Five Things Running: Issue #25

Running is awesome.

Yesterday I ran the Blankeneser Heldenlauf (hero run) and I chose the half-marathon distance in the “derbe” version. Derbe means “rough” in Northern German vernacluar, the other version was called “sutsche”, which means “easy going”. Blankenese is a posh little part of Hamburg, located on the banks of the river Elbe on all the way in the West of Hamburg, part of the largest contiguous area of villas in Europe. Yes, very posh. This was the most beautiful city course I ever ran. Also, very hilly, at least for Northern Germany, and I managed to get in 277m of altitude gain by running up the hills and down to the river again and again and again and again and probably again, with lots of steps sprinkled in. This was fun. I came in just under 2 hours and was roughly in the middle of the whole field with this result, which is not to bad for someone running in the Seniors M50 category…

I got quite some feedback on my remarks about Athletic Brewing the other week. Some people seem to like the beer a lot, especially after runs. I actually do prefer grapefruit or lemon flavored non-alcoholic wheat beer. Why? Actually, I’m totally agains fruit flavors in beer. But I’m also not really a fan of wheat beer. Adding fruit flavors counters the blandness of the non-alcoholic taste. So this is my post-race trinity of quick regeneration: an apple, a pickled gherkin and a lemon-flavored non-alcoholic wheat beer. Follow me for more recipes!

Later on I had two donuts as well (not pictured). It was a great Sunday.

But hey, I assume you came here for the five articles about running, so enough of my Sunday adventures. Enjoy Five Things Running!

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The Most Impressive World Championship Team Isn’t a Country. It’s a Brand.

On is not really “my” brand, so I don’t follow On that closely. This is actually a really cool project and it shows how athletes and brands can benefit from working together. The On Athletics Club in Boulder, Colorado, has evolved into a track & field powerhouse.

How To Make Running Easier Mentally

To some runners, this just happens, but for others it can help to have a look at this guide with a few simple steps. Or, to cite the author here a bit, as I could not have written it more dramatically: “Embrace the power of mindfulness, harness the strength of positive self-talk, and use visualization, gratitude, and distraction techniques to your advantage. Each step you take is a brushstroke on the canvas of your running journey, creating a masterpiece of mental ease, determination, and triumph.”

3 Kettlebell Exercises That Injury-Proofed My Running

I like doing my kettlebell swings and I try to do them at least four times a week as they help me getting better core stability. This article offered two other exercises for me and it also reminded me that I really should run the Schweriner Seen Trail next March.

How to Execute Long, Slow Distance Training for Serious Endurance Gains

The cornerstone of every distance runner’s training plan: the slow long run. The best thing about it is that it really works. Here you can find out to run your long runs just right.

This Is the Coolest Unsanctioned Running Race in the Country

This sounds like so much fun. Running through the streets figuring out the fastest route between checkpoints. Obviously, the traffic makes it a bit dangerous, but probably adds a nie adrenaline rush!

That’s all for now!

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