Vasaloppet 2012

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.
History

I was challenged to do the worlds longest ski race, Vasaloppet (90 km), by Maria's father the first time we met, selling in it in as sort of a family tradition and a challenge for outsiders to prove their acceptance. Well, I'm not the guy turning down a challenge, so I signed up for the race in March 2011, not knowing what I was facing in one years time. I have never done a lot of cross country skiing and probably not much more than 90 km in total. My previous experience mostly comes from back country skiing by hunting and trips in the mountain. Not comparable.

Autumn 2011 I moved from Norway to Copenhagen which was a time consuming process and I wasn't able to start training effectively before into December, only 3 months before the race, but I still felt I could make it though.

I bought a pair of Fischer racing skies in December and started training in the gym. First of all I needed to improve my overall fitness, only kept alive with inregular outdoor running trips. Maria printed a training calendar to keep me motivated and focused, and to follow my progress.

Previous winters was snow rich in southern Scandinavia, but 2011/2012 there's nothing but strong winds and rain. Between Christmas and New Year I traveled to Höglekardalen in Sweden to train, but a stomach virus hit me and reduced my it to a few laps of maybe 10 km in total. I was hoping there would be some snow down south...

But snow never came. Or at least not enough. I managed to do a few laps in a man made track on a golf course in Lund one weekend, maybe 15 km in total. Well, it's better than nothing. I start intensifying my indoor training. Running 10-15 km several times a week, bicycling, rowing and overall strength exercises. Prioritizing my triceps, stomach and back. In Lund I find a skiing machine and manage to do 20 km the weekend before the race. I feel my fitness is relatively good by the end of February. Lets get this thing over with...

The race

The race goes from Sälen to Mora and more than 15.000 skiers start at the same time, with the elite in the front.

We arrive by bus in Sälen 1.5 hours before the start. There's a lot of people everywhere. Information, messages and music compete from the speakers. A huge board shows SMS greetings from family & friends. One of the messages reads "Will you marry me?" from a woman to one of the skiers. The road is super slippery and made of hard and rugged ice. I managed to slip and fall on my way to lane 9, but luckily I don't hurt myself. Someone has mistakenly taken the skies belonging to one of the guys in our group and there's a bit of frustration. Luckily the mistake is discovered and sorted out half an hour later.

There's a long queue to enter the gate of lane 9. I can feel I need the toilet (nr 1 & 2), but first I need to enter and take a starting position. The night before we discussed whether a place in the middle or on the side of the 15 tracks would be better or worse. I choose the middle. Not that it matters much I find out. Gym instructors on a podium in the middle in every lane try to keep the skiers warm with dancing sessions. I run off to make a piss in the forest, the toilet line is 100 people long.

Sälen (90 km)

Until a few minutes before the start we drop off all our warm clothing, put it in the plastic bag we have received, and throw it away. Suddenly we hear from the speakers that the elite has started far ahead. There's a bit of waiting time before 12.000 skiers in front of you start moving.

And we're off...

Photo from vasaloppet.se

The first part of the race is a flat kilometer before it narrows up a hill. Everything stops and you are fascinated by all the people in front of you pushing up the hill. Poles are broken. People fall over and curse at each other. It's hard to find a position for you skis and poles as everyone is trying to push on from behind. Somehow we slowly make it to the top of the hill and the highest point of Vasaloppet.

On my way to Smågan I keep a good pace, but somehow my upper body is not happy for using solely  poles and I spend much time using the diagonal technique where others are not.

Smågan (80 km)
I arrive Smågan fresh and sharp. "Keep to the left if you need to fix your skis - keep to the right to drink", the speaker is announcing. I choose the right, empty a few glasses of drink in the river of people and start on the next lap where Maria and her family will be awaiting for the first time.

On my way to Mångsbodarna my upper body is still not happy and I feel I use a lot of energy doing the diagonal.

Mångsbodarna (66 km)
Maria and her family awaits me in Mångsbodarna and are a welcoming sight. Words are exchanged and I change my hat to a thinner one. I assure everything is good, but of course I can start to feel some pain here and there.

Risberg (56 km)
My body collapse on the way to  Evertsberg, 30+ km into the race. I don't understand what is happening. I feel completely drained and empty of energy as hundreds of people are rushing past me and I struggle in the rightmost lane. Even a guy without poles speeds past me... I stop on the top of a hill to drink my two bottles of energy drink and pray I can make it all the way to Evertsberg. I start to think whether I will manage to finish the race or not. My head wants to, but I'm not sure if my body can do it. Shall I quit at Evertsberg? Damn it. I can't! I must continue. People start falling on the flat slopes, loosing their balance with stiff bodies and over balancing.

Evertsberg (43 km)

I'm totally exhausted when I arrive Evertsberg. Maria and her family are welcoming me and cheering as I arrive. "Øyyyvind Øyyyvind Øyyyvind". I smile and cheer up. Their support is much appreciated, but all my head crave for is drink and energy. My body is stiff and in pain. I'm not sure how many glasses of sport drink, blueberry, bullion and water I empty. I force myself to a eat a bun. They feel drier and drier for every checkpoint and must be swallowed with liquid. I really need to find a toilet! I can't wait anymore. I take off my skies for the first time and queue up for the one toilet there it - it's heaven.

I fill up my small water bottles with sport drink and start for the next lap feeling brand new, but have probably wasted about 15 minutes.

