Salming Ambassador Marcus Aronsson

Marcus is a Swedish triathlete who has been with Salming since the very first start. I actually see a lot of similarities  between myself and Marcus. We both are trying to find the balance between  family with kids (running and cycling with strollers), training and work. We both trying our best to promote Salming as grassroot ambassadors and been with the company from the early years. Marcus are as well the founder of the Salming World Ambassador Group on Facebook. Marcus is a true #nononsense athlete who always gives everything, as an ambassador and as a triathlete. Pictures of him tells it all! Marcus is also a good friend that I always enjoy to chat with.

How and when did you start running and triathlon?
I started playing soccer as a young boy so I guess I've always been running. Even though I hated the running exercises, I wanted to run after a ball. When I was about 25 years old I started my career as a firefighter and it was impossible to combine recreational soccer and working on weekends. I met a colleague who was doing triathlons and he inspired me to try a sprint. After that I was stuck.

What's your favourite distance and race and why?
My favorite running distance is half marathon simply because I love the Göteborgsvarvet and I can keep a pretty high intensity without being destroyed a week afterwards.

My favorite triathlon distance is the full ironman. Just because the challenge of keeping on going for 10 hours and doing it at a pace without burning all my energy half ways. Ironman Kalmar is one of the worlds best ironman races and we are lucky to have it in Sweden. I'm racing in Kalmar again in 2018. 

 


How many miles per week do you usually do?
Since the twins were born it has been harder to get time for training so I focus on intervals. I've stoped counting km and try to focus the goal I put up for each workout. I try to do one bike and one running interval per week. And hopefully about 2hrs of running or biking and some swimming.

Where do you typically run/bike/swim, track, roads or trail?
I run on asphalt only. We have excellent bike roads which I run and bike on. Bike intervals only on trainer or Watt bike and running intervals on treadmill.

How is triathlon training different from regular running, how does training difference?
Well, it's easier to do double intervals on the same day. At work I often do 3x8 min on the wattbike at 12 o'clock and at evening break at 17 I run 4x4 min on the treadmill. Morning swim the day after in distance pace is no problem. The biggest difference for training for an ironman is perhaps that I've started to train in august 2017 for a race in august 2018.

What's your favorite workout?
Morning run with the twins in the running stroller. 25k in a summer morning, that's hard to beat.

 

Where do you typically run/bike/swim, track, roads or trail? 

I run on asphalt only. We have excellent bike roads which I run and bike on. Bike intervals only on trainer or Watt-bike and running intervals on treadmill. During the winter I swim indoors but when the temperature allows we have a small pond where one lap is about 250m. I swim there as often as I can.

 

How do you plan your training? Coach, book plan or self coached?
Self coached, but I've read a lot and talked to different coaches. Simon Gustavsson on Umara Sports have helped me a lot.

How would you describe yourself as a athlete? 

I love training, I love high intensity training. 4x4 min with 90-95 percent of max pulse I just love the feeling when it's over and I reached my goal.
I'm an all in athlete, when I do something it's never almost. I push myself and go all the way to the extreme. That's me.... all in. 

 

 

  "I push myself and go all the

    way to the extreme. That's me.... all in."

Your family just welcomed baby twins to the family, how do you balance your training with family life?
The family is of course the most important. But sometimes you have to have a break and go running for an hour or two to stay a good parent. At least I do. I try to train early mornings, evenings and at work. But if I could choose I'd train after breakfast.

Goal race for the fall? And what's your goal for that race?
I have no races planed this fall. My focus has started towards Ironman Kalmar in august 2018. 

 

When did you first hear about Salming and Salming Running?
I found them on twitter in 2013 and thought it sounded interesting with a Swedish shoe brand. Me an another soon to be an ambassador, Kalle Wickström started to talk with them and asking about the products we also tried to help them with getting some followers. This, among other things, resulted in a ambassadorship for both of us. 

 

 "it sounded interesting with 

   a Swedish shoe brand"

How long have you been an ambassador? 

2013 I think.

The Swedish ambassador group seems to have lot of group activities together, can you tell us about it?
We meet at some races around in Sweden, we always try to meet up when race the same races. We have a Swedish team Salming Facebook group were we post when we are raceing.
We also have the TSTMI, Team Salming Track Meet Invitational, once a year. all Salming ambassadors and other partners are invited to a conference. The conference is about what products to come and some info about what's going on in the company, there's always some sort of race. 3k race or like this year a mountain race, triathlon sprint and an Olympic triathlon. I raced all of them. And then it's food and we just hang out. I love it. The members of the team have become really good friends and I really like to hang out with them. 

 

What's your favourite Salming shoe and equipment? 

I can't really pick. I love the Race in intervals and short races. But I also love to run in Speed when doing a IM marathon.

When I run with the stroller, 25k and above enRoute is perfect.

What does #nononsense mean to you?
The no nonsense is a shoe or running apparel that supports my running but not interfering with my natural stride. It enhances me. That's #nononsense

How does Salming Running fit in, in today's running industry?
 Salming is a new inspiration on the market, who offer some new ideas. I think Salming fits in just right in, with our #nononsense shoes and gear.

How do you promote Salming as an ambassador?
I always recommend Salming shoes and explain why I run in Salming shoes and which shoe goes to which distance. Sometimes I write blogposts at http://marcustriathlon.wordpress.com. And I also use social media, instagram, Facebook, twitter.

How do you see Salming grow in the future? 

I think it will keep growing and expand to other markets. More and more people are trying Salming shoes and I like to think it's because us engaged ambassadors. Hopefully they keep listening to our ideas and input and keep developing the products.