49 days left...

... and I'm preparing for Stockholm Marathon with my daughter. Nice weather and quite hot but tomorrow it might be a little rain and about 60-61F. Perfect!

It has been a very busy day with registration, shopping picture-taking, pasta party etc. Last time I ran in Stockholm was 2010 I think so it's really nice being here again. Use to meet a lot of running-friends which is fun.

No, I haven't forgot my other cause, The Run! Only 49, soon 48, days ahead from now. Still look forward to it and almost longing for it. The marathon tomorrow will be a perfect "restart" of the training and now, when not injured anymore, I must say the 4 weeks of less running and active rest has been both nice and been doing miracle to my body. Resting is a good exercise so people out there! Dare resting!

Ok, once again it's late (23:) so I have to go to bed now! But first I will give you all the picture of the day.

Tomorrow  I will take pics and short filmclips to out out on Twitter! No text just pics! :-)

Me and Ingrid just outside the Olympic Arena from 1912
where we will reach the finish-line tomorrow.

Just got our BIB-numbers and other stuff for the race. We also did som shopping :-)

Me and my second daughter, who just finished a 5K race, at the pasta-party.
Nice food, weather and some good music too!

Here is Ingrid with Anders Szalkai.
The winner of Stockhol Marathan 2001 and have a PB in 2:12:43

Me having a lesson for Ingrid about tomorrows race :-D
Zoom and read the text!

Me with todays shopping. A running-shirt! :-)

Well, met some friends today to say Hello to and also Smile to... A long and nice day!

Easy, Light and Smooth friends!
/Flexirun

50 days left...

... and perhaps I can have a little celebration then! 50 days left now and I feel just great and really look forward to The Run!

Todays weather was absolutely great! Blue sky, sunny, no wind and about 72-73F. Finished work at 13:00 just to go home and change car for the trip down to Uppsala and then Stockholm Marathon on Saturday. After 6 hours in a car it was nice to change for a run with Ingrid. We ran 5,41 miles in 53:41 min (9:57 min/mile) which is a marathon in about 4:20 hours. Well, the time is not priority! Reach the finish line is!

Me and Ingrid after our run in Uppsala together!

Well, night here now and perhaps I must go to bed. Tomorrow I will help my other daughter to move from one apartment to another. Then we will go to Stockholm to get our BIB:s etc for the run Saturday.
Long day for a long-distance runner tomorrow! Will be so much fun though! :-)

Lot of people down here in the south to sa Hello and Smile to when running! ;-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

51 days left...

... and I'm packing my trunk for Stockholm Marathon and a great run with my daughter Ingrid.

Well, she is not the only runner in the family though. My other daughter, Julia, also did a run today called Vårruset, or in english Spring-Run. She ran 5K. Great done Julia! (Proud dad!)

Julia after her 5K race the Spring-Run today.
GREAT DONE!

Ingrid after a run!
June 1st she will run Stockholm Marathon.

Today I also finished almost all work for this term and fixed the last math-tests :-) Summer is coming closer and so do The Run! Well, I feel just great so I'm not at all worried anymore which's a nice feeling :-)

No, now I have to go packing the very last things for tomorrows trip to Stockholm and the great event Stockholm Marathon :-)

Oh, yes! Forgot to show this little fellow me and Elton met when out on his "night-walk"!

A little hedgehog came for a late visit :-)

Well, no run today but I did say Hello to some colleagues and Smiled a lot during the day though :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

52 days left...

... and soon time to go down to Stockholm again. Thursday evening I will go down to my my daughters in Uppsala which is going to be very nice. Friday we will go to Stockholm to fetch our BIB-numbers etc. for the Stockholm Marathon race at June 1st. It will be so fun!

But now about todays run with Elton. We ran 5,55 miles in about 1:06:41 (tracked here on Endomondo). All miles but one around 9:30-10:30 min. One mile we did in 18 min (!?) but that was perhaps the most inspiring mile because we met three men form Eritrea, Africa. They have sought asylum in Sweden and I stopped to talk to them. First they where a little afraid of Elton but then they really liked him and said he was soft and beautiful. Thank's friends from Eritrea! They also had som questions about Sweden and the swedes. Took about 10 min but I hope it was worth it. Both for them and for me!
It feels very good both physically and mentally. Just a so nice feeling I'll say!

