A Runner's Story

First step towards becoming a runner again

2011-09-20T22:48:00.001+02:00

It has almost been one year since my last post on my blog. A year of struggling and realizing I might not be a runner anymore. After my last post I had a period where I managed to start running 3 times every week, I even managed to get a point where I could run approx 12 - 15 km.

At New Year I participated in the yearly race in Odense in the slowest time I've ever run this race, but I finished it. BUT shortly after I got a severe setback; during a training on a treadmill on Malta in January, I got a sharp pain right under my knee shell. Despite a longer break I decided to seek medical help

Last autumn I got a message from my medical doctor that I was just getting old, and should expect to live with the challenges I had. And since my training results improved during November and December, I decided to try to train as good as it was poosible. As long as I didn't have any pain, it was good for my health.

But now I had pain and no matter how much rest I gave it, I could not run longer than 1 km. So I had to get some help from a chiropractor.

After a couple of months of treatment without result, he ordered a MR-scan. Unfortunately it showed that I last Summer got a really severe injury playing soccer, right before my marathon from Slagelse to Skælskør. And this injury probably mean that I will never be able to run long distances again!!

Wow - I have always considered myself as a runner, but now it was like part of my identity was removed right away. It took me a couple of weeks to digest this information.

But I had to restart my "career", I just had to figure out, what kind of career... I have always wanted to do a full Ironman, so my decision to buy a racing bike was an obvious path.

So I took the decision to not run for 3 months to see if my knee would heal, and instead bike all summer.

And now I am at the point where I will start run a little again, to see if I can restart the part of my identity I call a "runner"

Improving...

2010-10-01T20:33:00.000+02:00

2.8K - still in pace 8min per K ... and no problems after soccer practice this week... :-)

Small victory - but it feels great..

2010-09-22T17:48:00.000+02:00

Sunday I ran 4.2K with my youngest daugther (42 min) and I have not problems with my knee afterwards..

So yesterday I took a chance and ran 2K slowly and still no problems...

Don't know if I should be glad or worried, but it did create some optimisme

Great race .... again!!

2010-09-19T22:19:00.000+02:00

When you get older, you get wiser. You learn from your actions and mistakes. Today I learned something important - I CANNOT just watch a marathon as a supporter !!

Today, for the 11. time, H.C. Andersen Marathon took place in Odense. Perfect conditions - 12C, overcast, and almost no wind. And I must admit when the started the race at 10am, I felt like I was in the wrong place.

My neighbour started in his first marathon and he did a great job, and finished in 3h51m - a great time - Congratulations!!

But he was not the only one - Raymond Kiplagat Kandie finished in amazing 2h10m42s - one of the fastest marathon times ever run in Scandinavia. It was great to see him run the last lap on Odense Atletik Stadion.

In general a lot of good performances today - and I am pretty sure there were many personal victories.

My kids participated again this year in the MiniMarathon (4.2K) - all of them did a great performance, and I think they all had a great day. At least I think they'll have a good day tomorrow when they bring their medal and diploma to school :-)

BUT all the time I felt in the wrong place - something was missing. Being tired, the feeling of victory, the thought why you are doing this?, and the saticfaction of well executed training and competition.

PS Status of injury: doctor believes she has found out what it is - and that it can be solved with a simple surgery - lets hope that will be the case.. I ran the 4.2K together with my youngest daugther (in 42 mins :-) ) but I don't feel a thing and my knee is not swollen.. maybe I can start in the small now..

So I did it

2010-08-27T16:20:00.000+02:00

... something I thought I would never have to do. I have postponed my participation in HCA Marathon and Grenå 6 hours until next year.

For some reason I feel guilty. I am not really sure why, but I have a feeling there is something I have to do. I'd really like to put on my running shoes - and take 12 K around the lake.

But my knee have another opinion of this. I still have no pain, it is swollen and doesn't feel right. I am sure I could run, but I fear it will just get worse. So I contacted my medical doctor again, and now we will try x-ray and scanning. I rellay hope it is a quick fix. .. and I am sure my wife hopes for this as well..

When I get back I will start build it up slowly, and I think the reward for a starting again, should be a new GPS watch, so I can track all the parameters :-)

Trying....

2010-08-24T17:38:00.000+02:00

Motivation to come back to run is super high - ironic, when you can't run, the motivation increases. My injury is still a challenge and I probably have to realize that I will not be able to participate in HCA Marathon this year. It is simply to risky.

