So the big day arrives, I've waited a long time for this. Not a great sleep, well not until 2am when I get up to satisfy natures call and then fall fast asleep until the alarms, one by one, start to go off.
Up before 3am, it's going to be a long day ! It's light, which helps, but the dam nozzles are attacking ! Stove on, kit packed away and tent down. I head down to the campers kitchen and at least have some space to sort myself out and make my porridge; I'm not the only one there but the mood is somber, well it is still the middle of the flippin night !
Anyway, I make the coach with time to spare and tuck into my porridge and coffee. We are soon at Nikkaluokta, the end of the road and the start of the race. I dump my kit bag and go to the loo, then go again and once more for luck - must be pre-race nerves ! The weather is kind, a little mist and even a little drizzle but could be worse and looks like it will soon clear.
The mood is a little happier at the start and after some faffing of my kit I'm at the start line, actually near the front ! It's a relatively small, low key race, hence the attraction, and with just a few words from the organiser we are soon off. I know the route, I walked it North to South last summer over 5 days, just need to run the other direction this year, oh, and run it all in less than 24 hours !
My Achilles hurts, but that was expected, hopefully after a few hours it will loosen and other things will start to hurt so not fretting about this. I'm near the front, but the pace is sensible and no one gets carried away like they do in races in the UK. It's 17.5k to Kebnekaise Mountain Station, the first checkpoint but I can't make it that far without needs to go in the woods ! I lose a few places but lives a lot more comfortable after that !
The 120k route cuts off right before the first checkpoint, and I soon find myself in 4th place as I pass through the checkpoint. Checkpoints are only for safety reasons, I have to be self sufficient, so no goodies available on route. I make good progress, I feel ok and it's now 14.5k to checkpoint 2 at Singi huts; this is the only slight difference to the route I walked last year, but is all fairly obvious. I'm eating and drinking well and continue to make steady progress. But the going is hard, very rough and this definitely takes its toll.
On through Singi and now 11k to the huts at Salka; the scenery is stunning, still some snow patches around and the sky as cleared to give us a glorious day. Salka is stunning, I spent two nights here last year and it brings back memories, some good and some not so good (I was seriously ill for two days of the trip last year and then the bug spread round the group....not pleasant !).
After Salka it's 13.5k to Tjaktja, this is over the Tjaktja pass, the highest point and biggest climb of the route. The ground is very rough on the far side and the few snow patches make for easier running. There are a lot of walkers about, the Kungsluden trail is very popular. They are very encouraging and this spurs me on. I rarely see runners in front or behind, some never quite knowing if I'm catching or being caught.
So I'm a little over half way and starting to feel tired. My only race strategy was to keep moving, at least walking if I can't manage to run, there are only two exceptions, to fill water bottle and to pee; I just about stick to this and will use this strategy in future races. Alesjaure is the next hut and checkpoint, I definitely walk some of this. Frustrating as its relatively flat, but very tough ground. There's a big crowd at the hut and I manage to run up the steep incline to it - I try to impress when I need to.
This was my low point last year, I felt s@&t and actually not much better today. It's a tough section to Keron, 17.5k, half of it on a boggy path beside a lake. Although the scenery is stunning, I went hours without it changing very little is so vast, this can be tough mentally and it was !
But I just had to get on with it, food was not going down well but I made myself drink and this helped. I was desperate for more savory food, but my cheese and ham wrap and salted peanuts were polished off long ago, lessen to be learnt here.
But I eventually make it to Keron and its then only 16k to the finish. I break this down, just 6k and then a 10k, that's sounds easy ! But I'm out of run and feeling tired; nothing is specifically hurting and feet are in good shape but legs just don't want to go quicker than walking pace.
It's relatively flat but still the terrain is rough, i wish for some soft grass ! Eventually a sign says 10.5k to the finish - great :-) I decide to switch on my Garmin and count down, 10k on a good day is sub 40mins, ok I'm slow but maybe 10 minute k's are achievable, the end is in sight. I have no if I'm being caught and, knowing I am 6th, I decide to put everything in to running the last 10k. But I soon give up on the Garmin, a watched kettle never boils ! I force myself on, not wanting to miss out on a top 10 place, I never imagined I would be in this position so do not want to lose it now.
A few twists and turns and then I can see Abisko, the finish. A sign says 500m, well it felt like 999m but i ran hard and crossed the line to applause and encouragement. I was 6th in the men's 100k, and 7th overall.
What a great feeling to finish an Ultra "......running is a bit like church, many people attend, but not many understand !".
15hrs 42mins, much quicker than I expected although, secretly, I was thinking 16 hours would be good. I get some food and drink and very soon my legs cease - really no interest in camping so I secure a mattress in a temporary dorm, that's fine for me, especially as a very attractive Swedish girl is next to me....I think she was impressed when i told her I had been for a run, she asked how far....:) But perhaps she wasn't so impressed with the sweaty smell, so a shower needed; easier said than done; to get to the dorm I had to go down steep stairs, not great, the showers were back upstairs ! But well worth it, surprisingly although it's gone 11pm and I have been up since 3am and run 104k (it wasn't 100k !!) I don't feel tired, so head to the bar for a much needed drink...fanta and a big bag of crisps !
What a great day.
Results:
http://www.tierra.com/tierra-arctic-ultra/resultat-2015
And some great photos and videos on Tierra Arctic Ultra Facebook page.
