NordicUltra #3 2011

ULTRA-RUNNING MAGAZINE

# 3 2011 A competitor in this years Oslos Bratteste.

A hill climb in Nordmarka

SUM in Stockholm

Boulder Colorado TH E ST U FF TH AT D RE AM S AR E M AD E O F

JONAS BUUD: TEN QUESTIONS

Tooting Bec

ALSO WITH: H 24 hours - Tips for beginners and pros H STATISTICS – Six hours See how far the best can make it

H Strength training for 1 Nordic Ultra #3 2011 ultrarunners

EDITORIAL

Get in contact with the editor by mailing: nordic.ultra@gmail.com.

www.nordicultra.com now on a computer near you Welcome to the third edition of Nordic Ultra. I must admit, it’s been the toughest issue to bring out. The last month I’ve been sitting in front of the computer writing essays and comparisons for a school course, the last thing you feel like doing after a day of that is translating or writing a report here. Thankfully the course is over and so many people have been willing to help out with quality material.

I’ve been slowly developing a website in my free time over the last couple of weeks. I’ve picked my way through the html jungle and come up with something simple but functional that I’m relatively happy with. It’s now going to be possible to add news and links that I otherwise am unable to do in the way I’d like.

The primary reason for the website is to base the magazine at a location that is easier to remember and easier for old and new readers to find.

really well. It lit up the ground in front of you instead of the trees five meters in front of you. Give it a try!

If you haven’t seen on Facebook already then in this issue you’ll see an advertisement for Nordic Ultra Winter Challenge. In the middle of january we’re going to be running together for 130 beautiful kilometers in Mora, Sweden. This should be a great run in a part of the year when there traditionally isn’t a lot of organised running going on. It’s bound to be a real challenge.

Last year around that time the temperature was down as low as -20 with a fair bit of snow around.

Speaking of races the amount of new races around is mind boggling. There are quite a few more ultrarunners around but are there enough to support all the races we have now? I doubt it, something has to give.

” Are there enough ultrarunners to support all the races we have?”

One thing that’s missing in this issue is ‘Location’. I simply can’t write about any more places in northern Europe yet. I need to get out there and run in some new places first. It also seemed unfair that it was only about swedish places. If anyone is interested about writing a report on their home town please send me a mail.

I’d like to welcome our two new columnists. First of all another opinion column, Myrto Pitsava who will be writing an editorial about her thoughts on her way to ultra. As you may remember I have been looking for someone knowledgable to write a regular training column. Englishman, Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe has taken on the challenge and will be writing his thoughts and experiences about training. I’m really happy with what they’ve written so far and am looking forward to reading more from them.

For those of us that reside in the northern hemisphere will be braving the end of autumn and the onset of winter, which means that must runners will be winding down a little after the race season. It’s good to take a couple of weeks off and let your body and mind have a break.

I personally have been out for the last two months with a cold and an ankle injury. It’s a strange injury. If I take it easy and try and keep off my feet it stiffens up and get worse. When I go out and thrash it on stony trails it gets better. Bodies are strange things...

I’m on my way back into hard training for next season. Winter for me means ice hockey season, my other passion. I would like to be able to call it cross training but I’m sceptical. I get a little interval training and probably put on a bit of useful muscle but it leaves my leg muscles stiff from all the static strength built up with ice skating. I run to and from training so I guess you could call it an extra workout.

I actually look forward to my first run with a headtorch for the season. This season I’ve been having problems with the strap so I put it around my stomach instead of my head. It actually worked

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Has anyone else noticed how ridiculously good the norwegians are at 6 hour running? Five norwegian men have run over 80km this year and four norwegian women have run over 70km. Like last year, Undheim 6 hour was fiercely fought. Gjermund Sörstad and Jarle Risa really hammered it out running well over 80km, Sörstad took the win, nordic record and the years world best.

The only more competitive race this year was Stein in the Netherlands. In the mens race, running the great distance of 80km flat would only earn you a 7th place.

Strangely all but one of the top runners were from Belgium.

See you out there!

Andrew Tutt-Wixner Editor in chief

H These babies from Finnish shoe makers VJ are called ’Bold Pink’ (no prizes for guessing why). They’re designed for orienteering but I’m sure they’d work well in shorter trail ultras too. They’re available up to size 10.5UK.

Things we dig H Injinji socks are well known in the extreme running community for helping to prevent blisters, especially around the toes. These are from the performance series and are a knee length compression model. Even if you don’t buy into the whole compression fad they’re bound to keep your calves warm.

H Gore make some great running gear.

How about this beanie. It’s warm, and high visibility. Great for when the days get colder and darker as they are now in the autumn.

Do you want to run the

Marathon Des Sables

www.ultrarun.com

Coaching & gear for the extreme

A focused Andreas Falk. GAX Trans Scania 2010.

Photo: Zingo Andersson Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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LÖPA R Ö F S T A L P S E T MÖ A T S R Ö T S S E G I SVER

FORUM - ARTIKLAR - TRÄNINGSDAGBOK - KOMPISAR - LIVERESULTAT ULTRAINTERVALLER - KARTOR - TÄVLINGAR - TRÄNINGSPROGRAM

CONTENTS 34

Oslos Bratteste

Photo: Oslos Br

atteste

02 EDITORIAL: nordicultra.com 06 News from the Ultra world 07 Letters 08 M YRTO: The sky’s the limit 10 Tooting Bec - with Per Heskestad ” The realization that it was a living snake came to me.”

12 Running in Sierra Leone 14 Colorado trailrunning 26

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17 5 MINUTES WITH: Jonas Buud 18 Photo competition winner 22 Faster, Stronger, Longer 26 Marathon of Dangers 34 SUM 36 I N THE KNOW: 24 hour running 38 Events Calender 40 S TATS: 6 hours Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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NEWS

Do you have an idea for an article? Mail it to: nordic.ultra@gmail.com.

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/

Link tip

H Duv is a ridiculously good

resource for ultrarunners. It contains ultra statistics in several languages. Want to search who the best europeans over 100miles was in 2010 you’ll find it here.

It’s also a great place to find races to run overseas. Not only does it include basic details about the race but also record times.

There is also a basic profile on every runner that has run a measured ultra in the last few years. A great way to measure up your opponents before your next race! //

What do you want to read about in Nordic Ultra? Do you want to contribute? Send an email to nordic. ultra@gmail.com.

Trondheim to Oslo

Dörum runs ultra strong Spartathlon H This years ultra classic race

Spartathlon coaxed a number of nordic runners to the start line. The 247km race roughly follows Feidippides run from Athens to Sparta which according to legend took 1.5 days. That’s much more time than Norways Lars Christian Dörum needed. The 58 year old completed the distance in an amazing 28.08 for a 12th place. Lars says that he ‘considers this his best race ever but his 235km at 24h in Bornholm was also good’.

Another strong performance was swede Michael Anderssons time of 29.45 which was good enough for a 14th place and the second best Swedish Spartathlon time after ultra legend Rune Larsson.

Andreas Falk came in 61st place while four other swedes

58 year old Lars Christian Dörum failed to finish.

Finlands Ville Tuominen ran a 32.02 for a 31st place but Finlands hero of the day had to be Tuula Ahlholms with her top ten ladies finish. Tuula came in ninth place with at time of 35.05, the best nordic position of the day. Marjukka Sinisalo claimed a respectable 12th place in the womens class. Danish Anne-Marie Rossen was only 16 minutes after Tuula and clinched 10th place. Another Danish runner,

Bjarne Jensen came in 70th place with a 34.24 run, pretty close to Feidippides time of old.

The overall winner on the mens side was the Italian Ivan Curdin after 22.57. He led the race from the first 10km onwards. Ivan was followed to the finish by Japanese Yuju Sakai a minute and a half later.

On the ladies side won Hungarian Szilvia Lubis with a time of 29.07 followed Slovenian Ruth Podgornik three hours later. //

Pat Farmer Pole to pole

H Organisers in Norway are

planning an exciting new race next year. The Race is called Trondheim - Oslo foot face and covers the 550km between the two cities. The route will follow Torleif Rekkebos record breaking route from 1989 as close as possible.

If it goes ahead (and it looks like it’s going to) it will be the longest point to point race in this part of the world. The race will be run non-stop and participants will be responsible for their own support along the route.

The organisers are calling for expressions of interest from potential participants.

The response so far has been encouraging. 65 runners have added their name to the list.//

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H Australian former liberal

politician and ultramarathon legend Pat Farmer has made it over half way on his run from the North- to South pole.

A run to raise money for the Red Cross.

Pat is a single dad. Therefore he is travelling with his two teenage daughters. He is well known in ultra circles thanks to his previous escapades. A 14,662km world record run around Australia in 191days as well a 2nd and a 4th place in the Trans America Road Race. He has even crossed the Simpson Desert twice.

He and his team started from the North Pole on the 2nd of April and they have now made it as far as the peruvian desert on his way to Chile.

To get there Pat flew to the North pole, took on the Arctic by foot before traversing the east coast of the North American continent, taking in Canada, USA and Mexico.

He even traversed the mighty Darien Gap in Panama.

A place well known for its thick jungle and for being a rebel soldier and drug baron hangout. He was accompanied by 19 soldiers for the trip.

All went well except for a toe

infection due to excessive wading in mud which later required surgery by Red Cross doctors.

According to an interview with ABC radio, Pat has increased his daily milage from 80 to 90km a day to ensure that he arrives on time for his flight from Argentina to Antarctica. If he misses his flight he will be unable to complete the run this season. If all goes to plan, Pat will arrive at the South Pole in early January.

For more video interviews or to donate to the Red Cross visit his website: www.poletopolerun.com//

No Finish Line: Monaco 8 day H On the 12th of November

the legendary 8 day charity race No Finish Line started at Port Hercule in the worlds second smallest country, Monaco. The race is run on a 1600m circuit and is run to raise money for hospitals and schools. €1 is donated for every kilometer run. While the number of 8 day runners isn't huge (around 40) the amount of 'spectator runners' is. 6000 people ran the track at some point last year, which meant healthy donations €169,000 but also crowding on the track which made it harder for some of the 8 day runners.