After medication I have tried slowly to build up the strength in my knee, but unfortunately it is still challenging me. And I probably have to get some medical assistance again.

I really miss running again, so I do hope that I can get this fixed....

Frustration

2010-08-10T22:36:00.000+02:00

This must be the word that summarizes the last couple of weeks. After a slow build-up of running again, I got rid of the pain in my left knee. Actually it feels great.

BUT sometimes (almost once every day) my knee gets very swollen. And to my knowledge, with no reason. And then running becomes almost impossible.. Funny thing is that I have no pain.

So I went to see a specialist today - she claims I have an inflamation in my knee and I got some medicin to remove it. And no running and exercise for the next 10 days... *sign*

So my HCA MT is in danger. I am not in a great shape anymore and with only a month to start, I am probably looking at running/walking at a very slow pace. I still do intend to do the race - it is the 9th race in a row, so I'd would really like to continue to be there.. Even if it means I will have to do a time around 4.5hrs.

Small progress

2010-07-14T19:04:00.000+02:00

After my last marathon I've has some challenges with my left knee, and I have not been able to run. Very frustrating and depressing. I think you can write an entire book about the psykological mecanisme inside a active individual forced to be doing as little as possible. Hopefully they will insert a chapter how you overcome the depressing feeling you get.

Almost a month has passed - and with small improvements every day. Sunday I dared to bike 25K with success. Yesterday I put on my running shoes and went for 2 laps of 430 meters. From 42195 meters to 430 meter in 1 month. But it went pretty well - I could still feel the injury, but there was no pain. And the today again 25K on my bike. Still no pain, but my knee feels weak.

So over the next couple of week I will increase the number of kilometers and hopefully it will be back soon.

I have paid entry fee for HCA Marathon and Grenå 6 hours, so here is my motivation for getting back in the game. But I think I will have to reevaluate my year objective to set new PR on MT and 6 hours.

Small anniversary in Skælskør

2010-06-20T19:18:00.001+02:00

A new marathon day - Storebælt Naturmarathon - suppose to be one of the most beautiful marathon's in Denmark, and it is. After only 5K we passed the higest point with a magnificent view over a large part of West Zealand. And hereafter we passed many many beautiful points where it would have been easy to spend a lazy Sunday Afternoon. But for some reason it was more important to sweat, feel the pain and the heat to finsh the 42K.

The preparation for the race was far from perfect. After Copenhagen MT I have had some challenges with my knees and back - somehow I think it is related - so I only managed to train perfectly for one week, where I ran approx 50K in short distances and with high speed. But since my knees and back were still a challenge I did not have great expectation. Actually I just wanted finish the 42K in the least painfull way and with no objective on time.

The race started from the town square in Slagelse. Approx 140 runners in sunny weather. Quickly after start we managed to form a group of 10-12 runners with a pace of 4:40-4:45 per K. Somehow faster than I expected, but the pace really felt nice and relaxing. Almost until ½ marathon we managed to stay together, which was great.

Peer, my training partner from Sorø, entered the race 31K before the finish line and followed the group as well. But the pace was high and we decided to fall back. I think this was good strategy - and later in the race it paid off. (Thank you Peer! - I think it eventually save my race)

After passing ½ marathon I was approx 1 min after the group, but now it seemed some of the runners ran slower, so the group was split, and they began to run in various paces. I could now start to catch up with them, one by one. Great strategy, mentally it was great to overtake them one by one. And by 9K to the finish line I passed the fastest of the runners in the group, and I really had mental surplus.

The last ½ marathon was definately the toughest. Many small tracks with sand, graval path, forest tracks, and very little paved road. And I must admit the last 5K started to be a mental challenge, and on top of this, my left knee started to challenge me. But somehow I got through it, without loosing a lot of time. The last hill: Møllebakken (The Mill Hill) of 15 heightmeters was a tough challenge, and I praised the water supply just on the top of the hill. Hereafter it was almost downhill to the finish line to a great reception in the finish area.

Finish time: 3h28m09s - (Marathon #20), only 1 min slower than Copenhagen Marathon. The race today was executed well, but I think it proofed my CPH MT time to be slow. The course today was definately much tougher and the weather a lot warmer, so CPH MT should have been faster.

Mental note for myself: remember to bring sunglasses when the weather forecast say "sun"

First run in FiveFingers

2010-05-26T14:35:00.006+02:00

Today I did my first run in almost bare feet - 3.5K - with an average of 4m45s per K. Not fast, not slow, but I must admin it was an eye-opener.

