Hans's Corner

Well, this is my first posting here in this prestigious corner of the Norseman website. I will be writing here in the coming months leading up to the race in August and I am looking very much forward to it.

I can't believe that I'm already on my POST-race blog. I've been training for this event since January, but the time has gone extremely fast in the last 2-3 months.

I'm in Norway and race day is coming closer! We had a relaxed travel from Germany up to Norway with a short stop at Lensahn to cheer on Hårek (founder of Norseman) who was doing his first triple iron distance! He finished as nr 12 and has all my respect for that tough success! In the evening we went by ferry from Hirtshals to Larvik and stopped at Jørgen’s place in Stavern to have breakfast and a very nice swim in the Norwegian sea. We loved it… same with the blueberry smoothies we were served afterwards by Jorgen.

This blog is written on two different days… things were a little too busy to finish it all on one.

Today I´m writing my first part of the blog while sitting at the expo at Challenge Roth - a very special week in my area, and one that is in some way responsible for my carrier as a triathlete. At the age of 13, it was me handing out the bottles and bars to the athletes… surely a reason why I also became a triathlete. I was fascinated, especially by the iron distance, which seems to be impossible at first look.

I´m just on my way back home from sunny Mallorca – the last camp for me and my company for 2011.

I´m quite happy about my training these last few months. Two new people have started with the company so I have more time for my own training and was able to start a lot earlier this year. Also, the next months will be more structured and with less stress than the last years. Good signs for my 3rd start at Norseman.

This blog is does not focus exclusively on training - but it’s no less important for your performance and racing. What I’m talking about is nutrition… because even cars do not work without fuel. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen an athlete trying to lose weight in training by just drinking water. The old rule says… if all the carbohydrates are burned, we start to burn fat.

Wrong.

I like the winter!

With a background as an alpine ski-racer I´m used to excercising outside in the cold weather and I enjoy all kind of winter sports ‑ alpine, ski touring or just walking or running in the snow.

I sold my spinning bike recently because I’ve only used it twice in the last two years. I’d rather hop on my mountain bike, even if it is cold outside - it’s just a matter of wearing the right clothes. OK – a German girl can easily say that... I guess the Norwegian winter would teach me a different way.

That was what was going through my mind when I came to Norway for the first time and was driving the race course just one week before Norseman 2009.

And then I saw the mountain… I couldn’t help blurt out “leck mich am Arsch” ­– hopefully not too many people speak German here, but my friend Jens Richter quoted this helpless response on www.tri-mag.de after my first view of the Norseman finish line.