Running With Jack

It was a cool 8°C (46°F) as I drove to the other side of town to pick up the two members of my running club that were riding with me to the race in St. Leon Rot. I arrived promptly at 7:45 at my first stop and my running partner from a couple weeks back appeared to have just stepped out the door. After stowing her bag in the trunk, we made our way down a few streets and picked up our other running friend. We settled in the car and I headed out to St. Leon Rot, about 35-40 minutes away in the direction of Heidelberg. I enjoyed the trip as the sun was now warming the cool morning air and I was in the company of friends and off to race, what more could I ask for!

We arrived at the sports center near the golf course where the race was to start and collected our race packets. Soon we were joined by several more from our running club, the most running the 10K like us, but two running the half-marathon (HM). We chatted for awhile, until about 15 minutes before the start, then stowed our jackets in the car and got ready to run.

At the starting line I wished everyone a good race and found a place in the middle of the pack. The 10K and HM runners were starting together (the 5K began 10 minutes prior) so it was pretty crowded. As I waited I thought about my goals for the race. I was hoping to complete the 10K in under 50:00, and had a "good day" goal of 48:00. I knew that I wasn't up to breaking my 46:37 best time, but didn't rule it out either, anything can happen in a race.

My thoughts were interrupted by the starting pistol and soon I was shuffling along in the middle of a mass of people. Somehow I had misjudged those around me and was trapped behind a wall of slow starters. I knew that trying to weave around them on the narrow path was counterproductive, so I patiently made my way forward as an opportunity opened. Eventually the crowd thinned out and I was able to get on my way at a fluid pace.

The race course was more or less a loop around the golf course in Rot. For the most part the route was flat, but there were quite a few turns that slowed things a bit. After the first couple minutes I settled into a pretty good pace, eventually passing the halfway point (5K) in 23:15. My breathing remained strong and my legs were still feeling good, so I did my best to keep this pace going.

Around kilometer 6 I could tell I was slowing down a bit, and soon after the course started heading back against a steady headwind. I pushed on hard knowing I would need even more effort is I wanted to keep the speed up. Time seem to pass slowly along this stretch, the wind was having a noticeable effect. My breathing grew heavier and my legs strained as I pressed on. It was clear that a best time was far away, but I was determined to at least have a good race.

Finally I passed kilometer 9 and could hear the crowd at the finish line. This spurred me forward as I fought to keep the legs moving. Finally I entered the small stadium and did my best to sprint over the finish line. I ended up finishing in 47:22, good for a new second best 10K time! I finished 24th in the M45 age class and 126 out of 319, not too bad.

Afterwards I joined the speedy member from our club who had finished nine minutes before me in 38:28 (good for first place in the M50 age group). He had stored his bag in my car before the race because he rode his bike the 35 km to the race (did I say he is an Ironman Triathlete), so we walked to the car and got our jackets. I also grabbed the jackets for other two, knowing they would need them as soon as they finished - it was still cool and windy.

When we returned the first of my two female passengers arrived, finishing in 52:51, good for 7th place in the W45 group and what I believe is a new best time for her (I'll have to ask). A couple minutes later another club member arrived, in 53:50, 8th place in the W45. After that we all got something to drink as we knew it would be a little while until the next from our group arrived. We had a good time chatting as we waited. After a bit two of our seasoned runners showed up, a husband and wife team. The wife finished in 1:05:54, good for 2nd place in the W70, and her husband was a second behind her capturing 3rd place in the M70 class. Three minutes later my other passenger arrived in 1:10:03, good for 4th place in the W55 class!

With our group complete we headed to the showers, and afterward found a place among the tables outside the sports hall in the sun for the awards ceremony. After a couple hours of eating cake, drinking coffee and just enjoying each other's company our little band (reluctantly) headed home.

Posted by Jack at 7:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My body was not in perfect form as I made my way to the neighboring town of Karlsdorf for a 10K race on Sunday. My left knee was still looking a bit like hamburger from my spill on the day before and my quads were sore from the steep hills.

As I warmed up with a 15 minutes run before the race, I noticed that my injured left knee was not allowing me to stretch out my stride as much as I normally do. But I didn't think much about it as I joined several from my running club at the starting line. As we waited for the start signal I thought to myself that I would probably not have a good race, but I intended on at least not having a really bad one either.

My thoughts were interrupted by the starting pistol and soon I was flowing forward in the middle of roughly 300 runners.

It remained congested for a minute or two, but finally I broke free and settled into a steady pace. I was content to pass the first kilometer marker in roughly 4:46 (7:40/mi. pace). My left knee remained tight, throwing my normal stride off a bit, making my running feel quite awkward.

I managed to maintain the pace over the next couple kilometers, but then I started getting a muscle cramp in my left thigh. I knew this was caused from my awkward stride and tried to ignore it. By the halfway point I was hurting and was losing speed rapidly. I did my best to adapt my stride by taking shorter, faster steps, and finally at least stabilized my pace.

A couple runners from my club passed me around the 6-7K point and I tried to stick with them as long as possible, but they moved ahead. With 1K to go I realized that they were slowing down, so gradually started closing the gap. I ended up passing one and crossing the finish line on the heels of the other. My finishing time of 50:52 was actually much better than I expected for the day.

After the race I showered in the sport facilities and joined my club for the awards ceremony. As a club we had a very good day with several age group prizes, plus the prize for having the largest participating group (34 runners).

On Monday morning my knee looked (and felt) much better, it is healing nicely. The muscles in the back of my left leg were still sore, but this week I am tapering for the marathon on the 21st, so I my leg should be fine by then.

Posted by Jack at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Egelsbach, home of the Koberstaedt Marathon, is nestled between Darmstadt and Frankfurt, Germany. The area is highly developed, being only about 10 minutes away from one of the busiest airports in Germany, not your typical setting for a forest marathon.

The Koberstaedt Marathon started at 8:00 a.m on Sunday, so we were up at 4:30 a.m. in order to get ready and make the hour drive to Egelsbach. We arrived around an hour before the race and went about my business picking up the race packet while my wife looked for a cup of coffee. A school friend who lived in the area was going to meet her at 8:30 and give her a short tour of Frankfurt while I was running.

It was a bit chilly (15°C/59°F) as we sat around waiting for the start, but the sun was shining and I knew it would start warming up soon. I decided to run in shorts and short sleeve shirt, as it was supposed to warm up to around 22°C/72°F. There was a cool breeze blowing as I lined up at the start with around 200 other marathon runners. Around 1500 half-marathon runners would join us later on (10:00 a.m.).

The course consisted of a loop around a mostly dirt/gravel forest trail with approx. 150 meter (500 feet) elevation gain/loss with each loop. The half-marathoners ran one loop, the marathoners two.

I really didn't have any specific time goal for the race, I didn't taper at all so figured I would try to at least break 4 ½ hours if at all possible. The race was chip timed, so when the starting pistol went off I leisurely made my way over the starting line, letting the speedsters move on ahead. I then set into a comfortable pace and tried to warm up my legs.

We wound our way through town and into the woods, the sun was shining and the last of a misty fog was rising to meet the day - what a beautiful morning for a run!

It was fairly quiet the first part of the run, the two hundred marathoners were pretty spread out and I was pretty much running on my own. I passed the 10K marker in 56:22, faster then I expected, but definitely not a record breaking speed even for me.

I lost myself in my thoughts over the next hour, passing the 20K in 1:54:18 and the half-marathon point in 1:59:59. My pace was fairly stable, just over 9:00 minutes per mile, I was staying hydrated and taking in isotonic drink at every other aid station. The aid stations were around 4-5K apart, well-stocked, and run by some super friendly people, bravo Egelsbach!

On the first loop the marathoners branched off and took an extra short loop before rejoining the main loop. This left us in the forest rather than looping back to the stadium. Shortly after rejoining the main loop the half-marathoners merged with us, or rather the 200 marathoners merged with the 1500 half-marathoners. Suddenly I was jarred from my lonesome plodding and thrust into the midst of a stampede. My pace picked up as the mass carried me forward, I passed the 30K marker in 2:49:42, about 10 minutes ahead of what I had expected.

The tractor wide forest trail remained full as I fought to climb a wall that was trying to drain my energy. I passed a couple marathon runners, but was still being passed by the faster half-marathoners. I concentrated on making it as hard as possible for these runners to drop me, falling in their steps as long as I could.

With about 5 miles to go I started doing the math and figured out if I could keep the pace going I would be very close to a new PR. My legs were tired, but my energy was good and my spirit high, I plodded forward.

I passed the 40K (25 miles) marker in 3:47:11 and it was clear that I would have to run a 10K race pace if I wanted to break my record of 3:57:14. I did my best, but couldn't get my legs to churn over any faster. As I made my way over the last half-mile I still pushed hard, if I couldn't have a new PR, then at least a sub-4:00 race!

As I made my way through town and into the stadium my legs were screaming with protest. I tried to must some resemblance to a sprint as I made my way around the track and over the finish line, but I felt more like a lumbering elephant. Finally I stumbled over the finish line in 1:58:58, out of breath, out of power, but totally satisfied, thank you lord!

I caught my breath and wobbled my way over to get some coke, I knew I needed a sugar boost. I drank down three cups of coke and found a bench and sat for awhile, stretching my legs a bit. When I stood up an amazing thing happened, my legs didn't complain. I actually could walk comfortably, albeit slower than normal, but without the normal robotic motion normally associated with post-marathon movements.

