Dec 14th, I woke up 5 am. Why I am getting up so early on a Sunday you might wonder, that’s because I would run my first ultra race and I was going to be picked up at 6.45 to get a ride to Tjörnarp.

So breakfast first and then pack the last things and then I was heading out the door. In the car was Jens, David, Johan, Viktor and me. I wanted to be there 1 h before the race started but we ended up being there already 7.20 and they teased me about it in the car that we had to sit in the car now til they opened the school, just before the race started, where we could change and leave our clothes. There was even a sauna 🙂

I didn’t believe them and went out for a walk. I saw that it was light in the basement and went down at the back down the stairs and a door was open 🙂 and also Viktor the ”janitor” showed up. I also found out that it took about 10 min to walk to the start.

After a while some other girls showed up in the locker room, Lisa and Collette, and then Karin and Marie from CKR.

I put liniment on and did some stretching before it was time to walk to the start. The streets were icy and it was chilly in the air but the forecast was that the sun would come out eventually 🙂

41 had signed up, not a lot of girls and and 4 did not show up. Lars had some short information and then it was time for the mandatory Coach K Runners group picture. We were 11 in the team.

After that it was the count-down to start and then the race started.

It was very obvious from the very beginning that I was last but I was not sad about that. Didn’t really want to run with someone since you might get distracted and miss the markers because you are talking too much and a lot can happen during 50K. I had the hawk eye on.

After some k I realized that the pulse watch did not show the time and distance and tried to fix it but there was no such luck. I swore at the watch but told myself that you cannot run around for 50K and be angry, let it go. Since I have not been able to transfer the map over to the pulse watch I used Endomondo and realized that she was talking to me and let me know how far I have run and my finishing time 🙂 that was my saviour this day, it is very important to drink and eat frequently during an ultra race so you are not passing out. Since my pulse watch did not work properly I did not get any distance warning every 2.5K but Endomondo talked to me every 2K so I tried that would work as the distance warning.

I did not have any problems finding the markers but before 10K my right knee was not really satisfied but I could still run and didn’t have to stop and was keeping a good pace. But a thought came up, don’t say that I won’t be able to finish. Something told me it would be a long day.

Then all of a sudden a guy came from the other direction when I had been out for 1..22 h and I felt that no way that this is the first runner back and that was correct, he had run wrong somewhere so now I was not last any longer, there was some hope 🙂

When I came to the first fuel station I was met by cheering and ate 0.5 banana and some water.

I thought that the guy that was behind me would pass me at some point but he didn’t. Now I was on my way to Frostavallen and it was very gooey at some places. One road looked like this 🙂

(this was what Lars posted in the event on FB the day before and I was wondering which road it would be but it was obvious when I got there)

The second fuel station was at Nyrups Naturhotell where I was served warm blueberry soup :-). I found out that there were some other runners that had strayed away and that two guys were in the lead now, it was no longer a big group of runners. For the first time I was visiting the toilet, have not happened at any runs or races before, not even at the 45K run we did Nov 22nd.

When I had run maybe 1K I had to stop and stretch my right knee, accepted that I probably would have to stop once in a while to stretch my knee and knew now that 7h might not be my finish time.

When I started to be a bit grumpy was when I was running on the black mark and saw a bigger puddle and was hoping I could run on the side where it would be dry but did I have such luck???????? NO so now I got really wet and there was some sworing plus my left big toe had bumped into some roots and stones and was not very satisfied either. All of a sudden when I had gotten out on a dirt road someone stood and cheered me on which helped a lot. I had now reached the third fuel station where there were candy, chips and salty cucumber (urk) and knew that I was on my way to the green mark which would begin with a very steep hill. Opened a bag of chips and ate that and some candy. I got a lot of pep here too and got some energy back. Also when one guy said that think about how it feel when you get the finish long sleeve shirt.

And then this hill came, it was tough even walking up this hill, my legs were really tired at this moment. The last 20K would be very tough but one of my good qualities is that I am stubborn. It would take longer that I had planned but the goal was to run through the finish line.

The only time I got a bit confused was when I was leaving the green mark and would run back on the orange mark. There was a arrow pointing to the left but then straight ahead was also showing orange so I was thinking I would run and take a look straight ahead and then saw this mystic modern house and knew that it was not straight I would run because I was passing this house when I came from Tjörnarp and was on my way to Frostavallen. For a short moment I thought that maybe I could call the race director to ask for directions but I was suppose to handle this on my own and checked Endomondo which showed I had made the right choice.

It was after 14.00 (2 pm) and the rule was that I would not be able to continue the race if I didn’t have a reflective vest and headlight. Since I am not a fast long distance runner and have experienced running into issues with knees and hips in the past and have been forced to walk part of the run I packed my reflective vest and headlight in the back pack and that turned out it was very smart. When I got to the fourth fuel station I once again was met by cheering and the first question was if I had a headlight and got OK to continue. I ate some banana, candy and put some extra in my jacket, Conny’s home made gel was also put in the front of the back pack plus one energy bar. I found out that the first guy had not continued, he had viewed the nature more than followed the markers but there was also another guy who was only 20 min before me after the third fuel station and had strayed away and was now after me. It turned out he did not have any headlight and did not get an OK to continue.

The last 10K would be LONG and before I continued I shouted that I am going to run through the finish line. My legs were really tired, knee was still complaining.

Endomondo was still talking to me, the last 10K was running, walking, stretching. It might have been 4 or 3 K left when Endomondo did not talk anymore, not a good sigh. After the thicket (”snårskogen”) I put on the reflective vest and headlight to get ready for the dark.

Then after the last asphalt road and into the woods again the dark was there. I was as cool as a cucumber (= lugn som en filbunke), the same when I cannot find my buddy when diving. Decided to walk and systematic and methodical find the yellow taped portions. SInce my mobile now was dead I couldn’t make any errors. Then all of a sudden I hear a voice in front of me and Viktor the ”janitor” showed up and was walking with me, when I got to Tjörnarp Petra stood on the other side of the train tracks and was cheering me on, when I got on the other side and started running Lars came and cheered me on and I heard the cheering at the finish line. So after 8.07.50 h I ran through the finish line, being the last person but it was just fine, I FINISHED 🙂 🙂 🙂

I got a goodie bag, a plaque and then Fanta. Indoors were coffee and sandwich and the finish long sleeve shirt. I had a speech for Lars and told him about the great pep at the fuel stations.

To sum up my first ultra race:

Negative: Did not succed transfer the route to the pulse watch and pulse watch did not show time and distance, knee issue started before 10K, battery died on my mobile

Positive: Well organized race, good information, great organizer, great officials, great fuel stations, beautiful route, Viktor who met me in the dark woods when I was on my way back, Petra who stood on the other side of the train tracks cheering me on, the people who stood at the finishing line cheering me on at the end. The ”fika” and sandwich afterwards, the finishing long sleeve shirt. Someone said that it is also strong to continue for 8 h and finish the race and you have what it takes to be a ultra runner 🙂 I have known that I have endurance but Sunday Dec 14th really proved that.

This is the route:

This is the elevation:

And here come the result:

What I brought with me:

In my jacket I had 1 water bottle, 1 bottle with sports drink (Maxim Tropical), jägarsnus, mobile phone, 2 tubes with Enervit Sports powder, extra ziplock

In my backpack, in the back I had the reflective vest, headlight, toilet paper, wipes, map, 2 energy bars, Conny’s home made gel, 1 water bottle, in the front, 1 bottle with sport drink, 2 snickers, dextrose.

In the back

Next ultra race: Lidingö Ultra 50K is not going to take 8h