We were prepared that it will hurt.

We were prepared that our legs will be heavy and will not want to move.

BUT

It wasn’t that bad! Actually, it was great!

Yes, legs were heavy from the beginning, yes we probably smiled a bit less than during the Prague half marathon, but we were definitely not dying or crying or wishing we never signed up for this malarkey. We ENJOYED it!

Sunday – RACE number 2

Berlin Half Marathon , Germany

Both Ela and Jens already had their start numbers, I didn’t. So, for me, the first mission of the day was to pick up my number. Have you ever picked up your race number in the morning of the race? If yes, then you know what it means… lines and lines of people.

We (THANK YOU, Jens, for going with me) started queuing in a looong line when I overheard a guy saying: “It’s not fair that girls don’t need to queue.” Yup, there was a special place just for girls and there was NO queue! Hurray! For once it was a MAJOR advantage to be a girl.

I picked up my start number, put it on my t-shirt and was ready to roll…

We’re running the Berlin Half Marathon! Yay!

We are part of Team Erdinger Alkoholfrei running club which means, that we get a special chill out place at races where there are free drinks, bag storage and – most importantly – there is a private toilet! Heaven! Have you noticed that I keep writing about toilets and things related to toilets? I swear that I don’t have any special toilet fetish. But, if you’ve ever been to a running event, then you know, that:

• you have to go pee before the race – at least once (more often, if you are me!)
• the queues for the loos are looooong (and boring!)

So having a private loo is a super special treat!

After coffee, banana and endless phone calls we managed to meet up with Ela, stored our bags and went to our corridors. Jens to his super human one, Ela and I to our normal human one.

And then… we waited in our corridor for good 30 minutes before we were free to run… shortly after Helene Fischer’s Atemlos, (I HATE that song.) we started running.

And for the first 2k I had to keep on singing Helene Fischer’s Atemlos (this is why I HATE that song, it gets stuck in your head. Grr!) So I guess all the people running next to us, must have thought, that I am completely bonkers. Yes, I was signing aloud! :)

All of our 4 legs (mine and Ela’s) were heavy pretty much from the beginning, but we knew that if we take it slow and steady, and if we walk through all drink stations and enjoy hot sweet tea, we will make it.

And this is exactly what we did. And on km 20 we – again, like in Prague –sped up and we sprinted through the finish line hand in hand with time 2:17:51! (Jens finished 40 minutes before us, but he is a super human and I have a suspicion, that he could probably run a half marathon every single day, without a major effort.)

We did it!!! We ran 2 half marathons in 2 days in 2 countries!

And Ela is the biggest HERO! Her knee hurt from about 5^th km but she pulled through the pain and ran. You rock, chica!

After we picked up our medals and changed into clean shirts, we met with Magda (the one I went to visit in London, yes, that’s her)! It was her first half marathon and she loved it! And I’m so happy and proud for her!

We have now signed up to run Amsterdam half marathon together, in October. (And she will hate me for posting this picture here :)

BEWARE, friends, once you start running half marathons, you cannot stop! :)

We said goodbye to each other, went home, showered and later on met for enormous dinner and gorgeous cakes and then… we went DANCING. With Jeff, the Air Force Pilot we met on train from Prague to Berlin!

We went to the official Berlin Half Marathon afterparty, met with the Kenyan winners (they are all SOOO short and cannot speak English) and we all danced like crazy! Our legs, after running two half marathons in two days, danced and jumped for good few hours… and it felt great!

On Monday we slept long(ish) and then we all (Jens, Ela, Magda and I) met up and went to chill at a spa… and then it was time for me to catch my train and hit the road back to Prague.

And what did this challenge teach me?

It is ALL in your head!

You really CAN achieve whatever you want to achieve, you just need to BELIEVE in yourself.

So, go on, friends – always, BELIEVE in yourselves! :)

Have you run the Berlin Half Marathon? What was your experience?

Who is joining us for this challenge next year?

And when did YOU realise that it is all in your head?

 P.S. There was 30.000 people running in Berlin half marathon. There was only 1 person I really did not want to see (the “ex”)… and guess who I stood next to on the start? Him! Some things in life I will never understand…

P.P.S. I also stood next to the “ex’s” sister and it was actually very nice to see her!!

P.P.P.S. I’m running the Wien half marathon next week… and so is the “ex”. Please, God, if you exist, don’t let me stand next to him again! Thank you :)