Seville Marathon (XXVIII Maratón Ciudad de Sevilla) 19th February 2012 - 21st place, 2:37:00

You might notice that this is a bit more detailed than usual, which is because I wrote it for Swedish Marathon society (Marathonsällskapets).


After feeling a little more than dehydrated one morning at Danny and Tatel's place after a night out in Barcelona in mid-December I found myself searching the internet for races to do and booked the Seville Marathon for 19^th February. It gave me something to focus on over the bulk of the winter and had 10 weeks to get in shape for it.

I’d had a busy few weeks in September/October with the Stockholm Half Marathon, the Ä-Stadsloppet Half Marathon and Karlslundsloppet in Örebro, and then a 54km Mountain race in Loja, Spain called the Ultimate Frontera which was all great but it meant that November had seemed flat and slightly uneventful in comparison despite having relocated to Andalusia (Spain) to work with a Ultra Trail Running Company.

My training before Christmas had been going very well; I’d taken 4 days rest after the Ultra race and felt my leg speed and strength had returned quickly. I was average between 90k and 100k per week, running hard and feeling fit.  I came back to Sweden for Christmas and managed a couple of sessions with my club, Örebro AIK and in between some solo runs, I took time to relax before returning to Spain in mid January with 5 weeks left until the marathon. My training became more structured and involved a long run each weekend of 30-40km, an interval session mid week consisting of sets 400m to 2km or timed intervals of 30 seconds to 4 minutes, I also worked on my hill repeat sessions to build leg strength as I was finding it much easier to find hills in the Sierra Nevada/Alpujarra mountains than in my home town of Karlskoga!

With two weeks remaining until Seville I found a local 10km race to test my fitness which worked really well and it helped to banish some doubts and build confidence that I was in good shape after reaching a personal best of 31:59. On the final Sunday, 1 week before the run I did a 38km run to help re a stage of a local stage race called the Al Andalus Ultimate Trail, all off road and very mountainous but a comfortable pace and I felt ready for the Seville Marathon.

On the Saturday, the day before the race, my friend and I drove the 250km over to Seville and discussed times along the way. He was aiming below 3:30 and I wasn’t sure but I mentioned below 2:40. Once we arrived in Seville we collected our race numbers and packs from the Olympic Stadium and checked into our hotel. The race pack was like a late Christmas with shorts, vest, socks – a runners happiness! Already we sensed that the race was well organised and it quick for us to collect what we needed and then enjoy the excitable atmosphere surrounding the marathon. We then took the short trip into town to have some food and relax. We found a nice Italian place and ate some pasta and pizza and talked about running and living in Spain. Seville was alive, there was plenty of parties going on in the city and a parade had been going on that afternoon, Seville is famous for its oranges and there’s lots of oranges trees dotted around the centre of the city which look incredibly picturesque again the white building.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for an early night but I couldn’t get to sleep so early and after preparing the race kit and number I spent a couple of hours reading the final chapters of a marathon training book which contained some pretty useful information for the previous day and then calculated some splits for tomorrow’s race. I sort of laughed at myself for not having this ready before now, but in my head I’d just thought run 2 x 80 minutes and you’ll be OK. To hit 2:40 I’d have to run 3:47 per km, I’d run 2:48 in a training run so I began to think that 2:40 might be a bit conservative so I calculated what 2:38 and then what 2:37 would be per kilometre and came out with 3:43. The training book had a chapter on warm up before a marathon and also how to pace a marathon, and the two pieces of information I took from those two chapters and used was that a warm up should be no more than 20 minutes and include only 10 minutes of running, thus keeping your glycogen levels stocked up, and about the pacing it mentioned that due to general fatigue the second half of the marathon is usually 1 minute slower than the first. My target was now to run 2:37, and run 1:18 for the first half and 1:19 for the second half, decided at 1am on the morning of the race!

The morning of the race arrived and we had both slept well. We ate our breakfast made the day before and headed to the Olympic stadium where the race was starting. Although we got there early we stayed in the car and under estimated the time it would take to leave our drop bags and use the toilets which were inside/underneath the stadium. We split up and eventually, with about 5 minutes to go headed out to the start. It was chaos and there was no order to start in, just 6000 people pushing towards the front line including me. I pushed passed a few understandably annoyed people and was eventually stopped about 10 or 15 lines back from the front, frustrating but probably the only bad thing about the race. I know that sound petty but when I was running 3:30, I stayed back and started with those guys because I knew that the seconds matter more the faster you intend to run. I was tapped on the back by a Swedish guy, who turned out to be Micke Johansson from FK Studenterna and had recognised my Örebro vest. We had a quick chat but soon the gun went and we were off.

It was a great setting for the start of a race, but all focus was on staying relaxed and trying to move past people and into a steady group. After starting close to the front at Stockholm Half Marathon I’d gone off like a mad man and within the first few kilometres was in a world of lactic pain so I was keen to not let inexperience and excitement get the better of me this time.  I kept moving through the crowds and very quickly after leaving the stadium the route took a nice straight, wide road which lead up to a turnaround at around 3km which made it easy to move forward. I passed the first, second and third km in 3.37, 3.39 and 3.39 so ahead of schedule slightly but still trying to find a group to fit in with. Eventually just after the 3km marker I found a pack of around 10 or 12 runners who were moving along nicely at around the 3.35-3.40 mark and I felt fresh and energetic but kept hold on myself. We ticked through the fourth km in 3.35 and after passing the first water station the group had started to work together happily passed around water and later sponges, it was a nice feeling to be running in a pack and it made the running seem easier. I really get a kick out of running in a group.

