September 2009 Archives

A week ago my latest adventure in swimming made its debut, a freestyle (crawl) swim course. The 10 week course meets on Tuesday evenings and will hopefully prepare me for future plans in the triathlon world.

I took an adult swim course a couple years ago, whereas I became more proficient with the basic breast swimming technique and was at least exposed to the freestyle technique. Unfortunately I didn't stick with my swim training and still swim rather poorly. This was evidenced last week during the first evening of the course, I suffered dearly for my neglect in keeping up with the techniques.

Last week we swam a couple laps in the pool so our instructor could view our level of swimming. As far as I could see I was the only one of the 12 in the class that attempted to swim with something other than the breaststroke. I presented my rendition of the freestyle, probably hoping to impress, which may have been working until I almost drowned after swallowing half the pool on the way back on the first round. Humbled, I switched to the breaststroke and managed a speed that would match any aging grandma.

Unfortunately there were no aging grandma's around so I jammed up the lane with my pitiful technique. Our instructor is a sweet young lady with a pretty smile, probably about the age of my daughter, with the heart of a drill sergeant. She led us through a series of kicking drills that had all of us begging for mercy by the end of the 45 minute session. I humbly slouched off to the shower afterwards, I was beat and aching in new and interesting places.

The following morning (Wednesday) I stopped at the pool before beginning my day to practice what I learned the night before. After about two meters the aches and pains from the night before flashed back and I struggled through 500 meters of laps in any way, shape or form that brought me forward. Frustrated, I decided to wait a day or two and rest my body from this unaccustomed sport art. On Saturday morning I returned to the pool and struggled through another 600 meters, but at least didn't feel like I was drowning the whole time as with the previous sessions during the week. On Sunday before church I again entered the pool and after a couple laps, finally started to relax a bit - but was still worn out after 500 meters.

So last night (Tuesday) I arrived early before the class and warmed up with a couple laps before the class session began. I swam the first 100 meters using the breaststroke and the second 100 meters with my version of the freestyle, both went well, I felt ready for whatever drills we would be doing.

Our instructor sent us up and down the lane to warm up, then we started the first drill, propelling ourselves down the lane with the freestyle kick with our arms closed to a "V" in front of us. Halfway down we were told to clasp our hands behind our back and continue. This proved to be harder than it sounds for most of the class, the main problem being the breathing. We did this for 200 meters, then went on to the next drill, swimming on our side with one arm before us, the other by our side - again switching arms in the middle of the lane and 200 meters. We then flipped over to our back and kicked down the lane with our arms in a "V" before us - I managed to get kicked in the head when I overtook the woman in front of me. This of course shocked me and I ended up inhaling half the water in the pool.

Finally the instructor passed out flotation devices and we more or less repeated all the drills again using these training aids. At the end of the 45 minutes session the instructor wished us well and sent us on one more 100 meter loop, swimming however we chose - I tried my primitive freestyle technique, concentrating on the newly learned kicking technique.

Next week we are going to practice the correct breathing technique, which sounds entirely useful. In the meantime I hope I can get to the pool and get some practice in, I have a long way to go.

Tonight I need to run, really bad...but will my aching muscles even allow this, stay-tuned.

Last week was extremely hectic from the seemingly endless kitchen renovation. The project has left very little time for sport or anything else for that matter. On the positive side it has given my legs a chance to recover, that's also an important part of training.

I ran only twice this past week, once the 6.8 mile loop with my running club on Wednesday, and the second time on Saturday with my friend Conny who is training for the New York Marathon. On Saturday I met Conny and a few other friends about an hour and a half before our normal running club run and we ran a total of 16 miles, including the normal loop. After all the renovating through the week this was enough for me.

I thought about running another marathon in October or November, but in the moment the Kitchen project has priority, so I'm leaving this open, it doesn't have to be. Tonight is the second evening from my freestyle swimming class, on the first evening (last Tuesday) we practiced the kick; I'm curious what is on the agenda for tonight.

