3x Hönö

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Le Lapérouse

Taking the ferry over to Lindholmen with Eddie, we got to see “Le Lapérouse” moored at Amerikaskjulet. Being the lead ship in a series of French ultra-luxury expedition cruises that tend to ply the waters of South Georgia, the Islands of the Kimberley and French Polynesia, a stop in Gothenburg must feel rather underwhelming – especially considering it is just as accessible with a €25 Ryanair flight.

Once on the other side of the river, we checked out one of the biggest Nordic Wellness clubs I have been to, spanning three floors and packed with equipment, including a leg press I dared to use for the first time since my dramatic fall onto that hammock frame back in May. To be safe, I limited myself to 80 kg, with Halland Ultra-Beach just ten days away. But after that, I plan to work my way back to 3×10 with 120 kg. All in all, it was a great gym session with all my favourite machines: torso rotation, total abdominal, and hip abductor. Now I just need consistency – and maybe one less banana bread at Alkemisten afterwards ;-)

Tomorrow, my parents are coming for a two-day visit, and with the forecast suddenly turning sunny, I am thinking of taking them and the kids out to Hönö Klåva for some proper island time.

Château Bonnet

Sometimes, a wine can be just uncomplicatedly good. Retailing at 69 SEK at Systembolaget, a half bottle of Château Bonnet Blanc was exactly what I needed for dinner tonight.

After creating the quiz below using ChatGPT, I asked for dinner suggestions based on an xml-file that contains every blog post I have written since 2006. Among the many tantalizing ideas, I went for red pepper bulgur with pomegranate and mint (next time, I will go all in with the Turkish Airlines classic: bulgur pilaf). Sadly, we were out of Greek yoghurt, so I had to brutalize the dish somewhat with the last of the bearnaise that I had bought for Anna’s brother.

In just over a month, my dad and I will take the train to Hamburg, where we will board the Queen Mary 2.  I have already read up on the sample menus to get a sense of what awaits us – if nothing else, to keep me motivated through those long kilometres at night during Halland Ultra-Beach. As we get closer, I will share more about the trip and what to expect aboard, as that may depend a bit on whether my shameless £60 bid for a Queen’s Grill upgrade goes through.

Blog quiz

1. What does the acronym “LSD” stand for in the author’s running philosophy?

A. Low Speed Dashes

B. Long Steady Development

C. Long Slow Distance ✅

D. Lung Stretch Drills

2. What was the title of the art exhibition for which the author gave a talk on nuclear and climate in 2017?

A. Atomic Futures

B. Risk and Resilience

C. Perpetual Uncertainty ✅

D. Shadows of Progress

3. What kind of cross-training did the author include on the same day as running and swimming during “superhero training” in 2023?

A. Weightlifting

B. Cross-country skiing ✅

C. Indoor cycling

D. Rock climbing

4. What poetic vision was shared by Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare in the London Underground back in 2007?

A. A utopia ruled by benevolent monarchs

B. A global return to natural simplicity

C. A world without warlords, prisons, or borders ✅

D. A nostalgic celebration of Athens’ golden age

5. What kind of milk product confused German friends in Sweden, according to the blog back in 2008?

A. Kefir

B. Skim milk

C. Filmjölk ✅

D. Havremjölk (Oat milk)

Neuromuscular Adaptation

The other week in Kalmar, my mother had a book about running form, which reminded me to keep my upper body relaxed and my shoulders down while running. All good advice. In general, though, I am a strong believer in natural optimization rather than conscious correction. In my view, thinking too much about your form can disrupt your natural biomechanics and actually increase the risk of injury.

From a motor learning perspective, external cues or task-based challenges, like terrain or speed, are often more effective than internal cues when it comes to improving complex movements like running. One way of working with, rather than against, your body is to run fast intervals, for instance on a treadmill. High-speed running tends to automatically reinforce proper mechanics: shorter ground contact time, higher cadence, improved posture, and reduced overstriding – all hallmarks of efficient form and, ultimately, better running economy.

