Stuck Between Two Running Worlds
How do I get to the mountains?
Hey, I think I got stuck
Somewhere between a road and a trail. I was really looking forward to running in the mountains again after my marathon. Instead, I find myself jogging uninspired 30-minute laps in the Olympic Park.
How did this happen?
The Hannover Marathon left a big hole. Not only because of the still unsolved mystery of my lack of race readiness, but also because I was so wrapped up in myself for months. And now I'm not anymore.
I write a lot about how much I crave structure and order, and how much running, or rather training, gives me that feeling. I don't even think it's the running itself that gives me this sense of security. In sheer movement I feel a great lightness and a positive emptiness. When I'm running, I don't think about the structure and composition of my training, about the next session or the one after that, or about how many kilometers the running shoe I'm wearing has. Luckily.
And yet a training block or a consistent race preparation is always a fixed grid with an infinite number of cornerstones, rules, benchmarks, milestones, and a more or less straight line that you just have to follow. A bit like painting by numbers. A wonderful comparison. The picture is now finished, hanging on the wall (or in the attic), the brushes cleaned, and a new canvas put up. Problem: Totally not in the mood to paint.
Maybe I just got the blues
Sounds a bit like the typical post-race blues, doesn't it? Yes, it can be. I've had it many times, although it tends to happen only during really important or big races.
The Hannover Marathon wasn’t that important to me. I've done a lot of marathon preparations (and marathons). Maybe that's why I'm so surprised that I fell into a bit of a hole after Hannover. I didn't even burn that much for this race.
Good outlook
The other reason I was a little surprised by this hole is that I was really looking forward to running in the mountains. Even more so. I was almost longing for it. I very well remember the week I spent in Innsbruck.
It felt wrong to run flat along the Inn River with huge mountains smiling at me from all sides. How I would have loved to just turn right and run up to the Seilbahnsteig of the Nordkette. But that wasn't in the plan. And if it's not in the plan, I won't do it.
In search of a bridge
Well, “the plan” is now complete and I'm actually allowed to do whatever I want. So why am I hanging out here in Munich instead of running through the mountains?
I am looking for a bridge. A bridge from this running world to the next. A bridge from the streets to the mountains.
Maybe even from a road to a path, the difference between which I am currently writing a stirring text about.
Yesterday I had the idea to jump into the deep end and participate in a local trail race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the GaPa Trail. Unfortunately, all distances are already fully booked. Besides, I don't know if a trail race with exactly 0 meters of elevation gain in my marathon legs would have been the smartest decision.
All right, I'll handle this
But hey, this shouldn't all sound so sad and ungrateful. I will figure something out. This weekend. I promise. And I'll tell you all about it. Thank you for your patience.
Everything not Running
I was recently asked what I am actually eating. It's a question I love to be asked. The reason: I love to eat! Of course, my counterpart was referring to my diet specifically as a runner, not what ingredients I choose for my "Build Your Own Burrito" at the Taco Company. I'll address the question of running-specific nutrition in another Das Z Letter soon. For now, here's the answer to what I eat in general.
First of all, a lot. I have never counted calories, and I rarely pay attention to a specific ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. What I do pay attention to is that I eat quality food.
My great time autonomy, which I deeply appreciate, allows me to cook fresh food twice a day almost every day. And by "cooking" I really mean preparing a complete meal from raw ingredients, not reheating food that has already been processed. In my opinion, cooking fresh is half the battle for a healthy diet. But that's not the only reason I make time for it. It also gives me a lot of pleasure. I find cooking to be a very sensual, creative and yet purposeful activity. I wouldn't sell myself as a great cook, though. It's when I'm preparing the food that I realize what I'm all about, and that's being full.
As a vegan, fresh vegetables make up the majority of almost every dish. I like to cook with sweet potatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers and chilies, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, pumpkins, carrots, potatoes (is that a vegetable?), corn and parsnips. Carbohydrates make up the second largest portion, preferably pasta in all its forms, bread or rice. In third place are legumes, which are really an integral part of every dish. My favorites are chickpeas, regular peas, but also lentils or beans. Meat and dairy substitutes made from soy or seitan are roughly on par, although they don't " substitute" anything for me. At least nothing I miss. Oh, and I love herbs! Parsley, chives, basil, dill, rosemary, you name it. Same goes for spices. I rarely make a dish without salt, pepper, caraway, cumin, roasted paprika, and turmeric. And to top it all off, you can and should season every dish with freshly squeezed lemon.
Damn, now I'm hungry.
I eat at least 4 times a day. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. I also take a handful of nuts or seeds and a piece of dark chocolate every now and then during the day. Same goes for any piece of vegan cake or other treat that comes my way.
My portions are always large, especially when I run a lot. I rely on my natural sense of hunger, which works well most of the time. Not all the time, but most of the time.
Oh yes, I also drink. Almost exclusively water, coffee and oat milk.
That's about it. I'll spare you any specific recipe suggestions. Others can certainly do that better. And as I said, I'll soon take the topic of eating and running to the next level. Eat & Run it is.
What and how do YOU eat?
Yeah, structure is great, but you know what else is? Introspection. Thinking it through. This was a good one. You’ll figure it out. 💪
And oat milk. That’s also great.
Sounds familiar. After my Ultra bikepacking race in 2020 I also fell in a black hole. It was a mental thing not physical. I decided to just sit it out and after half a year or so I felt like making new plans and adventures again. Finally I switched from long distance cycling to trailrunning currently. This is uncharted territory for me which gives me also a new mental boost.