Category Archives: Ultra

39.86K Trail Run and 4.16K Flat Run

#16 – 50 runs in 100 days – No excuses edition
#17 – 50 runs in 100 days – No excuses edition

I was tired of all the city running and needed to get out in the woods again so instead of running Lund Runt with CKR I got up early this morning to take the train to Tjörnarp.

Last night I was determined I would run up Djuralidsbacken (Djuralids hill) but when I woke up this morning it had snowed Felt that this would be an interesting run.

What was magical about this trail run was that the snow was untouched, I was the first one who ran on the trail. My brain got confused because of the snow, the natural paths had “disappeared” soo even if I am familiar with the route the yellow streamers made my day today.

It was nice running alone in the woods, such tranquility.

What I didn’t know what was under snow, I got surprised a few times during the run, cracking ice. I do not like to get wet feet and try to avoid it as long as I can because sooner or later it will happen.

Let say that it was a flashback from Tjörnarparen in Dec when I had to throw in the towel. The same wet but with snow and a bit more wet to be honest. So after the loop was a watering hole so of course I ran the same detour as on Tjörnarparen and thought that I was on the safe side and then it was water under the snow short after so my right foot got wet and it feels so much colder in the Winter.

When I got to Frostavallen I passed some dog wakers, trekkers but no runners but I saw foot prints on my way to Nyrups Naturhotell.

At 22K I got pain in my right knee and decided to walk for 500 m to see if I would be fine, hoped not to run into too many issues. Here my brain got confused again becuase they had cleared trees so it looked so different. The pain disappeared but I had to walk a couple of more times because they had cleared more trees in the woods and there were frozen tractor tracks that was tough to run on.

It was tough running in the in the snow and very tired legs and feet but felt great to back on the trails.

Trail run

Distance: 39.86K, time: 5.14.43.5 h, average heart rate: 141, average pace: 7.53 min/k,
max pace: 5.07 min/k, cadence: 168, VO2 Max: 26 ml/kg/min

It turned out that there was no bus at 13.27 so I didn’t want to stand and freeze for another hour so it was just to run to Höör to the train station. That wasn’t very pleasant after 40K trail

Transport to Höör train station

Distance: 4.16K, time: 28.38.7 min, average heart rate: 137, average pace: 6.52 min/k,
max pace: 5.57 min/k, cadence: 174, VO2 Max: 24 ml/kg/min

Tjörnarparen 50K Trail Ultra

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#24 – 50 runs in 100 days – Hardcore edition
#131 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Woke up this morning at 4 am to eat breakfast and get ready for my last race and ultra race this year.

Decided to take the train and it turned out we were 4 who took the train together to Tjörnarp.

When we got off the train station Lars the guy who is behind this ultra race was at the start line and I brought to him running clothes to the refugees.

Then it was time to bring the rest to the school to change and get ready for the race. Turned out we couldn’t get in due to an alarm that would get off at 8 am but we could change at the parish house instead.

I streched and more and more runners showed up. It was time to get down to the start where a bunch of other enthusiastic runners came. This year it would be both a 50K and a 100K distance. 5 runners had decided to run 100K.

It had rained a lot so it was very gooey and wet. This time I was not alone and not last and it felt that I wouldn’t be last. Flew over the loop.

Turned out I had problems with the GPS, it worked when I started my pulse watch but somewhere it just gave up so I didn’t have any distance and time, only the route and pace so i had to guess the distance to know when I had to drink and eat.

It felt that I am going to have a good day. Skipped the second fuel station but somewhere between fuel station 2 and fuel station I first got very tired legs which I can handle but then I started to feel pain in my left knee when I ran, started to walk but the pain did not go away so I had to make a decision if I would continue or not.

When I got to fuel station I was asked how I was doing and I said that I right now have to make a decision if I am going to threw in the towel. Another runner Ola lended me his knee pad and I decided I would try to make it to the fourth fuel station. Got Tobbes mobile number if I had to quit before the fourth fuel station, turned out that Lars who wouldn’t race this year couldn’t help himself and had headed out on the route. When I was running on the dirt road which is a couple of k’s before you turn to the left up to the Djuralidsbacken (Djuralids hill) I was fine first but then the pain came back and decided not to continue.

Of course I was upset at that moment but I did not feel I made the wrong decision. Walk/run with pain in a knee for another 14K is not worth it. It can destroy a whole season.

I called Tobbe and told him I had thrown in the towel. Some runners passed me and asked me if I was fine and I told them I had thrown in the towel because of pain in my knee.

Got transport back to the Parish home and this was my very first DNF.

Ran 35K but do not have any time.

