Summer in Portugal

My first school year in Sweden ended in the beginning of June. It a great experience and if I was given the choice to go back to school in Portugal and stay in Sweden I would certainly decide to stay. This International course I’m doing now is opening me new doors to the world everyday and being able to communicate naturally in English with everyone is one of the perks of studying in IB (International Baccalaureate). I love my classmates and despite we are from all around we enjoy very much being together. Although summer break is nice I’m looking forward for next year.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t even enjoy the midnight sun because I had to fly to Portugal, in the beginning of June, to be able to compete in Oeiras and Peniche. Hopefully next year I will stay in Sweden a bit longer and enjoy the real Swedish summer.

In Portugal I had a lot of training with my teammates. We cycled a lot together (sometimes too much) and went to beautiful places such as Serra de Sintra. I had the chance to swim a lot in the cold sea along lisbon’s coast. Finally I ran many miles in the most beautiful place in Lisbon: Belém. With all this training going on my routine came down to SWIM, CYCLE, RUN, EAT and SLEEP.

While I was in Portugal I had four triathlon races and I became Triathlon and Aquathlon National Champion in my Age group 16-17. To read more about my races check Triathlon Page.

It was sad that I struggled with my foot’s recovery and that I’m still in pain while I run. I am lacking motivation each day I get on the track and I feel my foot sore. Athletes are made to run, not to be injured. I will hopefully now give it a short rest and heal it properly for next season.

Last week I have been in Tavira (My little paradise in the south of Portugal) and I went a lot to the beach. The weather was perfect, the sea was as warm as you can imagine and the food was delicious. It was nice to go back there after 2 years off.

I had a great time in this wonderful country. I loved being with everyone again. The weather was very good and food was, as always, the best in the world. In the pictures are some of the dishes I couldn't eat in Sweden: "Polvo à lagareiro" (Octopus in olive oil), Snails and "Bacalhau à Brás" (Codfish with chips). I was happy that I found in Lisbon's IKEA one of things I miss: Kanelbullar.

Now it’s time to settle down and focus on the next year. In August I will go back to Västerås and start training and studying again. I'm sad I have to leave so many important people behind again, but that's how tough life is, see you again on Christmas.

I will try to write on my blog more often now. This huge lack of news was due to that holiday laziness that wouldn’t let me do anything useful :P

Thanks for supporting me <3!!

My Interview with Sportlife Mulher

Read the interview here:

(I'm sorry it is in portuguese)

Finally got a bit of free time

A lot has happened since I last wrote here and my free time hasn't been much. During this time I have been to Portugal, done some races, came back and had some tests. Two weeks later I went to The Netherlands for an important competition. Then I came back to Sweden, had the finals and  I am now getting ready for my first Triathlon in Sweden; Hallsta Triathlon. Here is a flashback on my last two months of life.

Just after my last post (The Winter has gone) I went to Portugal to do some races in order to get points to be part of the Junior Triathlon portuguese team. I went there to do three races (Triathlon Page) and to spend time with my friends and family. I had a wonderful time back there.

Of course I was in the middle of my school year and I had to study a lot even though I wasn't in school. While I kept the contact with school by Skype and I was able to complete all the activities I was supposed to.

In the first two weeks the weather was a bit cold and rainy, but I managed to do many great sessions with my triathlon team. In the following weeks the sun was shinning and I was very much focused on the European Cup I was going to have. While I was there I had a lot of contact with the press: an interview came up in the Portuguese Magazine Spotlife Mulher, and, together with my triathlete friends and coach I went to a  TV show (from 12:00).

It was weird to be back to my "old" routine but it was also very good to spend that much time with my friends and family that supported me so much while I was there "on my own". I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and I could even take them in their first trip to the internet

When I finally came back to Sweden I was really impressed because the weather was amazing and the sun was out until 21:00. I had to come back really strong in school, and do a lot of work so I didn't miss anything. I had three more weeks of hard training until the next race in The Netherlands.

It was really sad that I sprained my foot two weeks before the competition, but I never gave up my dreams and I kept training although I was in pain. You can Read about my race in The netherlands in my Triathlon Page.

After the race I had to settle down a bit and study very hard for the 5 final exams that I was having in the following week.

Now I finally have time for my self and to be focused on my trainings. The summer came by Sweden and there days with 30°C outside, but it is now getting lower again and looking more like Sweden again.

My next step is going to my First Outdoors Triathlon in Sweden, next weekend in Hallstahammar. I heard it will be very cold and the water will be around 14°C but I hope it will be a good race.

Next week I will fly back to Portugal to spend a nice summer with my friends and family.

The Winter has gone!

The temperatures have finally risen and the sun comes up beautiful sometimes. It has finally been possible to cycle outside and I can start to feel the spring coming.

These last weeks have been plenty of work both in school and trainings. The free time hasn't been much but that's what makes it funnier and and I've been using every gap to do some extra work that will make the difference. It has been hard to keep going with it but that's just a matter of a strong mind working every second. 

I've been feeling very well and each week I feel that I'm stronger than before. This brings also more responsibility on working even harder than the day before.

Sweden has now a beautiful shiny sun and that is finally bringing a happy and warmer environment that everyone was hoping for. 

Of course I'm looking forward to go back to Portugal but this time I can tell you that I start getting used to my life here in Sweden.

Week I had the winter break (Sportlov). As usually I thought I would have time for many thing but the truth is that between sleep and work out there wasn't much time. I did spend a day skiing in Romme alpin and I think it was great, but the funniest was seeing how happy swedes from all the ages are doing their winter sports. This was also the first time that I watched Winter Olympic games, funny but it doesn't get to the heels of the Summer Olympics.

After the break school has started and the schedule is back to normal. This weather makes people happier and funnier and gives me an extra "push" to my trainings outside.

Half an year in Sweden!

It has been 6 months since I came to Sweden! Yes, that much!! When I got here I couldn't think how would I survive here for this much time, but I did.

I have had many thoughts about it and I've felt great here and as bad as I could be. Changing school, sport, life and friends is not something easy to do in life, but that's how you search for a better life.

I'm loving my new school, having lessons in english gives me opportunities everywhere around the world. My classmates are great and the fact that we are from 15 different countries has only made it even better.

The training has been hard and adapt to this new conditions was difficult in the beginning. My brother's fellowship has been great and together we are training very hard every day.

I've had some competitions that went pretty well and I'm looking forward for some more.

Life here has been very varied, visiting new places, meeting very different people and tasting swedish food (not nice to eat).
Here are some pictures that describe my time line in sweden:

 My new place to live...

Getting here in the summer for some first "discovery" bike rides

 WTS Stockholm a unique experience with the best in the world competing

The cold autumn got here and the colors look gorgeous!

 

The First snow arrived in October

Enjoying the Höst lov in Helsinki with my dad

In November I had my first triathlon competition and victory in Sweden

The training kept hard, while the sun was shining but the temperature was low.

Enjoying the last cycling tours before the snow threw us down to the spinning

Getting use to long swimming sessions was hard...

 And the first trainings in the real snow, -10°!!

Coming back home on Christmas time to kill all these: "Saudades"

A special day: 17th of January when I finally got age to go to high school in Sweden :)

Spending it in London just made it perfect!

 Going in the coldest study visit to Stockholm with my classmates.

And the day that snowed so much that cycling home was impossible! It was a very cold and funny experience.