The Best Run Of My Life

I was angry, I couldn’t figure out why but for the first and only time in my life I was angry and needed to get it out of my system. I donned my running cloths and tuned my Ipod to music that made my angrier, Coldplay, and headed out the door.

I ran up the path and made a U-turn that would take me into the valley below. I headed down hill getting angrier and angrier. I tried to contain my self until I warmed up. I had an 18 miler to run that day and didn’t want to blow up early.

I ran the mile and a half that I considered my warm-up. I crossed B-10 and the massive field of U-bahn tracks in the middle of the street, ran up some stairs to a bridge that would get me into the park. As I was climbing the bridge I could see a man that often trained in the park, and that day he was my enemy. He had always been faster than me. He was middle aged but ran like an elite of half his age.


I shot down the bridge and into the park. He was my rabbit and I was determined to catch him. I released my fury, a combination of the isolation that I felt living in a different country and that fact the problems that haunted me in America followed me to Europe. I started running fast, but instead of feeling better I just kept getting angrier. My anger fueled my speed and I carved the turns of that first mile in the park like I was skiing in the alps. I wasn’t going to let him get away.

I was almost delirious with rage and ran even faster. I didn’t care about my long run anymore if I collapsed from speed that would be enough. Normally when I trained I couldn’t handle such high speed because of all the hills I trained in, but today it did not matter. I passed by the Stuttgart Archaeological Museum and the big fiberglass dinosaur.

I continued to carving the turns and hitting the apex and exit of each turn perfectly and gaining on my opponent. I was now within yards of my opponent and started to look for my next rabbit to chase. The anger was starting to fade now as I concentrated on racing in the park. I breathed hard and my legs pounded the pavement with the highest cadence I had ever run.

My new opponent had been found, a runner wearing a blue rain jacket just about to run down the avenue of Oak trees that lined the lower park for one straight measured mile. I was curious about my pace by now as this was completely new territory. I had never considered that I would be able to run this fast. I had already covered three and a half miles as I turned to run down the avenue of oak trees. I clicked my watch to begin a new lap.

I locked onto my new target and with all the strength in me pushed for more speed, but I was careful not to trip on the uneven cobble stones beneath my feet. I could see my target below me at about the middle of the mile. I would make up that half mile before the blue runner ran the next half. I started leaned forward making the most of the down hill and letting gravity speed me up even more. I was determined to prove that I was fast. He wasn’t going to beat me!

The Oak trees were speeding by like guard rails on the autobahn I was flying but I also knew that I had to get more speed out of these long legs if I was going to catch him. I kept pushing my self harder, and each time was amazed that I could handle it. I wasn’t angry anymore but was in complete awe and filled with determination that I would make the eighteen mile run and It would be fast.

I started to see the statute that marked the end of measured mile, I was about three quarters of the way through, and my target turned abruptly left, signaling that had completed the one mile part of the course. It didn’t matter that I didn’t catch him. I was running in the joy of the lord, I had decided to make this His run.

That gave me new purpose, and I kept running at that break neck speed. I finished the mile straining to turn left. I could feel every joint in my body trying to go straight but I wouldn’t allow it. I would not allow Physics to slow me down! I came dangerously close to hitting a low stone wall at the end of the park but just squeaked by and continued running fast.

I was now in the part of the park that I likened to a snake. It was a 2 mile series of S curves that were quite easy to navigate running slowly or walking but became very difficult at the break neck speed I was running. I had to throw my weight around the corners like cyclists do to navigate the bends.

I Kept thinking that by now I should have been spent, normally by this point I would barley be able to walk without passing out. Today was different. Everything was right. I navigated all the S curves and started up the hill again.

It was a long climb up it had take over four miles to get down in the valley. It was all up hill from here. I ran through the park climbing towards the old palace that was once owned by Willhelm II Duke of Swabia. I ran through the natural part of the park, the maintenance crews did not keep up this section of the park so that it became a prairie. Soon I was back at the bridge.

I began to climb it and decided that today would be longer that 18 miles I would run the entire park system all the way to Kiliesberg Messe and back. This would be the most technical part of the run. I hit a small part of the park that was part of the WineWanderWeg system of paths the wound through the vineyards on the steep river valley. I continued to climb.

I reached the apex of the hill and looked out over the next bridge I would tackle. This bridge had three paths meeting at a cross roads in the middle. All three paths were suspended by cables that when viewed from far away formed a sail. I ran towards the bridge feeling as fresh as I had started. I crossed over the narrow bridge dodging bicycles and families out for their evening walk. I flew past an old couple who were tending to their garden next to a beautiful little pond, and ran through an under pass. Here comes the hard part, I thought.

Before me was one of the most difficult parts of the run. I can only liken it to a cliff. It was so steep that this 400 ft tall wall of grass had no less then 6 hairpin turns in it. I started the climb, it was difficult because the path was narrow, almost like single track and I had to watch that I didn’t fall off.

I finished the climb and started running through another park This park was not all grass and trees like the others had been but was concrete and post modern sculpture, it was like running through a Salvador dahli painting. I hit the end of the park and turned around ready to retrace my steps. I decide though that I would take a detour and run through a near by carnival that was taking place at the same time.

I reached the carnival only a block away and was not impeded by all the pedestrians, they just made it more fun. I weaved and dodged between them and I ran past a Ferris wheel, a miniature train and a popcorn machine and decided it was time to turn around. I retraced my steps through the carnival, and through the modernist park. I had one more challenge to face before it would be smooth sailing back to my apartment, and that was the cliff.

I was still hurtling along at blistering speed and wondered if I would be able to stay on the path. I hit the cliff and turned a corner, there in front of me was an only couple slowly making their way down the path. I would not slow down for them this run was to important, a turning point in my training, and a run for God. In a split second I bounded off a bolder that was on the outside of the narrow path and was able to jump around the old couple blocking my route. The couple was startled with fright but I had no time for them, I was on a mission.

I rounded another hairpin just so fast I cam within inches of flying off the cliff. I continued in this reckless but fun fashion for the next four hairpin turns and started the speedy trek home. I was now in the final stretch. I ran across B 10 and the multitude of U-bahn tracks. I flew up that last mile and a half, and made the U turn that would take me to the steps of my apartment.

As I ran to the end of the path I clicked my watch, realizing I had forgotten to click lap at the end of the long mile and the avenue of oaks. No matter. I would still be able to get an average. The best run of my life had taken 2hr 13min and 28 seconds over 20 miles.

That’s a 6:40/Mile average!!!

That run took place over a year ago now but it is still the most memorable run of my life, even more than my first marathon and my first barefoot running experience. That was the best run of my life.