We woke up at 3.15 am to transport ourself with bus to Sälen, leaving from Orsa at 4 am. Normally I would have been tired at this time, after only a few hours of sleep, but the race ahead kept me awake and thinking, not out of nervosity, but out of curiosity.
Will I make it? Have I trained enough? Have I eaten properly/enough? Will my new skies work? Have I brough enough snacks?
A lot of questions raced through the head as a faint light welcomes the crisp morning of 13 blue outside. We are in a long queue of buses all heading the same way. Also in the bus is Maria's brother, taking on Vasaloppet a third time and two of his friends, first time Vasaloppet runners like myself.