Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year!

I do hope the very best for You all!

One wish I have is that anyone who can have the opportunity to have their own dreams come true. Big and small doesn't matter. A dream is a dream!

Me and Malte on one of our runnings in the Winterland.

Malte, my companion!

A nice view from above.
In the middle You might see the Castella build 1172.

The Castella (Kastalen) from 1172.

Beautiful winter trees.

Easy, Light and Smooth!
Dare to dare!
/Flexirun

#7Keveryday

Yes, it's my new so-called  hashtag as it's called in cyber language.

At least 7 km (4.35 miles) every day is what matters to me now, and Malte, my dog, stays in most of the workouts.

Malte on one of our walks.

As you probably already noticed, winter is here in northern Sweden again. What you can see of the sun is basically what it's like right now. It goes up 9:32 and down again 14:19 ...
Because of the darkness, less vitamin D is produced in the body, so I eat just vitamin D in pill form every day. And some omega 3 and 6 also.

I'm not vegetarian or do follow any special food concepts what so ever. However, I eat a little less meat and more vegetables, only dark bread and water.

Just water is completely natural for the body and the drink that I think is most effective in thirst. Most often, the water I usually wear with my rides. Wintertime, I usually have hot blueberry soup with me and it contains sugar but just blueberries are otherwise full of antioxidants. Probably most of all food scientists use to say.

I can take a glass of wine sometimes but usually I drink the non-alcoholic option if I can choose. And choose is something we all can choose to do. Always!

From the top of the hill.

I have not written on Facebook or Twitter as much as before. It has its causes. The past three years, with consequent kidney problems and severe blood poisoning as a consequence, have affected me in retrospect.

No human being is more than human! It does not matter that I ran 221.5 km (137.6 miles) in one stretch. That I was part of a 2-man team on a four-day relay of 330 km (205 miles).

Physically, the body is recovering very quickly, but when the reality comes closer, it can be difficult mental. Yes, very mentally.

I choose to talk about it instead of not. It seems that it is better and work fine for me. Also running is a very good medicine.
I have set one goal for the summer. To run a turn again and I actually think I'll start writing a bit more often and share both FB and Twitter for those who want to.

Easy, Light and Smooth is not only physical but also mental!

/Flexirun

Behind bars but on my way out!

Behind bars but on my way out..

"What kind of headline is that?" You might think. Well, I have been home sick for a week now but today I felt pretty ok I must say. To much thoughts, to much work, to much stress which is not good for anyone!
Beware when the pulse raises, the memory starts to fail and Your temper goes short. You only have ONE LIFE my friends!

Elton on one of our runs

But at the same time there is some positive things too. Every doctor I know always have, at least the last 3 years, told me that the worlds best medicine is... EXERCISE! So, that is why I´m running so much during this week from hell!

I have decided to run 7 km (4,35 miles) every day. That is my medicine! Physically I will be better and mentally I will be good.

Always smile!
Always say Hello! to strangers!
Always look around all the corners!
Always dare to dare!

#7Keveryday

Easy, Light and Smooth... always!
/Flexirun

It's not always as it appears on the outside..

..It is also not sure that it can be measured. Nor do I think it's good to keep things inside Your head.

The body consists of a physical part that goes fairly quickly to build up, and a mental part that can take considerably longer time to build up.

Me and a good friend on a nice run.

On January 8, 2016, I entered the emergency room after about 2 months of soreness in the abdomen. I thought in the long run that there was a muscle or late problem.

It turned out that there was a strong blood poisoning due to the fact that a small kidney stone had made a hole where the ureter enters the kidney. Urine had leaked into the blood and blood into the kidney. No, that was not good simply.

Malte, my running pal, "stretching" after another running. 

Everything above is most about physical things. It is precisely the physical, most often measurable, as it is most written and talked about. Not if you have a physical or mental depression. A little strange, I think.
It is said that faith can move mountains. It must mean that mental is important! So why not pay attention to it more one might think.

Well, just so beautiful!

Ok, why do I write about physical and mental health, You might think. After been sick I have recovered my body pretty well. But I can sometimes feel tired and stressed about small things and that is probably because my brain do have so much to "take care" of. It will be better but I have to be patient. Still I feel positive and I also feel good when running!

Always go Easy, Light and Smooth!

/Flexirun

Kalya 106.5 fm...

... is the local radiostation where Edwin and Rodgers did get interviewed after Rodgers great marathon in Nairobi 28/10 when he almost crushed the world record.
He just missed it with seconds this time but now he´s goal is about 2:30-35h instead. Rodgers and Edwin never give up!

