### My Experience Running the Berlin Marathon

As someone who typically goes to bed early and wakes up early, adjusting to the jet lag on this trip was a bit challenging. However, I found that not eating or drinking anything on the flight helped reset my circadian rhythm somewhat, making the transition to local time smoother.

**Day 1: Arrival in Berlin**  

Upon arriving in Berlin, I took the metro to my hotel, and I was immediately impressed by the city's public transport system. It's an engineering marvel—quiet, efficient, and the locals were incredibly friendly. A generous touch from the BMW Berlin Marathon organizers was the complimentary metro pass provided for all runners, valid from September 25th to October 2nd. It made navigating the city much easier for thousands of us.

In the evening, I ventured out to find something light and safe to eat before the big race, but struggled to locate a suitable option and ended up dining at the hotel café. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t great—it was prepackaged, reheated, and lacked fresh vegetables and fruits. 

One surprising discovery was that I couldn’t find a water tap to refill my bottle, so I had to purchase a 500ml bottle for 3.5 Euros—the most expensive water I've ever bought! Later, I learned that the tap water in the hotel room (even from the bathroom) is perfectly safe to drink.

The neighborhoods felt safe to walk around in, and the weather was absolutely lovely, which made the experience even more enjoyable.

**Day 2: Bib Collection and Exploring**  

The next morning, I was able to fill my water bottle at the breakfast buffet, but I noticed that locals drink more beer and carbonated water than plain water. Later, I headed out to collect my race bib, and the experience was unforgettable. Tens of thousands of runners from all over the world were gathered, and the energy at the expo was electric—something that has to be felt to be understood.

I spent about five hours at the expo, enjoying the atmosphere and grabbed a meal from one of the food trucks. On my way back to the hotel, I picked up a pack of water bottles from a grocery store in the Alexa Mall, only to realize back at the hotel that I had bought carbonated water instead of plain. Quick tip—if you want still water, look for the words "plain water" on the label!

That night, I tried to get a good night’s rest, but the hotel kept the room at a fixed 21°C, which was too warm for me. The bed was warm, and the heavy comforter made it hard to get comfortable. Despite opening the windows, I couldn’t cool the room down. I ended up sleeping on the floor, using the comforter as a makeshift sleeping bag. I didn’t want to argue with the hotel staff and risk souring the experience before race day.

**Day 3: Pre-Race Day**  

The day before the race, I met with my charity organization, “Helpage,” and visited the Tracksmith pop-up shop, where I did a 5K shakeout run from the meeting point back to my hotel. Later, I headed to Saravana Bhavan, a South Indian vegetarian restaurant, where I enjoyed a familiar thali meal and packed some for dinner. I wanted to stick to food my body was accustomed to before race day.

The sleep issues persisted, and I couldn’t manage much more than 3-4 hours of light sleep that night. To top off my pre-race carb load, I drank a Maurten 320 a couple of hours before bed.

**Race Day**  

I woke up at 6 am and followed my usual pre-race routine, having a very light breakfast before heading to the start line. Luckily, I found a fellow runner aiming for a similar pace, and we stuck together for the first 18 miles. However, by mile 18, I felt my energy fading, and I began to slow down. I encouraged my friend to continue without me, and I gave my best effort to finish the race on my own.

At the finish line, I felt satisfied knowing that I had given 100%—there wasn’t anything I could have done differently to improve my time. The weather was perfect, and many runners set personal records that day.

Here’s a snapshot of my race results from Strava:

Race Results

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- **Finish Time:** 4:21:16

- **Pace:** My pace started steady, but by mile 18, I began to slow down as the fatigue set in.

- **Heart Rate:** My heart rate gradually climbed throughout the race, starting at around 152 bpm and peaking at 168 bpm in the mid-race, reflecting the increasing effort.

You can see the detailed race analysis above, which breaks down my pace and effort across the entire course.

After the race, I did some AIMS stretches and returned to the hotel. That evening, I had some North Indian food. While it was recognizable as Indian cuisine due to the rice, the flavors seemed slightly "Germanized," a unique twist on the dishes I’m used to.

**Post-Race Days**  

The next two nights were rough—I struggled to rest due to lingering body aches and the continued issues with the hotel’s air conditioning. Although I had planned to explore more of the city, my body was asking for rest. Instead, I stayed at the hotel and took it easy, with only short walks around the nearby malls.