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MARATHON TRAINING: MORE FROM LESS 29

Guy Avery

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30 M@ MARATHON & BEYOND

A Hardy Norwegian Marathon

The Nordmarka Skogsmaraton Is For Runners Who Want To Get Intimate With Hills.

BY JAMES HOCH

\ N ] HEN I was accepted to study music composition in Norway by its

premier composer, Knut Nystedt, for the month of June, I was tremendously excited and eager to experience everything Norwegian. Since my month of study would cause me to miss the Grandma’s Marathon, I checked to see if there were any marathons scheduled in Norway while I was there. After a little searching, I discovered a “wilderness” marathon called the “Nordmarka Skogsmaraton,” which ran through a forest. The event had a Web site and everything, so I took a look. The first item to catch my attention was this statement: “The challenge for most of the competitors lies in completing the course rather than pursuing a record time. Enjoy the surroundings and plentiful refreshments along the track.”

Since Thad already been thinking about running a 52-mile ultra in Wyoming to commemorate my 50th birthday, I thought this race might give me a good taste of what to expect. My wife and I arrived in Oslo on June 2nd. After recovering from jetlag, I started running each morning. Most of my morning runs were fun because I would set off in a different direction and then hope to find my way back to the hotel. I would always come back through Vigeland Park, which is a wonderfully large, beautifully landscaped park full of bronze and stone sculptures from the famous Norwegian Paul Vigeland.

After a quick shower, my wife and I would go down for what we considered the “main meal” of the day. The hotel provided the traditional Norwegian breakfast, consisting of three different kinds of eggs, sausages, an assortment of cheeses, meats, vegetables, various cold cereals, fruits, yogurts, and bread. We especially loved the breads (even though the “toaster” never really toasted).

James Hoch A HARDY NORWEGIAN MARATHON B31

Jim’s daily runs in Oslo always ended in the expansive and beautifully landscaped Vigeland Park, full of bronze and stone sculptures by the famous Norwegian Paul Vigeland.

By the second week, I was eating my cereal as some of the locals did: pouring creamy yogurt (flavored or straight up) on the cereal instead of milk. After we’d gorged ourselves, we’d make a small snack to go. Idon’treally think the hotel endorsed this, but looking around we could see it was a common practice.

The breakfast would usually hold us until four in the afternoon, when after aheavy day of sightseeing or composing we’d end up back at the hotel for some bread, cheese, sausage, and beer that we’d stashed in the minibar in our room. Sampling the different beers, cheeses, and sausages was always a rewarding experience.

Until the beginning of summer (June 16), the hotel provided free make-ityourself Norwegian pancakes complete with various jams at 5:00 p.m. For someone getting ready for a marathon, all these carbs were great. However, I was getting a bit worried about putting on extra pounds.

THE LAST LONG RUN

Soon after I arrived, I was faced with doing one last long run. My wife and I planned to meet in Vigeland Park, where she had water and Ultra Gel. Sundays in Norway are definitely family time. Everything is closed with the exception

Arun out and up to Holmenkollen, where Olympic ski jumping took place in Norway’s two Winter Olympics, offered just a taste of what Jim would tackle in the wilderness marathon “Nordmarka Skogsmaraton.”

of the American convenience store (7-Eleven), which was always crammed with people stocking up on snacks. The Norwegians love to picnic, and they enjoy their parks.

My run that day took me out (and up) to Holmenkollen, which is where the ski jumping was held in Norway’s two Winter Olympics. The hillwork proved very beneficial, and the view at the top overlooking the Oslo fjord was well worth the effort. Coming down, I encountered a small problem when I needed to use a restroom. I was fortunate to find an open gas station halfway down— but Oslo is very green and lush, with lots of bushes and trees in case you’re in a bind.

When I first began running around Oslo, I didn’t notice many runners. I occasionally saw a few people running late in the afternoon. Everyone, though, rides a bike, partly because gasoline costs four to five dollars a gallon. When I ran early in the morning, I saw men in three-piece suits riding their bikes to work, complete with their briefcases “bungeed” to carriers on the rear tires; women rode in dresses and backpacks.

We found the largest concentration of runners up at Sognsvann Lake, where the marathon begins. We took a pleasant 20-minute train ride to the lake one day. We encountered many runners as we hiked around the lake. Once again, families dotted the landscape. Many had these cute “grills in a box,” self-

James Hoch A HARDY NORWEGIAN MARATHON MH 33

contained grills complete with charcoal and grate. You can pick them up in grocery stores. Norwegians have definitely mastered the art of picnicking.

We spent most of our time in Oslo. Our hotel room was pleasant. I did all my composing using a Mac laptop. In the evening we sampled Norwegian TV. American sitcoms and movies occupied most of the programming, albeit afew years behind. What we enjoyed most were the commercials. Most of them were ariot! They are big on using humor and animals. One weekend as I was flipping through channels, I discovered a station broadcasting the marathon in Stockholm. The marathon has a huge field with an international reputation. The TV coverage was excellent! It was fun to watch since the following weekend we were traveling to Stockholm to be tourists for a few days (which, by the way, is a great weekend jaunt by train).

