Baltic Run a Success!

I’m back from Germany. It’s so surreal…in some ways, it seems like ages ago that I was there. A lifetime, even.

What an amazing experience! My friends Claire and Russ had a fabulous run and I have new-found (or renewed, not sure which is a better choice of words) respect for their spirit, determination, and athletic ability. 324K (that’s 201 miles) in five days, broken into stages of 63K (39.1 miles), 67K (41.6 miles), 72K ((44.7 miles), 63K (39.1 miles), and 59K (36.6 miles). An ultramarathon a day for five days. The route went from central Berlin to the shores of the Baltic Sea, ending in the resort town of Karlshagen.

Amazing. Incredible. Mind bending.

And I’m proud of myself for riding the route. No, my ride was nothing near the athletic feat of the runners. But for me, it was a milestone and something to be proud of. I was quite touched by the runners who congratulated me afterward and brought to tears by the race organizer when he gave me a finisher’s shirt. I was so touched so many times:  by the beauty of the place, the amazing spirit of the competitors, witnessing the agony of runners having to drop out, experiencing pride at seeing folks finish.

There will be a massively long entry (I took copious diary notes at the end of each day…and even then, I left out so much stuff because there were simply too many adventures in a day to keep track of them all) but for now, the bottom line is that all went well for all involved. Really, it’s all that matters.

Congratulations again to all the Baltic Run finishers and especially to my friends, Claire and Russ Secker!