Only 3 days after my marathon, I am still a little tired - but I wanted to do my first run to get started again. And why not try something new. I am currently in the midst of reading "Born To Run" - an excellent book about running and why we run.

A fair amount of the book talks about bare-foot running - and I must admit the idea is appealing. So I have borrowed a pair of 5-finger-Vibrams from one of my friends to test if I should incorporate a "feet-strengthening" module to minimize risk of injuries.

Goosh, they look stupid - almost like monkey feet - I was a bit concerned about the comfort and if your toes would be hurt after a longer run.

But they feel very comfortable and it was actually a great experience to run without traditional running shoes.

I definitely understand when Bare-Foot Ted says that you are more present and focused when running without shoes.

The first 10 mins I focused very much on running "correctly" to make sure I did not hurt my feet. This was very tough to run this way, so I started to relax more and find a good rhythm. I had decided not to run very far to push my legs further after the marathon. But I will definitely try to run a longer run (7-10K) to experience the feeling of running more naturally and relaxed.

But I can only recommend every runner who want to try another running experience to put on the Five-Fingers and go for a short run - it is a new experience.

Copenhagen Marathon 2010

2010-05-24T16:31:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I finished CPH MT 2010 in 3h26m58s - a little disappointing result, but after a Spring with a lot of disappointments, I think the result is pretty fair. And today I am OK, and is considering to do a small training pass later tonight to see if I can recover quicker.

CPH MT had a new route this year - the marathon has grown to 12500 participants, and they has to find a new starting and finishing area to hold all these runners and spectators. So they redesigned the route and with fair amount of success - there was a couple of sharp 90 and 180 degree corners, but we passed more beautiful areas and tourist attractions and there was definitely more people cheering along the route. The latter could have been due to better weather this year. So all in all Sparta had done a good job in planning this race. Looking forward to next years race - and if you are considering to do a marathon, CPH MT should be on your consideration list.

One of my friends decided a couple of days ago to start in this year's race - she has not been practicing for the marathon specifically, but she is in good shape, so I had good faith she would make it. And she did a great race. Finished in 4h08m and ran a negative split - very impressive for a runner not used to these long distances - I must mention, it is her second marathon, but the last one was 10 years ago. Very impressive - Congratulations Lone !!

Next big event is going to be Storebælt Naturmarathon (http://www.naturmaraton.dk/) on June 20th.

Barefoot running

2010-05-22T19:33:00.010+02:00

My neighbour came over some time ago with a book on running: "Born To Run" - he was very hyped about this book and said that I had to read it. Normally I never get very enthusiastic about books recommend by a lot of people - I tend to get disappointed when read these books.

But I must admit that I did get inspired by this book - first by the many interesting people the book describes - runners that are not motivated by money or prestige - runners motivated by the challenge and the search for the "right way" of running and living.

Secondly I found the aspect of barefoot running very interesting. The concept is very appealing. and in the last couple of days I've spend a little time to investigate and get wiser on the subject.

My own experience is that in the past 5-6 years where I've been running, I have been fortunate not to have any serious injuries - only smaller pains in knees, thigh, and feet. But nothing I have not be able to cure by not running as intense for a limited period, and nothing that has prevented me from running a planned race.

But I have had an increased concern about my selection of shoes and running style. In the beginning I ran in "neutral" shoes, but has to select Asics Gel Kayano (slight pronation) and I have a suspicion that I have to select a shoe with more pronation. If something gets worse, it is not a lasting solution. Barefoot running is suppose to strengthen your feet and legs to a more natural running style where heal-landing is not an option and where you run more like fore-foot runners.

It is definitely something I will try to explore over the next couple of months - so if there is anybody out there with some experience or want to try the same, please reply to me, so we can share experience.

By coincidence I found that Bare-Foot Ted is running at Copenhagen Marathon tomorrow - It would be great to have a talk with him tomorrow if possible. But with 13.000 runners at the start line, it is probably not going to be likely.. :-)

Sometimes it just doesn't go as planned

2010-03-14T19:51:00.001+01:00

Today I ran Nike Marathon Test 2 in Copenhagen - the plan was to run at 4:00 pace per K through the entire 15K. I had a really good preparation in January and February where I felt I actually should have run a new PR at Nike Marathon Test .1, but only due to weather conditions has to settle with a slower time.

But end of February and March have been horrible. The weather has been bad, but my work has required a lot of me, and I have had to (normally something I never do) cancel training passes to be manage work.