The temperature was very comfortable around 9 or 10 degrees at the start and as we passed some roundabout and then crossed over Barqueta bridge we were at the 10km mark and another water station. I kept taking on water and made sure I drank the sports drink right from the first station. The group seemed relaxed although we’d dropped a couple of runners and we’re now down to 8 of us. We’d gone through the 2^nd 5km in 18.07 which was the quickest of the race and although looking down at my watch at the kilometre markers I didn’t feel the need to continually check the pace and found it more relaxing just to stay with the group, and the race.

We passed some great sights in Seville and the city was very special. Seville is the fourth largest city in Spain, and situated on the River Guadalquivir. It makes a perfect marathon city because it’s a flat city with spectacular architecture and there was plenty of great things to see throughout the entire course.

Just after the 15km mark, I hit a bit of a problem with blisters. I haven’t suffered problems with blisters since first starting running a couple of years ago when I took off my shoe after a 50km race and thought I might need plastic surgery. I spent the next 6km’s thinking about why I had blisters today, I thought about any changes to my diet or fluid intake but by the time we then turned a corner and ran through the half way barrier and I clocked the time at 1:18:02. I couldn’t believe how well we were going and how close to my intended time we were, I got really lucky with finding the right group and although I had clocked the 10km at 36:20 and knew the pace was good I was really happy to be on schedule and it lifted my spirits and made me instantly forget about any problems with my feet. The group was down to 6 now but all seemed strong and focused, we started to pass other runners and we were continuing to help each other out with water and sponges.

At the 28km mark, the guy in the group who had seemed strongest for the past 10km’s, Joan Pique Serra made a break and left the group. He later finished in 2:35:38 so it was a good move for him. I thought about going with him but I was on schedule and didn’t want to deviate from the plan after coming this far. I had misjudged the Barcelona Marathon the year before and really paid for it and I knew the second half really started at the 30-32km point so I held back and continued running with now 4 remaining guys.

We went through the 29^th and 30^th kilometres both in 3:46 but then slipped to 3:49 on the 31^st. The group I was in has shrunk again to 3 of us, and I felt strong and knew it was at this point I needed to put the work in so I made a break too. I didn’t look back but I knew I had a big gap on them very quickly and I was gaining on a couple of runners in front quickly. I just kept relaxed and didn’t feel like there was a big step up in effort to gain a few seconds per kilometre but if I can take one important lesson from the race it would be that after the 30km mark, everything you have counts. I passed 2 stray runners and then closed on a group of 3 runners that seemed to be part of a team working together, I tapped one guy on the back and said hello but then passed them just outside the main “Plaza” on the lead up to the Royal Palace. It gave me a boost again but there was a long straight road and allowed me to see the long gap between these guys and the next runners I could catch. I was at the 35km mark and I knew if I kept focused that I could hold it together and make the time.

The next 3km seemed to fly by, there began to be more and more people lining the streets, supporting the race and also bicycles directing the runners through the final twists and turns as the race headed back over the river and entered the park. I managed to pick off quite a few elite runners who were either having problems and just slowing in the last 2 or 3km, the sun was high now and the temperature had reached 17/18 degrees which you could see from the temperature signs around the city, the surface changed to hard concrete as we entered the park but I saw the 40km marker and didn’t care, there was another 2 runners to catch within sight which gave me something to concentrate on and I picked up my pace again and went through the 41^st km in 3:36 and then saw the stadium in front where we were finishing. I picked off the two runners and then kept my pace steady for the last km, within the last two kilometres I had passed a few runners but two of them were unable to run because of cramps and I didn’t want to go too hard in the last few hundred metres and that happen to me. Looking back that it feels like I played it too safe but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do, as the race entered the tunnel and headed under the stadium I knew we were almost there, supporters were everywhere enjoying the sun and the race and the feeling of entering the stadium with maybe 10 thousand spectators on the other side of the track was absolutely incredible. I passed another guy with 500 metres to go and the final 300m are ran entirely on the track similar to Götebrogsvaret. The crowd was great, I had looked at my watch and I had 60 seconds to run 300m but I couldn’t help waving at the crowd in the final 100 metres, I was a very happy man when I crossed the line, I felt a massive sense of achievement more than the execution of a training plan, I felt happier with executing the race plan and sticking to my goal. I was so ecstatic I kissed the girl handing out the medal and was told I came 21^st place and clock was exactly 2:37:00.

After the race there was plenty of fruit and water available and the finishing bag had everything needed to refuel. I picked up my drop bag and headed to the warm up room with intentions of doing a cool down jog and some stretching whilst waiting for my friend Mick to finish. I bumped into Micke Johansson again who had also had a great race and ran 2:39:05 for 29^th place. We were tired but happy, and discussed the crazy start but agreed that it didn’t hinder us too much and both found it easy to settle into a nice race and enjoy the course.

Eventually we found Mick and he was over the moon about his great time of 3:31.30, the atmosphere was great and without doubt aided by the cloudless blue sky and hot sun. We gave Micke a ride into town and then found somewhere to eat. Despite the sore muscles, nothing seemed a pain and everything was funny. It had been a great day and I would certainly love to do the marathon in Seville again. We drove back towards Granada and enjoyed a coffee in the sun on the way back. 

We arrived back to an Andalusian Carnival Parade in town, there was smurfs and umpa lumpa's everywhere and many men dressed as women. Had they already found out about our results and thrown us a big party or was this the annual festival in Alhama? You can see the link below to get an idea!

