy terrain. Since I'm living in Vienna, my favourite running routes are along the Danube or in the main parks (Prater, Schönbrunn etc.)

- You are the Romanian Ambassador at the VCM, what does that mean?

- My main responsibility as Ambassador is to bring the whole Marathon Event closer to the participants from Romania (and not only!) by giving them updated news and insights on social media. Apart of this, I am also responsible for providing them with useful information and tips about the event

- Thank you for these kind words (and letting us crash on your couch!)

🏃

On these last few words full of hope, we raise our (alcohol-free) beer and cheer on a plate of Kaiserschmarren, the "king's dessert"! See you tomorrow on the starting line.




7th April, 8:00 - ONU city, 0 km



After a short night and an even shorter breakfast, we aim outside in the cold morning breeze. "We need to hurry, Mihh urges me, the train will be crowded". God I hate running before a marathon! But indeed, the station is full and impossible to enter the first two trains. We zip ourselves inside the third one, which takes us to the start at the International Center. The area is packed, runners everywhere on every inch of grass. Same atmosphere than on Berlin marathon. I'm not used to that anymore, having run countryside events of a few dozens runners top lately! We drop our bags and aim for the starting line

A few words on the VCM, as we wait for the gunshot. It's the official yearly marathon of the city of Vienna, in Austria, a small country in the heart of our beloved Europe. Surrounded by 8 countries and mostly covered by the Alps, Austria was the heart of the Hapsburg Monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian empire, influencing the fate of Europe for centuries. It is also the birthplace of eternal names like Strauss, Mozart, Klimt, von Erlach, Freud, and more recently Hanneke, Falco or superstars like Waltz and Schwarzenegger!



Capital of Austria, Vienna is a vibrant and magnificent medieval town. Heart of the baroque, the whole city is an open-air museum and each street corner will blow you away. People have come from all around the world to live and work in the "city of music", making of Vienna a multicultural hub and one of the world's most livable city for more than a decade. But for me, Vienna will always be the place where I spent my honeymoon and where I felt outside of time for a few romantic days :)



But enough chit-chat! The music is rising and Freddy's vibrato voice echoes all around us, on the high walls of the UNO City, as we raise our hands and clap loudly. The first waves started already, one more minute to go... Countdown... We break the crowd and jump forwards, arms in the air, reaching for the stars. 42km ahead of us, let's make history!

9:15 - Prater, 1-5 km

A few strides and we are already crossing the Reichsbrücke over the Danube and the Donauinsel, a long and narrow strip of land in the middle of the river, where Mihh took me running a few times. What about Mihh, by the way? He's right next to me, live-streaming on his Instagram story where he recently started as a marathon ambassador, offering insights and advice to whoever wanna try the great adventure! I invite myself on his video, ruining all his efforts, mouhaha! I'm so funny at kilometer 1, not so much around kilometer 38! He quickly breaks the starting pace and disappear in the crowd, far away from me. I'm all alone, again, as usual. Well, still surrounded by 200 runners, I'm really not used to that. On my last marathon, I spent an hour alone and even had to ask locals for directions!



We follow the road to the left and quickly reach the Prater's Hauptallee, a narrow straight road bordered by trees that disappears on the horizon. The famous high wheel is raising over our heads, turning slowly, people in the cabins pointing at the lemmings running down there. The Prater is one of Vienna's largest leisure area, with endless green spaces, sports courts, playgrounds, a stadium, and even a theme park open all year. It's famous Riesenrad is more than a century old and was the tallest one until 1985! Bikes, electric scooters, roller-blades, skaters, everyone is overtaking and reminding us how slow we are... Yep, but I wanna see them try to cover the 42 km!




We reach a crossroads and leave the stadium on our left - see you in a few hours! - and turn right towards the Donaukanal. I leave the main road as often as I can and run on the side, in the dirt and grass. Trailer's habit, always fleeing the rough asphalt.



