My Training for the 2009 MdS - 9

It's a hot Sunday evening, and I'm out on the verandah, after a weekend of much death, but some great training for my beloved MdS. The unofficial temperature today in Chur reached around 35°C (the official weather station is down near the Rhein, where it's always much cooler than in the town and surrounds), and the humidity was a sultry 65%; in addition, a southerly wind (the Föhn again) was blowing, albeit very lightly, and the Saharan dust, which has been hanging over Europe for the last week, returned to turn the sky murky and desert-like. Yesterday, however, was a humid, muggy sort of day, with intermittent showers and light storms, and I was really nervous about precipitation hitting our town towards evening. As fortune would have it, we were spared any rain after 3:30 p.m., which gave the ground time to dry and prepare itself for the thunder of runners' feet through the Altstadt of our pretty little town.

I registered several weeks ago for the annual Churer Lauf-Parade, which took place yesterday for the ninth time since its inception. It's run through the oldtown (Altstadt) of Chur, along the little lanes, curving perilously, paved at times with cobble stones, and filled with character and history. It's an unusal race - really a fun thing, more than anything else. There are several categories of events, including kids alone, families, partners, teams, clubs and, for the first time this year, individual runners. The whole event started at 17:30 hours - the kids' races. The race for individual runners and families, started simultaneously at 18:45 hours. The event is 4,6 km long, and involves seven loops, each of 660 metres. Living in the Altstadt, I know the route like the back of my hand, but had never actually run it before. It's basically quite flat, but there is one stretch up the so-called Reichsgasse, which, after a while, becomes damn steep!!!!!

After quite a hectic day, domestic- and business-wise, I set off around 17:30 hours on a 4-km warm-up run along the river in front of our house, called the Plessur. It's a comfortable run, with no surprises, and I have run it a thousand times (or less), sometimes even after a few beers. It generated a good sweat in me, and I felt ready for my big event when I returned home. Our good friends, Rolf and Brigitte, came over the Arcas square (on which we both live) around six o'clock, and we wandered down to the starting area on the square known as Kornplatz. There were thousands (maybe hundreds - Chur is too small for thousands!!!) of people around. The kids' races were just finishing, and there was an atmosphere of jubilation and juvenlie excitement in the air. I've never run such a short race before, and wasn't sure how to prepare for it. Nonethelss, after collecting my complimentary T-shirt and bicycle light (!!!), furnished with my number bib (No. 501), I stood around the start area with Kurt, Rolf and Brigitte, and became progressively nervous as I saw the calibre of some of the individual runners, as well as the teams. Most of the runners had registered for relay races, which meant, they would be running only 2 of the 660-metre loops, and not consecutively. My kind were to do the whole route, non-stop, no wine en route, and as fast as possible.

Shortly before the warm-up spectacle began, I received a lovely surprise: our best friends, Rita and Mohammad, turned up to support me. I had had no idea they were coming - I had not expected them at all, because they're not really into this sort of thing. But, there they were, as large as life. It was a great morale boost. Obviously, living here, I saw a number of other people, whom I know, and there was a carnival atmosphere about the whole thing.

At 18:30 hours, the aerobic exercises started, for those who wanted to try out this exercise in bodily co-ordination. I think, it's an age thing, because I cannot stand in front of a woman, perched on a stage, and copy her aerobic exercise movements, but emulate her movements, getting the left-or right-hand-side correct. My brain just won't swap the sides before me around. And co-ordinate hands above the head, and legs flying out at the side at the same time - forget it - I am incapable. Several kids were viciously kicked in the process, and the legal implications are going to ruin me. Fortunately, other good friends of ours were with me (running as a family team), and the father (Elmar) was having the same co-ordination difficulties!!!!!

Finally, at 18:43 hours, we all stood at the starting arch, and the countdown began. This was going to be fun, as the families, often with very young kids, were taking off at the same time as the adult individual runners. Death, en route, was an inevitability. For some strange reason, I found myself at the back of the pack, which caused me a lot of stress when I began the forward movement. I had set my heart on 25 minutes for the race, hoped for 20 minutes, and decided to surprise myself. Once the starter's gun shot a thousand swallows out of the sky, and I had managed to hurdle 45 000 youngsters, I achieved a pace which I knew, I would never be able to maintain for a full marathon - I was averaging about 3:30 minutes per kilometre (in fact, according to my Garmin 305, I had a maximum pace during the first 600 metres, of 3:10 minutes per kilometre). At my advanced age, there is no way, I'd be able to sustain this pace for an entire marathon, but I knew it was a short distance, and tried to stay as fast as I could.