23.49K Trail Run

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#18 – 50 runs in 100 days – Hardcore edition
#125 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Yesterday I had a cold feeling (that I might catch a cold) and hoped that I wouldn’t have a cold this morning. So no training yesterday, drank a lot of fluid and stayed warm and hoped for the best. Didn’t get any worse yesterday so I was hopeful.

It was suppose to be cold this weekend. When I woke up 6 am the temperature was 0oC (32F) so it was time to test the same 2XU windstopper tights I had last weekend since it is very likely that the temperature might be the same in Dec. And I plan to wear these.

Took the train to Höör and then the “Ring bus” to Frostavallen which was a short ride. Alternative when I do not have anyone to run with.

Last preparation before my last race and ultra race this year Dec 12th. Decided to run the middle part of Tjörnarparen which I have not run yet this year. The worst hill is on this part and I had a goal. The first part is very familiar since it is part of my 45K run. I realized I had mixed up the different parts because all of a sudden I had to turn left and I thought that I was on my way to the “Spong” part. A flash back came back. So it was time to be on the black marker that get very camouflaged. It was very gooey and wet and was trying to avoid getting too wet feet. First I am running in the forest and then get out on a dirt road and then the famous spong comes and here it would be interestering to see how my Altra Lonepeak would handle it and once again I was positively surprised how good it works to run on those sponges and not doing any ice skating

Last year on Tjörnarparen I was in a shitty mood during the black marker. After half the distance I had to start walk/run, walk/run and also I got to a part with a big puddle and realized that I had to run through it and got really wet feet and then when I was on my way to the third fuel station a official showed up on a hill and cheered me on. That made my day so much better

After the third fuel station I remember that I ran on a dirt road and it felt SO long til I got to the green marker and was wondering how I would feel today. The dirt road is long but finally Djuralidsbacken was there (Djuralids hill), the worst hill on this ultra race, it is short but steep. My goal today was to run up this hill, walked up this hill last December and I DID IT, ran the whole hill. Felt so good, short after that there is another steep short hill, ran up that one as well, it felt so much shorter today

Once again during this run I passed some other runners and we said hallo to each other, two bikers that I said hallo to too.

When I had around 5K left I was hoping I would not miss the bus that just goes once every hour. So I had natural Fartlek at the end, came back 3 min before the bus was suppose to come. Had to wait some extra minutes and had to warm my legs. When I was running I was warm but when I was not moving it was COLD

Results

Altitude

Distance: 14.59 miles (23.49K), time: 2.55.06h, average pace: 7.27 min/k, max pace: 5.17 min/k, cadence: 170, VO2 Max: 30 ml/kg/min

Lactate test

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#17 – 50 runs in 100 days – Hardcore edition
#124 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Tonite it was time to do a lactate test

Lactate test – A maximum test on treadmill, which takes a blood sample at each new workload (4 min intervals), so that you can monitor the concentration of lactic acid (lactate) in the blood. It is the most accurate way to get information about the condition, and in the lactate curve can read the appropriate training zones and the opportunities for improvement in fitness.

Last time I did this was 2006 so it was a while ago. My threshold pulse was 163

mmol/l	2.0	4.0
2006: Pulse	156	168
2008: Pulse	152	164

Before we started the test we looked at what pace area I have been at during the intervals during my pulse based interval training and then I started by running at 8 min/k to warm up and the the actual test started

I ran for 4 min and increased the pace: 8 km/h, 9 km/h, 10 km/h, 11 km/h, 12 km/h, 13 km/h and in between I got stung in my finger to measure the lactate in my blood. It did not happen very much with my lactate level in the beginning til the very end which means I have a endurance curve

And my threshold pulse today is 160

Distance 3.54 miles (5.7K)

We are going to have a follow up to discuss my training Schedule. Found out that pulse based interval training seems to be the interval training I should be doing mostly

Pulse based interval training

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#14 – 50 runs in 100 days – Hardcore edition
#121 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

This afternoon it was time to do pulse based interval training where I am a couple of heart beats under my threshold pulse during the intervals. My threshold pulse is 163, I hoped that the sun would come out but it looked like that wouldn’t happen.

So it was just to head out and get those intervals done. When I started with warm up part of me wanted to quit and head back home but that wouldn’t happen. The weather was grey, upwind, rain from time to time. I am not very found of rain and upwind but it strengthens you as well.

The layup is the following:

2K warm up
4x2K intervals with 2 min rest between
1K cool down

Temperature: 15oC (59F). Started with 2K warm up and then it was time for the first interval which was the best interval. Rested (walked) for 2 min where I drank some water

The second interval I landed at 156 and lay there for a while, eventually I got up to 160, during this interval I am running on a bike path which is gradually increasing in altitude where I also increase the pace and got to 162 so then I had to run a bit “slower” to get back to 160 where I try to be during the intervals. Rested (walked) for 2 min, drank some water. This was one of the toughest intervals. Here I started to feel a relief because I had done half the intervals

During the third interval I got up to 160 pretty quickly but was after that pendling between 156-159 but got back to 160. Rested (stood still) for 2 min, drank some water,

Finally the last interval where I also had a hard time getting up to 160. Also one of the toughest intervals and I just wanted it to be over soon.

