This week's long run was one of the most challenging and most memorable ones in a very long time.
It was freezing (with wind chill: -13°C), and I had to plow through 10 cm of snow for almost the entire distance. After 7k, I was toast. This was hard! And it kept on. But I managed, and it was a good experience. I feel like I learned a lot.
Stage 45 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 21.61k (total: 413.01k)
Pace: 6'12"
#ParisMarathon in 99 days.
To whom it may concern,
I did a short write-up of the running I did in 2025 and my goals for 2026. It is what it is (namely a way for me to reflect and to remember), and it is somewhat self-indulgent - so bear with me.
See you on the next starting line.
This year, I ran further than I have ever done before, and it shows how much running has become an integral part of my everyday life. It is my meditation, the time where I clean up mentally and mindfully. Running is hard, but it is also fun and rewarding. It does spark joy. Otherwise, I … Læs videre "Running through 2025"
Did you ever watch John Carpenter's "The Thing"? (If no or yes, go watch it tonight.) This morning felt as cold as that movie.
But I got a short run in before waking up the family for the first day at school/work after a long and nice Christmas vacation.
I'll just wait here for a little while, see what happens. With a cup of hot chocolate.
Have a good one.
Distance: 5.14k (total: 418.15k)
Pace: 5'34"
#ParisMarathon in 97 days.
Good morning!
This was tempo run where I increased the effort continuously. Purpose: to train pushing myself, even when the going gets tough. It was cold and windy, icy some places and enjoyable throughout.
"The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for".
Distance: 5.21k
Pace: 5'22"
#ParisMarathon in 95 days.
Starting the day the best way: with an easy run.
This was a cold and windy run in the dark, with Springsteen as my soundtrack:
"Now, there's a fire down below
But it's coming up here
So leave everything you know
Carry only what you fear
On the road, the sun is sinkin' low
There's bodies hanging in the trees
This is what will be
This is what will be"
Take care out there.
Distance: 7.08k
Pace: 5'36"
#ParisMarathon in 93 days.
A pristine and most beautiful morning. Also a very cold one. But I did a nice long run, stage 46 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
These days, I play around with the hydration vest I got for Christmas from my mother-in-law. It's a Salomon 12 Adv Skin (recommended by @moelholm, thank you!), and so far I'm most happy with it. But I do look forward to not wearing a reflector vest on top of it...
Distance: 23.5k
Pace: 5'41"
#ParisMarathon in 90 days.
To make ends meet, I changed my routine and did an evening run. Running this late usually does not work very well for me, but this one was fun (and hard).
The first half was just an easy run to go pick up my daughter from a playdate - but as she was on a bike, the second half turned into a tempo run through the melting snow. Not super fast, but enough to push me a bit.
Distance: 7.7k
Pace: 5'35"
#ParisMarathon in 88 days.
Edit: typo
Because of family plans, I did stage 47 of #52weeks52halfmarathons this morning. It was a bit too icy for my liking, and a streak of red lights broke my rhythm in the beginning of the run - but apart from that, this was a nice break from grading papers.
If all goes well, my weekend run will be a spectacular one. Fingers crossed.
Distance: 21.58k
Pace: 5'52"
#ParisMarathon in 86 days.
I'm in Tromsø, north of the Arctic Circle. I had hoped for a spectacular weekend run under the aurora borealis - but the roads are too icy for outdoor runs to be safe so I must use the hotel threadmill. If there were ever a downgrade from expectation to reality, this is it.
Still, a run is a run, and I got to play around with pacing. And the northern lights were amazing Friday night. All is good.
Distance: 5.53k
Pace: 5'07"
#ParisMarathon in 84 days.
An easy and icy morning run.
For the first half, I could not really find my groove. It was ... ok, I guess. But when I then switched my music from Rosalía ("Lux") to The War on Drugs, I hit it bullseye and had a great run.
Distance: 8.21k
Pace: 5'31"
#ParisMarathon in 81 days.
It was a dark and terribly stormy morning, and to the beat of LCD Soundsystem's "45:33" I did a fartlek:
- 6:00 warm-up
- 2 x 1:30 @ 7/10 effort
- 4 x 1:00 @ 8/10
- 4 x 0:30 @ 9/10
- 4 x 0:15 @ 10/10
- warm-down until I got home
It was hard, and I got to really push myself, and it was fun, and I look forward to soon do it again.
Distance: 4.97k + some more not registered by the #NikeRunClub app
Pace: 5'15"
#ParisMarathon in 79 days. Getting there.
Stage 48 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
The soundtrack: my Radical Running playlist. It's good for a progressive run. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4G3UFLeVvtttZZNKF7Beft?si=DFxRVecJTaqS3Lx9NdRxwQ&pi=JWvIfsTlQoqzP
Distance: 22.92k
Pace: 5'36"
#ParisMarathon in 77 days.
