accessrehab

by

SWIMRUN ARHOLMA – LANDSORT

KRAKEN EPIC ADVENTURE

“Have you heard what they are up to next weekend? They plan to swim and run from Arholma to Landsort. It must be at least 200km.”

I first heard about the adventure a week before takeoff. Annika mentioned it while we were out training. My first thought was “Wow, how crazy. They will get so cold. I’m glad we’re not doing something like this.” As we continued our swimrun session we didn’t speak much more about it, but none of us could really drop the thought. By the end of the training we were both like; “Maybe we should join?!”

Since ÖtillÖ World Championship sadly had been cancelled, our calendar was blank for the weekend. And with loads of training in the bucket it would feel good to get use of it somehow.

It was not much time to prepare though and as the days came closer we realized what a huge challenge we had in front of us. Looking closer into the maps we understood that the real distances were closer to 50km swimming and 210km running.

250 km throughout Stockholm Archipelago is not a walk in the park and we were not too cocky reaching Arholma Island after hours of travelling on land and sea on Thursday evening.

I didn’t know what to actually expect from the weekend. We’re all experienced racers, but this was different. In a race you have a finish line to focus on, you have a race organization, a safety team and even a plotted course to follow. 

We were unsure how the navigation would turn out. Even though Pontus and George had put in massive effort planning the course the last nights, our google-maps-print-screens did not show all details. Another uncertainty was if the group would be able to stick to the pace. We could not go too fast in the beginning but not too slow either as we needed to cover a distance of at about 80km each day to reach Landsort before dusk on Sunday.

Anyway, focus now was to control what we could control and as the schedule was tight we all agreed that we should not waste any minutes of daylight during the coming three days. Alarms were set on 3.10 the coming morning and we made ourselves ready to start moving into the unknown.

Day 1:

Arholma-Möja, 12 hrs, 80 km (16 000 m swim / 64 km run), 32 islands

Longest swim: 1 500 m (Ålandet-Gåsö). Longest run: 10,5 km (Yxlan)

As we set off from Arholma before the sunrise the nervousness was gone and it all felt right. Everyone was motivated for the adventure, ready to suffer but mainly to have a fun journey together.

On the road..

The first hours simply flew away and it didn’t take long before we arrived to Blidö where we got spoiled with real food for lunch. Pasta and Pesto on a plate is luxury in this context.

Eating lunch at 9 in the morning made sense when you already have been working for 5 hrs

Before we went off on this adventure Annika and I had talked a lot about how to motivate ourselves. We thought it might be hard for us to complete every section of the course as we had less than a week to prepare. Our concern was if we would miss a section the first day, it could be harder to motivate ourselves to get through the course the coming days.

Two days before the start Annika came up with the excellent idea that we as a team should complete the course. Our goal then became that at least one of us must be at the course at all time. It turned out very well. We did many sections together but Annika took care of the longest swims while I cared for the longest runs. In this way we were taking advantage of our strongest skills and were also able to push ourselves for the team. It helped us to stay focused all the way.

All for one, one for all. All the way..

Not sure if it was the pasta lunch or our fresh legs but the first day went faster than estimated and we managed to arrive to Möja already after 12 hours. Getting there before sunset, having a (cold) shower and dinner at the restaurant before preparing the next day was a great start of the adventure.

Day 2:

Möja-Ornö, 15 hrs, 86 km (8 700 m swim/77,3 km run), 22 islands.

 Longest swim 1 400 m (”Pig swim”) and longest run 18,5 km (Ornö)

Next morning started as the previous day; porridge breakfast 3.40, filling bottles, loading our bags on the boat and get going. We started the day with an 800m swim before the sun went up. It didn’t matter that it’s cold and dark, moments like these are just A M A Z I N G! It sounds cheesy, but, the early hours of the day were magic and I’m forever grateful I got to experience these moments.

The coming islands after Möja were challenging with tricky terrain and navigation. As we could not move as fast as we wanted on land, we decided to jump into the water and swim a bit more than planned.

