My Five Lakes Challenge: Lessons from the journey so far

In October last year, I set myself a goal that was as exciting as it was daunting: to run around the five biggest lakes in Sweden within a single year. I find I always need to have a goal to have something my brain can tell my body that we are working towards something when the going gets tough and I hit some of those lows, whether in my strength training sessions or on my long runs, and especially over the winter.

On paper, it was a bold challenge - thousands of kilometres in total, testing every part of me as an athlete and as a person, and needing to push myself outside of my comfort zone to go beyond my small community to ask for support. I'd only ran my first ultra in May of that year too.

But this was never just about ticking off distances. It was about seeing how far I could push myself, what lessons I could take from the process, and how I could share that with others to hopefully inspire them - you.

I set myself a secondary goal to undertake a world record attempt later in 2025 and running these lakes would allow me to test my body and mind to see if I was capable of attempting the world record. Suffice to say after my first lake attempt I didn't think I was ready!

The Dream Begins – Hjälmaren (180km)

The journey started with Hjälmaren. At 180km, it was meant to be the “gentle” entry point into the project. But it didn’t turn out that way.

I underestimated it. I went in with the right planning but a little niggle in my arm, which I caught when travelling over to Örebro got worse as the run went on, mainly down to the cold temperatures. I'd ventured to Örebro on the train to help my green credentials on the run but carrying the heavy bags tweaked a muscle in one of my arms, which was annoying.

This is what -13c does to your beard/hair!

With Johan outside Örebro castle the day before we started

Frida (crew), Johan (runner) and me at 90km

Running with somebody and having a crew meant I needed to make sure we could finish the run safely and I wasn't confident we could do it given the temperature and distance. We got to 90km on the first run and called it quits.

After the first attempt, I decided that I didn't want to waste other people's time on a second attempt and so I planned my next run around the lake in April with an unsupported attempt basing my fuelling with two main stops at ICA supermarkets. This failed badly mainly due to my legs not playing ball after around 50km. I don't know if the fatigue was due to lack of preparation, rushing those early kilometres or just the heart not being in it after the first failed attempt but it felt like Hjälmaren had beat me.

The third attempt was made in May. After two failed attempts I felt I tried too hard with this attempt and fuelling was my issue. I ended up taking too many carbs early on which caused a tummy issue early on. Due to lack of sleep and feeling a little weak I ended up cutting alot of carbs out of my fuelling to try and feel better but I knew this would cut short my run which ended up being a power hike from around 90km onwards. It got increasingly more difficult to focus on the things I needed to and as I went into a second night without sleep it was tough. It was a good lesson to push me through that low. It wasn't a run as I thought it would be but it taught me to perservere and finish what I started. My blisters were hurting, it was cold and lonely running on the second unplanned night but I carried on forward and finished. My target was 21 hours and I ended up doing it in 32 but at least it was finished and it was the first lake ticked off together with another FKT - for the full run report visit here.

It hurt to fail on the very first attempt of my Five Lake Challenge - but that failure lit a fire. It gave me clarity on what I needed to change: better fuelling, stronger pacing and above all, the importance of having the right support alongside me.

Redemption – Storsjön (206km)

A few months later came Storsjön. Although a smaller lake the run would be longer due to the shape of the lake and the fact I needed to include another lake in the run as there was no bridge over the North-West corner of the lake. Planned for May but ran in September - at 206km. This time, I came prepared.

I met Chris, my crew and good friend, the day before and spent a relaxing evening at his new house about an hour away from the start of the run.

We started on the Friday morning around 10am. The first 155km felt like redemption. I was moving well, fuelled well and in control. But ultras always find a way to test you. Blisters hit hard with one particular blister not popping (which I think I could have coped with) but shearing down my foot under the skin whilst running at 164km. Pain surged through every step, and suddenly I went from being two hours ahead of schedule to thinking that perhaps I might not make the end. However I decided to move from running to walking and ended up only being two hours behind my target of 25 hours by power hiking the last 40 or so km.

That’s when support made the difference. Having Chris there to crew me, keep me moving, and remind me why I was out there gave me the strength to finish. Crossing that line at  Östersund wasn’t just about completing 206km - it was about proving to myself that I could learn from failure and come back stronger. For the full run report click here.

Chris (crew) and I outside the Bishops Arms in Östersund at the start

The Lakes Still Waiting

After Storsjön, the plan was simple: keep the momentum and knock out the remaining three lakes - Vättern (350km), Mälaren (360km), and Vänern (540km) - within the year.

But life rarely follows the plan.

Two failed attempts at Hjalmaren, injuries, family commitments and the realities of recovery have forced me to delay. At first, it was frustrating. I wanted to power through, to stick to the timeline I had set. But I’ve come to realise this: the lakes aren’t going anywhere. This challenge was never about rushing. It’s about doing it properly, one step at a time and testing my limits.

So yes, the challenge is still alive. Vättern and Mälaren are still on my horizon. Vänern, the biggest of them all, will be waiting as the ultimate test. It will just take longer than the 12 months I first imagined.

I will have to sort out a strategy for my feet if I want to conquer these lakes

An example of the fuel I needed to get me around one of the lakes - ultras are more of an eating contest!

What I’ve Learned So Far

Looking back at the journey, I can see the arc clearly:

• Failure at Hjälmaren taught me humility and preparation.

• Success at Storsjön taught me resilience and the power of support.

• The delays have taught me patience - that some goals are too big to be forced, and that finishing them well, and learning from finishing, is worth more than finishing them fast.

  
  

The Five Lakes Challenge remains one of the biggest undertakings of my life so far. It has already shaped me in ways I didn’t expect, and I know the lessons will keep coming as I push on with the lakes that remain.

This story isn’t finished - it’s just paused. And when I stand at the end of Vänern one day, I’ll know that the journey was as important as the finish.

Run. Inspire. Repeat.