In February 2020, shortly before the first Covid-19 lockdown, the Trailrunning Szene – the Austrian off-road running magazine invited me to talk about the UTMB and my #lifeworktrailbalance. Even though the UTMB had to be cancelled in 2020, my answers would hardly change today. I wish for myself and for the European trail community that we can return to Chamonix in 2021 with even more gratitude and emotion.
Trail Talk with Trailrunning Szene
Motivation for the UTMB
Trailrunning Szene: With so many races to choose from, why do you keep returning to the UTMB start line?
Florian Grasel: The UTMB feels like my CV – not least because I carry the elevation profile as a tattoo on my back. A few key chapters:
- 2013: The first self-check whether my legs would carry me for 100 miles. I proposed to my wife at the finish, and Julia said yes.
- 2015: A brutal heat race, yet pure joy while running and again the best Austrian in the field.
- 2017: At the start with many friends from Austria’s ultra scene and finally the long-held dream of a #sub24h finish. My wife Julia was waiting at the finish, pregnant with our twins.
- 2018: The dream result – ninth place and thus the Top 10 podium. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
And then 2019 ended in a DNF. I look forward to 2020 because I want to cross the finish line with my kids Anna and Anton and settle the open score from last year.
(Note: After the Covid-19-related cancellation in 2020 I am looking forward to 2021 even more. I will turn 40, and it would be the best birthday gift imaginable to stand on the UTMB start line in Chamonix, the trailrunning mecca.)
Distance or atmosphere?
Trailrunning Szene: Is it the 170 km distance that keeps you hooked, or the unique atmosphere?
Florian Grasel: The last Friday in August, 6 p.m. in Chamonix – 2,500 runners on the start line and Conquest of Paradise booming through town. You can feel how everyone reflects on the hard training, sacrifices, doubts, respect for what lies ahead, and the euphoria that the moment has finally come. That is pure goosebumps. Yes, the UTMB is heavily commercialised, and you do not have to travel there just for the 100 miles. But I love that moment when so many runners set out with the same goal.
Chasing another personal best
Trailrunning Szene: How much faster do you still want to become over the coming years?
Florian Grasel: It does not always have to be higher, faster, farther – yet I feel there is still time-wise potential, not necessarily placement-wise. If my #lifeworktrailbalance allows, I want to break 22 hours. Whether that will be possible this year depends on my twins entering kindergarten, my company, and my body.
Processing 2019
Trailrunning Szene: How long did it take you to digest the 2019 disappointment?
Florian Grasel: The first days were tough, no question. You prepare for a year, accept massive sacrifices, and end up with a DNF. After an appropriate phase of grief – that phase must exist – I was able to ask the right questions and find the right answers. That is also the core of my new talk “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn”.
Training tweaks for 2020
Trailrunning Szene: Did you adjust your training for this year or do you stick to the proven formula?
Florian Grasel: I rely on proven elements but always need fresh input. Time is scarce with the #lifeworktrailbalance, so every free training slot has to count. Most important to me: I want to head out with joy and keep loving the process.
Race calendar and highlights
Trailrunning Szene: Which races are still on your calendar? Are they pure prep runs or highlights in their own right?
Florian Grasel: The plan is not final, yet there will definitely be highlights. GGUT, for instance, is always special. The loop around the Großglockner in technical alpine terrain is extremely demanding and by no means just a “training race”. There are so many great events in Austria – I would love to pull a Chuck Norris with push-ups and simply run them all.
(Note: Understandably, most races in 2020 were cancelled. The spirit and the hope remain, and smaller trail events are already taking place again.)
Family time in Chamonix
Trailrunning Szene: Will you bring your family to Chamonix?
Florian Grasel: Absolutely. It would be a dream to cross the finish line with my kids. I also feel grounded when my wife is on site – Julia always gives me strength and motivation.
#lifeworktrailbalance at home
Trailrunning Szene: You often talk about #lifeworktrailbalance. Does it really work that smoothly at home, or are there still debates?
Florian Grasel: It would be a lie to say everything is always rosy. Sometimes I even use #lifeworktrailunbalance. Compromises are part of the deal, and I am sure you could sing a similar song. Two weeks ago my wife and kids were very sick, then my immune system gave in, and there was no energy left for work or running. I get restless in moments like that – not to say grumpy.
Perspective as a father
Trailrunning Szene: What has changed since you became a father? How would you have handled a setback like 2019 three years ago?
Florian Grasel: A lot. It probably would have taken me longer to process defeat three years ago. My kids taught me to live in the here and now. At the 2019 start Julia told me: “No matter what happens, your kids and I love you.” She was right. Even in Chamonix, right after the race, when Anna smiled at me, I knew everything is half as bad. The world keeps turning, I can show my kids the beauty of life, and we are healthy. Children shift your perspective. Running is “just” running – family is irreplaceable.
Wishes for the year and the decade
Trailrunning Szene: What do you wish for this year and the new decade?
Florian Grasel: Stay healthy, keep living my #lifeworktrailbalance, remain mindful. Athletic goals are beautiful, yet the most important thing is to step outside, enjoy nature, pause, absorb it, ground yourself, nurture my kids’ love for the outdoors, and share many adventures with them. They are entering kindergarten and my wife is returning to work. That will change a lot – and that is good. I am excited, or, to quote Barney Stinson: challenge accepted.
(Note: Covid-19 also postponed our twins’ start in kindergarten. My wife now works on Thursdays and Fridays, making me a full-time dad on those days. That challenges my #lifeworktrailbalance once again, but there is still enough time to chase my trail passion – UTMB sub22 #challengeaccepted.)
Thank you to Sigrid Huber, editor-in-chief of Trailrunning Szene.