This night, we had quite a lot of snow (by Danish standards), so this morning run turned out to be a somewhat technically challenging one. But challenges are fun, and I got to enjoy the beauty of the quiet morning. This is my meditation; I am recharged.
Take care out there, people.
Stay strong.
Stay sane.
Stay safe.
Distance: 5.42k
Pace: 5'41"
#ParisMarathon in 75 days.
Snow and black ice kept me from giving it all, but this was a (hard and) fun morning fartlek nonetheless:
- 5:00 warm-up
- 2 × 1:30 @ 6/10 effort
- 3 x 1:00 @ 8/10
- 4 × 0:30 @ 9/10
- 5 x 0:15 @ 11/10
- easy running home
(in-between the intervals: recovery run effort)
"Hey, I'ma keep running
'Cause a winner don't quit on themselves."
Distance: 5.21k
Pace: 5'15"
#ParisMarathon in 72 days.
Stage 49 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
This was a difficult run with hard winds and snow blowing; with wind chill, it was a freezing -16°c. So today, I trained endurance. #EveryRunHasAPurpose
Despite (or because of) the low temperatures, this was a beautiful countryside morning. And being able to stay in control and even increase the pace throughout the last 6k (where I ran against the wind) was a major win today.
Distance: 21.68k
Pace: 5'41"
#ParisMarathon in 70 days.
Bad news: #ParisMarathon is off (for me).
The combination of an excrutiating workload the next half year and sickness in my immediate family means that I had to cancel my travel and withdraw my participation. No need to sugarcoat it: it sucks! I had really looked forward to it, but the ends just do not meet. I feel very sorry for myself today.
I did a run this stormy morning nonetheless. Ever onwards.
Distance: 5.32k
Pace: 5'20"
#CPH42 in 94 days.
With the snow, the lights, the silence and calm of the world not yet awake, and Brahms' "Ein deutsches Requiem", this was a majestically beautiful morning run.
It was also hard, because I had to plow myself through 10-15cm of fresh snow for much of the run, and it was challenging and fun.
It was just what I needed.
Distance: 6.55k
Pace: 5'31"
#CPH42 in 92 days.
To mix things up, I took the train to Friheden and ran home this morning.
This turned out to be a difficult one, as most of the pavements and bicycle lanes were covered by a soup of snow, slush, and salt, and underneath it was a layer of ice. I'm not a big fan of #running on slippery surfaces; NO ICE!
A run is a run, nonetheless, and this was good training.
This was also stage 50 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 25.02k
Pace: 5'50"
#CPH42 in 90 days.
Inspired by @robchapman, I started today's run a little later than usually to get to run in sunshine. It was a good call, as this turned out to be a wonderfully beautiful morning. (It was still horribly cold, though.)
Stage 51 of #52weeks52halfmarathons.
Distance: 21.47k
Pace: 5'35"
#CPH42 in 83 days.
Edit: typos
Good morning!
I did a run, where I focused on keeping the effort just a little harder than I usually would. It was fun, and if I had not had to get back to get the family out of bed I would probably have gone on for five more km.
The mornings are getting brighter (though not yet warmer), and today I even heard a bird sing. Spring is coming, indeed. What a time to be alive.
Distance: 5.11k
Pace: 5'15"
#CPH42 in 80 days.
This run was supposed to be a celebration.
Instead, it was a series of challenges. Snow, slush, soaked shoes, headwinds, heavy legs, cold, clouds.
I flipped the script. I had done this before. I had chosen to do it. I told myself to enjoy it. I did.
Overcoming a challenge is what makes a win. I struggled, and the run was a series of wins.
#52weeks52halfmarathons COMPLETE!
This was my celebration of #running.
Distance: 23.74k
Pace: 5'39"
#CPH42 in 76 days.
A nice and inspirational run with @coachbennett and Shalane Flanagan (in the #NikeRunClub app) through a dark and humid morning.
This was a good one, and even though I did not quite find my rhythm, I had a blast. Kept it easy and increased the effort slightly throughout.
"After winter must come spring
Change, it comes eventually
Everything is everything"
Distance: 7.31k
Pace: 5'28"
#CPH42 in 73 days.
This morning, there was no plan. I got out the door, turned right, and then improvised from there. I knew I had to cover at least half-marathon distance, but that was all.
The humidity was high, and I carried one layer of clothes too many, so the run was a little hard. I took it as an opportunity to train keeping up the mood while pushing through hard effort. The past years of training truly pay off.
Distance: 21.58k
Pace: 5'35"
#CPH42 in 70 days.
Just me, Coach Bennett, The War on Drugs, and an easy 5k morning run.
In a time of turmoil, this is (one of) my way(s) to find peace.
Distance: 5k
Pace: 5'21"
#CPH42 in 66 days.
Another morning run.
I dropped my kid off at school and then continued running for about an hour. Throughout the second half of it, I cranked my effort up slightly beyond my comfort zone, training my ability to push further on long runs.
One question from English Gardener stuck with me through the run: "If your dream were to come true this moment, here and now - would you be ready?" Would you? Would I?