Edwin and Rodgers in the studio

:-)

Edwin Kibet Maluche
and
Rodgers Kiprop

ME on my fastest run in 3 years! ;-)

Me and Malte after our nice and fast run :-)

Well, I do not write that much this time but I just want You all to understand that giving up is not an option!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

Elgon Running Club, Kenya...

...is a nice source of inspiration for me.

Due to a lot of things to do since Sunday, October 28th, I have not finished updating how the Standard Chartered Marathon in Nairobi went for the runners in Elgon Running Club.

So lets go.

Where I live the winter is "knocking on the door" again. But there is not a problem running in cold though. It is beautiful when sunny and a blue sky even if a bit chilly. Normally I just put on more thin layers and the cold would not get me.

The weather can be both horrible wintertime but also GREAT!

If it is cold to run where I live then it is NOT that cold to run where Elgon Running Club is running!

Rodgers Kiprop, a blind runner, who is also a Paralympic athlete, was aiming to run faster than the 2:48h which is the world record in his class. It turned out that Rodgers ran at just 2:48 but missed a couple of seconds. But he did WIN the Standard Chartered Marathon in Nairobi 28 of October.

Now he is struggling against a two-year goal at 2:30 and winning Paralympics 2020 in Tokyo.
It will be really fun and exciting to follow Rodgers on his future goals and You will read more about him in this blog.

Before starting the national anthem (Ee Mungo Nguvu Yetu) was played by an orchestra which made it all the more exciting. There were about 20,000 runners and a very high percentage of the runners was in the elite class. Significantly more than in marathon rides in other parts of the world which is pretty COOL!  ;-)

I write a little under each picture and then continue the text at the end, after the last picture.

"Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"

The national hymn of Kenya.

At the starting point!
20 000 runners on their 42 195 m long adventure and journey

Rodgers Kiprop with his two running escorts.

Style study of Rodgers Kiprop during the course

The two elite runners Ronald Kibet (1571) did 2:21h and Simon Omuse (1580) did 2:22h which is GREAT times!

Emily Temko did 1:19h in her half-marathon race which is very good!

Leadership team in the marathon race where both Ronald and Simon are fighting and doing their very best.

The coach of Elgon Running Club
Mr. Edwin Kibet Maluche.
Here flanked by Ronald and Simon.

Well, that was a bit about what happened to Elgon Running Club since I contacted Edwin, the coach, via the "Runfies of the World" running group on Facebook. Sometimes the digital world really is fun and positively. I do have to admit that ;-)

Without all who helped me with the collection of the running clothes Emily, Rodgers, Ronald and Simon ran into the Standard Chartered Marathon in Nairobi on Sunday, 28/10, they would not have been as noticed as they where.

Now they might be able to feel a small, but important, togetherness before, during and after the race. At least I hope so with all my heart!

In addition, it's a bit of Edwin's philosophy that ALL will have the chance to join and feel that they can be an important part of what's happening in the club!

Well, the next step in the sponsorship of the club will be a collection / sponsorship or anything that can generate new, running shoes that will fit properly. Ideally for both training and competition.

It is important that running shoes really fit the foot and therefore must be tested on site. It will make the runners a little faster, leading to further better competitive power.

The show that now started must just... GO ON!

Dare to smile!

Dare to say Hello! to strangers!

Dare to peek around corners!

Dare to give!

Dare to dare!

Easy, Light and Smooth!

/Flexirun :-)

Happiness...

... is something amazing to experience.
In three more difficult years, I am now "on my feet" again and feel better than in the long run. Both physically and mentally!

Just...SMILE!

The sponsorship of Elgon Running Club in Kenya is a POSITIVE thing, that I RUN longer and longer another one and... I have become GRANDFATHER October 10!

The happiness is so great that it almost does not fit into me!

My new black Hoka One One Clifton on their very first run!

I have running a part of the week with Malte, my dog, and yesterday I ran 7 km myself, which felt good after about 2 km of warmth, so today it became a forest walk with Maltes best friend Smilla to go to town and buy a pair of new running shoes. It became a pair of black Hoka One One Clifton this time.

    

Malte och Smilla på dagens skogspromenad.

If I went home and tested them? No, I ran home so my son Magnus got the car. The seller asked if I wanted to try the shoes and I just answered: "Yes!"
... 13.3 km it became and the shoes felt really good.

Just so beautiful!

Continue on the intersection. Do not change a winning concept!

The difficult is easier than you think!

Dare to laugh!
Dare to say hello! to strangers!
Dare to peek around all corners!
Dare to give!
Dare to live!
Dare to dare!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

Life goes down...