A first aid station marks the 5th kilometer. I risk myself on the blue Gatorade - mountain dew flavor - that doesn't taste so bad, in spite of the endless list of poisons they put in it. But I prefer my Isostar magic powder. I took a plastic bag full of it with me and refuel my water bottle. I barely resume running that my heart miss a few beats and my stomach sickens. It's not the mountain dew but the mountain of plastic glasses thrown in the grass all around. I think about the Eco Trail de Paris, where we had to bring our own cup and carry a trash bag with us. Sigh... I miss trail running!

9:50 - Donaukanal, 5-10 km

Soon after, we reach the outskirts of the Donaukanal, a brave little river that decided to leave Daddy for a while and find it's way through the city. We run on the pedestrian lanes, bordered by leafy trees and a few fisherman who's day just got ruined. A few selfies while I still feel fresh and I'm back in the crowd. We are close to Mihh's place now and I think about milady and my cheese cubes that will come and cheer us up, but they are probably still breakfasting. We should meet them later, around km 26.



We finally cross the river near Schwedenplatz and enter the city center. I can't repeat myself enough, but Vienna is a magnificent city. Everywhere you look, it's just endless baroque facades featuring the finest workmanship, statues so real you could almost see them break their prison of stone to meet you, eternal churches that seemed untouched by time, people dressed in medieval clothes and talking to you with a noble and singing accent... You can easily loose yourself in the city, forget who you are, where you are and what century we are. Suddenly you are not running anymore but hunting the boar on your king's land, or slipping in a silk dress to go waltzing!

10:30 - Schönbrunn, 11-16 km

We follow the ring inside the city up to Karlsplatz, where we will head to the finish line later on. Then suddenly we head South-West, towards the Schönbrunn Castel. We leave the colorful city center for a long and narrow street along the underground train line. I'm starting now the hardest part of the race, and it's terrifying, because at that time, I don't know it's just a weak moment and that I'll feel better afterwards. Despite the two weeks of rest, my legs have been aching since the morning, due to the early travel yesterday and the hours standing still at the pasta party. I look at my watch, I barely covered 12 km. How am I ever going to finish this race, feeling down so early?



A supply station comes to the rescue. I refuel, swallow an energy bar and takes a few minutes to sit and massage my calves. I also put on my second ankle pad, to maintain and protect my right foot. I feel better already. Let's see how far I can continue, hopefully at least up to the half.

11:15 - Mariahilferstraße, 16-21 km

I'm so lost in my thoughts, trying to forget the needles in my legs, that I miss Schönbrunn! My attention is drawn by the relay runners, waiting for their fellow teammate to start, and I completely miss the superb silhouette of the castle. No regret, I've been there a few times already. If you ever come to Vienna in December, don't miss its magical Christmas market and live classical concerts.

It's time to go back! After two sharp turns, we are heading back to the city. I suddenly recognize the high buildings around me, covered with giant bills and sparkling monitors. Our route led us to
Mariahilferstraße, Vienna's famous shopping street. A few years ago, the residents voted to make it car-free, and since then you can meander and shop around peacefully. We cross the large avenue, followed by the eyes of amused residents, watching us from the high windows or the side benches.



My legs are hurting. It's constant, not painful enough to stop but still quite bothering. I try to focus all my attention on the city around me, on the people cheering us, on the aid stations pumping me up... The kilometers on my watch pass before my eyes. I hear a distant uproar, voices rising, runners getting excited around me. I realize that we are approaching the 21st kilometer, end of the half marathon. There is something pretty unique at the VCM, that I've never seen anywhere else: half and full marathoners all start together and can decide on the way if they want to attempt the half or the full experience. If they feel down, they can stop at kilometer 21 and still go home with a medal, without having to abandon.

On the other hand, being given such a choice really makes it hard to stick to the plan, and I have to resist the temptation, as the road suddenly parts in two directions, indicated by two crazy dancing girls on top of a tower: turn right to finish the half or left to aim for the stars! I think at milady and my minions waiting for daddy 5km forwards. I can't disappoint them! Let's stick to the road and we'll see how things goes.

