Hi and welcome back to Five Things Running!
Here’s a quick update from me: I’m still on my running streak, which actually is a very positive experience for me, because I go running every day, which just let me get into better shape quicker. Also it helps form a habit and I needed that after the last quarter of 2023, which I spent without running more or less. Also, I did my first business trip of the year and got to run along the River Isar in Munich in the snow in the early morning, which was a delight. Before the pandemic I did quite a few business trips over the year and so I got to run in lots of wonderful places at ungodly hours. Still, I do remember lots of those runs and they mostly were a delight. The most amazing one was up to a peak in Colorado in the fall, which was just breathtakingly beautiful and pretty challenging due to the altitude.
I also did a really early run at 5:30 this Thursday morning, so that I could get my daily run in before waking up the kids and dragging one of them to school before heading out to the airport. And while I was still annoyed that it was so early and so cold in the morning, I got back home and saw the cleaning crew at work cleaning the stairs at our building. All of a sudden I felt so privileged that I could do a run so early in the morning.
In Munich I also met
, who is not only writing a wonderful newsletter about running, but also owns the fashion brand Willpower Running and is one of the few Germans who finished the Western States 100 run. It was great to finally meet in person and talk about running.On Saturday I did a run with our dog, something which I hadn’t done for a long time. She liked it a lot and found lots of snow to sniff at. And since she’s a Mini Australian Shephard dog, she tried to make sure a group of runners ahead of me were not escaping by running circles around them and then coming back to me confirming with me that I was aware of the situation. I hope the runners were not too annoyed, but she apparently liked her job…
Oh, and one more thing: I still need new running shoes, so make sure to grab the discount and go paid!🏃🏻♂️
Hotshot Firefighters Are Coming for Ultramarathons
I honestly didn’t know anything about hotshot firefighters and the way they work. But it is kind of cool that they race ultra marathons in their spare time.
How To Set a Marathon Goal That’s Actually Realistic
I might revisit this article in a few months, but maybe that is not very realistic. The article gives some good hints on how to run a marathon without overpowering yourself.
How Embracing Imperfect Training Helps Long-Term Growth
It’s all about consistency and not about achieving perfect training results. This article is a helpful guide for your realistic marathon results.
Dealing With Sickness
discusses how we can use the heart rate variability (HRV) to figure out when would be the right time to start running again after being sick. I relied heavily on this (and the warning messages from my Oura ring) after my last round with COVID-19. It’s pretty amazing how HRV gives you an indication about your fitness.Courtney Dauwalter: Step inside the 'pain cave', where rules are remade
“In a world of disciplined, straight-faced sports in which athletes ditch the joy in pursuit of marginal gains, Dauwalter often has the air of an adult who never grew out of her skateboarder phase.”
That’s all for now!
Thank you for reading Five Things Running. Remember to go paid now! It will make me run longer!
Now, go running!
— Nico
🏃🏻♂️
Yeah, we've been having conversations about the hotshots. Everyone understands what kind of person you have to be to do either!
Was a pleasure meeting you! We forgot to take a selfie, though. Now it's a Schrödinger's meet up. It could have happened, but it also could not have happened.