Distance: 11.65k
Pace: 5'13"
#CPH42 in 64 days.
#52weeks52halfmarathons is done, but I'm keeping the habit alive as I train for Copenhagen Marathon in two months.
Edit: the first half of the run, I felt sluggish and did not catch the wave. But I changed my playlist and made a challenge out of running against the wind, and so I managed to turn things around and make this run fun again.
Happy International Women's Day!!
Distance: 21.73k
Pace: 5'44"
#CPH42 in 62 days.
#52weeks52halfmarathons #cph42 #running #mastorundk #everyrunhasapurpose
It was a humid and cold morning, so the fog was heavy. Nevertheless, this run was a nice one.
This was an easy run, but to mix things up I added three hard sprints where I turned the effort to 9.5/10. The challenge was not so much the sprints as the aftermath (where I had to keep the pace steady rather let my tired legs slow down). It was fun.
Distance: 6.51k
Pace: 5'25"
#CPH42 in 60 days.
A long run through the morning.
My training program has moved into the longest distances (21.1+), which is nice. My form is as it should be, I think, and today I was even able to increase pace through the last five km.
The weather is tricky now. Too warm and humid for a lot of clothes, but 2.5hrs ago it was too cold to wear less. There is much more light, though.
This was a good run, and I enjoyed it.
Distance: 26.29k
Pace: 5'34"
#CPH42 in 55 days.
"You know what freedom is? No fear. Like Tom fucking Cruise."
This is about running.
This is not about running.
Distance: 5.61k
Pace: 4'58"
#CPH42 in 52 days.
Two good colleagues, who live just by our workplace, had invited me to join their morning run before going to the office.
I am not really a run-together-with-other-people-and-talk person (because I do not fully control my own pace and effort), but this was a most enjoyable run nonetheless. And it was fun to see Roskilde University and the surrounding areas in a different way than I usually do.
Distance: 11.07k
Pace: 5'43"
#CPH42 in 51 days.
An utterly bonkers long morning run:
- I forgot my headphones, so I had no feedback about distance or pace (and no music)
- my app paused tracking - which I did not realize until ~5k later
- I ran in a rural area I had never been to before
So I got to YOLO my way through woods, countryside, and small towns. The sun was shining, and it got pleasantly warm). It was glorious.
Distance: 22.32k (measured post-run)
Pace: 5'40"
#CPH42 in 48 days.
Today is election day in Denmark, and I started it with an easy morning run.
Spring is coming, and I look forward to brighter days.
Have a good one.
Distance: 5.54k
Pace: 5'15"
#CPH42 in 48 days.
A morning tempo run.
As Copenhagen Marathon is now in the near future (#CPH42 in 44 days), I train keeping on even when it is hard. So today, I consistently pushed for a higher effort than what I would usually do and what felt most comfortable. No surprise: this was challenging. But it was also managable, and the fundamentals prove to be strong.
Distance: 12.07k
Pace: 5'17"
Out of the warm bed at 5:15, oatmeal, start #running in the cold, windy, and rainy weather, turn right on a whim, get lost in the woods, find the way back, get attacked by a dog, realize it's on a leash (so no danger), gel every 5k, spend 3hrs with a favorite band to prepare for concert tonight, witness the woods wake up, find the flow, overcome the struggle, runner's high.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable run.
Distance: 31.35k
Pace: 5'48"
#CPH42 in 42 days.
8k tempo run!
Harder, better, faster, stronger. Today, I focused on effort, training to keep it up even when I am exhausted.
Distance: 8.20k
Pace: 5'06"
#CPH42 in 39 days.
For our families.
For our teammates.
For all of humanity.
Distance: 26.37k
Pace: 5'38"
#CPH42 in 37 days.
I had planned to do a nice and easy long-ish run through the centre of Aarhus and by the harbor to see the sun rise.
Instead, I had to chase down a super-charger for my car and ended up doing a forced short run in an utterly mundane suburb before rushing back to my hotel in time for breakfast.
Anyway, a run is a run and there were some challenging hills on this one. It was enjoyable enough. All is good.
Distance: 5.29k
Pace: 5'27"
#CPH42 in 34 days.
@askekammer Hov hov hov, du har været i Holme, mit gamle hood (det er Holme kirke på billedet). Det er verdens navle! 😆
Godt kommet ud på trods 💪
Godt spottet. Og ja, jeg tænkte faktisk godt på, at jeg var tæt på din nuværende hood - uden at vide, at jeg samtidig var midt i den gamle.
Det var fint nok at løbe der. Det var bare anderledes og kortere end det, jeg havde planlagt. Men det vigtigste var, at jeg fik nogle km i benene også i dag.
@askekammer Ja, der er lidt en verden til forskel på Viby/Holme og så midtbyen og havnen.
Da billedet dukkede op i min timeline, syntes jeg nok, kirken virkede bekendt :)
Aske Kammer
Rasmus Grouleff (he/him)