Since deciding to run Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc (“UTMB”) in August 2015 and turning into my dream, I have come a long way. It feels like the journey in itself has turned into an ultra trail, filled with plenty of steep ascends and wild downhill sections, mental highs and lows. More than eight years into this journey, the most recent segment of this adventure best compares to a difficult, technical trail. Running countless races and accumulating thousands of kilometers by foot, I came to realise that it was time to hold my breath and pause. So, let’s take one step back and rewind my journey until today.

life, runNicki Lange20 October 2022the speed project, utmb, ultratrail, marathon des sablesComment

TSP DIY

After a just-in-time cancellation of the The Speed Project in March, a couple of hours before Donald Trump locked down the United States, I had no doubt that The Speed Project will go ahead in 2020 one way or another. In a year where everything is cancelled, the renegade spirit of The Speed Project will live on in TSP DIY.

runNicki Lange20 July 2020the speed project, tsp diy Comment

LIFE LESSON: FLEXIBILITY & GRIT - RUNNING IN TIMES OF THE UNKNOWN

On March 12, exactly four months ago today, I received the message that The Speed Project was canceled. On March 13, Donald Trump, closed the boarders, prohibiting any oversea flights from entering the United States, and we have moved to working from home. Since then, it has truly been an interesting journey in all areas of life.

runNicki Lange12 July 2020the speed project, life lesson, ultra trail du mont blanc, utmbComment

LIFE IS NOT CANCELLED BUT POSTPONED

Things are changing fast with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. While the The New York Times, Die Zeit, El País and all other media outlets continue to offer a wealth of information, this is my personal take on the situation. I am not a doctor, and the following post is not medical advice. It is, however, a summary of what I have researched, as well as I am sharing my thoughts on the current crisis that we are going through. If you do not have the time to read this post, the key takeaway from this piece of writing is to isolate yourself as good as you can, stay at home and follow further notice by authorities and governments.

life, runNicki Lange17 March 2020the speed project, covid-19 Comment

TRAINING TO RUN 550K THROUGH THE DESERT

Less than two weeks to go until I will embark on an adventure that is beyond anything that I have done to date. Less than 14 days until I will take the first step away from Los Angeles’ Santa Monica pier towards Las Vegas. 550 kilometers lay in front of the team and I until we reach the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.

runNicki Lange6 March 2020the speed projectComment

THE SPEED PROJECT

I have read “The Alchemist” by Paolo Coehlo for the first time while I was travelling around South East Asia in 2014. Ever since, his words have become a guiding piece to my journey through life, especially the word “Maktub”, which means “it is written” or “it is meant to be” in the Arabic language has had a significant impact on me and my believes. It implies that in life things happen for a reason and correlates to Steve Jobs’ famous Commencement Speech at Harvard in 2005: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

runNicki Lange20 November 2019the speed projectComment