I think this is the true essence of swimrun. Alternating the discipline based on the terrain. As we carry all gear we use it’s a freedom to quickly switch between running and swimming  

After a long morning with difficult orienteering it was quite a relief to enter the ÖtillÖ course and skip the map for a while. The course is very familiar environment for all of us and a nostalgic place where we have gone through hard moments with race bibs on.

Kymmendö Lanthandel. On ÖtillÖ this place is an important energy station. Here it became our lunch stop. Freeze-dried pasta. Not as luxurious as yesterday but I can promise that after hours on gel and bars, it’s exactly what you were longing for.

Heavy rain and wind characterized the rest of the day. We all had to dig deeper and it’s when the conditions get tougher you realize how important everyone in the group is and our spirit was still high.

We finished the day with almost 20km of running on Ornö. We had no maps of this section since we’ve done it several times before. Suddenly we didn’t recognize the terrain and realized that we probably must have missed a turn. As it was getting dark we decided to ask for directions at a nearby house.

We knocked on the door and a woman looked out. Behind her some small kids pop up, curiously looking at the soaking wet strangers, dressed in wetsuits, who was trying to explain why they were lost out here late at night. But before we had finished our excuse she interruped us. “Hey, We know who you are. We are following you on Instagram!”
The friendly family then pointed us in the right direction and we could continue to our night camp.

Saturday was a big day covering 87km and it took us about 15 hours. By the time we finally reached our night stop at Ornö Båtvarv. It felt great to get a quick “archipelago shower” and pizza delivered from Utö.

Day 3

Ornö-Landsort, 15 hrs, 76 km (13 700 m swim/ 62,3 km run), 25 islands

Longest swim 6 130 (Danziger Gatt) and longest run 13,8 km (Utö).

The night went by way too fast and after a few hours of sleep it was time to get going again. We got into routines quite well by the third day; Preparing porridge, filling bottles with hot water, getting our stuff together, putting on our wet wetsuits and start moving.

The section between Ornö and Utö was just as magical as it is during the ÖtillÖ race. 15km of island hopping’s and choppy swims.

Reaching Utö is always a special feeling as it’s the final island of the ÖtillÖ course. Also a day like this, when you know you will continue another 65km, it was uplifting to enter Utö.

The coming 14km gravel road on Utö had less action and this was probably my sleepiest section. However, the energy table that our excellent support boat was serving at Vålö solved all energy dips.

A blueberry smoothie on day three was high value!

The big challenge of the day was Danziger Gatt, the huge waterway between Nåttarö-Nynäshamn. It’s heavy trafficked by oil vessels and big ferries and could be dangerous to cross in bad conditions. Today everything was on our side; Calm water, sun’s out and the big ferry to Gotland just passed before the group got into the water.

I followed the 6km swim crossing over Danziger Gatt from the boat as my and Annikas goal to complete the course together was still alive. Annika is the strongest swimmer I know but I was worried that she would suffer from the cold on this section.

For me, the cold was definitely the toughest challenge on our adventure. I struggled getting warm even after short swims and at this point when we had spent almost 40 hours in our wetsuits and it got harder and harder to keep the body temperature up. In the boat I was loading with hot water and ready to jump in and replace Annika at any time if she would get too cold.

The conditions were amazing and all the strong swimmers made a tremendous job over Danziger Gatt. It was not until it was about 800m left to Nynäshamn they got up on a small cliff to recharge.

This was mine and Annikas opportunity to switch swimmer and for the first time our goal actually felt within reach. From here we had only about 30km left to Landsort and we could even sight the light house in the horizon.

Joakim navigated as a king and it was a beautiful section alternating shorter swims and runs.

  • Great surprise to meet friends who stopped by to say hi from their kayaks
  • Dinner time!

Just as the sun started to drop down we crossed the last islands to our finish line. A finish line that we had constructed and only existed in our heads but maybe one of the best lines I ever crossed. I will never forget the feeling when the whole group entered Landsort.

