Suunto Blog

Gediminas Grinius won silver at this year’s 170 km (105 mile) Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc – UTMB, one of the world’s premier ultra marathons. His secret? It’s staying relaxed and finding his inner warrior. Gediminas finding his inner samurai before an ultra marathon in Japan. © Gediminas Grinius Lithuanian ultrarunner Gediminas Grinius is riding a high after an outstanding performance at UTMB in France. Winning silver tastes especially sweet because in last year’s race he pulled out due to injury. “Before this year’s race I felt very good, the best shape ever,” he says. “My preparation was excellent.”  Here are Gediminas’s tips for the different phases of an ultra marathon. Race day morning It’s easy to feel pressure and stress before a race begins. It’s important to do what you need to do to stay calm. The best way to do that is to stick to your routine, rather than adjusting it for others. I like to spend time with my family, just enjoying life, before a race begins. © Gediminas Grinius The start The beginning of a race is often very fast and chaotic. Later in the race, many runners that started too fast are dead. It’s important to be patient, to keep calm and follow your own pace. Don’t try to keep up with other runners. The race is long so it’s good to keep reserves for later. Now it’s time to relax and enjoy the race. It’s also important to begin and maintain your nutrition routine, whether you measure it by aid stations or by time.“Pain is temporary, glory lasts forever.” Settling in As the race settles down, my plan is to stick to other runners, following their pace because together we’re stronger. It helps me to feel stronger and I can push more from that place. I’m not a good runner in the beginning. The first 30 or 40 km I’m warming up. After that I know how the race will be because I can feel how my body is reacting. If my body lets me go at a good pace, then I go with that. If it’s not my day, then I go with that, and back off.© Gediminas Grinius The suffering Eventually you reach a point when you are suffering. It’s impossible to avoid. You know it’s going to happen. You must be patient. I always remind myself, “pain is temporary and glory is forever”. If you’re suffering, remember it will pass. When I’m struggling, I use a mental technique. For example, when I was in Japan competing in the Ultra-Trail Mt Fuji, I imagined I was a samurai warrior fighting bad guys. It’s a kind of mental game to cope with difficulties. I visualise myself as different characters.© Gediminas Grinius “As a father, I remember I’m setting a good example to my children – to finish whatever you start.” Ending strong During the final stage, I’m thinking about things that generate positive emotions. For example, I think about my family and how grateful I am they supported me during the long night of the race. It gives me some push and I can move faster. It’s about cultivating good vibes. I know I will feel so much when I see them. As a father, I remember I’m setting a good example to my children – to finish whatever you start. My kids see how stubborn I am and that I do what I love. It’s a good lesson for them. Follow Gediminas's adventures on his Facebook page. Other stories with Gediminas Grinius: Tips for transitioning from road to trailThe Gediminas way of recovery Main image: © Gediminas Grinius

When you’re doing a sport you love, getting an injury can be devastating. Something mountain athlete Emelie Forsberg knows too well. After ACL surgery in February she has just won KIMA (August 29, 2016). Going from being unable to walk to winning the tough 52km skyrace, she’s undoubtedly delighted. A balanced state of mind helped her get there, and that meant embracing the dark days, while celebrating every tiny rehab victory. We’ve spoken to her about the process, here’s what she had to say. Emelie Forsberg has recovered after ACL surgery. ©Jordi Saragossa First things first, how are you feeling after winning KIMA? I feel good, my legs feel fine today! I ran very conservatively as it’s still early to do a lot of running, but I wanted to try. I ran carefully and I knew it was my kind of course, there are some parts where you have to go fast but it has a lot of very technical parts and I like that. I knew I could do OK but I really did not know how I would be after four hours as I hadn’t been able to run and I was nervous. But I had enough energy at the end and I’m very happy! Looking back on your surgery, what was important in those early days? I was very lucky to have surgery immediately. The first days after the injury were horrible. I think maybe it was better it wasn’t me who caused the injury, there was a crash, as I would have been very angry at myself. I was sad as I have devoted my life to being a mountain athlete so it was like my whole world disappeared. It was important to let myself feel like that, and it shows it really means something to me. It was hard, but I knew it would end and I began studying to understand the process and the anatomy behind