Again it has been quite a while since my last entry here.
Anyways... I got some news:

I have a new personal best time on 10k running. On Feb. 16th I ran 10.1k in 38.35min, stopped 10k at ca. 38.10min. My two teambuddies got in just before me. Here are two pics of the OTVMeile in my hometown Oberhausen.

2nd is my teambuddy Seb, 3rd is me!

My boss at my part-time job wants to help me setting up a bike. So I got my new bike parts: frame, steering, wheels. Now almost everything is ready.

I only got the frameset of this picture

Our team Nordtriathleten (or better just Robert) organized another Funrun. It was a trailrun on a track near Oberhausen (Rotbach). We were 12 people, of which some are just new to the team. We did almost 8km on the track and ran a little hill (like 200m) up 3 times. 

Nordtriathleten and guests during Funrun (Trailrun)

I will soon do my first training holiday on Mallorca. I cannot wait. Only one more week, YES! This is the hotel where we're going to stay: Ferrer Janeiro

My daughter is going to get confirmed in her protestant belief in April and we'll probably have a friend catering for us. This is the link to his startup catering service: Eat without meat

I was a little worried about my bodyfat index. I have never had more than 3,4% bodyfat, then 3,2% last week. Probably need to find another way to measure it. Found on the web that 3.something is ok as long as you feel good. Since I have not been serioulsy ill within the last 3 years, I might just be ok with it. I still feel very good! Need to check my blood again, though.

On Facebook I have come across the portrait of a person, who I really look up to:

WernerHofstetter   but I also hope to be inspiring a little myself.

My friend Tete (fellow vegan ultrarunner) from Barcelona and me have a portrait in a small book project called: "Sweet and low" by our common friend Patrycia.

I have also answered and Interview on parenting and HClifestyle, which will soon be online. I will let you know!

Training Febr. 17th- March 21st:

17th: 95 min running through woods, then 90 min cycling (indoor)

18th: Restday

19th: Toning Yoga, 1.20h cycling on fitnessbike

20th: 2.6km swimming

21st: Rowing, Power, 35 min running incl. 3 sprints and progressing pace

22nd: 2.5km swimming

23rd: 52 min running with weigths incl. 3 sprints

24th: Restday

25th: 54 min running, incl. 4 sprints

26th: 60 min running, 80 min cycling 

27th: 2.3km swimming, 70 min cycling in the evening (strength endurance)

28th: Power and stability

1st: 67 min running incl. 5*400m fast (3.20pace), then played a show

2nd: 93 min running through Hamburg along the "Alster", later Show

3rd:  120 cycling on spinbike, 12 min running with my daughter

4th: 3.2km swimming

5th: 65 min running

6th: 2.7km swimming, 17 min Yoga Stretch, 88 min running incl. 3 sprints

7th: 12 min rowing, 30 min power and stability

8th: 2.2km swimming,

9th: 1.10 h trailrun with my teambuddies (Funrun) incl. hillrepeats, later 1.20h cycling

10th: 70 min cycling, later 78 min running

11th: Restday

12th: 63 min running

13th: 2.7km swimming, 10 min toning Yoga, later indoor climbing

14th: 36 min running, 6 min rowing, power and stability

15th: 2.2km swimming

16th: Restday

17th: 1h running incl. 3 sprints, 90 min cycling

18th: 93 min running in barefoot shoes

19th: 35 km easy cycling, Yoga (Toning and Stretch)

20th: 35 min swimming, 85 min cycling

21st: 1.4km swimming, later power and stability, rowing ropeskipping and 40min run (progressive)

Stair running, heart diseases, next races + shows

 “Don't always walk on the smooth roads, walk ways
that no one has travelled before, so as to leave
behind traces and not only dust…”  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


Hey!
Lately I have tried to integrate stair running in my training plan. After having done a stair run at the Halde Norddeutschland with my training buddy Robert I really got inspired. Fridays is a good day for me to run stairs on the Halde Hohe Mark in Recklinghausen. The view from the top of this slagheap is amazing: You can see the whole Ruhrarea, incl. the Schalkearena and the Signal Iduna Park, the Gasometer and so much more. But as much as it is a nice spot it can be a very high intensive training.
Last sunday we met up with a few fellow triathletes to go running there. My program after the warmup was to run the first 3 flights of stairs and back down to the start, then 5 and back, then 7, then 9, then 11, until the whole way up. One complete way up consists of 595 stairs and 100m height.
It is exhausting but also a very pleasant change from the daily routine of just running the same old route.
The day before I went 15km running in barefeet shoes on snow and trailtracks I have always wished to run when driving past in my car. It feels very good to skip the daily routine and set different stimuli.

