Katharina Hartmuth Submit-2024 Hardrock 100 Interview – iRunFar

In her debut on the event, Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth accomplished third on the 2024 Hardrock 100 no matter dealing with various factors all by the race. All through this interview, she talks regarding the first half of the race the place she felt good, the bladder and imaginative and prescient factors that plagued her by the second 50 miles, and the best way she relied on motivation from her pacer to get better from the last word climb to the top.

For further on how the race carried out out, check out our in-depth 2024 Hardrock 100 outcomes article.

Katharina Hartmuth Submit-2024 Hardrock 100 Interview Transcript

iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar I’m with Katharina Hartmuth, it’s the day after the 2024 Hardrock 100 Endurance Run. You’re the women’s third-place finisher, how does that sound and actually really feel?

Hartmuth: It feels good. Yeah, it’s a bit sudden, nevertheless I take it. So I’m really glad.

iRunFar: You had such a mixed methodology to this race. You had some accidents inside the winter that we talked about in our pre-race interview, had some good teaching, after which had a fairly most important once more injury solely a pair weeks sooner than the race. So going into the race, you had been anxious about your once more, nevertheless as a result of it appears, had been there completely different points to stress about on this race?

Hartmuth: Certain. So happily, the once more appeared to not be a problem the least bit, nevertheless instead as customary, completely different points occurred. So, yeah, successfully, no. To start with, I’m great glad that the once more preserve up so successfully because of even on the morning of the race, I believed, nah, let’s see. Maybe I’ve to drop out on the 10k because of it’s merely not attainable. Nonetheless yeah, I’m just so glad that the once more is okay.

iRunFar: So we’ll put the once more issue to leisure, a minimum of for now.

Hartmuth: Certain.

iRunFar: The race begins, I really feel you spend a variety of the early miles with Courtney Dauwalter, after which the three excessive women inside the group, your self, Camille Bruyas, and Courtney type of strung out barely bit inside the early miles. Is that the best way it type of went?

Hartmuth: Yeah, so I started with Courtney behind this group of males that had been on the excessive. And yeah, it was good. We had a pleasing little chat on the Rainbow Path until the river crossing, after which inside the ascent and the first climb, I let her go. I was like, “It is advisable to go,” because of she requested me if I wish to work collectively collectively along with her, and I was like, “Nah, I don’t suppose so. I shouldn’t push myself too arduous inside the first climb.”

So I let her go. After which Camille, she bought right here in some unspecified time sooner or later and we run a bit collectively, nevertheless then I acknowledged the similar to her. I was like, “I on a regular basis start my races with a easy tempo.” Successfully, it’s a extreme tempo, nevertheless I’ve to start sluggish. And I really feel proper right here it was exactly correct because of on the second climb, I already realized that I struggled a bit with nausea and had a light-weight headache. So the altitude…I was like, I really should take it easy and easily do my issue and don’t try and comply with the others.

iRunFar: Numerous runners have acknowledged that the heat of the first day ended up being an issue. I suggest, it wasn’t severely scorching, however it certainly was quite a few heat for this altitude. Did you’re feeling that or what had been the ache elements of the first day of working for you?

Hartmuth: So heat in no way really bothers me. I don’t favor it, nevertheless I really feel I can handle it pretty successfully.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: So it was scorching, notably inside the valleys, nevertheless for me, it was not that plenty of an issue.

iRunFar: Not too harmful.

Hartmuth: No, I was really glad that there was no rain or thunderstorms to be afraid.

iRunFar: That was the local weather that you just simply had been primarily essentially the most anxious about.

Hartmuth: Yeah.

iRunFar: I really feel as a result of the race went on, you say it was a neater tempo for you, nevertheless you weren’t that far behind Camille and Courtney in entrance of you. The opening at each assist station was solely a pair minutes longer, not any big gaps of time. So to me, it appeared similar to the three of you had been really working your particular person races, nevertheless they’d been really not that far aside from each other. It was similar to parallel missions.

