All posts tagged: Recovery

A runner moves through the forest, silhouetted against the light

You Want to Start Running? 10+1 Very Personal Tips for Beginners

Published by Trotzendorff

A while ago, a friend of mine told me she wanted to start running – and asked if I had any tips. That got me thinking: wait, didn’t I write something about that ages ago? And yes, I did. Ten years ago, to be exact. Back then, I had just gone through the ups and downs of learning how to run – the excitement, the injuries, the first few kilometers that felt like marathons. So I wrote down what had helped me. Now that question from my friend gave me a great excuse to take another look: How much of it still holds up today? What would I change, knowing what I know now? Here’s the result: ten very personal tips for beginners – tried, tested, updated, and translated into English.

The Pace of Presence

Published by Trotzendorff

In October last year, when my Achilles tendon had finally made its opinion known, I found myself in a park in Cologne. I wasn’t running. I was jogging, slowly, with my eyes covered and one hand lightly resting on the arm of someone guiding me. We were part of a workshop for sighted running guides—learning how to help blind and visually impaired runners move safely, confidently, freely. It was humbling. I was there to learn how to guide. But at that moment, I needed guidance myself.

Two runners are seen from behind running down a major road in a city.

This is definitely still my body

Published by Trotzendorff

Today, while running, a peculiar thought crossed my mind. Although, at first, it wasn’t really a thought but more of a feeling. The thought came a little later, but it hit me like a ton of bricks: my body no longer feels like an athlete’s body.

A man is sitting in a grainfield practicing breathing techniques.

A method worth exploring?

Published by Trotzendorff

It’s been a strange irony that I, lying in my bed, should stumble upon a book that deals so intimately with the very thing that had brought me low. Covid had robbed me of my strength and left me short of breath, and yet it was in the midst of this struggle that I found distraction and, yes, a tune up.

A person wearing running shoes is sitting on the floor, only the upper legs visible.

Only assholes do that

Published by Trotzendorff

As I step out into the chilly air, I can feel the weight of the past year bearing down on my shoulders. My Achilles tendon still aches, a constant reminder of the injury that has slowed me down for so long. And yet, despite the pain and the setbacks, I lace up my shoes and begin to run. It’s the first day of a new year, and I am determined to make it a successful one.