VIVOBAREFOOT Primus Trail SG

This week my new trail shoes arrived: VIVOBAREFOOT Primus Trail SG 😎

Over the past many months I have been changing my running style towards forefoot running. I must admit that reading Christopher McDougalls "Born To Run" has much to do with it. You can read more about the book here.

I have two other pairs of VIVOBAREFOOT shoes for everyday walking and I love 'em. They are so comfortable - I am forever a changed man regarding shoes. Therefore, I also wanted to get some running shoes and my old trail shoes were getting a bit trashed. I've had my eye on the VIVOBAREFOOT Primus Trail SG for a long time and they simply look awesome! So finally I decided to buy them.

I took the Primus Trail SG for their first run in Shotover, Oxford, which is a great place to put them to the test. It was awesome to wear a pair of trail shoes with room enough for my toes to spread out and feel free, as my old trail shoes (Salomon Speedcross 3), which are probably also a size too small, squeezes my toes together leaving virtually no space for movement. Don't get me wrong - they have served my well and have done a great job on the trails! It's simply time to change! 
I logged 20km in the new Primus Trail SG on hilly and muddy trails and they felt awesome all the way. I have got no negative points besides from them being a bit pricey and that the sizing is different (smaller) compared to my other VIVOBAREFOOT shoes - had to go a full size up.




VIVOBAEFOOT Primus Trail SG:

Their appearance give them away as being real beasts for the trails. They are low (as in no cushioning as they are made for "barefoot" running); Weight is about 285g for my size 9UK(43); They've got large multi-directional lugs on the outsole for improved traction in the mud and on loose ground, and is made from some tough rubber for a sticky grip; They've got a quick-lacing system which works pretty well, however, they do also come with normal laces if you prefer these; The toe-box is as expected large with plenty of room for your toes to spread out and feel free; The upper front-mesh provides great ventilation without letting dirt into the shoe; The structure around the heal/ankle is made as a tight fitted collar keeping dirt from entering the shoe; They are quick draining through the mesh on the sides; And they are relatively quick drying when you have soaked them in your free shoe-wash on your way back home 😎
Bottom line: They are pretty awesome!

I made a small video from my run which can be seen below.
Until we meet again - #HappyRunning

Best M.

Review Under Armour Charged Bandit 2 Night

A small review of the Under Armour Charged Bandit 2 Night 😃

I've got my hands on a pair of Under Armour Charged Bandit 2 Night and have decided to write a small review on them. Under Armour is relatively new in the running-shoe-business, and some are not aware that they actually make shoes as well besides sports clothes. However, they are playing around with many different models and makes, and I have got to try a few including the Under Armour Fat Tire Low trail shoes, which I wrote about some months ago and like very very much!


I'm not gonna write about all the technical details which you can find here on the Under Armour website. Instead I'm gonna write about how if find them and what I like about them and what I like not-so-much.

To start with, the looks of them is great in my opinion. I like the black/orange colours. The top and sides are reflective which helps to be seen in the dark. The top-front of the shoe is fairly soft and forgiving when touched/poked, but not really stretchy, which I find good, as you want your toes/forefoot to stay in place during a run, and not "floating" around in the toe-box. If compared to the Under Armour SpeedForm Gemini 2 or the Under Armour SpeedForm Slingshot, the foot is more fixated in the Bandit 2 Night shoe. Not that the Gemini and Slingshot are not comfortable, they are very much indeed, but I feel my forefoot are moving a bit around in them.

Many Under Amour running shoes have no cushioning on the inside of the heel-cap, which may seem strange when comparing to many other brands, but once I put them on, I don't feel it at all - nice and comfy :-) The heel-support in the Bandit 2 Night is better then in the Gemini 2 and the Slingshot, which I see as a major improvement. I found it bit too loose in the other two for running and I have the feeling of being able to slide out of the shoes at times. I don't have that feeling with the Bandit 2 Night. In my opinion they have a fairly tight grip around my feet while still being comfortable and having space for the toes as well. 

The tongue (the loose flapping part under the laces) is fairly wide and goes along way down on the side of my feet. However, it is not noticed when I tie the laces, and they tie up nicely around my feet. I've left out the top lace-hole as the laces otherwise will go too high up in my opinion. 

