First Things First...

I made it.

54 km / 1250 meters difference in altitude in 5:46:17 hours.

The Prologue

Last year in November I wanted to run the Athens Classic Marathon in Greece. Everything was going great until my knee started to hurt. The pain wouldn’t subside so I went to the doctor’s, who diagnosed a tear in my left meniscus which lead to a knee operation at the end of October. So instead of running I had to party my fuckin' brains out in Athens - which wasn’t the most unpleasant thing I’ve ever had to do in my life…

 I was able to slowly start running by Mid-December. I had no pain at all, although the three scars on my knee always started to swell up like horns after running more than 10 km. I was able to compete in the New Year’s Eve Run in Bietigheim-Bissingen running 11.2 km side by side with Tina.

In January I was busy going to 7 concerts during MANOWAR’s Death To Infidels Tour throughout Germany. I caught a bad cold and ended up with frontal sinusitis having to take heavy medicine to get rid of it. By Mid-February I had recovered and was finally able to do some „real“ running.

I wanted to run a marathon in Spring but there wasn’t one that really suited me. That’s when I came up with the brilliant idea (hehe) to run the Stromberg Extreme Run. The run is only a shot from where I live so I thought the whole thing wouldn’t be as stressful as having to travel any where far. Tina was totally shocked ("You're fuckin' nuts!") and I wasn’t really sure about being able to run such a distance either (my insecurity would last until the actual moment I crossed the finish line) because I only had 12 weeks to get into shape after such a long running break.

So I started to run and run and run doing a couple of long jogs covering distances of over 30 km. But my training didn’t satisfy me at all. I never really thought that I was running enough. Thank God I had no problems with my knee whatsoever...but still – I was so unsure about the whole thing working out. And on the other hand I partied like hell – in England, in Bulgaria and at home. I gained weight, too much weight. Weighing over 91 kg wasn’t really a good idea and definitely didn’t help me get rid of my nagging doubts. I couldn’t start a diet because I needed my strength for the long jogs. I was fucked up. Well, at least that's how I felt. Somehow I did manage to lose 2 kg so that I weighed just a bit over 89 kg on the day of the race.

I really have to say a big and mighty thanks to my wife Tina who had endured my emotional ups and downs during the last three months. The pressure which I had inside of me let me act – well, let’s say a bit strange at times. Not only did I have a lot of respect towards this run – I was actually scared shitless.

The Run

On Saturday Petra came from Regensburg to visit us. We had a great evening together – first at our favorite Greek restaurant and then at home. It was really great seeing her again – for more reasons than one...

We talked and talked and finally went to bed maybe just a little too late. Petra who still had a cold had slept well, while I lay tossing and turning in my sheets (thinking, worrying). Tina who was even more excited and nervous about MY run (now that is what I call True Love!!!) almost didn’t sleep at all.

The alarm clock rang at 6 am and I looked outside my bedroom window. The sky was cloudy but we actually saw the sun rising – a huge ball of fire in the East – what a beautiful way to wake up. I got dressed and then heard a familiar yet terrible sound coming from our window on the roof. The sound of rain drops – no, please no. The weather forecast had predicted a cloudy but dry day without any precipitation. Well, FUCK YOU Mr. Weatherman.

I had a quick breakfast, put on my running clothes and off we were to Ochsenbach, the village where the run was to take place.

It rained and rained until it actually poured. 6° Celsius wasn’t cool either and my insecurity became stronger again. I didn’t want to run for over 5 1/2 hours in the rain freezing my ass off – no fuckin’ way!

Well, of course I couldn’t change anything so instead, I said to myself – Fuck You, Hail & Kill and let’s go…

The run immediately took a steep incline. Running uphill was actually good because it didn’t let me feel the cold. At the beginning I was wearing a t-shirt, a long sleeve and my running jacket which turned out to be a good idea. The first couple of kilometers were easy going – I actually had to slow myself down. Starting a long race too fast is one of the biggest mistakes a long distance runner can make. The euphoria of the competition and the great feeling inside can lead to a serious misjudgment. Running too fast will kill you after 30 km on the track – your muscles will start to cramp and you will most likely suffer from overacidification.

After about 16 km I ran around a corner in Hohenhaslach and there they were – my two cheerleaders. It was so great to see Tina and Petra.

Afterwards I made a steep descent to Spielberg. I reached the third fluid station where one of the runners had already given up. I mean what the fuck – how could you be totally worn out after only running 20 km participating in a 54 km run. Every normal thinking human being on earth should have enough brains to know that one cannot just run such a distance without enough training, right – well, maybe not.

My girls were there to cheer for me. I was able to get rid of my running jacket because it had stopped raining. I changed into a dry long sleeve which Tina had brought with her and off I went...

The longest ascent was up next. We would run to the highest hill in the region – the Baiselsberg. After a half hour without rain it started again. That sucked and got me a bit bad-tempered.

I always ran on my own (72 runners participated and 62 were able to finish the race) with a couple of exceptions. I had to keep my own pace. I didn’t want to take any risks never having run such a long and strenuous distance before. And the stupid thing while constantly running up and down is that you can't really keep a steady pace.

I had plenty of time to do a lot of thinking. So I always set „small goals“ for myself. Like finishing the first third of the race after 18 km, halftime at 27 km, reaching the highest point and so on. That actually helped me to keep on running – eliminating the loneliness of the long distance runner…

After 31 km I had reached the Hamberger Lake and wow – what a surprise Tina and Petra were there again. Man, that really made me happy because I didn’t think they would be there. They were happy too, because they saw that I was still physically and mentally in great shape – totally relaxed. It is so damn good to have people who stand by your side when you need them the most – cheering for you. Them just being there gives you a great feeling and strength to carry on. Yeah sure, I know that all the lazy bastards out there do not have a clue what I am talking about, hehe…but having the girls out there was wonderful!

