I had big dreams for 2025. Mountain ultras, technical trails, pushing my limits on vertical gain. And on top of improving as a mountain runner, I wanted to PR the 24-hour distance at German Championships.
The season had other plans. My gut refused to cooperate—not at races, not in training, not ever. Digestive issues meant missed sessions and long runs cut short.
The first race of the season? I never made it to the start line. DNS. Not exactly the beginning I’d envisioned.
But I decided I would not repeat this and I would show up and at least try to race.
And somehow, despite my poor gut health throughout, I got results.
North Sea Ultra 111K: 6th female overall, 1st in my age group (W40)
German 24H Championships: 3rd in my age group
O-See Backyard Ultra: 4th last female standing (stopped strategically due to foot pain—I wasn’t going to risk CCC UTMB seven weeks later)
CCC UTMB: Focused only on enjoying the scenery and getting through this terrain healthy and in one piece 😅 and finished in 22:35h.
Not the breakthrough performances I’d envisioned, but given what my body was dealing with? I’ll take them.
I guess sometimes the messy seasons teach you more than the perfect ones. And 2025 gave me a masterclass in resilience.
What Worked: The Strengths I'm Building On
Even in a disrupted season, clear patterns emerged—strengths I can build on and skills that saved me when things got rough.
Aid station efficiency. No matter how rough I felt, I could get in and out of aid stations fast. While other runners lingered, deliberating over nutrition or organizing drop bags, I executed my plan and moved on.
Mental strength when everything falls apart. At North Sea Ultra, my gut rebelled from kilometer one. I pushed through all 111K anyway. At CCC, I toed the start line when most people would have stayed in bed. That mental durability—the ability to keep moving when things fall apart—is perhaps more valuable than any physical attribute.
Remarkable durability. Despite a challenging season, despite high-stress periods at work, despite the gut issues: zero injuries. No niggles. No overuse issues since returning to running in 2021. Ten years of heavy strength training built legs that can handle serious volume and vertical gain without breaking down.
Strong climbing ability. For someone who spent her entire life as a flatlander and only started mountain trails in 2024, I climbed surprisingly well at CCC. Even on steep technical terrain, I felt strong going up. The foundation is solid.
Fearless downhill running. I love running downhill fast. I also have no to very little quad issues, which I attribute to my 10+ years of heavy strength training.
What Didn't Work: The Lessons That Will Shape 2026
The gut situation dominated my season. Every single race was compromised by digestive issues. I promised myself to finally stay disciplined to avoid another season like this and spent the last few months systematically working on my everyday nutrition. As expected, my gut health has improved significantly. The challenge now is staying consistent with what’s working and resisting the temptation to “test” new approaches, especially before races. Trust the process that’s already showing results.
Too many A-races too close together killed my focus. The German 24H Championships were a high-prio race for me – only three weeks after North Sea Ultra 111K (which I also saw as a high-prio race). But after struggling through North Sea Ultra, I wasn’t mentally ready for that 24H race. And having the Backyard Ultra 7 weeks before CCC meant I wasn’t mentally ready to “give it my all” during the Backyard and dropped out while still feeling good because a foot issue had me worried I would miss the start of CCC.
In 2026 my races will be spaced out better and I have established only 2 A-races, with the rest being additional races to practice running with competition, improve my train skills etc.
Fueling during races needs deliberate practice. Despite knowing better, I still struggle with race nutrition. Some of this stems from my everyday gut issues (which I’m addressing), but some is simply lack of practice. I need to treat fueling like any other skill and practice it consistently in training.
Technical trail skills need refinement. My downhill technique can be faster and more efficient. And while I used poles actively and well during CCC, I need much more practice with deployment—unfolding them quickly and smoothly under fatigue.
My Goals for 2026
I’m entering 2026 with clear objectives that drive my race selection and training approach:
1. O-See Backyard Ultra (July) and Pheidippides Authentic Run (November) – My Two A-Races
I fell in love with the Backyard format in 2025. Placed 4th last female, and the entire experience captivated me. The strategic element—planning your pace, managing energy, calculating when to push—that’s exactly what I love. Plus it plays perfectly to my strengths: stubbornness, endurance, and durability.
In 2026, I’m coming back to give it everything. I want to see how far I can take this.
Pheidippides is the ultimate goal—490 kilometers from Athens to Sparta and back. The race that captures my imagination completely. The history, the distance, the challenge of sustaining effort for what could be 80-100+ hours.
Both races demand the same qualities: mental toughness, strategic thinking, and the ability to just keep going. They’re the perfect pairing.
2. Build my UTMB Index and collect running stones
I’m still debating if I want to have another crack at CCC. To see what I’m capable of on that course when my gut cooperates and I don’t start in wave 3.
I know I can go faster and building my index and collecting stones keeps that door open for future attempts.
3. Keep improving at mountain trail racing
I genuinely love trail running. The technical challenges, the vertical gain, experiencing nature on foot, the views… .
Pheidippides might be mostly flat, but I’m not abandoning the mountains. They’ve become part of who I am as a runner.
The 2026 Race Calendar
Here’s how the year unfolds. Each race builds fitness and tests different capacities, all leading toward July and November.
February 7-8: 24H Sparta (B-Race)
March 21: Schwerin Seen Trail (B-Race)
60K
April 11: Istria 110 by UTMB (A-Race)
114K, 4,047m elevation gain
May 9: Trail DM Nesselwang (C-Race)
70K, 4,000m elevation gain
July 11: O-See Backyard Ultra (A-Race)
September 19: Julian Alps by UTMB (B-Race)
80K, 4,000m elevation gain
November 19: Pheidippides Authentic Run (A-Race)
490 kilometers
Training Philosophy: Building the Engine
I’m going self-coached in 2026, returning to what I know works: high volume.
The goal is simple—build a body that can keep going for a very long time. Physical durability, yes. But also mental durability. The ability to stay positive when everything hurts, to stick to fueling strategies when you want to quit, to push through gut issues and sleep deprivation.
That’s why racing shorter, faster mountain races despite my A-races being much longer. Speed work makes the slow paces feel easier.
I’m planning to experiment with a few things this year: more double training days (treadmill uphill work, power hiking sessions, cycling as second sessions), consistent speed work throughout the year rather than periodizing it into blocks, and serious practice on flat power hiking—the skill that will come in handy during the Backyard Ultra and that could save me hours over 490K.
Kettlebell training stays in the mix, focused on maximum strength for joint and tendon health rather than building muscle.
I’m using Training for Uphill Athlete principles as my foundation, combined with my UESCA certification knowledge and four years of learning what my body responds to.
And the gut health? I’ve spent the last few months systematically fixing my everyday nutrition and it’s working. Now I need to stay consistent with what’s already showing results and resist testing new approaches before races.
Trust the process. Stay the course. Build the engine.
Looking Forward
2025 didn’t go according to plan. My gut had other ideas. Training became unfocused.
But I still showed up. I still raced. I still got results that matter.
More importantly, 2025 gave me clarity about what works for my body, what I want from this sport, and where I’m headed.
Self-coached. Self-directed. With a clear vision.
Athens to Sparta and back. 490 kilometers. November 2026.
Everything else is preparation.