Goals for 2012

Fredrikstadsløpet 25.03.2012 Fredrikstad 21.1k Road

Påskemaraton 09.04.2012 Drammen 42k Road/gravel path

Nordmarka Skogsmaraton 15.06.2012 Oslo 42k Trail

Ulvådalen Ultra 12.08.2012 Elverum 51k Trail

Helteløpet 08.09.2012 Rauland 21k Road

Oslo Maraton 22.09.2012 Oslo 21 k Road

Nordmarka Ultra Challenge 29.09.2012 Nordmarka 82k Trail

I guess it's easy to tell that Normarka Ultra Challenge is the main focus for this year. It is a milestone and a real challenge. Even though theres a quite few races this year, in fact, there are more races this year than I've ever done. Which, to be honest, isn't a lot. The reason it is my focus is that it is totally different from the the roadrunning I've been doing. I'd like to get out more on the trails, considering how blessed we are with forests just a few beer bottle throws away.

Yes, Born to Run did inspire me to aim for an ultra and go minimalist. After reading up on Scott Jurek and Anton Krupicka I've finally gotten some minimalist shoes and started to work on my foot-strikes. It is liberating as it focuses more on the enjoyment of running. Since I finished the Marathon I originally thought of doing a couple each year, with New York or maybe even Boston as goal further down the line. Perhaps the thought of only being able to improve my own records at the same distance and my preoccupation with training plans made me loose some inspiration. It really wasn't just to put on my shoes and go for a run when I felt like it, it had to fit in the plans and have specific reason.

Now I just need to step out, run for an hour or two, keeping a decent pace and exploring my surroundings.

But it is 80 k's. I need to train. A lot. So I've found a good many races to getting the mileage and race experience in. The Fredrikstad half is ideal for starting the tapering for the Påskemaraton here in Drammen a fortnight later. That marathon is one that I've wanted to do for a few years, and this year there's nothing stopping me. Even though it is a looped course, it is, almost literally, in my backyard.

A couple of months later I'll get my first crack on a trail race, a full marathon no less, in the woods outside Oslo. It is a big event and I'm really looking forward to that, especially since it's opportunity to get to know the area of the Ultra.

In august I get my first Ultra in Elverum, which is a 50K trail race. Unfortunatly I really haven't found out much about it yet, but it's timing and distance is ideal. Hopefully I'll learn a lot from that experience for the main event.

After that there's Helteløpet in Telemark, which I really loved two years ago, I broke my half marathon time with 15 minutes and the nature was spectacular. I really should have done it again last year. Hopefully I'll get some more Bar Runners to run with me this year. It will be a blast.

I got the Oslo Half in as tentative one, because I'm not sure if a Marathon just a week before the Ultra is a good idea. I'm not even sure if I want to do the half, but it's the biggest running event in Norway and a great day out for runners.

Then there's the challenge of my life. It will be hard, I have no illusion about that, but I'm confident that I'll finish. It will take every ounce of willpower and a few hundred kilometers of training. When I finish that, a whole word will open up. The Comrades in South Africa, a few 100 milers in the states, the UTMB, Trondheim-Oslo, who knows? I guess that even though how unrealistic all of these races sound, I know it can be done. I mean, I really would never have thought about finishing a marathon three years ago, but here I am. Step by step I'll get there. This year NUC, next year the Comrades, after that Leadville 100 or one of the others in the states.

But first a quick run before a beer drinking interval session.