“I hate you! I hate you and your stupid ultramarathon race!” I was exhausted. Physically and mentally spent. I had just run 100 kilometers through the night along the Southern Swedish coast. Small single tracks, technical terrain, two steep climbs up the mythical mountain Kullaberg, and harsh weather had tested my limits. And now the […]
Kullamannen By UTMB Sprint Ultra – Race Report Read More »
I bought my first pair of kettlebells in 2015. Sidelined by injury, I hadn’t run consistently in a few months, and the lack of movement was negatively impacting my mental health. I had tried to substitute riding a bike and hiking for running, but I didn’t particularly enjoy either. Besides, winter was around the corner,
Kettlebell Training for Runners – Ultimate Beginner’s Guide Read More »
“I have never fallen in love with a new place that quickly,” I thought as I sat on my hotel bed, thinking about the small town of Suhl and its surrounding mountains I had just explored. It was Friday, the day before my 2nd mountain trail ultramarathon. After dealing with severe hip and lower leg
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“Shit”, I thought. “I possibly can’t hike these muddy trails with that heavy backpack.” Panic and anger set in as I evaluated my options. The steepness of the trail wasn’t the problem. The problem was the ankle-deep mud I had just sunk into and the trees blocking the path. It seemed impossible to move forward,
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My running journey started on the trails. I discovered my love for running in 2016 while living in South Africa for 6 months. Just 3 months after I had landed on the continent, I gained around 5 kg, which I disliked. And so I did what many people do when they want to lose weight
How Do You Train for an Ultramarathon When You Live in a Big (Flat) City? Read More »
Waking up with a headache was concerning. I felt it come on the day before but thought it would be gone after a good night’s sleep. And I slept relatively well. Almost seven hours, which was more than I had slept the night before the last race. I distinctly remembered having a beautiful dream (though
6 Hours German Championship – Race Report Read More »
After a disappointing running year 2023, I decided to explore as many races and distances as possible in 2024. Even though I won the 24-hour Mad Chicken Run in September 2023, overall, I was disappointed. I caught Covid-19 for the first time in March and canceled my start at the 100 km German Championships. And
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I didn’t expect to finish the race on the podium. In fact, just 2 days earlier, I didn’t expect to finish at all. Mysterious pains in my upper abdomen appeared on Thursday and made me question my decision to travel to the race. I had experienced these pains before. They appeared seemingly out of nowhere
It’s been almost 4 months since I won my first ultramarathon. It was a 24-hour trail race on a motocross track. No one expected me to do so well, let alone win. No one, including myself. After all, I had started running again only 3 years prior, grew up with the belief that I was
The First Step to Becoming an Ultrarunner Is Deciding to Be One Read More »
Hating on the fitness industry, especially so-called “fitness influencers,” seems to be the “in” these days. Prominent fitness professionals themselves hate on the industry; researchers have concluded “[…] that viewing fitspiration models on Instagram was more likely to lower self-perceived sexual attractiveness among women […],” and the New York Times published an article titled “Most
Stop Blaming Fitness Influencers for Your Body Image Issues Read More »