Heya and welcome back to Five Things Running!

While I’m still in a motivational slump and just don’t get the runs in that I planned each week, I found the motivation to start a project that I had been thinking about and dabbling with for quite some time.

Here it is: Waldlauf. My new fashion brand that pays hommage to the art of Waldlauf.

Waldlauf is the German term for “forest run” and this is the OG mode of running, at least from my perspective. When I went running as a teenager, I did a Waldlauf. My dad did a Waldlauf when he was young, my favorite football team does a Waldlauf during practice, one of my daughters is doing a Waldlauf during her track practice. Waldlauf is running in nature, it’s the purest form of running.

And if you have ever thought: wow, I really do like Nico’s Five Things Running newsletter, I wish I could buy some merch from him: now is your time to shine! Unless of course you’re in the USA as I didn’t feel like dealing with the Trump tax… If you still want a t-shirt or a sweatshirt and you’re not in Europe, send me an email and we’ll figure it out.

Also, I’m trying to implant the term Waldlauf into the consciousness of runners everywhere, just like VW tried to establish the term “Fahrvergnügen” over 30 years ago in the minds of American customers, which was an entirely made up word. Waldlauf really is the OG mode of running. Happy Shopping!

Oh, and since we’re talking about Waldlauf right now, my favorite race is coming up and guess what: it’s through a forest and around a lake. What a great combo! As every year since 1990, the race takes place on the first Advent Sunday and is hence called Adventslauf. Registration opens on September 1st, make sure not to miss it! The 26km around Lake Ratzeburg are fantastic! Especially if you like light rain, some wind and temperatures just above freezing. Seriously, just buy a Waldlauf t-shirt and meet me there at the starting line!

Here’s this week’s Five Things Running!

Chamonix' Highest

And then UTMB. What a heartbreaking race. I “knew” Courtney was winning and when she wasn’t she showed everyone what a big win she is for our sport. Even it was clear for hours that she wouldn’t get near the podium this year and she was definitely “hurting”, she pushed through the second half of the race and made it to the finish line. What an athlete. Last one’s Katharina Hartmuth. She finished 2nd two years ago and i really had high hopes in her race style as she always starts “slower” and then fight up to the higher ranks. AND SHE DID. What a third place. Checking into livestream every 10-15min couldn’t have been more rewarding than this.

I really was looking forward to watching UMTB, but then I was traveling and family demanded my attention, so I ended up just watching reels on Insta. Still, it was pretty impressive to watch…

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UTMB's Flywheel is Great for Business. Is It Good For Trail Running?

In just two decades, UTMB has gone from a scrappy French ultramarathon to the Ironman of trail running.

What started in 2003 as the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc has grown into a global empire owned by UTMB Group: 60 World Series events across nearly 30 countries.

For years, UTMB was a bucket-list race. But its ambitions eventually grew far beyond one week in Chamonix.

Trailrunning needs more of these huge events to draw attention. The sport is still comparatively small and needs to attract more eyeballs to become financially more sustainable.

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Run By Feel: The Forgotten Art of Listening

Every tiny interruption pulls the athlete out of presence. Out of the zone.

When you run by feel, you reconnect perception directly to action. You return to what Zen calls mushin—“no mind.” You move freely, intuitively. Personally, my best runs - be them races or training - have been when moving freely and without the shackles of watch data obsession.

And the truth is, some of the greatest coaches in history built their training systems on exactly this idea—trusting the body’s feedback over external numbers.

I mostly run by feel and then later on have a look at the data. And sometimes wonder why I was so off in my assessment, but mostly my body and I agree…

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Is Running Aging Your Brain? Here’s What a New Study Says

Researchers have used brain-age models to study everything from dementia to depression. But until now, few have explored how lifestyle factors, like physical activity, affect our brain’s health.

That’s precisely why a new study published in Health Data Science caught my attention. Using accelerometers to measure movement and advanced neuroimaging, the researchers posed an interesting question: What is the relationship between physical activity and brain age?

So for now I’ll keep on running and as long as my Oura ring tells me that my physical age is younger than my real age, I assume that this somehow counts in my brain as well.

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Questionable Judgements: Front Porch Thoughts From a Yellow House Painted Green

We judge without making an effort to understand. We do this in sports and life, and it kills us.

Why do we do this? Perhaps because it’s easier, and maybe because we think we already know the answers. But failing to ask questions is a dangerous place to be. It’s throwing away a beautiful rocker because it rocks funny, failing to admire its beauty and to see the potential that it holds. It’s seeing an athlete only for their results and not their whole self.

Yes, yes. And yes.

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Thanks to COROS for supporting this publication!

If you missed last week’s edition, you can read it here:

Five Things Running: Issue #128 Aug 25 Read full story

Now, go running!

— Nico

🏃🏻‍♂️