I walked to the car grabbed my bag, showered and found some food. As I was eating my wife showed up and we sat for a bit, my wife was amazed how fit I was. I guess I was too. As we made our way home the sun was shining, the sky blue, what a beautiful day!

Posted by Jack at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Generally I consider myself a conservative runner, tending not to lean too far out of my comfort zone during a race. But as I lined up for the annual Hornisgrinde Marathon on Sunday I had the urge to push pass the barriers that my mind and body have set up and do something reckless. There were several factors that helped contribute to this decision – the weather was unseasonably cool (68°F), I have been taking it easy the last three weeks since the 50-mile run, and my wife was there and had offered to drive home.

As I lined up with the 250+ marathon runners I thought about the course, basically the first 25K are downhill or flat, the last 17K climb back to the finish. I decided to go out fast and hope that I have enough left in me to carry me over the finish line. With a little luck maybe I could break my 4:14 course record as well.

When the starting pistol went off the mass moved forward and for the first 5-6 minutes we remained more or less scrunched together as we made our way down a dirt logging road. But then the mass began to separate and I was able to pick up the pace. The next few kilometers were gentle downhill and before I knew it I was running 8:00 miles, which for me is totally irresponsible during a marathon.

I attached myself to a couple runners who were running a consistent pace and let them carry me along. We went over a few gentle, very run able, rolling hills and barely let up on the gas. I continued to red-line it and eventually passed the 10K marker in 51:09 (5:07/km, 8:14/mi. average pace). My legs were holding up well and my breathing was controlled and efficient, I kept moving at this (for me) ridiculous pace.

Around the 12K marker one of the runners that I was following fell behind and the slightly older gentlemen and I began to play cat and mouse. We exchanged the lead several times over the next 11K, finally passing the half-marathon point in 1:51:06 (5:16/km, 8:28/mi. average pace).

As I ran up a steeper hill around KM 23 my body started protesting the demands that I was placing on it. At KM 25 I stopped long enough at an aid station to down a gel and a banana, but was soon on my way again. I fell behind the gentleman that I had been following, but started catching him around KM 27 as we began to climb out of a valley. I had just about caught up to him when the course straightened out again and he poured on the speed. I was done pouring and could only maintain by this time.

I knew the rest of the course was more or less a gentle uphill until the last mile, then a steeper climb to the finish line. I trudged on but was quickly running out of steam. I passed the 32 km/20 mi. point in around 3:05, not good considering my fast start.

By this time my legs were beat up and I had trouble to keep running, often having to stop and walk for a bit. My little experiment today was becoming a real eye-opener, I was amazed how quickly my body disintegrated when pushed beyond what I had trained for.

I was not a happy camper as I plodded on, my legs were toast and worst yet my will to continue was almost non-existent. With 6km (4 miles) to go I stopped plodding and walked. I walked maybe a mile, then decided that I had enough and wanted to get to the finish line sooner, not later. I plodded on again at some resemblance of a run, walking the steeper climbs, but determined to get the race over with.

Finally I reached the last hill, which rose steeply for about a mile to the finish line. I walked most of it but somehow managed to jog the last few hundred meters over the finish line. My wife was waiting, but my only thought was to find a chair, which I did. My wife graciously got something for me to drink, and I fought the cramps that were gripping my legs.

Luckily these subsided shortly and the worst was over by the time my wife returned. It was still fairly cool outside and breezy, so I headed off to the showers. Afterward we decided to drive home, my wife had already eaten and I wasn’t hungry (yet).

I ended up finishing the race in 4:44:25, which is poor considering my fast start, but I’m okay with that. I already ran a good marathon this year, so on this day it was all about stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new. If I want to run faster marathons in the future, and I emphasize IF, then this race has shown me that I need to train specifically for that purpose. Training for an ultra and a faster marathon are not the same for me, I knew that, but sometimes you just have to prove it on the trail.

I think I ended up walking more in the last quarter of the race because I saw no good reason to continue to push hard. I had a fantastic first-half race and knew I was not in the range for a best/course PR, so I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery of a beautiful countryside marathon.

This morning my legs are a bit tired and I have a ravishing appetite, but otherwise feel great! Now I look forward to a week or two of rest, then I will start training for the Baden Marathon, which takes place on Sept. 21!

Posted by Jack at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

On Friday night I set out for an easy half hour run, but bumped into one of my running club after about 10 minutes and ran with him for awhile. We kept the pace down and were chatting so much that I ended up running over 12 km/7.5 mi.

On Saturday I worked most of the day on different chores and projects around the house until around 6:30 p.m., then changed and headed to the half-marathon in Stutensee-Buchig. There I met several members of my running club who were running the 5K, 10K, or half-marathon. A couple asked me how fast I was running and three of us, Gerd, Conny and I, decided to run the half-marathon together.

Promptly at 8:00 p.m. we lined up at the starting line and soon we were off. There were roughly 400 people racing that day, so it was a bit tight the first few minutes as we squeezed our way around the narrow streets of the village. There were lots of fans cheering us on, at least until the edge of town, where we turned and headed out over the fields on a bicycle path to the neighboring town of Blankenloch.

The race was mostly flat and entirely over roads and asphalt bike paths. The temperature was around 70°F, partly cloudy and with just a slight wind – good conditions for a race. As I ran with Gerd and Conny over the first kilometer I contemplated whether I wanted to maintain the slower 5:15/km (8:30/mi) pace with them or run my own race. As we passed the first kilometer marker I sped up for a minute or so, but decided I wasn’t motivated enough to run a personal best race so rejoined my running partners.

I let Gerd and Conny set the pace and we knocked out the first 10K in around 53:30. The race course consisted of two out and back loops with an extra loop added onto the second round. As we looped around we were able to greet and encourage those from our running club and other friends. This was cool and helped to pass the time.

On the second round we started to slack off a bit with the pace, but as the storm clouds grew darker, picked up the pace again. By kilometer 19 Gerd was having trouble maintaining the pace and told us to go on ahead, but we stuck with him. We finished together in +/- 1:53:39, which for Conny was good enough for first place in her age group (W50). I finished 104/159 overall, and 14/23 in my age group.

After the race I joined the rest of the running club that was there for some food and drink at the finish. All in all it was a fun run and a good evening with some good people!

Posted by Jack at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On Saturday was the 30th annual 80K (50 mile) Fidelitas Night Run in Ruppurr, by Karlsruhe, Germany. This was the third year that I participated in the race, here is my story.

I arrived at the PSK sport center almost two hours before the start of the race and got my start packet before it got busy. One of the members of my running club was already there, so we sat and chatted until the rest of our group showed up. There were five of us running the entire race, plus five running the relay – four as part of our running club relay, and the other for another club that he belongs to.

It was a beautiful day outside, sunny with a cool breeze, around 26°C/79°F – hot, but not too hot. We visited until shortly before the race started, then lined up at the Start. I settled in toward the back of the pack and soon we were off.

I really wasn’t sure what kind of performance to expect from my old bones as I started over the first few kilometers. I had run my fastest marathon to date just two weeks before, but knew I had had a good recovery and this would not be an excuse. I settled into a comfortable pace, around 6:00/km (9:39/mi.), and just kind of played it by ear.

I ran and chatted with a couple guys that were running about my pace for 15-20 minutes until they decided to speed up. We let the forested section of the course and turned into the town of Durlach. At this point it was still semi-shady so I kept the pace going. We passed by the train stationed and eventually back out of town. At this point the hottest section of the course began, a roughly five mile section of unshaded, asphalt bike paths that would bring us to the town of Grotzingen and our first hill climb.

There were a couple aid stations along this section that were very welcome, I was sure to drink at each one. I entered Grozingen and stopped at the aid station for a banana, then headed up the hill bringing out of town. I ran about half the hill, then walked the rest, I knew I needed to conserve my energy for later. At the top I passed the 20K point (according to my Garmin), my time 2:01:42, very good considering walking the hill. I cruised along the familiar trails where I run my long run on weekends, eventually heading down the other side of the “mountain” into Johlingen.

On the other side of Johlingen we again climbed, this time a series of three smaller hills, I elected to walk most of them, my time was already 10-15 minutes ahead of lasts years time. I passed one of my running club members, Walter, around the 30K point (time = 3:07:29), he was slowing but still seemed to be moving well. Later I would find out he dropped out after around 35 km – knee problems, the same problem as last year.

I ran down a long downhill section into the town of Singen that left my right knee feeling a bit sore, I ignored it and kept moving, the biggest hill climb was right before me. The hill out of Singen to Mutschelbach is the longest and steepest hill of the race, I again chose to walk it. This was a good recovery for my legs and especially my knees, they felt like they took quite a beating coming down the long hill into Singen.

I passed through Mutschelbach and an aid station, a couple of my running club were there, they asked where Walter was. I mentioned that I passed him around the 30K. I kept moving, climbing a long, but not so steep hill towards Langensteinbach. On the way I passed the marathon point, in roughly 4:33:13, about five minutes ahead of last year.

In Langensteinbach I stopped at the aid station at the firehouse where my drop bag was. It was still much too warm for a running jacket so I tied it around my waist. I had a PB & Honey sandwich in my jacket pocket but could only eat half of it, my stomach was not in the best of shape. I gathered my things and ran on. It was getting dark, but I was still able to see enough without my flashlight.