Scottish runner William Sichel set a cracking pace from the beginning. after 72 hours William broke the Scottish 72 hour record, running 444km.

Sichel has even continued strongly inte the 8th day. towards his target of 1000km and M55 age record. At the

time of writing he is virtuallyunstoppable. Places two to five are still in contention though Didier Sessegolo does have a decent advantage. It’s going to a tough race on very tired legs.

Australian Sarah Barnett is leading the ladies class distantly after having pulled 150km away from the nearest female competitor Mimi Chevillon. She is in 4th place overall with 40km up to Stephane Leroux.

Veteran British runner Richard Brown is doing well for his 65 years of age, he’s now in 15th place after working his way up. He actually started the race in the M60 class but has since had his birthday out on the track making him now an M65 runner.

The race has 16 hours left to run. It will be interesting to se how it pans out. You can find the final results at: www nofinishline.com//

Results as of 11.10pm 1. 950 116 m 2. 869 109 m 3. 836 157 m 4. 832 038 m 5. 830 665 m 6. 775 745 m 7. 771 626 m 8. 735 928 m 9. 735 928 m 10. 731 809 m

SICHEL William Read tr in ingtips fromaW SESSEGOLO Didier illiam S ic h e ls’ trainer LEROUX Stephane Shaun Bra ss BARNETT Sarah Thorpe ofineldCHEVILLON Bernard page 22.

HABASQUE Gerard BEAUMEL Jean Claude ENEMAN Sebastien DERRIEN Franck DIEUMEGARD Philippe

Running among the rich and famous

Photo: Alan Young

New Norwegian six hour record

H This years Undheim 6

hour turned out to be a real smackdown. 21 runners made it to the cold start. Amazing distances were run both on the mens and womens side.

IF Sturlas Gjermund Sörstad broke Helge Hafsås Norwegian record from 2007 by a few hundred meters with 85 729m.

The editor ran with Gjermund at Karlstad 6 hour earlier in the year when he came tantilisingly close to the record.

That’s not stealing any

thunder away from Jarle Risas distance of 84 334, the third best Norwegian performance in history.

In the womens class Marit Åthurn also ran the third best norwegian distance with 75 515m.

Even the veteran class showed, well, class. Per Heskestad (you’ll see him later in the magazine) ran nearly 68km while veteran Hallgeir Hansen ran 70 382. Not bad for his ultra debút! //

LETTER

Get in contact with the editor by mailing: nordic.ultra@gmail.com.

Dear running colleague,

Congratulations of your new magazine. I read it on the net and also saw your facebook.

Actually the magazine is of high quality and it is very interesting for me to see how ultrarunning is practised all around the globe.

I used to write in an almost monthly issue for ultrafondus magazine that is the french ultrarunning publication. I

know how difficult it is to start such an adventure of publishing this kind of magazine. I wish you all the best in this.

I was also very interested in reading your article about running in the sun. I have some expertise about that. I had to seriously think about this when I ran Badwater ‘10. I made a video about this (sorry but it is in french)

about running in the heat and in the sun as well as several other videos about ultras I ran (including Badwater).

All the best for you and your team and good luck to Nordic Ultra!

Sincerely yours, Vincent Toumazou

we certainly do our best.

It’s great news that Nordic Ultra has reached France. I will put a link to your videos on our homepage. www.nordicultra.com Hopefully you can come to the nordic countries come time and run one of our events.

Hi Vincent Thank you for the kind words,

Sincerely Andrew

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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MYRTO

Get in contact with the editor by mailing: nordic.ultra@gmail.com.

The sky’s the limit by: Myrto Pitsava

E

ver since I was a child, I’ve felt a need to see what’s beyond the horizon. I remember looking out my window with awe, across the golden, undulating sea of wheat and barley outside, marvelling at how big the world seemed to be and daydreaming that I could run far, as far as the mountain in the distance.

There is something about open spaces that fascinates me, that makes me want to find out where their end is, as if I can peek over the edge of the world and into deep space when I reach it.

This need was dormant in my early adulthood years, my mind too focused on other things, such as actually becoming an adult, getting a job and getting married. But then, one day, I took up running. What surprised me the most was that I could.

The freedom I felt while doing it. That there were no limits to where my feet could take me, except for those I set myself: the inner limits that were to become a new horizon, a new edge of the world to peek over.

Running became an addiction, a way to be in nature, to let off some steam, and to feel well. As the months and years went by, I grew stronger and stronger, and could run longer and longer. I was stretching my physical limits, but the inner ones -what I thought was possible for me- were still resisting.

Marathon distance seemed insurmountable, something only professionals got to run. Ultras were just plain crazy. Then I joined a group of people that regularly embarked on long runs together, and my preconceptions collapsed. Half marathons, which I previously considered the longest distance I’d ever get to run, became my safe distance, the spring board from which to leap onto greater ones. We ran further and further together, discovering new places, breaking new personal records. And then, one sunny day last November, when the world was covered in snow, I did something crazy: in their company, I ran an ultra in training.

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It was a short one. Only 49 km. Yet, it was a very meaningful one. I had struggled to go through it, but I had proved to myself that it wasn’t impossible. It wasn’t even that crazy. So, a few months later, I did it again. This time I was better trained and it felt easier, so I ran a bit further. Ultra marathons open up a whole new world. The word means, essentially, running further than a marathon. After that, there are no upper limits to an ultra. They are the ultimate open space. So now, my limits are not as narrow. Now, I am that person who does crazy things like running ultras. By redefining my limits, I redefined how I think of myself and how I see the world. I redefined what is normal and what is not. It’s no longer just a daydream that one day I’ll be able to run to the mountain in the distance. It is a plan.

My daydreams are different these days. They’re not just about running to the mountain, they’re about running up the mountain too. I fell in love with trail running last summer, while on a hiking tour in Sweden’s northern wilderness. After a there-and-back run to one of the isolated cabins, I was hooked. This kind of running had everything I wanted. Open spaces. Single track. The added thrill of having to jump over angry lemmings. Beauty as far as the eye could see. New horizons to explore, new limits to cross. The kind of daydream potential the view from my childhood window used to offer.

Ultras and mountains. These are the tools to satisfy my need to look further, past the golden wheat and barley fields and into myself. The means to go on an outer and an inner journey, the path to exploring the world and gaining self knowledge. The experience of being a part of something bigger, a humbling, almost spiritual realisation that we’re but tiny specks of cosmic dust. But they are also a way to connect to everything around us. A way to comprehend the enormous scale of these wide open spaces and, by conquering the distance, to make the world smaller. In the end, it is a way to understand that, although we’re small, we’re not insignificant.

Our greatness lies within our ability to surpass our limits.//

January 14th 2012 Mora, Sweden It’s gonna eat Winter Challenge you up!

More information at: www.NordicUltra.com

Tooting Bec The Self Trancendence 24 hour race in London TEXT AND PHOTOS:

Per Heskestad TRANSLATION: Andrew Tutt-Wixner

My alarm rang 4:30 saturday morning, I drove got away at 5am (no buses go so early) - to have enough time to get to my plane at 7:30 from Bergen to London. On the plane I sat with a musician who was to have a concert in London.

H

is hair was down to his bottom. He played the guitar and he was on his way to play with some Africans. He hadn’t slept the night before, so he slept well on the flight. I got a total of maybe an hour’s sleep. It’s important to sleep well before 24-hour races - you just know you’re going to be tired the next night.

The plane was half an hour late. It did’t matter, I had agreed to wait for Erik’s flight from London that was an hour later than mine. After some long waiting in queues for train tickets and other things we were going. We asked for the quickest route to Tooting Bec, but it still took enough time that when we were at the station it was 11:30, the race started at 12! We looked for a taxi - but had to walk to the stadium. We were there 15 minutes before the start - with 10 minutes to go we got a table, paid, registered, etc. - so it was reasonably hectic leading up to the start time.

But we reached the start and only direct negative consequence was that I after a few hours of running discovered that my pants were the wrong way around. I was running backwards! I found out when I tried to put some papers (for noting) in my pocket. It was more funny than bad - I actually felt that my pants were a little uncomfortable. I didn’t do anything about this before late at night when it started to get cold.

During the 2009 race there as a very fast opening pace. Though I held just over 10 km / h and during the first few hours I was down to 30th place. But I crawled up the rankings through the day and ended up third. The end result was not only due to myself, but just as much due to the fact that most of the fast starters were experiencing ”payback time” through the latter half of the race. Of the 10 fastest in the first hour was only one in the top 10 at the end.

This year was different. Of the first ten after one hour, five were in the top 10 at the end. Unusually good - people have learnt!

Nearly 20 runners were before me during the first few hours, but just ran much faster. This was a little difficult to detect, for the

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results obtained showed miles - and after one hour, those who had reached the same number of miles is not listed by placing, but by their starting number.

After three hours I was in 13th place, and after four hours 11th.

It might seem like 10 km / h was a speed many saw as reasonable. BUT - did they think about what it provides as a final result?

240 km - that’s a distance of top world class! In other words - too quickly for virtually everyone. But it’s a strategy to collect the meters at the start when one is fresh and fast - only to lose speed later on in the race. I followed Erik on some of the run - up to 6 hours, we were pretty equal. At the start he was half a lap before me - but he made some small stops so I at three hours were a lap or two past him. But he wasn’t as ambitious as I was. I looked at the race primarily as training - but planned for 220km - he hoped for 200.

When we got to London it rained, but cleared it up later on.

During start of the race the weather was good, but a bit windy on one side. In the evening the rain came - and it poured! I had long-uppers on first but changed quickly into light rain gear. It splashed down so in many places, there were unpleasant puddles on the path. Some ran zig-zag, while others didn’t care and splashed through the puddles.

We experienced thunder too. The rain eventually gave up, we were still in the wee hours struggling with the ponds.When the sun came up at 8:00 they thankfully dried up. There were a few drops now and then later - but not in such large quantities that it was problematic. The most annoying with the rain was not that we were wet and had to change, but that at the depot wet clothing had to be wrapped up. Changing wet clothes isn’t fun ... neither during nor after ...

