T-24 weeks: "Back in Hamburg"

Dear Papa, and dear Reader,

We're back in Hamburg! In more than one sense: We're back in Hamburg from DC, and we also just got back to Hamburg from traveling to the Dutch border after landing in Hamburg on Friday. If you need a double-take on this sentence, you might get an appreciation for how much traveling it has been for us this week. It honestly feels like we've been continuously traveling since Thursday evening, and I can't wait to now settle into Hamburg for this week.

It's so good to be back here! This is the first time I'm staying at your house with someone else, meaning both Mama and Angela, living here. It is both surreal and absolutely beautiful! There's life in every room again now, and pictures of you everywhere. It feels a bit like you haven't really left, you're still around. Both Angela and Mama say they experience it in the same way. And I'm realizing it's easier for me to be here, dealing with the fact that you're gone, than to be so far away and experience your absence from the distance. Here, it feels real, but it also feels like life is moving on.

1st run of the week in Niendorfer Gehege

Yesterday morning was our first morning in Hamburg, and I got up early and ran 6 miles on the trails that you used to run on in Niendorfer Gehege. All of those trails still feel so familiar. Yesterday, I was reminded of the first-ever 10k race that I did on exactly those trails. It must've been sometime around 2002, and it was probably as cold as it was yesterday. My finishing time in that race was somewhere around 55 minutes, which today would not excite me much, but back then, I was proud of myself for that effort, and I started wanting more. Only a few months later, I signed up my first half marathon, which then led me to run my first full marathon here in Hamburg the year after. So fun to think back on those early days of running. I wish I had kept it up after.

On Friday evening, after we landed, Jim, Mama, and I walked about 3 miles to the Tibarg and back to check out the Christmas market there and move our legs a little bit after the long flight. We passed Ciao Bella, the Italian restaurant that I invited everyone to for my 40th birthday. That was on Dec 6, 2023, on St. Nicolaus Day. In the morning, you had put chocolates in our boots, just like you used to when we were kids. That evening at Ciao Bella was also the last time we were all together as a family before your accident, and it was one of the last few hours I had with you. The next morning, we flew back to DC, and I never saw you again outside of a hospital bed. It still blows my mind to think about how much I took for granted to give you that hug goodbye at the airport.

It's hard to come across all of these sites and be reminded of you all the time, but it is also nice to build new memories on top of them - not to replace the ones we have with you, but to understand and realize that life moves on and we can still enjoy our time with each other while we think of you.

2nd run of the week in Emlichheim

This morning, I went for another run in Emlichheim on the Dutch border, where we stayed the night to visit Opa. It was freezing cold but gorgeous - farmland and countryside, some cows left and right, and the sun coming up through the foggy fields. Tim, Isa, Jim, and I made the drive there yesterday and met with Rainer and his family to spend some time with Opa, which turned out to be a wonderful afternoon and evening. I think it is hard for Opa to not be visited as much anymore. You used to make that drive so often, even though it is rough, 3.5 hours each direction. We went back this morning as well, before heading back to Hamburg, so we could maximize our time with him. Who knows how long we will still have him here. He's 94 years old after all.

With all the traveling, this wasn't a big workout week, but I got one swim in in DC (2,000 yds / 1.850m in 35 mins), two bike rides, as well in DC (40 miles and 3,000 ft elevation gain / 65km and 900m in 3:15h), and two runs, both in Germany (10 miles / 16km in 1:50h). Not to forget, I also did two walks for a total of 8 miles / 13km in 2:30h).

This coming week is my last week before I start the Ironman training plan! I'm totally fired up!! Ready to roll! Ready to build my base and my endurance. Ready to lose the few extra holiday pounds I'm putting on these days as well - it's time those come off. Being in Hamburg makes the Ironman project all the more real, as we will be walking by the exact spot where the finish line will be in a few days. Wow! It's less than 6 months from here. I'm getting nervous every time I think about it...

And now, I'm signing off to hit the sack. I'm still so tired and actually can't wait to get to bed. Maybe this will be the first time we can sleep through the night, as jet lag had us waking up at 3am every night with tons of trouble to get back to sleep. We need the rest.

Next Sunday when I write the next post, it will be my last day here, and Michel and his family will be there as well. Can't wait to tell you more about what happened here. I'm sure you're looking at me from these walls right now anyways. You put the last coat of paint on them. And you did well!

With a big hug,

Kathrin

P.S. Dear Reader, if you have comments, questions, memories, or thoughts to share, please leave a comment (and leave your name in the comment so I know who it's from). I would love to hear from you!

Go to the full list of blog posts or read more about the project Ironman for Papa