Servus out of the south, I didn´t even dream about it,that I should be so sad about something because I “only” made the 3rd place overall in a big MTB-marathon race with 1800 participators and 4 different course`s just for confusing? Disvulging chaos? And that´s the way it started...
"perfect" preparation for the race: 6 weeks before the race: application for the bike-race „Glöcknerkönig“ 48 hours before the race : change of the application to the „Tegernsea MTB-marathon“ because of supply difficulties from my new race-bike(and I didn´t want to start on a tricycle…smile)
Closing of application at the Tegernsea…Damn it, but I gotta say thank you to the nice ladies from the organisation team, they made it possible that I could start, and also in the first starting block. Thank you all over again my dear Diana!!!!

Still 48 hours before the race, I made the last tour on my MTB-bike with the result of one broken skock-absorber and one cracked brake handle… 48. bis 24. hour before : I messed up two bike-shop, travelled over 400k by car just to get a new shock-absorber(missed on day at work), but bike is ready now(Many thanks on this way to Reinhold from Downhill Nurembourg and to Achim from Croco in Deggendorf).
The evening before the bike-marathon : While I packed everything in the car,I rode with the bike over thorns…flat….both…Am I a complete Idiot? Searching the whol house upside down for wheels mantles and inner tubes and put it up until late at night…so, no time to eat…and just 5 hours to sleep…
Starting block : real stressed and next to me Mona Eiberweiser (U23-European-Champion) and all the other big numbers of the MTB-sports (I felt myself out of place, I´m just the small Renate from Deggendorf....)

The race : Checking of the altitude profile? Nope…just asking for the amount of the K´s, and forgot under all the stress and exciting to neutralize my bike computer….but who care´s : Starting shot…and full speed ahead….

Mud…grade of increase up to 26% at the end of the first 800DA-gravel-rise…never mind…But : Where and how far to the finish-line? Of course, 56k´s and 1489DA´s, but no conclusion about where I be, how far to go, homy many uphill passages…? Just simply, ride on…

just brainless : just short let go of my two competitors(Why are they going so fast right now, who care´s I ´ll get them at the next increase…but I couldn´t stand speed anymore than a few minutes) a few minutes later…(for me)real surprised after a curve I rode over finish-line. My time 2:50 h average speed about 20km/h and just 77seconds behind the first And 33 seconds behind the second...no sprint at all…finished on the 3rd place overall… At the winner ceremony I considered a bit over…if there could be some more…???

Finally to put the whell of time in reverse : maybe before the next race, to relax a little bit more by laying in my garden in the sun…

stay calm...like this dog, sitting right next to the starting block...

smile….so, I´m not that unsatisfied after all....-))))))))))))))))))))) I´m just a slob, but with real fast legs...and of course real nice Team-Pirate-Clothes (at the marathon I´ve adressed to where I got this fu…awesome clothesJ)
C-ya… sunny greeting out od Bavaria,
Renate
P.S: Now I´m getting ready for the MTB-Marathon-Dolomiti-Superbike, what is considering the organizer the hardest race in the Dolomite Alps. So, because of that, I´m lying in my patio, tanning and of course chilling…smile

Links:
Tegernsee Marathon (7.6.09): http://www.mtb-festival.de/
Dolomiti Superbike (12.7.09): http://www.dolomitisuperbike.com/
(Beide Marathons super organisiert, gehören zu den Besten im Alpenraum, echt empfehlenswert).