During the first six hour the three fastest passed uncomfortably often. When I ran four laps, they ran five. This was many miles in such a short time. The top three passed the marathon at around 3.30 - but my time was almost 4.20.

But such an opening speed is tough, so they calmed down and from there. After 150 km, we pretty similar. My time was about.

16.20 and the two fastest (Peter van Wijgaarden and Simon Trades) were there 55 minutes before. But I, after passing 100 miles (about 17:43) started to increase my lap times slightly.

The top two pulled away at a rate of a couple of laps per hour.

The third man in the lead, Nathan Aspinall, was parked - but he came out on the track again towards the end of the race. I heard someone loud shout out to him something to the effect of, ”Have you risen from the dead?”.

The author happy with his result.

” I had music lying ready for emergencies when the hours and rounds started to get really tough.”

Erik continued to take involuntary pauses in connection with eating - and later on he took a short sleep break when his tiredness became too much. This meant that the distance between us increased steadily up to 18 hours (165 km and 140 km). But Erik came back in the last 6 hours making us pretty equal.

It was also at the same time that I realized that the chance for a place better than third was minimal. Peter and Simon were fatigued for a while, but they calmed down. Now I realized that they had every opportunity to complete. The distance between us was already 10 km, I didn’t bother trying to close the gap.

Hugh Pinner was in fourth place, 10 km behind me. So I made the decision to enjoy myself the rest of the race, completing a little over 200km, enough to hold back Pinner. Though the race got lot together with Pinner during the last hour. He was tired, but very determined to clear 200 km. I advised as best I could, distributing the laps he needed by hours that were available. He got his wish fulfilled: 200.2 km. It was a happy man I congratulated after the end of the race.

After 210km with 10 minutes left I jogged to the depot to collect my things. I stood by the finish and took photos of participants during the last minutes. When the stop signal sounded I had the advantage of coming first in the shower and was actually the clean and dressed as the others began to creep in.

Erik ran very controlled and well during the last few hours. It showed, among other things in the result list, where he scrambled out of the room in 13th and finished 8th. Good job Erik - you have more in you.

I had 220km as the goal, on the condition that I would get a top position. My opening speed of just under 10 km / h was based on this goal. So I lost more speed than expected. Another cause may have been that I didn’t run further was that I realized that third place was the best that I could expect.

Fitness-wise, this is the absolute easiest 24-hour race I have had so far (of 7). I had music lying ready for emergencies when

the hours and rounds started to get really tough. The need never came. I felt good all the time, and time went a lot faster than I have been accustomed to. Being able to enjoy the 8 km/h speed during the last hour was pure luxury. Before the awards ceremony, I realized that I could have made a dire mistake. Peter, the winner came over and thanked me for the advice. He claimed even that without my advice, he might have had to break.

Showering and dressing and packing went very smoothly. My body was obviously tired, but not as much as usual. On the plane I slept from the first to last second of the journey. Back at Bergen airport, I had some way to go to the car, no problems and the days that followed were also strangely good. Down the Stairs are often the hardest for tough races - and it went fine.

On the monday I tried to run a little, but my legs were too stiff that to get any benefit out of it so I walked back home.

So all in all : A good race where I wasn’t totally drained, I’m happy with it. Maybe there’ll be more going on in the next race?

Bislett in November.

The annual 24-hour race in London works like this. Interested runners make contact with the organization within a certain date. A while a start list is sent out of those who are running. The participant limit of 45 people, probably because this is a 100% manually run, i.e. no chip registered laps. Each competitor gets its own ”counter”, a person who is the runner must stay in contact with during the race. Counters are located in the ”counter tent” and make sure that the lap will be listed with start number and time. There is a big clock at the starting line. It is also possible to make special arrangements with counter, for example, whether the runner wants to have info about marathon time, 100 km, etc. A little after every hour there was an up to date placard with the number of miles traveled and the placing.

I ran the same race in 2009 and sat a PB and a Norwegian age record as well as making the international World Cup requirement of 220km. That year we were three Norwegians and three Swedes. There are usually several Scandinavians. From what we understand from the organizers we are quite popular. I asked at the enrollment what my chance was to be accepted, the answer was: ”of course” and then something about the fact that they welcome Scandinavians.

Last year there were no Norwegians, and the victory went to the Swedish Reima Hartikainen with 208 km.

I signed up in December - and having heard ”of course” I bought cheap travel and brought with me my good running friend - Erik Nossum from Oslo.// Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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A girl on her way to school.

Hashing in Sierra Leone Sierra Leones secret brothership TEXT AND PHOTOS:

Stefan Samuelsson

TRANSLATION:

Andrew Tutt-Wixner

We stood in a ring and sang, clapped and yelled. In the middle stood four sweaty men waiting for the song to end. It had become dark, I had no idea that it would soon be my turn to stand in the middle.

I

t all started a couple of weeks before I had even arrived in Sierra Leone. I was to stay with Abigail – an American preschool teacher – in Freetown. I understood that she regularly partook in HHH rituals. Maybe I would finally get the opportunity to try Hash! I had read about it for years but never had the opportunity to try. After a couple of days I learnt that every monday the Freetown Hash House Harriers met at different locations around town. I was welcome to join if I wanted to. Of course I wanted to!

This time we would meet at the Lebanese Sport Center. Lieutenant Colonels Neil ’Buzz Light Year’ Murray and Tim ’Slim Boy Fat’ Harris came to collect us - two Swedish tourists and a yank that had neither earned nor received their Hash names. The parking area was full of people, Lebanese from Liberia, an anthropologist from Iraq, a priest from Norway and soldiers from Ukraine. Sierra Leone seems to be concoction of nationalities and connections between different countries. Under my visit I met a concert pianist from Uzbekistan, an Englishman that had been to Albania several times, a local fridge mechanic that was educated in Tel Aviv and a UN soldier from Bangladesh.

We payed 5 000 leones, around 16 Swedish crowns and receive our entry tickets and drink card. Freetown Hash House Harri-

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ers actually call themselves ’the drinking club with a running problem’. Six o’clock sharp a horn sounds and everyone gets moving. There are Hashers, the runners and Walkers, those who want to walk - the most intelligent choice on the 36 degree, high humidity day. After only four minutes we took a wrong turn, ’CHECKBACK’, yells Abrahim - the Hash Hare that lead the run.

I was right behind him and ’the Trail Master’ - the one decided the route. Instead of leading I was now right at the back. Another trumpet sounded nearby and suddenly there was a new Hare that was in the lead. I fight my way back to the front with Abrahim and Buzz. Once again, ’CHECKBACK!’ - the road ended, I was last again. I soon understand that this is a way to keep the runners and walkers together. It worked a treat.

During the run there a heap of - for me - unknown signals, trumpet blowing and calls. ’HEEEEY WALKERS’, ’ON-ON’, ’HASHERS’ and other unidentifiable shrills. Everything is mixed up and confused. Now and then someone yelled out ’SPOTCHECK’, everyone met up to be counted. It felt safe, I would hate to be lost here in Freetowns unlit areas.

H The name hash comes from ’The Hash House’ which was a

club that the gentlemen went to, I was called this due to its boring Hash (a food dish). Harriers means dog or off-road runner.

A Hash implies following a trail over paddock and in jungle and is the running component of the name. The trail, the circle, the religion and the beer, On-On-On. Traditionally the Hash is concluded with a party. Ever other year since 1978 there have been international gatherings with several thousand participants.

We run through one of the suburbs that climb its way up the mountain. It was hot, hard and dirty work but a beautiful and rich experience. The run went through several farms where they were preparing supper. Nearly all of the houses were built of plastic bags and sheet metal. The children waved and others stared quizzically. I didn’t feel right to run through peoples backyard like this. The distance between rich westerners and the locals is obvious. To run for the sake of fun must disturb the residents of the slum. It’s like the slum residents are entertaining the white colonialists. But I think it’s unavoidable - all aid workers and soldiers need their western habits to survive in this culture in a country far away from their homeland and families. At the same time I don’t think that many aid efforts would be successful if aid workers were given a sheet metal house and 350kr a month. After 40 minutes and way too many checkbooks I don’t think anyone is running now, I hoped that I would be over soon. I started to recognise things and suspected that the finish was nearby. Abrahim started to up the pace, I hung on. Abrahim is the clubs best runner according to himself. We have taken turns leading the pack, after the hare that shows the way. I really want to win - but so does Buzz and Abrahim.

The home straight consisted of 100m of parking. After half that distance I had shaken off the tough Lieutenant Colonel and which meant that it was between me and Abrahim in a life and death struggle. Abrahim pulled away. I blame the fact that he is five years younger than me and is used to the climate after three years living here. I had also only slept a few hours, I was reminded of their food culture every hour the whole night, I hadn’t eaten anything either. The excuses streamed, together with back patting and congratulations. Most wring out their t-shirts in classic tropical style. Everyone got a prize when they reached the finish; ice water, magnificent!

It was a tough run. Most of the participants go straight to the kiosk and exchange their drink cards for two beers. I try to hide the fact that I chose cool drink by pouring my Fanta in a glass and cheering wildly.

After a while pizza is served and darkness arrives. Without me noticing nearly everyone has gathered in a circle around one of the tables. Staffan and I do the same thing. Staffan who usually only exercises if it’s a matter of live or death walked the Hash and was shocked over the crazy experience - and happy for the same reason. We are as tired as each other and enjoy our drinks and the pleasant company. I had a conversation with a Lebanese man that was evacuated from Liberia the day before. He explained how the situation is over there, not good. After 14 years of trouble the whole country exploded into civil war.

In the middle of the circle stands the religious advisor who preaches. The Hash song is sung and after a moment it is time for the Virgins to be initiated. Me, Staffan and a Sierraleonese are ordered into the circle and a given a mug of beer. The Virgin song is sung, we are then asked to say our name, where we are from, what we are doing here and who made us come here: ‘My name is Stefan, I am from Sweden, I am a tourist and I made myself go’.

