Fishy mussly, or what d’ya call it, dear?

This is another running post. Sort of.

You see a lot when running a morning round. Some weeks ago, the local squad for cleaning up the area from scrap that people just dump obviously went “fishing” in Motala Ström, close to Industrilandskapet i Norrköping.

They found loads of bicycles and a shopping cart, among other things. But not enough with that. On both bikes and shopping cart there were numerous mussels to be found. So…. maybe we should start with mussel breeding in Norrköping? New locally produced  food?

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Midsummer morning run

Aside

This morning it was time to take a run around town, about 5 to 6 k. It was beautiful sunshine, and Norrköping showed it’s best side.

I stopped for taking some pictures at Carl Johan park, not far away from the railway station. The annual cacti plantation was almost ready, only a few rows were missing. It is Sweden’s oldest cacti plantation, a nice tradition, especially for cacti nerds like me.

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Happy Midsummer, everyone!

Rainy discovery run

Originally, the plan was to go to the country side this weekend. The weather gods convinced us to stay at home, though, and instead take care of other stuff, inside.

I started yesterday by going for a 7,5 km morning run. And it became one of the nice discovery runs. When approaching home again (by then it was pissing down with rain), I went past the old water reservoir tower, close to the football arena in Norrköping.

About five years ago the tower had been converted to mini-flats for students. There are 12 floors with four small flats per floor, and you can go up to the roof top as well. Usually you need a door code for getting in there, which I obviously don’t have.

Yesterday, though, all entrance doors were wide open. I didn’t meet or see anyone, so after a bit of hesitating I took the elevator up to the roof top in order to see what it looks like.

I got rewarded with beautiful views over a rainy Norrköping. The tenants have a nice communal outside space with two barbecue grills up there, a dream for students at least in my eyes. Can I be twenty years younger, get a flat there and join the party??

Here are some pictures of yesterday’s mini adventure.

Rain run.

I was tired all day today and really forced my way out to run. It became about 6,5 km.

Weather? No, let’s really not talk about it. But if you have to know – grey, rain and 7 centigrade plus, feeling like no more than 3 degrees plus…

And of course, Murphy strikes again, as soon as you put one step out of the door, it starts pouring down with rain.

But which runner is defeated by rain?! Ha!! Off you go, running in the rain, glasses halfway steamed up from your body temperature, and the rest of the eyesight wiped away by rain drops. Blind running would also have been a great title for this post! 😉

However, in the end the stubbornness wins and even gets rewarded – by sunshine during the stretching session! Win!!!!

Win against the elements, and against the tiny little devil inside wanting you to stay lazy at home on the sofa 😉 .

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View from the sit-up-exercise-park-bench!

 

#45 of #blogg100

Morning run.

Worked during the weekend, today (Monday) I am off work. Since it was sunshine, cold, though, I decided to start the day with a decent morning run. 8.75 km it became. Not bad!

No funny events on the way, though, apart from a pidgeon choir on the lamp posts – they really tried to sound exactly the same at the same time. Almost in stereo!

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Hope you had a great Monday!

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#stretchingpic

 

#43 of #blogg100

 

Running experience on a sunny evening

In the evenings I usually manage to run longer than on a morning. So today it were just above 12k on the “running clock”. Spontaneously as well, since I planned to “only” run 10k.

Route

As usual, there are the little things that make you laugh and glad during a run – if you have an eye on your environment and see things, that is. My highlight of the day was a young couple in their twenties that overtook me at some point. My pace was pottering pace, slow, in other words, really slow and relaxed.

The sun was shining on the young ladies running tights, and one could say that the fabric wasn’t exactly hiding everything beneath. On the contrary. Without effort one could identify a black string tanga, and of course the (and admittedly nicely shaped) moon of hers. The young man obviously didn’t mind the sight either, since he was either beside her, or just about behind her behind.

At some point they fell back for checking the running app on the ladies phone, and I overtook them again. Then they took up the pace again and one could hear her saying “I think we do now as it says, and it says 400m in slow tempo.” Said that and overtook me again, with quite some speed. So, slow is definitely relative, just so you know!

Anyway, I should thank them, since they made me laugh, and thus gave me extra energy. They also showed me a new part of the route, which made me run longer in the end. Today is so far the longest I have run outside a competition, and although I felt the body afterwards, I could have continued. That is quite a nice feeling, given the fact that today the letter with the Göteborgsvarvet-information came – with starting group and time.

Let’s hope everything continues going to plan with training! I am a bit worried about my friend, though, who I am supposed to take up this challenge with, since she got a few problems with foot and back. On the other hand, we still have a month left, so maybe (hopefully!) things will be alright.

