Stranda Fjord Uphill Race

Friday we headed up to Stranda from Oslo and had some great weather. Pancho had torn his toenail on a run last Monday, so we didn't go on any extensive hikes since he decided to limp because he didn't like the bandage on his foot. The views as we got closer to Stranda were full of steep mountains. We stopped by Trollveggen (The Troll Wall) and Trollstigen for some pictures before I checked in for the race and got my kit.

Trollveggen
"Look at how pitiful I am with my paw wrapped in a bandage. Give me attention"


A troll hiding out at Trollstigen



Saturday I ran the Stranda Fjord Uphill Race in a part of Norway called "Sunnmørsalpene." The course was originally planned to be a 10 km uphill race ascending 1300 meters; however, due to unexpected bad weather (mainly high winds on the mountains), the course was rerouted to be what they thought was 13 km and still an elevation gain of 1000 meters.

The race route and elevation


I did not feel very well-prepared for this race since I had to train for it on a treadmill while at sea for five weeks. The morning started out grey and misty, and did not get too warm but the temperature was perfect for running. I got up and tried to eat some oatmeal, but I was struggling to get myself to eat. I walked down to the start line from the small cabin that I rented and spotted a French runner who won the bronze medal at the last winter Olympic Games in biathlon. After that I did not see her again. She ended up coming in 2nd place overall and 1st place female.

The race went uphill right from the beginning and I couldn't jog for too long before I had to transition to "power hiking." My plan was to make up time on the downhill because I felt confident on those sections even though it was a little slick from all the rain. The sky was a bit too cloudy and grey to get the views that I was really hoping for, but the race was still fun and very tough. I don't think I was exhausted in the same way as after a marathon. I had planned my run to be 10-13km, but 13 km ticked by on my GPS watch and there was still a ways to go before crossing the finish line. There was a gradual but long downhill stretch and I was feeling completely drained and like I needed to puke. I toughed it out though.

When I crossed the finish line, my watch said I had run 16 km in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I was the 20th person to cross the finish line (out of 41 runners), and the 10th woman out of 24...but had I stretched my hand a little further I would have moved up one spot because I finished a fraction of a second after another girl. I was completely exhausted at the end. After receiving my medal, I got some warm soup and tried to eat, but I was just too exhausted. I was pretty satisfied with my performance considering how under-prepared I was for this race.

On the drive back to Oslo we used a little more time at Trollstigen to take in the views - of course they did not disappoint! It was a very eventful weekend and another great race in the books!



This was a fun downhill section



The best the views got...not too bad.



Without the bandage, Pancho seemed to be just fine and wanted to play fetch.

Panorama view of Trollstigen from the top.


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