Setting new goals!

My main race this, aka the one I have started training for in November will have to be canceled.
Not becuase of my fitness level, health or any other circumstances. It is due to the fact that I have been reading a book about vikings trying to find Attillas grave somewhere north of the black sea and pictures I have seen taken in the Kaukasus Region and Kasachstan. Those are some of the places most european people will never discover first hand. And then, two days later my friend called my and told me about his vague plan of cycling from here to Istanbul or even from Kasachstan to Istanbul to attend his friends birthday. I liked the idea of just cycling there... after the phonecall, my mind was fascinated by a trip like this. So 20 minutes later I called him back and told him I just have to cancel 2 Triathlons (and lose some money) but will def join, no matter which route to be taken.
So yesterday we have made our plans more precise, figured out two possible starting points (Astrakahn in Russia or Baku in Azerbaidjan), flight dates, etc.
Today we had done our first short training, cycled to the indoor climbing centre , climbed a few hours and cycled back again. I am so so looking forward to this trip!!!

 

This morning I also introduced my friend Marco into the world of alges with a green smoothie with Chlorella and Spirulina. Of course sweet fruits got in as well: Avacado, field salad, spinach, banana, chia seeds, gojiberries, linen seeds with dates, maca powder, agave syrup, sugar beet syrup.

I also like to add alges to soups or sauces:

I also like eating raw beetroot. Once the beetroot is mellow (after a few days) you can just skin it and cut it into pieces as finger food:

Lately I have also made pesto on my own. It is so quickly to be made and so delicious. Try it yourselves:

Pasta with selfmade pesto (spinach, pineseeds, walnuts, vegan cheese, salt, olive oil, flaxoil, herbs f.i. basil), alfalfa sprouts and yeast flakes.

I also did a raw tomato sauce which is also not hard to come by: Tomatoes (dried and fresh if wanted), salt, herbs in a blender. Blend it, ready!

Whenever I find time I also love to bake bread, being inspired by my favorite blog: bevegt.de
Here'smy quite healthy Ciabatta.

Well... just the dough: Buckwheat and wholegrain wheat flur, cashew nuts, lives, olive oil, seasalt, herbal salt, yeast, warm water

I went to my favorite city Barcelona in January to hang out with friends and see a hardcore festival.
Furthermore I finally went up running in the Collserolla mountains. Eventhough it was raining up there it was still a fantastic run!

 We went to this food place I have never checked out before called "Teresa Carles" and it was wonderful!!!
Check it out, espeically the salads and the small burgers!!!

The 2nd weekend of February had been special to me. On the 15th me and my daughter ran the OTVMeile. I placed another personal beston this course and wn my age group. My daughter also won her age group no 4.1km. Here's a link the the newspaper article.

On the 16th I had organised a slagheap run and a brunch. We were 6 people to run and 3 on bikes. It was a about 16km incl. to times up the slagheap. Everybody brought the food for the brunch before we started running, so it was all ready when we got back to our house:

I love this picture. haha!

I definitely want to organise this a few more times!!!


So next up for me: Bleilochlauf (probably 46km)

Training around X-mas

On wednesday I went to the gym to lift weights whilst standing on a balance board and did exercises with my own body weight and a swissball.

Not my socks! But this is some kind of balance board.

After that I did two hours of indoor cycling.
I was pretty exhausted on thursday after this and due to X-mas preparations and feeling tired I rested that day.

On friday the 23rd I went running for 50 min. incl. 5 sprints and some running exercises plus 3 times 800 m. in my 10k racepace. In the evening I went to my triathlon clubs swimming pool, but I confused training times and could only swim for 25 minutes.

Saturday= Christmas eve, the day on which most X-mas rituals take place in this part of Germany. We went to my girlfriends parents. Before that we had to go shopping for some final presents, so I went running to the shopping with my daughter on the bike. Just around 30 minutes, but alright for a christmas eves run. Did some minutes of exercises after getting home.
Then off to Brittas parents and to the feast. Ate some very delicious traditional german "Rouladen" made of soyprotein, "Knödel" and "Rotkohl".

Rouladen, Knödel, Rotkohl

Had a pea soup as starter and some creamy whip with oranges as dessert. Amazing! I was very full and me and my daughter had to go running for 5 minutes to level out. Presents: I got this book which translates to "Long distance triathlon once in a lifetime".

 

 So I guess my family has coped with my decision.
On the first day of Christmas we went to my parents. I just did 1.30h on my fitnessbike before we went there. Got some money there that I definitely need for some triathlon gear or the application for my long distance once. While on my bike my daughter supported me with Christmas music on her new piano. Awesome!
Dec 26th we had invited my bandmates as well as a few friends to have brunch with us. Me and Firat went running before that. We went to the "Gesundheitspark Quellenbusch" and did a barefeet run there. There is some sort of route which is not really taken care of in wintertime, but it was an experience.
After that we got to the feast, prepared a little more and started eating. All was vegan. My girlfriends "Donauwelle" (translates with "wave of Danube" is a very creamy cherry-chocolate sort of cake).

Donauwelle

I made baguettes with tomatoes and herbalgarlic oil. We also had a chickpeas spread, fruits, potatoeballs, beans, my daughter baked wafers, a friend brought "Mett" (which usually is raw mince used as a spread for bread), another self baked baguette with pepper. It was a real feast!

Mett