11:40 - Museumsquartier, 21-27 km

We keep progressing quietly. Runners around me are reaching that point when the race is not a walk in the park anymore and each step is harder than the last, each passing kilometer is a new victory over yourself. We can feel that the so-feared wall is getting closer, the question is always when it will hit us and if we'll manage to finish? I let my attention wander around me. We are crossing the Museumsquartier, gathering the most impressive museums and buildings of the city: Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches Museum (museums of art and natural history), Volkstheater and the striking Rathaus (City-all).



We cross the Friedensbrücke (bridge of freedom) over the Donaukanal and turn right, to follow once again the brave little river, this time from the other side of town. Nothing really exciting on this part of the event, I'm just focusing on my steps while suffocating with the fumes of cars driving next to us. God I miss the trees! But the kilometers are flying before my eyes and the 26th one I longed for is finally here. I see a French and a Romanian flag flying on the horizon, some arms waving at me, shouts of joy. I feel wings of hope deploying in my back.



I take my son in my arms, ignoring my back crying of pain under the effort. My wife, her mom and Mihh's girlfriend are here too, asking me tons of questions. I exchange a few words, realizing how tired I am. I try to reassure them, it's all gonna be alright. But I need to continue, each passing second not moving is attacking my legs with a soldering iron! They tell me that Mihh is not far, only 15-20 min ahead. Like we say at family barbecues: "let's ketchup!" ;)

12:20 - Prater again!? 27-35 km

As we leave the Donaustraße and head North, a giant wheel appears out of nowhere. What a minute... Déjà-vu! Is that a second one or are we back to the Prater park? Indeed we are! I remember that the VCM route looks like it's been drawn by a 3 years old on Red Bull! That's how I find myself running the same path East. A quick check on the app, Mihh is just a few kilometers ahead. He's running out of energy, but so am I. The trick is now to spare every ounce of it and stay focused.



We reach an agitated crossroads and we are sent North, while runners on the other side head South. My watch marks the 30th kilometer, as I reach the stadium, where the relay runners take over. Lucky ones, I should have joined a team! After this brief diversion, we are back on the long pavement lane crossing the Prater. We are supposed to make a U turn at the end of the way and come back. I have to fight the urge to join the runners heading back, but they probably installed a chip tracker at the turn around point! Indeed they did and we cross the 33rd kilometer while running around the Lusthaus... My only lust is to finish this race and crash in the hammock for a well-deserved nap!



We run back all the way to the crossroads. I stick behind a nice lady wearing a French flag and Minnie Mouse plastic ears. She'll take me home for sure :) Mihh is almost done, this gives me some more motivation. I can't wait to share a selfie with our medal and beer!

13:20 - Rathaus and finish, 35-42km

We leave the Prater (again!), heading towards the city center and the finish line. My legs are feeling heavier and heavier. No persistent pain but sometimes a very unpleasant feeling in my feet, that something is not right and that I should stop running very soon. I thank my previous year of training and my two trail marathons.



The Landstrasse leads us up to the Rathaus, through Karlsplatz again, where I was devouring my pastas exactly 24h ago. At that time, I wasn't sure I could finish the race and see the stars. But now I'm sure I will! The music bands carry us over the last two kilometers. As usual, the proximity to the finish line give me wings and I speed up, flying over the crowd of staggering finishers. A yellow carpet welcomes us to the finish line, as well as a nice crowd cheering us from the tribunes. Next to me, a girl is crying while covering the last meters. Probably her first marathon, and surely not her last! I myself cannot prevent shedding a tear of joy and relief.



I cross the finish line 4:47 min after the starting one and 25 min behind Mihh, who's been waiting for me to cheers. A shiny medal is thrown around my neck. Wow, a gold star with a Swarovski crystal ! Vienna knows how to greet its finishers. Food bag: check. Alcohol-free beer: check. I find Mihh lazying in the sun. We finally share a well-deserved selfie, before joining the family and heading home for a giant barbecue.