We did this adventure to spice up our everyday life, to challenge ourselves and have fun together. When our legs and bodies got tired it was the positive attitude in the group that kept us going. Everyone was taking turns in being strong, always helping and cheering each other.

The Kraken swimrunners plus Pär who is behind the camera

Thanks everyone involved for making this possible!

Arholma – Landsort:

Tot distance: 242 km; 48,4km swim and 203km run. 79 islands, 42 hrs.

All pictures from @krakenswimrun

by

Pregnancy reflections

I’m right in the middle of week 36 and as there aren’t that many weeks left of my pregnancy, I’ll share some reflections on how I have experienced it so far and my thoughts on what’s coming up.

I have one earlier pregnancy I can relate to and this one has developed very similar to my previous one. Both my pregnancies have been uncomplicated without any pain or injuries, and I’ve kept my training routines, but with some modifications.

As I’m carrying a baby, there is some obvious impact on my body. My blood volume have increased by 50%, I have gained 8 kg, my abdominal muscles are stretched out and the increased level of relaxin relaxes my ligaments. At the same time, most of my muscle groups are still working fine and if I maintain these muscles, it might be easier to come back to my ordinary training afterwards. Taking this into account I rather work on my local muscle functions and not on my oxygen capacity during this time.

I haven’t followed any specific guidance about training during pregnancy and I don’t rely on general advices as each pregnancy seem to be so individual. Instead I try to follow my gut feeling. I do what feels best, both physically and mentally. If an activity feels ok physically, but I’m worried if it may give consequences afterwards, then I rather adapt my activity. E.g. running has worked well for me but I have chosen to stop around week 30 in both my pregnancies as I’m uncertain if the relaxin in combination with a bigger belly creates unnecessary strain on my pelvic floor and ligaments.

Running in week 25 when my baby bump was pretty small

As a cross-country skier in my youth, one of my favorite training disciplines in summer was skidgång/elghufs in ski slopes and I find this a perfect 3rd trimester activity replacing my running sessions. Intervals in the hills or ski slope give me the same endorphins as running and is more gentle to my body.

Skidgång week 35 with a bigger belly

The major difference between my pregnancies is that this one involves swimming. Five years ago swimming was not a part of my training. Being an outdoor athlete it was a long process to adapt to the indoor pool training. Nowadays I really appreciate the early mornings in the pool and my pregnancy has not affected my routines of swimming. I swim in a group where I normally is the weakest swimmer (and being pregnant hasn’t really increased my speed). The modifications I do to keep my pulse/intensity down is to use a pullbouy and paddles. In that way I can still join the training session with the group and it gives me heap of inspiration to share the same lane as them.

All in all I have about the same lifestyle and everyday routines as when I’m not pregnant. My ambition is to return to competitive racing after pregnancy but before I can plan for any future races I have a delivery and the subsequent rehab to accomplish. This is not a walk in the park and it definitely includes many uncertainties.

My previous child birth went as expected until the last hour when it felt like things just happened very quick without anyone being ready, not least myself. I thought I would be much more in control of the situation. Maybe I was fooled from the saying that childbirth can be compared to a marathon. It’s nothing like that at all! A marathon I can prepare and practice beforehand. If I get injured I can withdraw. I’m always in control of my body and the situation. During labour I’ll need to work with people I don’t know and rely on the decisions they take in the moment.

When I worry for something in a race I use to practice it beforehand to find out how to control and handle the situation. Practicing child birth with different potential complications is not possible in the same way. Studying and reading about it just makes me more aware of everything that can go wrong and complications that can arise afterwards. But I will continue to find ways to prepare as I need to become more confident even though I can’t control it as I want to. And I bring with me, that just as a race seldom goes as planned, a solid preparation makes it a lot easier to reach the finish line despite hiccups along the way..

by

Off season

March is here and the light is starting to come back to Sweden. Running in a partly snow-free forest is never as wonderful as it is after a few months of ice and snow. Everything gets easier when the temperature rise and you can remove some layers of clothes. This is the time of the year when you normally feel faster and stronger for every session… Or not.

