Those were the words out of my mouth as I read my email upon coming home from yesterday's Turkey Trot.
I was simultaneously scrolling through unread emails whilst giving 710 the lowdown on my Thanksgiving run when I happened upon the the email line in the post photo in the upper left corner here.
Maybe it's just me, but most emails are just delete-able. How I got on some Norwegian Cruise Line list is anyone's business, but it's several per day. They REALLY want me to take a cruise. Unsubscribe then NCL starts showing up.
.....but I digress.
710 replies to my statement: "what? what's wrong??"
"I got into the Berlin marathon!"
This is big on three levels:
- I've never gotten into any marathon by lottery
- I've never gotten into what they consider a 'major' marathon
- International travel to run 26.2
710 knew I applied for NYC Half (I got rejected - didn't write about it) and the 2026 Chicago Marathon (no word until December on that). He didn't know that on a whim I entered the Berlin drawing.
Why should he? I "never" get selected. It was a whim! A whim I tellz ya!
It was a stomach drop / heart in throat moment. I'm so used to rejection and unworthiness I wondered if I just thrived on it. I think my shrink thinks the same thing (you can go back to the semi recent underwear post).
The race itself, barring any injuries, I'm sure I can do. A major isn't that much different and it's only slightly bigger than the Marine Corp one. Yeah, going abroad is a lot of logistics, but nothing insurmountable.
Right?
Throughout yesterday there were a lot of heavy sighs from me - just for decompression. I forewarned 710 soon I would be overwhelmed and probably shutting down. His response: "yeah, I know you".
That he does.
I've said before - about Chicago anyway - that it never occurred to me I wouldn't get in. And I think that's true. For Berlin, I never thought I would. But the concept of being chosen is just so weird to me, I don't now how to process it. 710 says he hopes I take time to enjoy it.
Same. I just need to figure out how.
Yes, it's 11 months away. But I have to pick a hotel very soon, as things will book up. We can plan the rest of our trip around the marathon date, but I do need to secure that soon-ish.
Should anyone know Berlin, hit me up for some info.
I did send the friend group the message almost immediately. Morty went on to tell the others how big of a deal this is. And in his 147 years of running* he's only known one other person to get into the Berlin marathon lottery.
So Europe awaits. And I'm knocking one Major off my list. I can't say Berlin was in my top 3, but London, New York and Chicago** don't want me.
Oh - the Turkey Trot went well. Snow held off (no longer though) and it was c-o-l-d, but I had a great run, and I almost never say that. It was close to a PR but not one. But considering so many people are walkers, dog people or stroller people that I came within seconds of a PR is nice to know.
*give or take. might be a slight exaggeration
**I might have an MI if I now get selected for 2026 Chicago. It's three weeks after Berlin, and technically I'll be fully trained.
Song by: Wilco
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