My first few runs in them has been great. They feel good and the cushioning is a bit better than in the Gemini 2 in my opinion. I've read that some find it a bit too hard, and that the sole changes character after a while of running. I have not noticed any of this yet, as I've only been out in them a few times. I'll take them for a long run later to feel them with my own feet 😀  


The sole has a good grip on the ground, though in places it felt a bit slippery due to the many fallen leaves on the ground and wet weather, which is doomed to be slippery... So pretty much any shoe would feel slippery in these conditions.

I like the direction Under Armour is taking and so far, I like these Bandits quite a bit and compared to other models I've tried from the Under Armour range, these Bandits are the best I've tried so far for road-running 😊

Oh - and I've now passed the 2016-mile-mark(~3244km) for the year 😉💪

See ya out there and stay safe 😉

#UnderArmour #YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL

Best M.

PS: The running shoes have been kindly provided by Under Armour UK, however, the views are my own!
 

Autumn running

Last week I hit 3000km for 2016 - Way longer than last year! :-)

Totals of 8th November 2016

This year I've been running a lot more than I did last year. Last year I managed to conquer 1888km, and with almost two months left I might even almost double that number. So far I've passed 3000km which I'm very pleased about. I set a target some months back to hit 2016 miles (approx. 3244 km) in 2016. I'll pass that target in a few weeks time. It will be tough to cover twice the distance of last year (3776) - it's 666km from today - a nice "round" number ;-) 

In previous years I've been running a lot less. I've been running for a long time on and off, but throughout the previous years I've kept at it to push further to test my abilities. One question arises from that: 

How do I know where the limit is? 

I honestly don't know - and I think most people don't know their limits when it comes to running - even at anything in life... And what does it take for me to say: "This is it - this far but no further!"? - Yet again, I cannot answer that...
For now, however, I definitely don't feel like I've hit the wall just yet, so I'll continue to explore my capabilities as a runner. 

Regarding the Suunto Spartan Ultra, I've been so fortunate that I can keep the watch. I'll continue to test it as new software updates are released. The last update was for supporting Android phones for the Movescount interface. I've now managed to upload my exercise data via the phone (a bit slow though), and can now receive notifications from various phone apps on the watch display using Bluetooth. This works fine, though I'd love to be able to deactivate the sound when a notification is received! I now use some gel for solving the HR issues. Works just fine, though it should not be necessary, but apparently it is for me!
UPDATE: I'm now back to not using any gel - only water to wet the HR electrodes before an exercise, and it now works fairly reliable! I'm not sure if I'm doing anything differently or a software update has done the trick!

I've got some updates I'd like to see in future updates for the Suunto Spartan Ultra:

• Display your daily steps/calories in Movescount
• Use different colours in Movescount: when more than two data-inputs are selected, all data curves are white, except the last one chosen, which makes it hard to distinguishes them!
• The possibility to set HR range-alarms, pace-alarms, etc.
• Sounds/vibrations on/off for notifications
• Include avg. paddle rate/stroke rate for kayaking in the Movescount overview.

It's it definitely getting colder out there, and this morning we had sub-zero degrees in Oxford. I still chose to run in shorts though, which was just fine :-) And with the colder weather, comes darkness as well. I bring my Petzl Tikka XP head-torch for these mornings along with my high-vis vest - Both to be able to see but also to bee seen!

I've included some photos from this autumn, which can be found at the very bottom of this post. Please view them in full-screen :-)

Safe running out there :-)

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL #SuuntoSpartan

Best M.
 

Oxford Half Marathon 2016 - New PB

Some of the awesome people from Falcon :-)

Yeah - New PB at Oxford Half Marathon - 1h25m44s :-D Pleased!!

In the last few months after finishing Race To The Stones (100km) I've been focusing on my upcoming half-marathon in Oxford (9th. Oct. 2016). It's local to me as I live in Oxford, so one I have to do. I wanted to beat my PB from 2015, which was 1h29m47s. To do that I've been slagging on my long runs and including a bit more speed-work as intervals, hill sprints and shorter tempo-runs. 

