Malkars 21k

Leaving a rainy Gothenburg behind, I took train 327 across the country yesterday, with a special detour via Alingsås and Herljunga due to the rail construction going on in Almedal this summer. Being super productive with my research on the train, I arrived in Kalmar five hours later where I was met by my dad who followed me up to Verkstadsgatan and the starting line of Malkars 21k, a half marathon race that I was doing for the third time in my life.

Determined not to repeat past mistakes, I started conservatively, settling into a 4:25 min/km pace behind a runner in a blue “IFK Umeå” shirt. To my surprise, I felt fully in control. Passing Lillviken and the 5k mark at 21:56, I was reminded why I love road racing. Spotting my mother cheering from her bike gave me an extra boost of energy. At 10k, out on Ängö, my watch showed 44:29, still on pace for a new personal record.

But by 15k, nearing the turning point by Berga Centrum, reality set in. My heart rate hovered around 180 bpm, and I began feeling a sharp pressure in my chest. I took a brief walk after the aid station, just a few meters, but it was enough to know the PR would not happen today.

I crossed the finish line in 1:42, seven minutes off my best, but with no regrets. I had run the race I had in me. On the course, I chatted with an older gentleman running in the M75 class who, to my amazement, finished five seconds ahead of me. That, honestly, is more impressive than any personal record. And as for the course, Kalmar is always Kalmar.