So when I was at the start line for 15K, I felt uncertain if I had set a too ambitious goal. The first 5K went well - I followed the 4:00min/K pacers for the first 5K - but hereafter I started to get in trouble. I had to slow down to "recover" a little bit, and the next 5K was very tough.

In the last 5K I managed to get to 4:15min/K, but I had lost too much and ended at 1:04:00 for 15K. (Goal: 1:00:00). 4 mins might sound very little, but it is actually a lot, so I am disappointed with my performance.'

I hope I will manage to increase my training effort over the next couple of month so I can still go for 3hrs at Copenhagen Marathon.

Somehow an empty feeling

2010-02-07T20:56:00.000+01:00

Today I entered the Nike Marathon Test 1 (10K) in Copenhagen with an objective to run below 40 mins. Unfortunately we have had, for the first time in many years, a real winter in Denmark - lots of snow and ice. The volunteers at the race had done a great job "cleaning up" the track - but due to the weather conditions it was only an estimated track length and there was some uncertainty about the track length except it was for certain longer than 10K.

I felt ok today - the last two exercises had been discouraging, but I felt good, and I has a healthly portion of adrenaline in my body when the race started. The first 5K went well - I was a little disappointed with the 4min pacers, we ran 10 secs behind schedule on every kilometer, so at 5K we were approx 30 sec behind a schedule to finish at 40mins.

But then the pacers started to increase the speed, and I started have a real challenge keeping the pace. And after 6.5K I slowly had to let them go. I had hoped for a little more fighting spririt, but I just couldn't find it.

After 10K I finished in 41m54s - 1 whole min slower than my New Year race - really disappointing.

But I was not the only one - a large majority of runners had slower finishing time than expected. Probably due to the track conditions (still slippery and a lot of snow) and then the "uncertainty" about the track length.

So there was probably something about it, but it is not an excuse.. I want to run faster, so I have to continue and next goal is Nike Marathon Test 2 (15K) in 1h01m - real challenging considering I can't run 10K in 40 mins.

After today I am left with an empty feeling of not knowing if I did run faster than my clock said and did a good job, or I totally failed today.. Well I have to continue and hopefully when the snow melts and we get some better running conditions and a new race is on the schedule, I will know a little more.. until then:

"The triumph can't be had without the struggle.” (Wilma Rudolph)

Set on Fire

2010-01-22T09:19:00.000+01:00

What a tough day! It actually started peacefully with 4K (4min pace) on a treadmill in Berlin. After breakfast I checked my mobile and I had received a text message from my good friend, running mate and colleague where he stated that he had finished Dubai Marathon in 3h07m25s .. D… 1m15s faster than my PR on marathon. Quite impressive – his second marathon (the first done in approx 3h40m) and already close to 3 hours.

But then I had to listen to all my colleagues taunting me about his result for a whole day – and even our CEO announced on his company-wide session, pointing at me, that he was sure I was up for the challenge.

The sad thing is he is right – I am set on fire. I want a new PR on marathon – and this time it has to be under 3 hours !!

And on the road there I want to set PR’s on 10K, 15K, 21.1K – and if I can keep free of injuries, I want to hold it and run more than 70K at the 6 hours endurance race in Grenå. And, and, and..

Tomorrow is the first day…

Objective 2010

2009-12-31T17:13:00.000+01:00

First, I would like to state that from now on, this blog is going to be in English – some of my running buddies are not necessarily fluent in Danish (even though we try to teach them), so I thought they should have a chance to read my blog.

After the 6 hours endurance I felt de-motivated for about 3 weeks - I could not find any motivation in running, and the few training passes I had, was mainly with friends (Thank you Peer and Claus!).

But today I found the objective for 2010: I want to set a new PR on marathon. The main attempt will be in May in Copenhagen – I know they have planned a new course which is normally for me not a good thing (I always want to know how far to the goal line). But I usually feel were well in this race – the weather is normally not too warm and the “short streets” makes it easy to run to the next corner and then go on..

I found the objective today when I ran Odense Nytårsløb (New Year race) – a 10K race in the middle of Odense. My prep has for obvious reasons not been optimal – I felt slow because of the many kilometers from the endurance race. On the day the course was icy, the temp was below 0C and I didn’t feel that good (probably too much food over Christmas)

But the 1K I did in 4min, then next in 3:45 which really surprised me, as I had not run any training kilometers in this pace. I had a little problem at 4K where the course became very slippery and there was a lot of snow (and I got a little tired) where I ran 4:23. But else I managed to run the remaining kilometers around 4:10-4:15 and finished in 40:56. 5 seconds from my PR of 40:51. Surprise!!

