The first 35 km had been a grind — heat, heavy sunstroke, cramps that wouldn’t let go. But I was still moving.

At Riederfurka Aid Station, the cramps were so bad that sitting down wasn’t an option. If I stopped for even 10 minutes, my legs would have gone into full lock-up. So I stayed on my feet, quick refill, real food, and straight back out.

From Fighting to Accepting

From 40 to 52 km, something shifted. I realised I was wasting energy trying to “fight” the cramps. They weren’t going away. The more I resisted, the more frustrated and tense I got.

So I made the choice: accept them.
Move with them.
Find the rhythm inside the pain instead of trying to force it away.

It wasn’t about speed anymore — it was about efficiency. Every step was measured. I kept my form tight, focused on breathing, and stopped overthinking. And somehow, it worked. My body didn’t get better, but my mind got lighter.

Fear of Heights – Gone

One of the biggest wins of the race came here. I’ve been working on my fear of heights for months — step by step, exposure after exposure. And this was the first time in a race like this where I moved through the exposed sections fast, confident, and steady.

No hesitation. No second-guessing.
Just forward movement.
It felt like a whole layer of mental weight was gone.

That momentum carried me down into Bellwald.

Bellwald – The Fever Hits

This is where things got tricky again.

By the time I arrived in Bellwald, my body was in a strange place:
I was burning up inside, like I couldn’t cool down… but at the same time, I was shivering. Sweating, but freezing. Hot and cold all at once. Classic sign my body was sliding toward fever territory.

The headache from the earlier sunstroke was still there — hard, pounding with every step. My energy was fading, and my head was telling me, This is the end. Just stop.

The Crew Saves the Day

This is where the right team makes all the difference.

I told them I was done. That I couldn’t shake the heat, the chills, the cramps, the pounding in my head. They heard me — but they didn’t accept it.

Instead:
• They ignored the “I’m done” talk.
• Got fluids and food into me.
• Let me sit just long enough to reset, but not long enough for my body to lock up.
• Gave me the only instruction I needed: Get up. Keep moving.

It worked.
I left Bellwald still in the fight.

Next was Reckingen — and the deepest mental low of the entire race.