Racing
2007
IAU World Challenge 2007 Sumart 50mile
Here is a quick update on the race. The weather: Unreal, it was a low of 72 degree and high of 84 with 90% humidity. The course: A lot harder then I thought, mostly flat but a lot of roots and sandy parts. Not as tough as something like TRT but not as easy as most people described it.
I started out at the end of the 2nd pack. There was a pack of maybe 8 in the front and then a pack of maybe 5 including me a little bit behind.
I went through the 1st lap in 1:33 in 11th place. I did not feel all that great but not bad either. At about 3-4 miles into the 2nd lap I started to feel tired but kept in around 10 place right at the heels of my teammate Jörg Hooss. I lost a bit of concentration though the tiredness and at about mile 5 of the 2nd lap tripped over a tree stump and fell pretty hard. I got up and went to catch up with Jörg. About a mile after my fall my hip started to hurt and the pain pulled up in my lower back and down into my quad. Through this I started limping and over compensating so now my other quad started to tighten up. The last 3 miles of that lap I had to walk jog to even make it to the start/finish area. I discussed it with the team coach and we decided that the risk of getting a full blown injury by continuing the race would be to big. The decision was made to drop out of the race.
This was very disappointing for me and I know a lot of my friends and family. I am still frustrated about it. Anyway I have to look forward and hopefully next year I get another chance at the IAU World Challenge and things go better.
Thanks to all of you for the nice motivating e-mails, sorry I do not have better news to deliver.
Overall this was still my biggest accomplishment in my running career. Just to be part of the team representing my home country and putting on my "Deutschland" outfit, being part of a World Cup with all the special treatment as athlete in a event like this was a great experience that I will never forget.
