Tuesday, 1 January 2013

198 days left...

... and finally me and Elton did take a rest from running. Well, we have not been running more than 6 days in arrow but the conditions like snow, wind, rain (!) etc has been quite tough. Also we did 46,66 miles in 8 days. Doesn't seems so much but it was no Easy, Light and Smooth running.

The feeling is absolutely alright in my body. My legs feels very good an full of strength :-) I have had some small things though. Like a little hurt in my back. Well, nothing really bad. Sometimes there can be pinched nerves but the best thing to do then is take it easy and some massage with my favorite salve called Hot`n´Cold, It's from the herb Aloe Vera.
I really like it since I had problems for about 2,5 years with one of my achilles tendon. In the beginning I couldn't run for more than a couple of 100 yards and then it hurt like... At the end of the 2,5 years I could run about 10 miles and then it hurt so much I had to rest for several days! My doctor told me to do some training and acupuncture to heal. Well, nothing helped so at last he wanted to give me some cortisone. I refused that because I'm not a intercessor of such things. I more like natural herbs, like the Aloe Vera for example.

I must also say I have been spared from injuries almost all through my years of running (knock on wood...). I mean since 1969 there almost only have been that problem with my achilles tendon I just wrote about.

On Twitter I wrote I don't do any New Year promises. I think this blog or my running diary is enough and a kind of working promise you could say.

Tomorrow me and Elton will go out there and run some miles again and of course I will write about it here. One thought I have sometimes is this: What I'm I going to do after 200 days from now? Perhaps a pleasant thought... We'll see about that in the future. Not now.

The sun that never goes down! Well, last summer at Nordkapp,
the most north point in the world (Norway)
where I was with some biker (MC) friends.

As usual, always try to find something You might laugh at... Even if it feels a little heavy sometime.

Easy, Light & Smooth!
/Flexirun

Monday, 31 December 2012

199 days left...

We did about 41,58 miles last week and perhaps needed some rest... Well, everything was fixed by 13:00 today for the New Year celebration (at home in peace and quiet). I played around with Elton and all he did was go fetching the harness... Looking at me with his bright eyes like telling me: -Come on Master! Know You wanna run! Come on... I couldn't resist him, as usual, so we went out for a 3,86 mile run. When coming home I ran a shorter run with Adam, the older dog. About 1,2 mile.

Today it's New Year and we celebrate it at home. Nothing big at all. Nice food some wine... Just taking it Easy,  Light and Smooth one could say :-)

All runners, friends, animals out there in the world:

THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR READING AND INSPIRING ME TO MY 140 MILE RUN! 

Happy New Year!

Elton and me hope You all will have a great New Year!


If You havn't smiled during 2012 please smile this last evening and then the rest of 2013! :-)

Easy, Light & Smooth!
/Flexirun

Sunday, 30 December 2012

200 days left now!

WOW! Celebration-time! Human is strange because we like to celebrate things like 10, 20, 30... 100 years old etc. So then, together with you dear runners (and others), I will celebrate this very day: 200 days left! Ok, that's it! Back to normal and todays bonus run. Really I wasn't supposed to run today. It was a rest day. One of those very important days in a runners life... Remember that!

Well, there was XC-ski again on TV today but I was up early with my dogs as usual. Eating breakfast and thinking of my day of from running... in about 1 hour. Then I told my wife: -Love! I feel great in my legs today so I think it's a bonus run around the corner! And I was off!

Recently I use my iPhone instead of my iPod when running. I use an app called Endomondo and I normally listen to the Gregorians when running. The music is quite suggestive with very nice songs (prays in latin). One favorite is this one (YouTube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqtYm8D6VFs Look at pictures below and listen to the music. Feel the thrill!

Today, after about 5 miles I stopped to speak with some friends. We talked a bit of my running and it was very nice. Inspiring! I really don't feel bad about stop and speak when I'm out running. Think that's one of those inspiring moments of mu runnings. Sometimes it's humans from different parts of my country (Sweden) and sometimes it's humans from other countries like the syrians I use to meet now and then. It also happens me an Elton see other animals like moose, deer, hare or foxes etc

 Sun is shining again and the temperature around 32-33F.
Icy roads today...

...so therefore these shoes where chosen!
They have spikes which can be replaced by new ones if needed.

 Two miles left and stormy weather is coming in with first rain then snow!

Today it was a great day! Absolutely no problem to smile... :-)
/Flexirun

Saturday, 29 December 2012

201 days left now...



... and today I really had time to think of what I'm supposed to do (The Run - 140 miles). While running today I had some funny thoughts about my running and why I do run. As usual I went up at 06:00 when the dogs wake me up. Ate my breakfast and checked out that todays Tour de Ski on TV begins 13:05. Well, I thought, lots of time left so perhaps Elton and I might run before TV.