The Oxford Half-marathon was a great event, and the weather was perfect for running! As said I managed to improve my time from last year with just over 4 minutes! I came 170th of 7686 finishers in total, 160th of men of 4263 and 166th in my age category (2464). Some stats from the event can be seen here.

I haven't been doing any full-distance test-runs. I find it really difficult to compare a training/test-run with a race-run, as I wont have the same conditions as in a race anyway, so I simply trusted that my training would be sufficient to carry me through. For me, training is for improving and increasing my level of fitness, strength and speed in all it's aspects - And races are for testing if my training has been sufficient for that particular race and for achieving PBs :-)

3rd place at
Henley Hasler K2 Kayaking

I haven't been running as much as I could have in the last month, as I've had many kayaking races on my programme and wanted save a bit of energy and focus a bit on this as well, which did pay off by getting a 3rd place at Henley Hasler in a K2 :-) 

For now, I'm once again gonna focus more on distance/time on my feet instead of speed. I worked on increasing my speed for the Oxford Half-marathon, and did less long runs. However, I missed the longer slower runs where time doesn't matter and simply enjoying the scenery. So now it's time to slowly increase my week mileage again in preparation for next years long runs :-) 

As many others I was unsuccessful in the ballot for London Marathon 2017. But it's okay - I'll find some trail race instead :-) For next year I've got my eyes on some longer races/runs which I'll hopefully be able to find both time and money for :-) More on these later...!

It's getting dark out there in the mornings and evenings, so bring out your Hi-Vis vest and lights both to be able to see but also to be seen! Stay safe! :-)

See you out there! :-)

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight

Best. M.

RTTS2016 - Aftermath

In retrospect of Race To The Stones 2016 I want to check up on what I had chosen to bring/wear for the race compared to what I actually used and found useful... 

Kit review:

For shoes I had chosen to wear Under Armour Fat Tire Low (see review here) trail shoes, which was an awesome choice! My feet was good for the whole run and they survived with only two not-too-bad blisters on my big toes. The cushioning was awesome!

I used my Salomon Advanced Skin 12 Set Trail Running Backpack for water (1.5L), a 0.5L bottle for electrolytes, camera, gels, etc. I like this vest very much and didn't find any problems as such, except one zipper "broke" about 70km into the race as I probably had overfilled the zipped pocket a bit. I did manage to fix it after the race though.

I had chosen to bring my Black Diamond Distance FL Z poles as well, as the inclines seems quite steep when looking at the race data. I did use them and they gave me a great walking pace uphill compared to when not using them! I will definitely used them again when possible (and allowed!). They were strapped to my running vest, but somehow they got to touch my back causing a bit of chafing. Nothing too serious though! 

I "redesigned" how I use the Salomon 4D pole carrying system to make it easier to strap them on and get them off, by using a carabiner clip to attach/release the top bungee-cord. I found this much easier and less likely for the bungee-cord to be entangled into the poles/pole-straps when trying to wrap/unwrap them from your back.

I wore my Under Armour CoolSwitch calf sleeves. There are many theories about if they work or not. I like the feeling of them and my calfs didn't ache at any time during or after the race. If it's due to the guards or something else I cannot tell! But fact is, I haven't had a single sore muscle in my legs from the run, however my hips and ankles were a bit sore from the uneven terrain and the downhill running.

My Under Armour Shadow Run Cap protected my head from the sun and redirected sweat from running into my eyes. At some pit-stops I soaked it in cool water to cool me down. Awesome! My Under Armour Launch 2-IN-1 shorts and LP Embioz compression top also did very well along side my Falke running socks :-)

My Garmin Forerunner 310XT didn't complain and recorded the whole run. The HR chest-strap (which is actually from my old Garmin Forerunner 305) was unnoticeable and didn't leave any marks from chafing, as the original HR chest-strap have given me on much shorter run (~20km).

