Holly Zimmermann

Long runs are the pillar of training for the marathon and any other long distance race, but fueling them can be tricky. And if your mind is boggled at the thought of fueling a 3-hour run, imagine what’s required for more than a day on your feet? Beautiful wilds of Spain's Galicia I’m not a doctor nor a nutritionist but I’ve been around the block in foot races of all distances. Here’s my non-expert experience and some tips on fueling for endurance. The Marathon As crazy as it may sound, ultra runners consider the classic road marathon to be a fast race. It is a ‘relatively’ short distance, typically on good terrain, without much elevation gain or loss and the pace is at the high end of our aerobic capacity. Obviously the amount of calories that your body needs to take in depends on what you are burning. Are you jogging? Or running at your aerobic-anaerobic boundary? In general it is recommended that runners need to add in 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates each hour that they are runni...

Hier klicken für die deutsche Version Although a new series, the MountainMan races are professionally organized as though there are years of experience, but there is unmistakably a very familial feel. The team and support staff are always smiling and laughing, having a blast themselves, while ready to jump to the needs of any of their runners. At their races, you really feel like part of the family, meeting up for that annual reunion in some of the most picturesque locations the world has to offer. 11 May 2019 Strecke M: 16 km (17+), 960 HM (1040)  Conditions: Mud, Snow, Rain, Sleet, Wind, Cold... and more Mud Interview with Rudi and Stephan :) Is it just me or do you get the feeling that the worse the weather is, the more fun trail runners have? You don’t hear them complaining if Mother Nature is wicked and wild and pushes them to their limits, but you DO hear trail runners complain on beautiful sunny days because then it is just too… well, they say ‘warm’ but ...

The question I am most often asked is not “ How do you train for running in the desert?” nor “ How do you stay motivated during those long runs? ”, but rather two simple words, “ What’s next? ” And from those who know the type of races I prefer to run, they ask the question, waiting with bated breath, hoping that I will dazzle them with something off the charts. No pressure there. Bu honestly, I don’t choose races for the ‘Wow’-factor, I keep my eyes and ears open as to what is out there, waiting patiently until I hear of a race that sends a chill down my spine, and then I know it is the next one. Choosing races of such magnitude with any other motivation I think would make it impossible to invest in the amount of training, planning and preparation necessary to pull it off. During my down-time this past winter I created an Excel spreadsheet with all the race options that interest me including all of my standard short-distance races in and around Regensburg that I run with my...

Today was the big day. The anticipation had been building for three weeks. Ok, that’s not exactly true. Actually, it’s not true at all. Mmmmm....that was delicious! Since the Landkreislauf Ultra in the middle of September I’ve taken some time off. Three weeks to be exact. And I gained 5 pounds. Of course, I didn’t lie around on the couch and each chips and chocolate (ok, I give in, I did that), but there was some mountain biking with my son, a few short jogs and one easy 5k race, but essentially I did no serious training during that time. My coach recommended two weeks off. I extended it to three, not necessarily because my body needed the extra week, but my mind did. Towards the end of the season I had to force myself out the door to go running or biking. During my strength training sessions, I’d find myself taking short breaks to check my messages and flip through my music. My head was just not in it. This is not surprising, since, according to my coach, I’d done...

(Click here to read this article in English) Regensburg Landkreislauf 2017 Oberndorf nach Kallmünz • 74,4 Kilometer • 800 Höhenmeter Sieht nicht so schlimm aus, wenn man sich die Zahlen ansieht. Nur 800 Höhenmeter über dieser Distanz ist fast flach. Verglichen, während des Hochkönigman Ultra Trail (85km / 5000m), in der Mitte des Rennens, gab es einen 1000 Meter Aufstieg auf knapp über 3 Kilometern, das ist ein 30% Anstieg. Also, natürlich, dachte ich über den Landkreislauf, 'Ok, ich kann das ziemlich leicht machen und vielleicht sogar etwas aggressiv angehen.‘ Ha, ha. Denk nochmal. Jedes Jahr schaue ich die Strecke des Landkreislaufs vorher an, indem ich die Etappen entweder laufe oder radl. Dieser Ablauf ist wichtig mich mental vorzubereiten, und um sicherzustellen, dass ich mich während des Rennens nicht auf die Markierungen verlassen muss und mir Sorgen mache, dass ich eine Abzweigung verpasse, da ich bereits eine Geschichte habe, mich verlaufen zu haben. ...

Regensburg Landkreislauf 2017 Oberndorf nach Kallmünz · 74.4 kilometers · 800 meters positive climb Doesn’t look so bad when you look at the numbers. Only 800 meters elevation over that distance is almost flat. Comparatively, during the Hochkönigman Endurance Trail (85km/5000m), in the middle of the race, there was a 1,000 meter climb over a distance of just over 3 kilometers, that’s a 30% grade. So, naturally concerning the Landkreislauf, I thought, ‘Ok, I can do this one pretty easily and maybe even approach it somewhat aggressively’.  Ha, ha. Think again. Every year I check out the course of the Landkreislauf by either running the stages or biking them beforehand. It is important for me to be able to mentally toss it through my mind as well as to make sure I don’t have to rely on the markings during the race and worry that I may miss a turn, since I do have a history of getting lost. This year I did not get a chance to check out the entire course, only the...

Click here to read this article in English! Um 23:00 Uhr begann die obligatorische Rennen-Briefing, ungefahr gleichzeitig als meine Augenlider schwer wurden und das unkontrollierbare Gähnen begann. Neben mir saß mein Sohn, der den Kopf auf den Tisch gelegt und eingeschlafen hatte. Ich wünschte, ich wäre zu Hause in meinem Bett. Im Konferenzraum des Hotel Niederreiter in Maria Alm am Steinener Meer, einem kleinen idyllischen Dorf, das in den österreichischen Alpen gelegen ist, 135 Läufer und ihre Familien versammelten sich, um den Renndirektor zu hören, um die Details für den Hochkönigman Endurance Trail zu verlassen. Das Rennen würde in einer Stunde um Mitternacht beginnen und 84,9 km Trails mit 4.928 Metern positiver Höhe abdecken. Ich hoffte, in etwa 14 Stunden zu beenden, aber ich würde später herausfinden, dass das hoffnungslos optimistisch war. Mein Mann und unsere beiden jüngsten Kinder waren dabei, und sie planten, mich auf der Strecke zu treffen, an den Verpflegun...