It was a real motivator to lock the objective of 2010 to be a new PR on marathon. The first sub-goal is run at least a new PR (preferably under 40 mins) at Nike Marathon Test 1 in Copenhagen on Feb 7th (10K)

And then run both Nike Marathon Test 2 +3 (15K and 21.1K) and BT Halv-marathon (21.1K). And in one of the ½MTs try to get in at around 1h25m – optimistic goals, but I think I need to do that and loose approx 5 kg to get to a stage where it is possible to beat my own PR.

Tomrum

2009-12-13T18:06:00.000+01:00

Lige så fantastisk som det var at løbe Grenå, lige så tomt har det være her efterfølgende. Man har brugt en masse energi på at planlægge, træne og tænke på lørdag d. 21 november hvor man vidste at dette var årets store løbebegivenhed - og nu her bagefter - ingenting.

Jeg løber kun på motionsplan, men føler alligevel at jeg tager det rimeligt seriøst - dog ikke på samme måde som elitesportsfolk. Men jeg tror alligevel godt at jeg ved hvad det vil sige, når elitefolk snakker om et vacuum efter store sportsbegivenheder ?

I mit sidste indlæg skrev jeg at der nok dukkede et nyt mål i horisonten inden længe, men jeg må indrømme at denne gang har det været lidt svært.. - skal jeg prøve et nyt forsøg på 6 timer ? skal jeg endnu engang forsøge at løbe under 3 timer på MT ? eller.. ?

November/December plejer at være der hvor jeg planlægger næste løbeår - men jeg syntes ikke at der er nogen events, der tiltrækker mig min opmærksomhed. Nå, men jeg har givet migsel til efter jul at finde ud af hvilke event jeg vil løbe i 2010.

Grenå 6 timer

2009-11-24T08:30:00.001+01:00

(English version)
Lad mig først lige slå én ting fast – bagefter er det en fantastisk følelse: at have planlagt, trænet og herefter gennemført 67 km og en sjat på 6 timer – næsten på højde med at få børn og blive gift. Følelsen af sejr gennemsyrer hver eneste fiber i kroppen og man har mest lyst til at fortælle hele verden om oplevelsen. I lørdags var det dog ikke kun mig, der havde det fantastisk. 110 andre stillede til start, og det var fantastisk at være en del af løbet – og selvom løb er en meget individuel sport, så er sammenholdet og samhørigheden stor blandt løbere, hjælpere og tilskuere. Så derfor først og fremmest en stor tak til alle hjælpere, tilskuere, og medløbere – det var en uforglemmelig oplevelse.

I lørdags stillede jeg til start i mit første ultraløb - 6 timer. Målet var 65 km (22 omgange) og strategien var klar, samme tempo som til HCA Marathon på de første 42 km og så skulle der være næsten 6 min per km i resten af løbet.

Vejret var perfekt til løb – 10 grader, næsten vindstille og delvist overskyet. Ruten var en 3075m rundstrækning, og hvor man passerede igennem mål-teltet efter hver omgang til registrering, opmuntring og forsyninger. Ruten var flad (største stigning var 1½ meter – hurtigt døbt: Mount Ventoux) og på asfalt, sti og skovbund.

Starten gik kl 9:30 – og ifølge planen skulle det gå med tempo 4:50 til og med omgang 7 (indtil 21,5 km), dvs jeg skulle passere mål-teltet efter 1t44m. Ingen problemer her, og heldigvis fik jeg taget den planlagt føde og væske til mig, hvilket jeg tror i sidste ende reddede mit løb. Jeg ville også have været bekymret hvis jeg allerede her havde fået problemet.

De næste 8 omgange skulle gennemføres i tempo 5:08, så jeg skulle passere mål-teltet efter omgang 15 i tiden 3t50m – det gik også ganske udmærket. Jeg havde i princippet ikke nogen fysiske kriser, så jeg kom ind ca 2-3 min før planlagt. Men da jeg havde passeret maraton begyndte jeg at få problemer med maven. Gel-portionerne og vandet begyndte at ”gære” godt i maven og jeg tog et par omgange uden at tage noget til mig. Det kunne selvfølgelig ikke holde i længden, og så gjorde jeg noget som jeg normalt altid plejer at fraråde alle andre fra: at eksperimentere. Jeg har aldrig drukket cola på nogen træningsture, men lidt i panik over at jeg ikke kunne fortsætte med gel og vand, begyndte jeg at drikke cola og spise bananer.