On the way home we passed by a grave from about 400-500 AD. Here called Roman Iron Age. The weather this evening was just super!

Elton sitting by a grave from the time around Roman Iron Age.
The grave is called - The Virgin Hill...

As always, continue to Hello and Smile to people you meet out there. Meetings are so great! :-)

Easy, Light And Smooth!
/Flexirun

55, 54 and 53 days left...

... and I will write about three days and then I'm back in business. Soon it's summer-vacation here in Sweden (for teachers ;-)) which means a lot of running and perhaps a little blogging too, at least more regularly again.

55 days left:
Today it's time to meet my cousins that I haven't seen in 23 years! Well, we all live on different places and no one really took hold in it. But the two youngest, me and my cousin Ellinor, fixed with this tripp on a ferry to Åland (island between Sweden and Finland). It was very nice meeting my cousins and we will do it again!

The nice spa where we danced whole night :-)

After dance all night long... 4 am ;-)

54 days left:

Day after was a perfect day just to sit in a chair against the sun! So nice with summer again :-)

YES! Look what I found on upper deck! :-D
A RUN TRACK!!

When coming home to Stockholm again me and my brother ran 4,68 miles and I felt nothing in my calf :-) So happy now. It's no problem to run again and I think I haven't lost so much.

53 days left:
Today me and Elton ran 5,48 miles in 56:28 min. #ELS all the way and it felt great so I'm looking forward to the run in Stockholm Marathon with my oldest daughter Ingrid. I think we're going to have a chip on one of our shoes so people can follow us on line at the webbsite. I have bib.number: 5381

Remember our goal is to reach the finish-line in a great #ELS way. Not to do a specific time!

Well, Elton and I met some people today and, as usual, we said Hello and Smiled. Yes they all did the same back to us! :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth! #ELS
/Flexirun

57-56 days left...

... and I'm visiting my brother and his wife in the capitol of Sweden, Stockholm. mLittle cloudy but warm and nice. My brother owns a little nice Jaguar (car) in which we did Stockholm in 20 min. I called it "fast-tourism"! Take pictures from the car while passing by :-D

I'm down here to meet some cousins I have not seen in... 23 years!! Never forget you live only once so me and one of the cousins fixed with this cruise on a big ferry with food and entertainment. Going to be so fun!

Well, no running but I feel really good and my legs arae back in business again. Feel good about Stockholm Marathon and the run with one of my daughters. The run will be next Saturday, June 1st, and I will try to take pictures and sam small films while running. Kind of "Realtime Running". COOL!

Allright friends! Only 57 days left to The Run now and injuries, fix houses for springtime, work and thoughts of Stockholm Marathon has been GOOD for me. I have had time to heal both physically and mentally for my running.

Take care out there and please dare to say Hello and Smile a bit when meeting people!

Easy, Light and Smooth... makes you fast too! Remember that... :-)
/Flexirun

58 days left...

... and it feels absolutely allright! Today me and Elton was running first some X-trail and then road running. Feel strong and perhaps 90% back in the run I think. Just a little stiff. But as I said I feel very strong after the recovery.

Today we met some people down at the X-trail and we, of course, said Hello! and smiled. Nice people! Now it almost have been summer weather here (Swedish ;-)) and I have switched to more light clothing which feels good. It doesn't take as long as before to change to a run :-)

Here are two very short films my daughter filmed while running in Åre where we have a nice apartment (Just let me now if you want to hire).

Just... #ELS

Well, not so... #ELS

Take care out there and promise to be kind! One way is to say Hello and Smile to the one you met when running. So simple! :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

59 days left...

... and today after work I worked in the garden (again). Well, it's only spring once a year ;-) Elton had his rest today so I ran myself instead. Did 3 miles in 48 min (!) and the first mile was in 33 min. Oh, didn't I say I met a friend and we did som chatting :-) Nice! A great Hello and some big smiles.
I did the 2 last miles in 8,25 and 8,24 pace so the power is there.

