I was exhausted. I was sad. Could I have gone further? Should I have continued? A couple of hours before, I had decided to drop out, or DNF - Did Not Finish - as they call it in runners jargon, the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc. After I had visited the hospital for check-up and sort of collected my thoughts, I went for lunch with my dad. He said: ”Nicki, you have made the right decision.”
Read MoreI have written about the rising trend of virtual challenges and runs before, in other words participating in a race whenever you can and wherever you are. As much as I am a big supporter of the digital world, I was not sure, whether a GPS watch and an online challenge were enough to provoke the feeling of a competition. 21.1 kilometers later, I can say that it turned my regular morning run into a fun experience.
Read MoreThanks to Keller Sports and my mate and Ironman Christian Kehr, my sister and I had been invited by Galür and Ischgl to participate in the Silvrettarun 3000. While my sister run the 11-kilometer race, I signed up for the marathon distance. It was a perfect test before Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc and worked out perfectly as I had gifted my sister a brother-sister running trip for Christmas. It was a wonderful weekend spent with my sibling and a humbling lesson the story of Justin and Gabriele Grunewald has taught us. In fact, it shall force us all to re-calibrate and ensure not to forget what it is important in life.
Read MoreI have always wondered about the ratio of fitness vs. mind in ultra-running, as both parts certainly play an equally important role to cover those great distances and heights. Due to my day-to-day life in banking, unfortunately I lack the time to follow the ideal training plan, which means that my mind is more critical, when it comes to race day. Luckily, I was able to count on the latter at the Lavaredo Ultra-Trail.
Read MoreAs runners, we are constantly setting new goals, whether it is signing up for a race or just moving our feet a bit more each day. Regardless if you’re a newbie or a 100-mile race finisher, there is always a new goal in sight. Maybe it is simply to start running, beat your last marathon time or best your brother’s or coworkers’ mile record. Now comes the work to make sure you achieve your goal. Gear Patrol tapped nine ultra-runners professionals to learn their secrets for setting big goals, and achieving them.
Read MoreAfter 2018, this was the second time that I was taking part in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge, which is a global running series and the biggest corporate run, as well as one of the most attended races worldwide with almost 70.000 runners.
Read MoreRunning has gained tremendous popularity as a means of getting away from it all and re-connecting with your body and surroundings, while getting fit and sweating out the pressure of the daily life. On the other hand, meditation has also gained a huge foothold, as people turn inward to try and calm their racing minds, regain control, and let go of an overwhelming flood of thoughts.
Read MoreI did not take long to decide that I wanted to do it again. I wanted to return to the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc. After I had to drop out in the 2018 edition, I knew that I had to come back to Chamonix in order to complete the course. With that being said, I was also committed that I wanted to be running in the name of A Chacun Son Everest (“ACSE”) again.
Read More“If you can dream it, you can do it“, it read on one of the banners a supporter was holding up high on the side of the road. and I was starting to repeat those words a few times in my head. I know that I would not be breaking my goal of a sub-3 hour marathon today, however, why not aiming for a new personal best.
Read MoreVirtual challenges and runs are part of a growing trend in recreational running: doing a race whenever you can, wherever you can, and still feeling as if you are part of the crowd, even if you are running alone.
Read MoreWith a little over a month to go, the final preparation will be on its way for more than 1.300 daredevils that are ready to take on the Marathon Des Sables (“MDS”). Aside from the month-long physical and mental preparation for this mighty challenge, the equipment plays an equally important role to master this 250-kilometer desert crossing.
Read MoreThis might be your first try at running or an attempt to improve on what you already do. The less sport you have done recently, the more you can expect to improve your distances and speeds. The following words should give you a little overview of the importance of the heart rate to your training and give you an introduction to different training types.
Read MoreAfter my unfortunate DNF at the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc, I did not take me long to realize that I want to come back and try again. However, in order to qualify for the 2019 edition, I had to collect another 4 ITRA points.
Read MoreIt was for the first time since Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc that I was racing again. The Salomon Trails 4 Germany series is an event that brings trail running to various regions around Germany. This stop was located in the wonderful Taunus, only a short drive away from Frankfurt.
Read MoreThe Frankfurt Marathon took place on October 28th, 2018. The clocks had changed to wintertime during the night and it felt as such had also brought cold temperatures along. It was freezing cold with icy winds throughout the event.
Read MoreThough Karl Lagerfeld has little to do with ultra-running, he once said: “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” We handed out a few disposable cameras to exactly do such, capture the memories and moments that we shared around Mont Blanc.
Read MoreAfter 35:15:33 hours and 136.6 kilometres I had to call it day, dropping out of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc (“UTMB”), swallow my pride and DNF (“Did Not Finish”) for the first time. I had never experienced this amount of highs and lows in one race, which ended in pretty heavy hallucinations and a sprained tibia forcing me to end my journey at La Giète aid station.
Read MoreThree years of waiting have come down to the final four days. At the end of August 2015, I visited Chamonix for the first time. I saw the start of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc ("UTMB") and watched the finish of the CCC, which is "little sister of the UTMB". After a few days, I left this lovely French alpine village making promise to myself, and the receptionist of the hotel to return in 2018 and run the race I had just witnessed.
Read MoreAfter a few days with little sleep due to long hours at work, the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge in my legs and suffering from a cold, I was not too sure whether it was the best decision to start at the Wiesbaden Ultramarathon. Though I was not feeling 100 percent well, in the end I decided to take part.
Read MoreThe JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge is global running series that takes place in 13 different cities with Frankfurt being the biggest stop on the tour. On June 7th almost 70.000 runners took on the 5.6 kilometre-long course, leading through the city and past its skyline.
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