Can marathoners be good crossfitters ?

October 2014 Powerlifting

I am progressing mostly according to plan on my powerlifting to become a more all around athlete. While the progress on powerlifting is good the progress on long distance running stagnated as a result of it.

Frankfurt marathon 2014 experience

rankfurt Marathon was advertised as "This is your day". From a running perspective for me it was not. I finished in 4:06 not beating my personal best. But the good thing was that i was reminded of believing in friendship and the people around me.

How to run a faster marathon ?

The day before Frankfurt Marathon 2014

hat do you do after a year of training running 5 Mile, 10K, 10 Mile races, a half marathon and a tough mudder ? Yes, you enjoy the show and relax for the highlight of the season, the marathon. Some do a 3K run beforehand or nothing depending on the program they are following. For all of my races a day or two rest before the race came always in helpful.

How to run a faster faster marathon ?

Do a tough mudder !

On the 4th of October 2014 i ran a tough mudder at punchardstown race course, Naas, Ireland. It was not about finishing times, but about making it through. Great fun, a lot of dirt and some cross country running to strengthen my ankles. I got shocked and almost got a panic attack. Next stop Frankfurt marathon on 26th of October 2014, flights are booked.

Can marathoners be good crossfitters ?

The first three months

I started my crossfit journey on the 1st of July 2014. Three months into it i can say that it did not harm my running performance, rather supported it. Overall the answer to the question "Can marathoners be good crossfitters ?" seems to be yes, but it takes time.

How to run a faster marathon ?

Do not run alone !

New personal best for half marathon in 1:30:54:

On 20.09.2014 i ran the Dublin race series half marathon in a new personal best of 1:30:54. After having dental treatment, a business trip to germany and the celebrations for my girlfriend's graduation i did not stick to my running plan and was pleasently surprised to hit that time. With one month left to the Frankfurt Marathon i am in distance of achieving my goal of a sub 3:00:00 marathon. Time to get back to plan and dig in for October. Fun fact: If i was a woman I would've been the 9th fastest in the race. Overall I was placed 504 out of 6000 and 178th in my own category.

Big thank you to senior runner Sean

I couldn't have done it without Sean and this is a story of how inspiring running can be. I am 28 and he is past his fifties and still running. All of his club supported him on his way and we ran side by side for the last three miles pushing each other to our new personal bests. In every race so far I found someone to help me on the last few miles and I definetly recommend that you find someone to do likewise for your races to hit that PB. Believe me, your instinct will show you who to pick if you are not with a club already.

Review of Game of thrones First Season

One of my colleagues had the first season of Game of Thrones on his desk just before Christmas. In the fashion of "who asks, receives" I politely inquired if the show was any good. The conversation ended with Game of Thrones series one being handed to me as a Christmas present. Maybe I should go into procurement rather than sales...

Game of thrones is based on the George R.R. Martin's fantasy novel series"A Song of Ice and Fire" of which "Game of thrones" is the first installment. Until now three seasons based on the novels have been produced with a forth undergoing production at the time of writing this review. The series was created by David Benioff and starrs Sean Bean (Ned Stark), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow). The first season was mainly shot in Northern Ireland and Malta. HBO produces the show with a big budget and it has won several Emmy Awards. Together with Breaking Bad and it also is one of the currently most pirated TV Shows.

Robert Baratheon is King of the Seven Kingdoms after he took the throne in a bloody revolt together with his friend Ned Stark. Baratheon resides in the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, King's Landing, situated at the "Narrow Sea" which separates the continents Westeros and Essos. Westeros is mainly inspired by England during the War of the Roses in the 15th century while Essos has a more oriental feeling to it. After the "Hand of the King", the most important advisor of the king, dies under nebulous circumstances, Robert asks his friend Ned to act as his Hand from there on. Stark reluctantly leaves his homeland of Winterfell north of King's Landing, but remains honorable to his way of a soldier and obeys to his king's request. While Robert is making arrangements with Ned, his wife and her family, the Lannisters, plot to retake the throne. Meanwhile the Targaryens, who used to sit on the thrones in Westeros have been living in Essos observing and plotting to retake the throne. To succeed a marriage between Daenerys Targaryen and the leader of the Dothraki (a mongolian like horde of warriors) is aaranged to secure their support in battle. An ancient years the Targaryens have been the riders of dragons which have long disappeared. While Ned Stark leaves for King's Landing his bastards son Jon Snow is send northwards to become a "Man of the Nights watch", who are guarding the "Wall", which builds the border to the north and is completely made of Ice. From there season one unfolds on several plotlines between the different kingdoms, places and characters throughout the episodes.

Game of Thrones is specially known for its many characters and the interdependencies between these which makes the drama unfold. The critical response has been very positive throughout the whole production. Some instances criticize the series for its use of violence, nakedness and explicitness to create the Medieval fantasy world. 

I personally became directly addicted to Game of Thrones. For me it is like a combination of Sopranos, Tudors, Lord of the Rings, a medieval history lesson, East enders (or Lindenstraße for the German among you) all wrapped into one. Watch it and discuss it with your friends. Who is plotting against whom? Who will die next? What will happen to the bastard sons of such and such? Great entertainment. Don't miss it and please don't pirate it, as this piece of entertainment truly deserves to be honored by actual paying the due tribute to enter this fantasyland. 

Book Review: Antifragile

"History is a race between education and catastrophe."

"When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right."- Victor Hugo 

How to run a faster marathon ?

Do a personal best on 10 miles!

On 23rd of August i ran a personal best on 10 miles of 1:09:05:

Andrew Douglas finished first in 49:56 which makes me feel rather insignificant. It was a good run, but i ovcerpaced in the middle and almost puked, which relates to my common mistake of overpacing at the beginning of a long run.

With more emphasis on my weightlifting training most recently, the running falls a bit short, which i have to remedy. I am already off track by 4 minutes, as i wanted to finish the 10 Mile in 1:05:00 to be on track for an under three hours marathon time.

Still i managed to shave off 10 minutes from my last years time, which is not too bad.