Ultimately I am able to announce new goals and a confirmed participation at two huge events in 2020. Furthermore I will dive deeper why I am doing this and what the domains of preparation will be like from my current point of view.
The Events
#1 Berlin S25 – March 2020
This little gem will serve as preparation for #2. Will be my first 25K run.
#2 Berlin Marathon – September 2020
It is the most famous Marathon event in Germany with about 44000 participants in 2019. I won a slot for the full distance of 42,2 km through lottery drawing. After a couple of 5km, 10km and 21,1km runs and three 100km marches this is the perfect ground for a fresh goal.
The goals
As you know goals should have some common SMART characteristic:
(S)pecific, (M)easureable, (A)chievable, (R)ealistic, (T)imebound
So the result are the following two goals and at least I believe they are realistic and achievable 🙂
#1 Finish the 2020 Berlin Marathon in under 3:00:00
#2 Finish the 2020 S25 in under 1:45:00
What the heck – Did I say I will run 42,2km with average pace of 4:10 min per kilometer … ? YES I WILL DO THAT AND FINISH IN UNDER 3 HOURS
The Why
At most I want to streamline and optimize my training. Time is precious and by trying to reach these goals I will gather a lot of new insights and improvement opportunities for myself. Furthermore I will fill my cookie jar with two new experiences that will show me how focused work pays off and support me in hard times. In addition I want to share my knowledge and may inspire anyone to make sports a bigger part of their live.
The Preparation
After an analysis of my current knowledge branches linked to running I was able to identify the following domains which I have to improve to reach the goals.
Running practice
Currently I am running about 2-3 times a week with distances between 8km and 15km. Immediate action: Add one 30km+ run a week to increase endurance.
Nutrition
After a long time experimenting with my nutrition I reach a balanced state without cravings or huge overeating. Immediate action: Further reduction of sugar, alcohol and other negative substances like milk products and gluten.
Equipment
This is a domain I am well prepared – GARMIN Forerunner 245 Musik inkl. running pod, two high end pairs of ASICS running shoes, some pairs of prime running socks and a lot more. Immediate action: None – revisit this domain after improvement of the others.
Tracking & Analysis
Thanks to the GARMIN universe I gather a huge set of data like V02MAX and pulse while I am running which is easy to analyze afterwards. Immediate action: Define core parameter and calculate gap between current performance and required performance to reach my goals..
Meditation & Yoga
I am practicing Zen Meditation (Zazen) and Yoga at the moment. Due the fact its all self-taught I have slow progress. Immediate action: Attend a YOGA course to improve the learning curve.
Wellness & Rest
One Sauna visit a week is my baseline which is pretty good I think. Immediate action: Try to improve sleeping pattern to improve rest through reducing digital activities prior to going to bed.
DJ – Musik Selection
My experience taught me that running with music is awesome and improves my performance. Immediate action: Build diverse playlists with favorite tracks and select tracks on BPM rating – calculate optimal BPM for 42,2km in under 3h.
Strength and Resilience Training
42,2km distance is a huge distance and I think the weather can be very rude. Thats why I have to prepare for the worst conditions. Immediate action: Introduce cold showers and simulated altitude training to improve breathing; Daily HIIT with diversification and varying pattern.
Organizational, Planning & Improvement
This domain may be the most important one. Persistence, consistency and focus must be improved. Immediate action: Review, refine and evolve the stated domains. Establish a monthly report and create a blog post to record progress.
Conclusion
Finally I think this is a good foundation for improvement. Furthermore I will keep you updated on the progress. The main indicator will be my VO2MAX value which is 56 at the moment.
Thanks for reading and wish you all the best!