After finally conquering my laziness and resolving to change into my running gear, I opened the door—only to discover that snow had begun to fall outside…
“What kind of joke is the universe playing on me? Is it telling me to just behave and enjoy my trip in Sweden instead of going for a run?” At that moment, I grumbled endlessly to myself.
At the time, I was standing downstairs from theairbnbapartment where I was staying in Stockholm. It was the day after New Year’s Day 2016, and in my hand wasCoach Edison’smeticulously planned training schedule, while my mind was fixed on my first marathon in Nagoya two months later.
This definitely qualified as terrible running weather! An icy chill hit me head-on, while flurries of snow slowly turned the ground into a blank sheet of white that looked ready to evolve into little snowdrifts. Hmm… which also meant the ground might be slippery, wet, or even icy. I gazed out at the sky. It still wasn’t too late to decide not to run. All I had to do was turn around, close the door, and go back upstairs. I would lose nothing but the three minutes it had taken to change, and every danger, uncertainty, and concern about running in snow for the first time would instantly disappear.
[ The slope outside our Airbnb, where snow was beginning to accumulate, though the camera couldn’t really capture the first flakes coming down ]
To run, or not to run?
“Give up!” It was such an easy decision to make. I stood on the other side of the door and hesitated for three minutes—more than enough time to change out of my running clothes again.
“Oh, fine—I might as well give it a try. If it really doesn’t work, I can always run back.” Realizing that I might have even fewer opportunities to run once we entered the Arctic Circle, I finally made my decision. It fell somewhere between giving up and persevering, though admittedly not very far toward perseverance. This tactic is called leaving yourself an escape route, and it works wonderfully when you’re trying to persuade yourself.
I had to seize the moment and leave the warm indoors before the impulse disappeared. In any case, at least I could finally stop standing in the doorway like an idiot. Taking tiny, cautious steps, I made my way down the slope outside the apartment and began running laps around the parking lot at the bottom—the one I passed every day. After all, warming up takes longer in cold weather, and staying close also gave me plenty of time to change my mind and make a quick retreat.
[ Three hours later, the parking lot was completely covered in a fresh blanket of snow ]
This was an unfamiliar area, and theairbnbplace where we were staying, which required a ride to reach the city center, was actually a student studio near a university. I knew nothing about the neighborhood, and no guidebook would ever introduce it. Before that day, my daily route had consisted of walking down the slope outside the apartment, crossing the street to the bus stop, and then reappearing at the same corner several hours later: off the bus, up the slope, and back home.
To complete my five-kilometer training goal, I could either practise counting from one to forty as I circled the parking lot, or head out and get spectacularly lost somewhere in the vast surrounding area. My eyes wavered for a few seconds before my feet slowly carried me toward the wide sidewalk on the right. I had never gone in that direction before. The road and the footbridge stretching across it were the farthest things I could see. I had no idea where they led, but despite all the uncertainty, I was at least grateful to be moving away from that familiar little loop with far too many escape routes.
[ Finally escaping the gravitational pull of my accommodation, I turned right and began my Stockholm city adventure ]
[ Walking through the tunnel came with the exciting expectation of emerging into another world, with a mysterious unknown waiting at the other end ]
By then, the snow was falling harder and striking me in the face. The -5°C air and wintry chill made me increasingly alert. Squinting in disbelief, I watched one soft white snowflake after another drift from the sky and land on my running clothes and gloves. It wasn’t my first time seeing snow, but it was my first time jogging through it.
I began chasing the flakes excitedly, reaching out to catch them one after another, just as I used to chase bubbles as a child. I couldn’t stop running forward. I could no longer tell whether I was running because I had originally set out to run, or whether happiness itself had made me break into a run. All I knew was that, at that moment, running made me so happy.
[ My phone died halfway through the run, so Nike+ recorded a pitifully short distance, but at least it preserved the -5°C snowy weather from that day ]
After passing beneath the bridge, I finally saw the scenery on the other side. The spacious road opened up the world before me, and I continued alongside the busy main road. I had no destination, but my feet couldn’t stop. As long as I took one step, I would see where the next one should land.
A Swedish couple came jogging toward me. They were probably only the second and third pedestrians I had seen since leaving home. Running into fellow runners always makes me especially happy, so I decided to approach them and hire them—free of charge—as my temporary photographers. I wanted a record of this rare run through the snow, something to remind me that I had once experienced a moment of running with such pure, heartfelt joy.
[ Looking at the photo the Swedish couple took of me grinning from ear to ear, I could feel just how genuinely happy I had been ]
“Where are you planning to run today?” the female runner asked casually after taking my photo. Runners never have to worry about running out of things to discuss.
“I don’t know where I’m going either. I’m just running.” “Is there a route you’d recommend?” I quickly seized the opportunity to ask, like sneaking a question about what to order from the table next to you at a restaurant. Following a local runner’s training route was undoubtedly the authentic choice.
“Why not try the trail on the right at this intersection? We just finished running it, and it’s beautiful in there.” The running couple gave it their enthusiastic seal of approval; all they were missing was a dramatic thump on the chest.
[ This was the crossroads of life: one chance encounter changed my route and brought an entirely different reward ]
It was an inconspicuous entrance at an intersection, with what looked like a construction fence off to one side. Could there really be beautiful scenery inside? I couldn’t tell, but why not try? I followed the only path and rounded a bend beneath an overpass. The sight that appeared next made me gasp—not once, but twice. Then a stream of “Wooooow!” burst out of me and refused to stop. It wasn’t until another runner passed by that I hurriedly shut my mouth and put away my embarrassing city-slicker reaction.
