Steinbrenner & Nyberg

On my way home from Halmstad, I thought I should also give the test-winning “semla” from Steinbrenner & Nyberg a try following my approval of the more experimental cinnamon version at Fröken Olssons on Sunday. Like Göteborgsposten, I am willing to give this one top scores, and I also liked that it was kind of proportional and not that oversized. Did anyone say first-world problems?

As for the opposite, I then went to the police to pick up Eddie’s new passport and, listening to the person ahead of me in the que discussing visa for infants for Afghanistan, made me pause. In a city like Gothenburg, that just goes to tell that people really live very different lives.

Almedal

Yesterday, after dropping William off at the Universeum Science Club for the first of seven Tuesday afternoons, I took the tram down to Almedal to check out their Nordic Wellness gym for a change. Being perhaps the nicest NW gym of the ones that I have been to, it was quite crowded, to an extent that I had to cut short my planned 10k run as I had to wait so long for a free treadmill. Instead of running, I did some indoor rowing and, this morning, I made up for the lost kilometres by an astronaut early run along Mölndalsån.

Now on the train to Halmstad for the last of three lectures this week on quantitative methodology, I realize that the coming month is going to be truly crazy as I have to submit one grant proposal and one article while teaching two new courses. In between it all, I am off first to Portugal for a week with the family and then to Las Palmas to run the Transgrancanaria Marathon 48k. So, please bear with me if it will be a bit longer between the blog updates than usual.

Trails and semlor

Five years ago, I ran the Marrakech Marathon which was my first marathon in under four hours. Today, I did a very different kind of running as I took my head torch out for 15 kilometres of slow trail running, passing a deer family on their way to the tram or at least some garden delicacies. Having the Skatås recreation area this close from home is really magical, and yesterday morning I even got to see the sun rise over Delsjön (picture above), for a total of 34 kilometres this weekend.

Since we will all be in Portugal on Tuesday the 13th of February, I felt that I deserved a “semla” already now. Going for the bastard cinnamon version that would make Emelie Forsberg proud, I ended up having a nice fika with the kids at Fröken Olssons. 

Vobb

After the incredible spring sunshine yesterday, Friday brought rain and ice on my super early morning run. Once at home, Eddie asked for Strepsils and complained about a sore throat which made it clear that I would have two, rather than one, kid to juggle while teaching 2x2 hours on Zoom. With Anna away all day in Trollhättan, I did not really know how I would survive this paradigmatic example of “vobb” but, somehow, I did and now Anna is back home, and we are all having Indian takeout from the “South Indian Bistro” on Lilla Kungsgatan.

Meanwhile, Sweden is one step closer to NATO membership as Turkey finally completed its ratification process. Necessary as this may be in the short term, I am really concerned about the lack of a long-term vision for our relationship with Russia, at least beyond mere confrontation. Having cut almost all normal economic and cultural ties, we have also inadvertently cut ourselves off from being able to influence Russian society in a positive direction. After living next to North Korea for three years, I was always sceptical of sanctions, believing that, instead of isolation, we should seek to win the hearts and minds of the Russian elite.

Lunch run

Ice free

After the last few weeks with low temperatures, the recent storm “Isha” brought much milder weather and, once it passed, clear skies today. Last year when I was in California, I got a summer sneak peek and I guess today was my preview of spring with the birds singing and the sun returning. As such, and though I really did not have the time, I ended up going for two runs today.

Later in the afternoon, Anna and I walked over to Skårsskolan for a parent-teacher conference, passing Skårseken and all the beautiful white houses. As for our own home, I am afraid I do not have any updates except that we are working on it and that there now seems to be a small chance that we in fact get to keep our current apartment that we have come to love.

Beats and slush

While Justin was able to complete Sandsjöbacka 60 km yesterday, I chickened out which probably was the right decision given how few days that have passed since Ringkøbing Fjord 100k. Instead, I made polka beats and dreamt of possible future races with the Julian Alps Sky Trail 50k in September being particularly tempting.

For now, however, I was happy to be joined by Anna for 12 kilometres over our bridges here in central Gothenburg. Running in deep slush, it reminded me again that ultra running does take a certain mindset and that most sane people would simply have stayed in bed on a day like this...

Knusprig

After supervising my PhD student Kalle over Teams, I went for a lovely lunch run around Skatås in the sun. With lots of fresh snow on the trails, I really regret having left my skis in Kiruna, but I hope to make up for that over Easter when we are back in the High North. At least, my risk of injuring myself is probably less when I run so that is a positive.

For dinner tonight, I was thrilled to discover that Meinklang from Burgenland has released a 25 cl bottle with my favourite Grüner Veltliner grape. Though perhaps not the best I have tasted, I would still give it a solid 3 out of 5.

