Lidingöloppet

Lidingöloppet, the greatest cross country run in the world, is definitively worth a blog text. It’s a very special event because of its large scale but still incredibly friendly atmosphere. 30km long undulating course runs through the forests and beautiful nature of the isle. The altitude graph looks pretty gentle to anyone who’s done fell runs but the brutality of the course lies in the fact that it goes up and down all the time. Climbs aren’t that long but the gradient is quite steep from time to time. And descents take their toll too. So it’s pretty tough course for the legs anyway.

Route map of the course

Altitude graph of the course. Where are the flat sections?

Start. It’s awful. Too crowded and I’m running off the path most of the time during the first kilometers. I wish I hadn’t done that because jumping off and on the path takes a lot of energy. And a couple of full stops and accelerations to add. I’m putting all my efforts to it and still it takes me 5:30 to pass the first kilometre mark (well, the distance I've run by then is way over 1km too). I’m sure that I’ve overtaken hundreds of people by then but my position in the race at that point is 1720. This is obviously something you should be prepared for in a mass event with 20 000 people.

Start of the race from the air (Runners World)

5km - Already behind my "easy" schedule, calculated according to 4:30min/km pace. In reality I’ve run near to 4min kilometers after the slow first kilometer(s). However, time is not the point but the feeling. I had hoped to run the first 20k preferably just under 4:30min/km pace but effortlessly. The plan was really not to push before the last 10k. So whatever the time I was supposed to feel relatively fresh and relaxed up to that point. But here I am at 5k mark, already exhausted and feeling pain in my left glute and right ankle. Not good. But at least it’s rolling again and now I can run in my own rhythm. I hope it will get easier…(what are the odds? in a 30km race??)

10km - I’ve increased the pace and I’m almost in schedule now. But the start took definitively too much energy and I’m already struggling. Not very promising. I’m trying to stick with a girl who I ran with most of the course in Stockholm half marathon some weeks ago. Now it seems harder to keep up with her.

15km - My left glute is cramping now and I’m really struggling while trying to keep up with this girl. I really should have gone to masseur earlier in the week! I knew I’ve had some tightness in the glutes already before the race but had just ignored it. But in a race like Lidingöloppet every little niggle just amplifies and it isn’t getting any easier. I grit my teeth and try to fight forward. But I’m thinking more and more about retiring. The stretch from 15k to 20k is quite beautiful. You run along a small undulating path just by the northern coastline with views over the sea. I just can’t really enjoy it because it’s getting harder and harder and I feel like running on the edge already. This is just not working. Finally I have to let the girl go (but keep following from 100m behind). It’s taking awfully long time to get to Grönsta.

Running through the forests (Eddie Granlund)

20km - and the girl who I’ve tried to run with stops there. Can't believe she's actually retiring! Unfair! What the hell I’m supposed to do now?!? Forget her, gotta get going... I’m almost 4min off the pace in Grönsta when off to the final 10k loop. I feel that I’ve got absolutely no chance to make it in time now. 2:15 was my ambitious goal and 2:20 a kind of realistic one that I had really hoped to run. But in order to make it in 2:20 I ought to have at least 50min for the last 10k because it's brutal (those who've run that know what I’m talking about) and honestly much slower than the previous two 10km:s. Now I only have 46min for it, which is not at all comforting.

I remember vaguely that the climb from Grönsta is painful. But there’s so much support that I just dig in and run it up with a smile on my face. A smile! How rare is that? I really don’t understand what happened then but after Grönstabacken I get over the worst (or lose my consciousness?) and suddenly I’m lapping faster splits again. If I keep the trend I might actually make it…A guy from Lidingö Triathlon comes past, claps me on the back and says a few encouraging words. I find a new gear and after a while I catch him again. Again he says something but this time I don’t understand a word. Too exhausted for a conversation. I wonder if he knew me or if he was just being supportive. 

Suddenly I realise that I’m losing focus and my mind is somewhere else. I recognise a place from the past where an older runner took his last steps when I was involved in the rescue team. That’s one of those few spots that I actually do recognise from the time I lived in Lidingö. I get tears in my eyes but understand that this is not the time to get emotional. I have a race to run here. Come on, you need to focus now! It’s just a matter of willpower…Willpower, yes, and suddenly all I can see is a clip of Jim Carrey and his blue pen...

25km - Now, where’s the Abborrbacken?!? Is this it? I thought it was worse.. Maybe it’s still further ahead… Just in case I decide to be prepared for another hill..

26km - Abborrbacken is still not coming. We must have past it. So the worst is over, wohoo! Most runners are however slowing down and suddenly I’m overtaking people. My legs are killing me but I get a huge mental boost when I notice that I’m not as tired as my fellow runners. If only my legs can take it I might have a chance to make it to 2:20…A short steep decline and I feel a sudden sharp pain in my knee. Fuck. Just when I thought I could make it… I decide to run through the pain. It’s only 4km. How hard can it be?

28km - Karin’s backe. Ok this is the last one "kom igen nu!”. This is actually tougher than Abborrbacken (not a fact but just a personal opinion) at this stage of the run after you’ve used all your strength and power and your body is just a mess. But I try to push it as hard as I can to. Some runners start to walk but I’m not even considering dropping my pace now. Ok that’s it, now the last kilometer. Ruuuunnnn! 

2:20:... Done it! 10min faster than 10 years ago! Yay!


Tack för en härlig dag på ön och en fantastisk arrangemang!