Die Letzte Woche war extreme hektisch durch die scheinbar endlose Kücherenovierung. Es hat leider wenig Zeit gelassen für Sport und sonst etwas. An die Positiv Seite hat meine Beinen Zeit zu erholen, das ist auch ein wichtiges Teil von Training.

Ich habe letzte Woche nur zweimal gelaufen, einmal die 11 km Rund mit meinem Lauftreff an Mittwoch, und das zweite Mal an Samstag mit Lauffreundin Conny, das trainiert gleich für die New York Marathon. Ich habe Samstag eineinhalb Stunde vor unserem Lauftreff mit Conny und ein paar andere Freunden getroffen und wir haben insgesamt 26 km gelaufen. Nach alle der Renovierungsarbeit von der letzten Woche war das für mich genug.

Ich habe überlegt ob ich noch ein Marathon in Oktober oder November laufe, aber die Kücherenovierung Priorität hat, so bis jetzt ich keinem festen Plan gemacht habe - es nicht sein muss. Heute Abend ist der zweite Abend von meinem Kraul Schwimmkurs, den ersten Abend (letzte Dienstag) haben wir die Schlag geübt, ich bin gespannt was heute Abend kommt.

On Sunday I picked up RB and we made our way to Karlsruhe for the annual Baden Marathon. I had picked up our race packets the Wednesday before when I volunteered, so we didn't need to arrive quite as early.

The air was cool, around 14°C (57°F), but the sun was beginning to warm things up as we walked from RB's work where we had parked, to the sports center. We met some friends from our running club on the way and again in the sports arena. We chilled out for awhile until about 15 minutes before the start, then headed over to the Start. There were roughly 9,000 runners signed up for the full or half-marathon, so it took awhile to make our way through the crowd to our starting block.

We met Conny, Birgit and several other as we lined up, Birgit was running the full marathon, the other the half. We chatted for awhile until the starting pistol went off at 9:00 a.m., than chatted some more as we waited for the crowd to surge forward. After 6-7 minutes we finally could start walking towards the start mat and were able to start jogging just as we crossed over. I heard the familiar "peep" as I crossed over the mat, reassuring me that my chip was functioning.

RB was planning was running the half-marathon and didn't really have any specific goal in mind; she didn't train for a fast marathon, so thought somewhere around 2:05 would do. We decided to stay with the two-hour pace setters for awhile. The weather started warming up quickly as we ran through the streets of Karlsruhe. Luckily we had both decided to run in short sleeve shirts and shorts.

The first couple kilometers clicked away quickly as we fell into our groove. As usual I chatted away with whatever crossed my mind; RB is used to this and lets me rattle on. I remarked that there seemed to be fewer spectators as usual and, as seem to be typical for this city, the spectators that were there weren't exactly enthusiastic - come on folks, give us some encouragement!

We continued on through Karlsruhe, eventually turning towards Durlach, passing through the aid station at kilometer 5. We stopped quick to get something to drink, then headed over the bridge traversing Autobahn 5 into Durlach. As we entered the town, the course turned to the right and here was a large crowd assembled, the most awake and clapping or yelling encouragement, way to go!

From Durlach we headed out of town, eventually crossing under the Autobahn again and into the Oberwald Forest. At some point we crossed over the 10 km timing mat, my Garmin indicated 58:08, about what we planned.

The asphalt bicycle path through the forest was narrow and it was hard to maintain our pace due to the crowd, but after awhile we popped out the other side and could move on. We passed over a section of fields, then back into town where the cheering crowds were intense and helped spur us on. RB was maintaining a good pace, but admitted that she was glad that the finish line for the half-marathon was not far away.

Finally, with about 500 meters to go for the half-marathon, I had to bid farewell to my running partner as she turned towards the stadium. As usual it was a pleasure to run with RB, I feel very fortunate to have been able to accompany her during the first half of my marathon! I wished her well as we parted, then made my way down the marathon course, I was only half-way home and my legs were already tired.

