#290 - Vulkane, Verkühlung & verrückte Vorhersagen

This week, Straps and Flo are navigating between colds, volcanoes, and bold predictions. Christoph has been hit by what seems to be affecting half the podcasting world right now: a virus that can't be trained away. Instead of gritting his teeth and pushing through, he's taking the unspectacularly smart approach – a break. Four days completely off, then cautiously back on the exercise bike, without a fan, with plenty of sweat on the floor, and a clear message to all the ambitious athletes out there: Nobody wants a neglected cold, and in the worst-case scenario, it can lead to myocarditis, which lasts considerably longer than three days of couch-potato training. Then it's off to Girona. The Traka 560 is just around the corner, and the starting field is so packed that even die-hard ultra-marathon fans are raving. In the men's race, the two are expecting a showdown between Victor Bosoni, Robin Gemperle, and local favorite Ulrich Bartholmös. The women's race is even more exciting: Lael Wilcox, Marei Moldenhauer, Jana Kesenheimer, Cynthia Carson – and right in the thick of it is Anna Kofler, who's flying under the radar in many previews, even though she has exactly the profile that works for this distance. Straps predicts she'll be on the podium. A little lesson on the side: If you're quiet on Instagram, you often don't appear in the favorites lists – even if the results list tells a different story. From the upcoming race, let's move on to the one that just finished: the Two Volcano Sprint. Bruno Wicht wins in 59 hours and 20 minutes – after 36 hours without a significant break, then four hours of sleep, and then straight through. He narrowly beat Adam Bialek and Anatole Naimi (founder of the Unknown Race – the story behind it is included as a bonus). The two discuss the mandatory rest periods of the race (2 hours per 24 hours), the DNF highlights ("lack of enthusiasm" as a reason for dropping out is hard to beat), and perhaps the most romantic DNF of the year: Rick Steffen drops out at kilometer 600 – not just because of mechanical problems, but because his wedding is a few days later. Priorities, I suppose. This week's fail involves misidentified brothers on the bike path and a producer named Rosi who ends up in the gravel forest of Plesch with her racing bike. This week's feedback focuses on GPS accuracy and Flo's highly entertaining foray into the universe of overconfidence: 12% of British men believe they could score a point against Serena Williams. 29% of Brits consider themselves Olympic-caliber. Well, there you have it. Finally: Highest Weekly Mileage Records. Why Straps' RAAM distances don't count, what Xandi Mixner has achieved (3,953 km in one week, 13,000 in a month), and why Daniel Steinhauser is currently making waves in southern Germany – with growing neck problems and a fundraising campaign behind him. Mentally, they both agree, such a record attempt without a race setting is a whole different ballgame. Plus: News from the ultracycling shop with Peeroton (cola flavor as an answer to flavor fatigue) and finally a battery-powered rear light from Supernova – no more tangled cables on your road bike. ``` Links: The new Peeroton in our shop: https://www.ultracyclingshop.com/spor... Supernova lights in our shop: https://www.ultracyclingshop.com/zube... Overview of Ultracycling Records: https://ultracycling.com/highest-week... +++++ Here are our advertising partners: https://linktr.ee/sitzfleischpodcast This podcast is now also available on Campfire: https://www.joincampfire.fm/api/downl... Music license ID: 5YUCXCNE2JYJJ1XH