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Mikael Nelker

@nelker

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Swedish Triathlete. Ironman 8:46h. Six times Hawaii Ironman Qualifier. Marathon 2:39:28.
Founder Terrible Tuesdays AC @terrible_tuesdays_triathlon

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Big ups for little man - he turns into an adult today, eighteen years old. My big baby is Big! Well he has always been big but not in a legal way just… 👨‍🎓

The love for this Ferdinand Bull is beyond everything

Happy birthday my boy ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ taken in Stockholm, Sweden by @nelker

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a day ago

Kona Callin!

Its been a never ending bumpy road. Not sure where I am fitness wise, mentally or spiritually. All I know is that I really want to do this and the most fortunate person alive that are able to live my dream once in a while.

Gonna be a shorter taper than normal and hopefully I’ll have a couple of Viking axes and swords to throw at my competition on the Big Island. Like always its a gamble on the legendary Queen K 🌋

Full Gaz!

If you hate pictures of paradise and the most fit people alive then I suggest you unfollow this account 🌎 taken in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i by @nelker

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6 days ago

After a couple of months getting to know each other I must say this is a match made in heaven. I don’t have all the facts yet and science figured out but its the fastest bike I’ve ever had + the most comfy one. Thats good enough for a guy with extremely high standards 🥰🤣

Bigger chainring will be mounted next week but other than that its more or less race ready.

Custom made saddle mount from @aero3_d - check it out!

Kona is getting closer 🌋🏄🏼‍♂️🌎♥️ taken in Stockholm, Sweden by @nelker

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14 days ago

Day 6 - SCCC, Mallorca. The Grand Finale.

That didn’t disappoint. We rode an awesome route, had the best possible weather and like always went super hard on the climbs (not mandatory, but you know me).

Big relief having much better legs and a great fighting spirit. Managed to push harder and see my best numbers so far. Thats pretty cool consider we rode +20 hours and climbed almost 10.000 meters. I also had a couple of run- and swim sessions aswell.

This is what happens when you have the luxury of training like a PRO and can focus on only that.

I’m so coming back and doing this again next year.

Full Gaz 🌋🏄🏼‍♂️🦍 by @nelker

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14 days ago

Day 4 + 5 - SCCC Bike Week, Mallorca

Took a day off from cycling and pushed through a long run + big swim (for me). Horrible legs but mentally good to get used to Kona like conditions.

Today we had a tough race ahead of us, the climb Sa Calobra. Its 9.4k at around 7% average. I didnt have good legs from the run and previous days but think I did the best I could with what I had. More happy for my friends who all kicked some serious b*tt given their conditions.

Last scenic ride coming up tomorrow ♥️ taken in Pollenca Old Town by @nelker

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16 days ago

Day 3 - SCCC Mallorca

Two climbs, one small around 5k than the big one Puig Major. Legs weren’t as good today, also lower back starting to make some noise about me going over my limit. Always great fun to smash and challenge yourself.

Today the elderly got their asses kicked by the young guns. There are still more climbs and fast decents to show them who’s boss.

This camp is the best - book yourself in for next year. They also have ”all women” groups if you wanna stay out childish mens behavior. Allthough the Welcome and take good care of everyone here, no matter their level or background ♥️🧘🏾‍♀️ taken in Pollenca Old Town by @nelker

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18 days ago

Day2 - SCCC camp Mallorca 🏄🏼‍♂️

Mostly flat course today, 95km total. Two tough climbs at around 5k each and 6-7% gradient. Much better legs today and managed to go harder than yesterday. Great battles against my American brother @dan.paltiel

This is almost cheating as its the best Pre Kona prep I’ve ever done. Tomorrow is a big day with Puig Major at the end 🏋️‍♀️

@sacalobracyclingclub taken in Pollenca Old Town by @nelker

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19 days ago

Day 1 - All is good even if I arrived somewhat with tired legs. This arrangement is very PRO. Can highly recommend 🥰

@sacalobracyclingclub taken in Pollenca Old Town by @nelker

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20 days ago

DNF after 5k on the run. Wasnt my day today. Problem Started during the swim and just got worse. I’m ok. Live to fight another day ♥️ by @nelker

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a month ago

Time to get fired up again…

There are several stages in a training cycle — base, build, specific and finally peak/taper.