I did bring extra clothes like a waterproof jacket, a thin long-sleeved top and extra socks just in case, but didn't use any of it. However - you never know with the British weather ;-)

All in all the clothes I wore worked well for the hot weather and I could have left the extras at home, but 100km is a long way if you need it at some point, hence I'm happy with the choices I made :-) 

Food review:

I had chosen to bring my own gels (Science In Sport/SiS) as I have used these through out my training, and didn't want to find out if I could/could not use other gels mid-race! I used 15 gels on the course. 

Flat coke is a winner!! :-)

I also brought my own electrolyte tablets (SiS) for the same reason as the gels. I refilled my 0.5L bottle with a new tablet/water at every pit-stop except the first one (one for approx every 10km) and even though it was extremely hot and sunny, I didn't at any time feel I was lacking fluid or the like, so I think I got it right.

I refilled my 1.5L bladder once. In addition to this I drank a lot of flat coke and some squash/water on the side. In total I must have consumed at least 8 Litres of fluid - and only one stop at the loo! ;-)

I didn't eat many of my homemade muesli bites. I think it was due to the hot weather. I also didn't eat any chocolate bars as they were way too sweet during the run! Instead I devoured a lot of oranges at the pit-stops where possible and grabbed some apples for the road + a few bananas on some of the early stops. I also found bananas too sweat to eat at the last half of the race.

I ate crisps in some of the pit-stops, which was a very welcome snack and a great source of salt :-) Standard food from now on!! 

The pit-stops were well stocked on all sorts of things, and if I were more brave using those "unfamiliar" things, I wouldn't have to carry much myself. At some point I might start using what's available instead of bringing my own :-) 


Bottom-line for food and liquids is that I didn't have any stomach aches as I did in CTS Dover in January, so I must have done something right this time ;-)

Every thing worked out for the better and I had a fantastic and awesome day!! Loved everything about it :-D 

#RTTS2016

See ya out there... :-)

Best M.


PS: I'm on Endomondo Blog about the #YouVsTheYear challenge!! ;-)

Race To The Stones 2016

Yeah!!! I did it :-D 

On Saturday morning on the 16th July 2016 the alarm clock was set for 4:00am - Race day! I got my race kit on and ate my breakfast. Almost everything I needed for the race had been packed and prepared the evening before.

I hadn't even left Oxford before I met the first others, who were also running/walking Race To The Stones. The registration went smoothly and after a eating banana and a visit or two to the loo, I was ready to run... a 100km awaits! 

Just before we started the sun showed itself, so I took off my red top as it quickly got warm. At first I thought that was awesome with some sunshine for the race, as it until this point had been grey-ish and looked like it was going to rain anytime soon. However, the sun came and stayed for most of the day! That, of course, also means it gets really hot when running...

Halfway!

I skipped the first pit-stop as I had plenty of fluid and stuff to eat. However, I soon got to realise that I would have to refill my 0.5L bottle, which I use for electrolytes (I brought my own tablets), at very-pit stop from now on, as the heat had risen severely! It was very warm and I was sweating like a pig! I've estimated that I have drunk at least 8 Litres of fluids if not more: I refilled my 1.5L bladder + 8 x refill of 0.5L electrolytes + a huge amount of flat coca cola on the last 50km, say 2-3 cups on every station + a some cups of water/squash at my "lunch break" and in other places.

At the halfway point, a hot meal (included in the race package) awaited me. I chose a tiny portion of pasta with mushrooms and piece of bread, as I didn't wanna be too full as I had 50km to go still! 

Me and Terry (I think?)

After my lunch break, things got a (tiny) bit easier until about 90km. I had chatted with various people along the way. One had done Marathon Des Sables (tough multi day desert race) previously. Somehow she didn't finish this one though. I though I would "give something back" to the few spectators cheering and encouraging us, so I started taking photos of them as well, and they seemed to like it :-)


I often found myself running pretty much alone, which suits me fine, as in most (all) of my training I'm by myself. And running with a huge group on narrow trails makes it hard to find your own pace, which is quite important when doing 100km.

The last 10-12km was tremendously tough. The ground was very uneven and it felt like it was all downhill, which is why I think my hips and ankles are a bit sore - way harder than running uphill! And finally I was doing the last loop round The Stones and through to the finish line! A very cheerful lot welcomed me as I crossed the finish line... I've done it - 100km!

