Challenge Accepted!

Now it’s over, my latest Engadin Skimarathon saga, an epic blend of early starts, unpredictable weather, and the relentless pursuit of race tactics perfection. The day kicked off in the wee hours, my trusty car navigating the snow-dusted Julier Pass to the marathon’s parking lot. Seamless bus transfer to the start area, where strategic ski placement was my first victory.

Mother Nature, however, decided to spice things up, transforming the race into a winter wonderland of swirling snowflakes and nearly rain-like conditions, challenging every stride and glide. The usual lake crossings were off-limits, buried under a blanket of snow without the ice needed to hold our eager feet. Instead, we faced the daunting St. Moritz Schanze uphill, now an even mightier foe in this altered route. Yet, with some nimble navigation and a dash of luck, I managed to whisk through without the dreaded wait.

The race was a battle, not just against the elements but against my own historical speeds, especially in the adrenaline-fueled Stazerwald descent. Despite aiming to outdo myself, this year’s 55.3 km/h fell short of my record rush, the elusive 62.6 km/h from sunnier days. As data and data visualization nerd, I could not refrain to drape my journey through my two decades of stats of this snowy odyssey into a graph. It reflects a young enthusiast’s zeal, academic detours (physical shape wise), peak performance level due to a sporty paternity leave and the grounding effect of mutiple fatherhood, each phase etching its mark on my performance. Twenty-one participations at the Engadin Skimarathon so far, each one of them with its own small story.

Seemingly, it’s just a race—not even a particularly tough one, especially from an ultra sports lover’s perspective. Nonetheless, the playful trash talk among the peer group revolves around the battles fought on this racetrack, the ups and downs, the split times, the crashes, and the miraculous recoveries. And after all these years, with all the experience gathered, I think I know pretty well how to approach this one. But I also have to admit to myself: it’s more than just a race. So, usually, after the Engadin Skimarathon is before the Engadin Skimarathon… But this year, it’s still before SWISSMAN 2024…

In the aftermath, there’s a lingering buzz about the new strict fluoride wax ban, which has shaken the leaderboard with the fastest female athlete disqualified, stirring the snow sports community. While it aims for fairness, the execution in the lower-tier ranks felt to me more like a public spectacle, a digital pillory for those caught off-guard. As a xc-skiing waxing afficionado, I wanted to thoroughly test different available non-fluor variants this year already. But as my hardware engineering skills lacked speed, my test devices is just ready with the spring already banging in with all its might. Maybe, next season, there will be time – and also budget – to test. So if any sporting good store would like to suporrt me with zero-batch skis and wax, I would be happy to deliver independent, scientifically immersed data about wax performances. It is

The day wrapped up with a good meal, hearty laughs and shared stories, rekindling bonds forged in the camaraderie of military service, before braving the now-open Julier once more, a silent companion in my reflective journey home.

As the euphoria settles, the reality of my SWISSMAN 2024 ambitions looms large. With the Zurich Marathon on the horizon, it’s time to transition from snowy glides to pavement pounding. The marathon may be over, but the race to Swissman is just heating up – time to lace up those running shoes and embrace the road ahead!

15.03.2024 – Update: Sliding into Controversy: The Engadin Saga Unwaxes! From disqualifications to dramatic comebacks, the Engadin Skimarathon’s fluor ban fiasco turns the slopes into a slippery slope of suspense and surprises. Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s back on top? Dive into the frosty fray as we explore the chilly challenges and heated debates swirling around the ski world’s latest slippery subject! Anyway, the data nerd had to update his plot, as I was shifted back two ranks… 🙂