The Day of the Dots

This has been a day of mixed emotions, to say the least. The only way I can manage to write about it is to go in chronological order.

We had to wake up early. Who doesn’t when they are about to fly across an ocean? This time it would be SR and Christian on the SAS plane. SR has a Hematology conference in Chicago, an important meeting in Duluth and my parents miss their first-born grandchild.

SR and I had agreed yesterday that we’d do my interval workout together on the track this morning as a good-bye. Nothing could describe us better as a couple than this. He wants to be with me, to support me, to see me succeed and, on the track, everything is measurable. Ole had 5 x 1000 meters on my schedule. It was pouring rain and we took Christian in the baby jogger to the track, where he sat in the covered bleachers. We thought he would play with the soccer ball, but he actually preferred to watch his parents run (his mom as fast as she could) together, round and round.

The rain was almost coming down in sheets, so much that SR made some sort of grunting “are we really going to run intervals in this?” He knew he didn’t need to ask that, it was merely a way of stating that the day ahead of us was going to be difficult.

The times were as follows (we didn’t have time for a decent warm-up, 2 min break)

3:53
3:45
3:48
3:45
3:46
3:45


I kept my Garmin going to see what I would come through the 5k in and it was 18:03! Of course, we've been through this and Garmins can’t be used on tracks; the actual total 5000 meter total time was 19:02.

It was the interval experience of a lifetime. I love running with SR next to me, telling me my splits, quietly and unexpectedly encouraging me. By the end, Christian was ready to go home. There was no time to dwell on anything today.

We took the train to the airport and I stood there hugging my little boy. Our favourite book lately is called “Petit-Bleu et Petit-Jaune” which is about a blue dot and his best friend, a yellow dot.

They do everything together and one day they hug each other so hard that they become a green dot. Christian has decided that I am the blue dot and he is the yellow. We have been a green dot more times than I can count this past week, but for the next 5 weeks (their trip and then mine to California) we will only be a blue and yellow dot (except for the mere 18 hours of cross-over). I cried. He hates seeing me cry. He just wants to be a green dot.

From there, I boarded the train to Kokkedal. I had a meeting with Kim Sørensen from Salomon at 2pm. He has a way of making me feel at home. He loves his job, loves trail running. We have no shortage of things to talk about. It is just me who can’t get over the lingering feeling that I’m not good enough for all of this. Then again, who would think they are good enough to for free get all of the clothing and gear of their dreams for the sport they love?? Does Kilian Jornet feel worthy? I wonder these things sometimes.

Of course, it is not things that make you feel warm. It is this sense; the sense of the trail running community here. The sense that we are people who love this sport, believe in the future of this sport, and are committed to making trail running come alive here. (it is all just very fortunate for me that I got that hip injury which has kept me from running on the roads- and who needs roads anyway?).

So, I left the meeting with an enormous Salomon bag full of my new stuff,

Beautiful Salomon bag juxtaposed with the elder statesman blue running backpack, exasperated yellow bottle and the ground at Copenhagen Central Station

(and much more is on the way!). But never really being capable of being superficial, never feeling a need to dress like the in-crowd, I am most excited about my job as an ambassador for Salomon, sharing my experience, spreading the good word. There is no doubt they make very high quality stuff, and running as much and as long as I do, I will certainly appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of their products.

Alicia had asked me if I would be running in white polka-dot shorts now at Salomon 4 Trails (feel free to guess the tone of her question). I would just like to assure you all that, yes, you will be seeing me in the white polka-dot Salomon shorts and this may put a damper on my old habit, which required black shorts. (I hope that was cryptic enough for those of you not following along in the days of CCU).´

Running song of the day "I was a fool for love" by Tegan & Sara



Addendum

Christian is gone for one day and suddenly Mattias has gone from a 2 word vocabulary to a 100 word vocabulary. (I can't believe how grown up he is!)