I trekked through a forested section and then climbed up the hill, then down a steep hill into Ittersbach, passing the 50K point in 5:38:26. I drank a couple cups of sports drink at the aid station and climbed the last major hill of the day. By this time I needed my headlight, and to make matters worse was starting to have some digestive issues. I spent several kilometers hoping I would find some bushes if the need should arise and also trying to figure out what I ate or drank that was throwing my system off.

At the next aid station I started drinking cola and ate a couple pieces of dry bread. My stomach was rumbling up a storm and I felt like I was going to vomit or worse at any time. I did my best to ignore my inconvience and plodded on to Langenalb. At the Langenalb aid station a runner caught up with me that I recognized from several ultras that I ran, we talked a bit and he suggested that I drink malt beer (non-alchoholic) or cola, and not to drink any more water. My stomach was still unsettled so I tried the malt beer and headed out.

The course headed down a 2-3 mile, gradual downhill through one of the darkest sections of the course. The forest was thick and black, even with a headlight you had to stay concentrated on the logging road in front of you to avoid tripping over a stone or root. This part of the trail seemed like it goes on forever, mostly due to the tunnel-vision I guess.

I was glad when I finally popped out onto the lighted streets of Marxell. I ran by a co-workers house and down the last hill to the aid station below. I drank some cola, ate another piece of bread and kept moving. After a few minutes my stomach ached, I almost wished that I would vomit and get it over with. But this was the least of my worries in the moment, I was in desperate need of a restroom and there were none to be had. I walked for a minute or two and weighed my options, the next town was about 8K/5M ahead. We were running through a dark, forested section on a logging road and I saw no lights around – so decided to keep running and stop if I had too.

As I ran my stomach settled down somewhat and I managed to keep going to the next aid station. I drank some more coke and moved on. My urge for a rest room declined and I was able to push forward, running most of the way to Ettlingen. As I left the dirt logging trails and started pounding my way along the asphalt streets of Ettlingen my knee started to ache again. As I pulled up to the aid station I grabbed some more coke and walked a bit. The relay members of my running club and Walter were just outside the aid station, I was able to cry on their shoulder a bit. Walter said my time was still really good, I would at least break 10 hours if I could keep the pace going.

With 9K left and nothing better to do I moved on – around the corner where I prompted threw up! So finally getting that behind me, I was able to again pick up the pace and run a bit more comfortably. Actually I was running and walking by this time, but now I tried to limit my walking to 20 steps before pushing on for another kilometer or so. According to my Garmin I alternated a 7:00/8:00 pace every other kilometer (around 12:00-13:00/mile) through this section, not bad for this stage of the game.

With 5K to go my stomach was feeling slightly better (finally) and my knee at least allowed me to run. I was so ready for the race to be over with, I just wanted to sit down. I crossed over the bridge of the Autobahn and knew I had about 4K/2.5M to go. I plodded on trying to keep up with a couple people that had past me at the last aid station. With about 2K to go they stopped ahead of me and started looking for trail markings – nothing. We talked about what we should do, then decided to take the path that led straight on. I was not in shape to argue or to think or that matter, so followed along.

We came upon some marking and figured we were good to go, a few minutes later we rolled into the stadium, unfortunately the wrong one – we were back at the start, the finish was in a different stadium. By this time a couple more runners showed up and we mingled in confusion for a minute, then decided to backtrack. We took another path that eventually led us to the proper stadium, but of course on the wrong side – but the helpers waved us in and over the finish line – from the wrong direction – but they didn’t make a big deal out of it – apparently we were not the first ones to lose the way. And not the last, people were going from every direction imaginable – it seemed like the funniest thing at the moment.

Anyway I crossed the finish line to the cheers of my running club group and others around, my time a satisfying 9:31:41, 6 minutes slower than the year before, but very good considering the stomach issues.

I found something to drink, then joined my club members as we waited for the other to arrive. Birgit arrived about 20 minutes later, good for under 10 hours and a new personal best. The last of the relay team accompanied her in. Her husband Andreas came in five minutes later, also under 10 hours, great job.!

The first half of the race went really well, if I hadn’t had stomach issues I would have probably finished closer to 9:00-9:15, but that’s what makes an ultra so interesting – you never know what you’ll face when you start running. I guess I did okay hanging in there, I think next time I may need to bring my own sports drink – what was offered didn’t work for me this time around.

So know I look forward to slowing down for a week or two. It is Monday as I write and I already have run my first recovery run. My knee is a bit tender, but after it warmed up it didn’t bother me any longer. Have a nice week!

Posted by Jack at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If you have been racing for any length of time you probably know that every race is different and some go better than others. I always have three goals in mind when I line up for a race, a good day goal, a bad day goal and a race of my life goal. With that said, Sunday at the Metropol Marathon in Fuerth, Germany was different. My only goal was to take it easy and not wear myself out two weeks before my 50-mile race. I was not totally successful in meeting this goal, rather the race took a totally unplanned turn.

We arrived in Fuerth on Friday night after fighting traffic jams over half of Germany. We checked into the hotel and crashed in bed soon after. On Saturday we slept in until around 8:00, had breakfast and I went shopping with my wife. The hotel is located in the middle of the market place, so it was only a short walk. Afterward my wife went to her Aunt’s house and I picked up my race packet across the street in the main square. I picked up a new pair of Asics at the runner’s market, then had some pasta at an Italian restaurant on the square. Later in the afternoon I walked the 2.5 km to Aunt Sigrid’s house. We closed off the day with dinner at another Italian restaurant.

On Sunday I woke up about two hours before the race, had breakfast, then chilled out in our hotel room until about 15 minutes before the raced started. We could see the start line from our hotel room, which was cool.

I lined up with the roughly 800-900 runners who were running the full marathon. The half-marathon had started a half hour earlier and the 10K was scheduled to start a half hour later (9:30). It was a cool 15C/59F, with a slight wind, and the sky was dark and stormy looking.

I chatted with a group of men from England and next thing I knew the starting pistol went off. I was pretty much in the back, so it took a minute or two to get over the starting mat, we wore chips so it didn’t matter anyway. I was also wearing my new Garmin 205, but had turned it on in the hotel room and it didn’t find the satellite. I didn’t notice this until almost the 10 minutes into the race. I had to turn it off and on again and it finally found a signal just past the 2 km marker.

In any case I started off at an easy pace around 6:00/km (9:39/mile). My plan was to try to maintain this pace for at least 15-20 miles, then take it easy the rest of the way, hopefully finishing in around 5 hours…that was the plan anyway…unfortunately I got teed off when I realized that my Garmin hadn’t found a signal and my pace increased with my anger. At the beginning of the fourth kilometer we reached the first bridge of the day and when most runners slowed down for the climb, I sailed over it and kept on going, my Garmin clocked my pace at 5:27/km.

I tried to slow my pace back down, but my legs felt good and the pace stayed around 9:00/mile. I settled down and started to enjoy the run, my Garmin was functioning and displaying my time for each kilometer just past each course kilometer marker. I passed the 10K marker in roughly 55:13, almost the same as the first 10K by the Mannheim marathon in May. I remember thinking to myself that I should slow down soon or I would burn my legs out too soon.

The race course was really incredible, winding through small towns, over fields and through parks. There were spectators everywhere lending their encouragement. I have to give the kind people of Bavaria credit, they sure know how to may you feel welcome, I never saw such enthusiasm in all the other races that I have participated in!

Anyway the kilometers ticked away and I was still feeling way too good for my own good. I knew I was trucking along much too fast when I passed the 4:15:00 pacer about an hour and half into the race. If that wasn’t bad enough, I passed the 4-hour pacer at the 20K marker! By this time I knew that I had to make a decision, either slow way down and save my legs for the 50-mile race, or keep going and come what may. I don’t know if it was the sun that had come and was cooking my brain or what, but I decided to keep my pace up for as long as I could!

I passed the halfway point in roughly 1:58:00, about four minutes ahead of my Mannheim Marathon time. As I was running I recalled that my legs began to ache from the asphalt roads in Mannheim shortly after the halfway point, so I decided to take a couple aspirin and a calcium-magnesium tablet. I was also well-hydrated with water and isotonic drink, taking advantage of the water/aid stations every 2 kilometers. After the halfway point they also started offering fruit, muesli bars and coke.

Since around the 10K point my pace had more or less leveled off, I was running a fairly constant 5:30/km (8:50/mile). As I continued on I saw the 3:45:00 pacer about a hundred feet in front of me…my only thought was that when I hit the wall it was going to be ugly…I tried to block the thought out of my mind and kept going.

I passed the 30K marker in around 2:45:00, a good half hour ahead of Mannheim’s time. As I finished the marathon in Mannheim in 4 hours 37 minutes, I knew that if I could just keep the pace under 6:00/km, I would set a new personal best. I thought about it for a moment, then thought about the risk that I was taking in regards to my 50-mile race…took two Ibuprofen and made my decision.

I pushed on trying to keep the 3:35:00 pacer in sight, but when I stopped to pee, he disappeared. However I was satisfied to see that the 4:00:00 pacer was also not in sight behind me, so encourage I got back to work.

As I said before the spectator participation was truly awesome, and it seemed to grow stronger the farther into the race I went. Around the 35 km point I was starting to feel ragged, my legs were sore and my energy was wearing. I ate a gel, downed a couple isotonic drinks and ate a half banana hoping to keep the wall at bay. As I started running again I passed through a small town where it seemed like the entire population had come out to cheer us on, complete with a brass band and hundreds of kids! Somehow this motivated me and I was able to squeeze out a couple more miles before my tempo began to fade.

