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… and last Saturday was such a thing: this years Salzkammergut-Trophy in Bad Goisern. After succesfully finishing the B-course in 2007 & 2008 and also stayed the course until last years cancellation I want to do it again this year – even under completely different circumstances: living in London doesn’t really support my mtb ambitions.

But as bullheaded as I am, I sticked at my decision (instead of e.g. going for a shorter distance like the D-course). As this wasn’t bad enough the whole preparation for the race was a mess: as always we arrived not too early in Bad Goisern and Altausse (where we stay, although this year it was 8pm, which was quite earlier than previous years), I forgot to recharge my Garmin bike computer (friends know how hard this hit me!!) and finally I didn’t check some things on my bike I actually wanted to…
Anyway: this year’s target was just to finish and stay within the time-limit. So let’s see.

But nevertheless: Saturday, July 17th, 09:00h, I was standing in the starting area in Bad Goisern and at 09:10h I started with the third block.
The first part (the “Herndl”) was as always – I hated it, and always told myself “You hate it every year – after the short walking passage it will become better! You hate it every…..” (of course I wasn’t properly warmed up, as I had my front break to be checked, as it didn’t run smoothly when I took the bike out of the car…). And it was almost like that. The first top was not that bad…

After that it was not too bad. Ascend to Hütteneckalm, then down to the Ewige Wand. A classical

That was the first part. Down to Lauffen, then along the Traun back to Bad Goisern. There I crossed the first time-limit line around 45mins ahead the time-limit. So this looked fine. I mean OK, I felt like, oh would be nice to finish NOW… The first light seizures where already there. But around 2.000 meter difference in altitude and 70km more to go. In Obertraun at the feed zone I met Sabine. This was quite good, but I knew I won’t stay there. At this time I just thought, as long as they don’t take me out I will keep on running. At this time I didn’t know how crappy the Salzberg will be (a new part, which we didn’t have in ’07 and ’08. In 2009 the cancellation was right before it). Oh man… Thank god I can’t remember all my  thoughts when riding and walking (well, around 60% walking) up this soo important hill of history. At this point I also was quite unsure, whether I can make the next time-limit. After the Salzberg the uphill to the Rossalm follows. Not too steep, but quite loooooong.

But even the Rossalm was suddenly there, and at the feed zone there it emerged to be possible. I had around 60 minutes left to the next time-limit. And this was mainly downhill. So let’s ride!! And I made it. After this feed zone down in Gosau, the last hill was awaiting. Around 400m difference in altitude. I realised, that I didn’t know anything about this hill, although I already was there two times as it always was part of the course. Obviously I never had left any oxygen for my memories…. At this time I crossed the finish line in ’07 and ’08. This year it would have been quite convienient as well to be there, as now the light rolls of thunder which we heard  since we were at the Rossalm emerged to a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, which basically didn’t stop until the end of the race.

But even after this last hill I was “on-time”, so I rolled down back to the Hallstätter See and Bad Goisern and after 10hrs and 59mins I crossed the finish line in Bad Goisern, finishing the third time the B-course of the Trophy. Definitely one of the hardest days for me so far….

If you feel bored now after reading this, hey, this was an abstract! The original lasted for 11 hours!!!
Thanks anyway for your interest!!

Cheers

As I lag behind a bit, some pics of other excursions:

As Ben wanted to see the Queen, we went to Windsor:

But she wasn’t there!!

So we went and showed him his first cow!!

Hi together,

first of all thanks for coming back – even if there was radio silence for almost three monhts now…

What happened? See.

Mid April – Benedikt’s first flight

Mid April Sabine and Benedikt came over to London for the first time. This of course was Ben’s first flight, which he didn’t see much of:

So he seems to like it. And of course all the cabin personell liked him!!

After we arrived in our new appartment in Greenwich it was almost time for bed so he met his new bed

(yes of course Paco came along!)

He of course likes his new bed…… well….. sometimes….. For some reason this is the picture I get every morning now:

As there is lots to see we get around quite a lot during the weekends. In April and early May you of course have also expect some British weather

but not always…

And Benedikt loooves sightseeing! So he saw almost all of Greenwich of course, but also he enjoyed his first visit to a Pub or the City. Well to be honest sometimes we have to discuss it a bit how to move on

And all the coffee and eating breaks of his parents makes him sometimes wondering or even just bore him But understands that of course and doesn’t complain!

After this first visit we had again a very nice flight back home to Vienna, which this time was much more interesting than the first one

Back in Vienna … no words needed …

In the meanwhile they came back again and we saw soooo many new things
So more things will follow the next upcoming days. I promise!!!

Could tell something about house-hunting in London, but…
don’t want now….

And guess got here something you might like more anyway:  

He not always appreciates the press:

But he is great!! (and most of the time fun )

So.

Sitting at the airport Vienna now and waiting for my flight to LHR. A flight to a new stage in my and my familys life.

Yes I will be starting a new job tomorrow directly in the heart of London, so I am kind of leaving today. Just said good-buy to Sabine and little Ben 15mins ago with thousands of questions in my backhead. Curiosity, excitment, tension… Pretty much going on now up there as it is quite unkown what will come now…

I keep you posted, and yes you will get new pictures of Benedikt here also quite soon…

Proud to present:   

Soooooooo…… now I’m daddy!!

Yesterday our son Benedikt was born at 1430h. Size: 51cm, weight: 2,9kg.

A truly marvellous event which thrills us quite a bit. So, a new era started where much is to come I guess

Curiosity, a bit incertitude, delight….. this is what currently flies around my head….

I will come back with the first stories about my son soon!!

Regards out to the world!

waiting…

A happy new year and all the best to everybody out there. A very challenging and interesting year is to upcoming for me and my family and I am really looking forward to it.
Hope you feel the same about 2010!!

Cheers.

Well, actually late, so the most of you already know it… (this actually shows, that in fact I am very bad in blogging – but I work on it, I promise )
I will become father. My wife Sabine is pregnant and we will have a son by the end of January. I am pretty excited about that. Even when most of my friends probably didn’t expect this (and it is still a thought something I have to get used to…).
So, some changes to come! And I promise now, I keep you posted!!!!
Cheers.