12h33m52s - I'm very pleased with that result! I finished 84 of 956. 

Even though my time was great, I wasn't fast enough to catch the public bus back to Swindon. But luckily, we (me and my partner, who had come down to pick up the pieces left of me) managed to hijack two seats on the last event-bus to Swindon, and later the train back to Oxford, only to find my bike punctured, hence a nice walk home :-)

What an awesome experience that was! If I wasn't hooked before - I definitely am now! The event was very well organised. Everything went smoothly from my perspective. I only got one "complaint": There should be fresh oranges at every pit stop!! GOD, they were good!!! ;-)



The route itself is very scenic and varied, though that last bit was really tough. In total: It was AWESOME!! :-)

In the few days after the race, I've expected to be sore all over my body. However, only my ankles and hips are sore. I've got no muscle aches and only two not-too-serious blisters, one on each big-toe. I've lost about 2.5 kg of body weight so it's time to eat and drink a lot ;-) YEAH!!

The Race To The Stones is an amazing event. Everything went smoothly. Well stocked pit-stops and friendly cheerful crew. The route was very well signposted all the way! Great race!!

Will I do it again? - Hell yeah!! ;-)

#RTTS2016 #MoreIsInYou
#RunWithFight #IWILL #YouVsTheYear #FuelledByScience

See ya out there... ;-)

Best M.

Time's up - Race To The Stones

This is almost it! The last few days before it's time for Race To The Stones 2016! The start is Saturday (16th July) at 8:00am (UK) for my 100km run - Exciting!! :-D

The start is near Lewknor not far from Oxford. I'm aiming to get a very early bus from Oxford and then walk the rest of the way to the start area, as there are no more free spaces on the event-busses. It's okay as it's only a short walk.

From here, the route follows the iconic Ridgeway, which is described as Britain’s oldest road, down through Wallingford along The River Thames which will be the lowest elevation on the course. This is immediately followed by the steepest climb (up to 8% according to the interactive map) on the course over almost 3 miles. From here the climbs will be less steep but some a bit longer, and there will be an 11% descent closer to the finish. The route ends up at Avebury Stone Circle, hence Race To The Stones ;-)

The total elevation gain of 3954 feet/1205 metres, which is comparable to my 35 mile race in January, so this should be okay :-) A complete and interactive map can be found here.

Race kit for #RTTS2016

I believe there will be posted "live" photos from the event directly on my Facebook page, so if interested you can take a peek there. And if you want more information on the race, take a look at the Race To The Stones Facebook page. There might be some updates there as well.

I'll try an keep my camera "rolling" and capture some photos/videos from the race. I'll post them here and on Facebook/twitter after the event if interested.

I've come across a few people online via twitter/Facebook who are also doing the one-day-run, and a friend from the kayaking club (Falcon) is walking it over two days for charity. I probably wont see anyone I know there before the finish line though, but if you happen to see me or my Smiley-face on the back of my running vest, feel free to poke me :-)


See you at Race To The Stone or somewhere else...

#RTTS2016 #YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL

Best M.
 

T minus one month: Race to the stones

The date is getting closer for my 100km run Race to the stones!

For the past many months I've been training for this event, which is now getting seriously close... One month till I'll be standing on the start line 99% full of excitement and 1% nervous about the whole crazy thing I signed up for... :-)

To prepare myself for the race, I've been increasing my weekly mileage from somewhat 80km to approx. 140km and I have been increasing the distances of my weekend long-runs too. Instead of doing a single really long run, which would take longer to recover from, and probably increase the risk of injury, I have chosen to do shorter back-to-back sessions over the weekends. An example of a long-run-weekend would count about 72km in total for both Saturday and Sunday - 42km Saturday (with +500m elevation gain) followed by 30km Sunday in a slightly faster pace. For this particular run, my legs felt strong for both runs :-) Throughout this weekend I also managed to do some kayaking both days (10+13 km), so I guess I'm starting to feel more and more up for it, as I see my level of energy and confidence go up :-) 
I'm aiming to taper for 3 weeks before the race, slowly reducing weekly mileage, but maintaining intensity.
Some training plans for this type of distance, aim for longer distances than I've done. Others build on "time-on-your-feet" over distance. I've tried to follow a schedule based on multiple training plans found online, and altered them to fit into my world... This "altering" has been ongoing throughout my training as new non-running-related weekend-plans or new travelling plans came up.
My life is not defined by my training schedule - My schedule changes to fit my life! :-)

