“What is the plan this season?” It is the common dialog once you come across friends or fellow endurance sport junkies. Almost certainly I would not be exercising on a regular basis if there would not be the odd sporting contest on the horizon.

Face it – Signing up and dedicating to a competition adds sense and a direction to everyday training. Despite the fact that this can be demanding it also means supplementary drive. I certainly like to have goals and having a well-adjusted agenda is inspiring to look forward to.

With our move to Sweden it is apparent that my emphasis lies on racing locally. Getting the chance to spend time travelling the country with my family and seeing all the varied places across this stunning kingdom is something that I look forward to.

So for the imminent season these are the battles I choose:

28.05.2017 ÖTILLÖ Utö Swimrun

By now a classic in the continuously growing SwimRun logbook. This race across the islet of Utö is challenging and a proper first test for the system. I’ll be racing this with my friend Felix.

10.06.2017 Stockholm SwimRun

My first city SwimRun race. Living in a city that seems to made for this sport, this was the obvious contest to pick. The course looks super fun and should be pretty fast. Looking forward to race this in the original German Sparkle Party formation with Fabian.

01.07.2017 Åre Xtreme Challenge

Another highlight and a race that should be well out of my comfort zone. I certainly have to opt my kayak and mountain-bike abilities for this multisport classic across Jämtland.

15.07.2017 Åstol Runt

The 0.15 km2 landmass of Åstol is located on the west coast of Sweden. Since two years they offer a matchless Aquathlon in and around the islet. A 2k open water swim is followed by a 7k run. Undoubtedly I look forward to a proper Aquathlon and a delicious flatfish for recovery

05.08.2017 Öloppet

Styrsö island in the Gothenburg archipelago is where the world’s biggest SwimRun takes place. 5.700 meters of swimming and 33.825 meters of running alongside the inimitable Über-hobbit are on tab.

01.10.2017 ÖTILLÖ 1000 Lakes

After missing last year’s inaugural ÖTILLÖ chapter on GSP home turf, Fabian and I are planning to face the icy Mecklenburger Seenplatte for some challenging fun through East German liquids and trails.

22.10.2017 The Original Mountain Marathon

Ticking of another biggie from the bucket list. Pumped to finally get my legs across the U.K’s stunning northern fells with my old-friend Seb. Facing a icy and clammy night out and lots of navigation work are going to be epic entertainment.

To the elder generation of endurance sport nerds he is still well-known under his renowned moniker “King of Zofingen”. In a period that saw the punishing Powerman-event round the Swiss city of Zofingen at his ultimate peak, this man won the heroic run-bike-run happening on remarkable eight occasions. A year after his last victory he retired from professional sports in 2005. Several Ironman Switzerland wins alongside national and international Duathlon and Triathlon titles later Olivier Bernhard ended his impressive career.

As a fan of the sport with a endeavour for technical perfection the idea of the perfect running shoe kept him inspired to push the development of his idea forward. His original idea to supply an innovative running sensation lead him to a Swiss engineer. Little by little the duo advanced numerous testers and eventually found their elementary concept – a shoe centred around a unique sole technology. Bernhard and his buddies named their company On and called the diminutive cushion elements “Clouds”. In 2010, On hit the shops and just recently I had the chance to have a proper go with their up-to-date model, the On – Cloudracer.

No discussion – the most noticeable gadget of an On shoe is the unique sole scheme. With a mere of 18 separately positioned “Clouds”, the newest Cloudflow has the most cushion pillows of all shoes in the existing product range. The Zero-Gravity EVA foam replies nicely and delivers a fine momentum to the stride.

When it comes to looks and finishing features this shoe surely sticks out. The uncommon sole is not the only part that makes the Cloudflow stand. Plenty of little features make the shoe extremely classy and significant.

The total weight comes on with some sweet 220 grams. Not only this supports a fast run. Also the 6 mm Heel-toe offset is a feature that I liked. With the provided cushion and the low-to-the-ground feel, this is something that I appreciated a lot.

Some heel details – with my style of running I can only assess the forefoot ride which is great. At first I was a bit sceptical regarding the sole construction. I thought the stability might not be there. During several runs I was proofed wrong.

Zürich based company On smugly states that they are hunting “a quest for the perfect running sensation”. It certainly is a diverse feeling running on the pads and takes one or two runs to value the new feeling.

