For years, Nice had been a quiet wish. After countless business trips, I wanted to see it differently — not from hotel windows, but through the slow rhythm of days spent by the sea, with my family. Arrival The journey was long — a flight at 6 p.m., the shuffle of bags, and a tired child. But then, stepping out into the open air, everything softened. The light felt warmer here, gentler. The sea shone like metal and glass. Nice…
48 Hours in Tirana — A Weekend in Europe’s Most Underrated Capital We picked Tirana because it felt close enough for a spontaneous weekend, yet still a little off the beaten path—recommended by friends, and spot on. We landed on Friday afternoon and jumped on a city bus—half chaotic, half charming. Base camp: Bob Marley Hostel downtown. Friendly staff, resident animals, easy vibes, best location for wandering. Very quiet this time of year. Saturday: Squares, Pyramids & Parks Skanderbeg Square…
Rediscovering the Joy of Running: The Daywalker Challenge 2024 started as an uninspired year for me in sports. Compared to past seasons filled with full Ironman Triathlons, extreme half-distance challenges, and even the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, this year felt stagnant. Burned out and disconnected, I struggled to find joy in training, focusing instead on rediscovering the simple pleasures of running and cycling. Then came an unexpected opportunity: a friend announced a new ultra-running event, the „Daywalker Challenge.“ Its concept…
What a ride it’s been! Nearly a decade ago, I fell down the triathlon rabbit hole, dreaming of 70.3 Worlds. My first shot was at 70.3 Oman in 2020, where I came 6th in my age group. But life had other plans. With a global pandemic looming, I turned down the slot for Taupo, NZ, to celebrate my wife’s birthday instead. Family first, always. Later that year, I raced 70.3 Gdynia under bizarre Covid conditions and snagged another slot for…
Finally we broke free of the city and onto the coastal road up the Oresund. What a course. We were flying north, with the Baltic to our sparkling like a million crystals. Silky smooth asphalt, the sun shining down on us. Seagulls cruising along, staring at us weird freaks in lycra and with stupid helmets.
Time to give up and modify goals? Obviously it is not. But now is the point where we take a good look at where we are, where we are going and assess whether we’re on track. So where was I initially headed? The goal was a sub10 Ironman in Copenhagen, possibly sub 9:30 and ideally as close as possible to 9 hrs. I figured that with my talents and weaknesses, my experience and the time I can realistically invest into…
Swim Distance: 29,1 km Time: 10h 50m Highs Biggest workout in a pool to date – 4 km 10×100 on 2 in 1:38 Lows Poor consistency and drop in volume near end of year Bike Distance: 414 km Time: 13h 33m Highs New extensions Still progressing through levels at tested FTP Holding aero position up to upper sweet spot / lower threshold Lows Long ride not as long as prescribed in TR Breaking aero during long ride Run Distance: 137,33…
2022 will hopefully be the year I slay the dragon that is long course triathlon. I made an attempt in Hamburg 2018 but it was a hollow victory (hollow slaying?) when Ironman cancelled the swim and replaced it with a 6k warm up run. The dragon was already hurt and limping. Ever since I have to endure the mocking of friends, that technically I have yet to finish a full distance event. Time to get it over with. What are…
It is November, the typical month to get back into structured training, making plans and setting goals. With races filling up quickly the most important milestones of a season are usually decided upon during the season, but now is the time to define the path and set some goals. After consulting with friends the basic outline of my 2022 season is already set. It’ll start, maybe, with a mountain bike marathon (119 km, 3000m elevation) that has been rescheduled several…
Around July I lost confidence that I would be able to travel to the US for the 70.3 WC in St George and quietly began looking for a consolation race and so I began searching Ironman.com for half distance events that weren’t already booked, preferably on the same weekend as St George and within reasonable driving distance. I ended up with 70.3 Slovenia.