Training Log Archive: olsoran

Not as planned but done. Shot, well and truly.

Not sure what possessed me.

I must have forgotten how tough the Nordmarka twists and turns and ups and downs are. And at the wrong end of 50 odd k.

Once the Pustertaler in January was cancelled I looked for a replacenent and this seemed a fair idea. The date fitted and I've wanted to ski in the Nordmarka again for a long time and the Holmenkollmarsjen has always been somewhere on the todo list. So it kind of happened and I'm now not sure I wish it had.

Perfect snow day in the Oslomarka Friday. Postcard blue sky, crystal clear and just masses of snow. Great for a quick spin. Not so Saturday.

Lashings of rain overnight and a pretty dreary assembly experience with 2000+ Norwegians and a smattering of others.

0855 off. Going backwards straight away. No grip on the felleskis. I know Norwegians can ski but they dont always look as if they should be able to. But they can. They just go. All shapes, sizes, ages. And they just went.

And that's pretty much how it went too. All uphill until about 13k by which time I was done in. Hang in there for the rest thinking the worst was over forgetting that that rest was full of very steep twisty undulations and across slushy frozen lakes. And it was all fog. Too tired to recognise much from before.

Not many people keeping me company towards the end. You know you're pretty late when they are taking in the feed stations.

And then into the stadium in the shadow of the iconic Holmenkollbakken ski jump, a wee loop in front of baying crowds, the king of Norway and all of that. Except there were no crowds, no king and it was so foggy you had to be 15m from the finish to see it. A bit anticlimactical really.

Still I've done it and it's right up there with the very toughest ones for me. Good for the soul? Character building? Certainly painful.

Wish I'd got more of a view though. Will have to go back again.

PS: Nice to see AC smashing it and to have a quick chat at the end. Some British orienteers can ski.

C • Tough 3

Warm up loop from Holmenkollen to test the skis and reacquaint myself with some old haunts. Thought about heading for Sognsvann but thought best not to overdo things with a sizeable rucsac. Blue skies and masses of snow...brfore the rain comes.

Looking like "interesting" conditions for the Nordmarka on Saturday. Plenty snow but good old Scottish rainy weather. Maybe its a good decision to use felleskis. It couldnt possibly go smoothly. :-)

C • good choice 2

1/1 10/15
Spinning bike

Gentle loop round Torqu. Going carefully on icy surfaces so kept off path as much as possible.

Pleased with the progress over the last few days with a bit of a mix of stuff. Minimal calf and achilles ache now but need to go carefully. Maintaining the eccentric stuff. Nice to get back to running, albeit crawling along.

No time.

Spin bike
1/1 10/15

Steady

Spin bike
1/1 10/15

Physio on left calf and right achilles.
Back to gentle running - although probably wont do any / much this week.

Control putting out and collecting at Carlogie.

6 laps of the field. Not the most interesting on very much deteriorating snow but served its fitness test purpose.