Batman and Robin

First things first. Here are the stats of the week (aka Karen's soporific - without adverse effects, I hope):

Total running time this week: 8 hours 14 minutes (scheduled: 8 hours 14 minutes)

Total distance run: approx. 63.8 km (scheduled 59.4 km)

I was going too fast in the forest today, so instead of doing 20.6 km I did approx. 25 km. Both my knees don't feel too good right now, so next week I will only do three of the five training units and give my legs some rest.

Uli (or Uli in English) is currently taking part in a running workshop on Cyprus, enjoying sunshine and nice temperatures. I must say, this morning I really envied him! It was COLD.

Winter is back and there is a bit of snow on the ground. Last week's mud-bath has frozen over, which makes running difficult in places. The atmosphere is beautiful in the morning:

I managed to take a picture of a Sciurius vulgaris or squirrel or, as my brother calls them, a rat with a fluffy tail:

Unfortunately it was on its way up the tree in a hurry, so the picture is not very clear.

This week the bats in this forest made worldwide headline news. The two Robbie Williams' concerts that were to take place here in August may have to be canceled, because conservationists fear his singing could scare the little fellows away. Or even worse, make them drop dead. Now, I know Robbie Williams is not the greatest singer on the face of the earth, but that does sound a bit exaggerated. Further investigation showed that the problem is not Mr Williams' singing itself, but the fact that the stage will be build during the night on the bats' hunting ground,

which incidentally is the place I start my Sunday runs from.

So, who are these guys that are taking on thousands of hysterical RW fans? You want names and faces? Unfortunately on Sunday morning Batman and Robin are nowhere to be seen, because they are nocturnal animals. The only thing I have got for you is is a picture of one of their homes up in the trees:

Seven different types of bats have been spotted in Cologne. Meet the most common ones (pictures taken from www.natur-lexikon.com without asking permission; sorry!):

The noctule bat or Großer Abendsegler (Nyctalus noctula) (wingspan's 40 cm, they are the largest bats here)

and the Daubenton's bat or Wasserfledermaus (Myotis daubentonii) (wingspan's 25 cm, so they are medium in size, but apparently they have very large feet!)

and the pipistrelle bat or Zwergfledermaus (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) (wingspan's only 20 cm, they are "Zwerge" (dwarfs) indeed)

So, this is what Robbiiiiee and his fans are up against. I am on the bats side by the way, even though I have a ticket for one of the concerts. He could have just as well played open-air concerts in the stadium close by, even if it holds on 55,000 and not 70,000 people at a time.