Tonite it was time again for ski walking / running with walking poles.

So it was time to put on the mandatory reflective vest and head light. And of course my Fellraisers.

Two weeks ago when I was here last time it was light when I got up to St Hans hills but now it was pitch dark. So one light after the other showed up 🙂

First it was warmup: jogging, indian jumps, kick in the butt and then repeat 5 jumps on the right foot and then 5 jumps on the left foot, repeat 10 long jumps. I was a bit absent-minded and forgot to leave my water belt on the top hill.

Then it was time for getting to the longest hill and walk with poles half way and then run with poles to the top.

After that we did an exercise where we did 20 runs with poles up towards the top and then 10 walks with poles down and repeated this til we got to the top hill. Me and another girl got confused because after I had done 20 runs the people in front of me continued up so I was thinking that maybe Tomas meant 20 on each foot so 40 runs to the top and 20 down. We stood and discussed this on the top and then when Tomas got down to the starting point it was 20 runs on one foot (=40 runs total). This was also a repeat.

Then we ran with the poles down to the grove, 10s regular plank and then ran up the steepest part of the top hill with poles 5 times.

Then we did my favorite exercise: 5 low lunges, 5 pushup repeated this til we got to the top  and then while we waited for the last people we stood in ”Jägarevila”.

Finished with squats on the left foot, then sqauts on the right foot x 5.

After that 1 lap on St Hans Extreme with poles, Tomas’s variation and then we were done.

This morning these warriors including myselft (the photographer) conquered the rain and met up at Frostavallen to run a trail run.

Some of us had been running hilly running before and in the Woods. Some were experienced trail runners.

Personally it was fun that Lars who is the organizer of the trail ultra race in December were joining us. I asked a little about the race and as I was suspecting we are most of the time on our own.  This trail run would go on the trails that will be part of the ultra race in December. There will be some functionaries where it won’t obvious where to run. So it was decided that I would lead the group to see if I would make it 🙂

Like I have said before I do not like to run when it is raining and was it raining today? YES

Since I am a ultra rookie I asked Lars what I should bring me on this ultra race since it is going to be fuel stations every 10K. I got the tip to have dextrose and of course fluid. Eat every 5K and drink every 2.5K. I need to test if I can handle dextrose.

In the beginning most of us tried to avoid the little puddles but when our socks already were wet, in the end we didn’t care.

It was a great group to run with. Some were a bit faster and did run back from time to time when I was not in the lead.

In August I ran with Åke, Eva and Sinead and there was a very steep hill that I ran up then but today it was just too tough so I had to walk.

First we ran on the green trail, then white, black, green and orange. When we had run 16.5K it was time to run back and we were sticking together for a while and then in the end Roger and I came a bit behind. So we came out from the Woods and turned somewhere 🙂 and I asked Roger if we have been running the correct path because I felt that we couldn’t be so far away from the other 🙂

We followed the orange trail, then the green trail and came back to the two steepest hills and something told me that wandered a bit too far away. We had to decide if we would continue on the black or green trail. Lucky me I had Åke’s mobile number and called him. Åke was very surprised that we ended up where we ended up 🙂 Stay on the gravel road and I will come and get you. At that time both Roger and I was very tired.

So total distance: 21.71K, total time: 2.46.13 h, average speed: 7.42 min/k, fastest speed: 4.14 min/k

Here you can see where I and Roger ran

And here is the altitude on this run (where I and Roger ran)

After I had changed to dry clothes (forgot to bring extra socks), we had fika and after talk.

Did I enjoy this run? NO but the really nice Fall landscape compensated for the really bad weather. I do not think I was dry anywhere after this run. DId I regret it. No. The scenery was amazing. Unfortunately all my pictures in the woods were blurry and will not be posted.

This afternoon I had decided I would do this long run. Today the preparation for my next goal started for real. Originally I had planned to run it Sunday but felt sore in my throat. Then I rescheduled for yesterday but was too sore from the Nordic Walking pass. This morning it was raining heavily.