The course thinned out considerably as I headed out on the second half of the course. I passed over the halfway point in 2:03:03, about what I expected. Before the marathon I had said to Birgit that I would try to catch up to her after the half-way point, and I adjusted my speed to accomplish this.

I had no idea where Birgit was, so kept moving as fast as my tired legs would allow. The kilometers clicked by and as I passed kilometer 25 (mile 15.5) and still no Birgit, I knew I couldn't keep the pace up for much longer. I decided to run another kilometer or two, then slow down if I didn't find her - I was wearing myself out too early!

Finally, around kilometer 26 (mile 16) I saw Birgit's red tank top with our running club logo up ahead. I tried to spur ahead, but was too whipped, it took nearly 3 kilometers (2 miles) to finally close the gap. We ran together for awhile, but I was struggling to stay with her, she was still running good and I had already given out my last penny. Eventually I had to tell her to run on ahead, no need for her to slow down on my account.

I stopped at the next aid station and tried to revive myself with a piece of banana and a glass of sports drink. It was quite warm out, I guessed around 80-85°F (27-29°C), in any case a drastic increase since the beginning of the race. I managed to stay a few paces behind Birgit until around kilometer 35 (mile 22), but then I hit the wall hard and knew I was done for the day - from here on it would be all about maintaining forward motion, speed retired for the day.

I fought to keep running, my mind was telling me to stop and take a walk, but I knew this would be a big mistake, I kept moving. The course had reentered Karlsruhe and circled around the palace gardens near the market square. I walked through the aid station and slightly beyond and tried to regroup. I managed to run again, but my pace was greatly reduced, but at least I was moving - I kept going.

The course entered the main shopping area of Karlsruhe and circled around some of the streets, there were a lot of spectators along here and their support was quite welcome. I heard my name several times as I ran through the city, the organizers published our first name on the race bibs, a good idea.

I tried to relax as I made my way over the last 5 kilometers, I had no time goal for the race, I just wanted to finish. Time slipped by oh so slowly as I wound my way through the city streets towards the finish line. Every time we had to take a bridge over a street I walked, the bridges had become mountains, I walk up mountains.

Finally I heard the cheering crowds at the finish line and made my way over the last mile. The course joined back onto the course near where I had left RB before, I rememberd what she had said, she was doing okay but was glad that the race was almost over - oh how I could relate to that at this point.

I plodded up the small hill leading towards the stadium, normally the finish was right around the corner...but starting this year we had to run past the sports hall, across the parking lot and into the stadium, a trip around the world at this point. I made my way past the cheering fans, and finally spotted RB waving. Just past her I heard someone yell my name, some friends from the town where I live, it was great to see familiar faces!
Finally I made my way passed the parking lot and into the stadium, only half a lap to go. Half of an eternity later I made it over the finish line and received my finishers medal, finished in 4:13:36 (chip time)!

I was a bit dizzy as I walked over to get something to drink, it was hot out and the sun was bright. I found Birgit and sat down, placing my head between my legs for a couple minutes. I looked for some coke, but there wasn't any - I needed something sweet. Birgit managed to find some dried apricots, and I drank a few sips from a Radler (beer and sweetened water). After a few minutes I was fine and we walked over to the school to pick up my drop bag. From here Birgit headed home and I went over to the sports hall to meet RB and another friend that I was driving home.

Overall it was a good day, the weather was good, only a bit too hot over the last hour. I have run the Baden Marathon several times and it is not my favorite course, but at least I could run the first half and part of the second with friends.

My performance was about what I expected, I had just run a hilly marathon the weekend before and my fastest ever marathon on August 30th, so knew that the day would not be easy. I think if I hadn't raced ahead to catch Birgit after the half that I would have had a better time over the last 10 kilometers, but it worked out okay. In any case I finished my 20th marathon, a nice finish for the season, now it's time to rest and relax.

Yesterday I ran the Baden Marathon in Karlsruhe, Germany. The first half I ran with RB, who finished the half-marathon in 2:03:09, a time that she was very satisfied with this year. The weather heated up significantly during the second half, but I finished in 4:13:36, not bad for my third marathon in 21 days. I'll try to get a report typed up in the next day or two.

