Two weeks and counting

Two weeks today I travel out for my only training on snow - the last few days before it starts. By about the second day I will need to be doing about 50km - probably spread over several sessions to allow my muscles to adjust. Since I know that I can do the distances, or at least I know that from last time, I have arranged some instruction to improve my technique. My target would be to get a speed improvement of 10% and be able to sustain 10km/hr excluding the rest stops.

As far as fitness goes, I am at about the same point as I was 2 years ago, and today the weight god smiled on me and there was a sudden drop to exactly the same weight as 2 years ago. I have been at a higher level of fitness for longer this time

But here is the schedule of the RR

Day 1 - meet and briefing in Ovianki
Day 2 - 63 km from the start to Kuusamo
Day 3 - 72 km to Taivalkoski
Day 4 - 55 km to Syotekeskus
Day 5 - 84 km to Ranua
Day 6 - 44 km to Ruona school
Day 7 - 56 km to Honkamaa/Kivalo in Keminmaa
Day 8 - 76km to Tornio
Day 9 - bus back to airports

But one of the most difficult parts is not the skiing, but the presentations at the end. Each nationailty group is expected to provide some entertainment. That is easy if you are part of a group of 20 Germans or Finns, but somewhat harder if you are the lone Brit. Last time I only discovered about this aspect of it at the start. This year I have some time to think before I get there.

So how do you think of something different, will entertain (and hopefully amuse) people, most of whom will not necessarily understand what you are saying?

It isn't actually quite so bad - the countries with sole representatives are allowed to join together for this. But that brings new challenges.

Today I also (from my recent birthday) got to try out a new "dadget" (the word my daughter coined from a contraction of "Dad's gadgets") - the GPS unit to go with my Polar heart monitor watch. (The Polar factory is in Oulu close to the airport on the way back). This is much easier than the handheld GPS for monitoring the speed and looking at the tracks when I get back, but I will probably still take the handheld GPS and the GPS on my smartphone for navigational purposes.

Talking of smartphones, mine prompted me to upgrade it whilst I was away this week, but I wisely waited until my return. Just as well, because I needed to download the new manual before I could work out how to use it again.

My ski bag is now packed - three pairs of skis - a pair of waxless in case the predictions about warm weather come true, a new pair bought in Helsinki a few weeks ago - these seem to be more carbon fibre and graphite than anything else and the trusty pair that did the trip last time and a couple of other trips since - I have done nearly 1,000 km on them now, so I am not relying on them entirely for this trip.

The 2010 RR looked like this:

The start - close to the Russian border.

Here the RR track is set along a frozen lane

And at other times it is like a white desert.

One of the many rests stops, manned by volunteers.

And if you are Finnish, you don't stand around without a fire.

By the time I reach the rest stops, the fire has melted itself into a good hole!

Occasionally there are hills. The RR special route is often aong the firebreaks in the forests, which is where the power lines also run.

Me at a rest stop. The drink dispenser is full of a warm cordial, a bit like a tart warm Ribena. At -20C to -30C (which it was for the last 3 days) the water in my water bottle, despite being insulated in a sock, freezes within hours. Snacking food is raisins, squares of chocolate, segments of orange, and sliced pickled Dill cucumbers. This last item is to ensure that you replace the salt that you sweat, which helps avoid muscle cramps. Remember, at my speed I am skiing between 8 and 12 hours per day!

Nowhere does nature do "Winter Wonderland" better than Lapland. This is a couple of hours into the last day. One of the other skiers - a professional photographer - tells me that some of the country we are currently skiing through belongs to his father.

"Maali" - the Finish. We had to stop a few kilometres short because there was water on top of the ice on the big river for the last little bit, and it was deemed too dangerous. This picture was taken by Sanna - a college student volunteer who was our group's "gopher" - if you needed anything during the day, you gave her the money and she got it for you. What you can't see out of shot is that she had also rounded up some of her friends to cheer us as we crossed the finish. As I was one of the last, they had been there for hours.

So now I remember why I do it - 6 months of training, tortured muscles, hours of solitude in a beautiful wilderness. But at the end, I know that I one of a very small group - Brits who have skied border to border across Finland. Last time I only just managed it - right at the limit of my endurance and capabilities. So two years on, can I repeat it and prove that there is still life in the old man yet? Only time will tell - you will have to come back to follow the actual trip. Day 2, the first skiing day in the RR, is Thursday March 8th, but I will be training in Kuusamo from the 3rd, so check back in for progress.