‘My name is Staffan, I am from Sweden, I am a tourist and Stefan made me go’.

‘My name is Salif, I am from Sierra Leone and work with the UNHCR’.

With ear shattering shouts we empty our respective mugs of beer and put it on our heads.

We hear once again that we are probably the first tourists since the war began in 1991 - but it’s probably not actually true.

Arnold the Adventurer has been here, he showed me the pictures himself and I got some tips from a motorcycle traveller from England. Many people are curious and a swedish lutheran comes to present himself. Buzz starts joking on the other side of the circle, the leader barks at Buzz for not presenting the circle with the respect that it deserves. His punishment is to drink a beer

A beautiful but problematic part of the world.

It’s not always obvious in some countries.

” Abrahim is the clubs best runner according to himself.” while lying on his back in the middle of the circle. The beer song accompanies his attempt. Some of the group are now tipsy.

Suddenly someone runs up to me and shouts, ’New shoes, new shoes!’, everyone jumps on the bandwagon and shouts. I explain that they are just newly washed and actually several years old. I dodge the bullet, but another Hasher is forced into the middle.

He has new shoes and is therefore punished by having to drink a beer - out of his shoe. There is a song dedicated to this. After several more songs, jokes and a beer war the night is wrapped up by singing ’Sweet Chariot’. The song is accompanied by uniform movements that everyone knows except for the newly initiated the two Swedish tourists and Salif who looked on in amazement.

It looked kinda like, ’Heads, shoulders, knees and toes…’

There was only one thing left, where was the after party?

I asked the Lieutenant Colonels the day after about Hash House Harriers and got varying answers. Several months later I read that there are over 1 600 clubs around the world in places such as Afganistan, Denmark, Iraq and Vanuatu. There are even HHH in Antarctica, Liberia and Tajikistan but not in North Korea…yet.

The only thing you need to be a member is a sense of humor, the rules are there aren’t any rules. The movement started in 1938 when Stephen Ignatius Gispert worked in Malaysia and collected a group of friends to participate in a paper chase. A trail was made of strewn paper which was the followed by the runners. It was the same procedure on our run.// Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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Colorado Tr

Helpful Hints H Overall, the Boulder – Estes Park

area provides almost endless opportunities for trail running. Trails are dry (at least at this time of the year) and easy to follow although rocky at times. It is not advisable to drink water from lakes or streams without filtering so we carried water for each run. Accommodation is plentiful everywhere with motels providing comfortable rooms for 70-80 USD per night. We did find a very good, value for money motel called Boulder Twin Lakes Inn just outside Boulder, owned by a couple of Olympic marathon runners.

Boulder is a center for all sorts of running and at the time there were several Japanese corporate running teams at the motel, apparently staying for a month. Nearest international airport is Denver, with car rental available.

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Lars Åke Svensk on a nice trail somewhere in the rockies.

rail Running TEXT AND PHOTOS:

Lars-Åke Svensk

It seemed odd to me that somebody would have left a toy snake by the trail. It was about 2 m long, had the thickness of an arm and was rather colorful. Suddenly, the realization that it was a living snake came to me and I veered sharply to the left in midair. Right behind me Johan performed the same aerial maneuver upon spotting the snake and realizing the potential danger from the oversized creature.

I

t was the first day of our Colorado Trial Running Camp, and we had just left the peak of Green Mountain, one of the most popular nearby peaks for trail runners residing in Boulder, Colorado. For instance, I had read that Anton Krupicka, one of the more well known runners in the area, had ascended Green Mountain about 50 times during the year.

The idea of a trail running trip to Colorado came from my friend Johan Fridlund. We had been to California twice in connection with the Western States Endurance Run and kept reading in various magazines, most notably TrailRunner Magazine, subtitled One Dirty Magazine, that Boulder is the trail running capital of the USA. We picked 10 days at the end of August – beginning of September as a suitable period for a visit. In retrospect, temperatures were on the high side for me with about 25 degrees throughout the trip despite the high altitude with Boulder on 1,655 m as the lowest point. Boulder is a university city with a population of 97,000 including many strong runners and other outdoor enthusiasts such as cyclists and triathletes.

After having avoided the snake, which apparently turned out to be something with the rather non-intimidating name of garden snake, and watched it crawl away, we continued the run on these popular trails, with many other runners and hikers out for a Sunday exercise. The summer had been very dry so no problems with mud or water although some steep and rocky sections slowed the pace.

After a couple of days exploring the nearby trails, including a run on the most popular route in town, the Boulder Creek Path, we headed to Estes Park, the tourism gateway for the Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the most popular national parks

in the country covering 1,075 sq km. Estes Park is located about an hour’s drive from Boulder, which in turn is about an hour’s drive from Denver, so distances were not a concern.

The first day in the Rocky Mountain National Park had typical weather pattern of the visit, with a cool morning (even below freezing at high altitude), sunny skies with about 25 degrees in the afternoon and clouds approaching in the afternoon, some days even with an occasional rain shower. We did a trail run starting at 2,650 m. Immediately upon having ascended from the parking area, we met a black bear who, unfortunately, promptly decided to jog away outside of photo reach. Altitude was a bit of a problem for me today so the running was tough. Trails were generally well marked, reasonably wide but sometimes rocky.

Despite the late season, there were many tourists, although they tended to keep to the most popular trails.

We had read in TrailRunner magazine about a 60 km-route across the entire national park from east to west to a small town called Grand Lake with return trip on other trails creating a large loop course. We decided to try this loop on the Wednesday and started at a place called Bear Lake (elevation 2,900 m) at seven in the morning, ascended to Flattop Mountain at 3,850 m followed by a stretch on a ridge, with such ridge being the continental divide (left side draining in the Pacific and right side in the Atlantic) with spectacular views on all directions. The trail thereafter descended over long stretches of beautiful single track in valleys with clear streams, waterfalls and green meadows and we eventually reached the town of Grand Lake at 2,550 m after 31 km. At this time it was noon and temperatures were close to 30 degrees.

The return trip was initially enjoyable but with increased steepness, approaching fatigue – at least on my part - and higher altitude it became somewhat of a struggle. Close to being back at Flattop Mountain there was a thunderstorm and lightning not too far away. Lightning obviously not being preferable on a place called Flattop Mountain, we hurried down the trail as best we could. Lightning is apparently quite common in the afternoons and potentially dangerous given the lack of trees. We reached the car park at 19.00 after 12 hours and I clocked 9.45 hours run / walk and 59.8 km on my Garmin 310 watch. All in all, a nice trip for experienced trail runners.

The following Saturday we took the highest paved road in the USA to Mt Evans, topping out at 4,300 m for a short walk to the Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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Thats NOT a toy snake.

peak at 4,348 m. For some reason, which have not been explained, they prefer to use some old Roman measurement system in the country, and based on that system, the peak was 14,265 feet - apparently all mountains above 14,000 feet are important from a local perspective. Unsurprisingly, any attempt at running, even for 50 m, at this altitude resulted in dizziness and fatigue.

We continued to Breckenridge, a well known ski resort at 3000 m elevation for a 39-km trail race called Breck Ridge Mountain Marathon due to start on the following day at 07.00. Given the altitude, temperatures were at freezing at the start. Although starting out at a very conservative pace, I soon discovered that altitude acclimatization was not yet fully in place as locals of various ages and genders started passing me while walking at 3,500 m. After further rather painful uphill stretches I reached

the top of the Breck ridge at 3,900 m. The trail continued for about 7-8 km on the ridge with beautiful views in all directions before descending. We both eventually reached the finish line back at 3,000 m although at least for me it was the toughest race I have ever run because of the altitude.

In the final days, we visited another interesting trail running town called Nederland, located about 40 min drive west of Boulder at 2,700m and well known for its trails and some strong runners such as residing Geoff Roes, winner of Western States 2010.

We made a couple of out-and-back runs, generally on single track, ascending 500-600m, passing several scenic lakes, probably with glacial water, and following streams. Although most visitors in these areas were hikers, there were a few fellow trail runners. //

Great plateau running.

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5

minutes with:

Jonas Buud

H You’re a role model for many runners. How

does that feel?

– It’s fun to be able to be a role model. Not many people come up to me and say anything but when they do it’s great.

H Who or what inspires you? What makes you

want to be better?

– Pushing the boundaries inspires me and to test how fast I can run long distances. I always want to develop and try new races.

H What is your biggest trainings mistake?

– I don’t think I’ve ever made a training mistake that I’ve been injured from.

H You’re not as well know overseas as Dean

Karnazes and Anton Krupicka for example. Why is that so?

– I come from a small country with few runners.

H Are you an orienteerer or an ultrarunner?

– I’m a runner that likes distanses from 21,1 and upwards (but max 24 hours).

H What happened at the 100km world cup? Did

you go out too hard?

– I was really interested in a gold medal after winning the silver twice. Calcaterra was awesome, I couldn’t challenge him. We were a group that tried to hold on to his pace, I was the only one of that group that made it all to the finish.

H Is there anything part of your body that you feel holds you back?

– You always want to be faster and have more endurance ...

H Which races haven’t you tried that inspire

you? Have you thought about running UTMB or Western States?

– I’ve thought about it. We’ll see.

H Do you think you would be even better if you

trained in a group?

– Working full-time and trying to spend time with the family and two small kids it’s nearly impossible to train at set times that suit other people.

I train in the time I have left over, so it’s hard to fit into other peoples schedule. My training time can be anything between 5.30 in the morning and 9pm.

H How do you taper before a race?

– Before a long race I’ll rest pretty much a week before, maybe 2 or 3 light runs the week before. //

Jonas Buud in this years 100km World Cup. Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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PHOTO COMPETITION er!

Winn

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Nordic Ultra #3 2011

The winning photo of Nordic Ultras competition was Myrto Pitsavas. She has won a pair of custom X-Kross running glasses.

It wasn’t easy to pick a winner, there were many quality entries.

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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Photo Competition

Other high quality entries.

Lars Ă…ke Svensk running in Boulder, Colorado. A really nice photo.

