Our ambassador Sebastian Conrad Håkansson (32) took the grand slam during this year's Romjulsløp , and this year as last year he won the Gold Challenge. He also ran away with the victory in the single distances Pepperkakemila (32.58), half marathon (1.11.51) and Snømannaton (2.33.33). Extremely strong times as always from Håkonsson, especially considering an icy and slippery road. And the sessions, he planned as part of his regular winter training.
Spikes + Christmas food = Victory for Sebastian at this year's half marathon in the Romjulsløpet
- I tried to put them in as quality sessions with only one day "rest" in between, where regular training was maintained between the sessions. This as a small test of how body and legs would respond on solid ground after a lot of quality training on the treadmill until this winter. The races were carried out along parts of the route to the Ålesund New Year's marathon. A lot of ice and snow meant that spikes had to be used there this year. The goal for each race was to run in a controlled manner, as quickly as possible according to the conditions allowed, and at the same time not have to dig in the basement mtp that there was only one "rest day" between each race.
Here from Ålesund New Year's Marathon 2015 where Sebastian ran to victory in the marathon distance. Sebastian unfortunately had no pictures of himself from this year's Romjulsløp, but could reveal that the clothing was somewhat different as he has after all become "a little older and a little more fragile" 😉. Photo: Kjell Vigestad / Kondis.no
With many and hard kilometers in the legs, it can be easy to get injured, but the experienced runner has good tips to avoid this:
- Be careful about intensity control. Controlled intensity of training during the winter is important. Adjust pace at intervals according to daily form and total load. Quiet walks are kept quiet.
- Strength and stability training, about 2 times a week.
- Be honest with yourself and dare to give your body rest if it needs it. If, on the other hand, I manage to keep the intensity controlled, I avoid unnecessary rest days that are not planned and can maintain continuity. It provides both the most progress, more energy in everyday life and reduces the risk of injuries.
- Get enough nutrition in everyday life so the body works on profits and not deficits.
What does a typical training week look like for you?
Now in the winter it is quite standardized. I have set myself a goal of managing 12 weeks in a row with about 140km a week and the distribution through is roughly as follows:
Monday: 1-2 quiet sessions running
Tuesday: 2 interval sessions; one shorter in the morning and one longer and a little faster in the evening. Controlled speed.
Wednesday: 1-2 quiet sessions running
Thursday: Like Tuesday
Friday: 1-2 quiet sessions running
Saturday; a longer interval session. Everything from 15-30km efficient running with intensity. Active breaks and a shorter warm-up / jog are added.
Sunday; a leisurely run, about 20km. Can also be divided into 2 shorter sessions.
Strength and stability training is usually added after 2 of the interval sessions. It is often supplemented with cross-country skiing and summit hikes in the winter and some leisurely runs are often replaced by cross-country skiing. When I say 1-2 quiet sessions on 3 of the days, the number is determined based on the total load mtp work, sleep etc. Here, as I mentioned earlier, it is important for me to be honest and listen to what the body needs. The quality sessions (training with higher intensity than calm) I try to prioritize as much as possible and it takes a lot for me to skip some of these sessions.