Hartmuth: Yeah. Yeah. I was really excited to see that. I suggest, I in no way want to listen to any splits from my crew-

iRunFar: Okay, that’s the no-split crew.

Hartmuth: Even as soon as I used to be with my pacer later, he on a regular basis was the first to tell the assistance station, we don’t want any splits. Nonetheless clearly everytime you’re that in entrance of the race, just about people will let you understand.

So I had a troublesome considered the place I was and the place the ladies had been, and I really feel for me it was thrilling, notably to see that we had three women inside the excessive six for a really very long time. I was like, that’s cool.

iRunFar: It’s great cool.

Hartmuth: Yeah. I suggest, I knew that I have to run my very personal race because of it’s such an prolonged race, and the evening time was nonetheless ahead, and I didn’t know if my once more was holding up for all of the race. So I was similar to, okay, do your particular person issue.

iRunFar: Yeah.

Hartmuth: However it was good.

iRunFar: It’s acknowledged at Hardrock that for the fast runners who take not all of 48 hours to finish it, that the race is admittedly broken into two components, the daytime after which the nighttime. I really feel you had a really completely completely different nighttime than your daytime.

Hartmuth: Certain.

iRunFar: What occurred for you inside the nighttime, and what was the timeline of how points unfolded for you?

Hartmuth: Yeah, So I can principally break up my race in two halves.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: First 15 hours had been good, and the second 15 hours had been horrible.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: Yeah. Successfully, the problems began already when it was nonetheless daylight because of I come what may developed a bladder an an infection, which was painful when working.

iRunFar: Very painful.

Hartmuth: Yeah. So it bothered me not quite a bit on the climbing on the uphill, nevertheless as rapidly as I was working, it was merely great uncomfortable.

iRunFar: Like feeling the organ form of jostle.

Hartmuth: Yeah. And it was merely ache. And so notably needless to say freeway coming down from Oh Stage to Animas. I suggest, usually I must be able to run all the freeway, nevertheless I couldn’t because of it was merely unbearable. So every couple of minutes I wanted to easily take a quick strolling break and that, successfully, it was a bit annoying. I questioned how which will play out all by the rest of the evening time. Nonetheless the first disadvantage really really occurred inside the evening time because of, as I acknowledged earlier, I had already points with the fueling because of me feeling not so successfully on the first and on the second and third climb. So I already amassed the deficit in power, and it’s on a regular basis troublesome for me to gasoline by the evening time. It’s method extra sturdy for me than by the day. And I really feel I pushed myself probably a bit too arduous on Handies, and I really felt it as soon as I used to be on excessive of Handies. I was like, oh, I have to get in some power. Nonetheless then I forgot about it on the downhill and it merely amassed. And I suggest, I made it to Sherman and nonetheless felt not too harmful. And I picked up my tempo and we did the climb, and nonetheless it was all great. Nonetheless then on the very best of the climb within the midst of the evening time, I was merely, okay, now it’s going downhill.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: From one second to the following, I felt horrible. I could merely not switch successfully anymore. And that was really a troublesome time up there. I really feel I’ve in no way been that low in a race by means of merely how I felt. After which we spent, I really feel half-hour inside the Pole Creek station merely attempting to get one factor inside me that I wouldn’t throw up as soon as extra. So that was really troublesome, and I knew that I wanted to eat. There was no hope for ending the race with out consuming, nevertheless on the same time, I merely felt so sick frequently. So that was really, really highly effective. And I really feel we managed come what may to get barely bit out of it with daylight approaching. Nonetheless finally it was as soon as extra a problem for the ultimate climb, I felt really horrible as soon as extra.

iRunFar: Okay, so that you just haven’t talked in regards to the eyesight issue.

Hartmuth: Yeah.

iRunFar: So yeah, there’s the bladder, there’s the fueling deficit and by no means having the ability to maneuver the best way you wished, after which your eyes went in some unspecified time sooner or later?

