Fastest Known Time

Last night I made a terrifying discovery. The Fastest Known Time or FKT for the 83 km long Mörbylångaleden is 9 hours and 58 minutes (i.e. an average pace of 7:13 min/km). To qualify for the FKT you need to run entirely unsupported, meaning you cannot buy food or drinks along the trail (the only exception being public water taps).

While Elin and I failed spectacularly with our FKT attempt last spring, this one could well be within reach. Even if I had originally planned to stop a lot for sandwiches, fruit and ice cream along the route, I also know that every time I stop, the muscles in my legs will stiffen and it will be harder to get going again. As such, maintaining a steady pace of 6 min/km with as few interruptions as possible may in fact be the optimal race strategy, even if it means that I might have to walk a bit towards the end.  Still hydration remains paramount. If I discover that I cannot get enough fluids without having to buy them, I will obviously forego the FKT attempt and prioritize finishing.

For the moment however, I have just put my second 120+ km week behind me and will now embark on a five-day non-runstreak. When I resume, I hope to be in Stockholm and be able to go for some trail running in Nacka. Looking back on the last four weeks, it feels like I have got some solid training done with a record number of 80 activities so resting a bit is probably a good idea.