Training Log Archive: BorisGr

OK Linné Jukola Training Camp
We managed to get some sleep after the campground party finally dispersed. (It seems to be some sort of show of manliness in Finland to walk around the campsite with your pants down and your ass showing, and pause every once in a while to urinate on a building or a car, as we saw a number of young Finnish gentlemen doing this. Incidentally, I think this was the campground I stayed at in 2001 with Ross, Sam, and a whole bunch of gypsies during the WOC spectator races, but I am not totally sure.)
Anyway, we woke up on Sunday to a day of +1C and sleet falling from the sky. Fantastic. Motivation to train was pretty much non-existent, but I didn't want to be the only one to stay behind at the cars, so off I went, bravely starting the control picking course I drew for myself on a map called a very inviting Hyytiälä-Juupajoki. Out of the 31 controls I drew for myself, I got to 4 before it became clear that I was miserable and frozen and ready to cry like a little girl. Which I nearly did. However, the sight of a Finnish family (mom, dad, and two adorable blond toddlers of undeterminate gender) picknicking happily in this weather (!!!) gave me the kick in the pants I needed to meekly jog back to the car, taking a longer loop along a ski trail. This may have been the least enjoyable orienteering experience I have ever had. (Though I seem to remember an A-meet in Pennsylvania ("Land of Vikings") in 1995 or so, where landing in a patch of thornbushes that could actually support my weight really did make me cry.)

C • Hello! 1

C • WOC01 supporters camping ground 3

OK Linné Jukola Training Camp
The weather got a bit better in the afternoon, but there was no way I was going to run again, given my first three experiences of the weekend. So instead I took Csaba's bike, which I had brought along for just such an occasion, and biked from the campsite to the map where everyone was training, called Aitovuori and located somewhere northeast of Tampere. Armed with a "map" of the region that showed all the lakes, but not really the roads, as well as 20 Euros and Jan's cell phone, I bravely took off, encouraged by the thought that if I get hopelessly lost, then surely Linné can pick me up again the next time they are here for Jukola in a month's time. Amazingly though, I managed to avoid disaster and got to the map without much (mis)adventure or too many wrong turns.
The camp concluded with a boat trip back on the Silja Europe (Ah, the memories of 1998!!) and a trip to the sauna/hot tub on the top deck with the rest of the Linné boys (and Mari), which was truly the highlight of the weekend.

C • Ahh Boris 3

C • Land of the Vikings 2

OK Linné Jukola Training Camp
Took the big Silja boat overnight from Stockholm and arrived in Turku on Saturday morning. Then drove a couple of hours to Tampere and went training on a map called Hanhilahti. Pretty awful terrain, and my butt hurt right from the first steps I took. Not the most inspiring training for me. I wasn't concentrating particularly well, mostly cursing the terrain and my injury. Ugh.

Warm-up

OK Linné Jukola Training Camp
After much deliberation, I decided to run our Jukola test in the afternoon. This was held on a map called the unpronouncable Rääkkykangas (I mean really, why would you put two ää's next to each other?? How can that possibly be necessary?!)
Right from the start, I felt great. No pain at all, and fast legs. This lasted for 6 minutes. I spiked the first two controls and was cruising along (was 5th out of the Linné boys at this point) and the pain started coming back. By the time I got to 3 it was back in force, and I went back to my usual limping around the course. Made a few mistakes (0:30 on 3, 0:30 on 4, 1:00 on 5, 2:00 on a stupid route choice on the long leg to 13), but mostly was just slow. Tomas commented that I was "limping pretty quickly" when he saw me, so I guess that's something. Finished 13 minutes behind Mats' winning time of 60. Nicer terrain this time, with a mix of tough managed forest with steep, but not very large, hills and lots of rocks and open, but soft underfoot, pine forest.

C • double ä is long ä 2

A nice bike ride with Patrick around Uppsala. Backbana ridge, then Sunnersta, and along the lake up to Skarholmen. Nice ride, good company.

Circuits with Patrick at home after biking.

My log is looking too pink these days. I don't like it. Was going to rollerski in the morning and then orienteer in the evening, but my butt hurt when I got up in the morning, so that canceled the orienteering, and the rain made me even less inclined than I already was to go rollerskiing. So I spun instead. Double session, first a regular-length "intensive" one and then an extra-long "medium" one. A feast of sweat and melting quads. Yeah.
Pizza and a coke afterwards hit the spot.

Intervals on the erg at F&S. Did 2x10min hard, with 5 min easy before, between, and after. The pace was around 1:53/500m, which felt hard. I definitely need some technique pointers. Damn good workout though - felt dead by the end. Did 10 min on the stationary bike before and after to get a warm-up/cool-down in.

Some strength and stretching while chatting with Sofie after rowing.
From the gym, I biked over to the stables in Kvarnbo, where another PhD student at my department, Cecilia, has a horse. My officemate Daniel and I watched Cecilia and Scarlet (the horse) jump over hurdles a bunch and then got to ride for a while. Very cool. Scarlet is an adorable and well-behaved horse, who actually obeyed commands! Got to feed her oranges afterwards. :)

C • aww- that sounds fun. 1

A bike ride on some of the bigger trails in Nåsten down to Hammarskog, then back up to Norby via Lurbo and horse paths, and a loop of the Norby ski track. Cold today - after yesterday's 26C, it was down to 9C today...

Circuits outside the clubhouse.