Conclusion

I know I'm not a city runner and I usually find no pleasure hurting my feet and knees over 42 km of hard pavement, while breathing car fumes and stepping on plastic cups. But I guess it depends on the city! I had a lot of fun running the marathon of Vienna, who is - I can't repeat myself enough - one of the most beautiful city in the world. Even if I'm not planning to run more city marathons in the future, I'm really happy I can strike this one from my bucket list!

I want to thank with all my heart the VCM organizer for inviting me to the event, as well as my brother-in-run, for sharing my victory. Of course, let's not forget the family, they've all been amazing supporters and helped us reach for the stars :)

General Travel Information

Transport:

Vienna really is at the heart of Europe, making it accessible by car from many neighbor countries. But if you are coming from far away, multiple airlines will fly you here. The country's airline Austrian of course, from all European capitals, as well as low-cost ones like Easyjet. Don't forget to book early for cheap tickets ! From the airport, you can reach the city center using the CAT shuttle (16 min, 11/19€) or a regional train (25 min, 8/13€).
https://www.viennaairport.net/

Food:

Vienna is a paradise for delicious food and refine palates, at the crossroads of European cuisines. You will find restaurants flourishing everywhere. But as the temperature was rising, my heart was set on ice cream. If you can't resist either (why should you, you just ran 42 km!), follow the animated Rotenturmstraße up to Eis Greissler, a little ice cream shop you could almost miss out passing by. It would be a shame, with their collection of more than 100 flavors elaborated with bio milk and local ingredients from their Austrian farms, as well as their vegan and dairy-free options. Dare try one of their specialty, like pumpkin seed oil!
https://www.eis-greissler.at/en/our-ice-cream/

Tip top:

You cannot come to Vienna without visiting its treasures, that you will discover along the marathon. If you have little time, history lovers should visit the Hofburg and the Albertina. If architecture is your hobbyhorse, head to the St. Stephen's cathedral or the City Hall. Art lovers can loose themselves inside the galleries of the Belvedere and the Schönbrunn Palace. Finally, if you just wanna chill out before or after the race, why not a tour of the Prater's Giant Wheel, or a Viennese coffee and Sachertorte at the Donau Turm Panorama Café?

Additional links:

VCM - The Vienna City Marathon

You too, enroll for next year's edition and reach for the stars!

Mihh's Instagram page

You wanna start running but you're not sure how, HE'LL TEACH YOU ALL :)

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Krummenseelauf 2018

"Autumn is finally here"... says no one ever 😓

For most, it's usually not the happiest time of the year. Stuck between summer and Christmas, days are getting shorter and colder, work deadlines more stressful. But a positive runner always see the bright side of life 😁

I love October and November runs, for the breathtaking colour palette nature is displaying. Sometimes, you don't even know where to look and you just let the music of the wind in the trees, the creaking trunks and the rustling of your shoes on the carpet of dead leaves rhythm your steps.

If you ever come to Berlin in autumn, you gotta go out for a run! The two regions are sprinkled with lakes, 80 for Berlin and more than 3000 for Brandenburg (no-one knows the exact number). Villages flourished around them and people all have a nearby lake they like and are proud of. Proud enough to organise a run around it! This is why, whatever the time of the year, you will always find a lake run in the area.

With walking or running distances usually ranging from 3k to half, sometimes even full-marathon, everyone is attending: Papa, Mama, the kids, the grandparents! It's a family event in friendly mood, no hassle. People who don't run volunteer to help, prepare the soup, grill the sausages or bake cakes. Everyone knows each others, people are joking and laughing all the time. You can end up having more fun than on a reputed race 😋

That's how I found myself running a 15k this morning. Last-minute decision motivated by the still-good-but-for-how-long weather. Very nice event, with a charming route along the Krummensee lake and in the colourful woods around. Short distances are ideal to test your cardio and I ran way faster that I'm used to. I'm paying the price now, with sore and painful legs! But I finished the 15km in 1h17min, which is a really good time for me. The organiser even called my name while I was about to leave. It turns out I made 3rd place in the M30 and I won a delicious doughnut offered by the local bakery 🍩 Now, THAT's what I call a sponsor ;)

Enjoy the last days of autumn and see you soon in Berlin for a lake run!

