Categories Daily life in Zurich, Running

My Running Dreams

by Catrina48 Comments on My Running Dreams

“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

—Theodore Roosevelt

Week 7 of the Un-Cancelled Project is in the books! It was all about “Dreams”. Time to run to the stars!

  • A mid-run selfie

I decided to run the “Planet Trail”. This trail is 6km long and represents the enormous distances in the solar system on a scale of 1: 1 billion. Each meter of the path stands for 1 billion kilometres.

From home, I ran 4k uphill until I got to the sun, the starting point. From here, I ran past nine planets (including a mysterious planetoid called Ceres) until I got to the icy dwarf planet, Pluto.

Interestingly, Pluto had three positions because of its highly elongated elliptical orbit: the first was before Neptun, the second was at its medium distance and the third was at its farthest point. Between the first and third position, we ran 2k, which would have been a mind-boggling 2 trillion kilometres in space.

  • The Sun
  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Earth and Moon
  • Mars
  • Ceres
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Uranus
  • Neptune
  • Pluto
  • Pluto’s farthest distance

During the run, I thought about my running dreams that I still want to realize. For me, they are all exciting races:

  • London Marathon. The vibe of that marathon is legendary. Besides the ballot entry, they have 6’000 “Good For Age” places available. For my age group, I would need to qualify with a sub-4-hour marathon. With a 3:12h PR from a few years ago I should be able to qualify. All I need to do is to sign up for a qualifying race as soon as they are back.
  • Soweto Marathon, Johannesburg. Shathiso wrote about the buzz and excitement at this race and it sounded amazing.
  • Two Oceans Marathon, Cape Town. The race is a 56 km / 35-mile ultramarathon, leading from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and apparently “the world’s most beautiful marathon”, with the spectacular scenery of the Cape Peninsula. How I would love to run this!
  • A photo from 2019

Although races are not happening yet, I can work on my dreams by staying fit and healthy and maintaining my running form. On top of that, I can still enjoy the rewards of running: there is nothing like returning home from a run, with a clear and fresh mind, feeling better and stronger and ready to take on the day.

AND… I can’t leave without telling you some good news from yesterday: Switzerland reached a new all-time low of only 10 new Covid-19 cases. We’re only one week in the re-opening phase, but if the numbers remain stable at that level, it would definitely be a dream come true.

  • What are your running and fitness dreams?

I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida’s link up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs, Running on Happy, and Organic Runner Mom.

48 Comments

  1. Guten Morgen ,liebe Catrina, eine super Idee dein außergewöhnlicher Lauf, dazu an jedem Punkt ein Foto mit Catrinas charmantem Lächeln – YES – gute Idee – und scheinbar hast du ja immer deinen Lieblingsfotograf dabei, damit diese tollen Erlebnisse auch fotografisch für immer (und für uns !!) festgehalten werden können !!

    London bin ich gelaufen – war damals eine der Massenveranstaltungen, die ich mittlerweile nicht mehr mag, zu viele Menschen, damals waren es um die 30.000 , mittlerweile sind es noch viel mehr. Da würde mir der Two Oceans Marathon eher zusagen. Es gibt so viele schöne Marathons, z.B. Stockholm, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Paris, die ich dir empfehlen kann, alle und noch mehr gelaufen.

    Mögen deine Running Dreams alle in Erfüllung gehen, mal sehen, was die Zeiten uns bringen.

    Wolkenverhangene Grüße von ganz oben, ich geh dann mal ans Meer laufen 😎🏃‍♀️

    1. Liebe Margitta
      Danke! Ich hätte das Layout im “Preview” vorher checken sollen, die Fotos sind viel zu gross geworden… ich wollte es gar nicht so. Naja, wieder was gelernt… Kai ist meistens dabei und muss immer Hoffotograf spielen! 😉
      Ah, du bist London gelaufen! Die anderen, die du gerannt bist, habe ich alle noch nicht gemacht. So Massenveranstaltungen kosten schon viele Nerven, aber sie sind auch voller geballter Energie und Freude, die ich in kleinen Dosen über das Jahr verteilt sehr mag. Sei froh, dass du die alle hinter dir hast und abhaken kannst!
      Geniesse deinen wolkenverhangenen Lauf – egal ob Sonne oder Wolken, schön ist es immer!
      Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Zürich – gehe jetzt auch raus!

