Then it was time for one of the Favorites when it comes to running competitions for the year. It is with a certain love-hate to set themselves at the starting line. You know it's going to be tough, it's going to hurt, but it will be worth it afterwards.

This year, I had a little strulig upload with iliotibial band syndrome and various other small damages. But then dusseldorf, I have been able to work out at the good, even if it hasn't felt like top shape has been there. A haunting cold that has been in the past 2 1/2 weeks may be to blame for the latter.

However, I have known that I have become stronger, that I have been able to recover well, and that I've gone down something miles by adding on the diet a bit. I have stopped using all the greasy food, and started eating a little more whole grains, although wheat full grain. But most of all, I have got around to get in me more carbohydrates than before, which has done good for the exercise. So I headed in goals again this year, and I did it in new personal best, 1:23:44. I took me into place, as it is also 393 personal best!

And here's a report from the race. After a walk to the start at a little over 3 km warmed me up with two kilometres of running before I went to start the fold and stretchade. With start number 308 I started in the first group, and it was nice to escape the crowd. Just before the start I met together with a very focused Trotter.

13:00 when first starting shot be heard went, I saw the blue aktivitus Cap run away, and I tried not to even hang on. Warming had felt like that in my legs, but I pressed yet decently without render me. First mile went a bit faster than I had imagined, and I opened at 3:45. Now I was up in the pulse, and parked at 157 strokes per minute, 1 above the threshold.

When I came to seal dust Hill step pulse, and then I had raised heart rate warning on 161, Bell began to warn. I wanted to absolutely not shy on me any lactic acid so early in the race, so I struck by the tempo. But I could still make the third kilometer well under 4 minutes. When I arrived at the älvsborg bridge struck once again by the tempo up, and let your heart control your speed. Here came the first two kilometres over four minutes, 4:10 and 4:11. But I had a good margin to an average speed during the 4:00, so I am not worried about this, but pressed on performing instead, and again took almost all the time I had lost up. And now, it was downwind along the entire island. In theory, bad cases.

The first two kilometres along the eriksberg went just under 4 speed, and I passed 10 k at 39:28 according to the official timekeeping, 39:20 according to my watch. But now it started to hurt. It was hard to keep up the momentum, and I had to push up to speed then heart rate began to fall down to and below 155 BPM. Intellectually, I know that I can keep a pulse on over 156 beats per minute without pulling on me more lactic acid than what the body can do with, but the brain at the same time trying to fool me to lower speeds. That is to be determined. Not to let emotions steer, and resist.

This is where hatred love of the race comes in. This is where we need to go into himself, shut out from time and space, and just let your body work. I sit as a small coach in head and watching a little on hold, and when it starts to go slowly. It's very meditative, and a very special permission to be in. After reading Scott Ee book eat & I would run to explore this meditative feeling more, even on longer races where I would not be on the high side of what my body can handle pulse wise.

I looked forward to kilometre 12. Where would Linda stand with all the kids and cheer. And even though I just saw them a short second, so it was a energiboost, and, götaälvbron, suddenly became very easy to run. I was able to hold 4:01 pace up the bridge, and passed a lot of runners here. Around 50 pieces, it turned out.

And it kept in its own right. After drinking a mug of energy drink in the face of the way up the Avenue, I felt again easily in the legs, and could run on and pass a lot of people here, although kilometers times fell just over 4 minutes. But now, it was not a long way to go, and it was just holding on.

After Vasagatan, only 3 kilometers left, and this time, I missed not the last mug sports drink. Ascherbergsgatan was now surprisingly lättsprungen, and I leaned down again kilometers times during 4 minutes. It was not until the last mile as it began to feel heavy, but then I had already done all the heavy lifting and passed another 50 runners from götaplatsen inside out.

But the last mile should go quickly, and with 1 km left, I saw that I had the chance to crawl under 1:24 if I could keep the momentum. With the finish in sight I pressed on the last one I had, and clocked 1:23:44 on my watch!

I had dreamed about being able to run under 1:24, but had not really believed in it myself. Not when the body does not feel easy and fast. But now I know that it does not have to be absolutely perfect. As long as you've trained on well with good quality, and charged properly so it sits there. The shape appear. Now it took nearly 15 kilometers before it came, but it came close. And I am more than satisfied with the performance. To be almost the entire race in zone 4, above the anaerobic threshold, is powerful. The hard part is that now I know that I can, so there's no reason not to make it into something races to come, as long as your legs will respond.  Official Placement 393, here is the link.

Now I am looking forward to my main running challenge yet. Next Saturday is the BUM, Borås Ultra Marathon, and I hope I can get through.