...but always up again!

Always a smile

Certainly it may go bad sometimes, but try to think positively anyway. Some things can not be affected, so do not put too much energy on it. Add more energy to what you can influence or choose to influence.

From now on, I will write my blog as I did back in 2013 when i ran around the BigLake here (BigLakeRun2013).
A little more how I feel and a little how it goes with both my training and the training that the runners do in Elgon Running Club.

Elgon Running Club, Kenya

Rodgers Kiprop and his running friend (escort)

Even if I run again, it's not like before. Then I could run both far and fast every day and sometimes several runs in a day. Nowadays I'm so happy that I'm running almost every day with my dog Malte.
I have plans for projects but I do not intend to tell when it will be without training and writing and we will see ;-)

On the run

I really want to thank You all for pepp under those terrible 3 years. You really have helped me back on track again. Thank You everyone out there!

My running friend Malte the dog

Always try to SMILE!

Always say Hello! to strangers!

Always peek around corners out there!

Always GIVE more than You GET!

Always dare to dare!

Go Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

From illness back to running for about 3 years.

Well, one way of looking at it is just to say that it's just... LIFE!

I really do not have so much to say about what happened with me getting a blood infection depending on a small kidney stone that did a small whole between the kidney and the ureter. The feeling that something was wrong was already a few months before I entered the emergency room and stayed at the hospital for 13 days.

However, due to the physical nature of 45 years of running, it turned out that I was both that physically and mentally fit for the fight.. I have been operated 4 times during these years and now I can finally say that I'm probably healthy again.

In fact, in addition to 5 weeks of cold, I have been able to run since the turn of the year 2017-18 until now. It goes less easily occasionally but sometimes it goes really easy which is a nice feeling.

Stockholm Marathon June 1, 2019 is a firsthand and hopefully a little longer project after that in the summer I think.

Another thing is that I'm trying to help 27 Kenyan runners in Elgon Running Club with equipment, thus enhancing their motivation and joy in running.

Thank you Life!

Well, still smiling friends!

"Stairway to heaven"

42.195 km is my mantra...

Edwin Kibet Maluche with his great runners of Elgon Running Club which I´m now trying to help out as much as I can. There will be mer projects don than the shirts I hope. At least that´s my great intention.

Edwin and the runners

The girls.

The boys.

Rodgers Kiprop is a blind runner who will try to break the world record in Naroni Marathon.
He have done 2:50h and aiming for the magic 2:48h :-)

Their new shirt when compete.

Out running with the new shirts :-)

Well, take care and remember always to run Easy, Light and Smooth!

Dare to smile!

Dare to say Hello! to strangers!

Dare to peek around corners!

Dare to give!

Dare to dare!

Such a wonderful day!

A lot of people seem to have enjoyed today, which makes me happy.

I may say that it has been a day of extreme life. It has switched between hot and cold, calm or full speed, tender or not. Yes, I've been part of both physically and mentally.

XC-running in Kenya.

My friend Edwin (red t-shirt) from Kitale in Kenya has been on XC running (yes, running in a terrain) with 8 of his 27 amazing runners in the Elgon Running Club. No, unfortunately, everyone could not follow.

My friend Edwin Kibet Maluche wich is teamleader for Elgon Running Club.
I man with great heart and soul.

Emanuel Rutoo came in 3rd place this time which is really good.
Congratulations!

One of the pieces in the jigsaw I chose to engage in is that ALL will be able to compete in the competitions.

I will try to sponsor as much as I can and are there more out there who are interested in helping so just belong to you. Shoes, clothes, registration fees, etc. are the ones that apply in the first place. Go on feeling!

I myself ran on snowy roads today. Not like some others in "snöpuls". Pulse I got anyway .. Great job all the others who moved you forward in the nice winter weather!

-14°C and blue sky. Perfect day!

 I often run now which does not mean I'm running far. It will be 3-5 km generally every day. Malte is still going to get out of trouble. I'm waiting for some test answers yet, but it seems that most things are ok now. Yes, we'll see you!

The mountains in the background.
Just so beautiful!

The idea is that I'm going to run a marathon in Stockholm with my son Magnus as said. Must be fun! Then there is another project in progress in my mind that I will combine with Elgon Running Club in Kitale, Kenya.

Me and Malte out on one of our runs.

What makes fun of joining projects is that they give energy to each other in some way :-)

Once again I will tell you that:

- Dare to laugh!

- Dare to say hello!

- Dare to peek around the corner!

- Dare to dare!

Easy, Light and Smooth!

/Flexirun