  2. Liebe Catrina,

    ach, ich finde die Größe deiner Bilder gar nicht so schlimm. Mal was anderes: Große Bilder mit Text “gewürzt”! 😉

    Wir haben auch einen Planetenweg. Da sind aber die Planeten nicht so anschaulich gemacht, wie bei euch:

    https://laufend-dankbar-sein.de/planetenweg/

    … nur nüchtern mit Tafeln versehen.

    Ein Traum von mir ist es den TAR nochmal zu laufen. Ob ich dafür aber wieder fit genug werde? – Und dann braucht man ja auch immer eine/n Partner/in.

    Ansonsten ist es einfach nur schön raus zu kommen. Versuche heute mal meine Strecke zu verlängern.

    Aus dem sonnigen Darmstadt
    LG Manfred

    1. Lieber Manfred
      Das trösted mich etwas!
      Am liebsten würde ich den Post runternehmen und neu machen – weniger Bilder, weniger grosse Bilder, mehr Text, etc… Naja, man lernt dazu!
      Ah, ihr habt auch einen Planetenweg! Ich habe gerade dein Post angeschaut. Ist es nicht erstaunlich, wieviele Planeten ziemlich nahe bei der Sonne sind? Danach werden die Abstände immer grösser. Faszinierend.
      Den Transalpine Run machst du. Wenn du keinen Laufpartner hast, kann ich ja immer noch einspringen – müsste aber ein paar Monate Vorlaufszeit haben, damit ich darauf trainieren kann. 😉
      Geniesse heute deine verlängerte Strecke!
      Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Zürich!

  3. This planet trail looks amazing and so fun, I must check it out when I’m next in Switzerland. I was so happy when my mother told me about Switzerland’s low numbers. Fingers crossed it stays that way and I’m able to visit at the end of summer/ in the fall (maybe possible with 2-week quarantine before and after the trip).

    Running the London Marathon would be great, it’s definitely really well regarded in fitness circles here and several of my fellow bootcampers have done it in the past.

    1. It would be so awesome if you could come to Switzerland!
      You’ll have to let me know and then we’ll have to meet up for a hike. Hopefully, the quarantine rules will be somewhat less strict when you come.
      Your fitness buddies are so lucky to have done the London marathon. It’s legendary for its vibe and buzz – one day I’ll be at the starting line!
      Have a great week!

      1. That would be really awesome, let’s see how it goes but I do have to be extra careful because I have several vulnerable family members. If things keep going that well in Switzerland, maybe it won’t be so dangerous for them anymore though 🙂

        I’m sure you will be able to do the London marathon sometime soon, and I’d love to come and cheer you on.

        1. Let’s hope that things keep on going well over here.
          Seeing you at the sidelines of the London marathon would definitely be a boost!

  4. Liebe Catrina,

    da hast Du ja mal eben ein paar Billionen Kilometer abgerissen, Du bist topfit! 😀 So einen “Planetenlehrpfad” gibt es auch bei uns in der Nähe, entlang einer schnurgeraden Landstraße, auf der die Autos mit 100 km/h an einem vorbeirasen. Da macht es nicht wirklich Spaß sich dem Thema zu widmen 😉

    Schön, dass Du fast immer Deinen Starfotografen dabei hast, es ist immer wieder toll Dein strahlendes Lächeln zu sehen! 🙂

    Alleine schon die Tatsache, dass ich schon eine ganze Zeit überlege und zu keinem Schluß gekommen bin, sagt mir, dass ich keine konkreten Laufträume habe. London würde mich sicher reizen, aber da an einen Starfplatz zu kommen… New York? Sicher reizvoll, wenn ich dafür nicht stundenlang fliegen müßte. Ach nein, es fehlt mir in Bezug auf Orte eigentlich nichts. Einmal einen Marathon barfuß zu stehen ist tatsächlich noch ein Traum von mir 🙂

    “So Massenveranstaltungen kosten schon viele Nerven, aber sie sind auch voller geballter Energie und Freude, die ich in kleinen Dosen über das Jahr verteilt sehr mag” Tolle Aussage, die unterschreibe ich sofort!

