Lidingö Ultra 26km and 50km

The Lidingö Ultra Stockholm 50 and 26 KM race took place today. Around 433 runners officially took part – although this is a small number just about all of them were serious players.  I've not seen so many people all in serious kit, many of them also some amazing sports watches. It was rather chilly, so a good warm up was needed, together with extensive stretching, to try and make sure I had no problems (at least early on) with my right hamstring. As this was a trail course I left the music at home, as I was fairly sure I was not going to get bored. Two guys together with a microphone and loudspeaker tried to instil the atmosphere normally expected for such events.
The race started promptly at 09.00.  It didn't take long for us to get over the starting line.  However two minutes later when we came to the first slight hill a large number of runners walked up it! I couldn't believe it - what's wrong with them? I thought. Well, after maybe ten more hills in say 7kms I started to see their point. Actually it was around that distance that I got a sharp pain in my calf. Oh boy... is that the end of racing today? I thought. I hobbled along to the drink station at 10km, took the refreshment and did some stretches. Well, it turned out to be no big deal as after another 5k I managed to run it off... I'll pay for this later I thought!  Well at least the hamstring hadn't flared up so I felt pretty good about that.
Overall the race was fine right through to 18km. I was running at a nice pace for me, 5min 15 per km, under 5 in the downhill and under 6 in most of the uphill stuff. But at 18km I started to get seriously tired - well it has to come some time. I thought "just 8kms left - that's just like the short run I did two days earlier in London down by the river in Putney - no problem". What I hadn't factored in were the damn hills. After all, you don't get many of those on the towpath! By 21kms I was feeling well and truly f***ed. And at 24kms I was ready to ask people if I had got lost. The last few kms were run at over 7 min per km - oh dear. I was all on my own -- aaah! Pity as it's then that I need someone to push me along!

Anyway the Lidingö sports centre finally appeared in the distance and I managed a feeble effort to put in a spurt to look vaguely impressive in the final few metres around the track to the finish line. There were no crowds, hardly even any runners around as most were continuing on the 50km  route. I shouted my name out to the guy with the mic and he gave me a formal finish announcement as I crossed the line in 2hrs 43m - but noone was listening.  Well, that didn't matter - it wasn't that kind of event.

Anyway, very pleased to have finished the 26km in a good overall time of 2hrs 43, and at an uphill/downhill pace of 6.06 min/km, and a good HR workout of 157, max 167. I couldn't have done much better, bearing in mind my leg problems and not knowing the course.
Maybe next year, if I'm in town, I'll have another go at the 26km, or if I'm not doing the London/Madrid marathons I'll definitely have a go at the 50km. The organisation itself was charmingly amateur, with a friendly and informal atmosphere – but that did not make it any the cheaper off to enter! SEK 500 (50 euros, £42, $65) for the 26km entry was a little steep imho. Overall, it's a very nice route, with a - great as a fun filler and training experiment between the bigger events.