Lost chances

As the fourth season of “All of Mankind” is coming to an end on Mars in the early aughts, I cannot stop thinking about roads not taken in world history. Just as after 9/11 when the US had a generational opportunity to win the war on terror outright by abiding to democratic norms yet chose to spoil it all on Guantanamo and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Israel experienced a unique wave of global solidarity following the heinous attacks by Hamas back in October. However, by choosing to indiscriminately bomb Gaza and killing tens of thousands, that good will is now spent and, with no clear end game in sight, the Middle East instead finds itself in an ever deeper downward spiral.

Back to base training

Waking up to a full-blown snowstorm, I was happy for not having to commute down to Halmstad today. Instead, I spent the morning with different Teams meetings before heading over to the gym once the sky had cleared up. After three days of complete rest, I felt ready to take on one of the treadmills but, sadly, they were all in various states of disrepair due to dust and dirt that had been building up, probably as a result of people using their outdoor shoes when running on them. As such, I had to contend with five kilometres of indoor rowing and some strength training.

Still eager to check the status of my legs after Denmark, I went for an easy afternoon jog outside, feeling surprisingly good and ready to resume my base building of ten kilometres per day. With no races planned until Transgrancanaria 48k at the end of February, I appreciate this return to normality.

Trail Fox

In Gothenburg, winter is back with a vengeance as the temperature has fallen down to -17 degrees overnight. Still frozen to be bone after my ultra adventure, I listened to the kids and made spaghetti bolognese with a bottle of “The Fox and the Grapes” as props.

After due consideration, I have decided not to run Sandsjöbacka Trail 60 on Saturday as I need to give my body more time to recover, and I also have to take care of the kids after being away this weekend so Anna can get some time on her own. Yesterday, she started her new job in Trollhättan which seems to be a really nice academic environment. Going forward, she plans to commute with the Norwegian “Signatur” trains going between Gothenburg and Oslo as they have some incredible prices for local travel in Sweden.

As for foxes, I just found a 50k race on Møns Klint called the “Trail Fox South Coast Ultra” in mid-August which seems like a much less extreme way of enjoying Danish pastries than the race I just finished. Like Rügen, Møns Klint is somehow always present in my imagination so I think I should give it a shot.

Ringkøbing Fjord 100k

You know what they say, fourth time lucky. After failing twice at Fjällmaraton and once at Tjörnarparen, it was finally my time to run 100 kilometres. With Madeleine setting off with the goal of running 5:45 min/km on all splits, I decided to tag along, completing the first marathon in 4 hours and 8 minutes. With most of the course being on gravel bike paths, I felt strong and fully recovered after a week with almost no running. Somewhere around 46 kilometres into the race, I started falling behind Madeleine, accepting that now it was just me and those remaining 54 kilometres.

For the most part, the weather stayed dry but there were a fair bit of hail and rain during the day. But most of all, the wind was constantly blowing from the northwest, gusting up to 20 m/s, and making the air all salty and sandy (more on that later). Gradually, slowing down, I was feeling colder and colder as the day progressed, and starting to fear that I would again experience hypothermia like at Tjörnarparen. Some warming tomato soup at the Lyngvig Lighthouse briefly restored my hopes of finishing but it was first when I was given a spare jacket at the 95-kilometre checkpoint that I could truly believe that I would be able to complete the race.

Once back in Ringkøbing, the course took an extra two kilometre path around the harbour, again facing strong winds but 14 hours and 26 minutes after starting, I made it across the finishing line. Having set a new 50k PR of 5 hours and 7 minutes, I had then spent more than nine hours doing the other 50k. Finishing last but still 34 minutes ahead of the race cut-off, I could not be any happier about finally being able to put a 100k behind me. And true to form, Madeleine of course soldiered on, finishing first among the women in just above 11 hours.

However, as expected, I slept miserably after the race, not only do my legs ache but I also managed to get a grain of sand under my left eyelid, which, if it does not go away, I might have to seek help with once I get to Sweden. Still, it is so worth it and, even if I right now do not want to think about any future races, this has definitely been a confidence booster.

Shake out

Once in Ringkøbing, the inland fog gave way to coastal sunshine as I went for a 3 km shake out run through its quaint old streets, passing its 15th century church, and a few bunkers built during the second world war to protect the German occupation forces.

After a swim at the Fjoordgaarden spa, I had pizza with my ultra runner friend Madeleine who is also doing the 100k race tomorrow. Now time to catch up on sleep in anticipation of the big day that lies ahead.

Hovedbanegården

As few other places, Copenhagen main station feels like the place where Sweden ends and continental Europe begins. Having taken the train over from Malmö, I passed through this morning before boarding InterCityLyn 35 to Vejle, famous for being the closest railway station to Legoland. With the gun going off at 7.30 tomorrow morning, I plan to spend most of the day today making slides in Powerpoint while drinking “Resorb Sport”, knowing that this 100k race will be a true test of my abilities.