Video of Alhama Carnival

Results - XXVIII Maratón Ciudad de Sevilla (2012) - General Classification

A link to the finishing 100m on the track at the Olympic Stadium of Seville (Estadio Olympico de Sevilla) Finishing Straight (Estadio Olympico de Sevilla)

Cruzcampo Race Series, Andalusia, Spain: Armilla 10km - 31:59

  I managed to get to the front at the start even though officials weren't too happy about it because I had a charity number on and apparently wasn't registered with the official series yet. Anyway, we got away after the gun and the for the first kilometre or so I led but felt really comfortable so stayed there, I knew the course was pretty flat so I wasn't sure why people were holding back and I knew there were a few guys running who were sub 30 minutes. The conditions were perfect, about 6-8 degrees and really sunny. At about 1.5k I was passed by a guy in tights and long sleeves and I though to myself, he'll soon come back. He never did, and he eventually won the race in 30:51 and by more than 30 seconds. He's 43 and still top dog in these series by quite a way.

I got into a group of about 6 guys that were moving along really nicely and suited me fine. it was great running with them and when we reached the end of the first lap at 5km in around 15.50 I knew if I could stick with them then I'd be far faster than the other 2 10km races I've done. Running through the town again was incredible, the total people registered in the series who ran this race was 981 and then  on top

there was many people like me who didn't register in time so have to race for fun on the day so quite a big field for a small town and plenty of clubs from all around Andalusia and Granada areas such as Bikila, Maracena, Salobrena, Granada, Baza, Albolete, Salar, Santa Fe, Almunacar, Motril, Armilla and more.

The series sponsor, Cruzcampo are a beer company so free beer afterwards and also a cracking chocolate and churro place right in front of the presentation so the support was massive and gave a nice kick to the race at halfway and the finish.


I was enjoying flying along with these 5 other guys and feeling pretty fine up until about 7km where my legs went from under me. It felt like the power switched off and I knew I'd struggle to the end. I put it down to lack of speed work/interval training so hopefully can fix that pretty quickly. I dropped back at about 7.5km and so did another 2 runners from Bikila. I stuck the laast 2km out and managed a decent last 800 metres to finish well inside my previous best in 31:59 which I'm really happy with.

The two guys that led the chase pack were Leonardo Tovar Tovar and Francisco Lopez. They finished in a sprint together for 2nd place and in 31.23 so I need to find  40 seconds from somewhere. The winner was Mohamed Zoluak Ziani in 30.51.

Great day out and another 14 races left in the series and you need 10 or 11 races to count towards the overall standings.

Ultima Frontera Ultra Race - 22.10.11 - 54km Race, Loja, Spain - Course Record - 4:28:10

I left it a few weeks before I wrote this one up for a reason. I didn't want to write whilst I was so annoyed and I wanted to be clear in my head about what had happened in the race. Already that sounds unintentionally dramatic and it was anything but that.

I flew into Malaga the day before the race, I'd done the 10k race the weekend before in Örebro and felt great but during the week, starting Wednesday I started with a cold that progressively got worse. I had already arranged to meet my Dad in Malaga, so I had to make the trip anyway even if just to take a holiday. When I landed I picked up a hire car and rushed to the pharmacy to get some medicines and I'd already been taking plenty of extra vitamins and forcing lots of good foods in, I then went back to the airport to pick up my Dad a couple of hours later and we headed up towards Loja.

We arrived in Loja within about 50 minutes, it was a quick and easy journey and Loja is just off the main motorway (A92) from Malaga Airport, we headed straight to the Sports Hall where the race was starting and finishing and I picked my race pack. I didn't hang around because I wanted to check into the hotel and get as much rest as possible, but I met my other friends Mick, Bridget who live in Spain and Robert who had flown in from Norway. We managed to chat quickly but I mentioned I was sick and runners are very quick to exit at that point. I also managed to meet the race organisers, people who I'd exchanged emails with about this race and also Paul and Eric who I'd met briefly at the top of Veleta Mountain a couple of months before at the end of a race. I let them know I was sick, and I didn't know whether I would be running the next day.

I checked into my hotel, cooked and ate some food and was in bed for 8pm feeling terrible and really frustrated about the timing of illness. Although I'd really enjoyed the shorter races in the previous weeks, the half marathons in Stockholm and Örebro's  and the 10km race,  the focus of my training had been towards this off-road ultra race. The race start was 9am, I set my alarm for 6.30am i would wake my dad around 7.30am and we'd drive to the race. The hotel I had booked was a good 45 minute drive, not a great idea but I had misread the map and though there was an easier way to get to the race.

I woke on my alarm at 6.30am, my throat was really dry and my head felt really heavy. There was no ultra running to be done today so I turned my alarm off and went back to sleep.

At 7.40am I woke again and laid in bed for 5 minutes feeling pretty gutted and accessing the wastefulness of the weekend not just on my part but my dad had flown over to watch the race and then go sightseeing afterwards, I didn't feel fit for anything let alone 80k in the heat. I just had a second where I had a quick word with myself, and knew that being lay in bed wasn't doing anyone any favours and then that progressed to why not just do 20k at an easy pace. There were 3 races on the day and all followed the same route for the first 35k. There was a 50k, a 80k race and 160k race and the 160km race was just 2 laps of the 80k race. Mick and Bridget were signed up for the 160k so they would be setting off at a pace to do that distance, so I had people to run with either way. I already knew the first checkpoint was 20k so if I couldn't make it past there then  at least I could take a lift back to the start. 

