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On July 15, 16 and 17 I haven taken part in the 48 hours of Cologne. The race is organised by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.

The run is at the Niederländer Ufer in a park at the shore of the river Rhine. There are laps from exactly 1+1/2 km with at one side the start and the station with enthousiastic counters. On the other side a big kitchen and refreshments. There is everything a runner needs and much more: water, orange juice, mineral-water, soup, cola, tea, coffee, peanuts, biscuits, bread, fruit, tomatoes, salt etc. Added with 3 hot meals every day.
In between the posts we run in the shade of a tree-lane beside the Rhine. Also there is a big field with grass; here is enough space for tents; also for my tent.
I don't have a helper, but as a member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team I know the people in the organisation. As a runner this will give me of course more eagerness beside the beautiful consciousness which is always there. I am here for the 10th time; 5 times as a helper and 5 times as a runner; I ran my first 24 and I ran my best 24 hours in this park. So Cologne is for me a home-race and every year I am looking forward for this event. Hopefully with some summer-weather, but it can also rain! This weekend it is sunny, 30 degrees Celsius, you can say it is hot. Only after one hour running there is a big shower for 5 minutes. Luckily at that moment I was running under the trees from the tree-lane.
In a 24 hour you can keep on going without sleeping, a 48 hour is another story. Now you have to rest (I know there are some runners who will not sleep during 48 hours, but they also have to take some longer breaks).

The last years I did a lot of ultra's and I ended also with several blisters. When you have a blister you move the foot in another way and this can lead to a shin splint. In the multi-day, blisters take a big part and they need to be avoided when possible. For this reason I took some extra preparation in walking. In April I did the 12 hour walk in New York and in June I took part in a 70 km march (6 km/hour pace over hills in a big group of over 1000 walkers). I run every week about 100 km and once every 4 weeks I go up to 150 km, then I do an ultra on Saturday (50 km or 12 hours) and a big run on Sunday also. One week before Cologne I did a 2 miles test where I ran 15 seconds under my best time ever! I don't know if this self-transcendence is a profit for the 48 hours or not; but at least it gives me some self-confidence.

The start is Friday at noon, the 24 hours start at noon Saturday, so on Sunday we will all finish at noon. Before the start I make a plan how to go; start in a 8 km/hour pace till 1 hour past midnight. Wake up at 4, meditate, then visit the massage (+ doctor) for waking up the legs. At the hottest moment of the day I make a 2 hour-intermission for changing, rest and massage. And the last break is in the second night from midnight till 4 o'clock. Important is to rest enough, because when you are too tired to run it is too late (I have experienced this!).

At the 48 hours there are 37 runners from 7 different countries, there are runners like Madhupran Schwerk, Marek Gulbierz, Heike Pawzik and Dorothea Vögeli.
Some runners take the Friday to make a lot of kilometers. I myself make easy rounds from 11 minutes. To slow down the pace I walk about 200 meters after the refreshments; I like to change the walking and the running, it gives me a good feeling.
In the evening there is a nice dish with spaghetti and during eating I keep the legs high; the blood is streaming all the time to my feet, now it can stream the other way round.
My counter is Siegfried Bullig, he and his wife Cornelia wanted to see the race. They will organise a 6 day race in Erkrath 2 weeks later.
After 12 hours and 25 minutes I get a flag to celebrate the 100 km. Time for a round of honor and after this I go walking, eat a bit and then I visit my tent to fall asleep at 1.30 a.m. At my (sleeping) mattress I have arranged a sort of pillow for my feet so they are on a soft underground and a little bit higher (and again the blood can stream from the feet away).

