Vikingarännet

Made my way to the subway (Stockholm) at 6 AM. I was nervous for no good reason, the whole point in skating today was to be participating…however, I often get race edginess, which is so silly given my 'non-contender' status, i.e. I was not racing! What was fun, despite my nervousness, was noting the others on the subway platform standing with ice skates in hand. With each stop of the subway train, more skaters climbed on board--all the crazy types coming out of the woodwork...my people…40-50ish in age for the most part, my fellow middle age nature/fitness junkies. We eventually all piled onto buses at the central station, a seamless transition form communal traffic to chartered buses...I love transportation in Sweden (you can live so well without a car, it's true!).

The sun was coming up as we arrived on the outskirts of Uppsala…3000 long distance skaters converging to participate in a 50 km, 80 km or skate relay. The air was cool but not cold ~16 degrees F. No wind. I started to get over my anxiety and get happily excited about taking part n an event I have wanted to participate in since I first read about it 5 years ago. The big deal this year was the thick ice allowing passage the entire route from Uppsala to Stockholm (80 km or ~50 miles) minus a few ‘portages’ to avoid bad ice and one temporary floating bridge crossing of a ferry line (i.e. open water). The positive aspect of the ice situation was 50 km of good ice! Then there was about 10 km of rough ice (slush up to the ankles in a few places) and finally, 20 km of terrible ice. When I write terrible, I don’t mean break through and drown sort of dangerous, I mean break through the thin top layer and fall down and crack you head open. Deep cracks, fractured ice, holes, etc. bad to the point of taking away all the fun. I’ve never seen so many crashes (including 2 fairly spectacular falls of my own--no broken bones to report). Skating into Stockholm was not quite as enjoyable as I imagined, one was forced to stare down the whole time, thus missing the big feeling of skating under massive bridges and between the islands of beautiful Stockholm. I imagined that I would be super tired at 60 km, and I did feel the effort, but I was ready to skate to the finish with gusto! Unfortunately, I was so timid due to the bad ice, awkward really, that it was not the strong and brilliant finish I had imagined!














4 hours and 36 minutes…given the frozen skates and the portages, I estimate I was actually skating, good and bad ice combined at 20 km/hour (12 miles per hour).

Aside from the noted ice conditions, it was a beautiful route. Imagine skating down a long BWCA type lake, pine forest and rocky outcroppings. I felt like I was far removed from the city for much of the race…and that is a beautiful thing about Stockholm, it does not take much distance to go from city life to the forested lakes and summer cabins...the water and forest is accessible and lovely.

Passed Skokloster Slott along the route, a castle built in 1646, the largest private castle built in Sweden (i.e. not originally for the Royal Family). The castle made a fairy tale appearance, sunny blue sky, an ice road, a cold fog burning off in the sun, and then the castle in the near horizon. This beautiful route is on the Lake Mälaren, Sweden’s third largest lake. The lake is important for Viking history (evidence of settlements throughout the region), hence the name of the race, Vikingarännet (the Viking run). There is a Norse legend that says the land taken from Lake Mälaren by one of the Nordic gods was used to create a part of Denmark!

I drank a lot of blueberry and rose hip soup along the way, ate a few cinnamon buns and munched on chocolate; the aid stations were friendly and festive. I like how the ‘race’ did not feel like a race much of the time, no cheering crowds…simply a long line of skaters snaking their way across the horizon line! I was reminded about how glad I am that I have registered for the upcoming Vasaloppet Öppet Spår ‘open trail.’ When I ski the Vasaloppet later this winter (90 km of classic XC ski), I have chosen to do it on one of two days prior to the ‘actual’ race day. I’ll still get to say I skied the Vasaloppet and will get to experience the historic trail…but without the thousands of people all vying for their ‘personal best.’ I will want to ski that trail hard, but my goals will be the same as it was for today…to participate, and to finish! I don't like the emotional energy of citizen races, I like to ski (and skate) hard. I like the challenge.

It feels good to do things that I have dreamed about doing...I will soon forget the trouble of the bad ice and simply remember ice skating through a winter fairy tale...








Stockholm is the queen city of Lake Mälaren, poised at the place where the Lake meets the sea. 'Beauty on Water' is one of the catch phrases promoters of Stockholm use to describe the city. I think it is apt, in any weather really...