So Vätternrundan 2010 is over. El Maco was close to extintion yesterday. Will try do make a brief description.
12:30
Arriving at Motala. Felt strong. Felt willing to ride the bike.
17:30
After a lot of shopping, eating, talking, mainting the bike (thanks Mr Mizuno for everyting), it was time to try to get some kind of rest. It was very very very difficult to sleep. Impossible. at 19:40 David and myself had another Lasagna. Went to bed again at 20:40. The race started at 23:00 so I decided to try to rest an hour and then prepare myself for the race.
Mr US Coach sent some very late weather forecast. Rain! Rain in Jönköping. Rain in Hjo! Fuck fuck! Change of plans. Bringing the full rain gear. Different kind of setup. Thanks Mr US Coach for the forecast. We would have been naked without you. David was in the bad situation not having any rain gear. Ouch.
23:00
Race started. Felt ok. We took it pretty soft in the beginning. I think that we did 56km in 2 hours. So a pretty ok pace. Not too fast.
Gränna
It was kind of cold. Too cold. Ida was tired. The stop took a long time (26 minutes). Ida had a lot of stuff to do and Anders did stuff that I dont time. It took time! Ida and I decided to put the rain gear on since it started to rain.
Gränna - Fagerhult
We took it slow. Ida was tired. It felt ok. I was not overly enthusiastic but still, just to ride. After Jönköping the monster hills came (new route this year). It was good to arrive to Fagerhult
Fagerhult station
Tough one. I frooze like a madman. This was also a crazily long stop. 24 minutes.
Fagerhult - Hjo
Mr Mizuno and I were sleepy. We talked a lot to eachother. But a good leg. We were fast. Joined a good group. Ida was very very strong during this leg. She was in the zone!
Hjo
Skipped this station
Hjo - Karlsborg
Rain rain rain rain. And rain rain rain.. And more rain rain. And some more rain. We had removed our rain gear and we were soaked. More than soaked. It was not good at all.
Karlsborg
We stopped under a gas station roof to change the soaked clothes. Cold cold cold. I have never heard David so utterly out of hope before. He was everything else then positive. He had problems with his both knees and he didnt have rain gear. Shit shit shit.
Karlsborg - Boviken
Bad thoughts. I had energy but we were not fast. Rain rain. And rain. And rain. Rain rain rain rain rain.
Boviken
70km to go. I was freezing. Long stop. Mr Mizuno had to deliver if you know what I mean. Jesus, it took looooonog time.
Boviken - Hammarsundet
I was very tired. Not totally dead but very tired. Ida was practically dead.
Hammarsundet
Stopped for some food to Ida. I was not strong. 40km to go. Ouch! Still. Ida is much more tired than I am.
Hammarsundet - Medevi
This one KILLED me. David took the lead. Ida was much fresher. I was suffering. There are so many hills during this leg. So many hills. We rode slowly. But I barely managed to join them. Ida wasnt fresh but 100% fresher than me. I actually didnt know if I was going to make it. I had had pain in my shoulders during 60km. Now, all of a sudden came pain in the left knee. NOT GOOD! NOT GOOD at all.
Medevi - Motala
Dead. Dead. No energy. Zero energy. We were basically walking during this leg. Ida was fresh, David was fresh, Mr Mizuno was fresh. I was drained. Dead. Nothing. I had noting. I thought that this has to be the feeling when you are drained like Claes was on Stockholm Marathon 2008. Will I make it? Pain in left knee was 7, pain in shoulders 7, tired 10.
We finished and I was so so so tired. Time? 13:00:04. Dead. Dead!
Lessons learned
1. Never ever start early. Next year I will start after 03:30.
2. Bring the right gear.
3. Never ever start early!
4. Eat eat eat eat eat
5. Train
6. GET SOME SLEEP BEFORE THE RACE!
12:30
Arriving at Motala. Felt strong. Felt willing to ride the bike.