Our big boy is curious to listen whether the baby is breathing as loud as me

This year I’m going into spring knowing that I will become heavier and slower! It’s also inspirational in its way, it reminds me to be grateful for every training session that I can do because I don’t know how I will feel next week.  

I’ve had a fantastic winter. After two months of tiredness in late autumn I passed the magic 12 weeks border in December and felt stronger than ever. Not really because I physically was stronger. Probably the opposite, but every training session gave so much positive energy. Perhaps because I moved focus from a strive that every session must be of high quality to just enjoy that I can run and train as I want to.

Everything doesn’t always go as planned though. After ÖtillÖ last autumn Annika and I worked on a project to highlight the massive plastic pollution in the oceans and to raise money for the development of recycling infrastructure on Nusa Lembongan. In October and November we organized weekly training events in Stockholm to contribute to the fundraising project Bali Hope Swimrun. Unfortunately, I could not attend the final event in Bali as the Zika virus is present there. Thanks to Peter Aronsson who, with late notice stepped in, we could fulfill our project and Annika and Peter delivered a perfect race.

Overall victory for Annika and Peter at Bali Hope Swimrun after a tight race Photo: Ilham Abdillah

It was of course sad to not being able to go to Bali as planned but this project has only just started and there is much more to come. I’m excited to continue working with Annika on this and to see what we can accomplish.

But one thing at the time. For the coming months it’s someone else who has the power of my body. He or she weights around 700g and is around 30 cm tall and all I can do is to listen to this tiny creature and act accordingly. It might sound difficult, but it’s not that complicated. It’s interesting how quickly both my brain and body adapts to these new conditions. A pregnancy in itself is not an illness or an injury. It’s just that you need to put someone else in the first room.

by

Hat trick at ÖtillÖ World Championship

Our third consecutive win at ÖtillÖ World Championship. It’s an unbelievable feeling.

Below an extract from ÖtillÖ press release, followed by my race report in Swedish.

The top teams pushed the pace to incredible speeds at the 13th edition of the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship, one of the toughest one day races in the world. Conditions were ideal for a quick pace on the 75 km long race course in the Stockholm archipelago but no one had expected the course records in each category men, mixed and women to be crushed with such incredible times.

The undefeated duo Annika Ericsson and Kristin Larsson (SWE) had a fierce battle against second placed women’s team Fanny Danckwardt and Desirée Andersson (SWE), who led a big part of the course but finally finished 3,49 minutes after the leaders who beat their own record from 2016 with not less than 36 minutes. ”Today’s conditions were just perfect, warm water and no wind. We have been able to race properly without being stiff and cold as previous years. We also met really tough competition this year so we had to keep on pushing”, said Kristin Larsson at the finish at Utö after the team’s third world championship gold in swimrun and record fast time in the women’s category.

https://otilloswimrun.com/smashed-course-records-at-otillo-swimrun-world-championship-2018/

Det blev hat trick för mig och Annika. Tredje raka segern i ÖtillÖ World Championship. Känns nästan overkligt att vi lyckats återupprepa segrarna när det är så lång tid emellan som ett helt år. Det är ju så mycket som skall klaffa för oss bägge två just den dagen; toppad form, frisk, skadefri, fungerande utrustning och en taktik som håller hela vägen. Den sistnämnda vågade vi oss på att förändra det här året.

Jag har många gånger tävlat nästan rakt av och förlitat mig på mitt pannben. Min vilja och envishet har tagit mig väldigt långt men det är också en egenskap som kan ställa till det. Första gången jag ställde upp i ÖtillÖ 2015 körde jag totalt respektlöst från start. En rejäl käftsmäll 8 timmar in loppet resulterade i att jag vinglade imål med en kroppstemperatur på 34 grader.