Hartmuth: So clearly there was one factor else.

iRunFar: Clearly, because of problem is obtainable in threes and we’ve to have our third.

Hartmuth: Like with my crashes. I’ve three crashes, so I do know three completely different details inside the race. So yeah, when daylight was approaching, I was lastly a bit larger with the power. Abruptly I had the difficulty that I misplaced my imaginative and prescient to an enormous half. So it was all blurry and foggy in entrance of my eyes. And I really feel the big disadvantage was that I couldn’t see the markers anymore, and I moreover couldn’t see the map on my watch, so I couldn’t look at on my watch if I’m nonetheless on the most effective path.

iRunFar: At least your watch wasn’t beeping at you or one factor, correct?

Hartmuth: No, no, no. However it was very troublesome and I was lucky that I was with my pacer who could principally current me the best way during which, nevertheless in some unspecified time sooner or later I misplaced my pacer because of I wanted to drop him. And, yeah, it was really troublesome occurring to Cunningham, principally seeing…

iRunFar: Nothing.

Hartmuth: … just some blurred colors, and I couldn’t even acknowledge my crew when arriving in Cunningham and it was a bit embarrassing,

iRunFar: In Maggie Gulch assist station, which is the second to last most important assist station, you stayed for probably 10, 12, 14 minutes to gasoline your self, and then you definately definately had an prolonged stop in Cunningham. Maybe you had been even inside the medical tent for a bit?

Hartmuth: Yeah, I really feel in Cunningham it was even 40 minutes.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: Because of as soon as extra, I was just so low with my energy and I wanted to eat one factor to make it over that climb. After which I had this eye disadvantage and they also tried to help me with some eye drops which a minimum of it acquired barely bit larger. Nonetheless I knew that I wanted to take any person with me over that climb because of I knew the freeway that was growing, and I wouldn’t have been prepared to do that freeway with out help because of I merely couldn’t see the stones inside the freeway. And that freeway was so painful to run down. I really feel that’s the race I’ve spent primarily essentially the most time in assist stations merely sitting there and attempting to get some meals in and easily to …

iRunFar: Get higher your self barely bit.

Hartmuth: … get higher, yeah. So, really, after we started the ultimate climb, I wasn’t sure if I would make it. It appeared unattainable because of I was so low and I couldn’t see one thing. So it was similar to, what am I doing proper right here? Nonetheless on the same time I believed, successfully, I’ve made it up to now now, it is going to be a pity to not finish. So happily my crew, she was really good and she or he was like, “It’s a should to stand up there. There’s no method out of this, and we’ll ship you to the stone.” And yeah, we made it.

iRunFar: I actually just like the ending of the race in whichever path you go, because you get this little run into metropolis, you’re closing the loop. You’ve come from method out in a variety of essentially the most distant places of the San Juan Mountains once more to this tiny civilization. And there’s merely this aesthetic issue about closing the loop and getting to do that methodology. Did you should have any feelings as you had been coming by metropolis of, positive, I’ve lastly executed this by all of the challenges, or had been you merely numb to it. Let’s merely get there and I’ll think about points later?

Hartmuth: Yeah, I really feel I was nonetheless very numb.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: After I bought right here down the trail because of I was like, “Rattling it, I’m merely executed.” It took tons out of me, notably the ultimate climb. After which as soon as I bought right here to the top line, I really feel first I was really a bit dissatisfied because of I seen that I was over 30 hours and I knew that with out all these stops and the fueling factors, I suggest it should’ve been two or three hours sooner.

iRunFar: Yeah.

Hartmuth: And that was a bit disappointing for me because of I had the legs for a good time. Nonetheless then as soon as I used to be on the rock, I was like, no, it’s good.

iRunFar: A 30-and-a-half-hour Hardrock is an outstanding day.