I really must say I'm so happy to be back running again. Love it so much and I also got so much new friends on Facebook, Twitter and... in real life too! Running really unite people I think and my talk about #ELS (Easy, Light and Smooth) seems to make them interested which is so fun :-)

Well. it's night here now and I must go to bed because soon it's time to get up again...

Once more: Don't forget to say Hello and Smile! Perhaps You make someones day out there :-)

#ELS

Easy, Light and Smooth!
Flexirun

60 days left...

... and like the Terminator once said: "I'm back!".

Well, I'm not going to run too long or to tough runs until after the Stockholm Marathon June 1. I will not risk the run with my daughter. I do feel quite allright in my body even if a little stiff in my legs. Think it's nothing to think about cause it feels very Easy, Light and Smooth when running though which is a good sign.

I have not been blogging for 10 days depending on a lot of work and no Internet when away to the mountains to recover and just be and follow the mantra: #ELS

I will now give you all some nice pics from two different places. One from our mountain-lodge in the county/landscape of Härjedalen (almost wilderness) and one from the ski-resort in Åre, a very popular resort for downhill-skiing. Please enjoy!

View at the mountain-lodge. Miles and miles of forrest...

Nice weather and a nice rest after some work in the garden :-)

The very nice Church made of wood in the small village.

The lodge in the mountains in early spring...

Another great view from around the lodge. Great place for recover of body and soul!

Ok, that was som pics from a place we normally are living during summertime and now I will show some pics from another type of house. It's from a ski-resort named Åre. It's a very nice place for downhill skiing and snowboarding. Summertime it's nice to walk and X-trail run in the mountains.

Some nice pics when I was out running with my daughter. First we ran from the apartment to Åre back and forth (6 miles) then we did som nice hill-running. The nature here is just perfect for running and not only downhill :-)

Me after a couple of hours running!

Today me and Elton met both runners and dogs so we both said Hello and Smiled! Very nice people and meetings on the run this time :-) Please try it!

Easy, Light and Smooth friends!
/Flexirun

71-61 days left...

... and this time I will write for several days instead, depending on a vacation up in the mountains in the landscape/county of Härjedalen. There is a very bad connection to Internet there even if it works a bit with the mobile.

I decided not to write on the blog during the leave without going to do it in peace and quiet when I was back to civilistationen again. Well, let's go!

This is where I've been for 4 days. Yes, like yoga...

71 days left (Thursday)
Today I said to myself there's much more in this life that's worse than a injured calf. Probably I'm right... I also told myself really to do everything I can to be fit for fight for Stockholm Marathon with my daughter Ingrid. Well, It's not the marathon that's important for me. Number one priority is not my own 140 mile run. It's the run with Ingrid!

Today me, my wife and our dogs went to our cottage in the mountains. I will not run, but instead rest and rake the lawn, sauna and relax. Internet is bad and I will not blog for  four days. Perhaps on Sunday when coming home. Yes, we have four days vacation now! A couple of friends was passing by and stopped for some coffee which really was nice and fun. Surprises are fun! :-)

Here's the nice place up in the mountains. Good for people and the dogs can go free!

70 days left (Friday)
Calf is much better and I don't feel anything at all. Perhaps just a little stiffness... Today I will fix in the garden and putting up bird feeders to the black-and-white flycatchers (a small and funny little bird). I also walked the dogs today and think that was great exercise for calf. Weather was perfect! No clouds and blue sky! Life is good...

When running a lot it seems good to take a little longer rest sometimes. Both physically for the body and mentally for the brain! Mother Nature is probably the best medicine for that :-)

Black-and-white flycatcher

Went to the small city Sveg to buy some food etc.
No, the brown bear is not bigger than the American Grizzly... ;-)

69 days left (Saturday)
A little bit more chilly today but very nice anyway. Yesterday I was taking a sauna after a days work on the property. I've build it myself with help from a couple of friends. It's a wood-fired heater and like yoga for both body and soul!

The dressingroom is half the sauna.

Inside the sauna with the cozy wood-fired heater
in which you can boil 24 l water :-)

The view from the sauna-window. Cloudy today but normally you'll see mountains :-)

68 days left (Sunday)

Well, this day was the last day of our vacation. It’s been great and the house is now fixed for summer. I didn’t feel any pain in my right calf at all. So when coming home I decided to take a short run with Elton just for a test. When running just about 10 steps I felt pain and for a short time I was a bit anxious about the start in Stockholm Marathon with my daughter Ingrid. ”What to do now?”

