Thursday 19/11-2009: Up and running again!

Up and running again!

It was just temporary!
My stomach got angry, and told me what I could and could NOT do (eat).
After that I needed a cleansing, lay sick for a day, and now I’m back on track

The day today became just as planned.
I took the train from Castellon de la Plana to Vinaros, a little extra run, then down to Torreblanca, and on to Torrenostra by the sea.
There I took the first swim in the Mediterranian Sea
Torrenostra was like a ghost city, and the few people who saw me probably wondered what crazy person I was swimming in the middle of the ”winter”.
But hey?!… I bet it was between 18-19 degrees in the water. Just like a refreshing swim in the Swedish summertime.
Otherwize the complete day has been cloudy, but on the other hand, that is perfect for running
So nothing bad that doesn’t bring some some good!

I made a total of 52km today, just as planned. That’s not bad!

Tomorrow they say it’s going to be sunny.
It’ll work

So take care my friends!
Warm running greetings!
Martin

Tuesday 20/10-2009: Full focus, forward…

To start out late has a point….

Now when I’m driving my car myself things tend to take time in the mornings.
Yet I thought that I got up in pretty good time today.
But when I had checked out, driven to Mulhouse, took in my luggage in the next hotel, a cab to central station in Mulhouse, train to Selestat, another cab to Marckolsheim, wow….
I didn’t start running until after one o’clock.

Ok, it’s 56km to my next hotel in Mulhouse, and it starts to get dark around 18.30.
The conditionts for running is perfect, 10-11 degrees, no wind, and sun!

Full focus forward…

Nothing bad that doesn’t bring something good  as well.
The first 42,2km (a marathon) took 4,50 , not so bad, eh??
After that I took it a bit easier (is that possible wonder all the runners out there )
It added up to a 6,30 on the 56km.

Thus I had no time for any food stops, just some stops “behind-the-trees”.
My stomach gave me some pain between 30-40km, but let go after that.
It’s totally useless to to try to run with stomach ache, it was all about gases to be frank.

Just eating during running is a tricky part.
As today -to not eat at all- feels almost as the best in some aspects.
On the other hand is the risk of running out of gas not too appealing.
I really don’t know where my limits are, but I guess that thats’s what I’m testing right now .

Otherwize I found a way to lessen the time consuming process each morning.
Let’s say I do 50km each day (it seems to be that way now after 17 days on the road).
Then I plan to drive my car 100km every second day.
This means that I always stays 2 nights in every place.
The first day I need to go back to that days starting point.
The second day I need to came back after that days running.
Piece of cake, right?

Now I had a big steak with lots of fat sauce, soon there’ll be potatoes with olive oil and butter.
I cook everything for myself, and that feels absolutely great

I hope you all feel good dear friends, I really do!
Warm running greetings!
Martin

Monday 19/10-2009: On the road alone…

Well, then I’m on my own again….
It feels something like this…..

Go to the Swedish sight and listen to my recording of Body and Soul where I play all the instruments by myself.

It’s an incredible big difference in doing this project by myself instead of as up til know -two.
Just the silence…. for good, and for worse…
Now I’m very used to beeing alone, so that’s not a problem.
It just became so very different all of a sudden….

Otherwize I must say that this day went very well.
I got up at 8, feeling real good.
At 09.30 I was driving my car south towards Marckolsheim.
There I found a hotel, and by 11.15 I sat in taxi on my way to the nearest train station.
So shortly after 12.00 I got of at Strasbourg main central station.
Since it was at the same distance as the hotel I stayed at in Strasbourg I could start running directly.

8-9 degrees in the air, no wind, and a shining sun is quite ok for running
I almost got to hot with all my layers that I put on.
As planned I made a cool 55km in 7 hours.
The only complication, and a one that make me feel really bad is dogs.
Yes, dogs…. barking dogs….
I appreciate all tips I can get about how to handle this.
In every little village that I pass through there are several dogs in every other house that completely barks their heads off at me.
It makes me just as jumpy every time, and at one time one was loose and ran after me.
Now this one turned around as I turned around, but what about the next, and next….??

After a high number of getting barked at, the result were that I tip-toed through the villages because I noticed that my running triggered them.
This triggers me…
My fear and anxiety turns to anger and rage that I have a hard time controlling.
I become furious, and this spoils a big part of the good experience.
You don’t want to know what I’m planning….
What to do???

Anyway, now I’d just finished eating, and I’m sitting in a very nice hotel room making plans for tomorrow.
Mulhouse is waiting! This will be fun

Take care my friends!
Warm running greetings!
Martin

Saturday 17/10-2009: France

Thanks Germany for this time!

Nice lady who ran the hotel in Rastatt!

