So now I am back in Sweden, I started with one of my favourite pastimes Friskis and Svettis. I was at my spinning class yesterday and Sunday, the gym on Tuesday (though drawn there) and now disc spin tonight. I’m stiff and my muscles ache, I can’t say that my stamina is at the top right now but I carry on. The class yesterday was fun, but it really felt like everyone else was incredibly well trained and I had to turn down the resistance on the bike several times during the session. A little embarrassing to feel so wiped out when everyone else is barely affected. Okay, I lied, of course they were affected but it felt as if they could get a little more from it all than me. And this is barely a month after GöteborgsVarvet, insane how quickly everything passes like the wind!
Well it’s better, since I am among healthy Swedes rather than the Scots who were trying to get me to drink whiskey all the time (it sounds like a stereotype, but entirely true). In Scotland, they are either super healthy or extremely low down on the other side of the scale. There is a reason that the Scots invented the fried Mars Bar (the name is enough here I think) and one of their most famous mystery writers Ian Rankin said of his own people that they were “prone to self destruction” Maybe it’s charming, but it’s definitely not good if you want to stay fit and live long.
One thing that I think is unique about Swedish sports culture is music. When I was at workouts in England or Scotland, music has always been used as a distraction rather than the motion itself, whereas in Sweden it uses ledarn pace of the music to get participants to work harder. The problem for me is that I prefer the Swedish system but have become very familiar with the British, or rather that I have become accustomed to listening to my music when I exercise. This means that the dance music that they often use to get the pulse of does not usually make me work harder. But when the coach played rock music in the session yesterday, it got the pulse up! Maybe it’s just me who is especially dependent on music.
Anyway, I am now incredibly happy that I have the chance to be in this environment again, and now that the weather is so fine I don’t feel so against going out for a run either. The last time I was here was at Christmas and then there was lots of snow and ice so it was dangerous to venture out into the woods. May be willing to go out and skate or Delsjön with all the other hearty types. Thinking of Stockholm half marathon in September and possibly a marathon, you are welcome to join me!
No comments:
Post a Comment