More than form, however, being able to run faster is obviously mostly about aerobic base building, and for that, nothing beats some good old LSD. Still, to shake things up, I sometimes do a few tempo runs, probably more to improve mental toughness than anything else, but hopefully also to boost speed and endurance. This morning, I did just that in my Salomon Pulsar Trail Pro 2s, passing a deer with a couple of her babies (who hesitated before daring the jump across a stream), and returning home completely drenched, as the summer heat still holds its grip on Gothenburg.

Ocean Tonic

Waking up at five, as per usual, I found some reprieve from the summer heat with an iced latte on the balcony before heading up to Delsjön for what Strava would later call “a strong morning run” with Elin, rounded off with a refreshing swim in the lake, the first of many today.

A few hours later, I was back again, this time on bikes with Anna. The water, holding steady above 23 degrees, invited us in for a few hundred more meters. If I can keep this up, my annual goal of swimming 36,000 meters is suddenly within reach.

In the afternoon, we met up with Anna’s brother and his girlfriend for some true West Coast swimming at Särö – cliff jumps into the salty sea, too much sun, and a few Lion’s mane jellyfish, all just as it should be.

Taking the tram back into town we indulged in the best Indian food there is at Daawat near Masthugget. Now, as another day of summer vacation winds down, I am once again on the balcony, this time with an Ocean Tonic Espresso in hand, thinking that in ten or so hours, the sun will rise, and I will hopefully be lacing up my Salomon Ultra Glides for yet another run in Skatås...

Rainstorm

The whole day today has been in anticipation of the severe weather warning this evening, with thunderstorms and up to 40 mm of rain expected within one hour (which, by Hong Kong measures, is probably more of a light drizzle). When the front eventually rolled in, Anna and I were sitting on the balcony eating tabouleh and sipping the house Sauvignon Blanc from N.Z.

A few hours earlier, I had suffered through ten kilometres of indoor rowing in Kållered, convincing me that extreme rowing, in one form or the other, has to be part of my upcoming Winter Arc. Hopefully, I will be able to jump back up to 100 kilometres (which is my other goal for the Winter Arc) already this week as I desperately need a few solid weeks of volume before tapering begins for Halland Ultra-Beach.

Abstract

This morning, I got to run to the hills with Elin for an hour before returning home to submit an abstract to a new edited volume on the interplay of ideologies and environmental politics. Writing together with my long-time Australian co-author Jonathan Symons, we will hopefully hear back soon about whether we have been accepted.

Otherwise, the plan for today is to take the kids down to Kållered to see a friend while I check out the local Nordic Wellness gym. Having unlimited access to all clubs across Sweden really is such a perk – especially handy during the rain in Ystad the other week.

The title of our chapter is “Ecomodernism, Equality, and Surprisingly Green Outcomes”, and the abstract reads as follows:

Ecomodernism is frequently criticized for its anthropocentrism, uncritical techno-optimism, and rejection of nature’s intrinsic rights. Yet emerging empirical evidence suggests a paradox: societies that prioritize human equality and democratic governance – values central to ecomodernist thought – consistently achieve better environmental outcomes. For instance, income inequality is consistently associated with increased biodiversity loss, underinvestment in conservation, and disproportionate pollution exposure for marginalized communities. This chapter interrogates the tension between rights-of-nature frameworks and human-centred ideologies, arguing that prioritizing universal human flourishing may, counterintuitively, support more robust ecological preservation. Drawing on cross-national data and analysis of the likely pathways through which political ideologies influence both inequality and ecological outcomes, we explore how social equality can mediate environmental protection by empowering communities, strengthening governance, and reducing elite resistance to regulation. In doing so, we suggest that ecomodernism, far from being indifferent to nature, may offer a more plausible path to a "good Anthropocene", not in spite of its humanism, but because of it. Ultimately, we challenge the conventional green/non-green binary and show how ideologies that foreground human dignity and progress may yield surprisingly green outcomes.

Pôpa

Last night, having submitted the proofs for my co-authored article on hybrid learning to the Journal of Social Work Education, I lit up the grill and opened a bottle of Pôpa from Portugal’s Douro Valley. A blend of six different grapes, I think Systembolaget nailed the description: “fresh taste with hints of green apples, mineral, white peach, grilled lemon and herbs".

