Celebrating My Knee Off-Season

Running Free – Straight Into the Open Knife

For the last week I've been diving headfirst into the joy of mountain running because on Monday I'm having my torn meniscus repaired.

That's right, after 5 months of conservative therapy, I decided to have surgery on my knee.

Status: Unchanged

It was definitely not an easy decision, especially since I started running again 8 weeks ago. When I squinted my eyes, everything was almost like before. But only almost. The irritation in my knee during and especially after running is a constant reminder that my running is not smooth. No amount of strength training, stretching, or alternative sports has changed that. The knee is and will remain broken.

For Salvation

Ultimately, I decided to have surgery for the sake of my mental health and only secondarily for the sake of running. Being constantly reminded of my knee and not having a single day where it is not the primary emotional and cognitive issue is extremely stressful.

With the surgery, I am setting the record straight. And even if the irritation in the knee does not go away, at least I know that I have to live with it. And I can.

Celebrating Knee Off-Season

But regardless of whether the surgery next Monday solves my problem or not, I will have to take a longer break from running immediately afterward. That's why I'm frenetically celebrating my knee off-season right now.

It's bittersweet, these last 9 days of freedom before the knee off-season. I'm dedicating every run to every mile I'll miss in the coming weeks. Every step is a small farewell. These runs are a pure celebration of running as the greatest passion in the world.

Mountain Friendship

It's almost a contradiction that since I decided to have the surgery, I've finally been able to enjoy the pure freedom and intensity of running again. But that's probably also because I decided to do my last runs in the mountains instead of on the roads.

I discover big parts of myself as a runner in the mountains. I am very drawn to them. Deeply connected. Immediately close. Like an old good friend you haven't seen in a long time, but you pick up right where you left off. A friendship that holds no grudges, demands no returns, and asks no explanations.

Impressions from my knee off-season in the mountains

Street Justice vs. Force Majeure

Even though I had switched to trails after my road marathon excesses in the spring, my head and my mindset were still 100% road. I approached my first and only trail race, the 25 km at the Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Festival (IATF), like a road race. And that's how it felt.

I don't know if I would have been able to get away from this "Street Justice" mentality if it hadn't been for my meniscus injury. My summer season plan, which included only super fast short trail races and a track cup (!) at the same time, spoke for itself.

The Simple (Running) Life

And how is it now? As raw, simple, and natural as running can be. Every day I pack my running vest, get on the train, head up into the mountains and start running. Just like that. Sometimes longer, sometimes faster, sometimes I just walk up a mountain and stumble down again. Time flies and my mind and senses are free.

Autumn, silently observing my activities, could not be a better companion. These are the last running steps over rust-colored forest roads and foggy mountain paths before everything is wiped out by the great white.

A beautiful image for the new beginning that lies ahead.

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Everything Not Running

I have released a new micro collection for time-limited pre-order with my running brand Willpower. The collection is called 'Overcome'.

This word has been with me since the beginning of Willpower. It feels bold, powerful, self-empowering and motivating. It also has a lot of hope and confidence in it. Certain words trigger a lot in me. Overcome is one of them.

The first time I used it was just a year after Willpower was founded. It was the title of a documentary by Willpower Athlete Stephan Wieser about Sascha Kowalski and Jan-Albert Veenema, fellow Willpower Athletes, in the 2016 Transalpine Run. The title could not be more fitting. The obstacles and setbacks they faced were not surprising in a 7-day stage race across the Alps.

Stephan Wieser is probably embarrassed that I am posting these early steps as a filmmaker here. A short time later, he released a much more professional documentary about the Transalpine Run called 'Beyond The Doubt', and on Sunday his first TV production about the Transcontinental Race will be aired on ZDF. A truly incredible race, albeit on a bike and not on foot. Check it out!