I signed up for the race on a whim. Having missed the start of my first race of the year – the Schwerin Seen Trail 61K at the end of March- (because I was stuck in the hotel room with severe gut distress), I wanted to get at least one training race in before my race season started in May with the 111K North Sea Ultra.
Luckily, there was one last place left at the officially already sold-out Ultralauf Cottbus, so I traveled to the small village of Hänchen on April 12th to race a 65km loop on trails in the area I grew up in. I was excited but nervous.
While I had taken measures to improve my gut health after the fiasco before the Schwerin Seen Trail, I still had some minor issues and some days where training didn’t go as planned.
I decided to take it very easy to test how my gut would hold up with the added stress of travel and my consistently high pre-race anxiety.
The goal was not to race but to use it as a supported, easy long run to continue training for the North Sea Ultra and the 24-hour German Championships in June the week after.
Pre-Race Nerves and Pre-Race Chats
Despite my best intentions, I was nervous. So much so that I got lost on the way to the start.
This is hilarious because I had been on the course just 2 years prior when I raced (and won) the 24-hour Mad Chicken Run. I even stayed at the same hotel.
Still, I became so unsure of myself, my memory, and my navigation skills that I ran a few loops around the area and sent the race director a message telling him I was lost. However, I made it to the start in time, got my race bib, and had enough time to chat with a few other runners.
One lady recognized me from the race 2 years ago, and a team-mate I hadn’t met yet chatted me up.
I am always grateful for the outgoing attitude of many ultrarunners and the ease with which the ultrarunning community welcomes new people. I grew up with extreme social anxiety, and while I am much more outgoing and self-confident now, I would still consider myself a rather shy person, and making new contacts doesn’t come easily to me.
Anxious about the race and my gut, I didn’t have breakfast.
Feeling Weak at the Start
Not only did I not have breakfast, but I also didn’t eat enough the day before the race. I felt pretty flat during the first kilometers of the race and debated if I should already take a gel. Of course, I also didn’t bring any liquid calories or electrolytes I usually have in training.
I also regretted my choice of clothing already half an hour or so into the race. While I knew it wouldn’t be as cold as the previous days, the weather forecast showed clouds around 11°C the day before. However, it felt much warmer, and the sun shone.
I took a moment to take off my jacket, stuffed it in my pack, and laughed at myself for having another shirt and even my thin hat. “This will be good training for the summer races,” I told myself as I continued.
It wasn’t long before I ran mostly alone, and I enjoyed it immensely. It was a beautiful route through pine forests, fields, and a lake.
A big fishhead lying on the path made me shudder. “Did you see the fish head?” I wanted to shout to my team-mate behind me, but I didn’t want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of a forest in spring. Soon, I was in a small village, and after that, I didn’t see her again.
I decided to take a gel. I regretted my decision to pack only 4 now. Sure, I did have 2 energy bars in my pack as just-in-case food, plus 4 guava blocks, but I never tested the bars in training, and it’s been more than 2 years since I last had the guava blocks. Plus, they were not easily reachable.
I told myself I would eat at the aid station. Knowing the race organization from my previous participation at the Mad Chicken Run, I was confident they had a nice selection. I would probably find something I was confident my gut would handle. I also decided to have coke.
The gel carried me to aid station one, where a cup of Coke and the amazing aid station volunteers lifted my spirits. I grabbed a few pieces of cut-up fruit bars and continued on my way. I munched on the bars over the next few kilometers.
It wasn’t long until running felt truly enjoyable, and I was in the flow. The single trails were beautiful, and even though I took a wrong turn twice, I now enjoyed the run immensely. I ran alone for the entire next section until aid station 2.
A Fun Mid-Race Challenge
Just before I reached aid station 2, I doubted my navigation again. I ran back the course a bit before I met one of the race organizers on the bike, who assured me I was heading in the right direction. We chatted a bit, and I felt great now. It was as if I was just out for an easy run. I was pleased with myself for sticking to the plan of not racing but using this purely as a training opportunity.
