12 days left...

... and today both ran and I biked. When feeling a little unmotivated or worn in my body I use to take the bike instead. It's something else and a kind of active rest. Well, the day was good at half the cycling workouts, then came the rain. It was not so chilly so it was ok.

Todays run:
I went up at 6 o'clock in the morning and gave the dogs food, ate breakfast and then run. Today I ran 15,13 miles and the weather was just great! First 3 miles my legs felt like jelly and I was a little unmotivated, but after that it felt good. So good that it really was that Easy, Light and Smooth to run again. I felt happiness!

There where some other runners out today and we said Hello and Smiled to each other :-) It was a little hilly (see it here) but I had an average speed of 8:48 min/mile which is to fas for my 140 miler but as long as I know about it I can control it the  very day ;-)

What to do between the runnings? Well... :-)

Todays biking:
Really, I would run once more today but choose the bike instead. When unmotivated or just a little tired I use to take the bike instead. It's fun and a good alternative to running. When I had biked half the way it start to rain. It was quite warm so there was no big deal about it. The little trip went around a bay to the lake I will run around. It's almost 24 miles and it took 1:38 h. Average speed of 14,6 mph and not so fast. I even stopped for som picture-taking :-)

Me on the bridge with my bike :-)

Nice view from the bridge ahead the mountains.
Well, the rain is soon coming in so you can't see the mountains.

 View ahead the town, Ostersund.
Still nice weather... ;-)

Met some nice people when out on todays run and 100 % said Hello and Smiled :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

13 days left...

... and today I had an ambition to do a run in the morning. Felt a bit tired after the dog-walk in the morning. Choose the bed for two more hours instead :-) Well, no big problem cause the body probably needed some sleep I guess.
13 days! Well, I'm not superstitious but sometimes I do things in particular ways. Like how I tie my shoes for example. Shoelaces must be the same length... :-D

It was a bit chilly and cloudy weather, but perfect for taking care of the tree I felled yesterday :-) So the day was filled with garden job and once again I must say that's really good active resting. You move and use your muscles, but in a very smooth way.

On my way out on todays run.
Little late but in a very nice weather though.
Using my Stockholm Marathon shirt :-)

In the evening, about 7:15 am, it really was  nice weather again! No clouds, no wind and a big warm sun up in the sky. I couldn't resist so I took Elton for a great #ELS run. Not fast but still... running! It felt nice and was perfect after yesterdays 19,9 miles.

Mowing has begun and farmers are working hard!
Down there is the lake, today lika a mirror,  waiting for me... or is it me waiting...

Me and Elton was passing by some nice spots on our way :-)

Me and Elton met both humans and dogs on the run today. Everyone said Hello and Smiled. Right Elton?! :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!

Flexirun

14 days left...

... and I went up at 6 am to fed my dogs and walk them a mile. Had some breakfast myself and then went for a smooth 13,2 miler. Met a lot of runners to Hello and Smile to. Yes, they smiled back and said hello :-)
Weather was perfect and I felt better then for quite a long time. Probably I've reached and come across a threshold. Amazing how one can feel such things in the body :-) Well, it felt so good that I was thinking like this:
If it feels like this when only 14 days left, I'll run two laps!

View from the last XC-run in the mountains ;-)
I was coming from up those hills over there and; Yes, you might drink the water!

I have done one running today. Roads mostly and was thinking of another, down at the XC-trail. It started to rain but only bursts for a short time. It was cloudy in the evening but no rain! I did right to wait for the run. Patience is not only an important cornerstone when running... ;-)

Well, my plan was to do two runs this day. I ate a great dinner and then walked the dogs again. Changed to running and went of 19:20 and was home again 20:15. I did this evening run down at the XC-trail not far from my home. I ran 2 laps and got another 6,64 miles in my legs. Still felt good in my body. Nice!

Well, someone might remark that I did todays both running quite fast (not ultra-speed) but I still must say it was #ELS-speed :-) First run was in a 8:32 min/mile pace and the other run went in... 8:32 min/mile. Same pace. Incredible!

In just 10 min now there will be only 13 days left... ;-)

Well, good night out there and don't forget... to say Hello and Smile a little and your run will become just great!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

15 days left...

... and four-fifths of the family are traveling south to a wedding! I and the dogs will stay home so guess there will be some running then... ;-)

After my little harder run day before yesterday I decided to take a real smooth run (3 miles) with Elton this evening. I had some things to do in the garden. Chop down a tree, for example! Well, I have been running a lot and it really feels good in my head, body and legs so I think it's just alright to think of other things I guess... :-)

Just had a little talk with my mental coach and we planed for a reconnaissance around the lake the coming week. We will take our motorbikes all the way around the lake to check out all the roads and tracks. I don't want to think about stuff like that when running. We also want to check out all the spots where to rest and eat.

Well, I met on runner today when out with Elton. We Smiled and said Hello to each other :-)

Well, I hope the trainings is enough...

...and that I will stay healthy :-)
I know the #ELS-running will work though!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

18, 17 and 16 days left...

... and just coming home from the mountains and my personal running-camp again. Well, soon only two weeks left now and it's going to be very interesting. Do I really love running that much I want to run 140 miles...? I don't know but the only way to figure it out is... to try! :-)

18 days left:
Fixing with the trip up to the mountains again. Perfect place to get fit both physically and mentally. Had som to fix with today so there was no run but I did a little more than 60 miles of running last week so I'm not that worried. Rest is a part of the training and also very imported.