De sidste ”planlagte” 7 omgange skulle så være nemmere – jeg havde give mig selv ca. 6 min per km. Da jeg passerede 15 omgange begyndte jeg at skulle kæmpe for at holde mig i gang (det var vel også forventet på dette tidspunkt). Men samtidig med at maven gav problemer, måtte jeg finde på et eller andet, der kunne holde mig i gang. Så jeg begyndte at gå 1-3 min lige efter mål-teltet for at synke cola og banen ordentligt, og så løb jeg i relativt højt tempo herfra rundt til mål-teltet igen. Det fungerede perfekt, runde efter runde blev ædt på denne måde.

40 min fra afslutningen begyndte officials at uddele en stafetpind, vi skulle lægge på det sted vi stod, når slutsignalet lød. Da jeg passerede mål næstsidste gang fik jeg tilbudt en pind, men valgte at sige ’nej tak’ for at presse migselv til at tage yderligere en omgang. Det gav mig et ordentlig boost af adrenalin at vide at jeg, trods begyndende kramper i benene, skulle løbe én omgang mere for at få de kilometer med i regnskabet. Og da jeg passerede mål-teltet d. 21. gang var jeg temmelig høj. Der manglede kun 11 min, så jeg vidste at jeg ikke kunne nå en hel omgang. Men jeg droppede colaen og ”spurtede” ud på sidste omgang. På grænsen af total krampe fik jeg kæmpet mig til yderligere 2.5 km, og jeg lå faktisk til sidst og løb om kap med én af de bedre løbere i feltet. Fantastisk fornemmelse at man spurter efter næsten 6 timers løb!

Da signalet for løbets afslutning lød, var det en fantastisk varm fornemmelse. Og jeg måtte igen kæmpe med ”Runner’s high”. Tanken om familien, at det var overstået, trætheden og adrenalinen var næsten for meget, og lige pludselig er man ved at stå at tude ude i en skov på Djursland.

Men det var fantastisk at gå tilbage sammen med de andre løbere – sige tillykke til de andre – og i det hele taget komme ”hjem” til mål-teltet. Og da Peer havde været rundt med måleapparatet, viste trip-tælleren: 67,165 km og en placering som nr. 15. Wow – en smule mere end forventet, og benene var egentligt ikke så meget mere ømme end ved en maraton..

Nu må jeg lige restituere et par dage, og så begynder et nyt ”projekt” nok at spøge i horisonten.

Grenå 6 hours Endurance Race

2009-11-24T08:24:00.004+01:00

Let me say one thing first - after the race it was an incredible feeling: the planning, the training, and executing a race of more than 41 miles in 6 hours is almost as good as getting kids and get married. The feeling of victory runs through your body and you just feel like sharing it with the rest of the world. But it wasn’t only me who last Saturday felt fantastic. Together with 110 runners we managed to get through 6 hours, and even though running is a very individual sport, the team spirit between runners, volunteers and spectators made it an incredible and unforgettable experience.

Last Saturday I participated in my first endurance race of 6 hours. The objective was 40.4 miles (22 laps) and the strategy was clear. Same pace as HCA Marathon for the first 27 miles and then I would have almost 9:30 min per mile for the last 13+ miles.

The weather was perfect for running – 50F, no wind, and partly overcast. The course was 3363 yards to be completed as many times as possible. The tent at the start/finishing area was the central point for registration, encouragement from the volunteers and supplies. The course was flat (highest climb was 1.6 yards, quickly named: Mount Ventoux) and paved and gravel paths.

We started at 9:30am – and according to my strategy I should run with pace 7:44 per mile for the first 7 laps (13.4 miles), meaning I should pass the tent the 7 th time at 1h44m. No problems experienced, and I managed to eat and drink according to my schedule which I believe eventually saved my race. I would have been worried if I would have any problems in this part of the race.

The next 8 laps were scheduled to be done in pace 8m21s per mile, so I should pass the tent after 15 rounds in 3h50m – it happened. I had practically no serious issues, so I passed 2-3 mins before the plan. But when I passed the marathon mark (27 miles) I started getting problems with my stomach. The gel-energy and water started to not want to stay where it should and I did a couple of laps without eating anything. That was not a doable situation, so I did something I always discourage other runners from doing in a competition: to experiment. I have never used cola in any of my training exercises, but in a mild state of panic, I started drinking cola and eat bananas.