[ A fork in the road that looked as though it led to a desolate construction site, though the snow still made it rather pretty ]
[ The underpass behind me raised the curtain on a hidden wonderland ]
A forest had somehow appeared before my eyes. Not the Da’an Forest Park kind of forest, but something beyond even a forest recreation area—more like the forests between mountain villages and farmland. Rows of tall, straight trees lined both sides of the trail. A two-way path that seemed reserved for pedestrians ran parallel to the railway tracks, with runners passing through from time to time, while the falling snow provided the perfect finishing touch. Yet this secret wonderland was hidden beside a major city road in Stockholm, Sweden, down a little lane at an ordinary intersection.
[ A forest trail appeared before my eyes ]
[ For Swedes, perhaps this was perfectly normal running weather—even the most comfortable option ]
[ Accompanied by the soft sound of footsteps, my heart quietly settled into the stillness of this pure-white forest ]
[ Running alongside the railway without running on the tracks—otherwise, you could say I had gone off the rails ]
[ Occasionally, a freight train passed by and disturbed the silence a little ]
I no longer cared how many kilometers I had run. I simply pushed forward, wanting to run a little farther and explore everything around me. At that moment, I was so grateful that I could run and use my own two feet to experience the most beautiful scenery. I loved the person I was while running, and I was even more thankful to the version of myself who had defeated the demon telling me to give up, filling my day with satisfaction and meaning. Once you start running, all these wonderful moments become yours.
[ I had expected running in the snow to be freezing, but once I got moving, I felt warm all over. Perhaps it was the excitement in my heart—or perhaps the kindness of the people made Stockholm feel even warmer ]
[ In a snow-covered forest, you simply have to take a pretentious gazing-into-the-distance photo ]
[ More unexpected surprises: mounted police officers saw us bouncing around excitedly and stopped on their own to let us take photos ]
[ Not long afterward, another group of incredibly handsome horses appeared in the distance—this time carrying soldiers ]
[ The most captivating thing about traveling through running is using your own two feet to uncover hidden beauty and discover a different side of a city ]
The next day, I brought my travel companions back to the secret forest that had so captivated me. I also made up for the scenery I hadn’t reached and the moments my phone had missed when it capriciously fell asleep. I took plenty of photos and tucked them away as memories I would revisit again and again. (That’s why most of the photos in this article were taken on my second visit—and thanks to my travel companions for taking so many photos of me running.) When I later checked the route map in my Nike+ running record, I discovered that this hidden spot lay behind Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. It was called Stockholm Norra Djurgården, and I had been lucky enough to see its snow-white winter face. It wasn’t a famous tourist attraction or part of our planned itinerary, yet it became my most cherished story from Stockholm.
Thank you to the part of me that didn’t give up, allowing me to discover Stockholm’s hidden urban forest through running
Hidden Spot Information
This hidden park is called Stockholm Norra Djurgården. I had originally hoped to use Nike+ to record my running route, but my phone died and put an end to that plan, so I could only piece it together from a few clues. On the Google Maps route below, the starting point on the left is the exact intersection where I turned into the lane. Along the way, you will pass an old yellow drinking-water pavilion called Ugglevikskällan. The red marker should be where I turned around. If you’re interested in visiting, refer to the blue dotted route on the map below. (I used Street View and saw how lush and green it normally looks. Snow really is magical paint—it makes the whole world more beautiful!)
Running in Snow
When running in snow, pay special attention to slippery surfaces. Icy ground makes it easy to fall, and injuries from the impact are often worse than expected. On this occasion, the snow had only just begun falling, and I was running along sections where few people had walked, so it remained relatively soft and provided more friction. Even so, I still had to watch the ground carefully with every step. You should also check the tread on your shoes and avoid wearing a pair whose soles are nearly worn smooth. I wore Nike Free Flyknit shoes. They may not actually be designed for running in snow, but in my experience of running through snow on two days, they worked perfectly well. They’re also extremely light and easy to pack in a suitcase, making them my trusty running companions whenever I travel.
✈ Travel dates: 2016/1/2 and 3
| Follow My European Footsteps | Chasing the Northern Lights in Sweden series: (Travel period: 2015/12/30-2016/1/10)
● The Northern Lights Came Out of Nowhere! Welcoming an Incredible 2016 in Sweden’s Arctic Circle
● Grab Your Bags and Go: Ten Days Later, We Were Off to Chase the Northern Lights in Sweden’s Arctic Circle! Proof That Planning Your Own Trip Isn’t Just a Dream
● Turns Out Being an Eskimo Isn’t Easy Either: A Night in an Igloo Dome
● My Snow-Weary Adventures in Sweden’s Subzero World—A Polar Survival Guide: Notes on My Snow Gear and Equipment
● No Matter How Cold It Gets, You Still Have to See Three Nights of Northern Lights in Abisko, Sweden’s Arctic Circle
● Infiltrating Stockholm’s Viking Restaurant, AIFUR RESTAURANT & BAR, and Becoming a Pirate for the Night
● Oops—I Somehow Ended Up in Norway from Sweden: Discovering Textbook Fjords in the Town of Narvik
● So Beautiful We Rushed to Enter the Ice Palace: Lying Inside Sweden’s Arctic Circle ICE HOTEL, Built Entirely of Ice
● Stockholm’s ICEBAR: A Fortuitous Encounter and Drinks to Break the Ice with Fellow Taiwanese Travelers
● Thank you to the part of me that didn’t give up, allowing me to discover Stockholm’s hidden urban forest through running
● A Plane That Only Takes You to Dreamland: Jumbo Stay, the Unique Hostel Beside Stockholm Airport