I sort of know what kit I'm gonna wear and what kind of food and hydration stuff to bring along the route. I am aware that there will be food stations for every 10km, but I still want to bring my own - at least some of it, as this is what I've used in my training runs, and therefore I know what to expect from it. I've also figured out, how to tape up my toes to protect them a bit. Let's see if that works for 100km also ;-)

For me it is gonna be very interesting to see if my training - both physically and mentally - has been enough to prepare me for a 100km run! I guess time will tell...

I'm really getting excited about this :-)
See ya on the start line...

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL #RTTS2016 

Best M.

Running with technology

Technology is a great thing for many things - not just running. Is it required to bring technology for a run? Yes - I think so... Otherwise I probably wouldn't be running as much as I am...

Wearing a device to time your course, monitor your pace and constantly check whether you're still alive (heart rate that is...), brings an extra dimension to exercising - in this case running. I'm not fanatic about it and it's not like I'm constantly checking my watch for pace, HR or whatever...

Yes, I know that I don't really need it, that I'll survive without it, but I also think it makes it a lot more fun to get out there moving those feet. And to me that's what it's all about - having fun and enjoying it!

It helps me wanting to get out there in the dark, cold, early hours (I get up at 5.30am) during winter, through those rainy, windy, freezing mornings while most others are still asleep in their warm cosy beds. It's not just during winter that I harvest energy and encouragement from technology. 

During springtime, on those awesome early mornings, where most are still asleep, I use technology (a camera, if not obvious...) to capture those awesome sunrises and frame nature as it is, to share with those who can't or wont get up that early to see the spectacular views as the first light breaks the darkness by the misty river Thames, and to hopefully encourage those, who just needs a tiny push to get out of bed to enjoy it. 

Currently my beloved Garmin Forerunner 310XT is broken, and has been sent to Garmin for replacement, even though warranty has expired Garmin has taken it in, as a gesture of good will. Awesome service Garmin!! Therefore, I'm using my Epson Runsense SF-810 at the moment, which I reviewed for Epson earlier this year. And of course I most often bring my Olympus Stylus TG2 Tough.

Yes - you may say I'm addicted to technology - but if technology is what it takes to make me get out there, then fine by me :-)

See you out there...

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #WILL 

Best M.
 

Spring photos 2016

As I mentioned in my very first post, this blog reflects my two great passions: running and photography. So far there's not been too much on photography, hence this post.


Now, by photography I mean capturing the world as I see it. I'm not a pro and I'm not seeking the perfect picture, highest sharpness, best colours or the perfect motive... I try to do as good as I can with the equipment I've got, focussing on composing the picture in a way so I won't have to do much editing afterwards. If I do edit a photo, it's only slightly cropping, colour tuning (saturation, enhancing the colours slightly or making it black/white), contrast or gamma correcting.

On many runs (probably most, as I know I'll regret not taking it if I left it at home...!), I bring my Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2, which is tough enough to withstand the bouncing and it's waterproof. And it take great photos too - at least for what I'm using it for.


Some would probably say that I'm ruining my runs by taking photos as I'm obviously breaking my rhythm and my pace, but I cannot help it... I'm too deeply in love with taking photos to not bring my camera. And I do also run without it at times, e.g. when doing intervals, hill-repeats etc... so I'm not a complete lunatic ;-)

I've collected a few photos from some of my runs in 2016 so far, see below. I love this time of year and I'll never get tired of running in Oxford! I hope you'll enjoy the photos...

See you out there...

#RunWithYourCamera #RunWithFight #IWILL #YouVsTheYear

Best M.

