My “A” goal for the Three-Country Marathon was to run under 3:15. As race day approached, the nerves kicked in hard—was I really ready for this?
Although this race was not far from Zurich, our dear blogger friend Doris let us stay at her apartment near the finish line in Bregenz, Austria, which made the logistics much easier.
After a quick trip to the race expo for our packs (and a cheeky “Keep on Running” T-shirt to match the theme of this blog!), I tried to relax and get some sleep. Easier said than done! Despite being in bed by 8pm, it took four hours for me to drift off.
Race morning came quickly. I was up at 5:15am, and my Garmin was telling me I was ready.
By 7:30, we were at the harbour, boarding a boat to Lindau, Germany, where the race would start. The 25-minute boat ride was perfect for calming my nerves. It was cold and windy, but no rain—thankfully!
At 9:45am sharp, we were off. My initial plan was to stick with the 3:15 pacemaker, but by the first kilometre, I could tell his pace was too aggressive—he seemed to be aiming for a 3:10 finish (which he later did). I decided to let him go and run at my own pace.
Mentally, I had split the marathon into three parts: “jive, survive, and thrive.” I knew Kai would be waiting for me at kilometre 20 (12.4 miles), just before a bridge, and until then I would try to keep things jivy, light and smooth. I cruised along, feeling strong and enjoying the views of the lake.
At kilometre 20, I was happy to see Kai.
I would see Kai again at the exact same bridge, 12k later. Until then, I switched to “survive” mode: I focused on keeping my pace steady, drinking electrolytes at every aid station and taking a Maurten gel every 7k.
By the time I got back to the bridge at kilometre 32 (mile 20), my legs were feeling the distance, but I was far from hitting the wall. The pacemaker I had let go earlier was still far ahead of me, but slowly and steadily I started to pass more and more of his runners that had dropped off.
Now it was time to “thrive”!
Then, just before kilometre 37, I hit a mini-crisis. I had just passed a couple of marathoners when the path merged with half-marathon runners. Suddenly, there were half-marathoners on both sides, and I couldn’t see any of my fellow marathoners. Panic set in—did I miss a turn? I stopped dead in my tracks and frantically looked around. My heart was racing, and I even took a few steps backwards, yelling out to ask if this was still the marathon route.
A few runners shouted “Jawohl!”—yes!—and I carried on, but that moment of doubt shook me. Only when I saw the 37k marker did I relax. Crisis averted, but wow, what a scare! Missing a turn at this point would have been awful!
Finally, I reached the stadium, and the finish line came into view. I glanced at the clock: 3:13:59! Relief and joy flooded in. My sub-3:15 goal was in the bag! I was so happy!
I placed 11th out of 454 women. Looking back, two things really made this race a success:
- Kai’s support: He was my race logistics manager, keeping me calm and making sure I was at the right place at the right time with the right gear. His relaxed presence was everything when my nerves were out of control.
- Encouragement from others: I wasn’t feeling overly confident going into the race, but the support I received on the blog, via text, and on Strava really helped. Random words of encouragement popped into my mind throughout the race, giving me a much-needed mental boost. Thank you all for that!
This marathon was a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience, and I’m thrilled with the outcome. Now it’s time to rest and reflect before the next adventure!
- Have you ever missed a turn in a road race?
- Have you ever used a pacemaker in a race?
I’m joining Runs with Pugs and The Running Teacher’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs.
Guten Morgen, liebe erfolgreiche Marathonläuferin !! Du hast es bravourös gemeistert ! Hast dein Ziel erreicht, ganz herzlichen Glückwunsch an dieser Stelle ! Macht Spaß, dich in diesem Text zu verfolgen, dazu noch – wie gewohnt – jede Menge Fotos, die es zusätzlich sichtbar bestätigen !
Alles richtig gemacht, Kai gebührt auch ein großes Lob, ihr seid ein gutes Team ! Nochmals Gratulation zu diesem persönlichen Erfolg !!
Erhole dich gut, und du liebäugelst, wie man dich kennt, schon mit dem nächsten Abenteuer – oder ?
Liebe Grüße von der sonnigen Ostsee
Ich bin so froh, dass alles so gut geklappt hat, liebe Margitta. Trotz guter Vorbereitung und Planung weiss man nie, was alles in den 42km passieren kann. Das kennst du ja bestens.
