The adventure of Mozart 100 started long time ago, together with Adi and Dani. It was maybe meant as a follow up of our Tour de Mont Blanc of 2021: the camaraderie, the friendship, the shared life values glued us almost instantly and it turned our running relationship into a running friendship. It made total sense to schedule a race together in 2022, despite all the variables we had to face.
The race day was getting closer and closer, Dani was already in Salzburg for course recce and Adi was slowly becoming a TikTok megastar/content creator when my Thursday morning flight was cancelled and I had to rebook a flight for Friday afternoon. That somehow simplifies the whole storyline: no time for seeing the town before the race, to time for a short run on the course.
Adi picked up my kit and we met as a group on Saturday morning, in the old town of Salzburg main square. We make a couple of jokes and the race starts fast. I stick to Dani and we agree to take it easy for the first runnable part of the course – roughly 11 km till the first checkpoint.
Do you have any idea how many topics of discussions two men can have? A lot, trust me! The first 40 km of the race flew by in no time and while the heat was making its way into the day, we passed the azure lake of Fuschl See and beautiful Austrian mountain houses. All hyped up by the ever present Red Bull at each checkpoint, we reached km 47 where we cooled off and had a very well deserved glass of beer (yes, they also offered beer at checkpoints).
Then the heat button was turned on: 34 degrees, code red for extreme heat while we were tackling the second big climb of the day – it only took me like one km to start to feel like my energy is draining and I can barely move. I take 5 mins to rest, hoping in a miracle. Miracles do not happen, though. I literally crawl while everyone overtakes me and the black thoughts of giving up the race pop up and talk to me. They are very convincing. They have a very clear and strong argumentation.
<I am not strong enough; I am done>
<Why am I doing this?!? What do I need to prove?>
<I am never doing this again>
<I am not built for this>
<NEVER AGAIN>
<NEVEEEEER!!!!!!>
I spot a small cave on the side of the path, where I find cold air and water. I wrap myself like a burrito in the emergency blanket and spend 45 mins cooling off. I may have even slept for 10-15 mins. Then everything changes. Things start to click, hiking becomes easier and I become again chatty. I meet a fellow Romanian lady runner and we share water and then the end of the climb appears as a bliss. One more glass of beer before the descent and all is changed: I run fast on the downhill trying to catch Dani and Adi but they are way too far. Surprisingly, I bump into Dani in the next CP, dehydrated deciding to call it a day.
I am upset and I blame myself for not being a bit faster for trying to talk him into continuing the race. It is already afternoon and it gets cooler so running becomes easier and I decide to fully soak in the race: I spend maybe too much time in checkpoints, I facetime a couple of friends while running and I just aim to put some clarity into my thoughts. And the good thoughts are kicking in nicely:
<I got this! I am stronger than I think I am>
<It is just a mind game>
<If I passed this low, I will solve everything>
<My son will be so proud of me>
<I need to catch Adi>
The race ends in Salzburg, where it started but we do get to enjoy in the last 4 km the 4000 steps that leads towards the old town….
19:29 and change and I cross the finish line. Salzburg is alive, people are having fun and the race is over.
Somehow Radu managed to give me the legs for the race. I am recovering fast and I am really looking forward to breathe the rare air of Faulhorn and run the steel balcony of First.
Next stop: Eiger!