Viktor WinterglĂśd sent in this entry from Tjurruset.

Talk messy!

20 about Nordic Ultra #3 2011

Another entry from Myrto Pitsava. This time from her running trip in the mountains.

Reach your target audience.

Advertise in:

Contact: nordic.ultra@gmail.com Introductory price 500 SEK - 1/2 page Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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TRAINING

Send an email to nordic.ultra@gmail.com if you have a question.

Stronger Faster Longer Weight Training for Ultrarunners TEXT AND PHOTOS:

Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe

Let’s face it, apart from sprinters, most runners don’t lift weights.

Most runners (especially ultra-runners) run because they like running.

If they wanted to lift weights they would have taken up power-lifting, bodybuilding or something similar. Yet use of weights has become a vital feature in training for most sports, not just strength based or short-duration sports, athletes from virtually any sport you can think of use weights in training.

P

erhaps most notably this includes sports broadly comparable to running such as endurance swimming, cycling, cross-country skiing and triathlon. Often endurance runners seem reluctant to use weights, perhaps because they can’t see how doing so will benefit their running.

Some runners may also have concerns over what they may perceive as possible dangers of using weights. When it comes to weight training for ultra-running, it helps to sort reality from fiction. So what is fact and what is fantasy? What is “true” and what is a “myth”?...

True! – Weight training can make you run faster Weight training can make your muscles stronger. Quite simply, the stronger your muscles are, the more force they can produce, the greater your potential speed.

While understandably ultradistance athletes tend to focus on endurance it is a mistake to neglect speed as a vital component of racing, over any distance. The winner of any race, no matter the duration, is always the runner with the greatest average speed. Research shows that weight training can help endurance

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William Sichel working out on a home gym.

runners increase their speed even over the longest ultra-distances.

Myth! – If I start lifting weights I’ll end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger …

Every year hundreds of millions of £ and $ are spent on supplements by people trying hard to build larger muscles – and still not managing to do so.

The chances of an endurance athlete going to a gym once or twice a week and accidentally developing huge muscles are laughable. Firstly, not all weight training induces hypertrophy (increase in muscle size).

Secondly, if a runner lifts heavy weights for low reps, continues endurance running, and does not increase their calorie intake beyond that which is required to maintain their current weight, they will not develop larger muscles - they won’t get bigger, just far stronger.

True! – Weight training can improve your stamina Training with heavy weights can improve resistance to fatigue.

Heavy weight training has a primary (direct) effect on increasing strength. Heavy weight training also has a secondary (indirect)

effect of increasing endurance. This has been repeatedly demonstrated in numerous scientific studies.

Myth! – If I use weights and then stop my muscles will turn to fat …

This is biologically impossible. Muscle cannot literally turn to fat. If a person develops their musculature and then stops training, eventually they will loose musclemass. If they continue to eat the same number of calories when not training as they did when training, eventually they will put on body fat. This is also true of runners who stop running but continue to eat the same number of calories.

The issue has nothing to do with weight training or running, it is an issue of matching calorie consumption to calorie expenditure.

True! – Training with weights can make running easier Maximal strength training improves exercise economy in trained athletes. While running an ultra may be considered a maximaleffort when taken as a whole and considered as the sum of all effects upon the body, each stride within the race is a sub-maximal effort.

”Weight training is essential.”

SCOTT JUREK Increasing the maximal work capacity of the body means that sub-maximal efforts (e.g. each individual stride) require a smaller percentage of potential effort levels. This effectively makes running easier, meaning you can run for longer with less effort.

Myth! - Weight training makes you put on body weight It is biologically impossible to create something from nothing, including increasing muscle size/weight. Lifting a heavy weight does not on its own produce a larger or heavier muscle – for this to happen the person must also increase their calorie intake (especially protein) and rest a lot between sessions.

In real terms this means taking in a lot more calories than are required for basal metabolic functions and all other daily activities (working, running, etc).

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If a person does not consume a calorific excess it is not possible to increase muscular size – this would be like trying to build a house without having any bricks. Bodybuilders deliberately avoid doing much cardio/aerobic exercise, as this is almost guaranteed to reduce the capacity to increase muscle size (endurance training is catabolic – it breaks down muscle). No matter how much weight you lift, if you continue with endurance running and don’t eat more calories than your body needs you will not add much, if any, muscle size or weight.

True! – Weight training can increase your recovery rate Developing resistance to fatigue by training with heavy weights can drastically improve recovery time.

Myth! – You can either be very strong or have great endurance but you can’t develop both at the same time …

The evidence (both scientific and anecdotal) is the opposite.

Many athletes train only for strength or endurance; those who train for both can usually improve both.

True! – Weight training can help restore muscle tissue lost during ultra-distance events Using weights can create an anabolic effect to counteract the catabolic effect of endurance exercise. Endurance running is a catabolic activity (it breaks down body tissue and converts stored carbohydrate, fat and protein for use in exercise). This is especially the case when running competitively in an ultra-endurance race as the body is always in deficit under these conditions (i.e. you expend more energy than you can consume while running and cannibalise both fat and muscle faster than you can absorb protein and other nutrients). Weight training stimulates an anabolic state (it encourages the body to re/build muscle and other tissue). A well designed weight training programme (when combined with adequate nutrition and rest) can help to better balance the anabolic/catabolic ratio of exercise, leading to a faster overall recovery rate.

Myth! – People who lift heavy weights end up with no flexibility Quite simply this is only true if a person lifts heavy weights but does no flexibility training. Many weight exercises can themselves drastically improve flexibility.

True! – Weight training can guard against muscular imbalance Running, to some extent, employs the use of virtually all muscles in the body. However, running does not use all muscles with equal emphasis or intensity. Ultra-distance running requires extremely high repetitions of movements within a relatively small range of motion, which can easily produce imbalances due to some muscles, or areas of muscles, being worked far harder than others. In the longer term this is potentially unhealthy and can increase risks of injury and/or functional impairment. Muscles work most efficiently when there is balanced development between agonists and antagonists e.g. it is not at all beneficial to have quadriceps that are disproportional in strength to the biceps femoris / hamstrings (or vice versa). A balanced weight training programme can protect against such issues.

True! – Weight Training can be used to strengthen your weakest links There is a saying that “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link”. This is very appropriate when considering the kinetic chain which is employed in running. Very few people have equal strength and stamina in every muscle group – after a race one runner may have aching thighs, while another may have sore calves (and so on). Sometimes relatively small but essential muscles (such as the hip flexors) may suffer fatigue sooner than larger, more grossly powerful muscles (such as the quads). When applied appropriately, targeted isolation exercises can strength-

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Nordic Ultra #3 2011

en the weakest areas, thus making the whole “chain” stronger and more resilient.

Myth! – Weight training can’t be useful for endurance running as top runners don’t use weights …

A lot of elite runners do use weights. Just a few of the current top distance runners who advocate weight training include Scott Jurek, William Sichel and Paula Radcliffe.

True or Myth?– Lifting weights is dangerous and can cause back problems, heart attacks, damaged knees etc …

Actually, a lot of people say exactly the same things about running. Performing any kind of exercise badly, or with a contraindicated medical condition, can cause injury. Performing weight exercises properly can improve general health and in many cases can protect against or even treat pre-existing problems (this is why weight training is often a part of physiotherapy). Weight training typically has a far lower injury risk than most other training methods/sports. According to studies, you are over six times more likely to develop an injury from running than from lifting weights True or Myth? – Weight training can reduce the injury risks associated with running Does weight training really guard against injury? Yes, but not all injuries. Often surveys of injury rates amongst athletes do not take into account injury types, they just record the gross number of injuries among athletes. It would be reasonable to expect a good, balanced weight programme to reduce the risk of muscular, skeletal, ligament or tendon strain related injuries to e.g. knees, lower back, ankles, hamstrings etc. i.e. by strengthening these areas. It would be foolish to expect weight training to reduce injuries caused by tripping, collision, blisters, bruising, chaffing, slipping, inadequate warm-up, badly executed stretching, worn out shoes, general over-training/under-recovery – and so on.

Let’s look at this at a simple level – Assuming their speed and distance to be equal, who do you think is more likely to suffer a strain to a muscle due to running - An athlete with relatively stronger muscles, or an athlete with relatively weaker muscles…?

Weight training can have many benefits for ultra-runners – but is this just for elite athletes, or would it help virtually anyone?

There could be many ways of categorising ultra-runners but for now lets think of two groups. Those who run for “competitive” reasons and those who run for “recreational” reasons. In reality, most runners run for a mixture of both. By “competitive” runners I don’t just mean athletes aiming to actually win a race, I mean any runner looking seriously to improve their own performance.

“Competition” is not simply a matter of comparing oneself to other runners – often, the real competition is with oneself. If you aim to improve your running then it makes sense to train using methods that will enhance performance. Weight training can be highly performance enhancing. “If you train the same, you stay the same”.

Anyone wishing to improve their performance should be looking at any training method which will give them an “edge”.

Effective use of weights can make you faster, stronger and increase your endurance – which is great news for your running.

By “recreational” runners I mean runners who run largely for the pleasures of running - perhaps for health benefits, to enjoy being out in nature, to share the company of other runners, to have peaceful time alone, or just because running feels good. Some runners are relatively uninterested in whether they are faster or slower or covering more or less distance than last year, simply running may be enough.

Unfortunately, even “non-competitive” runners are not immune from running-related injuries, torn muscles, strains and bodily wear-and-tear. If you enter a 24hr race and “only” manage half the distance of the race winner, you still have completed a

William Sichel pumping iron.

24hr race. If you run 100miles and it takes you twice as long as the race winner, you’ve still run 100miles – there is no such thing as an “easy” ultra. A slow recovery rate means either more time away from running, or serious risks of over training, or both.

Injuries can stop anyone from running.

Certainly running feels a lot less fun when you are fatigued or nursing a strain. Some runners end up “burning out” and giving

up running altogether. Weight training can make a runner more “robust” – better able to cope with the demands of ultras. The benefits of weight training can include a lowering of injury risks, less fatigue and a faster recovery rate.