Die offiziellen Fötelis sind heute gekommen – leider zu spät für den Blog. Aber Kai hat als Streckenfotograf hat einen guten Job gemacht. 😊
Im Moment habe ich nur Boston auf dem Plan, aber sobald wir in Südafrika sind, wird es genügend Verlockungen geben, da bin ich mir sicher. Heute abend geht’s los!
Geniesse den schönen Herbsttag an der Ostsee!
Liebe Catrina,
ah, nun der Bericht zur Super-Zeit! Nochmals an dieser Stelle gaaaanz herzliche Glückwünsche! Prima gemacht, trotz der Zweifel vorher hinsichtlich des Trainings und auch trotz der Nervenachterbahn unmittelbar vor dem Start. Sich fokussieren, das liest sich so leicht, aber es ist dir gut gelungen.
Seid ihr auch am Ende über die Bühne gelaufen, wie es wohl sonst ist/war?
Du hast das Rennen optimal eingeteilt und ich denke, es war auch gut, nicht am Pacemaker zu kleben, sondern dein eigenes Tempo zu laufen. Ich bin noch nie ein ganzes Rennen mit einem Pacemaker gelaufen, aber als Orientierungspunkte, sei es zum Einbremsen, sei es zur Selbstkontrolle, finde ich sie gut.
Eine Kurve verpasst? Oh ja, das war beim allerersten Ahrathon (Ich lief Halbmarathon als Teil einer Staffel), stimmte die Beschilderung und auch die Unterstützung durch die Streckenposten noch nicht recht. Da das Feld auseinander gezogen war, fehlten auch Mitläufer als Orientierung. Aber ein junger Mann lief dann auch noch hinter mir her und wir machten fast einen km extra. 🙁 Aber von so etwas bliebst du verschont.
Das T-Shirt wurde extra für dich produziert!
Liebe Grüße aus dem nebligen Rheinland
Elke
Liebe Elke
Danke dir! Ich glaube, ich war nervöser als vor einer grossen Prüfung! Blöd, oder? Dabei geht es um gar nichts, es ist ja nur ein Lauf!
Bei der Festbühne sind wir durch den Gang gerannt zwischen Bühne und Sitztribühne – ich bin noch nie durch ein Theater gerannt! Es hat auch ein paar Leute gehabt, die da in den Sitzen waren und geklatscht haben.
Ich habe nachher die Durchlaufzeiten des Pacemakers angeschaut – das war eine recht wilde Fahrt! Seine 5km-Zeiten variierten um über 25 Sekunden. Dabei gab es gar keinen Anlass für diesen unregelmässigen Pace, die Strecke war topfeben und die VPs waren immer im gleichen Abstand. Aber du hast Recht, als Kontrollpunkt war er nützlich!
Oh nein! Ha, das klingt auch nicht gerade prickelnd! Ich hoffe, du und deine Staffelkollegen konnten später darüber lachen! 😂
Ich freue mich, wenn wir das erste Mal mit dem T-Shirt laufen!
Liebe Grüsse aus dem halbsonnigen Zürich!
Woooo! Big congratulation!!! That’s so fast! I would definitely get super stressed in that situation, being concerned about missing a turn. You did so well! Congrats again.
That panic situation about the wrong turn threw me off, ha!
Thank you, Coco! It was a bit like your half marathon in Perth – it’s a very rewarding feeling when a race goes well.
Wow Catrina!! What a great race. You were so smart about the way you ran this, even when you recognized early on that the pacer was going too fast. Sounds like the race went exactly as how you trained for it, with the exception of that bit of confusion when you merged with the half marathoners. That always used to throw me off too! Big congrats! I cannot believe how fast you are!
I was so nervous for this race, Wendy! I was always expecting something to go wrong at some point – perhaps that’s why I panicked so easily when I got confused with the half-marathoners.
Reading your weekly workouts was always a huge motivator for me to work on strength – I think this was crucial during this training cycle to stay injury-free.
🎊Congrats 🎊🏃♀️💨💨💨🤚
Kai was a great support team member. He took good care of you in many ways. This is also part of his victory as your field manager.
Aha I knew you could go faster. You lost time at a confusing intersection. I think more HIT sessions, a weekly shoulder, core & leg session & some 80-90 km a week could make even faster. Coach decreased your running sessions this time compared to last time I think. I bet he included more HIT sessions too. More km is not the key for speed. More HIT is the key. You can do it. Maybe next time 3:09!