With 5K to go I was still running, but it was turning into a real battle. My legs ached and my body was whining something about wanting to slow down. I tried to focus on just one thing, mainly that I was having the race of my life and today would never happen again, and who knows if I would ever have another day like it – I struggled on. With 3 km to go I felt myself slowing waaay down, I fought it trying to change my pace – lengthening my stride, shortening my stride, anything to get the legs moving again. Finally I reached the edge of town and started winding my way through the familiar streets. The spectator crowd was enormous, this spurred me on.

The minutes clicked slowly by, the race seemed to have no end…finally the 41 kilometer marker…only 6-7 minutes. I could hear the announcer at the finish line, I tried to push forward, but I had nothing left to give. After an eternity I rounded the last corner and made my way down the main market street of Fuerth. My legs felt like they were going to fold on me, I was a bit lightheaded, but one step in front of the other…

I had not looked at the total time on my Garmin since the 30K marker, but I knew I had broken my 4:14 personal record! With a joyful heart I finally stumbled over the finish line, I did it! I was elated, but in the excitement (and weariness) I forgot to shut my Garmin off or look at my time…

I made my way down the lane to get something to eat and drink. My legs were sore, but not as bad as I had anticipated. This was the first marathon were I didn’t need/choose to take any walk breaks, I even managed to jog through the aid stations! I found a spot on a bench and sat down for a few minutes, I was weary and soaked with sweat. There was still a breeze blowing and I was getting cold…I decided to go back to the hotel and shower. As I got up I noticed a couple runners walking by with their race certificates (Urkunde), so asked where they got them. They pointed me to the right tent and I wobbled my way over there. As I stood and waited for them to print my certificate out I talked with a runner from Scotland. When he got his certificate he headed off to the showers and I finally took at a look at my finishing time…I was not prepared for what I saw 3:57:14, my first sub-4 marathon – a new PR by 17 minutes! I’m still giddy…

Posted by Jack at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

On Saturday, May 24, 2008, I successfully ran my 10th marathon, the MLP Marathon in Mannheim, Germany. The marathon is a city marathon beginning in the center of the city and winding though the neighboring towns of Neuostheim and Sechenheim to the east, back through the city and over the Neckar River bridge to Ludwigshafen, Mundenheim, Rheingonheim, Hochfeld, Niederfeld and finally back to the finish.

Based on my experience running the marathon in 2005 I knew that parking is always a problem for this race, so we arrived about 3 hours before the 6:10 p.m. start. We found a parking place about a quarter-mile from the start and we worked to the Rosengarten, a large conference center near the start. In the front of the building my wife and I bumped into the other two members of my running club who were also running the marathon, Conny and Gerd. We chatted a few minutes and agreed to meet at the start of the race. After picking up my race packet my wife and I parted, she went shopping and I decided to go to a nearby park where Conny and Gerd were waiting for the beginning of the race. I sat with them for an hour or so, then rejoined my wife in front of the Rosengarten about 45 minutes before the race.

After using the bathrooms in the center we walked outside and joined Conny and Gerd. About 20 minutes before the race my wife went on to meet some friends at a nearby restaurant, and we fought our way through the crowd to our starter block. Conny and Gerd were trying to break 4 hours and I was going to use the marathon as a training run, so we were in different blocks, but I lined up with them anyway. They were still trying to talk me into running the race with them – I decided to start with them and bail out when I felt the pace was beyond what I trained for.

It was around 26C/79F, quite humid and dark gray clouds were threatening as we waited for the starting pistol. After an eternity the starting pistol went off and we waited to move forward. I hit the start button as we wobbled over the start mat and we were off.

Conny was our pacemaker as we set off, quickly setting on about a 9-minute mile. This felt comfortable for the first 5K or so, but after slowing to get some water at the 5K first aid station, Conny picked up the pace to about 8:30/mile to make up for the seconds we lost at the aid station. I hung with them, but when they didn’t slow down again I started questioning whether this was such a good idea for me. They eventually slowed some, but I knew that if continued at this pace I would not be in any shape to continue my 50-mile training next week – so I bailed out around the 9K marker and took a pee break.

I took off again at a slightly slower pace, probably around 9:15/mile, eventually passing the 10K marker in 55:24, about 4-1/2 minutes ahead of my planned pace. My legs loosened up a bit with the slowed pace and I cruised along and enjoyed the sights and the crowds gathered to cheer us on. By this time we had circled around Seckenheim and were on our way back to the center of Mannheim.

We passed within a block of the start but turned north and made our way to the bridge that crossed the Neckar River into Ludwigshafen. Somewhere past the 16K/10M marker I turned onto the entrance ramp that led to the bridge. The bridge was the only hilly part of the race and three years ago when I ran my first marathon here I stormed over the bridge and was rewarded with severe cramping later on. I took it easy this time as I covered the almost 2-mile stretch and entered Ludwigshafen feeling strong.

The course wound its way around the streets of Ludwigshafen and eventually I passed the halfway point in 2:02:01, a good 10 minutes ahead of my planned pace. The course continued on down a long street that seemed endless. It was still warm outside and from time to time a few drops of rain would fall. The humidity was quite high and although I had been drinking water regularly I could feel the effects. I was still cruising along at about a 9:15/mile, but as I neared the 25K/15M aid station I hit a low point. I think this was more of a mental thing – my legs were aching a bit from the had streets, but nothing out of the ordinary.

When I arrived at the aid station I took some time and drank some isotonic drink, ate half of a banana and a piece of sport bar. I walked for about 2-3 minutes, then headed out again. The kilometers clicked by way too slow for my taste at this point, I wasn’t having fun. I stopped and walked through the next water station at around the 27-28K point, then picked up the pace again. I repeated this at the 30K (18.6 miles) point, crossing the timing mat at this point in 3:16:48.

Somewhere along this stretch I had a heart-to-heart talk with myself and decided I was letting my watch control me. This was supposed to be a long TRAINING run and, even though I had slowed my pace, I was still treating this mentally as a beat-the-clock race.

Just before the 32K/20M marker I took a walk break and walked through the marker and formulated my plan for the rest of the race. I had a pretty good feel for when I was starting to push the pace out of the comfort zone – measured mostly by my quads, so decided to run 12-15 minutes, followed by a 1-2 minute walk break.

I ran to the next aid station, just past the 34K marker, and walked through downing a sports bar and some isotonic drink. I ran on to around the 36K marker, then powerwalked a couple minutes until I reached the entranceway to the bridge that would take me back over the Neckar River. As I started running up the bridge most around me started walking. This inspired me to continue and I ran over the bridge and back down into Mannheim. I walked through the water point at kilometer 38, but then continued running.

The streets were crowded with cheering fans so I pushed on past the 39K and 40K markers, the latter being only a couple hundred feet from the finish line. But this course is cruel in that it runs more or less by the finish line and takes you out on almost a mile out and back. I knew this, and as I left the crowds behind I took a quick minute walk, then plodded on.

My legs were still working and after another eternity I finally rounded the turn that would bring me to the finish line. With the lights of the Rosengarten in my sights I plodded my way down the street, actually picking off a few people as I went. Finally with about 400 meters to go I picked up the pace and as I ran through the roaring crowd, actually sprinted the last 200 meters over the finish line!

I hadn’t looked at my watch since the 30K marker, so was quite surprised to see that I finished in 4:37:15, a very satisfying time for a training run. I guess I will find out over the next couple days if I overdid it and need extra time to recover. My 50-mile race is less than 5 weeks away!

Gerd and Conny finished a good half-hour before me, Gerd in 4:02 and Conny in 3:56. For Conny this was good enough for her to finish 3rd in her age class (W50). I believe this was a new PR for Gerd, I congratulate both of them on a super race! When its time for me to break 4-hours I know who can pace me in!

Posted by Jack at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Last weekend at my half-marathon I picked up a flyer telling about a 10K run in a nearby town that started at 10:30 at night! Since my marathon begins at 6 p.m. and I will very likely crossing the finish line after dark (yeah I’m slow), I thought what better way to get used to running late at night than do a 10K night run!

Gondelsheim is a small town in a hilly area about 15 miles from where I live, so getting there was quite easy. I arrived about an hour and half before the race because I had been warned from members of my running club that parking was a problem. I found a parking place about 5 minutes from the start and collected my start number. At the fest hall there was, of all things, a Country-Western band playing – I sat and listened to them for awhile – they need practice…

There was a 5km walking event that started at 9:00 p.m., I helped cheer them on as they completed their two round around town. The race loop was 2.5 km, so the 10K race was for loops. With each loop there were three hills to climb, each with an elevation gain and loss of about 30-55 feet. For those of you who live in a hilly area this may not seem like much, but most people in this area live in the flatlands. In any case for a 10K race, you definitely feel the hills after four rounds. The loops ran around the streets of Gondelsheim, which were closed for the race. Most of the streets were pretty well lighted, but there were a few dark spots that made the potholes and other road obstacles hard to see.

I warmed up with almost a round before the start of the race, then took my place in the middle of the pack at the start. I chatted with another guy from my running club that decided to run the race at the last minute and soon we were off.

The kilometers were marked, but a couple were hard to see. I missed the first marker, but crossed the second in 9:53, a super pace for me! This didn’t last long as the steepest climb came up right after it, I chugged over it without too much problem, then flew down the other side and winded my way back to the Start and around again.

I felt like I didn’t lose too much time on the second round and as I made my way over the Start again (at 5K) I noticed my time was about 20:43, still a decent pace. However as I made my away around the third time the hills started taking their toll, I was sucking wind. I kept pushing on, trying not to slow much more.

