RACE HIGHLIGHTS
Location: Sonthofen, Bavaria, Germany
Date: 24 August 2014
Time: 4:45:02
Rank: 3rd place in women under 30, 20th overall female, and 160th overall
I call this race the “best/worst experience of my life”. When I announced my first marathon was going to be overseas in Germany, many thought it was cute almost like a sweet, little vacation I was treating myself with. When I told friends it was in the Alps of Southern Germany, they thought I was crazy. In reality, I scheduled my first marathon in Germany as a form of mind-trickery. At the time I hated training so I knew if I scheduled my race half way around the world, I’d HAVE to train for it and I may even want to. I remembered what the Alps looked like from a previous trip to Germany but it wasn’t until we drove to their enormous bases that I realized what it would mean for me. I had no idea what was in store.
I remember this race like it was yesterday. I woke that August morning to the weather being 48 degrees Fahrenheit and pouring at the base of the mountain; not exactly what I’m used to and nothing like what the pictures showed. Not so lucky me, I brought shorts and a tank top. I quickly realized I’d need more so I switched to a t-shirt; it was all I had. Meanwhile everyone else had multiple layers, hiking sticks, trail shoes and there I stood in the freezing rain with shorts, a t-shirt and Brooks running shoes. My ride had driven away, I didn’t have a cell phone and it was only later that I would realize I had told my ride to meet me at the wrong location. I finished alone in a foreign country being the only American in the race and it was beautiful.
A mile into the race I remember thinking “slow and steady” and as soon as I thought that, I looked up and saw people walking. My next thought was “why on earth are they walking?” and then I arrived at that same position and knew the next 41 kilometers would be hell. My quads were already burning and the signs were in kilometers so I never knew where I was on the course and I couldn’t ask for help because my German was minimal at best. The mountains grew colder and steeper. I had no food or water on me. All I could do was rely on their aid stations, which were few and far between. We were a few mountain peaks in (yes, I said mountain peaks) when it started snowing and my body became so cold I entered survival mode. My only choices were stop running and allow my quadriceps some much needed rest to which I would then freeze or push past the pain, run faster, ignore the sight of seeing my own breath and place my hands in my armpits with the hope that I might warm up. (Do you know how hard it is to run like that??). Thankfully the aid stations started giving out hot tea instead of water; clearly they were expecting this scenario.
What I didn’t tell you before is that we were running in cow pasture. I’m not kidding. Remember when I said it was raining earlier? Yes, so that cow pasture was now mud and yes, we were running amongst cows, in and out of their fence lines and gates. Why is that important? Here’s why. We were running in the Alps and that means up MOUNTAINS (as high as the ski lifts), on trails made through cow pasture in the mud and rain. I was in sneakers, which meant I had zero traction. At one point the trail was so narrow (about a foot wide) and slick we were all running single file which was fine except you felt pressured to run faster and when you’re running along the side of a steep and muddy mountain that’s difficult to do. I made the mistake of looking to my left and instantly regretted it. I grew light-headed and knew if I made one wrong move, just one, I would be sent down the side of that mountain.
These were the moments I clung to, the memories I cherish because as difficult as they were I fought through them, I survived, I thrived and my reward was getting to the top and looking out from those mountains; God’s creation. There are simply no words for what I saw. By the end of the race the August sun came out (finally!) and we zigzagged down the last mountain which was almost more difficult than going up it because gravity was pulling you down at rapid speed meanwhile your muscles are hating you and your legs are feeling every stone and divot. But, our efforts were rewarded with German pretzels at the aide stations and villagers coming out of their sweet, fairy tale homes to cheer us on. It was magical. And at the end, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I had just finished my first marathon in the most beautiful place on earth.