Wrong turn. Yep! A 10km turned into a 13km & it was 30+degrees in hot sun. Ugh. Just never saw the turn & suddenly 1.5 km later I noticed like you where are the runners in my race. They were on their way to the finis as I was running away from the finish. Needless to say that race was a disaster.
Never follow bunnies. Run my own race. They are useful to gage where you are in the race when you see them. I did once follow a bunny and we finished 1 minute over time. Not an easy job arriving when you should as a bunny & I appreciate that.
So where did you finish in your AG? You must be near the top!
A HUGE congratulations to you!!! Well done!
Thank you, Zenaida! I am so happy!!
As I said on Strava, amazing work on this Catrina! You absolutely nailed it. And you were capable of probably another minute fast too if it weren’t for the confusing fork and the need to stop there. Huge congratulations. Very sensible decision to keep your own pace rather than go along with the ‘3:15’ pacer. That’s a bit reckless (and perhaps a little inconsiderate to the runners) for the pacer to push early on like that.
I have had a scare with the wrong way once on a canal (flat) ultra marathon, there were was a last minute route change, and when I got to the junction I started doubting myself. I was in the lead too, and ended up waiting a few minutes for number 2 to catch up so I could check his direction. And yes, I’ve totally leaned on a pacer before when I ran a half marathon race last year. I stuck with the 1:35 pacer for the first few minutes, but realised I was capable of the 1:30 pacer, so went with him for the remainder. He was really good and waited until about 1 mile before the end before telling us to speed off ahead and give everything that was left to get a minute or so bonus. I really love the idea of pacers, so helpful!
Again, huge congratulations, and I hope you’re recovering well this week.
Thank you, Sean! It was one of those rare occasions when everything just comes together nicely. I was so worried about something unforeseen happening mid-race, but it went really well. I think I only lost about 20 seconds in that confusion with the half-marathon runners, but it sure felt like a whole minute!
I know that you lost your way many times in trail races – which I guess is “part of the game”. But having to wait in a flat ultra marathon because of a last minute change sounds so unfair, especially when you’re in the lead! Ugh!
Catching up with a faster pacer sounds amazing! He did a really good job with sending you off just before the finish line. I was thinking that it must be difficult when you’re alone as a pacer – I was once a pacemaker for the Zurich Marathon (3:45) and we were two pacers with a backup at the halfway point.
Looking forward to the Hateful Eight recap – it looked like an awesome race!
YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! Congrats on running a smart and fantastic race! I’m glad that the pacer got his 3:10, but happier that you got your 3:13! Enjoy your rest, and I can’t wait to hear about the next adventure!
Thank you, Birchie!! I loved that I managed to squeeze that second off to make it a “13:59”! 😀
We’re on our way to Cape Town now, so for sure there will be more running adventures.
Absoluter Hammer!! Ich war so gespannt und hab tatsächlich etwas mitgefiebert. Du hast ein perfektes und gut durchdachtes Rennen hingelegt und zwischendrin sogar noch die richtigen Entscheidungen getroffen. Statt sich auf dem Pacer zu verlassen, einfach das eigene Ding machen. Genau das hätte ich auch getan, man weiß ja nie was die Pacer für eine Strategie haben. Der kleine “Verlaufer” (bzw Bremser) hat dich vermutlich nur ein paar Sekunden gekostet, du bist bei 3:14 gelandet, das passt seeehr gut zu meine Prognose 🙂 Also wirklich Superklasse und ein Hammer-Ergebnis, geniess diesen Erfolg ausgiebig!
Einen zuverlässigen Support an der Strecke zu haben ist Gold wert, das hat Kai super gemacht.
Stichwort verlaufen: was soll ich sagen, da bin ich ja Spezialist. Vielleicht lauf ich deshalb so gerne Runden 😉 Und nein, ich hänge mich nicht an Pacemaker, aus dem Grund den ich schon geschrieben hab.
Erhol dich gut und ausreichend, liebe Grüße aus dem Rheinland! 👍 🏅 👏
Danke dir, Oliver! Falls du 3:14 prognostiziert hast, lagst du genau richtig!
Das wäre eigentlich auch ein sehr guter Lauf für dich: flach, schnell, super organisiert und nicht sooo viele Leute wie an einem Berlin Marathon. Das Feld hat sich von Anfang an sehr gut verteilt… nur da, wo die Halbmarathonis dazu kamen, wurde es hektisch. Vor allem, weil sie eher die Schlusslichter des Halbmarathons waren und zum Teil in Gruppen spazierten und den ganzen Weg für die Marathonis blockierten. Aber das war das einzige, sonst war die Strecke und die Organisation perfekt.