67 days left (Monday)
Rest! No run and as said before I'm a bit anxious.

66 days left (Tuesday)
Rest! No run this day either but much better though!

65 days left (Wednesday)
Out running and calf was quite allright after the 3,87 mile run. Just a little stiffness. Hope is back!

Happy and full of confidence again!

64 days left (Thursday)
Best is to start slowly and really listen to the body. Rest again but ok in calf...

63 days left (Friday)
Rest! Lot to do at work and then fixing with the trip to Åre and the apartment there.

A great place in Åre.

62 days left (Saturday)
I'm in our apartment in Åre, the great ski-resort here in Sweden. Very good run with Ingrid in Åre. It feels just great and I'm so happy :-)

First Ingrid and I ran from the apartment to Åre.
Weather was great!

After the 5,87 mile run we did some nice hill-run!
It really is nice to feel free :-)

61 days left (Sunday)
Back home and still nice weather but some things to do at home so no run. Perhaps good because the run in Åre was tough ;-)

In Åre we met a lot of people to say Hello and Smile to. Nice!

Easy, Light and Smooth! (#ELS)
/Flexirun

72 days left...

... and first time in 9 days I feel quite happy again :-) Why, you might think!? Well, the injured calf feels very good and I did some exercise today. I fixed my bike and did a 10K ride in 18 min (33,33 min) and it really felt good! Good to be out fetching some endorphins and good not to have any pain in the calf.

I have done about 952 km in 4 month of running so a few weeks deterrent from the run is not so bad I think. If I look positive on it I will get more motivated to run again... :-)

Not pretty but who cares! At least I got on my bike for a ride.
10K in 18 min and quite satisfied :-)

I did meet a runner and said hello and smiled! He smiled back :-) How about you friend?

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

73 days left...

... to The Run and I still have to take it easy. Can't run with my calf injured like this so all I can do is walk and... wait. I rub the calf with Aloe Vera about 3 times a day so it does not directly hurt but it is as stiff. Well, patience is the key to success and I soon have run 592 miles (!) since I started my special training for The Run, about 9-10 months ago. What I mean is, there is no problem to rest from running for a while. Perhaps I loosing some speed but it doesn't matter that much for me because I will not run fast anyway :-)

Well, as a teacher I'm of duty summertime (yes it's nice) and then I will write down everything like: Where/when to eat and drink, what stuff I will bring in the following car, how the crew will act when I'm tired etc.

All logistics must be worked through and written down so my run will be as Easy, Light and Smooth as possible for me and my crew. When people ask me about my running they don't really understand how much there is to think of when running 140 miles like this.
Well it's ok cause I normally tell them: "Ha, ha! Well, I'm only gonna do the running! It's my crew that's working...".

Although I'm a bit damaged in one of my calves I still have the same plannings in my head. I will not change anything.

Take care out there and keep on doing the hello and smile to all you meet! Don't ever give up!!

I admit, I'm longing for my runs when injured... :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

74 days left...

... and I can't run!! Well, nothing to do than rest and massage with Aloe Vera cream. Only disturbance is that I will run Stockholm Marathon with my daughter 1st June. Rest, rest and rest! I really will test my patience for a while now...

Instead I will walk and bicycle a lot. Spring is here so I now can take out my bike :-) It's fun to cycling I think and good for my legs also. Poor Elton have to walk instead of run...

My Fuji! A great bike for active rest from the runs.

Well, I met som people when out walking with mt dogs. Said "hello" and "smiled" though...
Have to think positive now!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

75 days left...

... and unfortunately I'm still injured in my right calf. Went out for a very slow jogg/walk this evening with Elton and it felt pretty good the first 2 mile but then, there was a little pain/stiffness coming up. Well, I walked and jogged the last 3 miles back home... At least I don't feel any pain when walking.

Not much to do than take it easy then... Well, then I can do all the things that have to be done springtime instead. It's 75 days left to The Run so there's not a big problem I think. I little rest will do good... I hope ;-)

This wekkend I fixed with two cars and
also started up my bike :-)

Today I encountered the same runner twice! We said Hello and Smiled double up then :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth and never give up the hope!
/Flexirun

76 days left...

