September 28, 2008
5:18:44
This was one of the more memorable marathons for a lot of reasons. I was fortunate enough to be chosen for a one month European fellowship. I spent the month of September in Switzerland learning from one of the great minds in foot and ankle surgery. I figured as long as I was there, I might as well run a marathon!
I knew that Berlin was one of the great marathons in the world, so the timing was perfect. I had run a sub 4 hr race in the spring, and my training was going very well. I aimed to improve on that time.
The expo the day before the race was a disaster. Germans are know for being organized and efficient, but this was the worst I have ever seen. It took me almost 3 hours of waiting in line to get my race number and chip. The youth hostel that I stayed at in East Berlin didn't exactly afford a very restful nights sleep, either.
Race day was perfect. Sunny and calm, with temperatures in the 50s (F). I ran the first few miles under 9 minutes/mile and felt really good. At about mile 4 my left knee started to hurt like crazy. IT band issues again. If you've ever had it, you know it is not something you can easily run through. I was forced to stop several times and try to massage out the soreness. Lucky for me, there were actually a few places on the course that offered a massage, too!
My pace slowed to almost a crawl and I wondered if I would ever finish. One of the neat things about international races is the different traditions. On this course I saw many spectators wearing medal from Berlin Marathons that they had finished. I had never seen that done before, but it was the incentive I needed to finish. I was going to get one of those medals!!
I did finish, but it took well over five hours. I was beat, but very proud that I had finished. I basically ran the entire race in severe pain. The 5 flights of stairs I had to walk up to get back to my room at the hostel took almost as long as the race.
My wife and I then toured Berlin for a few days. It is one of the most interesting and exciting places I have been. It's very old, but also very new. I will always cherish the experience there. I will also always cherish the medal from the Berlin Marathon. All of the others are in a shoebox in my basement. Berlin is the only medal that I display. It's a constant reminder to never give up in pursuit of your goals.
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