Martina HAUSMANN - Dossard 11 - 6 jours 2011
Version Anglaise - Version Allemande


Two bloody beginners and one specialist fighting for new world record

From running to walking
For some years already I notice that my so called running turns more and more into somehow walking. My daily training runs lack any speed, while orthopaedic problems are increasing. Often runners admire my fast walking stride in multiday races. So, why not trying an official race walk? Unfortunately, walking as a sport in Germany is as popular as washing socks: Everybody does it…but what the hell is sporty with it?? So, I have to train on my own – and then I set an indoor  world record in my first test in Evreux 242km for 48 hours.
In France, race walking is so popular that there are several words for the sport for specification: Marche randonné (hiking), marche récréation (stroll around), marche de grand fond (ultra long distance walking), marche de fond (long distance walking in general), marche de vitesse (Olympic distances). The required race walk technics are much easier for marche de grand fond than for marche de vitesse. In contrary to marche de vitesse, there just always has to be one foot on the ground. Stretched out legs and upright upper body position is desirable, but failing to do so doesn’t inevitably lead into disqualification.
I continue my homemade training after the 1000 kilometre race of Athens. Walking is truly fantastic! The speed feels good, and nothing hurts! One handicap: My left leg cannot be stretched out correctly because of a knee joint deformation, and bent legs are not so well liked by the walk judges.

Start preparations
When I arrive at Nice airport, Marie is waiting for me. Her fiancé Gérard Cain, organizer of the “French Ultra Festival”, has already set up my tent. I find the wonderful “red palace”, equipped with two sleeping rooms, table and toilet, on the grass opposite of the aid station in perfectly central location. Alan Youngs luggage is lying around. Soon afterwards, I fall into his arms. We roughly spread our belongings in the sleeping rooms and go out for dinner. In France, eating in restaurants luckily lasts for hours; we are so happy to meet again!
During the night, it begins to rain heavily. I circle the flooded course mentally again and again: I walk out of the stadium, climb ‘Mount Everest’, walk along the stony uneven path underneath the castle to reach the bigger earth road above the sea, leading to the alley with broken asphalt and turn into a sandy path to reach the stadium again. Impossible to sleep. In the morning, rain is still relentless pouring down Thunder and lightning. Hell on earth! “I have been working as water engineer for 34 years!” Alan laughs while he perfectly cares for the tent. One sorrow less!! He even finds the time to buy big amounts of alcohol free beer, lemon juice and ginger ale.

First day: Walking lesson from the walk judge (123km)
At 4pm sharp we enjoy a temporary stop of rain. 92 runners and 21 walkers (7 women) are waiting for the start. Chief of the walk judges is Hugues Pannier. His wife Josiane and daughter Megali are participants in the race walk. I know Hugues from Evreux, so I didn’t tell him about my crooked left leg any more. This was a mistake! I am about to finish my first lap, when he jumps to my side. I should better stretch out the legs, shouldn’t walk around that stooped with the ass far behind. The whole body should be one line from head to heel of the leg behind …and then I can begin the next step! “Aha!” Alan watches my excited discussion with Hugues  and fears he has nothing to do any more but lying on the beach of Cote d’Azur for the next 6 days. I notice well his mortal dread. “No, no!!” I shout “I am not disqualified. I got a walking lesson for free!” This rugged and bumpy ground is very different from the track at Evreux or the even asphalt roads at home. The following laps I concentrate on walking technics cross-country style. So, after one hour in the race and just 6 kilometers further away I find myself in position 104 overall. Anyhow, Hugues did not critcize anything anymore. The race walk elite meanwhile has done 7, 8 or even 9 kilometres. Josiane has brought the 6-day-walk world record to almost 474km and the Italian Nicoletta Mizera has already walked 200km within 24 hours. 
Thunder and lightning in the late evening. Constant rain, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, is pouring down throughout the night. I change to my heavier and stiffer Goretex trail running shoes before my feet are killed by the moisture. Weather forecast for Antibes was so bad at home, that I have brought these shoes for emergency case. Until now I only did wear them when collecting mushrooms in the German ‘rain forest’. It is fantastic: My feet feel well and dry in spite of all the water around! I even cancel my planned 4 o’clock rest. Alan is amazed; I wanted to stop for a while every 6 hours from the beginning! Rain has stopped, but the ground is still very soft, packed with puddles. I want to wait with the rest until I can change to the normal running shoes. Hugues again is not satisfied with my walking style. I should not sneak around the curves. I am dragging the damned left crooked leg when I don’t take care.
Two hours later, my feet don’t look like having walked through all the water for eight hours. I am happy! I am even happier about Nicoletta’s three hours rest. In the early morning I am leading  in front of Josiane and Nicoletta! After 24 hours, Nicoletta is barely behind me, Josiane near by. I am already in overall position 42! This race walk is going to be truly exciting – I love it!!

