Running is for girls

When I first arrived in Sweden, I decided to sign up for a race at the end of the summer and start training for it...I didn't want anything too extreme, just something that would keep me motivated to get my ass out on the roads after sitting on boats for weeks at a time.  I found the website for the Tjejmilen, or "Girl's Mile*," a nice-sounding girl's-only 10k in September that sounded not-too-hard and not-too-easy...they even give everyone a free slice of cheesecake at the end of the race!  When I mentioned my idea to M, he gave me a smirk and told me I don't even want to know the jokes that they make about that race.  The tamest joke I could get out of him was: "What's 10 kilometers long and smells like fish?"  Hmm, you can probably guess the answer. 

I decided to up the ante and in a moment of tough-girl stubbornness, I went ahead and registered for the Stockholm Half Marathon on September 11th.  That's twice as long as the wussy girl's-only race.  Twenty-one kilometers.  That's thirteen miles.  Oh crap.

Fast forward to today, 26 days before I'm scheduled to torture myself through the streets of Stockholm, and this summer's festivities, eating, drinking, and traveling have not exactly been conducive to my running schedule.  I've been trying to run at least three times per week, but I've been slacking lately and seriously need to get my ass back in gear.  Yesterday I downloaded a bunch of new upbeat songs and ran eight 10-minute miles in the cool weather...and I felt fantastic, I couldn't believe it!  I'm starting to feel like it might be possible, if I just stick to my training schedule and remember how good it feels once I start running.  Here's my newest favorite running song, it actually made me start running faster when it showed up on my ipod around mile 6:



Between good music, cooler weather, and the dorky t-shirt that came with my race registration and says Jag tränar för Stockholm Halvmarathon (I'm training for the Stockholm Half-Marathon), I now have no excuses.  And, I'd bet money that M would have a hard time running the girl's mile if he tried. 

*A little clarification: one Scandinavian mile is equal to ten kilometers, which is equal to 6.2 regular miles.  Confusing, I know.

Stockholm Pride Parade

I had a great time at the Stockholm Pride parade this afternoon, the weather was lovely and everyone was so happy and excited.  This was the first pride parade I've ever been to, and it was much more family-friendly than I expected.  Sure, there were plenty of mostly-naked, glitter-covered people in platform shoes, a couple of boobs and butts here and there, and the occasional gyrating party boy swinging from the top of a truck.  But, the majority of people in the parade were quite honestly not that interesting or different than anyone else: smiling parents with chubby toddlers waving rainbow flags, grandmothers, grandfathers, giddy dancing teenagers, teachers, police officers, doctors, nurses, church members, people with disabilities, politicians, and every other type of person you could imagine.

"Proud parents of homosexual sons and daughters"

I was amazed by all the people dancing the entire 4-hour parade route in the craziest, tallest high heels imaginable.

Gay police officers

Right back at'cha, guy on the left!

Free blessings from the priests.

"Do not execute our children for their love"