At 13:15 I left Zurich main station for Biel. As there were only few hours to the start, strange feelings arose. These letters I compiled at Magglingen, after a therapeutic stroll of 40 minutes on Sunday at 11:30. Unlike yesterday, walking is going much better, I just changed from walking with stiff legs to using muscles again.
At Biel I checked in at hotel Elite, smiling at the meaning considering my plan. Preparing for the task, I fed my stomach with 3 pieces of bread with honey, before I fetched my starting bib.
After an hour of dozing in the hotel, it was time to go to the start. Funny, at the start I wasn't sure which way to run, but I only had to follow others. Shortly after the start it should go up a hill where I was advised to walk instead of running. Only I waited to no avail because it wasn't that steep.
After Arlberg, at km 17, my hipjoints (they always show the strain first) made me thoughtful. Considering my speed, they shouldn't react. Garmin controlled my speed. At 1:30 I compared distance and time with my timetable fastened to my right arm. I was 5 minutes behind, running at 11.1 km/h, some minutes of breaks included. My intention of running faster was proved by Garmin at Oberramsern, 38 km covered, with 11.3 km /h. Since long, I have steadily overtaken runners who started too fast according to their fitness. At Kirchberg, km 55, I was still lucky with no leg and feet problems, only too much noise from poor digestion. Ho Chi Min path is really ankle breaking, lights attached to poles and placed each 50 m or so, were a dazzling nuisance and of no help at all. Who runs without light anyway? After Gerlafingen, at km 70, strain was showing from hip down to toe, but within expectation.
At Büren, at km 87, I motivated myself by telling it's only a training unit of 12 km to finish. After catering breaks, starting to run again became more and more painful. In spite of that, I kept speed at 12-13 km/h at flat parts and downhill. At km 95 I assumed that the empty streets without spectators would soon be replaced by crowded and cheering ones to get me to my destination. Only after km 98 a few and then some more populated the empty Saturday morning street. At last, only 500 m to finish, keeping up speed, muscles burning, I heard the finishing line speaker.
To my surprise, 300 m before finish, I was running a narrow path of only 1.5 m width! Unlike Zurich marathon finish, after 100 km the runner field has in such a way drawn out that it was no problem at all. With big emotions I crossed finish at 7:01, proud, straight back and decent speed. I even was rewarded with a handshake from president of committee. After engraving the finish time onto the medal, I went back to the hotel to have some shut eye time before breakfast. The rest of the day I spent with short recovery walks, dozing and eating.