Running: Great Prep for ... more running

Back in April my host family told me about a triathlon put on by their running club, Weltraumjogger. The Volkstriathlon conveniently takes place in Zehlendorf, our neighborhood, but the 400 or so spots go quickly. They offered to sign me up then if I was interested. I decided to go for it, a decision which led to me getting up around 6am today so that I could go jump in a lake, bike up Berlin's only mountain, and run in circles. What a great way to start the day!

My host dad giving the pre-race talk on Saturday

Really, I had a blast, and I'm glad my legs are so tired now because it tells me that I tried hard. I even did some training for this race. My host mom and I went out on a bike ride about two weeks ago, because they lent me a racing bike for the triathlon and wanted to give me a chance to test it out and see how it fit. We rode up to the Grünewaldturm, a tower at the top of a hill which at 80m tall claims the title of the only "mountain" in Berlin. Not as unbelievably steep as the course in the Principia tri I did with my mom last summer, but still a grueling ride. When I was with my host mom we also took the time to go up in the Grünewaldturm and look out across Berlin. Always a fun activity in my opinion.

Then a week and a half ago I took part in a Probewettkampf, or practice race. Weltraumjogger (the running club) was organizing a small triathlon for their annual Clubmeisterschaft. Don't let me deceive you, this tri was small in terms of participation, but still a full length triathlon with a 400m swim, 18km bike and 5.5km run. I finished around the back of a pack of very serious runners and triathletes, but it was a lot of fun and a great chance to practice transitioning and swimming.

During the practice tri

And then today was the big day! 700m swim, 19km bike, 5km run. I haven't gotten my official time back but I think I finished around 1hr:35, which means I beat my goal of 1:45. The swim was an open water swim. The lake was small so I didn't notice any current. Despite my slow pace, which landed me towards the back of the group, people seemed to pop out of no where when I arrived at the narrow chute to get out of the lake. The biking went well, and somehow the running almost felt good.

A moving target is hard to photograph but thanks to Hilary for this one!

But the very best part came as I rounded the second to last curve and saw Maria, who started yelling my name. When I reached her she sprinted a few yards with me to the last curve. Then I saw Emma and Hilary also standing by, taking pictures and sticking a hand out for a high five. It was so exciting to see my friends in the crowd. The kids I know had been cheering for me when I passed the water station, which was encouraging and really fun, but seeing my friends out there was really special. Thanks guys!

They're the best!

Before my next triathlon I would really like to practice the swimming, but there are very few swimming pools in Berlin, and those pools are very expensive, so that wasn't really an option for me this time around. You can swim in any of the three lakes that are within biking distance of my house (three lakes, isn't that awesome?) but it took a while for the water and weather to warm up enough to make that possible. Running has always been my go-to form of exercise, because for me running is fun. I know that's a crazy thought to many people. But I like the combination of mental and physical strength, and all you need are shoes and you can go wherever you want. The one problem: running only gets you in shape for more running! I like tris because they encourage me to branch out, and remind me that as much as I love running, it's okay to mix it up every once in a while. And I found this such a cool way to be a part of the German community, and see a lifestyle in action that tourists rarely see. Plus I have a fairly broad triathlon-related vocabulary now.

Me and my host mom. It's alcohol-free beer, I promise. 

There's just one more athletic challenge left now: I found a race the night before I leave Berlin, so I'm going to say goodbye to the city with a 10k on July 30th!