Husky Podcast at Åre Sessions

And so the podcast with me, Kristoffer Turdell and Kajsa Larsson that was recorded live at Åre Bageri during Åre Sessions is out! We talked about our version of living the dream with adventures, mountains and skiing, we scratched the surface as you do when three people share the hour. I saved my deeper parts for my inspirational and motivational talk at Hallifornia down in Varberg this summer for those who get curious about hearing more. No one would be happier than me if you wanted to both listen to Husky and come to Halliforna! :)

Listen to the pod here.

Why I run

I used to party without alcohol quite often but I always laughed the most. I never tried drugs but I danced till I was the last one left. I was as clean as a baby but was high all the time, and the only thing I got it from was doing things I really liked doing. Like waking up at 7 am the morning after, run out into the sunrise and watch the golden hour, listen to nature's sounds, observe the city lights shutting off one by one, and so see people wobble home after those long nights out. It was like the party never ended, neither for me, nor for them - just in very different ways. And my party had just restarted.

This is why I run, every damn day.

The magic of running

Oh what a spring/summer we've had up in Åre! The winter was one of the best we've ever had, but the earth seems to have forgotten spring, but now a new season has started which means that I spend most of my days up on the mountain wearing running shoes and sportswear. Slippery, salty roads are traded for melting mountains, five layers of weather protection are traded for a sports bra, and the knitted wool socks are traded for the thinnest I owe. That extra dimension of freedom, always such a pleasure!

I wake up at 5:30 am on a Sunday when everyone's still sleeping just because I'm excited for the first trail run to the top for the season. I pretend I'm the only one awake at that hour and that exact moment it all feels remote, desolate and solitary. It's beautiful and completely free from distractions, just as if I'm out on a mini-adventure, and that feeling I get up top after running steep uphills for half an hour gives me such a sweet taste of runner's high. It's such an easy way of bringing meaningfulness into one's life. Not to run particularly, but to struggle a bit on a daily basis so you gain self-confidence and feel naturally high from endorphins. That's why I wanna keep those daily mini-challenges on my todo-list forever.

Before I moved up to the mountains I lived in the south. The summers were hot and we were lucky if we saw snow in the winters. I spent every workout outdoors, daily, training functionally, holistically, barefoot and hard for hours, I felt strong, quick, agile and flexible with a great deal of stamina and endurance. When I moved to the mountains I started wearing 5 layers and heavy boots to be able to train outdoors all year round, and that's when I realized I really missed training functionally. That beast that moved up and down the mountain wasn't the same as the cat that flew over fields down south. I'd turned into something else, and mentally I didn't cope. So for me running is a source of keeping myself that kind of fit I want and need for my lifestyle and adventures. Always ready, alert, engaged, happy and full body active.

Runners pro's

Since the mountain started melting I've ran up to the top every day that I've been home. And if I could I'd stayed up there all day just to do whatever I feel like doing that moment, train spontaneously, to do some outdoor cross training that we always did at track and field. Cus this is exactly why I work 50% and alway will try to create time up here. This is my meditation. This is where my feelings, self-confidence, balance, energy and joy peaks. Trail running makes me listen, feel, taste, think, not think, breathe, struggle, become strong, dance, reflect, let go, recover, adjust to surrounding conditions, follow my instincts and totally relax. This is like a micro vacay from my daily todo's and this is why I'm stubborn enough to keep it a big part of my life. It might be my super tough 2-3 hour workout sesh, but I never feel as relaxed and energized as up there. And once you've lost your body once, you'll worship it more than everything. Everything. Possibly and hopefully forever.

This is where a strong body is built, but also a strong mentality for all other parts of life. When play touches seriousity, the perfect mix for a strong every day life. Everything else becomes "easy" when you struggle a bit daily. That's why training always has been the biggest part of my life. It has made me high on life, never touched drugs, stayed away from peer pressure. It has helped me create drive and engagement. It has made me pain resistant, with great fighting spirit and an ability to never give up if there's something I really want. It has made me disciplined and committed, it's what has made me understand the profit of choosing to struggle daily.

I can write forever about this. Understanding the body and it's functionality in tune with the mental states is one of my greatest lifelong interests. I was born into it, competed with it, do i daily and today it's also my job. So if you don't mind, I might make more room for psychology and physiology in my blog!

So, here to the pro's of running! (Notice that for each positive reason there are plenty following, it's a tremendous chain reaction)

Why everyone should run every once in an while?

1. Better health and lower health risks (prevention and recovery)

2. Experience highs

3. Clearer thoughts

4. Happier

5. Stay in shape

6. Stronger knees (at least for trail)

7. Smarter

8. Better life quality

9. Live longer

10. Stronger legs, core, posture and coordination

11. Get energy for everything, always ready

12. Get other things done

13. Meditation

14. Increased mental and physical pain resistance

15. Simple and doesn't require equipment or transportation

16. Save money (from activity, equipment and health)

17. Distances will shrink

18. Can be done everywhere

19. Get new friends

20. Become better friends with yourself

21. Lower the number of doctor's appointements

22. Keep your metabolism working

23. Eat better

24. There's lots of different types of running and places to explore (you won't get bored)

25. Feel good, strong and fit

26. Get daylight

27. Get better balance

28. Get energy, even when you feel tired

29. Become that shining spot in the room

30. Can do it alone or with friends and pets

31. Can do it all year round

32. Keep yourself acclimatized (mentaly and physically) to all weathers and climates all year round

33. Lower stress

34. Applicable to going food shopping or other daily things that require some sort of transportation

35. Adjustable according to time or energy

36. Become one with nature

37. Become a better and happier person and fellow human

38. Increase self-confidence

39. Broaden your perspectives

40. Doing something challenging and stretching your limits

41. Doing something unexpected and developing if your spontaneous

42. Become better at handling current and given conditions

43. Feel light, agile, strong and like you can do anything. And if you can think it you most possibly will.

Runners are generally the most overall health focused group of people. Have you ever met a bitter and unhealthy runner?

AW in Paradiset

When in Stockholm.

On Thursday I put myself and my tent on a night train down to Stockholm, to return only two days later. A total of 10 hrs south and 10 hrs back up north for an after work, that is. Well, not just any after work - we held out first aw with Adventure Stories out in Paradiset outside the city, this time in collab with Grönstedts Cognac. One that meant a warm early summer night, dipping in the lake, amazing vegetarian and vegan food and cooking over fire, some cognac-tasting, to pic food and eatable plants in the forest, still and sunny weather, a mental min-vacay from the daily do's, 15 friends and friends of friends, some guests from our previous trips and sometime to just be by the fire till late. Just like my "daily" life in the mountains.

I've wanted to do more events ang hangouts with Adventure Stories, but everything has its turn and since we're new and don't make any money (yet?) we need to keep our other jobs on the side. And to run up the mountain daily, and watch sunsets, hang with friends, plan talks, organize trips, and be spontaneous, and move my nomading kinda lifestyle... And to not stress of course.

The "and"-list is endless why it's important to plan and prioritize so there's always time to workout, get daylight and spontaniety every day. I never wanna fel as though I don't have time to do that which I wanna keep in my life. To never see daylight. To never feel I don't have time to take care of myself. To never stress.

Cus without it I don't get anywhere and become someone I don't wanna be.

Photo: jag, Malin Fränberg och Calle Magnusson