In the long term this means more time can be spent running.

A couple of hours in the gym each week could conceivably lead to being able to run happily and healthily for far longer – and that’s good news for anyone.//

Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe is an endurance, strength & conditioning coach and an expert martial arts instructor.

Since 2004 he has been William Sichel’s training advisor, during which time William has set 54 national and international ultradistance records, including World Age Group records at 12hrs, 6-days, 1000km and 1000 miles. In 2008, Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe & William Sichel formed ULTRAfitnessTraining.com which specialises in providing on-line personal training, individualised training programmes, advice and support for endurance athletes worldwide.

Contact : info@ultrafitnesstraining.com Website : www.ultrafitnesstraining.com

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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Marathon

[Vaarojen]

TEXT: Zingo Andersen PHOTOS:

Zingo Andersen och M.O.D

The English name “Marathon of Dangers” implies that it would be more dangerous than similar events. The word “vaara” [va’ra] has however a double meaning in Finnish: it means either; 1) danger/hazard/risk, OR 2) ”a hill (especially in Eastern Finland)”. The other option, if we want to split hairs and to be 100% correct, is to translate the name of the event as “Marathon of hills”. But the version “Marathon of Dangers” is more dynamic and it fits websites easier.

Running among roots 2010s Marathon of Dangers.

26 Nordic Ultra #3 in 2011

of Dangers

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

27

” There was the mandatory Finnish

sauna, food, and a big after run party.”

V

aarojen Maraton is a trail marathon in Finland in the town of Koli located in the Finish Karelen. The race is well known in Finland for the hard trail track, I would describe the route sadistic insane but it also an extremely nice trail. You won’t believe how many hills you need to climb.

There are 86km (2 laps), 43km and 15km running classes, a 43km walking class and a 43km Duo class where you and a friend share the race and the one not currently running can ride a bike to the next changing point.

The only support in the race are two water stations so you need to carry all your energy and water with you. The landscape is extremely beautiful and the race will give you many epic memories. You experience beautiful lakes, hills and mythical woods.

The start/finish is at a ski-hotel right outside of Koli. From the hotel you can follow a small path to a lookout point which boasts a view that is well known in Finland. Many people have a painting from this spot in there living room.

Where it all started...

For me this race started back in January at Espoo 24h. During the second half of the race I started to talk with a man named Jussi Riku.

He mentioned that he started to run when he read about the Vaarojen Maraton in the newspaper and he participated in the race running the 86km distance the previous year.

He also said that he was going back this year and invited me to join. He said that we could share the trip from Helsinki to Koli. I only needed to come to Helsinki and he would magically fix the rest for me. When the Espoo 24h race was over I was tired and forgot to get both is name and email address, luckily he found me, and had also already reserved a room.

The car trip Time went by and the day before the race I got up at 4 oclock and took the first flight from Copenhagen to Helsinki.

At the airport Jussi Riku picked me up and escorted me to a new place where we joined Salla and Terho (that were going to run the 43km class) for the 6h drive to Koli. We arrived just before the local shop closed so we could buy some stuff needed for that evening and for the race, I manage to get a few Karjalan piirakka a local specialty. It’s a rye ”pirogue” with rice stuffing.

Then it was straight to the Hotel and Race center. It was located on top of a ski hill with a great view out over the surrounding countryside and a lake.

The race After a good breakfast we (me and Jussi Riku) picked up our GPS trackers that made it possible to live track us during the race. Not only for the organizers, the data was also available on the Internet for friends and relatives.

We did some last minute packing and ended up a little bit late (5 min) to the start, but it wasn’t a big deal as the total time was 16h. We started running together and we soon met up with some from the walking class.

The first few km was normal trail terrain and I remembered that I thought it would be a pleasant and fun run. This turned out

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to be quite wrong. After about 6km the trail went into the woods.

By then we had managed to catch up with a few other 86km runners. I managed to keep my planned speed up to that point but now that the trail started to show it’s real face. Itl got more hilly and the trail was covered in roots making it harder and harder to keep a good speed.

After about 16km there was a water passage where you can go either by boat or use a hand pulled raft and a rope. After the water passage we arrived at the drink station. I made a quick stop as my backpack still had plenty of water and started the journey on what turned out to be the trail from hell. The next 15km consisted of hills on hills on hills on more hills with a trail thats was filled with stone blocks and tree roots on top of that. There were also slippery leaves here and there. In this mess I started to slow down. First I thought it was the trail but soon I felt that it was caused by a stomach problem. I tried to continue as fast as possible and hoped to find a toilet. The runners passing me told me that it was probably quite long a long time before I would find one.

After an emergency ”dump” in the wood’s and some food I was back at good pace again. I started to catch up with some of the people that passed me before. At about 32km there was the second water station. From there the trail was going back by the beautiful lake Pielinen followed a easy dirt-road for a while. I was able to run faster again but the smooth run didn’t last for long.

Just to be extra sadistic the trail leaves the road and takes a big turn up on a ski-slope and down to the road again. If you looked up when on the turning point of the ski-slope you could actually see the finish. Knowing that you needed to go down again just to restart the climb was not one of the most encouraging moments of the race. On the last hill from the lake up to the top cabin where the start/finish was located there was a run-fastestup-the-hill competition. I made the first lap in about 7h. I had planned for a sub 6h but was far from it. The trails was much tougher than I had anticipated.

After changing my clothes and getting some food from the organizers I was on my way on the second lap. I had to make this lap in 8h30m. It seemed plausible but I was not to comfortable with that time limit as I was getting slower and slower.

The second lap started quite good with a ”faster” speed on the easy part. But once the trails got tougher my speed started to suffer. After about 15km the remaining time compared to my speed woulded out, but only if I kept almost the same speed I had across the hard parts that were in front of me. That didn’t seem plausible but I would at least try.

When I arrived at the water passage the boats were not there.

I made my biggest mistake in the race.There were a bunch of young people sitting and resting around the place. A woman tried to bring the raft over to my side. I runned straight to the raft and helped her to pull it over, entered the raft and went to the other side with her and one of the children. I was a little rude shouting something about ”Im in the race we need to hurry” only to discover a moment later that I actually bypassed the waiting line, and the raft was for a maximum of three people. I feel bad

A very technical part of the course. No wonder it’s such 29 Nordic Ultra #3 2011 a slow course.

An inspiring view. Not a bad place to man a water station.

for the young and very tired children. I hope they can forgive me someday, At the 16km water station I refilled my water bladder and had a good chat with some people barbecuing there before I got out on the trail again. I knew what to expect for the next 15km. If I was going to make the time limit I needed to run this part in the same speed as the previous part and on top of that it started to get dark.

But for some strange reason I was actually feeling good. I had no pain and i managed to lift my feet over the big stones without a problem. It felt that I had run/walked at a slow but ”ok” speed but I was actually so slow that the organizers phoned me up and asked if everything was OK. I just kept advancing in the hard terrain in the dark, deep forest over all the hills just me and my headlight. My only company was the sound of the wind. It struck me many times how well I had it. By now I knew for sure that I would not make it in time. My speed was to slow compared to the remaining distance. But the feeling was still overwhelming and in some strange way I felt cozy and happy. The kind of feeling you only get after running a couple of hours by yourself in the dark.

The organizers phoned again when the time limit was approaching and suggested they would pick me up at the last drink station. I arrived there about an half an hour before the time was up, with about 11km left. With the speed I had the last section it would taken me about 2hours.

My friend Jussi Riku missed the cutoff time for the first lap (7h 30min) with about 10 minutes and wasn’t allowed to continue on

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Nordic Ultra #3 2011

the second lap. After he turned in the chip and the GPS tracker he went out on the 2:nd lap ”out-of-contest”. He arrived 2 hours after the finish closed. I admire a man with that determination.

If I wasn’t picked up I would have stayed in the race. We would probably have run the last part together.

When I phoned him to check if he was still on the track one hour after the race closed he heard that I got picked up. ”Why” he asked, I didn’t have a good answer...

After the race there was the mandatory Finnish sauna, food, and a big after run party with live music, a lot of beer and lots of fun.

Before the race I thought it would be a bit harder then the gax50/Fullmoon race. I calculated that it would take about 1-2h more. I still think it might be a good estimate, even if I was far from that this time.

Regarding hardness, the race had a much tougher terrain than I expected both in all the climbing and technicality. You had to be 100% focused on your foot placement most of the time. On the second lap the dark woods and the isolation was overwhelming of you are slow like me. There is actually very few places you could be picked up if you wanted to quit. Compared to other races I have run this has by far the toughest trail. I would compare the lap like running the hardest parts of Markusloppet for about 36 km and then normal trail for the last 7km of the lap.

Then do the same thing again for a second lap.

The feeling of the race and the organization was very welcoming. You get great support both before, between the laps and after the race. This is a race I want to run many times, I hope to be run it next year, this time all the way to the finish.//

Rockhopping in eastern Finland.

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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Motbakkecup

– 5 Norwegian hills

TEXT: Andrew Tutt-Wixner PHOTOS:

Oslos Bratteste

Salomon Motbakkecup is a series of five mountain races in Norway. It has been sanctioned by the Norwegian Athletics Association for the last three years.

Results for all five competitions are included in the points tally.

The competitions include; Storehesten Opp, Gaular 25th June Kvasshovden Opp, Ulvik 16th July Ulriken Opp, Bergen 21st May Hovlandsnuten Opp, Sauda 4th June Oslos Brattaste, Oslo 1st October The winners sealed their lead in the tables early in the series. Heidi Weng showed very good form throughout the majority of the series and may well have taken the win or at the very least taken second place had she not missed Hovlandsnuten Opp in early June. Thats not taking anything away from May Britt Bauer who took good points throughout the whole series and deserved the win.

Even the mens competition went down to the wire with Thorbjörn Thorsen Ludvigsen clinching the lead with a third place in Oslos Brattaste ahead of Joel Dyrhovden.

