13 Comments

I think runs like this one are what keep us coming back to racing year after year — there is always the chance that this next one will make you feel like you did during that perfect one. Congrats on a great race.

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Thank you for your kind words. Yes you are right, that's the type of race we are all searching for., despite them being pretty rare haha ;-)

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Well done, Chris. I’m still working on Sub-3 for about four years now, came very close once (3:00:40), but this post here has opened my eyes. The fearless flow, letting the "Levelhead" go and just running for running’s sake – I love it. Maybe that sort of approach will help me, too, when I’ll try again in 12 weeks at Hamburg Marathon. 🙏

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Thanks for the Feedback, Tim. 3:00:40 is goddamn close! Not even 1 second per kilometer haha ;-) But yes, calculations and predictions, that's the world of the Levelhead. I wish you a great "Punk run" in Hamburg with a 100% "Fuck, let's just do it!" attitude!

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Feb 3Liked by Chris Z

Thank you, Chris, for the most inspiring "Das Z Letter" so far and the one, I've been looking forward to the most, after I saw your run on Strava. You described perfectly, how running should feel!

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Thank you VERY much! ❤️

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Congratulations on achieving your goal. That’s a great achievement. As a runner I can relate to being in the zone, definitely not the speed, that’s superhuman. Thanks for the inspiration and the insights. Especially about not tapering. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

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Thank you so much, that's very kind of you. The first truth I learned when I started running was "There's always someone faster" ;-) So the only "superhuman" runner on this planet is probably Eliud Kipchoge haha! But I am glad my text could inspire you. In fact, someone who struggles to break the 4 hours in the marathon, or 60 minutes for a 10k, or – you name it – could write the same thing. Regarding tapering: I will get even more into detail of this in another Das Z Letter soon!

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Absolutely! It's all relative for each of us, and for me, I look at how I have done compared to my own context, abilities, and past performance. Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Cheers! ✊🏽

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Feb 2Liked by Chris Z

Zu aller erst herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Sub 3h Marathon.

Es war sehr motivierend und inspirierend den Z Letter zu lesen und die Sprachnachricht zu hören. Beides spricht mich immer auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen an.

Für mich klingt Running Like A Punk nach einem Mantra das für mich gut funktionieren könnte, was gut in mein Leben passt und nach allem was das laufen für mich macht und mir gibt. Nicht zu vergessen das Ich fasst augenblicklich ein Backprint vor Augen hatte.😉

Vielen dank,

Patrick

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Hey mega, erstmal danke, dass du dir sowohl den Das Z Letter durchliest, als auch die Sprachnachricht anhörst, ich glaube das machen nicht viele ;-) Ha, mir gings exakt genauso als ich "Running Like a Punk" getippt hatte war sofort die Idee da, dass man das auf Shirt drucken kann haha ;-)

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Feb 2Liked by Chris Z

You have no idea how happy I am for you, and reading about your "race" was ... interesting. I think you're onto something and the hard part is the replication. How does one reach stretch-goals without overthinking them in the moment? Basically, how to train your ass off for a sub3 (or sub 2:50, or whatever everyone's magic number is), do the hard work right up until race day and then completely let go and just do it? If you find an answer to that you'll be a rich man, I guess.

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Thank you for your super kind feedback. I share your question marks. The chances are good that this can never be replicated in exactly the same way again. It was too special, too magical, too unplannable. But if it is the case that it was THE run, then I'm at peace with that. Of course, I will still try to unravel the mystery and then write a book about it... and get incredibly rich with it haha!

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