Happy New Year! 🎉
The last week was really snowy and cold here, which led to some nice winter runs. Next week will be a lot warmer and rainy, so I am already wishing the snow back before I try to get one last snow run in before it is gone.
Do you like running in the cold and on the snow?
How Does Trail Running Survive This Boom With Its Soul Intact?
While increasing the number of people who run is an overall positive trend, the influx of money is not without consequences, including the effects of capitalism on social hierarchy and the environment. There just seems to be a rising chasm between those who just love to run and those who make money off of it. We can’t escape commercialization in the modern era, but perhaps we can help steer it in a better direction. Professional runner Emelie Forsberg once said on Instagram that she hopes to raise her kids to know the names of plants rather than brands. It was a poignant statement from the Swedish runner about how we can teach future generations to care about what really matters.
It’s a slippery slope, that’s for sure, and I am really happy that I found this fitting metaphore…
Strava files for IPO as fitness apps chase subscription growth
The company hasn’t released official revenue numbers, but third-party estimates suggest it pulled in around 180 million dollars from Premium subscriptions alone in the year leading up to September 2025. That’s up from roughly 132 million in 2023, pointing to steady growth in paid users. Even without full transparency, it’s clear subscriptions are doing a lot of the heavy lifting. That kind of momentum is exactly the sort of thing investors look for heading into an IPO.
This isn’t just a Strava story. It ties into a wider shift in fitness tech, where more companies are trying to build subscription models on top of the hardware they sell. Whether that’s the right move for users is still up for debate, but it’s clearly where the industry is heading.
I don’t think this will be good for Strava, but then again I do not think that the Strava product strategy has really been centered on the needs of the users for quite a long time.
Top Tips For Running Your First Ultra
Sometimes it can be daunting or overwhelming when running mates suggest experimenting with further distances. But if it’s something you really want to do and you have the time to commit to training, then there’s no doubt you can tick off that 50km trail race you’ve been dreaming of.
Before completing my first ultra-trail run, I viewed ultra runners as ‘nutters’. I thought they were a bunch of ‘running away from life’ types with issues that needed a couch and lots of therapy.
This is an older article, but if you do not yet have an idea for a running project this year, this might nudge you into the right direction.
Does running wear out the bodies of professionals and amateurs alike?
The significant mechanical stress inherent in the sport weighs on the muscles, tendons and skeleton. There are times when rest periods are short and it’s increasingly common to see athletes injuring themselves during competitions on live television, a surefire sign of physical and mental exhaustion. Some might consider these factors to be fairly typical: after all, these are top-level athletes.
But are world champs, next-door champs and ordinary runners really that different? Considering the tip of the iceberg of this question, the answer seems obvious: they don’t run at the same speed and therefore don’t spend the same time exerting themselves. But what about the submerged part: the pre-race prep, training, the individuals’ investment and self-sacrifice? When you want to break a record–your own record–don’t you give 100% of yourself, both physically and mentally?
plus, I might add: we cannot focus as much on running and recovery when we still have another job besides running, which is sadly also true for many elite runners and I have no idea how they do this…
Let’s Talk About Hills
Hills to me symbolize the hard parts of running. A runner who avoids hills when they can and complains about hills when they can’t is a runner who wants running to be easy, and a runner who wants running to be easy is not on a trajectory toward fulfilling their potential. To become the best runner you can be you must welcome the full spectrum of challenges that are endemic to the sport, and shifting your attitude toward hills is a fulcrum for this broader shift in mindset.
Oh yes, hills. I definitely need to tackle these again this year. Can’t wait. Unfortunately we don’t have any hills around here…
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Now, go running!
— Nico
🏃🏻♂️