As I made my way around the final loop I started passing people, including some still on their third loop. I passed on guy going up the first hills, he passed me on the second and I passed him again on the third and toughest hill. As I flew down the hill and the last 500 meters to the finish line, I could feel him breathing down my neck and I didn’t let up the pace, eventually sprinting the last 200 meters (flat) to the finish line!

My final time was 48:28, a couple minutes shy of a personal best, but I am very satisfied as this was a hilly course. I finished 89th out of 206 overall, 19th out of 26 in my age class.

I hung around for a few minutes after the race and cheered the other runners in, but it was getting chilly, so I headed home for a shower. It was a fun race and I feel great this morning. Bring on Mannheim!

Posted by Jack at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

With the dust barely having settled from the 50K race on May 1 and my next marathon less than two weeks away (May 24), most would probably not get the idea to sign up for a half-marathon. As we entered the second week of beautiful, sunny spring weather, I couldn’t think of a better thing to do on a three day weekend (Monday was Whit Monday, a holiday).

I have run the South Pfalz 10K and HM before and knew it was a flat, forested course, with mostly smooth (a few tree roots), dirt trails. The half-marathon normally only draws a couple hundred runners, so it never gets too crowded, other than at the start. The other advantage is that we have a good friend that lives in Rulzheim, where the race is held, so my wife can enjoy some company while waiting for me.

We arrived about an hour before the race and, as my wife waited for her friend Eva, I picked up my race number and took my place in line at the bathrooms. The latter is about the only negative thing I can say about the race – they just do not have adequate facilities for all the runners!

I talked with Eva for awhile, then with one from my running club that was also running the half. Finally about 15 minutes before the start of the race I warmed up for a few minutes, then took my place in the middle of the pack.

The sun was shining and the temperature was already in the mid-sixties (F). The beautiful weather drew a lot of last minute entries. I later read that 427 ran the 10K and 319 the half. The 10K runners started the race at 9:00, the half at 9:20. The course was the same for both races, the half-marathon was two rounds plus.

I really didn’t have any goal for the race, I hadn’t done any speed work, and really didn’t want to destroy my legs with a marathon 11 days away. So when the starting shot went off I decided to just run at a comfortable pace and see what happens.

It was a bit crowded at the start as we surged forward, but soon thinned out and I fell into around a 5:00/km (8:00/mile) pace. The pace felt good and I cruised around the first loop without slowing.

I managed to keep up the pace for about half of the second loop, but as the outside temperature rose and the last weeks high mileage took its toll I felt myself slowing. I decided not to fight it too much and cruised to the finish line. Apparently I didn’t slow much more after than, as I still crossed the finished line in 1:48:20, my third fastest half-marathon time!

I was totally satisfied with my finish time, at least until I figured out that my second best HM time (and course record) was only 8 seconds faster – then I kicked myself in the head for not sprinting to the finish ;-)

After showering, I rejoined the ladies and we watched the awards ceremony before heading home. All in all it was a good run and a great day, I look forward to doing it again next year.

Posted by Jack at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We arrived at our Gasthaus (B & B) around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, in plenty of time to get checked in and head out to the Italian restaurant that we frequented the last two years that I ran the Westerwald 50K in Rengsdorf, Germany. However upon arriving at the restaurant we were surprised to find the place closed. Luckily we passed another Italian restaurant on the way, so backtracked and enjoyed what proved to be some good pasta. After dinner we returned to our room and I laid out my stuff for the race in the morning. Then evening was clear so we sat on the balcony and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Westerwald Forest and Koblenz in the valley below.

I slept relatively well for being the night before a race, waking up shortly before my alarm clock went off at 6:00 a.m. I went through my morning routine, than woke my wife up. After she got around we had breakfast and around 7.15 we headed over to the town swimming pool where the race was to start.

I collected my start card and sat with my wife for a bit. I recognized several people from previous races and after a bit the race director came over and said hello. There were almost 90 people signed up for the 31/50km runs, with more arriving every minute, drawn by the clear skies – the first time in years that it didn’t rain on race day!

Yes we were blessed with cool, but clear weather, I guess it was around 7C/45F right before the 8:00 a.m. start – it would later warm up to around 17C/63F, almost perfect temperatures for a race! I was optimistic that I was as ready as I would ever be for the race and like most there anxiously waited to get under way.

Shortly before 8:00 we made our way over to the start area and our race director gave us some last minute instructions.

Of particular relevance this year was that a recent storm had left parts of the race route cluttered with fallen trees and branches and that we should be careful while running over these obstacles.

And finally he bid us best wishes for a great day on the course and joking added “…see you in a few minutes…” which we all chuckled to as we set out on the 50K course.

We started climbing almost immediately after leaving the Start, not a climb that caused anyone to walk, but rather a healthy climb that kept are pace in check for the first couple kilometers. The morning was truly beautiful, the sun was shining and the beauty of the area came shining through.

I fell in behind a man and two women who were running a similar pace. As we went up and down a few hills they pulled ahead on the downhills and I caught them on the uphills. The trail was quite, asphalt paths, logging trails and even a generous share of single-track trails such as the one below.

I made it to the first checkpoint at kilometer 8 (mile 5) without encountering any steep hills that required me to walk. I stopped only long enough to get my control card stamped and to fill up my water bottle. After the checkpoint we began a 5k long downhill that gave the quad and knees a good workout. The route went a couple hundred feet down a road, and then cut literally over a pasture, whereas we had to straddle the fence at each end! This brought flashbacks of my upbringing on a dairy farm in central NY state, the only thing missing was dodging piles of cow manure :-)

I had lost my three running companions back at the checkpoint so when the 31K and 50K routes split at the 9K point just past the pasture I stopped to water my favorite tree. I remember thinking at this point that a steep downhill must be coming up soon. As I continued on I soon realized how the Rengsdorfer define “steep”. At the top of the hill I stopped and snapped a picture of the valley below just before descending the hill.

The next kilometer proved to be the steepest downhill I believe I have ever run, it was a quad-busting, pain-in-the-knees, downright sick, but sure got the adrenaline pumping! Wow what a rush, it was like one wrong step and you would be rolling down the hill! So down, down, down I went for what seemed like forever. I discovered that skipping down was actually easier on the quads and knees. As I reached the bottom of the hill I knew that one of the longer, steeper climbs of the course was somewhere around the next bend.

And so it was, around kilometer 15 the trail dipped and started climbing up out of a deep valley. I ran what I could, but decided to save my energy as the steepness increased. I finally reached the top and the second aid station at kilometer 18. After refilling my bottle and downing a gel I started out again. The course again went up for a few minutes, but then down another grueling downhill that beat the rest of my quads to death. It felt good at the moment and I tried not to think of the abuse my legs were taking.

Around the half-marathon point (around 2-1/2 hours into the race) the trail leveled out and I fell into an easy run for maybe 10-15 minutes. I took this picture somewhere along the way, it may have been this stretch.

I ran a short uphill, then down a short descent to the third aid station just before kilometer 28. My legs were hurting pretty bad by this time, a result of the steep downhill’s I guess, so I tried stretching a bit. I took an extra minute or two and mixed up a bottle of isotonic drink from the mix I was carrying with me. I knew my quads were a major issue now, so down a couple salt tablets with added calcium/magnesium. My pace was deceasing by this point, but I was not overly concerned – I was still under four hours and was well ahead of schedule. I left the aid station, snapping a picture before heading up the hills in the background.

Soon I began running up the second major ascent of the day, it was not as long as the first, but quite steep. I was experiencing a low and I chose to walk most of it. I recovered somewhat during this walking break, my walking became stronger and my spirit lifted. I believe it was along this stretch that I came up on a younger woman who seemed to be in worse shape than me. I asked how she was doing and she said what I had already noticed. I encouraged her but moved on when she seemed to want to deal with her own demons. Eventually she would get a second wind and pass me at the next aid station!

At the top of the second climb the trail took another dive downwards between kilometer 30 and 32. My legs ached with every step, but I managed to run it down. The trail started the last major hill climb and I was perfectly content to walk. I stopped to fill my bottle at a “tea station” (only offered water and tea) at kilometer 33, but didn’t waste any time there. I knew I had to keep pushing on or I would end up walking the rest of the way to the finish line. I forced myself to run some of the gentler parts of the uphill. I passed a lot of walkers who were walking the event (Wandering). Somehow “whizzing” by the walkers spurred me on.

Around kilometer 38 was the next aid/control station. I ate a sports bar and part of a banana, but didn’t stay long as there were 20-30 “Wanderers” collected there gaining strength for the rest of their walk. I was also in a bit of a hurry as I had not seen another runner for at least a half hour, so was worried that I was last (like it really mattered). I pushed on running when I could and walking when that didn’t work.

Somewhere after the 5:00 hour point I passed the 40 kilometer marker. I recall seeing the marker, but didn’t think to look at my watch. I didn’t think to look at my watch at the 42K (marathon) marker, but I guess it must have been around 5:15:00.

I was feeling better by this time and was headed downhill. I did my best to keep running, I guess I was running for 5-6 minutes and walking for a minute or so. I kept this up until the last aid station at kilometer 45. Here I refilled my bottle and pushed on. The trail climbed again, but I again was passing lots of walkers which continued to spur me on. Finally the trail headed back down again and as I passed the 48 kilometer marker I knew I was on my way home.

