Chris Zehetleitner's Blog

Let’s talk about the Oura Ring.

That little black circle on my finger that people keep asking about. Maybe because I don’t wear jewelry otherwise, maybe because people are unsure whether it’s my wedding band (it isn’t), or maybe because they wonder why a smart and self-aware person is voluntarily accessorizing like a Silicon Valley life hacker. Fair questions.

The truth is simple: The Levelhead part of me bought the Oura Ring. The unhinged part of me kept using it.

With its dozen-plus sen...

[Diesen Artikel auf Deutsch lesen]

There are days when I wonder how honest running really is. Not the act itself — the movement is pure. The culture around it… maybe not so much.

The running bubble, the community, the endlessly cheerful universe of challenges, PBs, Strava crowns and Instagram-fresh finish-line joy. Is it really as inspiring as we tell ourselves? Or is it just a polished surface? A hyper-fit fig leaf covering insecurity, pressure, and the fear of never being enough?

Running says:
“E...

[Read this article in English]

Es gibt Tage, an denen ich mich frage, wie ehrlich das Laufen eigentlich noch ist. Nicht der Akt selbst — die Bewegung bleibt unverfälscht. Aber die Kultur darum herum? Die ist manchmal alles andere als ehrlich.

Die Running-Bubble, die Community, dieses hyperfröhliche Universum aus Challenges, PBs, Strava-Kronen und immer frischen Instagram Zieleinlauf-Fotos. Ist das wirklich so inspirierend, wie wir uns einreden? Oder ist es nur eine gut polierte Oberfläche? Ein dur...

Ich hab mich länger nicht gemeldet. Zum Glück gibt es den Das Z Letter und ich konnte für euch rekonstruieren, was mach die letzten Wochen so beschäftigt hat. Wenn ihr euch das anhört, seid ihr wieder auf Stand.

Passende Das Z Letter der letzten Wochen

“Aura” Playlist

Willpower - Bold Friday

“On Repeat” Spotify Playlist (mit allen Musik-Tipps der letzten Wochen)

Sprachnachricht cool? Dann gib mir einen Ko-Fi aus!

Die Das Z - Sprachnachricht ist kein Lauf-Podcast von Chris Z, dem Gründer...

Trailrunning is booming. Ultrarunning is too. Every climb, every forest loop, every alpine switchback feels a little fuller. New faces, new packs, new excitement. The mountains are getting visitors who aren’t just passing through. They’re arriving to stay. And I mean that in both the best and the most complicated ways possible.

Because every boom comes with tension. And change.

It’s a bit l...

What kind of runner are you when no one’s watching? When you’re stripped of workout metrics, goals, identity, narrative, and all the roles you try to play?

There’s this rare moment when running stops being something you do and becomes something you are. When numbers fade, noise dissolves, and the body stops negotiating. You’re not chasing or escaping anymore. You’re simply there. Moving through space as space moves through you. That bare state where rhythm replaces thought, effort becomes transp...

If my life had a rhythm, it would have three movements: music, running, and writing.

Although it might look like from the outside, they didn’t strictly follow one another. Instead, they overlapped, collided, and kept trading places for attention. Each of them demanded everything, each of them gave something back. All three were and are means of survival.

Screaming. Moving. Reflecting.

Today, I write about my first great love and my salvation: music.

My first records (yes, actual vinyl be...

When the news broke that the Zugspitz Ultra Trail (ZUT) was sold to the Ironman Group and would become part of the UTMB World Series, I wasn’t surprised. I had known about the transfer for months. Someone close to the organization had told me long before it became public. I stayed quiet, out of respect for the process and the people involved. But when it was finally official, I still felt a little anxious. Not angry or sad. Rather the kind of uneasiness you feel when som...

[Lese diesen Artikel auf Deutsch]

Inspired by Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries by Cindy Kuzma and Carrie Jackson Cheadle

Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first described the five stages of grief:

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

The model has long been used to understand the emotions people experience after the loss of a loved one.

Let’s be clear: a running injury is not the same as bereavement. No...

[Read this article in English]

Inspiriert von Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries von Cindy Kuzma und Carrie Jackson Cheadle.

Verletzungen tun weh. Nicht nur körperlich. Wenn das Laufen Teil deiner Identität ist, erlebst du jede Zwangspause wie einen kleinen Verlust.

Die Psychiaterin Elisabeth Kübler-Ross beschrieb einst die fünf Phasen der Trauer. Habt ihr sicher mal gehört:

Verleugnung

Wut

Verhan...