Mini duathlon

Days like this it's hard to stay indoors. It's a waste. Days like this are gifts, and it's rude to throw them away. Even if you've been torturing your legs with two consecutive 20km runs.

My legs didn't feel like they had been tortured, though. So I slipped on my VFF, jumped on my bike and quickly pedalled down to Amundö, about 5 km away.

There, I swiftly took my helmet off, locked my bike and started running. I was immediately greeted by these gorgeous fellows and their friends:

Amundö is so unbelievably beautiful. Surrounded by the sea, this little ”island” is a nature reserve frequently visited by families, pensioners, young couples - anyone who likes nature. Vegetation is thick and the contrast between the shade in the wooded areas and the sunshine on the exposed beaches and cliffs is stark.

The path around the island is only about 2,5 kilometres long. It follows the coastline and for the most part it is in such good condition that people walk around it with prams. I settled for an easy, controlled pace, which was soon interrupted by roots and stones when I came near to the sea. I walked, because I thought that breaking a leg would probably be bad for my training. I climbed stairs, balanced on narrow planks, jumped between rocks. Fortunately, it was only a short segment of the path that was so rough.

My dream of running on sand in my VFF became reality. A tiny beach lay next to the path and I saw my chance. The sand was really soft and unstable, giving way beneath my feet, and I could tell what a great workout it would be to run on a long sandy beach.

Once I was back at the beginning, I started around the path once more, this time knowing what to expect and feeling more confident. My feet felt light, my muscles willing. The past few days' tiredness was as good as gone and any soreness that might have been there before disappeared.

I ran to my bike after just over 5 km. I had the wind on my back this time, and it felt so easy. So much fun. Different muscles had to work. This was almost hubris; surely I should be feeling a lot more tired after the intense effort of the last couple of days? It was almost the opposite. The more I pushed, the more my body felt alive and energetic.