... and today I was taking it easy. Can't do anything else right now. Instead I started up my MC for the spring :-), changed tires for summer on one of the cars, and fixed some in the garden. When finished I decided to walk and jogg with Elton down at the X-trail. Well, the calf was a little stiff but didn't get worse :-) Going to rest a bit more. Must be injure-free when running for real again!

Elton with me at the terrain groove.
As you see it's still ice on the lake which is my "enemy" ;-)

Well, todays jogg was a little test and it was not that bad. When I was warmed up and did a run very slow the calf didn't get worse though. More rest will be needed and I really will take it easy until I'm 100% free from the injury.

My running shoes on parade.
From the left: Icebug Accelerate2, Icebug Anima,
2 pair of Asics, Nike FreeRun 5.0, Asics and Asics Arctic (bugs).
Missing is my lovely Nike FreeRun 3.0

Don't forget to say Hello and Smile to the one you meet. It will be much more fun to run!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

77 days left...

... and no run today. Calf is better but I want it to be perfect before running again. Well, all one can do is to relax, tweet and write in the blog... Pretty nice even if there is something missing ;-)

Sometimes it's peaceful when running...
A picture about 12-13 m iles from where I live.

As I said before, it's important to really rest properly when received an injury. One has to be completely healthy to be able to run again in earnest. Well, I just came from the sauna and smeared my calf muscle with Aloe Vera. It really feels good and I think I will be allright soon. Guess it will be so nice to go out there and run when healthy again :-)

I use to say to people to lay back and relax when injured and I really stand for that statement. That's why I'm going to watch WC in ishockey Sweden vs Switzerland on TV :-D

No one to say hello and smile to today so I gave Elton a big hug instead :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth! (..soon Fast too!)
/Flexirun

78 days left...

... and time for a couple of days rest. At the end of yesterdays X-trail run with Elton I felt a little stiffness in my right calf again. Well, muscle strain can happen anytime, even when not running. Well, think it was time for a little rest for my body anyway. Better to rest now than get stressed over it when closer to The Run...

Perhaps I feel a little sad about not running but at the same time I'm in a good shape and it's not any high speed I'm after so why worry. I know there is endurance and power in this little body.

Elton is one of my biggest motivators! He's always happy and wants out whatever the weather is like. He gets me to change for my runs all those days when you would most like to pull a blanket over your head. Sometimes I even decide not to run when I look at him and just can't resist him. All I can do then is... put on my shoes and run! Thank's Elton! Dare to rest out there!

Even now he inspires me, just when laying down resting!
Perhaps his way to tell me to rest... 

Well, I will walk with my dogs even if I don't run for some days. Means I can say Hello and Smile to people anyway :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

79 days left...

... and today did a run up in the woods here. A little X-trail running is a fun thing to do when I mostly run on roads. Elton, my dog, also like the woods. Unfortunately, I felt a little pain in my right calf muscle but not like last time when it was much more painful. Well, I have to take it easy for a while and I'm not worried about it though :-)

Well, just now I watched TV about two guys who wanted to walk to the North pole dragging kayaks! It was not only the physical about it that interested me. No, it was more about their philosophy! The philosophy they had built on these three things:

1. The most important was the trail, not the finish line!
2. Second was to come home in one piece!
3. In third place ... the target!

Some people might think: Why isn't the target on the first place? Well, for me it depend on how big the love is to what I'm doing. The more you love it the more insignificant is really the goal. But of course it's always fun to also reach the finish line. The most important thing is to try and take the first step.The journey is everything... Like #ELS

Now some pictures from todays run with Elton on the trails up in the forests around here :-)

Elton and I preparing for todays run up in the forrest.

First run with shorter tights this year! :-)

I'm using Icebug Acceleritas2.

Elton checks the trail out!

There was not dry all the time but... Who cares!
ELTON COME ON!!
Dirty dogs and runners are happy dogs and runners!

Well, some cold snow is great!

Today the first mile took about 22 min depending on a stop to speak with a friend... Fun!

Well, no people up in the forrest to say hello and smile to but instead a lot of DIRT! :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun