sports, making & well-being
People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.
Running 100 kilometers (60 miles) in a day? Through alpine terrain with 5km vertical ascent? How is that even possible? In June I finished Zugspitz Ultratrail 100k in just under 15 hours after researching and training for this spectacular run for about four months. Before that my longest run was a marathon. Here is everything I learned and everything you need to know if you want to undertake a similar journey.
Continue reading How to Run Your First Ultra Trail in 100.000 Easy Steps (part 1)
Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
source: John F Kennedy “Sport at the New Frontier: The Soft American” in: Sports Illustrated Volume 13, Issue 26 (December 26, 1960), p. 14-17 (article)
Today’s politicians should take a stronger role in supporting well-being for the general public.
For many Maui is as close at it gets to the ideal of a vacation paradise: endless beaches, tropical vegetation and tons of opportunities for fun activities. In fact, Maui seems to strike a perfect balance of alternative hippie culture, paired with laid back surfer vibe and beautiful nature. Here are my top picks for the island:
This is a little DIY project to fix up a nice single speed bike with new road bike brake levers in under two hours and about 50 bucks.
Continue reading Retro Bike Upgrade with Road Bike Brake Levers
Many philosophers have thought about time and our use of it. One of my favorite expression for the urgency to realize what really is important in life is this, by Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor and Stoic):
A limit of time is fixed for thee, which if thou dost not use for clearing away the clouds from thy mind, it will go and thou wilt go, and it will never return.
I love the balance this wording strikes between simplicity, symbolism and powerfulness.
Copenhagen consistently tops quality of life surveys. People there are generally super friendly and helpful. It is an ideal city for cyclists with broad and omnipresent bicycle lanes. Due to the northern latitude, summer days in Denmark never seem to end making it an ideal destination for even short stays to relax and indulge.
Similar to renowned Scandinavian design the modern cuisine evolved tradition and simplicity into delightful sophistication and quality. You don’t have to go to NOMA to experience culinary finesse. On a recent trip to Copenhagen in June I enjoyed a number of wonderful coffee and food places that I want to share. Continue reading Craft Coffee in Copenhagen
Pete Sampras, one of the greatest players in tennis history, 14 Grand Slam titles and ATP ranked no. 1 from 1993 to 1998:
One day, everyone will be a nutrition freak. Be ahead of that curve.
June 20 2015, Saturday morning 7:15am in Grainau, Germany: more than 700 ultra trail enthusiasts start running into the misty mountain range around Zugspitze to participate in the fifth edition of the Salomon Zugspitz Ultratrail (ZUT), a 100k, 5.380Hm race. I am one of them. Continue reading ZUT 2015 Race Report