Life

With race season rapidly closing my emphasis is quickly changing to the kitchen remodelling project at home. I have pretty much gutted the old kitchen, including removing all the cabinets, wallpaper, ceiling panels and PVC flooring. Working every night after coming home from work is slowly wearing me down, in particular I have been noticing my patience has been wearing thin.

In effort to relax and regroup a bit I took a day off from work (and home repair) on Wednesday and volunteered at the local Baden Marathon, along with 5 other friends from my running club. My friends Conny and Birgit picked me up at 9:30 a.m. and we drove to Karlsruhe to the sports hall where the volunteers were meeting to prepare the 10,000 race packets.

At the front of the sports hall we were joined by three others from our club and we presented ourselves to the organizers. We joined 2 other people to form two, 4 person teams and for the next 5 hours assembled around 1600 race packets. The reward for our efforts was a free lunch, a "crew" sweatshirt, lots of fun conversation, and the satisfaction that we gave back something to the sport we love.

Running

On Wednesday night I joined my running club at our trailhead for a run. Most of the normal people that I run with are tapering for their half-marathon on Sunday, and only wanted to run about 7 km (4 mi.). I decided to run with RB and Manfred who usually run a bit slower, but wanted to run the full 11 km (6.8 mi.) loop. As it ended up RB was motivated so we kept up with most of the faster group until they turned off and took the shorter loop back to the trailhead. We continued on over the rest of our loop, chatting away and enjoying the run.

This coming Sunday I will be running my third marathon in three weeks (not consecutive), the Baden Marathon. I have the honor of accompanying RB for the first half of the race, then plan on trying to catch up to Birgit to escort her to a sub-4 marathon finish. I don't know if the latter part of the plan will work, but I will give it my best. Feet don't fail me now!

After spending every available free minute for over a week removing wallpaper, scraping paint and other tasks in the kitchen at home I was ready for some fresh air. I had been contemplating running the Pfälzerwaldmarathon (Pfalz Forest Marathon) in Pirmasens for a couple weeks, so decided this would be some good therapy.

I left the house on Sunday morning around 7:30, and drove over an hour to Pirmasens in the Rhineland-Pfalz. The town is set on a hill surrounded by forests, a beautiful area for a run. I arrived at the convention center where the finish line was set up and picked up my race number. The group sponsoring the race was selling cake and coffee, so I sat and enjoyed a second breakfast - I had an hour and half to wait until the 10:30 start. I chatted with Friedrich, a 69 year old that I visited with before the Hornisgrinde Marathon in July. He was from the area and gave me a good description of the trail, warning me not to hammer the hills because they hit back.

About a half hour before the race I visited the bathroom for the last time, and then headed to my car to drop off my jacket and long pants. The start of the race was about a 10 minute walk away, in the center of the town. I shivered as I walked over to the start, the sun was shining, but it was only about 13°C (55°F) outside, a little chilly for shorts and short-sleeve running shirt.

I found a sunny spot and watched the other runners as I waited. There were reportedly around 150 runners doing the full marathon, 350 running the half and around 60 marathon relay teams. With two minutes to go the announcer called us to line up, I took my place towards the front, we wore no chips, so every second counted. I really didn't have a time goal for the race, but I though 4:15-4:30 would be about right.

We counted down the last five seconds and were off down the streets of Pirmasens, past the convention center and out of town into the forest. I knew from running the race in 2006 that the first 5K were pretty much downhill, so I hammered the pace a bit averaging around 5:00/km (8:00/mi.). I wasn't too concerned about the pace because I knew that right after this a hill would smack me in the face.

The first climb came sooner than expected and I heeded the wise words of Friedrich, switching to short steps and backing off on the pace. We climbed and climbed, for almost 3 km (2 miles), parts were steep, others friendlier. I kept running, adjusting my pace based on the severity of the climb. Just as my quads became heated we popped over the ridge and began to fly down a rugged single-track, quad-busting, downhill trail. It was scary and exhilarating, one wrong step and I would have tumbled down the hill!