My eternal struggle has always been the transition from build to specific training. I have a hard time handling a lot of hours. Always have, so this isn’t an age thing. I thrive on shorter, harder sessions. The irony is that I’ve been given explosive qualities, a pretty average mid-range, but very good endurance once I manage to break through that barrier of X number of hours. Maybe my background in tennis and track & field left its mark.

2026 hasn’t been any different. My body simply hasn’t wanted to absorb the training. If the muscles don’t shut down, the brain does — or, even better, both at the same time.

You can’t force-feed the body unlimited amounts of training. Pouring more water into an already full glass only makes it spill over. So I took several steps back: shorter sessions, but more often, until something finally gave.
Probably no coincidence that it happened during my vacation. I can now train considerably more. It’s still tough, but my body is actually absorbing the work and I’m getting noticeably better week by week.

And just in time. My deadline for deciding whether I’m going to Hawaii is approaching fast. This Saturday I’m racing the Swedish 70.3 Championships at Sala Silverman — a perfect opportunity to see where I stand.
After that, I have another 5–6 weeks to squeeze in as much training as possible and basically duck everything else.

It’s a hard prioritization, but I’ve reached the point where I honestly don’t care what people think about it. They don’t have to understand my choices, just as I don’t have to understand theirs.

We are not the same. by @nelker

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2 months ago

New Bike = New Bike Fit

There’s simply no one in this country with the same level of experience and knowledge as Björn Andersson.

I’m sure there are plenty of digital wizards out there who have read their way to an impressive amount of knowledge — as is often the case in this sport — but I’ll take real experience, genuine three-dimensional understanding and an old-school physical assessment every day of the week.

It’s one thing to put someone in an aerodynamic position. It’s something completely different to actually read the athlete, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and then place them in a position they can hold for 90–180 kilometres at race pace — and still be able to run afterwards.

I’ve seen countless ambitious age-groupers sitting like Tour de France time-trial specialists, only to shuffle through the run with deep-fried legs, a destroyed back and screaming hip flexors.

There is so much more to putting someone correctly on a bike than simply chasing the lowest possible front end. And when it comes to that, Björn is quite simply the benchmark.

When it comes to deciding exactly what equipment to wear, where to place the bottles and all the other marginal-gain details… well, then you probably need a wind tunnel.

I didn’t have time for that.

Now I’m just hoping for at least 2–3 km/h of free speed.

Björn promised. taken in Trollhättan by @nelker

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2 months ago

Halfway through the vacation...

After what felt like an endless stretch of frustration with a body that simply refused to cooperate, things have finally started to turn around. I feel like myself again.

It’s amazing how much of a difference an active lifestyle makes—not just physically, but mentally as well. Being able to train when your body actually wants to perform, having time to recover properly, and not constantly rushing from one thing to the next changes everything. We all have different jobs, responsibilities, and lives, and I’m not suggesting reality can simply be put on hold. But if you can influence when you train and spend less time sitting still, the gains are enormous. Often far greater than squeezing in one more ”perfect” workout.

As many of you already know, I won’t be racing Ironman Kalmar this year. That decision was made long before the season even started. Instead, my complete focus is on the Swedish Championships in Sala, followed—hopefully—by the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. I’ll make that final decision over the next couple of weeks.

The biggest victory, though, isn’t about racing. It’s that training feels fun and meaningful again.

I can push hard. I recognize my body again. I recognize my mindset again. I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but I’m close enough to genuinely enjoy the journey. There’s something incredibly special about pushing yourself to the point where your legs stop responding, your heart feels like it’s about to burst through your chest, and your mouth tastes like chalk. That feeling can’t be bought.

The human body is a sports car. Sports cars are built to be driven. Hard. Not left sitting in a garage collecting dust.

Wherever you are, I hope you’re having an amazing summer.

And don’t forget to take care of two people.

The 12-year-old version of yourself...

...and the 80-year-old you’re one day going to become.

Deep thoughts today. taken in Haverdalsstrand, Hallands Län, Sweden by @nelker

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2 months ago