Ich habe nachher meine Splits angeschaut: bei dem Bremser habe ich nur etwa 20 Sekunden verloren, also nicht allzu viel. Es war eher der Schreck! 😱
Ha, ja, du bist ja auch öfters im Tunnel… aber zum Glück liebst du “stumpfe Runden”! Viel Spass bei der Vorbereitung der Tortura!
Oh my goodness, the way my heart stopped for you!
Yes, I missed a turn once. It meant I ran an extra 1/4 mile, which was fine. I wasn’t going to podium and it was a pretty day lol. Of course, it was only in a 10K, so not a huge issue at that distance, either.
You are amazing! I love how you divided up your race into parts and then stuck right to it! And Kai is amazing! I adore how you support each other!
Ah, but missing a turn on any distance is really annoying! But it’s all part of the fun of racing, ha!
I was so glad everything worked out well. Honestly, I don’t think I could go to a goal race without Kai. I’m so used to having his support – I’ve become very dependent on him!
Woohoo!
Congratulations!!!
Your coach and your Garmin were right— you nailed it!!
I would have freaked out about the course uncertainty. We’ve made wrong turns on bike routes, but haven’t gone far off course— and weren’t racing.
Haha, I should have trusted them more!
I nearly lost it at kilometre 37. Those poor people that I yelled at – they must have thought I was a proper drama queen, ha!
Wow you sure made quite the comeback post injury! Huge congrats to you! I have taken a wrong turn during a tri on the bike course. Coincidentally, my friend made a wrong turn on the run course at the same race. Lol
Crazy, right? Just six months ago I was on crutches. I’m always amazed at the body’s ability to heal.
Haha, you and your friend must have had a great laugh afterwards! That reminds me of my niece – she forgot to do the third bike loop at a tri and we were so surprised that she beat all of us! 🤣
Liebe Catrina,
danke für den Bericht! Jetzt weiß ich auch, was hinter den am Laptop angezeigten Zwischenzeiten “passierte”! 🙂 Du hast dir das Rennen super eingeteilt, mit Kai den besten Support (vor allem auch vor dem Start) dabei gehabt, deinem Gefühl vertraut und dir deine wohlverdiente Fabelzeit abgeholt, dafür nochmals große Gratulation! 😀
Ich habe ja bei der Übertragung immer gehofft, dich mal im Bild zu sehen. Für mich war die Live-Übertragung super, weil ich die Gegend kenne und genau wusste, welcher Streckenabschnitt als nächstes kommen würde.
Erhol dich gut und komm gut in SA an!
Liebe Doris
Ich glaube, mit deiner Wohnung ist es wie mit Volkers Pasta: es war das Geheimnis des guten Laufs! Die Ruhe am Abend vorher, der gute Schlaf, die geruhsame Anfahrt am Morgen – herrlich! Nochmals ganz herzlichen Dank dafür. Bregenz wird für mich immer in positiver Erinnerung bleiben. Wir müssen Bregenz sowieso wieder besuchen weil wir auch mal die Lindau Insel genauer anschauen wollen. Sieht interessant aus!
Die Strecke ist super! Es ist überhaupt nicht hektisch, hat immer ein paar Zuschauer und ist sehr abwechslungsreich. Ich bin so froh, dass du mir den Lauf damals empfohlen hast.
Dank dir und liebe Grüsse von unserer Zwischenlandung in Istanbul! 😊
Well done, Catrina, I am in awe of you! You trained hard, ran a smart race, and earned that amazing finishing time. Sub 3:15, baby!
Haha, thank you, Debbie!! I felt so nervous for this race. But now I feel so relieved and happy! 😃
AMAZINGLY well done, congratulations!!! You planned the race well and then executed the race well. And well done to Kai for being your rock. <3
PS: What is it with race planners and the way the routes are marked? I just read a friend's IG post on a trail run in Lapland where people had been "lost" all over the hills and forest due to poor/insufficient signs. No harm done thankfully!
Congratulations! You did amazing! That would have been so upsetting to miss a turn at that point. I dont think thats ever happened to me. I’m glad it all worked out and you hit your goal!
AMAZINGLY well done!!! You planned AND executed the race well. And well done also Kai for being your rock. <3