At the bottom we broke out of the forest and came upon the first aid station. I sampled the isotonic drink and grabbed some water, then headed up the next slope. The climbed was more gradual and gave my quads a chance to regroup. I passed the 10K point in roughly 55:00, pretty fast for this course.

The next 10-12 km were not eventful, a consistent pace was out of the question for this race, so I concentrated on easing up the hills and hammering down the other side. I past the half-way point in around 1:53:00, an average pace of 5:21/km (8:37/mi.), about a minute slower than in 2006.

Around kilometer 23 (mile 14), we started climbing the next major hill of the day. It was warmer outside and my quads held onto the memory of the first climb, I felt I like I was moving much slower. And like the first major climb, the downhill dropped fast, at least this time the trail was in better shape.

The trail continued through the woods, over several rolling hills. I could feel that my quads where hammered, but tried to keep moving the best that I could. With 20 miles (32 km) behind me my stomach started complaining, somehow the isotonic drink wasn't setting well. I switched to coke at the next aid station and eventually it settled down again. Around kilometer 34 (mile 21) I began the last major climb of the day. The trail climbed on endlessly, "the Wall" came in the form of a 2 mile climb! I was pretty whipped as I made it to the top, I tried to settle back into a decent pace as it leveled out, but my speed had retired for the day.

The last 5K became all about maintaining forward motion, I ran, but at a weakened pace. I knew I was still within earshot of a sub-4 hour finish, but had trouble finding a good reason to do so. I plodded on and tried not to think about, I was way ahead of my planned race time, I tried to enjoy the beautiful forest around me.

Finally with around a mile to go I started up a small hill (that felt like Mt. Everest at the time) that would bring me to the finish line. I glanced at my watch and spurred myself on over the last few hundred yards and into the conference center and the finish line. I finished in 3:58:27, a very respectable time for me for this marathon course, and 31+ minutes faster than the first time I ran the course in 2006!

My quads tried to seize up as a pretty gal placed a finisher medallion over my head. I wobbled over to the refreshment stand and ate a banana and drank some water. I walked around the conference center for a bit, than hit the showers. I was very satisfied with my time, only a bit worried that it was too fast - I have another marathon this coming Sunday!

The marathon course is one of the most beautiful that I have run in Germany. The course has some good climbs, beautiful wooded sections with fantastic views, and is about 85% logging or single-track trails. I found the organization very good, the fans enthusiastic and the overall experience well worth the drive to get there. It only got a little lonely out there, I guess I have been spoiled running so much with my running club this year...next year I'll have to try to talk a few friends into running with me :-)

On Sunday I ran my eighth Marathon/Ultra for the year, the Pfälzerwald (Pfalz Forest) Marathon in Pirmasens, Germany. The hilly forests surrounding Pirmasen are too beautiful to describe, luckily the German race reporting center marathon4you.de had a press crew there taking pictures:

Marathon Report and pictures from marathon4you.de

Pictures of half-marathon from marathon4you.de

I will try to prepare my own report in the next day or two. I managed to finish the hilly course in 3:58:27, good enough for 65th place out of 145 (9th in my age group).

Last night I met Gerd and Birgit at our running club trailhead. My legs were a bit tired from a long (68 miles) cycling trip on Wednesday, so as I arrived I hoped that the other two were not too motivated. As it turned out they wanted to run easy also, so we had a run.

Afterward I worked another hour or two in my kitchen at home. We just bought a nearly new kitchen (cabinets and appliances), so are in the process of renovating the kitchen. Over the past week I ripped out the old cabinets and cupboards, removed the old wallpaper and tiles, and last night began ripping out the old ceiling panelling. We want to lay new ceiling panelling, so I have to precede cautiously so I don't damage the under construction. Lots of work, but I enjoy it!

