The Happy Runner

Years ago I was in a bad place. I had demons, a lot of questions I couldn’t find answers for and I was barely able to make it through the day.

I was introverted, much more than I am today and unhappy. Not only with my life but also with the way I looked like. As if that wasn't enough I went through a divorce. But the I somehow discovered running. Not by chance, sport was always part of my life. It was the one thing that changed my life. Looking back, running saved my life and is still saving it.

Many people have demons, many don't know what they should do and are mentally in a bad place. I'm not telling, that running will help everyone as it helped me but maybe, just maybe it will help you.

It's obvious that after a marathon or half marathon we first need to rest. But before we jump back into our running we also have time to do all those things we neglected a bit during the last weeks because of all the running we did.

It's time to explore new routes ... to run by feel ... to look around and enjoy ... to be happy. To run because we want to run, not because there's a training planed.

And remember: life is not just about running. Plan a vacation, maybe a short city break ... without running shoes.

What happens after we hit 50, is a decline in performance. A decreasing aerobic capacity, loss of muscle mass and an increase in body fat. There are ways to slow the changes or even reverse them. Not huge changes. What we as runners need to do are small changes that will postpone the changes in our body. If we start to train and live smart we still will be able to run fast and strong after 50.

I'm 52 and just a few weeks ago I ran my marathon PB and about 6 months ago, just before I turned 52 my half marathon PB. If you ask me it's possible to run fast after 50 but you need to be smart about your training, nutrition and recovery.

In case you need a training plan fitted to your age all you need to do is to contact me over the contact form on Run&Smile and I will get back to you.

Today I am sharing with you what really happened at Prague marathon 2023 where I ran a new marathon PB of 3:16:02. I have done my best to cover as much as possible and go into as much detail as possible, not only the race but also the course itself and the conditions. So you will find this episode even useful if you plan to run the Prague marathon in the next years.

If you have any questions regarding the course or the race feel free to contact me.

The easiest way is Instagram

Or the contact form on my Webpage

It's almost time to run my next marathon. Just arrived to Prague yesterday and tomorrow I'll be standing on the start line of one of the most iconic marathons worldwide. They say it's a 42k long sightseeing tour of the city.

But the race itself is just the last day of the journey. For me this journey started in deep winter and it took me 14 weeks to get to this point. Looking back I think I made everything the way I planned. Could I made something different or better? Probably. But I'm confident, that the work I did will get me fir and fresh to the start line of sunday's race.

You know I'm not much into review but to be honest I was intrigued when approached by Mike from Oladance to test their earbuds or as they call the wearable stereo. So after more than a year of running without music or listening to podcasts from fellow creators I decided to try running with music again. If you want to find out more about the wearable stereo from Oladance and my thoughts on the product ... well, you can hear all you need to know in this episode of The Happy Runner podcast.

If you want to find out more about the Oladance wearable stereo use the link: Oladance and if you decide to buy them you'll get a 30% discount with code: SMILE30

This is not an affiliate link and I don't get payed for any purchase you make.

When over 40 we are over our prime when it comes to physical activities, running included. But there are still ways to stay and run strong even while getting older. Today I'm not gonna talk much about the impact of age on running. I will rather give you a few tips how to still be able to run strong when in your 40's.

One topic that's also addressed in this episode is pilates. Some time ago I hosted Molina on the podcast. She is a Yoga and Pilates instructor and those of you who want to find out more about Yoga and Pilates for runners can find her thoughts on the topic in our chat. Link below:

Yoga and Pilates for runners with Molina

We probably all had an illness while training for a race. But the closer race day, the more frustrating it can be when we are not able to run. I just had a nasty chest infection last week, about a month before Prague Marathon. Had the same issue a few years back while training for my second marathon but this time around I was smarter. Learned from past mistakes I made and I think I made the right decision this time around.

I need to mention, that I don't have a medical background and that I speak from my experience on the topic. But still I think, that the advice you'll get will help you through injury or illness while training for a marathon.

The last 12 to 16 weeks where all about running and preparing for your race. But what to do, when the race is over?

Should you continue running? Maybe sign up for another race? Should you rest and enjoy life?

Well, there probably is no right or wrong answer to this question. But still I addressed a few important points on the topic in today’s episode.

I just ran my first half marathon of the year and guess what? It was a big learning lesson. Probably this was the most controlled half marathon that I ever ran but it felt good. So don’t go out and make mistakes, learn from my experience.

Lately I did some changes to my marathon training and I can feel I’m moving in the right direction with these changes. I feel stronger, more rested and more in control while running.

If you want more advice or if you are in need of a training plan that works jump to the RunAndSmile webpage to download training plans for free or get in touch with me over the contact form on the webpage.