The red devil is now going into France!

Vive la France

Yes it became a really good day!
I havn’t had any pain anywhere during the whole day!
I took it quite easy, and enjoyed getting into a new country.
I’ve mixed walking and running and made 56km in 7,30.

After crossing the border I had 25 fantastic kilometers along the Rhein with the sun in my face.
I could feel the heartbeat of history in the area.
Moments like this makes all the hard work on the road worth while.
Actually even more, it’s simply gold !

It became dark before I reached my hotel, but that’s not a problem these days.
I just follow the little blue spot along the purple line on Google Maps on the iPhone.
A piece of cake to find the way through all the streets.

Tomorrow is a day of well earned rest!

Warm running greetings to you all!
Martin

Sunday 11/10-2009: Food

We stayed at the very nice Alter Bahnhof in Schleusingerneundorf am Rennsteig
Pumped up Martin before start, and with Marcus from Alt Bahnhof. Thanks Marcus!
Beautiful view of Alt Bahnhof

Let’s get the technical stuff over and done with:
I started out from the little village of Zeilfeld, and headed straight west to Römhild, and another 7 km before I turned in a south-west direction.
Todays target was Schweinfurt.
The distance today came up to 65 km, and it took me 8,30.
A tough day with a lot of rain.
A friendly police officer drove up beside me after 50 km and asked if I needed a ride.
I thanked him, but said no

Partly drowned och finished Martin after 65 km.

FOOD:
A lot of this days thoughts have circled around food.
The fact is that one of my big challanges with this project is about food.
Or to be more specific the carbohydrates in the food (especially the fast ones).
As a sugar addict it’s the carbs that makes my days hard.

I can state right away that this situation by no means is optimal for addressing an addiction.
The days are tough much because of the strain of all the running, and this becomes a stress factor that triggers a behaviour that I have when I handle stressful situations.
My tactics has anyway been to trade a lot of the carbs for fat.
In this spirit I have eaten a lot of different cheeses, salami and other sausuges, a lot of olive oil in everything, butter, tons of creme fraiche, etc..

I guess that it havn’t gone enough time yet, but it feels partly as it’s going in the right direction.
On the downside have I eaten a couple of Snickers bars. Only during running though.
Certain days I’ve felt quite powerless, but then again I got to give my body more time.

Now it’s getting late, and I need to go to sleep.
At least I started up the subject of the food, and it will continue.
Feel free to write comments with reflections. It’s highly appreciated.
I was planning to upload another video that Richard edited, but that have to wait til the morning.
You’ll find the videos on the Swedish verison of this blog.
Subtitles in English is coming, but not yet.

Take care!
Wet running greetings!
Martin

Wednesday 7/10-2009: What goes up…

Must come down…

I’m the one coming down……
I hope that this roller coaster ride is only in the beginning of this project because it’s getting a bit frustrating.

Pain is still in the body…
Tomorrow is going to be a day at rest…
My hurting right knee needs a chance to recover.
It’s the outer parts of the knee that hurts the most.
Isn’t this a typical case of runner’s knee?

Today I was able to run like 15km, then I had to walk.
I made a total of 40km in 6 slow hours.
Otherwize, it’s been a wonderful day.
It’s been warm, 18-20 degrees, and quite a lot of sun.
I don’t know if it’s due to the fact that we’re getting further and further down south, but it sure is nice

I started out today at Bad Kösen and ended up just south of Mellingen.

For two days me and the driver of my follow car -Richard- is staying in an apartment in Weimar.
I really hope that my hurting knee will be back in business now when it gets a day off.

I’ve been experimenting a bit with my running stride during these days of pain.
It has worked the best when I put the front of the foot first in the ground.
The stride becomes very light in this way.
Maybe not the most economical way of running. Opinions on this anyone?
I would think that this stride could work out if I could be a little bit lighter.
I gives me a good flow, and is well suited for a slightly higher tempo.
I’ve noted that I end up around 6 min/km with this stride.
In this type of running a slightly higher tempo
I wouldn’t talk in these terms when I do a halv marathon in 1.20, which is my PB at that distance.

Tips, thoughts, and ideas are highly appreciated!
Otherwize I’m quite safely back on earth, and wishes nothing more than to be able to run instead of walking. Even a 7,30 tempo will do…
I mean, my blog can’t be renamed to www.DiabeticOnTheWalk.com
It just doesn’t do it for me

Anyway, it’s wonderful to be on the road, and when I’ve come to speaking terms and accept what my body is telling me things will work out fine. Maybe not in the fashion that I thought.
It may take longer time, etc…
But I will never quit on the project, never!

Take care wishes your stubborn European continent runner Martin!