Second day: Permitted jumps (100km)
I withdraw for a long rest of almost one hour. Walking is even more economic than the most economic running style! I need rests to relax my leg muscles and even more to cool down feet. This evening they distribute emails among us. I get emails in German, English, French.

I have hardly started to enjoy reading, when Hugues comes to my side, reminding me of a nicely upright body position. Ups. How then can I read my emails? I try to find a position which might be ok in the eyes of a walk judge while, reading and turning around remaining puddles. Some walkers pass by and giggle. I speak to the next French in German, to the next but one in English. Even the ability of coordination of a yoga teacher is limited…especially when getting tired. My husband Herbert writes that rain should be over now and should be followed by sunshine. Indeed I spot some stars between the clouds later in the evening. I am looking forward to enjoying the night hours and disappear for changing clothes.
On the course again, my music is accompanied by thunders! Without further announcement, rain pours down like hell from one minute to the other. Needless to say I have just passed by my tent. I never walk against walking direction. Ten minutes later I hurry into my tent, grumbling, cursing and wet to the bones. Bullshit! Alan was already halfway to dreamland. Contrary to me at least he does not grumble. Again complete change of clothes and shoes. Luckily, rain is over as abrupt as it has started. But I find a veritable river between stadium and ‘Mount Everest’. Two palettes as bridges might be good enough for runners or tall walkers. Anyhow I am not able to cross without jumping. A walk judge is watching me and smiles. I am allowed to pass by jumping! Later my shoe is hooked by one of the many stones on the path. I stumble, and again have to jump in order not to fall to the ground! Until morning the river transforms into a creek, just one palette is required to pass by. After 48 hours,  Nicoletta is one lap ahead of me, Josiane three laps back. Three men of the walking fraction are ahead of us. I am motivated to the tips of my hairs and disappear to enjoy the afternoon break.

Third day: Last troubles with the walk judge and another walking lesson (99km)
On the course again, Hugues suddenly jumps to my side, grimy face He threatens me with the finger: You now know how to walk. You don’t walk!!” He imitates a still-hunting Red Indian. “Next time I will stop you! No gallop any more!!” I don’t know exactly what he means by ‘stop’. Shouldn’t there be time punishments before one can be disqualified? Totally frightened I continue as if with time-retarder to make sure to do the next step not before the behind leg is as straight as possible. Hugues comes back again! This time praising: “Yes. This is good! Move on slowly, and you will make no more mistakes!” I am crying secretly with fear and in rage. I actually don’t want to move around that slowly! There the runner Christian Marti from Swizzerland passes by.  “It happened that I have listen a conversation of the walk judges while eating dinner. You have to take care. They say you gallop rather than you walk.” – “Yes, I know. And I should move on slowly to be sure to make no mistake…By the way: I have recently lapped the wife of the race walk chief.” Christian gets annoyed: “ Is this the French version of independent arbitration committee?! Relax! I will talk to them.”  I am worried, excited and tired. “When galloping all fours are in the air. I actually cannot do so because my knees would hurt badly.” I ask several persons. Everybody confirms that I have always one foot on the ground. In my heart I am thankful for all the helpful lessons from Hugues; also his wife and daughter are really nice.
At least time passes by quickly because of all the troubles. At night unfortunately Nicoletta sleeps for only 1 ½ hours. So I cannot really distance her. Josiane is close behind me in spite of beginning problems with her back. Her daughter Magali, like Josiane, has a perfect walking style, but she likes sleeping too much and has hurt her foot. To our both exhilaration she demonstrates me how to walk: “You have to stretch out the spine, but shoulders have to be low. Lift up the hip and then place it forward…” I try to do so under her critical eyes. We laugh and laugh and cannot stop to laugh!
It gets really hot until noon. Alan is so very nice and keeps me alert and happy with a little strawberry, raspberry or cherry every now and then. Sorry, icecream is only available for me every 100 kilometres! With the bike of  K.-G. Nystrom from Sweden, he can easily go fro shopping. During my short rest at 10 am, feet as usual in cold water, I have to speak to Alan seriously: “The only cool place of the course from noon to evening is the place underneath the big tree on the ascent to ‘Mount Everest’” I explain. He already knows what I want. “No problem! I will move your cot and everything you need for the big one hours rest at 4 pm.” I want at least one time run / walk in a multiday race where one resting place is good enough throughout the competition! Nicoletta meanwhile is 7 kilometres ahead, Josiane still following me nearby. The excitement doesn’t ease off!