everything. What did you do physically to get to where you are now? I was really careful with rehab and I didn’t do too much in the beginning. I had some simple exercises to do every day. I learned to walk again properly after the first four weeks as I couldn’t walk, it was crazy. I took it step by step and had goals, I never pushed further than I knew was possible and that was important. On week 9 I wanted to run a few steps, and I felt good that day, so I did it. It’s important to have small goals and adjust them as you progress. Taking small steps got her back on the mountains How did you stay strong mentally? It was important to talk to friends, particularly those who also had injuries. You can share something that’s very hard, as they’ve also had something they love taken away. I had very dark days too, but I didn’t dislike them! I liked to have dark days as I was sad and I wanted to be sad as so much had been taken away but I also knew I could step out of that, I could have some distance from it. It’s important to remember there’s more to life than sport. I tried to focus on other things as it sucks to have something you love taken away! Yoga helped you a lot during your recovery, is that right? I did a little yoga from week 2 and I think when I was feeling feeling a bit low it would have been good to do more, but when you’re not in a good mood, it’s hard even to do yoga! Maybe yoga was most important to help me know my body, as you really feel everything. Emelie will get back to skimo this winter So, what’s next for you? I’m travelling to India to do the final 200 hours of yoga teacher training. I think it’ll be pretty intense. After that I think I’ll do some more running, then I’ll start to prepare for skiing. Are you nervous about getting back to ski mountaineering? I feel quite ok actually. I have two seasons, so now that I am back running it feels natural to get back into skis. I feel comfortable going downhill again so I’m feeling good about it! Follow Emelie on her website, Facebook and instagram. Main image ©Jordi Saragossa

Trail runner Rene Unser tells us what it takes to keep going during a multi-day race. Image: Klaus Fengler (Feature image: Schneider Outdoor Visions) Five-time Trans Alpine Run competitor and coach Rene Unser is passionate about trail running, in particular partnered staged races. No wonder, as she fell in love with the sport after her would-be husband coaxed her from the roads and onto the trails. She never looked back and she shares some of that passion here, as she explains what’s needed to smash a staged run. Strategy is key Having a fine tuned strategy is something important to Rene, in fact it’s one of the things she loves most about these races. She says: “I enjoy the strategy involved in preparation, racing and recovery. The preparation forms my lifestyle and it’s the favourite part for me.” Care for your partner Being in sync with your partner could make or break a race. Rene says: “Learn to work with your partner on and off the trails. Very rarely will you and your partner feel good at the same time. You need to work together and understand what the other needs.” Image: Klaus Fengler Perfect your pace Can you keep that pace through the whole race? Rene says you need to find out: “Learn your pace and check in with yourself – can you sustain this pace for the whole race, for many days. Try splitting your race into half and run the first half at a moderate, comfortable pace. After the half way mark you can reassess your capability to increase your efforts as you get closer to the finish.” Know your strengths No one has a perfect race, and that’s ok. “Most people will learn their strengths and weaknesses as their training progresses. Know there will be stages that won’t always match your strengths,” says Rene. “Do research on the daily profiles and recognise when the terrain will complement your strengths and try to capitalise on this,” she adds. Get started Perhaps not an eight-day trail run, but get out on the trails. Rene says: “I really encourage people if they love running long distances to give it a try. Stage races bring the world together, and I’ve met so many people and travelled to so many amazing places, it’s more than just a race!” And road runners should start slowly, she adds: “It’s a good idea to learn technique from a coach to avoid injury or join a running club to learn from others. Often the first thing I tell road runners when they make the transition to trails, is to change their mind-set, as we do a lot more hiking and road runners are not typically used to this.” Follow Rene on her website, Facebook, instagram and personal website. READ MORE: 5 INVALUABLE STAGED TRAIL RACE TRAINING TIPS HOW YOGA CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER MOUNTAIN RUNNER FOUR MYTHS ABOUT ULTRA-RUNNING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Suunto ambassador Kilian Jornet is acclimatizing in the Himalaya so he can attempt to set a fastest known time (FKT) record on the highest mountain in the world – Everest. We