I got out of bed, woke my Dad and told him we were late and needed to leave in 20 minutes latest. We'd done the drive the opposite way the day before and it was a winding road that we couldn't rush so much on. My Dad complained about the time he had to get ready, which made me smile because I felt I was the one having a hard time but after rushing with porridge and getting everything I needed for the race together whilst not really feeling with it, we left at 8.10am and arrived at the sports hall for some kind of briefing with about 10 minutes left to spare. 

I bumped into Mick, Bridget, and met Mark Woolley who I was connected to on facebook via Bridget and I knew he's done Badwater, Spartathalon and plenty of other massive races so it good to put a face to the face, so to speak. 

We all walked from the sports centre to the start of the race where I talked with Robert Hansen, we had raced at Kristin's Runde 50 miles in June where he won in 7hrs 10mins, which I think was the course record and a great time considering the trail and the 5 peaks. He is one of Norway's top Ultra Runners and it was great to be able to run with him a short while in Norway.

After a lot of photos and filming, we started and my new plan was just to go really easy and see what happened, everyone else was taking things really slow though so even though we hit the first kilometre in 4:55, I found myself in the top 10 or 15 people and the adrenaline hadn't switched off just because I was sick. After about 1km we hit the first hill and instantly knew it was much tougher than it should be but I continued to move towards the front. It was hard to see who was doing what race, as the numbers are on the front of runners and I'm not sure there was even any different in the race number, you just had to ask the person, which I did later. I thought continually about how I was feeling and knew because of the pacing for a 50 mile race, I wouldn't really feel not being fit until later so I began to find it fun running along with the leaders, maybe even more relaxed because I knew I wouldn't be going the full distance. I'd forgot about being annoyed for now, and at least we were running. I got into the lead group with Robert Hansen (Norway), Hiroki Ishikawa (Japan), Miguel Mudarra Sanchez (Spain) and his brother, Antonio Mudarra Sanchez (Spain). I knew all these guys were top class so it distracted me from anything else, for the moment I just cared about matching these guys stride for stride and I talked with Hiroki and Robert some and then shared greetings with Miguel and Antonio. It was a nice feeling, and the sun was still low in the sky and the temperature bearable for the moment although becoming less and less so.

I found it tough on the up hills, which would usually be my strength after plenty of hill training on the lead up to the race. After seeing the profile of Ultimate Frontera, plus the previous Ultra Race, "Subida al Pico Veleta" also in Andalucia, Spain I had spent 1 or 2 sessions per week in my local gym in Sweden on the treadmill for 90 minutes to 2 hours at a gradient of between 5% and 10%, at first the calves burn but I began to love climbing. You get a harder workout for what feels like less steps, less impact on the joints, and you have increased strength and fitness. It was perfect but very dull being stuck inside with nothing to see but big muscle guys and Swedish TV.

After about 6km of climbing at 5:30-6 minute pace the course became very undulating and we were constantly either rapidly descending or climbing which was fun and the track was typically Spanish, dusty, sandy Jeep tracks and the sun was now up to stay. Kilometres splits for 7 to 14, were 3:54, 6:57, 5:26, 4:08, 4:39, 7:31, 4:31, 4:18 so you can get the idea of the sort changes in the terrain. 

At the 15k amrk I was running together with Robert Hansen and we asked each other how it was going. He was a bit annoyed from the previous day after waiting a very long time for an airport transfer and the food that he'd prepared had to be thrown away, it's really important both mentally and physically to prepare your diet and routine for the race as you know has worked for you before, even though I'm new to running I completely understand it as I know especially for the longer races this is more physically than mentally but you also need that extra confidence that you're as prepared as you can be and that if you set out at a certain pace you can hold it for later. I've learn't already that for any distance where you glycogen supply will run out (2 hours or more for most) it's even more important to get everything right, you need to know what foods, liquids, vitamins and minerals work for you and at what time, it's an ongoing trail and error process but if something is particular has worked well for you before, you want it there to make your A game. Like the right car for a racing car driver, or the best racket for a tennis player. As a distance runner your fuel is crucial to make the your piece of kit work as good as it can, your body. I felt the same, I needed my heart, lungs and muscles to be firing, and they weren't. I said that I wasn't feeling great but there was no point in sticking to the back of the race and running 80k really slow, and that I'd prefer to start as I usually would and finish early if I needed, we both agreed - "All in!", he said, which I liked. I re-thought and felt better than I had when I started so I decided to try to make it to the second checkpoint at 35k.