Grilling chicken and halloumi in the company of Anna’s mother, we enjoyed a lovely evening on the balcony, looking ahead to three quiet weeks at home – just before Halland Ultra-Beach and with both Eddie’s and my birthday on the horizon.

After a good night’s sleep, William joined me for 30k around the harbour this morning, just in time to see the Stena Scandinavica return from Kiel. We stopped twice for ice-cold beverages, and as always, these Mitochondria Mondays remind me how I should be training if I had the time – low-intensity volume, long runs over two hours, and simply more time on my feet.

Rubber boating

After 905 kilometres on the roads of southern and western Sweden, we returned our rental car to OKQ8 – but not before picking up a new wetsuit for Eddie and a rubber boat, much to the delight of both kids.

Today, we took the boat up to Härlanda Tjärn, where I managed a short swim while the kids practiced their cooperation and coordination skills as the wind quickly caught their vessel and carried them away from the bridge. After thirty minutes and little progress, I figured I would better intervene. So, I entered the lake from the far end, making my way through the reeds and collecting a respectable number of scratches in the process. Once through, I looked up, only to find the kids gone. A few hundred meters of swimming later, I saw them back at the bridge, calmly waiting. Clearly, I had underestimated them. In retrospect, I should have just stayed on the bridge, sipping my coffee.

Banshee

Happy campers after that pizza with mozzarella, fig jam, walnuts, and Parma ham at Gusto, we made our way down to the marina where we met Andreas, our Airbnb host for the night and owner of the yacht Banshee. From the moment I spotted the listing, I had a feeling that a night aboard would make for the perfect mini-adventure – something the kids would remember.

This being our tenth or so Airbnb stay, I have to say that sleeping on Banshee was one of the best experiences we have had – from the lovely welcome gifts to the quiet awe of knowing that the boat had sailed around the world, twice. Falling asleep to the sound of rain, both kids slept deeply, and something tells me this will not be our last maritime adventure.

Österlen

From Lund, we drove east along Road 11 to Ales stenar, an ancient megalithic monument perched high above the Baltic Sea. Being early risers as always, we had Sweden’s best-preserved ship tumulus entirely to ourselves. With the sun breaking through the clouds over Sandhammaren on the horizon, we jumped back in the car to catch the waves – again, alone.

From Sandhammaren, we continued to Kivik and its apple orchards, where William, being a true apple fanatic, indulged in everything apple-related before we dropped Anna off at "Fabriken Bästekille" for a retrospective exhibition of Elisabeth Ohlson’s photography. Though I had hoped to see her work myself, we decided it made more sense for Anna to take in the exhibition alone while I took the kids up to Brösarps Backar.

Driving along the winding roads of Österlen, every kilometre felt steeped in history, reaching back to the early 1980s when I used to sit snug in a red child’s seat behind my parent and take in the fields of Skåne as we rolled along. 

While the afternoon wore on, the rain intensified. By 3 p.m., we had little choice but to retreat indoors at Nordic Wellness in Ystad for five fast kilometres on the treadmill and a bit of weight training – before indulging in a wonderfully authentic Italian pizza at Gusto on Klostergatan.

Fria bad

Picking up an Opel Mokka from OKQ8 for 1,130 SEK (a three-day rental bargain, really), we left Gothenburg just after lunch and headed south on the E6. A couple of hours later, we stood barefoot on the soft sands of my childhood dreamscape: Fria bad – or “Örestrandsbadet” as it is now more formally called.

Sometimes nicknamed the Copacabana of Helsingborg, this long beach of white sand had last featured in my life in September, when Anna and I passed it in a blur of sweat and sunshine as we approached the finish line of the HOKA Helsingborg Half Marathon. The weather then had been brilliant, and so it was again today – high summer on full display.

Watching the kids tumble through the wild waves, I felt a strange tug – not quite déjà vu, more along the lines of Mark Twain, that even if history does not repeat itself, it often rhymes. Standing there in the surf, it could well be 1985 all over again.

Later, we drove on to Lund for an evening stroll through the cobbled streets and past the university library before sharing a pizza at V.E.S.P.A. and finally collapsing into bed at Scandic Star.

À la mer

Today, Anna and I woke the kids early and caught the first Tjörn Express Bus (TEXP) at 6:05 am from the Nils Ericsson Terminal to Rönnäng, passing Angeredsbron shrouded in morning mist before arriving at the most picturesque little harbour.

Dressed in dark blue stripes and a white straw hat, I looked every bit the caricature of a summer seaside tourist as we boarded the ferry M/S Hakefjord, which first stopped at the tiny island of Åstol before continuing to Dyrön.

Having beaten the crowds, we had the island almost entirely to ourselves for the 5.4 km hike along the Dyröleden trail. With the sea calm as glass, we were treated to breathtaking views of the archipelago and even managed a skinny dip in a secluded bay on the northern side of the island before rewarding ourselves with waffles as a post-swim treat.

Considering that all buses and ferries are fully covered by Västtrafik’s “summer card” (860 SEK), we felt like true winners passing the long lines of cars crawling toward Tjörn as we returned by train from Stenungsund after one more swim on the southern side of the island.

The Alchemist

Feeling stronger by the day, I joined Anna for 18 kilometres of slow city jogging this morning. We passed the newly upgraded “Plikta” playground, where we used to spend so many hours with the kids when they were younger, and continued through the Azalea Valley before heading out over Älvsborgsbron to Hisingen for coffee at my favourite café, Alkemisten. I topped it off with a slice of banana bread which, for some reason, always reminds me of backpacker hubs and beach towns in Thailand.

The big event today, however, is that William has officially gone a full year without eating sweets, a feat rewarded not only by Anna and me, but also by his grandmother. Considering how much I struggled just to stay away for a few weeks, I am thoroughly impressed – and inspired. As such, I have decided to go all in on the “Winter Arc” concept once Anna and I return from South Africa on 21 October: a minimum of 100k running per week and no sweets, "fika" or alcohol until Christmas.

Old Magazines

With William's help, I have been cleaning out the basement, throwing away all sorts of things – including a big stack of old travel magazines. In a few cases, nostalgia got the better of me. I stumbled upon the June 2013 issue of Condé Nast Traveler, which inspired our trip with Anna's parents to Oman later that year and deepened my fascination with the Rub’al-Khali (or the “Empty Quarter,” as it is known in English). I also came across the March 2018 issue, where I first read about Manon les Suites in Copenhagen. Amid these reminders of journeys that did happen, there were also a few that did not due to the pandemic – like Goa and the Seychelles.

Otherwise, I am feeling much better today and was able to join Anna for a morning jog, maintaining a stable heart rate of 130 bpm. While I have decided to avoid high-intensity training until I have finished the antibiotics next weekend, my sanity depended on spending some time in the forest.

Cantucci

Overnight, the rain began to fall. Feeling strangely fatigued, I stayed curled up on the sofa while Anna ran 18 kilometres alone through the forest. Watching the fourth episode of Sverige och kriget with William, we followed how the tide of the war turned after Stalingrad and how Sweden eventually decided to halt the German transit traffic. I also learned something new: that the harbour in Gothenburg was used for exchanging prisoners of war between Germany and the UK.

With some luck, both the sun and my energy will return by mid next week, when we are planning to rent a car and drive down to Kivik and Österlen for a retrospective exhibition of the late photographer Elisabeth Ohlson, who sadly passed away last year. Afterwards, the plan is to show the kids Sandhammaren and stay aboard a sailing boat in Ystad for one night.

Marrakech

Sixteen years ago tonight, I boarded the Moroccan Railways (ONCF) night train from Tangier Ville to Marrakech, a city I never quite left in my imagination. Departing at 9 pm in a four-berth shared couchette, it was a far cry from the Oriental Desert Express featured in Spectre. Still, there was something deeply romantic about riding into the red desert under cover of night and waking up 571 kilometres to the south with the sun rising majestically over the Atlas Mountains.

After yesterday’s great maritime adventure, which concluded with some of the best pizza in modern history at Bulldog Kitchen, today has been far less eventful. A short Active Learning Classroom (ALC) safari in the morning was followed by an hour of light weight training at Nordic Wellness Olskroken. With my running on hold, I am thankful to have no fever or other symptoms beyond the red rash – “erythema migrans”, assuming it is indeed Lyme disease. Either way, taking it easy for now feels like the wise thing to do.

Seaside