Saturday the 29th of September marked the end of the Salomon Motbakkecup, with the running of ‘Oslos Bratteste’ in Nordmarka north of Oslo. After two years of bad weather the organizers finally struck gold with open skies and mile wide views. 1400 runners completed the third edition of the race, double the amount of people that tackled the mountain last year.

The 402m ascent to the top of Tryvannskleiva takes 2.67km of horizontal travel giving an average angle of 15 degrees.

Sindre Buraas broke his own record from last year after running a ridiculously quick 14:32! His nearest competitor Johan Bugge reaching the top almost 30 seconds after. It was a little tighter on the womens side of things with Heidi Weng taking the win 14 seconds after Anne Nevin.//

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Sindre Buraas took the win and the record.

Cup Results Women 1. May Britt Buer 2. Therese Sjursen 2. Heidi Weng IL Men 1. Thorbjørn T. Ludvigsen 2. Joel D. Samnanger 3. Torstein Tengsareid

445p 15 000kr 390p 10 000kr 390p 10 000kr 420p 15 000kr 400p 10 000kr 330p 5 000kr

Oslo Results Men 1. Sindre Buraas 2. Johan Bugge 3. Thorbjørn T. Ludvigsen 4. Eirik D. Haugnes 5 Joel Dyrhovden Women 1. Heidi Weng 2. Anne Nevin 3. May Britt Buer 4. May Bente Weng 5. Therese Sjursen

14.32 15.00 15.14 15.39 15.43 17:37 17.51 18.22 19.06 19.34

It’s great to see so many young people out having a go.

Anyone else recognise that feeling?

Therese Sjursen took second 33 place inUltra the cup.

Nordic #3 2011

Sรถrmland Ult

The smiling assassin?

Johan Fridlund leading another pack.

This group pulled away early in the race

tra Marathon Sörmland Ultra Marathon or SUM is one of Swedens most popular ultramarathon. Thanks to great accessability, good service, awesome scenery and a forgiving distance it’s sure to keep growing TEXT: Andrew Tutt-Wixner PHOTOS:

I

Sofia Wixner & Jonathan Lindstrand

t. was a damp track that met the record turnout of 160 runners at Björkhagen, south of the centre of Stockholm for the 11th edition of the 50km Sörmlands Ultra Marathon. There were many faces that grace the starts of many ultra races as well as many new faces from other disciplines. 50km is so close to the marathon distance that it seems to attract another group of runners other than the usual ultra competitors.

The race started on a large grass field and led immediately to a 2km lap of a hilly running trail. The pack thinned out immediately. Daniel Nilsson and Christian Ritella pulled away from the start. Another group with Kajsa Berg, Mattias Gärdsback and Mattias Karlsson also pulled away strongly.

After 5km the trail turned nasty with steep rocky damp trails and in some parts pools and muddy trail. Those that didn’t have trail shoes on were punished by the terrain. Running through the suburb of Tyresö there were small groups of people cheering for the runners. People out walking their dogs gave encouragement to the runners.

After the first control after 17km the trail soon turned to 14kms of gravel road and in some parts asphalt. Only to get hard again

160 charging ultraruners. Who’s getting to the trail first?

after towards the finish line at Handen. The smooth travel on gravel roads surely contributed to the red hot times that were run. Like Swedish ultra-national team runner Daniel Nilsson with a smoking 3:21:43, fourteen minutes before the nearest competitor Mattias Karlsson who ran a very respectable 3:35:57.

Unfortunately Ritella dropped off the pace later on in the race to an 11th place.

On the womens side of things, Kajsa Berg also dropped off after her hard start.

Kajsa Friström picked up her slack to win the the ladies class in a decent 4:13:24. Miriam Wadström was almost precisely ten minutes after with 4:23:22.//

Results Men 1.Daniel Nilsson 2. Mattias Karlsson 3. Mattias Gärdsback 4. Jonas B. Kimstad 5. Antonov

FK Studenterna SLDK FK Studenterna GoIF SPIF

03:21:43 03:35:57 03:40:17 03:52:12 03:57:03

Women 1. Kajsa Friström 2. Miriam Wadström 3. Emma Svensson 4. Anna Eriksson 5. Charlotte Sahlström

Fredrikshofs Stockholm Ryssbergets IK IFK Kiruna Täby

04:13:24 04:23:22 04:27:32 04:41:30 04:52:53

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

35

THOSE IN THE KNOW

Send an email to nordic.ultra@gmail.com if you have a question.

24 HOURS 24 hours is a classic distance in the ultra world. It’s long enough to push you to the edge but for many short enough to be tackled without sleep. Hardcore ultra enthusiasts often state that ultramarathon starts at this distance.

HWhat is the best 24 hour event around?

T: The best 24h event I have done will have to be Skövde Ultrafestival. Not because it’s close to where I live, but due to the quality of the track and the food.

J: Impossible to say, but about those I have run I’d like to mention some events: * World championships in Brive 2010: my first world championship -race, the atmosphere of the major championship race was just amazing, I improved my personal best 18 km. * Bislett indoor challenge in Oslo & Endurance 24h in Espoo: two very well organized indoor events. For some reason I have never succeeded in Espoo, but on my first attempt at Bislett I did PB and Finnishindoor record, even though that record was broken two months later by Jari Soikkeli in Espoo.

P: I have only tried a few. But my favourite is Bislett in Oslo, which is completely indoors and with perfect temperature, great organizers, predictable conditions, many spectators and so on.

H Is it fair to say that a 24 hour is twice

as hard as a 12 hour but only half as hard as a 48 hour?

T: I don’t think so. Each race has it’s challenges and cannot be compared like that at all. Each race will be equally hard depending on what result you aim for. If you however, believe that a 24 h race will be twice as hard as a 12 hour, the 24h will be harder than necessary just because you think it’s supposed to.

J: I’d say that 24 hours is about four times as hard as 12 hours, but only quarter as hard as 48 hours... Even though the pace is faster on 12 hours one hardly suffers sleep deprivation on that time and energy intake usually isn’t a big problem on 12 hours. Then on 48 hours runner have to struggle through two nights and at some point there will certainly come

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Nordic Ultra #3 2011

massive problems with drinking and eating.

P: Mathematically, yes. In real life 24 is more than twice as tough as a 12, and less than half as hard as a 48. Due to fatique second half will always be tougher than the first, no matter what speed you start out with. This goes for any distance.

HWhat would your advice be for a first

time 24 hour runner that’s maybe run a 6 hour before?

T: My advice to a first time runner will be to have as much fun as possible and to stay on the track for all 24 hours. No sleep or unnecessary resting.

J: It isn’t the distance or time that kills, but the pace. If you find it difficult to run slow enough then you may take regular walking intervals, for example 25 minutes running followed by 5 minutes walking.

It is important to start these walking intervals from the beginning of the race.

If you think that you start walking when your legs are exhausted you might end up in big trouble and it is possible that you can’t even walk after some time.

P: Take it easy. Keep pace down. Don’t get carried away of other’s opening speed.

You have plenty of time to catch up! Stick to your plan.

H Do you change shoes during an event?

T: I never change shoes during a 24h race unless something unusual happens, like too much rain, or realizing the shoes don’t fit as they should.

J: No, unless the conditions are very wet or I get some sort of foot problems. I usually have one or two extra pairs with me anyway, just in case.

P: Normally not, but in outdoor competitions it might be necessary if your shoes get very wet. Always bring two or three pairs in case you get into trouble of some kind.

Our experts Jari Tomppo (J): The flying Finn. A face that you’ll recognise from article about Kaustinen. Holds the nordic 48 hour record.

Torill Fonn Hartikainen(T): The Swedish/ Norwegian dame is a stable performer that holds many records.

Peter (P): Another Norwegian runner of great class. He won last years Täby Extreme Challenge.

H How many different sorts of food/

drink do you consume during a race?

T: I don’t consume many sorts of food or drink at all. Found out that I can survive on milk for a long time. Have a little sports drink or soft drink, but it all depends on the weather.

I normally don’t eat much. I stick to gel, melon, small pieces of bread.

J: There are some variations on every race, but usually I have at least two kinds of sports drinks, cola, mineral water, energy gels (3-4 different flavors) and protein drink. About once an hour I take some solid food, about every three hours something ”bigger”, usually some sort of pudding, porridge or pasta. Actually I haven’t ever calculated how many different products I use during 24 hours, but many. I’ll try to put as much variation to my food/drink as possible in order to avoid stomach problems. I’ll try to use

PHOTOS: Krister Lindström, jogg.se

Skövde Ultramarathon, Torill Fonn Hartikainens favourite 24 hour. ordinary food as much as possible as basis of my energy intake.

P: Difficult question. Usually a combination of my own food and the organizers food. Probably more than 25 different brands. Variation is important as you get very tired of eating.

H Is there much difference psychologi-

cally between running on a 400m track and running on a longer track, say 1km with different elements?

T: In my opinion there is no difference. I don’t mind either or.

J: Not for me. When I’m concentrated I’ll focus just on my own running and then I really don’t pay much of an attention to environment, other runners or basically anything around me. On shorter track it is easier to organize the support, but on road tracks there might be some small uphills and downhills which give little variation for legs and that might keep your legs ”fresh” little longer. On good day it doesn’t matter whether you run on short or longer track and on worse day everything sucks anyway, so it doesn’t matter in that case either ;-) P: People will perceive track and conditions differently. It is more fun to run a longer track than a short one, but it is a trade off between sightseeing and access to your things and support team. Usually a 400 m track is more predictable, which requires less planning/thinking while running. After a while you won’t pay much attention to the surroundings anyway.

H Is there any point using tactics in a 24 hour? i.e. rather than holding a constant pace.

T: Tactics or not depends on your opponents I’d say. Though holding a steady pace just might be your tactic...

J: Definitely yes. It helps much to analyze one’s earlier long races to find out where

the weak moments might be. It is psychologically easier when those moments are taken into account beforehand and you have a ”permission to slow” at some point. Of course it is better if you can keep a constant pace, but it isn’t very usual on 24h running.

And whatever your tactics is you should never start to compete against other runners during first half of the 24 h race. If you have strength during last hours then it might be time to attack.