We ran together from 15k for the next 2 or 3k as the race twisted through flats and descents between olive fields and along dirt tracks. We then crossed onto a tarmac stretch that would wind through a small village called Zagra and up a tough climb which lasted about 2-3km until we reached the first checkpoint at Ventorros del San Jose (20k). I had ran stride for stride for the last 5km with Robert and at CP1 I needed to re-fill the bladder in my rucksack and I took some fruits too. My inexperience showed here, because Robert was in and out within 30 seconds and I must have been there nearly 2 minutes judging by the split on my garmin. I didn't want to carry the extra weight of 3 litres fluid in my rucksack so I just filled what I needed, about 1.5 litres with the view to re-fill at CP1, thinking others would take time there so it wouldn't matter. School boy error, I didn't see Robert again for another 15k, by the time I left CP1, he was out of sight through the town and out into farmland, somewhere. I left CP1 and descended a short downhill before hitting a long tarmac stretch along olive groves and farmland which seemed to go on forever. I was caught by Hiroki who had told me earlier in the race that he too was struggling with the down hills because of hip flexor issues. He was fine on the flat and up hills but needed to take it easier on the downhill. We ran together for nearly 13km, never more than 100 metres apart but mostly side by side. Hiroki is an Ambassador for Patagonia and has been a professional Ultra Racer for over 10 years. In 2005 he came 13th in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and in the Far East it seems he is the man! We talked about the great races he had done in the US, including Western States, Leadville 100, Hardrock 100 and others. He really has been around, so again it felt great running with him but no matter how hard we pushed it, we didn't get Robert is sight. After the first checkpoint, we went through the next 10km in just under 44 minutes, climbing in parts slightly but mainly flat/downhill slightly. We ran ran and passed 3 Spanish hunters with huge air rifles dressed to kill, obviously an intimidating vision for anyone but I wondered what Hiroki must have been thinking at that point! 

I was starting to feel it more now than before in the lungs, I didn't want to make anything worse and and get really sick for no reason although I had started thinking about trying to make it to Montefrio and the 48k checkpoint, there would be an easier route back to the start as that checkpoint had food and I knew was better equipped to send a car back with me, plus that would just be 13k to the finish, but when when we hit the major climb up to Monterfrio at 30k I knew that wasn't going to happen. Just a few steps at a time on a gradient and my legs just didn't have the strength, I was weak and even running with Hiroki wasn't getting me past this issue. 

We both rolled into checkpoint 2 together, and just as we did Robert Hansen was leaving. He shouted to ask me if I was taking the 50k route instead and it made me think. I knew the route was flatter that way and I was able to manage reasonably well on the previous stretch despite the problems. I spoke with the guy at checkpoint 2 and said I was having a bad time with illness and wasn't expecting to make it this far. I asked his to radio through to the race organisers and see if it was allowed for me to change races. He radioed through to Eric and I could clearly hear the conversation and actually spoke with Eric myself who confirmed is was fine for me to switch to the 50k race, he knew I was sick and  . I asked if I would still qualify for the 50k race and he said "absolutely, you guys are way out in front". We then joked about the Rome Marathon and finished the walkie talkie call. At this point in the 80k race, Miguel was leading closely followed by Robert, then Hiroki and myself with Antonio in 5th place. As I mentioned earlier, all 3 races started at the same time in the same place, nobody was aware of who was doing what race and all the races went the same direction to check point 2 at 35k mark. 

I left checkpoint 2, fully refreshed with water and felt like I had enough in me to make it to the finish. Now I was in the last third of the 50k race, and for me it was a race to the finish line. I has no idea where second place was and I kept on pushing as much as I could. I was happy to know that I would be able to complete a race, rather than stopping at 48k mark of another race but I know this is the point where views differ. Should I have tried to complete what I set out to do or should I have taken what essentially was the easier path to complete another target given the circumstances? I personally think that the answer is different dependant on your reasons for running and your reasons for doing this type of event. First of all, had I not been ill there's no way I would have asked to change races. Secondly if the race routes weren't the same routes for the first 35k, and we hadn't all started at the same place at the same time then that would also have meant that I couldn't change races. Third and most importantly for the standings, if I hadn't confirmed 100% with the race organisers that I could change races and still count towards the standings of the 50k race then I would have continued to run with Hiroki and maybe Rob and finish at Montefrio checkpoint 3. It wasn't because I was leading that I changed races, if I was in 50th place I would have asked to continue on the 50k path also. For me the game had changed in the days before the race and with hindsight I should have switched races the day before or the day I started. Anyway, I continued running alone through olive ranches and farmland.

The course was marked superbly throughout with pink ribbon on trees, pink arrows on the floor and sometimes silver reflecting tape which I later found was to make it easier to see for the 100 mile participants in the dark. Every time I would have any doubt about the direction I was running, "had I taken the right route at the last cross roads?", "should I have gone right back there?" I spotted a pink arrow or a ribbon. It helps a lot as the last thing you need in an ultra run is a wrong turn and an addition in mileage. It's hard on the legs and even harder on the head for a while. I've felt it in a big way after going quite some distance of course at the Kristin's Runde 50 mile race in Oslo. After 80k of running, my brain wasn't wired well enough to figure out the map, and I followed a sign that took me deeper into the forest than anyone else would run that day. I only had 2k to go, so frustrating and I argued with myself for a good twenty minutes and I called the race organiser every name under the sun. It wasn't his fault, everyone else went the right way apart from me. I couldn't blame the Norwegian directions either, I was given an English copy. My head had tricked me, my brain wasn't switched on. 

I continued along dirt tracks and winding olive tree routes towards open, flat farmland with various crops at either side. After leaving the checkpoint I went through the six kilometres between 36-41 in 4:30, 4:12, 4:24, 4:06, 4:21, 4:25 so I comfortable moving along on the terrain at a decent rate. After a cross roads there was large strips of long straight roads so it was easy to check behind me for what must have been over a kilometre so I knew I had at least four minutes on second place with just 9 kilometres left. As I was heading towards the town of Huétor-Tájar, I saw a group of maybe eight Podenco/Ibizan hound dogs in a field of short crops not far from a farmer who seemed to be instructing them. I've since found out these dogs were brought over from Egypt nearly 3000 years ago and used for hunting rabbits and rodents. I was fixated on how well they worked together in a pack, and how they stood, ears pricked and scouring their patch until they spotted something of interest. They're also great for running with as they go all day and climb/descend almost as good as mountain goats! It kept me entertained whilst I covered the flat land and headed over a bridge and into Huétor-Tájar and the 3rd and final checkpoint for this race. As I ran into the checkpoint, I met the man manning the station, a Yorkshire man! Whilst I grabbed a hand full of raisens, a couple of dates and about to leave I confirmed there was just 8km left to run, but he assured me there was 12k. I left, a little puzzled but prepared to run the extra.  It was my fastest in and out of a checkpoint for the race but the feeling of adjusting to cover another 50% on what you thought you had left was tough. 

