Munchen Marathon 2011

I just have to say...J-Sak and I just had the best meal ever. Ever. A true Czech dinner...

It has become difficult to update my blog for various reasons...one being that we are out all day every day, and by 10pm, we are exhausted! Not wanting to wait in line for a computer, but rather wanting to hunker down in our bunks and turn out the lights! I do have a few things to write about :D

So, a week a go now, I ran my first half marathon (21.1 km) in Munich! The weather was COLD man. The entire time we were in Munich it rained and was no warmer than 5 degrees. Cold enough. The day after we landed in Munich, I complained the whole day of being frozen. Jeni reminded me that if I was gonna be like this the whole trip, I'd better find a sheep and sheer it myself for its wool, or find a new traveling partner, haha.

The evening before my race, Jeni and I found a nice Italian restaurant to eat at...gotta carb load yah know! This restaurant was a recommendation from our hostel and it was delicious, and we got complimentary Prosecco. So, the menu was all in Italian and, because I like to wing it, I didn't really ask what I was ordering, I just knew that it had penne in the description and I was good to go! Well, I ordered the most spiciest thing I have EVER eaten...the penne had a nice tomato sauce...and two nicely chopped chilli peppers in it. Let's just say that two chilli peppers + pre-race jitters = not such a hot night! Pun intended! My system was well cleaned out though by morning :)

The next morning Jeni dropped me off at my race destination...there were hundreds of people there...swarms! I was sooo nervous and cold that I had to pee numerous times before the race and the line up for the WC simply became too long...and you know what happened next. People were bush squatting left and right! I flashed the entire world. Hardcore.

The race was wonderful...it took me all through Munich and ended in the Olympic Stadium and I felt kinda pro! haha! J-Sak was my cheerleader, my groupie and my personal paparazzi! She saw me at the start, took the metro and caught me at half way and then cheered me on in the stadium at the end, it was great!

The race was harder than I anticipated. I think mainly because it was so bloody cold and I had been training throughout the summer. Also, I trained on the Goose in Victoria, which is mostly a gravel trail and easier on your body to run on...but the race was all on pavement, cobble stone, or concrete. My joints from the waist down were giving me grief by the end. My pace slowed significantly after kilometer 15. I was just getting more and more tired. I was hoping for a 2 hour finish, but finished in 2:15. I am not disappointed, not to worry, there was no way that I could've done it in 2 hours that day...my main goal was to run the whole 21.1kms without stopping...and I did just that.

To show some home town pride, I doctored me up with some Canada tattoos (thanks Mum!)...I received many positive hellos along the way. Some dood introduced himself to me as Mr. St. Catherines...I simply replied "Edmonton" in exhaustion at kilometer 18 and he patted me on the back and said I was doing great. At kilometer 20 a German man said "All the way from Canada?! You've come a long way, good job!" I thought: Yes, I have come a long way...in many respects...and I'm almost done this race!

I then ran into the Olympic Stadium to finish off the race with my dear friend waiting for me. In true German style, the post-race food consisted of large salted pretzels and beer! Good pics to follow! I think more half marathons are in my future...maybe in Canada, or maybe elsewhere...

Running into the Olympic Stadium

Relief and excitment of finishing!