Day 100 – A Great Success, Totally Murakami

Dear readers, you must admit that our last 100 days club was a great success.

Like G already said: totally Murakami (if a specific Japanese author and marathon runner ever reads this – thank you for being our guru).

Ok, we might have had a little more wine than suggested at times than the rules suggested. And even more coffee… But we have both improved our snack habits. We've had less sugar, less cookies, less crap food and more food. I think…

We've been both doing some yoga, and now we're doing the powerful dynamic yoga that gives strength, flexibility and muscles. Where as the relaxing part can be made at home…

And most of all – we have been running! Mostly in sunshine (it was hot, remember?) but also in rain. In those 100 days

G ran 411.45 k

C ran 289.83 k

Together we made 701.28 k!

Finally, we made the super hilly last ten k:s of Lidingöloppet (speaking of Chinese torture…), the Lidingö tjejlopp.

C made it on 1.03.52 with a cold in her body.

G made it on 1.05.43 with an ear infection!

(Next year we'll both go under one hour…).

About my personal goals:

1. To run – not obsessed in periods, but moderate every week. On my personal goals: I was obsessed at periods, but only had one week (in delicious Denmark) without running.

2. To not let the vicious circle of bad sleep + coffee + sugar + a little too much wine take over my vacation and summer. There were many days when I had to have coffee after a messy night with my 2-yearold (or the others), but I had a lot less sugar and wine.

3. To run the Tjejmilen August 30 and Lidingö tjejlopp September 27. I'm not aiming at a certain time (yet), but just to run the 10 k in both competitions. Didn't do the Tjejmilen because of sick kids, a cold and no night sleep, and regretted it so much. So it was a good thing to run the Lidingöloppet though the cold. Wouldn't have been able to do that without all the running the last 100 days.

4. I will blog every day, but if it's ok by you I'll blog about the day that passed next morning, so that I can go to bed when I need to. I'll also try to blog a little shorter in my new moderate style. Have been blogging a lot. I think it has been good for my English too.

5. I will be more serious about my yoga. Am getting more serious about the yoga. I believe yoga is the perfect wife for Mr Running.

And now new adventures are waiting. We are taking a three days break, but will be back already October 1 for a sweet little 50 days challenge.

Day 100- Congratulations!

Dear C,

We did it! First goal completed. It feels good to have that done. Even with lifes obstacles it is possible.

So as you can see I rewarded myself with a nice, strong latte.

This week I will start a different kind of training. Along with the running I will bike, and attend an Army boot camp class.

Time to train the whole body, and get better strength.

Hope you are proud and feel good! Thanks for being a great friend and 100 day partner.

Totally Murakami, Until the 30th of Sept. signing off.

Gxo

Day 99 - Stressed Out!

Dear C,

Where do I begin? It has been too long since I have written. My body is stressed, and I can´t seem to calm it down. My shoulders are high, the knots hurt, and for some crazy reason my ear is bleeding. It must be an ear infection but it doesn´t really hurt. Though when I think about it perhaps I have been a bit dizzy (more than the usual).

How do we become mindfull? That we can get into a zone and just let go. Yoga does this but there isn´t much time for the relaxing part in yoga she is so busy with the chinese torture. This rushing reminds me of a little story "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth really a tribute to the rainforest but a question of why we rush as well.

Running does this but my body doesn´t want to now. But I will go on, and do the best I can.

Today we went shopping because the girls have been wearing too small shoes. Now they both have the same size feet, and there are no hand me downs. Then we went to löplabbet and I got new running sneakers. This may help my knots? Anyway the shopping took ages we got way more than we set out for and the kids became cranky and hungry.

Tomorrow the girls will go to a birthday party instead of watching mom run. We said they could choose and of course the thought of candy is much more fun...

So I made my 400k goal. that is nice. Hope I make 10 tomorrow!

Much more to come in the future for us!

PS I need your pers.no for registration for vassaloppet.

XXG Should we walk over together?

Day 95 – 99 Cold & Celebration

Dear G, so what happened? A few days before the race L got a cold. And so did I.

Poor nightsleep, and many questions around the race. I had decided and planned for reaching the 300 k at day 100, but realised I had to choose.

Either ignore the cold and run enough to reach 300 by Sunday.

Or try to rest and get healthy by race day.

Decided to stick to the race, but as we are getting worses I wonder if I did the right thing. But the choice is made and there will take a lot more than a cold to stop me tomorrow.

So my goals are the ones Murakami had for New York Marathon (free from memory)

No walking – I'm a runner (might do exceptions for Karin's backe, the steep that is more like a wall).

I will make it to the goal.

And I will have fun.

Speaking of fun, we had a little celebration this week. The night between Wednesday and Thursday we counted 12 years since CJ kissed me the first time – we have been a couple since.

Six years by ourselves, six years with children under 2.

Everything is so symbolic.

How about your last 100 days?

See you tomorrow,

your friend

C

ps oh yes, we had champagne with a toast followed by cod with shrimps, butter sauce and horseraddish. Safron Ice cream for dessert… Already told you that story…

Day 93 – 94 Pillow Position, Pillow Prison

Dear G, the girl you might know as a sweet, curly, 2-yearold little L is about to drive her parents insane.

I know I've been on this subject over and over again, but sorry, I'm not done.

You know the problem: L wants to use my belly as her pillow. When she wakes up and the pillow is exchanged to what you and I would call "a real pillow", she goes to fetch the pillow she likes.

The pillow that is a middle aged woman who needs to sleep 7-8 hours to be at her top.

The pillow that gets panic every evening because she fears what's coming up.

