new season ahead: Ostseeman 2021

Dear followers and readers,

meanwhile it makes no sence to push thru the season 2020 as of this "Corona" all competitions are cancelled. So me I myself Micho decided to quit this season today. From tomorrow on, the new season starts, having a meeting at the pool at 11:00 o' clock with best friends.

Like one can see on the picture there are two "fat ladies" within. I gave up smoking. The two ciagars are from my sponsor (Elo) and are going to be smoked race after, Ostseeman 2021, 1st of August. Thank you very much to the event-manager in person also for make transfer slot go, moreover, by this way, too.

trophy collection containing two fat ladies for my best friend and me for OM 2021 race after

Meanwhile I did seven races along the 226k distance. The green medal at the right onto the arrow is from relay-competition along the 226k with me as the swimmer, having mangaged a sub9h. Sub9h as a single starter is not possible, however, if all wents well, and that is why I need to give up smoking, tomorrow, on Sunday, 28th of June 2020, well, a sub10h result can be possible, that is difficult to get as of the wind on at th Balic See (Ostsee) is very strong and bike split is hard.

In terms of training this means 10 month of base level activities 2 month of build-phases and one month or mesocycle of tapering in July 2021, then.

Let´s see how it goes. Press thumbs for Micho to stay safe and healty, that is the most important in any sport. And if all does go good, well then, kick Micho´s arse for to race hard at Glücksburg!

Shalom.

holidays on gravel bike (review)

When holidays started on 11th of June, well, I did not think to be back eight days later. Actually I wanted to bike to Sweden, Finland, the Baltic States, Russia (Kaliningrad), Poland and Czech Republic. Biking North from my home here in 91207 Lauf an der Pegnitz, Germany, I got stuck in bad weather, but not only.

Altogether I made 754 Kilometers in 6 days. The first day was good and flat, then it became hot and sunny uphills. The third day I bypassed the former iron curtain and headed to Poland. Unfortunatelly weather changed and I go stuck in massive thunderstorms and lightning. e.g. I camped on open filelds and put the bike under the only tree some serveral meters away as of those flashes above. After days in the rain I decided not to go via Poland to Scandinavia, for swiming, fishing, kayaking and boat-trips, and re aimed Rostock in order to set over to Trelleborg by ferry-boat. 

Spaghetti for breakfirst in the open filed.

As of massive traffic violation I was hunted by the police throughout three of the 16 states of Germany. Next days and had to sleep closely to former military training areas in order to hide, too. Not only accused as of traffic violations, I was supposted to be  terrorist also and, meanwhile, WANTED in all over Europe (INTERPOL). In sum, well, fed up of the rain, wind and the police I decided to got a hike home by a ghost-company I do have work and friend, and am back home in Bavaria, where I am protected by the law of the state, now. 

This summer  there is enough time to get prepared for the Ostseemann (OM) the next year, a 226k long-distance-triathlon in Glückburg. Thank you to the event-managers for transfer like it is difficult to do so for the K-SK, and invitation to IDF moreover. 

summer 2020 no competitions at all - strategies

Meanwhile, as of that corona, virus, almost all competitons in endurance sports had been cancelled. Both professionals and amateurs in affairs of triathlon, having trained months for mega-events, needed to make alter strategy and are confronted with similar challenges.

In normal times it are the amateurs, that build the basis of the pyramid that is the carrier for the professionals onto the top. While professionals are payed for performance, theses days amateurs might lack motivation. Especially in spring, when the top-form is going to be shaped by intervall-training and so-called monster-training-units, like 130 Kilometers on bike and 25k run nonstop after in order to get fit for 226k-race in Frankfurt, Hamburg or on the Hawaiin Islands. All the letter competitions had been delayed, competitons of other labels had been cancelled. This has to do with the new, American, owner of the company, that had been sold to the Chinese in 2015 for 650 Million of US dollars. Now, the stock holders are from the West Coast and do invest in internet, communication and it-solutions like this, but bought IRONMAN for 730 Million of US Dollars. It´s coming home, like insiders said. Or is it vice versa? The professionals are fed up but the amateurs are motivated as of the Pros cannot perform and the amateurs feel like always, do swim, bike and run for fun?

Difficult affairs need smart solutions. Instead of travelling by mountainbike I bought a gravel-bike for this year. 

Competitons, both core values like fixed on this blog [1] and visions of the sport are needed to survive the crisis. What to do if customers do not buy a new time trial bike? Well, rather easy. If one does love our sports and has fun, one might like to buy a new bike nevertherless. If one does for the purposes pf posing, showing of bikes as status symbols, well, this year isn't a good opportunity. There won't be photos from the finish onto red carpets, no cameras on the bike-course or swim-exit, too.

Meanwhile it is June and extent and intensity of training has been reduced systematically. Having had a lot of work and paperwork in May I am looking forward to cycling in summer. Hopefully some competitions in the 3rd discipline, a 10k run or a half-marathon, can be conducted in autum.

Last year I went to th South by bike (Athens) im summer, this year I go North, having Sweden on the list. May be Greta T, has time for a cyclist from Bavaria for an autograph-lesson.

[1] https://3athletisches-und-triathletisches.blogspot.com/2013/05/grundwerte-des-triathlonsports.html