Style & Detail – It is fine to notice a lot of thought-out details. Besides the polite print on the slim and comfortable tongue, I liked the company-symbol that is placed on the lacing ring.

Element –  Undoubtedly Olivier Bernhard and his friends David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti created something special and unique with this sole design.

Sole scenes – Speedboard is the name of the design that’s included within the Cloudflow outsole. It is supposed to boost the stride-flow and contributes to a safe and steady kick. The traction on the road is great and I had no problems. While this is not a trail shoe it still performed for me on my resident off-road path in dry conditions.

Laced – It is pretty tasteful and comfy mesh that slips around the runners foot. The upper material feels nice and has great breathability. The laces are pretty thin but still hold things together.

From this viewpoint the slender and breathable upper is apparent. It adds to the nice and light flow that the Cloudflow provides.

Inside the ride – a guise at the inside of the Cloudflow sole and the 18 cushion pads.

Fun fact – The first prototype was made by slicing up a garden hose and super gluing the cross-sections onto the soles. That one only lasted a few steps and has been perfected since then.

Finale –From the very first glance out of the stylish black box till the previous workout on the track I ran with the Cloudflow. Whereas it looks diverse and matchless it undoubtedly has its function and benefits the run. I like the design that unquestionably matches the overall quality of this lightweight trainer. The Cloudflow is happy with a bunch of paces and the sole reproduces the individual needs. Undoubtedly I’m nosy what the Swiss chaps develop next out of their garden shed.

Whilst wandering around the isle this is a display that is pretty difficult to overlook – palm trees!

Some relaxed morning miles around the many quite off-road tracks.

Though San Sebastián de La Gomera has a pretty good 25 meter public swimming pool, I chose for the cold seawaters of the Atlantic ocean. There is a pretty lively local scene so if you are training in the mornings it is not hard to find training buddies at the shores of San Sebastián.

The stunning Teide crowning is a well-liked photo alternative.

Posing whilst the sun is calling it a day.

Harsh but gorgeously green vales are a characteristic hiking spot. The trail system is excellent.

And again. A sun-drenched Teide mountaintop.

Check my picture galleries one and two for more.

While stylish, smart and high-class outfits are pretty much wide spread around the cycling world, goods that are aimed to fill that exclusive niche are not the norm in the running business. The keen chaps from Rezlo want to please these desires and have a small but thought-out assortment of running clothing on offer.

Made in USA – Although Rezlo get their fabrics from around the world, the shirts and shorts are man-made in sunshiny Miami, Florida.

I had the chance to exam chunks of their up-to-date collection through my everyday training. Pictured is the Euclid shorts and the Dromos singlet. The name refers to a public road in the Roman Empire.

As I was training in the warm temperatures that the sun-drenched La Gomera Island offers, I became an admirer of the Dromos singlet. The micro-mesh material offers a light and breathable running shirt.

Fairly often I have some struggles with the cut of running tops. It appears that the cut is not intended to benefit thin runners and some shirts that might come in with the suitable size are too short or to loose-fitting. The measurements of the Dromos appear to fit perfectly for me – a comfortable slim fit with the accurate length.

The polite detail that can be found on each Rezlo product is a topographic map. It symbolised each runner’s very personal challenge. It is the route that a athlete has completed, but also the one that lies ahead.

My personal favourite is the Gradian Jersey. 100% Australian Merino wool generates a fine looking but more essentially a very comfortable running top. Almost to good to drench it in body moisture.

Merino has become one of my preferred base layer fabrics. The breathable and soft Gradian Jersey fits right in this scene and is completed with the brand typical details.

Similar to the singlet the sizing of the top is just perfect. With its characteristic collar design it surely stands out.

A detail photograph that highlights the collar zipper of the shirt.

The Gradian Jersey strikes me with its timeless look and unquestionably makes this shirt a elegant and unique piece of lightweight running gear.

Rezlo’s Euclid 4.5” running short is another simple and stylish part of the product range.

The Euclid short features a nice mixture of well thought out petite pouches. The position and the dimensions are great for a gel and keys. Once they are full they are not in the way of the stride.

Although the fabrics and the cut of the short feels blameless throughout the run it can be scorching and gluey as it is not breathable. I enjoyed the shorts more whilst running it in cooler temperatures. Personally I think the colour range does certainly sticks out to other brands and fulfils  the unique look that Rezlo offers.

