This last year perhaps have been one of my best year ever as runner! There have been such great runnings, great people, great nature and... Well, just GREAT! A lot of people have inspired me and some say I have inspired them. Talk about a "win-win"-project! I can't mention all the names been involved in this project but my family has supported me all the way and I really appreciate that.
Thank's my beloved family!
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| Flexirun on The Run. Alone but not... :-) |
Well, ok! There's one that must be mentioned by name and that's - Elton - He's been following me on a lot of runs this last year. When feeling a little down and perhaps it would be much more nice sitting by the fire instead of running. He always looked at me with his happy eyes and wanted to run. Cold, dark, rainy didn't matter. Elton always pushed me out there on the roads and X-trails. Thank's Elton and I LOVE YOU!
Well, the night before D-Day I slept very good and was not nervous, what I remember. All was fixed for tomorrow and it felt good to hit the bed. The bed I won't sleep in for the next 44 hours! ;-)
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| The Run |
Friday, July 19, 2013
When Adam and Elton woke me up at 5:30 am to eat breakfast, fix a little with the dogs, pack the last things in the car it hit me like a thunderbolt from a clear sky! What am I going to do!?
I began to feel something in my body say: Hey! Claes, this aren't right! It's wrong and no good at all! At the same time something else told me: GREAT CLAES! Here we go! Finally it's time!
I now realized there wasn't no way back! My son soon would be awake to drive the car and my mental coach also will be on and follow my run all the way. The press have been writing about it. Also radio so all I really could do was to put my shoes on and start my run at 7 am :-)
Well, when sitting in the car on the way to the starting line I was not nervous at all. Only focused on the run and I just wanted to take of!
07:00 and I send on of just a couple of Tweets and FB-posts. I decided to focus on my running instead. Anders, my mental coach was doing all that stuff instead. After just a couple of miles I saw a dog and two people ahead me. Couldn't see who but it turned out to be some friends from my running-club :-) So nice of them to be up so early to support me. Almost fell a tear there :-)
I continued my run and people in cars on their way to work, waved, hooted and blinked with their lights. Touching! I could never in my wildest dreams guess people where so involved in my run!
Everything I've been writing about in this blog about "Say hello and smile to the one you meet!" and "Remember to run Easy, Light and Smooth!" just... come true! I'm so happy!
Well, yes I was running a little to fast but I had some very personal goals to, of which I can write now. I was thinking of how far I could run and not walk in a about 1 hour per 6,21miles (10k) and I also was thinking of how far I will com in 24 hours. Those where my personal goals and now after The Run I can say I've got a lot of experience about my body and how to drink and eat. This knowledge I perhaps would have missed if running more slow.
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| At about 31 miles (50K) and so happy! |
The first 2,5 marathons I actually did run all the time. Could have run faster but I must remember The Run was about 5,5 marathons... After 31 mile I was having a break for 45 min to eat and drink.
Continued the run and it felt great! Lot of people was out following me and even more followed me live on the app Endomondo that was going all the time :-) Thank's people! Even the press was out and I've heard that people was up at night just to see where I was at the moment. Can't believe it!!
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| Me, The Run and some followers... :-) |
Saturday, July 20, 2013
After about 72 miles it was midnight. The night between Friday and Saturday. I now had 13 hours left to fix it to the start and there still was about 66 miles left to move. During the night I was powerwalking but the weather between midnight and 02:30 am was really bad. Windy and raining so I decided to take a nap for one hour (02:30-03:30). This was one of about 2,5-3 h sleep. The last 24 hours I sometimes did 10 min naps which was absolutely great. I felt very strong after those naps and could struggle for some more miles. Crazy!
Well, there was no chance to come to start at the half marathon but it didn't matter for me anyway at this point. I came to the finish in Ostersund, the town where The Run will end. Well, after 34:15 hours of movement and about 113 miles, I was standing at the goal. Hey, wait a minute! Yes, I was at the goal, but still a bay to go around, and 24,88 more miles! Well, there's nothing else to do than: Run!
I started the last movement and struggled on forward. Left, right, left, right, left, right... Even if tired I was very happy. People still where out cheering me up! When passing by my home there was a lot of people out to meet me. They had a party going on and I guess they have been drinking some beers to. No, I choose not to taste any ;-) Not until the finish-line!
Only about 9-10 miles left and midnight between Saturday and Sunday now arrived! When coming closer to the town Ostersund still people and cars was cheering me up and the last 5 miles I powerwalked like crazy all alone cause Anders got ill. Don't ask me where the power came from... somewhere. All I had in mind now was:
GO CLAES! GO! YOU SOON CAN REST AND SLEEP AS LONG AS YOU WANT! GO #ELS!!
It's absolutely crazy how one can struggle on even when tired. Physically and mentally!
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| The Run took 43h 57min 4 sec |
What have I learned from all this then?
Well, now I know I can run at least 2,5 marathons in about 9-9:30 min/mile. I know I might move about 88 miles in 24 hours (probably more if I only will run in 24 h). I know there are a lot of nice people out there full of humanity... and many more nice things.
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| After 137,88 miles in 43h 57min 4 sec |
The run would never have been possible if it were not for my amazing family.
My wife, Barbro, and my son, Magnus, who drove the delivery vehicle.
My daughters, Ingrid and Julia, who followed me on Endomondo and constantly stoked at me not to give up!
Anders Stävhag, my very dear friend and mentally coach.
All others who apparently followed me through both computer and physically present when it happened.
ICA Supermarket for drinks and food!
Gå och Löp butiken i Östersund!
ÖP - the local newspaper
100% Östersund
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| Always say Hello and Smile when out running! |
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| Some people have asked me if I will stop running after The Run. Well, no! There's always new adventures just around the corner and I already have a new project on... |
Well, my friends! I've said it before and I'll say it again: Please say Hello and Smile to the ones You meet out there!
Easy, Light and Smooth!
Dare to follow Your dreams! No one can ever take them away from You!
/Flexirun
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