The interval training today was tougher. The reason could have been that I still was tired after the fore foot running this weekend where I get very tired calves after 20 min fore foot running.

Ended with 1K cool down.

I hope that I can do one more pulse based interval training before the resting weeks before my last race this year

Distance: 7.14 miles (11.49K), time: 1.09.44 h, average pace: 6.04 min/k, max pace: 4.23 min/k, cadence: 178, VO2 Max: 28 ml/kg/min

46.8K Trail run

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#3 – 50 runs in 100 days – Hardcore edition
#110 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Today it was time for the last tough trail run before the race “Dödens Zon” (= The Death Zone) and also time for resting weeks.

So up 5 am this morning and then take the train to Tjörnarps train station.

I was a bit worried, the temperature has dropped and it said 7oC (45F) and a bit windy, some rain around 8-9 so I put on the winter gear. Turned out that the temperature was perfect, gloves and hat got off early and got back on at the end when it got a bit chillier, no rain in the morning but some rain at the end but it did not bother me.

It was also mostly dry, some gooey parts.

This time I for a short moment got unfocused on the White marking and just ran on automatic but something told me I had run too far, did not very far though til I noticed it and turned back.

I usually do take a resting week after Lidingöloppet but wanted to pass the challenge 50 runs in 100 Days and then a really tough trail run last weekend, physical training this Wednesday. So if I got tired legs when it was 20K left I was not surprised. Continued to run, when it was 15K left my legs felt like lead and then when it was 12K left they gave up So I just had to acdept the fact that it probably was very likely that there would be some more walking before I was done.

It is hunting season so in front of me I saw a group of hunters and asked nicely to be able to pass them and they moved to the side, they might have been the friendly hunters

When I get tired I do not lift my feet and bounced into stones so my toes got hit and started to hurt which makes me grumpy

At the end not even Red Bull helped much

Today I saw a squirrel and I think it was a venison in the wood at the loop.

When I got back to Tjörnarp and it was almost 3K left I told my feet to get moving because I didn’t want to miss the train and wait another hour til the next one. Two ladies were out in the forest and picked mushrooms and their dog ran with me for a short moment and then I saw a couple walking their kitten

So when I was on the last straight trail part I told myself to lift my feet so I didn’t fall flat on my face and what happened of course I fell flat on my face and got leaves and dirt in my face

And finally I was done.

Resting is very good. So now it is finally resting weeks which I really need, will probably not run til the end of the week and I will also book calves massage and maybe do yoga instead of lifting weights this following week.

I am satisfied with the run even if it was some walking,

Distance: 29.07 miles (46.8K), time: 6.11.19 h, average pace: 7.56 min/k, max pace: 5.45 min/k, cadence: 168, VO2 Max: 27 ml/kg/min

25.58K Trail run

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#1 – 50 runs in 100 days – Hardcore edition
#108 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

This morning I got a sleepin in running morning, didn’t have to get up at 5 am, could sleep til 5.30 am.

Felt that I had to get up to Kullaberg to run Dödens Zon, 21K before the race October 31st. No one wanted to join me so it was just to do it the longer way, take the train and bus, hoped that I would get back in time to take the 3 pm bus back.

The weather report had said 11oc (52F) so I brought a fleece jacket and gloves and hat.

I ran this route beginning of August for the first time and I realized that the start was different but I liked it a lot, a narrow trail in the woods.

It did not take long til the fleece jacket was put around my hips, it just got too warm and then also my gloves and hat.

So good to be able to import a route in a pulse watch and follow it but since there are no markers yet I ended up doing some loops, getting back to the same place. If I am not looking at the rout for a few seconds more I can get outside the route so I practiced getting back on the route again on some occasions.

After a while I get down to the “beach” and run on stones till I get to Nimis. Last time I walked on the stones and had planned to try to run but it is too many loose stones but I could walk faster this time and there was also some climbing involved (climbed earlier in my life)

Got off the route when I climbed up at Nimis but knew where I would get so it worked out at the end.

Last time my group came too far to the left at one part and ended up at a very steep downhill part where you could not run at all and I wanted to find that trail that the first group found. I know now why we got to far to the left. It feels so natural to run over a “spong” but the trail is just before the spong but you can not see it from the beginning, it was a very steep down hill trail that you could run down for the most part but at the end it got too stoney

After I had climbed up a hill we have to get up on another hill where we had problems finding a trail and I honestly thought I would do so much better this time but NO, I had a breakdown here but calmed myself down so I systematically could get back on the route. So good to get away from that hill.