Hartmuth: It’s undoubtedly not a foul, no, no, no. And notably as soon as I considered each half that occurred and as soon as I then realized how quite a bit time I moreover spent not working all through this 30 hours.

iRunFar: That gives up too, correct?

Hartmuth: That gives as a lot as pretty some time, yeah. So no, then as rapidly as I was on the top line, really, it was a extremely constructive second.

iRunFar: One in all many worst inquiries to ask within the current day after 100 miler, however it certainly’s the one which most people are fascinated with. You’re from abroad, so coming to race Hardrock is a really big deal inside the first place, nevertheless now you’re a finisher of Hardrock, which makes it barely bit less complicated to get in a single different time.

Hartmuth: Hopefully, let’s see.

iRunFar: I suggest, would a second Hardrock be one factor you wish to do someday?

Hartmuth: Certain. I was instructed by positive of us that it’s essential to do the other method spherical as successfully, to be an precise Hardocker.

iRunFar: Successfully, I assume which means it’s essential to place in as soon as extra.

Hartmuth: Yeah, I believed quite a bit doing the race about how it is going to be working the other method spherical. I’m very curious because of I really feel that the other method spherical, I really feel this, how we did it this yr, the clockwise spherical is probably my favorite.

iRunFar: Okay.

Hartmuth: Nonetheless I nonetheless should see the way it’s the completely different method spherical.

iRunFar: There’s a positive specific individual on the, iRuFar crew who likes to say that their favorite is, “Whichever path the race goes.”

Hartmuth: Yeah, presumably. I’ll say this then after I’ve executed the other method.

iRunFar: Or one of many easiest methods is the one that you just simply get the entry to do, correct?

Hartmuth: Exactly. No, I suggest, I may be great stoked to come back again once more. Really, this yr, it was a bit highly effective to get proper right here inside the first place because of I was on my own and organizing each half. I was pretty exhausted.

iRunFar: Nonetheless now your method spherical, you’re going to be a Hardrock skilled.

Hartmuth: Yeah, and now I do know so many further people proper right here, which is great helpful. And now I’ve been proper right here, I’ve seen the mountains. I expert how pretty they’re, and I really feel I’ve really fallen in love a bit with the place proper right here. So yeah, it’s not that troublesome when you should have such an superior, good mountain.

iRunFar: Yeah.

Hartmuth: No, I undoubtedly have to be once more. And I suggest if I can’t make it as a runner, then probably as a pacer or crew, or regardless of that’s.

iRunFar: That’s music to my non-public ears. My last question for you, Hardrock is a fairly troublesome race in and of its private, nevertheless you might need one factor way more troublesome in your race calendar for this yr.

Hartmuth: I really feel so, positive.

iRunFar: You’re going to race the Tor de Géants inside the start of September or mid-September.

Hartmuth: Certain. Successfully, beginning of September.

iRunFar: Yeah.

Hartmuth: Yeah, exactly. So I believed tons about this moreover by the race because of I was like, ah, that’s one different Hardrock added.

iRunFar: It’s possibly not one factor you will need to think about within the midst of that.

Hartmuth: Yeah, notably not everytime you’re in a foul place and hurting. No, I’m really quite a bit attempting forward to it. It should probably be the first time for me racing over 100 miles. And I really feel, notably the sleep deprivation, that’s an infinite topic that doesn’t really come up in 100 miler, nevertheless everytime you transcend, it might. So that’s one factor that I really don’t understand how it’ll work out, and I’m really excited to hunt out out.

iRunFar: Yeah.

Hartmuth: And likewise a bit scared, nevertheless I’ve seen components of the course already last yr, and it’s so pretty over there. It’s an infinite downside, nevertheless I really wish to full it this yr. And yeah, let’s see how points will show.

iRunFar: Successfully, there’s an enormous, pretty finisher’s breakfast prepared for you merely over there that has your determine on it.  Katharina Hartmuth, congratulations in your first Hardrock finish and your third-place finish at 2024 model.

Hartmuth: Thanks very quite a bit.