The countryside between Norway and Sweden is very much like where we live in southeast Minnesota. No wonder we have so many Norwegians in Minnesota. After visiting Stockholm, I sure would love to go back and run the marathon.

A favorite afternoon pastime my wife and I enjoyed while we were living in Oslo was taking a walk from the hotel down to Karl Johannsgate, the city’s main street. There is a lovely park with street musicians and a host of colorful, interesting people. So after grabbing a “polser” (hotdog), we’d sit down to people watch. (Norwegian hotdog facts: You can have your polser several different ways: with a bun; with lefse, which is sort of like a Norwegian tortilla; with mashed potatoes; with a bun and lefse; orjust plain. The first time we asked for one we were a bit stymied and overwhelmed. I must say we enjoyed the bun with lefse the most!)

A LAST JAUNT

Shortly before the marathon, my wife was scheduled to take a flute lesson with the principal flutist of the Bergen Philharmonic, Gro Sandvick. We decided this would be a good opportunity to see more of Norway. Everyone told us to “do the Norway in a Nutshell,” contending this way we would see some of the best fjords and countryside of Norway. We started out early from Oslo by train and steadily climbed until we reached the summit at Myrdal, which still boasted frozen lakes and snow.

We changed trains, taking a narrow-gauge train to Flam. We saw spectacular waterfalls, and the train literally went down the steep mountain by switchbacks. The view was incredible! At one stop we were able to get off the train to take pictures. Off in the distance, a woman in red stood near the top of the waterfall and sang, which as it was explained to us, was a re-enactment of a local legend. Norway loves its legends.

Spectacular slope of one of the fjords Jim visited while in Oslo.

After lunch and a short stay in Flam (which had some great prices on souvenirs), we boarded a boat to take the remaining leg to Bergen. The mountains rising out of the fjords were spectacular. Bergen holds a lot of old-world charm. The morning fish market was the place to be. We bought fish sandwiches and beer for lunch. My wife also bought one of those beautiful Norwegian sweaters that everyone envies. I found some great mittens and a headband that’s perfect for winter running in Minnesota. Before leaving Bergen, my wife’s flute teacher took us over to where Norway’s great composer, Grieg, lived. After seeing where he composed, I can see why he produced such wonderful works.

I was abit concerned that after three jam-packed days of traveling to Bergen, I might be a bit tired on marathon day. Plus, it was difficult to sleep because it never really got dark while we were there (the “midnight sun” effect of the season). During the summer, the Norwegians socialize well into the early morning. The night before the marathon, my wife and I asked someone to recommend a good pasta place. It wasn’t difficult to find one. Norwegians love pasta and pizza. But dining out is expensive. Evening dinner in a fancy restaurant would have set us back a mortgage payment or two. But we found that pasta

James Hoch / ~ A HARDY NORWEGIAN MARATHON Bi 35

and pizza were affordable. We ate at a place called Spageddies. The portions were generous, so felt properly carboloaded.

The weather on marathon day was gray, wet, and cold. People told us that the weather in June was a little like Seattle. The Skogsmaraton has an 11:00 a.m. starting time. That felt odd since most marathons begin early in the morning to beat the heat.

We went down to breakfast around 8 o’clock, and I tried to eat about what Lusually eat before a marathon. What felt weird was not knowing how I would feel halfway through the marathon. Would I be hungry? I had never run a marathon that went through lunch. After going through a checklist of what I needed to bring along with me, we headed out with our backpacks

and rain gear. We grabbed the train for the short 20-minute ride to the start line.

Jim rides the train to the start of the race. Anumbrella would have come in handy in the marathon.

RUNNING IN A MUD BOWL

We had read that after the race everyone is encouraged to socialize and picnic. So my wife and I packed a lunch and putit safely in a backpack. I definitely was planning on soaking my feet in the lake after the race. We had hopes that perhaps the weather would break, and after I finished we could have a nice picnic. But the weather did not cooperate. It was very cool and pouring rain pretty much all day.

Throughout our trip, we never had a problem with language. The Norwegians are quick to shift gears and speak English. However, the people checking mein hada bit more difficulty answering questions—including questions about the location of the start and finish lines. Luckily, other runners were very helpful in translating and explaining.

There were some 300 runners entered, and everyone was crammed into a very small hallway trying to stay dry and warm. After a while I felt overwhelmed by the fragrance of Bengay, adrenaline, nervous sweat . . . you get

36 Hi MARATHON & BEYOND September/October 2000

the idea. Eventually it became just too much, and we stepped outside. It was still raining and very cool. It felt like a crisp late October or early November morning. I had to remind myself it was June.

always find it torturous to decide what to wear. Long-sleeve T-shirt? Rain jacket? Looking around, it was obvious everyone had a different solution. I abandoned the rain jacket and long-sleeve T-shirt in favor of a short-sleeve shirt with a tank top over it. I was hoping that once I got going, I’d warm up.