Foto:Linus Ahlberg

Året därpå, 2016, var jag bättre förberedd både med simning och med en egen energiplan. Vi satte ny rekordtid på 9 timmar 36 minuter. Det var mitt och Annikas första ÖtillÖ tillsammans och vi körde bra men kände bägge två att den här tiden kan vi nog förbättra.

Foto:Linus Ahlberg

2017 körde vi med helt nya dräkter, prototyperna som sedan blev ARK Ornö –dräkten, med premiumneopren på överkroppen och löparvänlig underdel. Fortfarande körde vi på hårt från start och när vi nådde Ornö hade vi redan en ledning med 30 minuter. Vädret var också ovanligt tufft så med den hårda starten blev avslutningen trött och vi lyckades inte slå fjolårets tid.

Inför 2018 visste vi att återupprepa segern en tredje gång är inget vi gör på gamla meriter. Varje lopp är ett nytt lopp. Däremot kan vi dra nytta av våra tidigare erfarenheter.

ÖtillÖ är 75km totalt, 10 km simning och 65km löpning över 26 öar mellan Sandhamn och Utö. Veckorna innan loppet simmar och springer jag och Annika genom hela banan. Ett kul inslag i träningen och en mental förberedelse inför loppet. Det är också ett tillfälle att njuta av miljön i en avslappnad situation jämfört med tävlingsdagen då det är fokus på annat.

 

På tävlingsmorgonen står vi lugnt i startfållan 5 minuter innan startskottet går. Vi vet vad som väntar och ser fram emot det. Känner oss redo. Vår utrustning är strået vassare än tidigare år. Vi är inställda på en annan taktik och vi har ytterligare ett år av gemensam träning i bagaget. I stort sett varje torsdag det senaste året har vi mötts upp i skogarna mellan oss och tränat tillsammans. Snackat. Umgåtts. Att tävla tillsammans ger mer än att bara dela ett tävlingsmål. Det blir ett naturligt sätt att umgås med vänner, dela upplevelsen i naturen och motivera varandra till tuffa träningsperioder. Men inte minst, med en lagkamrat jag litar på vågar jag pressa mina gränser under tävling.

Startskottet går och startfältet rör sig snabbt framåt i gryningen. Solen är på väg upp när vi kastar oss i på den första simningen, 1700 meter. Havsytan är som en spegel och vattnet är varmt (16 grader) och vi kliver upp på andra sidan bara lätt nedkylda. Tidigare år har vädret varit mer krävande, kroppen skakat av nedkylning och balanserandet på klipporna efteråt varit mycket tuffare.

Under själva tävlingen säger vi inte så mycket till varandra. Korta peppande ord. Allt flyter på. Vi har starka tjejer runtom oss. Fanny och Desiree är i vattnet snabba som delfiner. De tar och håller ledning ett par timmar in i loppet. Vi ligger inte först men ändå känns det som att vi har full kontroll över loppet. Vi springer i lagom fart, fokuserar på vår egen taktik och jag ser fram emot kommande öar.

Foto: Jan-Henrik Bäck

Drygt halvvägs in i loppet kommer en tuff etapp, 1400 meter simning som är helt oskyddad för minsta vind. Den beryktade grissimningen som har en förmåga att suga ut all energi ur kroppen. Men för första gången möts vi i år av helt stilla vatten. Finns inte ett spår av någon ”grissimning”. Det enda som bryter vattenspegeln är vågrörelsen från dem som redan är i vattnet. Vanligtvis brukar jag börja räkna armtag här när det blir för kallt för att ha något annat att fokusera på. Förra året kom jag upp till 600, i år hann jag inte ens börja räkna. När vi kliver upp lyder benen direkt, till och med käkarna fungerar och för första gången under mina 4 år lyckas jag tugga i mig hela twix-chokladen som alltid delas ut efter grissimningen.

