Five Things Running: Issue #90
I raced on Sunday and it was just awesome!
Heya and welcome back to Five Things Running!
So yesterday was the first Advent Sunday, which is the start of the Christmas season here in Germany. Read Nobody does Christmas like Germany to find out why the first Advent Sunday is such a big deal. Yesterday was also the day the Ratzeburger Adventslauf took place for the 34th time. I have mentioned this race before on this newsletter, because it is very dear to my heart. It’s a race that goes around Lake Ratzeburg for some 26 km and after about 8 km or so the trail leaves my home state of Schleswig-Holstein and crosses over into Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. When I grew up in the 70s and 80s, this was not possible, there was a huge border between West and East Germany. So to this day I get very emotional running on that trail.
Yesterday I ran the course again after sitting out last year due to COVID-19 and finished on place 256 out of 1187 participants and managed to run 15 mins faster than two years ago. I also placed 24th in my age group M50, out of 102 runners. So I am really happy about this and had a great day at 2 degrees Celsius and plenty of sun.
I wrote about this wonderful race in issue 43 of Like the Wind Magazine. Grab a copy now and read all about how my former biology teacher came up with the idea of the race once the border came down 35 years ago!
Meet the man who invented Run Club
Run clubs are popping up everywhere and bringing runners together. They give people a sense of community and the routine of meeting at a specific date help people to get the motivation they need to go out for a run.
I joined a fun run club this summer, went twice and then stopped going, even though I really like the group. Saturday morning is reserved for running errants for the family. But I guess run clubs work better for others…
Runners Use Secret Ingredient to Win N.C.A.A. Race: Olive Oil
I was really close to apply a healthy dose of olive oil before my race today, but then I found out that it only works for a duration of about thirty minutes, so I wore some gloves instead. Also, why don’t cross country runners just wear tights and long sleeves when they are cold?
The Running Event: Our Bedroom Gets a New Poster.
This year’s The Running Event in Austin created major FOMO for me. It seems like the running industry is at a pivotal moment right now and the speed of innovation and disruption is just further accelerating. Also, I love running in Austin, Texas and I miss going there for SXSW.
How to Run Twice a Day to Build Endurance Without Injury
This is something I will try as soon as I retire. I mean seriously, how do people fit in two training sessions a day, when they have a job, family, a dog, a life, and so on? But it sounds intriguing.
This Carbon we Borrow
Wow, what a story.
“On May 17, 2014, at the Keys 50-miler finish line, in the public bathrooms, I showered off 50 miles of dirt, sweat, salt and blood. I did the same this year—standing in the warm spray and watching the snakeskin shed to the bathtub floor and ribbon blood and sweat and a past version of myself down into the drain.
The carbon we borrow goes back to the earth. We say goodbye, we thank it and we let go.”
I’m thankful for the partners of Five Things Running: Acid Running, New Balance and Coros!
If you missed last week’s edition, you can read it here:
Now, go running!
— Nico
🏃🏻♂️
Back in the days I worked at an open pool. Everytime it was cold and it was necessary to enter the pool because of some maintenance stuff, we used "Melkfett" - maybe that's a bit cheaper than Olive Oil these days. 😂
Me running with a run club *is* an errand for my family 🤣 love you Nico