caught up with him and found out the game plan for his daring project. It’s literally the “high point” of his Summits of My Life project – alpinist, runner and adventurer Kilian Jornet’s personal mission to set ascent and descent records on the most important mountains on the planet, culminating with Everest. Denali, Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro – all have seen records fall to Kilian. But now he’s readying himself for the ultimate challenge. He has been preparing for months. Intense training, sleeping nights at 4500 m in the European Alps, and now he's in Nepal, doing the same at 6000 m. “The highest I have been is 7700 m,” Kilian says. “I was feeling good then, but there is a big difference after 8200 m and after 8500 m. “It’s really important to be well acclimatized to around 6000 m. So I will spend many nights at around this altitude. And then it’s important I go to around 8000 m before the attempt.” Kilian and his team has arrived in Kathmandu and is getting ready for the expedition. Depending on how well he acclimatizes, Kilian expects to make a FKT (fastest known time) attempt around mid September. It also depends on weather and snow conditions. The plan is a light and fast, alpine-style ascent. He will carry only what he can fit a backpack. To keep weight down, he and his team have designed light, but warm boots made for purpose. He won’t be fixing ropes or using supplementary oxygen on the ascent. He will attempt the ascent from the north side, via either Norton-couloir or Horbein-couloir depending on conditions. Two previous ascents are in the back of Kilian’s mind as time references. The first is a speed record set by Italian mountaineer Hans Kammerlander in 1996. Hans climbed from Base Camp to the summit of Everest via the North Col in 17 hours. The second reference is an “unprecedented and unrepeated” ascent in 1986 by Swiss climbers Erhard Loretan and Jean Troillet. They climbed the North Face via the Hornbein-couloir in a single alpine-style push without oxygen, ropes, or tents and descended again – all in 43 hours. “It’s good to know these times as a reference for pace at altitude,” Kilian says. “I will take this as knowledge and will see how far I can go." “It’s a big mountain, and we have a long term perspective. We will try this year, but probably we will need to come again next year." “You need to go for it so if conditions are good and if I’m feeling good, I should try. But it’s important to have the patience to wait for this good moment.”  READ MORE This is how Kilian prepares for Everest   Main image: © Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com  

“Commit to the training before you commit to the race” – Trail runner, Rene Unser. Image: Carrie Karsgaard (Feature image: Nathan Karsgaard) Canadian Rene Unser, who will race the Gore-Tex Trans Alpine Run for the sixth time this year, is a trained coach with 13 years experience. She has also put together the official training plans for the epic Alpine race. So if anyone can give some helpful training tips it’s Rene, here’s what she had to say: Commit to training “Commit to the training before you commit to the race,” says Rene. She knows how big a time commitment a long distance race can be. A training schedule is also key, she adds: “To be successful it’s important to build up slowly, and train consistently. Find a training schedule that works for you and really dial that down.” Mimic the race terrain Do you know whether you’ll be running on hills or flat? Find out says Rene: “Mimic the terrain you will find during the race as much as you can! This can be hard for people who don’t live near the mountains, but it’s worth travelling to get there when you can." Image: Schneider outdoor vision Test your equipment “Test your equipment and spend time running with your bag packed as it would be during different stages,” says Rene. All races are different, with some equipment being mandatory, she adds: “Learn how to use poles efficiently if they are permitted in your race, and if you choose to use them.” Get your nutrition spot on Of course fuelling before and after a race can make a huge difference, and Rene works with what she’s given in any particular race. She says: “I train with Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem with water and Hammer Gels. Before a race I start to practice with the food I’ll get at the aid stations. For TAR this is salami, cheese and cake. I am able to supplement with what’s provided if I have my staples. I aim for 120 to 150 calories an hour during a race.” Take it easy “A lot of people will cram a lot of races into a season, and it’s natural to want to do this,” says Rene. But try not to, she adds: “They want to squeeze in a 50k race as that’s what one stage in the race might be like. I caution all my athletes training for races like TAR not to have too many late season races, as it uses up valuable training time, by the time you factor in your taper and recovery. Follow Rene on her website, Facebook, instragram and personal website.