I kept on following the route along tarmac as it took me out of town and then I picked up another dirt track. It started to rain which was very odd for this time of year in the region but a great way to refresh and I welcomed it. The route twisted up another little tough tarmac climb and then onto another dirt track. I could now see Loja in the background, the town I would eventually descend down onto and finish in. I was running now closely between olive trees so has to follow the race markings more closely as the track went up and over ranches and then a sharp right that lead to a technical down hill stretch that seemed to go on and on, my watched showed over 50k now and so I knew I could check back and see my tail was free for at least 500m so I knew it was difficult now for second place to catch me. I kept drinking and took no chances, one little hamstring cramp and 4km can take an hour. I hit the bottom of the technical descent and headed into the opposite side of Loja to where the race finished, the route then shot up again to another off road part and along the bottom of a mountain that frames Loja, after a stretch of about 8 minutes the route then took a left through a farm gate and entered the "Sports stadium side of town" and I on a steep, tarmac, wet descent I struggled to stay on my feet but passed the pharmacy that I'd been in just the day before so I had maybe 600m to run first a right turn at a kiosk we had used the night before too, and then a long straight towards the sports hall, running track and finish line. I covered the last 5km in 22:56, including two slippy slow last kilometres. I ran scared and it reminded me of how I used to run at school on the track, always out in front to start, being chased. 

I finished, it was an unexpectedly wet afternoon now so there was nobody around and my Dad was no where to be seen. I came in at 4:28:10 for the 54km course, which I was over the moon with given the profile of the race and the morning/previous days, I'm not sure why it had worked so well. Had being sick held me back, made me cautious and saved energy or had the extra boost at CP2 helped me cover the last 19km quickly, running scared? I don't know but it would be really fun to do the same course again and see the difference. 

I was presented with a medal and went into the sports centre to collect my bag and get changed, my legs were sore so I got a massage and waited for my Dad to come back, and for the other runners to arrive. As I was having a massage, the race director, Paul came over to say hello and told me that I wouldn't count for the standings because I'd switched races. I explained in full what had happened and what had been said as the second checkpoint and he said he hadn't realised and awarded me the win. I felt pretty annoyed at that point, things should have been communicated across the organisers and surely the race director should have been informed thaat the first guy back from all races was the winner of the first race.

I'd been running scared for no reason, after 1 hour and 10 minutes second place arrived and my that time I was changed, massaged, ate and put my things in the car so I was ready to congratulate him on second place, the same with the 3rd place guy although he arrived and then left whilst I was doing a cool down jog. After about 30 minutes there was a presentation, the 3rd place guy no where to be found but the second place guy, Chris and his family were there in attendance and everyone had smiles. 

I waited for the 80k race leader to come in and cheered for Miguel @ 6:29, Hiroki @ 6:46 and Antonio @ 7:18. Unfortunately Robert had some issues and had to drop out after the third checkpoint which was a shame because even though he wasn't having a great day he was still in with a shout at a top 3 place and after 7:10 at Kristin's Runde with an even tougher profile, I'm sure he was after the win. All 3 guys who finished were top blokes and hopefully we'll have chance to run again in the future. 

           2. Hiroki Ishikawa 6:46 , 1. Miguel Mudarra Sanchez 6:29 (Almeria, ES) , Antonio Mudarra Sanchez 7:18 (Almeria, ES)

  

I left the race and headed back to the hotel with my Dad to get showered and changed so we could eat some food and relax. A wasted day had turned into a pretty great day and I had managed my first win at an ultra race. After a quick shower, my Dad was already shattered so stayed in the hotel for a nap. I headed out back to the Sports Stadium to catch Mick and Bridget on there second lap and hopefully bump into Robert and see how things had gone. When I arrived Robert had gone back to his hotel so I sent him a text to meet later. I bumped into Mark Woolley who after some long races recently took the option of finishing at the 80k mark and not continuing for the second lap. We talked a bit, he's the headmaster of a local school and has been located in Spain for some time and does plenty of races so a good person to know in the area for training runs and events. He said that Bridget was having some trouble and Mick was running with her. I waited a while but felt the atmosphere was a a bit funny. I was asked about my race and the responses were a bit strange. I talked to one of the timing guys who said that Robert had gone back to his hotel but was keen to get to the airport tonight at Malaga to take an earlier flight. I felt sorry for him and slightly responsible as it was me who had made him aware of the race. I went over to his hotel and ended up knocking on his door but without response so I left a note for him at reception and headed back to my hotel. On the way I stopped at the first checkpoint which was along the route I was taking. I saw Mick who had left Bridget at the sports stadium and continued alone. He was now at the 100k mark, it was dark and he was walking but adamant to finish. He looked worn out, but still capable. I wished him luck as he headed into the night and I felt bloody sorry for him still with maybe 10 hours left to go! I got a message from Robert, I called him and made plans to take him to Malaga airport. It was good to get to know him and we discussed training and races and his plans for next year. We headed into Malaga but hit all the football traffic as Malaga had played Barcelona just an hour before. I dropped him in the centre so he could find a hotel before his early flight in the morning. It had been a bad weekend for him but at least he's managed a decent 50k training run. Robert has since been picked to represent Norway in the World Championship 100k race in Italy in April 2012. They have a strong team of four now and I hope they do well because they're all good lads. On the way back I spoke with my Dad who was now awake and looking for a drinking partner!

