Yours Truly 50K 2011

We’re called the ”slow runners”, me and my mates in Team Fakta. This doesn’t mean we are particularly slow but when we pass by fast food restaurants or coffee shops with creamy pastries we find great difficulties in not stopping to refuel.

So it was today. I set off early in the morning, 7:45 am, from my house to do the Yours Truly Fun Run competition. I’ve pre-arranged to run into Stockholm City and meet up with friends there to get some nice company along the planned track.

We have experienced severe cold this winter. Temperatures down to -25 C but this morning it was just -5 C and overcast, actually fairly good conditions for running.



My first stretch went from the suburb where I live through residential areas, a small forest and through the outskirts of Stockholm predominated by industry complexes and highways. Hence more transport than joy.



It was a 18.6 km run into town and I arrived at the Slussen McDonalds well before 10:00 am. I had announced this as the place to meet up before leaving at 10:30- I had good time to sample their cinnamon rolls and freshly brewed coffee.

Bertil was there already and Magdalena and Peter came in as well. We took off for the route I had planned for us. There is one nice thing with running in Stockholm city. As the downtown is built on islands with bridges between them you can actually do some quite spectacular runs by keeping close to the water. It’s lake on one side and sea on the other.



We started with circle the islands of Långholmen and Reimersholme, then crossed the bridge to the south side of Åstaviken (Årsta bay). From there to the fashionable Hammarby Sjöstad where we stopped by at the Max Hamburger restaurant. I found no problems to down a full meal with extra of everything.

Then we were met by Emma who followed us to run on into the very city centre passing by the famous buildings of Stockholm like the Royal Castle, the Parliament and the City Hall known from the Nobel Price ceremony.



We aimed to circle the island Kungsholmen. The eastern stretch is very popular amongst weekend walkers. As we had some snowfall during the week there was now a hard icy ground covered with loose snow massaged to a 2 inch thick layer that reminded me of running in the fine white sand you find on the best tropical beaches. That really took most of the strength out of me.

We made it to the final destination, the “Chic” coffee shop famous for its pastries, including the seasonal “semla” that had been in my mind all the time since I took off from home early in the morning.

I had actually planned to do an extra turn in case needed to make sure I made the 50 K before entering the doors to Chic’s konditori but now when my Garmin said I had another 1.3 km to go my (in)famous ultra-mind started to argue with me to save that distance till after the break. I knew I anyway had approx that distance to the station from where a train would take me home, so I was easily convinced. I stopped for the coffee and “semla” and I really enjoyed it.



So, that explains the long time spent on this 50K run. Maybe not the best attitude towards a competition but yet another joyful ultra-run.

Net time: 5:53:34
Total time: 7:55:00