There are several benefits from stair running:
stairrunning engl    treppenlauf deutsch
If you're eager you can also compete here: Treppenmarathon

Last week I have also done a 15km trail run with barefeet shoes on snow. I ran tracks I never ran before, some would have not been easy to run on if it wasn't for the snow. It felt great!!! So good when you're leaving your routine behind and search for new ways, explore new tracks, see new parts of the surrounding einvironment. You know this moment, when you see a hill and you know you want to run up there. It was just a very small hill that I have seen, but that was one destination I was heading for. I love to make new experiences, because that makes me think I am not old, because I will still grow. Of course I won't grow in height, but mentally, I can grow stronger physically and yeah... still experience new things, discover new goals in life. I hope for everyone to have this feeling at some point no matter how old you are.

Someone posted an interesting diagram on heart dieseases and its relation to (un)refined food consumption in different countries. Have a look!


I still try to eat 30-50 rawfood a day. Many fruits are the basis of my diet until the afternoon. Had banana, apple and pears + müsli today already. I have bought the Sunwarrior raw protein, so after training my proteins derive from raw food resources.

No, I don't get sponsored, I just think it is really really good.

Sunwarrior is very expensive, but judge for yourself if you think it is worth the money. I certainly do. Also try out the different tastes. I got natural and the taste is not overwhleming, but you can always mix it with chocflavoured milkalternatives and then it tastes pretty good!


The next races I am going to partake are:

Feb. 16th. OTVMeile in my hometown Oberhausen. My team Nordtriathleten is setting for the team championship.
OK... haven't managed to finish this blog entry ealrier, so it is over by now and I finished the 10.1km in 38.35min, which is my new PB! Yeah!
April 20th: Bleilochlauf in Kloster (Schleiz) probably combined with a show of my band Getitdone! on the evening after the show. 24km hilly running and a show in the evening! Psyched!

My band will also play in Hamburg on March 2nd, so get there!

Training Jan 18th- Feb 16th
18th: 2,2km swimming
19th: 70 min cycling
20th: 85 min cycling, 1h power and stability
21st: Restday
22nd: 73 min easy running incl. 3 sprints, then 90 min cycling on indoor trainer
23rd: 90 min easy cycling on fitnessbike
24th: 75 min cycling on fitnessbike
25th: 73 min running on a slagheap (stairruns), later 1,9km swimming
26th: 1.30 h cross country sking on Halde Hoheward with my girlfriend
27th: feeling sick, but had to go to a swimming course to better my technique
28th: sick, resting
29th: sick, resting
30th: 1.10 h cycling, a very short run of a few mins and a few exercises
31st: 1h cycling on fitnessbike, then 35 min toning and stretch yoga
Feb 1st: 1,8km swimming (still ill, couldn't do more)
2nd: 1.05h running and stability exercises
3rd: 2h cycling inl. 3*5min with hard resistance, then power and stability exercises
4th: short cycling warmup, then 33 min running incl. running exercises and 5 sprints
5th: 1h running incl. 3 sprints
6th: 2,65km swimming, then 18 min stretchYoga
7th: 45 min power+ stability exercises, later 70 min cycling on fitnessbike incl. hill intervals
8th: 3km swimming
9th: 1.50 cycling, 80 min trailrun incl. 3 sprints with barefeet shoes
10th: stairrun at Halde Hoheward, later power and stability exercises
11th: only a few power and stability exercises
12th: 2,8km swimming
13th: 2,6km swimming,  later exercises for coordination and 18 200m intervals with 200m slowjogs in between (after warmup of course and cool down at the end)
14th: 20 min cycling, 15 min running, 10 min rowing and some power and stability exercises
15th: 2,6km swimminf, 38 min running
16th: 10,1km race in 38.35 (new PB), a few minutes on fitnessbike later on