Now my legs were really tired so I combined Tailwind Raspberry and Red bull, am not a Red bull drinker normally but had started to drink that on tough trail runs. When I get tired I have cravings for sweet flavor

The sun got out and it started to get really warm, it would have been nice to have a t-shirt but rolled up my sleeves on my long sleeve.

Fell flat faced on my nose a couple of times and some swearing, have realized that when I run alone and get tired and bump into things that I swear and get grumpy, do not happen in a group

On this run I got to know Kullen a bit more because I was not running totally on the route.

When I was on my way to Kullens light house two guys showed up running so I thought it look like they are preparing for Kullamannen as well. One guy was fast and the other one got behind and after a while I passed him. We met up at the light house and asked him if he and his friend would run Kullamannen or Dödens Zon, they are going to run Dödens Zon. Unfortunately he had knee problems.

Realized that we are not going to run up to the light house on the race so I experienced a new part which I liked

Passed these cows and hoped that they wouldn’t attack me

Now it was not so long away from Mölle

When I got back to Mölle I was talking to myself Saw myself getting closer to the finish line and when finished I almost kissed the ground

I had to wait for the 4 pm bus so I got to Hotell Kullaberg and sat on their outdoor seating and had a cold cola. Oh boy was I jealous of some people who had a huge shrimp sandwich and a cold beer.

Then it was time to get to the bus and get back home.

I ended up having a great day at Kullaberg, I really like this route, it has it’s trix

Distance: 15.89 miles (25.58K), time: 5.16.30H, average pace: 12.22 min/k, max pace: 5.33 min/k, cadence: 154, VO2 Max: 29 ml/kg/min

results_151003

altitude_151003

5.10K Flat Run

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#50 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#107 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

So this is the last day of the challenge “50 runs in 100 Days” (summer edition). If I had not gotten a cold two weeks ago I would have had better margin. I thought that would be able to finish in time but the last week would be tough so I had to run more this week even if this should have been a resting week after Lidingöloppet.

Seemed to me that I have recovered because the pace was much better today than yesterday.

It was a great day to get out for a run, the sun was out, the sky was blue, some upwind but no gloves or hat

Distance: 3.17 miles (5.10K), time: 30.55.6 min, average pace: 6.04 min/k, max pace: 5.07 min/k,
cadence: 178, VO2 Max: 26 ml/kg/min

5.33K Flat Run

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#49 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#106 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

It felt good to go out for a run after the job interview I was at this afternoon.

It was a bit chilly when I biked home after the interview so I had gloves and hat on as well. After a while I took off the gloves because I got warm. It feels like the colder Fall is here and it is time to put on more warmer running clothes.

Since I would run such a short run I didn’t have to wear my energy belt so I was wearing my flipbelt to have somewhere to put my mobile phone.

It was a bit windy and I was not sure if it would start to rain.

Since I should have rested after the race this weekend I ran in a comfortable pace

Distance: 3.31 miles (5.33K), time: 33.21 min, average pace: 6.15 min/k, max pace: 5.57 min/k,
cadence: 172, VO2 Max: 27 ml/kg/min

2.31K Treadmill

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#48 – 50 runs in 100 days summer edition
#105 – 100 Days Of Miles Challenge

Tonite it was time to bike to the gym and start by running on the treadmill.

Since I still am recovering from the cross country race this weekend I ran in a comfortable pace and did not increase the pace during the run. After 2K I gradually decreased the pace til I was down to walking mode.

After that it was the gym where I did biceps, triceps, back, shoulders and legs where I stayed away of my calf exercise. When I got up to the area where I do core, foam rolling and stretching there was no mat available. Had planned to do my last challenge for this month in Fit Challenge 2015 but needed a mat, the foam roller that I use was occupied so I decided I would just stretch and then head back home,

Distance: 1.43 miles (2.31K), time: 14.32.7 min, average pace: 6.17 min/km, max pace: 5.33 min/k, cadence: 178, VO2 Max: 27 ml/kg/min

MTD: 74.63 miles (120.16K)
YTD: 821.35 miles (1207.31K)

Gabby's Challenges

Challenges that I am participating in

Category Archives: Ultra

39.86K Trail Run and 4.16K Flat Run

Tjörnarparen 50K Trail Ultra

23.49K Trail Run

Lactate test

Pulse based interval training

46.8K Trail run

25.58K Trail run

5.10K Flat Run

5.33K Flat Run

2.31K Treadmill

May 2026
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