Rezlo can be discovered in the WWW, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you are into trail running, this man does not need to be introduced. Hailing from sunlit Cape Town, 34-year-old Ryan Sandes is no stranger in the world of ultra-running. He dominated the challenging 4 Desserts series in record setting manner before becoming a household name on podiums of numerous world-wide mountain running races. Ryan is a busy man running and scrambling around the scenic mountains of his hometown. Last weekend he got his first shot of SwimRun racing. Together with his training partner he finished 3rd at Africas first ever SwimRun race along the picturesque “Mother City” coastline. I catched up with Ryan to find out what he has to say about the competition and SwimRun in general.

Not shy of new challenges – Ryan Sandes looks forward to get some well-known running in as he finishes a choppy swim section. (Picture: Craig Kolesky)

Runssel: You had your first taste of SwimRun racing at the inaugural competition in South Africa, the Torpedo SwimRun this Sunday. How did it all come about?

Ryan Sandes: One of my sponsors Oakley offered me an entry and I was like yeah yes please. I had heard a lot about the SwimRun events in Europe and I grew up in the ocean so I was really intrigued to try the concept out.

Runssel: When was the first time you heard of SwimRun? Genuinely, what did you think?

Ryan Sandes: I read about the ÖtillÖ SwimRun World Championship a few years ago in a Red Bull article and I thought wow this looks really fun. I think it is such a fun event and really different.

Ryno Griesel and Ryan broke the 200km Drakensberg Grand Traverse record in a time of 41 hours and 49 minutes back in 2014. (Picture: Kelvin Trautman)

Runssel: How much time did you spend preparing the contest? Did your companion Kane Reilly and yourself train on the course that leads along the coastline of Cape Town much?

Ryan Sandes: Kane and I are both trail runners and do a bit of surfing now and again so that was our main preparation. We did a bit of a recce on some of the course the weekend before to see what we were in for and as an excuse to go on a bit of an adventure.

Runssel: What type of equipment did you guys choose? What would you do different if you would race again?

Ryan Sandes: I used the Salomon SLAB XA Amphib shoes and a Full Sleeve Huub Swim wetsuit. Kane went for hand paddles. I think if we did it again we would both use the leg floatation bouys and I would definitely use some of those hand paddles. I think I would need to do some training with the hand paddles though.

Kane Reilly leads Ryan out of the water onto another run. (Picture: Craig Kolesky)

Runssel: How do you rate SwimRun as a sport? Can you see the sport growing in South Africa? Any plans for another outing?

Ryan Sandes: Its an awesome concept and I think it will get really popular in South Africa. We have a really big endurance culture in South Africa and because we have such good weather I think the SwimRun events are perfect. Yes I would definitely like to do another one of the events!

Runssel: What is on your running schedule for this season?

Ryan Sandes: My main focus races this year will be Western States 100 and then either CCC or UTMB. I am also working on one or two free running projects.

Ryan prepares for the Antarctica marathon with a training run around the dunes of Silvermine Nature Reserve, near Cape Town. (Picture: Craig Kolesky)

Ryan used Salomon’s latest SwimRun flagship, the SLAB XA Amphib. Review soon on this part of the interweb. (Picture: Kelvin Trautman)

Follow Ryan via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and via his Homepage
Ryan is sponsored by Oakley, Red Bull, Salomon, Suunto, Axis House, Ford and Velocity

The resident scenery is remarkably mixt for a comparably small Islet. As we trek from San Sebastián towards Playa Santiago we observe the Punta de Juan Gaza from a craggy stone strand.

With 3.718 meter the Tenerife centred Teide peak is clearly visible from the local east coast.

Slogging around the Parque Nacional de Garajonay is something else. From antique stone paths to deep and dark woodlands you will find everything.

La Gomera is not famed for its bathing coastlines. Whereas they are not the easiest to approach they create a pure and raw beauty.

The 40 square kilometres of the Garajonay National Park do include so many attractions. Pretty hard to overlook are a range of colossal rock-pillars. The rocks are former volcanoes shaped by erosion.

Powerful evening light highlights the rock creations.

It is apparent that the isle was shaped by volcanic activities. Deep and lush vales wind the 59 square kilometre landmass.

A reliably striking sundowner just outside of San Sebastián de la Gomera. Catched during an evening run on the local trails.

With its 1,250 meter the pictorial Roque de Agando is often used as a symbol for the island.

Check THIS LINK for my first set of pictures from the island of La Gomera.