Icebug 24
A Reminder of my Mortality
Fredrik Ölmqvist / 30.07.2007
After having finished my first mountain marathon this year one thing became clear – I’m not “the king of the mountain�. It was hard, difficult, and definitely not too short. My team (“Team Edge� ??? – a name picked by my running partner, Henrik Persson, a young gun from northern Sweden with intention to win) came 3rd in 2:51:12, just 10 minutes behind the winners, local Team Tärnaby. I’m glad I didn’t chose to run the 24 hour class. Ugggh. My legs were cramping during the last descent down to the finish in Hemavan, a tiny hamlet known in Sweden for its heliskiing.
After + 2 hours in the sunny, hot weather my body had become depleted and dehydrated allthough there had been many creeks with fresh water along the course. But it was a marvellous day, running on mountain moors, crossing snow fields at higher altidude and even passing a large reindeer herd just 50 metres away.
After we lost 10 minutes at the second checkpoint, stupidly following another team (Team Swerock) we were now chasing the leaders up the +400 m climb. My partner Henrik proved to be a strong trail runner, always ahead of me, pulling me even for a km.
Being the weaker in the team left me little time to rest. And during the descent from Murtsergurre 1140 m Henrik proved to be even faster and had to wait for me several times. “Just let go� he told me, concerned about my “careful� descending tecnique. However, running through rock scramble camouflaged by bushes can be treacherous and you don’t want to fall, because that will hurt. A lot.
I survived today without sprainded ankles. Tomorrow is another day, and a chance to make up for lost time. Tonight I will enjoy a gourmet dinner and a comfortable bed, thinking about the runners in the 24 hour class. I hope they are enjoying themselves. I do. Northern Sweden in summer is truly special.See All Event Posts