Hotel Savoy

Whenever in Malmö, Hotel Savoy on Norra Vallgatan, just opposite from the main railway station, has become my favourite place to stay. Today was no exception as I checked into room 208 for some sleep before taking a train through all of Denmark tomorrow morning.

Tonight, however, the big thing has been dinner with my old-time friend Gabriel who has appeared many times on these pages throughout the years as we have travelled everywhere from Montenegro to Montréal. After a burger at Bishops we went over to the local Czech bar for a “velké pivo” as tradition has it. Finally having time to catch up on friends and family, it was the perfect ending to a long day at work that started already at 4:50 am in Gothenburg.

More to grade

Another week with hundreds of pages to grade, this time fortunately theses rather than exams, but after working for four hours straight, I made some pancakes and a cup of coffee, reminding me of my visit with Eddie to the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi back in the December.

Tomorrow, I will start commuting again to Halmstad. Unlike basically everything else in society, the price for 30 days of unlimited travel along the west coast of Sweden has gone down with the card now costing 2,449 SEK. In addition, the timing could not be any better as the whole family is off to Portugal at the end of those 30 days, meaning that I will only need to buy four 30-days cards this spring semester. 

Elara

With the temperature again falling down to -15 degrees, I made another warming risotto with a Galician wine recommended by Therese as we were pondering the news that our landlord wants his apartment back by the end of April. This means that we again have to go looking for a new home, either here in Gothenburg or down in Halmstad. As the kids have to change schools anyhow, it is slightly less of a problem than it could have been, but still a bit sad as we have really come to like our new neighbourhood.

Today, I took the tram down to Masthugget for some more fencing with W. Given everything that is going on right now, it feels good that he will have his classes every Sunday throughout the spring.

Deicing fluid

Operations at Umeå Airport had to cease this morning as the deicing fluid was only certified down to -33 degrees. That however did not stop Elin from going for a run around Bölesholmarna. In comparison, I felt like a true quitter when doing my morning run on the gym treadmill even as it was only -12 degrees here in Gothenburg.

This afternoon, after dropping Eddie off at the studio, I took the train with William in the sunshine along the same line as Anna will be commuting on when starting her new job as lecturer at “University West” in Trollhättan. This means that during the spring semester, we will both be commuting although in different directions, kind of crazy I know, but still preferable to Umeå where we would only have one possible employer.

Studio day

Today was Eddie’s first day at Warner Bros. Studios and, even if we must keep all details secret for now, it is still incredible to see him grow into this new role. After dropping him off, I had a tasty lunch with William at “Indian Bistro” downtown which made everything feel even more like a preview of my future life as a parent to teenagers.

Later in the day, I ran up to Delsjön to catch the last winter sun. With less than ten days left until my big race in Denmark, I am not doing any long runs but instead prioritizing consistency. Right now, the weather forecast remains uncertain but at least no major storm seems to be on the horizon.

Icy and windy

Yesterday, we were indeed rebooked to SK165 and made it back home to Gothenburg shortly before 9 pm, just in the time for me to head out for an icy and windy run around the neighbourhood. After five more slippery kilometres this morning, I had enough and escaped indoors to Nordic Wellness.

As always in early January, the gym is really packed with people who are all looking slightly remorseful but, if the past is any judge, the crowding will not last for long. Considering my pancakes above, I guess I should feel guilt as well, but I keep telling myself that, as long as I do ultra running, I can eat whatever I want ;-)

Diversion

On our approach into Stockholm-Arlanda, an ambulance helicopter was hovering above the airport following an accident, forcing our flight to make a surprise diversion to Dalarna and Borlänge Airport (BLE) where we are now waiting for refuelling and a new flight plan back to Arlanda. With a bit of luck, we might still make it to Gothenburg tonight with SK165 but who knows?

Here comes the sun

After ten days of non-stop polar night, we boarded Torarin Viking in -31 degrees just as the sun peeked above the horizon for the first time in 2024. A few fighter jets then delayed our departure but now we are firmly underway south.

Once we get to Gothenburg, we have some busy and exciting weeks ahead of us, with Eddie taking part in a TV show (all details of which remain classified for now), Anna teaching long days and me preparing for my classes starting on 15 January. Before that however, I am off to Denmark for Ringkøbing Fjord 100k via Malmö where I look forward to seeing Gabriel for the first time in a long while.

Cold start

With the tourists dressed more for the icy moons of Neptune than for Northern Sweden, the new year brought Arctic winds cold enough to still make me envious of their gear. After skiing eight kilometres around Luossavaara at dawn with Anna, I thus escaped indoors to Gymmet for a first treadmill run of the new year. Still firm in the belief that 10k a day keeps the doctor away, I will try my best to run 3,660 km this year. With three ultra races over the next two months, I will need to take plenty of rest in between so, by necessity, my training will be more polarized than last year, something which I think will only be for the better.