OLD NEWS >> September 2003

2003-09-30 The end of the racing season is close but my motivation to compete is just getting higher. I decided to run the district champs in orienteering - long distance on Sunday (2003-09-28). The organisers prepared a nice course (12km). However, the number of participants was so low that the race seemed to be more like a training. I felt a bit sorry about the people from the organising club... My goal was to concentrate properly during the whole course to avoid big mistakes. I didn't really suceed in it and made 2 pretty big ones. Finished 2nd. There is even an article about the race with some pictures in the local newspapers, in Swedish. Results. And map with my route choices.
After having competed in a few different sports I realize more and more how extrem orienteering can be - in the number of races in which a person participates per year. Some years ago I could run about 60-70 orienteering races per year which meant about 2 races almost every weekend during the period April - October + some multiple-days races during the summer. Crazy, isn't it? This year the number is 15-20....

2003-09-25 Yesteraday, already the 4th race in the local adventure series - Mellsta Mountain Adventure Race took place in Mellsta, Borlänge. I didn't participate this time - I was the organiser instead. But I had at least as much fun as if participated. 16 competitors were struggling on the hilly course. Each section was won by a different person and the total winning time was 36:57. Thanks to the people helping me with the organisation!
Results
Pictures (taken by Jassi) and there is also a movie-clip (see the "photos" section).
More information (in Swedish) on the MMAR site.

2003-09-22 This is our team from Swedish championship in orienteering - relay (Elin, me and Karolina) which took place yesterday in Karlstad. We had some expectaitions, especially because Karolina is the best orienteering woman in Sweden now. I took it very easy with my training last week to be fresh for this race. Unfortunately, Elin lost quite much on the first leg. I had then "OK run" on the second leg and picked some places and finally Karolina had the best time on the last leg and pushed our team up to the 7th place. I was quite happy with my run, even if I did some small mistakes. I was motivated and concentrated and even nervous before the race.
Results and an article in the local newspapers (in Swedish). A few pictures on the homepage of my orienteering club. And map with my course and route choices.

2003-09-18 More information about the sprint adventure race which I organize next week is online - now also with maps and courses. Check the special site for Mellsta Mountain Adventure Race!
MMAR will be held on Wednesday 24th September in Mellsta, Borlänge. It consists of 4 sections (orienteering, MTB, inlines/rollerskies and uphill running). The course is extremely hilly and even if the expected winning time is only 40 minutes the participants are supposed to get very tired.......

2003-09-18 I have added one more section to this site. It is called "Maps" (see the menu) and contains scanned maps from some orinteering and adventure racse which I have participated in (with my route choices) and some others. Check it out!

2003-09-15 Disappointment at Swedish Champs at the classic distance in orienteering (in Värmland). I didn't make the final finishing 12th - 15 seconds after the 10th place - in heat D (first 10 qualified for final). I made a big mistake at the first control and lost 4 minutes there. It is very stupid to start a race like this.... I think I was not really ready for the fact that the terrain would be so difficult - I got lost in an area with very bad visibility and many small hills and stones. Results from the qualification.

2003-09-12 There are quite many peole intrested in adventure racing living in/around Borlänge. On Tuesday we had already third sprint adventure race - Lugnet CR in Falun. The course was placed around the famous ski jumps and cross-country skiing tracks. The race director Per Vestling from the team Maybe surprised with 2 new disciplines - a double tyrolian traverse and kickbikes (such ones which kids ride). The uphill inlines section was the toughest section for me and I struggled a lot with the skiing poles which I used for the first time on asphalt. All of us had a lot of fun. See the pictures (taken by Martin Andersson) and the results from this race.
Next time it is my turn to organise a similar race. I plan to do it on Wednesday September 24th in Mellsta (Borlänge). The race will be a bit longer (winning time about 40 minutes) with a lot of climbing on all of the sections. See the special site for Mellsta Mountain Adventure Race.

2003-09-08 Gruvbragden is a sprint adventure race in/around the cooper mine in Falun, with start on the bottom of the Great Pit (10km MTB, 3km RU, 3km CA, 3km RU). This year I competed with Jonas Birgersson from Team Craft and we won the MIX class. I am probably in a better shape compared to the last year - our time 83:37 was almost 3' better. Or Jonas was just pushing me more than Mats last year on the upphill running part... Results. An article in the local newspapers Dalademokraten (in Swedish).

2003-09-04 Yesterday we had our club champs in inlines. 10km individual start. My time was 20:37 and I won the women category (out of 2). See the results. I was quite exhausted already before the race because I had thought that I wouldn't have time to participate and did a tough aerobic/strength session only one hour before the start. Anyway, it was a good mental training to press myself a bit...

2003-09-01 The recovering after City Challenge goes fast and I can train and compete again after few days. At the weekend I ran district champs in orienteering at short distance and relay. The short distance (30/8) went in a very stony terrain near Dala-Järna where I was able neither to run nor to navigate in a high speed. I finished 11th. The relay (31/8) was in a terrain which was more favourable for me (hilly, almost no stones). I came first to the change-over from the second leg in spite of the fact that I did some mistakes. Our team Domnarvets GoIF 1 finished 3rd. See some pictures at the site of my orienteering club.
On Wednesday (27/8) I helped one of my friends to organise a short adventure race in Borlänge. Check the pictures.

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