The remaining ”planned” 7 laps should be easier – I had given myself the freedom to run a pace of 9:40 per mile. When I passed 15 laps, I started to have to struggle to keep myself going (probably expected at this time in the race). And I continued to have challenges to eat and drink. Whatever I did, it wanted to get up again. So I started to walk 1-3 mins while drinking my cola and eating, and then run in a relative high pace for the remaining lap back to the tent. It worked and lap after lap I got closer and closer to my goal

40 mins from the end, the officials started distributing tokens with our racing numbers – to be placed on the ground when the finishing signal sounded. When I passed the starting line the second last time, they offered me the token, but I refused forcing me to run pretty fast to get to the starting line again and get it. It gave me an enormous boost of adrenalin to know that I, despite beginning muscle cramps in thighs and calfs, had to get back to the starting line to get the token to get my result. And when I passed the starting line for lap 22 I was pretty high on andrenalin. There was still 11 mins left, so I knew I was not able to finish the lap. I ran straight through the tent without any treatment and “sprinted” toward the last lap. On the edge of total shutdown I managed to run additional 1.6 miles, and at the end I paced with one of the better runners. Fantactic feeling to be sprinting to give absolutely everything after 6 hours of running!

When they sounded the finishing signal, I was just overwhelmed with a warm feeling, and I had again to fight against “runner’s high” . The thought of my family, finishing, fatigue and the adrenaline was almost too much, and all of sudden you find almost find yourself sobbing in a forest in a remote part of Denmark.

It was fantastic to walk back together with the other runners – congratulating, sharing war stories – and in general just getting ”home” to the tent at the finishing line. When the final result became public, it showed: 41.734 miles - Wow – a little more than expected, and my legs didn’t feel worse than after a marathon.

So, a couple of days of rest and then I am sure a new "project" starts to materialize.

Nervøsitet

2009-11-18T17:01:00.004+01:00

Så er der 3 dage til årets store løbe-udfordring: Grenå 6 timer. Jeg kan godt mærke at nu begynder ”uroen” over at kaste sig ud i noget som man ikke har nogen ide om man kan gennemføre.

I mandags måtte jeg skrive min løbs-strategi ned i et Excel doc for at visualisere hvad det er jeg skal på lørdag – bare for at få lidt ro på og for at forsikre mig selv om at det ikke lyder uoverkommeligt. Hidtil har jeg bare haft den i hovedet, men da jeg begyndte at udregne omgangstider og ½ MT tider, så lød det pludseligt mere overkommeligt. Ikke at jeg er fuldstændig uden nervøsitet nu, men det er da bedre.

Så om 3 dage er målet at løbe 65 km – umiddelbart lyder det ikke så langt, når man forsøger at berolige sig selv med at man mange gange før har løbet 42 km, men alligevel er der en vis uro for hvad der sker efter 42 km. Jeg håber at mad/drikke strategien vil give pote, og at jeg dermed vil have et vist overskud når jeg passerer 42 km- ellers bliver det lange 23 km til sidste

Efterhånden har jeg også fortalt det til alle jeg kender, så jeg håber at når jeg står ude på ruten på lørdag at jeg kan huske at jeg ikke vil tabe ansigt til alle disse mennesker ved ikke at gennemføre de 65 km. Det burde være en god motivationsfaktor til at fortsætte når hjernen prøver at overbevise mig om noget andet.

Demotiveret

2009-10-02T15:48:00.001+02:00

Motivation er en mærkelig størrelse. I går skulle jeg løbe et tempo pas (18K med 4:45 per K). Normalt et pas som med den nuværende form ikke er noget jeg kommer sovende til. Det er dog heller ikke et træningspas, hvor jeg løber mig helt ud.

Jeg kom først afsted kl 20 i går aftes, og det var koldt og mørkt, og motivationen for at gennemføre passet var absolut ikke ret stor. Men efterhånden ved jeg at efter træningspasseet, så pumper adrenalinen og det giver et dejligt kick. Så jeg tog afsted alligevel.

Tæt på mit startpunkt mødte jeg min nabo på vej hjem - og jeg må sige at efter at have snakket med ham, så var min motivation til at løbe absolut på et nulpunkt. Nå, men jeg blev enig med mig selv om at løbe i et "mageligt" tempo og bare "nyde" turen.

Den første K blev tilbagelagt på 4:30 - 15 sek hurtigere end målet. Det blev jeg lidt overrasket over, da jeg ikke følte at jeg på nogen måder pressede migselv. Jeg blev enig med mig selvom bare at fortsætte i det tempo indtil jeg blev træt- og så bare se hvad det blev til ..

