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19.04.2015  

Hard work pays off

We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.ย (Stephen Covey)

This week I had a “Performance Diagnostics” and it was so great to see how 14 month of workout, training camp and competitions pays off.

Thank you Jรผrgen Trapp from Sporteffekt to make this diagnostics and your great hints how to improve further.

Even with two major draw backs, those months led to big changes and the confidence to participate in my first Olympic Triathlon this year on 14th June 2015 in Ingolstadt, Germany. Thank you trainings partners, coaches (especially Sabine Schlirf from ESV Ringsee Ingolstadt) and friends. Without you this wouldn’t have been possible. Because even if it looks easy and relaxed, it is all hard work but with lots of fun.

Here some impressions from the last 14 months:

20.10.2014  

Motivation Boot Camp – Power Days

Ever wanted to experience a soccer stadium atmosphere combined with some intellectual input regarding how to use more of your potential. Well then maybe the Jรผgen Hรถller Power Days are something to consider.

Saturday 10am the event started in Nรผrnberg, Germany together with 2200 people and the song “I got the Power” from Snap and immediately the energy level in the hall rises. In this environment it was easy to learn new things. I liked how Jรผrgen Hรถller and Mike Dierssen used metaphors to explain their topics.

One exercise I really enjoyed was for instance everyone was handed out a 100 centimeter paper yardstick and then was told if you are a man cut it of at 85, for a woman at 90 (to show the typical life expectance). Then you should to some calculations: Start from your current age and depending if you are a non-smoker or smoker, eat healthy or unhealthy, do sport regularly or no sport, … you changed the years (+15,+10,+5, 0,-5). The end result you subtracted from your starting point (85 or 90) and you got your remaining years. Well that was very vividly for me. Sure not everything is in your hand but you can do a good part yourself to stay healthy and increase the odds to live a long and happy life.

Well to summarize the event: I liked theย “stadium atmosphere” and the energy levels, I met some really great people and got some nice inspirations out of it. Here some sayings from those two days:

“Grow your comfort zone then your personality grows”

“Workout leds to championship”

“Never give up and always give 110%” (the clapping and cheering to the song “I got the Power” was aย metaphor for that)

“Never think for your customer”

“The more successful you are, the more humbled you should be”

“Never stop to grow because that’s the beginning of dying”

“Personality sells”

“Strangers are only friends you don’t know yet”

“Success always starts at home”

“Success is 15% expertise and 85% personality. Invest in your personality if you want to become rich”

“How you do your job, is how you live your life”

“Successful people areย decisive”

“Every NO is one step closer to a YES” (The power of the quote: e.g. 1 out of 50 will say YES, so every NO gets you closer to the yes)

“5 pillars of your life house: Career, Finances, Health, Relationships, Private Development” (Have 4 or 5 pillars set up you have a great foundation for your life house, only 3 and the foundation is not solid anymore not speaking off when only 1 or 2 pillars are in order …)

08.09.2014  

Life lessons from a farm visit

My sister and I were recently invited to visit relatives on their farm north of Frankfurt. As soon as we arrivedย childhood memories were back. For over 20 years I haven’t been in aย stableย and reflecting upon the weekend I realized how many life lessons I took from these days on the farm:

1.Plan for the future

As a farmer you have to plan way in advance. You have to prepare the fields in spring, nourish them over the summer and harvest in autumnย so that the animals have food in winter. The same holds true for your on life. Setting up a dreamplan for the year helps to focus and plan ahead so you can harvest the fruits of your development later.

2. Have multiple streams of income

But not everything goes according to a plan and for farmers the weather is a big factor of unpredictability so to secure the income have multiple streams available. So if one source of revenue is becoming a very small stream in one year have other sources to compensate therefore.

3. Enjoy the small pleasures

Being on a farm surrounded by all those animals is such a great pleasure you loose the feeling of time and you relax. Wonderful just to feed the calves, cuddle the dog, watch the milk process, ride on a truck, watch cats play, have great talks, let the farmer explain their work, wonderful and enlightening.