I continued to pass a lot of walkers as the swimming pool came into sight at the top of the hill. The last kilometer went uphill and I let my pride get in the way and propel me at a slow run all the way up. Finally I crossed the finish line, with the handful gathered there cheering me in, mission accomplished!

My legs were stiff and aching, but I felt like I add energy to go another round – well at least for another hour or two.

The course was incredibly beautiful, as it always is in Rengsdorf. The nice weather this year brought out more runners and noticeably more walkers. My only regret is that I didn’t take the time to take more pictures along the way, mere words cannot describe this beautiful area. The race director and volunteers did an excellent job of making this a truly memorable event. The family atmosphere and friendliness make this an event that I treasure and I already am marking my calendar for next year. Thank you TV Rengsdorf for another great year!

Posted by Jack at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

As the pastor went through the closing announcements and benediction I sat nervously at the edge of my seat ready to spring out the door. This had nothing to do with the church service, rather the fact that the start of the Stutensee 10K race was only 45 minutes away. As the pastor finished I bolted as graciously as possible down the aisle and out the door and speed-walked the short distance to my house.

I had everything laid out so did a quick change, bid my wife a hello/goodbye and jumped in the car and sped to the next town Blankenloch. With 20 minutes to go I managed to find a parking space as a church goer vacated the space. I did my warm-up run on the way to the sports hall to pick up my race number. I walked over towards the Start while pinning on my number, joining a few from my running club on the way.

We arrived at the starting line about 4-5 minutes before the start and stood shivering in the rain waiting for the start. My legs felt pretty good and although I hadn’t done any real speed workouts this year, I was hoping to at least break last year’s course PR of 47:45.

As the race began I surged ahead with the crowd, happy to be moving as it was a cool 5C/41F outside and I was already soaked from the rain. With only 360 runners the mass quickly dissipated and I fell into my groove. I pushed hard, stopping short of going anaerobic, the two kilometers were flat and I wanted to make some time. I passed the first kilometer marker in 4:30 (7:15/mile pace) and the second in 9:10 (4:40/K, 7:31/M). The third kilometer took a little longer as we had to run an underpass under the railroad. I managed to catch a few runners as we climbed back up from the underpass.

From here we ran along the railroad tracks to the shopping/industry center of town, the rain pelted us as we made our way over the open section of course. I was still averaging a 4:40/K (7:31/mile) pace as I passed the 4K marker. Shortly after this my shoe came untied and I had to stop and tie it. I tried to speed ahead to make up for last time, but wouldn’t you know it, the other shoe came untied. So again I stopped to tie my shoe, much to the amusement of a couple that had been following me and observing my troubles. Sometime during this episode I missed the 5K marker and worst of all fell off my pace.

The course crossed the local county highway, which was closed for the race, and dipped under and over a couple bridges. My attempt to get back up to speed were thwarted by the changing elevation. As the course straightened out again and we crossed the 6K marker I didn’t even bother to look my watch, I knew I had lost a lot of time.

A runner edged by me as we entered a wooded section and I stuck like glue as we headed over the forest paths. As we turned onto the asphalt bike path I continued to stalk the runner slowly closing the 7-8 strides between us. As we headed over another bridge I slowly edged by him and increased the gap as we came down the other side.

With around 2K to go I picked up the pace as best I could trying to catch the next runner in front of me. We headed over a dirt path between a couple open fields and I managed to catch the runner in front of me by barrelling through the mud puddles as she chose to go around them. I passed the 9K marker as I entered the town and went down the last underpass. I caught a couple more runners on the way back up.

I sped down the street seeking to close the distance to one of the members of my running club that I saw up ahead. I knew he had to big of a lead to catch, but as I beat him last year I didn’t want him to be too far ahead.

As I rounded the last corner it was about 400 meters to the finish line and there was only one runner within range about 20 paces ahead. I heard feet hitting the ground behind me and I knew someone was trying to catch me. I was already breathing heavy by this time, but somehow I found a new burst of speed and managed to not only prevent the runner(s) behind me from passing, but I also passed the runner in front of me the last couple meters of the race (sorry dude).

After catching my breath I chatted with a few from my running club, but soon the rain and the cold took their toll and we headed our separate ways.

I finished in 48:07, slower than last year, but faster than the year before. I was 120th out of 268 runners, not too bad. If I had double-knotted my shoes at the start of the race I would have easily set a course PR, oh well, next year ;-)

Posted by Jack at 7:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday was my first long race for the year and a success in the sense that I completed the race. It turned out to be my second slowest race, which disappoints me, as I thought I was capable of doing much better. Somehow physically I just couldn’t get my act together. I saved an otherwise disastrous situation only by mentally toughing it out and perhaps a little by the grace of God.

My wife and I have been battling the flu off and on for a couple weeks, for the most part I missed the worst of it. My wife had planned on riding with me to the race, so she could meet her friend Eva who lives in the area. But when I woke her up I could tell she was not going anywhere, she was coughing, sneezing and fever. So I ended up driving alone to the race, luckily it was only about 35-40 minutes away.

I was feeling kind of tired before the race, but was hyped up and ready to roll. My legs felt pretty good, I had concentrated on eating right the last several days and I was very optimistic that I could at least beat my course record of 4:29.

Shortly before 10:00 a.m. I lined up toward the back of the pack at the start, we wore chips, so it wasn’t necessary to be towards the front. It felt a little warmer than last year, around 5C/41F and the sun was warming things up fast. The race started more or less on time, I shuffled to the timing mat and started my stop watch. It took a few minutes to break out of the pack, but I still managed to be almost on pace after the first kilometer, 6:06/K (abt. 9:45/M). My legs felt heavier than normal and quite stiff, but I gradually picked up the pace a bit, finishing the first 5K in 29:04, almost at my planned pace.

I moved on concentrating on keeping the pace fairly consistent. I completed the 10K in around 57 minutes (58:17 clock time), again right on pace. I continued on completing the long straight 8K stretch that brought me to the first turnaround. Then it was back on the same rode until shortly before the halfway point, where we turned right and ran over the timing mat. My chip time for the first half 2:05:25, my net time a minute or two less, I was a couple minutes behind last year’s time, but not concerned.

For this race there were aid stations roughly every 5K. Up to this point I had been drinking only water and been downing a gel every 10K. Somewhere between the 22K and 23K markers I started feeling like my energy tank was on empty. I walked for a minute and downed another gel, hoping this would bring me up again. At the 25K aid station I drank a couple cups of sports drink and ate half of a banana. I ran on but after a few minutes I hit the wall hard.

I walked it out for a couple minutes, but when I tried to run again I again I could barely get my legs to move faster than a shuffle. I shuffled on for maybe a kilometer, but could not get my legs to do what I wanted. I decided that I need to try to walk it out for awhile in the hopes that I could get out of my slump. I walked for maybe five minutes, then managed to jog most of the way to the 30K aid station.

At the 30K aid station I downed another sports drink, ate a piece of banana and tried to stretch out my legs. I jogged on for a few minutes, but was overcome by a charley horse in my right leg that about crippled me. I walked it out and tried to resume my running. I made it a couple hundred meters and again was overcome with cramping. I walked it out and thought about my situation.

If nothing else I knew I was in trouble and probably would not be able to run much more. I plodded on running as long as I could, walking when my legs tightened up. I past the 32K point, the very point where I gave up the race in 2006, when I DNF’ed. Somehow this sparked angry within and I vowed that I would finish this race if I had to crawl the whole way in.

The course ran along a county highway at this point, whereas there are reflective markers every 50 meters. For the next 10K I focused on these markers, running for 2-3 markers, then walking 1-2 markers. My cramping was now in both legs and at times I barely could run a 100 meters at a time. On the other side my walking was still relatively strong and I was able to walk out the cramps.

The kilometers ticked slowly by, on three separate occasions the control van came by and asked if I wanted a ride to the finish (e.g. to quit) – each time it only caused me to push harder. I knew I would reach the finish line, I guess they weren’t so sure.

My pace was pitifully slow, but solid. On a good day I probably could have power-walked faster than I was moving, but this wasn’t a good day. Finally I reached the edge of town and made my way into the stadium and the finish line. The stadium was fairly desolate, the most had finished long ago. I didn’t care, my only thought was to finish the ¾ loop around the stadium without falling on my face.

I hobbled over the finish line in 596th place, out of 603. Based on my chip time I needed 2:05:25 for the first half and 2:59:19 for the second half (5:06:56). My net time was 5:04:44, a mere 6 minutes faster than my first marathon in 2005.

I quietly picked up a banana and an isotonic drink and sat on a bench next to a couple runners that finished a few minutes ahead of me. I walked/jogged with one of them for awhile while on the course, he was having similar cramping problems.

The sun was shining, it had warmed up to 13C/55F and the wind was finally still. I fought with muscle spasms in both legs, much to the amusement of my companions. Finally I decided I needed to start the long trip to the car, so bid farewell. My legs ached, but I made it to the car. I sat on a bench near the car and immediately experienced the worst cramps of the day, almost falling of the bench in pain. After a few minutes these passed and I collected my bag and hobbled over to the showers, which fortunately were close by.

I showered and drove home, I wasn’t in the mood to join in the festivities at the sport hall. I arrived safely and tried to make the best of the rest of the day with my wife. She was still feverish and feeling poorly, I can’t say I was feeling the best either.

This morning I feel worn-out and my lower legs have had better days. I’m sure I will be trying to figure out what went wrong yesterday, in the hopes that I can learn from the experience. Or maybe there really isn’t a good explanation, maybe I just wasn’t ready for the race. In any case it’s time to let the body heal so that I can get on with my training, if nothing else I learned I have a lot of work to do.

