After a final dose of cultural outings, I’m back in Cape Town for spring, where I’ve taken on an unexpected role as an Bottle Transporter for an elite runner. And there’s plenty of running excitement ahead!
Running
Mölln, Hills and a Handbag
A week of running through fields, forests and lakes sounds like a runner’s dream, until you discover that the one thing you actually need is a hill. Add a quarry, an airport fine for carrying a “small” present, and things get a little more interesting – and more expensive.
My Parents’ Paris Training Programme
I had an 8-page itinerary, fully trained parents and a hotel just 800 metres from the Eiffel Tower. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot when you forget to factor in regular meals. Our week in Paris with my elderly parents involved sightseeing, cafés, running, sparkling Eiffel Towers and a very dramatic dash across Gare de Lyon.
I Need to Adjust My Standards
At 58, I thought I was doing pretty well with my running and fitness. Then I spent two days hiking with our 73-year-old friend Wolli, who is training for a 60 km UTMB race, and suddenly my standards needed adjusting. After struggling to keep up with Wolli and Marion, I returned to Zurich and lined up for a 14 km race of my own. Maybe I’m doing alright after all. Or maybe Wolli and Marion are just making me look bad!
Training for Training
What do you do when you’re training hard but don’t know what you’re training for? I’m currently running 95km a week, doing intervals, hills, long runs and double-run days, all while my next big race remains undecided. Having no goal is harder than I expected. So I’ve had to find other ways to stay motivated – a half marathon that might just give me a reason to chase one missing minute.
Family Adventures, Lake Swims and a New Coach
A lot has been happening lately: celebrating my parents’ 64th wedding anniversary at beautiful Lake Lucerne, swimming across Lake Zurich (with risotto waiting at the finish line!), cheering on friends’ cycling adventures, and starting a brand-new chapter in my running journey. Meet my new coach, a no-nonsense endurance coach who is already pushing me out of my comfort zone!
The Aletsch Half Marathon: 1,150 Metres of Climbing and Half a Wheel of Cheese
I signed us up for a “lovely scenic half marathon” in the Swiss Alps. Only later did I realise it meant 1,150 metres of climbing and a finish line high on a mountain. Somewhere in between forest trails, a shrinking glacier and a brutal final ascent, my husband slowly accepted his fate. And just when we were done, the weather decided to have its say too.
Post-Race Fog and Future Plans
Two weeks after the Cape Town Marathon, I am still in that in-between space of recovery and restlessness. I look back at the moments that stayed with me from race day and what is coming next: a mountain half-marathon in Switzerland, a Hyrox race in Cape Town, and the possibility of another major marathon in 2027.
The Cape Town Marathon!
Cape Town delivered the perfect race day: cool weather, great crowds and the luxury of racing practically from my own doorstep. There were nerves, strange mental games to keep the pace going and the infamous “Loop of Death”, where the course takes you past the finish line before deciding you haven’t suffered quite enough. Somehow, everything clicked.
Post-London, Pre-Cape Town
Four weeks between two marathons sounded manageable on paper. In reality, my post-London “recovery plan” involved apple cider, junk food and enough prosecco to make my Garmin deeply concerned. Now, with Cape Town Marathon less than two weeks away, I’m trying to transform myself back into a responsible runner again.