A quick running update

I've found a great alternative for my long weekend training runs. On Saturday mornings, I can take the Waxholms boat (or our own boat) to Nämdö and run there. 

There's a gravel road that runs most of the length of the island, so it's easy to run a few laps to put in the miles. As a bonus, I can stop at the little grocery on my way home and pick up whatever Sooz needs for the weekend!

Although the boat trip is an extra complication, the run is much smoother and faster than going around Aspö and its construction.

Strandbaren Idöborg

 

One of the new additions to our archipelago is Strandbaren restaurant at neighboring Idobörg.

The restaurant is part of an expanded facility which has recently been redeveloped. The food and service are excellent!

Wednesdays are "jazz nights" in which local combos entertain the diners. We've been quite impressed with the skill of the young musicians. They've all been different but all very good.

The Waxholm boat allows us to sail over for dinner easily, although we like to take our own boat as it is just a five minute jaunt away.

The Migrations Agency

 

The biggest personal impact of Brexit on us was our loss of citizenship in the EU. We were able to stay in Sweden for up to 180 days with no issues as UK citizens. However, since the UK made the decision to leave the EU, we can stay only 90 days.

Fortunately, there is a way to apply for a longer stay through the Migration Agency. 

Sooz and I completed an online form and paid an application fee earlier this month. Last week, we had an interview in Stockholm with the Migrationsverket. Essentially, the Swedish government wants us to show that we have a reason for staying longer than 90 days, and that we have the means to take care of ourselves while we're here. Thankfully, we are able to pass those tests early. 

The interview itself was quick and professional. The department is obviously very efficient because we received a letter in the mail today, saying we had permission to stay! We both even received an official card showing our status as long-term visitors. Very cool.

I'm not yet sure if we have to go through this every year, but even if we do, it's a pretty simple process to complete.

The Stockholm Marathon

The Stockholm marathon is typically run at the end of May every year. I ran it in 1990, 2000, and 2012. I had entered to run it in 2020, but the race was cancelled along with pretty much every thing else last year.

It has been rescheduled for this October, in the anticipation that covid restrictions would be lifted in time for the race. 

I've kept my place in this year's race, and I am starting to train in earnest. It is proving a bit harder than I had thought, however. My age has something to do with it, of course; I'm well over 60 these days.

The biggest problem is the state of the island's path. Over the past 18 months, Vattenfall, the electricity provider, has completed a project to remove all of the 70 year old electricity poles from the island and instead bury the electrical cables. This will make our service more reliable and less costly in the long run. However, in the short run, our little path has become a construction site with lots of damage and wear from all of the machinery needed.

The good news is our path is being rebuilt, and the completed stretches are in great shape. The bad news is that lots of work remains to be done, and I find myself running laps over an active construction zone. I am going to have to manage this the best I can in order to be in shape for the race!