MEET THOMAS STEENBERG THE HIGHEST ELEVATION ON THE TRANSALPINE RUN IS 2,667M – ALMOST 16 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE HIGHEST POINT IN DENMARK. HOW DO YOU TRAIN FOR THE CLIMBING AND ELEVATION BACK HOME? In Denmark you are not able to train at any real attitude. I actually train on the stairs in the highest building in Odense, which is the hospital. It is 16 floors high, so after one hour of running on the stairs you can get some good ascending and descending practice. Otherwise I train on the treadmill with an incline of 10%. This is unfortunately the only way to feel that you are running in the mountains. THIS YEAR’S RACE SAW A LOT OF BAD WEATHER: RAIN, MIST, EVEN SNOW! HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED TO KEEP RUNNING IN SUCH MISERABLE CONDITIONS? This year it rained every day except the last day. Unfortunately, when the weather is bad we are not able to enjoy the fantastic scenery of the Alps and Dolomites. We are quite accustomed to this weather in Denmark though. I enjoy racing like this because it really makes you feel that you need to give 10 percent more in the end. I am motivated by the challenge and the weather is just another aspect of the competition. IN THE FIVE YEARS THAT YOU’VE COMPLETED THE TRANSALPINE RUN YOU HAVE COVERED ALMOST 1,500 KM IN THE ALPS. OVER THAT DISTANCE, WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT RACING? The most important thing is to stay positive. Everything can go wrong when you are running in terrain and places different from your everyday playground. Always focus on positive thoughts and enjoy the moment. Enjoy the scenery and the people around you and be happy that you are able to do this kind of running. TRANSALPINE IS A TEAM RACE, SO YOU WERE WORKING WITH A PARTNER EACH YEAR. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THIS STRUCTURE? At Transalpine you are a team. The main reason for this is safety, because you never know how the weather conditions will change during the day. It is quite important that you agree on the “rules” with your running partner before the race. This year the rule was that we were racing and competing, not just trying to finish. You are not able to predict what happens on the trail, but it is all about motivation and helping each other like a team when one is experiencing a mental crisis or having a bad day. WHAT SUGGESTIONS WOULD YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS TRAINING FOR THEIR FIRST ULTRA MARATHON? Ultras are a funny discipline. Of course you need to be in good shape, but 50 percent of running an ultra is mental. If you are not mentally ready for the race then forget all about it. It is a combination of mental strength and your physical fitness. It is about convincing yourself that even though it hurts – because it will hurt – you need to continue. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START RUNNING ULTRAS? ISN’T A REGULAR MARATHON LONG ENOUGH!?! I have always been very competitive. I was not fast enough in a marathon, but I discovered that I was able to continue running when others stopped. I wanted to experience how far I could push my body. Also, the ultra environment is very inspiring because people help each other. 73
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