On Sunday I'm driving one and a half hours to Pirmasens to run the Pfalz Forest Marathon. I ran this race in 2006, the course is quite nice - lots of forest trails, very little asphalt, a bit hilly and well organized. I don't really have any specific goal, just to enjoy the run.

On September 20th is the Baden Marathon in Karlsruhe, I'll be running the first half with RB. When she wants to she can run at a fairly quick pace, so I have to make sure I don't wear myself out too much on Sunday. In any case I'm looking forward to the running!

Gestern Abend habe ich Gerd und Birgit beim Lauftreff für ein Rund getroffen. Meine Beine war etwas müde von ein längere Fahrrad fahrt (110 km) am Mittwoch, so ich habe ein bisschen gehofft das die zwei war nicht hoch motiviert. Mit Glück wollte die zwei auch nur gemütlich laufen, so wir haben ein schönes Rund gelaufen.

Nachher habe ich weiter in die Küche zu hause gearbeitet. Wir haben eine fast neue Küche gekauft und müssen die Zimmer ein bisschen renovieren vor es drin kommt. Über die letzte Woche habe ich die alte Küche abgebaut, die Tapete weg gemacht und gestern Abend teilweise die Fliesen und Deckepanelle weg gemacht. Wir wollen neue Deckepanelle legen, so arbeite sehr vorschichte so die Unterkonstruktion nicht kaputt geht. Viele Arbeit, aber ich mache es gern!

Am Sonntag fahre ich eineinhalb Stunde nach Pirmasens für die Pfälzerwald Marathon. Ich habe dieses Marathon in 2006 gelaufen, die Strecke ist besonderes schöne, viel Waldweg, wenig Asphalt, etwas hügelig und gut Organiziert. Ich habe kein besonderes Ziel, ich will nur die Lauf geniesen.

Am 20. September ist die Baden Marathon in Karlsruhe, ich will die erste halb mit RB laufen. Wenn sie will kann sie richtig flott laufen, so ich darf mich Sonntag nicht kaputt laufen. Ich freue mich auf jedem fall!

On Sunday I picked up RB and we drove to Durlach (20 minutes away) to run a training run sponsored by a running club in this town. The weekends leading to the Baden Marathon on September 20th are filled with various club-sponsored runs such as this to help get local runners in shape for the big event. RB has run the training run with the group for several years so recommended it to me. The 26 km (16 mi.) route is a nice hilly run with some fantastic views, so I welcomed the opportunity. Being able to run with a good friend on a sunny day was an added bonus, what more could a runner want.

I guessed there were 60-70 people gathered at the clubhouse as we set out. The run was an out and back course, up to 26 km long, runners could decide for themselves when they wanted to turn around. At roughly the 6-7 km (4 mile) point was an aid station offering fruit and drinks. The club also offered 3-4 pace setters to lead groups that wanted to run a specific pace, we fell in with the slower group, we were in no hurry.

We hung with the group until we reached the aid station, but lingered a bit longer than the group, making sure we drank enough. Most of the group we were following wanted to run a shorter distance, so we knew we would be losing most of the group anyway. From hereon I let RB set the pace and we ended up completing the run in just over 2 ½ hours.

Afterward we cooled down a bit back at the clubhouse, drank some water and chatted with some of the runners that remained. The club didn't offer anything to eat afterward, so we decided to stop in Weingarten on the home for some cake and coffee. We had a good time catching up on each other's lives, and I even remembered to bring a piece of cake home for my wife.

The run provided me with good feedback, my recovery from the fast marathon last weekend is going well, my legs are a bit tired today, but nothing out of the ordinary. The run was challenging for RB, as she hasn't done any hill training this year, but she completed it without complaint. I think she is in good shape for her half-marathon in Karlsruhe on September 20th. I am planning on running with her until she turns off towards the finish line a few hundred yards before the marathon half-way point. Then I'll try to catch up with another club member, Birgit, who is going to try to run a sub-4 hour marathon. I probably won't catch her, but it will be fun to try :-)

With my race season quickly coming to a close I have started to turn my attention to other things in life that have taken priority. Some weeks ago I was fortunate enough to snatch up a practically new kitchen, complete with appliances and cabinets, from a co-worker who is getting married soon. The over 30 year old kitchen that we took over when we bought our house 7 years ago has seen better days, so on Friday night out it went. So for the next few weeks we will be living rather primitive with our refrigerator sitting in the front hall and our "stove" consisting of a hot plate and the microwave. I also set an old cupboard in the front hall to house the essential eating utensils and other basics.