Test of the GPS watch TomTom Runner 3

 Cet article est disponible en français ici.  

            

After 4 years of wandering around with my faithful Forerunner, I had to change it this year, not without disappointment, since the battery barely holds two hour now and I couldn't find a 42 km long prolongation cable! Therefore, my goal for the next one is to get a reliable product with advanced functionalities for an entry-level price. I give myself a budget of 150 €. Last I've heard, I'm not Kilian Jornet, so I don't need to give out a rent for a watch!

I considered different models and set my mind on a Tomtom Runner 3, for one reason mostly: it is offering a navigation option, that you usually only find on state-of-the-art models like the Garmin Fenix. With prices ranging from 89€ (no cardio), 125€ (cardio, my version) and 199€ (cardio + mp3 player) it is one of the cheapest GPS watch currently on the market. Let's see if it's worth every penny.

1. Unboxing - The first impression is pretty good. The watch is smaller and thinner that it looks on the pictures. With 50g, you barely feel it at your wrist. It is composed of two parts, the bracelet and the watch case, that you need to take apart to charge it or connect it to the computer. It contains a square control pad too, with four buttons, that you use to interact with the watch and that I find more intuitive than the usual side buttons. The bracelet looks resistant, we'll see on the long term, and the fixation system is really well designed. The watch fits well around the wrist and does not move.

2. Test run - The Runner 3 is packed with options. I will need more that a stroll in the park to examine it from all angles. Fortunately, I got the watch just on time for my last long run (40 km), before tapering for the Eco-Tail de Paris (45 km) in three weeks. I'm ready, let's try this baby outside!

It's Sunday morning and I'm waiting in front of the door for the GPS signal to start my long run. Like most watches, the Runner 3 pre-loads the satellites position when connecting to the computer and the QuickGPS is fast. I get a green light in barely 15 seconds.

3. Interface - Let's check the interface first. It's a cold and sunny day. The readability is very good. The contrast of white text on black screen makes it visible from all angles with little sun reflections. The watch displays three data: a large one in the middle, that you can change during the activity using the control pad, and two smaller ones at the bottom, that you can configure beforehand. A fourth data would have been nice, as runners often check at least time, distance, pace and heart-rate during a run. Finally, you can find on the top bar the usual symbols: satellite, heart-rate, Bluetooth and batterie life.

 

4. Heart-rate monitor - Home is where the heart is, let's have a look at mine! Wrist cardio monitors are becoming a standard and the Runner 3 goes with the flows. A sensor and a green LED are embedded on the back side of the watch, in contact with your skin, and measure the blood flow. Good-bye itchy chest straps! Still, for testing purposes, I take my old Forerunner and strap with me, for comparison. The heart-rate value of the Runner 3 is pretty accurate, maybe a little optimistic and a few beats below the one I get from my chest strap.

A graph analyses my progression and what cardio zone I am in (Fat burn, Cardio, Performance, etc.) I just notice a delay after sudden accelerations. The watch needs some time to notice the change and even after, the value stays 10 to 20 bpm below the strap one. The watch seems to smooth the heart-rate variations, which is fine on a steady run but not for speed work. In that case, it would be probably wise to buy a compatible strap.

   

5. Navigation - It's about time to test my favourite option! Perfect timing, as I'm on the starting line of the Eco-Trail de Paris, 45km of muddy and poorly marked-out trails in the middle of the woods. TomTom Sports lets you upload a GPX file, that will be sent automatically to the watch next time you connect it. It's fast and really handy. Using an online tool like Wandermap, you can create a route and send it to the watch. See my Turtle Run article in this edition for example.

