Looking back to 2021 I had an amazing year on the trails, both with trail running shoes and hiking boots. The year included a lot of kilometers, beautiful sceneries and new challenges. But it also was a year of injuries, bad weather, and periods of working too much. This is the summary of my training in 2021, my reflections on the performance, and the list of my trail running goals for the coming year.

Trail running and outdoor sports in Finland and in Sweden

Most of my everyday exercising occurred in my local nature areas. I also made a few trail running trips to various national parks in Finland. I trail run in Riisitunturi, Rokua, Patvinsuo, Koli, Nuuksio, Sipoonkorpi, Leivonmäki, Linnansaari and Helvetinjärvi National Parks, and in Kaldoaivi wilderness and Käsivarsi wilderness. I went hiking, trekking, snowshoeing and skiing in Urho Kekkonen, Koli, Leivonmäki, Linnansaari, Lemmenjoki, Helvetinjärvi, Liesjärvi and Nuuksio National Parks, Kilpisjärvi wilderness and Muotkatunturi wilderness, and Kevo Strict Nature Reserve in Finland. I also climbed Kebnekaise and hiked a stretch of Kungsleden and through Vistas in Sweden.

I count also hiking, trekking, skiing and snowshoeing as training that supports trail running, and vice versa. Therefore I include everything my sports watch records into my exercising statistics. Oftentimes I also record walking, if I'm walking fast with trail running shoes. Sometimes I forget to start my sports watch and sometimes it has run out of battery and I leave it home when heading to the trails. I add the ones that I remember, but there are always some missing data. I don’t really care if a few kilometers remain out of the statistics – the most important thing was the experience of being in nature and all the health benefits and happy moments!

My sports statistics 2021

Number of recorded performances 253
Total distance 2 295 km
Duration 480 h
Total Ascend 39 000 m

Trail running performances 149
Distance 1 425 km
Ascend 23 600 m

Hiking/trekking performances 47
Distance 480 km
Ascend 11 500 m

Cross-country skiing (fell skis) performances 9
Distance 71 km
Ascend 1 100 m

Longest run (adventure run with a backpack / fastpacking) 70 km
Longest run (lighter running vest) 60 km

Yearly trail running progress

Compared to 2020 the total distance and ascend have both increased. The longest run in 2020 was 30 km, so it doubled to 60 km or 70 km (just how you define 'trail running') in 2021. But, I started trail running as well as hiking and climbing to mountains and fells in the spring 2020, and I got my sports watch only in the middle of summer. So, the statistics are not completely comparable at the yearly level. However, I know that in 2020 I trail run more frequently, but in 2021 I hiked more. Most notable, the ascend was way more in 2021 compared to 2020. That’s good news, since I made uphill training as my goal for 2021. I’m also more than satisfied with the total ascend, since I live in mostly flat Southern Finland, and finding motivating vertical spots is a bit difficult.

There are several reasons I trail run less last year. In the beginning of the year, I suffered from shin splints and I had to rest quite a long time before I could start training again. I believe I got sore legs from running on ice, as my steps were not relaxed on slippery surface. Now I’ve got mini crampons to attach my trail running shoes during winter, and so far, I haven’t had any pain in my legs. I have also included more rest and walking days to my week on purpose.

Another reason for less trail running was that I worked too long days in the spring, and I had to skip a few runs because I simply didn’t have time to go outside every day. In the summer and in the autumn, I traveled and hiked a lot, which took time away from trail running. But all in all, I’m very satisfied with the amount and quality of my exercising in 2021.

I had planned to run 80 km (50 miles) on wilderness trails in Norway, but due to covid-restrictions, I couldn’t enter the country. I decided to trail run solo 70 km in Finnish Lapland instead in a very short notice in July. I carried an 8-10 kg backpack, so the running adventure was more fastpacking style running. The second longest trail ultrarun was a 60K in Koli National Park, where I run solo around Lake Herajärvi in June. That was only my second ultrarun ever, and it was a tough one!

My trail running plans and goals for 2022

1. Out of the comfort zone! I tend to run the same trail every day because I’m lazy and the 8.5km trail is fast and easily reachable. Well, at least I hope I’ll have more time to spend traveling to some new woods and hoods maybe once a week in the spring.
2. Taking a long run (+15K) seriously to my weekly schedule. See number 1.
3. I’ll continue uphill training. I have noticed that after a tough trekking week or two, my trail running gets a major boost. What could be nicer uphill exercising than hiking in wilderness, in the fells and in the mountains? Since a trekking backpack and hiking boots sound like something you do in the summer and autumn time, I’ll try to add also more snowshoeing and cross-country skiing to my calendar.
4. I'll try to do more tempo running exercises and include one tempo run in my weekly schedule. I think tempo running will be essential for increasing the distance and surviving longer ultraruns.
5. Work those abs! My favorite gym exercises involve legs. Anything with legs. My least favorite exercises involve abs. Not going into details, but there are reasons why I dislike abs workout, and reasons why I absolutely should do the workout. Maybe if I write that down here, I’ll actually start doing them regularly?
6. Stretching and yoga. I always swear to make it a routine in my new year’s excitement of future possibilities but end up doing them just occasionally. Maybe this year?
7. Trying a new distance. I consider the 70K fastpacking gig as my longest trail run at the moment. For the year 2022 my goal is to trail run at least one over 100K route. In one day. I decide the destination before summer, but I’ll be looking for an easy to moderate 100-150K trail to run with a running vest (no DSLR or cooking sets jumping on my back!) in June-July. That should be tough enough to feel great about my own achievements :D
8. Finding a new location to do a multi-day fastpacking adventure. Well, at least an overnight adventure!