On Saturday morning I began removing all the old wallpaper from the plastered walls in the kitchen. As with every renovation we found a few surprises along the way, old oil-based paint on one wall, and lots of holes on another where a previous owner screwed in sheetrock and wallpapered over the holes without filling them. The holes can be plastered, but removing the oil-based paint is going to be a real thorn in the side.

In any case we have also decided to replace the PVC flooring and the ceiling panelling, both are very old and like the cabinetry, have seen better days. With the wallpaper removed I also got a closer look at the plumbing and wiring...at the very least the wiring will need to be replaced. Our new kitchen sink will end up on a different wall, so the plumbing will need to be modified according. All in all I guess I will have enough to keep me busy for awhile.

On Wednesday night I drove to my running club trailhead to run a loop with the group. The normal group that I run with wanted to do interval training, so I decided to run with RB, who usually runs a more moderate pace, just right for recovering from my fast marathon!

As we started out, we were joined by Maria, who came directly from work and was running late. Maria can't run so often with the club, so it was nice to catch up with her as we ran. After 5 km Maria turned off and took the shorter way back to the trailhead, she had to catch a train to Paris early the next morning.

RB and I continued on over the longer route, RB wants to run the Baden half-marathon on September 20th, so wanted to get in some last minute training.

We finished the 11.1 km loop with and average pace of 6:27/km, just the right pace for me after running the fast marathon last weekend. I hung around a little while after the run and chatted with RB and others from the group; it's so nice to belong to a running club!

Last night I met Gerd and Birgit at the local research center and ran a loop towards Karlsruhe. The two had run interval training the night before, so we ran at an easy pace. My legs were loose, not as stiff as the night before last. My recovery from the marathon is going well, I should be fit for the Baden Marathon on September 20th.

An Mittwochabend habe ich zum Lauftreff gefahren um ein Rund mit meinem Lauftreff zu laufen. Die normal Gruppe das ich laufe mit wollte Intervall laufen, so ich habe mich entschieden mit RB zu laufen. Ihr Tempo ist etwas langsamer, genau richtig für eine Erholung nach einem guten Marathonkampf!

Als wir haben angefangen hat Maria uns geholt, sie hat direkt von Arbeit gekommen und war etwas spät dran. Maria kann nicht so oft zu dem Lauftreff kommen, so es war schöne ein bisschen mit sie zu plaudern. Ab 5 km Maria hat uns verlassen, sie wollte nur die kleinere Rund laufen, sie muss die nächste Tag nach Paris anreisen.

RB und ich habe weiter über die lagere Strecke gelaufen, RB will die Halb-Marathon in Karlsruhe am 20. September laufen, so versucht ein bisschen vorher zu trainieren.

An ende die 11,1 km Rund wir haben ein durchschnittliches Tempo von 6:27/km, genau mein Ziel so kurz nach ein Marathon. Nachher habe ich mit RB und andere vom Lauftreff geplaudert, es ist schöne zu einem Lauftreff zu gehören!

Gestern Abend habe ich Gerd und Birgit beim Forschungszentrum getroffen und wir haben ein Rund in Richtung Karlsruhe gemacht. Die zwei hat an Mittwochabend Intervalltraining gemacht, so wir haben ein gemütliches Tempo gelaufen. Meine Beine waren ganz locker, nicht so steif als Vorgesternabend. Mein Erholung von der Marathon läuft gut, ich glaube ich wurde Fit für die Baden Marathon an 20. September.