Upcoming races 2016

I have just entered Race to the Stones: 100km in one day along The Ridgeway, which is described as Britain’s oldest road, which runs from the Chilterns in Oxfordshire to the North Wessex Downs.
100km is the farthest I've set out to do so far, so I'm pretty excited. Signing up for a race on a distance you don't know if you can do, is a bit scary. But I'm more excited than scared and looking very much forward to it. I'm gonna approach this race on 16th July 2016 as I did with my first Marathon and my first Ultra: 

• I am not aiming for any particular time
• I'm gonna trust that my training will get me to the finish line
• I'll try to eat a lot of food and keep hydrated
• Of course I'll bring my camera and capture a lot of photos
• And simply set out to have a jolly time :-)

So the big question: Am I ready for running 100km? Who knows... I'm a tiny bit terrified venturing into unfamiliar territory, but mostly I'm super excited! I feel I'm at a stage where I can finish it, otherwise I wouldn't have signed up for it and I trust my training is sufficient to take me to the finish line. But who knows if I actually am ready? I guess time will tell... :-)

Later in the year (9th October) I've signed up for Oxford Half Marathon. I might try to beat my PB from last year (1h29m47s). The reward for running this race is the Oxford Beer Festival the following week, which usually holds 100+ ales and ciders and is held in the Town Hall. Great event!

Hopefully the autumn brings more events of the EnduranceLife Coastal Trail Series to my list of completed races. These races are well organized, usually on Saturdays - which fits better into my world than the usually race-on-Sundays-approach, and they have race distances from 10km to somewhat 35/45 miles, so some for all :-) Let's see how many I actually get to do.

See you out there... :-)

#YouVsTheYear #RunWithFight #IWILL

Best M.

Blood runner

Running and giving blood doesn't mix, some would say... I do both - not at the same time though...

I have been a runner for several years and I'm not likely to stop any time soon. I've also been a blood donor for a long time as well. I believe I signed up for giving blood when I was about 20 years of age, and have been donating (almost) ever since. I started donating while living in Denmark and have continued as I moved to the UK. I even signed up in 2013 to participate in a two-year long study (Interval Study - still on-going, and I'm still participating as it has been prolonged), where you are assigned to give blood every 8th, 10th or 12th week. The goal is to figure out the optimal period of time between donations, as they (NHS and others) are constantly in need of more donors. So all for science! Who can say no to that...?

Copenhagen Marathon 2014

I was assigned the "8th-week" group. The first year things were fine... Then I started to become low in iron-levels from time to time. At first just on the border of acceptable levels for doing donations. At some occasions I was below the borderline, and had to stop for 3 months (if I remember it correctly) after which things were sort of fine again. At some point I had three "donations" below the borderline, and was told to see my GP to get a full blood count. I was also banned from donating for 12 months! Fair enough - Health and safety first! I was very low indeed, and was prescribed iron supplements for 3 months. Through these three months "on-the-pill" I could feel a real change in energy levels as I regained my iron!

CTS Ultra Marathon 2016

Looking back before I was suspended from donating, I had only to hear about someone who's friends neighbours cousins long-gone-friend in Alaska who had a cold to catch it, which was probably due to the low levels of iron. About year into the study, I did the Copenhagen Marathon - my first - and it was great :-) Loved every second of it...

Coming back strong after a year "off the needle" (for donation just to make that clear, but still taking normal dose of iron supplements to be on the safe side ;-) I've once again signed up for donating. I'm pleased to be back doing something unselfish for a good cause!

Giving blood April 2016
I'm back :-)

If you would like to donate your blood, or just some of it, once in a while, you should definitely sign up - They are in a constant need of more blood and need new donors! If you don't want to, that's okay and fully up to you to decide. I like it and as long as I'm not a pro, living of my running, I think I'll survive sharing some blood once in a while for a good cause - It saves lives you know! And even if it does affect my performance - what the heck - I like my training to be tough, so it's just another challenge! ;-) Scheduling it right, I believe I can be both a runner and a donor... See you out there...

UPDATE:
I gave blood again with no problems what so ever on April 27th 2016. And I have now donated for the last time to the Interval Study, so I'm back at normal donation rate. I'm glad I could help :-)

#RunWithFight #IWILL #YouVsTheYear

Best M.