When I got a water re-supply just before aid station 2, I was extremely thirsty and felt a slight headache coming, but otherwise, I felt good. The sun was burning hot, and I ran for long stretches without shade.
I filled up my water bottles. Before I could continue on my way, however, I had to complete a challenge – climbing all 173 stairs up the 31-meter-high observation tower “Cottbusser Ostsee.”
After the completion of open-cast lignite mining, flooding of the former residual pit began in 2019, and soon, the 1,900-hectare lake will be the largest in the state of Brandenburg. “This is great training for CCC,” I thought to myself, and I remembered the call I had with Scott Johnston, who advised me to do stair workouts in preparation.
The view from the top of the tower was beautiful. I thought back to when I was a teenager, thinking about working in the recultivation of open-cast mining landscapes one day.
Now, I am back in the area that shaped my childhood, running through villages with familiar names, reading the Sorbian language again, and getting emotional when I saw the “Schwarze Pumpe” power plant in the distance.
I had 1 or 2 more gels as I made my way to the next aid station, which was just 3 kilometers away from the water re-supply. At aid station 2, I decided to have some peanuts, fruit bars, and coke, as I hoped the salt would help with energy levels and headaches.
The way to aid station 3 was uneventful. I tried to ignore my headache and kept telling myself that a heavy pack and too-warm clothes would be good training for the summer races and CCC UTMB.
When I reached Park Branitz, I struggled to find the correct way again. The markers changed, and I am sure the race director mentioned it during the briefing, but I didn’t remember it. As I made my way through the park, I wondered why I never visited in all my years living in the area.
It was lovely seeing so many people enjoy a sunny spring Saturday outside. It was a nice change from running alone for most of the way.
A few runners overtook me now, and I felt the urge to speed up. But I calmed myself down, telling myself that everyone has their goals for this race.
And mine was to simply run easy and enjoy the day.
Gherkins to the Rescue
When I reached aid station 3, I decided to eat some gherkins. I love them, and I knew from previous races that they would settle my stomach nicely and help with electrolytes.
After all, the gherkin water my team-mate gave me at the 6-hour championships 2024 magically resolved the most intense crampings I had ever felt.
I was craving them now, so I trusted my body and ate quite a few before reaching for the cut-up fruit bars again. They worked very well in that race. I liked that they were not too sweet and that I could chew them while running.
I was tired now but calm and chatted a bit with the aid station volunteer. The next aid station was only 10 kilometers away. This would be the last one already.
I was in a good flow now, and the longer the race went, the better my energy levels were. I contemplated how to change my approach to pre-race and pre-training nutrition. I started getting angry with myself for not having this sorted out after 4 years of running now. But I calmed myself down and constructed plans in my head on how to introduce breakfast before my long runs and how to develop a good pre-race routine that leaves me feeling confident and strong from the moment the race starts.
I jogged up the short hill to aid station 4 and was in good spirits. A boy asked if he should re-fill my bottles, and while he was getting me water, I was eating gherkins. I left with a few pieces of fruit bars for the final 7 kilometers of the race. I was feeling good and sped up a bit.
A “run faster” written on the ground made me smile.
My headache was gone by now, and a feeling of gratitude for being able to finish this race without gut issues took over. I only needed one stop just after the first aid station, but there was no stomach pain, cramping, or feeling of sickness. I could stomach the gels and fruit bars well, and the gherkins were soul food that may have helped with the headache.
As I made my way to the finish line, the race director shouted, “Finally, motocross track again, Nicole,” and I shouted back, “Yes.”
I contemplated signing up for this year’s 24-hour around the motocross track again. As I power hiked the steep hill to the finish, I wondered how I managed to get up this hill again and again for 24 hours 2 years ago 😂.
I posed for the finish picture with a big grin and rang the bell that would signify that I had finished.
I was happy and buzzing with energy.
My legs felt the distance, and I felt pain in my toes. (I would later see that a nail had come off again).
I was tired but not exhausted.
It was a perfect long run with company and support along the way in sunny spring weather along beautiful trails 😎. Afterward, I enjoyed chatting with fellow runners, eating vegan food, and relaxing in the sun while waiting for the award ceremony.