    Liebe Grüße aus dem heiter bis wolkigen Oldenburg
    Volker

    1. Lieber Volker
      Haha, die Distanzen sind krass, nicht wahr?! 😉
      Stimmt, für einen Planetenweg braucht es eine gewisse Stille, damit man die Unendlichkeit des Universums wirklich schätzen kann.
      Der arme Kai, der immer sein Handy zücken muss. Diesmal habe ich es mit den Fotos etwas gar übertrieben…. zukünftig werde ich es etwas selektiver angehen 😉
      Wäre BERLIN etwas für dich? Das wäre ja für dich ein “Homerun”. Und ein Herbstlauf ist angenehm für’s Training. Oder vielleicht hast du den schon lange gemacht und ich habe deinen Post verpasst?
      Ein Barfuss-Marathon – da hast du Recht, das wäre ja wirklich mal was anderes. Das müsste mal jemand auf die Beine stellen, ich bin sicher, die Nachfrage wäre da. Kommt vielleicht noch!
      Auf dass bald wieder Wettkämpfe stattfinden, mit nervöser Freude!
      Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Zürich!

      1. Berlin bin ich in der Tat schon zweimal gelaufen. Auch schon minimal in FiveFingers.

        Es braucht keinen Extra-Barfußmarathon. Es reicht, wenn ich mich barfuß an die Startlinie stelle. Auch dafür wäre Berlin geeignet 🙂

        1. Aha! Traum schon teilweise erfüllt! Super.
          Wer weiss, vielleicht erfüllt sich ja eines Tages die Barfuss-Version in Berlin… 😉

  5. Oh, wow, I can definitely recommend the 2 Oceans, it is tough, but it is incredibly beautiful! I loved my experience when I ran it in 2017, definitely a running highlight. My bucket list has no end – London, Berlin, New York, Big Sur… And then there are all the trails I want to do too…

    1. Awesome that you’ve done the Two Oceans!!! I’ll get back to you for tips if the race will happen next year!
      You are right – so many races to chose from. Who knows, maybe we will end up doing the London one at the same time.
      Oh, yes, and then there are the trails… don’t even get me started 😉

  6. My bucket list race is a pretty easy one, the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k. We go to Chicago every year on race week and I’ve had a serious case of FOMO. This year I registered and got the shirt, and we were just a week out from our trip when everything got cancelled…next year will be the year! My other dream is to run my hometown marathon. I’ve run the course on a relay team and done the half. I think it will be a few more years until I’m ready to run a full, but when I am, that will be the race.

    1. Ah, I have read so many things about that Chicago Shamrock Shuffle! It must be a very cool race. And no doubt you would also get to meet up with other runner bloggers there! Next year will be the year!!
      Hometown marathons are special because of all the familiar faces on the sidelines. From what I read on your blog, you could definitely be ready for a full marathon next year already! 😉

  7. What a fun trail! I’m glad they still have Pluto…

    I just want to keep running. I’ve been fortunate to have run my dream marathon, Big Sur. Now it’s all about staying healthy and moving. I sure hope things open back up safely. While we are opening back up, things are not improving here. I keep telling everyone I’m moving to Switzerland!

    1. Yes! I remember you saying that the Big Sur was THE marathon. What an awesome experience – to have a dream race come true!
      I like your dream of running and staying fit and healthy – so many people lose sight of that dream and think it’s not achievable for them.
      Haha, book that plane ticket, Wendy! 😉

  8. You have such amazing places to run! How cool is that trail? And that’s awesome that the infection rate has dropped so much.

    I still want to run a half in every state. I think I’ve done 20. So I’m not sure I’ll fulfill that dream. This is the first year since I started to run halfs (9 years ago) that I haven’t added a state (or at least I doubt I will). Maybe I need to find a trail half in December . . .

    Even if I don’t get to run in all 50 states, I’m sure I’ll still be exploring more of the US at some point.

    1. Running a half in every state is an awesome dream! If I’d live in the US, that is definitely something I would do. And you have 20 already!
      Perhaps you could aim for 5 more, then at least you’ve done HALF the states, which is already amazing.
      Who knows – maybe there will be some trail races with a lower number of participants happening in December. It would be nice if you could keep your streak going!

  9. I love the concept of the trail. What a great way to teach the relative distances of the planets in the solar system! As a former science teacher, it really appeals to me. It looks like a beautiful place to run too.

    I thought the “Good for Age” designation for the London Marathon was only for residents of the UK. A friend of mine wanted to do London and asked me to go along. I had a “good for age” time but when I went to register, I thought I saw you could only use that time if you lived in the UK. This friend finally signed up with a tour group, which is very expensive, and was supposed to run this year. I don’t know if it will really happen in October or not.

    I’m going to suggest the Cape Town race to her. It looks awesome!

