Mon, May 28, 2012 - 40K - 05:00:00
40K Run to Kleist's Grave and eBay Headquarters
  
Inspired by my friend Scott who will be running his first 50K race this weekend in the Rocky Mountains, I decided to do a run where I "got up over 40" and ended up doing 40.6K before getting home. Running out to Wannsee as the sun comes up is always beautiful and I remembered that Heinrich von Kleist is buried out in Wannsee so that was my first goal. While searching for a route back on Google Earth, I saw that I could easily go investigate eBay Headquarters which was built out in the middle of Wannsee Forest on the former East Germany border patrol grounds in Dreilinden. Setting these two destinations as my running goals for the day, I took off out of the door at 4:15 AM while it was still dark and experienced the sun coming up behind me the whole way, chasing my super long shadow. The weather was absolutely perfect: cool followed by warm, morning sun. Particularly unique was the 4K straightaway through the Wannsee forest outrunning the giant mosquitos. Legs felt good even to the end. That was definitely one of my top 10 runs of all time. 
  
"But paradise is locked and bolted... 
We must make a journey around the world 
to see if a door has perhaps been left open." 
- Heinrich von Kleist 
 
 
3:45 AM: light breakfast: 
 
4:00 AM: note to sleeping family 
 
4:15 AM: out the door 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
arriving in Wannsee, a quick detour down Bismarckstr. to Kleist's grave: 
 
 
 
Heinrich von Kleist: 
 
Henriette Vogel, with whom he committed suicide on this spot in 1821: 
 
 
 
 
 
now off to eBay: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the former A115 highway, last used in 1961: 
 
the A115 before they built the Berlin Wall: 
 
the A115 today: 
 
 
 
 
 
eBay: second run goal achieved: 
 
 
 
eBay's walk of fame, but didn't really understand what it represented: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
back on the old A115 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dreilinden/Drewitz border patrol, 1969-1989: 
 
The busiest border patrol while the wall existed: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
38K water: 
 
 
 
 
 
home street home: