 Florian, welcome to Zwift, welcome to this little interview about a very exciting project that you have coming up. Can you tell us, first of all, before we go any further, tell us a little bit about your running history. How did you start running? Where have you come from? What's your background? Yes, I'm running already since 23 years, so a long time and yeah, in the beginning I was a track runner. I did from 800 meters to 10,000 meters on a track and German championships and I did cross country running. I participated in the European Championships in cross country, but that was already 20 years ago or 23 years ago. And yeah, I started just like every runner on a track with faster stuff and then I started with road marathons and yeah, it was not enough for me, not long enough. I really liked all the long training sessions, so I decided I think it was in 2011 to start with my first ULTRA and then I really liked the ULTRAs more than faster stuff. Because that's interesting that even a marathon you didn't feel was long enough for you. How old were you when you did your first marathon? I think the first one was Frankfurt in 2005 maybe. Yeah, I think 2005. Were you always fairly fast as a runner? Did you realize early that you were quite quick? Yeah, I was quick, but on a track I was not the quickest one. I mean, I won some medals in the German championships and I won some races on a track, but I always knew that I am not the fastest from all the track runners, so I decided to go for a longer distance because I recognized that they suit me so that I can run the fast pace for a very long time. What is it that fuels you when you run? You can run a fast pace for a long time. Are you constantly eating gels? What do you eat? What do you feel with? Yeah, it depends on the distance. I mean, if I do a marathon, I don't eat or drink that much only when it's really hot. But yeah, on a really long distance like 100K, I would say I eat and drink the same like a marathon runner just more. I use gels and isotonic drinks and water. So you are planning this exciting event with Zwift. You're running on a treadmill, you're going to try and break the 100K world record. But obviously, you run a lot outside and in fact, I've seen a lot of your events are in fact transvolcania you've done. These are mountain ultras outdoors, the fresh air, the mountains high up in the sky. What makes you want to do something? And I also know that you have broken the 50K treadmill record previously. There's such a big difference between running a mountain ultra like transvolcania and an UTMB and doing a treadmill 50K or 100K. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's a good project in this time now where we all have lockdown and corona and stuff. All the athletes have to search for their own challenges and I want to keep fit. I want to be ready for races when hopefully corona is over and so I do something like this and maybe it's also interesting for other people that they stay motivated and that they go on and stuff like that. And yeah, I like both. I like running in the mountains with a lot of climbing stuff and really long distance. That's what I enjoy and but for a fast pace I like more running on a treadmill or running on a flat course. If you want to do really fast times, you need a flat course or you need a treadmill where you can do an even pace. Do you also train on a treadmill regularly as well as outdoors? Yes, I do both. I live here in the mountains but I also like to do the fast stuff so at the moment we have really nice but really cold weather and I don't really like to run in minus 10 degrees. Today it's minus 10 outside. It's sunny but it's too cold for a fast pace so I use more the treadmill. For example tomorrow I want to do a 50k training run on a treadmill to prepare for 100k and I like to do that indoors because you have your chairs, your border and everything by the side. You don't need to carry the stuff in your rucksack like in the ultra trades where you have to carry all the stuff and you can run in shorts and even if it's so cold outside it's better to run inside for me because you can run faster. And important is also to stay healthier. When you run outside in the snow you can slip and hurt your leg or whatever and the risk is not so high on a treadmill. Lots of good reasons to run on a treadmill and lots of similar reasons to why I run on a treadmill as well. How much time have you spent on Zwift as a platform? Is it something you discovered? Is it something somebody told you about? What made you consider Zwift as a possibility? I think I'm using Zwift not too long since one or one and a half years. I started with cycling like everybody. But then, yeah, I bought a pot for the running shoes foot pot and then I started a little bit with testing out running on Zwift. And yeah, now I want to do the 100k world record and I do this with Happy Cosmos that's a treadmill builder not far away from my home. And yeah, we want to do that together and I'm using since I can also train there on a treadmill. They have a good treadmill there. And since I train there, I use Zwift all the time. Do you find Zwift as a good distraction because obviously there are a lot of good reasons to run on a treadmill, but if you're staring at a blank wall or a window in a gym, it can get a bit boring. Do you find that Zwift takes your mind off things? Do you look at what's going on on the screen? Yes, of course I do. I mean, I'm running since 23 years and I also know a lot of tri-slats and I know a lot of cyclists and when I use Zwift it doesn't matter if I run or if I bike. I always meet a lot of people that I really know and it's funny because you chat with them and I mean I can chat more when I bike or when I run a faster pace, you cannot chat. But yeah, it's funny to see all the people doing their workouts at home and yeah, and then sometimes you speak a little bit. So tell me a little bit more about the – well, let's talk just very briefly about – you went for the 50k world record about – was it this time last year? Yes, in February last year, yes. And then how frustrating was it that – because the record was then broken again about two or three times after you did it, wasn't it? Yes, I mean, I was my plan to do it and then when I posted it on Facebook that I want to try to get the world record, other runners saw it and I received some texts from friends that other runners also want to do it. And then I was the first one who did it and just two weeks after I think a Swiss guy broke it just by one minute. He was one minute faster than me and then I thought, okay, I can still do that. But then it was broken again by two Russian guys and two Americans and then it was so fast or it's now so fast that it's impossible for me to do the 50k again. So I go for the 100k. I mean, you can always say that you did hold the 50k treadmill world record for a period of time and now you're going for the 100k record. But don't tell anybody about it this time. Yeah, no, we want to, I want to post it just a couple of days before. And about 50k, my old world record was 257 and just three weeks ago while I was training, I ran six minutes faster than my old record. Wow. So, do you, I know you must have, but can you tell us the kind of time you're looking for? I mean, are we talking about six hours? No, not six hours, but the actual world record 100k on a treadmill is 639. Yeah. And, yeah, I trained for this and should not be a big problem. But I mean 100k is a long time. And if you don't have a good day, you can also quit or something, but I think I can go under 630. 630 would be an amazing time to achieve for 100km. Can you give us, for those people who are not familiar with ACE, can you give us some kind of idea of what kind of pace that is, you know, some comparisons to marathon times or something like that? Yeah, I mean, it's, I want to go under 630, that's 353 minutes per kilometer. And that's around, what's that? I think it's around 242 marathon. 242 marathon, something like an 18 minute, 1835km, so if you can do an 18 minute 35km, something like that, then maybe you're looking at the same pace that flow is going to go for the 100km. But just how many, 20 more times, 20 times 5km. That's quick flow. Yeah, yeah, that's quick. How old though? Do you mind me asking how old you are? I'm 39. Okay, so you've got a lot more years of ultra running left in you. What other plans do you have? I mean, if you managed to get, or even if you don't manage to get this 100km treadmill record, what other hopes and dreams do you have for the future of your ultra career? I mean, I, most of the people they say I'm an ultra runner, I also, I am an ultra runner right, but I just started so I see a big potential. And I'm still, yeah, for me, fast enough to go for a fast 10km for example. Last year I did in training, I did a 30, 09 minutes, so a PB for the 10km. Yeah, I want to try to get the speed for the long distance and my big targets are 100km, the World Championships again, maybe in 2022. So next year, they talked about to do the World Championships 100km in Berlin in Germany. That would be a really big goal. And UTMB ultra radio Mont Blanc is also a big target. Of course, yes. So interesting that you mentioned early then 10km times and getting a fast 10km. Is it important to get fast times over short distances to help you get fast times over long distances? Yeah, of course, yeah. I mean, if you see all the good guys like Jim Wormsley, like Kilian Joné, like Tom Evans, all these really good guys for the long distance for the Ultras, they can run 5km under 14 minutes. So if you want to go for really, really fast 100km time on the road, for example, you need to run a 10km in 30 minutes or even faster. So you need to speed also for the long distance. Yeah. So you're looking at, we have the 100km world record treadmill attempt. What date is that? 30th of January. 30th of January. Okay. And then in the future, we're looking at UTMB is always a, it's, you could argue it's the biggest ultra event in the world. Maybe we could put Western States in. Are you interested in Western States 100km? Yes, I did it already, but... I'll have you. I'm so sorry. I didn't check that on my list. No problem. You can watch my film if you want. Oh, I will. You can find it on YouTube. Red Bull was there and filmed a little bit. And you can see me dying in the end, but I finished. Oh, did you come about 30th or something? Yes, yeah. I think I have, I think I, now it does ring a bell with me. I think I have seen that. Yeah, I'm going to have a look at it again, though. It was a good, good experience for me. So, but yeah, I was way faster than I expect, way slower than I expected. Yeah, my, my dream is to, to qualify. First, you need to qualify again. And if hopefully the pandemic or corona and stuff is over, I'll try maybe to qualify again. And then, yeah, I mean, it should be possible for me to go around 16 hours, something like that. Yeah. And, and UTMB in under 20 as well. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, no, that would be, that would be amazing. That would be amazing. Florian, it's, it's been great to talk to you. I wish you all the best of luck with your 100K treadmill world record attempt on January 30th. On Zwift, live on Zwift. Are you, are you going to encourage people to run with you at all? Like if they can keep up with you for a few kilometers, or are you trying to get on a low? No, no, we, we want to encourage some people and hopefully there will be some with me. If anyone manages to keep up with Florian from the beginning to the end of his 100K, then you too will have the 100K. Yes. Good luck, Florian. Thank you very much for joining me. Thank you very much for your time. Take care. Take care. Bye. Thanks.