Run.with.Nils

Medal Monday hits differently when you earn it with 50 km of rocks, roots, climbs and a series of highly questionable decisions.
Cruised, suffered, and had a full “Oh Meu Deus” moment around km 30, the kind where your legs, brain and life choices all try to unsubscribe at once.
Somehow rebooted for the final stretch, proving that shade, carbs and stubbornness are apparently a legitimate performance strategy.
Ended up crossing the line with a medal, slightly less dignity, and a surprising amount of pride.
What a race.

MEDAL MONDAY

No carb load, barely a taper, and a warmup that wouldn’t heat up an 8‑month‑old baby. After standing 30 minutes in the start corral, I set off treating this as a long run for the ultras ahead.

I didn’t check the watch at first, but when I finally looked and saw 4:50/km, I thought: “Alright then, let’s roll with it.”

At halfway my legs politely informed me that maybe I’d been a bit too ambitious. I braced for the 35 km mark, the traditional meeting point with the man and his hammer, and eased the pace.

Sure enough, he showed up. We had our usual chat in the pain cave, and I kept things steady under 5:00/km all the way home.

Finished in 3:23:19 — a full 20 (!!) minutes faster than Rotterdam two years ago.

After a quick massage I was nearly strangled by a baby who demanded my medal. I refused. I’m not sharing.

Saturday, 08:30 in Nijverdal. Back at the start of the Sallandtrail after last year’s DNF and a long stretch of being overtrained. Just being on that start line again already felt like a small win.

Of course, I went out a bit too fast (some habits die hard). Around 30km the legs reminded me that 60km is… well, 60km. But the goal was sub‑6, so I kept things rolling and tried to stay steady.

The course was classic Salland: beautiful, tough, and occasionally rude. That sand pit at 55km? Still not sure who came up with that idea. But somewhere along the way I realized I was on track for a big one, a 16‑minute PR on 50km and a strong push to the finish.

Seeing my support crew at 59.5km was the perfect boost to close it out. From last year’s DNF to a sub‑6 finish this year. Nothing flashy, just a good day out on the trails.

, thanks for the reminder of why I love this stuff. Until next year. 🌲🏃‍♂️