Day four: My absolute nightmare (95,2km)
Weather has turned to hot, humid, sunny. I enjoy every minute of my rest under the lovely tree. The 72-hours-race has just been started; the fresh people still can enjoy the sun. One hour is over soon. I sit up on my cot, sighing. Thoughtless I jump a step or two in direction of the road. “Oh no!!! I have to WALK!!!” I am frightened to death: “The absolute nightmare…I wake up, forget about everything and start jogging…”
The more the temperature has risen, the more a bad smell spreads around the course. In spite of far over 100 participants, there are no toilets close to the course. There are just eight inside the stadium building. You have to climb some stairs to get there, and then you never know whether they are occupied or whether there would be toilet paper. Consequently most participants, some women included, piddle left and right of the course. Very few persons have – like me - an ‘emergency toilet’ in their basecamp. The participants of the 48-hours-competitions will also be there from tomorrow!
No final decision concerning the women’s lead so far. Josiane is just a little bit behind because of her back problems. I am more and more amazed about Nicoletta who somehow is a bloody beginner here like me: She has absolutely no multiday experience! Race walk technics against.multiday tactics. Anyhow she is watching me permanently, and she has many friends among the helpers and walkers as well. All I can do is trying to copy the perfect race walk style. At the end of the day, she has gained 10 kilometres over me in spite of all my efforts.

Day five: Magic power? (98,3km)
How can a multiday novice walk that constantly, resting even less than me??? I have a lot of experience, I have found my style over the years and for me it is close to perfect now. I can now way rest even less without getting tired out completely: Every six hours from 15 minutes up to one hour is the absolute minimum for me. I don’t dare to walk faster because I fear a walk judge would call it ‘gallop’ again.  On the other hand, even Nicoletta doesn’t everage more than 5km/h any more! I notice her walking at the same spot for many laps. It happens rarely that I am close behind her. She would notice that soon, and after the next corner…she is disappeared in the middle of nowhere! Sometimes I don’t find her for hours. This doesn’t mean anything. But Alan also cannot find her, waiting there for 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, in the computer screen, you can see she continues somehow. The lady has magic power?! French fellow competitors are kidding(?): “It is popular in Italy to go sleeping, while the number with the electronic counting wire is walking around under the jacket of someone else!” Mmmh.
Anyhow, she is 14 kilometres away from me by 4pm.

Day six: Alan as detective
Alan, normally a well-balanced impartial person, gets as excited as me. “The French all say there is something wrong about the Italian!” He decides to discover the mystery during the last night. Alan as detective? He just finds out that Nicoletta never walks alone and that she and some more Italians conspire together. They watch me more exactly than the walk judges! Working in a team is certainly the intelligent solution when one lacks tactic experience. The work as a detective does cost Alan’s minimum sleeping time. Afterwards he sleeps over my whole walking session of six hours!  At 10am, time for changing clothes, I enter the tent. Alan is snoring loudly. Sighing and aching I try to get ready soon. I do not dare to wake him up. Therefore he gets annoyed with me later. I should have shouted, and in case nothing else helps, should have thrown things towards him. Now it is me who gets annoyed! “I am NOT a Yiannis Couros!!” He points at his cheek; at least I should strike at it. Definitely no! Instead, I kiss his cheek…and away I am!
I want to still heap up as many kilometres as I can. No way. I feel more and more dizzy in the heat. I even don’t notice when Gérard and Marie have come back after their marriage and drive around in a special pink car! I am not allowed to sit down any more; Alan has strictly forbidden any rest before I would reach the 600 kilometre mark. I can hardly see where I walk any more. No matter what…I sit down for two minutes, inhaling – exhaling deeply, trying to find some energy. Alan gets angry. But I feel much better. I just want to continue, when I spot a Spanish walker, evidently thoughtless and half asleep – starting to run. Oh my God…my nightmare!!! I have hardly thought this; a walk judge is already standing in front of him, showing a red flag, stopping him and leading him somewhere.
Finally I have reached 600 kilometres. This was my dream goal from the beginning!! I am allowed to rest for a fantastic half hour, feet in cold water. Aaah!! I feel refreshed. Wrapped into wet clothes, I circle around for the last 90 minutes. Heat and sun doesn’t matter any more. I can add 7,724 more kilometres.

Sum up
Thanks to a dedicated supporter, who 100% did concentrate on me and my efforts and thanks to strong fellow competitors who did enable an exciting chase, I have actually overcome 600 kilometres! Josiane has gone more than 80 kilometres over her old world record mark. The new record, 616,025km, is now hold by Nicoletta Mazera. Only two men have walked further.  Dominique Naumovicz, winning the race walk with 665,225km, says he should have had a strong fellow competitor to add more kilometres. One of the first persons to congratulate me – after Alan – is Hugues! So many hughes...so many tired but happy faces…!!!
A fantastic award ceremony is followed by the marriage party of Gérard and Marie. The French know how to celebrate and how to combine great events!


Retour rubrique