Chris Zehetleitner's Blog, page 3

Run Till Death

(Photo by Stephan Wieser)

In a world obsessed with speed and quick wins, we chose a different path. Not the loudest. Not the easiest. But the most lasting one.

We run for life.
We run till death.

It’s the most remembered line in the Willpower1 universe. A simple phrase — but for many of us, it carries more weight than entire books. It speaks to the decision to stay with something for the long haul. To build a life around motion, self-exploration, care, and the freedom that running can bring — not ju...

Running Beyond My Physical Limits

We should all take more breaks from running.

The depth and accuracy of self-reflection when we're not running is incomparable. When we're training or racing, we're in a constant state of euphoria. It's almost like a trip. It's so intense that we often disconnect from ourselves. A break from running forces us to look back and look inside. That's exactly where I am right now.

Here’s what I found so far.

I ran beyond my means.

I think I know the various factors that ultimately led to the irritation in...

The Ultra Rite

It's been quite a while since I teamed up with Stephan Wieser and Valentin Rapp to work on a Willpower Running film project. The results of our previous collaborations have always had a lasting impact on many people, and that's exactly what we want to achieve with our new joint film, The Ultra Rite.

The film tells the stories of four Willpower Athletes at the Zugspitz Ultratrail (ZUT) who couldn't be more different. David Rott, Henning Lenertz, Benni Fuchs, and I all started the race for differen...

Twelve Years Deep: My Running Anniversary

I'm celebrating not only my birthday but also the day I started running: July 12, 2013. In fact, tomorrow will be exactly 12 years to the day. 12 years of profound impact on my life. Thank you, running 🖤

Every year, I use my running anniversary to reflect on the past 12 months and beyond, and on what running has taught me and how it has changed me.

But let's start with an anecdote

My first run on July 12, 2013.
It lasted 47 minutes and 19 seconds.
And covered 5.66 kilometers.
That corresponds to a p...

Die Kunst Loszulassen (#133)

Ich erzähle von den 5 Gründen warum ich meine selbstverordnete Laufpause bereits nach 2 Wochen in eine offizielle Off-Season umgewandelt habe.

LINKS ZUR FOLGE

Passender Das Z Letter

On Repeat: DROPKICK MURPHYS “Who’ll Stand With Us”

Dropkick Murphys vs. Trusk und Mump

United By Summer Festival

“On Repeat” Spotify Playlist

Bock mir einen Ko-Fi auszugeben?

Die Das Z - Sprachnachricht ist kein Lauf-Podcast von Chris Z, dem Gründer der Laufsportmarke Willpower und Autor der Bücher Runhundred und Hundert-Mei...

The Art of Backing Off

So, I've accomplished all my running goals for 2025. It's the beginning of July, and I'm already entering off-season. Yes, I'm serious.

I don't know whether I'm being super smart or overly cautious, but on Monday, after two weeks of my self-imposed three-week-running-break following the Zugspitz Ultratrail (ZUT), I decided to extend the break and officially enter my off-season.

There are five reasons for this.

1. I'm full.

My competitive hunger has been satisfied. After five races in two months that...

My Western States 2025 Highlights

What. A. Western States.

This year’s race was full of wild emotion and total thrills.

You can read about the times and rankings in the running gossip press. Here's only a quick summary of the elite race: Both the women and the men started at a course-record pace and maintained it as if the Western States was a park run.

Spoiler alert: 100 miles is not a park run, and the course records did not fall in the end.

Nevertheless, it was absolutely impressive — almost frightening — to see how the lead pac...

Die Hitze Zwischen Uns (#132)

Ich beschreibe meine neue / alte Beziehung zur Hitze und was ich während unserer Begegnung beim Zugspitz Ultratrail gelernt habe. Außerdem verrate ich mein Mantra für das Rennen und bewerte wie gut es funktioniert hat.

LINKS ZUR FOLGE

Passender Das Z Letter

On Repeat: FARSIDE “Better Than Crying”

“On Repeat” Spotify Playlist

Bock mir einen Ko-Fi auszugeben?

Die Das Z - Sprachnachricht ist kein Lauf-Podcast von Chris Z, dem Gründer der Laufsportmarke Willpower und Autor der Bücher Runhundred und Hunder...

The Heat Between Us

Afterglow

I wrote down most of my reflections on my 2025 A-race, the Zugspitz Ultratrail (ZUT), the day after the race.

But one thing kept simmering beneath it all — my strange, almost personal relationship with The Heat.

This much is certain: Western States changed my relationship with The Heat forever. I constantly struggle for words to describe how I feel about her. What she does to me. And why, despite everything she put me through, I seek her nearness.

Over the past few days, my scattered thou...

Durchschnittlicher Hobbyläufer und Stolz darauf (#131)

Ich erkläre warum es nur Vorteile hat ein durchschnittlicher Hobbyläufer zu sein und warum wir es alle sind. Das heisst nicht, dass wir nicht ambitioniert trainieren und bei Rennen alles geben. Es interessiert nur keinen.

LINKS ZUR FOLGE

Passender Das Z Letter

On Repeat: Dragged Under “Chelsea”

“On Repeat” Spotify Playlist

Bock mir einen Ko-Fi auszugeben?

Die Das Z - Sprachnachricht ist kein Lauf-Podcast von Chris Z, dem Gründer der Laufsportmarke Willpower und Autor der Bücher Runhundred und Hundert-...