The next day starts sadly with a blister; a small one under the big toe (rightside); time for the medical. Good news it is no problem. A cool anti-bacterial spray over it and up we go. First walking for 30 minutes to warm up the muscles and to see how everything is feeling; luckily the same as yesterday. On the board you see the first 7 runners, I have noticed that they took shorter breaks; it is their decision.
Saturday-morning is nice and fresh and on this time I like to run a little bit faster. I feel well and I like to speed up a bit. After 23 hours and 15 minutes it is time for the 150 km flag. In the meantime the 24 hour-runners have arrived, under them 3 runners from Holland. I also see Klaus Schulz and Tatjana Jauk. In total we are now with 99 runners from 9 countries.
.
Half-way I have covered 157 km. Ooops, a nice number for a 24 hours, but still a long way to go. It is important to keep my own pace, but it is also nice to run a lap with a 24 hour-runner. At 2 pm I make my mid-day break. In the tent it is too hot so I put my mattress outside and I lay down. I planned to sleep for one hour, but at this point in the race you can never sleep that long. I only sleep for 15 minutes and then I am fully awake.
So I stand up and I go to the massage; another small blister on the small toe (leftside). Also no problem; I am blessed that in the race the blisters will take no part. Some extra bioplasm and minerals and time to continue. I am amazed about the strength which I still have in the legs. A 300 is entering in my mind; Can I make it? I was happy with 264 km, to transcend my other 48 hours result. You never know what can happen on this kind of distances and making too high goals may lead to injuries.
The hot weather creates a big pain in the stomach; now I can not take everything anymore. I take care that I still take water with salt (or dulse) and vitamin C. The water tastes not so good anymore, but luckily I don't taste Eau de Cologne. I can keep my 8 km/hour pace and after 30 +½ hours I have the 200 km flag. Calculation (it is still possible): I did run now for 24+½ hours (breaks with a total time of 6 hours not included), in the next night a break from 4 hours. So there are still 13+½ hours to go; if I can keep the pace and no strange things will happen then …

I see my name on the board, no. 7, and this makes me flying. After 207 km I take a big dinner with tortellini. Hans-Dieter from the massage approaches me and he is warning me for not speeding-up "Watch out; there are still many hours to run" First I said I am OK, but then I realise that he is right. I am very happy that he is telling me this, because I am sweating like anything. I change and I want to continue running, but now the stomach is protesting. It wants first to work on the tortellini before it wants to serve me in the run. Such a meal is a big profit for the long term, but sadly not for the short term. Doctor Rohan advises me to take some extra water with salt or mineral water with bubbles. This will help the stomach with the digestion. And of course it helps, but I still need to walk.
When I can run it is getting dark; this moment I am the most conscious, because unfortunate things like tiredness, cramps, pains can come on this particular moment. I prefered to walk, but if I want to reach 300 I have to run right now. Luckily I can run and still the unfortunate things stayed out. I am encouraged by the dynamic music from the Dutch helpers. I'll pass them twice every lap. At midnight I reach the goal of 240 km. Time to sleep ……. time to sleep peacefully.

The next morning I wake up at 3 o'clock and I go to the massage. Everything is perfect and I feel also like this. Can I do 40 laps in 8 hours? First one hour of walking; I prefer to wait for the daylight. The birds are already whispering, the morning is always beautiful. I wear an orange t-shirt which the SCMT was wearing at the New York City Marathon in 1996. Orange is also the national colour of Holland. When I start to run I notice that my laps are still faster than the 11 minutes. When I get the 250 km flag after 41 + ½ hours I am sure that the 300 km is within reach. I see my name again on the board and immediately I go up to no. 4. Some runners who started fast have given up or they are now walking slowly.

At 8 a.m. I have covered a 270 km, which means that in any case I will do my longest 48 hours. And 12 minutes rounds are now enough. Time to change; the orange t-shirt is too hot, I'm sorry for the counters. From Abhinabha I get a World Harmony Run singlet. After 46 hours I did 286 km, but now my right foot is hurting. I am almost there and now these forces are preventing me from the 300? Or is it just the mind? I feel tired so when I pass the medical I ask for some bioplasm and minerals. It helps me, now time to complete the 48 hours. After 47 hours and 35 minutes the big moment has arrived and I can run with the most magical 300 flag. The distance I thought was out of my reach is covered. Happily I make two more laps, also because I want to keep the fourth place, but I still need to continue running.

Finally I finish after 303,433 km as no. 4 behind Madhupran Schwerk (377 km), the Japanese Katsuhiro Tanaka (339 km) and Ulrich Nicklaus (322 km). Fastest woman is Heike Pawzik with exactly 300 km. In the age-category till 50 years I finish at no. 3.

For me it is a surprise that I am able to run all the time in a constant pace. I have heard a lot of stories about what will happen in a 48, but all these things stayed out. Maybe because I have taken altogether 10 hours of intermission. But will I cover a longer distance if I reduce this time? I have noticed that the other runners have taken shorter breaks. But I also have felt worse in a multiday!

I am very happy to run in this consciousness. And I am very grateful for everybody who came to Cologne to help.

And I invite everybody for our first ultra in Amsterdam in November organised by the SCMT Holland.

Peter Zuidema

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