Og det gik godt - jeg løb 1:21:14 for de 18K (gns: 4:31 per K) altså væsentlig hurtigere end planlagt. Det var ikke så ringe, og jeg havde det super bagefter.

Key learning: Uanset hvor demotiveret og træt man er, så løb den planlagt tur. Den efterfølgende "optur" bliver det større, når "motivationsudganspunkt" er helt i bund.

2009-09-26T21:09:00.004+02:00

Ind imellem får man nogen spooky oplevelser med motion - i onsdags trænede jeg en flok målmænd i den lokale fodboldklub. På en eller anden måde må jeg have knækket en negl på den ene tå. Torsdag aften opdager jeg den blå negl, og beslutter mig for at prikke hul på den. Ingen større dramatik eller smerte.

Men da jeg står op fredag morgen er neglen rigtig øm, og jeg kan straks mærke at dagens træningspas er i fare. Trods store smerter med bare at tage løbeskoen på, beslutter jeg mig for at jeg højest kan få mere ondt, hvis jeg gennemfører træningspasset på 2 x 5 km og styrketræning.

Den første km er meget smertefuld - det er næsten så der presser sig en tåre på - men jeg fortsætter, og efterhånden bedøves tåen mere og mere, og efterfølgende løber jeg uden smerte. Træningspasset gennemføres uden problemer.

Efterfølgende forventer jeg så at tåen skal vågne op igen og tage revanche - men intet sker.. ?? Nu er der gået 36 timer og ingen reaktion.. !! Spooky

HCA Marathon 2009

2009-09-21T22:36:00.001+02:00

For 8. gang stillede jeg i søndags op til HCA Marathon - denne gang med en ambition om at gennemføre på nemmeste måde. D. 21. november skal jeg løbe 6 timers løb i Grenå, så jeg vil gerne fortsætte træningsprogrammet hurtigst muligt efter at have passeret målstregen. Så ambitionen var at løbe efter en tid mellem 3:30 og 3:45 - ca 15-30 min langsommere end Copenhagen Marathon i år. Det skulle gerne give lidt mindre ømme ben.

I år var det 10 år siden Torben Simonsen tog initiativ til at starte HCA Marathon (Tillykke Torben!! - arrangementet er kun blevet bedre og bedre med alderen), og man må sige at vejret i den grad var i fødselsdagsstemning - udsigten til 23 grader og høj sol er ikke ligefrem øverst på marathon-løberens ønskeseddel. Men med et par erfaringer fra varmere oplevelser i bagagen, så følte jeg mig sikker på, at jeg nok skulle komme igennem.

Løbet består af to omgange á ca 21 km (se nærmere beskrivelse i Tor Rønnow's glimrende foto dokumentar her). Strategien var at løbe på 5:00 min per km i første halvdel af løbet, og så sænke tempoet til omkring 5:20 min per km på anden halvdel.

Første omgang gik ganske udemærket - løb hele tiden med overskud, og selvom jeg konstant mentalt bremsede mig selv, så løb jeg alle km 5-15 sekunder hurtigere end strategien. Umiddelbart var det ikke bekymrende, da overskuddet føltes stort.

På anden omgang begyndte varmen at have indflydelse på det konstante tempo - og efter 25 km kunne jeg mærke at det blev hårdere at holde tempoet. Jeg besluttede mig for at sænke tempo til 5:00 min per km. Efter 35 km begyndte det igen at blive rigtigt hårdt og jeg sænkede tempoet yderligere, og de sidste kilometer var tempoet ikke ret højt, selvom jeg fortsatte med at løbe. Det beviser bare endnu engang at man skal disponere mental og fysisk energi til efter de 30 km. De første 30 km er bare opvarmning.

Til Copenhagen Marathon i maj var det en fantastisk fornemmelse at løbe over målstregen efter 42 km og have nået det tidsmål man havde sat sig. I Odense var fornemmelsen mere "færdig arbejde" - og selvom man vel knap kan kalde det rutine arbejde, så føltes det mere som et træningspas mod målet i Grenå.

Set i bakspejlet - så har varmen uden tvivl haft større indflydelse på resultatet end jeg umiddelbart var bevist om lige efter måltregen.

Key learning: man kan ikke slippe udmærket igennem 42 km uden en vis form for udmattelse, specielt ikke når temp kryber over 20 grader - men træningen er genoptaget igen, og nu er blikket rettet mod Grenå.