The corners, at that pace, were criminal, and there was many a terrifying moment, when I felt sure, my face would end up engraved with road patterns. Fortunately, this never came to pass, and I had an accident-free race. I recognised many people en route, whom I knew, and there were often loud cheers of "Hopp, Craig" (a Swiss cheer - basically meaning - Go, Craig). This gave me a lot of encouragement, as I sped along the lanes and mini-lanes of our historic town. Arriving, for the first time, back at the start on the Kornplatz, my fan club (Kurt, Rita, Mohammad, Brigitte and Rolf) cheered me on vociferously. I had chosen not to use my iPod for this race, and it was fun actually hearing, what people were shouting.

At the end of loop one, most runners exchanged batons with the next runners, but we individuals rushed on, undeterred by the mass of trampled bodies. And, so it went on, seven times, with each time the Reichsgasse becoming steeper and steeper, finally feeling like a climb up Mittenberg!!!! The support along the entire route (times seven) was fantastic, and it was as if the whole of the town was out, cheering us runners on. I experienced a lot of high-fives with kids (and adults), to the extent, that I had to stop, due to bleeding hands (almost!!!!). There was even a band on the square next to the cathedral, playing carnival music (in Swiss-German: Guggamusik) - a great boost to the morale. I must admit, I couldn't keep up the 3:30 minutes per kilometre pace, but my average pace was 4:05, which is still one of the fastest I have achieved. I knew it was only 4,6 km, so the psychological pressure of a marathon was not evident, and I could (as is said in Swiss-German) give gas!!!!

It was such a fun, fantastic, familial, festive race, and I wanted it to go on forever. Finally, I ran down the Herrengasse (literally translated: Gentleman Lane) to the Kornplatz for the final time. There was a young guy (about 20 years of age) in front of me, going hell for leather. My only thought was: I'm going to beat you, you young brat!!!! Casting caution, calf injuries, age, coronary risks and catatonia to the winds, I gave gas, and sped down the last 100-metre stretch to the Ziel (Finish). I overtook the whippersnapper, going at a pace, according to my Garmin 305, of some 2:50 minutes per kilometre - pretty fast for an old codger, but it felt so damned good, overtaking a 20-year-old with calf muscles the size of my thighs!!!!!! I really sprinted the last 100 metres.

Finally, the Finish, but chaos. There was a queue, and it took a good minute for my barcode to be scanned. My trusty Garmin 305, however, gave me a time of 18:05 (18 minutes and five seconds). I was ecstatic, and filled with self-pride (who says pride is a sin?????). Grabbing a drink (no, not wine, but a local Swiss drink called Rivella) and half a pineapple (it could have been, I was that hungry, but was, more than likely, a banana), and found my fan club. There were lots of congratulations and bowing before me, but no hugs and kisses - probably due to the fact, that I was sweating profusely!!!!!

It had been a wonderful (and short) race, and my current calf injury remained dormant for the entire race. I was dying to know my placing, but had to wait before it was published. It was celebration time, and we set off back to the Arcas square to the restaurant Los Tioz (formerly Lett, for those of you who know it). That half-litre beer I had didn't touch sides. Gosh, it felt great. Towards 8 o'clock, we made out way back to Kornplatz for the prize-giving, and it was then, that I discovered, that I had come fourth in the Individual Runners category, two minutes behind the guy who came first, and first in my age group. What jubilation. Rita and Mohammad had to leave then, but we went to another restaurant with Rolf and Brigitte, and had a lovely celebration dinner and drinks.

It had been a great race, lots of fun, especially being on one's own doorstep, in one's own town. Support was fantastic, and I already look forward to next year's event.

Today even started off a hot day, and, as mentioned, by 3 p.m., it was 35°C. I set off on a longish run, shortly after 1 o'clock, heading along the Rhein towards the town of Untervaz, where I did a u-turn, and headed back to Chur along the Rhein, but then continued to the military area, called Rossboden. Regrettably, my calf muscle injury kicked in at this point. It hurt like buggery hell, and I decided, instead of running further, as I had planned (wanted to do a 30-km run), it would be more sensible (like HM's shoes), to turn and head home - another four kilometres. I ended up having to walk the last three kilometres, but you can bet your last penny, I ran the final 200 metres onto the Arcas square, which was filled with people in the outside restaurants!!!!! I mean, my reputation was at stake!!!!!!!

And thus, endeth a lovely weekend. I have iced my calf, drunk copious amounts of wine (for medical reasons), and am now about to watch a few episodes from one of my favourite British TV series, My Family on DVD. Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a day in the business - yet again. We already have two bodies, have fired one of our employees, and have to integrate the new one.

A final comment: I love running!!!!