We talked a bit while I strengthened myself at the fluid station. I took the time to drink and eat and didn’t just grab the water and run onwards like I normally do running a „normal“ marathon in order to save time – I respected the run way too much and in the end I didn’t give a shit about my time – the only goal I had was to cross that damn finish line.

After 3 hours the rain had finally stopped for good. My pace at that time was 5:55 minutes per kilometer – which was pretty cool – although I would not be able to maintain that speed...

The race went on and I wouldn’t see my cheerleaders until the end of it. The route was pretty unspectacular until we reached a short steep descent. Right after that it was all uphill again which was a real pain in the ass. The incline started after 32 km and was about 2 km long. That’s when the first signs of fatigue started to show. Thank God for the fluid station, although it didn’t help me much.

Reaching the 36 km mark I thought I would feel happy having covered 2/3 of the race but instead I had a mental breakdown. My legs were ok and my stamina as well but my mind didn’t want me to carry on. The route was very even but I kept on slowing down. It was as if someone had pulled the plug and the thought of still having to run 18 km (instead of thinking about the 36 km I had left behind) was devastating. My insecurity rose and I became totally pissed off at myself because I hadn’t even ran the distance of a marathon. The difference in altitude was a true killer but at that moment I didn’t think about things like that. I literally dragged myself onwards. Then a runner caught up with me. His wife was accompanying him on a bike. He already had cramps. She kept pushing him and me onwards saying, „C’mon it’s only 6 km until we reach the Brandenburger Tor (referring to where the finish line of the marathon in Berlin is).“ Man, at that point I could’ve killed her ;).

After 41 km we reached fluid station #8 (there were 10 of them in total). I took off my long sleeve and gave it to the lady at the fluid station -  she actually brought it back to the finish line for me after the race was over – thanks for that! I drank water and an isotonic beverage and ate bread. Normally I only eat chocolate for carbohydrates during long distance runs but today my stomach said no - enough. So, I tried bread and it actually did the job.

I started to run again and it was unbelievable – someone had put the plug back in and all of a sudden it was all systems go again. Holy Shit! I ran like Hell knowing that I would soon reach my most important „small goal“ – covering the distance of a marathon - 42.195 km. After reaching that mark I lost control of my emotions. I had to laugh and then cry, then laugh while crying – this state of mind lasted for about 15 minutes – a crazy feeling known as „Runner’s High“. A feeling you get after running very long distances (although some people never experience it at all). Medically the brain pours out tons of endorphin (the so-called happiness hormone) and one actually can’t do anything about it – except to be happy…

And then the feeling was gone – as fast as it had arrived. After 48 km I had to run a short but steep incline. Finally my legs started to ache and the cramps slowly came. They got worse but I was not willing to give in - not any more. Up until then I had ran the complete distance of the race never having to make walking breaks. So my next small goal was to cross the 50 km mark running. It was Hell on earth - just believe me – because you have no fucking idea what I am talking about – so just shut up and take it for a fact ;). I clenched my teeth and dragged myself onwards. One more short but brutal (and in my opinion useless) incline and then I had made it – 50 fuckin’ km.

Funny enough, right afterwards the route went downhill so that I didn’t stop running. I just let myself drift. Of course the non-runners amongst you will think that it was easy going downhill because you don’t have to actually do much - haha - but then think again. My cramps had grown and I experienced great pain running downhill – well, it was more wobbling than running. The last fluid station was at the 52 km mark and the route had left the forest. I was out in a field and the sun was shining – the rays on my skin felt warm and I felt happy – it was a very beautiful moment. And although there were only 2 km left, I drank a bit of water and had another isotonic beverage – not for my body but for my soul.

...because that was the only way I was able to keep on running the entire distance – never stopping or walking along the track. In Ochsenbach my friends from our stable were there to cheer for me on the last meters of the race. It was great seeing them there.

I saw the finish line, forgot my cramps and smiled as I crossed it. My total time was 5:46:17 hours which meant my pace was 6:25 minutes per kilometer. But to be honest I didn’t give jackshit about the time because I had made it. I was there in good shape and I had killed my weaker self more than once during that godforsaken race. 

I would like to say many thanks to the organizers of the Kirbachtal-Run from the Turnverein Ochsenbach, especially to Volker Schoch. I have never experienced a better organization – everything was perfect and totally professional.

Even after 54 km I was too fast for Tina’s camera…;)

The girls were happy that I had made it „whole“ and I couldn’t believe the whole thing was over. 54 km and a difference of 1250 meters in altitude – fuckin’ crazy – eh, what, how, huh...

A mighty HAIL goes out to my Chicka-Cheerleaders!

And Hellyeah – now I was ready...

...for one of the best Hefeweizen in my entire life. Man, that tasted like pure gold and it was damn well-earned if I may say so myself, hehe...

We stayed at the event for a while, had another beer and devoured sausages and French fries before going back home. Petra left for Regensburg, I took a bath and afterwards Tina and I went to have a BBQ with our friends from our stable. The BBQ was great, and beer had never tasted better! Then back at home Tina and I talked about a great, wonderful and unbelievable weekend while having our last beer (ok, I admit I had two…) before falling into our beds. 

I don’t think that I will ever run such a distance again – I mean, I made it and that is enough for me. I guess I’ll stick to running marathons and half marathons - flat ones to be precise.

And this year I will party again in Athens– but this time hopefully after finishing the marathon...