Of course tactics done beforehand should be used just as a guideline. There are lots of reasons why there may be a need to alter the tactics and runner must be able to stay focused despite the changes in the plan. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of good and dedicated supporter in those situations when, for example runner is about to start too fast or needs to pushed forward after some difficult moments which caused well planned schedule to fail miserably.

P: Depends on how the race develops, your position, ambitions and so on. You will probably have several ups and downs.

One thing I try to bear in mind is to get most out of my ”ups” and increase speed slightly when I experience a good spell.

H How do you deal with sleepiness dur-

ing the night?

T: I run so I don’t get tired. Have never experienced being tired during a 24 h race unless I have been walking, so I try not to.

J: I’m getting used to it after couple of overnight races. Sometimes I might take a caffeine pill in order to keep me awake, but not very often.

P: Never experienced any significant sleepiness. Lack of sleep is one of the least problems during a 24 hour race, but many fear it before their first attempt. Don’t worry about this, but don’t lay down if you don’t have to!

” Lack of sleep is one of the least problems during a 24 hour.”

H 24 hour or 100 miles, what’s your

favourite?

T: 24 is definitely my favorite!

J: I haven’t run any 100 miler so I cannot really compare, but at the moment 24 h is my favourite event.

P: Definately 24 hour. It is the ultimate ultra distance. Long enough to be a really tough test for anyone, but still so short that it requires you to maintain a certain speed.

H If you could choose anyone in the

world, who would crew your next 24 hour?

T: I would choose Mr Alan Young. He knows what’s important during a race, he knows me and he has crewed for me earlier. Most important he believes in me and my abilities. And we have a lot of fun, which is what all this is really about.

J: No other, but the person who will be crewing me in my next 24 h race and who has crewed me in nine ultras already: my wife Jaana. Besides my nordic road running record in 48 hours and my shortlived Finnish 24 h indoor record she was crewing Jari Soikkeli when he ran Finnish all-terrain 24 h record and nordic 24 h indoor record 247,944 km in Espoo 2011, so she has quite an impressive record as crewing ultrarunners.

P: If I am to choose only one, undoubtedly my good friend Per Morten Rennan, who supported me with success during last years Bislett 24h. But I appreciate any help I can get. It is a tough job to be in the support team too.// Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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CALENDER

Send an email to nordic.ultra@gmail.com if you have a race for the calender.

Editors Choice

December 3rd Kepler Challenge 60km (New Zealand) 9th

Coast to Kosciuszko 240km (Australia)

10th Boavista Ultramarathon 150km (Cape Verde) 18th The years last long pass 60km (SWE) 18th MacRitchie Runners 25 - 12 hour (Singapore) 17th Ancient Oaks 100 mile (USA) 29th Across the years 72, 48, 24h (USA)

January 1st

Annapurna 100 Ultratrail (Nepal)

8th Bogong to Hotham (Australia) 14th Nordic Ultra Winter Challenge (Sweden) 19th Landkreislauf Gifhorn 67km (Germany) 21st Beast of Burden 100 mile (USA) 26th Tring to Northhamton (England) 28th Chiemsee Ultramarathon (Germany)

February 4th Yukon Arctic Ultra (Canada) 4th

Rocky Racoon 100 mile (USA)

4th

Karlstad 6 hour indoor (Sweden)

11th Brocken Challenge 80km (Germany) 18th Limburgs Halfzwaarste 50km (Holland) 22nd 6/ 12 hour in Kirov (Russia) 25th Endurance 24 hour run (FIN) 26th La Magnetoise 70km (Belgium) 29th Across the years 72, 48, 24h (USA)

See more race s and events at ultramarathonrunning.com

Karelian scenery at its finest.

STATS

Send an email to nordic.ultra@gmail.com if you have an update for the list.

Men

Women

40

6h

The ultra-scenes sprint distance 2011

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

85.729 km 85.517 km 85.512 km 85.153 km 84.772 km 84.334 km 83.923 km 83.650 km 83.600 km 83.549 km 83.361 km 83.176 km 82.916 km 82.688 km 82.252 km 82.229 km 82.109 km 82.028 km 81.951 km 81.791 km 81.229 km 81.203 km 81.173 km 81.051 km 80.403 km 80.379 km 80.350 km 80.036 km 79.698 km 79.687 km

Sørstad, Gjermund Predl, Rainer Vermeesch, Pieter Boffo, Marco Wallner, Wolfgang Risa, Jarle van Rijswijk, Bram Ponomarev, Timur Nunes, Valmir Knyagin, Oleg Cudin, Ivan Szaloki, Robert Lilek, David Hansen, Robert Doppler, Christian Bravi, Paolo Casier, Gino Vanderlinden, Marc Watthy, Johan Mertens, Gert Hyppölä, Tero Mertens, Paul Balogh, Istvan Hermansen, Didrik Karlsen, Ole Christian Taranger, Bjørn Tore Manso Crespo, Jose Serna Lopez, Pedro Staehr, David Andries, Michael

NOR AUT BEL ITA AUT NOR NED RUS BRA RUS ITA HUN AUT NOR AUT ITA BEL BEL BEL BEL FIN BEL HUN NOR DEN NOR ESP ESP AUS BEL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

79.162 km 78.271 km 75.770 km 75.515 km 74.409 km 74.147 km 72.908 km 72.857 km 72.610 km 72.420 km 72.262 km 72.116 km 71.638 km 71.319 km 71.062 km 70.728 km 70.663 km 70.662 km 70.305 km 70.119 km 69.889 km 69.705 km 69.701 km 69.223 km 68.869 km 68.865 km 68.700 km 68.540 km 68.142 km 67.598 km 67.526 km

Hodne, Anne Jorunn Hofer, Sabine Lubics, Szilvia Årthun, Marit Shikhanova, Nadezhda Pedersen, Marte Russ, Karin Veith, Pamela Gonzalez Garcia, Cristina Bang, Helga Orsenigo, Roberta Fossati, Maria Ilaria Durry, Simone Müller, Antje Nordsveen, Rita Braun, Marion Abramovskikh, Olga Dimitriadu, Michaela Carlin, Monica Rosenqvist, Kerstin Mallmann, Barbara Strasser, Regina Barchetti, Monica Kruk, Joanna Ahola, Marika Marin, Francesca Perez Serrano, Carmen. M Simutina, Elena McGrath, Laurie Liebert, Regina Jansson, Maria

NOR 1984 AUT 1961 HUN 1974 NOR 1967 RUS 1984 NOR 1986 AUT 1977 GER 1973 ESP 1984 DEN 1966 ITA 1966 ITA 1972 GER 1975 GER 1970 NOR 1971 GER 1957 RUS 1980 CZE 1973 ITA 1971 SWE 1974 GER 1971 AUT 1972 ITA 1968 AUS 1987 FIN ITA 1977 ESP 1982 RUS 1975 CAN 1967 AUT SWE 1985

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

1979 1990 1976 1975 1964 1976 1981 1988 1964 1973 1975 1979 1985 1975 1981 1974 1972 1958 1967 1964 1966 1962 1966 1980 1966 1979 1972 1973 1977 1982

06.11. Undheim (NOR) 08.10. Schwechat (AUT) 13.03. Stein (NED) 08.10. Fano, PU (ITA) 29.05. Vienna (AUT) 06.11. Undheim (NOR) 13.03. Stein (NED) 03.03. Bryansk (RUS) 05.11. Buenos Aires (ARG) 29.01. Moscow (RUS) 07.05. Banzi (PZ) (ITA) 02.04. Veszprem (HUN) 09.04. Wals (AUT) 20.08. Eidsvoll (NOR) 09.04. Wals (AUT) 08.10. Fano, PU (ITA) 13.03. Stein (NED) 13.03. Stein (NED) 13.03. Stein (NED) 01.10. Amsterdam (NED) 14.05. Kuopio (FIN) 13.03. Stein (NED) 02.04. Veszprem (HUN) 20.08. Eidsvoll (NOR) 29.10. Albertslund (DEN) 20.08. Eidsvoll (NOR) 06.03. Valencia (ESP) 06.03. Valencia (ESP) 05.03. Coburg, VIC (AUS) 13.03. Stein (NED) 20.08. Eidsvoll (NOR) 09.04. Wals (AUT) 10.09. Balatonalmádi (HUN) 06.11. Undheim (NOR) 29.01. Moscow (RUS) 20.08. Eidsvoll (NOR) 18.06. Grieskirchen (AUT) 12.03. Nürnberg (GER) 06.03. Valencia (ESP) 28.08. Aalborg (DEN) 17.09. Seregno (ITA) 11.06. Milano (ITA) 13.03. Stein (NED) 12.03. Nürnberg (GER) 26.02. Oslo (NOR) 13.03. Stein (NED) 29.01. Moscow (RUS) 28.05. Prague (CZE) 30.07. Curinga (CZ) (ITA) 07.08. Kaustinen (FIN) 09.04. Wals (AUT) 29.05. Vienna (AUT) 27.03. San Vito di Gaggiano (MI) (ITA) 16.07. Adelaide (AUS) 07.08. Kaustinen (FIN) 08.10. Fano, PU (ITA) 06.03. Valencia (ESP) 03.03. Bryansk (RUS) 11.06. Kingston, ON (CAN) 29.05. Vienna (AUT) 03.09. Karlstad (SWE)

Animals that Ultra: Pronghorn H The Pronghorn is an ancient North American mammal said

to be the, ‘fastest land mammal in the western hemisphere’ and the second fastest land animal after the cheetah. They can reach nearly 100km/hr when sprinting and can 60km/hr for long periods. If they ran marathons then they could have it over and done with in 45 minutes. This extraordinary physical performance is possible thanks to its unusually large heart and lung capacity.

Pronghorns consume three times the oxygen of other comparable animals. //

PHOTO:

Samsara

In the next issue...

H We’re

hoping to publish an interview with Kilan.

H Editorials.

H Ultra

news.

H Readers H And

stories from races around the world.

more! Want to contribute? Send an e-mail to nordic.ultra@gmail.com.

Nordic Ultra #3 2011

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