Answers to your questions

Questions are still rolling in — it’s great that you

are so interested in my 5,200 kilometer long ego trip.

Keep up the questions — they mean more than you can

imagine to me. Here are the latest ponderings from

you:

1. What do you do about laundry, and how many changes

of clothing do you have? wonders Maria.

Answer: The first thing I do when I get to the motel

is to wash my running clothes in the handbasin. During

my prior US run I washed my clothes with shampoo (did

not turn out well), but now I am using real laundry

detergent and the clothes seem to get really clean;

they don’t smell. I have also used the motel’s washing

machine from time to time (coin operated) and if I

want to, I can do a load of laundry in the towns,

where there is usually a laundromat. In general, I

think personal hygiene is extra important under the

extreme conditions I am living with. I have 3-4

changes of running clothes.

2. Inger N wonders how I came upon the idea to run

across the US and how I keep my motivation going.

Answer: Rune Larsson is the only Swede who has run

right across and he has been my biggest source of

inspiration. I have read his US diary many times. In

addition, I have been keeping track of other

continental runners on the internet. My run in 2005

(Chicago-New Orleans, which was about 1/3 the distance

I am now covering) whetted my appetite. Since I had so

many banked vacation days, I chose to blow them all at

once in the US. When things are going well, I have no

problem keeping my motivation up; I look forward to

each day’s run. But if I were to run into problems,

motivation might become more of an issue.

3. How do you get ready for each day’s stage and

aren’t you as stiff as a board in the morning? wonders

Peter M.

Answer: Interesting question! The evening before, I

decide how far I am going to run. I then prepare

myself mentally for that distance. This means that

each day is about equally “tough” regardless of the

day’s distance. It’s about the same thing as when I

run a marathon. You set your mind on the 42 kilometers

beforehand so that you are not exhausted half way

through, which you might be during a normal training

session. No, I am not particularly stiff in the

morning. But every day I usually start by walking for

15-20 minutes to loosen up.

4. Andy wonders if I have contemplated running

“around” the US, sort of like Renata Chlumska who has

paddled a canoe around the whole US.

Answer: Yes, that’s quite an idea! But I don’t have

either the time or the energy.

5. Stefan wonders how my body is holding up with all

this, abut what Americans say when they hear that you

are from Sweden, and if they are nicer than Swedes.

Answer: I have trained for many years, but yes, I am

surprised myself that I can manage 50-60 kilometers

every day. The body, however, has an amazing ability

to adapt. It is even beginning to feel as if I am

becoming accustomed to temperatures up around 40

degrees Celsius. Many people nod their heads in

recognition when they hear that I am from Sweden — it

is not unusual that they have some distant relative in

Scandinavia or a friend who has one. Yesterday, at a

tourist information office in a little town, I came

across a man whose grandfather (Johansson) came from

Sweden. Yes, I think that Americans are “nicer” than

Swedes — they at least want to leave a good

impression. But aren’t we also pretty nice to foreign

tourists?

6. Magnus wonders how fast, on average, I can run 10

kilometers.

Answer: Well, I am not doing any fast running. In the

morning, when I am freshest, I might do the first 10

kilometers in an hour at best, or 6 minutes per

kilometer. But I seldom run for an hour non-stop — I

walk up hills, stop to drink, take short breaks when I

see something interesting etc. The important thing is

to settle to a stride which is as energy-saving as

possible; even if I have the strength to run faster, I

hold the tempo back on purpose — that is the best way

to cover ground.

7. Jan T. wonders if I will have benefit of the

high-altitude training now when I reach the lower

heights.

Answer: Yes, I hope so, but I have no experience to

draw on. I have now spent several weeks at heights of

5,000 – 9,000 feet and that should have some effect. I

think I can handle the high altitudes much better now

than in the beginning.

8. Micke, who is 17 years old and is going to take

five days to run between Södertälje and Säter (a total

of 200 kilometers) wonders how he should divide up the

running for the day, if 20 kilometers in the morning

and 20 in the evening is good etc. He also wonders how

I financed my running adventure.

Answer: I can’t give you any definite advice; you have

to test for yourself what works best for you.

Otherwise, I think it is easiest to try to spread out

the running over as many hours as possible during the

day. Your 40 kilometers, for example, could be done in

8-10 hours per day. I hope you are in good physical

condition — the risk of injury is unfortunately high

for a beginner. My advice is also to take many breaks,

walk up all the hills and even walk sometimes when it

is completely flat.

9. Someone (I forget the name) wonders if my writing

here does not run the risk of encouraging beginners to

train too hard and thereby also become injured.

Answer: I think that people understand that you have

to start carefully. Running 50-60 kilometers a day

would be crazy for most people. On the contrary, I

have had proof that my writings have encouraged people

to start running, and that is really great.

10. Rune L wonders if there are many (Asian) Indians

who run the motels — that was his experience during

his US run.

Answer: Hej Rune! No, up to now I have only come

across one motel run by people from India. But when I

ran through Illinois last time I had the same

observation as you — an unusual number of motels are

run by Indian families.

Keep on running!