Exiting another checkpoint gives you a funny feeling of confirmation in your state of exhaustiveness.  You know there is X km to the next checkpoint and you know you have to take yourself there. You can't stop in the middle of the forest! At least there is some psychologically drive in it. "As long as I can take myself to the next one" - and so it goes on.

Leaving Evertsberg there's a lot of downhill in the start. The legs are so stiff that you pray no one falls in front you as there will be no time to react. Your hips are in pain every time you need to break and my downhill glide is extremely good compared to others. Luckily I manage to steer away from those unlucky who fall. But downhill in Vasaloppet means there will be uphill later and now they start feel like a giant mountain to conquer. I curse them. The neck is so tired of looking up from the bent position you have skiing downwards that I only give it a glance ahead and let it if no skiers are ahead, looking down on my boots as the track speeds by. By the end of the lap I'm totally exhausted again and my skis are slippery. Why didn't I wax them in Evertsberg? The metal end of my pole is all funny as it have been bent somehow.

Oxberg (28 km)
By the time I have cursed my way to Oxberg, Maria and her family has also transported themselves there. They can tell me I'm almost one and a half hour behind the other guys, which they also follow. They are not sure they will be able to meet me at the next checkpoints and will probably see me in Mora next time. I think "hope I will make it there".

The first thing I do after filling up with energy and liquid is to get my skis waxed and my pole fixed. I leave Oxberg with a good feeling. Twenty eight kilometers. You can't quit now. That would be silly. Twenty eight kilometers. That is soon one and something kilometers. And after that only one number. My mind is all encouraged and I make my way through the woods, counting the blue kilometer sign for every kilometer that is left behind.

I little girl gives me a slice of orange along the track.

Hökberg (19km)
At Hökberg the first thing I'm offered is some energy gel. I manage to get two. I pour them down. I drink and am all excited. Next checkpoint is the last before Mora!

I'm leaving Hökberg all enthusiastic. My body feels great! What the hell was that energy gel? Previous pain is gone. The kilometers to Eldris are decreasing more rapidly than earlier. On the way various sponsors teams start to offer all sort of freebies. I pour down energy tablets, chocolate, drinks, raisins and fruit.

Eldris (9 km)

At Eldris I feel sharp and the victory is now in sight. I know I will make it! I have a chat with a local woman serving one drink after the other. It feels good to talk with someone after spending most of the days in your own thoughts. She encourages me to go on and finish the race, not far now! I'm all eager when I leave Eldris behind me.

Mora

The lap from Eldris to Mora is quicker. The goal is in sight. Even though the body is stiff and exhausted there is no pain like earlier. I manage to get a descent speed. On the way I even find a fellow Copenhagen citizen and have a good chat as we pull each other through the forest at a good pace. It turns out he is a pilot for SAS and doing Vasaloppet for his 9th time with a group of friends. 6-5-4-3, at 2 km there town is in sight... only a few more minutes now!

Maria and her father welcomes me on the run before the finish. They have received a SMS of my appearance. They didn't expect me before in 15-20 minutes, which confirms my boost in the end. A fantastic feeling is rushing through my mind and body. "I did it!" "I really did it!" I'm so glad I didn't quit the race even though I felt I could lay down and die at times, especially between 30-60 km. What an achievement! I'm so happy with myself.

Stiff and sore after the race

Analyzing the race
I realized my skiing technique sucks. People would easily glide past me seeming less with lesser effort. I used too much energy in start of the race trying to find a good flow. Also I should have waxed my skiis earlier in the race. Not to forget - find a toilet ASAP (preferably before the race)!

Also it's really important with some skiing time in your body. You can't replace that with a gym even though you get fit with running, bicycling, rowing and doing strength. Also I need to start training more effectively a longer time ahead and don't stress it the last months before.

Well, my goal was to make it through the race. Taken the amount of training and time on skies before the race I'm very happy with achieving that. It's always easy to think of what you could have done better after, but I'm more than happy with my time.

I have already signed up for Vasaloppet 2013, and am looking forward to it and my goal is to  complete in less than 8:30 hours. I can only but say it was a fantastic race, a 110% professional event, a fantastic audience, energy and life through the forest.Thanks to Maria and her family for keeping up my spirits at times I was in the basement to find strength.

See you next year!

 My times at Vasaloppet.se

Equipment

- Fischer CRS Classic Vasa 202 cm skies with NNN bindings
- One Way Diamond Carbon Vasaloppet 160 cm poles
- Fischer XC Comfort boots
- Bjørn Daehli Olympic Thermo gloves
- Norheim long johns (55% merino wool)
- Varde wool shirt (100% merino wool)
- Aclima wool socks (thick)
- Dobsom R90 jacket (wind proof)
- Dobsom pants (wind proof)
- Bliz sun glasses
- North Face hat (thick) + one extra (light) (changed during the race)

Comments on the equipement
I'm in general very happy with the equipment. At times it a bit cold, especially the tip of the fingers in the start, but that was not only me. The socks were too thick for my shoes, but I knew I wouldn't get blisters at least from previous training. Problem was that it didn't breath very well and I was wet on my feet during most of the race, and sometimes a bit cold when not actively using the feet. My skies were super fast down hill, not so fast on the flat, but that is a user problem. I was a bit worried they would be too short for me, as every guide says I should have longer skis, but as long as the stretch in the skis are good they should work. I would however like to see if I prefer longer skis until next year.