4. Work ethnic

Working on a farm is hard work and it amazes me how dedicated and disciplined you have to be, to work 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The great thing is you see the results right in front of you e.g. when you milk the cows.

5. Appreciation of milk

When you go into the supermarket and buy 1 liter of milk it costs you around 0.90โ‚ฌ and the thing is done. But when you see the cow milking process than this is only the last step on the farm. First you need a cow who just recently had a carve, you have to take care of the cows health, you have to secure the food chain of the cow (if it is summer or winter) and you have to milk the cow twice a day, every single day. And this is only the process I was able to see on that one day.

These life lessons came to my head. What were your reflections while visiting a farm? Please leave a comment

10.05.2014  

First Triathlon – Preparation

After almost haft a year of preparation it was time to participate inย my first triathlon and what an awesome experience but let’s recap from where this all started …

Last year in November I thought about doing my first triathlon and this is where I stood: I could only swim theย crawlย for 25 meters, I have never set on a racing bike and I was injured on my left and right ankle so for over three month I din’t run. Great! ๐Ÿ˜‰

But then things picked up … Beside a core muscle training once per week I started to swim twice per week and after a few weeks the first success was to crawl for 5 then 8 and end of December for 60 lanes (each lane was 25 meters) and in February 2014 I mastered even the 152 lanes which was part of my dream plan for 2014. So swimming wise I was on track. Still very slow but with the confidence to conquer the distance.

End of February it was time to participate in my first trainings camp in Malaga and after one week and more than 300km on a racing bikeย I felt that this is going to become a great sport for me even though my body needs much more race bike training. One trainings camp more (in Porec, Croatia) the confidence and fun for cycling grew further.

And for the running part I started in January with very very slow but long runs and the pain in my ankles was gone. And as I love running this was a good sign.

And now it is the 10th of May 2014 and only one day left for my first triathlon ever, how exciting! All my gear for the racing day is prepared … story to be continued …

 

22.04.2014  

Triathlon Camp in Poreฤ

April comes and so does my first Triathlon trainings camp. How exciting, after my firstย cycle camp in Mรกlagaย it was now time to put all three triathlon parts (swimming, cycling and running) together for my first upcoming triathlons in May, June and July 2014.

Together with the two awesome coaches Sabine and Wolfgang fromย ESV Ringsee Ingolstadt,ย Natalie and Karin we had one week of training in Northern Croatia in the small beautiful coastal townย Poreฤ.

Training conditions were very good: Sunny weather, Plenty of good food, hilly surroundings for our cycle tours, great running track on the coastline and a salt water pool.

Here some impressions:

12.03.2014  

Cycling in Malaga

Long time no update from my site and thus a short flash back to February when I went to my first ever trainings camp to Spain to learn Cycling on a race bike. Together with some experienced cycling mates I was on my way to southern Spain, Malaga.

We arrived there end of February and for one week the hills around Malaga were our training grounds. Especially one hill which went up from 0 to 965m was twice part of our course. Amazing to cycle over 1 hour only up a hill, great fun.

The weather was already nice with up to 25ยฐC just the gusty wind was a bit disturbing. So let’s tell you about our regular day, which looked almost every day like that:

Wake up at 7:45

Have breakfast at 8:00

Get ready for the cycling day till 11:00

Cycle for 3 to 6 hours

Take a nap … long nap ๐Ÿ™‚

Go for dinner at around 19:00

Go to sleep at around 22:30

And here some impressions from our trip. Thanks Jochen, Daniel, Andreas and Tomasz who joined in this trainings camp and helped me to cope with a new sport. Result: I love race cycling ๐Ÿ™‚

07.10.2013  

Octoberfest

October in Munich and everywhere friendly and traditionally dressed people on their way to the Octoberfest. So together with a friend we went to the Wiesn.

And what a great day. Dancing in multiple of the big tents each with a capacity of up to 6000 people. Talking to people from around the globe and having a good time. Especially the “Old Wiesn” was great. Check out some pictures …