I got to my hotel, sat down with my Dad, and talk about our day and relaxed. The next day we checked out of our hotel in Loja and headed down to a new hotel on the coast near Malaga. We visited some places along the coast and ate a beach bar and then went up to one of my favourite villages in Andalucia called Mijas Pueblo, which is the next town to where I used to live a couple of years ago. It's a pretty white village at the top of a mountain and home to local people and lots of donkey's that parade around and give rides to children. It's picturesque and has views of the entire coast, from Malaga, down towards Estepona and Tarifa, on a clear day you can see Africa and my Dad loved it. We ate at the top of the mountain in the village and then went back to the hotel to relax. 

In the morning we woke early to enable us to make an early flight. We had breakfast at a beach bar and the results and times were already online from the race which i thought was good but the results for my race had changed and I no longer had first place. I was at the top of the list as finishing in 4:28 but first place was 5:38. No phone call, no email or message just a change in the results and second place was happy to take first place. Bizarre and I was understandably a bit miffed. 

I dropped my Dad off at the airport and drove up towards Granada and checked into a new hotel and started my working day. A wonderful but weird weekend.

http://www.ultimafrontera160.com/raceResults/UF160Results2011.pdf

Karlslundsloppet 2011 - 15.10.11 - 10km Race - 1st Place 33:26

TBC

http://www.karlslundsif.org/docs/Karlslundsloppet_2011-10-15_Resultat.html

Å-stadsloppet Halvmarathon - Örebro, Sweden (8th October, 2011) - 3rd Place, 74:43

It had been 3 weeks since the Stockholm Half Marathon and I felt well recovered and pretty fresh and had a renewed passion for these faster races and after setting off too quick at Stockholm, I wondered just how much affect that had had on the rest of the race and time etc so I was keen to get involved and try again.

I picked the race pack up the day before and so worked until the early hours on the Saturday morning so I would sleep in as late as possible and conserve energy for the race. It worked well and I ate porridge 2hours 15mins before and got to the race about 50 minutes before the start to meet Andreas, my new mate from Örebro AIK. We did a jog together, then placed the bags at the finish line and took some stride outs then before we knew it time to get on the start line.

The gun went off and instantly I noticed I had a lot more speed than usual and it felt much more relaxed than just 3 weeks ago at Stockholm. I found myself at the front with Erik Anfält who also runs for Örebro and Anteenne an Ethiopian guy. I knew Erik was quick so I just in behind the two of them. We went through the first 2 km's in 3:15 and 3:20 and felt really comfortable and the pace continued to push on around the 3.25 mark and we went through 5km in 16:52 so at around 6km I decided to drop back a little and settled into a pace around 3.33 which for me was a bit more realistic, a word it makes me cringe to use!! For the rest of the race I ran alone, and I had no idea how close I was from 2nd place until the finish as on a winding course he was just always that little bit out of view. The course was reasonably quick but with a few parts that were tough turns and at one point I nearly went the wrong way before heading onto a long stretch into the wind which is all encouraging because I think in terms of time right now I have another minute to gain. The support around the course was great and I never get fed up of the Swede's shouting "Heja Heja", which I like to think translates to hurry up slow coach! I also got a real kick from seeing Jakob on the course shouting encouragement, he has brilliant for me as he sort of takes the training sessions at Örebro which is interval training to imrpove the speed and we're often 3 guys running together which is really motivating and it's been a lot of fun this season, i only wish I'd found the club sooner. I'm not sure how many people count to the team event but we must have done pretty well in this race.

I felt really solid all the way through the race until km 19 where I hit a low energy point but didn't dip in speed and then ran a quick last mile to finish in 74:43 which I'm really happy with. Erik finished in 71:34 and Anteenne 54 seconds ahead of me so I have some good targets to aim for. I find it a nice goal to do the same race the following year as I have with Subida al pico Veleta in Spain, its a nice judge on how hard the training had been and keeps the commitment high so i look forward to break 73 mins next year knowing how pissed off I'll be if I don't and then re-read this blog!

Stockholm Half Marathon 17th September - 42nd, 75.25

I never planned to race here, but I was talking to someone on a trip to Stockholm the week before who mentioned he had a ticket and that I could have it if he decided not to run, but by the time I got back home I realised I wanted to do it so I found a ticket on a forum and so ran under cover again in a different name. I don't feel bad about this at all although you're not supposed to run in another persons name for insurance reasons, the race advertised that 15 thousand people would start, when in actual fact just under 11 thousand did, and nearly a third didn't show.

I got to Stockholm on the Friday evening, well before the 4pm start the next day, after collecting the race number and pack around mid day, the sun started shining and by the time I'd gone home, eaten and go back to the race start there was a lot of people around, plenty of music, and all set for a great day. The event was really well organised with drop bag area and starting groups split into, I think 9 different start times with the start being on "Norrbro Bridge" with separates the Royal Palace and the Royal Opera House and over looks the Swedish Parliament which is a pretty picturesque venue to start a run.