Good night!

#41 of #blogg100

Running experience in the morning

This beautiful Tuesday I started with a 6k morning run in a relaxed tempo. Usually one doesn’t meet anybody one knows this early in the morning, however,  today was different.

On the way out I met a nice bloke I used to train with, and we exchanged a few words. He was on his way to work. On the way back I saw another mate from training, riding his mountain bike in a Kamikaze speed, most likely on his way to work, and fully concentrated trying to avoid tram rails on the street.

Fun experience to see two people of the same training group on one’s morning round, that early.
The day continued in a positive way, at work and with my upholstery group.

Bed time now. Nightnight!

#40 of #blogg100

Homerun

Today I took one of the routes as a run that I used to walk with my parents (and still do sometimes). Just over 5k, a relaxed and nice morning run in sunshine, with moderate wind. Now it is grey weather with strong winds. Welcome to Northern Germany!

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Quite popular in Wilhelmshaven seem to be the small power distribution houses (or what they are called) which are painted in 3D graffitti to look like real small houses. A great idea, and much more fun to look at than their dull grey relatives. This one I found on my route this morning:

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Happy Easter Monday!

#26 of #blogg100

A new view on things

You know, sometimes you just run the same way, you come from the same angle and you always see the same picture. Nothing new to be discovered, is there?

Well, today I approached one of the places I pass on my running tour from a different direction. And guess what happens? I realised that I have been running through a mini park like a dozen of times, yet I never noticed the old benches surrounding it, making it a perfect quiet little place to take a break in the sunshine.

Another runner joined me just then, surrounding the small park on the very narrow gravel path, which I never noticed before either.

I suppose one should transfer this experience to other parts of one’s life. Approach the same thing from a different direction, and simply see what happens. What new there is to be discovered.

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#21 of #blogg100

 

 

Getting lost, exploring

Running again. Friday afterwork run. A short one, I thought. Max 5k. It was great weather outside, with some early spring sunshine and warmth, blue sky and a few centigrades on the plus side.

Yep, and I really blame the weather. After about 3 kilometres it was so nice outside that I got the idea that one could try and see where this other way leads to, the turn I didn’t take the other day.

And then it happened. I took a turn which made that I ran far longer than expected. 5k were so out of the window, but it was a very pleasant feeling!

Back home I mapped out my way on Runkeeper, and yep, just over 10k it became. Very unexpected, and very enjoyable. longrun

That’s what I like about Norrköping, there are still new running routes to explore, and you know you are lost when you are out of town almost ;-).

Happy weekend, everyone, and do like the duckies I met at Motala Ström – enjoy the sunshine!

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#11 of #blogg100

 

Happy Crazy Monday!?

Happy Monday? Well, I dunno. Crazy? Yep, definitely. A “super Monday” it was in quite some respects. It started with snow slush on the way to work in the morning. IMAG2325

It continued with all sorts of strange questions in the work-inbox waiting to be answered.
On a day where you get calls like “Oh, is it not the owner of a bike that chooses a starting number? Really, the rider chooses a number?” and then on top of it an email from a work buddy at the British federation mentioning something like “Regards from a sunny bladiblah…” (sunny? England??), then you know it is one of those Mondays that you just have to survive :-D.

After all, “What can possibly go wrong?!”

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Well, in the early evening back at home it was time to put on the running shoes. Not only because it was part of the plan for today, nope, by then it had become a pure necessity to get the brain cells back on track. Just a bit more than 4k it became tonight, a rather short run, but nice, despite today’s grey, cold and wet weather.

And look what I found – some small green buddies sticking their head up into the cold, Swedish pre-springtime air:

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So, let’s give the week a second chance tomorrow! 😉

 

#7 of 100

Running in the morning….

…. has several advantages:

  • One wakes up on the way (one certainly isn’t when dressing for running, trust me, that phase is called “auto-pilote”).
  • One feels really great once the day’s activity is accomplished and one actually IS awake, thanks to millions of oxygen molecules having just been pumped into your lungs and body.
  • Ever experienced turning up at work amazingly awake, overly happy and then enjoying the effect of the sentence “I just ran 5k before breakfast” on your colleagues, who try to achieve the same awakenes level with a cup of coffee or tea (often even several cups)? No? Well, you should then.

This morning I even met 3 fellow runners! Rather rare at half past six in the morning on a week day in Norrköping.

This year I am a bit more disciplined with running, since I am registered for Göteborgs Varvet, the biggest Swedish half marathon.

Let’s bring it on!

Springa

Photo taken from Instagram @anmaratube .