February 1, 2010
Mileage is back up where it should be (just over 170km) but sometimes the winter conditions really suck! No use to do faster stuff on the slippery roads and forest trails.
Last weeks training:
Mo: AM: 60min easy, PM: 45min easy
Tu: AM: 70min easy, PM: 40min easy
We: AM: 95min easy, PM: 45min easy
Th: AM: 75min easy, PM: 40min easy
Fr: PM: 60min alternating speed (20min easy + 6×1,7km in 7:10/6:25/7:00/6:05/7:05/5:55) + 70min indoor soccer
Sa: 125min very easy
Su: AM: 60min very easy jog, PM: 85min easy
January 26, 2010
Last weeks training:
Mo: AM: 45min easy, PM: 40min easy
Tu: AM: 45min easy, PM: 60min easy
We: AM: 65min easy, PM: 40min easy
Th: AM: 65min easy, PM: 40min easy
Fr: AM: 65min easy , PM: 50min easy + 70min indoor soccer
Sa: AM: 65min easy, PM: 40min medium-easy
Su: AM: 25min easy, PM: 65min easy
January 21, 2010
… or for all those of you that have no knowledge of the Finnish language: twentyeight. This man just turned one year older… A nice day, sleeping in, good training, some work done, visiting some of my dear ones and as the highlight a Pizza dinner with my family.
My birthday is one of the days when I like to think about life in general. It’s one of the days when I really appreciate to be born and to live in the industrialised, western world. The “problems” we have are actually luxury problems. Just look at Haiti those days and you know what it means to have real problems. We – who have internet, mobile phones, apartments or houses AND enough food – are blessed to have the opportunities of doing everything we want. So it’s our task to use those opportunities AND to give something back to the people who do not have them. Let’s not complain and let’s try to make the world a better place.
Running wise I’m back in shape after I hot a virus and hopefully will hit the first fast sessions next week.
January 18, 2010
Last week a virus hit me and I was shut down for couple of days. I already felt very tired at the end of last week, so I’m lucky that the thing is over now. I’m back to training twice a day and will increase the mileage day-by-day.
Last weeks training:
Mo: 75min very easy
Tu: 50min easy
We: rest
Th: 25min very easy jog
Fr: AM: 35min very easy jog, PM: 1h indoor soccer
Sa: 35min very easy jog
Su: AM: 40min very easy, PM: 35min easy
January 9, 2010
In my first race 2010 I could secure the first victory.
The New Years Race in Falkenstein used to be my season opener for several years: In the almost 28 years I’ve been on this planet I competed 14 times in this race – that’s half of my life. Usually the run is a nice built-up for the spring and that might be the reason why today was “only” the third time I won the race.
Conditions were very winter-like with temperatures between -5 and -10°C and some fresh snow. Just like Finland … and I like this kind of weather. I don’t like the hills that you have to climb during the race but still I could decide the race after ~15km just before the top of the hill by increasing the pace. I was already surprised that I wasn’t alone at this point, but 2nd place Maksym Salii also has some good marathon results under his belt. Anyway, until the finish I could extend my lead to more than 2 minutes – and I even had to tie my shoe laces with 3km to go.
Full results here.
picture from last year when I won the 11,5km distance
January 5, 2010
2010 started pretty cool temperature-wise and it seems we will have a real winter in Germany. At least until the weekend it’s supposed to be -5 to -15°C. That would make a normal Finnish winter but here people are complaining: UUUHHH it’s sooo cold. Just get out there and make your body moving. The big difference to Finland is, that road conditions, i.e. running conditions are much worse. People and winter services here are totally overstrained. But I don’t want to complain. I’m lucky to be up on my feet again and to enjoy the beautiful winter scenery.
January 4, 2010
The third week of continuous, regular running training. I’m back to 160K without pain! The New Years Eve Race was the first time I wore race flats for months. Furthermore it was the first fast training and that’s why I’m not unhappy with my performance.
Last weeks training:
Mo: AM: 50min easy, PM: 55min easy with some intervalls/bursts
Tu: AM: 60min easy, PM: 55min very easy jog
We: AM: 60min easy, traveling 4h, PM: 55min easy shake-off
Th: AM: 25min very easy shake-off, PM: 11,2K New Years Eve Run 35:44min
Fr: AM: 50min easy, PM: 65min easy
Sa: AM: 65min easy, PM: 45min easy
Su: 130min easy long run
January 1, 2010
On the last day of 2009 I ran Germanys second biggest New Years Eve race in Bietigheim. After 2007 it was the second time for me there, so I already knew the great atmosphere (4.000runners in one race+several ten-thousand spectators). This time I was traveling with a big group, that also included Carolin Tuch, Peter Rodewald, Marc Schulze and his girl friend as well as my parents. We were invited by the race organiser, which meant we could stay in Bietigheim form 30.12-1.1., avoiding the stress of traveling for several hours on race day. The organisation was once again perfect – great thanks for the organisers!!
For me it was a first serious test and the first fast workout since several weeks. I only had three weeks of continuous training in my legs and that’s why I cannot be dissapointed with my performance. Even if I was a couple of seconds slower than 2007 the race was a confidence builder for me. Averaging 3:11min/km without any speed training is reasonable and the gap to the big guns is not too big. I could run at around 13th place for most of the race but on the finnishing straight two guys caught me and I could not respond. After all tenth place was only 25seconds away. The most important thing for me was and is, that I’m still healthy and pain-free now and can continue my build-up for the 2010 season. In the future I will add some speed work to my training and then I hope to have a better kick and a faster leg turnover.
Results of the race have been published earlier already.
after around 4km I found myself in the first big chase pack (photo: © Tomas Ortiz-Fernandez)
on the home straight I was passed by two guys … guess I’m a marathoner 
(photo: © Tomas Ortiz-Fernandez)
December 28, 2009
Another week of consistent running. Really nothing serious in terms of pace but at least I can log in some miles. Since it was holiday time I used the chance to catch up for a run with some old friends. That way some runs were with an average pace of 6min/km – at least pain-free!
Last weeks training:
Mo: AM: 65min easy, PM: 60min easy
Tu: AM: 60min easy, PM: 40min steady medium run
We: AM: 60min very easy jogging, PM: 55min easy-medium
Th: AM: 60min easy, PM:45min very easy jogging
Fr: AM: 85min very easy, PM:60min easy progressive
Sa: AM: 60min easy, PM:65min very easy jogging
Su: 120min long run
December 21, 2009
Now I can say that I’m doing a regular running training again. It’s high time! Most of the runs are pain free. As it is the case for most of Europe, we had winter conditions with up to -15°C. Since I’m used to Finnish winter I don’t really bother …
Last weeks training:
Mo: AM: 65min very easy jogging, PM: 40min easy
Tu: AM: 60min easy, PM: 15min stepper+25min cross-trainer+15min stepper
We: AM: 45min easy, PM: 60min easy
Th: AM: 60min easy, PM:40min easy-medium
Fr: AM: 30min easy, PM:45min easy + indoor soccer
Sa: AM: 45min easy, PM:40min easy
Su: 120min easy long run (first long run after months!!)
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