The ticket I managed to get was Group A so we started at the same time as the elite racers, bang on 4pm. I dropped my bag and started to warm up, it was crowded but there was room enough on the bridge to do some strides up until about 20 minutes to go where I had to try to pick a place and stand still, waiting for the gun. After doing the Gothenberg Half in May and having a really slow start because of the sheer numbers of people, I didn't want to make the same mistake, so pushed in right at the front and tried to be polite about it. I watched on with envy as the 200 elite runners had plenty of space to stay loose and strode out, maybe 50 metres ahead. One day, I thought!

A couple of minutes before 4pm, the barrier lifted and group A was ushered to the back of the elite pack on quite a narrow section of road heading out onto the course. My plan was to go out fast and then hold on in the second half. But not as fast as I did. I felt almost panicked when the gun went and I could see people heading into the distance, so I chased, skipped through runners and kept leaders in sight. I'm not sure why I do this, I have my plan, they have there's but it's a race and they're getting away I think. The one time in the first few hundred metres I did check down on my watch and the speed read 2.55min/km, and later when I saw I'd gone through the first and third kilometres in 3.14 and 3.16. I didn't have a reading for the 2nd as most of it was in a tunnel. After 3k I seriously thought I'd already ruined any chance of coming in in a decent time, I felt exhausted, really dry in the mouth, already looking for water and I also thought I had a serious issue of tying my left shoe lace too tight! What a drama queen, but my own fault for being a headless chicken.

I actually got a real kick just after 3k when Isabellah Andersson, the Swedish/Kenyan women's champion, flew past me. I remember admiring her physique and wishing I could keep up but at the same point thinking that if she's heading for 1.10 or 1.11 then I'm sure I can keep within 5 minutes of her. I slowed down for the 4th km which crossed another bridge and onto Kungsholmen where I was staying, and although going through it in exactly intended race pace of 3.34, I managed to settle into a rhythm which I would keep up until 14km/15km before the race hit a tougher part of the course which was gradually, and not so gradually up hill until the final 2k stretch. I had to work really hard for the final third of the race and was cursing that initial blast but really happy to go back into the city towards the Palace for the final stretch. Rather than increase the speed and finish strong, I was just trying to hold on and knew that I was there or there abouts. I had a guy within sights and so with around 500 metres to go I chased which helped and I eventually crossed the line in 75.24 which I was really happy about. Before the race I'd thought 77 would be a wicked result, 75 absolutely great if the risk of going out fast paid off but after 3km I was trying to readjust for a 79-80 minute race.

I definitely feel good for jumping in at short notice, enjoying such a hard race and knowing that I made it tough myself so with a bit more discipline in the initial stages, I can go faster. It's also great with the variation and I like doing the shorter faster races, so hopefully I can do more soon, and increase the speed training sessions too.

Forward, not back Jack.

Now, although the Veleta race in Granada is not such a long ultra it still takes quite a bit out of you because its not like any other 50k or marathon. The constant up hill battle along with the dehydration gets to almost everyone but the massage immediately afterwards seemed to work a treat. The very next day I went for a short run down to the beach, relaxed for a few hours and then ran back and within 3 days I was running a trail half marathon in under 90 minutes so I'll remember to look out for the masseuse at the end of each race.

My training has been pretty steady since mid August. I've tried to reduce the mileage a bit and add in some more quality, but from trying to read through various forums/blogs and I think I'm falling into the trap of doing my easy runs too quick and speed work too slow so I'll try to correct that over the next few weeks and look at the progress. I read quite a lot about plenty of ultra runners who do lots of slow long runs and find that when they factor in sprinting/speed work they're more likely to get injured and so shy away from it. I think its clear that body improves most out of its comfort zone and as you increase the speed the body learns to work efficiently at that new level so that gradually, if things go to plan you can go faster and faster for longer and longer. That sounds pretty obvious, but I don't think it gets much more difficult than that I think. So twice a week I'll add speed sessions. 

I'm always going to run for the fun of it but its fun to watch yourself improve too, and I'm still not sure what my preferable distance is and although I love the thought of going long, for hours its pretty nice to run a half marathon or 10k as quickly as you can and match yourself with other people who are just as into it as you.

Hopefully, fingers crossed I've managed to get a ticket to the Stockholm Half Marathon this Saturday. It's a brilliant city and I loved running to Half in Göteborg in May so this will finish off the summer in Sweden quite nicely. I didn't book in advance so I'll have to run in a Swedish name but surrounded by 20k runners is always a buzz! 

Training: Previous 2 weeks

Week commencing 29.08.11 (all on grass/trails)

M: AM 5.45k (22.05) PM 11.82k (52.14)

T:  5k slow (25.04)

W: 16.28k (1.16.17)

T: 17.7k (1.19) 

F: 18.3k (1.21)

S: 7.2k (31.10)

S: AM 6.5k (30.42) PM 7.66k (33.47)

Week commencing 05.09.11 (all on grass and trails)

M: 11.52k (51.46)

T: 15.2k (1.14.05) 

W: 31.17k (2.09.49)

T: 12.4k (1.06.19)

F: 25.7k cycle (49.04)/13.2k (1.04.17) (brick)

S: 10.01k (40.01)

S: Rest

As you can see, plenty of steady miles all on grass/trails and hills, I've began already to factor in interval training so a regular run of 10 to 15 kilometres will include 5-10 quicker intervals of around 1km. I'll start to document this to keep a track and I know I should be doing shorter speed work too.