The pillow that after almost seven years of pregnancies, breastfeeding, babies and toddlers in bed thinks that she deserves her own body.

As opposed to Pillow Prison.

The night between Saturday and Sunday I never slept more than two hours in a row. CJ woke me up when he went to bed, then just a little more than an hour later L came to fetch me. I tried to get her to sleep (deep enough so that I could leave) an hour and a half. Less than an hour later she was back. So I said to CJ that I was too tired to get back to her bed, so I had to let her sleep in our bed.

At that point my dear husband decided to do something about it. He went to L's room and tried to put her to sleep again. It made her furious. She cried and screamed, and I felt bad and couldn't sleep either. But eventually, he succeded.

At seven the others woke up.

CJ was too tired to get up. So who remained?

Yesterday, we decided that the little girl should be put to bed by her Dad. That is the only solution: that he teaches her that she can (and must) sleep without her Mom.

Two hours she screamed for Mom – until 10 pm. She was so angry, angrier than the other two ever were.

After that she woke up twice. I thought it was crucial for her to get some sleep, so I helped her the first time. The second time I asked CJ to take her, but he was sleeping so deeply that he didn't answer.

Like he was dead or something.

So I layed in L's bed, tucked her in the best I could, got panic and ended up as a pillow. Tried to sneak out, she woke up again, pillow position… I think you get how it goes…

So when I got back to my bed it was 5.36 pm.

Then the alarm clock rang.

I keep forgetting things. Like to call you to say that we have a parents meeting at the preschool tomorrow, so I can't make it to the yoga. Will you stretch for me too?

And yes, apart from the sleep thing, I love all my children – A, J & L. And meeting those three pals today running 5 k (instead of 10, as planned) made me remember.

Do you think they let their Mom sleep?

Day 93- Indian Summer

Dear C, I love that you dine with "the" gourmet chef. L goes to those restaurants when his colleagues from the US are in town. You and CJ obviously are in another food class than me, as your meals look delicious. I think I am a terrible cook and L is a total meat and potato man.
Friday night, I went to a girls 40 party at Vassa Eggen. It was a total scene! Obviously, I don´t go over the bridge very often (or to the Stureplan scene). My American friends and I went overboard, and I did drink too much. When my friends went to the bar at 2:00AM I snuck out and took a cab home. Fun, yes but crazy and I felt yucky in the morning. Felt guilty about what I had done to my body and ran just over 9k. This is the part of the 10k that I think gets hard. It goes up and up then down down then up! September has been a fantastic month for running! The days have been so clear and crisp it makes running so enjoyable. Got out for another just under 10 day today. Am trying to reach the 400 mark by race day! Though will really take it easy this week. Especially as you can see below as there is a cold brewing in my head. I have not written as I feel there isn´t so much to say when working, kids, working, and kids everyday. Oh, one thing C has her first loose tooth and is very excited at the idea of it coming out. Really it makes me a bit sqeemish.
1 week left. XOXG PS: Fantastic showing at the track. You kick butt!

Day 91 – 92 Life As It Happens

Dear G, Friday I was invited to lunch by Melker Andersson, gourmet chef and owner of restaurants like Fredsgatan 12, Kungsholmen, Grill and Smak. By the way, he also has a silver medal of Bocuse d'Or and at least one Michelin Star.

Here is Melker himself, holding a little speach about his life, his wife, the tv-show he had been to the same morning and of course, his latest cookbook. It's a homestyle cookbook, kind of odd, he said, as he's never at home. His wife pulling the wagon of their 7-months baby back and forth, laughed politely.

The lunch was held at his private home just outside Stockholm. I was transported there in a big cab, suddenly stopped by a great man standing in the road. It was one of Sweden's most famous radio hosts, asking for Melker Andersson's house. So he got in the cab…

Arriving at Mr Andersson's we had cava (Spanish Champagne), some amuses and then grilled Porchetta(meat) served with all sorts of side dishes.

Afterwards we had Clafoutis with cherries, cherry sauce and whipped cream. We also got to see his house, obviously styled by an interior decorator, very un-Swedish in every aspect of the word.

Leaving I received a copy of the cookbook, with a dedication from the chef to my maiden name.

The whole experience was somehow surreal. Was I travelling in time? Was it a strange coincidence, perhaps even a mistake, that I was invited? Or was this afternoon the beginning of my new life?

Perhaps not. Saturday our family was four double booked. There was the obligatory fixing day at the preschool (if you don't come you get to rinse the toilets, or similar), the big track and field athletics day at A's school (a great chance to get to know the new friends), A's tennis (with her best friend) and J's gymnastics (with his best friend) – all for children and all at the same hour.

So we packed some sandwiches, coffee and the three children in the car, started early at the preschool and worked efficiently. Then, an hour late, arrived to the sports field. Yes, the very same sports field were I, in my schooldays, learned to hate track and field athletics so deeply.

There are pros and cons with being a homie.

Something has changed, however. At 15, I realised I'm a runner – not a short distance runner, but a middle or long distance runner. And as adults, we all get the opportunity to be judged for other things than our ability to do athletics. Which, in my opinion and position, is a move in the right direction.

So in a very good mood I did the long jump, the 60 m race and a 400 m relay. Thanked our club that I'm in a much better shape than most of the mothers and have a lot less to sit on.

Running the 400 m relay I was even so fast the photographer couldn't get me. The photographer taking care of three kids, that is… I'm first in the far right, and then in the middle, just about to hand over the stick.

Life is changing, life has changed. And of course there is gold at the end of the rainbow!