Phoenix in Berlin - 16 days to go

week's balance scheduled: 57K (36m) / done: 35K (22m)

My half marathon in Berlin was really like rising as a phoenix. Age graded my finishing time of 1:36:32 is worth a 1:25:15 what is my second best half marathon performance ever. Well, it was sort of luck. The conditions were perfect and personally I had picked up a good day.

Already after the first mile of the race I was sure that I will be running well. My target was an average of 4:35min/K (7:22/m) which adds up to 22:55min per 5K. And my splits then were: 22:54 - 22:45 - 22:37 - 23:21. I only lost some speed during the last quarter cos my calves hardened to stones and I feared to get cramps.

So I achieved my target and fulfilled the qualifying time for the 2006 New York City Marathon (1:40 in M50). I already entered online and will here around mid May whether I am accepted.

The Berlin Half Marathon offers what you expect it to be: A small Berlin Marathon. Actually the half has the best part of the full marathon. You pass the promenade Unter den Linden, the Brandenburger Tor, the Siegessaule, castle Charlottenburg, shopping mall Kurfurstendamm with the church Gedachtniskirche and the Kaufhaus des Westens, see the modern Potsdamer Platz and Alexanderplatz with the tower and the Rotes Rathaus and finish in front of Berlin Cathedral. It is pure sightseeing as long as you take your time like most of the 13.500 runners did.

Meanwhile I am back to the ashes. The ankle is hurting again and forces me to throw in more pills. I cancelled all running this week, did some cross training on the indoor bike and hope to be ready for a final long run at Sunday or Monday. At least one more long run is really essential to get fit for London as I have done only one workout longer than half marathon so far.

happy running
Uli