När benen är pigga är sträckan mellan Mörtö Kobb och Mörtö Bunsö riktigt kul. Terrängen är fin men krävande. Innan nästa simning (1000 meter) kommer vi ikapp Fanny och Desiree som hade dragit ifrån oss tidigare. Vi håller ihop över till Kymmendö och springer tillsammans mot Ornö. Alla fyra känns väldigt starka. Ingen stressar utan har fullt fokus. Allt känns så kontrollerat och det ger mig mycket självförtroende. Vi simmar över och kliver upp på Ornö tätt ihop. Ornö är 20 kilometers löpning efter 7 timmars tävlande och det gäller att hålla uppe farten. Första åren var det här som min kropp vek ner sig och pannbenet tog över för att komma imål. I år samarbetar kropp och knopp. Annika och jag gör en fartökning och får en lucka. Vi drygar ut den sakta men säkert och vid Ornö kyrka har vi två minuters ledning.

Energistationen vid kyrkan är välkommen. Vi fyller på och jag riktigt känner hur energin går ut i kroppen. Simcoachen Ulf Hausmann är ute på cykel och hejar på och ger oss positiva baktider. Förra året var det här vi fick rapport att närmast jagande lag hade brutit och att vi hade en ledning med 30 minuter. Det gjorde att vi tillät oss känna efter hur vi egentligen mådde. Resultatet blev att vi tappade trycket helt och körde de sista 15 kilometrarna 20 minuter långsammare än 2016. Men nu är det helt annorlunda och vi kan öka farten den sista milen på Ornö. Marginalen bakåt växer men vi tar inte ut något i förskott utan fortsätter fokusera på oss och vad vi ska göra.

Avslutande öar innan sista ön, Utö, är små och simningarna är korta men plötsligt får jag kramp i en vad när hoppar i på sista simningen. Sträcker benet rakt upp i luften i ett försök att få loss krampen. Den släpper inte.

Vi kliver upp på Utö då Annika säger att vi har varit ute i 8.36. 8.36..! och det är drygt 20 min kvar till mål..! Jag glömmer allt vad kramp heter och vi springer på för allt vad vi har. Känslan är magisk inför vad som håller på att ske och benen är med oss. Vi är på väg mot Sub 9 timmar och en rejäl kross av vårt tidigare banrekord. För några veckor sedan när vi var ute och tränade körde vi hela vägen upp till målet, och det är jag tacksam över nu. Vi vet exakt hur långt det är och att vi måste ge allt nu. En knapp kilometer kvar möter Daniel upp. Kommer inte ihåg vad han säger men jag ser honom och det ger energi.

Foto: Daniel Hansson

Vi svänger upp för sista backen och ser målportalen med tävlingsklockan som visar 8 timmar och 56 minuter. Vi är första damlaget i historien som spränger 9 timmars gränsen och jag är så glad över mitt och Annikas hela genomförande. Vi har förberett oss noga, samarbetat bra och haft kul på vägen.

Tack Outdoorexperten som gör mitt tävlande möjligt.

Tack AccessRehab som tagit hand om min kropp de senaste 7 åren.

Tack till ARK Swimrun för att jag får vara med och utveckla de produkter jag tror på.

Tack till Salomon, Thule och SignSupply Sport som gör att jag alltid kan träna och tävla med den bästa utrustningen.

 

by

Swimrun in Lake District

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

Racing in UK was not in our calendar until a few weeks ago.  Both Daniel and I recovered well after ÖtillÖ and were excited to explore the well-known Lake District National Park.

Lake District is famous for its lakes, forests and fell and we got to discover it all last weekend together with 120 other participants in Breca Swimrun Coniston.

Breca Swimrun is a serie of swimrun races in UK and New Zealand providing six different races in challenging landscapes during the year.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

Race morning met us with an autumnal morning mist. Lakes were calm and the only people around were wearing wetsuits and swim caps.

Even though the hour before the race was unusually quiet and peaceful, the 700 meter swim start put us right into race mode.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

We did a great swim and exited the swim just 20m after the first men team. They put up a fast and furious speed on the first run. Daniel took up the same speed without any problems and I was just trying to hold in there..