Shortly before 11 0’clock, the runners started to walk to the starting line. Before you could enter the start area, a volunteer ripped a tab off your number— they were very strict about allowing people in the control area. As I stood in line talking with a runner, with my finger poised over the start button on my chronograph, I heard someone yelling instructions in Norwegian. There was no English translation. Before I could ask the person next to me what was being said, everyone was off and running. No gun had fired to signal the start.

The first three kilometers were hell! The trail was a mud bowl and full of rocks and tree roots. Picking my way through the area was like running an obstacle course. I twisted my ankle four times. People were falling down around me. They were certainly right about not trying to go for a PR.

At the end of three kilometers the trail dumped into a much better dirt road, and we could finally settle into a pace of sorts. This relief was short-lived when

Joy at the start is quickly replaced with a treacherous first three kilometers—a mud bow/! for a trail, full of rocks and tree roots.

James Hoch A HARDY NORWEGIAN MARATHON ® 37

the first hill presented itself. The beautiful waterfall off to the right did serve to ease the pain somewhat. As I grunted up the hill, two runners next to me pulled out cameras and commented on how beautiful the scenery was.

The course continued to roll like a roller coaster: hill after hill after hill. I continued with my mantra: this is great practice for my 50-miler, great practice for my 50-miler, But after a while, as I climbed another hill that led to another hill, the mantra was doing little good. I admit I did have an inkling that the course would feature some hills—the course looked rugged on the course profile on the Web site—but I hadn’t expected anything like this.

As for toilet facilities along the course, one runner at the start said, “The forest is all around you.” There were plenty of opportunities to duck behind a bush. The aid stations, on the other hand, were great, supplying us with water, a sports drink similar to XLR8, bananas, and raisins. The volunteers manning the aid stations were also very helpful.

Besides the hills, the road was fine until around kilometer 33. A volunteer pointed to a trail running off the road. Once again, we encountered rocks, roots, and lots of mud. By now the legs were wobbly at best, so picking a way through the obstacle course became an even greater challenge. This went on for about three kilometers until we came back onto a dirt road, which now seemed like arelentless downhill. One pastime that kept me occupied was trying to figure out where I was regarding miles run. Being so mile oriented, I had to do a little math to get an estimate. Anyone who has run a marathon knows how keen your math skills are when you’ re 33 kilometers … er… 22 miles into a marathon.

At 35 kilometers I was very hungry, and as I came into an aid station, someone yelled at me in Norwegian. All I had to do was say “English,” and I was quickly offered my choice of drink and food.

THREE CHEERS? HOW ABOUT TWO CHEERS?

I feel compelled to mention the whole business of crowd cheering. This is something that I believe most marathoners feel is an important ingredient for completing a marathon. The crowd along the way can really boost one’s spirit and keep you going. At this marathon, there was no crowd at the beginning, no crowd along the way, and definitely no crowd at the finish. I really missed that boost. Occasionally, I was passed by a few campers who were mostly on bikes. Again, this was very much a family outing. I think most of the time they didn’t know what to think. However, when I saw the finish line and my wife there to

38 HM MARATHON & BEYOND September/October 2000

Jim receives his finishing prize, a Skogsmaraton coffee mug.

snap a few photos, I didn’t care anymore about the lack of a crowd. The personal satisfaction was enough. A few volunteers were there to record my time and hand me a finishing prize: a coffee mug that said Skogsmaraton. It’s a wonderful trophy. Every time I sip my favorite hot beverage, I am reminded of the race.

The rain and cool weather never let up much, so there was no picnic—and thus no opportunity to eat the lunch my poor wife had lugged around all day. We caught the train back to the hotel. Being all muddy and haggard, I got quite a few stares. Zoe and I had our own picnic in the hotel room, where I recounted the day’s excruciating events in excruciating detail. I sure was hungry. The beer, sausage, and cheese never tasted so good. I felt ’’d earned it.

It was a tough, challenging course. A few years ago Iremember seeing a list of some of the toughest marathons. I

MARATHON PREPARATION VIDEOS

Virtual” Chicago

think the list was called the “What Was Virtual” I Thinking” marathons. I don’t know if Marine Corps the Skogsmaraton is on the list, but I Marathon”

sure would like to lobby to have it receive at least anhonorable (ordishonor- _ | eRun the marathon route virtually prior to race day able) mention. After this race, I do think Ss Seer Ge with former I’m a little closer to knowing what an__ |Get mentally ready for race day ultramarathon might hold in store. In |Shemstorciona ncoratner

fact, as I finish writing this, I have to | *30 minute video (NTSC format)

report that I have started training for my first ultramarathon. While I’m in the midst of that ultra, when I approach the wall, I’1l be sure to remember the

muddy hills of the Skogsmaraton Pe \8 and know I can make it through. ¢ es

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James Hoch A HARDY NORWEGIAN MARATHON @ 39

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