    1. Thanks for that input, Laurie!
      I just checked – and yes, there’s an FAQ that says that only UK residents can apply for the “Good for Age” registration (it doesn’t guarantee a place, either). I have a UK passport but I’m not a resident…
      It looks like I will have to go the same route as your friend. I’m glad you told me, this helps my planning.
      I wonder what will happen with the race in October – if it gets cancelled and all the runners of this year get an entry slot for next year this will not be good news for other applicants. Let’s see – I’m sure we’ll hear more news soon.
      Thanks again, that was very helpful – keep me posted on your friend!

  10. What a creative concept for a trail!
    I have exceeded my running dreams at this point. Now I coach others to realize theirs. London is one giant street party. You will love it.
    That is wonderful news about how COVID has diminished. I’m praying we will follow suit here in the US very soon.

    1. You definitely have accomplished A LOT!
      It’s so nice that you can give back to others in your capacity as a coach.
      I’m so looking forward to doing London one day! You’re so lucky to have done it.
      It took quite a while to see lower numbers – I am sure you will be seeing the same very soon.

  11. What a fun trail/route! When our son was looking for ideas on his Eagle Scout project (for Boy Scouts…his “grand finale” of sorts), we looked into creating a “planet walk” similar to the one you ran. It would have been a lot of work with getting permission to put in signs along a public trail (that encompassed two different counties in our area), so he built a project for our church instead. That’s great news about Switzerland!

    1. That would have been an incredible project!! I can see how cutting through all the red tape would have been tiresome. Imagine doing all the work and then have a county decline the request. I’m sure the church project was a good substitute!
      Yes, it’s really encouraging to see the steady decline of new cases! 😀

  12. That is such an awesome trail.. We have so many nice ones around here but not like that.

    My bucket races already happened… A 20k in PARIS!! and the NYC Marathon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I would love to run another race in Paris and of course in NYC. (my 2 favorite cities)

    I am currently dreaming of running with friends and a race – anywhere!

    1. New York!! I did that one too, in 2010. I only got in because someone was selling a spot at work (he was injured). Such a great race!
      I am with you about running with friends and doing a race – ANY race.
      Imagine how it will feel like to be at a starting line again!

  13. I always enjoy seeing your virtual runs for the Un-Canceled Project. You make them so fun and interesting, with amazing scenery as a bonus!

    1. I am really loving the Un-Canceled Project – they’re themes are so varied and imaginative.
      I’m looking forward to this week on “Kindness”!

  14. Liebe Catrina,
    wow, da hast du ja soooo viele Km gesammelt 😆
    Die Elke ist ja letztens auch zwischen den Planeten rumgelaufen (oder besser gesagt, gerollt) und jetzt du auch noch. Es sieht so aus, als ob uns die Reisebeschränkungen sehr viel weiter bringen als gedacht 😆
    Tolle Bilder und tolle Infos über unser Sonnensystem.
    Und deine Träume sind auch nicht schlecht. Ich bin mir sicher, du wirst sie verwirklichen. Ich denke gerade dieser Two Ocean Marathon ist absolut wunderschön 🙂

    “there is nothing like returning home from a run, with a clear and fresh mind, feeling better and stronger and ready to take on the day” – totally agree 😀

    Mein Traum ist und bleibt der Inferno.
    Und die berge ansich. Ich freue mich so sehr auf die richtigen berge. Hoffentlich bald 🙂
    Liebe Grüße
    Helge

    1. Liebe Helge
      Ah, der Inferno!! Den machst du. Und dann bin ich als Zuschauer da, das garantiere ich dir! 😀
      Genau, die liebe Elke hat das Solarsystem mit Elli abgerollt. So machen wir alle unsere Trillionen Kilometer!😀
      Jetzt, da ich HUNSRÜCK im Kopf habe, sehe ich, dass der nächste Planetenweg in einem St. Aldegund liegt… hat aber einen dreimal kleineren Massstab und ist nur 1.5 Kilometer lang. Mhm, lohnt sich nicht mit dem MTB.
      Ich hoffe, du bist jetzt so langsam am Büro-Runterfahren und machst dich ready für die Ferien!
      Liebe Grüsse aus dem abendlichen Zürich!

  15. What a fun way to do this run! I’ve never heard of anything like that. How amazing that your numbers are so low. Great news!! We have barely started reopening but our numbers are still all over the place. Our state alone has over 1,000 new cases many days.

    1. It was entertaining and I learned quite a bit about the solar system! 😄
      I’m glad our numbers are declining. I’ve also noticed that people feel happier and more optimistic.
      I’m sure you’ll see your numbers go down soon! It took a while here too.