It was a speedy start of a 5 hour race but it felt good. I love the excitement of racing close to another team.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

Out on the second running section we came in to more technical terrain. I was curious to see how our technical running was compared to our fellow racers. We were more or less together up the first hill and they were getting some meters on the technical downhill. Ok, no advantage for us there.

Even while realizing I was the slowest of all four of us it still felt good. We were going to spend at least four more hours on the course and even though speed and pulse was high I felt that Daniel and I controlled our pace very well and I did not got stressed.

In the lakes both teams had more or less the same speed and we stayed together, taking turns in fronting the swims.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

Halfway into the race there was a 15km long fell run. We cabbed down our wetsuits, put away our paddles and just enjoyed the run. The combination of high speed, wet rocks and slippery ground made it pretty technical and I felt great being able to keep up with the guys.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

Entering Lake Windermere we found ourselves in the front and pushed hard to not get caught during the swim.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

We felt relatively strong and put in one extra gear the last hour. My suffering level did also increase. The swims were cold and I got tired from the high speed. But still with a positive mind as we got a gap to the chasing team.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

After some shorter swim and run sections we had yet another beautiful fell run in front of us.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

I enjoyed the fast run at the same time as I tried to reassemble my forces for what was coming. We finished off with the longest swim of the day in Grasmere Lake. Strong headwind and cold temperature together with a tired body made sure we didn’t had a walk in the park to the finish line. I focused on counting my strokes, knowing that each stroke would take us one step closer to the shore.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

I was shivering all the 2km road run to the finish line but still keeping my mind and body prepared to sprint in case we would have to. Luckily we had no need to increase the speed as we had managed to build up a gap of 8 minutes.

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

It was a great feeling to cross the finish line as the first team and knowing that the bathtub in our hotel room was waiting for us just 100m away. I stumbled right from the finish area into a warm bath..

Photo:  Wildman Media – Paul Mitchell

Breca Coniston was a great race that reminded me why I’m competing. I love racing close to another team and push hard.  Lake District is also an awesome place! We enjoyed the landscape in a slower pace the day after the race.

by

Mitt äventyr

”2016 har varit ett fantastiskt tävlingsår men när jag tänker tillbaka på sommarens tävlingar så är det inte främst resultatlistorna som ger mig minnen. De starkaste minnena kommer från de upplevelser tävlingarna har gett mig.”

Den här säsongen har varit mycket framgångsrik placeringsmässigt och jag får ibland frågor om vad som driver mig att fortsätta tävla.

Jag älskar att tävla och utåt sett kanske tävlingar enbart verkar handla om resultat. Och ja, att vara snabbast eller slå nya rekord är jättekul och det är den första dimensionen av tävlandet för mig. Att vara i tävlingsmode och känna hetsen och spänningen ger en kick. Men det är ändå inte allt.

Den andra dimensionen av mitt tävlandet är den glädje och gemenskap jag får dela med min lagkamrat. Vi hjälps åt och samarbetar så att laget tar sig fram snabbare än vad någon av oss skulle ha gjort på egen hand. När jag är ute med en stark lagkamrat som jag litar på vågar jag också pressa mina gränser ännu mer. Det är häftigt!

Den tredje dimensionen är att naturupplevelserna förstärks. Vi tävlar på naturens villkor och ofta på tekniskt utmanande platser och i exponerad miljö. Utan nummerlapp är jag en rätt mesig person. En sån som tycker det är läskigt med strömmande vatten och gärna väljer ett säkrare spår nedför forsen, som gärna tar det lite försiktigt när det är brant och är kan få svindel när jag tittar nedför stup.

Hade det inte varit för tävlingarna hade jag inte utsatt mig eller tränat för utmaningarna. Att jag på tävlingarna faktiskt paddlar i den snabbaste strömfåran nedför forsarna, springer i hög fart utför branta sluttningar och glömmer bort höjdskräcken när det är lite luftigt, gör att jag får möjlighet att uppleva mer. Naturupplevelserna förstärks och minnena blir starkare.

Jag älskar äventyr och att tävla är mitt äventyr.