Italian yoga teacher and mountain runner Tite Togni tells us why the two are a perfect match. Image (and feature image) Richard Bull, Trail Running Nepal To be a successful mountain runner the body and mind must be working in harmony before, during and after a race. Pioneering mountain runner and experienced Iyengar yoga teacher, Tite Togni, has known for a long time what most runners are now finding out – yoga is a perfect addition to any training schedule. We had a chat with Tite to find out why yoga is so great for runners, here’s what she had to say. Tell us a little about yourself I am an Italian Iyanger yoga certified teacher. In the past I was a professional figure skater, so sport has always been part of my life. I stopped pro-sports for two decades when I had kids and a family life. I got back into running when I had more time and I found the more I trained and raced, the more I went to the yoga mat. Training could not give me balance – the balance in life, mind and body. Being stressed in competitions became ok, as long as I got back to the mat. I decided this was something I could give to other sports people. And yoga, how did you get into that? I started yoga in 1989, in Los Angeles while studying at university, because I had some back pain. It was like anyone’s first experience of yoga – I felt the relief in my whole back. In sports your core is your abs, at the front, but in yoga the core is your spine. That was my first enlightenment, and it has never stopped! You’ve been a bit of a pioneer in linking yoga and running? Twenty years ago I tried to communicate basic yoga to runners, but runners were the last people that thought they needed yoga. Times have changed a lot. Lots of athletes are finding it necessary to practice yoga during cross training on a regular basis. What benefits can yoga bring to runners? What they gain is health for the mind and body. The muscles, tendons, ligaments and flexibility are better of course, but the mind is equally important. With yoga practice the mind is always focused. Learning to be present not just during the race, but every day so you’re able to make that decision on whether today is ok to run, or not. This is important for injury prevention. Image by Stefano Marta, Mandala Trail What type of yoga should runners do? Before running you want to warm up the body and mind, get maximum oxygen delivery. Everyone has heard of the Sun Salutation. That opens up all parts of the body, every cell wakes up! After running you don’t need that. When running you really use the body, so most spaces are full and tight, joints get stiff and oxygen doesn’t flow. Use restorative practises, the spine and sitting poses that open up the chest and hips and lengthen the body. What about injury prevention and recovery? The best use of yoga to prevent injury is the ability to be present. Most injuries don’t come from over use but from not listening to the body in stressful moments, the moment before the injury occurs. Many injuries are due to misalignment in the spine and the right or left parts of the body. The use of props can help get into a pose even when injured. Is there a danger with static stretching for runners, as opposed to dynamic stretching? My guru, BKS Iyengar, would always say: “breath is king of the mind – the measure for everything is breath.” Static stretching can be dangerous if you don’t breathe. You can hold any pose if you keep breathing, today three breaths, tomorrow 10 - that is progression. Dynamic stretching can be dangerous, as can anything - sitting on the couch can be dangerous! If you don’t let the breath flow and feel every moment and every movement, if there is to be flow you must have no obstacles. Is it best to have a teacher, like you had? It is important to start practising with direct guidance. Now there are more online courses and with many sports people being so busy it’s easy to just practice online. But that can be misleading. The millennial success of yoga has been in direct transmission of experience, 'parampara' which means from teacher to student, in continuous feedback, to progressively gain self awareness and then you can continue alone too. Find out more about Tite on instagram, Facebook and Twitter.