17:30
After a lot of shopping, eating, talking, mainting the bike (thanks Mr Mizuno for everyting), it was time to try to get some kind of rest. It was very very very difficult to sleep. Impossible. at 19:40 David and myself had another Lasagna. Went to bed again at 20:40. The race started at 23:00 so I decided to try to rest an hour and then prepare myself for the race.
Mr US Coach sent some very late weather forecast. Rain! Rain in Jönköping. Rain in Hjo! Fuck fuck! Change of plans. Bringing the full rain gear. Different kind of setup. Thanks Mr US Coach for the forecast. We would have been naked without you. David was in the bad situation not having any rain gear. Ouch.
23:00
Race started. Felt ok. We took it pretty soft in the beginning. I think that we did 56km in 2 hours. So a pretty ok pace. Not too fast.
Gränna
It was kind of cold. Too cold. Ida was tired. The stop took a long time (26 minutes). Ida had a lot of stuff to do and Anders did stuff that I dont time. It took time! Ida and I decided to put the rain gear on since it started to rain.
Gränna - Fagerhult
We took it slow. Ida was tired. It felt ok. I was not overly enthusiastic but still, just to ride. After Jönköping the monster hills came (new route this year). It was good to arrive to Fagerhult
Fagerhult station
Tough one. I frooze like a madman. This was also a crazily long stop. 24 minutes.
Fagerhult - Hjo
Mr Mizuno and I were sleepy. We talked a lot to eachother. But a good leg. We were fast. Joined a good group. Ida was very very strong during this leg. She was in the zone!
Hjo
Skipped this station
Hjo - Karlsborg
Rain rain rain rain. And rain rain rain.. And more rain rain. And some more rain. We had removed our rain gear and we were soaked. More than soaked. It was not good at all.
Karlsborg
We stopped under a gas station roof to change the soaked clothes. Cold cold cold. I have never heard David so utterly out of hope before. He was everything else then positive. He had problems with his both knees and he didnt have rain gear. Shit shit shit.
Karlsborg - Boviken
Bad thoughts. I had energy but we were not fast. Rain rain. And rain. And rain. Rain rain rain rain rain.
Boviken
70km to go. I was freezing. Long stop. Mr Mizuno had to deliver if you know what I mean. Jesus, it took looooonog time.
Boviken - Hammarsundet
I was very tired. Not totally dead but very tired. Ida was practically dead.
Hammarsundet
Stopped for some food to Ida. I was not strong. 40km to go. Ouch! Still. Ida is much more tired than I am.
Hammarsundet - Medevi
This one KILLED me. David took the lead. Ida was much fresher. I was suffering. There are so many hills during this leg. So many hills. We rode slowly. But I barely managed to join them. Ida wasnt fresh but 100% fresher than me. I actually didnt know if I was going to make it. I had had pain in my shoulders during 60km. Now, all of a sudden came pain in the left knee. NOT GOOD! NOT GOOD at all.
Medevi - Motala
Dead. Dead. No energy. Zero energy. We were basically walking during this leg. Ida was fresh, David was fresh, Mr Mizuno was fresh. I was drained. Dead. Nothing. I had noting. I thought that this has to be the feeling when you are drained like Claes was on Stockholm Marathon 2008. Will I make it? Pain in left knee was 7, pain in shoulders 7, tired 10.
We finished and I was so so so tired. Time? 13:00:04. Dead. Dead!
Lessons learned
1. Never ever start early. Next year I will start after 03:30.
2. Bring the right gear.
3. Never ever start early!
4. Eat eat eat eat eat
5. Train
6. GET SOME SLEEP BEFORE THE RACE!
Great report! And a huge congratulations on finishing in good time under such tough conditions! Sorry to hear the weather did not cooperate better! Rain and cold amplify discomfort exponentially, especially with zero sleep! You guys are tough to the extreme!
SvaraRaderaOh my good ! After reading this report I am so surpised that you all made it, what a fantastic team of winners you are. Greatest congratulations to all of you...
SvaraRadera