My daughter Julia woke up to go to work and I saw the opportunity to follow her in the car to the city (about 8 miles). I changed and we took of to town. When getting off the car it was a very strong wind against me, started to snow and there was also 3-4 inches of snow that I have to run in. The conditions were really no good for running I thought.

After a mile or so I was warm but I really ave to struggle both physically and mentally. While running I did a great remark! Running in snow like this is quite similar to barefoot running summertime :-) The similarity lays in the way you run. Running in lot of snow in a ordinary stride and you will almost not come forward depending on the snowy/icy friction. You slipper! Instead you must take shorter steps and more of up and down with your legs. Like when running barefoot you have to run in a special way if you will not get hurt. It was an interesting thought and  "swish" I've ran a couple of miles :-)

When running today I also where thinking of why I'm running at all and especially as far as 140 miles! Well, to answer a question of why I'm running is something I have been trying to answer all my life. Ever since 1969 I think! Well, sometimes I think like this: -It is impossible to explain to someone who does not understand! Well, I could say it's nice, fun, I might live longer... etc and perhaps that's ok but still that's exactly what people suspect me to answer. When I instead say: -It's impossible to... people instead get interested and the questions are more thoughtful :-)

Well, after the horrible, but good, run I came home to see Tour de Ski. A very extreme XC-ski competition (Check out here: http://www.fiscrosscountry.com/place/tour-ski,19.html). A swede came in 2nd place today :-)

A picture directly from my TV of Tour de Ski 2013


Me a week ago when out on my 19,88 mile run :-)

Don't forget to smile even if it's hard out there! Goes less muscles to smile than to cry... That also means less energy!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun


Friday, 28 December 2012

202 days left and...

...I still feel confident with myself and my running. Sometimes I do feel a little: -What have I done! Why? Why I'm I writing this blog? Well, I've just waited for those thoughts. If such thoughts doesn't show up it means you're a psychopathic! I'm not a lunatic like that. I'm just a human that likes to run. Ok, I can agree it's a bit crazy to run 140 miles in about 36-48 hours, or something, but what drives a man/female to do crazy things no one believes in but you? Well, all of human inventions I would say... There's always gonna be people doing things no one would believe in and perhaps I'm one of those. I don't know nor don't care!

Today I really felt awful and didn't want to run but Elton got me out there. Thank's Elton! We did our miles between 7-12 min depending a little on Elton... ;-) and believe me. It just went better and better. We didn't run that far but 4,79 miles will do. Give you some pics from todays walk (then run) with my dogs.

 Just a nice view...
 The Homestead of my village. An old Captain housing.
 Old lodge made of log. Think of living like...
After my and Elton's run. Cozy fire and a cup of coffee...

Well, I did smile a lot to day. Did you?

Easy, Light & Smooth!
/Flexirun

Thursday, 27 December 2012

203 days left to The Run...

I feel a little stiffness in my legs today. Nothing that bothers me much because that's how the body works. Sometimes when you feel tired and heavy just rest or do something else. Perhaps just a recovery run in a very slow and motivated speed. Often when running a bit, a mile or so, it always feel much better. Both in your body and in your brain. Now it'a a very cozy feeling :-)

Below you can see pics of how fast the weather might chance here. We went for a long walk with our dogs Adam (10 yrs) and Elton (8yrs). The weather was perfect and it was very nice. When we came home we did some coffee and sandwiches. I was looking out the window and the weather has changed. If you're up in the mountains it really could be dangerous so it is very important to listen to the radio and  also rely on your experience. The more you're out there the more experience you got... Always be humble towards nature and it's a paradise.

When out with the dogs the weather was like this...

...about 30 min later it was cloudy and snowing!

Well, today I went to the city to cut Elton´s claws (to long) and then we went to buy lobster for New Year. When coming home me and Elton changed and went out for a 5,87 miles. Felt awful before run and awesome afterward :-) Today my thoughts goes to all those people who can't run like me and don't feel as good as me... Hope I might inspire them!

Today I was a little tired but there are 3 more hours to smile in!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

204 days left...

...and I struggle on almost every day. Today I was running with my daughter Ingrid again. It was a little tougher than it used to be. Yesterday I ran two times. One 4,89 mi plus one 6,21 i. For me it was ok to run "only" 4,24 mi today. Guess there will be a longer run tomorrow.

Just because of the little harder run today and that we where tired I throw myself in the snow, like our dogs do, when coming home. As I use to say: "Smile! Don't ever forget to smile!" I got Ingrid to laugh a bit.
 Me after todays run

                                     2012-09-30                          2012-12-26 (same spot 3 month later)

Well, a short blog this time but hope I make some smiles out there!

Easy, Light and Smooth!
/Flexirun