Off to a bad start
I had been running all day because of a course I was taking to become a certified running coach so my legs were not happy. I had decided to get some sleep before the race that was starting at midnight. So I set my alarm with plenty of time to get ready and transport myself to the start, then I went to bed. I woke up a few hours later in panic, I had overslept. I called a taxi and threw on all my clothes and running gear. Jumped into the taxi and told the driver to step on it. I got there in time to register and headed straight for the start and we were off.
As it turned out, in my recently awoken state of mind I had put on way to much clothes, it was hot, but I didn’t have time to change clothes, I’d just have to make due. First lap went really well, I could keep good pace and my legs felt fine. The only problem I had at the moment was too much clothes, I was sweating a lot but it didn’t bother me too much.
“Everything went fine until just before I was done with the second lap where my legs went numb.”
Second lap
Just after the start of the second lap I notices Sten Osvärn was just ahead of me. We had finished first on Swedish Alpine Ultra hand in hand two years earlier. I knew he would keep good pace so I felt good being just behind him. But after a while he stopped to do something and I passed him. Still feeling strong I kept up my pace. Everything went fine until just before I was done with the second lap where my legs went numb. Suddenly they were incredibly heavy and I started to get cramps. The only explanation I could think of was my excessive running during the day. This was not good.
The rest
After my legs had given up I knew it would be tough to get back. Sten passed my somewhere at the end of the second lab or maybe during the third, I can’t remember. All I could focus on was getting my legs back, and it would prove a difficult task. The cramping stopped for a bit after I slowed down significantly but it wouldn’t be forever.
From now on I thought I would quit the race at the end of every lap, but when I got to the station I somehow found more energy to keep moving, and that’s what I did. I kept moving, not very fast and not very graceful but I did move.
The cramps were coming back with a vengeance and I had trouble eating now. The time frame is a big blur now, I don’t really know what happened when. But it wasn’t good. All I could eat was some candy, as soon as I tried to eat a gel I felt sick. Just thinking about it made me sick. But I kept going, I knew the finish line was ahead of me somewhere, and it couldn’t be far now.
Finish line
Finally it was over. I knew I was on the last lap and I could see the finish line. I started to increase the tempo, at least marginally and it felt like I was sprinting for the finish line. In reality I was going pretty slow and when I was just about done I could hear my brother shout my name. But I was pretty out of it then, tired and disappointed of my legs. But I finished 8th in 8:07.30. Which is an ok time, I was hoping to do a lot better but considering my preparations I was satisfied with the result.