Posted by Jack at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

This morning I drove to Kraichtal-Oberacker, about 40 minutes from our house for the annual 10K cross-country race held there. I arrived about an hour early and it was still pretty quiet. The race normally draws around 150 runners for the main event and dozens of kids for the school-age races.

I picked up my number and chilled out in the sport hall for awhile. I chatted with a couple runner’s that I knew, then finally headed out to get ready for the race. It was warm outside (8C/46F), but stormy, with a bone chilling wind. Luckily the race was mostly through the woods.

I lined up shortly before 10 a.m. with the other approx. 160 runners. As we waited for the start I thought about my goal for the race. I ran the race two years before and finished in 55:22, so I decided my goal was to run the race in under 55 minutes. My thoughts were interrupted by the countdown to the start. We headed over a small soccer field and into the woods. There was barely room to pass as we snaked our way through the forest on a small trail. After about a kilometer we started climbing a hill, my pace slowed some, but picked up on the downhill side. With the second hill we circled to the left and started making our way back towards the start over a serious of gently rolling hills. After about 3K we popped out of the forest and ran around the soccer field, the end of the first round.

The second round went rather uneventful, I latched onto a couple people that were doing a comfortable speed that felt about right for today. The runners were quiet, I guess too busy watching the trail.

As I started the uphill portion of the last loop I could feel myself slowing down, but as we neared the soccer field and the finish I tried to catch the runner in front of me, but the much younger runner gave me no chance. As I broke out of the woods I did my best to sprint across the soccer field to the finish line.

I finished in 52:12, over 3 minutes faster than two years before! I finished 105 out of 165 runners and 18th out of 23 in my age group. Not bad for my first race of the year!

Posted by Jack at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Canandaigua 50 mile race course was just as beautiful as I had imagined that it would be. The course was also just as challenging as I had anticipated it to be. As I toed the line at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 6) I was prepared for a difficult race, little did I know how prophetic this would be.

I ran the first 15 miles at a slow but steady pace, for I knew there were some tough hills ahead and my preparations for this race were much less than my 50-miler in June.

Lara, my crew chief was doing really well at keeping me motivated and I enjoyed chatting with other runners from time to time.

As I began my climb of the infamous Bopple Hill, the bear of the race, I started walking up the incredibly steep hill.

I had barely gone 2-300 feet when I started to feel nauseous and a bit dizzy. I drank from my water bottle and tried to continue, but it became so bad I had to sit on the guardrail for a moment. After a few seconds the feeling passed so I continued on, but in a couple minutes I again felt overwhelmed. I sat down on the guardrail for a bit until the feeling cleared, then continued. This went on the entire way up the hill. Lara was waiting at the top of the hill and someone said to her that she should bring me some water. She met me a few hundred feet from the top and we walked up together.

I really didn’t know what was going on with my body at this point, I had never felt so nauseous during a race, especially less than a third of the way into a race. At the top of the hill I drank heavily and headed off again. After awhile I could run some, but anything that resembled elevation gain had me walking.

Lara met me a couple times over the next few miles and gradually I did start feeling better, but I just couldn’t get back up to speed again.

By the 20 mile point I was becoming very concerned about reaching the next aid station, let along finishing the race. My super crew Lara was tough and kept me moving.

I ran/walked to the aid station just past the marathon point. I past the 26.2 mile marker in around 5:59:00, a full 1 hour and 20 minutes slower then during my 50-mile race in June.

If anyone could have given me a reason to stop at that point, I think I would have. I could barely run anything that wasn’t downhill, and wasn’t so sure if I wanted to continue – but no one offered me an excuse so I moved on out towards the next aid station. About the only reason that I could find in my head to keep going at this point was that if this race was going to beat me it was going to have to take me down kicking and screaming.

I continued on the best that I could, but merely a shell of my normal self, I had never, ever experienced such a bad race before. Let me insert a note about the weather at this point. According to Lara the temperature was hovering in the high 80's, almost record temperatures for western NY in October. To top it off it kept raining with alternating bouts of sunshine - which turned the race route into a sauna.

I made it to the aid station at the 31.3 mile point and Lara informed me she was going to jump in at the next aid station (Vine Valley) to pace me. The Vine Valley aid station, at mile 35.6, was the first chance that pacers had to pace. Originally Lara was going to pace beginning at mile 42.5. This girl knew I was in trouble and responded in such an overwhelming manner that I get all choked up about as I write – I think I can never find the right words to express what this meant to me…

Anyway I shuffled on to Vine Valley and shortly after this Lara joined me.

I was jogging the downhills for the most part, but just couldn’t get my legs to move on the rest. Lara did her best to try to at least keep my walking pace strong, but I knew we were racing against the clock. We passed through the next aid station at mile 38.8 and I tried to do the math as we walked up the hill leading from there. I still had enough wits to figure out there was no way short of a miracle that I could beat the 12-hour cutoff.

We arrived at the second to the last aid station at mile 42.5. A race official had just arrived in his car and I looked him in the eye and he told me what I already knew, I had 1-1/2 hours to travel 7.5 miles. Based on my last 10 miles I knew that I needed much longer than that and we would be arriving at an empty finish line and in the dark. Nothing that I had tried in the last 27 miles had worked to get me running properly again, so I sadly threw in the towel and plopped into a chair.

As I write I deeply regret not pushing on to the finish, maybe I wouldn’t feel as lousy as I do if I had at least crawled over the finish line. It was a bitter pill to swallow and the taste lingers in my mouth. I can come up with an extended list of little things that probably contributed to my fall, all related to race preparation and my travel. To be sure the high-80’s temperature and humidity on race day didn’t help. If it is any consequence I believe I ran the best race that I knew how, I just didn’t toe the line with a full tank of gas.

I do want to take this opportunity to thank the best crew person that I could have asked for. Lara you went above and beyond to keep me going and I know that without you I would not have found the fortitude to go as far as I did. I hope that I will have the chance to come back and take on this race again in the next year or two. And when I do I can only pray that you will be there for me, because then I know I will have every advantage that a runner could ask for! Sis, you’re a superstar!

Posted by Jack at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I have been trying to find words to describe my Canandaigua race experience, but can find any to do it justice. It was a wonderful race, with all the beauty and challenge that I had hoped for. Unfortunately I toed in the line ready to race, but not on this course. Early on it turned into a slogging session and as I arrived at the 42.5 mile aid station with nearly 10-1/2 hours behind me the race official questioned whether I could finish the last 7.5 miles in 1-1/2 hours and sadly I was honest with myself and him and threw the hat in.

There was certainly no single cause for what proved to be my most difficult race ever, I ran a well thoughout race from the beginning, but ran into unforeseen problems and could not rally. I will post an extended version of the race when I return to Germany next week. Until then I will be licking my wounds and start thinking about Canandaigua 2008 :-)

Posted by Jack at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The weather forecast for the 25th Annual Baden Marathon in Karlsruhe, Germany yesterday were almost idea…25C/77F, sunny and windless. As I lined up with the almost 10,000 runners and walkers who had signed up for the marathon or half-marathon, it was still a fresh 14C/57F. But the excitement and energy of the runners had a warming effect as we waited for the countdown that would set the mass into motion.

As is typical for this event, the starting words were sounded and the veterans continued to visit with one another, we towards the back knew it would take up to 10 minutes before we were under way – we all wore chips so it didn’t matter.

I took off with a couple from my running club, but after 8-10 minutes let them go on ahead, their goals were much faster than mine. I fell into a comfortable pace and tried to enjoy the ride. I only had one goal for the race, to run a comfortable pace and save my strength for my 50-miler on Oct. 6th. Actually this was a dress rehearsal for the 50-miler, which is also a road race – I haven’t trained on asphalt at all in the last 3-4 months.

I passed the 10K point in 57:23, an average pace of 5:44/K (9:14/M), which is about what I planned on. The first 10K wound through the city of Karlsruhe to Durlach, then passed over the Autobahn into the Oberwald towards the town of Rueppurr. This bike path section is kind of cool as some of the local musicians set up along the way and support us with music. I particularly appreciated the dude playing the bagpipes, he had a good upbeat tune flowing from his pipes - he understood our needs!

We passed through a couple towns then wound our way back into Karlsruhe around the 20K point. I completed the second 10K section in 58:57. The path ran by the stadium near where we started and the marathon and half-marathon split. I resisted the temptation to cut my run short and headed on to finish my marathon. I passed the half-marathon band in 2:02:47, a bit faster than I had planned on.

As the course headed through a long park section that winds its way through Karlsruhe I could feel my quads rebelling against the flat, asphalt, course. I do much better on diverse terrain with some hills and a mix of trails – it keeps my quads happy. I ignored the increasing soreness in my legs and continued on, passing the third 10K part of the race (30K/18.6M) in 01:04:56, a noticeable decrease in speed. This section of the race took us through a long park as I mentioned, then ran near the Rhine River port and refinery located in the northern section of Karlsruhe. From here we headed back towards the center of town where the Palace and market area are located.

From kilometer 30 to about 38 we wound our way around the palace gardens, fountains and crowds of cheering people who had parked themselves there – then through the main shopping mile in the market square before the palace. The crowds were welcome as runners fought to keep going as the temperature began to rise. I had been walking through the aid and water stations and by now my walks grew longer, but I still barely lingered more than a minute or two before running on. My pace had slowed, but I was still steady. I passed the 4th 10K section in 1:08:16.

