Training Log Archive: iansmith

Jukola 2016 was a wonderful experience. The weather was somewhat less cooperative than could have been hoped, but that just made the logistics difficult. I ended up just throwing away my Mizuno running shoes - which had accrued 650 km of running, had their soles destroyed by Iceland's rugged terrain, and become so thoroughly saturated with Jukola mud as to be useless. The forest and terrain were delightful, and while the navigation was on the easy side, it made for a sublime relay experience. CSU put forth a great effort, and while we ultimately lost to the Canadians by a mere three minutes, they were worthy and friendly adversaries. Ross's performance was particularly heroic, bringing us back into contention. The Canadians were suitably polite after the event ("Sorry for crushing you like grapes; sorry, so sorry, eh?"), and the North American camaraderie was palpable among the four NA teams even if we didn't actually see each other that often. I haven't seen Kempster in a few years, so it was great to chat with her a bit at the race. I cannot adequately convey how impressed I am with her - the results speak for themselves, but to organize your life in singular pursuit of a goal and to journey with great determination into the unknown is magnificent.

This was my first Jukola, and while Tiomila adequately prepared me for the pressures and challenge of relay running, the experience was quite different. The scale of Jukola was far greater - the density of runners in the woods was about fourfold higher, and the variety of skill levels was also much wider than Tiomila. In particular, while during my Tiomila leg, I felt like I was competitive with the people around me, I felt considerably stronger than most of the people around me in the woods at Jukola. Jukola is a more egalitarian and accessible race.

CSU has historically run a big relay every two years since 2006. These are great fun, but I'm hopeful we - and the US community more generally - will spend some time at O-festivals in the future like Oringen. It's hard to socialize while also trying to compete at relays; if you're running a later leg, you spend a lot of your time sleeping and preparing rather than appreciating the event. The O-festivals, in contrast, are long enough to offer fantastic orienteering, relaxation, games, food, and camaraderie. To be honest, neither really affords a great opportunity for tourism apart from before and after, as I did in Iceland this year. Nonetheless, it is a great privilege to have these experiences and be part of a club with this esprit de corps. And, in the absence of an organized 2016 US Relay Champs, I am delighted that CSU was the top US team at the reserve event, Jukola. Wooo 2016 US Relay champs!!! (But not NA, alas.)

C • "relay champs" 3