Race Report Ursvik Ultra 2016

Race Report Ursvik Ultra 2016

Ursvik Ultra is a lap track with quite rough terrain during big chunks of the track. The track is 15k and you do 5 laps, totaling 75k.

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.

gear on the floor

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.

me in the middle of the night

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.

me crossing the finish line

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.