The run would first be 3 laps on St Hans hills, then a longer flat run and then back on St Hans hills with 3 laps and then home.

Filled my bottles with Maxim Tropical in two bottles and water in two bottles and in one pocket kexchoklad (=chocolate).

Was going back and forth between using my regular running shoes and then on St Hans hills spikes or my Fellraiser. Fellraise is not good to use on longer asphalt parts but when I ran one lap Wednesday evening and it was slippery (had my Fellraiser) and it has continued to rain I decided to use my Fellraiser.

Today I tested to have the GPS in my waistband. Ran up to St Hans hills and ran three laps. My feet got wet. But the good thing is that the water seems to get out of the shoes. The shoes do not get super wet. On the circle hill I ran on a grass part since it was very slippery on the sand part. I dropped two sports drink bottles and got one back. Realized that I had dropped the second one but find that one 🙂 Let me tell you it is easier to find water bottles then a key 🙂

After that I ran a longer flat part. Below is a picture of a meadow but as you can see, it looks more like a sea, that is how much it has been raining lately.

I had some Heavy upwind and the rain came back so I was struggling a bit and felt in my knees that I was not using my regular running shoes. There was a guy running behind me and passed me of course 🙂 And I thought how great it would have been if I would have been a faster runner, then this run would be over soon.

I got back to St Hans hills and was wondering how dark it would become during these three last laps, forgot to put my headlight in my pocket. The first lap was ok, on the second lap it started to be a bit darker so I did not run down the amphitheater, because of security reasons and then on the third lap I realized I had lost on bottle with sports drink and did only run up to the grove after the archery, because of security reasons. The dark came much faster then I expected. I ran some extra in Annehem before I head home.

So to sum it up, did I enjoy this run, NO! but now I have a new longest training run: 31.9K

Distance: 31.9K, total time: 04:00:47 h. Average speed: 7.35K. Hilly run was approximately 15K. Very tired in my calves. Did not regret the run even if I did not enjoy it.

Tonite it was time again for ski walking / running with walking poles.

So it was time for premiere of reflective vest and head light.

When I ran up to St Hans I tested to have the GPS on my upper arm this time and it was light outside. I got an advice to use terrain running shoes so I was using my Salomon Fellraiser.

It had rained all day and when I started my run it was drizzle. I have to admit I do not like to exercise when it is raining.

We were some people who showed up even if the weather was grey, rainy and colder. When I got to the top there was a CKR guy who stood there with un umbrella that I also could stand under til the rest showed up 🙂 Thanks!

Just before the warmup the rain stopped 🙂

The  warmup consisted of running, indian jumps, back kicks and then repeated 10 long jumps  and then repeated 5 jumps on one foot and then 5 jumps on the other foot.

After that the training started with, from the longest hill, walking with poles half of the hill and then run up the last part of the hill. My  walking technique is ok but I still have to work on the running part. You are not running but jump more,

Then we went down to middle hill and ran to the top, went down to the longest hill and walked half of the hill and then ran half of the hill to the top. Repeated this twice and then one more time running from the middle hill. I now can run all the way to the top 🙂

Arms must work here and you feel it in your arms after a while 🙂

Then we had an exercise where we ran down from the top hill to the grove, 10s regular plank and then run up the steepest part of the top hill, repeated this 5 times. My legs were ”burning” on the last laps.

Then we went down to the grove. Did every other 5 lunges , 5 pushups til we came up to the top hill. While we waited for the rest of the group we had to stand in ”Jägarvila”. My legs were tired tonite so I had to shake my legs a couple of times.

Then some of us ended this exercise with one Tomas lap on St Hans Extreme. It was really tought running this lap in the dark, even if I had a head lamp, it was hard to see how gooey it was at some places. The ”circle hill” was very gooey so I walked. Even my Fellraiser did not work this time.

On this exercise the muscle soreness starts already during the exercise. First my upper arms, then lower back and then front thighs and calves.