Marathon 2 is completed, even though it ended up being a tough piece of work, but let's start at the beginning.
The run was set to start at 10:30, which is quite a late time for a Marathon, but it allowed us to sleep in until about 07:40 and didn't have to go to bed too early. I followed my usual ritual in the morning, high carb breakfast (Müsli with a banana), hydrate my body, get dressed and check if everything is packed. I decided to take both pairs of shoes, since I made the mistake last time to wear the light street shoes, which went on to cause some serious blisters, as they are not meant for any type of wet weather at all. I didn't want that to happen to me again.
Same as last time, I drove to the event and Christine drove back. There's no traffic and we reach our destination after about one hour of driving. The parking area is full, but there are not many people around. I decide to go for the racing shoes again, since it wasn't very wet and it didn't look like I would be running through any forests or similar. The event offered a lot of different distances, from an 800m kids run to a 5K, 7.5K, 15K, 21.1K, 30K and finally a Marathon, so there were a few more people there than expected. I had to register for the run at the event, so I had to fill in a a small form and pay my fees and then got assigned my bib with my number. After a quick run to the toilet, one last banana and a bit of walking around, it was already time to head to the starting area.
Let's begin with the positives! The field only consisted of 94 runners, so no crowding on the first few meters. I find my groove quickly and set my pace to my desired 04:44 per kilometer. The route quickly opens up into open fields and a strong and cold headwind welcomes the runners. We continue running through fields with an occasional street crossing that is regulated by policemen. A few farms here and there and a girl riding her pony with a smartphone in her hands are the highlights of the scenery. Generally a pretty relaxed atmosphere, bit like a normal Sunday run, but I quickly notice after about 8 kilometers, that this is not going to be a good run. I've gotten pretty good at knowing what kind of run it is going to be after running a few minutes and my instincts did not fail me this time either. I managed to keep up my pace for the first lap á 14 KM, but after that point my performance quickly declined. The first 7-8 KMs were the windiest of each lap, which didn't make things easier. After only 18KM I have my first of many walking breaks to follow. After my second lap I long to call it a day, but it wouldn't be a Marathon if I didn't have to torture myself a little. In my last lap I am not able to run more than 2 KM at a time without some walking breaks inbetween. Every refreshment post is a welcome excuse to take another break. The wind is really starting to annoy me. At KM 36 I follow an older man, who has the same ratio of walking and running as I do. At some point I manage to overtake him before he catched up to me again on my next break. He chats to me and we end up running the remainer of the race together. I tell him about my project and he tells me that it is his 56th Marathon in the last 12 years. I certainly have a while to go until I get to that point! One last lap around the small stadium and we finally cross the finish line.
Even though the Marathon was excrutiatingly tough, I can't say that I feel overly drained, please don't ask me why! I have no blisters and my my muscles practically don't hurt at all the next day, which either means that I didn't torture my body enough in the race or that my performance was not related to my physical condition. In any case, it means that I can start preparing for the next Marathon much earlier this time and gives me hope that I will be able to improve on my time for the next race.
The next Marathon will most definitely be the smallest one of all, since I will be the only participant :) I will follow up with some information shortly.
Quick summary:
The wind made this run most difficult and it appears that I also didn't have a good day. The good news is that I feel much better than after my Marathon in Kleve. As always, I am most grateful to my wife for accompanying me, for cheering me on and for driving me home while I take a nap ;)
Until next time!
Stefan
10 minutes before the start, still empty!
Close up, just for you!
One last selfie!
Getting undressed after lap 1, which turned out to be a mistake later on!
Approaching the start of lap 3.
One could almost get the impression that I feel good!
On my final lap around the stadium.
20 Meters remaining!
Running through the finish line with my new friend.
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