Just keep showing up!
When I planned this five-day hike through the Austrian Alps, I knew it would be one of the highlights of our year. And it was! This was part two of the route Kai and I had started last year, and this time our friend Marina joined us. Our friends Andreas and Andrea (A&A), two experienced…
A lot has been happening lately: celebrating my parents’ 64th wedding anniversary at beautiful Lake Lucerne, swimming across Lake Zurich (with risotto waiting at the finish line!), cheering on friends’ cycling adventures, and starting a brand-new chapter in my running journey. Meet my new coach, a no-nonsense endurance coach who is already pushing me out of my comfort zone!
I signed us up for a “lovely scenic half marathon” in the Swiss Alps. Only later did I realise it meant 1,150 metres of climbing and a finish line high on a mountain. Somewhere in between forest trails, a shrinking glacier and a brutal final ascent, my husband slowly accepted his fate. And just when we were done, the weather decided to have its say too.
Two weeks after the Cape Town Marathon, I am still in that in-between space of recovery and restlessness. I look back at the moments that stayed with me from race day and what is coming next: a mountain half-marathon in Switzerland, a Hyrox race in Cape Town, and the possibility of another major marathon in 2027.
Cape Town delivered the perfect race day: cool weather, great crowds and the luxury of racing practically from my own doorstep. There were nerves, strange mental games to keep the pace going and the infamous “Loop of Death”, where the course takes you past the finish line before deciding you haven’t suffered quite enough. Somehow, everything clicked.
Four weeks between two marathons sounded manageable on paper. In reality, my post-London “recovery plan” involved apple cider, junk food and enough prosecco to make my Garmin deeply concerned. Now, with Cape Town Marathon less than two weeks away, I’m trying to transform myself back into a responsible runner again.
London delivered exactly what it promises: huge crowds, nonstop noise, and just enough chaos to derail even the best-laid race plan. What started as a controlled 3:15 attempt slowly turned into a lesson in patience, pacing, and survival. This was less about perfection and more about getting it done.
12 days to the London Marathon! It’s getting close! My taper officially starts this week, and I’m more than ready for it. My legs are…
Phew! Ran my fastest 10K ever at the SPAR Women’s Challenge, but the podium stayed out of reach. Eighth in my age group at 58 – proof that getting faster doesn’t always mean finishing higher. Can’t wait to hit 60 and start fresh in a new age group!
A “dress rehearsal” 30 km race quickly turned into a full-blown showdown. I battled the hills, kept one step ahead of Obertina, and survived the relentless instructions of her yelling coach. I crossed the finish line first in my age group, exhausted but triumphant…
London, I’m hoping for a calmer run!