Trail run (gropenextreme) 1:27:08 [4] 15.76 km (5:32 / km) +600m 4:39 / km
I love the Linné training bank. Joined in with a group running the Gropenextreme hill course in Sunnersta on a day when otherwise I likely would have skipped training altogether.
Tough to get up in time this morning, and so I jumped on my bike a little later than planned, and ended up having to race the whole way to the start, arriving 5 minutes late but in time to see the group head up the first hill.
Caught up with them on the second hill and settled into a first lap at an easy conversational pace. Weather was warm and lovely, conversation likewise :) Was surprised when the first lap ended and all the people I was following stopped running; drinking water, running home, or pausing for the others to catch up.
I was a little confused, but I just kept on running, because the plan was to do 3 laps, and I picked up the pace a little bit, thinking to get progressively faster on each loop. Legs felt great, and I was moving well for the first little bit, pulling ahead of the gang, but then I made a wrong turn and not wanting to mess up even more, I ran back to meet up with the pack again and followed along behind Anders Boström for the rest of lap two.
On lap three, Anders took the lead, and he really created a huge gap immediately. Pretty disheartening really :) I've run a lot of hills this week, and my legs were feeling it, but I kept the effort high and could still see Anders' back off and on. Thierry came along behind as we started up the ski slope, encouraging me to close the gap as he effortlessly scaled the hill in like one or two strides.
In the end I finished just a bit after them, but very pleased with the effort and the time. I would have liked to stay around and hang out more, but a thunderstorm was rolling in, and so I raced as fast as possible up to the lab to get a few things done and to wait out the downpour.