A rare treat: High-tech running diagnostic in Germany
(Conclusion) WE LEFT at 6 a.m. the next day to take the train to get to the bus shuttle to reach the starting point of the marathon, the Century Hall in Spergau. The Sports Center was state of the art with heating, showers, basketball, volleyball courts, etc. We stayed inside until 20 minutes before the start as it was cold, around 9 to 10 degrees.
To my amazement, a popular figure emerged at the starting line. Walde Cierpinski was there to provide moral support to the runners as his son Andre Cierpinski was the chief organizer of the marathon. Walde, who also happens to be Olaf’s coach, approached, greeted and allowed us to have his picture taken with him.
Olaf decided to run and pace me in this race. The race started on time at 9 a.m. with perfect weather conditions. The route was very scenic, passing through the countryside and alternating between paved and unpaved pathways. We were very relaxed, often talking to one another. The second half of the race brought us to the city proper and passed through historic spots like the Merseburg Cathedral, Castle Schkopau, Francke Foundation, Leipzig tower, St. Ulrich church, a former church and now a concert hall, place where the Mandaue Children’s Choir recently performed.
Oftentimes in earlier editions, runners would complain about the heat during the last 10 kilometers of the race as the route passed along the highway without any shade. We reserved energy for the last stretch but on that particular day, it was cloudy. So we were able to run at a faster pace, and I finished my 44th marathon in 3 hours 44 minutes. As we received our medals, Walde again approached us and to my surprise gave me a congratulatory hug.
He instantly became my new running idol and as a matter of fact, he is the all-time marathon record holder in the Philippines by winning the 1st Metro Manila International Marathon in 1982 with a record time of 2:14:27. I later learned that he signed my new pair of Asics shoes. He also wrote a dedication to me and Donna on two signed photos of two events where he won Olympic gold medals in marathon.
The finish area was the beautiful medieval center of town surrounded by the 5 towers (sign of the town). The four towers of the market church - 2 “House man towers” and 2 “Blue towers” as well as the “Red Tower”. The Haendel monument and the Townhouse of Halle was also located there and the entire area was paved entirely by cobblestone. It was very lively and really supported by the whole town.
After the marathon, Olaf and Geli along with their son Jan and daughter Janina said they had a surprise for me. They brought me to the docks of River Saale for the Saale-Kringel boat ride. After boarding the Saale Curl, Geli brought out steak, sausages and salmon that we would cook while cruising the river. German beer and wine were also available.
That indeed was my best post-marathon celebration. I was to leave 2 p.m. the next day for Barcelona. But at 8 a.m., I was enrolled at the Martin Luther University Hospital Halle for a performance diagnostics (treadmill diagnostics - incremental test with measurement of heart rate and lactate). This was used for determination of the anaerobic threshold and definition of optimal heart rate zones for different running training intensities.
Blood samples were taken from me regularly. Also done was the running technique analysis for running technique and running style at different speeds as well as force and pressure measurement of the feet at dif- ferent speeds in order to show ways to improve the running technique. The test was supervised by Dr. Stephen Schulze. Although just a day after a 42k, I still managed to run seven kilometers for the test. It was oneof-a kind and usually only available for professional athletes.
It would be great to have this sort of technology in Cebu. We then headed to Leipzig/ Halle Airport, where scenes for the latest Avengers movie were shot. I thanked Olaf for that rare experience. As I left, I realized that my passion for running has not only brought me to places I would never have dreamt of going, but also helped me meet new friends of different nationalities who experience the heartaches, pain, struggle and the ecstasy of attaining one’s goal.