EDITORIAL
Get in contact with the editor by mailing: nordic.ultra@gmail.com.
www.nordicultra.com now on a computer near you Welcome to the third edition of Nordic Ultra. I must admit, it’s been the toughest issue to bring out. The last month I’ve been sitting in front of the computer writing essays and comparisons for a school course, the last thing you feel like doing after a day of that is translating or writing a report here. Thankfully the course is over and so many people have been willing to help out with quality material. I’ve been slowly developing a website in my free time over the last couple of weeks. I’ve picked my way through the html jungle and come up with something simple but functional that I’m relatively happy with. It’s now going to be possible to add news and links that I otherwise am unable to do in the way I’d like. The primary reason for the website is to base the magazine at a location that is easier to remember and easier for old and new readers to find.
really well. It lit up the ground in front of you instead of the trees five meters in front of you. Give it a try! If you haven’t seen on Facebook already then in this issue you’ll see an advertisement for Nordic Ultra Winter Challenge. In the middle of january we’re going to be running together for 130 beautiful kilometers in Mora, Sweden. This should be a great run in a part of the year when there traditionally isn’t a lot of organised running going on. It’s bound to be a real challenge. Last year around that time the temperature was down as low as -20 with a fair bit of snow around. Speaking of races the amount of new races around is mind boggling. There are quite a few more ultrarunners around but are there enough to support all the races we have now? I doubt it, something has to give.
” Are there enough ultrarunners to support all the races we have?”
One thing that’s missing in this issue is ‘Location’. I simply can’t write about any more places in northern Europe yet. I need to get out there and run in some new places first. It also seemed unfair that it was only about swedish places. If anyone is interested about writing a report on their home town please send me a mail. I’d like to welcome our two new columnists. First of all another opinion column, Myrto Pitsava who will be writing an editorial about her thoughts on her way to ultra. As you may remember I have been looking for someone knowledgable to write a regular training column. Englishman, Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe has taken on the challenge and will be writing his thoughts and experiences about training. I’m really happy with what they’ve written so far and am looking forward to reading more from them. For those of us that reside in the northern hemisphere will be braving the end of autumn and the onset of winter, which means that must runners will be winding down a little after the race season. It’s good to take a couple of weeks off and let your body and mind have a break. I personally have been out for the last two months with a cold and an ankle injury. It’s a strange injury. If I take it easy and try and keep off my feet it stiffens up and get worse. When I go out and thrash it on stony trails it gets better. Bodies are strange things... I’m on my way back into hard training for next season. Winter for me means ice hockey season, my other passion. I would like to be able to call it cross training but I’m sceptical. I get a little interval training and probably put on a bit of useful muscle but it leaves my leg muscles stiff from all the static strength built up with ice skating. I run to and from training so I guess you could call it an extra workout. I actually look forward to my first run with a headtorch for the season. This season I’ve been having problems with the strap so I put it around my stomach instead of my head. It actually worked
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Nordic Ultra #3 2011
Has anyone else noticed how ridiculously good the norwegians are at 6 hour running? Five norwegian men have run over 80km this year and four norwegian women have run over 70km. Like last year, Undheim 6 hour was fiercely fought. Gjermund Sörstad and Jarle Risa really hammered it out running well over 80km, Sörstad took the win, nordic record and the years world best. The only more competitive race this year was Stein in the Netherlands. In the mens race, running the great distance of 80km flat would only earn you a 7th place. Strangely all but one of the top runners were from Belgium. See you out there!
Andrew Tutt-Wixner Editor in chief