Berglauf Pokal (hill running series) 2011

You may have seen my posts regarding the berglauf series this past year. Well, they have already posted the schedule of races for next year and I plan to do it again. There are 6 races running from February to November. You must compete in 4 out of the 6 races to be scored for the series. They award 3 deep in 5yr age groups for each individual race, and for the series. The courses vary from predominantly fire road and trail to 100% pavement. They all go uphill and some will gain over 1500ft in 8k or so, so these are not for the faint of heart. I have included the schedule in this post along with brief reports about the courses I did last year.


1. Lauf 26.02.2011 Pfälzer Berglauf-Pokal 2011
**Did not do in 2010**
15.00 Uhr 19. Donnersberglauf, LC Donnersberg
7,2 km/418 Höhenmeter
Arthur Neunzling, Zum Manntal 10, 67728 Münchweiler/Alsenz
Tel.: 06302/4929, Fax: 06302/983228
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2. Lauf 19.03.2011 14. Nanstein-Berglauf, LLG Landstuhl
**This was my favorite race of the four I did last year...and the closest as well! It starts at the sportsplex between Landstuhl and Kindsbach and is nearly 100% on fire road and single track trail. It contains three ascents of less than 1km each and was by far the most scenic, undulating and fun course. Bring your off road racing shoes, because the course can be soft/slick, maybe even snowy. 7/10 on the pain-o-meter.**
15.00 Uhr 7,8 km/350 Höhenmeter
Hermann Brand, Römerstr. 6, 66849 Landstuhl
Tel.: 06371/3810
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3. Lauf 10.09.2011 16.30 Uhr 17. Rietburg-Berglauf, LCO Edenkoben
**This race started from a town on the weinstrasse, so about a 1hr 15min drive. It started in town and made it's way through the village streets and then through some vinyards on pavement before heading uphill. The elevation gain is 420m over 8.2k, but this is a little deceiving because it takes a little while before starting to climb. Once on the fire roads it is all business and there were many people walking the steepest sections...including yours truly! This was a real shocker after the enjoyable Nanstein route and I pretty much swore that I would never do it again...but I have a short memory for pain, so see you there in 2011! 10/10 on the pain-o-meter**
8,2 km/420 Höhenmeter
Inge Hormuth, Erlenweg 11, 67480 Edenkoben
Tel.: 06323/6030, Fax: 06323/9488-20
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4. Lauf 15.10.2011 14.45 Uhr 15. Bad Dürkheimer Berglauf, LC Bad Dürkheim
**Did not do in 20100**
8,7 km/510 Höhenmeter
Henning Schneehage, Plauser Str. 10, 67273 Weisenheim/Berg
Tel.: 06353/2960
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Pfälzer Berglauf-Meisterschaften 2011


5. Lauf 12.11.2011 14.30 Uhr 28. Potzberg-Berglauf, TuS Glan-Münchweiler
**Most of you will recognize that Glan-Munchweiler is just up the road a piece and may have ridden the climb to Potzberg before. For me this race was one of the hardest, because I expected to be running on the trails/fire roads, but about 2k into it came to the stark realization that we were staying on the pavement and I knew exactly where we were going, having ridden the climb before. The first 2k are fairly rolling, but the pain-o-meter kicks up significantly with the grade about 5-6k in. It's pavement from the start in town all the way to the parking lot in at the top, so not particularly interesting or scenic, but different. The draw here is that it is close to home. Pain-o-meter 9/10** 8,2 km/350 Höhenmeter
Dieter Kratsch, Bettenhausen 7, 66907 Glan-Münchweiler
Tel.: 06383/998077, Fax: 06383/801444
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6. Lauf 19.11.2011 14.30 Uhr 20. Kalmit-Berglauf, TV Maikammer
**They definitely save the best(worst) for last. You can ask anyone who has been mountain biking near Kalmit just how much climbing there is. This race is again on the weinstrasse, so its a little over an hour away. This one also starts in town and doesn't really get climbing right away. It was very well attended and, as compared to the other berglaufs with around 300 runners, this one had nearly 600! I was forewarned that this one was largely on pavement, but once again found myself on a road which I had ridden before, albeit down, not up, so it made for a little more of a tough run because I knew what was to come. It went off pavement and on to fire roads for only a short distance towards the summit, so this is essentially a road race. It definitely helped somewhat that it was the last race of the series and made #4 for me, so that kept my motivation up a bit. Pain-o-meter 9.5/10**
8,1 km/505 Höhenmeter
Manfred Schwaab, Hartmannstr. 11, 67487 Maikammer
Tel.: 06321/59727, Fax: 06321/5790030
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Hope to see some of you all out there next year!

Chad

I did the last two last year and know that I am going to be doing as many as I can this upcoming year. They are great runs, probably some of my most favorite races.

Anyone planning on running this on Saturday? I know the Soldier ride is on Sunday, but I don't think you have to be overly fresh to do that ride.

Thinking about it. Haven't been running at all and just started crossfit this week...so I feel like I was hit by a bus! Outside chance that I may just decide to show up and do it anyway. Takes 4 races to be scored for the series, and I will be on a cruise during the next one. We'll see. Good luck if I don't see you.