With just a couple kilometers to go my only thoughts were to get the race over with. My legs felt banged up from the hard road surface and my stomach was not happy with the new sports drink that the organizers switched to this year. But I was still running which is more than I could say for many dozens of runners that I passed. As I rounded the last curve before the stadium a couple people from my running club spotted me and cheered me up the small hill into the stadium and the finish. My official chip time 4:23:53, which is my second fastest marathon time – not bad for a “training run”.

This morning my legs are a bit sore, but I am walking fine and don’t look at stairs like they are an obstacle to cross. I probably go for a short recovery run this even to loosen the legs up, then a longer one on Wednesdy. My goal is to be able to complete a 2-3 hour hilly long run on Saturday, which will be my last long run until my ultra on Oct. 6.

Have a nice week!

Posted by Jack at 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Last Wednesday night when I ran with my Running Club they had a sign-up sheet for a 10K race today. It was a local race in a nearby town and our group normally shows up in full force. At first I declined, but they twisted my arm and talked me into it.

Well yesterday I ran my first long run in several weeks, so when I woke up this morning I started looking for excuses not to go. I had myself talked out of it, thinking that I shouldn’t miss church, but then my wife reminded me that I said that I would be there and living a Christian life means keeping my word – ouch!

So I ate a quick breakfast and got ready to go. The race started at 9:30, I left the house about an hour before and arrived about 45 minutes before the start. As I went to pick up my race number our running club leader handed it too me, she said the club was paying for the race today, cool!

I chatted with some of the club for 15-20 minutes, then went to find a bathroom and warm up for the race. I was quite stiff and sore from my long run the day before, but as I jogged around the track at the sports club I began to loosen up a bit. As I ran I tried to figure out a strategy for the race – I knew that it was too soon after my injury to even think about running a fast race, so it was more a question about what sort of pace I could maintain.

As I lined up at the Start I cleared my head of any time stress and decided to just run how I felt and see what happens. I noticed a few of my running club farther up front, but they were looking to set personal records, so I stayed more towards the back. The weather was almost perfect, clear skies, mild temperatures (around 19C/56F), the only problem was a slight wind.

As the start pistol went off I inched forward with the crowd, but was able to speed up fairly quickly as the crowd surged forward. The sport center is located in an open field between the towns of Neuthard and Karlsdorf, and we headed out over a bike path towards Neuthard. I passed the first kilometer marker in 4:52 (7:50/mile pace), better than I expected.

The race course entered Neuthard and wound its way around the town. Dozens of residents were out lending there support to the runners. The course wound its way back out of town and over bike paths to Karlsdorf. Again crowds were out cheering us on as we wound our way through town. From Karlsdorf the course again headed out over a bike path back to the sports center, end of the first loop.

I finished the first 5K in 25:20, a bit slower than I hoped for, but not surprising. Over the next couple kilometers I started slowing down, my legs were tired from the long run the day before. As I passed the 7K marker several people started passing me, so I tried to pick up the pace a bit. By kilometer 9 I had managed to pass all but one of those who passed me. As I headed out across the field towards the finish line I tried my best to at least maintain my pace. As I ended the stadium I broke into a sprint and almost caught the person in front of me as I crossed the finish line.

Catching my breath I walked it out, then joined some of my running club near the finish line. After hanging out for awhile I made my way back home for a shower and some lunch. I ended up finishing the race in 51:25, not bad for barely having my stitches out for a week – and completing a 20-mile long run the day before.

My legs are a bit tired as I write, but my knee seems to be holding up really well. In two weeks is the Baden marathon in Karlsruhe, this weekend has shown me that I can make it over the finish line.

Have a nice Sunday!

Posted by Jack at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It was shortly before 5 a.m. on Sunday when I left the snuggly confines of my bed and started my morning routine. With effort I woke my wife up and she reluctantly starting getting ready to go. Our destination was Hundseck, near Bühlertal in the Black Forest, my objective the Hornisgrinde Marathon.

The air was cool and fresh when we arrived at Hundseck. Hundseck is ski resort in the winter and a hiking paradise in the summer. Thirty-five years ago someone had the idea that it would be a great place to run a marathon and they have been doing it annually ever since! I have run the half-marathon twice in the past and was well aware of the beauty of the area, as well as the challenge I was up against – this is not a marathon for someone with weak knees or a weak will.

I picked up my start number and sat with my wife for awhile in the festival tent near the start. As we waited it started to rain…no, actually it started to pour outside! We heard some of the 10K runners complaining about the weather, I just waited patiently, I knew how quickly the weather changes in the Black Forest.

It was still sprinkling as I made my last pitstop and lined up at the Start. After a few minutes of comments from the local mayor, we counted down and off we went, the start of the 35th annual Hornisgrinde Marathon!

I inched my way forward until the 250 runner wave finally found its rhythm. We headed across the parking lot and up a small logging trail into the forest. The trail was tight for the first couple kilometers, I figured out right away that I had started too far in the back of the pack. But I knew there was no point in trying to weave through the crowd, so took my time and tried to figure out my strategy for the race. I really didn’t have any set goals for the race, in the back of my mind I was hoping that I could improve my best time, but I knew that the severity of the trail would not make this easily attainable.

By the 5K point the rain had stopped and the sun came out. I removed my running jacket as I arrived at the aid station shortly after this and tied it around my waist, it was warming up fast. The trails were in good shape, very little mud or standing water and most covered with ground-in gravel – very runnable.

The first half of the race was supposed to be mostly flat or downhill, at least according to the race profile. I found myself wondering if they posted the right profile as I huffed and puffed over one hill after the other. But on the other hand the hills were not steep and were runnable!

I remember passing the 10K point in around 56:30, a pretty good time for me considering the rolling terrain. The pace I was running felt good so I decided to keep it up as long as I could, I figured I would need to slow down for the second half of the race that was supposed to be mostly uphill.

The trail consisted mainly of dirt/gravel logging roads, but occasionally switched to asphalt or single-trail to traverse from one trail to another. The elevation also seemed to be rolling up and down one hill after another, but rarely steep – in most cases I could continue my pace without slowing down.

I passed the half-marathon point in just under two hours, I knew I had a good chance of running a best time if I could only hold the pace. My mind kept flashing back to the race profile, which showed mostly uphill for the second half of the race – I tried to blot these negative thoughts out of my mind and kept driving forward.

After the HM point the trail climbed over the mountain into the next valley.

Beginning at kilometer 25 the trail did a short (10 min.) out and back along a lake (Stausee) hidden in the middle of the forest. This is a popular objective for hikers and the organizers were sure to include it for the race. I admired the beauty of the lake and surrounding valley as I made my way out and back.

After the out and back the trail followed a trail around the other side of the lake for a short time, then headed up the side of the hill and on to the next valley. My quads were getting sore by this time from the rolling hills, but I knew this was no cause for concern and plodded on.

I passed the 30K marker in just under three hours. I walked through the aid station just passed this stuffing down pieces of German bread and banana, washed down with sports drink and water. As I ate I did a quick evaluation: My legs were sore, but nothing I couldn’t deal with, I was well hydrated, it still wasn’t too hot and I was still holding a steady pace. As I started running again I made the decision that I was going to push to the end.

After the 30K aid station the trail began a long gradual climb for at least 7K/4.3M. I was all business as I wound my way up the gradually, but unceasing climb. I walked through the aid station around kilometers 36 slowing only to grab a piece of banana and some sports drink. I wasted no time getting back up to pace.

The trail continued to climb becoming steeper and steeper as I progressed. My legs were hurting but I didn’t let up. I remember passing the 37K/23M marker in something like 3:40:00 – I knew I would have a new personal record (PR) if I could just keep running…

With less than 5K to go my legs were screaming, but I was determined. I concentrated on trying to reel in other racers. As the trail continued to get steeper, runners began to slow or even walk, I picked them off as I went. The kilometers ticked slowly by…with two kilometers to go (just over a mile) we started up the steepest part of the race. My quads hurt, my heart pumped, but I barely slowed. The forest trail gave way to asphalt and I knew we were on the road that led to the finish line. I passed the last kilometer marker, the trail steepened – I debated whether to walk…I wanted to walk…but then the thought popped into my head, this was almost exactly like a section of trail that I run every Saturday during my long runs, it no harder than that – I ran on.

Finally I saw the first building at the ski lift, I knew I was almost there…

...as I saw the finish line I churned out my best effort towards a sprint to the finish line…as I approached I saw my wife snap a picture and heard the announcer say something to the effect of the next runner Jack from the LT TSV Graben running club…

I knew I had just run the marathon of my life, and as I walked around and caught my breath I could feel the satisfaction building inside – what a feeling! My official time 4:14:13, a new personal record by 15 minutes and 23 seconds, wow!!

My wife and I enjoyed some of the food being sold at the event and gradually made our way back home. I even felt good enough to make the 45 minute drive home.

I would recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a change from the city marathons. This is generally not considered a fast marathon, the winner this year finishing in 2:44:25 (the winning female in 3:08:57). For me it is my kind of race and I enjoyed it immensely. I hope I will have the chance to run it again sometime.

I finished 159/253 overall and 37/50 in my age class (M45). This morning (Monday) my legs are a bit stiff and tired, but not nearly as bad as with previous marathons. I am looking forward to a day or two of rest, then a recovery week before I start training for the next adventure.

Note: The pictures are from last years race, but the route was the same as this year.

Posted by Jack at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)