So, this was my opponent of which I was very very apprehensive. I have been starting a MegaMarsch evnt in Cologne, a few years back, when I just noticed, that my backbone is not happy about the topic of cycling and triathlon. So I thought a 100km walk/hile would be a worthy endeavour, I signed up, got to the start and… after 50ish km quit.
Why did I quit? I have thought a long time why that happened – I have done Ironman races and did not quit. why would I quit a hike.
Well. The organizers told us we definitely should search for a group – and I did – and this group consisted of eight-ish people and every now and then someone else had a rock in the sandal, needed to pee, needed to unpack something, needed to …. you name it. This meant the hike was a stop and go. And I cannot do stop and go. I did not realize at that time but now I have done a whole bunch of MammutMarsch events, ranging 30-60km and I know I need a steady pace. Rest at the aid stations, but else…steady pace.
So a 100km march was an opponent who I feared. I quit once – what would stop me to quit another time. My ruck sports a DFQ patch – Don’t F**king Quit. Yet. would that be enough?
We booked a train for two adults and one bike. The whole tour was planned for me first doing the Mammutmarch, then cycling/riding train to Gothenburg, and there playing the Gothenburg Anomaly together with my Resistance friends.
We took a City train earlier – so we were sure to reach our train to Hamburg. Martin had reserved two seats and a bike spot – this was supposed to be in Wagon 4. Inside Wagon 4 there was plastic tape preventing us from sitting, and a sign saying, that the AC did not work today and we should sit in another wagon. Of course we did not have a reservation in any other car, so we picked at random. The bike was allowed to travel unairconditioned. But only the bike.
Our wagon was not really well air conditioned either, it was hot inside. Yet we sat, had a multi-hour trip to Hamburg. Someone had our seats reserved but found a different place.
When we arrived in Hamburg, our connection had left three minutes ago. We were late. Had I been alone I’d have had some trouble to exchange the ticket, for they did not allow bikes in the customer help center. Martin went in, and organized the next tickets.
Then we got us an icy Starbucks drink, sat into the next train and waited for departure. The train departed only to be stopped by a crazy truck driver hitting a bridge. We went back to Hamburg Altona to wait fo the civic engineers to free up the route. My daily mile this day happened in Altona along the train.
To and fro and to and fro and …
Eventually we started driving again. And as soon as we were in Danmark, trains were in time. We found a station 7/11, got some fast food dinner, and shortly after midnight arrived at our apartment.
Man, was I glad we scheduled the Friday in between travel day and Mammooth day.
Next morning we got a plentiful breakfast close to our apartment, and then we decided to visit the Enigma museum, which is a communications museum, focusing on mail, decyphering, communications, broadcast and more. This was very nice and interesting.
Actually this museum was very up-to-date. In times of fake news, deep fakes, and internet filtering challenges this is one of the most important topics nowadays.
We went through town, as well, noticing that this day was Copenhagen Pride. The whole week was Copenhagen Pride.
We strolled through town, observed, checked out a few stores, had some dinner, not too much walking, of course, because I planned walking a lot for the next day.
Copenhagen is a cool city. I like the bikeability, the openness. The subways are fully automatic, no drivers… And also the architecture is very interesting.
Next morning we had breakfast in the apartment, and slowly made our way up North to the Mammut March Starting beach. Only then did we notice that that same weekend also was Ironman weekend. And the beach where we started was close to the bike course.
I have finished Ironman Copenhagen eleven years ago and in my mind I pondered, that every time I visit this beautiful city, I do crazy stuff… Copenhagen was one of my faster events at the time. Still slow and by no means qualifying for a tour to Hawaii, yet finished.
We observed people taping their feet, getting ready for the march, – this was a very exciting moment for I still wasn’t sure I’d make it. I usually do not tape, do not even use vaseline or such, but I carried a first aid baggie with blister band aids, plus a jar of vaseline.
The start got closer and closer and I was glad we had caught a cup of Joe on our way to the start. Many excited mammooths. INcluding me.Churny stomach… can we go now? finally?
The first km went easy peasy. I knew that the first aid station would take a bit and it took until km 25-ish, to get there. There was a super long line for water, so they had not expected us all at the same time. But they had water – I waited, refilled and had some snacks.
Time to leave and continue my long hike.
I do daily miles which means I do run a mile each day. During a march/hile I switch to running for a few hundred meters at a time and add those so I do not miss the running streak. This is a bit of brain work and I do tend to forget if I had now 400 or 500m already, so I usually play this safe and might end up with 1-200m more.
After the long stretch at the beginning, the distances from aid station to aid station were a bit shorter.
The Castle in the sunset was such a beautiful sight – we really really were lucky with the weather.
Usually I spend my mammooth marching with doing step by step by step by step and whenever people pass me I listen to snippets of conversation. Same when I pass people I listen and sometimes there are really interesting stories and sometimes there are trivial things and other people’s thoughts about things. I like listening. Sometimes I join, most of the time I do not because most of the group conversations aren’t my business but they keep me busy. This time this did not work because my Danish is – virtually nonexistent.
The night broke in. It still was warm and I moved on. 50km was already in the dark. This was magic. People switching on their headlamps and parking themselves on the wayside – snacking, napping, whatever they do. I knew I would not want to stop. Planned aid stations, yes, but not at the wayside. I stopped once to check my foot which kinda felt scratchy. This foot got a portion of vaseline. Another time – in the wee morning hours I put on my jacket. Else I kept moving. Moving. Moving.
I did send every km sign back to my family. Overnight. All of them. I missed the 60, and starting with 70 I started to believe I actually could do this. Around 3AM, 4AM, I felt like when I am super tired driving and would actually drive to a parking facility and take a power nap. But I thought I cannot sleep while walking so I continued. Step by step by step. When the Sun rose it was easier again. Yes I was super tired and it was a bit frosty. But essentially I had the most done. Now only a few dune hills adding to the 990 meters of altitude which I had not expected. It had not been visible in the original GPX, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.
I totally forgot to send the 95km marker to my family. This last 10 km seemed to take forever. The organizers had found some more hills and while during the whole march I had enopugh people not to have to rely on my Garmin, now I had to – people went out of sight all the time because the path was hilly AND curvy. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Oh man… this is now enough. can we arrive, finally?
Then the finish. I had not been sure but…I made it. And I had tears in my eyes, fully choked up. We had to pass the Ironman cyclists and the volunteers did a tremendous job getting us lame hikers past the racing bikes.
Wow. Martin had carried yet another Mammooth all the way to Denmark to announce my finish with „you are an IronMammooth“ Well I still was choked up but this made me smile and I captured the snuggly plushy and carried three mammooths into the finish. Two at my Ruck, one in my hands. Finally. Rest. Coffee… Breath. A wonderful medal…Breath some more…
YEAH!!!
No more sports today. Back to the apartment but not without a decent meal – just at the beach.
YEAH!!!
YEAH!!!!!