  16. Oh it is sure fun to dream about races to come! I love love that park with all the planets. What a cool idea!! Thanks for linking up!

    1. Can’t wait to see them happen!
      I liked running and thinking about the planets – such a vast universe out there and we are such a tiny dot.
      Thanks for hosting!

    1. Oh, that’s great! I think it’s especially interesting for kids!
      It’s nice to daydream about races, right? One day we will all be back to racing – and we’re all be superfit! 😉

  18. Wow, that’s good news on your Covid cases. The US is so far away from that. Obviously we have a lot more people, but unfortunately our people are becoming restless and it’s showing.

    That Two Oceans Marathon sounds amazing! I love the idea of running from ocean to ocean.

    1. I’m glad, too! Although it did take a while until the numbers started to go down. I think because the virus hit Europe before the US we had more time to be in lockdown. I am sure you will see your numbers going down very soon, too!
      Oh yes! Imagine saying after the race “I ran from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean”, haha!

  19. THAT IS SO COOL!

    It’s great to hear that things are getting better in Switzerland. Florida seems to be on a downward trend for cases, as well, but we have just opened completely at Phase 1, so we will see what happens.

    Right now, my dream is to be able to run a half marathon again. It’s going to be a hard fight, but I’m determined to get there. Thanks so much for linking up!

    1. Haha, thank you! It was a cool trail.
      Yes, it’s really encouraging to see the numbers go down. I hope your downward trend will continue!
      You’re doing so well with the couch to 5k, I am sure you will be running the half-marathon soon. Probably just in time for when the races start again!

  20. Liebe Catrina,
    ah, da sind ja die Bilder zu Deinem Planetenweg! Auch eine schöne Umsetzung dort, mit Planet und Erklärung auf Felsbrocken Dass Puto so “taumelig” ist, wusste ich noch gar nicht!
    Ich werde den Weg hier in der Nähe auch nochmals ablaufen, möchte ja schließlich auch noch die Sonne sehen!
    Super, dasses in der Schweiz so gut läuft mit den Corona-Zahlen, hoffenltich bleiben sie auch nach Lockerung so günstig!
    Läuferische Träume? Sind ja schon teils realisiert: Überhaupt noch laufen können, nach einem Bandscheibenvorfall vor einigen Jahren, und dann sogar Marathon hinbekommen! Ansonsten ist mein Traum immer der nächste Marathon, und dass er gut verläuft. Und natürlich, noch einige Jahre laufend dranzuhängen!
    Liebe Grüße
    Elke

    1. Liebe Elke
      Genau, jetzt wollen wir natürlich noch alle deine Sonne sehen! Du musst unbedingt mit Elli den Planetenweg vollständig abradeln und dokumentieren.
      Die Zahlen halten sich bisher recht gut… wenn die Leute sich weiterhin richtig verhalten, sieht es gut aus. Let’s hope…
      Wow, nach einem Bandscheibenvorfall wieder am Laufen! Das ist allerdings eine Leistung. Schön, dass du wieder unter den Marathonis dabei bist. Und der nächste Marathon ist immer das beste Ziel! Ich glaube, du wirst unter den ersten sein, die sich anmeldet, wenn es wieder organisierte Läufe gibt!
      Einige Jahre dazu – YES!! Da bin ich auch dabei!
      Geniesse die sonnigen Läufe – oder Elli-Touren.
      Liebe Grüsse aus Zürich, total blauer Himmel!

  21. How fun is that trail! You have some fun races that you would like to run. Right now any race would do. 🙂 However, my non-running dream is to find a house. I know rates are low and so many people are buying house. Everyday I get emails with those that are a available and those are are sold. That is great news about Switzerland. I really wished we would have those kind of news for Illinois.

    Thank you for linking up with us!

    1. Ah, yes, I think I would go to ANY race as well!
      I really hope you will find your house soon. With the economic crisis, you might have better chances of finding a suitable one now. Every search will get you closer to your dream home.
      Numbers are still low – let’s hope it stays that way. Illinois will see dropping numbers hopfully soon!

  22. I love trails like that. There is a much shorter path marked off from the Air & Space museum and a short trail like that at the Grand Canyon.

    5 new cases in all of Switzerland is amazing. We are still having 35-40 new cases a day in my city. 🙁

    1. Me too, I love running and discovering things at the same time. Somehow makes everything more interesting.
      I hope your numbers will go down soon. It took a while here, too, but now things seem to be going well. Fingers crossed!

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