I got a nice map over the area at my birthday (thank's Family!) so instead I was planing tomorrows running. I have plans for 2 runs. One after lunch and one with my daughter Ingrid in the evening.
The first run will be a cool one so check out pics at "17 days left..." below :-)

When out walking the dogs. Quite a lovely place for running...

17 days left:
Working with some things at the house before lunch. Family went to Åre for some shopping but me and the dogs stayed home to load with energy and water for a great XC-run.

Allright, here we go! In the beginning I was running up the hill for to come to the start of my XC-run. In 2,37 miles I ran 1107 feet uphill. Well, it was a fun race because I met some funny dudes on the way up... ;-) Perhaps this is what one mean whit Hillbillies ;-)

Nice bridge... with a goats head...

A cool "Songbird"!
Check out his/hers headphones...

A big X-mas moose...

A fox starts a bunch of horses...

Two grouse! No, not the "famous" one...

A reindeer orchestra!

Working beavers!

Moore working beavers!

A beaver on a hunt with his dog...

Well, all these weird things in the woods turned out to be the children's "Wilderness Trail" when they go skiing downhill wintertime. There was some hidden speakers so there will be music, talk etc on their way down the slope. :-D

When I got up it was a teepee cafe there! Great but closed... ;-)

Then there was about 2 miles on wet bog and muddy trails. But no fear! It was so fun! One thing that's very important though. Especially when out all alone in the wilderness is to tell your friends exactly where to go and also stick to that plan. It's a little easier today when there are cell-phones but still bad things can happen. The weather change rather fast up here with fog, rain and wind. Even snow in the summer. Well, lot of things could be dangerous but still fun! :-)

Great wilderness to run in. Lot of nice views.
Still beautiful when cloudy though.

There was almost no trail to follow...
This is what I call FREERUN!

No trails, just marks to follow!

Yes, it was wet and muddy!
So much fun!

Sometimes there was great views...

Here's the trail-marks to follow.
Normally this is the winter-trail.

Down there is a milestone of todays run. then only 6-7 miles to go ;-)

When have been running those 2 miles I came to Ullådalen car park and found something really funny :-) A pair of shoes someone left or forgot... Strange! Well, I drank a little water and continued a 3,18 miles downhill running and I went down to 8:00-7:15 min/mile. Ok, not that fast you do not forget that I took pictures during the run too ;-)

The pair of shoes at the car-park in Ullådalen?!

Nice view...

On the way down from Ullådalen I saw the little teepee-café up in the mountains.
Hard to see but in the middle of the picture a little white dot...

Ingrid and Elton on the night races.
We went Easy, Light and Smooth!

16 days left:
Hard running yesterday so rest today but will ill run tomorrow again. Today I bought a new pair of downhill skis :-) Gonna be fun to test them when winter. Well, no I'm not longing for the winter but I like to ski. Both downhill and XC.

I stil have som planning and logistics to do before I start The Run around the lake. Have to talk again with those people who's going to help me with the run. I use to say: Well, I only have to run! Left, right, left, right... My friends that help me with all the logistics going to do the GREAT job I think!

Please dare to say Hello and Smile to the ones you met when out there... running! :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

19 days left...

... and today I was fixing with my new fence partly around the house and that really was good for my stiff muscles since yesterday. Work in the garden is a kind of active rest I'll say!

Well, after a day in the garden and a lovely dinner I went for a quite good run which is linked here. First 1-2 miles felt a little dicey but when warm it felt quite good. I ran just a little faster than #ELS-pace and at mile 4 I stopped to take a great pict over a nice view. It was a very nice weather and about 68F and sunny :-)

It was a very nice weather to run in today :-)
Here is after 4 miles running.

Same spot as above but to the left.
A part of the Big Lake that's going to be my friend for about 36 hours 19th July...

 I ran 7,47 miles in 1:04:33 h which is alright and a great pace for longer runs. Well, this week was pretty good in terms of miles; 60,02! It feels good and I've start to longing for the run. Crazy but the truth... :-)

Julia, my second daughter, at the little café bye the shore of The Great Lake.
A very nice place and quite cheap too ;-) 

Clock is 20:47 and still more than 3 hours left to sunset!
Well, the sun will rise again 03:00 and the day was 20:10 h long! :-)

Today I did only meet a couple of walkers when out running but we said Hello and Smiled a bit :-)

PS I will go upp to the mountains for 3 days tomorrow and therefore I have no Internet but will write a three-day story when coming home instead :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

20 days left...

... and todays two runs became just one. Instead I did run a morning-run for 23,52 miles in 4:02:10
Well, rather slow, some think, but that was the plan. Easy, Light and Smooth (#ELS)! The little thing today was instead I've got "Stiff Little Legs" (was thinking of the punk-group Stiff Little Fingers) Please, check them out here.

This is taken about 23:45 last night!
Not really the Midnightsun but very light though...

The weather before lunch was great! Not to cold and windy but sunny :-) I met some cyclists by the way and after about 12-13 km I also met a runner. We said hello and smiled to each other :-) I was running clockwise and he the other way.  I also passed by the spot where I will start The Run. Not really any feelings about it but I was thinking though...

When I've run half the way I stopped in the city and drank water and ate some flapjacks. Nice! When then start running home I met this other runner again! This time we said hello, smiled and laughed a bit! :-D

Well, on the way home I also got two calls on my iPhone I had to take, and therefore I had to walk a while. Over all the day of running was ok! Stiff, but ok!

A lot of cyclists and one runner was the meetings of today. Said Hello and Smiled to them and even a little laughter :-)

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun