Holly Zimmermann

The runner's high, that feeling of euphoria that sometimes accompanies aerobic exercise, has often been attributed to the release of endorphins, but new research suggests that it might be due to endocannabinoids instead. Giving new meaning to the term ‘high’. We all know it. It’s that feeling like you could take on the world. You come home from your run in a better mood and with greater mental clarity. “It begins with this peace of mind and then a greater ease of movement, a sense of power and confidence, optimism and hope, and you will often hear runners describe feeling loving and connected to everyone and everything,” explains Kelly McGonigal, in her book The Joy of Movement. “So, what could possibly be going on in the body and the brain that would make you feel powerful, hopeful, faster, more confident and more loving?” For years it was believed that this feeling of bliss, sometimes referred to as the 'runner's high' was attributable to endorphins. But in 2021, Dr. ...

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...

Home again after Raid Galicia in Spain. An interview with Holly and her children in German but with English subtitles from the Mittelbayerische Zeitung in Regensburg  

Adventure racing is anything but mainstream. A multidisciplinary endurance sport far removed from civilization that tests the mind as well as the body. The 2021 Master course of the Nordisk Adventure Challenge in Silkeborg, Denmark was simultaneously the European Championship of Expedition-Length Adventure Racing, raising the level of the competition across the board. With a point-to-point distance of 575 kilometers, an 80-hour time limit gave us three and a half days to complete the course, which left little to no time for sleep. So what exactly is Adventure Racing? Well-known in some parts of the world, it is still an obscure sport here in Germany. Also called expedition racing, adventure racing is a team sport involving the main disciplines of trekking, mountain biking and paddling, but often include climbing, abseiling, swimming, inline skating, horseback riding, skiing and whitewater rafting, among others. Teams are generally mixed in gender and made up of two to five people, ...

Interview shortly before the Raid Galicia, Adventure Racing World Championship in Spain (in German)  

Januar 2021 trug Gorman im Rahmen der Zeremonie ihr Gedicht The Hill We Climb vor, das sie nach dem Sturm auf das Kapitol in Washington am 6. Januar 2021 angepasst und fertiggestellt hatte. Sie war mit 22 Jahren die jüngste Dichterin, die bisher bei der Amtseinführung eines US-Präsidenten auftrat. (See below for the English original version) „Der Berg, den wir erklimmen“ von Amanda Gorman (Ins Deutsche übersetzt von meine Nachbarin (AI) und ich) Wenn der Tag gekommen ist, fragen wir uns, wo wir Licht in den nie endenden Schatten finden können. Den Verlust, den wir mit uns tragen, ein Meer, durch das wir uns hindurchkämpfen müssen Wir haben dem Bauch des Monsters gestrotzt. Wir haben gelernt, dass Stille nicht immer Frieden bedeutet. Und die Normen & Vorstellungen Von dem, was Recht ist, ist nicht immer Gerechtigkeit Und jetzt die Morgendämmerung gehört uns Bevor wir es wussten. Irgendwie haben wir es geschafft. Irgendwie haben wir bezeugt und verwittert ...