It has been quiet on this blog for a while. My friend Simone said she wants to read something again, so I am dedicating this post to her. Why have I not written anything over the last months? The big question about whether or not to do an ultra marathon in 2014 was answered just a couple of weeks after Pisa, probably on one of the last days in 2013. I now refer to this experience as the “Horror Run”.…
I know, I already said Florence was the perfect Marathon, but Pisa was even more perfect. While this might not make sense linguistically (I reckon “perfect” is already the best, there cannot be a “more perfect”), it does somehow make sense in life: You think it can’t get better, but then it does. So, what happened in Pisa? First, I got under 3 hours 30, something I did not dare to hope for in 2013. Official time is 3:28:30. Second,…
I made it to the start line of the Pisa Marathon in time. That’s always a good start. But it is cold, around six degrees or so. A good excuse to wear these snazzy arm warmers they gave us. With the the leaning tower on it and the Pisa Marathon logo. Yeah, only 10 minutes to go! See you at the finish line!
The official time for the Dorset Trail? 5:48:44. Worst time ever 🙂 Yet it is one of the best marathons I’ve done. Thinking back I still get excited and want more. I image-googled for pictures and found this running blog. The pics are from 2012 but it looks nearly identical to how it was this year. Brings back nice memories. But now I am of to Pisa, for my 12th and last marathon in 2013.
It is a bit ironic that I did not manage to take one picture from the visually most stunning marathon yet. The Dorset Costal Trail Marathon yesterday was just awesome. There were parts where I thought, this is what paradise must look like. The sunny weather and mild temperatures supported this impression. Well, then the moments followed where I thought paradise and hell are quite close to each other. Probably after 2 thirds of the run. The steep hills were…
I am a big fan of the Florence marathon. Awesome views, friendly people and very well organised! I never ran in a marathon through small allies like here or was passing so many jaw-droppingly nice buildings. The conditions very absolutely perfect, only potential difficulty is a bit of uneven cobble stone and stone tiles in the town centre, but they did not bother me. I thought I give it a go and tried for under 3:30. And with these perfect…
I can’t help but take bad weather a bit personal. So when the forecast said rain for exactly the two days of my Florence visit, I was sulking a little bit. Well, the forecast got it wrong. Today the sun is out and I am happy. I guess it is only fair to take the good weather also personal and say a big THANK YOU! The marathon starts in 30 minutes. Florence is great and I am very excited!
The race is over. I am sitting in my hotel foyer and typing these lines. The obligatory start line picture was cancelled this time, due to astronomically high data roaming costs. But I did take a picture an here it comes: The bridge in background leads from Asia to Europe and the Istanbul marathon can claim to be the only one that goes over two continents (well, same way as Istanbul is apparently the only city on two continents). But…
This picture is as much as you get from the red carpet. Unfortunately not much. But let me assure you, it was GREAT! My running buddy Michael disappeared, I did not tell him about my tradition of taking bad quality pics not only from the start but also the finish. That’s why you see only me grinning. But we ran and finished the marathon together, which was a cool experience. And we managed to get exactly the same time: 4:04:59.…
The title is some kind of German and I am not sure how to translate it. But the important thing is, my running buddy Michael and I made it to the start line. In the background you see the Messeturm. This is we’re we will hopefully come back to in about 4 hours. See you at the finish line (on the red carpet inside the Festhalle)!
Tomorrow I am running Frankfurt, the 8th out if my 12 planned marathons for 2013. My first impression from collecting the bib, having some pasta and seeing the Frankfurt Festhalle (festival hall) where we will finish? It’s gonna be awesome! A lot of music, party and my running buddy Michael (the bloke next to me on the picture) says, tomorrow, there will be a red carpet towards the finish line. Running on a red carpet? A first for me! But…
I am back in the stadium, the atmosphere is buzzing and great. Crossed the finish line about 3 hours and 40/45 minutes later. Not quite sure, because my run keeper stopped working and I had to restart at kilometer 6. But the run was awesome, absolutely loved it. Best thing is to enter the Olympic Stadium with a little something left in your legs to do a sprintish finish. Makes you feel a bit like a real athlete 🙂
I am in the Olympic Stadium from Amsterdam now. In 1928 the Olympics were hosted here I was told. The building does not look that old. The marathon will start from here any minute. Will I be able to do it? It is the first time I am doing two marathons on two weekends in a row.
It starts in 20 minutes and I have not even seen the start line yet. I am lost in a sea of oversized (tall) people, hoping they are all fellow runners of the Amsterdam Marathon. When it comes to crowd management the organisers are not winning an award. But hey, the crowd is still moving slowly towards a sign “ONLY MARATHON ATHLETES”, there are still 15 minutes left and I try not to be too OCD about taking start line…
I am on the plane to Amsterdam. There is a nice quote on KLM’s paper napkins: Time flies, but you are the pilot. I like that. My inner pilot is getting me to the 7th marathon this year and my 11th in total. Somehow can’t believe that they are that many. Time truly flies…