I downloaded the GPX route from the race website and sent it to the watch. I can now select it before starting the activity. There are four navigation screens, rights from the main one, corresponding to three levels of zoom (close-up, surroundings and complete route) and a metric compass.

The map is simple, just a little arrow representing you and a white line marking your progression. If you pre-load a route like I did, it shows up as a grey line that you can follow (or not, if you are a rebel like me!). All in all it is extremely simple and efficient. No directions calling, no notifications, no display of the surroundings. Just the bare necessities! I keep an eye on my progression all along the event, and avoid this way to take a wrong path or miss a turn. I just regret that I don't get notified when I step out of the route. But let's be honest, we all hate to hear the GPS repeat "make a U-turn when possible!"

6. Batterie Life -  Second aid station, I'm running out of stamina. What about my little friend? One of the main decision criteria for me in a watch is its autonomie. Who cares about having the best options when your watch dies on you half way through the race? TomTom guaranties a battery life of 9:00, with GPS and cardio monitor on. When I cross the finish line of the Eco-Trail de Paris, after 6:15 on the way, my watch still has about 10% of battery. Therefore, I guess the real autonomie would be around 7:00 to 7:30. You can increase it to 9:00-10:00 by deactivating the heart rate monitor if you don't need it. Overall it should be enough for races up to 80 km, but not above. It is unfortunately impossible to charge the watch on the way using a power bank.

7. TomTom Sports - Back home after my muddy adventure, I connect the Runner 3 to the computer, via the USB cable (also used for charging). The activity is sent in a few seconds to Tomtom Sports, Strava, Relive and all connected services. The smartphone app can do the same via Bluetooth. I take a quick look at the interface, quite pleasant, with pastel tons and cartoon pictures. It's like watching the Disney channel!

The menus are refined and simple, with the usual post-race stats, graphs, maps and everything you need to keep track of your adventures: distance, time, pace, elevation, heart-rate, splits, etc. Altogether, it looks rather intended for the casual runner than the professional one. The dashboard is a bit messy and cannot be configured, like on Garmin Connect. On the map, the precision of the route I travelled is pretty accurate, overlapping with the roads and forest trails most of the time.

8. Activity Tracker - If you are interested, the watch can be used as a daily activity tracker too, counting your steps, checking your heart rate, analysing your sleep and texting your mom what time you go to bed! I don't like being told what to do, so I deactivate it to save on battery.

9. Additional - As said, the Runner 3 is chock-full of tech and options, that I had the pleasure to discover along the way. I won't detail them all here, but to name a few, the watch includes more than 50 workouts, you can create your own, define training goals, run against yourself or calculate your fitness age and your VO2max. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the watch is waterproof 5ATM, a good thing when you've got mud up to the chest!

  

10. Conclusion - I have been using the TomTom Runner 3 for four months now. Let's sum up its strong and weak points:

+ Competitive price around 125 € (Amazon.de, March 2018)
+ Thin and light, intuitive interaction using to the control pad
+ QuickGPS fast, about 10 seconds to acquire a GPS signal
+ Good contrast, screen readable even by sunlight
+ Built in heart rate monitor reliable most of the time
+ Very useful navigation option with just the bare necessities
+ Good batterie life suited for runs up to 80 km
+ User-friendly interface on the TomTom Sports website and app
+ Countless workouts, goals and modes included

- Only 3 data displayed at once, only 2 configurable
- No recap screen displayed after stopping the activity
- Heart-rate monitor not suitable for speed work
- No notification when we step out of a pre-loaded route
- Online dashboard a bit messy and not configurable
- Phone notifications only for calls and sms

To conclude this test, I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised by the TomTom Runner 3. For an entry-level model with a price below 150€, a friendly interface and an arsenal of options, it does not compare unfavourably to its state-of-the-art expensive rivals. For me, it is now a reliable comrade in arms that will stand by my side on all upcoming adventures, that I won't forget to share with you!

Feel free to check my blog for an extended review of the watch (in French).