Winter

This long-awaited comeback was so uninspiring that, no matter how long I stare at this empty document, the only words that I can find for it in my mind's dictionary quiver are dry descriptions of the wintry weather conditions. And that would make for a very boring blog entry. A route that is so beautiful in the summer was clad in a grey, tattered dress and framed by bare-branched trees, a Cinderella full of potential yet so cruelly oppressed by ice and rain.

A grey view from the bus

J had lent me his removable shoe studs and helped me screw them on in my old Kayanos. I ran down to the bus stop, while a light drizzle slowly worked its way through the fibres of my jacket. With almost 2 km in my legs already, I met the others at Kungsbacka train station 50 minutes later. There were 5 of us that had ignored the weather forecast that had predicted a downpour of rain. If we let such weather scare us, we'd never run in Gothenburg. What did almost make us reconsider was the fact that the cycle paths leaving Kungsbacka were covered in ice. The others didn't have spikes or studs on their shoes and glided down the slopes. The studs on my shoes provided enough traction but my body was still tense.

Love these

The strong wind that accompanied us was luckily mostly on our backs, like a helping hand. The conversation flowed freely, as it always does on these long runs with the group, and that was the redeeming highlight of the run. We talked races, shoes, life, and how hungry we all were to hit the trails as soon as the ice melts. We forged plans for future long runs in the forest. I forgot the weather conditions, dreamed of those long runs and had fun, despite the colourless stage this play was taking place in. The people I run with are an amazing source of inspiration and always help me find my inner strength to push my limits. Thank you.

The inside of my knee has been feeling somehow inflamed the last two times I've run. This, coupled with the fact that my pulse was higher than usual and I'd been sick (and also that I was soaked to my bones) made me abandon any vague ideas I'd had about following the others all the way to town and then taking the bus home, and I left them as we neared home. I was satisfied to have covered a total of 30km and to not have lost too much endurance or strength after my illness. Still, I long for the sunny summer days, the scent of flowers and the kaleidoscope of colours that the warmer months bring with them. This winter can kindly shove off now.