Does toast bread + butter + Galle and Jessen Pålægschokolade make you fast?

Blonde hair, blue eyes, a pretty smile, and a lovely personality. Just like every other Danish girl I met so far. But why is she actually different than? Is she even any different?

Well, that’s for later to turn out.

…………..

It was a usual November in lovely Aarhus, Denmark. However, on that Sunday, instead of sleeping in, I went for a running race in Aarhus. Aarhus 1900 Atletik og Løb held it. It is not a big race, but perfect to participate in and to see your current level. 

Once I was in the changing room to get ready for the running race, I saw a girl getting ready as well. I didn’t pay much attention to her, because she was a stranger only. But I could see she has confidence, and she seemed to be the runner who is there to win, or at least to do her best. I also saw her eating a gel right before the race, but that is it. Nothing special. 

Despite it being November, the weather was perfect for running. Not warm, but also not too cold. Just good enough to have a great time while running in the forest. 

There were quite a few people, but nothing extraordinary. 

…………..

Once the race was over, I just headed back to the dorm to stretch and chill for the rest of the day. 

Later on, I also checked the results, and the girl I saw became 3! I mean, THIRD! among women, and with a really good time. 

The days continued, and I had to write about something or someone for a class. Like an interesting story. Then it came to my mind: I was interested in what this girl’s running journey looks like. 

So far, with whoever I talked to, it was always a bit different, but there was always a reason why people started to run. For some, it's a hobby, for some, it's something to connect people with, and for some, it's life. But what does this girl’s relationship with running mean?

So I asked her if she would want to be my interviewee, and she said yes.

…………..

 We met in the Aarhus 1900 Atletik og Løb café and started to talk.

She is called Thilde, and she is 20 years old. She just finished high school last summer. Now, she works 35 hours in a kindergarten with children. 

Thilde told me about how sports were always a part of her and her family’s life. Previously, she did taekwondo, learnt how to swim, and horse-riding was also an important part of her life, as her family has two horses. But her main sport was badminton. Yes. Not even running, but badminton.

There are some memes how playing badminton is so "easy" and that everyone can do it without a problem. 

But what about the elite level? Is it just as “easy”? 

The elite level has a price. A price so high that not always match a peaceful life. And this is what Thilde felt. 

Thilde started playing badminton around 9 years ago, and since then, she never stopped. However, some things have changed, because as soon as she entered the world of elite athletes, she realized it's not something she wants to continue doing. 

But what now? After all those years and practices, and good friends at badminton training? Should she just stop?

There was one thing on the back of her mind: Running. But why running? Isn’t it a big change? Well, yes. But she said she was always running to support badminton. For example, as cardio, cross-training, or to get some more endurance for badminton. But until that point, it was never a main thing in her life. She just went for 1 run/week. But even like this, she could see that she had some kind of natural talent for the sport because at badminton training, whenever she and her friends had to run, she was the fastest among the girls. So she thought she would give it a try. 

Thilde chose the running team called Aarhus 1900 Kick because they have training on Monday and Wednesday, therefore it does not overlap with badminton training, where she still goes on every Tuesday and Thursday, so that she can keep in touch with her friends. On the other hand, she would choose running over badminton anytime because now it makes her way happier than badminton did before she took a step back from it.  

When she joined the team in May, she ran around 30 kms/week, and nowadays she runs 70-80 kms/week, 5-6 times/week. She has 2 interval trainings with the team, which include hill sprints, intervals, 400, 800, 1000, 2000 meters, running up-hill, and in the forest as well. On Saturdays, she has a long run of 20-30 kms, and some tempo in between, also with the team. But mostly when she goes for a run on her own, she keeps her pace easy. Or at least compared to her racing time.

Most runners would never run on a treadmill, but Thilde doesn’t mind it. She even says that when you do intervals, it is easier to keep the pace you want, because you just set it on the treadmill and don’t have to look at your watch all the time.

But then comes the question of how she does not get injured if she does so much running, and she raised her weekly mileage from 30 to 70 kms in such a short period of time. Because most runners would definitely get some kind of injury out of that. However, she prioritizes strength-training; this is partly why she never gets injured, and also because of her badminton history, she has a lot of strength already. On top of all the 5-6 times running, 3 times badminton, 1 strength training, she also does indoor cycling on Monday for one hour as a recovery training. 

But how is this possible? With work, having a boyfriend, and spending quality time with family as well? 

Time-management mostly. And also, spending that much time with sports is not new for her; she just changed the sports a little bit. 

The best example that I met with Thilde on a Friday afternoon, and she told me about how she woke up at 5:30 so that she could already go for a run at 6, work at 8, and meet with me around 15:30 and have some free time afterwards. 

She is ambitious with running, but if something doesn't happen the way she planned, she moves on quickly. Running is a “free space” for her, as she said. She just wants to see the limits of her body and how fast she can run, how low she can go in time. 

So far, the furthest she has run is 32 km, and she has already broken the magic “5k under 20 mins”, which is everyone’s dream. Since then, her best 5 K time has become 18 minutes and 53 seconds, and that was the race where she first qualified for the podium.

But why did she stop playing badminton at that high level if now she also runs really well? 

In badminton, you play against another player, and how the other person feels on match day affects your outcome as well. However, while participating in a running race, she only wants to beat herself, and she doesn’t compare herself to other people.

Thilde also has some nerves because this year (2025) at the Aarhus Half Marathon, which was her very first running race, she got dehydrated and the ambulance had to pick her up. Which means that she basically started her running journey with a DNF, with every runner’s nightmare. As it was an exceptionally warm day compared to Danish weather conditions (around 25 Celsius), a lot of people had the same experience with that race. 

 
But one DNF didn't stop her!

Later in 2025, she also participated in the HCA Half Marathon, which she could finish, and she is also happy with her time. She felt kind of relieved that after what happened in the Aarhus Half Marathon, she could finish this one. 

Whenever she has a running race coming up, either her boyfriend or mom goes with her to support her from the sidelines. Her mom wants to make sure she is okay, especially after what happened at the Aarhus Half Marathon. Thilde said her mom will go with her to her next big race, which is the Copenhagen Marathon in 2026.

Thilde also has her routines for a race, as most runners do. This includes wearing the same clothes that make her comfortable, including her Nike alphafly 3, listening to Danish rap music before the race to get into the mood, eating well the day before to get all the necessary nutrients and carbs she will need, doing some warm-up like drills, high knees, running a bit, and eating a gel 30 minutes before the start. Her favourite breakfast before a race is toast bread with butter and Galle and Jessen Pålægschokolade.

Thilde also has some plans for the future. She already signed up for the Copenhagen marathon in May. In addition, racing in other countries, like participating in the Berlin, London, or Valencia marathon, would be her dream coming true. Thilde also mentioned that one day doing an Ironman or participating in ultramarathons could be amazing, but these are just for the far future.

Whatever is coming next, she is excited, prepared, and most importantly, passionate about what she is doing.