Goodbye Salen, Hello Torsby!

The first day of Swedish training camp we woke up to pouring rain. We were handed a topo map with a couple of arrows, and told that we would be going on a three-hour bog run. 

Luckily, everything worked out great; they didn’t ditch us in the Swedish marsh, they translated the important points, and we got an awesome training session in. 

Perhaps what I love most about the joint USST/SWE National camp is the unexpected.  I’m running places that I’ve never run before, completing new workouts, following different training partners and buying snacks at the ICA rather than the Fred Myers. Everyday we wake up to a new adventure. 

Part of me was expecting some kind of epiphany; that I would learn something revolutionary. Instead, this trip seems to reinforce what I already know, how I train, and that I seem to be on the right course.  While I haven’t exactly had an “ah-ha!” moment, perhaps my take home – that the way Swedes do it isn’t really that different - is even more valuable.

 Here are a couple of pictures from the first half of the training camp in Salen: 

 Thanks a ton to Ahvo @ Finn Sisu for hooking us up with some faster classic roller skis. It would have been a bummer to have come all the way across the pond only to find that we couldn't keep up! 

 Swedes have beautiful breakfast spreads..... 

 The small "Stugas" where we stayed, mountain side. 

 Of course, xc skiers on the food at the grocery store! 

By now you may have heard about bowling night or workout #3 for the day.  Kid you not, Matt is sore from the exertion. 

 Chandra bowled up a storm! 

 Liz getting serious

 Me, trying desperately to keep it out of the gutter

 North Americans and Swedes - Ida, Chandra, Hanna Falk & Charlotte Kalla 

 Coaches and physios played too

 Girls with the maps for bog run #2 - only this time, in better weather

 We ran on a small part of trail.... 

 But it mostly looked like this 

 Or this... 

 Mid bog run #2: Kikkan, Mia, Magda & Chandra

 Our training schedule for the camp ..... in Swedish

 Peter, our head wax tech is Swedish. He joined us for lunch and coffee. He came down to Salen to compete in the Cyclevasa - a 90k mountain bike race on the 90k Vasaloppet ski trail. 

 With Diggs, post classic intervals 

Gravel on what's now deemed "Holly's corner."  I came flying into this intersection going full speed and landed on my face in front of the whole Swedish National team, our team, and tons of tourists. I've been told it was quite the spectacle. I'm super pumped that I didn't break myself OR my equipment! 

More from the Torsby Tunnel coming up shortly! 

Cheers, 

Holly :)